morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-05-13
From: Campsite

To: kincora hostel
Miles today: 20.7

Today i got up and out fairly early, planning on doing a big mile day to try and catch up with everyone i knew who had pulled ahead as i tried to escape Erwin. The terrain was to be pretty easy but the problem was that there was a large trail relocation that added a bunch of miles and all the books were wrong. I set out and walked and walked, i finally sat down to take a break and try to figure out where I was. A guy i know caught up and we speculated about five miles till the next shelter. I walked another couple hours and ate lunch when i caught up to some of the people i had camped with. I said we must be getting close to the shelter and they had just looked at thier maps and guessed it was about five miles. That wasn't what i wanted to hear. I ate lunch and got water and hiked on. Passed a couple of waterfalls that were new trail features on the relo and were really nice. I walked on and met a hiker coming the other way. When i asked him how far he thought it was to the shelter and he said oh I don't know five or six miles. Damn. How far did this relocation add? I walked on for another hour and crossed a road. I met more people headed the other direction and asked them how far they thought it was. "must be at least five or six miles". Ahhhhhhhhh I went into fits, thanked them and moved on. I walked on for a while and saw the trail crew coming out of the woods fresh from working on new trail, apparently if i was there a week later the trail would be different. I asked how far to the shelter and was told about four miles. Several hours later I had finally gotten somewhere, i was also told the whole relo added 7.5 miles. That explained something. I finally got to the shelter which apparently was about the 400 mile mark and breathed deep. I would never make it to where i wanted so i went to the hostel about five miles from there called kincora. This place was amazing, the owners bob and pat peoples were some of the nicest people around and they were so accomodating. They charged 4.00 for a bunk, a shower, laundry and shuttles. What amazing people they were, just out to help hikers. A shuttle came back from town and all my friends that i was trying to catch piled out with leftover pizza that i hungrily ate. Cool place, inside the walls were plastered with pictures of people at the end point in Maine that they had sent. The looks on everyone's faces in the pics was amazing, only after 1700 more miles and several months will i beging to comprehend what that feeling might be but it was nice to imagine. I went to sleep very happy, happy that i was through that freakin relocation.
Date: 2003-05-14
From: kincora hostel

To: watauga rope swing
Miles today: 9.5

Today was Wednesday and fifty miles from kincora was Damascus, VA where a thru hiker festival was going on called Trail Days. Everyone on trail was looking forward to it and it didn't matter where on the trail you were you hitched to Damascus. Now i wanted to try and make that fifty in two days to be there on Thursday. Standing in the way was Watauga lake and a rope swing. We hung around the hostel in the morning listening to radio to get some fresh songs in our heads and started walking. A mile from the hostel was another waterfall called laurel falls. It was really nice and looked like a good place to swim but we heard it takes three days to get a carcas out of it if you go swimming and we knew a rope swing lay ahead so we passed. We walked along a rock ledge right along the river and soon began climbing. Climbed up and over pond mountain and reached a road on the other side that was right next to the lake. Two of my friends who lost a game of chance had to hitch to town to get a couple beers and some snacks. We carried them the short distance around the lake to where the swing was. The swing was a pretty good one, you just had to hold on long enough to clear a big stump. Bucky, Wigglestick, Snot Rocket, Happy Feet, Rover, Stonehenge, and Taba hung out there and had a good old time swinging out over the lake. We got the idea to go the 41 miles into Damascus in one marathon day and started talking about how we would be super heroes to do it. It became clear that we would never leave that spot and at some point in the night all started laying out our pads and slept in a row right in the middle of the trail. Taba and Rover however headed out to see if they could make it. we decided to sleep for a few hours and get up early to start the long haul. It was supposed to rain and i joked that we would just get up when it started since we were going to sleep under the stars/clouds.
Date: 2003-05-16
From: Abingdon Gap Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

