morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-14
From: Woods Hole Hostel

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 10.4

Breakfast this morning consisted of creme br»l©e french toast, scrambled eggs with greens, fresh fruit, and fresh baked bread. Before we hit the trail Neville provided us with a small loaf of fresh baked bread and a block of Amish cheese. I chose the smoked swiss. It was sad to leave Woods Hole and I would love to bring Anita back here someday. It was a half a mile off the trail - a full mile round trip but worth every step. It was almost 10:00 before we got back to the trail. Apa and I hiked together today and our plan is to stop in Pearisburg as we have arranged a slack pack for tomorrow. It seemed like no time before we had hiked the 2.2 miles to Docs Knob Shelter where we took a quick break. The trail was rocky in places but overall was not particularly difficult. We had several great views of the surrounding mountains and farms below us. The trees are becoming more and more green and many of these views will disappear. Apa and I spent a lot of time telling our life stories and getting to know each other better. We arrived in Pearisburg before 3:00 and checked into a hotel. We had agreed to share a room with Lady and luckily we were able to get a room with 3 beds so no one has to sleep on the floor. Lady is a 24 year old hiker from Florida, but more recently Asheville. Apa has known her for awhile but I just met her at Woods Hole. She is a nice woman and puts up with us old guys. As soon as we checked in we went to Dairy Queen next door so I could satisfy my craving for a root beer float. Then we went to a grocery store to resupply. Later we went to a Mexican restaurant for dinner where we ran into lots of other hikers. No rain, easy terrain, camaraderie, lots of food - a very good day indeed!
Date: 2013-05-15
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Stony Creek
Miles today: 21.7

After a nearly 22 mile day I'm too tired to write much. Lady, Dreamer, Apa, and I slack packed today (see pic section) but even with a light pack 22 miles is still a long way!We had a major climb and and then spent most of the day going up and down on a ridge. The views were pretty, and butterflies and wildflowers were abundant. It was a hot day and water was scarce. I drank 4 liters of water and still felt a little dehydrated. Visiting The Captain's place was fun. You sit on a swing and pull yourself over a river - or someone else pulls you. It's kind of like a zip line. Smiley Virgin pulled me over and cackled with laughter the whole time. All of use struggled with the heat and, at times, rocky terrain. I'm too tired to write more . . . Oh, one more thing. If anyone from Virginia is reading this, I'd like to go to Trail Days in Damascus on Friday. If you could pick me up and give me a ride I'd be willing to help with gas money. Please let me know in my guest book. I have a ride back I just don't have one there. Thanks!
Date: 2013-05-16
From: Stony Creek

To: Campsite, Kelly Knob
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: overcast clouds

One thing I forgot to mention yesterday is that I saw an oriole. His color was so brilliant it was striking. He was only about 10 feet from me but I couldn't get my camera out in time to take a photo. Lady stayed behind to meet her parents so Apa, Dreamer, and I headed on. We had two significant climbs today - one at the beginning that took me back above 4,000 ft and the worst one at the end which was not as high but a much steeper climb. My knees hurt the worst they have hurt since I started. I'm sure it's probably because of the high mileage and rough terrain yesterday. I'm taking Vitamin - I on a regular basis. I met a section hiker from Jacksonville FL named A1A. He has some friends coming tomorrow and I may be able to get a ride with them to I-81. If I can get to the Interstate I have a ride arranged to Trail Days in Damascus. I had planned to get to a shelter tonight but ended up setting up my tent in the woods to escape a thunderstorm. It's nice to be all alone in the woods. Tomorrow I have less than 4 miles to hike before I come out on the road where I'll hitchhike. The rain has stopped and the night noises are all around me . . .
Date: 2013-05-19
From: Trail Days, Damascus 

