morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-05-01
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: Fox Creek, VA 603
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: light rain

RW MEANS: Received Wave                                                             Today started cold and windy with a heavy mist and clouds surrounding the shelter.                                          I started hiking with anticipation.   Wild horses live in these mountains and after yesterday's brief encounter with one horse I wanted to see more. The terrain is mostly treeless and grassland, ideal for horses, but the trail is hard. It is a lot of broken rock and deeply eroded soil, that's very hard on my ankles.   I hiked with my head down so I wouldn't trip but walking with your head down makes it hard to enjoy the scenery, which is stunningly panoramic.   I walked right into a herd of wild horses before I knew they were there.Lots of beautiful horses and colts.   They're very tame and I petted one near the trail. During the day I saw 4 herds, maybe 30 or 40 horses.      The air was cool and the sky heavily overcast, threatening rain all morning.   Just before noon I crossed the 500 mile mark.   Finally after lunch the sun came out. Shortly after lunch and near Troutdale I fell and strained my right thigh muscle.   Between yesterday and today I suspect the last 20 to 25 miles were mostly hiking over broken rock, which overtaxed my ankle and probably contributed to my fall. I got to the road and tried hitchhiking into town without success.   I limped the 3.5 miles to town and went to a Baptist Church that runs a small hostel. The hostel is clean. As the night wore on 4 other hikers arrived and moved in. By bedtime no one from the church had stopped by to check on us.   I guess I will see them in the morning. Troutdale is a dead town without food, a gas station, diner or much of anything. Not even cell service. The reason for today's name is because people waved at me when I was hitchhiking.   At one point I stood in the road and tried to get a car to stop.   It almost ran me over and didn't even slow down.
Date: 2014-05-04
From: Fox Creek, VA 603

To: Fox Creek, VA 603
Miles today: 0.0

Here we are in Atkins, Va. This is RW's wife, Cathy, filling in as Pat's journal writer. Yesterday, I drove in from the Chicago-area and picked him up in Damascus where Pat (RW) had to spend a few more days recuperating from his second leg injury. He seems to be on the mend and his energy is good. We drove around the area today, and met Owl Bear at the Grayson Highlands Visitor Center. We gave him a lift to the hotel where he was planning to stay for the night. The rest of the day was spent buying food and gearing up for the next 7-day hike. Our son, Mark is flying in from California tomorrow to walk with his Dad. After we pick Mark up at the Johnson City airport tomorrow, they plan to hit the trail early that evening.Today RW stands for Reconnecting with the Wife!
Date: 2014-05-05
To: Laurel Creek
Miles today: 0.0

Hi!This is RW's wife, Cathy, filling in again as Pat's trail journal reporter.Today was a very special Cinco de Mayo because our son, Mark, flew in to the Tri-City Airport where we picked him up in the afternoon. By early evening, father and son were geared up and ready to head out on the Appalachian Trail near Troutdale, Va.While fine-tuning their packs, saying goodbye, and taking a few parting photographs, we met Union Jack, a thru-hiker from England, and a veteran section hiker from Pennsylvania who recently underwent a double knee replacement.The weather is great. Spring flowers and blooming trees grace the trail after a long cold winter. Wishing them a great hike!
Date: 2014-05-05
From: Laurel Creek

To: Hurricane Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 3.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I took it easy waiting for Mark. His plane from Phoenix was delayed and he didn't land until 4:40. At 7:00 we finally hit the trail.   We camped below the shelter next to a stream. We got there after 8 and setup in the dark. Mark mistakenly tried his hammock to two dead trees. We ate and talked for a long time and then went to bed. The wind picked up to gale force and the trees swayed hard all night making it interesting and a bit scary for him as the hammock stretched and contracted all night as the trees moved.RW MEANS Rustling Woods
Date: 2014-05-06
From: Hurricane Mountain Shelter

To: stream mile 524.3
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: clear sky

