morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-05-22
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: I81-Relax Inn
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: light rain

We knew that a date with Quarterway Inn was set for tomorrow, so we needed to push hard for miles today. Having done a twenty yesterday, I was asking a lot of Curly, but she was up to it. I have to say, the Virginia terrain and the surprise of no rain worked in our favor...that and motivation for a small break!The day itself was uneventful with little in the way of significant moments, but two things stood out worthy of note. First the landscape change into Virginia. This state is wildly diverse in its flora and fauna. We hiked through entire mountainsides of ferns, green and luscious. It was incredible. Likewise, one moment you were in a stand of pines and the next you were walking through wildflowers. The rhododendrons have come into full bloom and vibrant colors of orange and purple are everywhere. Truly a beautiful part of the trail.The second moment for us occurred towards the end of the day when we came to a one room schoolhouse built in mid 1800¢s and preserved for the benefit of hikers. It was exactly as it would have been then, with desks, chalkboard and everything. And really cool was that inside there were crates with snacks and cold drinks courtesy of West End United Methodist Church! They supply the goodies as a treat for they hikers which was greatly appreciated.By this time of the day, we were out of close by options for tenting and I wanted to stop at The Barn, a restaurant off I-81 next to the trail. Curly didn¢t know it, but my plan was to stop at a seedy motel across the way called Relax Inn. Definitely not a Hilton, but it was dry, shower was hot, and the bed bugs didn¢t give us any problems. We finally hit our destination around 630pm and after 21.4 miles and I had a hillbilly burger and tater tots while Curly had a hamburger steak with veggies. We really did up the town afterwards by stopping at Sunoco and getting some ice cream to celebrate our big day. All in all a great day, but our feet hurt and we look forward to a short day tomorrow!
Date: 2018-05-23
From: I81 Relax Inn

To: Quarterway Inn
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

Today we arrived at the Quarterway Inn just after 1230pm. As always, the trail presented some final challenges for us just prior to getting off trail, but in a good way. For instance, we began our hike this morning by passing through a pasture of grazing cows. They decided we were not to pass through and as group (herd), all barreled out in front of us blocking our way. Even leaving some reminders on trail to clarify who is boss. Not to be intimidated by milk cows, I snapped my sticks together, gave them the stink eye (literally), and they returned to being easily spooked cows as we all know them to be. The world began spinning on its axis once again.The Virginia countryside is a marvel with the trail passing through mountain forests and countryside meadows. We finally arrived at VA 610 just after noon and turned left down a country road. There around the corner, was our place of rest, and the most gracious host you could hope for, Tina. She is a thru hiker herself with a heart for smelly hikers and an incredible home touch. The property is vintage white brick colonial farm with sprawling meadows in front and forests in the back. No cell service or WiFi or TV which is all fine by me, even if these posts go up a bit delayed (sorry). It is a place of rest and that is exactly what Curly and I need.We have decided to remain here one extra day and rest our bodies. Since we have begun this adventure, I¢ve lost about 25 pounds and whatever upper body muscle I had is now absent. It¢s all moved to the legs but I look emaciated, to the point that even I¢m concerned. We both have worked our bodies hard and especially the feet. Miraculously, we have not had a single injury or blister, but the the feet need a day off. We did receive new shoes in the mail I ordered the other day, as our old ones are shot!  Thru hiking is great for quick weight loss but I¢m just not sure it¢s the healthiest way to do it!  We also received 2 resupply from our trail bosses, the Remarkable, Amazing, Wonderful Lisa and Ed Gohn whom we love and adore and are so indebted to for a million reasons. We are eating that food plus packing it up for our next leg of the journey. The remainder of today and all day tomorrow is rest, I¢ll post an update Thursday, and hopefully a pic or two of this amazing retreat.
Date: 2018-05-25
From: Quarterway Inn

To: mm 572 Camp Site
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: clear sky

