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

To: Lindamood Schoolhouse
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: clear sky

After a terrible night of sleep due to being very cold combined with intermittent foot pain, I was awake at 6:45am. While I was at home a few days ago, I swapped my cold weather gear for summer gear. One of the pieces of gear I traded out was my sleeping bag. I was using a winter bag, but now I am using a 60 degree summer bag. I was shivering all night. Maybe I traded it out a few days too soon! At 7:30am, I got packed and went over to talk to Earnhart. He and I were planning on hiking together for the next week or so. We left the shelter at 8:30, not sure how far we were going to go. The first few miles were downhill and we were greeted by trail magic. After a Coke and some crackers, I was ready to tackle the next 9 miles to Partnership Shelter, which is a rare shelter in that it has a solar shower, and you can order pizza delivery to the Mt. Rogers Visitors Center, just one tenth of a mile away. We took a long break here, and contemplated going into the town of Marion on the 2:30pm shuttle, but there was no return ride, so we opted not to go. At the visitor's center, I enjoyed a cold Mountain Dew that Earnhart bought for me. We decided to go to the next shelter 7.1 miles away. It was uneventful hiking that was made enjoyable because of our conversation. When we finally got to the shelter, we cooked dinner and got water from a nearby stream. We decided to hike a little further and look for a camping spot, or maybe even hike all the way into Atkins, VA. After 1.8 miles, we came across a 19th century one room schoolhouse called Lindamood School. It was built in 1894 and when we entered, we were greeted with even more trail magic! This was the best trail magic yet, as it offered cold sodas, snacks, and many useful items like Ziploc bags, hand sanitizer, shoelaces, wet wipes, etc. Since it was getting dark, Earnhart and I decided to just roll out our sleeping bags and sleep on the floor of the old schoolhouse. When I woke up today, I would have never imagined I'd be spending the night in a 19th century schoolhouse, but that is what makes the AT so special. You never know what you'll see, where you'll go, or who you'll meet. Every day is so different.Oh yeah, we also saw a huge black snake, probably 6-8 feet long and fat. Earnhart grabbed it by the tail but it slithered away.
Date: 2014-05-21
From: Lindamood Schoolhouse

To: O'Lystery Pavilion Campsite 
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: overcast clouds

After tossing and turning all night in my sleeping bag on the schoolhouse floor, I was up and packed by 6:30am, as was Earnhart. Our early start was mainly due to the fact that we weren't sure if we were allowed to even sleep there, so we wanted to get going before anyone came. We were 2.7 miles from the blink-and-you'll-miss-it town of Atkins, VA. The hike in was very easy, and after crossing the Norfolk & Western RR tracks, we traversed a series of bog bridges. About an hour after leaving the schoolhouse, we arrived in Atkins. We went to The Barn Restaurant for breakfast, which was mediocre at best. Because Atkins, VA has no grocery store, I sent a package here which contains food to get me to Pearisburg, 90 miles away. A section hiker from California was also eating at The Barn and he was finishing a 4 day hike, and had his car there. He offered to take Earnhart and I into Marion, VA if we needed anything. Earnhart needed a new sleeping bag, and I wanted a small travel pillow. Using my rainjacket for a pillow just isn't cutting it anymore. He took us to Wal-Mart, where we both got what we needed. Hopefully my new pillow will help me sleep a little better.We didn't get back to The Barn until 11am, and after getting everything packed up, we didn't get going until around noon. The first few miles out of Atkins were easy walking through cow pastures, but the AT soon found some mountains to climb! After re-entering the woods, we hit mile 546, which is the 25% mark! Very exciting stuff! We hung out there for awhile, soaking in the moment. I couldn't get the smile off my face. I've wanted this hike for so long, and now I am 25% done. I know I have a long long way to go, but the progress I've made is undeniable. Our next objective was to climb Walker Mountain, which looked hard on the elevation chart, but it ended up being fairly easy. Soon after, we were crossing private farmland for miles, which is easy hiking, but made slow due to all the stiles. A stile is a wooden ladder that goes up and over a fence, and allows hikers to cross fences holding in livestock. The rest of the hike was pretty uneventful, but we were tired and really dragging. When we got to the O'Lystery Pavilion, we saw other hikers camped, so we decided to camp too. We didn't get too far today, just 14.4 miles, but with all the time lost by going into Marion, I'm happy with it.
Date: 2014-05-22
From: O'Lystery Pavilion Campsite 

