morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-06-11
From: U.S. 60/Buena Vista, VA

To: The Priest Shelter, VA
Miles today: 20.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Day: Day 86Date: 6/11/06Start: US 60/Buena Vista, VAWeather: Overcast, cloudyFinish: The Priest Shelter, VAMiles: 20.9Cumulative A.T. Miles: 813.7Clay: Today we pushed past the 800-mile mark and we hiked our biggest mileage day yet. If we had not stayed in town and taken the Sabbath rest, I truly do not believe we could have hiked as hard as we did today.We got up at 6 AM, we took one last shower, we ate tons of Little Debbies that the Budget Inn Hotel offered as breakfast, and we were back at the trailhead by 7:30 AM. When we got back to the trail, we just stared at it blankly. Our feet have become literally numb from abuse and overuse and they were about to be abused again. We cannot feel our toes and the pads on our feet feels like a dead piece of meat.When we got to Hog Camp Gap, we caught the tail-end of a two day party in the woods. We had caught up to a lot of people! Garrett (a.k.a. Egg Shells), Two Tone, Old Spice, Chewy, and about 15 other people were still there. A small keg, jugs of wine, lots of beer cans, and a number of guitars indicated that they had a fun time. We drank a Pepsi, ate a pear, and stayed for about 20 minutes. We had mileage to do.When we got to the shelter after 10.5 hours of hiking Cuppa Joe (AT '05) was there. We last saw him at Partnership Shelter, VA. He is out for a few days. He is always very encouraging. I cannot wait to read his Long Trail journal. Time for bed. Good night and God bless.
Date: 2006-06-12
From: The Priest Shelter, VA

To: Maupin Field Shelter, VA
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 87Date: 6/12/06Start: The Priest Shelter, VAWeather: Overcast, cloudyFinish: Maupin Field Shelter, VAMiles: 13.6Clay: Last night we tented. We knew it was going to rain but we did not realize how much, else we may not have. Around 10 PM there was a trickle or two. I did not even bat an eye over it. By 1 AM I was awakened by the sensation of sleeping on a water bed! Despite our preventive attempts to camp under low leaf-laden trees, the rain was beating the tent from the top. That was not the bad part. The volume of rain was so great and so quick, the ground was saturated and could not hold a drop more. So, the ground, everywhere atop the 4,000 foot Priest Mountain, ran like a river and congregated around our tent! There was not much we could do except pull up the sides of the tent to attempt to divert water. and move important items (e.g. Bible, electronics) to higher ground in the tent. We talked about abandoning the tent and running to the shelter or just moving the tent to a better location but, again, it was raining buckets. It rained hard until about 5 AM. We were dry, for the most part, thanks to our Thermarests. So, fortunately, between stressful attempts to divert the rising muddy waters, we were able to catch a few winks during the night. We looked like two wet kittens the next morning as we tiredly packed our sopping wet gear at the shelter. Branch: The day got better from there. Knowing that we only had 13.6 miles to go the shelter, we definitely took our time packing up our gear. Eggshells, who was still at the shelter when we emerged from our wet tent, was gracious as we stacked all of our wet gear into the shelter to take inventory of what was wet and what was dripping wet. We finally packed up and left around 10:00.
Date: 2006-06-13
From: Maupin Field Shelter, VA

To: Rockfish Gap, VA/ Waynesboro, VA 
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: broken clouds

