morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-05-26
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Groseclose
Miles today: 12.0

Had an easy hike to a wide spot off of I-81 called Groseclose. Stop by the Settlers Museum for a visit and lunch. It is a 1894 cabbage farm with a old one room school house. The administrator of the museum is very hiker friendly. Hikers are allow to visit the museum for free. They even keep the school house open all the time for thru-hikers to use in case of bad weather. Of course, a few years ago, the administrator was getting ready to paint the inside of the schoolhouse. A group of thru-hikers came by and insisted on painting the schoolhouse for the museum. Just another way thru-hikers give back to the communities near the trail. When I got to the hotel at Groseclose, the gang (The remaining Goonies and Goodfellers) were all crashed on the porch of the hotel. They had already checked out of their hotel and was waiting for Crazy Train to bring back Sideways's boots. They ended up leaving very late in the day and was only planning on hiking a couple of miles to the site of an old shelter. I should catch up with them tomorrow. UPS ended up resuppling at the Shell gas station and convience store. I tried to warn them. The Exxon Station is a much better place to resupply. The owner is trying to build a hiker friendly business. They even carried denatured alcohol for cook stoves. But the selection is very limited and the prices inflated as one would expect at a convience store.Went over Brushy Mountain for the first time.
Date: 2010-05-27
From: Groseclose

To: Knot Maul Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: light rain

This is the section that kicked my ass last year when I was section hiking. It is amazing how much easier this section was this year as compared to last. I guess the 500+ miles I have already hiked this year may have had something to do with it.As I was going through a cow pasture, a storm was on the horizon and I was not in a good place to sit out the storm. From my hike last year, I knew that there was a picnic pavilion about a mile up the trail. I made a beeline for the pavilion. I think I hiked the last mile in about 10 minutes trying to outrun the storm. When I got to the road, I noticed that the shelter was occupied. Because of the storm, I was crashing the party regardless of who was there. When I got closer to the shelter, I realized it was "The Goonies" and "The Goodfellars". They had gotten there earlier for trail magic, of which some cold sodas were left over. Nice.The storm was bad including a few minutes of hail. My weather luck is still good, I was about 100 yards from the shelter before it started to rain. When the storm was over I decided to hike a few miles further to the shelter. In the end, UPS, Sideways and Low Rider also ended up hiking to the shelter. The rest of the group was going to take their chances and camp at the pavillion. When I got to the shelter is was nearly dark. The shelter was full and it appeared that everybody was asleep. Two sister section hikers did stir around abit and ended up getting out of the shelter for a few minutes. I ended up setting my tent up on the side of the shelter. The others camped a few yards down the trail. Since everybody appreared to be asleep I was as quite as possible. I didn't even cook dinner, just ate some snacks. Mainly I just filter water and went to bed.
Date: 2010-05-28
From: Knot Maul Shelter

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: light rain

What an interesting day. To start the day off, the hikers in shelters decided to get up at 6:00 am and to call them loud was an understatement. They were basically yelling all the time. Low Riders called them a bad alarm clock with no snooze button. I found the snooze button. About 6:30, I yelled....People are sleeping, shut the F*** UP. To my surprise, they did, never heard anything more from them. The day started with a 600 foot climb over Lynn Camp Mountain. If that was 600 foot, I am a monkey's uncle. The climb was a good 1,000 foot if not more. Another storm appoached and in true "Goonies" fashion we decided to hang our tarps and wait out the storm. The storm ended up not being bad where we were. However, as we were leaving the creek rose about 1 1/2 feet in about a half hour. Someplace got a very heavy rain. We finally made it up to Chestnut Ridge on towards dusk. Wow what a view. It was totally amazing watching the storm clouds in the distance going over the mountains. It was a 2,000 foot climb, but it was totally worth the hike. The shelter was a 4 sided cabin. The first one I stayed at on the trail.Even with the long break for the rain, I had no energy as I had originally planned on hiking 19 miles.
Date: 2010-05-29
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

