morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-05-24
From: US 11 / I-81 (Atkins, VA)

To: Blacksburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Got to sleep in a little bit today. I hate that my body automatically wakes me up at 7 because when I want to sleep in, I have to make myself go back to sleep. After breakfast we went over to Ben¢s to pick up he and Two Dog then drove into Pearisburg to get our mail drops. We had decided to use today to run errands since nothing would be open Sunday of Monday because of the holiday. While we were at the Post Office we ran into Paul and Sherron (sp) and since they couldn¢t check into their hotel for a while longer they rode with us over to Ben¢s Aunt¢s house, which was just around the corner. We all visited with her and his grandmother for a little while before hitting the road again. When we got back to Blacksburg we stopped for lunch where Chuck met up with us then we went to the outfitter¢s. After leaving there we were headed to another outfitter¢s but made a stop at Kate¢s (Christie¢s sister) house because Christie didn¢t want to go. It seemed like we were in that store forever and I was wishing I had stayed at Kate¢s as well. Our next stop was Dairy Queen, then back to Kate¢s. From there Chuck, Two Dog and Pushing Up Daisies went to the grocery store to pick up stuff for dinner while Ben, Christie, and I took our time getting back to his parent¢s house. We made chicken on the grill and also cooked a bunch of veggies (carrots, broccoli, onions, mushrooms) on it. We also had garlic bread and salad and the brownies Ben¢s mom made us for dessert. After dinner Chuck and Two Dog went to pick up Paul and Sherron in Pearisburg and they all went to the movies. It was a late movie ant there was really nothing I wanted to see so Ben, Christie, Daisy and myself stayed behind and hung out at Christie¢s. This zero day has exhausted me. Way too much running around.
Date: 2003-05-25
From: Blacksburg, VA

To: Sugar Run Gap
Miles today: 10.5

Mr. Gibson (Christie¢s dad) made pancakes for breakfast this morning and boy were they good. Ben, his dad, Two Dog, and Chuck came by to get us. We took 2 cars and dropped one off at the supermarket where the trail comes out then the 7 of us crammed in the other car and drove up to Sugar run Gap. It¢s a good thing we didn¢t have our full packs with us because we definitely wouldn¢t have fit. We barely fit as it was. The dogs got to take another day off and I¢m sure they were excited about that. This section was pretty easy, level in most areas. There were a few minor ups and then the last 2 or 3 miles were down hill and steep in most parts. We didn¢t get started today until about 12:00. Daisy went ahead of us but the rest of the group stayed together all day with the exception of Ben¢s dad. We had barely gotten on the trail when he took off ahead of us and we didn¢t see him for quite a while. It was a nice day, the sky cleared up and the sun came out. A great day for a hike. I liked having everyone together on the trail today, we just talked and talked all day. Had a great time. When we got to Pearisburg, Ben and his dad went to pick up the other car while the rest of us hung out in front of the supermarket. Came back to Christie¢s and her mom made dinner for us. Oh-so-good. We had some kind of breaded chicken, salad, corn on the cob, rolls, potatoes baked with cheese and cherry cobbler for dessert. By the time we finished with dinner and clean up it was almost 10:00. Off to bed I must go. We are planning 14 miles tomorrow.
Date: 2003-05-30
From: Blacksburg, VA

To: Blacksburg, VA
Miles today: 70.5

These last 4 days have been very hectic and I haven¢t been able to keep up with my journal. Everything is kind of jumbled in my head so I¢m going to put it all in one entry if I can. Things have been very crazy with the slacking, trying to get out on the trail early and back home at a decent time, but with all the driving we have to do it isn¢t easy. It did actually work one time. Two Dog, Chuck, and I left super early one morning. Daisy had taken a zero day because of her asthma and Ben and Christie left a little later that morning. Anyway, we were off the trail and back in town by 6:30. Then the 3 of us (Daisy, Pipes, and Windtalker) all went out for Indian food. Pipes and Windtalker spent a couple zeros in Blacksburg. It was nice to be around them for a little while, they are both such bubbly people. There has been some pretty negative talk going on with Ben and Christie concerning whether or not they¢re going to continue hiking. We¢ve all been really frustrated this week and it¢s really starting to wear on me¢¦on all of us. As much as I¢d love to stay here and continue slacking, I think the best thing for me is to get back on the trail where it is so much less stressful. My favorite day of slacking was yesterday, I believe. I walked with Two Dog and Pushing up Daisies and we had an awesome day together. We just talked and talked and talked and laughed a ton all day long, moving from one topic to another. I really enjoyed the day. Except for the last 4 miles because that¢s when the rain started and it was all up hill.
Date: 2003-05-31
From: Blacksburg, VA

