morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2021-05-08
From: Campbell Shelter

To: US 11, Troutville
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: clear sky

Today I passed over Tinker Cliffs. Like McAfee Knob, this site has great views of the Appalachians. Tinker Cliffs also has a nice view looking back at McAfee Knob. The rest of the day was spent treking down into Daleville and Troutville. I made it there by 3:30, giving us enough time to get to an outfitter to try on new shoes.My feet were pretty sore, and I really didn't feel comfortable in any of the shoes I tried on. But I chose a style that a number of other hikers recommended to me because the shoes had lots of mid sole cushioning, and that's what was lacking in my current shoes. The owner of the store was very helpful. It turns out he was born in State College, PA, where we live. Nice guy too. In my size they only came in one color. It was a funky blue and orange/red combination as shown in the photo. I sent a photo home and my five year old grandson Asa said "Superman!". I love how he thinks. That's going to be a hard one to live up to but I certainly think my feet will be happier.
Date: 2021-05-09
From: US 11, Troutville

To: US 11, Troutville
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

We took today off to celebrate Mother's Day and to get a day of rest. We celebrated by going to church and doing our laundry at a coin operated local laundromat. We went to church at St Andrews Catholic Church in Roanoke, which is really old and cool. I think it's on the national historical register but I may be just making that up. The laundromat was interesting also. It's been a long time since we spent time at a laundromat.We ate dinner tonight at Angelle's Diner, a local place with very good food and lots of it. Lucy got a PBR there, her favorite Mother's Day beer.  Except that we just hung around and caught up on email and other meaningless activities. Back on the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2021-05-10
From: US 11, Troutville

To: Peaks of Otter View
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: light rain

Today we got up early to get Tom on the trail. I think he was anxious to try out his new shoes. I know these last few days have been pretty painful for him. As for me, i spent most of the day on the Blue Ridge Parkway I found a spot near Harvey's Knob, and pretty much just stayed parked there all day. The AT crosses near this parking lot so i was ready with my water jugs, and today.... chocolate chip cookies. Pictures can not show the depth, and vast amount of space these mountains hold. It is gorgeous. I took this picture at Pine Tree Overlook. I chuckled on the one lonely pine tree at the overlook.On the nature front, as we were setting up out tent tonight a doe came by checking us out. We were within 20 ft of her but neither of us had our cameras ready. Oh well, maybe next time.
Date: 2021-05-11
From: Peaks of Otter View

To: Cornelius Creek Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: moderate rain

Yesterday evening we were able to catch the sunset from the Peaks of Otter overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. We don't usually camp near a location where we can get such a nice view, so it was pretty special to catch the sunset. We created a little campsite in the woods close to the overlook so we didn't have to hike in the dark to get to our tent.The hike today had the usual ups and downs along the ridges. Along the way I passed the Bryant Ridge Shelter. This double-decker shelter can hold 20 people and the workmanship in the construction was pretty impressive. They must have good congressmen here.We're tenting tonight at the Cornelius Creek Shelter. We never actually stay inside the shelters. We set up our tent nearby. We like to be near the shelter because we like the social interaction. There are some pretty interesting characters out here and it's entertaining to trade stories.
Date: 2021-05-12
From: Cornelius Creek Shelter

To: James River
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: clear sky

The trail went past The Guillotine today, another of the land marks in Virginia. As the picture shows there's a rock wedged between two rock walls that looks like it can drop at any second. Since I don't have any French blood I figured I could walk under without a problem. The rest of the hike was uneventful. It was mostly downhill to the James River.Meanwhile, Lucy was off to get her cell phone replaced. The face of the phone was smashed when she fell back in March. We're finally far enough north to be close to an Xfinity store. After hiking about 3 miles to the truck this morning, she hopped in the truck and drove an hour to Lynchburg, VA. It took a while, but she's now on line with her new phone. One concern she had was the gas situation. She passed 7 gas stations along the way to Lynchburg, but only one of them has gas.We were not able to meet tonight to camp together. She's found her way to the Punchbowl Shelter, and I was 12 miles south in my hammock near the James River. Tomorrow we'll meet and head into Lexington, get a hotel room, and hopefully meet up with my sister Gloria, who's on her way back to PA from Georgia, Hopefully the gas situation allows that to happen.
Date: 2021-05-13
From: James River

