morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-05-13
From: Campsite just outside of Daleville, VA

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 4.9

DAY 68Up about 5:30 and packed up after another long hot night. Still a lot of ridge to cross before we started the descent into town. We arrived about 9:30 looking for a good breakfast. We decided to check at the Super 8 to see where we could eat. The woman at the desk let us check in early, and even offered us their continental breakfast. Since it is mother's day we decided to find a more appropriate place to eat. We were happy to get showered after 6 days and put on our cleanest clothes to walk down to Angelle's Diner. The woman at the desk recommended it, and she was right, we had a wonderful mother's day breakfast. It was a small diner, and watching them prepare the food was amazing. On the way back to our room we grabbed a couple of items for resupply.Back at the hotel we started our laundry and we both called our moms to wish them a happy mother's day and cleaned and organized our gear. It is another scorcher today, well into the 90's.Later we walked down to the Kroegers for resupply and then stopped at the Three Lil Pigs BBQ restaurant for dinner. We each ordered a large IPA, looking forward to a tasty beer. We were disappointed in the beer, and actually asked if they served us the one we ordered. The food was really good, and hikers (maybe all patrons?) get a free banana pudding dessert which was yummy.When we walked back to the hotel with our six bags of resupply the bank thermometer was still reading 93 at 6:00. Working on the journal tonight and trying to rest. Looks like another hot day tomorrow and then thunderstorms for 2 or 3 days. Should be interesting.
Date: 2018-05-14
From: Daleville, VA

To: Wilson Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

DAY 69We didn't really want to get up early today, but apparently the people in the next room had their alarm clock set for around 2:30 am and left before turning it off. We know because the alarm was sounding and we could hear it in our room. Finally at around 5:30 we checked outside our room and one of the workers called down to the desk. Eventually after some discussion about whether or not anyone was in the room they entered the room and shut the alarm off. We tried going back to sleep, but by this time we were both pretty much awake.When breakfast started we went down for the tea and waffles. We packed our gear and I ran down to the outfitter to see if they had any shoes to replace mine. I also needed a canister and a few other items. Mary stayed behind to work on the journal. When I went by the bank thermometer at 8:40 it read 86 degrees, so it is going to be another hot one. I did buy another food bag, so now I have two smaller ones that seem to fit the food better than one large one.When I got back to the room we decided to mail a few more items home because it looks like it has warmed up for sure now. Called a cab and he ran us down to the post office. It cost more fore the cab than to mail the package, but we didn't want to make the long road walk in the heat. When the cab dropped us back at the trailhead which is right near the Super 8 and a small store it was getting near lunch so we decided we better eat something before we headed out. The convenience store does BBQ pork out back, and we each grabbed a sandwich and drink and ate at the picnic table before we hit the trail. Bluegrass joined us for a moment before he headed up the trail, he had just come from Pizza Hut. As always, leaving town our packs are heavy, and it is hot.The trail wasn't to severe today, lots of ups and downs but nothing extreme. We made pretty good time and drank lots of water and sweat plenty. Stopped for a water refill at Fullhardt Shelter and then moved on for Wilson Creek Shelter. Played leap frog with Bluegrass, Tinkerbell, and another hiker most of the day. The shelter is packed tonight with 6 or so and probably 10 to 12 tents. Considering the heat and the time we left, I thought we did pretty good today. The A/C and showers seem like a long time ago after hiking with a pack on your back all day. We both reek again already...
Date: 2018-05-15
From: Wilson Creek Shelter

