morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-05-04
From: Rice Field Shelter

To: War Spur Shelter
Miles today: 25.2
Weather: clear sky

I'm feeling good today. I did 25.2 miles from Rice Field Shelter to War Spur Shelter. The first half of the day was spent atop the same ridge I climbed yesterday. What an amazing ridge! When I left camp this morning there was a thick fog down in the valley, which made the high spots look like islands. Quite an incredible phenomenon!A few hours later, I ran into two guys from Detroit who were slackpacking (day hiking) southbound. We got to talking and it turns out tomorrow they'll be slackpacking south the section I'll be hiking north. Because we'll cross paths, they offered to bring me a sports section so I can catch up on the hockey news! I'm looking forward to that!About midday I descended the gorgeous ridge and ascended a Mordor-esque ridge. The climb up was grueling and once up top I was welcomed by rocks, rocks and more rocks. The funny thing was there weren't rocks anywhere BUT on the trail! These razor sharp rocks lasted the better part of an hour, serving as a premonition of what awaits us in northern PA!Although the 2nd half of the day was more daunting than I would have liked, it felt good to make the miles. I'm feeling back in the groove and glad to be around people again. I caught up to Afterburner, Texas and Mountain Goat last night and I'll be with them again tonight (although Texas and Mountain Goat have yet to arrive). It was getting lonely for a few days there, glad that's over.Dinner awaits!654.0 miles down (30%), 1521.0 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-05-05
From: War Spur Shelter

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We only did 18.2 miles today, which is low in comparison to what I've been doing, but it sure sapped my energy. I'm noticing an annoying trend here in central Virginia: we climb up to the top of a ridge, stay on it for a few miles, then descend to the valley floor and repeat the whole process. Sure, it's nice and flat on the ridge tops, but coming up and down them is a bear! We came up and down two today, which was ridiculous! To make matters worse, it starting pouring just before I started ascending the second one, making it a slippery climb. Needless to say, I was glad to get to the shelter today (Niday Shelter).Right before descending the second ridge to Niday, I came to a sign that informed me I was on the Eastern Continental Divide. I decided to relieve my bladder on the left side of the ridge, sending a piece of me to the Gulf of Mexico! ¡Hasta Luego!I must put a shout out to Smokie and The Goat from Detroit who came through with that sports section today. The Sabres vs. Senators Game 1 is tonight! I'll have to call Amy from Catawba tomorrow to find out who won. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to catch Game 2 in town on Monday! It was also nice to learn from the sports section that Lindy Ruff had been nominated for the Jack Adams Award - he deserves it.672.2 miles down, 1502.8 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-05-06
To: Gazebo at Homeplace Restaurant (Catawba, VA)
Miles today: 21.8

I'm currently sitting in a gazebo - in which I slept last night - at the Homeplace Restaurant in Catawba, VA. I was originally planning to hike only 10 miles yesterday, but because this restaurant is reputed to be the best on the trail, I pressed 21.8 miles to Catawba. There were 4 of us who made the pilgrimage from Niday Shelter yesterday - Texas (19 year old from Texas), Afterburner (retired man from CT), Sandman (retired man from eastern Massachusetts) and me - each of us heavily motivated by the promise of All-You-Can-Eat!Early in our day we came to the Audie Murphy Monument, which was erected near the site of the 1971 plane crash that took the life of the most decorated US WWII soldier. Murphy served in the European theater and earned 24 decorations, including the Medal of Honor, Legion of Merit, Distinguished Service Cross and 3 Purple Hearts. After the war, Murphy went on to star in several movies, many of them B-grade westerns. The monument was nicely ornamented and kept up, unlike many we've seen out here. I'm glad to know the local VFW does a good job maintaining it.The rest of the day was spent hiking up ridges, traversing their rocky and oftentimes dangerous tops, then descending. It was laborious to say the least, but worth it. The food here was great and they even let us camp out in their gazebos! Nice folks!I only have a little over 20 miles into town, so I'll probably get within 5 miles, camp out for the night, then scoot into town early tomorrow morning. Yee hah! With any luck I'll be able to catch the Sabres game!694.0 miles down, 1481.0 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-05-07
From: Gazebo at Homeplace Restaurant (Catawba, VA)

