morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-05-16
From: Damascus, VA

Miles today: 0.0

Last night while eating at the Old Mill me, Wrong Way Brown, and Foxie came up with a plan to get a nice, bug suite at the Old Mill. There are virtually no vacancies at any of the B&B's and there are no hotels in this town. But the Old Mill is a nice restaurant and nice hotel. This suite is awesome! There's a deck that over looks the river there's down comforters, cotton wash cloths and towels, a telephone, TV with cable, and a shower. We figured we needed one night in a hotel. Last night and tomorrow night we'll be tenting at the camp ground. Iron Chef and Moxy are sharing the room with us. They're very cool.We also got to see Goat, Sprite, Two Steps, and Flow. It's so fun to see people we haven't seen for awhile. The parade is tomorrow--wahoo!
Date: 2003-05-18
From: None

Miles today: 0.0

I got up early and went to see the Boot fitters. They custom fit your super feet and adjust your boots. So yes, I'm trying out boots for awhile. And contrary to popular belief, you shouldn't get your shoes bigger because that causes your feet to slide and bend in the wrong place. The balls of my feet were hurting quite a bit, so I figure it won't hurt to at least try something different. Plus, even though my trail shoes are good and have a stiffer sole than tennis hsoes, the rocks and roots on the trail still pierce through easily. It sucks to break in boots on the trail, but I'll carry my trail shoes with me in case the boots give me problems. I think my feet might actually like boots better...we'll see. I'm ready to hit the trail tomorrow--I"m done with Damascus.
Date: 2003-05-19
From: None

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: overcast clouds

The boots are great except for the fact it takes awhile to break them in. I wore them for 4 miles, and then started to get a hot spot on my left heel, so I changed into my trail shoes.I felt so much more stable in the boots and my feet didn't hurt like they do in the trail shoes. When I put the trail shoes on they felt like slippers. I could feel every root and rock I stepped on. I can't wait until I can wear them all the time.We said good-bye to Noid today. She's off to her next big adventure. It will be great to see her again in the Fall, which seems like ages from now...but I know it'll be here before I know it.
Date: 2003-05-20
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: broken clouds

This shelter is the Hilton! There is a nice outhouse (aka privy), a sink with hot/cold water, a hot shower, and a rangers station with a phone, which means pizza! Plus pop machines! It's a beautiful shelter with a huge attic.It was a nice hike today. We saw a huge black snake right on the trial. Me and Wrong Way Brown were hiking together (I was in front). She says to me "Snake! Snake!" So I start hopping up and down and screaming because I thought it was right under me. Then I start running foward because I had no idea where the snake is. Finally Wrong Way says "Stop! It's right in front of you about 20 feet!" This snake is probably 4 feet long. We toss rocks in its direction and it doesn't move. After a few minutes it moves and all is well. I did manage to get a picture of it. Supposedly it is a Rat Snake and it wouldn't hurt you, but we didn't want to test that theory.
Date: 2003-05-21
From: Partnership Shelter

Miles today: 0.0

The day was full of magic. The birds sang, the sky opened up, and the rain fell to the Earth. I listened and breathed deep.Me, Wrong Way, and Foxie were all packed up. Everyone else had left the shelter--Two Speeds, Thistle, Chafe, and Carnethy Bob being among them. The three of us just didn't feel like it. Something said to stay. So we did. It was a good decision. Today was one of our best days.We were reunited with Moo, 42, Moxy, Parkway, Pipes, Windtalker, Brian, etc...It was great. Plus we got to meet a lot of new hikers...Butters, Candy Ass, Loser, Double Dare, Taker Easy, Martha Graham, Winging It...We also got another round of pizza and Loser put on a concert. He carries a little guitar, so he put on a show at teh NRA Headquarters. Loser got his name the 2nd day because he had lost his hiking partner and spork in that short amount of time. So Loser was going to roll on to the next shelter, so we asked before he left to play us a little something. He played and sang a great U2 song and it was so great it made Foxie cry. So he told us with such a great response he had to stay.Brian finally got a trail name. He travels with our hiking family from time to time. I said he's like our cousin we see every other weekend. So we had the whole shelter in on his naming. We told him he had to pick a name tonight. So he is now Hot Rod. We also name Erica (someone we just met tonight). She was wearing M&M shorts so someone said "Candy Ass."Today was one of our best days.
Date: 2003-05-23
From: Atkins, VA