To: Campsite after Jennings Creek (VA 614)
Miles today: 17.1

DAY 70Heard something walking around outside last night. I was afraid it may be a bear trying to get my food bag, so I got up to try and scare it off. When I got outside the tent with my red headlamp on I saw 2 red eyes staring back. When I went to switch my headlamp to full bright I cycled by flashing red, to low white, then high white. It turns out it was a deer and the lights must have freaked him out because I saw him jump up in the air and slip slide away thrashing about in the leaves.We got up pretty early today as we wanted to get going before it got too hot. The terrain was nice today as we entered the Blue Ridge Parkway. We parallel the parkway for quite a few miles, often crossing back and forth across it. We stopped early this morning at one of the lookouts with a picnic table and had tea and almond biscuits, very good and just the boost we needed.It stayed a little cloudy this morning, so the sun wasn't brutally hot. We hiked through a very pretty area today, the rhododendron and azaleas are all in bloom and the mountain laurel is partially in bloom. With the hot weather everyone was hoping to make it to the swimming hole at Jennings Creek. A bunch of us stopped for water and lunch just before Cove Mountain. Once we started up the hill the sun was out in full force and we were sweating bad. Just as soon as we crested the hill and started the descent to Jennings Creek, 5 miles away, we started to hear rumbles of thunder and the sky darkened. We raced to Cove Mountain shelter to try to avoid the storm. We made it just prior to any rain, but the storm seemed to be all around us, but not right over head. We waited about 45 minutes, but it really just sprinkled off and on with the thunder all around. Bluegrass was at the shelter waiting out the storm, and he moved on while we still waited for a bit more. Finally it stopped enough that we decided to go for it. We headed out in a drizzle which of course picked up as we hiked. We did the 3 or so miles pretty quickly, but arrived at the swimming hole to find about 5 or more trout fishermen all around the deeper pools where you can swim. Apparently they had just stocked it today according to a couple of the fishermen. We were kind of dejected, but remembered reading in the logs about people going for milkshakes and we saw what they were talking about. There was a sign advertising a campground that had a grill and did burgers, fries, and milkshakes. The sign said they would do a free pickup, so we called. Soon we were on our way to Mill Creek Campground.We arrived at the campground and found that many a hiker had taken advantage of the offer. We ordered food and considered staying in the bunkhouse, but it didn't look too appealing. We could also camp, but figured we could just as easily camp in the woods for free. We ended up eating, taking a quick shower, and getting shuttled back. The food was good and the shower felt great after all the heat. We went up the hill a couple tenths and found a campsite to spend the night. Big climb tomorrow, so off to bed.
Date: 2018-05-16
From: Campsite after Jennings Creek (VA 614)

To: Harrison Ground Spring
Miles today: 17.2

DAY 71Damp this morning as we packed up. We decided to do breakfast at Bryant Ridge Shelter about 3 1/2 miles away. The day started with a 1,000' climb then 800 feet back down to the shelter, all before breakfast. I remembered Bryant Ridge shelter as a nice post and beam shelter that has 3 levels to it. The shelter was still nice, but the no-see-ums nearly drove us mad. When we arrived a couple of hikers (Molasses an another hiker) were discussing whether to have breakfast there or not since the bugs were so bad. That should have been a clue that we should move on, but we were hungry and needed to eat. It was very difficult to eat and get water as you had to constantly swat the no-see-ums. We quickly ate, not really enjoying it, and moved on.It was a long series of climbs today, each one seemingly brought us higher until we ended up over 4,000' on Apple Orchard Mountain. The summit has a large FAA dome on top. The forest understory has really greened up now, and it was a sea of green, but loaded with many different wildflowers. Today's climb brought mostly pink, purple and white trillium. Two shades of pink lady slippers are everywhere, quite often in groups of 5 or more. There are also bunches of purple flowers that come in several shades. We will try to post some pictures, and I'm sure someone can tell us what they are. We also have a picture of a couple of flowers that look like yellow lady slippers, but we are not sure that is what they are.We saw another rabbit on the climb today that didn't seem too scared. After summitting Apple Orchard Mountain we made our way down a rocky scramble to the guillotine. The guillotine is a large boulder caught between two ledge pillars that the trail goes under.It was sprinkling off and on all day, so we didn't really get any views. As we made our way into Thunder Hill shelter it started to rain a little harder. The rain let up as we cooked our dinner. We wanted a few more miles so we could make it into Glasgow fairly early tomorrow, so we set out for a campsite 3 1/2 miles away. Of course once we got going it really started to rain. We hiked pretty hard to stay warm, but the trail was turning into a muddy stream. We were soaking wet now, but we hoped that the rain would let up enough to get our tent set up. By the time we arrived it was only misting and we set up quickly on a wet spot. By the time we got the tent set up the rain picked up and we dove into the tent and dried off as much as possible. It is going to be a long, damp night, but we should be able to get cleaned up in Glasgow.
Date: 2018-05-19
From: US 60 Buena Vista

To: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter
Miles today: 14.0

DAY 74We didn't get to our room until late last night, so we weren't really wide awake early. It was pouring when we woke, so we weren't very motivated to get going. Had a quick continental breakfast, only to find out there was a restaurant next door we could have gone to for a more enjoyable meal.We tried calling the E's-y Rider cab for a ride back to the trail, but they were booked until noon. So, we called Three Springs Shuttle and were told they could shuttle us back to the trail. Nancy picked us up, and we chatted as she drove us back to the trail. We told her about E's-y Rider and how they would drive all the way out only to find no hikers to be picked up. She said she and her husband have had the same problem, hikers calling and then apparently getting a hitch and not calling back to let them know they didn't need a shuttle. She also mentioned that we would have some nice views today if the skies cleared. She dropped us off, wished us well, and we were back hiking.We were tired after such a long day yesterday, and we had a big climb this morning up Bald Knob (which is actually not bald). The weather was not great, and we had our rain gear on, sometimes we could at least get our hood off, but would inevitably need it back on. No views for us today.Stopped to stretch at Hog Camp Gap and saw a couple day hikers heading out the trail. All in all a pretty uneventful day, but we were glad to be back on the trail after such a long day yesterday. Happy to have made 14 miles after a late start.
Date: 2018-05-20
From: Seeley-Woodworth Shelter

