morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-04-27
From: Campsite at 513.2

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: clear sky

The group had ended up camping about 5 miles apart.  The group in front were planning to make it to Partnership Shelter. For them, it would be a 15 mile day but for Dew and I, it would be a 19.2 mile day.  I started the morning out early and was walking by 6:40am. I love the quiet of the morning. The first few miles flew by.  Once I was almost to the bottom, I saw four does bounding up the steep slope. I am envious of their four long legs.  The can conquer more in ten seconds that I can climb in 10 minutes.   They are so graceful and agile.  The terrain was so much easier than I expected. Gentle rolling hills, pastures, and even a tiny bit of wetlands.  The best surprise of the day was climbing over a cow stile to find can Cokes and can Sprite.  They were even still cold.  I wish I could thank the awesome trail angel who left those.  As the miles wore on, I finally started getting extremely tired.  My legs pretty much were noodles.  When I finally arrived at Partnership shelter, it was completely full.  I set up my hammock as far away from the shelter as I could.  As soon as I got my tarp up, it started to rain. Goat and Dew joined me under my tarp for dinner.  Once dinner was cleaned up, I went promptly to bed.  Tomorrow would be a quick trip into Marion for a couple days of food.  All and all, I was extremely proud of myself for being able to go 19.2 miles.  Hopefully one day I'll be able to hit 20!**Photos/Videos on Facebook - Mickie Blair (Dicey Willow)
Date: 2017-04-28
From: Partnership Shelter

To: USFS 86 Campsite mile 536.6
Miles today: 4.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We all headed into town on the first shuttle.  A ride to Walmart was well worth the 50 cents.  I gathered supplies quickly then ran to the gas station/Subway.  I was back in plenty of time to catch the next bus back to the visitor center/shelter.   The group has decided to camp on top of Glade Mountain, but water between Partnership and there was pretty much nonexistent. I finally got started and was moving very slowly with all the extra water.  As I am trudging up, I see a tiny flicker of movement to the side of the trail.  I look closer and see a deer laying behind a log.  I was able to get a few good pictures but moved on quickly. I warned those behind me to be on the lookout for her and to be extra quiet.  I managed to make it to Glade Roaf before anyone else and I saw a campsite as well as an unlisted water source.  The day was toasty and I was excited to be able to downvan extra liter of water while I waited.  Finally Dew arrived, and then Goat.  A couple of others arrived later.  The amazing Dew and Goat had carried a couple of pizzas over four miles just to give us all a treat.  That evening a couple of group members that had been struggling with mental and physical exhaustion decided to take a break in the next town. After pizza, I struggled with my tarp stakes in the rocky ground.  Finally I had ever thing set up and I joined Goat and Dew at the fire pit.  Goat tried her hardest to get a fire started but it just wasn't meant to be.  We stayed outside in the dark for a couple of hours just talking. Amazing that was the first time on this entire journey that I wasn't in my hammock before dark.**Photos/Videos on Facebook - Mickie Blair (Dicey Willow)
Date: 2017-04-29
From: USFS 86 Campsite mile 536.6

To: 544.0 Atkins, VA
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: overcast clouds

The day was gorgeous and I was amazed at the bright greens that dappled the entire forest.  Flowers were blooming everywhere.  I took picture after picture.   Today was definitely one of the most beautiful. I loved the rolling hills and the views of the pastures.  I could have literally stayed there forever.   I was so excited to get to see the old school house and enjoyed some trail magic from a local church.  The blooming purple tree outside was covered in butterflies and a hummingbird even flew right by Goats head.  Others started to arrive and I headed back into the woods as the noise level grew.  More rolling hills, pastures and boardwalk through more wetlands followed.  Finally I arrived at the barn for a huge cheeseburger.   Dews package hadn't arrived so some trail magic from a group member parent allowed us to stay in a hotel for the evening.  The only problem was getting the four miles to the hotel.  The sweetest young lady offered us the back of her truck for a couple of us and all our packs while the others walked. She was just learning to drive a stick and she was so extremely nervous.  I talked to her for a little while and I hope I calmed her nerves. I told her about one of my first experiences on a hill with a stick and she eventually was able to get us all moving.  I can't tell you how grateful I am to her for conquering her nervousness to help get us to the hotel as the clouds opened up. It was like watching a comedy of errors as Goat and I attempted to get all the packs out of the truck and loaded onto the baggage cart. Once they were all loaded we managed one doorway before they toppled.  Finally in the hallway we realized it was pointless since there was no elevator.    Once we carried all the packs up, I went back downstairs to wait for the others.  A few of the group arrived but we were still missing one.  Apparently they had found a different hitch and left a group member behind.  I was finally able to get in contact with him and went off in search of him since he wasn't feeling well. Once everyone had finally arrived, a few went off to Subway, while I stayed at the hotel eating all my extra food.  I updated as many Facebook photos as I could then finally headed back up to bed. **Photos/Videos on Facebook -- Mickie Blair (Dicey Willow)
Date: 2017-04-30
From: 544.0 Atkins, VA