We slept late and ate a hot breakfast.   The first hot breakfast on the trail since I started. I now have my stove.   We started hiking at 8:45. It was a nice cool day with a smooth trail and lots of water. A remarkably good day for Mark to join me. We met two people from Germany and one from England as well as many other interesting hikers.   We stopped early at 4:30 and made camp in a wonderful spot.   A young girl from Texas joined us named Tex. We cooked over a fire and ate well. The night started warm and we both slept without rain flies.   All night I enjoyed watching the stars every time I woke up. RW means Raccoon Wilderness
Date: 2014-05-07
From: stream mile 524.3

To: Chatfield Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: clear sky

We woke early and had coffee and oatmeal before hitting the trail. Mark got his first taste of hiking in the mountain fog. The fog didn't burn off until 9:30. We enjoyed hiking in the cool fog because once the sun came out it got really hot. At 10:45 we reached the Mt. Rogers Visitor Center and I called Pizza Hut to have a pizza delivered.   It's the only place on the trail where you can get a pizza delivered. To my great disappointment they told me they didn't deliver pizzas before 4:00.We jumped on the 11:00 $0.50 bus with about 15 other hikers and went into Marion for pizza.   About half of the people on the bus joined us. Wrecking Ball sat with us.   We met a lot of hikers I hadn't met before.   One couple was particularly interesting.   A husband and wife team with 2 kids and a dog are thru hiking.   The boy is 9 and the girl is 6. These kids are hiking 18 to 20 mile days and still have energy to play.   They started two weeks after me and passed me today. We caught the bus back and hit the trail at 3:00. It was very hot, 89 degrees, there was little water for the next 7 miles.   We made the shelter at 6:45. The shelter was crowded and had few tent spots.   I dug for a half an hour making a level spot for my tent. We cooked powdered eggs for dinner.   Tasty but made a mess of our pots.RW MEANS Remembering Wishes.
Date: 2014-05-08
From: Chatfield Shelter

To: Stream mile 549.9
Miles today: 10.7

RW MEANS Refreshing WatersToday started early and we were on the trail by 7 o'clock. The trail was all downhill for us and after about 2 miles we came to an interesting place with an old schoolhouse called the Settlers Museum. Inside the old schoolhouse, which is next to the trail, we found a big box of goodies for the thru-hikers. We didn't take advantage of the trail magic because we were heading to a restaurant called The Barn for breakfast in Atkins and met Cathy there. A south bound section hiker named TipToe also joined us for breakfast.  She is 78 and was a great source of information about the trail for Mark and me. Breakfast at The Barn was good and large but the service was very slow and it took us two and a half hours to start the trail. While hiking we met a guy who maintains the trail.We stopped about 4:30 at a very nice stream for the night. The trail was easy and we hiked through several pleasant meadows. However, we did struggle today because we resupplied with 4 days of food. Mark is carrying the fresh food, which we will eat first but it is the heaviest of the food so he is carrying most of the food weight. After setting camp we both decided to wash clothes and clean up. We look forward to a nice quiet and pleasant evening away from the crowds. We are camping next to a stream in a grove of Rhododendrons. It is just the 2 of us tonight at this location and we sit here and watch the hikers walk past. We must be close to civilization today because I had cell phone service most of the day. I hope this is a trend from now on.We didn't do as many miles as we have done partly because it was hot and partly because of the weight of our packs and I got tired today.
Date: 2014-05-09
From: Stream mile 549.9

To: Pond
Miles today: 15.0

Rain and thunderstorms were in the forecast for today.   We walked through miles of grassy fields. In the morning we met Lumberman, he thru-hiked several years ago but now is unable. He's quite old, late 70s.   He gives hikers peanut and jelly sandwiches and soda pop. He said last year he gave out over 1,000 sandwiches to hikers. Great trail magic. We ran into Wrecking Ball again.   Also we walked by night hikers during the day. Late last night a group came by our camp and hiked most of the night. I soaked my feet often today and little fish nibbled at my feet.   It was hot again and Mark and I were always refilling our water.   We stopped and ate once next to a cow.As evening approached it looked like rain so we stopped for the night next to an old farm pond in a little wooded area next to a large field.   It was a great spot.   The trees blocked the wind from 3 directions and a little embankment that was on one side of the pond blocked the remaining side. The wind picked up to 30 miles per hour during the night but didn't affect us in our protected location.   We listened to the wind howl against the background of frogs and owls. We thought about going to the next shelter but realized it was small and at the top of a mountain without water.   We made the right decision. RW means Rebalanced Wants
Date: 2014-05-10
From: Pond

