morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-05-13
From: Jenkins Shelter, VA

To: Helveys Mill Shelter, VA
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: clear sky

Woke up bright and early to a cool and sunny day. Last night I had a scare right about 12:30AM. I was so tired when I set up my tent that I just tossed my entire pack inside, with my food bag inside my pack, and went to sleep. Well at 12:30AM I was awoken with a start when two dogs of a thru-hiker staying in the shelter came running out barking warning type barks and I heard the sound of something running away. Was it a bear? Yes, according to my imagination. So in any event it was awhile before I went back to sleep.Otherwise, today's hike was not a bad one, which was good since I still felt tired. Also my elevation map for this section was again wrong today. Wrong enough in the past couple of days that I punished it by using it to start a campfire tonight. It's ok, I was almost out of this section anyways. Also today I crossed over I-77 just outside of Bland, VA, the name of which I found amusing, like something out of a Dr. Suess book. I imagined the town as being very dull, drab and dreary, with the citizens walking around with bored expressions on their faces. It was nice to get to this shelter early and have time to get everything done and just relax around the fire and talk to other hikers. Flamethrower is still somewhere behind, and I will probably not see The Fizz or Snowplow again for awhile, if ever, because they were going to Damascus for Trail Days.
Date: 2008-05-14
From: Helveys Mill Shelter, VA

To: VA 606
Miles today: 16.3

Woke up at 7AM after my best night's sleep in a shelter so far. I slept without waking up at all until 4:30AM. Usually I wake up several times throughout the night. Longway Thru and Willow, both of whom I met yesterday morning, also stayed in this shelter. Longway Thru had a centipede bite on her big toe and now the skin there is all blackened and brown as if the skin is dead. Amazing what can harm you out here.At lunch today we breaked at a shelter 10 miles out and when I went to use the privy there, there was a large black spide on the seat. I flicked it into the privy with a long stick and then proceeded to go to the bathroom as fast as possible and got the hell out of there.Overall, the trail was pretty easy today. We were mainly on mountain ridges heading north. On either side were valleys with more north-south mountain ridgelines past them. It is becoming more difficult to see things in the distance as most of the trees now have leaves out. There is also a lot more green underbrush building up alongside the trail. I can see why people refer to the trail as 'the long green tunnel.' Another thru-hiker told me the other day that statistically 50% of hikers attempting to thru-hike have dropped out by now. In a way this is hard to tell because I really only see the people I am hiking with or those a day or two ahead or behind me. So unless one of them drops out, I cannot really tell if the numbers are diminishing or not. More immediately however, the numbers have dropped off due to a lot of hikers getting off the trail to head to Trail Days for the weekend. It will be a little weird having the trail more to myself for the next 5-6 days until people get back on. Right before stopping for the day, the trail crossed a creek with a wooden suspension bridge. Something different.When I got to the road crossing at VA 606, I headed west on it for 1/2 a mile until I got to Trent's Grocery Store where you can resupply and tent. I only needed a few little things to get me to Pearisburg in two days, but I also had a pizza, bag of chips, soda, candy, gatorade, ice cream, chocolate milk and chocolate cupcakes for dinner from the store. What can I say, I was hungry. This is also the road crossing where the trail was shut down from here to Pearisburg while police investigated the recent fishermen shooting. The AT shelter where he murdered the two AT hikers in '81 is only about 8 miles up the trail from here. Creepy. Won't be staying there tomorrow.
Date: 2008-05-15
From: VA 606

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 24.3
Weather: overcast clouds

