morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-25
From: Daleville

To: Brickleys Gap
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: broken clouds

Day Seventy Eight - Catawba 624 to Brickley's GapI woke up and started packing this morning. I wasn't sure how I was going to get back to the trail but today was the day. We went down for breakfast in the lobby and Opa was there and he was renting a car today to go visit some relatives. I asked him if he would give me a ride to the trail and he said yes so once again everything worked out perfect. I went with him to the airport to pick up the rental car and then we stopped at a grocery store so that he could buy enough trail magic for two different locations on the trail. How awesome is that! We divided up the treats into bags and then set out for the trail. I got back on at mile 698 and Opa left trail magic there and said good bye. It's sad to see him go, I hope he comes back to the trail.The trail was perfect today! I didn't even get any ticks on me when I went through the fields. There were way more stiles to go over than the AT Guide claimed but luckily Melkie could climb under most of the fences anyway. At the seven hundred mile point someone had made 700 out of stones so of course I took a picture. When I got near a road I met a local with his dog who hikes up to a big rock on the trail everyday for lunch. Cool! I finally made it to McAfee knob a famous part of the trail where everyone has their picture taken as close to the edge as they dare. When I arrived I was disappointed because no one was there to take my picture but then I noticed two packs off to the side so I relaxed in the sun while I waited for them to return. It was so windy that I had to put my down coat on and I was relieved when the section hikers returned and took a few pictures. It was so windy that I didn't dare sit with my legs over the edge as I intended, instead I stood bracing myself against the wind. It was still cool though. My original plan today was to stay near the shelter that is half a mile past McAfee knob, this is the first day wearing my new sandals plus I didn't want to aggravate my heels. However, when I got there it was only 4pm, my feet weren't sore at all and I realized that if I went a little further my day would be shorter tomorrow so I kept on trekking. It was still pretty windy so I stopped at the lowest elevation point I could find and set up camp behind a big rock. The moon is huge and lights up the sky, I can see perfectly without my headlamp tonight. Good night world!Confessions of a thruhiker:"It's pretty sad when I can hike a twenty mile day but have to hitch hike 3/10 of a mile to the hostel."Trouble"Thousands of candles can be lit from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared."
Date: 2013-05-27
From: Daleville

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

Day Eighty - (5) Daleville to Fullhardt Knob Shelter Today was another amazing day! I woke up pretty early but just relaxed for awhile before deciding to go out for an awesome breakfast at Country Cooking with Hobo. We pigged out! It's an all you can eat buffet that had everything imaginable and it was only $6.99 We seriously got more than our money's worth! Next I headed to the grocery store to resupply and then back to the hotel for one last shower. As Hobo and I were getting ready to leave in front of the hotel lobby we started meeting hiker after hiker and kept getting delayed. Sondriven arrived and we hadn't seen him in awhile and decided to go out for lunch with him. We put our packs and Melkie in his room and headed down to the Three Little Pigs for one last feast. Backtrack, Tex and Blacksquatch came in while we were there and we met a few really cool section hikers (Faucet,Repunzel,Weight Watcher ). Sondriven offered to share his room but Hobo was insistent on leaving town today. It was so funny because when we got back to the hotel there was a whole new group of hikers to meet and greet. Bearfoot and Blackhawk were there and we talked to them for awhile before biting the bullet and putting our packs on again. Even as we were walking off the hotel property we were seeing hiking friends. It was a fun afternoon. It was after 4pm when we finally hit the trail and hiked five miles mostly uphill to a shelter. It is a really beautiful spot up on top of a mountain where we can see the sunset and sunrise! The three really cool section hikers arrived soon after we were set up and some great conversations ensued. I'm so glad Hobo and I are hiking together again, everything seems like more fun when he is around. It was so cool to see so many hikers that I hadn't seen in awhile today and I think it's cool that we didn't start hiking until after 4 yet we still managed to hike five miles uphill and arrive at a great spot way before the sun went down. Life is so good!Confessions of a thruhiker:"Don't be telling stories about strange hikers in blue jeans to people unless you know they don't have blue jeans with them."Trouble"Live your life. Take chances. Be crazy. Don't wait. Because right now is the oldest you've ever been and the youngest you'll be ever again."
Date: 2013-05-28
From: Fullhardt Knob Shelter

