morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-04-25
From: No Business Shelter

To: No Business Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: scattered clouds

No Business Shelter18.2 miles (332.4 total miles)I was scared to leave our warm room at the Best Southern motel this morning. The weatherman on tv said it would warm up to 62 degrees today, but it would only be 42 this morning. And these forecasts were for Johnson City, not the mountains where we'd be headed. I really had no idea what to expect up at the gap, or up on Big Bald.We arranged for a shuttle to pick drive us up to Sam's Gap at 8am. At the onramp of the highway, we saw 3 Cats and Wanderer hitching to the same place, so we picked them up as well (we were later joined on the mountain by Iron Foot and One Thing). When we got to Sam's Gap there was about 4 inches of snow on the ground. We headed up into the snow. It wasn't long until my feet were cold and wet.It was a long, slow climb up Big Bald. Luckily the trail really wasn't bad, because the snow was an added challenge. It was beautiful and fun at first, but then the cold wind picked up. Climbing uphill for miles in the snow used new muscles that I hadn't used yet. The novelty started to wear off, and it was just cold and tiring.We came to Big Bald just before noon. The snow on the bald itself wasn't bad, probably due to lack of tree cover and wind. We could see snowy mountains in all directions. The trees and shrubs at the base of the bald had frozen limbs. It was quite a experience to see. It was just too cold and windy to stop to enjoy it. So we saw everything we could on our quick pass over the bald.The 6 of us stopped in the next shelter for a brief break, and to make sure there were no frozen bodies there from last night. Then the trail started to go down, way down. We turned a corner of the mountain, and suddenly the snow was gone! The elevation and sun angle had melted the snow, and we were suddenly walking on dry trail again. I was happy about this, and hoped my feet would dry.It had been a pretty hard day, so we were happy when the last 5 miles turned out to be a mostly easy walk around the mountains. I was pretty beat when we landed in camp just past 6:00. We had done 18 miles, but the first half were tough snow miles. We had some spaghetti for dinner, then quickly retired to the tent for the night. I am exhasted.
Date: 2005-04-26
From: Erwin, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Erwin, TN6.3 miles (338.7 total miles)I woke up this morning feeling like I had been hit by a truck. I slept poorly last night. My throat was burning, my nose was running, and I couldn't stop coughing. I was exhausted. And to make it worse, I was still sore from yesterday's snow hike. I couldn't lift my right leg more than 2 inches off the ground. I was in sad shape.The good news was that we were 6 easy miles from Erwin. Since we had spent so much time in town waiting out the snow, most people were going in and out of town. I had no shame in going only 6 miles. The trail was mostly easy, with very nice switchbacks. However, it was probably my hardest day yet. I couldn't eat breakfast, and had no energy. I had to stop and rest about once every mile. And when we were hiking, I hobbled along like Frankenstein. The trail was so easy that despite my constant stopping, we still finished our 6 miles averaging 2 miles per hour. We got down to Erwin at about 10:15. We started walking to town, sticking our thumbs out every time a car drove by. After about a mile, a car finally pulled over. An older man let us in. He had been out delivering meals to shut-ins, and was heading back to the senior center in town. He told me (as did our last ride) that he probably wouldn't have picked me up, but he saw JoAnne and had to stop.From downtown, we walked to the post office to get our box of food. Then we hiked down to the Super 8 motel. I showered and crawled into bed. JoAnne went through our mail drop, and decided what we still need. I could barely keep my eyes open. So JoAnne went to the supermarket and did our chores while I took a long nap. I couldn't even walk to Erwin Burrito, so we ordered a pizza for dinner.I feel much better after my nap. I have been told by 2 previous thru-hikers (Circuit Rider and Last Minute) that in the circmstances I should take another rest day tomorrow. I guess I'll see how I feel. We feel bad after taking 2 days off to wait out the snow, but it might be the right thing to do. We have more than enough time to get to Damascus for Trail Days. We don't need to hurry.
Date: 2005-04-28
From: Beauty Spot Gap

