morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-04-04
From: Jerry's Cabin Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Another hundred miles is in the bag - we're over the 300 mile mark now!The cold blustery weather we patiently tolerated the past few days is history - today was a beautiful warm and sunny day! The spirits of all hikers up and down this part of the trail were greatly uplifted.We took our time today and hiked slow, enjoying beautiful trails and great weather. The trail is taking on a different look as we are starting to pass through beautiful meadows. On this 14th day of Spring, the forest is becoming noticeably green. Beautiful Star Flowers cover entire hillsides. Tufts of new grass suddenly appeared within the last day or two.   Tagless took care not to overwork the leg (tendon) that got strained yesterday. It seems to be recovering well. By the end of the day he didn't notice a problem. At this rate, he expects back to normal with a day or two.      Tonight we are enjoying a warm campfire with hiking friends. Other here include High Tops, Boomer, Mudflap, and Jaybird.
Date: 2009-04-05
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Spivey Gap
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: clear sky

With a winter storm predicted to move in late tomorrow, today's plan was to position ourselves near Erwin, our next town stop. Tag-along and I were hiking by 8:00 am, hoping to get within 10 trails miles of Erwin.The first half of the day was physically challenging as we climbed mountains almost continuously for several hours. Nevertheless, it was beautiful and sunny all day. Again, the trail took on many different settings - meadows, open hardwood forest, ridge lines, and orchard like areas, just to name a few. The day's major highlight was eating lunch on top of Big Bald (5516' elevation) with a complete 360 degree view.After hearing an afternoon report that severe thunderstorms are predicted tonight, Tag-along and I decided to call for a shuttle at Spivey Gap (10 trail miles south of Erwin) in order to get into town before the weather deteriorated.We are staying tonight at Uncle Johnny's Hostel. Many other hikers that we've been around this week had the same idea as they showed up here as well. This is turning out to be a good plan, as snow accumulations at higher elevations are being forecast - possibly up to 12 inches. Tomorrow we are going to relax here in town. On Tuesday and Wednesday we have rented a cabin - planning to meet our daughter (Holly), son-in-law (Hayne), and two grand kids (Trey and Campbell) here. This gives us three days to rest our weary legs.Thursday morning we'll get dropped of at Spivey Gap where we left the trail, and possibly slack pack (i.e. hike very lightweight without most of our gear) into Erwin. We plan to stay in town another night and then head north.Many of the younger hikers feel pressured to hike big miles every day in order to finish before school starts in the fall. Some are getting sick or having problems with blisters, bad knees, etc. We are fortunate in that we don't have a certain date that we must finish by. Leaving in early March has given us plenty of time to see this adventure through to the end.
Date: 2009-04-08
From: Spivey Gap

To: Erwin
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I (Tagless) accidentally broke the LCD screen on our Blackberry yesterday and had to ship it off for repair. As a result, we will be unable to access email, make phone calls, and upload Trail Journal entries until arriving at the Kinkora Hostel next week - ETA April 15. Our repaired Blackberry should be waiting for us there.We have thoroughly enjoyed relaxing in Erwin the past two days with our daughter Holly, son-in-law Hayne, and grandkids Trey and Campbell. Yesterday Tag-along, Hayne, and Trey did a morning hike on the AT while Tagless and Holly picked up needed resupply items for the next leg of our hike. We then drove to Johnson City and spent the afternoon at Fun Expedition, an indoor game park with arcade games, go carts, batting cages, bowling, lazar tag, a climbing wall, and many other attractions. Family members Alice (My father¢s sister) and Fred Burrell joined us for dinner at Outback Steakhouse and then treated us to some outstanding Key Lime Pie at their nearby home. Fred shared a big batch of his World Famous Peanut Butter Fudge, which won¢t last very long when our hiker friends become aware.This morning Holly and Hayne dropped us off Spivey Gap, the place that we got off the trail on Sunday. We slacked packed 11.2 miles into Erwin, where we will stay one more night. My ankle feels perfectly normal now. Taking three days off from hiking was great for our legs. Perhaps the lesson noted here is take time to recover when the possibility of injury seems to be setting in.Tomorrow we hit the trail early, hiking out of Erwin toward Dennis Cove, 83.9 miles up the trail. It looks like we¢ll be hiking in rain for a couple of the next days. Such is life on the trail.Note: Six pictures were added to our Photo section yesterday.
Date: 2009-04-10
From: Erwin

