morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-05-31
From: Sarver Hollow Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night's shelter was down an extremely deep hillside that took 15 minutes to climb up today...and those miles don't even count towards the 2,175 to Katahdin. After getting back up to the ridge, I had the most marvelous hike along a rocky ridge filled with mountain laurels in bloom! The legs and feet are okay, but my left knee has a bony growth appearing on the outside and there's pain even going uphill now. I've tried tying a bandanna just below it and it helped today. Sometimes on the downhill I have to use my hiking pole as a crutch and keep it evenly in step with that leg to help support some of the weight. I hope I'm not damaging it further continuing to hike on it. I may have it checked in Daleville next week...we'll see.Trail Magic: we were hiking along in the woods and came to 2 coolers of icecold soda! What a surprise and a treat! Then a little later we found a widestream and Handyman and I decided to go swimming! It's been quite hot andhumid, so the idea of dipping into the stream in our hiking clothes seemed likea great idea...and it was! Definitely cooled us off for a while...but thethunder and lightening rain storm really did the trick to keep us cool, just wish those storms wouldn't come when I'm crossing a ridgeline! Lightening flashed in front of me about 50 feet! I jumped right out of my skin! Boy it sure scared me!!!Another highlight today was seeing the memorial for Audie Murphy where his plane crashed in the mountains here and he was killed. He was the most decorated soldier in WWII. Willing and Abal have left the AT for this year. Abal left me a voicemail acouple of days ago saying they came off in Troutville where I will be thisweekend. It's been fun reading their entries because they've been writing "MissBag Lady" messages in the trail journals at the registers. I miss them too, butI know I will see them again some day! Maybe I'll come back to hike some withthem next summer..maybe!The trail is a bit crowded right now with mostly fast young men. Tonight there are about 8-10 people in the shelter, and another 7 or so scattered up here on the hill in tents. Tony the Tiger, Handyman, Junebug & Fire Hazzard are the folks I'm getting to know best. We're planning on going to a All You Can Eat (AYCE) restaurant in Catawba tomorrow for dinner, and then hiking out of town a mile to the next shelter. It's supposed to be the best restaurant on the trail, but I'll bet it's not as good as those vegetarian meals at Elmer's in Hot Springs!Oh, I met a guy, Lakewood, from Webster, NY today who started the trail on May1st! He's doing 20+ mile days...literally flying down the trail..but seems tobe having a ball, so he's hiking his hike.Step lightly
Date: 2007-06-01
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: The Home Place Restaurant, Catawba, VA
Miles today: 12.4

I'm camped outside a restaurant! It's in a beautiful old mansion up a long driveway. We got here about 6:30 pm for dinner...supposed to be the best restaurant on the trail...it's an All You Can Eat Family Style place that serves the locals and likes the hikers because they add to the ambiance! The food was good southern comfort food like fried chicken, green beans, pinto beans, mashed potatoes & gravy, etc. ...and it was very good. But when they said we could sleep in the gazebos, that meant we didn't have to hike a mile into the shelter on full stomachs. We had already hiked today on full stomachs once today when we stopped off the trail for hamburgers...it was only 0.4 miles off and we were so hungry...who could resist? Not us!...but getting back to hiking was nearly impossible...my feet just didn't want to move and my body wanted to lay down fora nap! But we did make it and it was worth it. I'm with Coach (a retired physed teacher and musician), Genesis (a young man...I need to get more background), Kimchi (a 26 yr old woman with a degree in landscape architecture who Coach is teaching to play the guitar), Handyman (the retired air force guy that I've been hiking with for the past few days), and Mate (a young woman from Utah, I think). They are a lot of fun to be with...tonight Coach saw a piano at the restaurant and asked if they minded if he played it.so he plays and mate sings and the whole place got to rockin'! What fun! Right now, outside my tent Mate is singing and playing the guitar....what abeautiful voice she has!The hardest part about coming here for dinner was coming here straight from thetrail without a shower or a change of clothes! We smell pretty ripe after aweek hiking and sweating in the same clothes every day...pretty ripe! I evenhave a hard time standing myself! So walking in to a really nice restaurant felt very uncomfortable, to say the least...and I can only image the smell. A quick trip to the ladies room helped to make me feel better as I was able to wash my face, arms, and hands. What I usually do each evening is get a bowl of water and put some Dr. Bonner's soap in it, take my bandanna and my small towel and y evening, sleeping clothes and go find somewhere private to wash up and change my clothes. It makes me feel so much better and more presentable afterards, besides it makes me a bit less sticky for sleeping! The hair is another story and I don't do much with it. If I have a lot of water, Isometimes try to wash it. I have learned that cold water works a lot like creme rinse...reduces the snarls and makes it easier to comb when wet...good trick!I'm on to Daleville Sunday and will be zeroing on Monday...whooppee! I don'tknow what this crew is doing so I don't know if I'll be staying with any ofthem after this weekend or not. It's ok either way.My stomach is churning pretty badly from all this real food today...I'm going totry and get some sleep here under the security lightsStep lightly
Date: 2007-06-01
From: The Home Place Restaurant, Catawba, VA

