morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-04-22
From: roan high knob shelter

To: apple house shelter
Miles today: 16.0

Crazy crazy day. Woke up dry in the shelter to pouring rain on the tin roof. Hustled down to Carvers Gap to meet Maggie! She came out to hike for the weekend, so awesome. Too bad the rain and fog was socked in going over all the balds!! No views and intense winds, made for a cold, blustery day. "Someone" decided to get "lost" within the firs 10 minutes of hiking on the AT. I spent the morning thinking "unnamed person" was in front of me with torch and hardback and was zooming up the balds to try to catch up with them. Absolutely no views going over round bald, jane bald and grassy ridge bald. So disappointing, will definitely have to come back to hike this section. Downs to the first shelter, no sign of anyone so I pushed on to the 2nd shelter. Caught up with torch and hardback...no sign of Mag! Long story short, she stepped off the trail, shark found her and convinced her they were on the at and proceeded to get them massively turned around. Good thing Mag has a good sense of direction and was able to lead them back to the trail I spent a worried afternoon until I got a text that all was ok...gooo shark for getting lost Sun finally came out on the downs to the shelter, we were close to a road to elk park, NC and decided that pizza and beer would go well with our massive fire. Just the 6 of us at the shelter (torch, hardback, shark, rem, maggie and myself) wad awesome to have a blooming old apple orchard out back behind the shelter!
Date: 2011-04-23
From: apple house shelter

To: campsite by a waterfall on upper laurel fork
Miles today: 14.1

400 mile mark today! And lots of morrel(sp?) mushrooms found today! Hardback found a big handfull of the mushrooms in the apple orchard (he'd seen someone hunting them the night before). Ups and downs, fun hikinh with maggie lots of open meadows and old jeep roads, pretty views. A perfect sunny day for hiking! Got a visit from the Easter bunny (thanks diva and timber!). Stuck my feet in thr elk river at noon, cold water felt great. Went past another hiker who was hunting morrels right on the trail. Past the 400 mile mark when I crossed walnut mtn road...oww my feet but awesome to have made it this far! Downs to laural fork, got in the river up to my knees since it was so hot out but man that water was cold...great day.
Date: 2011-04-24
From: campsite by a waterfall on upper laurel fork

To: dennis cove rd, Kincora hostel
Miles today: 10.9

Finally able to charge my phone and update the journal...added a couple of new pics too. Up and out of the campsite by 8:45...shower and town food on my mind Ups and downs, nothing to steep but man it was a hotty hot hot day! Walked along the ridge most of the day, then dropped down into the valley, perfect sunny spring day down here. Made it to the road and a quick .3 mile walk up to the hostel. A really awesome place and definitely recommend it! Headed into town in Maggie's car (yea Mag!) for food, gonna take a zero here tomorrow. 50 miles from Damascus, VA...there's talk of trying to do it in 3 days if the weather stays alright!
Date: 2011-04-26
From: dennis cove rd, Kincora hostel

To: watauga lake shelter
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: light rain

Great zero yesterday, sad to see Maggie go but was so great to have her on the trail! Thanks for the trail magic ride into the 'big' city, you are awesome. Hard to leave Kincora, a great hostel run by real friendly people, definitely recommend it to anyone passing through! Nice river walk along laurel falls, then uppity up to pond flats. Passed the flame azalea as the trail turned down to watauga lake, first time I've seen it! Got down to the lake, found friends and lay in the grass by the water. Ended up ordering pizza to the lake and hanging out in the sun for 3 hrs. Was great. Then a short 1.7mi hike around the lake to the full shelter. Nice day.
Date: 2011-04-27
From: watauga lake shelter