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: light rain

In spite of leaving during thunderstorms, our departure from Erwin was easy to us in a couple of ways. This was our first hike out an AT trail town that began with fairly level terrain - allowing us to get warmed up before the inevitable mountain climb.We also did a better job of organizing our food resupply this time - eliminating all unnecessary packaging. For instance, ten hot apple cider packets were thrown away when the contents were combined into one baggy. We continue to work on reducing pack weight. Tagless sent home his third Blackberry battery (which hasn't been needed) and other unused odds and ends, shaving off half a pound. All of these adjustments may seem insignificant, but make a notable difference collectively.The sun came out about lunchtime, but that period of good weather didn't last long. As we moved over Beauty Spot it was obvious that more thunderstorms were on the way. We pitched our Tarptent at Deep Gap along with ten others (Packadivas, Ms. Muster, Katchup, Ducky, Stride, and Jones). Tagless was the only guy tenting with eleven ladies. He didn't seem to mind much. This was our first night of tent camping on the AT during thunderstorms and lightning - no doubt the first of many to come.
Date: 2009-04-11
From: Deep Gap

To: Greasy Creek
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: light rain

Thunderstorms continued to rumble throughout the night. Winds picked up quite a bit, causing a problem for Ms. Muster and Katchup - blowing rain into their tent. We continue to be very pleased with how our Tarptent performs in all kinds of conditions. Tagless and I packed up (one at a time) in our Tarptent, staying out of the rain for as long as possible. The final step before moving outside is putting on rain gear. We've got this routine well organized now. Once outside, we pack our tent and immediately start hiking.Today's walk began immediately with a steep uphill climb. For once we were grateful, knowing that it would warm us up quickly.Our plan was to stay at the Greasy Creek Hostel, one half mile off the trail, but Just as we got into Greasy Creek the skies cleared. We set up camp with Ms. Muster and Katch-up - both anxious to dry out their stuff.Tomorrow will prove to be a challenging day!
Date: 2009-04-12
From: Greasy Creek

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

Easter Sunday offered beautiful sunny weather. This was to be the last day we would hike at 6000 feet elevation before getting into New Hampshire.An exciting aspect of the day was the picnic that Grommet's roommate and mother were delivering up the trail later that day. Any possibility of "real food", rather than our usual trail food gets us very excited. Only Roan Mountain stood between us and that picnic.Ascending Roan Mountain was one of the more scenic but difficult climbs we've experienced so far. There were very few switch backs throughout our 3300 feet of climbing. For the most part the trail went straight up. Moving over the many steep steps installed by trail maintainers was like climbing 2-3 "regular" steps at a time. A major highlight was that the Easter Bunny came to us in the form of Nice Lenses. He was hiking a section southbound before taking a few days off to attend a family gathering. We were excited to see himOnce on top we had to navigate through miles of icy snow banks - leftover from a recent winter storm. When we finally arrived at Carter's Gap a wonderful Easter picnic awaited us. Also there were Packadivas, Ducky, Jones, and Cajun.Freshly fueled and rejuvenated, we pressed on another five miles to the Overmountain Shelter. This is actually a barn that has been converted to a huge shelter overlooking a beautiful mountain valley scene. We went to bed early, hoping to get a good night's sleep. Little did we know then what we would be in for tomorrow!
Date: 2009-04-13
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Mountain Harbor Hostel
Miles today: 9.2