To: A side note....
Miles today: 0.0

It's 6 am and for a second morning I've been awakened by nosy neighbors...yesterday it was in a shelter and this morning it's a couple who's tent is just too close to mine! And I was sleeping so well...finely! I get very hungry during the night, so hungry it wakes me up and keeps me awake. I< couldn't stop thinking about the restaurant we're going to today...andcalculating how long it will take to walk the 12 miles to get there! This issuch an unusual feeling to be this hungry. Why don't I just get something to eat during the night, you ask? Because my food is hanging in yonder tree...away from the critters of the woods...and away from me! Step lightly
Date: 2007-06-02
From: The Home Place Restaurant, Catawba, VA

To: Lambert's Meadow Campsite
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: few clouds

I saw my first bear today!...I crossed the 700 mile mark today!...I sat on McAfee's Knob today! It's been a busy 10 miles!!!This section of the trail has the most spectacular rocks, overhangs and views! Any one just wanting to hike part of the AT, should do this part...highly recommended! Yesterday, I forgot to mention seeing Dragon's Tooth...I guess I was too focused on food. But there were the most mammoth rocks bulging out of the earth that I've ever seen. Then climbing down once you've passed them was quite tricky. I heard that Castanets (a guy I hiked with earlier) fell 200 feet down from Dragon's Tooth, but I don't know exactly where he fell, you could seehow someone could. Sleeping under the security lights last night was not restful, but Coach walkedup to the country store at first light and brought back bacon, egg, and cheesebiscuits for everyone...breakfast in bed!Then Z-man (who gave us a lift to the Home Place from the trail...he and this guy, Further, are shuttling 2 cars up the trail and have been since Springer) saw our tents up in the yard so he stopped by to see if we needed a lift to the trail. Thank goodness he came by as we didn't think hitching was going to be too successful this morning. I sure was glad we had only planned to go 10 miles today (and another 10 tomorrow as there's no place closer to camp) because there was so much to see. McAfee's Knob is an overhaning cliff that hikers sit on with their feet dangling off and it's breathtakingly high up looking over the valley. I was so scared when I crawled out there on the ledge, but after I sat there a minute, I wanted to leap off and fly! I've decided to try hang gliding next summer, it's the closest I'll get to the flying I do in my dreams. And today I wanted to be one of the hawks that was circling near us. Later on about 5 miles past McAfee's Knob is Tinkers Cliffs and the AT walks right along the cliffs' edge for about 1/2 mile. Unbelievable views and rocks!We hung out up there for quite a while...boots off and everything...couldn'tquite nap as the flies were too annoying so I decided to continue on withHandyman. Since my boots were already off and I've wanted to try hiking in mysandals (especially since I met Artiste yesterday and he's hiked the whole trailfrom Springer in Crocs!). Well, I found the sandals required an excessiveamount of attention because I would slip easily. I was coming down a hill andaround a tree when my sandals slipped and my right hand hit the dirt. Ouch! AsI was getting up I heard noises further down the hillside. Looking down, I saw what I thought was a black dog running along a lower trail switchback...that's not a dog, that's a black BEAR! Yippee!!! I've seen my first bear..no time to get a photo, though. According to Handyman, the bear seemed to pick up his odor as he was much further down the trail than me, and then spooked off to his left. All he saw was a black burr out of the corner of his eye. Great excitement for us, that's for sure!Step lightly
Date: 2007-06-03
From: Lambert's Meadow Campsite