We all managed to get up somehow at 8 or 9 in the morning to finish the last ten miles to town. It was a slow and energy lacking day of soreness. Obviously no one was ashamed of our effort, it was just too hard and too many miles. After about 6 miles we reached the sign that demarcated Virginia. We stood by the line and slowly stepped over into VA. We had come over 450 miles through three states and this was a major marker. It was made even more major by the fact that about a quarter of the whole trail is in that state and we would be there for a very long time. Some even supposedly get the Virginia blues from being in the same place for so long and leave the trail. It was a time of excitement for us and Damascus and Trail Days was a little over three miles. We raced on feeling suprisingly good once the momentum started. I reached the edge of town with Stonehenge and waited a few minutes so that we could walk in as a group. There was a wooden arch at the edge of town where we got a group picture taken with all the vendors in the background. Baltimore Jack who is a trail legend and on his eighth thru-hike this year was there to welcome us and i happily took a picture of him with his shirt "Bill Bryson is a candy ass". For those who don't know Bill Bryson wrote what is probably the best selling memoir of a thru hike that enjoys widespread mainstream popularity. The only thing is he only made it a quarter of the way and is not highly regarded out here. He is seen as a weak hiker and out here for the wrong reason no really getting the feel of why people are out here even though there is an incredible range or reasons and feels. But, anyway...we took a few more steps and were yelled at from some hikers resting in the shade, "hiker trash", which is kind of like a hiker joke that means the people of towns we pass through don't really like seeing us there or having us around and regard us as hiker trash. A few steps later we saw our old buddy Wide Load who is developing the worlds lightest packtowel at .5 oz and is really a good product. BUY LIGHTLOAD TOWELS!!!! No I'm serious. We hugged and he gave us our first sample of what is sure to be an amazing new trend. Then we entered the world of the vendors. There were a lot of reps from some gear companies, crafts, games and all types of carny food. I saw some familiar faces that i hadn't seen for a couple weeks. I had only been in town minutes and was already having a blast. All the hikers in town were staying at a large campground a mile out of town so we got a ride there to set up camp. When we got there there was already a ton of tens and people around. We set up camp and spend the rest of the day in the campsite bulls****** with old friends. At night the site was ablaze with several large bonfires everywhere. Some gear companies put on a free chili dinner and everyone was in a festive mood. Trail Days had begun.
Date: 2003-05-17
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up pretty late today. Most everyone was up late by the bonfires and the section near where i was sleeping was apparently the rowdiest with a large wild drum circle late at night. I guess that some people got pepper sprayed and arrested but learned that it was all locals trying to pick fights and not hikers. Much of the day was spent by people bringing thier gear to the manufacturing reps in the campground itself that were there simply to clean your gear for free and replace parts. I got my stove, water filter, trekking poles all cleaned up for nothing. Some people i know got all new equipment in some cases. Some people got new boots, poles, packs, tents, etc because of minor defects in thiers. All the gear manufacturers were very friendly and there to make your lives easier. I did some laundry in town and got done a little bit before one of the biggest events in town which was the hiker parade. All the hikers present and past (not only is this a event for current hikers but it is also a very big reunion for past hikers especially of recent years but also anywhere up to fifty years ago) gather at one end of town and march to the other. The beginning of the parade is some locals and old cars with town officials like any other but then there is an AT banner and a motley group of hikers. Unofficially the parade is a big excuse for a water fight between the hikers and townspeople. Many hikers had bought water guns and water balloons and many locals were lined up with thier own guns and ammo. When we got to downtown the chaos began. Water balloons were flying everywhere and water was getting sprayed everywhere. I bought a crappy gun but still got off some good shots, at one point i caught a balloon that was thrown at me and chucked it back at the townfolk. It was a fun time had by all. It ended up peacefully back at the vendors when you got into town. I stayed for a while to enjoy the live bluegrass music that was going all weekend. Being in the south has made me a big fan of bluegrass, its such happy music. I retreated back to the campground a little bit later for the night. The number of tents had somehow doubled, there were hundreds on every square foot of grass availiable. I saw two thru hikers that i had met last year and hiked with for a week in Shenandoah. I found out that the couple Woodstock and Semi-pro had completed their hike and were still dating. I enjoyed seeing them and hanging out. The best part about that day, and trail days altogether was that I got to see many of the people i hadn't seen since Georgia or in a couple weeks. I found out that most were only a short ways behind. I was really glad to see some that i was good friends with or travelled with somewhere along the way and I had no clue if they were still on trail or not. It was like a six week trail reunion. The fires were as big and rowdy as the night before and i had fun walking between the various groups. It rained a little but didn't dampen anyone's spirits.
Date: 2003-05-18
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

When i woke up today the campground was half empty. The manufacturers reps were all packed up lots of cars were gone and lots of people were packing up. There was to be a massive rush out of town today both by road and trail. I was trying to avoid leaving with fifty other people by trail and I had already made up my mind I was staying. I went in to town to buy a few postcards, get fuel and see the manufacturers reps. I tried to get a new shoelace from Vasque because mine had broke on the long trek in and was told i was out of luck. Instead of arguing with the guy I'm going to call the company. I visited Wide Load. I also met the guys who put out this site, Zipdrive and Leif who were pretty cool. When I left the area everyone was starting to pack up. I went back again to the campground and it was even more deserted. We had a huge frisbee circle going where there was hundreds of tents the night before. We spent a kind of chill night hanging out with a lot of friends still in town relating stories of the weekend. A group calling themselves the blue blaze hobos fed us real well with bbq chicken, buffallo wings, salad, chips and cake. It was a good wrap-up of a great weekend.
Date: 2003-05-19
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