It was with great sadness this morning when we said goodbye to Tina and her remarkable Quarterway Inn. After another gourmet breakfast of baked eggs, homemade rice pudding, homemade beer bread, sausage, oj, fruit and homemade yogurt, we hugged, shed tears of sadness, and strapped on our packs ready to waddle away north bound.The day held true to sunshine and beautiful blue skies for most of the day, and with our new shoes our feet felt great as we hiked through meadows and forests. We stopped for lunch at this lazy river and next thing we knew there was a pool party taking place. Bloodhound jumped into the river and was soon followed by Giggles,Happy Feet, Sticks, Dragonsticks, Frolic, Sunday and last but not least, Curly Turtle. With frisbee in hand the place got crazy fast and the water was oh so refreshing! All of these hikers are new acquaintances we have only met in the past few days; young and having the time of their lives. They make for great conversation around shelter picnic tables. And they kindly include us old folks.We marched along after lunch and with two big mountains to climb did our best to stay focused. I personally think the day off was exactly what our bodies needed, as we slowly but surely conquered both. In the middle of the first ¢up¢, I was passed by a guy who had an Australian accent. I did a double take and couldn¢t believe my eyes, it was Spillover, who we hadn¢t seen since our third day on the trail! He and another guy, Drew, camped with us on our second night on the trail and once we got over Blood Mountain, never saw either again. And here¢s Spillover with Drew not far behind. It¢s so crazy how people just disappear on the trail and you think they are miles and miles ahead, then one sickness or injury or one too many zero days in town and you¢re all back in the same bubble. Definitely makes for some interesting stuff!We ended up hiking just shy of 17 today which I¢m pleased with, but we need to get a couple big days behind us as we get closer to Pearisburg. Tonight we are camped up at high elevation so enjoying a nice breeze. Tomorrow the rain returns and is supposed to be with us through all of next week-ugh!
Date: 2018-05-26
From: mm 572 Tent Site

To: Tent Site at mm 592
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light rain

We actually got in close to three hours of hiking before the skies opened up. Umbrellas and hiking skirts make all the difference, but rain always impacts mileage, to the negative. We stopped at a shelter for a hot lunch and to wring out a bit. The rain finally slowed down to a trickle about 2pm and we used that time to step on the gas. We had heard of a hiker ¢deli¢ just off the trail at the 19 mile point, and we had hot food on the brain. Didn¢t know what the hours were, but figured they would close around six pm, which meant we needed to hike close to 8 miles in a whole lot faster time than we normally do. We actually arrived at 515pm! And of course it¢s Saturday which means they close at 2pm! Talk about disappointment? We were bummed, but because we hustled, we got to our campsite about 30 minutes later and ate instant mashed potatoes as a consolation prize!We get a second chance tomorrow with Trent¢s Groceries, another hiker deli about 18 miles from here. They don¢t close til 8pm on Sundays, so I think we should be ok. Then on to Pearisburg for a shower and resupply. Of course the rain is scheduled to keep on falling for the next several days (so what else is new?)
Date: 2018-05-27
From: mm 592

To: Dismal Falls
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: light rain

Several awesome things happened today which together made this day special. Here they are in the order that they took place: We hit the 600 mile mark!The rain did not come at noon or at all today!We made it to Trent¢s Grocery at 4pm and ate the most delicious, greasy, yummy food ever...totally made up for yesterday!We snagged an incredible tent site at Dismal Falls and as I journal now, I can hear the Falls cascading down and can¢t wait to let them put me to sleep!We have an incredible 2 person rock to sit on at our camp site; I know it¢s weird but it¢s the little things that make a difference!Last, we got to clean up and get some stink off at the Falls. They have some incredible swimming holes here, that¢s twice in three days the rivers have been good to us!So you can see, today was full of awesomeness and we are looking at what could very well be a no rain day tomorrow. That¢s what we are praying for as it gets us within striking distance of Pearisburg and all the great things towns offer...including ¢all you can eat¢ Chinese restaurant (so I¢m told). If it¢s true, then Katie bar the door cause I¢m ready to crush me some Sesame Chicken!
Date: 2018-05-28
From: Dismal Falls

