morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-06-17
From: Glasgow, Virginia

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: light rain

This morning's issue of the Roanoke Times carried a front page piece headed "Va. Hikers Trailed by Unending Rain". That describes how the the Old Dominion is close to its half-year record of rainfall, how the morale of AT hikers has plummeted, that there are many injuries, and that hikers are dropping out at a greater rate than normal. Newspapers and television have been showing the effects of flash floods in various parts of Appalachia. For some reason the victims always seem to be Federal Express - a Fed Ex truck being swept down a river in W. Virginia, Fed Ex employees taking refuge on the roof of their submerged depot in Charleston, W. Va. A local paper here pictured a flooded road in a neighbouring county - inevitably the vehicle stranded by it was Fed Ex. Today we returned to the trail at the James River in steady rain. The James looked even more swollen with red muddy water than two days ago. It took us most of the morning to arrange a ride, and this afternoon we just put our heads down - in increasingly misty conditions - and pounded out the 10.5 miles to Punchbowl Shelter. A pond about 50 feet across sits in front of this shelter. It was in this area in 1890 that four year old Ottie Cline was sent out from school to collect some firewood and never returned. His body was found three months later apparently having drowned in the Punchbowl pond a couple of miles away. Yet his body wasn't found in the pond, but lying on the approach path nearby. This happened a long time ago so why mention it here? The thing is that little Ottie keeps coming back. Regularly. Many hikers have reported seing Ottie standing looking in at them as they lay in the shelter, others have claimed to hear him calling from across the pond. Elliot and I are in the tent tonight about twenty yards from the shelter. Just as well since Elliot, who claims not to believe in ghosts, is adamant that he has seen one in my attic back home. As we settle in our sleeping bags, dozens of frogs in and around the water are producing a high-pitched chirruping chorus. The mist is settled thickly over the pond.
Date: 2013-04-21
From: Jerry Cabin shelter

To: Hogback Ridge shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: overcast clouds

After a very cold night, it was a quiet, sunny day in the woods, with a different group of people: Yank-ee (At the other end of the leash is her dog, Yank), Wooden Spoon, Buckeye Cornelius (from Ohio), Wolfgang & Cookie, Burrito, & Doc Holiday.I also met people I'd seen before, now going the opposite way. "Slack-packers" are dropped off down the Trail to walk back to a hostel without a full pack. The purpose is either to make better time or to spend more nights in hostels. Today, I thought it was also to keep always going North -- we were on a section of trail that winds around, going South by the compass even tho North on the Trail. When you are walking into the sun at 3:00 pm, it's clear that you are NOT heading North! Odet & Sky Pilot were doing that & said there were some others, but I didn't see them.Another sunny day & clear, cold night. Hogback Ridge is another old shelter, but at least the sleeping shelf is 7 feet long instead of 6: last night, I had my feet touching the stone wall too often.Morning was dry woods, not as many flowers; it was totally different in afternoon: 3-4 different varieties of yellow violets, purple ones, Dutchman's Breeches, Bloodroot, Trout Lily, white & red Trillium (+ an off-white variety), cutleaf toothwort, Spring Beauties, plus a yellow & a purple flower I couldn't identify. Actualy, it depended on which way the Trail was going [much of the day, we were going South in order to go North on the Trail] -- the flowers were all growing on the North-facing slopes; the South-facing ones were too dry. In the afternoon, I was hiking with a bunch of new people (except NBC): Stumbles & Big Job, Ghee & her dad, Brownie Brittle, K-2, Wallmart, St. Croix, & Scout were some.Big uphill most of the afternoon. Not as energetic as yesterday; I'll try for 20 again tomorrow, then I'll be poised to do a zero in Erwin next day.At the top of a mountain I called my son, Mark. While we were talking, 12-15 hikers went by, commenting on the one-foot square by six-inch high rock in the trail. The name of the mountain is Lick Rock, & that was the ONLY rock anyone could find!I had passed most of the crowd while they stopped for lunch, but between the phone call & clearing a blowdown (I'd done another double one in the morning.), they all got to the Hogback Ridge shelter before me. I have the shelter to myself again (Everyone else has a warmer tent than I), but this time someone else built a big smoky fire out front.I had some of my dehydrated chicken with quinoa & some other of my dried vegetables. Everything worked fine except the chicken. I cautiously overdid the drying on that. Now it's almost impossible to re-hydrate.
Date: 2003-06-18
From: Punchbowl Shelter