Day: 88 Date: 6/13/06 Start: Maupin Field Shelter, VA Weather: sunny Finish: Rockfish Gap, VA/ Waynesboro, VA Miles: 21.1 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 848.4 Branch: Today we woke up super early and were out of the shelter by 6:30. It seems that everyone is anxious to get their miles done and get into town today. Today's hiking ranged from the very difficult (scrambling up and down very sharp rocks). We had lunch on a rock outcropping about 10 miles into the day. As we munched on our PB&J, we watched as a huge bird glided on air currents in the valley below us. Even though I was exhausted fromthe last several days of hiking, I felt at home in the outdoors and happy that God would give us the opportunity to experience His Creation. After lunch, we saw the neatest animal sighting thus far. We were hiking along in our usual chattery and noisy fashion (which by the way is probably why we don't see too many animals), when we heard a crashing in the brush about 10 feet away from us. We watched in awe as a super tiny fawn, spots and all, awkwardly lept to his unsteady feet and attempted to flee from us as we hiked by. Since he was such a newborn, he stumbled numerous times as he dashed into the higher brush further away. It was breathtaking. Once again, I felt honored to view God's creation. (Clay said that from a naturalist's point of view it was nice seeing the bag of chemicals demonstrate a conditiond response--ha ha) By 5:30, we emerged from the woods and we greeted by the most wonderful sight of the day--Clay's parents--were there waiting for us. It was so good to see them! Kentucky and Giggles had gotten there before us and Mammy and Pappy had treated them to a cold drink and some snacks and had even offered them a ride. So we all piled into the Suburban and overwhelmed Clay's parents with our stench. Its so nice to see loved ones. Clay's parents always make us feel loved and secure. We are going to sleep tonight exhausted from our longest day yet, but a smile is ever present on our faces because we know the next few days hold rest and good times with loving people. Clay & Branch
Date: 2006-06-14
From: Rockfish Gap, VA/ Waynesboro, VA 

To: Rockfish Gap, VA/ Waynesboro, VA 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day:89 Date:6/14/06 Start: Rockfish Gap, VA Weather: airconditioned hotel room Finish: Rockfish Gap, VA Miles: 0 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 848.4 Branch: It is so much fun being with Clay's parents. They make us relax and we have a wonderful time talking with them. Dad's stories always make me laugh! I love hanging out with Mom, too. Who else would work for hours on a Suduko puzzle with me? Today we did some of our town chores and spent most of the day relaxing. We finally broke down and bought some Crock shoes to help our ailing feet and spent much of the day chilling out. It was a blast. Clay & Branch
Date: 2006-06-15
From: Rockfish Gap, VA/ Waynesboro, VA 

To: Rockfish Gap, VA/ Waynesboro, VA 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Day:90 Date:6/15/06 Start: Rockfish Gap, VA Weather: airconditioned hotel room Finish: Rockfish Gap, VA Miles: 0 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 848.4 Branch: As always, God took care of us this trip. The first day in town, my left eye decided that it was irriatated with the contact in it and that it would reject it. It swelled up a little and turned super red. I had been carrying a pair of old glasses with me, but they were about 4 prescriptions old and fit so poorly that they bruised my head. I suffered through wearing them for the first day, but when I woke up the next morning with a still irritated eye, I knew it was time to visit an eye doctor. Craig's Mom drove me to the Super Walmart where the eye doctor told me that my eye needed rest and that I needed new glasses. Afterwards, she drove us about 15 miles to Staunton where there was an one hour glasses place. We are so blessed that my eye decided to mess up when Craig's parents were visiting. Without them to help us out, it would have been a logisitics nightmare to try to get to a doctor and get glasses. Clay & Branch
Date: 2006-06-16
From: Rockfish Gap, VA/ Waynesboro, VA 

To: Calf Mountain Shelter, VA
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: clear sky

Day: Day 91 Date: 6/16/06 Start: Rockfish Gap, VA Weather: hot and sunny Finish: Calf Mountain Shelter, VA Miles: 7 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 855.4 Branch: I have promised myself two things about this journal: first, I will strive to be honest about our true emotions and the true happenings on the trail so that I can preserve them for later reading, second, I will try to find something positive even in the worst of situations. I don't know that I can fulfill both the first and the second tonight. It was super tough getting out of town today. We didn't want to leave Craig's parents and we had several chores left to do. So, we did not get out of town until about 2:30. All I have to say about the hiking is that it was hot. Even though the terrain was not terrible, the heat made any exertion unbearable. So, since we got a late start and we were struggling to move in the heat, we decided to take yet another short day at the first shelter. When we got the shelter, we put up our tent and went to cook some food. We tried to join in the conversation, but it was of such a base nature, that we were embarrassed to even hear what was being said. As I believe I have mentioned in previous journal entries, there are times when the muscles in my throat don't work quite right. This causes food to get stuck or sometimes constricts my breathing when I am hiking. This is usually helped by drinking a carbonated beverage that we now carry with us at all times. Tonight the carbonated beverage was of no use. As I took the first few bites, I realized that the muscles were not going to work tonight. The pain was incredible as I struggled to relax enough to coerce the food down. This was to no avail. To make a long story short, I threw up several times and cried several times before the ordeal was over. So now, Clay and I are the most down that we have been on the trail thus far. Between the conversation and my health issues, we find ourselves begging God to renew our sense of purpose out here. I pray that He provides it with the rising of the sun tomorrow. Clay & Branch
Date: 2006-06-17
From: Calf Mountain Shelter, VA

