morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-05-17
From: Kincora Hostel

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

HARD CORE!!!Today was great! We went up to Roan Mountain and built more new trail. We worked our butts off, but had a blast doing it. In fact, it was even a lot more fun than yesterday. It rained a lot, and we ended up covered in mud, but again, this added to the fun. Some managed to stay reasonably dry. Braids and I were not any of these. We were completely covered!Thankfully, we got back in time to put ourselves fairly high on the shower list, so we are now clean and warm. We were even able to wash our disgusting clothes! Dinner, cooked all day by volunteers, was amazing!I'm whooped, and Super excited to start hiking again tomorrow! WooHoo!
Date: 2010-05-18
From: Daleville,VA/Kincora Hostel

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

Back on trail! WoooHooo! The big news today- I have hiked ONE THIRD of the Appalachian Trail! I've had an absolute blast at Trail Days and Hard Core, but it sure feels great to be back on the trail!We left at 8 this morning and had a great ride up with Movie Phone and Three Bones. Low point- when I left my wallet in the gas station bathroom and we took a scenic drive back through Wytheville to get it. High point- running into a group of four other Hard Core folks over four hours from Kincora at the Hardees.I had a bit of cell phone time at the trailhead and then got back on trail around 2, just a few minutes behind Braids. As I hiked northward, listening to the interstate traffic fade gradually away, I felt a general sense of peace come over me. I enjoyed the quiet and aloneness far more than I realized I would. It really is wonderful to be back in the woods!We saw several friends slackpacking Southbound and then continued on to Wilson Creek Shelter. We had been told the shelter would probably be empty except for the three of us, so we were disappointed when we rolled in around 8 to find a full shelter. Luckily, the rain has stopped, at least for now, so we were able to set up camp without rain, and I am still sitting out eating dinner and journaling. I tend to get lazy about setting up my hammock, but since I had to, I'm pretty excited to sleep in it now.Dinner tonight is taking a while. I had a Backpackers Pantry Chana Masala (vegetarian Indian dish) that Megladon gave me. It's delicious, but incredibly spicy, so it's taking me FOREVER to eat! I think I can, I think I can...Postscript, May 18, 2011: One year ago today, I was getting back on the trail. Today I drive back to Auburn (after a stop at my parents' house last night) and have to go back to work. Oh how I miss the trail! Braids started back at Ashby Gap yesterday and plans to hike for about six weeks. When I talked to her (from Bears Den) last night, despite the heavy rains she hiked in all day, she sounded wonderful!
Date: 2010-05-19
From: Wilson Creek Shelter

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a "go-with-the-flow" kind of day, and it was glorious! I started the day by sleeping in and getting out of the shelter late. It was actually pretty nice! I left around 9:15 and planned to hike as fast as reasonably possible to get to Jennings Creek, which I've heard is a great swimming hole. I wanted to get there early enough to swim before it got too cold. After only hiking about 4 miles, Braids caught up to me on a break at one of many lookouts on the Blue Ridge Parkway, which we are now more or less paralleling. She had finally decided that the MANY days of food she was carrying was just not worth hauling the weight. I was delighted to hear this, and we had quickly worked out a plan. We would hitch into Buchanan, VA, for the post office and she would bounce forward the food she doesn't need.After some adventures in trying to get a ride (It's illegal to actually hitch on the Blue Ridge Parkway, or BRP), giving up and hiking some more, then getting a ride out of sheer luck, we were at VA 43 looking for a hitch into town. A super nice guy picked us up in his truck, and we soon found ourselves in the absolutly adorable town of Buchanan. This was such a great town stop! We got Braids' food mailed forward and our Hard Core stuff mailed home. Then, we went to The Fountain, a great little restaurant with original countertops and jukebox from an old soda fountain in town. It's right in the same uninterrupted space as the town pharmacy. The people there, including the owner of The Fountain and the pharmacist, were all SO nice! They were excited to meet hikers and learn about our journey. Best of all, Braids and I both had what we agreed was the very best BBQ sandwich we've ever had. It was truly incredible! I followed mine up with a fantastic banana split.After a quick stop at the library, it was time to head back up the mountain. The hitch out of town was one of the toughest either of us have encountered. There just weren't many people going that way, and when they were, they were quite uninterested in helping us out. At one point, a couple heading the other direction looked for a moment like they were considering helping us out. They went on, but several minutes later, the same couple reappeared. They had turned around and changed their plans just to give us a ride! How amazing is that?We got back on the trail around 5:45, with about six miles left to hike. The hike was relatively uneventful, just fast and smooth, with great conversation, except...We passed a naked man. YUP, just feet off the BRP, he was stark naked except for boots and a bag thrown over his shoulder. It was very odd...Shortly before the shelter, we met Maple, and have had a great evening here with her and a very nice group of guys with an alternative outdoor school.It's been a really great day! In true thru-hiker style, I'm very tired and ready for sleep.
Date: 2010-05-21
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter

