morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2022-03-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I drove to Abingdon VA today.  It was a long drive (almost 8 hours).  I¢m resting in a hotel and doing a final gear check. I will drive to Damascus first thing in the AM and start hiking.  I didn¢t get much sleep last night because I was a little anxious (typical for me the night before I travel).  I¢m more relaxed now that I¢m closer to hitting the trail.  I know I¢ll get a good night¢s sleep tonight.
Date: 2022-03-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I drove to Abingdon today, the day after the ¢big storm¢.  The drive from Indy was uneventful, though I did see a couple cars off the road due to the previous day¢s storm.  The roads were clear however.   I did go a little under the speed limit when I hit some of the one lane winding roads¢¦.just not used to them¢¦.I pulled over a couple times to let folks pass.  I¢m a little anxious to start the hike °.
Date: 2022-03-14
From: Damascus

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

I woke up early at the hotel in abingdon to make sure I was in Damascus on the trail by 8 (I know I should have stayed at a hostel in Damascus).  It was a very cold start to the hike.  I wore a base layer plus puff jacket along with gloves and a balaclava.  They were all off by noon °. I wasn¢t sure how many miles I was going to do my first day (either stop at Saunders or Lost Mountain shelter) and ended up making it to Lost Mountain.  I did go off the trail (half mile) to Saunders just to check it out.  Met Fancy Pants there and talked a while then headed off.  There was still snot on the trail and a few icy/slick spots, especially north facing slopes.  When I arrived at List Mountain, Tin Cup and Reboot were already there.  We started talking about snorers and realized i forgot my earplugs¢¦Tin Cup gave me an extra pair.  Fancy Pants showed up a little later, along with a gentleman ¢The Breeze¢. The first night on the trail was a little restless, but managed to get some sleep.
Date: 2022-03-15
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: clear sky

I got up around 7 along with Fancy Pants. The Breeze, who tented, was already gone (I think I know how he got his trail name). The other folks got up soon after. My goal was to Wise shelter, but I felt it at the end.  I stopped at Thomas Knob to rest a while.  I saw quite a few hikers by.  There was a young college couple who were backpacking for a few days and one gentleman was hiking across the country picking up various trails along the way.  He was carrying slot of gear (including camera) and was traveling with a short leg dog (just a bit taller than a basset hound).  I¢m not sure how he does it, I couldn¢t.  I made it to Wise shelter and found it was packed with 2 families (5 adults, 3 kids) backpacking together. They even put a tent inside the shelter.  There is not tent camping around this shelter, and it was too late (and tired) to find another spot, so we were able to make due. I definitely got a much better sleep.
Date: 2022-03-16
From: Wise Shelter

To: Trempi Shelter
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: broken clouds

I was able to hit the trail by 8. My goal was to hike to Hurricane CG, and when I reached the fork there was still over 4 hours of daylight and my legs felt good.  There was also a sign at the fork saying the bridge at comers creek falls was removed due to being unsafe and offered a detour in case of high water at the falls.  Since there hadn¢t been much rain the past several days, and it only trickled today, I decided to risk it.  Glad I did.  The falls were nice.  The water was a little too high to rock jump it without getting wet. Since it wasn¢t too deep, not moving too fast, and I could easily see the bottom all the way across, I went across carefully shoeless.  Surprisingly the water wasn¢t too cold.  I hid my stride, and this section wasn¢t too rough, and made it to Trimpi shelter with about an hour of daylight left.  I had the shelter to myself and took a top bunk after sweeping away a dead spider °.  I heard some noise at night that I could never tell if it was rain or mice¢¦.I did get a good night¢s sleep.
Date: 2022-03-17
From: Trempi Shelter

