morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-05-23
From: Campsite/ Stream

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: broken clouds

We had a great night sleep and woke up refreshed and ready for the day. We were able to head out by 9 am. This morning our energy was high and that was good because it was uphill all morning. VA is beautiful! Both of us have really enjoyed hiking in the area. Today we walked through a lot of pasture land and rolling fields, through old farmland with lots of cows. We took a break under some trees on a high hill over looking the view. It was overall a pretty sunny day with some large thunderheads forming all around. During our break, Strings passed us. He is an older gentleman who walks with a small guitar on his back. Strings likes to stay away from the crowd. We enjoy seeing him here and there when we are walking. We seem to be crossing a lot of fence lines today. We've climbed several ladders that help get us up and over the barbed wire. We decided to take a late lunch at Knot Maul Branch Shelter. Just after we arrived Honey Do came up along with Zuma, Scrapoli and Wolf Pack we visited for an hour or so and pressed on further. The rest of our day would entail our biggest climb- Chestnut Mt. After lunch the terrain continued to be difficult up to the base of Chestnut. Our summit was long and hot, but well worth it. After a while the trees gave way and we walked on the open, grassy Chestnut Ridge which provided us spectacular views. Finally, we made it to Chestnut Knob Shelter- an absolutely beautiful site with nearly 360 degree views. Jersey Girl was the only one there when we arrived and we talked with her for some time about her hike, as well as answer her questions about what it is like to hike the trail as a couple. After a while Carpenter (Lil' Debbie) showed up. We hadn't seen him since we stayed at Kencora. Turns out he had gotten off the trail for 10 days before Damascus and has been pulling 25- 30 mile days in order to catch up with everyone. He had a wooden walking stick that he asked everyone to sign. Within 30 minutes Blackbird, Honey Do, Arriba and Magic showed up and began to set up their tents and cook dinner in the shelter. Jersey Girl, Berry and myself were the only 3 who decided to stay in the shelter- the weather did not look promising for a dry night so we opted to keep our tent dry. Everyone gathered around the picnic table and cooked food until dark. We all talked about our various trail experiences and all the hikers we've met along the way. Off to bed now- want to get some sleep before the mice start running around.
Date: 2009-05-24
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Campsite
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: light rain

We were glad to be in a dry shelter after showers last night. We headed out early this morning with immediate ups and downs. We met a father and daughter who were section hiking for the weekend on the top of one of our big ups. There names were Rick and Beth Ann Copeland. They were just packing up as we passed by.Most of the day we hiked along with Fidget, Ezra, Limbo and Bird (with Mama Bear, their dog). The rain held off today despite the cloudy weather- yeah! We stopped for lunch at Jenkins Shelter and saw Arriba, Honey Do, Limbo and crew. Everyone was heading out another 5 miles to a campsite by the river. We arrived at the site first, along with Heavy Metal, and Bark built a large fire for everyone. There was some very nice trail magic at the campsite as well. Somebody had left a huge ice chest full of twizzlers! Once we got camp set up for the night Bark and I went down to a swimming hole and of course Bark jumped right in. The water was so cold, I decided against it, but I did soak my feet for a little while. It was the first "shower" since we had left Damascus. Soon it was dinner time and were with Arriba, Blackbird, Jersey Girl and Honey Do.Late in the evening Rick and Beth Ann arrived and got settled as well. We had great taks by the fire and everyone was hoping that the rain would hold off for a short hike into Bland, Va in the morning. We all will go to sleep tonight dreaming of Subway and Dairy Queen.
Date: 2009-05-25
From: Campsite

