morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-04-04
From: Stan Murray Shelter

To: Campsite at mile 395.9
Miles today: 20.8

Day 32 Now I'm back on the right day. Writing Tuesday on Tuesday night. Happy one month on the trail! Hard to believe we've been out here that long. Time really does fly when you're having fun.After our crazy day yesterday, we had an even crazier night. We had heard from Compass at Miss Janet's that the whole week was supposed to be sunny, clear and warm. This morning, we woke up covered with snow. It had literally come in the shelter and gotten all over our stuff. Needless to say, we were pretty mad at Compass (just kidding buddy, we had to blame somebody! ). Took us a long time to get motivated enough to get out of the sleeping bags this morning. Finally got up, ate a quick breakfast, put on our frozen shoes and got moving. Had another 20 miler planned for today. Went by Overmountain Shelter (where we would have stayed if Roan hadn't done us in yesterday), an old barn made into a shelter. Really neat place and supposedly an unbelievable view of the sunset. Someday we'll be back to hike this section again and stay at Overmountain. (We will not, however, hike Roan again, at least going north. The back side of the mountain had more switchbacks.) After Overmountain Shelter, we had two bald mountains. First was Little Hump Mountain and then Hump Mountain. Both were fantastic! It was cold and really windy (we probably looked drunk because the wind kept us from walking a straight line), but wow, the 360* views from the top were unbelievable! Had a great view of Roan and the surrounding mountains, including the one we stayed on last night. Wouldn't you know it, there was snow ONLY on that section. To the right and left was clear of snow. Figures. Over Roan was a big dark cloud - we thought that was appropriate. But definitely beautiful scenery from the balds. Hiked down and crossed US 19E and had one more tough climb before starting the next "section" of the trail. We've heard that from 19E on through Virginia the terrain becomes more rolling instead of jagged. We definitely experienced that today. Started winding around the sides and rolling through fields and beside a river. Got to be a long day eventually as this was our first back-to-back 20 miles. We could definitely feel it by the end of the day. Found this campsite and called it a day with Yoohoo and Treegirl (yay! another girl!). Tomorrow we have 14 miles to Kincora hostel, food and resupply. Hold on though because we're on the road to Damascus which includes a 17, 23 and finally a 10 mile sprint to town. Can't wait to see Aunt T and Uncle Ralph and take a couple days off! Right now though, all I want is sleep. Love to family and friends!
Date: 2006-04-05
From: Campsite at mile 395.9

To: Kincora Hostel, Hampton, TN
Miles today: 13.4

Day 33 Happy 400 miles! We're getting there slowly but surely. Woke up to a beautiful clear sunny day. Slept in until 7:45 since we've had two tough days. Got up and got moving the 13 miles here to this hostel. Had a few steep ups and downs to tackle, but we eventually made it here around 2pm. Swiftcreek, Yoohoo and I were really tired today. Really had to push myself to keep moving this morning, but once we got to the shelter my legs finally decided to cooperate. Great hostel here. Bob and Pat Peoples moved to this spot because it was the only land for sale between NC and PA that was close to the trail. They're here to serve the trail community, and they're doing an awesome job. Didn't get to spend any time with Pat, but Bob is great. Lots of good stories and a great sense of humor! He's actually originally from Medford, MA! Small world. He's also responsible for trail maintenance from Spivey Gap (just before Erwin) all the way to Damascus, which is a huge job. Had a great afternoon here. Went into town, had lunch at Arby's, resupplied at the store and then bought a $5 pizza from Little Cesaer's to share with Yoohoo, Treegirl and Bruno who were also with us. Lots of people here tonight including Stretch, Thumper, Eagle Eye, Stogie and Katelyn. Heading out first thing tomorrow for 17 miles to Vandeventer Shelter. Bob said the shelter faces west so if the weather is good we could have a really nice sunset. Yikes! It's late, time for bed. Love you family!
Date: 2006-04-06
From: Kincora Hostel, Hampton, TN