To: Harper's Creek Shelter
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: light rain

DAY 75Once again it rained off and on all night. And, once again the tent is wet and filthy. It makes it tough to get going when you have to pack up wet gear. Looks like the sun is going to come out, so we are optimistic we can get dried out again.Not to long into our day we came to Spy Rock which is a short rock scramble to a summit with a 360 degree view. With a little coaxing and hand holding we got Mary to the top. Nomad was already at the top, and we chatted with him a bit. We had some great views and managed to get down with out incident.Lots of little ups and downs today, but the sun is out so that lightens our spirits. The big thing today is we conquer the Priest, which is a descent from 4,063 feet to 970' at the river, then you immediately start back up to 4,000 feet again. We had originally planned to end our day at the Devil's Back Bone Brewery. They will allow you to camp out back, and they have a restaurant to eat at. Sounds like they cater to hikers, letting them camp, shower, and sometimes they will return you to the trail. Unfortunately the terrain won't allow us to make it tonight, so we may try for lunch tomorrow.About 1/3 of the way down the Priest is a large, open ledge. We decided to stop here for lunch and to dry out our gear. We spent about 45 minutes eating and drying out our tent, fly, rain jackets, pack covers and even our food bags which are supposed to be waterproof but aren't.We finished the descent to the river where we treated ourselves to a foot/knee soak in the cold water. We thought about going to the brewery from the river parking area, but figured we better just wait until lunch tomorrow and make some more miles. There were several kayakers enjoying the river and we chatted with a few of them.Started the climb up away from the river and realized it was really hot now. The cool soak sure wore off quickly and we were sweating like crazy. We made our way to Harper's Creek Shelter and decided we were done for the day. Nice, raging river beside our campsite. When we picked our spot another hiker came down to warn us that they had encountered a rattlesnake when they were looking at the site next to us and it had slithered down toward where we were setting up. We are looking a little more carefully when we walk around. Ate, and in bed early tonight. Of course we just had a passing shower, so the tent will be wet in the morning again. Life of an AT hiker...
Date: 2018-05-21
From: Harper's Creek Shelter

To: Campsite with a view on Humpback Mountain
Miles today: 14.7

Day 76The rain let up quickly last night and the tent was actually pretty dry this morning. Packed up and hiking by about 8:00, not bad, but we are rushing to try and make it to Devil's Backbone for lunch. The terrain did not help us today as we still had 2,000 feet of up this morning, and much of it was large rocks. Even though the trail is switch backs, you can't make good time as you climb or hop to the next rock. We finally made the summit after a few stops at the overlooks. Talked with Nomad, he is hoping to go to the brewery as well.The terrain on the top was still rocky, but once we started going down it became easier. We finally made it to Reeds Gap where you can go to the brewery, and Nomad made a call to see if they could pick us up. At first they said try to hitch, and if we didn't get a ride in 20 minutes they would come get us. After 5 or 10 minutes a woman stopped and picked the 3 of us up. We piled in, each of us holding our packs, and we were off. She mentioned she really likes what Devil's Backbone is doing for the community.We arrived at the brewery and couldn't believe how big the complex is. They have RV camping, primitive camping, and are building washrooms and showers. They have a stage/pavilion where they do weekend type festivals. They really seem to treat the hikers great. We were seated quickly, and had a safe place to store our packs while we ate. They allow free camping out back and put on a $5 hiker breakfast, then shuttle you back to the trail.We were tempted to stay, but after we each had a burger and beer, and dessert, we got a ride back to the trail by one of the workers. A very good experience indeed! Nomad decided to stay for the night. We weren't very excited to get back to hiking after such a nice meal in the air conditioning. It was very muggy today, and it looked like thunder showers might be possible. The trail was still all rock slabs for another few miles, so we were full, hot, and slow. We did manage to get another 7 or so miles in to a nice campsite up on Humpback Mountain that actually has a great view. Lots of campers here that we have been seeing the last few days.All in all it was a good day with a trip to the brewery, and we still got our miles in. Should be in Waynesboro tomorrow, and we should arrive with plenty of time for a good rest and shower.
Date: 2018-05-22
From: Campsite with a view on Humpback Mountain