To: Econolodge, Daleville. VA
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Rain! Boy did we get wet!!! The rain started about 5 this morning and I was able to pull in my clothes drying on the line and zip up the vestibule before I got too wet. I love my new tarptent and I stayed nicely dry inside. Sleeping to the sound of rain on the tent has got to be the best sound in the world.What's not easy is getting packed up in the rain and ready to hike. I could pack up most everything from inside my tent: the sleeping bag, my clothes, my sleeping pad. Now could I get it into my pack with out getting everything too wet? when I finally got out of the tent, I found out the rain sounded worse frominside than from outside. It actually felt quite pleasant for hiking, soHandyman and I got ourselves all packed up and off by 8 am..we lounged in ourtents until 7 because it was a dreary morning. I was focused on getting totown, so I was hiking strongly...wish I could be this strong every day. But therain proceeded to get more and more, and the last hour was just pouring and wewere drenched when we hit town at noon. I looked like I had jumped into a lakeand just dragged myself out! The hotel was just across the street from where wecame out of the woods, so we checked in and got quick showers before lunch. That shower was the best feeling... warm, wet, and clean. After 9 days, I wasdirty right down to my bones!I'm taking a zero tomorrow, my feet and knees need the rest. It will be my first zero in over two weeks. The challenge I'm going to have isfinding a computer to download my pictures on to a flash drive so I can mailthem to Dana. Just have to see what's around here, but so far haven't foundanything. Also, if you've written me an email, but not heard back it's becauseof the same problem. Handyman has a little hand held computer, that I used toread my email, but typing with a little stick is too difficult. I'll write back when I get to a real computer, so please be patient.Others have asked about drops. I only have drops now if there's something Ineed Dennis to send. when I can, I'll plan out some more drops for the upcomingmonths and update my web page ...again when I get to a PC. Step lightly
Date: 2007-06-04
From: Econolodge, Daleville. VA

To: Daleville VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

A welcomed zero today. I slept the best I have in quite a while last night...no middle of the night wake-up calls and then insomnia like I usually have. After a 6 glazed donut breakfast it was off to the outfitters for odds and ends. Out in the parking lot across the street we ran into Mack from the trio that came in late Kathy's first night on the trail and he gave us a lift down there. He just hiked from the Smokies (north end) and now he's done. I got a new filter cartridge today, the other one was dark brown from sedimentand filtered quite slowly. I have decided I do like my gravity filter...it sure saves on the pumping. I just gather a bucket of water from the source and bring it back to my campsite. Then while my water is dripping I can do other camp chores OR get my stretching done. The only thing you have to be careful of is to watch and make sure the collecting receptacle doesn't topple over...as it has many times!I also got Mack to give me a lift to the Post Office so I could mail my bouncebox on to Glasgo and my winter gear home (more of it any way.) Dennis, I hopeyou're keeping all my winter stuff together so that you can send it all back tome at Hanover NH. I will lose track of what I had...out of sight, out of mind.I am noticing the impact that noise has on my system. In the woods, the quietis so soothing, my nervous system is calm...but hit civilzation and I can feelthe tension rise and the exhaustion begin. I prefer the quiet of the woods!I also have realized one of the reasons I'm out here..to learn to feel again. The corporate life, being a parent, and my love relationship all require me to pack away my emotions and maintain a strong face and tight controls over myself. Out here I laugh, I cry, I let it all out because it just doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of me. I can be me, whoever that is. And I feel such strong highs and deep sorrows, physical pain and exhaustion and so light I know I could fly off o McAfee's Knob...I feel it all..and I never want to stop feeling again. I can remember my mother fighting all the constraints of society and her family in her later years, and now I know why. There comes a time (maybe more so for women) to throw your arms up in the air and break the cuffs that bind us, and become free. For the first time in my life I'm doing something for just me! Poor Dennis is going to get a new and feistier woman coming home in October...he better be getting ready for me! Step lightly
Date: 2007-06-05
From: Daleville VA