The storm the prior day was so severe on top of the mountain that all of the leaves it knocked down made the trail look like we were hiking in green snow. Crazy Train had gotten off the Trail in Damascus to work for a couple of weeks to earn money to continue his hike. He hiked up to the shelter from the road crossing and left a note that he as at the road with a his car. The rest of the group hiked down to meet him. They ended up going to Blacksburg, Va for a couple of days off at the house of his friends. (After thought - this was a mistake. The house was one step up from being a crack house. Crazy Train left the rest of the gang at the house without any transportation and his friends, which were basically high the entire time. I am so glad I didnt go.) At the shelter was a hiker named Rooster. In camp, he makes a little Rooster that he leaves for other hikers. He even carries some bottle of paint.Soap Box Time...First, according to our maps it was only 3.8 miles from the road crossing to the shelter. In reality it was more like 6 miles. They have to start making some accurate maps. Second, I camped at the shelter with some section hikers. They carried in some cans, which I have no problem with that, however, they tried to burn the cans in the campfire. In the morning, they left their burnt cans in fire pit. Why can't they carry out their trash?PACK OUT YOUR TRASH
Date: 2010-05-30
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Helvey's Shelter
Miles today: 14.0

Finally started getting some miles hiked. I hiked the first 5 miles to VA 615 in about 1 1/2 miles. I seriously don't think the mileage is correct. The trail after VA 615 was a very easy grade, which meant hiking was easy and fast. This is a dry section of trail with little water. Near the road crossing to Bland, someone had put out bottle water in memory of Ted Anderson who died a few days before his thru-hike in 2006. I wasn't planning on hitching into Bland, but got the world's easiest hitch. I was at the road crossing getting a snack when I truck pulled up and asked if I wanted a ride into town. Of course, I took it. After doing some shopping at the Dollar General Store, a truck pulled in and the same person got out carrying some tools so I could fix the shoulder strap on my backpack. And then he took me back to the trailhead. Since I was in town, I was going to stop and get something to eat, but with an easy hitch, I toook the hitch I had enough food in my pack. Total time in town 45 minutes. There was only one other person at the shelter that night. The water source was a long distance from the shelter.   Brushy Mountain number 2 and number 3.
Date: 2010-05-31
From: Helvey's Shelter

To: Trent Campgound
Miles today: 16.0

Made the 600 milestone today. Wow, I have hiked over 600 miles on this trip.Again the trail was nicely graded. I love this type of trail, but it is hard to determine you location as there are few features.My luck with the rain continues. I was at the turnoff sign for Jenny Knob Shelter before it started to rain. So I had lunch. Another dry section. Need to make sure that I start carefully managing my water resources. The spring at the shelter was also low. It was a good day to see wildlife. I saw a toad, turtle, snake, deer and another animal. Oh yeah......a bear. The bear was in a tree, probably sleeping. When he heard me made a beeline away from me. They are very fast and agile when they want to move. It was my first bear sighting on the trail this year. Trent Grocery was not much of a resupply spot, but they did make a good pizza or I was just hungry. Now I have to figure out which. The campground was dirty and in my opinion not a good place to stay.I only saw 3 other hikers today. Two of them were my friends John and Lisa (Two of a Kind). I first met them the second day of my trip. It was good to see them again. I saw a new species of flower for the trip. It looked like to light pink cheeks with a bright red tongue sticking out. Brushy Mountain number 4. I am getting tired of climbing the same mountain.
Date: 2010-06-01
From: Trent Campgound

To: Wood's Hole Hostel
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: light rain

I post many pictures from the beginning of the trip, please take a look. Not all of the pictures are attached to an entry, so click on photos to view all of them.It was another easy grade to Wapiti Shelter, which means Elk in Indian. Again my luck with the weather is good, I made it to the shelter before it started to rain. On the way to shelter, "Two of a Kind" was hiking in front of me and pointed out a Caneback (Timber) Rattlesnake right on the edge of the trail that they just walk by without seeing. It was a pretty snake and looked very healthy. It was in no position to strike at us so it didn't move in the hopes we would leave it alone, which we did. My knee is really bothering me, again. After a nap, I left the shelter at 5:00 and immediately started a 1,300 foot climb, which is never fun. I made it to the hostel right before dark.Question for the day...Why is it that the bugs fly/buzz my left ear 90% of the time?
Date: 2010-06-02
From: Wood's Hole Hostel

