morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-06
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter (742)

To: Daleville (723.5)
Miles today: 18.5

5/6For those of you that know the AT, I have a little explaining to do. I have skipped ahead to Daleville because of the bad weather. The segment of the trail directly in front of where I was is just too special to trudge through in bad weather. It deserves a good weather window. When the opportunity to do this temporary skip presented itself, thanks to HikerMom and Byron, I jumped. After a night at HikerMom's house I picked up Java Man at the outfitter. Saw many more familiar faces to add to yesterday's list, Patriot, Condor, and Movie Star. Got some town duties done and then hit the trail after a ride from HikerMom. With a 12:30 start it was going to be tight to finish the 18 by dark. We were again slack packing SOBO. We did not see many hikers with most being holed-up in shelters to get out of the rain. The trail was in amazing condition all day. It was something Augusta National would be proud of. For me this is more important than elevation gain/loss for travel speed. Shortly after starting the hike the promised rains hit and hit hard. The Orange Salamanders were all over the place. They sure seemed to like the rain. I hope none got stepped on. The hiking was pretty uneventful. If there were any good views they wouldn't be seen today. The steady rain was another good test for my rain gear. I came away disappointed. By the end of the day all my clothing was soaked and the pack-cover section had dripping condensation. I know that staying dry on the trail is next to impossible, but I now feel compelled to rethink my rain strategy. Once I got close to town there were a few bridges with railings on one side. I got a surprise when I took one step on the first one. The bridge had a slight tilt to my left but I didn't give that much thought. I took one step on the wet bridge and down I went. Not only did I go down but due to the slant of the bridge, I immediately slid under the railing and off the bridge. It happened so dang fast. Had it been far down, or deep water, I would have been in trouble. As it was it was only a minor inconvenience. I was lucky. It may have been a viral YouTube video had anyone been filming. IMO they need to add some traction surface to that one or straighten it. I got onto Daleville just before dark and joined B-Rocket and Java Man at Pizza Hut. They had gotten there well ahead of me and were almost done eating. I'm pretty much used to everyone hiking faster than me. Sitting in the restaurant with wet clothing was really cold, teeth-chattering cold. I wanted so much to go behind the counter and stand next to their ovens. 8:03 duration 3109 ascent 3680 descent
Date: 2013-05-07
From: Daleville (723.5)

To: Daleville (723.5)
Miles today: 0.0

5/7The weather was just horrible today. The road back to the trail was even under water. Flood warnings filled the weather reports. I have never had an easier call for a zero day. B-Rocket and Java Man cooked a special dinner for everyone. Java had never made an apple pie but nailed it from scratch. B-Rocket nailed some marinated chicken dish. I watched. Java Man and me with a map of the AT showing where we are. Since this was a zero day I'll take the opportunity to add some miscellaneous stuff. Below is a pic of a Mouse Hanger. These devices help to thwart mice from getting into your food bag. In this pic the tuna can is a barrier mice find very difficult defeat.
Date: 2013-05-08
From: Thunder Hill Shelter (765.7)

To: Bobblets Gap Shelter (742.0)
Miles today: 23.7

5/8Java Man restarted north today, while B-Rocket and myself slack packed SOBO. The picture to the left is the infamous Guillotine. The rainy/foggy weather added to the effect. It rained steady all morning. This made three days in a row with heavy rain. I got to talk to a bunch of NOBOs that road out the storms yesterday while on the trail. They described the rains as "biblical", "raining mice and bears", with hail and frequent cloud to ground lightening. Normally mild stream crossings became fords. All seemed no worse for the experience with most choosing to hole-up in a shelter. While I enjoyed my zero day yesterday I do envy their experiences with these storms. It was a long day of hiking today. I'm beat. This section was a bit harder than I thought from the guide. After the sun came out in the afternoon the views from the ridges were nice. The weather is suppose to be clear tomorrow. It's time to tackle some of that section I skipped. 11:08 duration 5125 ascent 6870 descent
Date: 2013-05-09
From: Daleville (723.5)