To: Thunder Hill Shelter
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Another short day! We had great plans to take a short 10-miler, but take a 1.1 mile side trail to Apple Orchard Falls. When we got there, though, we decided that 800 feet down in a mile and then 800 back up just didn't sound like fun, so we skipped it! It ended up just being a lazy day. We didn't leave the shelter until almost 10! Our hike took us through forests covered in ferns, some of which were taller than my hips. We also went over Apple Orchard Mountain and had a beautiful view, as well as under The Guillotine, a giant rock wedged between two others. Definitely a fun picture-taking opportunity! Sadly, Braids and I were hiking separately at the time, so there are no "pairs" shots. Oh well. So, as you could guess, we hikers have quite a lot of time to think, and this sometimes leads to pretty silly things. A few days ago, I wrote an On the Loose original, to the tune of The Beatles' "Help!" Here it goes...Help! I need some water.Help! I hope a decent source.Help! You know I need some water.Heeeelp!At the last shelter,I thought that I was full.My platypus is empty now.This really isn't cool.And now the day is hot,the sources are all dry.If I don't get some soon,I might sit down and cry.Help me if you can,I'm feelin' bad.And it's only at myselfI should be mad.Hydration really isn'tjust a fad.Won't you please, please help me?Postscript, May 23, 2011: This was the day that we discovered that Braids ahd a bad reaction to concentrated DEET. The reason that we were hiking separately at The Guillotine is that she was feeling a bit sluggish and we agreed to send me on ahead to secure spots in the shelter since it was supposed to downpour that night. What we later discovered was that her feeling "sluggish" was the beginnings of her getting very sick- dizzy and fatigued almost to the point of uncontrollable narcolepsy- from absorbing concentrated DEET through her skin. Thankfully, she eventually showed up at the shelter safely after Ponytail Dave came upon her sleeping right beside the trail and passed the message to me that she was okay. It was a very scary day! Sadly, it took one more episode of this to understand the cause. Needless to say, after that second episode, she got rid of the DEET.
Date: 2010-05-22
From: Thunder Hill Shelter

To: US 501/James River/Natural Bridge, VA
Miles today: 14.6

Unexpected LuxuryToday I started in a terrible mood, swung up to manic highs, and then crashed again in the afternoon. I know I've said this before, and it's serious TMI, but I absolutely hate the hormones that go along with menstration! This is the third time I've had my period on the trail, and it always screws me up horribly! I feel so bad for Braids for having to put up with me!We were up and out quickly this morning, excited for a quick town stop. Yesterday, we read in the Thru-Hikers' Companion about Howard's Family Restaurant and Motel in Glasgow. It advertised a daily buffet and rooms for $42. We decided that a huge meal and hot shower sounded perfect. Well, at the shelter last night, we came to find out that Howards has been closed for a year. This resulted in two sad hikers. With that new info, we decided to just go into town for food and a quick resupply and then hike out 2 miles to the next shelter. This never quite came to pass.Long story short- while we were in town sitting under an overhang at the Episcopal Church, watching the rain come down, I had the aforementioned meltdown. Braids, amazing lady that she is, decided that we should go find a hotel in a nearby town for my sanity. When I called my mom for help finding a hotel (since she had easy access to a computer), she (amazing lady that she is!) wanted to pay for said hotel room. So, we got a room at the Natural Bridge Hotel (about 6.7 miles away) and hitched here. When we pulled up in front of the hotel, we were both stunned! This place is huge and elegant! The towels are perhaps the most plush I have ever used. Amazingly, the rooms was only $75. We took showers and washed our really dirty clothes in the tub. We had dinner in the tavern, here in the hotel, an incredible bacon cheeseburger, homemade chips, and a delectable chocolate lava cake. What a night! It's so good to be in the wonderful hotel!
Date: 2010-05-23
From: US 501/James River/Natural Bridge, VA