To: Fort Bastian, VA
Miles today: 17.3

I set the alarm on my watch to go off at 6:15am, but the sound of rain pounding down on my tent had me up at 6am. Not long after I finished journaling last night, the rain came down, and it came hard. It rained all night, but I was warm and dry in my tent. I was packed up and hiking by 7:30am, after eating breakfast under the the O'Lystery Pavilion, which had a sign instructing hikers not to use, but do you really think I cared? Nope! The day began with a climb up Brushy Mountain, and 2.2 miles later, Earnhart and I came to Knot Maul Branch Shelter, where we met up with Jukebox, Boss, and Littlefoot. We all hiked on a few miles to Lick Creek, where we hung out with Gnarly Harley, a southbound thru-hiker. We swapped stories of what is to come. Soon after, we began the climb up Chestnut Knob, a climb I was dreading all day. The AT climbed steeply for 5 slow miles, and I thought the climb would never end. Seriously, it kept going up and up, and I was drenched with sweat. Finally, after hours of climbing, we got to Chestnut Knob Shelter, a concrete 4-sided shelter with a door! Very few shelters have 4 walls and a door, so we went inside and hung out.I ended up dozing off, and after an hour, Earnhart woke me up, reminding me that we still had 6 miles to hike. I didn't want to leave, but knew I had to. The next 6 miles was flat on the elevation chart, but it was rocky, rooty, and very tedious. It made for slow going. Several miles in, rain clouds moved in and I looked at the guidebook and saw that Nigel "Trubrit" picks hikers up at the VA HWY 615 road crossing, and offers a place to stay, including breakfast for $7. I checked my phone and saw that I had reception, so I called Trubrit and asked if he could pick us up at the VA HWY 623 road crossing instead of the VA HWY 615 road crossing, because 623 was just a mile away, and 615 was still 10 miles away. He agreed, and we were picked up by Hump (2013 AT thru-hiker). Hump works for Trubrit and shuttles hikers around. Hump took us to a gas station to get beer and then to Subway for dinner. We are staying at Trubrit's place tonight, which is basically an off-the-grid hippie commune. There are about 20 other thru-hikers here tonight, and we had a big fire going under the party tent, which had the look and feel of an opium den. I didn't make it as far as planned, but I'm happy with the decision to stay at Trubrit's place. It is definitely an experience here!
Date: 2014-05-23
From: Fort Bastian, VA

To: Laurel Creek Campsite
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Today ended up being a lot shorter than planned. I got back on trail around 10am, after being dropped off by Hump. Earnhart and I hiked together for the first 4 miles until we got to Jenkins Shelter. We met Mary there. She is also thru-hiking. Jenkins Shelter has a privy with no walls around it. It is just a toilet on a raised platform, with zero privacy. Mary asked if I'd take a picture of her sitting on it, which I agreed to. Much to my surprise, when we got to the privy she pulled her shorts down and posed for the picture, sitting on the toilet. I thought it would be a funny picture too, so I asked if she would take one of me. She agreed, so in the spirit of things, I dropped my shorts and sat on the toilet while posing in Auguste Rodin's famous "The Thinker" pose. The picture came out quite good, but I think I'll keep it in my private collection instead of putting it on an online blog. After our very spontaneous and unexpected photo shoot, we went back to the shelter and met up with Earnhart. We all hiked together for the next few miles, but eventually Earnhart sped up and left us behind. Mary and I decided to take a break. We hung out on top of the mountain for a few hours talking and enjoying the beautiful weather, basically killing any hope I had for a high mileage day. When we finally got going, it was already 4:00pm, and our casual afternoon continued as we slowly sauntered down the trail. When we got to Laurel Creek, Mary and I soaked our feet in the creek, and decided to call it a day and set up camp. I set up my tent, and made a nice campfire. Mary and I ate dinner while sitting by the fire. She couldn't find a good spot to set up her hammock, and it was getting late, so she ended up sleeping in my tent with me. Two people in a one-person backpacking tent makes for some close quarters.
Date: 2014-05-24
From: Laurel Creek Campsite

To: Stealth Campsite at Mile 600.5
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