To: campsite to west
Miles today: 24.0

Crazy crazy day. Planned for 21.5mi, ended up doing a 24 and then spent the night braving tornado force winds. Gooo mother nature. You know how when you look at a mtn ridge line it seems to gently slope up and down and sometimes just be relatively flat? Well, we spent most of the day on the ridge and it was anything but flat...the topo in the guidebook lies! Day went like this: up, down, up, down, up up switchback up, flat down, up up up, flat, up switchback up, down, up etc. Wayyy more ups, and only rising 1400ish ft over the course of the day. Was a hotty hot one too. 3 evenly spaced shelters meant for good breaks every 7 or so miles, followed the guys in the shelter registers...shark was looking to make the 40 mile push into town. Strolled through an awesome handicap accessible field for .8mi, worried about the dark clouds and thunder rolling in. Got to double springs shelter (the original destination for the day) and found that shark, torch and hardback were going for the 40mile day and pushing on to damascus. Rem and I hiked on 2.5mi to a windy narrow ridge campsite. Found out from td that some intense storms were headed right for us...my poor little tarptent wasn't ready for it. Braved an exhausting night of strob light lightening, hail storms and bucket rains. Good news was that the tarptent holds up to quarter sized hail, and I stayed dry! Helped to have rem camped close yelling "mousebait are you okay?" At the storm peaks when I was holding on to the trekking pole that holds up my tent in attempts to maintain the tent. The storms raged from 11pm-4am...probably the most lightening down in the valleys below that I've ever seen!
Date: 2011-04-28
From: campsite to west

To: damascus, VA
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: light rain

Survived the night! Woke up dry to a sprinkling rain..cleared up and rem and I headed down the mtn in the fog. Ups and downs, was very ready for town. Sun came out just past the abingdon gap shelter and turned into a beautiful day. Word spread up the trail of the tornado that passed close to Damascus and that power was out in town. Also learned that shark, hardback and torch had made the 40mile push into town the night before..crazy! Passed into VA, glad to be back in the home state! Switchbacks down into town, headed to The Place, a church run hostel. No power in town, had to scavenge for food. Ended up heading to Abingdon for the night as Lucas had power and provided awesome trail magic and whisked us away from Damascus. Got to see some of the tornado destruction, awful damage and. Was really sad to see the destroyed homes. Crazy that rem and I were up in the mtns above that night, we were lucky the tornados stayed in the valley! Sweet night in abingdon, so nice to have hot water and electricity in a town day.
Date: 2011-04-29
From: damascus, VA

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

Back to Damascus, thanks Lucas for the hospitality and no more off roading anytime soon! Power was back on in town, did my resupply and laid in the sun all afternoon. Thanks Brady for the awesome vegan care package! Headed to mtn man's for a free hiker dinner, was great food and an awesome goat farm! Got to play with baby pigs and goats, so cool.
Date: 2011-05-01
From: damascus, VA

To: saunders shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Got back to the place and organized all my gear. Was excited to get back in the woods, but Damascus is one great trail town and hard to leave. Walked along the VA creeper trail out of town then up and along the river. Then a big uppity up to the shelter. A nice day for walking, a bit overcast but upper 60s and lots of wild flowers along the trail. Sweet shelter tonight even tho its 1/2mi off the trai. Tenting next to it with lots of others, a nice spring evening!
Date: 2011-05-02
From: saunders shelter

To: thomas knob shelter
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: broken clouds

Finally got some cell service, just getting the miles updated and will add more later!Ups and downs to the va creeper trail walk, beautiful Monday! Along the creeper and then followed a stream up past lots of trillium, jack in the pulpit and solomons seal. Up to a shelter for lunch with a couple people from the shelter the night before. Onward up towards mt rogers, by a pine forest with tons of pink lady slippers. Through a pasture with grazing cows then a steep up hill to buzzard rock. Awesome views, then downs to elk garden. 4 miles to go at 4:45pm and all uphill to the shelter. Shark and I were the first to the full 16 person shelter, cold and windy. Found a tentsite on the other side of the fence, wild ponies came through about 9 and then again at 4am! Pretty cool day.
Date: 2011-05-03
From: thomas knob shelter

To: hurricane mtn shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Hurricane of rain this night.Windy morning, up late, pretty views all morning through grayson highlands. Walked past a bunch of wild ponies! Two really small babies, so cute! Fed them fruit snacks. Through fatman squeeze (tight rock gap) and along a rocky beautiful trail. Long 5 miles to wise shelter, where there was a pony hanging out and had lunch. Ups and downs to the scales...500 mile mark!! Sat out in the sun with friends. More miles to go. Threatening rain all afternoon, finally poured down 4 miles before the shelter. Dumped and poured, 2 miles up and a mile down to the shelter, came up to shark, rem and torch tenting just before the shelter. Had to set the tent up in the pouring rain...cold rainy night. A great morning but then a long wet afternoon. Really cool to see the wild ponies though!
Date: 2011-05-04
From: hurricane mtn shelter