To: Beauty Spot Gap
Miles today: 12.1

Beauty Spot Gap12.1 miles (350.8 total miles)We had a very hard time leaving the Super 8 in Erwin this morning. The forecast called for late afternoon rain, and our motel room was so nice and warm. Our friends Sherlock and Circuit Rider (on their 5th thru-hike) were staying one more night. All signs pointed to us staying another night. But there really was no question. We had to hike out. I was feeling about 90% better, and we couldn't hide from the bad weather forever.We got a ride back to the trailhead from the owner of the Super 8. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, so we actually felt good about hiking. The trail was mostly easy, and we plugged along at a decent pace. We stopped for lunch after about 7 miles at a small campsite on the ridge. But by the time we finished with our lunch, something had changed. The sky was now overcast. And with that change of the weather, we noticed a major change in our moods.I joke about it a lot, but I honestly believe I have been somewhat traumatized by all the rain in '03. I say this because there is no way an overcast sky should make me so miserable in hiking. But I knew what was coming. In hiking up our next climb, JoAnne and I discussed how bad weather used to not bother us much while hiking. We know may hikers this year who hike in all weather, just excited to be thru-hiking. And yet we both completely shut down in the threat of rain, especially this cold rain. It is hard to believe that we are experienced long-distance hikers.We got over the big grassy field known as Beauty Spot, and it started to rain. There was a sudden chill in the air. We got down to a gap, and decided to set up camp. It was only about 2:30, but we did not want to hike another 4 miles over higher elevations in this cold. We quickly erected the tent, and hopped in. I jumped in my sleeping bag, and was asleep literally just seconds later.Neither of us moved for about 4 hours. When there was a pause in the rain, we ran outside to hang our foodbags and do any last chores. It felt frigid outside. We didn't even bother cooking dinner. I am hoping it doesn't get too cold tonight. We keep reminding ourselves that we have plenty of time. We're 100 miles away from Trail Days, and we have 16 days to get there. We might as well take it slow and enjoy it.
Date: 2005-04-30
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 1.9
Weather: moderate rain

Clyde Smith Shelter1.9 miles (363.9 total miles)I was awakened at 5:05 by the crazy, hiker unfriendly neighbor. He was howling and yelling at something. I tried to make out some words, but it was really just a long, inaudible yelping sound. Then he hopped on his riding lawnmower and did a few passes by our bunkhouse. It sounded like he was grinding his gears or ran over a rock to make some more noise. After about a half hour of rain, he went insie. But by 6:15 he was yelping again. I am really amazed at the effort he put behind disrupting the "hiker trash".CeeCee made us breakfast in the morning. Our bunkmates (who whipped us at Trivial Pursuit last night) were shuttled out to 19E. We wrote email, watched Saturday morning television, and waited for the rains to pass. Our hosts, CeeCee and PackRat were amazing. They completely let hikers take over their house. They pretty much have no privacy, and no escape from the hikers. But they enjoy the company.I am convinced that the weather forecasters here only tell the opposite of the forecast. They called for 30% chance of rain yesterday (when it rained all day). Today there was an 80% chance of rain in the morning. So we waited, waited, waited, only to see overcast skies. So finally at 1:30, we said goodbye to our hosts and headed back up to the trail. With a full belly and empty water bottles, we cruised .6 miles to the trail, then 1.9 miles to the shelter. Hiking is very easy when you only do 2.5 miles a day, and after good meals.We came to our shelter for the night, and found it occupied by Papa Bear ('03, '04) and Hot Flash, and were soon joined by Snowman, Spark Plug, and Free Radical. I was hoping to dry out my gear, but the rain finally blew through. I hope that it is true that the weather holds out for 2 days. We'll be crossing over some high peaks.
Date: 2005-05-01
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: clear sky