To: Comfort Inn at I-81 interchange
Miles today: 19.6

Well, I just got done updating my journal and I am beat! As you can tell, I broke from my plan to camp out tonight (last night) and head into town tomorrow (this morning). It started raining pretty hard about midday and it was a COLD rain. I got to the Lambert Meadows Shelter around 2pm for lunch and knew I had two real options: spend the night there (9.3 miles outside town) or floor it into town instead of camping out. When Karuna Miel, a semi-retired thru-hiker from Atlanta offered to split a room with me, I jumped at the offer and here I am typing away at the Comfort Inn at the I-81 interchange outside Daleville, VA. It's nice that I made it into town tonight, for it means I'll have a zero day tomorrow to get my body well rested before sending it through a marathon run. This upcoming week, in anticipation of family visits over the next month, I'm looking to push the envelope and get a bit ahead of the game. Unfortunately, I've learned that the Sabres vs. Senators game tomorrow will only be aired on CBC and RDS, both Canadian channels that Virginian cable doesn't carry (imagine that). I guess I'll have to watch the ESPN headlines channel again for their scrolling sports scores. What a great way to watch the game. BOO! I don't understand why the first three games of the series are only on CBC and RDS, but the other ones (I'll be on the trail for) are on OLN too, which they do get down here. Grrr!713.6 miles down, 1461.4 to go! Only 11.4 miles from the 1/3 mark!Bear Can
Date: 2006-05-07
From: Gazebo at Homeplace Restaurant (Catawba, VA)

To: Comfort Inn at I-81 Interchange (Daleville, VA)
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: broken clouds

Well, I just got done updating my journal and I am beat! As you can tell, I broke from my plan to camp out tonight (last night) and head into town tomorrow (this morning). It started raining pretty hard about midday and it was a COLD rain. I got to the Lambert Meadows Shelter around 2pm for lunch and knew I had two real options: spend the night there (9.3 miles outside town) or floor it into town instead of camping out. When Karuna Miel, a semi-retired thru-hiker from Atlanta offered to split a room with me, I jumped at the offer and here I am typing away at the Comfort Inn at the I-81 interchange outside Daleville, VA. It's nice that I made it into town tonight, for it means I'll have a zero day tomorrow to get my body well rested before sending it through a marathon run. This upcoming week, in anticipation of family visits over the next month, I'm looking to push the envelope and get a bit ahead of the game. Unfortunately, I've learned that the Sabres vs. Senators game tomorrow will only be aired on CBC and RDS, both Canadian channels that Virginian cable doesn't carry (imagine that). I guess I'll have to watch the ESPN headlines channel again for their scrolling sports scores. What a great way to watch the game. BOO! I don't understand why the first three games of the series are only on CBC and RDS, but the other ones (I'll be on the trail for) are on OLN too, which they do get down here. Grrr!713.6 miles down, 1461.4 to go! Only 11.4 miles from the 1/3 mark!Bear Can
Date: 2006-05-09
From: Howard Johnson at I-81 Interchange (Daleville, VA)

To: Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 24.9
Weather: clear sky

Let the marathon week begin! This stint consists of 212 miles in 8 days. Today was my first day and I did 24.9 miles from US 220 (Daleville, VA) to Cove Mountain Shelter. I had a zero day yesterday, so my body is ready for this week's challenge.I probably won't be seeing Sandman again anytime soon, but I'm sure glad I got to hike with him for a few days and hang out with him in Daleville yesterday. He's a retired High School teacher from Boston, so had some good advice for me regarding teaching. He's also a hockey fanatic (Bruins fan), so we had a great time talking hockey. I wish him the best of luck.Speaking of retired characters, I caught up to the Cane Train today, which is the name Mad Dog, Bill the Wanderer and Pilgrim game themselves. These guys are hilarious and if I had named their trio I'd have called them the Three Stooges. Although I went a shelter further than them today, I'm sure I'll be seeing them again.Shortly before lunch I came through a flat area with a sign informing me it was the former site of a "Collier's Pit." The sign didn't go into detail, but apparently in the mid to late 19th century (before the use of anthracite coal took off) iron ore from this area would be developed into a fuel utilizing timber and water. I have no clue what the process consisted of, but the fuel would be shipped off to nearby urban areas. I'd like to learn more about these "collier's pits". Perhaps I'll do some research when I get into town.It was around this site that I reached the 725 mile mark, meaning I had completed my first third of my AT journey! Yee hah!740.2 miles down, 1434.8 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-05-10
From: Cove Mountain Shelter

