morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-04-26
From: Lick Creek Campsite

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: moderate rain

We managed to stay dry last night. It was amazing considering the amount of rain. I awoke to a humorous predicament when I went to fetch my food bag. We suspended it from a falling tree crossing over the creek. The bag was fifteen feet in the air. As I rounded the corner to follow the path, I saw the creek had risen over night and the path was under water. I thought nothing of it and found another route. When I reached the bear bag I saw that the bag and the tree I tied to line to were now over water a foot deep. I needed to take my socks off, roll up my pants to wade in and reach the line. I had to keep the line taught while untying it, or the food bags would have gone for a swim. While I was wet I took down Ryan and Des¢ food was well. I saw Shane after and he explained, ¢I would have taken yours down too, but I had to poop!¢        We packed our bags and set off for a six mile climb. Can you imagine what happened next? RAIN!!! It came and I went for the rest of the day, but the fog never lifted until late afternoon. Just before Jenkins Shelter I was growing very tired and hoped it would soon be visible. We turned in and saw another hiker. That¢s not so bad, there¢s room for either. Then I saw hiking poles leaning on the shelter. Then it hit me. Four more hikers with clothes hanging from every imaginable place and enough stuff to make it obvious squeezing wouldn¢t be fun. Doah!!! We sat and waited for Christina and Shane to see if they wanted to move on. As pouring rain came again we decided to stay. The others agreed to let four of us squeeze in, even though they never attempted to adjust their gear.        The rain fell harder and harder. Eleven of us were crammed in trying to escape the misery. In time the rain slowed and finally ended. It provided an open window to cook and Shane set up his tent. By 7:30 the older section of hikers were asleep. Nicole commented, ¢All older hikers snore¢¦¢ On cue the first snore erupted, then a second. I told her ¢If everyone starts snoring let me sleep on my back because one more snore won¢t matter!¢ I¢ll sleep, I have good ear plugs. I¢m to dart outside for Nicole¢s right now¢¦.
Date: 2006-04-27
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: overcast clouds

My feet are so tired they may fall off. They might be too tired to actually fall off though.         It rained again early this morning thankfully we were still in our sleeping bags. By 7:00 it stopped and I frantically packed my bag before it started again. Little by little the forest grew brighter and showed promise of clearing up.        A Mile into the hike we took a ¢high water route¢ because a river was flooding. We would have had to forge it twelve times in two miles. The trail was mostly flat and remained gradual for all climbs. When the route rejoined the AT we came upon Trail Magic. It included a cooler of juice and a trash can to empty our bags. While we enjoyed the treat Gdiath came through. He stayed on the AT and went through all the crossings. He had great pictures, but had to retrieve his boots that were swept down stream.        By lunch we hiked twelve miles. The trail was so smooth we barely felt it. The first shelter was only two miles away so we pushed on. The trail followed a road so we could cross Interstate 77. Ryan took a great picture while my shorts accidentally fell, revealing my bottom to oncoming traffic.        At the shelter Nicole told me she lost her pot and cooking tools. She used mine and I waited for her to finish. Half and hour later we found her pot under Des¢ fleece! It was pretty funny since she was so worried about it. Well 23.6 miles. It means we¢ll have to take a zero day in Pearisburg in order to get our mail on Monday. I can¢t wait!
Date: 2006-04-28
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: scattered clouds

