morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2023-04-09
From: Washington Mountain Rd. 

To: Becket Rd. 
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: clear sky

This morning I doctored my blisters and attempted to stretch, contemplating if I should attempt 11.5 miles or choose to take it easy with 8. I figured since my ankle was a bit sore last night, it¢d be safer to only hike 8. As we drove up Washington Mountain Rd., the snow started piling up higher and higher. At the ridgeline, where we were getting on trail, the snow was 3 or 4 inches deep. I figured it was just because we were in the shade, but most of the day was spent walking through snow of varying depths. Having trekked two miles through snow, I was happy to see our first road crossing at West Branch Rd. As we caught our breath and pondered whether there was a beaver dam in the marsh, a college-aged guy came running towards us from the other side of the road! I thought he was trail running, but as he got closer, I realized he was wearing normal clothes. He gasped out, ¢I just saw a moose! I tried to get around it, but it started following me, so I ran!¢ All I could say was, ¢What?!?¢ I should have asked if he was okay, but I was so excited to get a chance to see a moose that I headed the direction from which the kid came. As I crested the hill with my poles in hand and my camera ready, the moose was just across the ridge chewing on some branches! He seemed to be a young bull since he had one spike and was pretty skinny, but it was so entertaining to observe him. With every step closer to him, he took a step towards us, so I gave him a wide berth, bushwacking through brush and snow to get around him without making him anymore curious of us. The log book at October Mountain Shelter contained several entries about moose sightings, so he seems to be a local. The rest of the hike was a bit defeating. With every step, I was slipping and sliding and tripping due to bushwacking around the blowdowns and navigating the mud and snow. I could barely hike more than a mile an hour! However, I tried my best to soak up the view of Finerty Pond and Becket Mountain as I passed through. By the time 8 miles was complete, we had been hiking for 6 hours and decided to call it a day. Being Easter Sunday, tonight will be a night of rest and observation while enjoying some Thai food!
Date: 2023-06-17
From: VA 621

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: light rain

This morning I woke up raring to get hiking. I had prepared my gear, snacks, and water the night before. I ate a big breakfast and wrapped my feet. I even stretched a while. We drove to the Park & Ride lot to meet Broccoli Rob for our shuttle to the trailhead. However, there was a mix up. He didn¢t know he had to shuttle us. Meanwhile, I noticed a sign in the parking lot that warned of towing on the third Tuesday of the month (3 days from now), so we couldn¢t leave our car there after all. Luckily, Four Pines Hostel was close by and allowed us to park, but Broccoli Rob was an hour and fifteen minutes late! We didn¢t start hiking until 10:10. It already felt like a long day. The first two miles of incline to Niday Shelter were tolerable. We had to fill up on water there since all of the streams were dry for the next 8 miles. Thus, the last two miles of incline to the Eastern Continental Divide line were rough. My pack felt extremely heavy and my heels were starting to blister again! I think my shoes were a bit too loose and the four miles of incline really put stress on my heels. When we finally reached the Continental Divide, another hiker was taking a rest, and I had to sit down myself. SO DUC turned out to be a bit odd¢¦ He had all of the necessary gear and clothes for thru hiking, but his pack had an external frame and his hair was pretty matted. Then, he hoisted on his pack and said, ¢You all might want to look away.¢ As he lifted his pack on, I realized his shorts were falling off and he wasn¢t wearing any underwear! I almost got flashed! After that, I decided we had to get ahead of this guy so we wouldn¢t end up sleeping near him. He didn¢t get very far along the ridge before we passed him. The ridge was mostly rock slabs which made the midday hike sunny and hot. I was thankful for the descent. At the bottom of the mountain, we were able to view the Keffer Oak, a 300 year old oak tree. It was a beautiful resting spot that I¢d love to have taken more time at. Climbing out of the valley also provided beautiful scenery of pastures and wildflowers as we crossed several fields and fence stiles. I could walk through fields like that for eternity! But the woods called again, leading us along a windy, little path through thick underbrush. I hate hiking in that environment because it¢s impossible to see how far you¢ve come or how far you have to go, especially at the end of the day when every step hurts. The last two miles to the shelter were agonizingly slow. I did end up developing two small blisters and my head was pounding from exertion. I couldn¢t wait to crawl in my hammock tonight.
Date: 2023-06-19
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Bailey Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: light rain