"This is bad - this is REALLY BAD", yelled Hot Wheels. We weren't about to disagree. But we are getting ahead of ourselves - the story actually began several hours earlier...As rain and wind moved in during the night, Tag-along and I were glad we decided to sleep in the upper floor of the Over Mountain Barn Shelter. There were about 15 other hikers there for the night as well, including Packadivas, Hot Wheels, Ms. Muster, Katchup, Ducky, Alf, and Teckla Unlike the other hikers that decided to sleep on the first floor outside decks, we were completely protected from the wet and blowing weather. Ducky seemed to be getting sick..Everyone slept quite well until about five in the morning. That's when the wind began to howl and our barn shelter started creaking and buffeting. About daybreak, we loaded up and set off - excited that we would be staying at the Mountain Harbor Bed and Breakfast and Hostel that evening.As Tag-along and I began our first ascent, Hump Mountain, the strengthening wind velocity was unlike anything we had ever experienced - easily 50-60 mph (confirmed later). It was all we could do to remain standing while slowly moving in the direction of the trail - leaning into the wind at a thirty degree angle. Our pack covers and Tagless's Rain Skirt blew loose - viciously flapping sideways. My bandanna was ripped from my pack, no doubt on it's way to the next county.Near the summit of Hump Mountain, Tag-along and I noticed Hot Wheels desperately seeking shelter behind a rock - trying to regain possession of his poncho which was getting ripped from his body. "This is bad - this is REALLY BAD", he shouted. It took us several hours to "hike" the next three miles of exposed mountain balds and ridges that followed. We were pushed backward and sideways the entire time. Some hikers later reported getting blown off their feet by wind gusts that day. This was the same morning the Atlanta experienced a lot of wind damage and power outages.         Once on the lee ward side of the mountain, as we began our descent, the wind finally subsided. That stretch of the trail was extremely technical due to continuous rock scrambles and exposed tree roots. This looked like a very good place to get injured, so once again we moved deliberately slow.Meanwhile back at the Over Mountain Barn Shelter, an ambulance had to be called for Ducky who had become severely dehydrated. Our reward for the day was staying at the Mountain Harbor Bed and Breakfast and Hostel, one third of a mile off the trail. The owners, Mary and Terry Hill couldn't have been more hospitable - doing our laundry, shuttling us into town, and serving up an award winning breakfast. We highly recommend this place!
Date: 2009-04-14
From: Mountain Harbor Hostel

To: Mountaineer Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: light rain

Thru hikers are constantly making decisions about how to divide distances to get to the next town. It often gets down to waking up and confirming a plan for the day. Entering into the equation are considerations like terrain, weather, the locations and quality of shelters, other camp sites that might be available, remaining food supply, and of course water availability.Today's plan was based mainly on shelter quality. The Mountaineer Shelter was only 9 miles out, but it is one of the newer shelters on the trail - a triple decker. We decided to stay there, even though it meant we hike a 15 miler tomorrow to get to the Kincora Hostel. The plan worked out well weather wise. Tag-along and I walked through an hour of rain in the morning, but the rest of our hiking day was pleasant. Soon after we arrived at the shelter the bottom dropped. It rained hard!We had a full house that night. Other tenants included Jen and Trent, Packadivas, Hawkeye, Storyteller, Lone Wolf, Indiana Toad, and Chocolate Chip Chipmunk.I (Tagless) woke up at sunrise and looked around the shelter. There were packs hanging everywhere and jury rigged cords with hanging clothes drying - all highlighted by sunshine. At first glance it looked like an unorganized mess. It's a sight, however, that we've become comfortable with.I thought about how fun it is to experience this adventure with Tag-along and how much we love being around these hikers. You couldn't assemble a more diverse and motley crew of trail vagabonds. Yet a mutual respect exists as we all share the same goal of hiking north. Everyone has the same simple basic needs - getting enough food and water, keeping our stuff dry, getting a good night sleep, and taking care of feet and legs needed to get us to Maine.
Date: 2009-04-15
From: Mountaineer Shelter

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 15.6

Today was noteworthy in two ways... Tag-along and I put another 100 miles in the books. We're now over the 400 mile mark, with our eye on completing twenty-five percent within the next couple weeks. This thru hike is really beginning to look doable.Also, this was the first day since we started hiking the AT that we haven't ascended and/or descended a mountain. The terrain is leveling off somewhat, relatively speaking. Our profile map after Damascus next week shows a long stretch of gently rolling trail. We're looking forward to that! We're staying at the Kincora Hostel tonight, another "must experience" point on the AT. Bob Peoples, the owner is a true "trail saint" who unselfishly devotes his life to supporting hikers and maintaining the trail. He offers a bed, use of a kitchen, shower, laundry, and town/trail shuttles - all for a suggested donation of $4.00. Bob is a true trail legend and it is a privilege for us getting to meet him! As we were relaxing at the hostel we looked in past registers/journals and found Walt's (our house sitter), Mawee and Pawee's, and Sourdough's Kincora entries. Tomorrow we slack pack!
Date: 2009-04-16
From: Kincora Hostel