To: Matts Creek Shelter
Miles today: 29.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Whew! What a long day! I did 29.6 miles today from Cove Mountain Shelter to Matts Creek Shelter, climbing 3000' to the top of Apple Orchard Mountain in the process. The elevation I reached today I won't encounter again until the Whites in New Hampshire.Although just shy of 30 miles, today was my longest day by a few miles. If all goes well this week, I'll be doing a 34 miler before I reach Luray - yikes!I met two Buffalonians today, Bonesaw and Tricycle. They're a few years older than me and seem pretty cool. I've been creeping up on them for quite some time now, as the shelter journals show. I wonder how many other Buffalonians are out here.Well, I should hit the sack. I'm getting up early tomorrow so I can get into Buena Vista, VA before the post office closes.769.8 miles down, 1405.2 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-05-12
From: Buena Vista, VA

To: Priest Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The last two days have been polar opposites. Yesterday I hiked 23.3 miles from Matts Creek Shelter to US 60, from where I hitched into Buena Vista, VA for the night. My plan was to get there before 4:30pm when the post office would close (I had a mail drop waiting), so had to get up at 5am and hit the trail by 6am. First off, the night before the bugs were furious, so I didn't sleep too well in the shelter. Then when I got hiking I hit so many spider webs, easily 10x more than usual. It certainly wasn't a good start. Then it starting raining, a COLD rain. It was simply not my day.But then I got into town, got a room at the Budget Inn, dried my clothes on the heater, took a shower, talked to Amy and started feeling better (even if Amy didn't have very good news to convey). I slept in until 8:30am this morning, sprawled out in that big king-sized bed, loving life. I didn't leave the motel until 9:40am, quite a bit later than I'd hoped, but before I even stuck out my thumb a car pulled over to give me a ride back to the trail. Flash and Hot Flash are a retired couple that thru-hiked in '87 and now run goodies up to the shelters and give hikers rides. It was lucky for me they happened to spot me!By the time I got started hiking it was 10am, about when I'd hoped to get moving. It was sunny with blue skies, although not hot - perfect hiking weather. The ascent up the ridge was gradual and without rocks. Furthermore, once up top I stayed there all day with less than 1000' change in elevation at any given time. Both Cold Mountain and Spy Rock (named so for its strategic value during the Civil War) provided sweeping panoramic views to die for. I was in heaven! Yesterday and today couldn't have been more distinct.I'm staying at the Priest Shelter tonight, 20.9 miles from US 60. There's a whole crew of us, including Fast Layne, Orangeman, Pop Rocks, Jess and Jason. Let me tell you, this Jess and Jason duo are ridiculous! They're a stoner couple and I'm not sure how they've made it this far. In the 2 hours I've been here, they've "shredded the goof" like 6 times. We were all talking about trail folklore and Jason asked us if we'd heard of the "Trail Boss." None of us had, so he proceeded to tell us how one day he came to a sign that said "Trail Boss" with an arrow pointing down a side trail. He thought he was in Super Mario Brothers or something and had completed a level, so had to fight the boss. With this in mind, he walked down the trail for a half hour, looking for this Trail Boss. Finally, he turned around and came back to the AT, disappointed he hadn't found his opponent. As he told us this story, we all realized his folly. A while back a side trail called the Trail Boss intersected the AT - that was simply the name of the trail. Pop Rocks pointed this out to Jason and he was floored. Up to that moment he hadn't realized why he couldn't find the Trail Boss. Wow.I'm about 1/3 mile from the top of Priest Mountain, which I'll hit early tomorrow morning. I'm doing 29.7 miles, so I better get an early start. 814 miles down, 1361 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-05-13
From: Priest Shelter