To: Punch Bowl Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Lazy, lazy girls (but happy ones)...We had great plans to get up and out of our wonderful hotel quickly, and hike 20 miles, but this obviously did not happen. I woke up feeling pretty crummy and couldn't get motivated. As the morning wore on and I began to feel better, Braids started feeling ill. We ended up getting a late checkout and rolling out of there right around noon. We walked back to the road and fairly quickly got a hitch that took us all the way to the trail. Thank You!We had a nice hike today. We expected thunderstorms and heard some thunder around us throughout the afternoon, but only got a bit of rain. It was really pleasant! The bugs are driving me crazy, so much so that I'm considering adding a full-size bottle of skin-so-soft bug spray to my pack, because I don't think it comes in travel sizes.We're at the shelter with a really fun crew of four that we met a couple of days ago- Eagle, Cheese, Kneecap, and Haiku. It's right on a small pond and the frogs are about to serenade me to sleep. Miraculously, the sky is clear and the moon is out. We'll see if this luck continues...Postscript, May 23, 2011: The Family Circus! (This is what Braids dubbed that foursome.) Those guys were a blast! I only wish we could have hiked with them longer!
Date: 2010-05-24
From: Punch Bowl Shelter

To: campsite south of Piney River
Miles today: 22.6

Long day! Whew!This morning, Braids awoke with really awful vertigo that had her stumbling around like a drunk person. I felt horrible for her and spent the morning just wondering how we were going to get her .4 miles to the Blue Ridge Parkway so that we could get her to a doctor. So, naturally, we ended up hiking 23 miles and getting in just before 11pm.Here's how the day went- We got out of the shelter around 9:30 and made it to the road okay, though Braids stumbled along in front of me. When we got to the road, she insisted that she was doing okay and said it was very important to her to hike our planned 17 1/2 miles. On we went...Thankfully, throughout the next couple of hours, Braids got better and better. We hiked on and on, having a progressively lovely day. We both agreed that with her getting vertigo in the mornings for the last couple of days, it was not going to be a good day tomorrow to try to hike 11 miles from our planned campsite to the pick-up point for free lunch at the Dutch Haus by 11am. With fairly easy terrain, we both agreed that we could handle 6 more miles. I really don't like night hiking, but was more than willing to do it with the unusual situation of Braids being sick.Around 7, we arrived at our original campsite, a lovely spot in a grassy field. It was playfully equipped with a fantastic wooden and rope swing hanging from an Oak tree. We treated water, cooked dinner, and hung out with our new friends, just named The Family Circus. I definitely made some good use of the swing. We headed out around 8:45 and hiked like crazy. I was holding true on my promise not to whine about night hiking, but at a road crossing, about 2 miles from our campsite, I hit my limit. I started stumbling and immediately felt my mood plummet. Luckily, we were already in a good postition for tomorrow, so we found a good campsite just under a mile short of Piney River. Before long I was tucked into my hammock, Braids on the ground underneath, not wanting to wake up in the hammock dealing with vertigo. Goodnight!
Date: 2010-05-25
From: campsite south of Piney River