There is a saying out here: "You gotta walk through the rain to get to Maine."And another one: "No pain, no rain, no Maine."Both were applicable today. Crossed the 600 mile mark and had my longest trail mileage day to date. Not quite a marathon day, but getting closer. It also rained today. Not a drenching, soaking downpour, but the day started out humid and then sprinkled and drizzled throughout the afternoon and got foggy and misty. Not too cold though. Anyways, I woke up a little after 6AM and had breakfast at Trent's and was on the trail by 8:30AM. Last night I tented next to a horse pasture. A couple of times throughout the night I woke up to the sounds of horses snorting and running around. After bears, steers, ponies, cattle, etc. I was hardly fazed. It also rained last night.Once on the trail I stopped a little after 11AM for lunch at Wapiti Shelter. This is the shelter where the guy killed the two AT hikers in '81. It was a little creepy, especially because just short of the shelter police were still searching for evidence from the recent shootings. Apparently they found a bunch of his stuff stashed in the woods and were planning on draining a nearby pond. Hopefully there is nothing else to find. After Wapiti I climbed Sugar Run Mt. and hiked along it and Pearis Mt., mostly through fog and rain. Then I descended to Pearisburg, which is pretty close to the WV border. May take a zero day here tomorrow depending on the weather and because I got word that Flamethrower is a few days behind and trying to catch up to us.
Date: 2008-05-16
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Zero Day. Got my maildrop and did laundry and updated my journal. Ate and ate and ate some more. Kind of cloudy and drizzling periodically. This town is slightly larger than most trail towns. Probably on size with Franklin, NC. Not much else to report today. Will head out tomorrow and should be in Daleville, VA in 5 days.
Date: 2008-05-17
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter, VA
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up about 8AM. The hotel I stayed in was pretty beat, and most of my stuff smells slightly like smoke (even my clean laundry) but the rooms were only $35/night. Headed out of town on the trail and crossed the New River, which is probably the largest river I've crossed so far. On the other side of the river bridge I could see the AT headed up into the woods on the other side of the highway but for some reason I totally missed where it crossed at. In the end I ran for it across the highway and through the grassy median.On the other side the trail skirted a large industrial plant before ascending Peters Mt. The weather was so nice out today that I did not mind the climb. Once on the mountain the rest of the day was ridgewalking until I descended to this shelter. On the ridge the AT was on the VA/WV border for several miles and I could see down into WV. The shelter here tonight is semi-destroyed because a tree fell on the roof last year, so I am tenting.Also today I had my first faceplant. The toe of my boot caught on something and I fell forward, my momentum and pack weight not helping to slow me down. This is my first fall forward, unlike my previous three falls which all occurred with me slipping backwards onto my pack. My right shin is a little banged up but otherwise I'm ok.
Date: 2008-05-18
From: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter, VA

To: War Spur Shelter, VA
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: light rain

Woke up to a drizzle. It rained overnight, but I stayed dry in my tent. Unfortunately, my rainfly was soaked, which made it hard to packed everything up and keep things dry. Plus it was pretty humid and there was a lot of water dripping off the trees, so I settled for being slightly damp in the end. Due to the weather I got a little bit of a later start.I did about a mile and a half roadwalk early on today (yellowblaze) to avoid having to ford a creek swollen by the raind and where a bridge was washed out. After that I climbed Big Mt. (original name, huh?) and stopped at the shelter just short of the top. From there I almost stayed at the shelter for the rest of the day because it was cold, windy and rainy, but pushed on instead. On the way to this shelter I encountered a new weather phenomenon - hail! About a mile from here it started raining and hailing pellet sized hail on me. So I'm here for the night even though the weather looks like it is clearing up now. Otherwise the only thing of note today was a slight twinge in the tendon on the front of my left foot. Maybe I hyper-extended it when I tripped yesterday?
Date: 2008-05-19
From: War Spur Shelter, VA

To: Niday Shelter, VA
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: overcast clouds

A really big thunderstorm came through last night, but it came through so quickly and a little later the moon was shining so brightly that it lit up the forest all around.It was a clear and cool morning with a nice breeze. I hiked up Johns Creek Mt. and halfway up there was trail magic in the form of a cooler of cold sodas. After a short ridgewalk I descended from the top of the mountain to Laurel Creek Shelter for lunch and then headed out to climb up Sinking Creek Mt. On the way there I passed the Keffer Oak, the largest oak tree on the AT in the South. It is 18 feet, 3 inches around, and the second largest on the AT. After that I climbed up Sinking Creek Mt. which was a lot steeper than it looked, but once on top it became ridgewalking for about 5-6 miles with views into the valleys and of the mountain ridges on either side. Earlier today, just after leaving Laurel Creek Shelter, I passed an old abandoned wooden house in the woods, just off the trail. I went a little closer to look at it and saw there were black hand prints all around the the front door area. Way creepy. Got the hell out of there.Not too long after getting to this shelter tonight it started raining again. Is it too much to ask for two days in a row without rain?
Date: 2008-05-20
From: Niday Shelter, VA