Overmountain Shelter12.9 miles (376.8 total miles)It was so cold this morning! I don't understand why it's so cold. Will it ever warm up to normal temperatures? I stayed in my warm sleeping bag as long as I could, but nature was calling. Once I was up, I decided it would be best to just make a run for it. I packed up and hiked out while JoAnne was still drinking her morning coffee. After about an hour, the sun poked through the clouds. It was still cold, but warm enough that I could take a break and wait for JoAnne.We headed down to the gap, then up the long climb of Roan Mountain. I believe it's the longest climb we have done so far. The sun was out, but the wind was still blowing cold. I climbed up the steep trail with my fleece jacket and hat on, which is very unusual. As we approached the top, the trail and treetops were covered by ice. JoAnne, who was battling cold symptoms, was having trouble breathing. It was a frigid climb to over 6000'.On top of Roan, we found a small valley blocked by the wind, and in the sun. We stopped for lunch and baked ourselves in the sun. We headed down, then over Round Bald. JoAnne was doing okay, but was having trouble breathing on the climbs. The wind was whipping, and we were constantly cold.We ended our day at Overmountain Shelter, an old barn on the ridge. The barn could fit plenty of people, but there were only about 8 of us. It was a little drafty, and still quite cold as I am writing this. I don't know when and if it'll warm up. But this constant cold is hurting us.
Date: 2005-05-03
From: Kincora Hiker Hostel

To: Kincora Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

Kincora Hiker Hostel12.1 miles (409.3 total miles)We had just 12 miles to hike today, but they were hard. It wasn't long before the easy reroute we had been enjoying vanished, and we were left with just PUDs. And pointless they were. Straight up and straight down, with no payoff. We only had to hike 12 miles, but they dragged on and on. At least it was warm outside.We got to Kincora Hostel by about 1:00. We got our mail drops and sorted through our food. It felt very good to take a shower and do laundry. Pat Peoples drove us into town, where we had dinner and bought a few last supplies at the supermarket. Kincora is a very busy place, and we sorted through the chaos to get our chores done.At the supermarket we bought a big sheet cake for JoAnne's birthday, and left it out for everyone to enjoy. For those who sent birthday cards to JoAnne in Damascus, thanks in advance. We are a little behind schedule (due to weather and health issues). But be sure that we will be getting mail and celebrating JoAnne's birthday there.I know I have been complaining quit a bit lately in my journals, especially about the cold weather. But we chose to be out here, and I still feel a great feeling of accomplishment just by walking. Complaining about being out here is kind of like complaining about the taxes after winning the lottery. Sure it can be somewhat frustrating, but I wouldn't trade it away for anything.
Date: 2005-05-04
From: Vandeventer Ridge

To: Vandeventer Ridge
Miles today: 19.0

Vandeventer Ridge19.0 miles (428.2 total miles)Today is JoAnne's (Willow's) birthday. Late last night, L.B. came up to the bunkroom with a birthday card that all the hikers staying at Kincora had signed. We thought that was very cool. We decided we would take a slow, easy day, and not set any destination for the night. We'd just hike and see how we felt at each shelter. Our shelter options for the day were at 2, 10, or 17 miles.We got a late start on our lazy day. JoAnne was happy with her morning coffee, and I was happy with some morning orange juice. We headed out probably a little before 9:00. The clouds were just parting, and we were hoping for a sunny day. We hiked .2 miles back to the trailhead, where we found a birthday card for JoAnne taped to the rail. Circuit Rider and Sherlock had been by early in the morning and left it. It was a fun start to the day.We immediately hiked into Laurel Gorge, which is beautiful. The trail followed Laurel Creek very closely after passing by the falls. It made me wish that the AT spent more time in the waterfalls and gorges than hitting every mountaintop. Then, as if to demonstrate that point, the AT took off straight up to Pond Flats. With almost a 2000' climb, I guess I was expecting some sort of payoff. But we just hit a strange, flattish mountaintop, then came winding down the other side of the mountain.We stopped at Watauga Lake for a short break, then we hiked on to the shelter. It was about 3:30. We decided to eat a early dinner then hike a few more miles. The first few miles went over the dam, passing by several roads. We wanted to be more secluded, so we hiked on. Then trail then went straight up the ridge, with nowhere flat. Soon we realized we were within striking distance of the next shelter, so we decided to make that our goal.We got to Vandeventer Shelter at about 7:15 to find it completely packed. There wasn't even space to put up a tent. Our only choice was to move on. We kept looking for tent spaces, but the trail never left the ridge. We stayed high, looking down at the valley below, without finding enough of a clearing to pitch our tent. Finally, after about 45 minutes, we found an outcropping that was flat enough to sleep on. It was getting dark, so we were glad to take it.Overall, we are guessing that we did about 19 miles today. That leaves us 31 from Damascus. The section into Damascus is real easy, so we're pretty much done with all the hard climbs of our hiking portion. We had a great day for JoAnne's birthday: waterfalls, lakes, sunshine, warm temps, and even a few spring flowers. We even hiked out a piece of birthday cake for dessert.
Date: 2005-05-05
From: Abingdon Gap Shelter