To: Buchanan
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Day Eighty One - Fullhardt Knob Shelter to BuchananI saw the sunrise from my hammock this morning but stayed in bed until Hobo walked over to say it was time to get up (he takes longer than me to pack up in the morning). The section hikers were hilarious this morning telling us redneck stories from their childhood. It was sad to hike away knowing that they wouldn't be able to catch up today. The hike started out the way every hike should start out, we were on top so we had to hike down! It was so nice to start off going down! After that there were a lot of short ups and downs and then a big down that ended at a creek. We stopped for a break next to a little waterfall and ate the heaviest items in our food bags trying to make our packs lighter. We stopped again at the shelter for a longer break and an early lunch. We stayed so long that Scarecrow, Candypants and Gump caught up and then the section hikers caught up as well! There was a sign saying that a snake was living under the privy so I didn't use it and decided to move on. After many ups and downs we arrived at the Blue Ridge Parkway. This seems like another milestone and that's when I realized that we had passed the third of the way milestone last night and hasn't even announced it. We waited for half of the Tribe and the section hikers and then celebrated with lifesaver gummies (that's all we had). Slowly we moved on not really feeling like hiking much more and quickly decided to stop again and have something more substantial to eat. After our break I still wasn't feeling it but continued on uphill anyway. It's funny how a change in direction fixes things, we started going downhill and I picked up my pace and soon I was feeling great again. We ended up stopping for snacks a few more times and decided to try hitching into Buchanan for more food. The road was pretty quiet so we didn't think it would work but eventually someone pulled over. We got in and when they found out we were thruhikers started asking all kinds of questions. Thank you for the ride guys it was great talking to you! We made it to the diner before it closed and had the best spaghetti I have had in a long time. There was a hotel within sight and a hot shower on my mind so that's where I ended up. Confessions of a thruhiker:"Eighty One days in a row without deodorant." This one is mine!Trouble"The AT. The most fun you'll ever have.... Interrupted by long walks in the woods." Red Beard 08
Date: 2013-05-29
From: Buchanan

To: Middle Creek Campground
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Day Eighty Two - (6.6) Buchanan to Middle Creek CampgroundThis morning was wonderful! I woke up in a nice clean hotel room and had my second shower in twelve hours! I took my time getting ready to go and then headed to the gas station to resupply. While at the gas station I answered several questions about the AT and met a guy named Mason. He ended up giving us a ride into town even though it was in the opposite direction of where he was headed. He was really cool! He had hiked some of the hardest parts of the trail and then he told us about his coast to coast cycling trip. He even had Dr.Bronners (organic soap) in his van and said we could have it but the bottle was way too big for us. Thanks for the ride Mason! Next we went to Burger King for breakfast (I have never done that before) and it was really good! It was so good that I ordered more to pack out with me. Outside of Burger King Herbert came over and asked a few questions about hiking and ended up giving us a ride back to the trail! Thanks Herbert! Once on the trail we started going up but it wasn't a bad up. Soon we were hiking on a ridge and could peek through the trees on either side for a view below. We took it really easy today. We knew that we were doing low miles today because we were lining ourselves up for a really sweet slack pack tomorrow. On our first break of the day the Tribe passed us and then later we met them on another break at a shelter. They were playing frisbee instead of crashing on the shelter platform like we usually do on our breaks. While we were there our section hikers arrived and we tried to convince them to slack with us tomorrow but we couldn't talk them into it. After they all left and Joy Ride arrived we decided we had better move on and hiked a few more miles down to the road where someone was going to pick us up and bring us to a campground. When we got to the road Dreamer and Socks (and Charlie the dog) were there giving out trail magic! They even had cran-grape juice my favourite! We sat with them while we waited for our ride. Thanks for the treats Dreamer and Socks! The owner of the campground came to pick us up and dropped us off in front of the camp store. It was air conditioned so we took our time and ordered milkshakes. When we couldn't delay any longer we walked out of the air conditioning and into the heat to search for the best campsite. I spotted a hammock set up and went to investigate. Sparky and Orange Peel are here too! We chose a site near them and started setting up camp. We ha already decided that we were going to have a fire and cook hotdogs so once we were set up we started looking for firewood. Hobo ended up buying some and soon we were roasting wieners and catching up with Sparky an Orange Peel. Confessions of a thruhiker:"If only they could make pop tarts that didn't crumble."Trouble"Because in the end, you won't remember the time working in the office or mowing the lawn. Climb that goddamn mountain." Jack Kerouac
Date: 2013-06-01
From: Glasgow