To: Reservoir Rd
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: clear sky

Today was Lucy's Birthday. She was able to talk to all of the grandkids, except Fallon, who's still an infant. That made her pretty happy. She spent much of the day handing out food and water as usual. She was doing this about four miles south of my final destination. When I crossed paths with her I was with a group of 6 other hikers. We were all going to the same final destination for the day, so everyone threw their packs into the back of the truck and Lucy then drove the packs to the end. Everyone appreciated the four mile hike without packs.Lucy and I went out to a restaurant in Lexington, VA, and had a nice meal to celebrate her birthday. Then we did laundry ... very romantic.Today's photo is the foot bridge across the James River. It's the longest one on the AT. It's named after William Foot (who else?), a dedicated trail volunteer.
Date: 2021-05-14
From: Reservoir Rd

To: Salt Log Gap
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: broken clouds

Yesterday as I was hiking I came across the two trail volunteers in the attached photo. They were cutting back the high grass and weeds around the trail to make it easier for hikers. Thing is, they were using manual grass whips instead of a gasoline powered weed whacker. I talked to them about this and they said that they couldn't use power tools because that section of the trail was in a national wilderness area and power tools weren't allowed. Imagine cutting the weeds on the trail with a manual tool like that. But they were dedicated to doing it. Later on I came upon two elderly ladies cutting a two- foot diameter log that had fallen across the trail. They were using one of those two-person manual logging saws. It's so impressive how these volunteers dedicate their time to the trail.Speaking of volunteer support,. Today there was some amazing trail magic half way up a big climb.  Trail magic can come in many forms. It can be volunteers who maintain the trail. It could be a simple drop off of a cooler near a trail head full of ice cold drinks . Or as we saw today a group of people who had a smorgasbord of food....hot dog, beans, fresh oaks of carrots/celery, corn on the cob, potato salad, cookies and fresh fruits. One thing for sure it is always appreciated by hikers. It's always a welcome sight to see kindness shown.
Date: 2021-05-15
From: Salt Log Gap

To: Tye River
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: clear sky

Today we met up with SlowMo (in the rose colored shirt) and SlowPoke, two northbound hikers about our age. Most of the hikers we've seen are in their 20's, so it was nice to spend time with people in our age group. SlowMo is a hospital construction supervisor from Silver Spring, MD. SlowPoke is from Shorts Creek, VA. We're not sure what he does. These two guys met on the trail in Damascas and they're going to hike together into PA. They're just kind of mosying along, hiking only the sections of the trail that interest them. They were fun to talk to. SlowPoke claims there is never a bad day on the trail. "Why would you be here if there was". Lucy offered both a day of slack-packing tomorrow since we are going to the same place. SlowMo declined graciously but SlowPoke joked that he would like her to take his pack and him too. We hope to meet up with them at a local brewery in a day or two.
Date: 2021-05-16
From: Tye River

To: Dripping Rock
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: few clouds

We got off the trail today at one of the intersections with the Blue Ridge Parkway. The trail crisscrosses the Parkway a number of times as it makes it's way north. There aren't many camping spots in this stretch, but we learned that a local brewery, Devil's Backbone, offers free camping.So, Lucy picked me up and off we went to the brewery. Upon arrival we went directly to the restaurant for food and a couple beers. Then we set up our tent in a designated spot for hikers, talked to some of the other hikers, then back to the restaurant for another beer. I think we have a problem.While there we met up with the Lost Boys, four young men who Lucy gave food and water to a couple weeks ago, and they remembered her. Really nice guys. Tonight our tent is set up on real grass, not the usual dirt or leaves. One of the many luxuries here.Tomorrow we'll hike into Waynesboro, the start of the Shenandoah's. And we'll finally meet up with my sister Gloria. We're really looking forward to that.
Date: 2021-05-17
From: Dripping Rock