To: Doc Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: overcast clouds

We made good time in the morning with overcast skies and rain holding off. The terrain over the first six miles was flat and easy. We pushed on and over our first ¢up¢ and stopped for lunch at 1pm. As soon as we finished lunch the rain began and we started contemplating our options. Our tent was wet from the previous night and I wasn¢t thrilled about pitching it wet for tonite. There was a shelter just 4.5 miles from our lunch spot but it increases our distance to town from 6 to 8.5 miles.  In the end we decided to stop early and it was probably a good call. As much as we dislike shelters, we are dry tonite, and are hanging out with a full shelter of wet and smelly hikers (including us).Tomorrow we will arrive in Pearisburg before lunch. Can¢t wait to take a shower, get our laundry clean and eat!
Date: 2018-05-29
From: Doc Knob Shelter 

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: light rain

It was wonderful being in a shelter last night. No mice, no snoring, and no wet! It rained all night long but we and five others were dry and warm. Of course we needed to get going and hike in it, but that isn¢t anything I¢ve written about previously, right? We warned the gang that we were early risers and by 545am were moving our gear and getting ready for the mad dash to town. Just after 7am we took off and with 8.5 miles to hike plus another mile from the trailhead, we had town food and hot showers to keep us focused.Speaking of focused, it is so important to pay attention to what you¢re doing on this trail, especially when it¢s so wet and mucky. Most of our hike was downhill which was awesome, but several days of rain have turned the trail into a sloppy mess. Yesterday, Curly fell twice and today I rolled an ankle. It was probably the most dangerous descent we have had on the trail to date, but nothing was going to keep us from town. We hiked the 8.5 miles in just over 3 hours and hit the main road at 1030am. It was then that the real fun, as in finding a room for the night, began. What we didn¢t know was that there are gas lines being laid in town and all the contract pipe fitters have all hotel rooms booked up through the work week. The rain has driven hikers inside as well, so the only two hostels were booked. I started with them and was put on a bunk list. Called a hotel number one, no luck. Called hotel number two, and someone had just checked out a day early...score! I reserved the room and we made the long walk into town. Miss Linda the manager there set us up and told me to turn over all our dirty clothes so she could wash them. Whaaaat? Trail magic as well? I¢m liking this town more by the minute. We then crossed the street to get all you can eat Chinese buffet and the sign out front said, ¢Tuesday special, lunch $5.39¢! Oh my gracious, I am now loving this place. We ate and ate and ate some more then crawled next door to the Food Lion to resupply. Bought more food than we probably need for 4 days then went to the room and showered and took a nap, yes you read that correct. Woke up and ate Mexican for dinner, a huge DQ Blizzard for dessert and now my belly hates me very very much. DQ opens at 6am and I¢ll be there for coffee and something else then we hit the trail again with rain forecasted the rest of the week. Tell you what...I won¢t report weather anymore unless it¢s NOT raining, that way you can just presume it¢s raining!!!All in all a great town day and we are both very thankful to have it. Next up is a dash to Catawba and 4Pines Hostel this Saturday when we get to meet up with great friends Ben and Staci Cosby from home. They will be hiking with us Sunday and Monday and we can¢t wait to spend this time with them. Should be another great adventure!!
Date: 2018-05-31
From: Tent site mm 651.7

To: Tent site mm 669.4
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: broken clouds

In the end, we decided to cut the miles short and push hard tomorrow. We have a couple of large mountains to hike, and I¢m hoping that my amazing dinner of instant mashed potatoes, chicken and gluten free turkey gravy will be the magic that Curly needs for tomorrow. That and a good nights rest.Either way we will be in Catawba on Saturday, hopefully sooner rather than later! As for now, our bellies are full, and we are nestled into our tent for the night.
Date: 2018-06-01
From: Tent site at mm 669.4