To: Abingdon Gap Shelter
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Abingdon Gap Shelter21.3 miles (449.5 total miles)It was a little windy on our campsite on the ridge last night. The leaves swirled around, and I kept hearing strange noises. And this was supposedly the "haunted" section of the trail. But when I finally got to sleep, I slept well. It was probably my best sleep in the tent so far. Maybe the wind provided soothing background noise.The sun was poking out, but it looked like it wouldn't be for long. We continued hiking along the ridge for a very long time. These constant short ups and downs made the hiking difficult, but it went by quickly. We made good time to the first shelter of the day, only 6 miles away. We stopped for a quick breakfast.As we sat in the shelter, we heard the rain start on the tin roof. It was already windy and cold, so we were really hoping it wouldn't rain. We hiked back out, trying to busy our minds over these small but annoying hills. We played a few games, like naming hikers we've met this year starting with each letter of the alphabet, and also trail foods we've eaten starting with each letter. Anything to keep our minds occupied, and off how we kept going up and down.After a quick and cold stop for lunch at the next shelter, we headed back out. Then we got a great surprise. Hiking back up from the other direction was out '03 friend Lion King. He is hiking around the Damascus area until Trail Days, where he will be showing his film on the AT. We spoke for a short while, and caught up on what we each were doing. Then we parted, knowing that we'd cross paths again several times over the next week.We hit Abingdon Gap Shelter just before 5:00. We had hiked over 21 miles, which may be our longest day out here. We set up our tent on the hill, and ate teriyaki noodles for dinner. We are only 10 miles from Damascus, VA. We should be there for lunch tomorrow.
Date: 2005-05-06
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: broken clouds

Damascus, VA10 miles (459.5 total miles)I was excited this morning, as it was only 10 miles to the wonderful trail town of Damascus, Virginia. I slept horribly last night for no particular reason. I guess JoAnne was excited too, as we were on the trail hiking by 6:45.We remember the hike down to Damascus as being pretty easy. And with the exception of a few PUDs, it was. We cruised along at a fast pace, excited about town. At about the halfway point, JoAnne decided it was time for her morning coffee, but I was anxious. So she stopped for a break as I kept going. It was 8:30 when I crossed a side trail at 6.5 miles on the day. I realized that at 3 mph for the rest of the way, I could hit the elusive "10 by 10" (that is, 10 miles by 10 am). We had always joked about this in '03, but it was always a little out of my reach. So, I took off with my new goal.The trail rolled gently downhill the rest of the way. I lifted my arms above my head as I passed from Tennessee into Virginia. It is a fun feeling to walk into another state. I kept going at a good trot, watching Damascus get closer and closer. I walked into town at 9:45am. Yes, I had finally fulfilled my 10 by 10 challenge.Town was nice, as always. It felt great to take a shower, and eat calzones for lunch. We did our laundry, got our mail, and checked out both outfitters. For dinner we tried out the new Baja Cafe. The burritos were incredible! (They were better than the famous Erwin Burrito in my opinion)We are in Damascus about a week before Trail Days, which was our goal. So, the plan is now that we'll keep hiking. We are taking tomorrow off to rest up and watch movies. We are also going to watch for the weather. Assuming the weather isn't too cold, we're going to hike on another 60 miles or so. It feels really good to be hiking lots of miles each day. I look forward to putting in a few more before our hiking is over.
Date: 2005-05-08
From: Damascus, VA