To: Wood's Hole Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Took a zero today in the hopes that my knee starts to feel better. The Hostel is a very interesting place to hang out. The main house is an old, I mean old, log cabin that has been in the owner's family for many generations. The hostel was started by the current owners grandmother. The hostel makes a very good breakfast and dinner. Mostly from fresh and some homegrown vegatables. Ran into some old friend at the hostel, Peach, Bam Bam, Sideways, Low Rider, Food Network and Sweet Tea. Low Rider stayed for a bit then hiked on to meet UPS at the next shetler. The excitment for the day consisted of watching the hummingbirds eat and play around their feeders.
Date: 2010-06-03
From: Wood's Hole Hostel

To: Wood's Hole Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: mist

Took another zero today, knee is still very sore. Not good. The Food Network help with dinner tonight. All girls listen up...the man can cook. Went into town today with the hostel owner. Was able to do my resupply at Wal-Mart. More importantly I was able to download the pictures from my camera to a CD. We went by the Catholic Church hostel so the hostel owner could talk to the Father about a thru-hiker that was getting into trouble on the trail. While at the church, the Father asked some of us to help move some items around in the church. What could we say, we helped. The highlight of the day was getting ice cream at Dairy Queen.
Date: 2010-06-04
From: Wood's Hole Hostel

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: broken clouds

Knee still really hurting, but decided to move-on to Pearisburg. My luck with the rain ran out, I was about 10 minutes from town when it just poured like "cats and dogs" on me. Luckily I was close to town and was to get to Dairy Queen and dry out while getting something to eat. I went and found ou where the rest of the gang was staying and got a room. There was a big hiker convention going on at the hotel. All of "The Goonies", "The Goodfellars", Food Network, Sweet Tea and many, many other hikers.
Date: 2010-06-06
From: Pearisburg

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Another zero day. Low Rider is headed home and back to work. Aquaman is headed home sick. We seem to be dropping like flies. Really getting tired of sitting around the hotel, but really need to get my knee healed.Question for the day...What does a thru-hiker do when he has taken for zero day in the last five? He.....maybe I will tell you later
Date: 2010-06-06
From: Pearisburg

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Another zero day. Low Rider is headed home and back to work. Aquaman is (a member of The Goodfellars.) headed home sick. We seem to be dropping like flies. Really getting tired of sitting around the hotel, but really need to get my knee healed.Question for the day...What does a thru-hiker do when he has taken four zero days in the last five? He.....maybe I will tell you later
Date: 2010-06-07
From: Pearisburg

To: Campsite
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Knee is still very sore, but hike out anyway with UPS and Sideways. Also left town sick. Just what I need sick and a sore knee. And to top off the bad news, we had a 1,400 ft climb leaving town. Had a West Virginia sighting today. This section of the trail follows the West Virginia/Virginia border. Ripple caught up with us as we took a break in a open field overlooking a valley in West Virginia. We ended up camping at a designated campsite. A couple of other hikers arrived after dark. We talked about trying to do a 20 mile day. My mind is willing but not sure the body is able. Ripple also left town sick.
Date: 2010-06-08
From: Campsite

To: Bailey Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Was planning on hiking 20 miles today, but the body said no. Went passed "The Captains". He allows hikers to camp in his yard. His place is on the other side of the river from the trial. He build a Zip-Line to cross the river. Still sick and knee is still sore. Really struggled today. For most of the day, the trail was somewhat level. Towards the end of the day, we did have a 1,400 ft downhill section, a couple mile flat section and then a 1,100 ft climb.
Date: 2010-06-09
From: Bailey Gap Shelter