To: Lexington, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

While I'm zeroing I thought I'd take the time to introduce you to one of the more memorable characters of the trail. I didn't ask for permission to share his story so I'll make it anonymous. I am relying on the truthfulness of what this person told me so I can't vouch for its validity, however he told me the story with enough detail that I believe it to be true. I will refer to this person as Tom but that is not his real name. Let me also say that I have found the AT to be a safe place to be and I hope this story will not scare anyone away from hiking the trail. I have met lots and lots of wonderful people and the hiker community really does look out for each other. I can count on one had the number of people I've met who triggered my red flags. In his youth Tom developed a problem with drugs and alcohol. He started stealing cars and ultimately got into a fight and stabbed another guy. For three years Tom hid from the law on the AT. He said that over time he could slowly begin to feel himself change as he sat around campfires and talked to hikers. He realized that he needed to take responsibility for what he had done and to turn his life around. He turned himself in and went to prison. Having served his time, today he devotes his life to helping hikers and people who are down and out. He feels that there were so many people who helped him out and this is his way of paying them back. One of the more interesting aspects of his story was the concept of a conscience or ethics even though he was a thief. To illustrate my point . . . Tom awoke one morning and his boots were frozen. He could barely get them on his feet and he was in miserable shape. He couldn't stop shivering and was probably mildly hypothermic. Tom encountered a trail maintainer who asked him if he was ok. Tom said "not really" and the trail maintainer handed this car thief the keys to his truck and said to go get warmed up and he would be down there in about 4 hours. Tom got warmed up and waited for him to return to give his keys back. I find it fascinating that even among criminals the human mind and heart can have a conscience. I enjoyed my conversations with Tom and am grateful for all that he did for me and for the things I learned from him. Tom, if you read this you will recognize your story - THANK YOU!!!On another note . . . Anita and I are zeroing in Lexington, VA. It's raining and I'm so happy to be with my best friend AND be out of the rain!!!
Date: 2013-05-20
From: Lexington, VA

To: Lexington, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Spent the day enjoying being with Anita (my wife). We drove up to the Shenandoah National Park were we coincidentally ran into Miles To Go and Flash Gordon, a couple from Maine. We gave them some snacks and food that we had in the car and wished them well. I have not seen them since Smokey Mountain National Park. It has been GREAT being with Anita. One of the hardest parts of being on the trail is being away from her. Tomorrow I will return to the trail . . .
Date: 2013-05-22
From: Niday Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: broken clouds

Honestly, I'm struggling. I'm not sure what's causing it. I just had 3 days of zeros so I don't think it's physical. My left big toe is still very painful but it has been for awhile. I miss family terribly. I know that long distance hiking is mainly mental at this point. There is a phenomenon call the Virginia blues and maybe that's it . . . whatever it is I feel like I have to push through it while being sensitive to my body's needs. It's probably all the above. It was hot and muggy again today. At the top of the first climb I took my shirt off and squeezed the sweat out of it. After walking along the ridge and then back down the mountain I came to a stream where I soaked my feet and ate lunch. During the next climb the sky began to get dark and it began to thunder. I had 1.5 miles to get to a shelter so I picked up my pace to try to get to the shelter before the storm hit. I didn't quite make it and got drenched. There wasn't anyone in the shelter so I had plenty of room hang things to dry. I got out my sleeping pad and dozed off. I woke up when Old Boy (Chicago) arrived followed shortly by BMW (Bavarian Man Walking) from Nuremberg, Germany. I only covered about 10 miles today but I've decided to stay here since the next section of the trail is a steep rocky area . . . or maybe that's my rationalization for being unmotivated! I didn't take any pictures today so I'm using one that I took of myself yesterday. There are now 5 of us in the shelter and we're sitting in the shelter eating dinner and watching the thunderstorm outside. Rationalization or not, it was a good decision to stay here.
Date: 2013-05-23
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Four Pines Hostel
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: scattered clouds