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

A short day coming out of town is a good thing. The pack is heavy with food and the legs are slow from resting. But 10 mintes into the hike and I feel at home again.Nothing unusual about today's hike except for the fact that Tony Tiger waitedfor us before leaving the motel this morning because he didn't want to hikealone. He's usually out early and waiting for us at the shelter for a couple of hours. But today I wanted to hike alone, so I hung back and let everyone else hike on ahead....I even got my nap this afternoon when I sat down on a low log and laid back on my pack and fell fast asleep for about 20 minutes! It felt so good when I woke up! I could hike much better after a few zzz's.I had a deliciously different dinner tonight: baby spinach and red leaf, with apple and Ken's French Country dressing...mmmm! Sure beat another "iptomn dinner! I'm working on being more creative in my meal planning, but it's not easy. I stand in the grocery store wanting to eat everything and can't decide what to choose. I want to eat my home cooking so badly...something like veggies and pasta or one of my everything salads....you know, the stuff that ya can't get in a restaurant or cook out here. Food is the hardest adjustment.There's quite a group here tonight: Genesis, Mate (pronounced Ma-tay), Coach,Handyman, Kimchi, Tony Tiger, Not Guilty, Aristotle, and some guy who just hiked in a minute ago. Most of us will stay together until Glasgow the next town up. Then some of us will go in for resuppy and some will go on. The ebb and flow of the AT.Step lightly
Date: 2007-06-06
From: Wilson Creek Shelter

To: Jennings Creek
Miles today: 16.8

Today the issue is going to be water. Because of the lack of rain, many of our water sources are dry. It looks like we either have to walk 4-5 more miles than we'd like, or haul water 7 miles to the shelter. Neither option looks good to me. We'll see what happens today. Step lightlyWhat a fun hike today was! We hiked along the Blue Ridge Parkway for much of it, just off to one side or the other. We actually crossed the parkway 5 times. At the shelter about 7 miles out, we got water to take to the next shelter for the night. Many of these shelters are a quarter of a mile down into a ravine, and this one was no exception...so I got smart and dropped my pack at the top and just carried my water bucket down to the spring to get water. I then hiked the steep slope back up to where I left my pack. I filled my gravity filter and hung it up to let it do its thing, filling my bladder which was balanced against my fleece pullover. I then sat down to fix some lunch and wait for the bladder to fill. Splash! The bladder gets top heavy and flops over spilling the filtered water on the ground...oh, no! I'll have to hike back down again...round trip another half mile! Down and back once with the pack or down and back twice without! Hmmm??? When I finally have all my water receptacles filled, I have 3 liters or 6 pounds of water. And I then carried it 6.4 miles to the next shelter...and it was heavy...the feet feel it the most. We got to the next shelter about 5:30 and the guys left it up to me to decide if we're staying there or moving on 3 miles to Jennings Creek. I found the shelter gloomy, so after a rest, a snack, and dumping 5 lbs of water!...we kept hiking on to a delightful creekside campsite...complete with fireflies on my tent's mesh!I had my first real fall today! Tripped going down a rocky trail and did a face plant literally..twice 'cause my head bounced! And then, due to the momentum of my pack and the hill, I kept going and rolled over onto my back! The lucky thing was that my face hit the softest leaves on the side of the hill. It would have been real nasty if I'd hit a rock.Also have to mention the delicious dinner I had tonight...potato chees soup mixed with ramen noodles and chicken seasoning...mmmm! Every now and then I hit on a winner!!! Goodnight...
Date: 2007-06-07
From: Jennings Creek