To: Marion
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: light rain

One of the reasons I hiked 20 miles yesterday is because I knew I was going to resupply and stay overnight in Marion.  I got to Partnership shelter at 1pm.  It¢s a very nice shelter.  The shower hasn¢t been turned on yet.  I couldn¢t get cell service, but a ranger directed me to a phone behind the visitor center.  From there I call Marion Transit for a shuttle ride to Marion.  It¢s free and we¢re willing to drop me off whereever I wanted.  Since I didn¢t have cell service until I got to Marion I had the driver drop me off at Red Roof.  There are 3 budget hotels close toegether, so I used expedia to pick the one I wanted (went with the cheapest¢¦Red Roof).  It¢s also a short walk to Walmart/grocery store where I resupplied.  Also stopped at a Philly Cheesesteaks in the same shopping center.  It was good, but I think my belly wasn¢t ready for it after being on the trail.  I got some snacks to eat tonight and tomorrow morning before I hit the trail.  It¢ll probably be 9 before I start since the shuttle doesn¢t open until 8.
Date: 2022-03-18
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Reed Creek campsite
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: clear sky

With fresh legs and full belly, I got the first shuttle from red roof to My Rogers HQ(partnership shelter). The shuttle starts at 8 and I was able to start hiking by 8:50°).  I got to the train tracks and got a slight urge to want and jump on a train¢¦maybe I was hobo in a previous life.  Five minutes after crossing the track a train came thru¢¦missed my chance at sure death °. I got to the I81 interchange around lunch time and got a sandwich and mountain dew at the Village Truck stop. I ate and relaxed there for a while then started back hiking.  About a mile into the hike I wish I got 2 sandwiches °. I wanted to hike further than Davis Path Campsite, and found out about Reed Creek CS.  I got there with about an hour of sunlight left. It¢s a nice site and got to listen to the water as I slept.  No one else was there.
Date: 2022-03-19
From: Reed Creek campsite

To: Chestnut Knob Sheltee
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: moderate rain

I left Reed Creek campsite as early as possible.  I was dreading the slog up to Chestnut knob shelter (plus the ups and downs prior)I was just trudging the whole day.  I kept my water bladder no more than half full (It¢s a 3 liter capacity) to keep my pack weight down. I weighted until I got to the pond and filles my bladder.  I¢m not crazy about using pond water (I use a Katady Befree) and had to fill my reservoir twice because there was too much gunk the first time.  There is suppose to be an unreliable spring further up, but I wasn¢t going to try and find it (and I couldn¢t). There is a small creek about 1-2 miles up the slog to chestnut that I may have used if I knew what to expect ahead of time.  I got to Chestnut knob shelter and it was nice (it¢s enclosed). It was very windy and the wind was blowing the whole time I was there and into the next morning.  I had to tie the door closed so it wouldn¢t bang open.  It snowed a little that night.  The latrine has an awesome view (there¢s no door).  You can make out the valley below between the leafless trees °It was a good sleep
Date: 2022-03-20
From: Chestnut Knob Sheltee

To: Laurel Creek
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: broken clouds

As mentioned in previous post, I woke up to snow at Chestnut knob shelter.  I had to wear all my cold gear (it was stripped off 3 hours into the hike as I descended. span class="Apple-converted-space"> After about 45 minutes I felt well rested and hiked the rest of the way to laurel creek campsite.  span class="Apple-converted-space"> You can¢t go wrong with any of them.  I stayed at one that was just across the footbridge.  I had a tough time hanging my food, but got it done after a couple comedic efforts. °While there I decided to make my next day a short one and only hike to Helvy Mills Shelter with a resupply and food intake in Bland. Sleep was good
Date: 2022-03-21
From: Laurel Creek

To: Helvy Mills Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: clear sky

Cold morning again. started with all my cold gear on.  started hike before 8Bubba picked me up around 11:30 and dropped me off at subway.  walked back thru town to find supplies¢¦couldn¢t find cliff bars so went with some nature valley crunch bars to tie me over with snacks.  I found out if Bubba cracks his window while shuttling hikers, it means they¢re really ripe °.  Bubba was very helpful in showing how to navigate a confusing intersection around VA 612.  If you¢re NOBO go past the blue trash can and pass on the right.  do not follow the blazes on the opposite side of the road.  they are due SOBO. after getting supplies at grant¢s, I laid on a bench in front of the courthouse for a quick car nap.  someone from happy feet hostel drove by and said ¢not going to get any miles that way¢.  He mentioned his hostel and I told him that was my goal for the next day.  I had thought briefly about staying in the motel in bland but decide nah¢¦head to helvy mills.
Date: 2022-03-22
From: Helvy Mills Shelter