To: Campsite at 545.8
Miles today: 1.8

I did not sleep at all and was up early drinking coffee outside while I waited for check out time.   Everyone went down for the free breakfast while I again nibbled on extra food.  We talked about taking a zero and moving to a cheaper motel while Dew waited on his package.  Then unfortunately all hell broke loose.  One group member who repeatedly takes advantage of others generosity was pretty much refusing to pack up all his stuff and be downstairs by 10:30.  In the past, he had caused additional charges to a group members parent's card.  I made the mistake of standing up to him and of course he lost his temper and yelled at me.  His violent outburst scared the daylights out of me and a couple of other group members.  At that point, the three of us just decided to make it a short day and stay in the woods.  We managed to hitch a ride back to the Barn. We ate Mexican food then headed a couple miles up the trail.  We stayed at a campsite down by a natural spring. It was calming and we all had a great time. Goat was more adventurous than either Dew or myself and jumped in the spring.  The cold water was definitely a shock. We all laid in the sunshine and tried to forget the horrible morning.  The plan for the next day was 13 miles.  Dew would run (or I should say walk really fast) back into town for his package while Goat and I headed forwarded.  Once Dew had the package, he would meet us in the evening.  The evening was spent laughing, reading, and occasionally just enjoying the silence. **Photos/Videos on Facebook -- Mickie Blair (Dicey Willow)
Date: 2017-05-01
From: Campsite at 545.8

To: Campsite at 556.5
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: moderate rain

I slept fairly well only waking up occasionally to listen to the frogs.  I had my morning coffee and just sat under my tarp for a few extra minutes enjoying the quiet morning.  I eventually got up and moving.   It didn't take Goat long to catch up and pass me.  I took my time even though the skies were threatening rain.  I needed to slow down my brain so I slowed my body to a crawl taking picture after picture.   I even managed to get a photo of a rabbit munching on some fresh green grass.  It sprinkled off and on all day but I enjoyed it.   I passed the quarter way mark and relished in my accomplishment.  Then of course, the anxiety took over in regards to what the future holds.  Not long after the quarter way mark, the rain started to get heavier.  It seemed like every quarter mile a cow stile needed to be climbed.  They also seemed to get taller and taller.  Right before the campsite in an open meadow, the sky opened up.  I was drenched in 10 seconds!  I just decided to keep walking.  I finally made it to the pavilion where Goat was waiting.  Thankfully the sun came out for a few minutes and I was able to dry off a little.  Back behind the pavilion, I crossed over the stream and managed to find two trees for my hammock.  I put back on my rain pants to protect my legs from the stinging nettles (I think that what they were).  Once the hammock was up, I went back across the stream to have dinner with Goat and wait for Dew.  Dew finally arrived just before dark.  Unfortunately his package never came.  We all talked for a little while then headed off to bed.  On the way back across the stream, I managed to slide down the bank and hit my ankle on a rock.  Thankfully the only major damage was to my ego, I was grateful no one else saw the slide. **Photos/Videos on Facebook - Mickie Blair (Dicey Willow)
Date: 2017-05-03
From: Walker Gap Campsite 569.6