To: Bland, VA
Miles today: 6.8
Weather: light rain

It was only 6.8 miles to get to the road that led to Bland. We were pretty excited so we headed out early on the trail- by 7:15am. The trail went uphill in the beginning and then stayed flat the rest of the way. Our plan was to make it to Bland, spend the afternoon there and then hitch back to the trail and move on another 2 miles to the next shelter. We arrived at the road into Bland before 10am and it was 2.5 miles into town. We walked down the road and were hopeful for a hitch, but no one would stop. Once we were in Bland it was another 1.5 - 2 miles to Subway and Dairy Queen, so we had a very full and unexpected hike. Subway was wonderful! We met up with Honey Do and Arriba there and spent some time reading and catching up on a few phone calls. We left and headed to DQ just a quarter mile up the road. By this time the skies were looking pretty dark. Thunderheads were swirling all around us. At DQ we saw Honey Do, Arriba, Blackbird and Jersey Girl- along with Rick and Beth Ann Copeland. The Copelands had given Blackbird and Jersey Girl a ride into town and were getting their DQ blizzard fix with the rest of us. Then, a delightful twist to our day - the Copelands proposed quite an offer that none of us could refuse... a night at their house with a big spaghetti dinner! So- the six of us piled into Rick's truck and we headed south about 45 minutes to their beautiful home. Just minutes after we started driving the rain torrents began. Right about then we all felt overwhelmed with graditude for their hospitality. The six of us stayed in a large cabin just shy of the main house where we would eat dinner with the family later that night. The Copeland's are able to use these homes to host groups of children as well as pastors and their families for quiet get aways. They are a Christian family that truly exudes the love of Christ through their generosity and hospitality- the Lord has truly blessed them and they will be the first to give Him all the credit. We all went over to the main house for a huge spaghetti dinner and amazing homemade cherry pie (made by Rick's wife Becky). It was a wonderful time getting to meet and know their family. When dinner was all wrapped up, we headed back down to the cabin where we all had a chance to do our laundry and get ready for bed. The rain is pouring outside, relentless, and here we are cozy in a cabin. You just never know what will happen on the trail!
Date: 2009-05-26
From: Bland, VA

To: Campsite in the Woods
Miles today: 23.0

We passed 600 miles today!!! Well everyone woke up around 6:30 to pack up their bags and gather their belongings before heading downstairs to a great breakfast provided by the Copelands. We took a few pics with the family and then piled back into Rick's truck and left for the trail head. We made it to the trailhead by 10:00am. The rain was still going and was expected to continue for a couple of days. The first part of our hike we walked with Blackbird and got a chance to know him a little better. We took an early lunch break together and talked about family and life outside the trail. We had all planned to push out some big miles today with Pearisburg only a couple days away. Berry and I made it to Jerry Knob Shelter by 2pm when we saw Honey Do and Arriba. A nice surprise was seeing Sassy Sunshine and Daddy Long Legs- just back on the trail after a few days off for a wedding. We really didn't think we would see them again- and may not for a while (they move pretty fast). Once we left the shelter we were able to catch up with them and had a great discussion as we hiked the next few miles. Our hike slowed down a bit at VA 606. We went about 10 minutes off the trail to Trent's Corner Store to drink a cold rootbeer. There were a lot of other hikers there (not surprising when ice cream is offered). Everybody was trying to get out of the rain. We waited out a few passing showers and then headed back to the trail. Once back on it, the trail remained very flat and then took us a through a rhododendron thicket and very close to a swollen creek for a few miles. We picked up our pace with rain and dark setting in and we had yet to find a place to camp. We finally found a flat spot just in time for it to start pouring rain. We decided to just stand still with rain jackets on and wait for it to let up before pulling out our tent. Once it finally slowed down we pitched our tent, ate a few cereal bars and tortillas and called it a night. We managed to get dry clothes on and lay out our wet ones outside of the tent. All set now and ready for sleep.
Date: 2009-05-27
From: Campsite in the Woods