So much for my plan to not hike on wet rocks. I awoke about 5:30 to a downpour. I dozed off and on, listening to the rain until about 7:30. No one in the shelter was anxious to get out into the rain. Another German had arrived late so the shelter was full. One by one we got up, ate breakfast and watched the rain. It was around 9:00 before I got on the trail. The day was muggy, but overcast so it wasn't as hot as yesterday. The trail was wet and muddy. I did a lot of self talk to try to get myself into a better place. I was surprised when Home Brew and Lady came up behind me. They got off the trail before I did during the storm yesterday and went to a hostel. They are slack packing today back to the hostel. The trail today was one of the most difficult that I've done so far. It was also very interesting. There were steeps climbs on rocks, some of which had metal bars installed in them to lower yourself or climb up (see pics). Home Brew and Lady were very kind waiting for me to be sure that I made it down the rocks with my full pack. I took a short side trail to the dragon's tooth - a large rock monolith. It was an interesting place and I finally got enough cell reception to talk to Anita which lifted my spirits. I had a short mileage day but I feel good about the day. It was difficult but interesting and the forecast this evening is for thunderstorms and a low of 37 - a welcome relief from the heat. A perfect night to be in a hostel. Joe, the owner of the hostel has been running shuttles to an all you can eat family style restaurant and convenience store. Many of us had our laundry in the washer while we went to eat. I'm sure I was an interesting sight in my long johns along with all my fellow hikers as compared to the people who looked like they had come from a wedding reception. They call your name over a loudspeaker when your table is ready. A loud cheer went up after a 45 minute wait when the loudspeaker boomed "Hobo, party of 14". I suspect the restaurant didn't make any money on us. The thunderstorms raged outside while we ate and we were happy to be dry and stuffing our stomachs. There must be 35 hikers here and about half of us are sleeping in a triple garage.
Date: 2013-05-25
From: Lamberts Meadow Campsite

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: scattered clouds

It's cold this morning and I really wanted to lay in my sleeping bag and snooze but the lure of town and the call of Mother Nature roused me from my warm cocoon. I had left notes for Trouble in the journal shelter telling her where I was going to camp but she never showed up. Apparently she is still behind me. Today's hike had many pretty views of the Roanoke and Daleville areas. The climbs weren't bad but the trail was rocky in many places. Yesterday my left foot didn't hurt as bad as previous days but today the pain was back. I realized I was pushing my pace so I sat for a few minutes and was surprised at how much better I felt after just a short rest. I realized I post pics of pretty sections of the trail, but there are places that aren't pretty. Today I added a pic of the ugly part to the pic section. By noon I arrived in town and was glad to have the time to do town chores. After a shower I headed to the 3 Little Pigs BBQ, Kroger and an outfitter. I ran into all kinds of other hikers including Pig Pen, OB (the female - there is a female and male OB), Barbarosa, Candy Pants, Two Socks, DB, and others. While at the 3 Pigs I received an email from Trouble saying she and Melkie had checked into the same hotel I was at. She had not seen any of the messages I had left for her so it was coincidental that we ended up the same place. It was good to see both of them! I also think it will lift my spirits to have a hiking partner again. For dinner we went to a Mexican restaurant across the street because it was the closest place. When we walked in Animal and Scarecrow were waiting to be seated so we joined them. Animal is from New Hampshire and Scarecrow is his cousin from Vermont. They are part of a larger group known as "The Tribe" which can be a little overwhelming when they arrive somewhere, but individually I enjoy their company. After dinner we ran into Dreamer and his wife who is here to visit him. They had a car and agreed to take Animal and Scarecrow to the town park where they will camp. Dreamer is making a video of his journey. If you'd like to see it go to You Tube and search for TNT on the trail.
Date: 2013-05-26
From: Daleville, VA

To: Fullhardt Knob
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: clear sky