I slept poorly last night. My legs ached for most of the night and it was difficult to get comfortable. It¢s also been getting colder in the early morning so its even more challenging to find the correct combination of layers to stay warm. During the morning hike my fatigue was apparent. My eyes were heavy even though I was hiking.        Nicole has been hiking stronger every day. She hasn¢t gotten a new blister in a week, her shins don¢t hurt and her knee is feeling stronger. You can how she feels by the speed of her step. This morning she was slower, but the day before was an exhausting one.        At the road crossing we went down to a gas station for lunch. I washed down a turkey sandwich and fries with a half gallon of milk.        Two miles after lunch we found a side trail to Dismal Creek Falls. The falls were only around fifteen feet high. The locals at the gas station said it was shallow, but safe enough to jump off of. It sure was shallow, roughly up to our waist! The bottom was very soft and made for some interesting landings. The digital cameras took a few great mid-air photos.        The rest of the day was completely flat. We slept at the base of the 1500 foot climb standing between us and Pearisburg. Novocain and his father stopped in for dinner and said they¢d see us in town tomorrow. I¢m looking forward to our zero day Sunday. Virginia is beautiful, but the long days are tiring. Oh yeah, we crossed the 600 mile marker today!`
Date: 2006-04-29
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Holy Family Hostel, Pearisburg
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night Des read this quote from her guidebook, ¢ By now, many Northern bounders may want to send home their winter gear, but later find winter makes a last appearance.¢ For two weeks it was hot in my sleeping bag, so I switched out. Now mother nature has decided to deliver another dosage of cold nights. I hope they don¢t stick around for too long.        On the way to Pearisburg we found several scenic visitors that overlooked the valley and town below. It was a beautiful sight. Watching the cars come and go, I really felt disconnected from the real world. I¢ve been out in the woods for over six weeks now. Sometimes I forget that life hasn¢t come to a standstill, just because I¢m gone.        As we came to the first road in town we caught a ride up the hill to Dairy Queen. We never intended on stopping, but when in Rome¢¦.eat tons of ice cream! On our second attempt to get to the hostel a few cars passed by. Christina saw a BMW Z3 and bet Nicole twenty dollars she couldn¢t get a lift. She threw the thumb and pulled over! We couldn¢t believe it. It took her a while to get in because her trekking poles wouldn¢t fit in the small trunk. It took the rest of us a few more minutes to get a lift.         When we got to the hostel we realized Nicole was probably waiting at Wal-Mart. We took the side trail from the hostel and found her chatting with three Wal-Mart rats. I use that term to describe people who hang out at Wal-Mart for the social scene to come upon. They bought her a Pepsi and invited her to drink moonshine and go dancing. When we pulled her away from the club we bought groceries for dinner and breakfast.         Tonight we¢re enjoying the warmth of a crowded hostel. We¢ll sleep on our pads on the floor, but its better than being outside. Tomorrow¢¦a zero. Yeehaa!
Date: 2006-04-30
From: Holy Family Hostel, Pearisburg

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up in the middle of the night and found the hostel toilet was clogged. Unfortunately, since I was half asleep I didn¢t notice until I was about to flush. There was no plunger. I crawled back into my sleeping bag and woke up Nicole. ¢What do I do?¢ I had no choice but to go back to sleep, but in a hostel full of hikers, it was bad news.        Nicole awoke early and went to Wal-Mart for a plunger. The girls started cooking breakfast, which turned into a two hour task since there was only one frying pan. Once again in Maine Train fashion, we ate like kings.        For the rest of the day we hung out and made trips to Wal-Mart for goods. At 2:30 the hostel care taker crammed his truck with ten hikers and brought us down town. We went to the hotel while others went to the trail. We want to get to the post office by 8 tomorrow morning and were afraid we wouldn¢t get a hitch so early. Tonight we¢re across the street. Hopefully we¢ll get out of town early enough to hike our planned nineteen miles.        I tired contacting Andy about the YMCA job offer. No luck with those attempts. If I have time in the morning I¢ll try to call again.        Right now I¢m in a tub, soaking my feet, which never seem to lose their stank. I¢m looking forward to sleeping in a bed tonight.
Date: 2006-05-01
From: Pearisburg

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: broken clouds

I think people really take their beds for granted. Sleeping all night on a mattress was the most amazing feeling. I won¢t forget blankets, wow, and a real pillow¢¦awesome.         We made it to the post office by 8:00, only to find out that it didn¢t open until 8:30. We forwarded the box from my parents to Daleville. We figured Nicole could wait for my summer sleeping bag until it was warm enough to use it.         We never got a ride to the trail so we walked from town. The 1500 foot climb was strenuous. I credit that to a full food sack. On a break we talked about camping before the shelter since we were so tired after just a few miles. The hiking became much easier when we reached the ridge. We were able to hike at 3 miles per hour, so suddenly 19 miles didn¢t seem like such a task.         At the first shelter we saw messages from Ryan and Des. They are hiking ahead because Ryan had business to tend to. Hopefully they will catch up next week sometime.        By the end of the day the fatigue from carrying five days of food over so many miles settled in. Normally we don¢t hike many miles out of town. It was 7:30 when we rolled into the shelter.        Tomorrow we be another 19 mile day. I¢m wearing my tights to bed in hopes of staying warmer.
Date: 2006-05-02
From: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: scattered clouds