When i woke up today the campground was near deserted. Only the real hardcore partiers with nothing better to do were left. For some reason most of us decided to remain in town overnight instead of doing a half day, but instead of remaining at the campground we moved into town to the hostel run by the church. We got bunks and finished the day lazing away at the hostel. Much of town was closed, probably for a vacation after the rush and nothing ended up really happening today. I did go to the outfitters who hooked me up with some free shoelaces solving my problem. Wide Load showed back up at the hostel with his car so he drove us to Subway in a nearby town. I am starting to get restless and want to move along, town has a wierd feel to it after a while and i would like to get back out into the woods.
Date: 2003-05-20
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

When I woke up it was already later than i wanted it to be. I had yet to go t the post office and get my food and send a package. I had laundry that i should be doing. No one was motivated to leave except Strider who was out pretty early. Snot rocket, Bucky, Wigglestick, Primitive man and I kind of sat around for awhile realizing that we were going nowhere today. The day got later and we at least all took care of the last errands so that we could leave tommorrow for real this time. I spent two hours at the library and worked on my journal and was still like two weeks behind. Everyone I knew in town was gone and new faces were starting to show up. I'm getting that feeling again that i had the last day in Hot Springs. I need to go. I am sick of seeing the town, i am sick of being in town, yet i'm not done. God I need to leave. Tommorrow is the day
Date: 2003-05-21
From: Damascus, VA

To: saunders shelter
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: light rain

woke up, went to breakfast, packed up, went to P.O., came to library to catch up journal. Five hours later I'm am still sitting here at this computer. I'm sick to my stomach that I am still here. I'm am finally freakin done, caught up. I really hope everyone enjoys this, because otherwise i would be gone. I am standing up now walking out the door, putting on my pack and getting the hell out! In the daylight this time.
Date: 2003-05-22
From: saunders shelter

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: light rain

I FINALLY left Damascus at about 6 PM last night. Just before I left I ran into Pakabear who had just done fifty miles southbound in the days after trail days and said he counted 140 something people who had left Damascus in the previous three days. Too big a crowd it must have been single file going down the trail. I stopped by the Subway on my way out of town that had opened that day to pack out dinner. I wish i could have a sub every day. The rain had mostly stopped by the time I left. I did 9.4 miles to the first shelter getting in at about 11 PM. I set up my tent behind the shelter. I woke up and left at about midday to do a big day and caught up with my friends Bucky, Wigglestick, Snot Rocket and Primitive Man at the shelter six miles out of town. They had only made it one mile out of town yesterday and were done for the day. It was overcast and supposed to rain. I decided on the short day as well, not being in a rush now that i was out of town's reach. Part of the walk today was on the Virginia Creeper Trail, a old railroad bed that was turned into a bike path. Lots of people skip nine miles of the AT to walk the Creeper Trail since it is so nice but not I. I need to follow the white blaze, which did follow the Creeper for a while over some real nice railroad bridges. Spent the rest of the day goofing off.
Date: 2003-05-23
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Thomas Knob shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: broken clouds

Today my destination was the Grayson Highlands State Park which is supposed to be one of the most beautiful parts of the whole trail. I got kind of a late start as usual trying to work my way back to a hiking schedule and off of a town one. The sky was dark and threatening all day, however there was some very nice scenery along the way. A set of rocks called buzzard rock offered a view back over what I had just hiked and to the valley and town below. It started to sprinkle shortly after I left this spot. Primitive man and I walked through the drizzle for a while only to have it stop before we got very wet. We moved along at a good pace for a while before a road and parking area for Mt. Rogers the highest mountain in Virginia and the highest point on the AT in Virginia. All downhill from there right? It was only about four miles to the shelter and the skies were rapidly darkening again. Primitive hitched in to Elk Garden, VA to get food and I continued on. I got a little ways in and started to hear thunder in the distance. I quickened my pace drastically but only made it about two miles before it started pouring and I mean pouring. It took less than a minute, actually about five seconds for me to realize water was getting into my boots again. I could hear squishing noises eminating from my feet which were totally soaked. Only about two miles to the shelter but it was pouring and I had a climb. The trail turned into a stream bed as a torrent of water rushed down around my feet which couldn't get more wet. I made it up to where there were few trees near the top of Mt. Rogers and saw lightning hitting all around as I walked an exposed ridge with metal trekking poles in my hands. Safe. I saw three wild ponies hiding under a tree, that offered little protection. This area has many wild ponies (actually feral ponies which means something like partly domesticated but still wild i think). I pulled into the large shelter to find some of my friends who had missed getting soaked by minutes. Luckily there was room for I was happy to sleep in a shelter tonight. Thank goodness for dry clothes because it was a freezing night to be above 5000 feet.
Date: 2003-05-24
From: Thomas Knob shelter