I got caught in the swirling vortex of town that sometimes grabs hikers and won't let them go for days. I was finally able to pull free from its clutch late in the day. Trouble and I walked about half a mile down the road to a delicious breakfast buffet. While we were there about 6 other hikers came in including Animal, Scarecrow, and Candy Pants. When we got back from breakfast we ran into Bear Foot who I have not seen in a long time. Trouble wanted to change her phone plan and needed to resupply. By the time we finished everything and packed up it was nearly noon. As we were checking out, Son Driven walked in. I have not seen him for weeks and wondered if he was still on the trail since the last time I saw him he had really bad blisters. He offered to let us stay in his room for free if we wanted to zero. Trouble was tempted but I was anxious to get on the trail. Instead, we agreed to go to lunch with him. At lunch we saw Aqua Man and later Backtrack and Tex came in. We also met some section hikers. After lunch we went back to the hotel to get Melkie and some other hikers started good naturedly asking if we were really going to leave this late. Help, help the town vortex won't release me! Just as I could feel myself being released from its grasp, Black Hawk and Path Finder walked up and said we really should stay. I really like Black Hawk and was tempted but the force of the trail was stronger than the town vortex and we were finally on our way late in the afternoon. We knew we had a 5 mile climb so if that's all we did I was fine with that. On the way we ran into Smokes and Smiley Virgin (Germans) and I was surprised to see them because I thought they were days ahead. It turns out they met some girls and zeroed for 3 days. I said to Smiley Virgin that he was still smiling but did the rest of his name still apply and he just laughed and blushed. It was a pretty day, I was relaxed from seeing all my friends, and I really enjoyed the nero day. We did the 5 miles which means tomorrow will be better. The knob where we are camped is perfect for seeing the sunset and sunrise. The 3 section hikers that we met at the restaurant and 2 other thru hikers are here as well. The weather forecast is for zero chance of rain tonight so I left the rain fly off my tent which means I only have netting above me. Lying in my tent I can see the stars as well as the twinkling lights of the valley below. It's another cool night and I'm jazzed. I can't wait to hike tomorrow!
Date: 2013-05-27
From: Fullhardt Knob

To: Bearwallow Gap
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: clear sky

The longer I'm on the trail the less I think about mileage. I'm well past the 700 mark and I don't think I even mentioned it in my journal. The big event I forgot to mention yesterday was reaching the third of the way point. We celebrated today by sharing gummy life savers with about 8 other hikers. Do we know how to party or what?!?I woke up this morning and enjoyed the cool, crisp air from my sleeping bag as I watched the glowing orange sunrise. It is so nice to sleep without a rain fly!We were entertained by the "southern" stories from the section hikers from Tennessee and Arkansas during breakfast. The stories included things like their grandmother being bitten by a donkey and back handing it so hard she knocked it out. It was another good hiking day . . . cooler temperatures and no rain. It is exciting to now be along the Blue Ridge Parkway. The trail is lined with lots of blooming Rhododendron and Mountain Laurel. Trouble is high energy in the morning and it was difficult to keep up with her. Her pace and energy wane in the afternoon and she often wants me to lead as she struggles more on the climbs. We stopped at a shelter and took a long lunch. There was a sign on the privy door (see pics) warning that a snake was living under the privy. Life certainly is interesting out here! We leap frogged with the section hikers, talked to several day hikers, and saw our friends Animal, Candy Pants, Scarecrow, Bubba Gump, Mowgli, BMW, and others. We are seeing a lot more day hikers now that they have easy access from the Blue Ridge Parkway. At lunch we assessed our food supply and resupply opportunities and realized we are about one day short. As much as I hate it we've decided to go into town for a quick resupply. By the time we got to the road to hitch hike into town it was getting later and we had a lot of difficulty getting a ride. As a result we will stay in town to avoid hitch hiking in the dark. Two young men finally picked us up and seemed shocked when we said we had started in Georgia. They peppered us with questions all the way into town and I sensed the beginning of some future thru hikersThey said we were the first hitch hikers they had ever picked up and we were very grateful that they did. They dropped us off at a restaurant where we both had a huge ate of spaghetti. I also had a side of broccoli (yeah, green stuff!), salad, and a side of macaroni and cheese. There was a hotel next to the restaurant so that's where we are staying. We'll resupply tomorrow and try to get back on the trail early . . . assuming we can get a ride.
Date: 2013-05-29
From: Jennings Creek Campsite