To: Tent site at mm 688.4
Miles today: 19.0

In a beautiful sunny day with great views, here are the highlights of our long hike north:Kelly¢s Knob7 MeadowsKeffer OakThe CairnsEastern Continental DivideTwo Huge (and I mean Huge ups)We are doing well and pressing on. This entry is short and sweet as we have not had cell service in 3 days (I¢m entering this on Saturday, June 2nd).By end of Saturday we will be in Catawba with Cosby¢s...so can¢t wait!!
Date: 2018-06-02
From: mm 688.4

To: 4 Pines Hostel
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

We needed to hike over 15 miles on this day and it was a bit of a challenge. Naturally the weather was a factor, but terrain played a large part in the second half of the day. I mentioned earlier two different AT¢s. The second AT introduced itself to us as we approached Dragon¢s Tooth later that afternoon. The challenges of rock scrambling in the rain are many, And the person who laid out this section of the trail must have been in a really bad mood at the time. I¢ve never felt I was in as much danger as yesterday as Curly and I attempted to navigate our way down the rock faces of this mountain. There were few easy ways to step down, and most times as you descended you simply prayed your feet and hands found their mark. If I could meet the designer of this portion I wouldn¢t shake his hand and thank him. No, I would have to restrain myself from inflicting pain on that individual. We were supposed to be finished hiking by 330pm and instead crawled off the mountain at 5pm. Our pace slowed to a mile per hour the last 3 miles.And for the first time since beginning this adventure I actually wanted to quit. I was surprised at my frustration and anger and knew I needed to follow my own advice and before quitting have a hot meal and a good nights rest...which we did! In the midst of a tough day however, some amazing things happened: we crossed the 700 mile mark which is so amazing to me. We got to 4 Pines Hostel and got a hot shower. We ate dinner at the Home Place which was amazing. Best of all though, Ben and Staci Cosby met us and we are together for the next two days. It is awesome to meet up with friends who will hike with us for a couple days; they brought us lots of goodies and just being with them is a huge morale booster. We are so glad they are here and can¢t wait to share this trail thanks them!Tomorrow we head north to McAfee¢s Knob and then on to Daleville the next day. Should be an incredible adventure!
Date: 2018-06-03
From: 4 Pines Hostel

To: Pig Farm Campsite mm 713.7
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: scattered clouds

I¢m glad I took my own advice and didn¢t quit yesterday. After being greeted by the Cosby¢s, eating an amazing family style ¢all you can eat¢ dinner at the Homeplace, then getting a great night¢s rest tenting at 4 Pines Hostel, I was ready to take on the trail once more.We had a fairly easy 10 plus mile day planned, and the Cosby¢s brought great with them! For the first time in recent memory, we woke up to blue skies, rising sun, and excitement for the day. We wanted to Ben and Staci as full a thru hike experience as possible and the day did not disappoint. We took our time making miles through the day, and came to Johns Spring Shelter where we had lunch. They got to meet some hikers we knew (DNA and Slack Rack) and then we headed back out for McAfee¢s Knob, one of the most well known and most photographed places on the AT. It was absolutely incredible! The weather made for remarkable views, so amazing that I have rated this location most spectacular view on the AT to date. We hung out there for a good while, snacking and talking with other hikers before moving on.  Curly will tell you what came next was the best part of her day...getting to camp early! We arrived at our camp site just before 4pm, set up, then chilled out the rest of the night. It ended up looking like tent city because so many thru hikers wanted to stay there and catch either a sunset or a sunrise. We got to meet or talk to Sunny Swissy, Rebel Yell, Silver Bullet, Stealth, Scissors, Sparky, Papa Smurf, MAGA, and there were another dozen I don¢t know. All in all a great day to be with the Cosby¢s, and I hope a great day for them. Tomorrow we do 15.5 miles and head into town, but not before we see some incredible views from Tinker Cliffs!
Date: 2018-06-04
From: Pig Farm Campsite mm 713.7