To: Spy Rock Rd/Dutch Haus B&B
Miles today: 5.0

Attn Future Thru-Hikers!!!! Dutch Haus B&B should also be on your "must stay" list. Today has been amazing!We awoke to light rain that, thankfully, was tapering off. We were a little slow getting moving, but still had plenty of time to get to the pick-up spot by 11, thanks to our closer campsite. We were going to call from the top of Spy Rock Rd. just to make sure the 11:00 pick up time is reliable, but we couldn't get service, so we decided to just cross our fingers. The six of us (Braids, the Family Circus, and me) hiked the mile down Spy Rock Rd. and sat down around 10:35. Sure enough, 20 minutes later, Earl pulled up in a Dutch Haus pick-up truck and invited us aboard. When we arrived at the picture-perfect B&B, I felt at home immediately.Standing there with my hot cup of tea, looking around this lovely place, it only took me about 5 minutes to decide that I was staying the night instead of going back to the trail after the free lunch. Braids and the Family Circus came to the same conclusion shortly thereafter.After being fed delicious bugers, pasta salad, baked beans, and carrot cake, Braids and I settled into the basement room. The whole afternoon was delightful! Earl, Lois, their niece-Hannah, and Lois's dad were all extremely nice and went to great lengths to make sure we felt at home. I took a shower and put on a big fluffy robe, in which I lounged while Lois did our laundry. I spent the afternoon sitting around, journaling, chatting with lots of other hikers, and playing Corn Hole. I spent the extra $12 on delicious dinner of lasagna, meatballs, sausage, salad, garlic bread, and fresh pumpkin pie, and was SO glad I did! Hannah even brought us around plates of nachos for an appetizer. What royal treatment! The best part of all was topping off the evening with a visit to their traditional wood-fired sauna down on the creek, followed by a quick, cold, rain water shower. I will sleep like a baby tonight!I have LOVED my visit to the Dutch Haus, and am SO glad we both decided to stay!Postscript, May 25, 2011: The Dutch Haus rocks!!!
Date: 2010-05-26
From: Spy Rock Rd/Dutch Haus B&B

To: Harpers Creek Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: broken clouds

Breakfast at the Dutch Haus was even more incredible than dinner. We had eggs with cheese and bacon on top, fresh orange and kiwi slices, and delicious blueberry pancakes. I ate seven!Lois drove us back to the bottom gate of Spy Rock Rd., and we trudged the long, uphill mile back to the AT. I planned to hike 18 more from there, but we'll get to that in a minute. After only half a mile on the AT, I came to Spy Rock, a huge, rounded rock with 360 degree views. The weather was perfect for breathtaking vistas, and eight of us hung out up there for a long break. This is on my list of favorite spots! The rest of today's hike was really beautiful, as well.Braids and I have decided to be a little more independent in our hike plans from here, and I really enjoyed hiking by myself today (though I'm always delighted when we meet up again!). I took a loooong lunch break and a dip in the Tye River. So refreshing! I fully planned to hike 9 more miles from there to Maupin Field Shelter, but quickly changed my mind when I got here to Harpers Creek. This is a beautiful shelter site beside a tumbling creek. Also, I knew Maupin was going to be really crowded, so staying was an easy choice. There's a perfect little pool right in front of the shelter, so I stripped down to my undies, took a bath, and put on freshly laundered Smart Wools. Now, this is the life! A few more have shown up, but it's a nice crew here at the shelter. I think i'm off to bed...Postscript, May 26, 2011: I felt such wonderful camaraderie on top of Spy Rock. That was such a neat day- hitting two little swimming holes in one day. I loved Harpers Creek Shelter!
Date: 2010-05-27
From: Harpers Creek Shelter

To: Dripping Rock/Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: scattered clouds

