morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-04-23
From: ...hmmmmmm...

To: peaks of otter lodge
Miles today: 0.0

....another weather related unplanned zero today.......hiked the shortcut behind the cornelius shelter to the blue ridge parkway (.3 mi) to catch a shuttle with mr. ken wallace, a trail angel (who basically saved our lives!)...thanks ken!...(and thanks carli and michael for tracking him down for us when our phone couldn't connect!)........it wasn't really as bad as something you'd see on "survivor man", but, yes, it WAS cold and windy and SNOWY!....yep....snowy!...snow was accumulating all morning on this 23rd day of april, so we decided to bail to the lodge at the peaks of otter...pricey, with minimal hiker "accoutriments", but well worth the warm room (with a view of the lake and sharp top mtn), a hot shower and a very filling lunch of turkey and dressing!.......we're sharing our room with TI Joe...(he's one of the nicest tatooed young fellas we've ever met!...(heh heh!...it's okay...he seems cool with my artistic fascination with tattoos!)........bee man and flip are also here, as they also decided to bail off apple orchard mtn....so the 4 of us have had lots of laughs on this non-hiking day!.......it will be soooo good to get back to the trail tomorrow, though......peaks of otter IS a beautiful area along the blue ridge parkway (just in case anyone was thinking of a car trip...hint hint)...there's an 1800's farm across the road from the lodge here that has one of the best hands-on exhibits we've ever seen (not on this trip, but a couple of years ago).......but if you do decide to come up to virginia, please remember to "feed the hikers" (ha ha!)....seriously....if you happen to be traveling anywhere northward this summer in or around the appalachian mtn range, keep a few extra sodas or candy bars handy in case you run into some hot, HONGRY hikers!..(how's that for "yogi-ing! heh heh!)....nawww...paw and i aren't very good at the ol' "yogi-the-picnic-basket" thing, but there are other first time hikers out here, still learning the ropes, who may have miscalculated on rations or may just need a little morale boost....a SMILE is always appreciated (instead of a "keep-back-you-mangey-vagrant" look!).....of course...if you're offerin' to share your picnic, me and boo-boo...uh...paw...definitely won't turn you down!........speakin' of FOOD...(and aren't we always???)...since the lodge was out of their famous chili, i (maw) just ordered up that turkey and dressing....AND cranberry sauce....ANNNND salad...ANNNND macaroni and cheese....ANNNND coffee with cream and sugar....ANNNNNNNND....blackberry cobbler and icecream!!!...(fuel for the "artic trek"!).......goodness!...these zero days are puttin' a hurtin' on any semblance of a BRIEF journal entry!....(sorry)
Date: 2012-04-24
From: peaks of otter lodge

To: marble springs campsite
Miles today: 12.2

...oh my!...where to begin?!?!?!!...this excellent day got off to a lopsided start when we found out the BRP was closed due to the snow, and our shuttle couldn't get through!......no problem!...we just all headed to the dining room and ATE some more! :-)....but after some wonderful "hiker sharing", we finally got back out to the trail, under a beautiful blue sky with snow all around!....it looked like a christmas card!)......after some great views and really good "banter", paw and i rated this day a "10"!.......so good to be under the tarp here again tonight, moderately warm, and with what paw says is one of the best springs on the trail!
Date: 2012-04-25
From: marble springs campsite

To: punchbowl shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: broken clouds

...paw had a "shivering fit" this a.m....but we finally got him warmed up!...(i'm letting him borrow my smartwool top tonight!)......from petite's gap to the james river has to be of our all-time favorite sections of the trail!...can't even begin to enumerate all the different blooms and views!...wow!.......paw says that for us, this is the "year of the rhododendron"!....(and boy!...did we some beauties today!).......no coffee for paw this morning (as at the lodge yesterday)....so he was his usual quiet self again (yesterday he talked everybody's ears off! ha ha!)......"ottie powell" always gets to me........small day in store for us tomorrow...it may rain......looking forward to the "dutch haus"!........cracked my head so hard on the shelter roof tonight that "kermit" heard it as she came down the trail!....she said, "i thought someone was banging a pot on the shelter"!.....whew!....careful, maw!
Date: 2012-04-26
From: punchbowl shelter

To: brown mtn shelter
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: overcast clouds