To: dickey gap, troutdale hostel
Miles today: 5.0

Cold and wet morning. Was one of those days where we woke up and needed hot food and a roof over our heads. 5 miles to dicky gap where gary and his dog pepper whisked us down to troutdale in his retro-fitted ambulance. Thanks gary! By 1pm I was in Jerry's kitchen, eating yummy food and warm. An unexpected, but awesome, turn in the day. We headed to the baptist church hostel to sty the night, no heat in our room but 4 walls and a door. Also, hot showers were available behind the church. Played with the tiny kitten that red eagle and tenderfoot found. Was nice to be dry and lazy on a cold rainy afternoon.
Date: 2011-05-05
From: dickey gap, troutdale hostel

To: partnership shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: clear sky

Out to the trail by 9am, great sunny day for hiking! Cold but a clear blue sky. Through a beautiful meadow before noon then down to the south fork of the holston river. Rocky ups and downs along a ridge, tons of poison ivy. Along to the shelter, so awesome place! Big group of familiar faces, big 2 story shelter with a hot shower and a real privy. Lay in the grass in the sun and then ordered pizza cause they deliver to the mt rogers visitors center right near the shelter. Sweet day.
Date: 2011-05-06
From: partnership shelter

To: atkins, va
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Headed into atkins to resupply and do laundry, ended up staying the night at the Relax (it's a crappy) Inn. Pretty gross motel, but we had been warned before getting in town. Got some yummy food at The Barn. Waited for Maggie and Bob to come visit! So great to see friends
Date: 2011-05-07
From: atkins, va

To: knot maul branch shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: clear sky

Resupplied at the Exxon gas station on the way out of town...slim pickings! Folllowed the trail under interstate 81 and up through a really pretty field. Long green tunnel with not many views today. Seemed to climb a ton of fence stiles! Walked through many cow fields...had to avoid the cow pies splattered all over the trail, made for a new kind of adventure Came to the end of some trail magic just before the last big climb...2 coolers that had been filled with goodies! Grabbed a honey bun that gave me enough energy to climb Brushy Mtn. Glad to have a spot in the shelter tonight since the rain is just starting!
Date: 2011-05-08
From: knot maul branch shelter

To: jenkins shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: light rain

Loooong day. The morning started off with a wet, flooded creek walk, followed by a 4.5mi never ending UP. The last bit was through a "clearing" ie overgrown field that offered a glimpse of a view through the hazey clouds. Then a long dry stretch on a rocky ridge line for what seemed like forever. Rocks like this make me dread PA, espcially since Torch mentioned that this rocky ridge line isn't even as bad as the trail in PA! Bruised and hurting feet by the time I got into camp.
Date: 2011-05-09
From: jenkins shelter

To: helvey's mill shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: broken clouds

A big up right out of the shelter, then down to laurel creek where I stumbled upon the most amazing trail magic to date! I hoped in the back of a truck with everyone else and headed to a small church in Bland, VA. They were offering all you can eat southern style breakfast. SO amazing! Thank you AT outreach ministry, you completely made my day! Grits, applesauce, bananas, pancakes and a big slice of chocolate cake left me full and content by noon. More trail magic happened as the church offered to drive us to the Dollar General in Bland so that we could resupply and then get back on the trail without having to hitch hike. Beautiful day to be riding in the back of a truck down winding country roads Back to the trail head...still to full to hike. Lay in the sun by the river, a great afternoon. Headed off up the trail about 2...lots of winding ups and then followed an old road bed most of the afternoon. Down to I-77, crossed over on a bridge and then headed back up into the woods. Lots of others at the shelter tonight, we've been in a good pack of other hikers and it's been nice to see the same faces at the shelter each night.
Date: 2011-05-10
From: helvey's mill shelter

To: campsite past dismal falls
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: broken clouds

Crossed the 600 mile mark! Really long day...I set out this morning thinking I was only hiking 16 miles and didn't realize til late in the day that we had actually planned 18 miles! Sore feet and shins at the end of the day.
Date: 2011-05-21
From: Newport Rd