I'd like to start this entry with a high five to Braids for the best idea ever! She and I hiked separately today. When we met up shortly before Dripping Rock, we both felt like we had had our butts handed to us. We started off with a ridiculous climb up Three Ridges, trekked through encroaching fields of poison ivy and stinging nettles, and then continued on into tons of rocks. By the time we got to the BRP at Dripping Rock, we were both exhausted. We both planned either 5 or 9 more miles for the day. Thankfully, Braids had the idea to hitch on into Waynesboro, stay at the Lutheran Church hostel for the night, and slackpack the remaining 14 miles to Rockfish Gap (the real stopping point for Waynesboro) tomorrow. What a great plan! This hostel is AMAZING! It is a supervised hostel, with great volunteer hosts, and is incredibly clean and organized. We set up our cots and brought our campfood up to the kitchen to cook dinner (we're saving our eating out for tomorrow), only to find a huge pan of delicious lasagna, homemade chocolate cake, cokes, and lots of other goodies. Apparently, a lot of the volunteers bring food in with them, so there is always tons of food around. There's also a big screen tv with DVD's and tapes available, and a group is watching Sherlock Holmes. Everything here is just fantastic!Okay, back up to the afternoon- There wasn't much northbound traffic on the parkway, but a super-nice guy names Scott eventually came by and very cheerfully gave us a lift to Rockfish Gap and then on in to the outfitter. What a great place! (Thanks so much for the ride, Scott!) I went to the outfitter to buy a couple of things and check on a gear repair issue. An inside seam in my brand new Lafuma summer sleeping bag had torn away from the zipper, exposing the insulation. These guys got right on the phone with Lafuma and ended up swapping me out for a nicer, 5 degree warmer Lafuma bag. WOOHOOO!!!
Date: 2010-05-28
From: Dripping Rock/Waynesboro, VA

To: Rockfish Gap/Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: light rain

Super-speed Slackpack!Braids and I were up early to head up to the trail. The replacement volunteer for Louie, the overnight volunteer who was takings us to the trail, was quite late. By the time we dropped our stuff at the Quality Inn and made it up to the trailhead, we were about an hour behind what we had hoped, but we were still done with our hike before 2. Louie, thank you so much for shuttling us around! I really enjoyed the conversation!We had a nice, quick hike and came out at Rockfish Gap just before 2. We tried for a few minutes to hitch and then headed over to a parking lot looking for the visitors center. Right as we walked up, a guy asked if we were headed to town and offered us a ride. Thanks, Paul!!! A couple of quick showers later and we were headed to Ming's Garden, the famous AYCE Chinese Buffet in Waynesboro. It lived up to all of my expectations! They even had sushi on the buffet (lots of variety, too). Need I explain how amazing this is???We rolled ourselves out of Ming's and walked through a thunderstorm to the post office. Later, I hiked it down the road to the laundrymat and Dollar General. Finally the day ended with some amazing relaxation at the Quality Inn! YAY!
Date: 2010-05-30
From: Calf Mountain Shelter

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: clear sky

-3 bears-2 deer-2 instances of trail magic-7 ticks (3 latched on)Loving the Shenendoahs! I haven't been feeling well this afternoon, but it's still been an awesome day. I was really lazy for the first 6 or 7 of my short 13 miles today. I sat for a while at the first road crossing. When I finally decided to leave, a guy drove up and started walking into the woods to place some trail magic. He's slackpacking 96 and Number One Son, his brother and nephew, for a few days. I helped him carry stuff down and then enjoyed a Pepsi and an oatmeal cream pie. Yay! All told, I took almost an hour break there.At the next road crossing, I got magic once again! A gentleman there took all of my trash and gave me a yummy sweet tea. Big Thanks to both angels!I hiked on, and just before the shelter, I got my first bear sighting in the park! I first saw a small cub run across the trail. I cautiously rounded the corner to see two adorable cubs climbing a tree and Mama guarding at the base of it. I talked to her, took a couple of pictures, and gently backed off. She eventually called them down the tree, but they still huddled around the base. Eventually, as I started to come around the corner, she ran off to a further tree. One cub ran after her, but the other ran back up the first tree. Mama called to it, and it quickly figured out what was going on- it ran to the correct tree. So fun to watch them!I got here around 3:15 to see Braids taking her 9 1/2 hour siesta. She hiked on around 8:30. Crazy girl. =)