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 34 Woke up from a good night's sleep, ate a really nice breakfast (hot pockets, an orange, and some egg, cheese and onion omelet that Treegirl made for everyone) and got moving. Hard to leave Kincora, but we're so looking forward to Damascus. Think we lost Yoohoo today. We heard he took a zero at Kincora so we may not see him for awhile, but you never know. Had a really great hike today. Walked by Laurel Falls first thing this morning - really beautiful waterfall! Really neat rocky section of trail after the falls, and two pretty good climbs, but we felt great after half a day off yesterday. Had nice views of Watauga Lake almost all day. I was so into the hike today that the hours and miles just seemed to fly by. Watching the countryside go by at 2.5 miles an hour is a great way to live. Got rained on a little this afternoon, but it was so warm that we eventually took our jackets off and just enjoyed it. Have 23 planned for tomorrow. We'll be in bed early and up early so we can take our time. They a quick 10 to Damascus on Saturday. Can't wait! Supposedly the next 33 miles are fairly "easy". We'll see. Here tonight with Cedar Moe, Ramble On, Treefingers, Sidewinder and his dog, Casino, Stretch and Preacher who's out for about a month. Preacher, good to meet you! Hope the rest of your hike is great! Hope all is well in your neck of the woods. We're loving life and hope you are, too! Love you family!
Date: 2006-04-07
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Abingdon Gap Shelter
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: clear sky

Day 35 Long day today. Actually, long week this week. It's been great - every day has brought something new and exciting to see, but the pull of Damascus eventually almost drowns everything else out. Getting to Virginia has always been my first big goal. Knowing that we are only 7 little miles from the TN/VA border and 10 from Damascus is really unbelievable. We're both really looking forward to tomorrow. It helps knowing that today is over. Our biggest day yet really wasn't all that bad, but we're so tired from the week that it seemed to take forever to get here. I was definitely singing, "Put one foot in front of the other" those last 2 miles. But nice hike today. Had a nice view of the valley below off to the right, and mountains on top of mountains to the left. Spent most of the day up on the ridgeline which was great. Had lots of short ups and downs but also a few sections that were actually flat. Definitely a nice rest for our sore legs and feet. Ended up having a really beautiful blue sky to walk under after our cloudy start. Walked through a field earlier and enjoyed a break under a nice big shady tree. Swiftbreek and I discussed what shapes we saw in the white puffy clouds that were passing overhead. Felt like a kid again. Looks like we're in for some weather tonight. Cedar Moe heard severe thunderstorms predicted and already the thunder is starting. Also, 100% chance of rain tomorrow. That'll keep our feet moving for sure. Getting up early tomorrow (~5:30am) to make sure we get to the post office by 11am to pick up our package (thanks Moyer's!). Will meet Aunt T and Uncle Ralph there and spend a couple days at their house in Bristol, VA. Looking forward to seeing family and enjoying some lazy days! The bugs are so bad here tonight! Had a really warm day, and I guess they all hatched. At least they're not mosquitos! Soon enough. Here (so far) with Cedar Moe and Casino. We think Ramble On and Treefingers may have gotten sucked into the Damascus vortex and pushed the last 10 miles tonight. Not sure though. Well, nothing left to do now but wait for the rain! Should be good and loud on this tin roof. We're so tired we probably won't even hear it. Hope all is well where you are! Love you family! VIRGINIA tomorrow.
Date: 2006-04-08
From: Abingdon Gap Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

