morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-05-18
From: Campsite

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: light rain

5/18 Today was another good but wet day [from 12 to 1] with some 600-foot hills but also quite a bit of flat hiking. After 19 miles, we camped near the Jenny Knob shelter with 6 or 8 others. It had a good water source but you had to go straight down and then up a 40 or 50-foot hill to get there and back, carrying your water at the same time. It rained as we set the tents up and again as we packed up in the morning, not the ideal situation since then you have to carry everything wet which is another 2 or 3 pounds. When you go to bed, everything is damp and sticky and you wake up with things still damp and sticky. The worst may be putting on the cold, wet shoes that don't dry until the sun comes out or you get to town. We were lucky to get some trail magic at a road crossing with some much welcomed cokes and snacks from someone waiting for her husband. Thanks, Peggy, for the second time coming to our rescue with cold drinks.
Date: 2004-05-19
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Doc's Knob Shelter
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: light rain

5/19 Put in a long 22-mile day today with the rain coming down off and on. We had a nice 1 1/2 hour break at 11 am when we walked .3 miles off the trail and got a 2-liter coke and a sandwich at Trent¢s Grocery. It was a very nice break from hiking for the last few days, even though it makes it late getting into camp. I finally got to Doc's Knob Shelter at 7:30 with just enough time to dip some water from a spring that flowed between a small hole between some rocks, set up the tent, and cook and eat dinner. There were several in the shelter who got mad when 3 hikers came in very late making a lot of normal noise getting ready to quit for the night. They were trying to do long miles but it isn¢t fair to others when you wake them up. It didn¢t bother me much but I am ready to get to Pearisburg for some good food, shower, and clean beds.
Date: 2004-05-20
From: Doc's Knob Shelter

To: Parisburg, Va.
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: scattered clouds

5/20 We all had an 8-mile hike that was mostly downhill to the nice little town of Pearisburg. On the way, several of us set in the sun on a rocky viewpoint of a huge valley with mountains in the distance for 40 minutes while we had some snacks and reflected on how lucky we were to see such a beautiful scene. I got to town a little after 1 and got a room at the Holiday Motor Lodge, got cleaned up. I then went to the post office where I had some packages with some great snacks and food, as well as notes from family and friends. Such things are always welcome, and any surplus is shared with friends. I went a little further into town to a Pizza Hut where I was lucky to be the last served the AYCE pizza buffet. They gave me a veggie pizza right out of the oven and even let me take the rest with me. I gave the rest to some grateful friends who were sitting outside the post office opening packages from home.
Date: 2004-05-21
From: Parisburg. Va

To: Parisburg, Va.
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

5/21 I took a 0 day for R & R, resupply, rest, laundry, and to get all the gear dried out. It¢s not hard to find where the hikers are in wet weather since there are tents strung over all the railings. I also ordered another tent to be picked up in Daleville since the one I'm using is small and not freestanding. It¢s an aggravation to have to find a place to put the stakes out in rocky terrain and there's barely room inside for your gear. It¢s hard to get all the gear that will do all you want and is still light to carry. I'll be on the road first thing in the morning to repeat the process again.
Date: 2004-05-23
From: Bailey Gap Shelter

To: Sarver Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: light rain

5/23 I wasn't looking forward to the hike today because of a long 1800-foot mountain we had to climb. It turned out the mountain had a lot of switchbacks, which makes it much easier to climb. We were also happy to find 2 large coolers at the top of the mountain filled with cokes and treats that were left by trail angel Super Dave. What a great treat. Thanks, Super Dave. Before I finished the 20-mile day at the Sarver Hollow Shelter, I took pictures of the massive 300-year-old Keffer Oak that measures 18 feet around. Very impressive.
Date: 2004-05-24
From: Sarver Hollow Shelter