To: Blacksburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0

I decided last night that it is time for me to get back on the trail, so I needed a zero today in order to get all my stuff taken care of. Ben and Christie will be staying here and continue to slack their way north but the rest of us are moving on. I¢ve had a great time this past week but it has been a little stressful and I will miss Ben and Christie. I hope they will continue and catch up to us all. I¢m not sure what¢s going on with me, I keep feeling light headed and nauseous. My parents seem to think I¢m getting too much sugar in my diet (something I¢m not used to). If I still feel this way when I reach Waynesboro, I¢ll go to the doctor.
Date: 2003-06-01
From: Blacksburg, VA

To: Symms Gap Meadow
Miles today: 12.2

Chuck¢s parents were nice enough to bring us all back to the trail this morning. My speed today was very slow. I just didn¢t get enough sleep last night and it was hard to go back to my full pack. Stopped for lunch at the shelter and really thought about staying there for the night but it was only 3:00 and no one else was staying. Pushed on to the meadow and am glad I did. It¢s a bit cold and windy but there¢s a great view and great people. There are 2 or 3 people here that I don¢t know but everyone else I do know. They are Pipes, Windtalker, Two Dog, Viking, Sleepy Floyd and Pushing up Daisies. I got here around 6:00, set up my tent, made some rice for dinner, sat around with everyone waiting to catch the sunset, and now I¢m trying to get warm then off to dream land I go. I guess I didn¢t stake out my rain fly too well today because it keeps flapping and I don¢t want to get out and fix it. I¢m too cold but I guess I should.
Date: 2003-06-02
From: Symms Gap Meadow

To: Some Campsite
Miles today: 16.4

What a beautiful day it was today. Seems like most everyone in camp slept in this morning. It was 8:00 when I woke up. I think I could have kept sleeping except the sun was baking me in my tent. We all camped in a great spot, got to see the sun set last night then this morning we had a perfect view. It was late when I finally left. Chuck, Pipes and I headed out a little before 10:30. The terrain wasn¢t bad, there were 2 or 3 tough climbs but the rest of the day was pretty easy. Except for all of the rocks in the last 5 miles. I did see a couple deer. In fact, I¢ve actually seen several this last week. Saw Ben and Christie when I was taking a break at Bailey Gap Shelter, which is about 5 miles from where I¢m camped. They seemed to be in good spirits and I¢m glad I got to see them. It was about 8:45 when I got to camp, a little late but I¢m sure I¢ll be glad I did it tomorrow. I keep reminding myself that whenever I¢ve made a decision to push on when I really don¢t want to and when it means I¢ll be getting in really late, I¢ve always been grateful the next day. It usually saves me from doing some dreaded section of trail in some really bad weather. So I came into camp and set up my tent, put on my warm clothes, went and got water, and cooked my dinner, which was a Mountain house chicken and noodles. It probably would have tasted better if I had let it sit the recommended time but I didn¢t so it was a little crunchy. I was just too hungry to wait and I was in a little bit of a hurry to get into my tent. The nights have been pretty cold. I¢m not sure of the temp, though, cause I accidentally sent my thermometer home when I switched packs. It could be my imagination but it sounds like it is trying to rain. Camped here tonight is Windtalker, Pushing up Daisies, Moxie, Pipes, Viking, Sleepy Floyd, Two Dog Night, and 2 others whose names escape me right now. We¢re all crammed in this tiny camping spot, a little tent city. Since I got in so late, I couldn¢t get a pic so I¢ll try to get one in the morning.
Date: 2003-06-03
From: Some Campsite