Day 36 Welcome to Virginia! We made it - I almost can't believe it!Got up at 5:30 this morning to rain. Packed up and headed out in the dark, our first "night" hike though I guess we should just call it a dark hike. Walked several miles through rain over rolling and downhill terrain. By the time we hit the TN/VA border it had stopped, and we were able to take pictures at the sign. We're so excited to be in Virginia, our first big goal. Took us a little over four weeks to get here, and now it'll take just as long (probably a little longer even) to get out. Lots to see and people to visit though so we're excited. After we got a few pictures, we continued on the three miles to town. Made the entire trip in a record 3 hours and 10 minutes. Could have left at 7:30 and still made the PO on time. Oh well. Called Aunt T and Uncle Ralph from the pay phone and then went to do a few chores. Stopped at the outfitter, got breakfast at Dairy King and then picked up our package and card at the PO. Thanks, Moyer's, for the goodies! Can't tell you how much we appreciate everything! Love you guys! Met Aunt T and Uncle Ralph soon after and headed here to their house in Bristol where we'll be spending a couple days relaxing. They had a ton of food waiting for us here at the house. Lots of fresh fruit and vegetables, ice cream, jello, cookies, and tonight we're having steak. Also had a nice long shower, did laundry and have aired our our shoes and sleeping bags and packs. Will enjoy wearing these cotton shirts and pants while we're here, and sleeping in a comfortable bed! It's so good to be here with family. Looking forward to a relaxing weekend!
Date: 2006-04-09
From: Damascus, VA

To: Bristol, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Day 37 Woke up around 7 after a great night's sleep. Ate tons of food today, but Swiftcreek put away an even more impressive amount. In the four years that I've known him, I've never ever seen him eat like this. Amazing. Bowls and bowls of cereal for breakfast, two sandwiches and bunches of other stuff for lunch, and two cheeseburgers, a hot dog and salad, potatoes and macaroni and cheese for dinner. Also, ice cream and cookies for dessert. Needless to say, Aunt T and Uncle Ralph have made amazing food for us. Took a minute to think of Brett eating his trail food while we were feasting. You'll be here soon though, buddy!Today we went to church for Palm Sunday - the first time we've been since we left over a month ago. Great service; I love the Easter music. After church we helped Uncle Ralph stain a tv stand he and Swiftcreek made yesterday for Shawn's new apartment. We joked about it saying, "I guess this is one of those work-for-stay places!" We were glad to help. Headed to Johnson City to Shawn's to watch the race and set up the stand. Got to see his nice new place and hang out for awhile, then headed back here for dinner. Great day of visiting and relaxing. Looking forward to another tomorrow! Good to talk to family today - love you guys!
Date: 2006-04-10
From: Bristol, VA

To: Bristol, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Day 38 Another great night's sleep and nice relaxing day. Made pancakes for Shawn and Swiftcreek this morning before Shawn took us out to resupply. Bought a few things at the outfitter and groceries at Walmart and then headed to Sonic for lunch. Got back here and organized our food and wrote some postcards and will spend the rest of the day puttering around and maybe reading a book in the sun on the deck. We've had an awesome time here in Bristol. Have to psyche myself back up for the trail tomorrow. Will be in Pearisburg soon, but Waynesboro is the next big goal. We'll enjoy the rest of the day and be ready to go tomorrow.p.s. Thought maybe we were being April Fooled by Sandy when we read that the WUMC softball team won a game. However, after reading through the message 3 times to make sure it didn't say April Fools anywhere, we concluded that it must really be true! Congratulations guys! We knew you could do it! Hope the trend continues! Miss everyone and hope to see some of you when we get close. Also, great to be part of show and tell!
Date: 2006-04-11
From: Bristol, VA