To: Glasgow
Miles today: 10.9

Day Eighty Five - (10.9)GlasgowToday was awesome! I slept in a bit because weren't leaving town right away. When I did get up we ate breakfast sandwiches from the gas station and waited for Hobo's family to arrive. His older sister, his niece and her two little daughters were bringing Matt (Hobo's son) to hike with us. When they arrived they brought cotton t shirts for us to wear and towels for the shower. I quickly showered and then took our dirty clothes to the laundromat to wash while Hobo visited. His sister took us all out for lunch and then his niece drive us out to the trail. Thank you ? And Meaghan! Our hike was supposed to be easy today but it is so hot that it didn't feel easy at all! We did meet Faucet, Punzel and Weight Watcher and told them about the awesome shelter in Glasgow and made plans to go out for dinner later. There were some amazing views if the James River today and thats when I noticed my phone wasn't working. I wasn't too worried i thought maybe it just needed a charge and asked Hobo to take a few pictures for me. Towards the end of the day Dreamer (and Charlie) caught up to us and offered us a ride back to Glasgow. Thanks Dreamer! When we got back to his vehicle Socks had cold drinks waiting in the cooler for us! Trail magic is so awesome! The day just kept getting better, when we went out for dinner with Faucet, Punzel and Weight Watcher we had a great time, lots of laughs and at the end of the night Faucet picked up the bill. Thank you Faucet! I had taken my phone to the restaurant to recharge but nothing was happening. I thought maybe it had gotten too wet from all the sweat today and went across the street to the grocery store to buy some rice. My plan is that the rice will suck any moisture out of the phone. I hope it works, my phone is also my journaling device, my camera and my map. I need it!Confessions of a redneck:"We couldn't get the transmission out of the truck to fix it so we flipped the truck over and tried to work on it that way. By the time we were done, we had flipped the truck six times."Trouble
Date: 2013-06-02
From: Glasgow