To: Laurel Creek Campsite 583.2
Miles today: 13.6

Today just really seemed like it would never end.  Tiny ups, tiny downs, big ups and big downs.  Over and over again.  I tried to ignore the pains in my feet and Achilles' tendons but they refused to stay quiet.  I distracted myself as much as I could by taking pictures of tiny things while I stopped and rested.  The final destination for the evening was a campsite around Laurel Creek.  About 300 yards before the bridge, I saw a sign for trail magic.  The sign was very specific saying "Yes today, we did not forget to take down the sign". I of course was still quite skeptical.  After crossing the bridge and finding more signs, I found the trail magic.  I was in absolute disbelief.  The food included meatball subs and hotdogs. Coffee and Sodas. Snack cakes and broccoli and cauliflower. They even had cheese and hard boiled eggs.  I talked to the angels for a little while and found out the trail magic was in honor of a loved one lost to cancer after he completed the AT.  I was in tears, not only tears of joy for the food but also in tears because it was the perfect moment for me.  One man said that they picked this spot because they heard from their loved one that people were at a low sometimes after entering Virginia.  They wanted to offer a pick me up and hope to make a difference even if it just affected one Hiker. It definitely made a difference for me. All day I was contemplating on whether I would be able to continue. Whether I even wanted to continue.  If this journey of mine actually held any answers or if it was just wishful thinking on my part.  After eating my fill and thanking the trail angels, I headed up to camp.  We stayed up later than normal and watched the moon as the clouds slid over.  The next days plan of a 20 mile day was nixed when we decided to head into Bland for a much needed zero. Photos/Videos on Facebook - Mickie Blair (Dicey Willow)
Date: 2017-05-05
From: US 52 (mile 590.1), Bland, VA

To: US 52 (mile 590.1), Bland, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Today was definitely the best zero day so far.  Goat and Dew are so much fun to be around.  They make me laugh which rarely happened before starting this journey.  Morning brought a quick trip to Dairy Queen for biscuits and gravy. Since the weather was beautiful, I walked down to Dollar General for a quick cheap resupply while Dew had lunch at the grill by the gas station.   I returned fairly quickly and got all my stuff in order.  The original forecast for the day called for rain, but it never materialized.  We sat in the wooden deck and watched the clouds weave a story on the bright blue sky.  The motel sits on a hill and you can see all the mountains, valleys, and pastures.  When the rain started the prior day, I was mesmerized as the clouds covered row after row of mountains until only the hotel's valley remained. I managed to get a pretty cool time lapse video of the dancing clouds.  We even got to watch as two helicopters dismantle a large metal tower.  It was fascinating. Finally I headed back in and just talked and goofed off for a few hours.  Unfortunately that evening Dew got a call that he was needed back home at the end of May for a few days.  Needless to say our mood definitely went down, but we know he will be back and hopefully will catch up soon.  We made our plans for the next day and then headed off to bed with silence instead of old black and white movies.  **Photos/Videos on Facebook -  Mickie Blair (Dicey Willow)
Date: 2017-05-06
From: US 52 (mile 590.1), Bland, VA

To: Campsite at 603.0
Miles today: 12.9

We all headed out from the hotel around 8:30am. Bubba gave us a ride back to the trail where we left off.  The first mile or so was a road walk.  The wind was howling and it was drizzling.   None of us knew if we would make it the 13 miles to our planned Campsite but we were going to at least try.  Once we climbed up the walk across the mountain was even more windy.  We decided to just keep walking and hope for the best.    I did stop a few times to take photos but mainly I just kept my head down and walked.  Amazingly I arrived at the campsite by 4:30.   Once everything was set up, I had a quick dinner.  After dinner another Hiker, I hadn't seen in a while stopped to chat before pushing on. It wasn't long before the clouds got thicker blocking off some of the warmth.  I finally headed to my hammock and headed off into slumber. **Photos/Videos on Facebook (Dicey Willow)
Date: 2017-05-07
From: Campsite at 603.0

To: Dismal Falls mile 610.3
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: clear sky