To: Knot Maul Branch Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I've forgotten to mention that Foxie traded trail names with another hiker. So Foxie is now Mellow Yellow and Mellow Yellow is now Foxie. It's been a tough adjustment for all of us, but Mellow Yellow says she really digs her new name.Today was a day of highs and lows. We got a late start out of Atkins. I blame it on Dairy Queen. We left around 1pm and our goal was to go 14 miles. There was a big group of us leaving at the same time. Me, Wrong Way, Moo, 42, Mellow Yellow, Moxy, Crazy Talk, Superman, Torch, Pipes, Windtalker, and Sleepy Floyd. Moxy and Crazy Talk's (sister and brother) aunt is visiting, so she took some of our stuff to make our packs lighter and then met us at a road crossing.So today was tough because we left so late that breaks were not possible and because of that my feet were hurting--especially with new boots. Plus there were about a million stiles to climb because of the cows.We all met up again for dinner at this O'Lystery Pavilion (which is off limits to hikers). It provides picnic benches, privy, and protection from the RAIN! We are all really sick of the rain. So it's Pipes birthday so we have a great b-day party for her. Dehydrated ice cream bars and all! Hicker style.Because we took a long dinner we have to hike about an hour in the dark. Unfortunately, my head lamp is dead. So I hike in between Wrong Way and Mellow Yellow. It pretty much sucked, but luckily the trail was well groomed. Of course, half-way through it down poured. We got into camp drenced. That sucked as well. Carnethy Bob and Thistle were so surprised to see all of us. It was 10pm when we got there.Bed never felt so good.
Date: 2003-05-24
From: Knot Maul Branch Shelter

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: light rain

We slept in today (9am). Since we got in so late. We had a lot of ups today and I had no energy. We only went 9 miles and it feels like 20. A lot of us were feeling drained for no particular reason.At one point on a big up Mellow Yellow and I were taking a break on a rock. We were both so tired and just wanted to be at the shelter 3 miles down the trail. She said don't you wish sometimes that you were a genie and you could just blink your eyes and be there? And she started blinking her eyes as hard as she could. We laughed so hard.   And yes I would've loved to have blinked and been there...just this once.
Date: 2003-05-26
From: Laurel Creek, VA 615

To: Bland, VA
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Today as a new day--thank God. That's the beauty of the trail, you can be at your lowest point one day and by the next day it is your best day.We (me, Wrong Way, Mellow Yellow, Moxy, Crazy Talk, Pipes, Two Speeds, Thistle, Chafe, Carnethy Bob, Hot Rod, and Skittles) had all been debating on whether to camp by this dirt road so we could get a free breakfast at a near-by church. After the day I had yesterday and since I had a pita bread and nutella for dinner, I was totally up for a good meal. We had seen a poster at the last shelter advertising a free breakfast every Monday. All we had to do was be there at 9:30am. And sure enough at 9:30 here comes four trucks to haul all of us off. The pastor of this church was so nice and he used to do a lot of hiking, which is how this all came to be. I was a bit hesitant because I do not like people forcing their religion on me. I think it's rude and I'm totally prepared to tell someone exactly what I think if they do. Fortunately, they didn't do this, they were full of kindness and generosity. We left with full bellies. They were kind enough to drive us into Bland where we quickly got a hotel room and then they dorve us back to the trail so we could slackpack the 7 miles in 2 1/2 hours. None of us could believe we were already done.So tomorrow is Mellow Yellow's 29th birthday and Moxy's 27th birthday. We got a big ice cream cake and drinks for them. It was a good time.
Date: 2003-05-27
From: Bland, VA

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: moderate rain

Had a hard time this morning getting a ride back to the trail. Finally got on about noon.We stopped at the first turn off for the first shelter. Nobody but me wanted to make the 0.5 round trip to the shelter from the trail. I wanted to check the register for the where abouts of Moo, 42, Sleepy Floyed, Pipes. I grabbed a role of toliet paper before I left just in case. And what a good move that proved to be--can anyone say turtle head? I was literally running down the trail squeezing my butt cheeks together. Thank God I didn't have my pack on. I saw the privy, ran as fast as I could, threw down my poles mid-trail...I got there just in time. The funny thing is I didn't realize I had to go that bad. We all think there's something about knowing there's a privy that activates your digestive tract. I'm a believer.
Date: 2003-05-28
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: light rain