To: Brown Mountain Creek Campsite
Miles today: 8.1

Day Eighty Six -(8.1) Glasgow to Brown Mountain Creek CampsiteThe birds started singing early this morning and since I was already awake I got up. The fire was still burning from last night so I added a log right away before it died out. Weight Watcher was up as well and decided that if there was a fire it had to be huge and soon the flames were a few feet high. I had left over quarters that needed to be spent before leaving town (coins are way too heavy to carry) so we walked over the the gas station an got a coffee. I slowly packed up while Weight Watcher tried unsuccessfully to fix my phone. Instead he gave me the best trail magic ever when he gave me his phone. We had to go to the town library first so that he could back up his phone first and then switch the SIM card and retrieve my info. It took awhile but soon I had a phone that worked again! Thank you so much Weight Watcher! I quickly resupplied my food bag but felt a little rushed and am not sure that I have enough to last four days. It was past time to head back to the trail but we just had to stop for one last cold drink. Faucet dropped us off at the trailhead (Thanks for everything Faucet, Punzel and Weight Watcher) and guess who was there giving out more trail magic! It was Socks! We sat and talked for a few minutes before finally making it onto the trail! It felt good to be hiking even though it was ridiculously hot out. I haven't mentioned the cicadas yet but we have heard them for the past few days. Hikers have had hilarious descriptions of what they sound like, some say like a woman screaming, a mechanical screech, a whole parking lot of car alarms going off at once and I think EMS sirens from far off. Today we noticed that there are two distinctly different sounds but we aren't sure why. Dreamer was hiking south today so we talked with him for awhile when we crossed paths.We saw a King snake today, a tiny baby bird, a baby snake and the tiniest little chipmunk I have ever seen. We stopped at a little waterfall and put our feet in the water, did it ever feel good! We all sat in a footbridge with our feet dangling over the edge until our feet were dry enough for our shoes and continues up the trail. We stopped to camp at the eight hundred mile mark next to a beautiful stream. When we here Pathfinder and Sparky were here but even as I type this more hikers continue to stop and set up. It will be interesting to see who is here in the morning (already in my hammock for the night. Good night world!Confessions of a thruhiker:"Back when it was cold I was trying to eat with my gloves on and I dropped my chocolate bar in a really muddy puddle. I just picked it up and ate it anyway."Trouble
Date: 2013-06-03
From: Brown Mountain Creek Campsite

To: Dutch Haus
Miles today: 19.1

Day Eighty Seven - (19.1) Brown Mountain Creek Campsite to Dutch HausI couldn't believe how many tents surrounded me when I woke up and after I packed up there were even more tents at the shelter. I haven't seen this many hikers in the same place in a long time. After talking to the other early risers we hiked beside a stream for awhile before heading up. It was a horrible up that took three hours and made me question why I was doing this but eventually I made it to the top and everything was alright again after seeing the views. It had been so but and muggy at the bottom but on top there wa a beautiful breeze that made it more bearable. We could see clouds that looked like rain and at some point this afternoon it did rain but it was nice to walk in and soon the sun was out again. The rest of the day consisted of shorter ups and downs and and was a really nice trail. It turned out to be a really long day. We had planned on going to the Dutch Haus and that made it an eighteen mile day but when we arrived at Spy Rock Road we realized that we would have to walk another mile to get to a parking lot where we could be picked up. My feet an knees were sore by this point but I found out later that Matt had been in even worse shape but was toughing it out. When our ride arrived we all hopped in the back of the pick up truck and enjoyed the bumpy, curvy ride down the mountain. The Dutch Haus was amazing! Right away Lois offered to do our laundry for us and provided bathrobes after our showers. She had dinner waiting for us and it was kind of funny sitting around the dining room table with everyone in a bathrobe, I should have taken a picture! It was so late that by the time dinner was over I went straight to bed. I am staying in the bunkhouse with True (and her dog), Double Dare (who I haven't seen since Hot Springs), Hobo and Matt. Good night world!Confessions of a B&B owner:"When no one is here I can vacuum in my underwear."Trouble
Date: 2013-06-04
From: Dutch Haus

To: Dutch Haus
Miles today: 0.0

Day Eighty Eight - (0)Dutch Haus Today was so relaxing! It was a zero day but I still woke up early, I waited as long as I could before going to the house for coffee and then headed to the living room and read a whole bunch of AT Journey magazines. 768 thu hikers completed the trail last year! That is a really high number and it makes me hopeful that this year might be even better. Typically only 10 to 15% of the hikers that start actually complete the trail and I want to be part of that group. The magazine also had some cool articles written by previous thru hikers that were pretty inspiring. Breakfast was amazing and we all sat around exchanging stories afterward. Later we went to the small general store and bought junk food, pop and ice cream. It's all about the calories! Most of the day was spent reading or chatting and it was really nice to have a day to relax and be pampered. This place is amazing! Coach and her friend Sally and her mom Peaches arrived in time to get cleaned up and have dinner which was also amazing! I was so full I needed to sit and do nothing for awhile. Melkie did not like being stuck in one spot all day (what am I going to do with him when this trip is done) and it showed after dinner. He started barking and running around wanting to go back to the trail, at least he will be happy on the big climb tomorrow.Trouble
Date: 2013-06-06
From: Dutch Haus