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I walked down to the shelter not long after first light to cook breakfast. I asked the shelter occupants how the night had gone and was surprised to be told by "Two Speeds" and "Mountain Dew" that they had heard a child calling and laughing. Five others slept soundly and heard nothing at all.
Date: 2013-04-22
From: Hogback Ridge shelter

To: No Business Knob shelter
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: clear sky

Another pleasant (but long!) day in the woods.Started with the usual pattern ¢ I'm the first out of the campsite, but it isn't long before they all pass me. Up & over High Rock, then down to Sam's Gap.The big climb of the day was Big Bald, followed almost immediately by Little Bald (almost as high). A bald is a Mtn. without trees on the top. Unless balds are maintained by fire or grazing, the trees begin to infiltrate the grassland. Balds usually give better views because there are no trees in the way. Easier to see the hikers ahead or behind you.I stopped for lunch at Bald Mtn. shelter, talking with a couple of hikers. On the way down to Spivey gap, I stopped for a side trail with Bonzai ¢ a bit of rock climbing on "High Rocks", which is different from High Rock this morning.Late afternoon was spent on a sidehill trail, winding back & forth along the side of No Business Knob. Lots of springs & rhododendrons. Several people passed me, including Kaboose & Sassafras (Father & daughter). "Preacher" caught up with me, but I stayed ahead of him.It was almost dark when I got to No Business Knob shelter. Kaboose & Sassafras were in the shelter, along with Scout [from Maine]. Others were camped nearby. This was the first shelter in a while without bear cables, but I didn't have any luck getting a rope up in a tree to hang food bags... & didn't get bothered by bears anyway. I just joined the others in hanging stuff in front of the shelter, hopefully to keep the mice out. Didn't see any mice either.
Date: 2003-06-20
From: Punchbowl Shelter

To: Harper Creek Shelter
Miles today: 38.3
Weather: light rain

The past four days have been the most joyless on the trail for quite some time. Every day has been wet and misty and, at times, unusually cold in the mid 50s. Perfectly alright for walking, in fact I'm really ok with it, but the weather has definitely lowered everyone's spirits, especially the American contingent. For me, the worst parts are pitching the tent or breaking camp in a downpour. Yesterday evening it was dry and I pitched the tent in a great flat spot surrounded and over-looked by a thicket of mountain laurel. The thought of blooms falling on me through the night really appealed. This morning I was up early and cooking breakfast at the shelter when the storm clouds gathered. I rushed off to take down the tent and was pushing the rolled up canvas into its stuff sack as the first drops fell. The heavens opened for a full hour. When I returned to my perfect camp site it was under an inch of water. Every creek and stream we are crossing is absolutely full. Many are therefore quite difficult to cross at the moment, but the sound of a creek has always lifted my spirits since Day 1 on the AT, and the sight of the waters cascading down the hill side just now makes me even more appreciative. Today we have only walked 7.4 miles to Harper Creek Shelter which we reached in the early afternoon. The weather has improved, the sun was out, and the creek running in front of the shelter was a bit special, a series of mini-falls and pools of clear water perfect for bathing in. We stayed here a while washing both ourselves and some clothing. Then the next thunderstorm headed in, the rain poured for the next hour, and we decided just to settle in the shelter. We spent the afternoon taking turns reading chapters of "Watership Down", by Richard Adams, to our assembled group. "Thistle" bought a copy in Washington D.C. and it's being enjoyed by all. We face a big day tomorrow, over 20 miles if we are to make Waynesboro by Sunday as we plan. As afternoon has turned to evening, the shelter has become quite busy. A boy-scout troop has arrived, and a number of thru-hikers, including "Lady Bug", "Firefeet", who we met first when we rejoined the trail at Daleville, and "Patience", a young Israeli woman who featured in the Roanoke Times newspaper article.
Date: 2013-04-23
From: No Business Knob shelter