This morning we took another detour because of our broken bridge. This meant we could burn some rubber on the road and put miles behind us. At the entry back into the woods we came upon more trail magic. A cooler full of sodas and a trash bag awaited us. Nicole and I were surprised that Shane and Christina weren¢t there. We wondered if they missed the detour sign and had to ford the stream. Later at the shelter we waited for thirty minutes and they still didn¢t arrive.        The next few miles were very rocky and it slowed our pace down. I try to have fun over rocks by jumping from stone to stone. After a while it begins to tire your feet though. For most of the day we crossed paths with Rocky and Bullwinkle, two college grads from Portland Maine. They picked up a stray dog in Atkins at the truck stop, which is why they call him Trucker. It¢s fun hiking with more people from Maine because of our common backgrounds. It provides an endless array of possible conversations.         Halfway through our day we came upon a raccoon sitting next to a tree on the trail. Nicole signaled me to be quiet as I approached. It didn¢t move for a few minutes, just watching us. I warned her to keep her distance in case it was rabid. Eventually it started to move. The poor guy had an injured right front leg and hobbled down the AT in front of us. It must have walked on the trail for at least two hundred feet before it left the trail. It stopped again and watched us hike by.         Tonight we¢re at the shelter with Rocky, Bullwinkle and Trucker. It¢s an all Maine shelter, side from Trucker, but I¢m not sure he counts. It¢s raining outside. I hope it passes by morning. We¢ll be trying to find a campsite tomorrow because the shelters are at 12 or 23 miles. Hopefully we¢ll find a nice dry home for the night. Wow the rain is coming down WICKED HARD right now!         I¢m dry! Yay!
Date: 2006-05-03
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: overcast clouds

This morning I awoke to find mice had chewed holes in my socks. They weren¢t big holes, but they¢re big enough. We hit the trail with intensions to make it to the third shelter. The morning hike was beautiful, but I constantly worried about covering miles fast enough. We had to climb over 10-12 ladders to cross over property fences.         At the foot of our first climb we arrived at the Keffer Oak. It¢s the biggest oak tree in the south. This three hundred year old tree had branches extending 20 feet out and some almost touched the ground. It was an amazing sight.        We made great progress across the ridge even though there were rocky areas. A couple of section hikers said they saw rattlesnakes sun bathing on the rocks the day before. It was cold and windy all day so we didn¢t worry about it.         More trail magic met us at a stream. By the time I reached it only Dr. Perky remained, a Food Lion rip off of Dr. Pepper. Although I despise Dr. Pepper I gratefully stowed it away for my afternoon snack. We were ecstatic when the shelter sign approached.        It was an extremely tiring day. Later on a huge dog named Abu wondered up from the stream. It has a cowbell around its neck and must have run away. We spend our remaining hours of light trying to keep it away from Trucker because they weren¢t getting along. Rocky tried to lead it to the nearest road and lose it, but five minutes later we heard the cowbell jingling as he came walking back. We won¢t be able to lead him to town tomorrow because some of the terrain will be too difficult and he¢s to big to lift. I don¢t know what will happen. Everyone is trying to sleep now and he¢s howling outside the shelter¢¦.sweet.        Tomorrow we¢re sleeping in and moving on to an all you can eat dinner. I can¢t wait!
Date: 2006-05-04
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Catawba Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