To: VA 624
Miles today: 16.6

The highlight today was to be a rocky promontory/spire called the Dragon's Tooth. But it was not to be due to exhaustion, frustration and irritation. It rained a lot last night and everything was wet this morning, but it ended up being a cool, breezy and partly sunny day. Did some climbing and rocky ridgewalking, however, it took a lot longer than anticipated to get where I was going. The signs, maps, etc. all indicated that we should have gotten to the Tooth a lot earlier than we actually did (at 4PM). Once we got to the Tooth there was a blue blaze trail out to the Tooth itself. I followed it briefly where the blazes just seemed to stop. I halted at a vista and could kind of see the Tooth from there. It was pretty windy and I was chilly from sweating and just had no desire to climb the Tooth itself.The climb down from the Tooth had a bunch of interesting rock scrambles that required going down hand over hand (there were metal handholds driven into the rock in two places) and at two other parts I just threw my trekking poles down ahead of me and sort of slid on my ass/pack down the rock face. I think I would have found the scramble much more 'fun' if I was in a better mindset, but as I was I just found the whole thing slightly dangerous and it used up the last of my energy.Anyways, at the bottom of the mountain there was a road crossing with a nearby gas station where I was able to do a little resupply to get me to Daleville in two days. We also called a trail angel named Barnabas who took us into town for dinner and then back to his place where he runs a hostel and we were able to shower and do laundry. Definitely helped to improve my mood and I'm looking forward to hitting McAfee's Knob tomorrow for my 2 month anniversary on the trail.
Date: 2008-05-21
From: VA 624

To: Lamberts Meadow Campsite, VA
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: broken clouds

Today was a good day. And a busy one as there was a lot happened. First today is my two month anniversary of being on the trail. It doesn't feel like it has been that long. I woke up in Barnabas' basement hostel with Bearpack, Bearbait and Walkie Talkie another thru-hiker who has been on the same pace with us since Pearisburg. Interestingly, Barnabas' hostel is in a white upper middle class neighborhood in Catawba, VA. We started off hiking through some pastures and going over some stiles and then climbed Catawba Mt. and were along that until we came to McAfee's Knob. Getting to McAfee's Knob was the second big thing to happen today and is a rocky promontory jutting out from the ridgeline and over the valleys below. It was cold out there with the wind blowing, but it was absolutely worth it for the amazing views. After Katahdin this has to be one of the most photographed places on the trail for a thru-hiker. So of course my camera battery died on me here, but not before I was able to get at least a few quick pictures. I'm not sure if the pictures will do this place justice though. McAfee's Knob is hands down one of my favorite places on the trail so far. Right after McAfee's Knob I passed the 700 mile mark. Another 100 mile chunk of the trail done and it puts me close to being 1/3 of the way done with the trail. From McAfee's Knob the trail ran along Tinker Mt. where there was about a half mile section of cliffs about 3-4 miles out from the Knob where I had some more really good views. These views also included being able to look back at the Knob. Despite passing four shelters today I decided to pull out my tent tonight and set up a bit further down the trail at this campsite which is right along a creek. It's cool out but clear so it should be a good night.
Date: 2008-05-22
From: Lamberts Meadow Campsite, VA

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: few clouds

Short day into Daleville today. Got here a little after noon. Perfect weather as I followed the ridgeline down into town. Went to pick up my maildrop a mile away at the post office and couldn't pass up Pizza Hut along the way for lunch. The mile to the post office was all along highway. I'll have to look into picking better places for the maildrops for the second half of my hike once I get to PA. Bought a second pair of shorts at an outfitters this afternoon so I have something else to wear in towns and in camp at night. Also bought a comb for my beard. After 2 months of not shaving it is getting bushy and starting to curl and tangle. Sadly, I have more facial hair than hair on my head. Had dinner at a Mexican restaurant with Bearpack and Bearbait. Not sure if Mexican food is the best combination for thru-hiking.
Date: 2008-05-23
From: Daleville, VA