To: VA 311 (703.7)
Miles today: 19.8

5/9The weather was perfect today. I was able to do some miles in the section I had skipped. The decision to wait for better weather before hiking this section was a good one. Upon getting up to the ridge on the climb out of Daleville, I found some Lady Slipper orchids. I had just been told that these things are fairly rare, with people spending a lot of time trying to find them. My friend HikerMom will be climbing up there soon to try and find it and get a better photo. Up and to the left is the shot I got today. Tinker Cliffs was the first highlight of the day. I thought that Evers and Chance Cliffs would come next, but that was not to be. The trail goes very close to the edges and the views are wonderful. The next attraction was the famous McAfee Knob. I had been dreading all day the expectation of dangling my legs over the edge. Other than your pic at Katahdin this is one of your main photo opportunities on the trail. Just inching out there was scary as heck for me. There was no way I wasn't going to lean back. After the day's hike there was something waiting that I had been looking forward to all along. That would be the Home Place restaurant in Catawba. It did not disappoint. It is only open Thurs-Sun which was making it difficult for me. I gotta find a way to hit this place again. 10:33 duration 4324 ascent 3520 descent
Date: 2013-05-10
From: Thunder Hill Shelter (765.7)

To: Marble Spring (772.6)
Miles today: 6.9

5/10It was so hard to leave HikerMom's and Byron's house today. They are such amazing hosts. They were there to help us out at just the right time. After sleeping late, with a bit of dawdling added in, we hit the trail at 2 pm. I told ya it was tough to leave this place. Even baby birds have to leave the nest at some time. It was time to hike on. I didn't mention it yesterday but the bugs (Buffalo Gnats?) are getting ridiculous. The recent rains must have brought about a hatch. In high/rocky areas these evil buggers can dang near cover your arm. On top of that, they bite. I am really tired of them. The wild flowers are starting to dominate some hillsides. I wish I knew the names of them for you, but I don't. I think we are just in the early phases of this. I expect some spectacular colors are in the future. We had plans to do 12 miles but the weather started to look threatening. Being from the Midwest I'm used to afternoon thunderstorms. It just had that smell and feel to it. So, we cut the day short, stopping at a campsite at about 6:30 instead of rolling into the next shelter under possible headlamps. I made sure to check for "widow makers" before setting up my tent. Widow makers are dead trees, dead/hanging limbs, big things that can fall on you if the winds are bad. The woods are full of fallen trees and fallen branches. You don't want to be under one of those when it happens. Good thing too. At a bit after 7:30 the winds started to really blow. Oh how I love a good thunderstorm when I am all settled in my tent. It's free entertainment. I swear its one of my favorite times on the trail. As long as my tent stays up and nothing big falls on me, it is all golden. Just laying there, counting the seconds between flash and thunder, knowing the big stuff is getting closer, is exciting. There are nights that you can almost read to the strobe lights of rapid fire lightening. Most hikers would rather be in a wooden shelter under these conditions. Not me. The sound of rain on my tent is music to my ears. The whippoorwill that has entered the campsite is not. Now, could the entertainment please be over by morning and the whippoorwill leave now....3:40 duration 1286 ascent 2749 descent
Date: 2013-05-11
From: Marble Spring (772.6)

To: Punchbowl Shelter (790.8)
Miles today: 18.2

5/11The rain pretty much held off during the night and more importantly the whippoorwill moved on. Hiking early in the day was pretty easy as the trail worked its way down to the James River to the lowest point yet for us on the AT at 665 feet. To cross the James you walk the longest pedestrian-only bridge on the AT. From there things started to get tough for me. The initial climb to 2400' wasn't too bad but the black flies and gnats were swarming. Those flooding rains a few days ago must have unleashed one heck of a hatch. Add to that high temps with thunder in the distance, and things unraveled for me quickly. The climb up Big Rocky Row put me at my physical limit. After over 700 miles on the AT I would have thought it was just another climb. Good grief it was "only" a bit over a 600' gain. But, add in the late afternoon heat plus the bugs and you get pure misery. The heat has always been a concern of mine. If temps in May are intolerable, I'm in trouble in July. Chaffing is a problem for many hikers. Doing the same repetitive movements for over 10 hours is tough on skin. With experience hikers learn to stay ahead of things and minimize the discomfort. In that heat today I chaffed just below my arm pits on both sides. What the heck, my pack doesn't even touch me there. In years of hiking I had never experienced that form of chaffing. It has to be from the heat. Again, if May temps put me through this much discomfort, I fear July. The five remaining miles to the shelter were the longest five miles of the trip. Thunderstorms started to roll in but fortunately they just skirted us to the north. At one point I was concerned about lightning as I approached Bluff Mountain. I welcomed the cold winds that accompanied the front. I prefer the cooler temps and the winds blew the bugs away. I finally made it to Punchbowl Shelter just as another thunderstorm rolled in. I set up my tent quickly, got water, said "hi" to the folks already here, and went straight for the tent. The Spring Peepers are in full force and the pond near the shelter. Their volume is on par with our Camp Peeper back in the Charles Deam Wilderness (Indiana). Believe it or not, there is a guy in a tent 15' away snoring at an equal volume. Thank goodness for quality earplugs. 10:54 duration 3047 ascent 3727 descent
Date: 2013-05-12
From: Punchbowl Shelter (790.8)