Hikers always say they can¢t wait to get out of Virginia, and I¢ve never had that sentiment until today. In this section, we¢ve climbed various mountain of 3,000-4,000 feet with no views or landmarks to see. It¢s been a lot of hard work for very little reward. Waking up late today, I immediately felt rushed to get on trail. I don¢t feel like I have my routine down since it¢s been so long since I¢ve backpacked a section. The climb from Laurel Creek shelter to Kelly Knob about near killed me. It took hours to make it just 5 miles to War Spur Shelter. Then, it took me a half hour to filter all of the water needed to go 9 miles to the next shelter. All of the springs and streams in between were dry, according to the NOBOs. We didn¢t wnd up leaving War Spur until 2:45 pm and had 9 more miles to go. I was able to escape major blisters on day one, but climbing 2,000 feet in elevation again from War Spur just destroyed my heels. I realize now it was probably caused by insoles since they have a large lip around the outside. I may buy new insoles in Pearisburg if I can find some. Anyhow, once we reached Lone Pine Peak, I assumed the next 5 miles would be ridge walking. However, the trail climbed up and down the side of the mountain for no apparent reason. I was becoming very frustrated at that point. Not to mention, the last two miles before the shelter were rocky as hell. Today ended up being one of the longest days I¢ve done on trail. We didn¢t get into the shelter until 7:30 pm. I swear we teleported a mile or two because I was expecting to get there even later. I was so relieved to reach the shelter in order to soak my feet in the stream, but the other section hikers laughed in my face when I asked where the water was! Apparently, the stream at the shelter was almost dry, too. I would¢ve had to walk a steep half mile to get water, so I decided to forego the foot soak and save the rest of my water for the morning to get to the next stream. Cell service has been extremely spotty, so I wasn¢t surprised when I didn¢t have service at Bailey Gap. I was bummed I hadn¢t been able to communicate with Jesse at all, but out of pure luck, I got one bar when I laid down in my hammock to sleep. It was lovely to be able to talk to him before bed and rest my weary mind.
Date: 2023-06-19
From: Bailey Gap Shelter

To: Campsite
Miles today: 15.0

I asked Yardsale to wake me up early today, so we wouldn¢t get in as late as the night before. Plus, I heard it might rain in the afternoon. I wanted the best chance possible to avoid that. I did get myself on trail by 8:36 this morning. For once, we left the shelter and headed downhill towards Stony Creek. Stony Creek was a lovely area with plenty of water and a well maintained trail along the creek. I wish The Captain¢s place was still there. But alas, we carried on to Pine Swamp Branch Shelter for a snack. I¢m obsessed with these blueberry protein donuts I found at Walmart. They¢re the perfect mid-morning snack. I also spent another half hour filtering water which is so frustrating. I hate wasting time on that when I could be hiking, but I keep telling myself that I will hike faster if I¢m more hydrated. And I¢m more hydrated when I have filtered water ready to chug or add in electrolytes. Everyone we passed kept telling us what a nice climb we had ahead. I will say I didn¢t believe them until I saw it for myself. I¢ve never been so happy to see switchbacks in my life! I hiked almost the entire ascent without stopping! It¢s too bad there was no view at the top (again). In fact, it started raining soon after we hit the ridge. The light rain felt good until the ridge flattened out, and I got cold. It was also pretty rocky, so I had to keep my head down to watch my steps until WHAM! I saw stars. I slowly turned around to see a broken branch hanging right in the middle of the trail behind me. It¢s jagged edges stuck out in all directions. With a bruise and scratch down the middle of my forehead, I had no choice but to continue on. As soon as I started to dry off, we ended up climbing through a field of tall orchard grass that soaked me even worse and left me covered in seeds. The trail tarred and feathered me in its own way. Hitting the woods again, I was hopeful to be able to dry off again, but the weeds along both sides of the trail crowded it with long, wet leaves and thorns. I became cold once more, my feet squishing with every step. The last two miles to the campsite were a blur of weeds and wet, sore feet and goose bumps. At least it stopped raining long enough to set up camp and make dinner. This campsite above Rice Field Shelter would be so serene if the weather was nice! For now, I¢m hiding in my hammock until I¢m forced to leave it in the morning.
Date: 2023-06-20
From: Campsite

