morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-11-02
From: Wilson Creek Shelter

To: Daleville
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

The short hike the other day to Bryant Ridge put me behind just enough to get to town later than I wished. I have really gotten back to the eating stage though. As I walked into town all I had left food wise was a thing of Lipton Rice simply because I didn't have the water to cook it last night after I ate my other two dinners. For lunch I went to Wendy's and then I walked across the street to Bojangle's. I got some funny looks from folks as they could see me walk from one to the other. With a resupply and a trip to the outfitters I decided it would just be best to stay in town. There was a hotel right beside the trail that was cheap and I just needed to kick back and relax. The short days make getting in big miles harder as it is 7:40 before the sun gets up and 6ish when it sets. Getting up is a lot harder when it is cold and dark. Tomorrow I will leave the hotel full on water and head to Catawba. On the way I will pass McAfee Knob which I have always seen on postcards and calenders. By Wednesday I should be able to make it in to Pearisburg, VA. Murphy and Emily, two other SOBO's left the hotel this morning so hopefully I will meet up with them soon. I met Emily in Maine and passed by Murphy as he was doing a resupply in Rangely or Andover Maine. Dreamer, John, and Willie Nelson are also not too far ahead based on the shelter registers. Great weather continues to be in the forecast, hopefully I can continue to move good. My foot had not bothered me nearly as bad any more. Every once in a while I will hit it just right on a rock and the pain is noticeable.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-11-03
From: Daleville

To: Catawba, VA
Miles today: 19.8

I got the earliest start that I have had in some time now thanks to being able to wake up in a warm hotel room. I moved along pretty well in the morning hours and was rewarded with some cool rock outcroppings and a nice sunrise. Later, around lunch time, I passed over Tinker Cliffs The ridges and valleys from here just looked awesome. I stopped for a short lunch break and ended up taking a nice nap in the sun. It was really easy to pass out as I did not sleep well in the hotel last night. Around 3:00pm I made it up to McAfee Knob. Being a weekend the area was really crowded. I did meet a group of guys who knew where Lumberton was and then another guy that actually knew some of my high school friends, its a small world. The Guys I met were from Virginia Tech and I hiked along with them out to the parking lot. They gave me a ride down to the homeplace.
Date: 2007-11-04
From: Catawba, VA

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 22.5
Weather: few clouds

My sleep under the gazebo at the Homeplace Restaurant last night was great. The time changed last night and it was light a little after 6am. The sunrise over the valley area was awesome to watch. By 7am I had started my walk back to the trail and quickly got a ride, which was good because the walk back was all up hill. The morning walk took me over another ridge line towards the Dragon Tooth. I did not like the climb up to the Tooth today. I think maybe it was just that day, any other day I probably would have loved the climbing. My feet did hurt a good ways up though due to stepping on rocks in weird positions. After the tooth I just walked ridges the rest of the day, stopping once to fill up on water. I also had a quick stop by the Audie Murphy Memorial. Murphy was the most decorated veteran of WWII, his plane crashed near the site of the memorial in 1971. It was a little after dark when I made it to the shelter. There is still a large cluster of SOBO's ahead of me so I may start catching some tomorrow. The milestone today was walking my 1500 mile of the trail. -Snack Time
Date: 2007-11-05
From: Niday Shelter

To: War Spur Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: clear sky

I don't believe I have talked much about wildlife recently, but there has still been plenty to see. The most interesting of all occurred today. After hearing a big ruckus of animals running through the woods, I noticed a bird flying through as well. The bird was a pretty good size and made no noise while flying off. My best guess was that it was an owl. I had ignored the other noise because I figured it was a group of deer. When I turn to look though there were no white flags bouncing through the forest. Instead there was a group of what appeared to be coyotes. They were gray in color and were certainly dog like in nature. Normally they aren't seen in the day time but I think I just came up on where they were hanging out. Wish I had a better look at both. Other things I have seen include three good size bucks along with a lot of does. Rhododendron, Mountain Laurels, Hemlocks, and White Pines are all becoming more common. Galax has also jumped into the picture along with Running Cedar. Today was a beautiful day but rain is suppose to come in after midnight. I caught up with Castle and Treats tonight.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-11-06
From: War Spur Shelter

