morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-05-25
From: War Spur Shelter

To: Sarver Hollow Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: scattered clouds

   We woke, quite abruptly, to the loudest crash of thunder, at 2:30 am! Hard time getting back to sleep! And then daylight came! Crap!!   Hard to get moving - but eventually, we found our hiking stride, and whipped off 6 miles before stopping for lunch.    We were disappointed to read, in the shelter register, that the Honeymooners have gotten off the trail. Have their address, so we'll drop them a postcard soon.    Passed through many pastures and open fields, thus, climbing many stiles - I'm learning not to like them, so much!    At mile 663.8, Carter took my picture with the large white oak tree - 18 plus feet around! Huge!!! Sat under it, taking a nice afternoon break. Ahhh...    Time was getting late and we had a huge mountain, in front of us, so break was over! Climbed from 2240 to 3200 feet in 1.5 miles.    We planned to do a 16 mile day. Then, the sky grew dark... rumbling started... Crap, we're on a ridge... a storm's heading our way! We hurried to the next shelter - up another 200 feet. Got to the shelter trail. Crap - it's 0.3 miles off the main trail and down! A steep down!! The thunder growing louder, we scrambled fast!    Arrived at a very nice shelter with a deck. Met Rocket, from Ottawa - 3 Canadians here tonight!! Joe Flamingo strolled in, soon after us, only moments before the rain. It lasted ALL OF 10 MINUTES!    Breeze and her boyfriend arrived a while later. With the great conversation, & wonderful company, we opted to stay in the shelter tonight!      Close Call ¢ peaceful
Date: 2004-05-26
From: Sarver Hollow Shelter

To: Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

   Everyone at the shelter got up at 7:00 am. We all ate together and packed our gear. Very excited to have toasted bagels this am. Thanks Breeze! All looking forward to the AYCE Buffet, in Catawba!   Hiking was up and down again. What happened to Virginia being flat??Joe Flamingo said, from Pearisburg to Waynesboro, we climb the "Seven Sisters", which is 7 different mountains!   In the afternoon we came across a Memorial to Audie Murphy, the most decorated American WW2 Veteran. He died in 1971, in a plane crash, near the memorial site.   At 5:00 pm we talked about pushing on to get closer to the Four Pines Hostel. But at 5:30 pm the skies grew dark .... Yet Again!    We did not want to be up on Dragon's Tooth ridge, when the bad weather hit. So, we pushed up to the shelter and got the tent up just in time! The wind and rain hit, with a vengeance!   Hail stones too!    Close Call - safe in our tent
Date: 2004-05-27
From: Pickle Branch Shelter

To: VA 624
Miles today: 6.0

   NOT the day I expected.    Up and on the trail by 7:30 am. Weather wet and we're going up over Dragon's Tooth this am. Very low on food - all we have left is a few granola bars and some ritz crackers.    During our hike Carter said he needed to talk to me.... He's very worked up...He's tired of the trail... BIG DISAPOINTMENT......Shock...Tears... Hugs... Tears... Hugs... Tears... Hugs... Tears...Got to get off this mountain.... Need to process this information....The hiking was not fun, at all!!   We're at the Four Pines Hostel for the night. Going to take some time to decide our next move.....   All I know, right now, is that the AT and Katahdin will have to wait. Carter is my light... the air I breathe... my heart...   I can't go on without him, and I can't keep him out here, if he's not happy.We may head back to Maine... We may go to New York...Until we know more...Close Call: quite tearful
Date: 2004-03-01
To: Welcome Back!
Miles today: 0.0

I believe it was sometime around Christmas that Wrong Way Brown and I first mentioned hiking the rest of the AT. And so for the past few months that momentum has continued to build. It started out as apprehensive babble and has now turned into full fledged commitment. We will pick up where we left off after attending Trail Days this May.I can remember looking out the window one rainy day last summer after returning home from the trail. It was pouring, and that sweet smell of saturated Earth was coming through the window. And to my surprise, I ached to be out there. It was a direct reminder of my trail experience last year, with the countless days of rain. And although at the time of my hike, I had cursed the rain, now with a bit of distance and a window separating me, it's all I wanted. I could see it's beauty and I could see how it had become a part of me. All to often while hiking, my mind would automatically pick out the negative things about a situation causing a landslide of mental garbage. Sitting at the windowsill, I saw how I could change my perspective on a situation and find the goodness.
Date: 2004-03-02
To: A Yoga Lesson
Miles today: 0.0