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: moderate rain

Happy Birthday to me!!! And how did I spend the day?. Well, lets see. I walked in the rain all day. I lay in my tent for a while and listened to the rain beat down on my tent, then I packed up what I could while I was still in my tent, then I had no choice but to go out in the rain and pack up the tent. Stopped at the War Spur Shelter for a short break before heading on. I was thinking that when I got here I would cook a hot lunch and move on to Sarver Shelter where everyone else was headed. When I arrived here I found Smokey and the Bandit were here. I¢m so glad to see them, it seems like it¢s been forever. They were all settled in for the evening along with Daisy and another guy so it took all of 3 seconds to decide I was stopping for the night. So I claimed my spot in the shelter and put on some warm clothes. For dinner I made mashed potatoes with tuna mixed in and a cup of hot cider. I had trouble finishing it but I did finish. Three-sixty is camped out behind the shelter and while we were all cooking at the picnic table she was cooking outside her tent (while she was sitting in the tent). We heard this banging noise and looked over to see a huge fireball coming from her tent. Turns out her stove was acting up and caught itself on fire. Everyone rushed over to help her and the flame was extinguished. After dinner we all climbed in our bags to get warm. I can¢t believe we¢re 3 days into June and it¢s still cold out here. Moxie rolled in here just a little while ago so we all scooted over to make some room for her. Now everyone is laying here chatting and waiting for dark to settle so we can go to sleep. Oh, I almost forgot. I did get a birthday gift. Chuck packed in a can of Sunkist for me. How sweet is that? He¢s been carrying it for 3 days. I¢m to cold to drink it tonight so I¢ll have to save it for tomorrow. Something to look forward to. Guess what? It¢s still raining. Smokey says hello.
Date: 2003-06-06
From: Catawba, VA

To: VA 624
Miles today: 15.0

I had planned to sleep in this morning until 8 but people were making way too much noise so I was awake at 7:00 but didn¢t actually get out of my bag until 8:00. Ate my Pop Tarts and got ready to go as Chuck¢s dad was going to be here around 9 to pick us up. I think it was close to 9:30 before he got here then off we went. I didn¢t think that first climb was ever going to end; it just kept going and going. The day wasn¢t bad at all except I really didn¢t like climbing down from Dragon¢s Tooth. There were several spots where I had to sit down and scoot myself off the rock. There were just a lot of ledges where you had to use your hands so my poles were useless. I¢m very glad I didn¢t have my full pack on. Passed Ben and Christie just before I got to Dragon¢s Tooth. They were slacking south. Also ran into Hiker Biker Babe today. She¢s also staying here at the hostel tonight. There aren¢t as many people here tonight and most of them I¢ve seen here and there but don¢t really know them. Of those I know there¢s Hiker Biker Babe, Dimple Rock, Wrong Way, Two Speeds and Yacker. Went to the Homeplace again for dinner and it was Oh-So-Good. Tonight¢s meal ¢ Fried chicken, roast beef, mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, green beans, pinto beans, coleslaw, rolls and dessert was blueberry cobbler w/vanilla ice cream. It was so funny to watch Two Speed consume all this food. He kept raving about how good it all was then about 10 minutes after he finished he went on about how miserable he felt! I think he had something like 3 plates full. I do understand how he felt because I felt that way after last night¢s meal. I learned my lesson though and didn¢t make that mistake tonight, ha ha. Tonight it¢s pretty relaxing around here. I¢m ready to sleep. The weather report for tomorrow is that it is supposed to rain from midnight to midnight.   UG.
Date: 2003-06-07
From: VA 624

To: VA 311
Miles today: 6.0

Woke up this morning to rain, ug. Joe came down to tell us all the weather report. It is going to rain ALL day and there are flood warnings out. I don¢t think anyone left today. There were a few groups that went out on some slacks but most everyone stayed put. Hiker Biker Babe, Viking and I did a 6-mile slack from VA 311 back to the hostel. I know it was only 6 miles but it¢s better than nothing. The terrain was pretty easy but I did get pretty wet. At the top of one of the hills I came across a big turtle (a snapper I believe), and a snake that was strung out through a branch that was hanging over the middle of the trail. It was about 5 feet long and as big around as a half dollar. I¢m glad I wasn¢t the one leading the group because I usually end up hitting the branches as I pass under them. I can only imagine what would have happened. Came back to the hostel and took a nice hot shower then lay on my sleeping bag and read my book. It was so nice to lay around and read. I need to do that more often. Taking a shower felt great but putting my stinky clothes back on was very hard to do. I think my socks and shirt could stand up on their own. I really can¢t wait to wash them. The stink wouldn¢t be so bad if it wasn¢t for the rain. My clothes smell anyway but when it rains they don¢t dry and by the next morning there¢s a bit of a mildewy odor that sets in and after multiple days of rain it¢s pretty bad. We all eventually went up to the Homeplace for dinner and had fried chicken, ham, roast beef, mashed potatoes, gravy, corn, pinto beans, green beans, biscuits, coleslaw, and cherry cobbler. Once the food coma set in we all came back to the hostel and I did some more reading. The crowd here is pretty mellow tonight; there is some card-playing going on but most are just relaxing. Hopefully it will stop raining sometime tonight. I¢d like to go over McAfee Knob tomorrow with it not raining.
Date: 2003-06-08
From: VA 311