To: Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 25.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I started the morning off about the same time as Castle and Treats. They were planning either a really big day or a short day. Doing the bigger mileage sounded great but I just didn't think I would go that far. SO I took off and made decent time for the first 5mi. After a great but windy view from Wind Rock (go figure that it was windy), I continued on what turned out to be another rocky ridge. This really slowed me down as I was watching me feet more carefully. If you are reading you shouldn't think that the rocks are that bad because they aren't but if I hit one right then to the ground is where I go to get the weight off my foot. The next shelter had a great sun roof on it but, as the roof was no longer there. Luckily we had been told about this before so it was not a big surprise. I was able to fill up on water here at the creek. After that I decided I could make it to Rice Field. That is what I ended up doing. The campsite I was going to stay at originally was awesome and is where I got the sunset picture from above. The temperature was dropping quickly and the wind was picking up in strength. Everything we heard was snow showers over night. Once at the shelter I was under my quilt, in my clothes I was going to sleep in and eating dinner within 15 mins. I wish I could be that quick in packing in the mornings. Yesterday I failed to mention the song birds that are still hanging around for winter. I see Dark eyed Junco's the most but there are also Chickadees, Robins, some Tufted Titmouse, and then you have the loud call of the Pileated Woodpecker echoing through the forest. Tomorrow I will make my way to Pearisburg, VA.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-11-07
From: Rice Field Shelter

To: Catholic Church Hostel
Miles today: 6.7

It was nice and chilly this morning but there was no sign of any snow last night. I was able to get up and moving pretty well though. The area around the shelter was just awesome and offered some good views this morning. Once I made my way into the town limits it seemed like it took forever to get to where I was going. The trail would cross a road then go back into the woods up a hill and then cross another road to do the same thing again. Eventually though I crossed over the New River and made my way towards the business district. As I was walking in I met Murphy who was heading out of town. He informed me of a note on the door claiming the hostel would be shut down 11-7-07 until the spring of 08. Well today is the 7th. I kept going anyway and found the hostel still unlocked. After debating a while and attempting to call the caretaker, Castle and Treats and myself all agreed that they wouldn't kick us out in the cold and we could stay the night but not tomorrow. They proved to be the case as the caretaker came by later while I was resupplying. The hostel was a barn on the church grounds that had been converted to house hikers. They had a nice little kitchen a reading area with a wood stove for heat and a bathroom and showers with mattresses upstairs. I still feel as though I am in the woods yet I have amenities. This is all I need though.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-11-08
From: Catholic Church Hostel

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Over the last two days I have walked without my trekking poles because my hands were too cold. By packing the poles I could stick my hands in my pockets to keep them warm. Since that time I have seen a difference in my pace and how tired and now sore my legs feel. If it is not to cold tomorrow I will be pulling them back out of the pack. My stay at the hostel was nice although a little chilly as we didn't have enough fuel to keep the stove going constantly. I just sat under my quilt most of the time though. I slept very well and ate the breakfast of champions this morning. I had a whole box of frozen waffles that were quite disgusting. That box of 8 waffles though along with a lot of syrup and butter meant my breakfast was well over 2,000 calories. Having that allowed me to walk non-stop until lunch time. That turned out good as I miscalculated or my eyes played tricks on me and I though I had a 12 mile day. That number however, was off by 4 miles, and with the town walk I actually did 18 miles. Murphy is at the shelter tonight.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-11-09
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Jenny's Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: broken clouds

Murphy and I woke up this morning and right away you can tell we were both thinking of going 14mi instead of 23. I started out hiking with my trekking poles again as it was warmer. The morning started off with blue skies and sunny but that turned to clouds and an off and on Rain. I hiked with less water today as it has been easier to come by but I didn't fill up when I should have and I never saw any of the puddles at the shelter (I later learned that I should have kept walking a good ways down stream). It wasn't too big of a deal though. Instead of cooking my normal meal I cooked up some biscuits which actually contained more calories and about the same amount of protein as a lipton meal. The biscuits were really good as well. I am packing squeeze butter with me now as getting the fat from it is really good to help keep you warm. It might be a while before we reach water tomorrow but nothing to bad as it is a ridge walk. -Snack Time
Date: 2007-11-10
From: Jenny's Knob Shelter

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 23.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night I had a hard time getting to sleep. I think that was due to the fact that I had the short day. Luckily though I was able to get up and moving this morning. I said goodbye to Murphy and hit the trail. I didn't really know what to expect as far as my output because I was running on less water than normal, still plenty though. The terrain was very nice though and I was able to make the first 11 miles quickly and restock on water. The mileage continued to go by quickly. I hope that I can push like this more as it feels good to do more than planned and it also means I can have two dinners at night instead of one. The one thing I hope for is that I have more days like today when my body gives me 200%. There is a warming trend in the weather right now. My feet are a lot better now. Really my left foot is the only issue now but only once or twice a day!-Snack Time
Date: 2007-11-11
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Knot Maul Branch Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: clear sky