The night was filled with the sound of running water which tremendously helped me sleep. The campsite had multiple branches of a little stream surrounding it.  As usual, I was the first one out of camp and all was quiet on the trail.  I force myself to focus on the little things instead of worrying about the bigger picture which can sometimes seem so overwhelming.  The trail was a bit rocky in places and I started seeing more and more pink lady slippers.  At one point, I even sat down in the middle of the trail to take pictures.  Not long after that, more hikers seemed to pass which always make me feel so slow.  I think my body will always battle my brain over that matter.  Right before the road that leads to Trent's Grocery, a suspension appeared.  I tried to be brave and conquer yet another fear.  I did make it across but the nausea and panic took a little road walking to wear off.  At Trent's, I had a cheeseburger and it was delicious.  I am pretty sure in the "real world" a gas station hamburger warmed up in the microwave would not be nearly so tasty.  I picked up a jar of peanut butter and some tortillas, then headed back up the road.  A couple of local older men seemed to be oblivious to etiquette and were making comments about the body of a female Hiker that had just left.  Needless to say, it was making a bit uncomfortable.  Back in the woods, I felt so much better.  The wind blowing gently through the trees made the shadows of the leaves dance joyfully across the trail.   The new green leaves make the entire forest seem to glow with life.   Not long into my walk, I could already hear the falls rushing down in the distance.  The closer I got the louder they became.  It almost sounded like a train barreling down the track at full speed.   I found the trail down, and found Dew at the falls.  There were plenty of places for tents but my hammock was going to require a little creativity in the spot he picked.  I found a couple of trees that would work and set up my hammock but left the tarp rolled up.  Less than an hour later, Goat showed up.   Both Goat and Dew decided to cowboy camp on the rocks right by the falls.  I had never cowboy camped but decided I would join them.  We sat up out pads (dew let me borrow his almost length foam pad to supplement my shirt one.  They sat up on either side of me and we spent the evening watching the water tumble and the sky grow darker and darker.  The moon appeared before any of the stars and the water glowed.  Finally a few stars appeared but nothing as dramatic as I hope for.I was still awake at 10:30 when out of the blue rain drops started to fall from the mostly clear sky.  We all covered up our bags for the brief light shower.  Both Dew and Goat went back to sleep but I was still awake at 12:30am when another brief dusting of rain appeared. I finally just gave up on getting awesome star pictures and tried to go to sleep. **Photos/Videos on Facebook -- Mickie Blair (Dicey Willow)
Date: 2017-05-08
From: Dismal Falls mile 610.3

To: Sugar Run Gap Campsite 623.7
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: clear sky

I did not sleep much at all at Dismal Falls.  My old bones are just not made for sleeping on solid rock.  The original plan for the day was to go all the way to Docs Knob Shelter which was 15.7 miles.  I knew within a few minutes of starting the walk, it was probably not going to happen for me at least.  I was grumpy from minute one and I was worried about my underquilt.  Overnight the condensation made my quilt appear to be soaked.  I pretty much walked all day and never stopped for more than five minutes.  I only took a handful of photos and my mood never seemed to improve.  Not long before Sugar Run Gap, I found a surprise stream of water running across the trail.  I filled up and around that time Goat finally caught up with me even though she had left at least two full hours later than me. She sat down for a snack while I continued to walk.  At Sugar Run Gap, there was a small campsite and I decided I was done for the day.  I unpacked my quilts and hung them up to dry. They were more or less dry so most of my worries of the day were pointless.  Both Goat and Dew both eventually arrived and they decided to stop there as well.  The next day was only a 10 or so mile walk into Pearisburg. Once my hammock was all setup, I ate dinner, hung my bag and promptly holed up in my coccoon to try to make the blues go away.  **Photos/Videos on Facebook -- Mickie Blair (Dicey Willow)
Date: 2017-05-09
From: Sugar Run Gap Campsite 623.7

To: Cross Ave 634.3 (Pearisburg, VA)
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: light rain

I slept very well despite the howling wind.  I was so grateful to be in my hammock again.  I woke up feeling so much better and definitely less sore.  My feet weren't swollen and my hips didn't ache!   So I was definitely less grumpy on the morning walk.  The clouds had pretty much settled on the mountains and the views were pretty much a calming fog.  I tried my hardest to focus on the present, but my mind still wandered from past to future.  I stopped a few times for photos but wasn't happy with any of the ones I took.  After Angels Rest, where I let my mind sink into its own fog, I started the descent down to Cross Ave.  Back and forth, back and forth, for what seemed like hours, I finally reached the bottom.  I started the road walk down to Pearisburg where I was meeting Dew at the AYCE Chinese buffet.  Goat arrived at the buffet not long after I did.  We ate and then Dew let us know he was heading home for two weeks and he would be back in late May.  He plans on trying to catch up. I hope he does!Goat and I shared a room at the hotel across the street from the Food Lion. We spent some time with Dew and finally headed off to bed.  **Photos/Videos on Facebook -- Mickie Blair (Dicey Willow)
Date: 2017-05-10
From: Cross Ave 634.3 (Pearisburg, VA)

