morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-04-08
From: Kincora Hiking Hostel

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 23.3
Weather: overcast clouds

My cell phone decided to reset itself during the night¢oh the joy¢so I got up a bit late and was a bit rushed to try and get out in time, although I still had time to cook breakfast, which was good. Mama Bear, Half Moon, Rambo and I caught Sun Bear, Grease, and Hard to Kill at Vandeventer Shelter, where we had lunch. There weren¢t a lot of views, but the grades were easy or flat, so a lot of time was made. I took a break at Iron Mountain Shelter, where I met a fellow named 3x5, then swung on past the Nick Grindstaff Monument, the gravesite of a local hermit who, according to the inscription, ¢Lived alone, suffered alone, and died alone.¢ As if to relieve any depression caused by the previous landmark, we came across a church group setting trail magic at Highway 19, a landmark that precedes four-tenths of a mile of handicapped-accessible trail. We partook, thanked, then went on to Double Spring Shelter, where Tuesday and Whiffle¢so named because he carries a whiffle bat¢already were. Half Moon, Mama Bear, One Day, Wrong Leg, Hard to Kill, and I stayed as well.
Date: 2014-04-09
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Damascus, Virginia
Miles today: 18.7

My alarm went off earlier than expected on my phone, much to everyone¢s annoyance, including mine. First it was a cold morning, then a wet and foggy morning, although it cleared up by the time I hit Abingdon Gap Shelter and lunched there, although I did mistake an old shelter that I suspect the local youths utilize for a trysting-place for it for a few minutes.At any rate, despite my left leg starting to become a game leg about a mile before the Virginia-Tennessee border, I got into Damascus in time to use the local library, which was very well appointed. I also met Mr. Blue Sky again as I went on into The Place, a donation-only hostel run by the local Methodist church. I took supper at Pork Bellies¢ BBQ with the crew from the last few nights, as well as Coconut and Spice Kit. As we walked along the Damascus main street, I noticed that we slightly resembled a very smelly, unstylish, and not especially threatening gang. We also determined that the Blue Blaze Caf©, despite its reputation, was rather overpriced¢I suspect the rep is because it has beer. Either way, a good time had by all.
Date: 2014-04-10
From: Damascus, Virginia

To: Damascus, Virginia
Miles today: 0.0

I had breakfast with Tuesday and Whiffle, Mr. Blue Sky, One Day, and Hard to Kill at In the Country, as Tuesday and Whiffle had not yet had grits. They were right nice folks, too¢fellow came in and asked us if we needed anything, and by the time it was all done, we¢d gotten free refills on milk¢which almost never happens¢a free scone for each of us, and a free fountain drink. I don¢t think they do that all the time, and I wouldn¢t ask for it, but swing on by there if you¢re ever in town.Anyway, I had second breakfast at Mojoe¢s Coffee Shop and used their wireless for the rest of the morning while talking with, at various points, Rambo, Mama Bear, Sun Bear, One Day, and Coconut and Spice Kit. I had lunch with the latter at Dairy King, which wasn¢t bad, where I met Joules and Canary, who were zeroing at Abingdon, as Canary¢s parents came for a visit and brought her dog, and no hotels in town took pets. I got to the library at 2:00, then did history bowl questions and arranged bus tickets until around 7, and went on up to the Food Lion, where I picked up resupply that I knew wasn¢t in my food box, then headed over to the Pizza Plus, which was all you can eat and turned out to be holding a fundraiser for the local track and field team.When I left, I met Wrong Leg, Sun Bear, and Grease coming out the Food Lion, and we all walked to the Blue Blaze, where we hung out for awhile with some of the others ¢til near ten, when I went back to the hostel.
Date: 2014-04-11
From: Damascus, Virginia

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: broken clouds

I got my food box and refueled at Mt. Rogers Outfitters after cooking up supper for breakfast at The Place, then went over to Subway for wifi and early lunch, although I didn¢t end up leaving ¢til near 1:00. My left leg started hurting like I¢d pulled something on the way, although it wasn¢t debilitating. I met Cheeseburger and Baggy again after passing by Saunders Shelter, and moved on while they camped at a pond with tenting. I got to Lost Mountain Shelter an hour before sunset to find Rambo, Half Moon, Mama Bear, Blink, Wrong Leg, Heiko, and some section hikers there. We sat around the fire for awhile and talked.
Date: 2014-04-12
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: few clouds