To: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: moderate rain

Day Ninety - (9) Dutch Haus to Maupin Field ShelterI woke up an had my last cup of coffee at the Dutch Haus and enjoyed my last awesome breakfast before packing up and heading back to the trail. The trail crossed the Tye River on a cool suspension bridge first thing this morning before climbing up. Today was mostly up and it was hard! Luckily there were a few really nice views and that makes it a little easier. This section called three ridges is known for all of the rattlesnakes but we didn't see any. I was happy about that, Melkie has ignored snakes so far but I'm not sure how he'd react to a snake rattle. The views were from giant slabs of rock that overlooked the surrounding mountains. it looked like the perfect place for a nap but I was too worried a snake would sneak up and startle me. The rhododendrons and mountain laurel are in bloom and the down at the end was a beautiful tunnel of flowers. I was happy to see the shelter early in the afternoon. We had decided to stop there because it is supposed to rain in the morning and leaving camp dry is our plan. The rest of the day I relaxed by the campfire, ate constantly and chatted to all the passing hikers. Some of the Tribe passed though and Bluegrass an Bella, Salsa and Twix and then Acorn arrived. I'm glad I got to meet her as she Confessions of a thruhiker (from the Priest Shelter register):"I confess that I put bacon bits in a vegans food."Trouble
Date: 2013-06-07
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Waynesboro
Miles today: 6.5
Weather: moderate rain

Day Ninety One - (6.5)Maupin Field Shelter to WaynesboroDuring the night there was a horrible sound (like a giant cat fighting) and then Melkie jumped out of the shelter and growled. We don't know what it was but it went away. Matt thought maybe a bobcat but then Hobo googled owls that sound like cats and now we think it might have been an owl. Anyway within minutes of waking up this morning it started raining and it's still raining now. The trail was perfect today (except for the rocks) but it would have been perfect if it wasn't raining. It was relatively easy meaning I didn't have to stop or huff and puff up the hills. At one point it came out on rocks on the edge of a mountain and even though it was cloudy and raining the view looking down was awesome. There was a layer of clouds below me and little peep holes in the clouds to the land below. It was like something you would see looking out of an airplane window. I stopped there and had something to eat and then began to wonder why Hobo hadn't caught up. I yelled for him a few times and then wondered if he had passed me somehow without me realizing it and continued on. When I came up to the next road crossing Matt was waiting but no Hobo. Matt and I decided that we wanted a nice warm hotel room and hot showers, we were through with all of the rain. When Hobo arrived I thought it would be an easy sale based on the expression on his face. I was surprised that he was all for continuing the hike in the pouring rain. He had fallen pretty bad on the slippery rocks back there and yet wanted to hike on. Luckily he let us decide and then I felt bad when it was so difficult to find a ride and we had to wait for about an hour in the pouring rain. When Lous (from Dutch Haus) came to pick us up in the pick up we all hopped I'm the back and were thankful for the ride. Thanks Lois for going out of your way for us! She dropped us off at the Quality Inn where we quickly cleaned up and decided we were starving. We walked over to an AYCE Chinese buffet that was like the Mandarin except it was a fraction of the price. In the past I have always felt a little ripped off at AYCE places because I'm always full after the first plate but not this time! I packed away three full plates, had desserts and then about two hours later went out to buy some junk food...... And I'm still loosing weight! Back at the hotel I've bumped into so many hikers all avoiding the rain. It still surprises me to see so many people that hike so much faster than me but I'm glad I am surrounded by friends on the trail. I saw Magic Scout and he is so hilarious! Even his serious conversations are funny! Tonight's discussion included women's equality and feminism in reference to our potty habits on the trail. You can imagine how that conversation went! Confessions of a thruhiker (from the Priest Shelter):I confess to picking my nose and rubbing it on a tree."Trouble