I can remember many of my Yoga instructors saying, "when you leave class that is when your yoga practice begins." Meaning that's when you learn to breathe deeply in every circumstance, accept and go with the flow of life, and live in the present moment. The class was where you received the tools, and then out in the world was where you got the practice. Last year as I prepared for my hike, I wrote in my journal that I wanted to smooth out the rough edges of my character. I imagined myself as a jagged rock rolling up the trail and that the trail would smooth out those edges and expose my shadow side. The side of myself that comes out easily in stressful situations, and usually not so nice. The trail did a beautiful job of shedding some light on things about myself that I, under normal life circumstances, couldn't see. So just like Yoga, the trail was my classroom where I learned to see a different side of myself, and since being home I have had numerous opportunities to practice what I learned out there. So this time around, it will be more about having fun and seeing the good in every situation. Letting go of control and letting the flow of life move along without my interference. Opening my heart and letting it expand and appreciating the beauty in all things. This time around I know what to expect, and I know that it is an amazing gift to be able to undertake an adventure such as this. This year I will embrace the pain, the fear, the joy, the unknown, the wonder, the beauty, the sublime, and the excitment. This time I know that no matter how many days I've walked in the rain, there will come a time where I would wish it all back. Giddy-up, let's go!
Date: 2004-03-03
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all."                  -Helen KellerSome people may wonder why we're not attempting another thru-hike. We realized that what's important to us is finishing the trail. We want to see new sights and not retrace the steps we hiked last year. After completing 700 miles in 2003, we have declared that our dress rehearsal. Besides, the 1400 miles we have remaining is still quite a distance. I've also been asked "why go back? Do you feel you have to prove something?" I think that's a great question because it makes sure we're doing this for the right reasons. The reason is simple, there is just more for us to see, explore, discover, and experience. They say hiking gets in your blood and that is so true!Also for me personally, this time around is like getting back on the horse after getting bucked off. My dance with the trail last year was, at times, very rough. It shattered me and shook me to my core. I remember coming down off of Dragon's Tooth, I was mentally, physically, and emotionally spent and I began to cry like I was a 5-year-old child with that uncontrolable breathing that accompanies that kind of sobbing. I felt defeated, deflated, crushed. And although this sounds horrible, it's really quite good. The trail was really acting as a loving parent showing me what things I could release from within myself. I had to realize that I couldn't change the trail, the weather, other people, the world. I could only change myself and my perspective on how I viewed things. Yeah, so the weather sucks and my feet feel like they have nails in them. I can and NEED to express that, but then I need to let it go and focus on something good in that moment. It's all part of the Universal Law of Attraction; what you focus on is what you draw to you, so make your thoughts good. So thank you for joining me on this journey. I look forward to meeting this year's hikers and hearing from all you avid readers. Please sign my guestbook! My goal this year: Have more fun, laugh more, don't be so serious, and take more pictures!
Date: 2004-04-15
To: Hiking for Vital Ground
Miles today: 0.0

"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, and more violent. It takes a touch of genius, and a lot of courage, to move in the opposite direction. --Albert EinsteinThere is an amazing relationship that forms between a person, the wildlife, and the Earth as one hikes in the woods. It is a process that when I really think about it I stand in awe of. Out there you feel so connected to everything. And you really began to understand the saying, we are all one.So this year, Wrong Way Brown and I have decided to raise money for a wonderful and deserving non-profit organization called Vital Ground. Vital Ground is an organization based in Park City, Utah that buys private land in ecosystems that support and sustain a natural habitat for grizzly bears. Vital Ground focuses on preserving grizzly bear¢s habitats because grizzlies are an umbrella species. Meaning, if the land is wild enough for grizzlies to survive it is wild enough for all species to thrive. Please feel free to visit their website at www.vitalground.org.We love the fact that Vital Ground¢s efforts help all wild animals, as well as preserving this beautiful planet we live on. We feel that this is our way of giving back to the Earth and the wildlife that become such a natural part of our day to day life on the trail. We feel honored to be a part of it all.If you would like to make a donation to Vital Ground in support of our hike, please visit www.vitalground.org or send a check to P.O. Box 982003 Park City, UT 84098. Please make checks payable to Vital Ground, and please be sure to write in the memo section of your check "AT Hikers" for record keeeping purposes. All donations are tax-deductible, and we have allocated that 100% of the donations collected in honor of our hike be used to buy land.We thank you so much for your support and generosity!!
Date: 2004-05-05
To: Almost Time!!!
Miles today: 0.0

Well our departure date is fast approaching and we are so excited! We've been busy getting all the last minute details in place. And really this year it seems so much easier. We packed our packs the other night, and after what seemed like a short time we were all done. I thought to myself, "that's it?" There's a totally different energy and feel this time around. Everything seems effortless and smooth. I suppose because we know what to expect. Last night we downloaded new music to our MP3 players and we spent HOURS trying to figure it out. Seriously, those directions were as reliable as the milemarker signs in the Smokies. We were so slap happy because our brains were fried, plus it was 2:00 a.m. So life is pretty exciting as we prepare for the trail. Our motto is "revert back to the List" if we get off track and loose our focus. But it's so much more fun to daydream about the trail.......
Date: 2004-05-09
From: VA624

To: 1 Mile South of Tinker Cliffs
Miles today: 7.6

Today was our first day back on the trail! It was sunny and about 85 degrees. And it wouldn¢t have been right without a little rain. Luckily we had just come off of McAfee Knob to Campbell shelter, so we stayed nice and dry. It was a quick thunderstorm that only lasted 30 minutes. It was refreshing after having a hot day.We got a late start. We didn¢t get on the trail until about 1 PM. So we are a few miles shy of our goal. We decided to stealth camp right off the trail.It¢s almost 10 PM and we are pooped! We¢ve forgotten how out of shape we are. It¢s strange because our minds remember this area from last year and we were in great shape. So it¢s weird when our bodies won¢t perform the way we think they should. I feel like I¢ve walked 15 miles at least. But no big deal. We will take it slow until our bodies adjust.We only met one thru-hiker today. The trail feels deserted, which is also weird. We kept wondering where our friends were from last year. Oh yeah, we even got to night hike for a couple of miles.It feels great to be back. I love this trail!
Date: 2004-05-10
From: 1 Mile South of Tinker Cliffs