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Zero day in Daleville. I decided to take a zero day here afterall. Mainly to give my left ankle a rest and spend the day icing it and taking ibuprofen. Ever since I tripped coming out of Pearisburg it has been giving me twinges of pain, especially when I walk on flat or downhill surfaces. It seems to be a tendon or muscle that runs from the top of my foot to the lower part of my shin, so I think I may have hyperextended something when I tripped. Talking to other thru-hikers out here this seems to be a common ailment. Bearpack had an extra ankle brace that he loaned me but so far the pain hasn't gone away entirely. Hopefully the day off will be the rest it needs. Also I'm a few days ahead of schedule so I have the time to take a day off. Bearbait is also taking a zero because he's been fighting a stomach bug the past few days. Bearpack took off today but we're confident we can catch up to him in a few days. Other than my ankle I am feeling well, both physically and mentally. My rib no longer hurts and the lump on it has mostly gone away. Also the rib seems to have moved back more to its original position. After talking to a friend with a masters in sports medicine and a thru-hiker who is also a medical student I don't think the rib is cracked. Just a deep bruise and because it is a 'free standing' rib it is capable of being slightly displaced.
Date: 2008-05-24
From: Daleville, VA

To: Bobblets Gap Shelter, VA
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Left Daleville around 10:45AM. The first mile or so ran along I-81. Although I could hear the traffic I could not see the road. The ATC has done a good job here of maintaining the illusion of being in the woods. I then went through a few pastures and climbed Fullhardt Knob. Had great weather all day. It was also one of the warmest days on the AT I've had so far. Bearbait decided to stay another day in Daleville because he is still having trouble keeping food down, so I was hiking alone today as Bearpack had already headed out yesterday. Today I also crossed the one-third mark to Katahdin as well as the one-half mark in Virginia. The last five miles or so of the trail today ran parallel to the Blue Ridge Parkway. I yellow blazed (road walked) about 3.5 miles of it. There, I admitted it. It was glorious. Got a lot of great views from the Parkway and it was easy to jump back on the trail and get to this shelter.
Date: 2008-05-25
From: Bobblets Gap Shelter, VA

To: Bryant Ridge Shelter, VA
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: clear sky

Woke up and was on the trail by 8:30AM. The shelter last night was 0.2 miles downhill from the trail and the water source there was not great. The trail again followed the Blue Ridge Parkway a few miles today before veering away from it down into Bearwallow Gap. After that it climbed Cove Mt. I stopped at the shelter on Cove Mt. for a break. There were a lot of bees there and I was wearing my yellow shirt, to which they seemed greatly attracted. The same thing happened a few days ago. I stopped for a break and had about ten bees on my back. I'll have to limit the bee attractor shirt to towns only. After the shelter the trail dropped down to Jennings Creek. From there I walked 2.4 miles round trip off the trail to a campstore/grill at the Middle Creek Campground. I got two sodas, a cheeseburger, a hot dog and fries and watched the campers there before returning to the trail. Also got a few minor resupply items. I should be able to skip Glasgow and go straight to Buena Vista without resupplying now. After getting back on the trail at Jennings Creek I climbed up and over Fork Mt. Today was the warmest day so far and I sweated my ass off climbing up. I got to this shelter tonight, which is like a mansion of shelters - it is three stories and can hold up to 20 hikers as well as has a wrap around porch, windows and picnic tables. The nice shelter and feeling sweaty and full from lunch made me decide to call it a shorter day. This now puts me a full day behind Bearpack and at least 3/4 of a day ahead of Bearbait, who I just got word that he headed out of Daleville this morning with none other than Flamethrower. The kid finally caught up. Soon Team Discovery will be reunited.
Date: 2008-05-26
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter, VA