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: light rain

It was a great morning to be lazy in our tent. Bark and I fell asleep last night listening to the rain and woke up to the same. As long as we were inside we knew we'd stay dry, so we waited for a while before trying to get out of the tent. Once we made it out, we packed up our soggy tent, ate some pop tarts and started hiking. Both of us felt pretty sluggish and a little worn out after the mileage we did yesterday. The trail was a little wild today, and the rushing river that took its place made sure to challenge us by keeping our feet soaked all day. Other than the rain showers that passed by every 15 minutes we had a great day of hiking. The ups and downs were pretty few and far between and the foggy mist made for some beautiful scenery. The rhododenrons are in full bloom so we're seeing more and more big pink and orange flowers on the trees. We made it to Wapiti Shelter and ate some tomato basil tortiallas with cheddar cheese. We said a quick hello to Arriba and Honey Do and Strings and then headed back on the trail to try and finish out our hike. We climbed for a while and as we hiked we realized how few people you see along the trail these days. We have read in the shelter logs that several hikers, many who we have met, are leaving the trail for good. It is sad to hear they are saying goodbye, but we have heard that this would happen the further you go on the A.T. Injury, homesickness, the weather- so many things (mental, physical and spiritual) all play a part. I for one am so thankful to have Bark as a constant supporter and encourager. He is my husband and best friend, but also the one who continues to challenge me out here. Well, we got to Doc's Knob Shelter and ate a great dinner/snack of tuna with shells and cheese. It was perfect to give us the energy we needed to make it another 8.2 miles to Pearisburg. We were originally going to camp at Angel's Rest, but decided we were too close to town and a dry room to stop only 2.9 miles short. There is something about getting dumped on by buckets of rain that makes pitching a tent seem less than exciting. So- town it was- with wet feet and not much further we pushed on. About 7:30 we rolled into Pearisburg, stuck our thumb and a very nice man in a red pick up truck stopped to give us a ride. We wanted a full day of rest for tomorrow so we took care of laundry and resupply all tonight. Now that we are officially exhausted- its off to bed in our dry motel room.
Date: 2009-05-28
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We're taking a day off in Pearisburg today. Last night we stayed up late to resupply and clean everything up in order to take full advantage of a rest day. Now we are being lazy cows for the day and loving it! Back with Flatlander and Otter...we ate lunch today with them and caught up on journaling at the library. Pouring rain here too, glad to be indoors!We're still working out our pocketmail issue.. we haven't got it replaced yet but we hope to have one soon. In the mean time it may take us a week or longer to update our pages. Thanks for waiting.
Date: 2009-05-29
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 6.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Leaving town always brings with it some mixed feelings. Pearisburg was a great hiker town and we got everything done that we needed to, but leaving a comfy bed is always hard- yep! But nonetheless, we made it out around 11am. Any later and the hotel owner would have had to charge us for another day. We met up with Otter at DQ and then the 3 of us walked back down the road to the trail head. We had a hard time getting through the tall weeds and thickets-great season for ticks, we're keeping our eyes peeled. We all hiked together for a few hours up and out of town. The clouds and thunder started to roll in and we started to pick up the pace as we knew the inevitable was about to happen. For a good 30 minutes we hiked in a solid down pour! We were completely soaked. It's use in putting on our rain gear cause we sweat and saturate inside of it anyway. With the rain came a windy cold front which was a took us by surprise. We made it to the first shelter, but with soaking wet feet and the winds making it pretty chilly, we dropped our packs - 6.8 miles into our hike we called it a day (not our original plan). With rain in the forecast for the evening, we set up our packs and bags inside the shelter, changed clothes and hung up our wet ones. We ended up having a great night with everyone else who called it home as well. Vagrant, Arriba, Phoenix, Hardcore, Spicoli, Bon Bon and two guys from Michigan sat, joked around and had a fun time staying dry and warm. The rain poured only one other time, but we were hoping the forecast would turn out clear for the morning. By the end of the night it looked like a laundromat had exploded in the shelter- good times had by all!
Date: 2009-05-30
From: Rice Field Shelter