To: Rockfish Gap
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: broken clouds

We made it to Waynesboro, VA today, the entry point for Shenandoah National Park. The trail will be less challenging in this 120 mile section and we're really looking forward to that. In addition, there are a number of places where the trail crosses Skyline Drive and there are waysides at some of these crossings. The waysides typically have real food. It will be a big bonus to be able to stop there in the middle of the day and fuel up.Today's big event was meeting up with my sister Gloria. She was driving to PA from her son Brandon and and his wife Beth Ann's place in GA and stopped by for dinner. It was great to spend time with her. She also came bearing gifts. She had birthday gifts for Lucy and high calorie food for me, some of it from Brandon and Beth Ann's store. She also paid for our dinner. That was totally unexpected and we were very appreciative. Tomorrow she's going to hike the trail a bit with us.
Date: 2021-05-18
From: Rockfish Gap

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: broken clouds

My sister Gloria wanted to hike part of the trail with me today. So, we picked we up at her hotel and headed to Rockfish Gap, the entry point for northbounders entering Shenandoah National Park. We hiked together for almost 4 miles and I really enjoyed her company. The trail was rocky in spots but she navigated the rocks pretty well. It was great to spend time with her this way. Lucy met up with where the trail crossed Skyline Drive. We said our goodbyes and I continued northbound while Lucy drove Glor back to her car in Waynesboro so she could drive home.The trail conditions improved after that. There were ups and downs but nothing major. The trail surface was well-groomed, with very few rocks to be concerned about. Many of the hikers I talked to are planning to increase their daily mileage in this section of the trail because of the nice trail conditions.
Date: 2021-05-19
From: Blackrock Hut

To: Hightop Hut
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: clear sky

Last night a whipoorwill decided to park himself in a tree right beside our tent. It was kind of interesting at first, but he chanted his call for hours. At about 2:00 am he flew somewhere else but we could still hear him in the distance. Then, a couple hours later he came back to the tree near our tent and continued. Don't those birds ever sleep? He was so loud we couldn't get much sleep.I saw my first rattlesnake near the trail today. A couple southbounders warned me about it when they passed me after they saw the snake. So, I was on pins and needles as I walked up the trail. I heard the rattle well before I saw the snake. The snake was about 6-8 feet off the side of the trail. It was all coiled up with it's rattle up above it's body. It looked like it was ready to for some action, but from a safe distance I took a few seconds to take the photo in this post. You can see it blended in very well with the surroundings. If you look closely you can see his rattle up above the body and his head on the ground
Date: 2021-05-20
From: Hightop Hut

To: Big Meadows Campground
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: overcast clouds

.More Trail CharactersA while back I ran into Two Turtles, a big young guy who just finished his service with the Marine Corps and was hiking the trail before starting a new career. I asked him about his name and he showed me the tattoo on his right leg. He said he liked the movie "Finding Nemo" so much that he had the character Crush and his son Squirt tattooed on his leg. I thought that was awesome. That's one of my favorite movies also. He said the tattoo was really painful but it was worth it.Yesterday I met a young lady at a trail magic stop who broke her foot on the trail in late March. That would have totally ended this year's thru-hike for most people. But she is now back on the trail hiking 10 mile days, trying to manage the pain and finish her hike. Whoa!We also ran into Patches yesterday. As the trail crossed Skyline Drive we noticed a full backpack laying by the roadside.  Patches was sitting on the other side of the road. When we crossed the road we asked if that was his backpack, he said : "Yeah, we're together over 10 hours a day. We need some time away from each other"
Date: 2021-05-21
From: Big Meadows Campground

To: Birds Nest #3 Hut
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: broken clouds

In Shenandoah National Park the trail follows scenic Skyline Drive for over 100 miles, crisscrossing it many times. The picture in this post shows Skyline Drive and the surroundings. This picture was taken from a vantage point on the AT. Since the trail and the road generally follows the ridge tops there aren't many big elevation changes in this section of trail. For the last few days the trail has been in great condition.Today I cut back the mileage a bit. The trail was a bit rockier. I'm also trying to avoid too much wear and tear on my feet and other body parts.  Lucy has been continuing to do her trail magic activities, handing out food and water, and shuttling people into town. She particularly enjoys starting campfires at the shelters and socializing.
Date: 2021-05-22
From: Birds Nest #3 Hut