To: Dragons Tooth
Miles today: 19.4

5/24 Just before noon today, we hiked up a 1500' mountain where we came on a large granite memorial to Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of WWII.I took my hat off to a true American Hero. I was well into the afternoon when I came to a gravel road where Eagle Eye and Puka were standing at a car driven by a trail angel named Allen. He was a former hiker who just liked to talk to and help hikers and offered to take us 10 miles to a small grocery store. We jumped at the chance to get a cold coke and ice cream but were surprised when Allen refused money or gas to put in his '79 Bonneville. While going to the store we had to go around a private wooden bridge that had a "No Trespassing" sign on it and instead we had to drive down thru the creek. What next. Thankfully, Allen graciously gave us a ride back to the trail, since few others would have made it across the stream. It was well worth loosing the 2 hours of hiking time but it left me at the end of the day setting my tent up at 7:30 in the evening on a high ridge camping by myself near Dragons Tooth.
Date: 2004-05-25
From: Dragons Tooth

To: Lambert's Meadow Shelter
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: scattered clouds

5/25 I spent a couple of hours climbing over Dragons Tooth and coming down the ridgeline. The rocks around Dragon's Tooth were huge and one of the was in the shape of what is always pictured as a dragon's tooth. I took a left at the next road and walked .3 mile to a market that was listed in our guidebook for a coke. It turned out to be the same market Allen had driven us to yesterday. The early afternoon took me past the road to Catawba and up a hard 1000' climb to McAfee's Knob, which is the most photographed place on the AT. The knob is several huge overhanging boulders with a panoramic view of the surrounding mountains and valleys. It was a pretty day so I should have good pictures of the whole area. Crispy Critter pointed to a rocky ridge in the distance and said that was Tinker's Cliffs, 5 miles in the distance and our next major landmark. Two hours and a tough climb later we walked the edge of the huge rocks of Tinkers Cliffs, 1/2 mile of boulders where you walked along the edge and looked down several hundred feet to the bottom of the cliffs-very impressive. I tented at Lamberts Meadow's Shelter for the night but had trouble sleeping because my 40-degree bag was too warm for the 65-degree night temperature.
Date: 2004-05-26
From: pearisburg, va

To: Daleville
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: broken clouds

5/26 This morning I hiked the remaining 9.4 miles into Daleville and got a room at the Comfort Inn. I shared a room with Rooster, Arms, and Boo Boo so at $40 per night we were really living on the cheap. Two of them had to sleep on the floor but we all could use the bathroom and phone. Unfortunately, there was no computer access in the whole town that you could use, a condition that was to become more common.
Date: 2004-05-28
From: Daleville

To: Wilson's Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: light rain

5/28 Yesterday was a very sunny and pretty day while I was waiting for my new tent. It finally got here just before noon and I set it up to make sure all was there. It¢s a light [4#] REI freestanding 1.4 Dome that can hold 2 people. The tent I had been using was too small for me and it had to be staked out to be set up -a problem I didn¢t want to deal with when we are in rocks so much of the time. I also went to the local outfitter and got a summer bag since I have been too hot in my 40-degree bag. It left me hot and sticky and so was useless to sleep on, in or under in temperatures that were now above 60 at night. I hiked out today at about 10 AM with Crispy Critter, a retired fireman. We were late getting stared because of the continental breakfast and because we had to hike a mile on the road to get to the trailhead. It had been raining all morning so we got wet from the grass, brush and trees as we passed by but at least the rain was letting up. We made it to Wilson¢s Creek Shelter by 4 and spent the night there in my new tent and bag. I used my extra clothes stuffed in a bag as a pillow to make sleeping a little more like home and a little softer place for the old head at night. As you might guess, the rain came with a cold front. So all night long, I wound up adding a new layer of clothes each time the temperature dropped another 5 or 10 degrees. By morning the temperature was just over 45 degrees and I was wearing everything I had on as well as a silk bag liner in my new summer bag and tent. My clothes-bag pillow was empty so my head was resting on my hard pack most of the night.
Date: 2004-05-30
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter

To: Matts Creek Shelter
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: light rain

5/30 I dreaded today because of the over 4000 feet of climbing that had to be done. The most interesting part of the day was walking under the Guillotine, a huge boulder that was wedged about 15 feet above the trail between 2 larger boulders. The day was done 22.7 miles later when I got to Matt¢s Creek Shelter that had a pretty and very rapid flowing stream in front of it.
Date: 2004-05-31
From: Matts Creek Shelter