To: Laurel Creek
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: moderate rain

It took a long time to break camp this morning.   We were both slow.   We quickly made it to Chestnut Knob shelter and found that many hikers had squeezed into it to get out of the storm. A very nice shelter but when we opened the door the stench of so many unbathed hikers was overwhelming.   I ran into many hikers I knew. I ran into Uphill and Roots. We registered together at the start of the trail on March 17.We soon left and after a few miles came to the best trail magic yet. The Keen family had a 20 foot table full of food for hikers.   Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and desserts and drinks.   They do this once a year the day before Mother's day. It rained most of the day and we got caught in one thunderstorm. The hiking was hard due to the rocks.   We hiked along a ridge overlooking a valley. There was no water for most of the day.   If it hadn't been cool and rainy all day we could have had a water problem. As we hiked we saw a very interesting salamander   The shelters were crowded so we tented away from everyone.   We had a great campsite to ourselves. RW MEANS Rough Weather
Date: 2014-05-12
From: Road 612

To: Dismal Creek, gravel road, Campsite, footbridge 
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: scattered clouds

RW Means Recalling Walk Mileage is wrong. It should be 611.5 miles. After our night hike last night Mark and I slept late. We were very tired having been up to nearly midnight. After a good breakfast I packed and by noon I was back on the trail. Today was not too hot but the beginning of the trail was hard. There were lots of rocks for the first 8 miles and very little water. After this difficult stretch, the trail became much easier and water plentiful. I found myself hiking along Dismal Creek for nearly 7 miles and the trail was nearly flat. In this section the trail went through a tunnel of Rhododendrons and the ground is covered with leaves and pine needles making it very soft to walk. I made great time. During this time I recalled the past week as best as I could. This easy trail gave me time to get lost in my thoughts. The time past quickly and before I knew it I had hiked farther than I intended. Today was a milestone also because I crossed the 600 mile mark.I stopped at 6:15 at a beautiful stream, The Dismal Creek. The campsite is in a forest of very large and old growth pine trees. The trees are huge. Even though I hiked a long distance I saw very few people. I saw only 5 people today and 2 of them are camped with me tonight. They are Canadians from Quebec. They call themselves Kit and Kat. I talked to the guy known as Kit for a little bit. He is a retired Canadian Army officer. I am not sure she speaks English because I only heard her speak French.This is the end of 8 weeks or 56 days. Two months hiking and living in the woods. I am averaging only 10.9 miles a day.
Date: 2014-05-13
From: Dismal Creek, gravel road, Campsite, footbridge 

To: Lane St.Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: clear sky

The total mile count is inaccurate. For some reason this website is not calculating mileage correctly. The correct total miles is 631.3 according to the AWOL guide book. Today started easy enough but soon became difficult. The trail started flat and with lots of water. As the day progressed I climbed up a ridge and the trail turned into boulders and rock. I soon made the shelter and thought about stopping for the night but decided to camp on the ridge for the night near a water source. I left the shelter with only 1/2 liter of water expecting to cross 2 water sources within the next few miles. Unfortunately due to the recent dry spell both water sources were dry. This left me in a predicament. I didn't have the water to camp out and it was 8 miles to the next water source. I decided to hike to Pearisburg, far more miles than desired. As I hiked, I ran into Blue Jay. I first met her in Damascus weeks ago. She is actually over 125 miles up the trail but skipped this 10 miles so she could hike with her son today. What a break for me. She couldn't give me water, but we shared a big bowl of Strawberries and tomatoes. A lot of water in those and it was enough for me to hike 6 miles to town.The trail was dry and hot today. The ridge was rocky and the trees didn't have many leaves yet so the sun beat down on me all afternoon.When I got to town I ran into a great number of hikers that I knew. They are all in town resupplying. I checked into the Holiday Lodge Inn/Hostel. There is a picture of a fungus that I have no idea what it is but it is everywhere.RW Means Real World
Date: 2014-05-14
From: Lane St.Pearisburg, VA