To: Shook Branch
Miles today: 8.9

Bob Peoples at the Kincora Hostel offers a free slack pack (i.e. hike without your backpack) option, which we and others were glad to take advantage of. He dropped us off at the Shook Branch Recreation Area, allowing us to hike 8.9 miles southbound back to the hostel for a second night. Climbing Pond Flats Mountain in this direction is much more enjoyable than going northbound - more switch backs and a much gentler grade. Once over Pond Flats, the trail followed the Laurel Fork River for a couple of miles, culminating at Laurel Falls. It was an incredibly beautiful day of hiking! While walking along the river, we noticed an oriental lady about our age following us with a hiking staff in one hand and a rock in the other. When we stopped she stopped as well. When we moved so did she. After a couple rounds of this, we approached her and struck up a conversation. It turns out she was deathly afraid of snakes and wanted someone to walk in front to "flush them out." Tagless agreed to assume snake watch duty and lead the way.That evening at the hostel, Tag-along made a home cooked meal - something that we miss a lot.Tomorrow we head toward Damascus, planning to arrive Sunday after two long days of hiking.
Date: 2009-04-17
From: Shook Branch

To: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

After Bob Peoples shuttled us to Shook Branch and we said our goodbyes, Tagless and I had a beautiful morning hike around Watauga Lake, walking along a ridgeline most of the day.It was a long day, and we were exhausted when we arrived at the Iron Mountain Shelter. Other hiking friends there included Packadivas, Ms. Muster and Katchup, Indiana Toad and Chocolate Chipmunk, and Cajun. The evening was clear and beautiful and most of us tented. One more long hiking day tomorrow will get us within ten miles of Damascus.We still are in awe of what a great adventure this is. The people, the beautiful trail, and the physical challenges make every day memorable.
Date: 2009-04-18
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: Abingdon Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

After a good night's sleep, Tag-along and I got an early start as we had near 16 miles to cover.This is the first morning of our AT hike that we didn't need to put on a jacket. It's starting to feel like Spring. The weather was gorgeous all day, although bothersome gnats are out because it is getting warmer. Time to get out the Deet.All and all it was a fun and relaxing hiking day, walking and taking breaks with different hIking friends and eating lunch as a group. We are camped tonight at the Abingdon Gap Shelter with Packadivas, Ms. Muster and Katchup, and Fireball. Again, it's a beautiful evening and most of us are tenting.Tomorrow we can say we have completed three states as we enter Virginia!
Date: 2009-04-19
From: Abingdon Gap Shelter

To: Damascus
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: overcast clouds

The Tag Team (as other hikers have nicknamed us) is now in Virginia! With Damascus just ten miles away, Tag-along and I got up early and were walking on the trail by 7:15 this morning. It was a relatively easy hike, especially with town food drawing us in. Damascus is the second "true" trail town (i.e. the trail passes through town) that we've come to - Hot Springs being the first. It offers everything that hikers need. Lodging ranges from $4.00 per night at a local church (The Place) to all kinds of Bed and Breakfast options. We opted for a very nice above garage apartment that is reasonably priced. There are two great fully stocked outfitters in town as well.In May, Damascus hosts Trail Days, an annual gathering of thousands of AT hikers. Many of this year's thru hikers will find a ride back into town from where ever they are in order to attend. We don't plan to do that this year, as we hope to take a few days off in July to visit family. Once again, Grommet's roommate and her roommate's mother and friend delivered an incredible picnic lunch. This took a lot of effort on their part and we are really appreciative. Tomorrow is a zero day. We'll be busy with town chores including laundry, eating, shopping for resupply items, eating, uploading pictures, eating, and planning our hiking days for the next week.The eating part is important as we both are losing weight too rapidly. In Erwin, the last place we were able to weigh ourselves, I lost ten pounds and Tag-along lost seven. We're incorporating more snacks and calories each day to slow weight loss down.Planning our itinerary for the next week is critical because we are sometimes mail dropping too much food - more than we are willing to carry. We'll probably subdivide our recent shipment and mail some meals up the trail. Considering the physical challenges we face each day, our feet and legs are holding up well.Still no blisters!
Date: 2009-04-21
From: Damascus