....sun rising.....singing.....hallelujahs...."he's the lily of the valley...the bright and morning star"...sing....sing....sing!........more orchids!....more pennywort!.........check it out : the "brown mtn community".....a "neighborhood of freed slaves, sharecropping in this beautiful hollow we walk through now....remnants....stone walls....memories of "ash cakes"........"discussion".....difficult discussion.......sharing the shelter tonight with "tommy lee jones"!....(paw and i keep great company, eh?....chuck norris....tommy lee jones....tigger...kermit....heh heh).....
Date: 2012-04-27
From: brown mtn shelter

To: spy rock rd (dutch haus)
Miles today: 18.1

....a little trail magic got our day started off just right!...yep....a cooler at US60!.....partaking of pepsi...tootsie rolls...candy bars....crackers....and some nice healthy trail mix!.....many thanks to our invisible benefactor!........"i'm just a-swangin'!"....(hog camp gap....a favorite campsite complete with a rope swing!.....swing "metro north"!...swing!).....c'mon paw!...c'mon "fairy"!....this is FUN!....wheeeeeee!.....beautiful day hiking over some "virginia style" balds! (and no lightening this time! yay!).......STRAWBERRIES!....everywhere in the meadows!....unfortunately, they're only at the blooming stage....no fruit yet.......welllll....after TWICE passing right by fish hatchery rd (now called spy rock rd),and declining the steep descent down to the famous dutch haus BandB, we finally broke down and called up lois and earl for a "reservation" (more like an "invitation")...and wow!....if quiche, bacon, muffins, pancakes, fruit, OJ and coffee for breakfast gives any sort of hint at how well we were treated at dutch haus, then multiply that times 10 and you'll have it!....thanks to everyone who made our stay so special (including "dad" who served our dinner...hikers who engaged us....and "fairy" who played chopin on the upright in the parlor afterward!)........."the talented mr. ripley"....a terrible way to end a perfect day!...(even with matt damon!).....oh well.....
Date: 2012-04-28
From: spy rock rd (dutch haus)

To: priest shelter
Miles today: 4.3
Weather: light rain

....meteorologists can be VERY frustrating sometimes!.....(unexpected rain and storms turned our anticipated 12 mile day into a measly 4 and we spent the day in the shelter........soooooo....in searching for some worthwhile way to occupy my time, i (maw) decided to build a FIRE!....("i can do this....i can do this").........lucky for me, "abo-man" (aborigine-man) showed up!...."abo-man make fire"!....heh heh (instantly!)....thanks, abo!........so we managed to stay warm (it was FREEZING!)....but mostly by gathering firewood i think..........annnnnnd......it's saturday night!...so one "bud is in paw's ear....one bud is my ear....and we are laughing at garrison keillor ...(which has everyone else in the shelter laughing at US!)..........ahhhhh!life on the "hiking" trail!....
Date: 2012-04-29
From: priest shelter

To: maupin field shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: broken clouds

.....(boy!....we're really burnin' up the trail, eh?).....you might say a certain couple of little 4000 ft "bumps" [the priest and three ridges] slowed us up a bit!........FOG this a.m.!....(forget the "pea soup" analogy!...this was "peanut butter"!).........blue skies this afternoon, though, and the anticipation of our first warm night in a while........forgot to mention that yesterday, "lake" stopped by the shelter...he's hiking from key west and plans to finish on the IAT in newfoundland!....we realized after talking a bit (and my feeling he was so "familiar"), that we had actually met briefly at kennedy meadows in '09 on the PCT!........why do manufacturers have to add "scent" to everything!?!???.....c'mon!...TRASH compactor bags?!?!?!????.....we need UN-SCENTED, people!.....(uh....bears!).......so happy to have my little electronic bible along on this hike....(and i can actually operate it....mostly!) :-)...."trust in the Lord with all your heart...lean not to your own understanding!....in all your ways acknowlege Him, and He will direct your paths"!....
Date: 2012-04-30
From: maupin field shelter

To: waynesboro, va
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: overcast clouds