To: Cross Ave. 
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: light rain

After a restless night, I woke up early to more rain and wind. I dreaded leaving my hammock to put on my wet clothes and hike through the rain again. I tossed and turned for another hour before assessing the weather. It seemed that most of the wetness was from the wind blowing the trees. However, all of the clothes I hung on my ridgeline to dry out were on the ground. Fortunately, I put my shirt and sports bra in my hammock and had an extra pair of socks, so I really only had to put on wet shorts, shoes, and gaiters. I waited til the very last second to put them on, but I warmed up quick. After a half mile, my clothes were virtually dry. And it didn¢t even rain today! Don¢t get me wrong. Hiking with wet feet sucks. However, I knew it would be a shorter day, so I was in a good mood. Rice Field Shelter was a beautiful spot on top of a bald with an amazing view across the meadow to the towns below. However, I don¢t think I could¢ve the extra mileage yesterday. The trail was well maintained across the next 8 miles. I didn¢t stop for water once since the weather was cool and the hills were gradual. All of a sudden, the woods spit us out at a huge factory, and we walked under and over Senator Shumate Bridge. I was grateful for a little road walking before the climb to Pearisburg. Climbing up from Narrows felt like Pennsylvania again. It was steep, rocky, and muddy. Luckily, it only lasted for a mile before we reached Cross Ave. to get picked up by Angel¢s Rest Hiker Haven. This place really is like heaven. There¢s a bunk house, bath house, laundry room, and a whole trailer for a common area. Plus, there¢s tons of outdoor seating. Mischief told me they can hold up to 50 hikers! Yardsale and I shared a pizza at Pizza Plus and I bought some Hershey bars at Food Lion. Then, we came back to finish up our laundry, divvie up our food shipment, and charge our devices. I also backflushed my filter to get some more flow out of it. Hopefully, it lasts.
Date: 2023-06-21
From: Cross Ave. 

To: Sugar Run Rd. 
Miles today: 10.6

All I could think about when I woke up at Angel¢s Rest Hiker Haven was getting a large cup of coffee. It was a little bit of heaven right there in my cup! I still wasn¢t able to get my butt ready in less than an hour, so we missed the first shuttle. It turned out to work in my favor since I got another cup of coffee while we waited. Mischief made us feel right at home. He is the definition of trail community! Mountain Mike dropped us off at the trail head in mild rain. Hiking up out if Pearisburg was the steepest climb yet, but I felt at my absolute best. My muscles and feet felt great! I took a few rests, but I wasn¢t exhausted like the last four days. The rain was steady throughout the day which didn¢t bother me at first. However, my feet got wet from the weeds again and the wind was pretty fierce on the ridge. Heading under the rhododendron tunnels provided some relief from the rain and wind. We cranked out about 7 or 8 miles without stopping which was awesome, yet unintentional. Hiking in the rain makes you not want to take breaks, not want to stay hydrated, and not want to snack. Eventually, you just become miserable. Finally, I trudged far enough that I plopped down on the wet ground for a rest. After a few minutes, I got back up and high tailed it to Doc Knob shelter for lunch. I was starving! At the shelter, two other hikers were waiting out the rain, so we chatted with them while we ate. Unfortunately, I could feel the cold to my bones as soon as I sat down and stopped moving. Then, I could see my breath, so I knew I had to get moving fast. By the time we got to Woods Hole, I barely got warm. It seems like the temperature is only dropping, too. Woods Hole is awesome, though. It¢s a very calm, organic place with yoga, massage therapy, and a garden with a big log cabin and log bunk house. The pellet stove in the bunk house feels so cozy!
Date: 2023-06-23
From: Sugar Run Rd. 