After a night of not so good sleep, I was packed up by 8am and went to the road crossing several hundred feet away to wait for the shuttle from Trubrit's place, because Earnhart would be on it. He left me a note on the trail yesterday saying he was going back to Trubrit's. Around 9am, the shuttle came, and Earnhart told me he was getting a ride to Bland, VA, where his friend would pick him up for the night. Earnhart and I made plans to meet up at Woods Hole Hostel tomorrow night, still 20.4 trail miles away.I began hiking at 9:30am, and made very good time to Bland, 7 miles away. The hike to Bland was up on a ridge, and very uneventful. When I got to the road leading to Bland, I saw Hot Pop and he and I decided to hitch-hike into town for lunch. Fortunately, we only waited 5 minutes until a pickup truck pulled over and agreed to take us to town. Hot Pop and I rode in the bed of the pickup truck, flying around the curves at a speed well over the limit.Within minutes, we walked into Subway. As we were leaving, an older man from Pittsburgh, PA asked me a few questions about hiking the AT. He asked me what the hardest part of a thru-hike is, to which I responded, "The hardest part of the hike is getting a ride back to the trail after I go into a town." He got the hint, and he offered Hot Pop and I a ride back to the trail. Perfect!In under an hour, we hitched in, ate, and got back to the trail. A new personal record for me on this trip. The next 11 miles were dry, meaning no water sources. Because of this, we drank our fill and topped off our bottles at a stream just outside of town. The trail from here was high on a ridgeline, where I saw 4 snakes in the span of about 10 minutes. Two were small, but two were very large black snakes. I almost stepped on the first one! He was laying on the trail, and I didn't see him until I was almost on top of him. Not long after, a wild turkey burst out of the bushes right in front of me, and scared the shit out of me! I'm camped with Hot Pop tonight at mile 600.5. That's right, 600 miles! I'm shooting for Woods Hole Hostel tomorrow night to meet back up with Earnhart.
Date: 2014-05-25
From: Stealth Campsite at Mile 600.5

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 20.4

I set my alarm to go off at 5:30am, and I was hiking by 5:50am. My 2nd earliest start to date, behind when I left at 4:30am with Viking heading into the NOC. The worst part of being the first out of camp is that you break down all the spider webs across the trail. The day began with a big climb up a mountain that really for the blood flowing in the cool morning. 5.5 miles later, I crossed Kimberling Creek via a long wooden suspension bridge, and the trail that followed was almost flat for 7 miles, as the trail followed a beautiful river. Many of the miles following the river were on soft pine needles, which felt good on my feet. At noon, I was 13.2 miles in, which really felt good. I passed Trimpi Shelter soon after, which has a bloody history. Years ago, a couple was murdered there while they slept. The trail began a very steep climb from Trimpi Shelter. For 3 miles, the AT climbed steadily to another ridgeline, which was easy walking for the first few miles, but then turned rocky. My feet began to hurt again, due to all the rocks I was hiking over.I met Incline here, a section hiker from NY, who lives near the AT at Bear Mountain. I got his info and will call him when I get to Bear Mountain. I also met Shroomer, who already hiked the PCT and CDT, and is getting his Triple Crown after he finishes the AT this year. I got to Woods Hole Hostel at 3:30, and it felt good to finish a 20 miler so early. Earnhart was already there. Shroomer, CJ (an older woman from Houston, TX), Incline, and myself went into Pearisburg, VA for dinner at a really good Mexican restaurant. This was made possible because Incline's truck was parked at Woods Hole. I'll get back into Pearisburg tomorrow via the AT to resupply for the next leg, 84 miles to Catawba, VA.
Date: 2014-05-26
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: clear sky

After a good night of sleep in the bunkhouse at Woods Hole Hostel, my alarm went off at 5:30am, and I got up quietly and took a shower before I left. This was my first shower in 112 miles, and boy did I need it. The water that ran off my body was black. I felt like a new man upon exiting the shower. Earnhart and I were hiking by 6am, and were in a rush to get to Pearisburg, VA 11 miles away. I didn't eat or drink the whole way in, and when we got to the road crossing to town, we were greeted by an AMAZING trail magic spread, courtesy of Max Factor. Burgers, hot dogs, potato salad, macaroni salad, cole slaw, chips, fresh fruit and veggies, and ice cold drinks. This was made even better because I did not eat or drink for the previous 11 miles. I ate 2 burgers, 2 hot dogs, and a lot of side dishes. I was uncomfortably full. Even though we ate our fill and then some, Earnhart and I left our packs with Max Factor, who would be there for the rest of the day, and we walked to Dairy Queen for ice cream, a mile away. We lingered there for a few hours, charging our phones and relaxing. When we finally got back to the AT it was 4pm, and our original plans to do a 24 miler to Symms Gap were not looking bright.We decided to hike to Rice Field Shelter instead, which was made very difficult because I felt lethargic after eating so much from Max Factor's trail magic. The climb out of Pearisburg was also very tough. It was steep and rocky, and never ended! Finally, after hours of climbing, I made it to the top of the ridge, and hiked 2 more miles to the shelter. I'm in the shelter tonight with Shroomer, CJ, Genie, Earnhart, Tortoise, and Marathon.
Date: 2014-05-27
From: Rice Field Shelter