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

It poured all night, but we had heard that it was supposed to clear up so we waited around until 1 PM so we could have some nice weather for the highlands. This shelter had an interesting spring near it that originated in a old looking corral so that horses couldn't contaminate the water. The morning didn't look promising as the sun was trying to break through. I was able to partly dry some of my clothes but the boots were a lost cause. We set out and entered the highlands of Virginia. What an amazing area. I think the area might be the most beautiful I have seen. It looked like you imagine something called highlands might look. I'm not really sure what that means but it was awesome. Sweeping views in many directions. Large areas of rock outcrops all over. Bushes and trees that looked totally unique. Grassy areas between. It was a different world up there. If ever in southwest Virginia go to Grayson Highlands State Park. Behind every big area of rock was a whole different view. Unfortunately it was Memorial Day Weekend and there were TONS of people around, the trail was full. There were a bunch of ponies around but all of them had swarms of people around so we moved along. The ponies were small and all different colors, very nice really. Took our time stopping almost every mile for an extended break and to climb rock and explore. Words can't come close to doing this area justice. We unfortunately moved out of the area and booked it another seven miles to the next shelter over some other nice high meadows and cows. I found a nice patch of grass to pitch my tent, happy to not have to stay in a hard shelter.
Date: 2003-05-25
From: Old Orchard Shelter

To: Partnership shelter
Miles today: 24.8
Weather: clear sky

It was brought to our attention that there was a shelter about 25 miles from where we stayed which one could order pizza to and there was a shower in the shelter itself. It was right near the Visitors Center for Mt. Rogers state park. Now i was very interested in staying there to take advantages of these services since they probably are exclusive to only this shelter. Big day. I woke up early enough but didn't start walking until almost 10 AM which I thought might be too late, i wanted to be there for supper before dark. Primitive wasn't interested in doing the big day since he wasn't a thru hiker and only had a couple more weeks on trail. He also had his wallet stolen in Elk Garden and had to hitch in to town to go to Western Union so I said my goodbye to a very unique friend and headed out. I walked incredibly fast, practically running. I checked my watch after ten miles and found I was moving over three miles an hour which is about the fastest i've ever gone. The terrain was easier than what i was used to in the previous states. Virginia is supposed to be the state that everyone makes big miles in because of the terrain. The uphills just aren't as big as they used to be and everyone is in such great shape that they require much less effort. I passed some day hikers who struggled for a while to keep up with me. I looked back to see them actually running along, but they couldn't keep it up very long. Today I am an unstoppable machine of walking. The miles flew by all day and I reached my destination in under 8 hours of walking. I had moved incredibly fast. I was looking for Bucky Wigglestick and Happy Feet who had left about an hour and a half before I did. No one at the shelter seemed to know them or seen them at all during the day. I sat around for another two hours and just started to wonder if they were still alive when they came walking in confused to see me. I had passed them while they ate lunch at a shelter I didn't stop in. Like I said I was moving fast. We ordered pizzas from the nearby phone and picked them up at the gate at the end of the parking lot. To sit at a shelter and eat pizza is truly an amazing thing, a real pleasure that beats the heck out of anything that you add water to, it can't be underestimated. There was a no camping sign for some reason although there were several tents set up. It was raining and the shelter was full so what were we to do. Oh well, breakin the law.
Date: 2003-05-26
From: Partnership shelter

To: chatfield shelter
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up early to try and break my tent down in case any rangers came through. It rained hard last night. I took advantage of the warm shower at the shelter. It was a push button one that you had to hold down which was kind of a pain but not too bad because I was starting to smell. It was memorial day and there was a large crew taking a 0 day. I didn't want to take one because I was still pretty disgusted with myself over how much time I spent in Damascus. I hung out a long time that day, definitely long enough to eat some memorial pizza. I had to wait for the post office in Atkins which was the reason I was kind of going slow the last several days and here I was trying to put myself in a position where I wasn't even going to be there on Tuesday. I had to leave so I made my break in the afternoon after making some phone calls. I was planning on going next to Atkins to wake right up and go to town but it was supposed to rain so I took advantage of an open spot in the shelter. When I sleep in a shelter I am better able to get up in the morning when the others rise early and start packing up thier stuff and cooking breakfast. I also don't sleep to well on the hard wood floors with mice running around, funny thing.