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: broken clouds

Had a good mileage day today. When I woke up my knee cap popped back into place. It seems that the last several days I was hiking with a partially dislocated knee cap. The knee feels so much better. Now if I can get rid of the cold, life will be good.
Date: 2010-06-10
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Sarver Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: broken clouds

Not a big mileage day, being sick is really starting to kick my "ass". I took a nap for about an hour on the side of a county road, then hike about .10 of a mile, Peach and Bam Bam was going to take an extended break so I joined them and slept another 2 hours. I finally made the 1,200 foot climb up Braisers Knob to the shelter, it was a long hike. At the shelter, I was talking to Cotton. She was taking a few very easy days as her hiking partner, Sterling, had to get off the trail to go camping....I am going to have to think about that one. Mineown, who was at the hostel for almost two weeks trying to figure out what she was going to do, went into town to resupply. She came out of town with a case of Mt. Dew and left them the creek...trail magic from another hiker, sweet. Mineown started hiking the AT with her mother and aunt. I guess it was not a good hiking situation and her mother and aunt are somewhere ahead of us. The highlight for the day, the Keefer Oak. It is the largest Oak tree (Dover Oak) on the Southern part of the AT. It is more than 18 feet around and estimated to be 300 year sold.
Date: 2010-06-11
From: Sarver Hollow Shelter

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Another 6 mile day. This sickness is going to kill me. I have no energy. Someplace along the trail I dropped my raincoat. (After note, thanks Twiggy for returning it.) Also went passed the Eastern Continental Divide. Tomorrow I am going to cross a road, I am going to hitch to town and get some drugs. At this point in time, I am willing to try anything to get rid of the cold.
Date: 2010-06-12
From: Niday Shelter

To: Catawba, Va
Miles today: 1.0

Hike a mile down to road and "yellow blazed"/hitchhiked to Catawba. I had to find some cold medicine. Stayed in a room in back of the Country Store, it is amazing the places we can find to sleep.  Country Gold showed up a little after I did, he was waiting for a mail drop. I haven't seen him since Trail Days. It was good to catch up with him again. We ended up going to "The Homeplace" for dinner. It is an "all you can eat" homestyle county cooking. I highly recommend the place. Even being sick, I still managed to eat more then my fair share of food. I still think my eating habits is leading to me getting sick and then not be able to shake the illness. A couple of boys biking across the country, stop by to resupply at the store and ended up camping with us. It was interested chatting with them about their trip to see how hikers and bikers had in common.
Date: 2010-06-13
From: Catawba, Va

To: Lambert Meadow Campsite
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: few clouds

Passed the 700 mile maker today. Yeah. I didn't feel to bad today, I think the cold medicine and extra food helped. Hike over two of Virginia's three triple crowns. McAfee Knob and Tinker Bluff. As I was approaching Tinker Bluff a thunderstorm hit. Of course, I didn't have my rain jacket as it hadn't caught back up with me yet. During the height of the storm, I couldn't find the trail. When the trail is good, they paint blazes every 10 feet, when they trail is rocky and hard to follow, there are no blazes. Someday I just don't understand the logic. As I was getting into my tent, I heard something moving through the woods above the campsite. It turned out to be Bam Bam, Peach and Ripple. I had to use my flashlight to guide them to the campsite. They other hikers (Cisco, Pops, Tunes and Tootsie) camping there were already in their tents and I didn't want to yell and wake them. They had watched the sunset on Tinker Bluff and tried to hike to the campsite without using flashlights. Someplace, somehow, they had gotten off the trail and on a side trail. If they didnt see me, who knows where they would have ended up. In Catawba, Peach bought a bottle of wine. She couldn't open it because nobody had a cork screw. She left the wine. I wasn't going to give up that easy. After trying several items, I was able to open the wine. Since, Peach and Bam Bam had already left, I put the wine in one of my bottles and carried it out. Peach was really surprised when I gave her the bottle of wine. She was happy to have such a treat.
Date: 2010-06-14
From: Lambert Meadow Campsite