To: Pond Campsite
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light snow

After enjoying breakfast at the Dairy King with Ms. Muster and Katchup, we headed out of Damascus in a steady rain. As unpleasant as that might sound, we've become accustomed to walking in the rain. It's no big deal when you have the right equipment. Our Montbell Peak Shell rain Jackets are performing beautifully! We'd highly recommend this to anyone looking for a new rain shell. They seem to breath very well, yet consistently keep us dry in soaking rain and driving winds. The rainy weather must have kept some hikers in town, although It cleared late in the day. Tag-along and I didn't see a northbound hiker all day. Our route out of town followed the beautiful rushing Whitetop Laurel Creek. All and all it was a very enjoyable and relaxing day of hiking. We left Damascus with packs lighter than ever. More about that in our next journal.On a less positive note, we've learned that two of our hiking friends have had to leave the trail due to injury. Lefty's knee problems were causing so much pain, he decided to take 5-6 weeks off. Jaybird recently had a knee injury and had to be evacuated in an all terrain vehicle. Lefty and Jaybird, if you happened to read this, we wish both of you a speedy recovery and hope to hear about your return to the trail soon.Special thanks to Nice Lenses for providing an update about Lefty on his Trail Journals website.
Date: 2009-04-22
From: Pond Campsite

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: light rain

The Tag Team made a good effort today - hiking 16.2 miles with over 3000 foot elevation gains.Temps were in the mid forties, cold by most standards, quite acceptable for hiking - except when we stopped moving. Once again, we had the trail to ourselves. Ironwood was the only other northbound hiker we encountered. Looks like we are going to be ahead of our hiking friends for a while, as everyone decided to zero a second day in Damascus due to morning rain.Tonight we are in the Thomas Knob Shelter (5400' elevation) on the top of Mount Rogers, the highest mountain in Virginia. This is a nice two level shelter, built in 1991. The walls are chinked log construction and heavy timbers secure the metal roof. That's reassuring as the winds must get extremely high on this open mountaintop. In addition to a breathtaking view, there are free roaming wild ponies in the fields near the shelter. Tomorrow's hiking should be absolutely fantastic as we move through the Grayson Highlands - the home of hundreds of wild ponies.We mentioned leaving Damascus with lighter packs. That's because we decided to try the new Therorest Evoair sleeping pads - just 14 ounces, shaving off 10 ounces compard to our Big Agnes pads. We'll do a review of the Neoair sometime in the future.We're cozy in bed now, up in the shelter loft. It sure seems like the winds are picking up.
Date: 2009-04-23
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: clear sky

Winds on top of Mount Rogers howled through the night. At one point a blowing limb smacked the shelter. That got the adrenaline going! Other time it sounded as if the metal roof was getting ripped up. Everything was intact in the morning, however.Tag-along left a snack in a pack side pocket. A mouse found it and moved it into the other side pocket to snack. No damage done. Occasionally our daily mileage total doesn't reflect how challenging the day really was. Today's 11 mile hike is a good example of that. Tag-along described today's terrain as "rocky, ankle turning, watch each step trail." Walking all day on that type of trail is a recipe for injury. One bad step could sprain an ankle or blow out a knee. Tag-along and I try to stay aware of this, which sometimes means moving very slowly and deliberately. This makes for a long hiking day and sore feet. On the plus side, the views through Mount Rogers State Park were incredible - worthy of slowing down and taking in. The sky was blue, no rain. We encountered a herd of wild ponies. They wouldn't let us get anywhere near them. We are thinking about our granddaughter Campbell who is three years old today. Tag-along and I are tent camping this evening in a grassy field next to the Old Orchard Shelter.Ducky and her dog Madison (the happiest hiking dog on the AT from what we've observed) are here. We enjoyed dinner this evening with Ducky and three new hiking friends we just met today - Dinnertime, Double Vision, and Jutebox Hero. Bow Willow is here as well.We've put another hundred miles behind us - bringing us over the 500 mark!