We crossed the 600 mile marker today! Yee-haw! The miles are flying by.It was a nice day. We (me, Wrong Way, Moxy, and Mellow Yellow) got to eat lunch at a little diner a mile off the trail. We were lucky enough to get a ride easily both ways. We also got to spend some time at Dismal Falls. We soaked our feet for a few seconds at a time because the water was freezing. A hiker named Rambler jumped in three times--he's crazy.We were rudely woken up at 5:30am this morning by a boys church group that stayed at the shelter last night. We are so glad they are not at this shelter tonight.On to Pearisburg tomorrow!
Date: 2003-05-29
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: light rain

I hit the indiglo button on my watch it read 3:06 a.m. That's what time it was when the rain started. The loud rain drops falling on the rain fly has become an all too familiar sound. The rain didn't stop until about 8:00 a.m., which I knew would delay our time out of camp. We did manage to leave by 9:40 a.m.---not bad.I've come to discover that some days, for no particular reason, your body just isn't strong. And when you add rain to the mix you're in for a rough day. By the end of the 16 miles, after 10 hours of hiking, a 2000 ft. drop in elevation, and 2 inches of mud for the last 3 miles, I was fighting back tears. My feet felt like they were breaking in two and no amount of vitamin I would cure the pain. We hobbled to the nearest motel and luckily got their last room. It took hours for my feet to feel semi-normal.Wrong Way and I had gotten a bit ahead of Mellow Yellow (a.k.a. Foxie). When she finally arrived, I opened the door to find her on the verge of tears as well. She had fallen twice during the muddy decent and had missed the turn off for the motel, so she ended up walking almost an extra mile.We were a mess. It's times like these when your falling in the mud or crying because of the pain that you really question why the hell your doing this. I don't have the answer because the answer is different for everyone. But I do know that tomorrow will come with a fresh start and it could be my best day yet. And that's a good enough reason for me to stay."You are the bravest, newest person I've met. All the answers are in you even if you haven't had the questions yet..."   Fighting Chance, Melissa Ferrick
Date: 2003-05-30
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I slept in and felt so much better today. Our bodies are amazing. With some rest our bodies can repair and heal itself. Truly wonderful.We did all the usual town errands. The exciting event was going to the Super Wal-Mart (Melvin, a local trail angel, gave us a ride. All I have to say is don't ask to see his gun...what a dirty, old man!). Wrong Way and I were like kids in a candy store, and we have the receipt to prove it. Wal-Mart has everything! It didn't help that we were hungry. It's funny what you miss or what you didn't realize you enjoyed--like going to Wal-Mart. I've also come to find out I love riding in cars. It's such a novelty now, and I don't have to move a muscle!
Date: 2003-05-31
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

We (me, Wrong Way, and Mellow Yellow) got all packed up and then we saw the weather channel, which of course predicted RAIN, so we took a zero day. There was no way we could bring ourselves to go out in the rain again. It rained off and on all day, so we were so glad we stayed.On our way out of the hotel (to run some errands) we ran into Moxy and Crazy Talk. We convinced Moxy to stay another day!So Moxy needed to go to an Outfitter and the closest one was in Blacksburg (about 30 minutes away). We asked Tyler if he'd drive us because he has some friends visiting, which means he has access to a car. We had a great time at the two Outfitters. I got a new headlamp because the Black Diamond Ion is useless. The batteries are expensive, hard to find, and only last 8 hours. So I got an Aurora, Princeton headlamp. That's what Mellow Yellow has and she says it's great. After the Outfitters we went an ate Mexican food and drank margaritas!! It was great!When we got back to the motel we discovered the power was out because of all the wind and rain. It was sad to have a TV in front of you but no way to watch it. We eventually had to get our headlamps out to see. We felt like we were on the trail.
Date: 2003-06-01
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Ahh, the beginning of a new month. The first thing I said this morning was "rabitt, rabitt" because Mellow Yellow said if you say that on the first day of the month, first thing in the morning it will bring you good luck. It's worth a try.We reluctantly left town around noon and made our way up the mountain. We ran into Sidewinder (who was going south) and found out that Parkway left the trail. We were sad to hear it because we'll miss him, but he said he got what he wanted out of the trail, and that's all that matters. We also read in the register at this shelter that Switchback also left the trail. He wasn't so big of a surprise because he had recently found out in Gatlinburg his wife is pregnant. She sais she wanted him to stay out on the trail and he did, but sounds like one of them had a change of heart. I wish them the best and Switchback if you ever read this name your baby Cooper...good for a boy or a girl.The shelter sits high on a mountain and looks out over a field were there's cows grazing. The sunset is beautiful...a big, ball of orange sinking down the horizon. The baby cows are so adorable running around playing with each other. They are our entertainment for the night.It's just me, Wrong Way, Mellow Yellow, Moxy, Two Speeds, and Chafe tonight in the shelter (Carnethy and Thistle went to D.C. to meet Heather (Carnethy's wife and Thistle's mom) as well as Elliott, Thistle's boyfriend). Looks like it's going to be a cold one.
Date: 2003-06-02
From: Rice Field Shelter