To: Uncle Johnnie's Hostel
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: overcast clouds

The 5.8 miles down the mountain took me a little longer than I'd hoped. Kaboose & Sassafras soon passed me, and I slowed down for a while to talk with "Preacher". He's a United Methodist pastor from western Tennessee, doing a section hike to Damascus. Then he goes back to his church for a few weeks, retiring in June, whereupon he will return to complete the AT! He stopped at Uncle Johnnie's but couldn't stay-- section hikers have tighter schedules!I signed in for a space in the bunkhouse and located the computer. By then everybody from the last shelter had arrived, including Bonzai, who was looking for a single cabin. When he found out there weren't any available, I offered to go together with him for a Double. It's much nicer than the bunkhouse, a large room with big beds & a sofa. But it's farther away from the computer & Wi-Fi. Bonzai, who did 26 miles yesterday, feels he needs to spend two nights here to recover. I did 20.7 & that was plenty, even if I am twice as old. The trail wasn't very complex, just too many rocky downhills.This was mostly supposed to be a "zero" day, a day of rest, but I found plenty to do.I got in too late for the shuttle into town, so I rented a (gearless) bike from the hostel and rode the 4 miles. I had all-you-can-eat lunch at Pizza Hut, stopped by the post office, and ended up at the library, where I spent an hour or so on the computer. Then I rode back in the hot afternoon sun, picking up a few things at a grocery store and stopping for a milkshake.Most of the evening was spent in the queue to do laundry. The dryer was the hold-up ¢ especially after someone put hand-washed stuff in it. That takes much longer to dry because you can't get as much water out of it as the machine can.
Date: 2013-04-24
From: Uncle Johnnie's Hostel

To: Campsite after Beauty Spot
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I was a lot later getting started than I'd hoped. The main thing that kept me from leaving first thing was the need to get to the Post Office, about 4 miles away. Uncle Johnnie's has a shuttle every morning at 9:00. I missed the one yesterday because I didn't arrive till 9:30. But today it was running an hour late. It stops at a restaurant first for breakfast & then on to the Post Office. So I had breakfast, mailed my package, & got back about 11:30.I had promised myself another shower and tried to straighten out some Trail Journal stuff while I had computer & Wi-Fi access. The result of all this: I started hiking about 1:00.Of course, like any time we're near civilization, the hike out of there involves a climb. It was pretty gradual but rocky at first, & I enjoyed talking with Ghee's father, Floater, for a while till he decided to wait for her. I passed several hikers with their feet in a stream, but I had just had a shower and wanted to make some progress before the rain came (predicted for around 4:00 ). Along the way, I met Jabberwocky & Yukon ( the young man whose food had disappeared on 1 April -- the bear's April Fool joke!).After 4.7 miles, I arrived at Curly Maple Gap shelter & fixed supper (3:00). There were a lot of people there by the time I finished, some staying, some going on. I had planned to go on, so I left around 4:00, just as the rain began. People were helpful to get my poncho arranged & snapped properly before I went out; otherwise, that tends to be a big hassle. It wasn't a very hard rain, so it didn't slow me much in going 4-5 miles, all uphill, all rocky, & all on the same side of the mountain. Usually, we get more variety in that regard, as we switchback up these mountains. There's actually something wearing about continuing too long on the same side.I went up over Beauty Spot, a partial bald extending some distance before & after the top. I can't say it's so beautiful in itself , but there are probably some good views at times. Not this time--all fogged in.Just a little down the hill there were campsites. I got set up & got some water just in time for the heavy rain. By "set up" I mean my tarp tent was up & my stuff was in it; however, it wasn't really a good situation. Too much slope. Tyvek is slippery both on top & under. That means I & my stuff can maintain proper position yet still feel the whole system sliding off to the side.
Date: 2003-06-22
From: Paul Wolfe Shelter