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: clear sky

In the Shenandoah Park there are a number of waysides spaced along Skyline Drive. Waysides have souvenirs, ice cream, and a good selection of dehydrated food for hikers. After Memorial Day the waysides will have hot grilled food. The picture in today's post shows the Elkwallow Wayside, which is the northernmost one in the park. With all of the waysides and the campground stores, a backpacker never has to carry more than one day of food at a time. Another big plus for this stretch of the trail.Tomorrow we'll leave the park at the northern end and stay in a hotel in Front Royal. It will be nice to get a shower, do laundry, and sleep in a bed. After that we'll only have about 50 miles left in Virginia. Soon we'll be entering our home state of Pennsylvania
Date: 2021-05-23
From: Gravel Springs Hut

To: Front Royal
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Today, Sunday, we say good bye (for now) to the Shenandoah Parkway. As for me, I am a little sad to be leaving the views that I've come upon this past week on the Parkway. Also, I am not seeing as many through hikers as I did 2 weeks ago. A few days ago I set up trail magic (bananas, oranges, cookies, water and trash bags) for the hikers. I was there about 2 hrs and my 1st hiker was Tom. °¤£. Patches showed up in another 10 min. As we talked, he needed a resupply, so i gave him a ride into town. On a nature note, I really enjoyed the numerous overlooks on the Parkway. I would have breakfast and lunch looking out across the valley. The picture above shows one of those outlooks. However, if you take a closer look, there is a black dot about in the middle of my picture. That is a hawk soaring with the updraft of wind from the mountains. I am amazed how they can soar up and down and across the valley without using any effort in flight. For me, that was an awesome sight.
Date: 2021-05-24
From: Front Royal

To: Signal Knob
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: clear sky

For the last couple days we've been meeting up with Andy and Chris, a couple close to our age from South Carolina. They've been hiking sections of the trail for a number of years and they're close to finishing the whole trail. They actually met on the trail a number of years ago. They eventually married and they hike the trail together, sometimes returning to the hostel where they first met. We're going to try to hook up with them in Maine, since we'll be doing that section about the same time The trail was a lonely place today. Except for ruing into a young family that was out for a short day hike, I didn't see a single person until I reached a shelter after about 15 miles. It rained most of the day. The rain was light until about noon and then it intensified a bit in the afternoon. I suppose many hikers either stayed multiple nights at shelters or stayed in the town of Front Royal to avoid the rain.Although the terrain was relatively easy, the trail today was a bit claustrophobic. The underbrush is now fully developed and created the green tunnel effect that many people talk about on east coast trails.Since there were few human contacts today, the picture in this post shows a turtle that was hanging out on the trail near a bog.  I don't see turtles like this very often, so it was a treat to run into it.
Date: 2021-05-25
From: Signal Knob

To: Snicker's Gap
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Big milestone today ... 1000 miles. It's been quite an adventure so far. We've seen lots of amazing scenery, endured rain, hail, cold, heat and high winds, and we've met some really fun and interesting people. We interract with many of these people for a single night at a shelter or hostel. Others we may see for a number of days. It's just a matter of how our hiking paces line up.The hike today included the Roller Coaster, another Virginia landmark. The Roller Coaster is a thirteen mile section of trail that includes many ups and downs. The elevation change on each ascent and descent is about 300- 400 feet. So, it doesn't look too daunting, but the worst part is the rocks. It was rocky the whole way through this section, and it really beats you up. This is a precursor of things to come as we head north.
Date: 2021-05-26
From: Snicker's Gap

To: Harpers Ferry
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: scattered clouds