....woohoo!....somebody wave the checkered flag!.....paw and i just busted out the "maupin-field-to-rockfish-gap-CHALLENGE"! (a whoppin' 5 added miles!)...to hit the "ming garden" AYCE for supper!...go geezers, GOOOO!.........now here's something hilarious : it seems our identities have somehow gotten confused with ray jardine (of "beyond backpacking") and his wife (who are rumored to be hiking the trail this year???).......we did think it was getting a little bizarre that folks were continually emoting hardy greetings to us with the oft-repeated phrase, "ohhhhh!...we've heard about YOUUUUU!"....(it was getting embarrassing!...i would usually just laugh it off and say something like, "oh dear....i guess that means the police are hot on our trail, paw!"....or..."don't believe everything they tell you about us")......we just thought folks were enthusiastic about our register entries, perhaps....anyway.....when we reached maupin shelter and read "beth's entry, ir really freaked us out!....she wrote : "pretzel just told me WHO ma and pa WERE!....i stayed with them last night at the priest shelter!...how cool is that!"......paw and i just looked at each other and shrugged, not understanding at all what the heck she meant exactly, UNTILLLLLL today.....when we met "bugger" at the restaurant, and he asked paw, "are you ray jardine?"....(whaaaaaaa????).......after chatting a few moments with bugger, who was beginning to be as confused as we were, we all finally put 2 and 2 together, and realized what was happening!....we DO travel somewhat lightly....DO use a homemade "ray-way" quilt, as well as other "jardine style" gear....and yes...paw does even physically resemble ray jardine somewhat!...so the "mistake" is understandable!....but please, mr. and mrs, jardine!....please don't sue us for impersonating you!....and if you really ARE out there on the trail somewhere this year, it would be an honor to actually meet you!...(and thank you for helping us get our backpacking basics down pat!)....ha ha!....(in the meantime, pass the soy sauce, ray!)......
Date: 2012-05-01
From: waynesboro, va

To: calf mtn shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: broken clouds

....may day!!!!!!!!.....hmmmm....let's seeeeeee....i think with a few hundred yards of dental floss attached to that food hanging/bear deterrent pole we could fashion a pretty decent "maypole"!...(anybody wanna dance?)........it was nice having dinner last night with hikers, bugger and daypack!.....after plates and plates of every kind of food imaginable, the subject somehow turned to snakes! (which, by the way, daypack used to raise!)........and our motel room at the quality inn was much nicer than the storm-soaked lawn over at the YMCA....we've done our time there already.......PLUS.....the included breakfast allowed us to indulge in everything from biscuits and gravy and eggs, to yogurt, to waffles and cereal, to coffee, hot chocolate and juice!...thanks quality inn!...(that was quality!).......i am writing this in the morning, while paw accomplishes our laundry chore...(and while i still have an opportunity at a computer)....the forecast calls for T-showers....(ugh!...i'm not fond of lightening...so keep prayin' for us, praying friends!)....but we've only got a few miles to the shelter....so we'll see how things go.......i am reminded of some verses in isaiah : "when you walk through the water/fire I (the Lord) will be with you".............as soon as we check out, we'll head down to kroger to resupply....then we'll call deboze for a shuttle back to the gap to begin our hike through the shenandoahs!........well.....paw just came in....he's done with the wash....and made a "score" at the hardware getting UNSCENTED trash compactor bags and denatured alcohol (fuel) by the ounce!...yay!......we're on our way!........thanks again to all our readers who take the time to say hello....(i guess i'll be spending my winter this year writing back to all of you!) :-).....(later....) :....passed a significant landmark today on our way out of waynesboro : where we got off the trail for a month in '06!....feels good to be pushin' on through!......want to thank walter (a very nice waynesborian) for a shuttle...lunch visit...walkin' jim stolz recording....and all without our even having to ask!....he just appeared and "angeled" us all the way back to the trailhead!...thanks, walter!......and speaking of angels....some other incredible waynesborian bought our lunch at weasie's!....we don't even know who!...(the waitress just informed us of the "good deed"!....wow!...thank you, whoever!.......and thank YOU, Lord, for all your blessings to us along this pathway of life!....You are too, too good to us!.......SALAD for supper here in camp!...(with lots of cranberries and sugared pecans added!...yum!).......hemmingway...porcupine and PA jess with us here tonight at the shelter....(along with a turkey...an owl...and a woodthrush on the periphery!).......pleasant temps....sweet dreams....and a little rumble of thunder.....
Date: 2012-05-02
From: calf mtn shelter

To: blackrock hut
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

....no scented deodorant today....if a shenandoah bear takes a bite out of me, i want it to be as distasteful as possible!......."leaves of 3...beware of me"!.......paw got soooo excited today when he saw i had "spam" in my pack!....(go figure!)........been nice "leapfrogging" with jess and hemingway (who is lonnnnng-gone....headed for the blackberry milkshake at the wayside, no doubt!)........hot....buggy....muggy... and dry today with countless "PUD's" (pointless ups and downs)....and so we have "landed" at this shelter.....(paw is counting the minutes (after our chicken noodle dinner) till he can "legitimately" go to bed!).......word for the day?...."origins"!......no.....make that "TICKS"!
Date: 2012-05-03
From: blackrock hut