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 12.3

DAY 77Shortly after we went to bed it began raining, and it rained off and on most of the night. Early on a thunder storm rolled through and really shook the area a couple of times. Once again everything is wet or damp, but we should be able to dry it out in town.Mostly a down day with one little climb up out of the last shelter. Mary swore there were a lot of ups as she was pretty tuckered as we finally made it to the road around 3:00. As we were arriving a nasty looking storm was brewing. We got a text from Papa Dale saying hurry to town or seek shelter. We called one of the trail angels, Katz, who does the free shuttling and darted over to the popcorn stand where we were supposed to wait. We were immediately offered a ride from a local, but we couldn't get in touch with Katz to let him know he could cancel. We didn't want Katz to make the drive out for nothing, so we politely declined the ride.I had a quick hot dog while we watched the sky grow black and the wind and lightning picked up. Our trail angel arrived just as the rain started. As luck would have it, Laugh arrived just as we were getting in and he got a ride to town as well. We got a room at the Comfort Inn, which is right across from the Holiday Inn Express where Papa Dale, Brenda, Kingsman, Swimmer and his son are staying. As usual, hectic afternoon of showering, laundry, and a resupply run. I actually ran to WalMart before I got cleaned up to get some things we needed, and while walking back saw an elderly woman t-bone a pickup truck coming through the intersection. It was a pretty nasty hit, so I went over to see if everyone was alright. Talking to the woman, I think she hit the gas instead of the brake as she said the brakes didn't work. But, you could hear the car accelerate through the intersection as it clipped the rear end of the truck. Another gentleman and I helped the occupants out of the vehicles and got them out of the road. Come to find out the other gentleman was a retired police officer. Nobody seemed really hurt, mostly just shaken up by the airbags. So, once the fire and ems arrived on the scene we quickly departed.Back at the room we made plans to have dinner with Kingsman, Papa Dale, Swimmer and his son. We had a nice meal at Outback Steakhouse and then headed back to WalMart for our resupply. We had picked up some tortillas for Papa Dale, and while we were dropping them off his girlfriend Brenda ("Plus One") arrived. It was getting late so we headed back to our room to try and get ready for tomorrow. If we don't get everything done we may just zero. The weather is supposed to be nice for the next couple of days so we hope to head out.
Date: 2018-05-23
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Campsite just before Sawmill Overlook
Miles today: 10.0

DAY 78We slept in until about 7:00 this morning as we both were tired. We have showered and done our laundry, but unfortunately our packs and gear stink so bad that it has stunk up our room pretty bad. We can't open the windows, so we keep the bathroom fan on, but it's not cutting it. I feel bad for housekeeping.Had our breakfast downstairs and then figured we better get packed up and try to catch a ride to the outfitter where I hope to replace my shoes. We got a ride to the outfitter from a trail angel, but they really don't have the shoes I want. They were kind enough to help me order a pair of North Face Ultra 109's that I was looking for, and they will be shipped to a hostel just on the other side of the park. Very accommodating, and I greatly appreciated their customer service.Got back on the trail with a ride from another trail angel, "Yellow Truck", and we were back off around noon. We really didn't get everything done that we wanted to, but we hated to waste a nice day, so we will just deal with a couple things a while longer. The trail was pretty good today, but there is a climb to get into the park. It was quite warm, so we were sweating pretty good. We had our lunch at about 2:00 on the tractor seats that are cemented into the ground like chairs on top of the mountain. Lots of communication towers up there as well.We got to the shelter and then decided we would move on a few more miles. Pretty good climb up on the ridge, and we were done for. As we were looking for a spot we saw a tent in the trees. Turns out it was Kingsman's tent, and Papa Dale and Brenda are in the same spot. They thought we could squeeze in one more tent, so we decided to join them.It is a pretty ridge with the Mountain Laurel all in bloom. As I write this a Whippoorwill has been calling for the last 20 minutes straight. Maybe if I shut my headlamp off, he will stop...
Date: 2018-05-24
From: Campsite just before Sawmill Overlook

To: Loft Mountain Campground
Miles today: 17.4

DAY 79The Whippoorwill never stopped last night, and at times he was louder than others depending on where he was. Every time I woke up, he was still going, only briefly stopping for 10 or 15 seconds.Everyone was up early, and we all hiked pretty much together to the first shelter 10 miles away. Pretty good clip this morning, and we had ten miles done by lunch. It was nice to hike in the group today as we all got to chat as we hiked. We hiked the miles this morning and there was not water until the shelter and we had run out by the time we arrived. We were glad to make the shelter for some nice spring water.After lunch we split up a little, but we leap frogged depending on where we stopped. Our goal was to make it to the Loft Mountain Campground where we could grab a coin shower and eat at the store. We eventually all ended up at the campground and were able to share one site for $15, a pretty good deal. We all got showers and had nice grassy sites with picnic tables and bear boxes. We enjoyed some subs and other food from the store and even sampled a couple local beverages. Pretty tired after a long day.