To: Near Walnut Flats CG
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

I had three stopping points lined up¢¦.hostel at 606,  Walnut Flats CG, or the unofficial campsite located in between.   I set off early (for me) this morning.  DJ, who arrived late on 3/21 was still resting i her tent. Her nephew was driving her to different AT spots to hike.  When I arrived at 611, there were three folks there.  I didn¢t get their names, but later found out one was Left Field.  One of the other ones was the nephew of the DJ and was waiting for her to arrive.  He was in a converted van and we got to taking about van life which I hope to do once done with long distance hiking.  After leaving them I ran into Swivel about a quarter mile later.  He was resting and trying to catch up to Left Field.  He mentioned some of his challleges and I was impressed that he was out here.  Later on I ran into PB and J.  That¢s two people.  ¢PB¢ and ¢and J¢. they were hiking southbound and we talked briefly.  PB has striking blue eyes.  I almost made a comment about them but realized ¢and J¢ could take me out with one swipe °. I pressed on a eventually passed 606, then passed the unofficial camp site then as I got closer to the Walnut Flats CG decided to take the first decent site i could find.  I found a nice one by the creek. I ended up at 20 miles and was pooped.  I was even too tired to eat dinner and fell asleep quickly after setting up my tent.
Date: 2022-03-23
From: Near Walnut Flats CG

To: DocÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I started off near walnut flats cg. It started raining at 6am.  I think I¢ve come pretty close to breaking camp in the rain while keeping all my critical gear dry. I actually set up my tent and gear the night before to make it easier. It rained all day and my progress was slow due to slippery rocks and wet leaves, but I trudged on. I wear a pincho in the rain and drape back over my backpack.  I prefer not to use rain covers and all my critical is already in dry bags in my backpack. One downside to is that my forearms and lower legs get wet, but I hardly notice since my core stays warm. I reached Doc¢s Knob shelter and there were 2 folks already there. Jerry and Everett.  They were section hiking for a few days.  Thank heaven they were there.  All i had left for dinner was Ramen noodles, but Jerry offered me a polish sausage which i jumped at.  These 2 guys are in their mid 70¢s and must have been packing about 50 lbs of gear and provisions.  They awesome. Everett build a fire that night and the next morning while also chopping extra wood for anyong that followed (he had an ax in his gear)  Everett also brought in a couple mouse traps, but those moutain mice are smart. they ate the bait without setting off the traps. I went to bed early, but got up in the middle of the night to check out the stars.
Date: 2022-03-24
From: DocÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Knob Shelter

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: clear sky

I woke up this morning to the sounds of mice eating some of Everett's food in his backpack :)  Jerry and Everett are early risers (just a little earlier than me).  Everett already had a fire going when I got out of my sleeping bag.  Jerry offered me a pancake, which I took of course :)  I started hiking before Jerry and Everett started, and was wondering if they would catch up to me...they appeared to be strong hikers.  A few miles into my hike I tripped on some brush which caused me to strain my knee as I went to catch my balance...ouch...I hiked on but felt the knee pain when going down hill.  I reached a scenic spot near power lines with a log to sit on.  I took the opportunity to relax, take some ibuprofen and some pictures.  I also had cell service so I checked messages and sent a few to my brother.  I was sitting for about 10 minutes then started to put my pack back on when I heard Jerry. "Hey Jon" (we used real first names).  Sure enough that caught up with me.  They were going to take a break there so we only talked a few minutes... I figured they'd catch me again later.I had to favor the knee the rest of the hike, but it was manageable  (BTW: it was all better the next day).  I took some rest and photos at Angel's Rest as well as another spot before it (I didn't get the name).  I made it to Pearis Cemetery where Honey Bun of HB Shuttles picked me up and drove me back to Damascus.  It was just us two and the conversation was good.  I learned a few things as well.  I will definitely be using him again later this year when I leap frog this section when completing my thru hike.
Date: 2022-04-23
From: VA/WV line to WV/MD line

To: Hotel ÃÂÃÂ°ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ
Miles today: 2.7
Weather: clear sky