Decided to take it slow, as I was ahead of schedule to meet BCM at Dickey Gap. I left slightly after 9, and got to Buzzard Top a bit before noon, where I met a group of Ohioans who were out for a day hike and had lunch. They were interested to hear that I had hiked all the way from Springer Mountain, and so we talked for a bit, and by the time they left, I had more food in my pack than when I got there. I headed on down to Virginia 616 to find some trail magic left by two previous thru-hikers named Card Shark and Cover Girl, who I met on my way up Mount Rodgers, as well as a troop of Boy Scouts out for a weekend and a family out on a day hike. There were a lot of folks who were staying in the area, including two Scout troops and a group from Appalachian State University, but only the thru-hikers from Lost Mountain stayed in the shelter.
Date: 2014-04-13
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: Hurricane Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: broken clouds

I started about 8ish, and went about a half-mile round trip to Massie Gap to drop off trash and to use the toilets there¢the latter were a pain to find, although they would have been less so if I¢d seen the sign for them. At this point, I was in the Grayson Highlands, which are known among hikers for their wild ponies. Despite seeing some great views from the trail, I saw no ponies until after I left the park and hit Wise Shelter, where I had a break with Hard to Kill, Penguinman, and Mama Bear, the last of which pointed me to two of them at the shelter spring. I saw some more on Stone Mountain, and then at the Scales livestock corral, where I had lunch with Mama Bear, Grease, Hard to Kill, Wrong Leg, and Half Moon. The last two apparently took a wrong turn where the trail crossed a horse trail, and took that to the Scales. I took another break and watered up at Old Orchard Shelter, where I met Snowplowman and Skitter, two fellows from Maine. I got down to Fox Creek, just before an uphill, and took a swig of cod spring water and started in on a Nature Valley Bar.Unfortunately, I got a mild case of system shock from the cold water and sugar combo, got an upset stomach, and had to lie down for a bit. Fortunately, that did the trick, and I swung on up and over the mountain and down to Hurricane Mountain Shelter, where also Rambo, Wrong Leg, Blink, Half Moon, and Mama Bear slept, while Grease, Sun Bear, and Hard to Kill camped. About nineish, Half Moon started doing stretching exercises, Rambo started doing push-ups, and this snowballed into everyone else in the shelter decided to night hike to Trimpi Gap Shelter. Seeing as BCM was going to meet me there in two days, I stayed at Hurricane.
Date: 2014-04-14
From: Hurricane Mountain Shelter

To: Trimpi Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I headed out at nine, and got to Dickey Gap near 11, where I hitched a ride to Troutdale, a town that has seen better days. I wrote a letter at the post office, then looked for the hostel run by the local Baptist church. Failing to find it, I hitched back to Dickey Gap and hiked to Trimpi, where I met Handsome Dan and some others who were hiking on to Partnership Shelter. In the end, Fun Size, One Day, who had gotten off the trail to see her sister at a fitness competition, Ramble, Heiko, and two others stayed at the shelter too. On her way out of Damascus, Fun Size apparently rescued a young Scout who got separated from his troop on the Virginia Creeper biking trail, by means of making sure he got a ride back to the trail and staying with him.
Date: 2014-04-15
From: Trimpi Gap Shelter

To: Trimpi Gap Shelter
Miles today: 0.0

It was a cold morning, but everyone but Ramble and I left. I talked with him a bit about his flip-flop¢he hiked SoBo to Woods Hole Hostel, then got caught in the polar vortex and got off the trail, and started back up from Springer this spring. It started sleeting and raining around noon, when Slumberjack, one of two brothers known as the Jersey Boys, came in followed by his brother, Forest, around one, when BCM came in with two days of food. The original plan was to hike to the campsite after Trimpi, but given that he had a hammock and a light bag, we decided that was a bad idea, as there was starting to be snow. Joules and Canary came in afterward, then a section hiker named Eric, who seemed to bring the wind with him. The shelter was not open completely on the fourth side, and there was a fireplace, so Ramble built a fire and Eric and Joules put their tarps over the shelter entrance. We kept the fire going until 8, when it started smoking out the guys on the top bunks. Either way, we were still warm enough.
Date: 2014-04-16
From: Trimpi Gap Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: clear sky