After 550+ miles we finally crossed the Virginia state line and entered Harper's Ferry, WV today. Our original plan was to stop about 4 miles short of the town and camp at a stealth site, but heavy thunderstorms were predicted. So, I hiked on through and Lucy picked me up on the outskirts of town. Tonight we're in a hotel in Charlestown, WV. As expected, the thunderstorms made their appearance. The strong winds knocked down trees and power lines were down in some areas. I'm glad we weren't in the woods.So we're on to West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania in quick succession. Virginia had a lot to offer, but we spent a lot of time in that state and we're glad to move on. Four states down, ten to go.
Date: 2021-05-27
From: Harpers Ferry

To: Crampton Gap
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: light rain

The first stop on the agenda was the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) Headquarters in Harpers Ferry. They had been closed due to Covid, and today's the day they're opening. Most hikers pick up a hang tag for their backpacks when they start their hikes in Georgia, but the ATC did not offer hang tags because they were recommending hikers stay off the trail due to Covid.  Recently they decided to approve hiking.  There's a lot of scuttlebutt among the hiking community about the ATC.  The hikers I've talked to aren't concerned about what the ATC approves or disapproves. They're just out here enjoying nature, wearing masks when appropriate in trail towns. The ATC is really out of touch with the hikers. Anyhow, we picked up our hang tags, had our picture taken, and moved on.We had a nice surprise when we reached Gathland State Park in MD today. A lady named Vicky (trail name : the Real Deal, I think) was handing out trail magic. When I met her, she asked me my trail name. After I told her, she said she's been following our journal. She's the first person we've met on the trail that's been reading our journal. That's cool.But the best part was the trail magic itself.  Vicky has salads, strawberries, blueberries, apples, and other healthy food. After eating packaged carbs on the trail for days on end it was great to get some fresh healthy nourishment. We completed the short section of in West Virginia today. Five states down, nine to go.
Date: 2021-05-28
From: Crampton Gap

To: Pogo Memorial Campsite
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: few clouds

The trail through Maryland has been very nice so far. After the climb up South Mountain from Harpers Ferry, the trail just rides the ridge. And most of the time the trail had been on old forest roads that were graded at one time. So, the surface has been relatively smooth with no steep hills. Many hikers use this as an opportunity to add extra miles. I'm treating this as a chance to rest a bit before we enter the tougher terrain up north.South Mountain also has lots of historical significance, especially regarding the Civil War. It appears that just about every Gap was contested leading up to the Antietam campaign in September, 1862. There are lots of placards posted, and I stop to read most of them. It's really interesting. In addition, the first Washington Monument was constructed on South Mountain. It was constructed in 1827 by the residents of nearby Boonsboro to celebrate their independence day. At the top of this monument I could see my home state of Pennsylvania. That's the first time I've seen it in almost 10 weeks. I met another Aquaman today. I met the first one back in NC/TN on Day 30. The picture of the guy I met today is in the Photos section of this journal. He claims he's the real Aquaman. He also said there's a third one on the trail somewhere. It's like there's a whole school of these creatures.
Date: 2021-05-29
From: Pogo Memorial Campsite

To: Falls Creek
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: light rain

My good friend Steve from State College arrived this morning to hike for a couple days. He and Lucy made arrangements and worked out the logistics. He met me in the morning at a road crossing in Maryland, and we hiked the rest of the day together, crossing into Pennsylvania. It was great to have his company. As we hiked along we talked about things that were happening back home and reminisced about much of the past. It was great to have his company. When we reached PenMar Park we ran into a wedding party and reception.we spent some time talking with them while they waited for the bride to show up. The Groomsmen we're amazed that anyone would walk this far. I'm not sure if they thought it was impressive or really dumb. Anyhow, they didn't offer us any fixins from the party, so we moved on. They seemed really unsure if the bride was coming. When we left she was already 20 minutes late.It was really special to arrive in our home state of Pennsylvania. It's been a long time. Now that we're north of the Mason-Dixon line we have to say Appa-LAY-chian instead of Appa-LAH-chian.  We found a campsite about a mile north of the state line and Lucy joined us from the north. It's cold for this time of year and we made a nice campfire that we tended for a long time.   Six states down, eight to go.