To: Hog Camp Gap (808.4)
Miles today: 17.6

5/12Slept really well last night. Stumpknocker would be proud of my site selection. Just as I was leaving Punchbowl a ridgerunner shows up and starts handing me a bunch of trash to pack out. At first I was taken aback until she mentioned there was a bear-proof trash can a half mile south at a Blue Ridge Parkway crossing. That also explained why there were so many people camping at Punchbowl. I gladly carried it out for her. A ridgerunner is someone assigned to monitor a section of trail, usually in high-use areas. I called Deer Hunter from WhiteBlaze, who had offered to pick us up for a meal. I told him US 60 at 4pm. It turns out the trail was so nice that we could easily beat that by well over an hour. The problem was no one had any cell service. It wasn't until we got to US 60 did we see Cleveland sitting at the picnic table. He had a simple Trac Phone from Walmart that worked like a charm. I called Deer Hunter and sat back to enjoy the beautiful afternoon. Cleveland was waiting to be taken to the doctor to have his right foot looked at. He has had some pain/swelling. He is a strong hiker. I am hoping the Dx is something minor, something that just takes a bit of rest. Deer Hunter picked us up early and into Buena Vista we went. Kenny's was the choice and I had the classic burger/fries/shake. Oddly I was still a bit hungry and had a hot fudge sundae from another shoppe. Now I was full. Deer Hunter dropped us off at the trailhead and what starred at us on the profile map was nothing short of daunting. We were going to be basically going straight up for 2000' after already having a solid day of hiking in. With all that food in my stomach I was either going to have added energy or get sick. Fortunately it was the former. I climbed much better than I thought I would. The colder temperatures of today helped a lot. Now, if only I can figure out how to get a burger and shake everyday at 4pm......After the successful climb up Bald Knob we still had Cold Mountain to climb before finding the first camping area. The bald at Cold Mountain near sunset was amazing. The shelter was .6 miles off the trail unacceptable. We were told Hog Camp Gap was a great camping area. Well, not from what I can see. Yes, it is a beautifully cleared/grassy area that is periodically mowed. That mowing creates sharp sticks of old weeds. These are like nails to the bottom of your tent. I am certain neither my tent nor my air pad would have not survived. So, I chose to leave the tent in my pack and just Cowboy Camp on the trail, where their were no cut weeds. It got down to 29 with descent winds last night. It made me glad that I don't swap out my winter gear for summer until tomorrow. Nice timing. 9:07 duration 4843 ascent 4003 descent
Date: 2013-05-13
From: Hog Camp Gap (808.4)

To: VA 56: Tye River (827.5)
Miles today: 19.1

5/13Woke up fairly early, for me, and was on the trail by 7:30. I had loose plans to take advantage of the free lunch being offered at the Dutch Haus. I erroneously thought the road to the Dutch Haus was drivable all the way to the AT. Sa and Mugsy were coming from Illinois and were trying to meet up with me there. Once I got to the "road" I realized this was a bad plan. I sent Sa a text with updated plans to meet us at VA 56 and the Tye River. She didn't have cell coverage and continued to wait for me near the Dutch Haus. She got some help from a section hiker and the Dutch Haus and got the coordinates for Tye River. The weather was much colder than previous days. I expect temps were near record lows. Twice during the day we actually had snow flurries while hiking. I much prefer these lower temps to the heat we recent had. I briefly got lost near Spy Rock. The AT goes to the left while the more heavily-traveled trail goes straight. There is a very faint double blaze on a tree to show the turn, but it is almost indistinguishable from the lichen on the tree. IMO they need a post with a double blaze at this point. The climb up to The Priest is not too difficult NOBO. The descent was rocky at first and then smoothly graded. As dusk came the colors at the lower elevations were decidedly green. We successfully met up with Sa and Mugsy at the Tye River. 11:01 duration 3514 ascent 6070 descent
Date: 2013-05-14
From: BRP (850.9)