To: hightop hut
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: scattered clouds

....i'm a firm believer that backpacks oughta have ZIPPERS!....(i mean....c'mon!....grandma gatewood carried a dufflebag....shouldn't we have progressed just a little here in 2012?!?!???)....but hey....hike you own hike.......CODE RED!....WE'RE UNDER SIEGE!....(bittersweet...honeysuckle....mustard...etc).......shelter....dog covered in ticks...owner removing ticks to shelter....hiker removing owner from shelter.......sheesh!....we're hiking ON!......we're giving jess a trail name (if she'll have it)...."In-Visible"...(IV for short, which suits her....she's a paramedic!....and hikes so fast we somehow never saw her today when she passed us!....heh heh!....you shoulda seen paw's furrowed brow!).........sounds like a storm is beginning to brew up here on "HIGHtop"!....yikes!.......hmmmmm.....maybeeee ONE HUNDRED percent DEET????........we might land at lewis campground tomorrow for a little respite!...yay!...showers!
Date: 2012-05-04
From: hightop hut

To: lewis mtn campground
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: overcast clouds

....i am shamelessly reporting that the spam sandwiches were awesome!.....(don't gag, carli!).......neat!...jess took IV as a trail name!...(does that mean paw and i now have a daughter???)........so cool!....john 3:16 inscribed on the popcorn package!....(you never know where or when you might hear God speaking!)........we've been switching up our "schedule" a bit from previous years, just to experience a little something different than before....(hightop was definitely different!....not the cool, bug-free, primeval cushy campsite we imagined!....mostly rocks and blightening!)........lewis mountain = CAMPSTORE!.....campstore = dove bars...party mix....yogurt....chocolate milk.....and gatorade!....2000 calories worth!...(and that was just our afternoon SNACK!)....we passed the time snacking on the "900 mile bench"!.......earlier this a.m., we had a CRAZY 10 second, black cloud mini-storm!...put our pack covers on and then, POOF!...it was gone!....weird!.......but a beautiful "golden, liesurely evening in camp tonight!........marathon man was surrounded by FOUR (count them) BEARS at a spring yesterday!.....we have seen ZERO (count them)...ZERO!....(but we did flush out some really cute bunnies who were obliging enough to pose for our ever intruding camera).......this "nero" day has seemed like a little vacation!.......annnnnnd....paw and i have the "RV bug"! ;-)....must remember i'm in a civilized campground tonight!...(uh....and be aware that it's a bit of a lengthy trek to the bathrooms!)........kids and grandkids so sweetly on my mind as i lay ny head on my "pillow" tonight........i'm so proud of them all!...
Date: 2012-05-05
From: lewis mtn campground

To: stealth camp near skyland stables
Miles today: 16.0

...."very informative" guy running the campstore asked if we were "purists" (as if asking if we were american or methodists or something!).....glad we didn't take his advice on the "shortcut".....eeeeeyewwww!...ASPHALT!.........asked our "Maker" for a "sunny day" for going through "big meadows resort" today ...(last time we walked through a lightening storm there!).....wellll....we still had the cold rain and fog move in (almost identically to before)....BUT....we DID get "sunny daze" anyway!....yep!....our trail angel, "sunny daze", brightened our foul weather spirits, by hauling us in his car back to the trailhead (a mile away)....AND offering us candy bars to boot! (specifically, my personal favorite!...cadbury's fruit and nut!)....thanks, sunny!...you made our 17 so much easier today!........at rockspring hut midday : memories!...2003....cheddar...3 sock...thin mint...and rock dancer....demonstrations on whether a bear might actually reach a food bag on the hanger!....we laughed till our sides hurt!........mountain house chili mac is actually pretty good if you add some sharp cheddar and fritos!.....(but ooooh!...this resupply thing is getting expensive!...paw and i may hafta get a dishwashing job somewhere!).......and i'll just say this....big meadows' food at the wayside is actually pretty bad!...(considering the resort prices you pay!)....the shake is wayyyyy over-rated......go with an icecream sandwich!....(and DON'T go with the BBQ sandwich!)...
Date: 2012-05-06
From: stealth camp near skyland stables