I failed to mention yesterday but I met two other hikers. John who has been ahead for some time and then the Umbrella Lady who is out for an encore hike to Damascus. I never met her and her husband but I was right behind them in PA until the Gathering. They got off for that and I kept going on the trail. John is doing a flip flop and is nearing the end of his trek in Damascus but is still thinking of continuing onto Springer. Both got out and on the trail before I was packed but I was planning to make it the same distance so we met back up later in the day. We all sat inside the Chestnut Knob shelter and had lunch. The views from that area were amazing. You could see Mount Rogers and Whitetop out in the distance and the excitement level for all of us was high. John and I hiked together the rest of the day, as the Umbrella Lady stopped for some water. We made it to the shelter just before dark and the Umbrella Lady came in shortly there after. It was nice to have folks around to hike with and take breaks with.   This is the first section I have gone in a long time where I have hiked with someone everyday, starting when I hiked with Murphy.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-11-12
From: Knot Maul Branch Shelter

To: Chatfield Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up this morning to the sound of rain, which started in the early morning. It was probably around 8 when I got started walking and most of the rain had come to an end. John and I hiked together again. My pace was slower than normal and my snacks were low. The first shelter was 11.2mi from our starting point and we made it there and met back up with the Umbrella Lady. From there we started our walk to town or a truck stop area off of I-81. It was nice to get into a town like setting and sit down and eat with someone for a change. John had to stay in town for a mail drop but Umbrella Lady and my self were getting back out. Camping options were not the greatest and the next shelter was 4.5 miles from the road but with a little night hike I made it in good time. I did almost walk by as I read the sign which read 7miles to the next shelter but I thought the dot in front of the 7 was missing and it meant 0.7mi. Luckily I thought the sign was in a weird spot and looked up to see the shelter. The Umbrella Lady was looking for a camp spot but she ended up making it to the shelter as well. I am slightly worried about my resupply as it was a Gas station resupply which was expensive and I didn't get nearly the amount of snacks I normally have.-Snack time
Date: 2007-11-13
From: Chatfield Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: overcast clouds

By pushing hard over the past week I have put myself a day ahead of my plan to make it to Raleigh, NC for Thanksgiving. Tomorrow I can continue that push or go and take a break in Troutdale. Regardless I have to go to town because my snack supply is just not going to last all the way to Damascus. I guess a large portion of the decision will depend on the weather. Rain and then cold are in the forecast. No matter what happens though I am coming up on the 500mi mark to Springer Mtn. That means at my current pace I have about a month left. I am really excited to be in a familiar area and the rain and fog surrounding the mountains is only fitting. Tonight, so far at least, its myself and the Umbrella Lady. I may see Murphy again tomorrow as he got ahead. I guess tomorrow I will just go with the flow and see what happens.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-11-14
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: broken clouds

Troutdale turned out to be a real nice surprise today. I hit the trail early and made it to 16 and started to hitch. When trying to get in and out of town I am very impatient with hitching. I tried for 40mins and got nothing. I was only going 2.6mi so I decided I would walk and if I got cell service I would call the store for a ride. I was able to get cell service shortly after I started walking. Most roads I wouldn't care too much about walking but this was a winding mountain road with a narrow shoulder and blind curves, also lots of trucks. I got to the store and ordered some french toast for breakfast. The food was excellent and they had good internet access for hikers. This is the first year for the store under this ownership so they are learning about hikers and are really friendly. They hope to build a porch on the front so hikers can hang out if they don't want to sit inside or are waiting on internet or something. The actual resupply was more snack foods than anything but it was still like a gas station, so I was buying individual items which I don't like to do as much. The owners were giving us a ride back when we came across a tractor trailer which had just flipped going around a curve. Just flipped meaning a min or less before we arrived. It was on its side against the guard rail on our side of the road. I met Leader of the Pack at the store and he was in the front he got out to check on the driver and I was stuck by a child lock in the back. The driver made his way out with no injuries. Fuel had started running across the road so we got our packs out of the vehicle and walked the rest of the way to the trail head flagging trucks and cars to slow down as they approached. I hike with LOTP for a while and then we met up off and on the rest of the day. In making it across the stream after Fox Creek and 603 I now have less than 500 miles. As I hiked to Old Orchard I thought back and this is actually the first time there was no fog or rain while I walked through the area. Rain did start after I made it to the shelter though. Two others were at the shelter on Vacation.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-11-15
From: Old Orchard Shelter