To: VA 56: Tye River (827.5)
Miles today: 23.4

5/14Sa drove B-Rocket and myself to the BRP (Blue Ridge Parkway) for a SOBO slack pack. Mugsy would be joining us today for the first half of the hike. Mugsy has been a great trail dog but he is getting up there in years (9) and I didn't want to push things. Sa met up with us about 12 miles into the day further up the BRP. It was like a NASCAR pit stop, got some refueling (McDonalds), top off fluid levels (Diet Coke), and new rubber (changed shoes). Mugsy whined when he realized he was done hiking. It made me feel good that he wanted to go on, but 12 miles was enough for him. The trail was much more rocky today than I anticipated. This slowed us down a lot. The descent off of Three Ridges might have been the rockiest section I have seen on the AT. I would have rather climbed it twice than do that descent. We didn't finish til well over an hour after sunset. Hiking in under headlamp made me realize just how many spiders are along the trail. Spiders eyes glow under the light from the headlamp. This will make this arachnophobe a bit leery about cowboy camping in the future. I had some fun playing with the panoramic function of the iPhone 5. 12:16 duration 4455 ascent 5715 descent
Date: 2013-05-15
From: VA 56: Tye River (827.5)

To: Salem, VA
Miles today: 0.0

5/15Headed south to fill in that gap we left around Dragon's Tooth due to bad weather. The plan was to hit these miles on the way down to Damascus and Trail Days. So much for plans. Sa and B-Rocket woke up sick this morning so it turned into a zero. Well, we did get in 2.6 AT miles north of 311 today. We had taken a service road to get to 311 instead of the AT back on 5/9. We took that service road so we could get to the Home Place restaurant before close. I had already included those miles in my journal knowing I would redo that small section. We still have a gap from Keffer Oak to 311. I hope we can get some of it done tomorrow, but if not, there is always after Trail Days.
Date: 2013-05-16
From: Salem, VA

To: Damascus: Trail Days
Miles today: 0.0

5/16Today we drove to Trail Days. It was only a few weeks ago that we walked out of Damascus. I couldn't get over how long a drive it was to get back. Did we really walk all that way, up and down mountains nonetheless?I stopped in Pearisburg on the way to find those places where I had gotten lost. I found the turns I missed and hiked the 3/4 of a mile. Those two places could definitely be blazed better for SOBOs. So, as far as I know, I have now hiked by every white blaze included in the miles I have listed. We got to Damascus well before dark and set up our tents in the Trail Talk area. JB already had his grill and smoker ready for action. JB really takes good care of us. He had been there for a couple days clearing the area for us. After a couple hot dogs and a stroll around Tent City, it was time for bed.
Date: 2013-05-17
From: Damascus: Trail Days

To: Damascus: Trail Days
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

5/17JB and Divinity cooked us bacon, eggs, and pancakes on the Trail Talk area. After that headed to Blue Blaze rentals and were driven 14 miles up the Creeper Trail for a leisurely bike ride. Sa wasn't real thrilled about the idea but played along. I rented a baby trailer for Mugsy but I think he preferred running along next to the bike. It was way too far for him to run the whole way so he had to suffer the indignity of riding mostly in the trailer. Had a great evening with JB's cooking and good conversation with friends around the campfire.
Date: 2013-05-18
From: Damascus: Trail Days