To: Cornelius Creek Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Up, and up, and up, and up...for 6 hours and 9 miles today But it sure is a challenge to hike alone...I have to stall, and dilly dally, so that others hike on, but I like hiking alone best most of the time. I saw some spectacular plants today that were similar to Queen Anne's Lace, but they were over 5 feet tall and the flowers were the size of dinner plates! Giant flowers, that's for sure. And the other thing that is prolific is spider wort. This a plant I have in my garden at home, I've seen in the gardens at Jamestown. I think it has medicinal purposes, but I don't know what they are.I don't know of I've shared the problem I've had with bites. They started in the motel in Bland and have continued for the last couple of weeks. Mostly on my legs, feet and arms...and do they ever itch! And do I ever scratch them! Made them into sores. Others have been having the same problem. I don't see or feel anything bite me...just get a bump that itches. Can find them when I take off my boots at the end of the day sometimes. I'm going to have some pretty scars to remember my hike by!I got to this shelter about 2:30 and there were 2 women here taking a zeroday...in the woods! Torpedo and Lunar. Told them I needed to get to Glasgow by Sat morning and they said they did too and that I could stay here and hike with them tomorrow...they were doing an 18. I'll end up at the same shelter, but get to rest today and finish this long climb tomorrow. Sounded good. We've got a crowd here tonight. Torpedo, Lunar, Coach, Kimchi, Just Enough, Big Brother, Bandaid Kid, and a couple other whose names I haven't gotten. I have to admit meeting SO MANY new people, some every day, is getting exhausting. I'd like to find a couple of people who's company I enjoy and travel with them...like I did with Willing & Abal and Slinky Dog. That was fun and I'd like to find something like that again. We're being serenaded by Coach again. Always a delight! I'm eating candy in my tent..always hungry these days...and I don't want to getup and put them into my bear bag hanging in the shelter. After months of neverhearing of any problems, it's easy to get laxSpeaking of wildlife, I've been seeing a lot of deer lately and they don't seemto bothered by humans. You can get within 15 feet or so of them and they justlook at ya. We'll see what adventure tomorrow brings. Step lightly
Date: 2007-06-08
From: Cornelius Creek Shelter

To: Matts Creek Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Long day...longest yet, I think. Hot day...in the 90's and we were out in the sun a lotTwo falls...once coming down a steep rocky decline my foot slipped on the leaves and I sat down, but my right wrist, once again, came to my rescue and took the brunt of it, crunching as it bent under the force....the second time I tripped over a root in the leaves, my feet too tired to be lifted very high, and went face first into the leaves, no visible injury.Lots of new itchy bits and also watery blisters (that I suspect is poison ivy)...wish I knew what all the little bumps were though...they're almost like hives.My plantar fasciitis is back full force, too. I wish I could quit complaining about all my aches and pains, but I spend a good part of each day trying tofigure out ho to get them to go away.Hiked with Torpedo, Luna, and Nice Enough today...well let's say I shared breaks with them...They hike much faster than I do, so they'd hike ahead, then sit for a break, and I catch up, then off we'd go again. Because I hike slower, I seem to need fewer (or shorter) breaks.I'm really tired tonight, but I did the near 18 miles in under 12 hours...justunder (40 minutes under!).Food was a problem those week..not enough stuff outside the base meals and I've been so hungry. I'm experiencing a feeling of hunger that actually makes me feel sick. I can eat and an hour later a dep ache of hunger returns. I wasrationing some lifesavers today towards the end and allowing myself to eat onlyone every hour to try and stave off the hunger. It didn't work and the lastclimb about did me in. I was on my last legs when I got to the top. I only had my dinner left to eat and I was going to cook it when Luna tossed me a baggie of dried fruit and a granola bar...trail magic! I was so grateful!!1Tomorrow morning we going into Glasglow for breakfast... I'm probably going tostay the night as there is one gentlemen in this group that is annoying megreatly and I'd like to get separated from him.But that means separating from the others too. Tony Tiger is taking a break inGlasglow to meet up with his girlfriend, but I don't know for how long. We'lljust have to see what tomorrow brings.Step lightly