To: Four Pines Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: mist

Woke up this morning before 7 to the microwave door being slammed shut every couple of minutes because someone (who¢s name I won¢t mention) was drying their clothes in it and this went on for probably an hour. Needless to say I was not a happy camper. It¢s still raining out. UG. Is it ever going to end? I ate my breakfast (powdered donuts and milk I bought yesterday) and packed up. Now I¢m just waiting for the truck to come back so I can get a ride to the trailhead. Okay, so there was a change of plans, well, not really, I¢m just lazy. I¢m not really sure what happened. I was sitting around talking with everyone and the next thing I knew it was after 12:00. This place is a Vortex! And the cloudy, rainy weather doesn¢t help any. I really want to go over McAfee Knob in good weather. Joe said he can take Hiker Biker, Viking, and me back to the trail at 6:00 am tomorrow morning. Boy, is that early. So my plan is to be ready at 6 am and hike the 19 miles to Daleville which sounds like a lot (and is) but the hard climbs will all be done early in the day. It was nice to hang around and do nothing but read and write in my journal. We all chipped in on some food and Joe made us hot dogs, hamburgers and venison burgers for dinner. I had a venison burger and it was quite good. Now my belly is full, it¢s still early, and I¢m ready for bed.
Date: 2003-06-08
From: Ed Garvey Shelter

To: Rocky Run Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept so good last night. After hearing a few people complaining about how bad they slept with all the snoring, I was glad I was so exhausted when I went to sleep. I heard nothing, not the 2 loud snorers or the dog barking or anything else. I still could have slept a while longer, though. Today was a nice relaxing day. I was out of camp at 8:30. Met up with Molasses, Daisy, and Wendy at Gathland State Park where we ended up hanging out for about 2 hours, relaxing and waiting out a quick storm. From there we went to Crampton Gap Shelter where we took another 2-hour break and made lunch. A Boy Scout troop had given Daisy a Mountain House meal with dessert that feeds 3 or 4 people so that¢s what we made. I was in charge of dessert, vanilla pudding. The whole thing was great! From there we all pushed on to the shelter. Again, I thought it was a nice easy hike. Got in here around 5:00 and set up my stuff. This shelter is really old. It was built in 1940 but next year they will no longer be using it because they are building a new one. I made some mushroom flavored rice for dinner with a Three Musketeers bar for dessert. There is a smaller group here tonight. We have Molasses and Chloe, her dog, Daisy, Wendy, Foxie, Chafe Master J, and Stones, a sectioner. The bugs are awful tonight. Oh yeah, at lunch we decided that Wendy¢s trail name should be B.I.G. (Belching Insect Goddess) but that changed when we got into camp. She is now Spoon Princess. That came about when she stuck her spoon in her hair the way you do a pencil so she wouldn¢t lose it while she set up her cooking stuff. We¢ve also become the All Girl Gang with our newest member being Foxie.
Date: 2003-06-09
From: Four Pines Hostel