I¢m back on the trail (kind of).  My girlfriend drove me to Harpers Ferry to start my flip flop portion.  We hiked this short section together and hung out around the town for a while.  Met Optimus Grime at one of the stores and we chatted a while about the AT and PCT.  I didn¢t go to any of the Flip Flop festival activities¢¦I guess I was in an anti-social mood °¤ °I hit the trail first thing tomorrow and looking forward to it
Date: 2023-04-14
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I have finally complied with my wife's request to clean up the guest bedroom. My camping gear....enough to fill 3 good sized backpacks...has been strewn about for the last two months, and has now been pared down to fitting in just one backpack, weighing in at a tad under the self-imposed cutoff point of 35 pounds with multiple days of food and 2 liters of water. The remainder of my gear has been stuffed back into my supply closet, to be dealt with at some future date.This is all in preparation for the next installment of my (maybe) end-to-end hike of the AT. Tomorrow afternoon I'll drive from my home in Rochester, NY, to some point in mid-Virginia. After an overnight stay in the cheapest hotel I stumble upon, I'll continue south to Stanimal's Hostel in Glasgow, Va., where I'll leave my car and shuttle further south to Bland, Virginia. From there, starting at AT mile 591, I'll begin this NOBO section hike of 188 miles back to Glasgow. With that, I'll be at the 50% completion point of the AT, leaving the southernmost 600 miles and the northernmost 500 miles remaining for future consideration.
Date: 2023-04-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

And so the adventure begins. The weather is cooperating for today's 600-650 mile drive. Chores around the house are pretty much caught up. The plan is for an early dinner at about 2:00 PM with Mrs. Ranger, followed by a quick stop at our local Wegmans to pick up a sub, which will be tomorrow's lunch and dinner on the trail. Although today's weather is great, the forecast for my first day hiking looks pretty dismal, with showers and thunderstorms in the offing.One big 'complication' of this section hike is, in fact the weather. Looking forward, there's about a 50 degree span from the forecast highs in the low 80's to  lows of near freezing. Hence my overweight pack to accommodate extra clothing. Bummer. But that's what you get at this time of year.One other observation is that the NOBO thru-hiker 'bubble' will just be approaching my start location. It will be interesting to see if I meet up with any of the other journalists I've been following on TrailJournals. My hope is that I'm still far enough north to avoid the crowds at the shelter areas. I'm planning on tenting throughout anyway, so stealth camps may come into play as needed.Until tomorrow, Happy Trails!  Lone Ranger
Date: 2023-04-16
From: Bland Va. Rt-52 Trailhead

To: Stealth. Jenny Knob Shelter +.1 Mi.
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day-1:  30,800 steps.  I left the motel in Woodstock at 6:30, then after breakfast, arrived at Stanimal¢s 328 Hiker Hostel, hoping for an early start. Turns out that my driver, ¢Spotter¢ ran out of gas somewhere in the mountains and I had to wait for someone to go rescue him. We still managed to leave at 9:30 and I arrived at the trailhead at 11:30 AM, where I found my first ever Trail Magic! They had drinks, snacks, and were cooking food on the grill for hikers. Of course, since I hadn¢t taken my first step, yet, I had to pass.The weather forecast was for showers and thunderstorms all day. At 2:30, it started to rain, and I deployed Tonto to protect me from the elements. He did that for 20 minutes, then the rain stopped, and the sun came out. No more rain until 7 PM, when the heavens finally opened up and it poured for a couple of hours.I¢m actually writing this first on-trail journal entry on the 17th. I¢ve had no cell service from 4 PM on the 16th until 7 PM on the 17th, and even then it¢s so weak I can¢t upload pictures. I¢ll catch up with those later. Otherwise, everything¢s going fine. No blisters, broken bones, or any other ailments of note.I should also mention that the trail here has been very agreeable. Moderate grades, and generally very good maintenance, although there were quite a few trees across the trail in one small area. Nothing that presented any difficulty, however.Happy Trails!  Lone Ranger
Date: 2023-04-17
From: Stealth. Jenny Knob Shelter +.1 Mi.