To: Bailey Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: clear sky

It was a chilly night last night. Chafe said it was 38 degrees. Chafe and Two Speeds didn't sleep well because they have their summer bags, so they were freezing. So glad I still have my 15 degree bag. It is definitely not summer here. High today was in the 60's...rain predicted for tomorrow. I hope it's wrong.Today was the first day I seriously considered getting off the trail. I won't make a decision for awhile, though.
Date: 2003-06-03
From: Bailey Gap Shelter

To: Bailey Gap Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

It rained all day. The temp. was in the mid 50's. So we(me, Wrong Way, Mellow Yellow, Chafe, and Two Speeds) all just kept on sleeping. Why would we want to go out in that? And seriously it's June! Shouldn't the weather be warmer? We've heard that there was 23 out of 31 days of rain in May. This weather really sucks.Today the five of us talked about our feelings of getting off the trail. We all just expressed what we felt. No one's getting off the trail. We just talked about it. The weather and my foot pain have been a major factor for me. But I don't want to make a hasty decision. So much planning and effort went into getting this far. I think I need to make an effort to spend about 20 minutes meditating each day. It's something I practice in my life back home. It helps to keep me grounded and centered. Being out here isn't always serene and carefree. There are times I feel more stressed and overwhelemed out here than at home. It's so surprising to me because I imagined myself in this ultra peaceful state of mind. And perhaps I will feel that way at some point or perhaps not. And maybe the trail is just bringing out my worst qualities so I can face them and fix them. Some of my reasons for doing this was to become more kind, patient, and compassionate and it seems like qualities like those aren't earned easily. I do have a greater respect and understanding for people who are in constant pain. For example, people who have arthritis. I'd never experienced anything like that until now with my foot pain.For now, I'm going to keep on keeping on...
Date: 2003-06-04
From: Bailey Gap Shelter

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: broken clouds

We were packed and hiking by 7 a.m. this morning. Absolutely amazing for us. It was a good day. It did rain briefly, but for the most part the sun was out. The trail was pretty saturated, but managible. We got to the second shelter by 5 p.m. and called it a day. We were shooting for 21 miles, but Chafe and Foxie (yes, she swithced her name back) weren't having the best day. They are both having boot issues. Foxie is breaking in new ones and Chafe received the wrong pair which are too small. I actually felt like I could've went on. My feet weren't hurting too bad, but getting in early and having some dinner sounded really nice.We are going to leave by 7 a.m. again tomorrow and go 17 miles and the following day 10 miles to the Four Pines Hostel that will take you to an all you can eat buffet. Our appetites are really starting to pick up. Almost stepped on a 4 foot long black snake today. I had my head down and he was laying right across the trail. This is the 4th or 5th one we've seen and the 2nd or 3rd one I've almost stepped on. Not a fan of the snakes!Supposed to be a beautiful day tomorrow.
Date: 2003-06-05
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: Log Steps Campsite
Miles today: 14.8