To: VA 311, catawba, va
Miles today: 5.9

Back on the trail! No longer an official thru hiker (I jumped ahead 77.1 miles to meet back up with the guys) but am planning on returning to Woods Hole this fall to complete the section I missed. Was great to get back out, a nice welcome back with 8 fence stiles to climb, many cow field crossings and a few intense pointless mtn climbs. Hiked up to Dragon's Tooth with thomas, was a good slack pack section to do. So glad he was able to drive me back down and that I skipped a week of intense rain! Sunny and blue sky day, can't believe how out of shape I got in 9 zero days!
Date: 2011-05-22
From: VA 311

To: lamberts meadow shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: light rain

McAfee Knob today! Excellent views this morning, spent a few hours laying in the sun and taking pictures. Then a long ridge walk with ups and down and a steep steep up to tinker cliffs. Really cool views and a wide open cliff top that the trail followed. Then a down to the shelter. Pretty creek rolling down in front of the shelter a got a spot inside. A few thunder rumbles but the sun is still shining! The rhododendron was out in full bloom today and the mtn laurel is just getting ready to pop!
Date: 2011-05-23
From: lamberts meadow shelter

To: daleville, va 
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: few clouds

Sunny morning after a night of intense storms. Sandy trail with lots of blooming mtn laurel. Up along a ridge for most of the day. Passed by Hay rock, huge slanted slab and the guys climbed up on top of it. Crossed under 5 power lines, the 3rd one was a huge line. Climbed up on a rock and when you stuck your arms above your head the hair on your arms would stand up. Crazy electricity...could put one arm up and touch someone's hand and shock them. Really weird. Really long down, across train tracks and through lots of mud. Overgrown weedy walk to the busy truck filled road at Daleville. Ate at the mexican restaurant right near the trail, was awesome. Got a room at the ho jo, ran the usual hiker errands and hung out.
Date: 2011-05-24
From: daleville, va 

To: wilson creek shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Breakfast at the hotel, hotty hot hot day. Up along a well maintained section of trail between US220 and US 11, bordered I-81 the whole way then ducked under it. Up through a cow pasture, the more up to the ridge. Stopped at fullhardt knob shelter for lunch as the rain and clouds rolled in. Headed out with torch, long green tunnel...VA seems to be either cow pasture walks or ridge walks! Ups and downs over 3 streams and up to the shelter. Sunny and blue sky, no sign of the thunderstorms and large hail predicted Grabbed a spot in the shelter just in case! Nice to get in not to late, here with Glide and a couple other familiar faces.
Date: 2011-05-25
From: wilson creek shelter

To: jennings creek swimming hole campsite
Miles today: 16.9

Long hotty hot day. Crossed the blue ridge parkway for the first time at mm 97.0, taylors mtn overlook. Continued to crisscross it throughout the day. Was neat to be on it since the parkway (further north) is so close to camp and home. Feel like I'm finally getting into familiar territory Passed the Peaks of Otter overlook which was a really pretty view. That's another hike that I'll have to go back and do sometime. Ups and downs along the ridge beside the parkway, got really hot in the afternoon. We were aiming for the swimming hole listed in AWOL's AT guide with high hopes for an afternoon dip. Turned out to be a deep bend in the jennings creek beside a bridge...water was cold and deep at almost 6'. Everyone who passed ended up jumping in, was awesome. Camped on the other side of the bridge with the guys. Lots of big planning tonight...I guess VA makes you really start to question what your end goal of a thru hike is. Obviously we all started out with the mythical "mama K" Mt. Katahdin in Maine as the end but that's way far off in the distance. I set out on this hike with hopes of reaching the halfway point (1090 miles, just into PA) and any more miles will be a bonus. The guys have begun throwing around the idea of a road trip west in july and august...interesting how dreams of the big K can be thrown when there are still 1433 miles to go. Can't say I blame them, VA seems never ending! On an exciting note, I hear Fortis is getting back on the trail in troutville, woohoo!
Date: 2011-05-26
From: jennings creek swimming hole campsite