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: few clouds

Day 39 Back in the saddle again. A HUGE thank you to Aunt T, Uncle Ralph and Shawn for the best 2.5 days off. We had such a wonderful time visiting and were able to rest up and get ready for the road ahead. Great food, great stay, amazing company. Thanks so much guys!Uncle Ralph got us back to the trail in Damascus by 9am, and we picked up right where we left off. Not a bad climb out of town and before we knew it, we were winding our way through the woods of Virginia. Took it nice and slow today as we were a little rusty after our days off. Paralleled the Virginia Creeper Trail for most of the morning before heading up the mountain. Actually had the same view for almost an hour as we hiked back and forth along the switchbacks. Made it to the first shelter but didn't feel like walking the extra 0.2 miles downhill (and then back up), so just had lunch right beside the trail. Continued on the last 6 to this shelter and actually walked up the Creeper Trail for almost half a mile. Was nice to walk by the creek today - we love the sound of the water. Got here to the shelter and so far (~6pm) we're the only ones here. If nobody else shows up, this will be the first time since we started over a month ago that it'll be just us. It's still early though so we'll see. Beautiful day today. We ended up walking in shorts and t-shirts under the clear blue sky. So I'm sitting here on the picnic table in front of the shelter enjoying the sound of the wind in the trees and sipping my chai tea latte (just add water) from my new $1.96 Walmart camping cup (the titanium ones at the Outfitter were $30! Yikes!) and loving my life. It really can't get much better than this. Swiftcreek is taking a nap before dinner - think he's enjoying himself, too! Wish you could be here to experience this peace. Great to talk to family and friends while in Bristol! We miss all of you and think about you every day. Thanks again, Davis', for a great weekend!Uh oh, there's a mouse. Looks like we're not the only ones here after all! Love you, family!
Date: 2006-04-12
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 40 Not too many miles today so we took it nice and easy. Got up about 7, had a leisurely breakfast (during which I enjoyed a cup of Russian Tea, thanks Aunt T!) and headed out under the clouds. Walked through a field early on and then started the climb up Whitetop Mountain. On the way up, we met two men and a woman out doing trail maintenance. They gave us a heads up about a controlled burn that was going on near Mount Rogers today. Nice views from Buzzard Rocks (part of Whitetop) as we continued to climb. Once at the top, we headed down to Elk Garden for lunch. Were met by several USFS people and a helicopter, all out for the burn today. Sat down to lunch and watched the chopper take two loads of people up the mountain. Pretty neat. Moved on from there and started the climb up Mt. Rogers, the tallest mountain in Virginia. Nice gradual uphill - so gradual in fact, that sometimes we couldn't even tell we were going up. So much nicer than a certain mountain from hell (affectionately) in Tennessee! Made it almost to the top (the AT doesn't actually go to the top) and took the blue blaze trail all the way to the summit. Looked around for a carving in the rocks in honor of Swiftcreek's late step-father, but unfortunately we couldn't find it. Really nice summit though. No views, but it's like being in another world. We walked through brush and a few random trees and then all of a sudden the trail plunges into a thick pine forest. The temperature dropped a good 5* from the dense canopy overhead. Really cool. Hung out up there for a bit and then headed back down. From the blue blaze it was only 0.4 to the shelter - a really nice and fairly new double decker right in front of a big rock crop. Beautiful views from the rocks as we're pretty much on the bald section of the mountain. When we got here we met a volunteer Forest Service guy who we talked to for almost an hour before he got the ok to hike out. Lots of smoke for a bit, and we can see where the burn happened - black and charred. Even though the balds aren't natural, I still really like that they're part of the trail. Something different. Thought we'd be alone again tonight (nobody ever showed up last night) but Stogie, Quarters, Crazy Creek and Katelyn made it here tonight. Also have 6 people tenting nearby. Nice day of hiking and a great end to the day as we're sitting here on a rock watching the sun set over Mt. Rogers. I also enjoyed my latte and some Russian Tea in my new cup. I just love that cup! Sometimes it's the little things in life. Anyway, hope all is well where you are! Tomorrow, the Grayson Highlands, Rhododendron Gap and Fat Man Squeeze! Looking forward to it! Love you family!
Date: 2006-04-13