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

A very nice ridge hike to town, but this time it seemed to go on for a long, long time. Didn't think I was ever going to get off that ridge and into town. The last time I hiked this section, it seemed like it only took a hour to get to town, not today. I hike with Peach and Bam Bam most of the day. Peach has to get to Roanoke to be fitted for a Bride's Maid dress and I was trying to help them figure out how to get there. Enter a day hiker. We met a local out on a day hike with his dogs. We explained the problem to him to see if they was any bus service to Roanoke. He offered to take Peach to Roanoke tomorrow. Problem solved. About 20 feet before I got to the road, I saw a huge snake cross the trail right in front of me. The snake had to be at least 6 feet long. Checked into the Howard Johnson with the rest of the gang. I walk down to the local outfitters to pick up some much needed new socks. That was the highlight of the day. New gear is always a highlight, even if it is just socks. I also looked at new backpacks. This ultralight backpack is just not cutting it.The gang (Peach, Bam Bam, Ups, Sideways, Yum Yum, Herro, Country Gold, Ripple)took me out for my birthday. It was a great time and I really appreciated it.
Date: 2010-06-15
From: Daleville, VA

To: Daleville, Va
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Another zero day, but it seems like I hike more on a zero day doing my town chores then I do when I hike. The worst part is I am still sick. I walked down to the outfitters a couple of times. I ended up buying a new backpack, a small internal frame Kelty. Most of the time, the gang is just hanging around the pool.UPS and Sideways was going to leave town, but Sideways has to go to the denist.
Date: 2010-06-16
From: Daleville, Va

To: Wilson Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

Walked down and mailed my old backpack home. I stopped by Goodwill and pick up a nylon jacket to use a rain jacket since is still "Missing In Action". Talk about a hot humid day. We needed a knife to cut through the humidity. The heat and humity really took it out of me today. Of course, we had a 1,400 ft climb leaving town, as usual. It is only the first day, so far the new backpack really seems to be a great improvement. It really carries the weight well. When I got to the shelter the "Three Chefs Minus One" was cooking dinner. It took them a good hour to fix dinner. They even made cornbread on a campfire. I was impressed. The Three Chefs Minus One used to be three guys hiking together that really spends alot of time cooking dinner. One of the guys went home, hence the name Three Chefs Minus One.
Date: 2010-06-17
From: Wilson Creek Shelter

To: Bobblets Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: clear sky

I was dead today, I think the heat and humity from yesterday really zap all my energy. This heat is not helping me to get better I really think it is making things worse. I have to admit camp was entertaining. First, I watched the Three Chefs Minus One (there are only two left on the trail, one went home)cook dinner including making biscuts. As is standard practice nightly, some of the hikers hung their food bags. However, the branch they choose had to be at least 50-80 feet in the air. Normally, we only use branches that are 15-20 feet in the air. It was quite entertaining watching them getting their rope up and over the branch. In the end, they did it. Peach, Bam Bam, UPS, Sideways, Ripple, Tunes, Tootsie, Cisco and Pops all showed up here tonight. This is a small shelter on a side of a hill with not much room to tent.
Date: 2010-06-18
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter

To: Peaks of Otter
Miles today: 0.0

We hike the road up to Peaks of Otter Resort. We had a very nice lunch at the resturant and then layed around the lake for a while deciding what to do. UPS and Sideways are thinking about walking the road to Waynesboro. I decided to go home and get healthy. It was a touch decision, but I think it was the right one. I spent the last night camping alone at the campground at the Peaks of Otter. Tomorrow, my friend is driving up to pick me up and take me home. It was tough leaving the Peach, Bam Bam, UPS and Sideways. Ripple stayed on the trail as we hiked the road. I really hope to see this guys again.
Date: 2010-06-20
From: Home

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Since I have been home, I did Trail Magic a couple of days to help out my friends I have made on the trail. I went up and slackpacked Ups, Sideways, Yum Yum and Herro through the Shenadoah National Park to Harpers Ferry, WV. The highlights being running into a bear where we were planning on camping and the bear had no intention of leaving that campsite so we did. We also went tubing in Harpers Ferry. The bus ride was something else, not used to that many noisey people in one place.