To: Stony Creek Valley
Miles today: 12.8

The terrain today was relatively flat, but the hiking was slow going and tedious. I woke up at 7am in the shelter and ate a bagel and peanut butter for breakfast. I was hiking by 7:50am, and I soon realized that the trail maintainers must have forgotten about this section of trail. The entire way to Stony Creek today was full of blow downs that have not been cleared. It is hard to make good time when you are constantly climbing over and around fallen trees. In addition to the poor trail condition, my body felt very stiff. After 6.5 hours, I made it 12.5 miles to Pine Swamp Branch Shelter, exhausted.I took off my shoes and socks and took a nap. at 4pm, I woke up and Earnhart suggested we walk 0.3 miles down to VA HWY 635 and get a ride to town to get a room and relax. It sounded great to me! We walked to The Captain's house. The Captain is trail angel with an awesome zip line crossing a river going to his house. Earnhart used The Captain's phone and called his mother to come pick us up for the night. His mother lives about an hour away, so it worked out. Earnhart and I hitch-hiked to VA HWY 640 and half hour later, his mom came and picked us up.Earnhart lives nearby, so he has the home field advantage through this stretch of trail. Because of that, he has access to his truck. Earnhart and I went to Daleville, VA and ate Mexican food, and got a room at a nearby Howard Johnson hotel for the night. Also, my cycling partner John and I stayed at this same hotel for a night in 2011 on our bicycle trip across America. Coming back here stirred up some great memories. Today was only 12.8 miles, but it was just one of those days where I had to fight for every mile. Nothing came easy. Earnhart will be off trail until Monday, but he's going to bring me back to the trail tomorrow where I left off. I really want to take a zero tomorrow, but I have miles to do!
Date: 2014-05-28
From: Stony Creek Valley

To: Roanoke, VA zero day
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

So much for me having miles to hike. I ended up taking a zero day today anyway. I was able to finish a heavy book I've been carrying around, so that's good. I am glad I can now mail that home and shed about a pound of weight in my pack. I saw Papa Doc and Not Chicago today, lounging by the pool. It was nice catching up with them.
Date: 2014-05-29
From: Stony Creek Valley

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: moderate rain

I woke up at 5:50am today and took a shower and ate the hotel's free continental breakfast, which was terrible. After a stop at McDonald's for a cup of coffee, we were on the road heading back to the trail at 7:30am. It was a pretty far drive, but at 8:45am, I was at the trail where I left off 2 days ago, and heading north. The first few miles followed Stony Creek, but the AT soon began to climb, per usual. For anyone that says, or has been told, that the AT in Virginia is flat... IT'S NOT! I don't know why so many people in the AT community think VA is flat, because it is as challenging as the previous 3 states. Ask any thru-hiker about the AT in Virginia, and they will tell you that it's anything but flat. I was making good time, and covered the first 3.5 miles in 1.5 hours. I got to Bailey's Gap Shelter, where I drank a lot of water because I didn't want to have to carry any. The next 7 miles were relatively flat ridgeline, but again, the Roanoke AT Club made sure it wasn't easy. The AT under their jurisdiction has been horribly maintained. When I got to Wind Rock for lunch, I had a peanut butter bagel and enjoyed the great views. I could see the small town of Mountain Lake, VA far down in the valley. Mountain Lake is famous for being the town that Dirty Dancing was filmed in. At 3:00pm, I got to War Spur Shelter, and saw Chispa again. She and I hiked together up Kelly Knob, which proved to be a killer! Very rocky and very steep. Once I got to the summit of Kelly Knob, the rain began to fall, and within a few minutes, it was a full on monsoon! Lightning and thunder was loud all around me. I began running down the trail to Laurel Creek Shelter, a mile away. I was soaked from head to toe. I thought I was closer to the shelter than I really was, so I neglected to put on my pack cover. Big mistake! Fortunately, I had a trash compactor bag lining the inside of my pack, and all that got wet was my guidebook. It was a big relief to get to the shelter and find there was room.I quickly changed out of my wet clothes and put on dry clothes, and made a hot dinner of instant mashed potatoes and tuna. Gourmet stuff! Here tonight is Hoyt, Ireland, Al Borland, Littlefoot, Z, Gia, and Overhead.Good night!
Date: 2014-05-30
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Trout Creek Campsite
Miles today: 21.2
Weather: light rain