To: stealth camp 1 mile past elkwallow gap
Miles today: 20.0

....unless you take a b-zillion breaks, you can't NOT walk 20 miles in the shenandoahs!.....(uh oh....is that a blister i feel on my little toe?!?!?!????)........and our 20 today ended at the wayside grill at elkwallow!....MUCH better than at big meadows....burger....fries and an icy fountain cup of the "nectar of the gods"! (sierra mist!).....applause applause, to the grill cooks!...(give 'em a raise SNP!)........and then we waddled up the mountain to try and find a suitable campsite .......we're taking the very best pictures we can possibly take so that the shenandoahs APPEAR to be more lovely than thaey really are).....*sigh*....however....among the acres and acres of non-native invasive plant species, occasionally a "preserved" patch of native woods will still offer some lovely botany!....we are seeing lots of lady slipper orchids (where the bittersweet or microstegium hasn't choked out the habitat)....and a few places boast lots of sweet smeling ferns!....as for trillium....paw says, "we're gonna hafta spray!"...(heh heh!....just teasing!).......met bat and yappy!....both were so inspiring!....15 to a hostel that's "new" to us tomorrow...."terrapin station".....we may zero.......drip....drip.....drip....fog and tree rain will likely leave us feeling a little damp in the morning......but what a nice cool day of hiking we have had!...."i will lift up my eyes unto the hills.......from whence cometh my help?....my help comes from the Lord, who MADE heaven and earth!"....
Date: 2012-05-07
From: stealth camp 1 mile past elkwallow gap

To: compton trailhead (terrapin station)
Miles today: 14.5

.....yes.....do try to pitch your tarp under a nice conifer....EXCEPT....when it's raining!....(whooooo boy!....were we ever soaked this morning!).........but oh what a nice cool walk under our "brollies" all day!........guess who we met coming southbound today?....our old friends we met back in erwin who are from new zealand! : ron and myrrill!....so great to catch up!.......how wonderful to get to terrapin station and get warm and dry and clean!....thank you, mike for your hospitality!...(and the provision of a half gallon of "double dunk" icecream!).........and "smiley" is staying with us!.....(he makes us smile!).....gonna "chill" tomorrow!...(after getting groceries!).......life is ALWAYS full of challenges......even when the mountains level out, the hiking can still be tough.....
Date: 2012-05-08
From: compton trailhead (terrapin station)

To: terrapin station hostel
Miles today: 0.0

...RAIN-(ish)!....and we're IN!....(now....THAT'S planning!) :-)....and sometimes....eggplant parmigiana just makes even the best plans PERFECT!.....(i cheated with "michaelangelo's" brand from the frozen food section and added lots of mozzerella!....yum!....check it out!)......our first time to front royal...(thanks, mike!).....possibly the best grocery store on or OFF the trail we've ever shopped!...(maw could've stayed in there for HOURS!).........let me reiterate....eggplant can make everything "better".........relaxing......with m.c. escher and the new testament.....
Date: 2012-05-09
From: terrapin station hostel

To: manassus gap shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: overcast clouds

...FINALLY!..we're out of the shenandoahs!...(yay!).......and, thankfully, we've managed to once again walk "rainless"!.....up until the moment we got settled in the shelter!....(and then the threatening skies opened up!)....."the dark knight" and a couple of other hikers weren't quite so fortunate....they came in a little later drenched to the skin! (BUT.... with an amazing amount of good cheer along with their "wishes" for better weather!) :-).....we had trail magic TWICE today!...once was (can you believe it???) a pitcher of iced sweet tea!....(and shoot!...as i write, i've forgotten our benefactor's name!....can anyone help me out?....she just finished her hike in damascus last month with her beautiful boxer....arrrgh!..."senior moment")....anyway....she set out some goodies with the tea and even placed a cute little "welcome bear" on the bench to greet us!...wonderful chatting with her briefly....and oh how good that iced tea tasted!........(later, there were sodas and lollipops in another cooler!)....i know there's a lot of "discussion" concerning the "ethics" of trail magic ...(and we totally "get it")....but i have to honestly admit, that my gratitude levels skyrocket when i'm tired and hot and thirsty and maybe a bit discouraged and someone has discreetly provided for my needs.....again...thank you, trail angels, for thinking of us and so generously sharing your resources!......but not good news from home....(rather alarming, actually)....my mom has been hospitalized and is awaiting tests tomorrow morning that will determine if the pain she is experiencing is a result of complications with her "ticker"....we are poised and ready to head back to chattanooga......meanwhile, our minds and worries are diverted a bit as we enjoy chatting with dark knight while the rain roars on the shelter's tin roof........glad for the "peace that passes understanding"..........