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: overcast clouds

5/31 It rained hard all night but was clearing by the time we packed the tents in the morning. After hiking 2 miles, most of us hitch-hiked in and out of Glasgow, Va. So we could resupply and have a hot meal. Three of the group had a couple of beers and then lost the incentive to do any more hiking and got more serious about drinking. While it was a quick stop it still took about 3 hours so we only made 10.5 miles and wound up camping at Punchbowl Shelter. The shelter had a great spring below a small pond so we went to sleep listening to the frogs croaking all night. Some of the frogs sounded so hoarse as if they had very bad throats and should be on Robitussin.
Date: 2004-06-01
From: Punchbowl Shelter

To: Hog Camp Gap
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: scattered clouds

6/1 today was fairly easy except for a 2000 foot climb later in the afternoon. We also went below a pretty dam that was the reservoir for the city of Lynchburg, Va. We went across some pretty balds and finished the day at Hog Camp Gap for 17.2 miles on the day. It was a huge fairly flat open area with pretty grass. The only big negative was it was a long hike to the open spring to get water. Before setting up my tent I jumped on a swing that someone had set up-just like a kid again. Blueberry Bert, Goodtimes, Polar [and her dog Jack], and Hotrocks each took turns in the swing, maybe just to see if they can still make it work or maybe to go back to a different carefree time.
Date: 2004-06-02
From: Hog Camp Gap

To: Harpers Creek Shelter
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: scattered clouds

6/2 I went 22 miles by myself today since the climbs were easier than most and it was a pretty day. The worst part of the day was over 3000 feet of steep plodding down a mountain until we got to the Tye River. You have to watch every step and the constant jamming on your feet wears you out. While its quicker and easier to go down the mountains you still have to be very alert and because you are more likely to get hurt going down that you are going up. When I camped at night I started hearing reports of a bear that on May 29th was pawing at some food bags at one of the campsites. He was between 2 tents about 15 feet apart at 3 in the morning and wouldn¢t leave for over an hour in spite of the noise the scared campers made by bangilng their pans together and making all kinds of racket. Other tenters in the area got mad at them for making all the noise before they knew about the bear. No harm was done but those folks are probably hanging their bags a little higher at night.
Date: 2004-06-03
From: Harpers Creek Shelter

To: Waynesboro, Va.
Miles today: 27.3
Weather: clear sky

6/3 I left Harpers Creek Shelter with the plan of staying the night at the Paul Wolfe Shelter, 22 miles away. The only bad part of the day was about 2 miles of rocks that we had to scramble over. I thought they¢d never run out of rocks. They seem to want to run you over as many rocks as possible. For some reason, most of them are on the top of the mountains so you¢re already tired when you get to them. They may be so large you have to climb over them or small and sharp ankle twisters but on all of them you have to watch your every step. The rocks can last for a mile or more without letting up. The trail planners wouldn't always have to walk you over all the rocks. Often I have looked above and below the rocks we¢re climbing or walking on and see open areas of grass and dirt. Some people think that the rocks have always been there and are just part of the terrain, that they didn't just bring them there. I asked those folks if they had noticed the long rows of rocks in stacks near the trail? They say those rocks are former fence rows or old buildings. I speculate that they may just be rocks they haven't had time to put on the trail yet.Anyway, I¢ve tried to figure out why they want you to be on the rocks so much of the time and have come with these possibilities. It may be that they think we haven¢t see rocks before? Maybe they think we have a rock fetish. Perhaps they have a rock fetish? Do they want us to wear the rocks down? Are they worried that we will wear out the dirt? Are they podiatrists or orthopedists who benefit from foot and leg injuries? Is someone heavily invested in shoe companies who benefit when the shoes are torn apart by the rocks? Maybe they're just masochistic and enjoy thinking about the misery everyone suffers when walking the AT. It most likely is because it takes less maintenance if you are walking on rocks rather than a trail that has to be moved because of errosion or cleared of trees on occasion. I suspect is it the latter. But, at any rate, these people aren¢t as perfect as they think they are. On at least 2 mountains I saw a few rocks they missed though I think they made up for it by taking us over some of them 2 or 3 times.When I got to the Wolfe Shelter it was 6 PM and I had 5 miles [and 2 hours] to go to the next trail town of Waynesboro, Va. I decided to go ahead and finish for a 27 mile day so I could get cleaned up and eat some real food. When I got to the road at Rockfish Gap, I saw 3 guys loading their bikes in their cars. I was lucky to get a ride with Jim, a bicyclist who was going back to town after a 30 mile bike ride in the mountains with his friends. I got a room at the Quality Inn and ate all of 2 medium pizzas and drank most of a 2 liter coke before the night was done. There are some simple things in life that seem to take you close to heaven.
Date: 2004-06-07
From: Waynesboro, Va.