Today was a hard day, physically and mentally. The day began with me not wanting to get out of my sleeping bag. I had a great night's sleep, and I just didn't want to get moving. Finally, around 7:15am, I knew I had to, so I got up and got packed up and made breakfast. The first few miles went through cow pastures and because it rained last night, the grass was very wet, which in turn made my shoes and feet very wet. My shoes and socks were already soaked from yesterday, but the wet grass cancelled out any drying that happened overnight. When I got to VA HWY 42, the guidebook said "NoBo Right" which means I turn right at the road and look for the trail's re-entry into the woods. I walked a good quarter mile down the road without seeing a white blaze, so I turned around and saw that the trail went straight across the road. I ended up walking a half mile for nothing. An anonymous trail angel left 3 cold sodas on the trail right across from the road, and I had a Coke. A mile later, I passed the Keffer Oak. It is the 2nd largest tree on the AT, behind the Dover Oak in New York. The Keffer Oak is over 300 years old and has a circumference of over 18 feet. Several miles later, at the top of Bruisers Knob, the sun came out so I took the opportunity to dry my stuff. It turns out my camera got moisture inside of it, and fogged up the lens. I let it sit in the sun to dry, and it seems to be working now. The next 7 miles was slow going, as the trail maintainers must have again forgotten about this stretch. I don't mean to sound negative, but the Roanoke AT Club has been TERRIBLE at maintaining trail. Soon, the AT went across about a mile of slanted granite slabs. Not fun to walk on with a loaded pack! The angle was about 30 degrees, and I fell several times traversing the wet rock slabs. There really is no reason for the AT to go over these, as it would be easy for a hiker to get injured here. Finally, at 3:15pm I made it to Niday Shelter, where I saw Z and Gia, who were also complaining about the lack of maintenance on the trail, as well as the rough terrain. From Niday Shelter, I had 10.1 miles to go to my destination of Pickle Branch Shelter. I set off around 4:30pm. The trail went over Brushy Mountain, and at the top was the Audie Murphy Memorial. Audie Murphy is a WWII veteran and the most decorated soldier in American history. He died in 1971 when the airplane he was traveling in crashed into Brushy Mountain, right on the AT.The clouds looked like rain all day, and after yesterday's debacle, I didn't want to get caught in it again. When I got to Trout Creek, I saw Z and Gia setting up their tent, and I decided to camp here too. I'm 1.3 miles short of Pickle Branch Shelter. There is a lawn chair sitting in the creek for some reason, and I took the opportunity to sit in it and soak my feet and ankles in the cold water, which felt fantastic.
Date: 2014-06-02
From: Daleville, VA

To: Fullhardt Knob Shelter
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: scattered clouds

ONE-THIRD OF THE APPALACHIAN TRAIL IS COMPLETE! That feels so great, and I'm damn proud of myself, but I know I have a long, long way to go. I thought of zeroing today in town, and I came close, but at 5:30pm, I decided to hike out to the shelter, just 5 miles away to avoid paying for another night in a hotel. I woke up today at 8am in a bed in an air-conditioned room. Wow- quite nice! I went down to the hotel lobby and ate the terrible continental breakfast again, and then went back to my room to go back to sleep. I then got packed up around 10am and walked over to Bojangles. Earnhart picked me up there and we went into Roanoke, VA again, because I had to run some errands. I also got a 3 day food resupply, enough to get me to Glasgow, VA. He then took me back to Daleville where I went to Mill Mountain Coffee House to charge my phone and have a cup of coffee and a scone. At this point, I was basically trying any way I could to avoid hiking out of town! At 5:30, I knew I had to though, so I headed out. I made it to the shelter in about 2 hours. 729 miles down, a lot more to go!