To: thunder hill shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Thoughts on today:4.3 miles straight uphill, with 3000' of elevation gain will make you sweat out of every pore. I guess that's what I get for camping by a river at the elevation of 979ft.Water that you have to climb .2 straight downhill and then straight back up for, after climbing said 3000' will be really cold and sweet tasting, which is good since it came from a 1' wide puddle beside a rock on a steep mtn side.Tall flowy grass along the trail is awful and makes your legs itch like crazy. Its also really good at hiding rattlesnakes.The guillotine rock decided not to fall on me today, good I guess?Trail angel John makes an amazing pancake. The best surprise to a long uphill day is a wonderful man with a camp stove cooking up pancakes, egss and sausage and serving OJ (with ice!) to hikers at the shelter. Thank you!!!Thunderhill shelter lived up to its name. The mtns echoed with thunder for a solid couple of hours and the lightening was wayyyy too close for comfort (or sleep) Good thing I was so full of pancakes!
Date: 2011-05-27
From: thunder hill shelter

To: US 501, glasgow, va
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Lots of ups and downs, hot steamy day. Followed the BRP for a little while, had a pretty view from one of the overlooks. Then a long down, towards the James River. Crossed over the river on the longest foot traffic only bridge on the AT. Headed home for a few days for another wedding!
Date: 2011-04-14
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Preparations are well underway for LandCruiser and I to resume our hike of the AT. Last fall at state hiway 501 in PA I was unable to continue. Now it's time to get back on the trail. We will start on Monday 5/16 and hike for about one month and plan to make it to Bennington, VT.Plane tickets are purchased; logistics have been planned; I've been working out at the gym; the anticipation is building. Last year was very hot and very dry. Hopefully finding water will be less of an issue. Rather than heat, cold may be an issue and I'm sure we will have rain to contend with. Long distance hiking is never easy but it has always worth it to me. I think of the one book whose title said it all "Hiking on the Happy Side of Misery".I started my AT experience in 2002 with a 350 mile section from Springer Mountain. I'd love to finish in 2012! With any luck, maybe that will happen.Lucky Dog
Date: 2011-05-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

In one week, Land Cruiser and I will have logged our first day on our hike. Hopefully in one month, we will have 426 miles completed! Forecast is 60% chance of rain for the first 3 days. Ouch! I did just see a little saying that I'm going to try to embrace: Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass;it's about learning to dance (or Hike) in the rain.I think I've gotten everything together. I'm trying to decide which sleeping bag to take - the 40 degree bag or the 20 degree bag. I HATE to be cold but don't want to carry more than I need. Maybe the 40 degree bag with my silk liner.I've done lots of long hikes since 2002 and I can say that for some reason I'm really excited about this hike. I just know that Debbie and I will have a good time. If I can be successful with this section, maybe I could complete the entire trail in 2012 - 10 years after I started. I will lack NH and Maine - the hardest states, I know but I think I can do it!I'm so ready....hurry this week and pass!Lucky Dog
Date: 2011-05-12
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Today it's time to load the pack. I've mailed my first two resupply boxes and have the others ready for Mike to mail. I fly to the east coast in the morning. I've weighed all my stuff and made decisions about what to take. Next entry, I'll give you my pack weight with everything except the water. I think it will be about 20 #. We'll see. I'm always optimistic.Our first three days we get to slack pack. That will be a nice way to break into the trail and a nice bonus especially since I think we will be hiking in the rain. The Madigans, friends of Land Cruiser, are being such trail angels. I'm truly a Lucky Dog!
Date: 2011-05-14
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, I'm in Maryland with Kara, our youngest daughter. It's gray, misty and rainy. Sounds like that will be our weather for the first week of hiking. It's good to be with the Byrd family before going on the trail. They are going to take me to meet up with Debbie.I feel like I'm in a state of suspended animation - ready for the trail but still waiting. Did shop for fruit, cheese, bread for the Madigans to make a gift basket. Debbie is bringing wine and the stuff to make it look nice. They are being so helpful!
Date: 2011-05-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

It's 9 PM and we're at the Madigans. We will slack pack tomorrow and Tuesday (maybe Wed). That will be weird for me since I've never slack packed on the AT. I'm quite sure that I will like it!The weather forecast is awful. I know I'm a cock-eyed optimist but today it was cloudy all day but it didn't rain until 3 PM Since 3 it's rained very hard twice. I'm hoping the rain will be intermittent and maybe wait until we've come in for the day! We'll see. Whatever it is, we'll do it! Tomorrow is a short day - only 9.2 miles. I'm so ready to get on the trail. It's good to be with Debbie again. We make a good team!