To: Rice Field Shelter 642.1
Miles today: 7.8

It was definitely harder to get moving than I thought it would be.  I was sad that Dew would no longer be with us.  I was also slightly hesitant to made the road walk alone.  I had two different locals caution me on hiking as a solo female.  They kept telling the story about the two women hikers that were murdered in the area.  One older gentleman even talked about growing up with the killer.  So I just waited until Goat was ready and we walked back to trail together.  The walk today was definitely my least favorite.  Maybe it was the leftover bad vibe from Pearisburg but the trail was not very enjoyable either.  After the first mile, I walked along a four lane highway in what felt like a cage with no escape.  It crossed over a railroad track with a train carrying coal I believe. Dust was flying everywhere.  Then you walk under a bridge before heading back up into the woods.  The trail climbs the mountain as the river gets further and further down.  I was amazed to see rocks wore smooth so high up away from the river.  Next I passed a dirt road which is called Landfill Rd. The stream has a sign that says non-potable water.  In other words, it's filled with the leachate/run-off from the landfill.  The trail is then littered with shotgun shells and other trash.  It wasn't long before the overwhelming smell of decomposition from the landfill filled the air.  Then off to the side of the trail on top of a rise was what appeared to be an abandoned car with the glass broken.  Then not far in front of that was an old tree house (maybe) high in an old oak tree.  Then there was an old camper/rv parked up there as well.  I kept walking as fast as I could with no break at all.  I texted Goat and she waited for me at Pocahontas Rd.  I was very happy for cell service.  Once I was away from the area, I was finally able to stop and have a snack.  I was so happy to be heading up a less inhabitanted mountain.  Finally I arrived at Rice Field Shelter.  It truly has one of my favorite views so far.  I sat on the edge and just enjoyed watching a hawk float on the wind.  I also took a few pictures of Goat while she enjoyed the view as well. Quite a few more people arrived to enjoy the view so I heading back over the cow stile and into my hammock set up away from the shelter.  I got up once to look at the moon.  It came up behind the shelter and was bright orange.  I went through photos for a little while then finally turned everything off and hoped for good sleep. **Photos/Videos on Facebook -- Mickie Blair (Dicey Willow)
Date: 2017-05-11
From: Rice Field Shelter 642.1

To: The Captains 655.9
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: broken clouds

The moon was so bright all night long that I kept waking up and trying to turn off the light.  The goal for the day was to make it to a campsite near the The Captains.  I am still so slow that I worry about going 14 miles.  Logically I know I can and will be there in plenty of time but the fear of failure is always forefront in my mind. Within the first mile my feet and lower legs were soaking wet from the brief morning rain that left the high grass saturated. I again decided that I needed to focus on the little things and took pictures instead of worrying.  The days walk was definitely much more pleasant.  Well at least until I started entering the area with dead fallen trees everywhere.   The area is still beautiful but it's heartbreaking to know that most of the fallen trees are due to the invasive gypsy moth.  The Pine Swamp Branch Shelter is even closed to overnight use because of so many dead still standing trees.  All day the sky had threatened downpours, and I was excited to reach The Captains before the rain started to fall.  A couple of people were camping besides the creek because Captains zip line was closed due to high water in the river.  I was going to try to be brave and go over it but I was secretly happy to not have to conquer that fear.  I set up my hammock on the only trees I could find.  It was far from idea but it would hold me up.   I was almost done putting up my tarp when it started to rain.  I sat under my tarp for a little while and ate dinner before actually putting up my hammock.  Goat arrived not too long afterwards and set up her tent behind my hammock. I was finally able to crawl into bed and focus on resting.  **Photos/Videos on Facebook -- Mickie Blair (Dicey Willow)