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: Hurricane Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 41 Awesome hiking today. Got up about 7 to cloudy skies and enjoyed breakfast before heading out around 8. Only about a mile to Rhododendron Gap, which was nice but will be nicer when they're blooming! Took a quick break to climb on the giant rocks and check out the view. Continued on and through Fat Man Squeeze, a natural rock tunnel. Snapped a few pictures and then onto the Grayson Highlands! Really nice trail over rocks and exposed mountains. Saw lots of ponies today grazing in the fields, even saw a mama and baby! Found a few that let us get close enough to touch and take a quick picture. Also found out that they like oats and honey granola bars! Got lots of good pictures from the highlands, as well as two of the birds that we saw today. One had a black head, tail and wings with white spots on the back, and orange on either side of a white breast. The other blended in with the leaves but had a really long beak. Also been hearing one that almost sounds like it has an evil laugh. Wish I knew my birds better! Also saw some wildflowers today. Hopefully we'll start to see some more spring now that we're down in the lower elevations. So yes, great hiking today especially after the sun came out around 10am! From the highlands, we climbed our last 5000` mountain for quite a while: Pine Mountain. Headed down from there to Old Orchard Shelter where we stopped for lunch. Met a nice couple from New York out for a few days. Also met a big group from NC State hiking over their Easter break. Pretty easy 5 miles from Old Orchard to here. On the way we passed the 500 MILE MARK! YES! Only 1600 more to go! Were disappointed that there was no soda machine at VA603 which was just north of the 500 mark. We thought we deserved a nice cold soda for such an accomplishment! Made it here around 4:30, and now at ~7:45 we're still the only ones here. May be our second night alone in the shelter. Will bypass Troutdale tomorrow and head to Partnership Shelter which has showers and a pay phone where pizza can be ordered. The pizza place apparently delivers to a spot close to the shelter. We may have to see about that! Will head into Atkins on Saturday for resupply.Really nice shelter here. Built in 2004 and still smells new! With the sun setting behind us, we have a beautiful mountain view through the trees. Full moon tonight, too. Missing Mimi today especially. Know she's watching over all of us. Love you family!
Date: 2006-04-14
From: Hurricane Mountain Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 42 Got up from a good night's sleep a little earlier today since we had a big day planned. Pretty easy 9 miles to Trimpi Shelter and made the 0.1 mile walk down for a drink and a snack. Beautiful forsythia and daffodils planted all around the shelter. Headed on 3 more to a nice grassy spot beneath two pine trees where we stopped for lunch. 12 miles by noon isn't too bad. Our lunch spot was right next to the south fork of the Holston River so we enjoyed the sound of the water as we ate. Moved on and got here to the shelter around 3:30. Met Jason and Jessica also staying at Partnership tonight. They started in Florida and are heading to Maine. Talked to them while we set our stuff in the shelter and then headed up the trail 0.1 miles to the Mt. Rogers Visitor Center. Bought a couple sodas and just ordered pizza from the phone! No noodles tonight! So I'm sitting here in the grass in front of the building waiting for our pizza and writing this entry and two trail angels come up and offer me chocolate chip cookies! I took one and the woman said, "Oh no, you need at least 4 or 5!" So I had 4. Yum! Really nice couple and really good cookies. Definitely love the trail magic! So back to the hiking today. Saw a really nice waterfall this morning, great views (through the still-bare trees) of the green green green valley from the ridgeline, walked through a rhododendron tunnel for a good mile and saw two big ponds that our guidebook says are old manganese pit mines. We're derfinitely loving the Virginia hills as they allowed us to complete our almost 20 miles in 8 hours. Partnership Shelter is a nice double decker with a picnic table under the overhang, a nice fire pit and a privy complete with four walls, a roof and toilet paper. (The privy at Hurricane Mtn Shelter just had one wall and no roof.) . . . Ok, I'm back. The pizza guy pulled up so now I'm writing 3 pieces of pizza, about 6 cookies and a soda and a half later. What a great day. This shelter also has a shower and sink with hot running water. We're definitely not roughing it tonight! Will wait til town tomorrow for the shower (even though we smell REALLY bad and could definitely use one now). Only 12 miles to Rt. 11/I81 where we'll resupply and probably stay the night in a hotel to celebrate our 500 miles on the trail. I bet you're thinking, "What, pizza, soda and cookies wasn't enough?!" (right Dad?!) Yeah, oh well.I just read back over what I wrote and it has absolutely no flow at all. Sorry for being so random - lots of stuff throwing me off. Anyway, looking forward to some phone calls tomorrow night. Love you family!