To: VA 606
Miles today: 15.3

After zeroing at Woods Hole yesterday, I had bittersweet feelings waking up today. I was reluctant to drudge back out in the rain to hike 16 miles, but I was anxious to make progress on our trek. Therefore, I packed up as fast as I could to be ready to leave after breakfast. The morning meal was a bit heavy knowing everyone was departing. Yardsale and I were the first to leave, walking a half mile up the dirt road back to the trail. The sun started to peek out as we walked into the woods. The hike today was smooth as could be! The trail was well-maintained with few rocks and winding inclines. We had lunch at Wapiti shelter which was a nice spot. I even got to wear my crocs for 4 or 5 miles! Although, it did start to rain again around 2:00. My pack was starting to feel heavy, but I pushed on to the road crossing to get to Weary Feet hostel. From the trailhead, we hiked down another half mile on the road and up a gravel drive to the hostel. I was happy to see that Weary Feet is a house converted into a hostel which makes it a lot more convenient for hikers since all of the amenities are in one building. Garnering the effort to go from one building to another is tiring after a full day of hiking! Convenience is such a gift on the trail.
Date: 2023-06-24
From: US 52

To: VA-606
Miles today: 18.4

I was reluctant to slackpack today, but Yardsale convinced me, so I hustled to get out the door for our shuttle. Our shuttle driver was the sweetest old farmer I¢ve ever met. He had the most southern accent I¢ve ever heard. I couldn¢t even understand half of what he said! I was confused when he said he¢d be dropping us off a mile from the trailhead, but he showed us where the trail followed the road for that mile. Therefore, we walked down to the trailhead in purist fashion and walked up a small hill to Helveys Mill Shelter. I banked on getting water there before another ten-mile stretch without water, but I dreaded the .6 mile walk to the stream. I decided to skip filling up since the weather was mild and it was going to be an easy walk. I cruised in my crocs for a longggg while to Jenny Knob shelter. There were some dark clouds, so I reluctantly put my shoes on and hit the trail to find water. Because of the rain, the spring in the valley below was plentiful. I thought we¢d continue to walk downhill towards the road, but of course, we had a bit of a climb before that happened. Eventually, the trail opened up into a wonderful meadow followed by a suspension bridge across a lazy river. It felt great to get back to Weary Feet and jump in the shower. Too bad my feet are swollen as hell!
Date: 2023-06-25
From: US 52

To: Stealth Campsite
Miles today: 14.7

I hurriedly packed my backpack upon waking this morning, excited to leave Weary Feet since we only had two days of hiking left. Our shuttle driver, Robert, was there to greet us this morning and tell us tales of horses and cattle, hunting and fishing. On the drive to the US 52 trailhead, I immediately regretted chugging those two cups of coffee before we left. I thought I was going to puke or shit right then and there. I almost jumped out of the truck to get on trail in order to avoid an embarrassing moment. Once we got going on the gravel road, my stomach ache subsided a bit until the heat started getting to me. Today finally felt like a real summer hike compared to the last week. I was drenched in sweat within the first few miles and took in a ton more water. I definitely underestimated how much water I would need for the first seven miles. I also had to be careful with my food intake, yet again. I did end up having to make two emergency pit stops to relieve myself due to the coffee, but regardless, the heat and prolonged cardio would make anyone¢s stomach touchy. I always have to make sure I eat as soon as I feel hungry without eating too much at once. After a protein donut and our first water refill at Laurel Creek, I started to feel a bit better. Also typical of summer, the valleys were humid and buggy. Climbing up from Laurel Creek was miserably steep which made every step difficult, but simultaneously trying to shoo away gnats in your eyes and spiderwebs in your hair, while holding hiking poles, makes for a wretched experience. Glad to be out of that mess, the next few miles flew by as we hit a straight away along the side of a ridge. We made it to Jenkins shelter for lunch and what we thought would be our last water fill up before camp. It turns out, we were just in time to beat a thunderstorm. Since it was still early, Yardsale and I didn¢t mind sitting around for a few hours. We had a two-mile climb ahead, so I happily put my feet up and hydrated. Luckily, Falls  and another section hiker were at the shelter to tell us there were two streams ahead. Heading up to the primary stream was pretty doable, so I filled 2.5 liters there to bring to camp. My pack then gained about 5 pounds (literally). The rest of the incline was so steep, I could barely walk 15 steps without taking a break to catch my breath, avoid heat exhaustion, and avoid injury. Somehow, we peaked around 6:30 with enough time to set up camp at a little stealth site near Davis Farm. Shoutout to Yardsale for smashing 1000 miles of the AT. I¢ll be earning that badge tomorrow!
Date: 2023-06-26
From: Stealth Campsite