To: Lost Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 23.2

Last night it seemed like it rained a lot and as I woke up at 6am there was still a light rain. The nighttime temperatures have been warm recently. Last night I threw my quilt off of me for a good while. Even with the sound of rain I managed to get up and start packing. By 6:30 I no longer heard the light rain. when I turned to look outside indeed the rain had stopped and the snow had started. With my experience in that area, I knew right then that it would be a cold, windy and crazy day. I walked and only stopped at shelters. The first was Wise, here I filled up on water and continued to Thomas Knob. The area surrounding these shelters is mostly exposed and at or above 5,000ft. Winds were gusting at least up to 50mph. I made the 11mi over to Thomas Knob by lunch and knew I was not going to stay at that elevation. The next shelter was 12.2 miles away but it was also at 3,000ft and in the woods. After some good snacks I pushed on and just walked stopping once for water. Now that I have water, I couldn't drink it because it froze while I was walking. At times going over Wilburn Ridge and Whitetop Mtn. it was simply hard to just remain standing in the wind. My beard froze, and I thought my nose was going to freeze going over Whitetop. Temperature wise though it was the best conditions to walk in because I was wearing layers and was completely warm while not sweating which is very important in cold weather camping. Tomorrow I will head to Damascus. With temps dropping into the lower 20's I will sleep with my boots in my backpack and then crawl in my backpack as well.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-11-16
From: Lost Mtn. Shelter

To: Dave's Place MRO
Miles today: 15.8

Well my plan to keep my boots from freezing did not work out as well as I had hoped. I woke up around 5am and my feet were starting to get cold but luckily I was well rested so I just worked on warming them. Turns out that even while protecting my quilt from the boots the quilt got wet and could not dry. My boots froze solid regardless of my attempt. After I got moving this morning I knew I would be walking into town with no food. The walking wasn't as good as yesterday because I was constantly adding and removing layers depending on whether I was on the North or South side of the mountain. I took one long stop to observe a chickadee which didn't fly off for once. My water hose thawed out which was nice. After my chickadee stop I headed on to the "Friendliest Town on the Trail." The church hostel was closed so I stayed at Dave's Place ran by Dave and his son over at Mount Rogers Outfitters. Tomorrow I will start my push to Boone!-Snack Time
Date: 2007-11-17
From: Dave's Place MRO

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: scattered clouds

I entered the State of Virginia back on October 14th. Thirty-five days later and 540.6 miles(my calculation could be off), I said good-bye to VA and hello TN! For the longest time I hae heard of people getting tired of VA because it was so long. Maybe it is the season in which I hike the State or the familiar flora and fauna but I really enjoyed the State. I saw a little of everything through the State, from 80 degree days to snowy days, cold and windy days to sunny days, and then rainy days. I knew eventually I would find my way out. Maybe that is why VA is the State for Lovers (or of lovers?). If you live in the wrong part and don't love who your with well at least by foot it takes a long time to get out of the State. Luckily for us we are going N-S through TN and not E-w, that would be longer than VA. Snow still dots the ground on some of the Northern and Western slopes where the most snow fall occurs and the least amount of sunlight hits. When I think back to the last time I hiked this section from 421 to Damascus, it was early November and snowy. Tomorrow I will push on to Watauga Lake and if I get a ride to Boone, NC where I will take a well deserved rest.-Snack Time
Date: 2007-11-18
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Campsite Watauga Lake
Miles today: 23.0

I was surprised to wake up this morning to warmer temperatures. Thanks to the nap I got yesterday after arriving earlier than to the shelter I was wide awake at 5:30am. I had breakfast and started packing up, waiting for daylight to come around. There was a really thick fog over the area and it took quite a while for this to burn off. While I was hiking along the ridges fog would be rolling up over the western slopes and the sun would be out on the eastern. Eventually the fog gave way to blue skies and fair weather cumulus clouds. From there on the temperatures warmed up really nicely. I was familiar with all of todays hike and up until I started the AT this was the section in which I had done my biggest mileage in one day at 16mi. I remembered the view from Vandeventer shelter but still I don't understand why they have it facing west. I know I would much prefer to have the shelter face east where the sun could warm you in the morning and hlep you get up and going. For the first time in a while I have seen several bees and yellow jackets. Later I saw my first snake since PA. After a short break around Watauga Dam I made my way to US 321. Calls to friends in Boone didn't work out as i got no answers ans hitching was not working at all. I figured someone would stop and they would be getting off 321 in the middle of no where and thus it wouldn't be worth the ride but not a single person stopped. The sun was dropping down so I gave up for the night and walked back to the other side of the lake to set up camp. I would hope for morning work traffic to help me make my trip.-Snack Time