To: Captians 5th Annual Hiker Feed 
Miles today: 14.0

We made it out early today at 7:15am. It was quite cold last night and still pretty chilly this morning. When we started out the sun was shining but soon we were in cloud cover and it remained that way most of the morning. Everybody is moving fast to the hiker feed which we have all been reading about for the last week (there have been postings along the trail). It was difficult for Berry this morning putting on wet clothes, hiking in the slosh and weeds, and seeing no sunshine. We stopped a few times for some hugs and encouragement. These days happen on the trail. We make it a point to remind ourselves that the trail is like the "journey" of life in so many ways...there's not always sunshine, sometimes things get foggy and you can't see the end and there are certainly difficult times. We just keep walking, keep trusting and it will pass. The sun popped out just before noon and our clothing dried out. We were excited to get to the hiker feed. On our decent down to the feed we passed several streams and creeks- all flowing full force, it was quite beautiful. Berry was feeling a lot better by noon. We did get a little out of sorts because we thought that we missed the feed. Eventually we arrived and we were So thrilled! Otter was there to meet us and help zip line us across the river to Captains yard. That was fun! Everyone is here..amazing food, games, music, internet. We played corn hole with Stewball, Flatlander and Daddy Longlegs. Then we versed the Seattle Sleepers in a couples match. Throughout the day we've played numerous games of volley ball as well. This evening Berry and I went on a short walk to cover a section of trail that we want to avoid tomorrow for convenience sake. There are probably 50+ people staying here tonight - campfire is blazing and everyone is talking with each other (or watching the NBA playoffs inside the house). After the sun went down we had a long talk with Otter out by our tents. Now it's time for bed.
Date: 2009-05-31
From: Captians 5th Annual Hiker Feed 

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Bark and I had a great night at the Captain's hiker feed. We enjoyed camping in the soft grass, but were a little surprised when we were awakened by the big thunderstorm that passed over during the night because it was clear and sunny and no rain was forcasted. It only lasted about 20 minutes, but the storm was strong.We woke up, packed up, said bye to Otter and gave a big thank you to The Captain, then hiked out. We left a little later than usual, but were still on the trail by 10am. It was very rocky all day. Previous hikers have all told us that Pennsylvania is rocky, but nobody ever told us how rocky the terrain is in Virginia. It made for pretty tender feet and sore ankles by the end of the day. Our hike was filled with pretty big climbs. One thing we are always thankful for is sunny weather. We were a little worried when we left this morning because of a few lingering clouds and fog that hung on until around noon- after that it was sunny and clear which allowed us to have a few nice views from Wind Rock. You can look out over the mountains in VA and the ridglines are beautiful- very different from NC, TN or GA. They appear almost flat and just run forever which always makes for beautiful valleys of farmland and grassy meadows. The farmland views are by far my favorite- I (Berry) love to see old barns or farm roads running through the valleys. We made our way down to the shelter around 6:30 and were excited to see Sassy Sunshine, Daddy Long Legs and Stewball- we always expect them to be miles ahead, but somehow we keep running into them. Because of the unexpected weather the night before Bark and I opted to sleep inside the shelter. I am much more use to the sound of mice by now since we have sheltered it quite a few times now. The option to have a dry tent in the morning far out weighs the threat of a little mouse. We had a full house in the shelter including Penny Mouse (2nd day on the trail), Ninja, Hardcore, Wolfpack and Flatlander. We were hoping to see Otter hike in as well, but so far no luck. He was planning on leaving the Captain's just a little later than we did. He might have gotten caught up in the free coffee...
Date: 2009-06-04
From: Campsite- Daleville 