To: Waynesboro, Va.
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

6/4 to 6/7 This Friday morning I spent in Waynesboro with plans for R& R, to resupply my foods and hopefully to get caught up on the internet. I went with Palm Tree to the library and spent an hour answering e-mails before going to lunch at a Chinese buffet. I went back to the library and was surprised to learn that you could only use the computers for 1 hour per day even though there were 4 computers that were not being used. When I asked why, they said it was policy they could not change. I told them that common sense should override policy but they would not allow an exception.I went back to the motel and decided to try to see a doctor since I had been seeing some blood in my urine off and on for over a month. I thought it was medicine I had been taking for my bad knees or maybe overexertion but was worried it could be something worse. I couldn¢t get to a local Dr. so went to the emergency room at the local hospital where they did urine and blood tests, x-rays, and 3 cat scans before, during, and after dye tests. Seven hours later they said they could find nothing wrong but I needed a cystoscopic exam to rule out the most serious cause of such things (like cancer).I was greatly surprised and happy when my Mom and sister Linda stopped in the late morning to give me support and help in case my medical problem was serious. What a great treat it was to see them again and for them to be concerned for my health. I had had to wait all weekend for the final tests and had all that time to worry about the worst of what could be wrong. Later in the afternoon on Monday, Linda drove me to the hospital to get the final tests done. They went on to see the P. Buckley Moss art museum that was nearby since I didn't know how long my tests would take. The tests were thankfully negative as well as the cytology tests that were done later. The Dr. said I had a vascular issue in one of my kidneys (like a birth mark on the skin) and that I only needed to cut back on my miles and it was fine to keep on hiking. That news was like a new lease on life and it was such a great relief to have that behind me. You always seem to think the worst on things that are not known. The 3 of us celebrated by going out for a great buffet later in the day before settling in for the night. I slept better than usual that night.
Date: 2004-06-08
From: Waynesboro, Va.

To: Waynesboro, Va.
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

On Tuesday, Mom, Linda and I spent a fascination day at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. The home was beautiful and very unique in its design that President Jefferson designed, redesigned, and remodeled for over 40 years. And we think we have a lot of house maintenance to do. I had made a vow to read on Jefferson, Lincoln, and some of the other great Americans when I got off of the trail and this was a great way to start to understand Jefferson. We later went past President Monroe¢s home but were tired and didn¢t go inside. It was great to see the family again and also a treat to do something other than walk up and down mountains.
Date: 2004-06-09
From: Waynesboro, Va.

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: haze

6/9 It was time to get back on the trail and start making my way thru the Shenandoah¢s. Mom and Linda drove me to the trailhead and we said our good byes, not knowing if we would see each other again on this trip or not. They went on to see President Woodrow Wilson¢s home located nearby and to try to visit other things in the area. I had a hard time getting going after 6 days of no hiking and also because of the high temperatures and humidity. I was sweating a lot within the first hour and soaked by the second. The Shenandoah¢s promised to be more interesting because3 of the multiple crossings of Skyline Drive and because the AT went near several resorts and waysides as we hiked the next 100 miles thru the park. Unfortunately, there was no place to buy anything on the first day so I kept looking for trail angels for refreshments. I had sweated so much so at each road crossing and overlook I was hoping to find someone with a spare coke. Well, it seemed everyone was in a hurry and no one was sympathetic towards hikers. Since even water supplies had been scarce all day, I finally had to stop at the final road crossing to fill my drinking supply of water from my backup deep in the pack. I still took time to wave at everyone who drove by still hoping for that trail magic. I was amazed when the 5th car that I waved at was my Mom and sister. Thankfully they noticed me and I got 2 much wanted cokes, a peach, at a bottle of water to go. The traveling nomads were having a great time going through the Shenandoah¢s giving out peaches, cokes, and even a watermelon. I was to hear for several days from grateful hikers who said my family gave them trail magic. That makes you feel very good. When you¢re a hiker any treat is greatly appreciated. I hiked the last 212 miles to the Back Rock Hut and tented with many others. I just had time to set my tent up when it stared raining so my luck was holding out for the 20-mile day.
Date: 2004-06-11
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Bearfence Mountain Hut
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: overcast clouds