To: Damascus: Trail Days
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

5/18This is a day I've had a hard time getting myself to write about. By now many of you already know about the 87-yr-old man losing control of his vehicle after having an apparent acute medical condition. I will ask you to Google "Damascus Parade" and read the news accounts for general information. I will give an account of what I saw.I've been to Trail Days multiple times. This was the first time I have attended the parade. Since I am thru-hiking this year, I was in the parade. I found some friends from the Class of 2013 and just started walking with them. We were near the back of the pack. The walk started out slowly. There were EMT vehicles behind us. They were chirping out calls that were disconcerting. We are programmed to get the heck out of the way when ambulances make such calls. I had to suspend such urges. This was a parade, a happy thing. For awhile it was. In this parade there is a tradition of water gun fights between the walkers and spectators. There was lots of good-natured yelling. Suddenly there was some screaming. It seemed out of place. It was. I heard a couple thuds and turned my head. The thuds continued but now with the visual of fellow hikers being tossed right and left by a large automobile traveling at maybe 15-20 mph. It was surreal. The vehicle continued on some 50-70 feet further but my focus turned to those on the ground nearby. As I reached the injured the paramedics were already on scene. Trail Talks own Jennifer "Windigrrl" Windisch, a trained nurse, jumped into action . It was time to get out of the way. I then noticed a commotion at the now-stopped vehicle. A hiker was pinned underneath. Within seconds the hikers had surrounded the car and come up with a plan to free her. My fellow hikers picked up the heavy Caddilac and she was free. It was an amazing sight. There is no way at that time could the hikers have known this was a medically-induced accident. The car could itself could have been a danger. But, there were more volunteers ready to help than there was space around the car. For the next couple hours the air was filled with the sound of sirens and skies with choppers. As the evening came we all tried to do what we had planned, in my case eating copious quantities of smoked pork. Who were we kidding? We were just going through the motions. Our minds never left our friends. As news started to trickle in, it was all pretty dang good. Injuries were generally much less than one would have expected. The girl that was trapped under the car had some road rash and a broken little toe. Not everyone was so lucky but most are thought to fully recover. I was interviewed by the AP at our campfire. Little did I know my quotes would make the Washington Post. B-Rocket was interviewed as well. Sleeping was not easy. I hope the sights and sounds imprinted on my mind fade.
Date: 2013-05-19
From: VA 311 (703.7

To: VA 624 (697.8)
Miles today: 5.9
Weather: overcast clouds

5/19Headed to the Vendor Area at Trail Days yesterday and today. I mentioned on 5/6 that I was having an issue with my rain gear. I use an eVent Packa and they were set up at the park. Eddie (owner) found that one section of waterproof tape had failed. This was the source of my problem. He immediately replaced the Packa with a new one. I'm excited about my next rain storm. Next on my list was a visit to ZPacks. I use their pack and a bunch of other products (the list is in my gear section). Joe made a minor adjustment to my pack fixing a minor issue. Joe started his business from scratch, first just part time in his house then growing it into a successful business. I just love these entrepreneurs. Here is a pic with Joe and Matt. I visited with Judy "HeartFire" Gross and husband as well with LightHeart Gear. I use one of their cuben fiber Solo tents and love it. I also met with David "AWOL" Miller who writes the trail guide I use. Jeff from Trail Journals And the NEMO girls. I use a NEMO Losi 3p for use with family. We left Damascus and hit a small section of the gap I created back in early May. We got done early enough to hit the Home Place restaurant in Catawba again. Life is good. 2:29 duration 1286 ascent 1411 descent
Date: 2013-05-20
From: VA 624 (697.8)

To: Niday Shelter (681.0)
Miles today: 16.8

5/20Back on the trail in earnest today. The first 10 miles had well over 4000' of gross gain. This is the most I recall for a 10-mile section yet. The first highlight was Dragon's Tooth. The trail was wet making a climb up the actual "tooth" impossible. I saw a bunch of those Lady Slipper orchids on the south side of Dragons which should get HikerMom's attention. Back in April I lost my sunglasses only to have them returned to me. This gap brought back memories. I bigger highlight for me was getting to the Audie Murphy Monument. I had been looking forward to this from day 1. Please Google "Audie Murphy" if you are unfamiliar with that name. He was truly one of Americas great heros. I was moved to be at this place. After Audie we got hit with some pretty good thunderstorms. The thunder in the mountains is just awesome. Lightning never got close enough to be a risk. My new Packa did great. Thanks Eddie. I hiked the last hour under a fading headlamp (batteries dying). After awhile the headlamp was dang-near useless. I turned on the "flashlight" app on my iPhone and hiked the last 30 minutes under it. I was shocked at how good the iPhone was as a trail light. 11:44 duration 5554 ascent 5218 descent