To: Lane St. Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I woke-up this morning and found my left little toe swollen to the point that I could not put my shoes on. I will take a zero today and rest my feet. My last zero day was May 5th, nearly 9 days ago or 123 miles back. I believe being forced to walk long miles yesterday due to water shortages, the heavy pack, hot weather (91 degrees), and inability to soak my feet during the day due to the lack of water are partly to blame. Also, because of the Achilles tendon issue, I have two insoles in my shoes and that may be crowding my feet in this hot weather as my feet swell during the day. I will take one of the insoles out today and see how that works tomorrow. The weather forecast indicates 100% chance of rain and storms tomorrow and cooler weather and rain the next few days. While the cooler weather should help my feet, it may be cold sleeping at night. The forecast indicates night-time temps down to 41 degrees and rainy. Water will also be a concern for the next 70 miles. There are many long ridgelines with no water. I hope the rain causes the springs and streams marked on the maps to refill with water. Yesterday was so difficult because several important water sources were dry. I changed to summer gear a few days ago and my summer bag is rated to 45 degrees. Mark gave me some reflectex insulation to add to my sleeping system. Two nights ago was the first time I used it and it seems to have solved some sleeping and overheating problems on warm nights. I will see how it works in colder weather later this week.This morning I had breakfast with a lot of older thru-hikers like myself. We are all taking a zero day today. They all plan to do far more miles the next four days on the trail than me, so I will enjoy their company today and say my goodbyes tomorrow. Today I had lunch with Owl Bear, who I met in Damascus, and dinner with Long Bow, who I first met at Standing Bear Hostel just outside the Smokies. Many other hikers I know, especially the group Mark and I met at the shelters checked into the motel today.The picture was taken a week ago, but I like it so much I put it on the page today.RW Means: Relaxing Wednesday
Date: 2014-05-15
From: Lane St. Pearisburg, VA

To: Pine Swamp Branch shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: moderate rain

I woke to a dark and gloomy day.   It was raining hard when I walked to the Dairy Queen at 6am for breakfast.   I ran into Isn't Black and Curious George.   Isn't Black is 52 and from Germany.   He got his name because the only clothing he has that is not black is his poncho.   Curious George is 62 and a retired American Airlines pilot.      We started the trail together in heavy rain.   Soon we were wet and with each step our shoes squished.   It rained hard until 2pm, then let up for a few hours.   We arrived at Pine Swamp Shelter at 4:30pm. We made a small fire in the shelter with the few pieces of dry wood.   The fire didn't last long, but did give a good start at drying our clothes.   Later a 24-year-old named Bear Bag and another guy in his late forties named Hawk Bill arrived.   Last night the five of us had agreed to meet here.   This shelter is nice.
Date: 2014-05-16
From: Pine Swamp Branch shelter

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: broken clouds

Last night was very cold and I regret sending my warm weather sleeping bag home. I shivered half the night. During the night I heard Monique crying because she was so cold. Curious George also said he was very cold during the night.   We woke up early and put on our wet clothes. After breakfast we hit the trail. We didn't get far before we discovered that a stream had turned into a small river and blocked our path. We quickly found several large logs and built a bridge.   The day was cool and the trail very wet. But it did not rain.By evening we walked over 18 miles. The shelter where we are staying is very small so I am tenting tonight. We were able to get a fire going so I cooked on a fire tonight. There are several other people here beside the group of five (G5) of us who once worked at the Philmont Scout Ranch.
Date: 2014-05-17
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 22.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I don't know why the program is now miscalculating all of the mileage. I am at mile 691.6 according to the guidebook.The night was cold again and I struggled to stay warm. I cooked breakfast and was the last of the G5 to leave camp. The morning was miserable and cold. I soon caught up with Bear Bag and we talked for a while.   He owns his own gear company called Bearbaggear.com and makes super-light gear. His pack, without food, and all his gear weighs only 8 pounds. He is an interesting guy. We walked through farm fields and passed the largest Oak Tree on the southern half of the trail. Later I hiked with Hawk Bill and learned he is a stay-at-home Dad who home schools his children. He has a law degree and used to review cases for the North Carolina Supreme Court.The trail took us along a knife-edge ridge with spectacular views of the mountains. But it was very hard and slow, making the day just that much longer. As the day wore on, we passed the grave of Audie Murphy, the most-decorated American soldier of World War II. We arrived at the shelter about 7:30pm. Again, we all set up our tents because of the cold and the fact that the shelter wasn't so nice. The water was far from the shelter so I carried 4 liters for 1 mile up a steep hill before camp. That was very hard because water is just so heavy. Water was a concern all day because there were many times it was scarce, but thankfully, I didn't run out today. It was already cold when I set up my tent and prepared for a third nearly sleepless night of shivering. My feet are really sore today and we were all very exhausted. Tomorrow promises to be another hard day, but full of spectacular views. RW means Really Weary
Date: 2014-05-18
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: VA 311, Catawba, VA
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: broken clouds