¢Twas a cold morning, but we got off at 9:00 anyway, and got to Partnership Shelter by 2:37. As we didn¢t want to try and crank out 16 miles that day¢said extra six miles being the distance to the next campsite¢we stayed and ordered pizza from the Tuscan Italian Grill, unlike Joules, Canary, Professor T, Penguinman, Live ¢n Learn, and Quickstep, who had ended up skipping the section from Dickey Gap to Partnership due to faulty hitching directions. It was when we met Professor T and Penguinman that I learned where the hostel in Troutdale was¢on the hill behind the church. Yeah, I felt like an idiot. Anyway, Dinosaur showed up, along with Short Stop, Lighthouse, Gentle Spirit, Bright Side, Tender, and Silent Nacht. Good time had by all.
Date: 2014-04-17
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Davis Path Campsite
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

The morning wasn¢t cold, so we got off before 9:00, but not before picking up a first aid bag someone left at the shelter. We took a light lunch at Chatfield Shelter, where we met a ridge runner named Jonathan and Penguinman. We got some good trail magic at the Lindamood School, which was the school for the area from the 1890s to the 1930s, and was the stereotypical one-room schoolhouse. We resupplied what wasn¢t in our food boxes at the Sunoco station right by the trail in Atkins, then had lunch at The Barn restaurant, where we picked up our food boxes and dropped off the first aid bag in their hiker box. We headed out for the Davis Path campsite, which we found unexpectedly due to confusing it with the Davis Farm campsite, which used to be a shelter before it was torn down. Unfortunately, the water for the place was a mile back, but we were still pretty full from The Barn. We refilled the compost bucket and set up compost for the latrine, as we¢d been asked the day before by a trail maintainer. Dinosaur showed up and camped there with us.
Date: 2014-04-18
From: Davis Path Campsite

To: Lynn Camp Creek
Miles today: 12.0

We had a cold breakfast and started about 8ish, then had second breakfast at Crawfish Valley, where there was water and we met an English hiker named Milky. We clambered over Walker Mountain, then down into the valley, and got onto a little hump between that valley and the Holston River before Short Stop met us. Apparently, he¢d had breakfast with Penguinman at The Barn and mentioned that he¢d lost his first aid bag, at which point Penguinman told him to check the hiker box and he found it. This wasn¢t the first time something like this happened to him, either¢he¢d tried a Sobo two years before, but broke his shoulder two weeks in, hit his emergency beacon, and got a cell phone call from the company in the only spot on the entire mountain with reception. To top it all off, two NoBo hikers came up, one of whom was an EMT.God¢s watching over that man.We took lunch at the Holston River, then took a break to use the privy at Knot Maul Branch Shelter, where we ate a granola bar thing someone left at the shelter recently. I checked the shelter log to find that most of the folks weren¢t that far ahead. We stopped at Lynn Camp Creek campsite for the night, and were joined by Penguinman, who was a Naval Corpsman for twenty years, and was assigned to the Marines in Vietnam.
Date: 2014-04-19
From: Lynn Camp Creek

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: scattered clouds

BCM beat me in packing up, but we still got out by 8:30. A fellow named Scorch passed us while we were still in camp, and we met another hiker named Dune at Lick Creek. We got some sausage patties from some weekend hikers just before the road before Chestnut Knob, which was a very long and grueling climb. Dune and another hiker named Mariposa passed us on the way up like we were standing still. We lunched at the pond and got water there, then went on up and down into Walker Gap, where we got water again. Then, we went over a rock garden of an up and down ridge run until we hit a road, where the trail became relatively flat before crash diving into Jenkins Shelter, which we got into thirty minutes before sundown to find Mariposa, Dune, Scorch, Pancake and Babyface, Heiko, and Wrong Leg and his mother, trail name Lady in Pink. A hiker named red came in after sundown, and apparently left in the night.
Date: 2014-04-20
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Helveys Mill Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: few clouds

We got out behind everyone but Wrong Leg and Lady in Pink. As it was Easter, BCM and I read from Matthew 26-28¢that is, the arrest, crucifixion, and resurrection of Christ. Let us remember that that was when the longest war of all was won, although it still goes on.Anyway, we got out near 10, but made the nine miles to ??? before 2, meeting a fellow named TruBrit who runs a campground along the way.Right before a gravel road, we got trail magic in the form of a Styrofoam cooler filled with plastic Easter eggs filled with candy. We passed Heiko at Virginia 612, and found out that he¢d been having ankle trouble for three weeks after twisting it. We had a nasty climb up to Helvey¢s Mill Shelter, Red passing on us on the way. He stopped there for a break, then pushed on. We stayed at the shelter with Heiko. Getting the water required a 1/3 of a mile trip down a switchbacked trail, which was a pain in the neck, in addition to the fact that my left foot was chafing. I was reminded a bit of hiking the Pinhoti in Alabama, as Heiko was the only other one there.
Date: 2014-04-21
From: Helveys Mill Shelter