To: Sawmill Run Overlook, VA
Miles today: 2.8

Day: 92 Date: 6/17/06 Start: Calf Mountain Shelter, VA Weather: Hot and sunny Finish: Sawmill Run Overlook, VA Miles:2.8 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 858.2 Branch: Today's short mileage made yesterday's seemed long. We spent the evening discussing ending our hike here. As we hiked, my throat continued to not work. I had a difficult time climbing because I could not my breathing under control. We were still down after last night, so at the first road crossing we put out our thumb to hitch to the nearest campground so we could sit down together and write out our reasons both for leaving the trail and staying on the trail. Above all, we truly want to remain obedient to God in everything that we do. We are in a dry spell of spiritual conversation here on the trail and we desire to settle down, have a family, and get our life started. We greatly desire to see God change the lives of our fellow hikers, but we wonder if He is leading us elsewhere. I am also worried because I am finding that my throat is becoming increasingly problematic. Today we will call our family and friends for Godly councel. We will make a decision tomorrow as to what we are going to do. Clay & Branch
Date: 2006-06-18
From: Loft Mountain Campground, VA

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

Day: 93 Date: 6/18/06 Start: Loft Mountain Campground, VA Weather: Sunny and hot Finish: Waynesboro, VA Miles: 0 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 858.2 Clay: This morning we woke up and began heading down the hill to catch a hitch from the Shenandoahs back into Waynesboro. We must have stood in front of the Loft Mountain Wayside for an hour as we could not get a hitch. Finally, a very nice family picked us up and offered to drive us about 10 miles south to where we departed from the trail yesterday. We gratefully accepted the short drive knowing that hitches are typically easier in more remote places. We thanked the family, we departed ways at the overlook parking lot, and we began walking toward the road to catch our next hitch. We probably only took five steps towards the road when a fellow in the parking lot said, "Do you need a ride?" We were elated! I had just commented that the fellow looked like a hiker who had been trail angeling. His name was Sleeper and he had just gotten off of the trail. He had been helping his former hiking partner, Merlin, and now he was offering to take us to Waynesboro! The total hitch time in this parking lot was 1 second. It's peculiar how the sociology of hitching works. Fifty or so people passed us by and it took an hour to get a ride at the first place. At this remote location, no one passed us by and the hitch time was next to zero. Sleeper was a neat fellow. He had his Associates degree in Mechanical Engineering and he was probably going back to school in California. He had an interesting family life too. As a matter of fact, his dad was a monk at one point in his life. It was a lot of fun hanging out with him. When we got into Waynesboro, we bought him lunch at a nice Italian restaurant. He said that he enjoyed talking about the deeper things in life so we did briefly. After lunch, Sleeper took us to the hotel. There we saw Mayor Turtle. Turtle's is easy to recognize. He has a huge red beard, ear rings, and a nose ring through the septum of his nose. His parents are both blind. So, I hope he gets to meet Bill Irwin (i.e. the blind thru-hiker; www.billirwin.com) when he gets to Maine. We got into our hotel room and we began planning. We are going to get away from the trail for a few days to think, pray, and physically heal. There is a lot at stake here and we want to be in the center of God's will. Clay & Branch
Date: 2006-06-19
From: Sawmill Run Overlook, VA