Today is a milestone day. First, it begins my 3rd month of hiking. Secondly, at about 11:15am I crossed the 700 mile mark. Actual mileage is 704.2. This morning the G5 walked in separate groups. Isn't Black and Bear Bag left camp at 4:45am. They left early because they wanted to see the sunrise on a rock outcropping known as the Dragon's Tooth. I left camp at 6:00am and Hawk Bill and Curious George left at 7:00am. The hike to the Dragon's Tooth was brutal and my thighs were aching by the time I hiked the 4 miles. The Dragon's Tooth is a large spire of rock overlooking a cliff that hikers climb. I climbed it and the view was spectacular. I didn't take pictures because my camera was acting up at that moment. The next mile was the most difficult yet. I climbed down a near-vertical cliff. Several times I threw my trekking poles to the bottom and my pack before I felt I could climb down the cliff. At one point there were steel handholds drilled into the rockface so hikers could climb down. It was very dangerous. I slipped once and rolled onto my trekking poles and bent my left pole. Fortunately I was able to straighten it out almost back to its original position. I learned much later in the day that Curious George had fallen on this climb and severely hurt his right heel. As I hiked I finally saw the Rhododendrons in bloom. At one point for nearly a quarter mile I walked through a tunnel of blooming Rhododendrons. Awesome!The day proved to be hard hiking but by 2:00pm we arrived at Road 311, Catawba, VA. There we left the trail and hiked 1.5 miles to an all-you-can-eat restaurant, which is famous on the trail, called the Homeplace Restaurant. The food was fantastic. While we originally planned to continue hiking, we were so full that we called a shuttle and stayed the night at Four Pines Hostel. A guy converted his 3-car garage into a hostel. Not bad, but far from the best, but the nicest people and great company. I recommend it, but it is basic. At least we were warm and dry.RW means: Rhododendron Wonderland
Date: 2014-05-19
From: VA 311, Catawba, VA

To: US220, Daleville, VA
Miles today: 19.8

The day started out great. We stopped at a small store and got some coffee and rolls and hit the trail by 7:00am. Soon we had climbed to McAfee Knob, the place where the most pictures are said to be taken of hikers standing on a rock outcropping. Later we hiked over a cliff known as Tinker Cliffs. All the views were stunning and I took lots of pictures.As the day progressed my left toe began to hurt a lot and my Achilles Tendon started to hurt. I will take a zero day tomorrow and rest.Curious George is really hurt. He called his doctor who said he needed 7 to 10 days off the trail due to his injury yesterday. He is a very tough man and by the end of today, he walked about 25 miles on the bad heel.By the end of the day we were all tired and checked into the Howard Johnsons in Daleville. We had trail magic twice today, pop and candy.RW means: Road Work.
Date: 2014-05-20
From: US220, Daleville, VA

To: US 220, Daleville, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Just resting and eating. I discovered I have lost about 14 pounds so far. I went to the outfitter to check on another pair of boots. I just can't find a pair that fits properly. Again, the outfitter had a very limited selection so I purchased new socks. Need to clean clothes, buy food, plan, and eat. It looks like it could be 80 miles before the next resupply point, so I will purchase at least five days of food.I should arrive at the Blue Ridge Mountains tomorrow and start hiking along the Parkway.RW means Reclining and Wondering about the next 80 miles.