To: Thunder Ridge
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

I forgot one of my favorite shelter journal entries in yesterday's post. It was simple titled "Poptarts".Pros400 caloriesFairly lightLots of flavorsConsNo nutritional valueThey crumble Dear Poptart Company,I am an AT thru hiker and I am a loyal user of your product. However, I would appreciate it if you would make a hardier poptart - they always crumble. Thank you!Today we slack packed over a section we knew would be difficult with lots of elevation change and again, being above 4,000 ft. Orange Peel and Sparky began the hike with us but left us behind since they are much faster hikers. After a climb we came to an FAA tower. There were signs all over the place saying US Government Property - No Trespassing. However, the gate was open and a vehicle was there. To my surprise, Trouble boldly marches in, sticks her head in the door and hollers "Is anybody home?" I warned her that she would get deported but she ignored me. Mike came out of the building and explained that he was doing some maintenance. He said it used to be a military operation and there were even quarters for troops that have been removed. Inside the big dome is a radar unit. As we descended we came to Guillotine Rock and lingered for awhile taking pictures. Not long after that we ran into Jack and Sarah from New York who just got married 3 days ago and are on their honeymoon. They were out for a day hike geocaching. We celebrated their wedding with a round of gummy life savers. Not long after that we ran into a thru hiker named Dubs who turns 70 tomorrow. Time to break out the gummy life savers again!We ran into our favorite section hikers - Faucet, Rapunzel, and Weight Watcher for the third straight day. They were running low on chemicals to treat their water so I gave them mine and we'll use Trouble's until I can get more. They wanted to pay us but we asked them to just pay it forward some day. Every time we run into them they have more questions about thru hiking which leads to fun conversations. We had lunch at Black Rock Overlook where we met Yoni from Israel. He is the first Israeli that I've met on the trail. Later in the day, at Bryant Ridge Shelter we met Just Bob and a second Israeli (I can't remember is name). He was quite entertaining and said there could only be one Israeli on the trail so he was trying to catch up to Yoni so he could secretly still his powers. He kept us laughing as he described his evil plot. Bryant Ridge Shelter is one of the nicest shelters I've seen. It was built using wooden pegs rather than nails and has multiple levels and sleeping configurations (see pics). We didn't get back to the campground until 7:30. Sue, the owner, has been really good to us and kept the snack bar open longer to make us cheeseburgers. She also had gone into town and brought Melkie a real bone. He was in heaven!It has been a long hard day. I'm showered and in my tent trying to keep my eyes open long enough to finish this post . . .
Date: 2013-05-30
From: Thunder Ridge

To: Glasgow, VA
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: broken clouds

Our shuttle back to the trail from where we had slack packed was supposed to arrive at 10:00 so I figured I'd sleep in this morning. However, my body is so adjusted to hiker time I was wide awake by 6:30. Trouble and I walked down to the camp store and had one of Sue's delicious breakfasts. I was still packing up when our ride arrived a half hour early. Who should we meet at the trailhead? None other than our section hiker friends Faucet, Rapunzel, and Weight Watcher. Every time we see them we think it might be the last time and then we come across them again. They are fun people and I enjoy my conversations with them. Later in the day we met up with Magic Scout - the Israeli guy who is trying to catch the other Israeli guy. He is a very bright, interesting, and witty guy. Him combined with the section hikers made for a very interesting and fun hike. I had one tough climb and the rest was up and down but mostly down. It was another hot day - I'm beginning to worry about how I'll do in July and August. On several section of the trail today they were large groups of butterflies. It was fascinating to watch them. I tried to get some pics but it was difficult. Everyone we were hiking with stopped 2 miles before we did. Our last mile was along the James river and was very pretty. We came out on a road and hitch hiked into Glasgow where we will connect with my son tomorrow - yoo hoo!!!Glasgow provides a free shelter, camping area, firewood, portapotty, and shower for hikers. It's a great way to bring hiker business into town. My tent is set up next to Food Walker and near the shelter. The other really nice thing is its behind a pizza and sub restaurant called Scotto's. They have only been open about 5 months, but they have good food and are hiker friendly. I was having trouble getting a cell signal so the owner let me use his phone to make a long distance call. There are about 12 hikers here including Sparky, Orange Peel, Cub, Waffle, and Food Walker. Food Walker is the one who found my money in the laundromat in Irwin, TN. He is off the trail but is supporting his wife, Tracy McG, who is still on the trail. Thanks again to everyone who has made comments in my guest book. It's humbling to know that people from Alaska to England are following my journey!