To: Troutville. VA
Miles today: 20.0

I woke up at 5:30 am and started packing up. I had to be ready by 6 so I could get a ride with Joe to the trailhead. It was kind of funny this morning after I got up and put my contacts in, it seemed like all the men were getting up and heading to the bathroom one by one. I¢m so proud of myself for getting up so early and I¢m especially proud that I beat my own record and was on the trail at 6:30 am. As nice as it was to be out that early, I doubt it will happen again. I really wish I had gotten more sleep. It was almost 11:30 pm before they turned out the lights last night and then another group was up talking for a while. The day was absolutely beautiful! I made it to McAffee¢s Knob by 8:30 and did the whole picture thing then sat around with Hiker Biker Babe and Viking for 10 or 15 minutes while we had a small snack. Then it was off to Tinker Cliffs where the 3 of us sat around for probably an hour. Not much happened the rest of the day. The next stop I made was at Lambert¢s Meadow Shelter, which was the half way point of my day. Stopped in to get some water and a bite to eat. While I was sitting on the edge of the shelter a very large rat came out from underneath looking for some crumbs. I think it was as big as my foot! Oh yeah, on the way to the shelter I came across another black snake stretched out across the trail so I took its picture and then it slithered away. The rest of the day was pretty uneventful. I didn¢t think those last 5 miles were ever going to end and the whole time I could see the town. We just kept going up. Somewhere in the last 3 miles Viking got us lost, way off the trail. He was leading and was supposed to be paying attention to the white blazes and since I wasn¢t the one leading I just got zoned out into another world so I guess I¢ll have to pay better attention next time. He took us down the side of a mountain we didn¢t have to go down. I have no idea how long we walked before we realized it wasn¢t the AT. It did take me a little bit but I did find the trail for us again and I told Viking he is no longer allowed to lead at the end of long days any more. I was in no mood to be lost because my energy level was at its lowest point. All I could do was keep moving because if I had stopped, that would have been it. Those last 3 miles and especially the last mile seriously felt like it wasn¢t going to end. But of course I did. When we finally made it to town it was 7 pm. Went straight to the hotel and got a room then after about 20 minutes of resting, Viking and I walked down to Burger King for some dinner. Once back at the hotel I got myself a nice hot shower and washed my extremely smelly clothes. My clothes are now clean but my socks still smell, just not as bad. I must get some sleep.
Date: 2003-06-10
From: Troutville. VA

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

Had a late start today. On my way to the Post Office I ran into Hiker Biker Babe who was headed to Cracker Barrel so we walked together until we reached the parking lot and ran into Smokey. Her friend Jim and his wife were driving her to the PO so they gave Viking and me a ride also. We spent a great deal of time on the lawn working on our drop boxes before hitting the trail. Chuck and I headed out while Smokey went back into town for some stuff she forgot about. Didn¢t really enjoy the hiking today. The first mile wasn¢t too bad. We went through some pastures but after that it was all up hill. It¢s not that I don¢t like the ups but I was tired and my pack is loaded with a weeks worth of food. Got into the shelter somewhere between 5 and 5:30 to find Cap¢n Ben and Auntie Em there taking a water break on their slack. I hope they come back to the trail soon. Two Speeds was also at the shelter but he ended up moving on to the next shelter. Smokey came in a couple hours after we did and I¢m so glad we¢ve caught back up to each other. I¢m going to try and get to sleep early tonight because I would like to get an early start in the morning.
Date: 2003-06-11
From: Fullhardt Knob Shelter

To: Bobblets Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: broken clouds

I made it out of camp by 8:30 this morning, what an improvement, I only hope I can keep it up. The terrain wasn¢t really all that bad except for 2 climbs that stick out in my mind. They just kept going up. A few miles from the shelter it started thundering pretty good and I just kept praying that it would hold off until we got here. Of course it didn¢t. Smokey, Viking and I were less that a mile from here when it started to come down. Then when we were about .2 miles away Mother Nature really let us have it. Thankfully, the lightning didn¢t get bad until after we arrived at the shelter. There are 9 of us (plus 2 dogs) crammed into a 6-person shelter. Looks like it will be another sardine can night. Too bad it¢s not cold out because we¢re definitely going to stay warm with all this body heat. There¢s no overhang to cook under and stay dry so we all lined our stoves up across the front of the shelter floor and cooked away. Two Dog is here with Dylan and Cade and her mom who is just out for a few days. There¢s also Smokey, myself, Hiker Biker Babe, Viking, 2 other north bounders Bigfoot and Chemo, and 1 south bounder, Homer, who started in Pennsylvania. Hope it doesn¢t rain tomorrow! The mosquitoes are absolutely awful! They really chewed up my hands last night.