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: clear sky

We headed out at 8:30 after talking with Heiko, who taught carpentry and stonecutting in Germany before coming out here. We took lunch before Brushy Mountain, and got to Jenny Knob Shelter before 2, where we met three of the guys from Partnership who were slackpacking from TruBrit¢s place. The Machine came in later, but swung on past, while a fellow named Cloudwalker, who did the PCT in 2012, came in¢apparently he started on April 2. Wrong Leg also got in after dropping his mother off in Bland, and planned on making it to Woods Hole Hostel to meet her the next day. A fellow named Goat also came in, dithered about staying, then decided to do so. Then came in Pancake and Babyface, then Swiper, Rockfish, Moose, Haiku, and Flipper.
Date: 2014-04-22
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: light rain

I got woken up by BCM early, and we left about 7:15. The climb out of Lickskillet wasn¢t fun, but we got to Trent¢s Grocery around 11. We were supposed to get a maildrop there, but it was missing. So, we resupplied, got lunch, recharged stuff, showered, and did laundry, only to be slightly stymied by a broken dryer. We left at 2:30 anyway, had a bit of a climb, then rolled along a flat to Wapiti Shelter while talking about medieval military tactics. We hit there by 6:00, and ended up staying there with Top¢o, who passed us beforehand, along with Rockfish and Flipper. Heiko apparently turned his ankle again a few miles before Jenny Knob Shelter, while Penguinman¢s hip got worse and he got off at TruBrit¢s.
Date: 2014-04-23
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 17.6

Cold breakfast, but not too cold a morning. We headed out initially planning to stay at Doc¢s Knob Shelter, but we hit the turn-off to Wood¢s Hole hostel before noon, where we met Hard to Kill and his dad, as well as a couple named Sunshine and Youngbeard. While it was a bit of a climb up and over to Doc¢s Knob, we got there around 2, and so decided to just take a break there and hike on to Pearisburg. We got some good views on our way in, then got into town and got a room at the Plaza Motel, got a rotisserie chicken, chips and dip, and milk at the Wal-mart, then ate in the room and got dessert at Dairy Queen. We met Top¢o at the motel, and made sure Moose and West got back to the trail as they night-hiked.
Date: 2014-04-28
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: moderate rain

After being shuttled back to the trail by Tom Hoffmann, a former IRS auditor, I got back on the trail at 1:15. After a grueling climb out of Pearisburg, I got to Rice Field shelter just after 4, where I met a couple named Koko and Seymour. I decided to push on, passing Flipper's tent two miles afterward. Unfortunately, it started raining and thundering and lightning shortly after 6 as I went along the ridgeline, and it went on for an hour and a half. It cleared up as I went up the last hill, though, which was good. Unfortunately, I had misremembered how far the shelter was, and so I ended up night-hiking for an hour and a half, to find three people and a dog in the shelter.
Date: 2014-04-29
From: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter

To: War Spur Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: light rain

I met the other shelter folk when I woke up--two New Yorkers named Ian and Dean, and Dean's dog Riley, as well as Four Fingers, who now goes by Raven. I waited for the rain to stop, and got out around 11. I took lunch at Bailey Gap with with Raven, then hiked on. I spent just about all day hiking up in the clouds, which isn't nearly as fun as it sounds. I ended up cramming into War Spur shelter with four guys from Tennessee called the Oak Ridge Boys, two guys from Philadelphia named Iiwii and Ticksack, and Gandalf. Flipper, Koko and Seymour, Ian and Dale, and a fellow named Indiana also came in.
Date: 2014-04-30
From: War Spur Shelter