To: VA 625
Miles today: 11.9

I spent the night tossing and turning in my hammock trying to get my back and hips to stop cramping up. I was awake late enough to hear the thunderstorm roll in around 4:00 am. At least I got a few hours sleep while it rained, but the temperature dropped quite a bit. I always dread putting on my cold, wet clothes from the day before. In typical AT fashion, nothing was as it seemed today. The first five miles looked relatively flat in the guidebook, but the trail ended up consisting of steep, rocky ups and downs. It required slow, tedious steps. By the end of that ridge walk, I was purely worn out. Seeing two baby skunks perked me up, though! They were a sweet reminder that you never know what you¢ll come across at any given moment on the trail. I looked forward to getting off the ridge to fill up on water at Walker Gap, but we got turned around between the blue blazes and the dirt roat. Eventually, I just sat in the dirt and ate my lunch. I had resigned to the fact that it was going to be a shit day, so it made the ascent to Chestnut Knob a little more bearable. The incline was entirely ridge walking, but I¢ve learned in the south that one ridge leads to a taller ridge and a taller ridge. I believe we summited four different ridges before reaching Chestnut Knob. However, the spectacular view at the top did not disappoint! After the shelter, even more views of the rolling mountains presented themselves as we walked across a  bald of 2 miles of meadows. I tried to contain my excitement on the way down to the road, as I knew we would soon be finished with our section hike. I was nervous that I wouldn¢t reach 1,000 miles hiked, but I met my goal exactly at VA 625! Though we had reached the trailhead early, our shuttle driver, Craig, arrived just in time to take us out of Poor Man¢s Valley to connect with Dee in Bland.
Date: 2016-12-22
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Hey, my names Tyler I'm planning to write a journal while hiking the Appalachian trail this year. I wrote one on the PCT in '15 and found it helpful by keeping my friends and family updated, and rewarding in an interesting way.I hiked the AT in '15 and was pretty sure I would never do it again, but I'm a college student and I couldn't take another semester. I'm free in January and thats too early for most other trails in the US.I'll also be with my girlfriend, Ally, and my dog this year! Which changes this hike completely from my last. This journal will be written mostly from my perspective. Despite all of the negative information and feedback about dogs on the long distance trails, I am planning to make it as far as I can with him. This is kind of like an experiment and I do not plan on sending him away. If he cannot continue the hike, I will go home with him. It does not matter how early.In 2015, I focused mainly on gear in my preparation for the AT and this year is a little different. I have mapped out a plan in excel and have tried to keep resupplies and "town stress" to a minimum. Before, I planned as I went, and that was great- but this is a different hike.The point of this journal is to keep our families informed on where we are and give them a little information about how we are doing. Most updates will be short, especially during the winter months, and I will put some pictures up when I can. We invite anyone who is interested to follow along on our journey, and feel free to email us with any questions, or to just say hello. Especially if we met on the trail in person! It's always fun to hear from people we've seen before.I will be skipping 71 miles in the Smokies because of the dog restriction. I understand, and have lived within the purist mindset, but you skip larger sections than this because of fires out west. I would love to walk right though, as I have before, but I am not putting Maverick in a kennel for that.We have a "schedule" and a pace made up, but we are all ready to decrease or increase if needed.We will be starting early February (1st-5th,) depending on the weather.Maverick will hold a small amount of his food.Over 50% of our resupplies will be food drops, but not all of them.Most of my gear is stuff pulled from the closet this year.I am bummed about the smokies.I'll post a few more updates before the hike. Stoked to get out there.Thank you to anyone who reads this