To: Wanesboro, Va
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We were all up sharp this morning, anxious to cover the five short miles to comfort, luxury and unlimited self-indulgence i.e. Waynesboro. Despite a good Dr.Bronner's bath in the creek last night, I itched furiously through the night, and was down at the creek first thing to wash my hair. When I returned, "Firefeet" was sitting on the lower platform all ready to face the day. She looks too fragile and refined for this rough existence but she always appears content, if not downright happy. She suddenly declared very emphatically, to everyone and no-one, "My God, I stink!". I've smiled to myself about that moment all day, it was said with such feeling. I like "Firefeet". We are now settled in the Quality Inn in Waynesboro. Summer weather seems to have arrived at last. Today has been warm and sunny. Next week is forecast to be hot and mostly dry. Many of the occupants of the shelter last night are here, and, like us, are spending the day relaxing and packing in the calories. For us, the day started at Weasie's, a local diner - busy, no-frills, inexpensive and good quality - and finished at Gavid's, an excellent steak house. We are taking a zero day tomorrow. It's been a gruelling week, and we are tired and sore. Also, it's an opportunity to wash some of my gear, especially my backpack. The weather hasn't given me any chance to do this until now, and the smell from the backpack could euphemistically be described as foul. I aim to leave Waynesboro smelling like a rose.
Date: 2013-04-25
From: Campsite after Beauty Spot

To: Clyde Smith shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

I had spent the night camping with Headbanger, OB [old & busted-down], Pathfinder, Wolfgang, & Cookie.The night felt like the coldest yet. I'd had last choice of tent site, was able to get the tent pitched properly for the wind, but not for slope; so I was sliding around all night. Not much new rain after a while, but lots of wind all night as it kept getting colder. Full moon still shone thru a bit, so at one point I got up, thinking it might be morning. 1:15!!! I put more clothes on & tried to keep warm in my wet sleeping bag that kept wanting to slide out of the tent. When morning did come, it was hard to get going. Everything was cold & stiff , especially my fingers. The raindrops on the outside of the tent were frozen; so were shoe laces. It's hard to stuff things in sacks with gloves on.I finally left at 8:00.The big climb of the morning was Unaka Mtn. No views there because its top is totally covered with evergreens. After not seeing anyone except a couple of day-hikers all morning, I stopped at Cherry Gap Shelter to have lunch & dry things off. During the 1.7 hours I was there, everyone from my camp plus a bunch of new people came & went, probably 20 altogether. One was Misery, a very up-beat young man, who said he'd been reading my entries in shelter registers for days & was SO happy to finally meet me!Once I got to the Clyde Smith shelter, I was with Srocket, Dragonfly, DipNsip, Why Not, Barbarosa, Wolfgang, & Cookie.
Date: 2003-06-26
From: Skyline Drive

To: Blackrock Hut, Shenandoah National Park
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: clear sky

Another blisteringly hot day. I was wilting even by 9.00 am when I walked to Kroger's store to put tgether a trail magic package of Pepsis, Mountain Dew and oranges. Then to the Post Office to despatch our red and blue plates - in the endless endeavour to reduce weight - to a caring home in Kansas City. At our 13 mile start point, we duly dropped off the cooler of sodas and fruit on the trail and got going. Very hot and sticky once again. Within an hour we were taking a break when "Tom for Short" and "Seneca Lou" came up. They had been delighted to come upon some Trail Magic. "Seneca Lou" said she hadn't been looking forward to the day, but the can of cold soda and fruit had really picked up her spirits. It was nice to hear. As they settled for a break, I put my pack on and got on my way. Within ten minutes, going round a curve in the pathway, I was stopped in my tracks by a rattling noise that you just couldn't ignore. I could hear it but I couldn't see it, and took a step backwards. Finally I saw the rattlesnake right beside the trail. His head was raised, poised to strike, and the rattling was continuous. He was about four feet long, but didn't have the girth of a fully grown adult. We studied each other like this for several minutes. He was not going to give way. I looked around, but the ground on both sides was full of fallen, mouldering timber. I had no intention of stumbling on to some of his possibly bigger relatives. I extended my hiking pole to its fullest length, about five feet. Confident that this was greater than his strike range, I hooked the pole under his lower quarters, lifting the rattling tail off the ground, and then lowered it gently back again. He rattled for a few more seconds and then, recognising that my range was greater than his, he began to withdraw. He didn't hurry, as if to say "Don't think I'm retreating. But I need to be going, and I think I'll see what's happening over there". And off he slithered under a rotting log on my right. From a tricky situation we had a good outcome, for which I'd say the snake takes a big share of the credit. My eyes have been glued to the path and its fringes the rest of the day. Every small branch looks like a snake. Tonight I'm tenting in a poor area near the very buggy Blackrock Hut. "Tom for Short", "Seneca Lou", two south-bounding sisters and a PATC ridgerunner are tenting close by.
Date: 2003-06-27
From: Blackrock Hut, Shenandoah National Park