To: Paul C. Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 29.7
Weather: broken clouds

Nothing like a nice relaxing night to cap off a long day. I hiked 29.7 miles today from the Priest Shelter to Paul C. Wolfe Shelter. It was a grueling day, which was almost 5 miles longer. I did lunch with Fast Layne at a shelter along the way, where I found a note from Jetwash in the shelter journal. He wanted to let me know he'd be taking a zero today in Waynesboro, so I could catch him there. Because it's only an extra five miles to Waynesboro from Paul C. Wolfe, Fast Layne decided he would hike into town, making for a 35 miler. I tentatively said I'd do the same, but fortunately for my body, I changed my mind. I figure I'll catch Jetwash on the trail tomorrow regardless, so there's no point killing myself to get into a town I wasn't even planning to visit. Today I came down and up the southern and northern walls of the Tye River Valley. The southern side was the Priest Mountain, which I came up and over first thing this morning. The northern side consisted of three ridges, a trio of demons that tortured me for six ascending miles. That climb took a toll on my energy level!The Tye River Valley was been an oft utilized travel route throughout history. In addition to merchant travel, during the Civil War it was an important Confederate supply route. However, the Tye River Valley's real claim to fame is moonshine! In a 1928 raid, officers confiscated and poured 1,750 gallons into the river. That's quite a bit of booze!Tomorrow I'm off into the Shenandoah National Park. I'm too tired to write about it now, but I've been thinking a bit about AT land acquisitions and Shenandoah is a prime example. I'll elaborate more in my next entry.843.6 miles down, 1331.4 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-05-18
From: Luray, VA

To: Camped out at Range View Cabin
Miles today: 9.4

Well, I've slacked a bit these last few days as far as writing goes. Last I wrote I was at the Paul C. Wolfe Shelter, just south of Shenandoah National Park. Since then I hiked a 25 mile day from Paul C. Wolfe to Blackrock Hut in Shenandoah, followed by a 34 mile day from Blackrock to Bearfence hut, followed by another 25 mile day from Bearfence to Thornton Gap, from where I hitched into Luray. That hitch marked the conclusion of my 212 mile, eight day stretch. WOO HOO! Much to the delight of my body, I took a zero day in Luray yesterday and today will head back to the trail and do 13 miles to the nearest shelter. It's a shame I didn't write these last few days because some neat stuff has happened. Here's a few highlights:1) I entered the National Park. Instantaneously, all the deer, squirrels and other animals changed from being skittish to being domesticated and looking for handouts. It's cool how close you can get to them and makes for some great photos, but it's certainly not natural. 2) I caught up to Jetwash a few miles into the park. It's been nice catching up with him over the past few days. Unfortunately, we'll only be together for a few more days before his dad will be down to visit and we'll split up yet again. 3) I SAW MY FIRST BEAR!!! I hadn't been in Shenandoah for more than a few hours when I heard some rustling off to my left. I glanced over and saw a dark black shape running parallel to the trail about 30' away. By the time I realized it was a bear, it had turned away and bolted off into the woods. It was a much more graceful animal than I would have imagined. Unfortunately, the whole encounter was so quick I didn't have time to snap a photo.4) My 34 mile day was hell. The terrain wasn't too bad elevation-wise, but the rocks were horrendous. My feet were SO tired that it took everything I had to make those last 10 miles. I felt quite accomplished when I reached Bearfence, although I don't think I'll be doing anymore 30 milers!I know I said I'd write about AT land acquisitions, but once again I'm out of time. Time to get back out on the trail. 927.6 miles down, 1247.4 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-05-18
From: Luray, VA