To: Sawmill Run Overlook, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Day: 94 Date: 6/19/06 Start: Waynesboro, VA Weather: Sunny and hot Finish: Waynesboro, VA Miles: 0 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 858.2 We made a decision to go visit a seminary in KY. It was about 8 hours away, they said they would house us for two days, and they would feed us too. What a deal! By visiting the school we can make a better educated decision about our next step in life. Even more, the time away from the trail will allow us to physically heal Suzy¢s throat and my feet. If we are going to visit civilization, we need to look civilized. So, we caught a bus to Wal-Mart and we shopped for clothes. We have not worn regular clothes in three months. Heck, we have not worn deodorant in three months! How do I use a knife and fork again? When I started the trail I weighed 192 lbs. Nowadays I weigh about 172 lbs. I have dropped down to a size 34 pants from a size 36. I could fit in a 32 but it is a little tight. It was sort of fun shopping for clothes again. We look funny hobbling around town on our sore feet. We set up our car rental and rested. When we get back home we will talk to a financial planner. Maybe he or she will say that seminary is "profitable" (ha ha). Clay & Branch
Date: 2006-06-20
From: Waynesboro, VA 

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

Day: 95 Date: 6/20/06 Start: Waynesboro, VA Weather: Sunny and hot Finish: Somewhere in Kentucky Miles: 0 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 858.2 Clay: Today we caught a $15 shuttle from the hotel to the airport. At the airport we talked to Karen at Hertz rental cars about our reservation. She upgraded us to a mid-sized car and we were on our way to Kentucky. Driving for the first time in three months was odd. What took and hour to walk on the trail took 2 minutes to drive on the road. Why are people in such a hurry? A big day for us on the trail is 20 miles. It took us 1.5 months to walk 500 miles. Today¢s 500-mile trip will take 8 hours in the car. Driving through Virginia due West, we could see samples of the flat-topped mountains we had been hiking on. As we drove into West Virginia we joked that we had just entered our 5th state. The hills of West Virginia were really beautiful and they reminded us of home. As neared Lexington Kentucky, the traffic increased. Louisville is larger and we decided to stop short of the city for the night. It has been nice to give our weary bodies a break today. Clay & Branch
Date: 2006-06-21
From: Sawmill Run Overlook, VA

To: Sawmill Run Overlook, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Day: 96 Date: 6/21/06 Start: somewhere in Kentucky Weather: Sunny and hot Finish: Louisville, KY Miles: 0 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 858.2 Clay: We woke up early this morning, put on our new city-clothes, ate breakfast, and bolted to the airport to turn in the rental car. From the airport, we took a cab and we checked into Southern Seminary. The cab ride was interesting. The driver wanted to talk about Islam and she wanted to talk about the Da Vinci Code. When we got to the campus the lawns, flowerbeds, and hedges were clipped and clean to perfection--very different than the rugged woods. The buildings were beautiful. The staff was professional. Having just come from the trail Suzy and I are still dirty a little, we still smell some, and our feet and hands are calloused. The hands of everyone here are soft when we shake their hands. I felt like our worlds are clashing. The room that they put us in is nice--too nice. It runs $100 per night. For a hiker it seems opulent. Since they are paying for our food and they said we could eat what we want, having just come of off the trail, we probably ate about $75 worth of food today. We can't help it. Our bodies are still burning fuel like crazy. Maybe this bit of cushion will help our bodies to heal. We were thankful for their hospitality. When I met with the Ph.D. counselor, he said I'm only qualified to focus in philosophy and not theology even though my mentors wrote 2 of the 6 suggested books on their short reading list! How ironic. Philosophy is *much* more difficult of a program than theology in my opinion. I found it peculiar that I was qualified for a more difficult program and I was not qualified for a less difficult program¢-very odd. Clay & Branch
Date: 2006-06-22
From: Sawmill Run Overlook, VA

To: Sawmill Run Overlook, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Day: 97 Date: 6/22/06 Start: Louisville, KY Weather: Sunny and hot Finish: Louisville, KY Miles: 0 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 858.2 Branch: When we woke up today we knew two things. First, that God is not leading us to go to school here at this seminary. Second, we believe that we are ready to go back to the trail. It is our hope that our physical problems have healed enough to afford us 1,000 more miles. So, we used their computer to book a rental car back to the trail and to look into a another seminary to possibly attend after we complete our hike. I am truly excited to get back to the trail. After tasting this bit of normal life, I realize that I truly love the lifestyle and the people on the Appalachian Trail and I want to help them to find the answers to the questions that I myself have worked through.
Date: 2006-06-23
From: Sawmill Run Overlook, VA