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I got out around 9, and met a couple of Sobo sectioners before my first climb, who told me that the weather forecast was windier and more chance of showers as the day wore on. I took lunch at Laurel Creek with Ticksack, Koko, and Seymour. I met some more Sobo sectioners, who told me the next ridgeline was exposed and rocky. After a grueling climb up, during which I saw the Keffer Oak, the largest tree on the southern half of the trail, I got to the turnoff for Sarver Hollow and found that the ridge and weather seemed fine. Unfortunately, after the turnoff, the trail started going over rocks and up and and down, abd the weather started looking iffy. However, the rain stayed ahead of me, and the sun came out as I went down the hill to the shelter. There I found Ian and Dale and Koko and Seymour, and Fabdalf and Flipper came in later.
Date: 2014-05-01
From: Niday Shelter

To: Four Pines Hostel
Miles today: 16.8

I got out a bit before 9, and, after a grueling climb up Brush Mountain, reached the Audie Nurphy memorial, placed there due to his death in a nearby plane crash. For those of y'all who don't know who he was, he was the most decorated US soldier of World War II, and when Hollywood made a movie about him--starring him as himself--they didn't dare put in some of the stuff in the medal citations, for fear that it would be considered too unrealistic. He was also a nassive jerk, a bit of a bully, and a constant discipline problem. Story goes that when it came time for the awards ceremony, Murphy was nowhere to be found--they finally realized that he'd been put on kitchen patrol. Courage comes in many guises.Anyway, I swung on down to the road, where someone had left a cooler full of soft drinks, and had lunch and talked history with Koko and Seymour. Then I climbed up to Cove Mountain, which was rocky as anything. Despite this, the initial climb down was worse, requiring me to scramble down rocks for nearly a mile.Anyway, I made it to Four Pines Hostel in time to catch the shuttle to the Homeplace Restaurant with Princess, Rocketman, Ranger, Gandalf, and two female section hikers named Sundance and Nug. Now, the Homeplace is a restaurant built in an old farmhouse, which has a limited menu--four different meats and five or six sides. To get three meats, the sides, a drink, and dessert is only fifteen bucks--counting tax. And the food is really good.
Date: 2014-05-02
From: Four Pines Hostel

To: Campsite
Miles today: 21.0

I didn't get on the trail until 9:30. It would have been later, but I got some trail magic to the grocery store and the post office from a fellow named Rescue One who was helping his wife section hike. I ended up hiking to Virginia 311 with Gandalf, Flipper, and a section hiker, who ended up giving us some pretty good trail magic in the gap, as it was the end of his hike. We chilled there for about an hour, then hiked on out around 1:00.Now, McAfee Knob and Tinker Cliffs are noted for their views. It is well-deserved. When I got into Lambert's Meadow Shelter, there was no one there, so I swung on after eating supper, intending ti get closer to Daleville. I hiked until 10, passing Koko and Seymour asleep, and meeting a couple named Trilliam and Rogue. I ended up pitching my tent in a site on the ridge, thrn took myself to bed. While I was writing notes, Gandalf and Flipper passed by on their way to the Waffle House--apparently they hung out at the shelter before McAfee Knob for awhile, wondering where I'd gotten off to, as I'd been wondering about them.
Date: 2014-05-03
From: Campsite

To: Wilson Creek Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: few clouds

I woke with dawn and was rolling by 8:30, and reached Daleville at 10. I met Koko and Seymour at the outfitter, then chilled out at the coffee shop, where I stayed until the Three Lil' Pigs barbecue place opened and met Bean Dip and Mama Bean. I stayed at the restaurant until 1:00, then rolled out, meeting Cheeseburger and Baggy again at Fullhardt Knob Shelter. I reached Wilson Creek Shelter at 6, where I stayed with several section hikers--Megan and Teri, just out of college; Wingnut and More to Do, and Captain and Slim--and a thru-hiker named Santa. There was a fellow named Guy on a Buffalo, but he rolled out late in the evening.
Date: 2014-05-04
From: Wilson Creek Shelter

To: Bryant Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: clear sky

I headed out before 8, and got to see three deer in a group shortly after crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway. I took some pictures, then bid them good day. I got some trail magic at the next crossing of the Parkway, then swung on to Cove Mountain Shelter, where I met Been There and Done That. As I went down into Jennings Creek, I found some pastries left by Pint Size and her bunch, and, after enjoying one and undergoing some confusion about where the trail crossed the creek, went on up Fork Mountain, which was a climb. I reached Bryant Ridge Shelter near 5, waffling about whether to stay or go on up Floyd Mountain to the next shelter. It was so nice, I stayed. Grasshopper and Top'o were also there, and after we had all gone to sleep, three hikers came in at midnight and took the 2nd floor.