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 1.0
Weather: light rain

We were eager to get into town today. It is wet and looks like it's gonna be another several days of rain. Only one mile today - that's easy! We hiked mostly through the thicket getting into town. Not much to see on the way, however, there was a very large snapping turtle in the middle of the trail (about 1-2ft in diameter). Berry was scared cross it's path. The trail runs right through the middle of town. It's a nice stop. We are checked in at the Howard Johnson with the thru-hiker discount. Everyone is here- Sassy, Longlegs, Stewball, Spicoli, Wolf Pack, Side Show, Journey, Aribba, Flatlander, Freebird and crew, Otter... Everyone is getting out of the rain and happy to be in town after a couple of hard days on Dragons Tooth and McAffee Knob. Berry and I resupplied early this morning at Kroger and then we purchased new shoes for Berry (her shoes are nearly shredded) and a filter for our purifier. All the stores were together right next to the trail and hotel. We couldn't check in till the afternoon so we sat outside on a bench at "3 Lil Pig's BBQ" reading and waiting for the place to open. Boy o boy- that was great BBQ!!!Uploaded Journals, sorted everything out, got clean..Otter visited us for a while and then he joined us along with Flatlander for dinner. Afterward he came over to our room and we watched Lord Of The Rings on TNT network, shared our pics and talked about our recent days on the trail. Otter almost got struck by lightning on McAffee Knob- it struck a few feet away and he felt the hair raise on his neck- crazy! Folks, it is raining like crazy - flood and tornado warnings around the area. We might be taking tomorrow off. Plus, we already decided to slow down and wait for the "Loligag Gang" (Denali, Gorg and Chatter), so maybe that will give them a day to catch up. We've uploaded a few more pics- some of our favorites of the sky on McAffee Knob, hope you enjoy. Also, someone mentioned that our mileage count for Trail Journals is different. Don't pay any attention to the TJ count. I'll get it fixed soon.
Date: 2009-06-05
From: Daleville, VA

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

The rain was still coming down outside our window this morning and the decision was quickly made to take one more day off. As we headed to breakfast it was evident that the same decision was made by almost every other hiker who was in town. We keep hearing that this is officially the wettest spring on the A.T. on record. Bark and I only had one real task to complete today and it was to exchange my shoes at the outfitter. Before and after that we could be found in bed- completely laid up and totally relaxing. We watched a couple movies, had time to read and later took an actual nap. On our off days we try to make it a point to catch up on phone calls and see how friends and family are doing. It's always good to hear from people you love. Well it's pretty late and surprisingly, Bark and I are pretty tired even after all of our R & R today. Off to bed... tomorrow's forecast- sunny!
Date: 2009-06-06
From: Daleville, VA

To: Wilson Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: few clouds

With a beautiful and sunny day upon us we knew it was time to leave Daleville- and thats just what we did. Bark and I slept in a little while then headed to the lobby for breakfast. Before leaving town we always get in one last shower so we are sure to feel extra clean before the bugs and dirt take their toll. We had not planned on a very big hike for the day since we didn't leave town until around noon. The day was great- there were definitely some ups and downs but we took a few breaks and made it to the first shelter with no problems. We saw a few other hikers- Hop Scotch, Lucky Joe, Moe and Bones. I (Berry) have made it almost 730 miles without any good falls to speak of... until today. While crossing a pretty chilly creek, I stepped wrong on a very slippery rock and in I went! Bark was already across, but looked back just in time to get a good laugh. Luckily I was only wet from the waist down, but it sure was cold! We headed out from there and made it to Wilson Creek Shelter where we called it a night. We set up our tent and started making dinner. We had made it a point to carry out a couple bags of marshmallows with us so that we could share them and roast a few over a camp fire. Bark got to work on building the fire and soon after dinner we were ready with sticks in hand. Leave it to hikers to find a better purpose for the marshmallows though- a quick game of "Chubby Bunny" anyone?? That's right, Bark, Otter, John and Honey Do all stuffed their mouths with huge mallows and tried to say "chubby bunny"- no chewing allowed. I think the max was 8 marshmallows- guess who won? A little later that evening, Bark and I had already settled into our tent when we heard a very familiar voice coming up the path- it was Blackbird! We had not seen him since the day before Pearisburg and were very glad he caught up.