We left camp at 8 a.m. Went .1 miles to the stream (which is higher than usual because of all the rain) and it took us 15 minutes to find a place where we could cross it. Ever since my fall in the creek, I'm very catious on the rocks. You can go down in nothing flat and it's scary.We also went into Newport, VA and went to a small grocery store. I had a ham and cheese sandwich, Doritos, Pepsi, and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. It was so good. I was starving! We got to ride in the back of pick-up trucks both ways. Since we spent 2 1/2 hours in town eating, we lost some day light. We hiked until 9:30 p.m. By that time it was dark and I was so tired. We found a nice campsite right off the trail. We were climbing so we were up high with valleys all around us. It was a great campsite, too bad I was too tired to really enjoy it.Sunny and no rain today...amazing!
Date: 2003-06-06
From: Log Steps Campsite

To: Four Pines Hostel
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: clear sky

Rough day. Dragon's Tooth was incredibly difficult at the end of a long day. We had to sit on our butts most of the way down because it was so steep. It took us an hour and 45 minutes to go 2.5 miles.It was a beautiful day. It was finally 70 and sunny. I saw a newspaper article today that said there were 21 out of 31 days of rain in May. The rain is breaking all kinds of records and breaking all kinds of hikers spirits. Seems like a lot of people are starting to drop off. I can understand why...the trail can be brutal. It knows your weaknesses. Not sure if I can hang on much longer. Seems like there's more misery than joy.
Date: 2003-06-07
From: Four Pines Hostel

To: Four Pines Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

It rained all day today, so once again we zeroed. This hostel (like all of them) is unique. Joe Mitchell and his 15-year-old son, Joseph, run it. The hostel is in a 3 car garage. They've added a bathroom, fridge, microwave, etc...I spent the majority of the day reading the audiobiography of John McEnroe. I don't like tennis at all, it was just the only thing to read. Others played cards, darts, chess, or just took naps. Some people did a 6 mile slack so they wouldn't feel guilty about a zero. They came back soaked.We'll hit the trail tomorrow and hopefully there will be clear skies. McAffee Knob is coming up and me and Wrong Way want to see it on a clear day because we've been anticipating it for so long.
Date: 2003-06-08
From: Four Pines Hostel

To: Roanoke, VA
Miles today: 0.0

We awoke to clouds and drizzle yet again. AHHH! The insanity of it all. Me, Wrong Way, and Foxie decided to go into Roanoke and get a hotel. Me and Wrong Way really want to be on McAfee Knob on a clear day. The forecast calls for sun on Monday and Tuesday and then rain Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Me and Wrong Way just laughed hysterically when we saw that on the weather channel. It's getting ridiculous. It poured this evening and there were tornados to the south of us. Meterologists predict this rainy pattern will continue for AT LEAST the next month if not longer! Oh joy.
Date: 2003-06-09
From: Roanoke, VA

To: VA 311, Catawba, VA
Miles today: 5.9

It was an absolutely beautiful day. This morning there wasn't a cloud in the sky. We soaked in the sun. We were back on the trail by 9:00 a.m. We got a ride from a guy from one of the outfitters...no charge!Me and Wrong Way made a decision to leave the trail. Tomorrow will be our last day hiking. We will go the 3.6 miles to McAfee Knob and then retrace our steps back down to the road. We rented a car today and we'll spend the rest of the week trying to catch friends ahead of us and surprise them with trail magic. We also want to drive around the Shenandoahs and possibly do some day hikes. We'll drive down to Atlanta to get Wrong Way's car on Friday (6/13) and then home to K.C. around the 20th.It was a very hard decision at first. I was so worried I would make a decision and then regret it. I'm sure as the weeks progress I will draw a better understanding of what all I've learned, and also understand my decision to leave. I had no clue before this trip what it took to be a thru-hiker. I know now it is hard---very hard in every capacity. I've also learned, that at least for me, it became too stressful. I all to often felt we were on a demanding schedule to get north before it got cold. I am not a type A personality so schedules on a "vacation" don't fly with me. Also my foot pain and having to take 3 advil everyday just to take off the edge wasn't too much fun. I think possibly I would've stayed a bit longer if there'd been nicer weather, but I don't think I would have gone all the way. That's not the stuff I'm made of. I'm glad I'm leaving while I still like the trail because I do want to finish it some day. And I want to continue hiking in general.3 months and 700 miles, not bad for a girl who'd never hiked a day in her life before this. And so it is...