To: Pinefield Hut, SNP
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: broken clouds

While breaking camp this morning, I learned that "Seneca Lou" tripped and fell last night and appears to have broken a bone in her hand. She and "Tom for Short" are heading into town, back to Waynesboro I think, with the help of the ridgerunner, to get to a hospital. How quickly fortunes change. They both looked so forlorn, uncertain how long they will be off the trail perhaps even for good. We crossed Skyline Drive today at several points. Shortly before one of the intersections this morning, walking on my own, I saw my first bear. Not a great sighting, I looked up at the sound of a large mass crashing through the bushes off to my right. We reached Loft Mountain Campground in the early afternoon, ate voraciously at the fast food outlet there, rested for a couple of hours, and did the last six miles of the day in record time before dark. In that stretch, we came upon two bear cubs up a tree about forty feet off the trail. What a sight, I positively itched to get my pack off and find my camera. But one of the cubs was making distress calls, we could hear lots of crashing around in the undergrowth, and it seemed wiser to be on our way.   At the end of our day, we were coming down a gentle slope to a creek and Pinefield Hut on the other side, when a large bear came rocketing down from a tree in front of us. Its speed was incredible. We are just relieved that they seem to be so wary of humans. More than the usual attention has been given to hanging our food bags tonight. It's been a good bear day.
Date: 2013-04-28
From: Vango-Abby Hostel

To: Black Bear Hostel
Miles today: 11.7

Well, most things today didn't turn out as planned.It was still raining off & on all morning, and I was I no hurry, so I did cooked cereal for a change. "15" decided to stay another night, & the couple waited a while & then took off. As the time for church approached, I went down to Scott, the owner's, house (it was the only place the Wi-Fi seemed to work). First, he didn't want to go out to church in the rain, even after the rain stopped for a while. Then he couldn't find his keys. I asked about walking on the nearby Forest Service road to Buck Mtn road ( I'd gone by a church on that road yesterday). He started describing all the unfriendly dogs & neighbors I'd have to get past & how little traffic there is on that road [to give me a ride] -- pretty soon I gave up on going to church.I Was on the Trail by 11:30 & it was raining again (pretty much all afternoon). Not a cold rain, so I didn't mind. Much of the afternoon, I passed & re-passed a father-daughter pair I'd met yesterday: Woods-Sleeper & Little Rabbit. They are from Northern Alabama, out for a long week-end. Today there was not so much walking thru rhododendrons; more walking up & down small mountains. At one place, someone had blasted out a groove in a slanted rock to make it less dangerous when wet [won't find anything like that in NH or ME!]. I amused myself by doing trail work & thinking about talking with Bob Peoples, owner of Kincora hostel & a principal trail maintainer in this area.That part didn't work out: when I got to the road, I learned that Kincora was full but I could still get a bunk at Black Bear Resort nearby. It's probably nicer overall, but there's no phone reception, & they weren't giving out the code for Wi-Fi. There was a fairly new computer for a hostel, crammed into a small room with a hot plate, a microwave oven, & a bunch of people watching a movie on a big-screen TV. I managed to get my spaghetti prepared, but didn't try the computer. With both hostels full, that means more than 70 hikers have converged on this area at once !!Coming down the mountains, I kept seeing trees with pretty white flowers & red leaves coming out. When I finally got close enough to see one, I decided it was wild black cherry. Not a good day for flowers otherwise, with so much rain. I've been seeing May Apples for a couple of weeks now, but no flowers. I had thought that they might bloom in April in the South, but as of today, they are holding firm, with their umbrellas out in the rain, awaiting the May Day signal.It is 50 miles to Damascus from here, most likely three days, but I'll try to get an early start & see what happens.