I woke up at seven this morning and found everyone packing around me. Last I knew we were sleeping in.        I was hot in the morning, way hot. The sky was cloudless and we knew the climbs would be difficult in the heat. Dragon¢s Tooth gave many hikers a taste of Katahdin. From the south side the hike was gradual and smooth. Over the peak was another story. Descending required hand holds and careful foot placement. Handlebars were planted in the side of especially steep areas.         The trail magic at the bottom made it all worth it. Another cooler full of Pepsis, Gatorade, bottled water and snacks. Shane, Christina, Buttercup and Uberdude teased us by saying it was all gone.        It was relieving to only have 15 miles to hike. At the road we caught a hitch after a few minutes. The speed limit was 55 so cars whizzed by. A gentleman pulled over at the first place he could find , and we ran down the hill to meet him.        At the gas station I finally got in touch with Andy at the YMCA. I took the job even though I only have a vague understanding of my responsibilities. All will work out in the end. It¢s comforting to know I have something waiting for me when I return.         We ate the all you can eat dinner at the Homeplace. It was a renovated farmhouse originally built in 1906 on a 160 acre plot of land. It sat 300 people. They brought out ten bowls of assorted foods and you just asked for refills. It included mashed potatoes, pinto beans, sole slaw, green beans, rolls, BBQ pork, roast beef, fried chicken, gravy and a few others. It was hike Heaven!        We¢re now at a shelter two miles from the road. We plan to wake up at 5, in order to be on McAfee Knob for sunrise. I reserved a hotel room for tomorrow night for Shane¢s birthday in Daleville. We also plan on taking a zero Saturday.
Date: 2006-05-05
From: Catawba Mountain Shelter

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: broken clouds

At 4:45 we woke up and hiked to the top of McAfee Knob. It was hot that night, so it was pleasant to wake up to. When we arrived at the knob we saw Dirt, Night Rider, and Freight Train sleeping on the cliff. We were able to take a lot of great pictures on the knob while the sun rose. I cooked breakfast and enjoyed warm oatmeal as I looked out over Virginia.         We soon decided that Shane and I should hike ahead to get to the post office before it closed. We intended to zero Saturday, but we wanted to relax since our zero days always seem so hectic. The rest of the hike wasn¢t difficult. However, we covered thirteen miles at a race pace and I was exhausted by the end. We walked down the road to the outfitter and found Freeze Out inside. The girl working at the store gave us a ride to the Troutville post office since it was so far away. She was a riot. We were very appreciative for the ride and entertainment.         When we met up with Nicole and Christina we caught a ride to the Comfort Inn. While in back of the truck we noticed how annoying it would be to walk back in forth from the shopping area. To get to the hotel you needed to cross under a bridge and across two highway exits. So after getting dropped off at the Comfort Inn we turned around and walked back to Howard Johnson.        For dinner we celebrated Shane¢s birthday by going to the Mexican restaurant across the street. It was a big mistake. Everyone within a 100 mile radius had Cinco De Mayo fever. We were initially told it was a thirty minute wait. Thirty minutes later it was a thirty minute wait. I could go on and on. We waited two hours before we told them to split us up and sit us ASAP. That fiasco put me in a sour mood so I didn¢t enjoy the dinner very much.        Oh well, I still get to sleep in a bed.
Date: 2006-05-06
From: Daleville, VA

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

I woke up at six this morning because I couldn¢t sleep in. It was funny since I was afraid I¢d sleep through continental breakfast. Waking so early allowed us to get a lot of chores done before noon. We packed our food bag and went to the outfitters. My new boots came in the mail but they were the wrong pair. The shop agreed to give me any pair I wanted from that company. Unfortunately they didn¢t carry size 13 in any boot. Christina joked, ¢You know what they say about people with big feet? They get no shoes.¢ Very funny. I had to send the back to Vasque and wait until the next town before I can contact them. I hope it doesn¢t take another 200 miles for this delivery.We spent the rest of the day lounging in the room and watching a Rocky marathon. We finally got our relaxing zero day.
Date: 2006-05-07
From: Daleville, VA