To: Lost Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: clear sky

Lost Gap Shelter11.8 miles (471.3 total miles)We weren't sure how to get back to Damascus this morning. A small part of each of us wanted to hitch, just to renew our faith in kind strangers. But we both knew we weren't ready. Plus, we were just on the other side of the interstate from the truck stop where the scary guy lives in his van. There was no way either of us was hitcing back to Damascus. We called the Mount Rogers Outfitter and asked if they could shuttle us back into town. The owner sounded like he was busy with many other things, but without hesitation he rearranged it all to help us stranded hikers. Within a half hour, we were back in Damascus.After stops at the supermarket and Baja Cafe, we were back on the trail. Since we had already reached our goal of Damascus, it was time to try out what I call the PDP: the Purist Detox Program. When we hiked in '03, I was considered a purist. I hiked past every white blaze, going north, in order. So I have been trying to reprogram myself to slack off a little. For example, if a shelter had 2 entrances, I can now go in one and out the other (thus missing the small section of the AT between these shelter trails). So today, having already surpassed our goal, was my first big test. Leaving Damascus there are several strenuous PUDs on the AT, while the Virginia Creeper Trail follows an old railroad bed only to meet the AT 14 miles later. So as part of my PDP, we took the Creeper Trail.For 10 miles, the Creeper Trail rolled very gently up. We sauntered along, watching the bicyclists fly by, and the fisherman fishing. The trail was so easy, it was a little boring. It was almost like walking 10 miles along the road. But when I thought about the pointless climbs just to meet up with this trail again, I had no complaints. And as we walked along, I think we met more hikers on the Creeper Trail than we would have on the AT.About halfway along the Creeper Trail, we gained a new little hiking partner. A small beagle started to follow us. We had heard about this stray dog (named Grits), as he's been following hikers north for hundreds of miles now. Today he found us, and happily bounded along beside us. Cyclists would come flying down the Creeper Trail, and he'd run right up in front of them, like it was a game. We tried to call him back, but he didn't respond to anything. We got many dirty looks from cyclists who thought we couldn't control our dog. I just hoped he wouldn't run in front of anyone, causing them to swerve and crash. But soon some ultra-lite hikers came flying past us, and our beagle found some new temporary guardians. It is fun being out here without much of a deadline. We have 4 days to do about 50 miles, which means we have some low mileage days ahead. The weather should be nice. I am looking forward to winding down our hike with some fun sections of the trail, and plenty of time to do them.
Date: 2005-05-09
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: clear sky

Thomas Knob Shelter12.2 miles (483.5 total miles)We were up late this morning. I guess all that blue blazing made me tired. We knew we only had 12 miles to do, so we took our time. At 8:30, we were still sitting around, watching hikers leave camp. We had breakfast around the picnic table. We are usually the first ones gone, so it was a new experience for us. We had fun, although I couldn't resist the nagging feeling that we had miles to do.We hiked out, and started with a gentle downhill (another unusual way to start the day). We cranked out 2.3 miles to a road crossing fairly early. Less than 10 miles to go! The sun was shining. This would be an easy day. Or so it seemed. After a second breakfast, the trail took off up the mountain. It wasn't steep, but it went on and on. I was suddenly pretty beat. The day quickly turned hard on me, and I reluctantly trudged up the endless slope.This was the first hot day we've had in a long time, and I don't think I was drinking enough. We stopped many times, and with each water break I would have a surge of energy. But I kept slowing down, as the rest of the day seemed to only go uphill. The trail was never too hard, just consistant. It wore me out.We came up near Mount Rogers close to 5:00. Mt. Rogers is the highest point in Virginia, and only a gradual half mile from our shelter for the night. We found a nice campsite on the ridge, and cooked some cheesy rice for dinner. We had been meeting lots of southbounders all day who were hiking into Damascus for Trail Days. Tomorrow is an exciting day as we hike through Grayson Highlands. I love in here in southwest Virginia.