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

We decided not to catch the sunrise at McAfee Knob this morning, but instead get a fairly early start for Daleville instead. Our little campsite was a beehive of activity beginning at 530am with so many folks hustling to go back up to McAfee¢s Knob for the sunrise. We opted to break camp instead and we were out just after 7am.It was a great day for hiking with cool breezes blowing throughout the morning. Four miles into our day we arrived at Tinker Cliffs, which in many respects rivaled yesterday¢s views. Lingering there with snacks, we pushed on and hiked mountain tops pretty much all day. Ben and Staci hiked strong all day, and the terrain and grade were in our favor pretty much the whole way. About three miles from Daleville, we caught sight of the town and surrounding area and made our final push. Right around 5pm we emerged from the woods onto the main drag of town and our hotel was practically in front of us...such excitement!We got cleaned up and jumped into their van for a quick ride to Olive Garden. Two items to note. First, it¢s incredible how you can drive in 15 minutes a longer distance than you can hike in one day, especially on the interstate. Second, Olive Garden is good food and I had almost forgotten how delicious salad can be. With bellies full (almost), we got dropped off at the Supermarket for resupply and we were in so long Ben sent Staci inside to make sure we hadn¢t been abducted by aliens! It¢s hard to buy 4 days worth of food that is lightweight, calorie dense, and in an unfamiliar store. With that finally completed, we stopped at Sonic for ice cream (naturally), then back to the hotel.Curly and I went to bed with full tummies, and very grateful hearts for such a wonderful day with Ben and Staci. They have been so good to us in so many ways and our little adventure with them is a definite highlight of our trip thus far.
Date: 2018-06-05
From: Daleville 

To: Wilson Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

So we said goodbye and got on the trail right around 11am. It was another beautiful day and we just got into cruise control and took our time all day. With no deadlines or requirements to attend to, it was a beautiful and easy kind of day. We did lunch around 130pm and wrapped up our day at 5pm in front of Wilson Creek Shelter. Tonight we are tenting and so is everyone else. Nobody uses the shelter when the weather is nice, so we have probably a dozen or more tents including a Girl Scout group as well.Remarkably, we have been on this trail for 8 weeks! It seems like only yesterday when we were at home planning and dreaming about this trip. Now we are over a third of the way finished! Our next town will be either Glasgow or Buena Vista depending on our miles hiked the next 3 days. Either way is good as it sets us up to meet our kids over Fathers Day Weekend. Tonite we are warm and snuggled in to our tent.
Date: 2018-06-06
From: Wilson Creek Shelter 

To: Bryant Ridge Shelter 
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was one of those days that totally redeem all other bad days combined. We got an early start on the day and spent a large part of the day walking alongside or across the Blue Ridge Parkway. We came out of the woods about 9am and came upon trail magic! Luke, an older gentleman was giving out fruit and water, and there was a trash can there as well!We hiked on for a couple hours and at noon we stopped at Virginia 43 state road and just plopped down and started eating lunch. Within minutes, Sparky, Squirrel, and Bryan stumbled out of the woods. While we were talking, a car drove up and the lady on the passenger side rolled down her window and asked us if anyone wanted a cold pop? Yes please and thank you very much. Turns out she and her husband have been meeting their son (who is hiking the AT) at crossroads and were on their way to Tennessee to their cabin when they saw us. Trail magic #2!Sparky then told us of a swimming hole only 7 miles away on the trail, and it was a hot, sunny day, so we booked it for Jennings Creek and arrived just before 4pm. We immediately jumped in to the freezing yet refreshing water. It was bone chilling cold, but it felt so good to get off the sweat and grime. We played around for about an hour, and in that time, Sparky, Squirrel, Bryan, Boston Pops, Pussycat, and two other hikers showed up, we had a great time!With a little more time and energy still left, Curly Turtle and I dried off and headed out for the last shelter of the day, about 4 miles from where we were. It was a big ¢up¢ that wrapped up our day and we were too late to snag a tent site. So this evening we are in a double decker shelter sprawled out and almost passed out with exhaustion. We are now snuggled into our sleeping bags ready to call it a day.