To: Glasgow, VA
Miles today: 24.9
Weather: clear sky

Woke up early in the mansion shelter because people were rustling around and there were little black flies/gnats buzzing around and biting any part of me sticking out of my sleeping bag. So I got up and was on the trail before 8AM. I decided that I would try to catch up to Bearpack today. Hence my longest mileage day on the trail to date. It was a really warm day out, about 80 degrees. Down in the valley where the shelter was it was also humid. After a few miles of climbing uphill on Floyd Mt. however I was catching a nice breeze and it felt drier. Pretty much the first ten miles today were all uphill. After Floyd Mt. I went over Apple Orchard Mt. at 4,225 ft, where the trail was again back alongside the Blue Ridge Parkway (BRP). Right after Apple Orchard Mt. I passed an old weather station and went under a rock formation called 'The Guillotine', two huge boulders with a third wedged in between them, large enough to walk under. A little after I stopped at Thunder Hill Shelter for lunch where there was a great ice cold spring. Much better than the recent creeks and springs I've passed. There were a lot of bees here too. The yellow shirt is officially relegated to towns. I was having flashbacks to when I got stung about twenty times at once a few years ago. Anyways, after the shelter I went over Thunder Ridge and High Cock Knob (jokes are too easy), before finally descending to the James River, which flows down to Richmond and into the Chesapeake Bay. Just as I got there a thunderstorm broke and I ran across the long footbridge to the other side. The storm did not last long and shortly after it stopped I hitched a ride from two teenagers in a black pick up truck (I know, I know, I haven't learned anything) into Glasgow. I didn't have to resupply but I had found out Bearpack was there.I found Bearpack at the only hotel in town, which only seemed to have about five buildings anyways. Got some ice cream and we watched Rocky.
Date: 2008-05-27
From: Glasgow, VA

To: Punchbowl Mt. Crossing, BRP mi 51.7/Buena Vista,VA
Miles today: 10.9

Bearpack and I were on the trail by about 9AM. The word of the day was "Humid". After yesterday's rain it was incredibly muggy and warm down in the river valley where we picked up the trail. With my pack on I started sweating and was soaked in half an hour. We climbed up about 2000 feet to Big Rocky Row and saw two turtles on the trail (one hissed at us). Even though it was cooler higher up I was still dripping with sweat. It was like I had never showered at all the night before. My legs and arms are also now covered in bug bites, that itch, from the past few days. I try using DEET bug repellent but I sweat so much it creates a slimy layer and I worry about getting the DEET on my face or on my sleeping bag. Anyways, between the long day yesterday, the weather, and initial big climb today, I felt totally drained. Not sore or hurting, just weary. From the top of the mountain I walked along ridgeline over Bluff Mt., which had some good views. Also here is a marker for a little boy who died on the mountain over a hundred years ago when he wandered away from his school. Supposedly his spirit haunts the mountain and nearby shelter. Here I also met Vachon, a thru-hiker who was slackpacking SOBO because of an injury and because he lives nearby. After chatting for about 20 minutes he offered to pick up Bearpack and myself at the BRP a few miles down the trail from here and take us into Buena Vista for the night once he got to his car at the James River.We went to the Punchbowl Shelter (the supposedly haunted one) where the water source was not great. It was also supposed to storm tonight so it was not hard to just go wait down at the BRP. However, by 6:30PM Vachon had still not shown up. We started waving at random cars driving by (hitching is illegal on the BRP) and one car turned around and came back and asked us if we needed a ride. Score. About ten minutes after we were in the car Vachon called to see if we still needed a ride. Figures. But still appreciated his offer. Once in town I got word that Flamethrower was behind us and going into Glasgow for the night, but Bearbait was pushing on to catch us. With that in mind we decided to stay in Buena Vista (which the locals pronounce as 'B-you-na') and slackpack north tomorrow, come back to Buena Vista and hopefully meet up with Bearbait and maybe Flamethrower, if he does a big day.
Date: 2008-05-28
From: Punchbowl Mt. Crossing, BRP mi 51.7/Buena Vista,VA

To: VA 60/Buena Vista, VA
Miles today: 10.9

Slackpacked north from the BRP to VA 60. It was easy terrain and rainy weather. The only thing of note on today's hike was the area we passed through was an old freed slave community up until the 1920's. When we got back to the hotel Bearbait was already there ahead of us. He was finally feeling better and decided to skip 20 miles to join us. Flamethrower is still at least a full day behind.Going to head out tomorrow with a full pack load.