To: Sawmill Run Overlook, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Day: 98 Date: 6/23/06 Start: Louisville, KY Weather: Sunny and hot Finish: Winchester, VA Miles: 0 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 858.2 Branch: Today was another day full of driving. While Clay drove the 500 miles to Winchester, Virginia, where we are going to drop off our car tomorrow morning, I worked on catching up on journals and emails. When we finally made it to Winchester, we threw our gear into a hotel room and went out to find dinner. This is a pretty big town, so we had our pick of casual dining restaurants. Neither of us had ever eaten at a Golden Corral before, so we decided to try that one. Boy were we surprised. It¢s an all-you-can-eat steak buffet place for an inexpensive price! The steaks were THICK tonight. I think they lost money on us. We had a great time. -Clay and Branch
Date: 2006-06-24
From: Sawmill Run Overlook, VA

To: Sawmill Run Overlook, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Day: 99 Date: 6/24/06 Start: Winchester, VA Weather: Sunny and hot Finish: Front Royal, VA Miles: 0 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 858.2 Branch: This morning, we woke up early, turned in the rental car, and got a ride from the Hertz rental car people to Front Royal, VA. We¢ve decided to skip 97.3 miles to the end of the Shenandoah¢s in order to better keep up with the group that we have been walking with. We will make up the mileage after we summit Mount Katahdin in Maine. A friend of Clay¢s knows that owner of the outfitter in town. So, we stopped there first. We had a great time seeing childhood pictures of the mutual friend and hearing stories of their Boy Scout days. After visiting the outfitter, we went to check in the hotel and rest for tomorrow¢s days hike.
Date: 2006-06-25
From: Sawmill Run Overlook, VA

To: Sawmill Run Overlook, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Day: 100 Date: 6/25/06 Start: Front Royal, VA Weather: grey skies, rain Finish: Front Royal, VA Miles: 0 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 858.2 Branch: Last night, as we watched the weather channel, we realized that there is a pretty big series of thunderstorms coming this way. It appears that today should be the worst of these storms. In fact, it has rained about 8 inches in nearby Montgomery county in Maryland and 4 inches in Winchester, Virginia. There is a 100 percent chance of severe thunderstorms for the majority of the day today. So, we have decided to play it safe and leave tomorrow, when the chance of thunderstorms is less great. So, instead of being sad about missing another day of hiking, we took advantage of our free time and our close proximity to a movie theater. We had date night and caught a matinee. It was a great time feeling like a normal couple. After a few days off, Clay¢s feet were feeling better and my throat seemed to do better as well. Tomorrow will be a good test to determine how our physical ailments have healed.
Date: 2006-06-26
From: Front Royal, VA

To: Manasses Gap Shelter, VA 
Miles today: 10.7

Day:101 Date: 6/26/06 Start: Front Royal, VA Weather: 100% humidity, afternoon rain Finish: Manasses Gap Shelter, VA Miles:10.7 Cumulative A.T. Miles: 966.2 (-97.3 that we skipped) Branch: Today was our first day back on the trail. We were expecting it to be tough, and our expectations were met. We have definitely lost our trail legs for now. However, I do have some things that I am very thankful for: 1) it was cloudy thus keeping the heat down; 2) the terrain was easy--we never climbed more than 500 feet in a mile; 3) as always, the company was wonderful (I always love hiking with Clay); 4) there were several shelter options for tonight so that we could pick and choose our mileage; 5) we are in a shelter tonight so we will remain dry as it rains. That having been said, today all of the old aches and pains that we had hoped we had lost in Kentucky were screaming in full force. My throat was tight and Clay's feet bothered him all day. I know that God will use this somehow, although right now, I'm just trusting that He knows the details. On the upside, we met some super nice people today. Mike (a section hiker), Balu and section hiker Teresa, and Pokey the Pink Squid have been super fun to hang out with. Clay & Branch