6/11 This 20-mile day was especially hard because of the 6 moderate mountains that we had to climb. We planned to stop at the Lewis Mountain camp store for refreshments before camping at Bearfence Mountain Hut. Me, Crispy Critter, and Lonesome Dove were hiking fast because of the darkening skies but we still had 2 miles to go when the skies opened up. By the time we got to the store were soaking wet and miserable but we still had a couple of cokes before hiking the other .7 mile to the shelter. I hurriedly set up my tent before the rain started again and took water from the spring to the shelter to cook my dinner. There was a new person in the shelter and since almost everyone is friendly on the trail I said my name is Quest and asked her what her trail name was She said she didn¢t give her name or talk to strangers. WOW! I never saw that attitude on the trail before. When she wasn¢t looking the other hikers in the shelter shook their heads and circled their finger beside their head to suggest she was crazy in the head. I thought it was incredible that someone was unwilling to give out a fictitious name. When I finished dinner a young hiker named Mountain Due asked the strange lady where she had hiked from today and she said ¢None of your Business.¢ So there are weird people even out there hiking, but at least this gal wasn¢t a thru hiker. It rained all night and the weird lady was till sleeping when I left at 7:30 in the morning, covered by all of her bags. I later heard she had issues with others when she got up for the morning. I was glad to never see her again.
Date: 2004-06-12
From: Big Meadows Wayside

To: Bearfence Mountain Hut
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: overcast clouds

6/12 I hiked a couple of miles when I came on Hawk, a retired police officer from Georgia. He was going a nice slow pace so I hiked with him for the morning until we got to a lodge in the Shenandoah¢s called Big Meadows. We agreed to share a cabin for the night and later took turns using the shower and hanging our tents to dry. While waiting for lunch we saw that Jeff Alt, a ¢98 thru hiker was giving a talk on the AT 3:30 that afternoon so we figured we would be clean, full, rested, and entertained before hiking out the next day. As the afternoon went on we found 3 more hiking friends who wanted to spend the night so Pegasus and Lonesome Dove slept on the floor while Crispy Critter slept just outside on a jungle Jim. Sometimes all you need is to be clean, warm and to be able to use a real bathroom to make it a good night. The added bonus was a fireplace with a nice stack of wood just outside out door. It was quite a luxury. I called Mom and Linda to tell them where I was and they wanted to know if I was going to hear the talk on the AT. I said yes and they said they would see me soon because they were about 10 minutes away and were coming back to see the presentation. It was another great treat to see them again one last time before they finished their vacation and headed back to Indiana. We all enjoyed listening to Jeff give his talk on his thru-hike done 6 years ago. He had dedicated his hike for charity and raised money for Camp Sunshine, a home that was taking care of his brother who had cerebral palsy. It was the second time I had heard Jeff talk since I had listened to him in January before I started my hike. He is inspirational and I¢m sure he fueled my desire to get on the trail as soon as possible. I said goodbye to Mom and Linda again since they had reservations at another lodge in the Shenandoah¢s.
Date: 2004-06-13
From: Big Meadows Wayside

To: Skyland
Miles today: 8.5

6/13 We had planned to hike a long day today bet got caught up at the Skyland Lodge just 8.5 miles from the last stay. We stayed for lunch and Hawk, Cat Dog, and I decided t stay the night at another cabin since the one the night before had been so nice. It was a luxury that we promised to make up for the next day.