To: Camped out at Range View Cabin
Miles today: 0.0

What a lazy but fun day it's been. Jetwash and I kicked it in Luray for quite a while this morning. We hit up the Post Office and library, and by the time we were done there it was a perfect time to split a pizza.We didn't end up getting to the trail until 2:45pm, but still had every intention of going 13 miles to the Gravel Spring Shelter. However, about halfway we decided to take a break at the Elkwallow Wayside (a camp store in the Shenandoah National Park), where we witnessed a raccoon climb inside a supposedly animal-proof trash can. It was hilarious, so we got our cameras out and waited for the beast to make its exit from the can. We ended up waiting for an hour - this guy must have really been gorging himself in there! In the end we decided to force a photo op. We attached my camera to one of my trekking poles and set it on auto. With the other trekking pole Jetwash opened the garbage can and I poked the camera into the opening. Apparently the raccoon wasn't too fond of this setup for it let out a hideous growl I hadn't thought a raccoon capable of! The picture was funny as hell, leaving us both to agree it was worth the wait.Unfortunately, it was after 7pm by the time we left the Wayside. With 5 miles to Gravel Springs Shelter, we decided instead to camp out by the locked Range View Cabin, making for a whopping 9.4 miles day! Whatever, it was a fun day.The other big plus to the day (which I can't believe I didn't think to mention yet) was we had three, yes three, bear sightings. Interestingly enough, all three bears ran off as soon as they saw us. All three were adults, but one was a bit younger and more curious, so ran off a bit, but then stopped to check us out. It would have been a perfect camera moment had it not ran off for good when Jetwash reached inside his pack. Afterward Jetwash mentioned that he had read the bears in Shenandoah are conditioned to fear humans, which probably explains why every bear I've seen as booked. Four bear sightings in the last week! And to think I had never seen a bear while backpacking before this week. Off to bed. We'll have to make up for our laziness these next few days!937 miles down, 1238 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-05-19
From: Camped out at Range View Cabin

To: Jim and Molly Denton Shelter
Miles today: 23.5
Weather: light rain

Jetwash and I slept in until 7am or so today, enjoying the warmth of our sleeping bags on a chilly morning. We woke up to find the grassy spots where we had pissed the night before had been chewed up by deer. I had noticed them fighting over these spots last night, but couldn't believe they ate everything right down to the soil! We must have some good tasting urine.We hiked 23.5 miles today from the Range View Cabin to Jim and Molly Denton Shelter, leaving Shenandoah National Park in the process. I was somewhat sad to leave the park, especially before experiencing one of their Waysides' renowned blackberry milkshakes, but I'm excited to be done with Virginia and reach Harpers Ferry in a few days! I've been reading Osborne Anderson's account of the 1859 raid on Harpers Ferry and am excited for the place to come alive in my mind.Just before leaving the park today, we came across the foundation of an old building. For the millionth time this trip I was reminded that the land this trail runs over was once someone's home. The formation of the Shenandoah National Park in the 1920s actually forced dozens of families from land their relatives had lived on for generations. As evidenced by rock piles, they removed stones from the soil in order to farm. As indicated by headstones, they buried their elders in these mountains. This land was sacred to these people, yet they were forced from it to establish the park.*Obviously, Shenandoah National Park was formed before the AT, so the forced removal of inhabitants wasn't a direct result of the AT's creation. However, I sense this has been the case elsewhere. Beginning along the TN/NC border I've been picking up on euphemisms in the AT guidebooks discussing "abandoned" farmlands that had been "unprofitable." The fact that we've encountered so many former homesteads and headstones, coupled with the fact that oftentimes locals are openly hostile to hikers, causes me to question just why these lands were abandoned. I'd like to find out just how these lands were set aside for the AT and what sort of conflicts took place throughout the land acquisition process. There hasn't been ANY mention of conflict in the histories of the AT I've read. However, history is often written by the victorious - it'd be easy to omit any such conflicts from the annals.Well, I'll leave you with that thought. Tomorrow will be a 26 mile day, so I should get to bed.960.5 miles down, 1214.5 to go!Bear Can*It's ironic the US Government forced white settlers from this land much as it had forced Native Americans from it a century earlier. Of course, the two acts occurred under much different circumstances and for much different reasons, but the parallel still remains.