To: Wilson Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept in until 8 this morning. I tell ya, beds are amazing! We dragged ourselves down to the continental breakfast and had our fill. Back at the room we slowly packed our bags and showered. We made it out of the room by checkout time at 11.         The short day ahead of us gave Nicole a chance to break in her new boots. The trail was kind to us, but mother nature didn¢t cooperate. The rain started around noon and continued throughout the day. I feared we¢d find a full shelter when we arrived. Fortunately it was empty. The excess space in the shelter gave us enough room to cook and eat comfortably while staying dry.        Tonight Nicole and I zipped part of our sleeping bags together so I can stay warmer. The bags aren¢t fully compatible so they won¢t zip completely. It gives me space to put my feet in with her and use the top of her bag as an additional blanket.         It¢s 7:00. The short day let us get to bed early. I¢ll probably listen to the radio for an hour and hit the sack.
Date: 2006-05-08
From: Wilson Creek Shelter

To: Middle Creek Picnic Area
Miles today: 17.0

It was a late start this morning because of the gloomy weather. Our wet clothing froze our bodies as we got into our hiking gear. My shorts and shirt were dry since I never took them off. After a few minutes of hiking we could shake off the chill.        We hiked along the Blue Ridge Parkway for most of the day. The thick fog destroyed any chance of a view from the many scenic vistas. Luckily though, the rain held off. We kept a comfortable cruising pace throughout the day. The trail was extremely soft and smooth all along the parkway. We theorized that it was smooth so tourists on the parkway could take jaunts on the AT. Whatever the reason, we loved it.         We pushed beyond the last shelter because there was no water. This picnic area is off limits to camping, but we figure we¢ll be in and out. It¢s nice to hear the sounds of the creek nearby. It¢s reminiscent of nights while on the bike trip.        Bandit told us he was going home today. He said he¢s tired of hiking. We¢re not quite at the two month mark, but I¢m still enjoying the trail. Closing in on Shenandoah National Park, the end of Virginia, Harper¢s Ferry and the half way point are all daily motivators. I¢m taking it a part at a time, but I can¢t wait to know half of the trail is behind me.
Date: 2006-05-09
From: Middle Creek Picnic Area

To: Harrison Spring Campsite
Miles today: 16.5

I slept great last night. Sharing sleeping bags with Nicole keeps me a lot warmer. We climbed a lot today. For a warm up we climbed up a thousand foot mountain and came back down on the other side. It dropped us off at Bryant Ridge Shelter and we ate a snack. It was a three tiered shelter that slept 20 people. The structure was awesome! I¢m sure it could have fit at least forty people        After snack we faced a 2,500 foot climb. The mountain seemed to go up and never stop. Novocain rolled in at lunch and hiked with us to the next shelter. We decided to push on to a spring and try to find a campsite. There were two new thru hikers that we met and a couple that were section hiking. It would have been a squeeze at the shelter, but more importantly, we didn¢t want to have it to rush to the post office tomorrow.        The stealth campsite turned out alright. It¢s relatively flat and we¢re eight hundred feet lower than at the shelter. That may be significant since the radio said it may have a low of 28 degrees tonight. Awesome decision to get the 45 degree bag so early. I hope Nicole keeps me warm again!
Date: 2006-05-10
From: Harrison Spring Campsite

To: John Hollow Shleter
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Last night was a long one. It wasn¢t to chilly, but the comfort zone Nicole and I found the previous night couldn¢t be obtained. We were slightly on a hill and we kept waking up in the corner of the tarp.        It was a cloudless day. It was also the first time we saw the sun in three or four days. The heat reminded us that sunshine isn¢t always welcome during a hike.        It took us 45 minutes to hitch to Glasgow. The road to town was straight up, so I¢m glad I didn¢t decide to run into town. I contacted Vasque and I¢ll be able to pick up a new pair of boots at the outfitter in Waynesboro.        The real event of the day occurred while hitching back to the trail. A couple offered us a ride while we packed at the gas station. When we got dropped off Nicole¢s boots decided they¢d go for a longer ride. It was a few minutes after they left until she noticed we forgot them. We sat on the guard rail for over an hour, hoping they¢ll come back. We¢re still sit hoping. Oops.         We waited until sundown and they didn¢t return. Nicole left a note asking to send them to her house should they came back. She took the whole situation very well. I know I wouldn¢t have been so calm. She¢ll have to hike 85 miles to Waynesboro in her Waldies until she can get another pair. I really wish there was something I could do, but there isn¢t. A lesson learned and just another day on the trail.