To: Stealth Camp @ Mile 622
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Day-2:  49,800 steps.  I woke at 6:30 this morning with temperatures in the mid 40s. Strong winds overnight dried out the tent and I was packed and on the trail by 7:30.There are quite a few NOBO thru-hikers here. The shelters are apparently full every night, and also surrounded by tents. I was hoping that I was starting this hike early enough to stay ahead of the bubble, but not so much! But since we¢re all headed in the same direction, I really don¢t encounter too many of them during the day.The trail today was a real joy! With the exception of a couple of hills, there was very little elevation change, and exceptional trail maintenance. The trees are just starting to leaf out and don¢t provide much shade, but the rhododendrons are everywhere and more than make up for the thin tree canopy.My only issue again today was no cell service with AT&T until I finally made camp on top of a ridge and got one bar on my phone. Pictures will have to wait.Special shout- out to ¢City Dog¢ and ¢New Knee¢, two hikers I¢ve been leapfrogging all day.Since I added extra miles today seeking cell service, tomorrow¢s mileage should be a little less. Not that it matters, since I¢m feeling fine.Happy Trails!  Lone Ranger
Date: 2023-04-18
From: Stealth Camp @ Mile 622

To: VA Rt-100, Pearisburg
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

Day-3:  35,400 steps.  Today was more like the Appalachian Trail I¢ve been accustomed to, with some taller hills and lots of rocks. With today¢s shorter mileage, I left camp at about 8:15 and within a few minutes ran into ¢New Knee¢ once again. We walked together for about 2 1/2 miles, swapping life stories about how we both arrived at this particular time and place. He was stopping early at Woods Hole Hostel to enjoy a NERO. He started a thru- hike last year, but had to take a break to get his knee replaced after 400 miles.I hope he makes it all the way this year.I finally did get some trail magic today. After hiking about 5 miles, I stopped at Doc¢s Knob shelter and made a late breakfast. Chatted with another NOBO hiker there, then I packed up and was about to leave when a young man and woman arrived lugging four 12-packs of soda. I wasn¢t really thirsty, but I couldn¢t let the effort go un-appreciated, so I had a can of Coke. His name was ¢unicorn¢, and he did an end-to-end last year. For many people, spending five or six months on the AT makes it a permanent part of their life, and they find themselves drawn back to it, in many cases providing trail magic for the next batch of hikers and reliving their own experiences virtually.Tonight I¢m staying at the very classy Holiday Lodge motel in Pearisburg. Tomorrow, a shuttle driver from Angel¢s Rest Hostel will pick me up at 7:30 AM and drop me off 19 miles north on the trail. From there, I will slack-pack south back to Pearisburg and stay at their hostel for the night. The next morning, they will shuttle me back to that same spot, now with a pack loaded down with 7 days of food, and I¢ll continue on my journey north.Happy Trails!  Lone Ranger
Date: 2023-04-19
From: VA Rt-100, Pearisburg

To: VA-635
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

Day-4:  49,680 steps.  The shuttle to Big Stoney Creek Rd trailhead got us on trail at 7:45. Waiting in the parking lot was a woman providing trail support for her son who was doing an end-to-end. She was going all the way, and said she was having a blast mingling with the hikers. She insisted that we sign the side of her van!As for my SOBO slack hike, it was great. The initial 3 miles got me to my peak altitude on Peter¢s Mountain,& it was all down hill from there, save a few low hills in between. The trail was crowded with NOBO hikers¢¦.I counted 42 that I passed. I¢d say about 60% thru hikers and 40% section hikers like me. It was a warm day (low 80¢s) so I really appreciated the 6# day-pack. What luxury!At the finish walking into Pearisburg I stopped at Hardee¢s for a burger & shake, then checked into my private room at Angels Rest, took a shower, back up to the Mexican restaurant for wings & a beer and back down to Angels Rest to do laundry, which is what¢s going on as I write this.The people there are great. In addition to being ultra-friendly, they¢re also ultra-honest. They informed me that they overcharged me for a shuttle, but they found the mistake and already credited it back. I never would have known.As for the hikers I¢ve met today, I could list about a dozen names that I still remember, each with their own unique story. Too much to write about, but all part of the experience.Tomorrow I get shuttled back up to Big Stoney Creek Rd. to continue north with my way-too-heavy backpack, loaded with 7 days of supplies. I suspect it will be a shorter day.Happy Trails!  Lone Ranger