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: few clouds

What a grueling day! So much for taking it slow. To our defense, it was not completely our fault we did a lot of miles for our 2nd day. There is a stretch from Lamberts Meadow Shelter to Daleville (10 miles) that has no water sources. So that put us in a bit of a jam. We actually didn¢t have any water for the last 3 hours of our hike! And it was hot and humid¢¦yikes! We had 3 liters and because it was so hot, we were drinking more than we anticipated. There came a point when we had to stop every 20 minutes, so we wouldn¢t loose any more fluids (by sweating) and reduce our core temperature. We only met two hikers the entire day, which seemed really unusual. The second hiker we came across we met in the last 45 minutes of our hike. And by this time we were definitely thirsty but still alive and functioning. I casually mentioned we¢d run out of water and he said, ¢Well, I stocked up on it at the last shelter.¢ As he took a swig of water, our dry mouths dropped open. I suppose we weren¢t too desperate because if so we would¢ve just asked for some water. We never exchanged names, so I¢ll call him ¢2 knee brace man with lots of water¢. (He had a knee brace on each leg) It¢s funny now that we¢re not dying of thirst. The one thing I¢m really proud of us for is for not losing our cool. It can be a scary thought to have 6 miles left on a hot day with no water anywhere. Plus we were really sore from the hike yesterday, so we weren¢t feeling 100%. Last year, I probably would¢ve broken down and cried but this year I just keep telling myself ¢you can do this and just take it easy¢¦you¢ll be there soon.¢ I swear the last 12 mile felt like a million because I knew we were close and I was definitely dying of thirst by that time. As soon as we got to Daleville we headed straight to the gas station and chugged some water. I think I drank a liter of water in 10 minutes.As we were sitting at the gas station my Dad drive up (he drove us out here and will stay until Trail Days is over). Thank God! We don¢t have to walk the 50 yards (what a short distance) to the hotel. And get this, my Dad ran into ¢2 knee brace man with lots of water¢¢ and this guy says, ¢Yeah, I saw those girls. They ran out of water, so I saw them headed for the gas station¢. Hello, could you have offered us a few drops? My Dad said maybe he has a contagious disease. So that¢s why he can¢t share his water. Okay, enough about this. It¢s hilarious now, not so much then.I¢m clean. I¢ve eaten. I¢ve drank a lot of water and now it¢s time to sleep. Good Night!
Date: 2004-05-13
From: Daleville, VA

To: Daleville (Really Trail Days)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

So for the last two days, we¢ve been driving our way South towards Damascus. This is the town where Trail Days (a festival for hikers) is held. We stayed two nights in Wytheville, VA and yesterday we got a massage. Our sore muscles were so grateful. We were so sore we hobbled around. It was pathetic. Finally, today we feel fine. Today was great. We drove to the Grayson Highlands and tried to find the wild ponies. But they must have been hiding because of the rain. We did run into some hikers and got to give them some trail magic (soda, oranges, cookies, etc). We also found ourselves at Partnership Shelter and ran into Little Chicken and her Mom (whose out hiking 2 weeks with her). We spread some more Trail Magic. It was fun driving to some of the places we¢d been last year. It brought back a lot of memories and made me think of all my great hiking friends. I miss you guys.We ate dinner at The Old Mill and sat right next to the creek out on the deck. It was beautiful and the food is so good! We also got to walk around town and ran into some familiar faces from last year ¢ Puffy, Stumbles, Journey, Tbird, Loser, Skittles and Restless. It was great. We also got a call from Moo this morning and they (Moo and 42) will be here late tomorrow. Yeah! Oh yeah, also Sleepy Floyd. Can¢t wait.We also learned that Puffy and Stumbles will be finishing up the trail this year as well. They had to leave last year because of an injury and things fell into place perfectly for them to return this year. Unfortunately, they are about 500 miles ahead of us, so doubtful we¢ll run into them after this weekend. It was great to see them again and we¢ll wish them well. They also agree that it¢s a whole new perspective the second time around.
Date: 2004-05-16
From: Daleville (Really Trail Days)

To: Fullhardt Knob Shelter
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: light rain

What a great weekend at Trail Days! We had so much fun hanging out with Moo, 42, Sleepy Floyd. We also got to see Moonshadow, Last Minute, Hopeful, Ben, Tyler, Firefeet, Snack Attack, Cuss, Tank, Willow, Switchback, Charity, Noid, Puffy, Stumbles, Skittles, T-Bird, Loser, Journey, Groovy, Footslogger, Healer, and many more. Definitely a good time.Last night me, Wrong Way Brown, Moo, 42, Sleepy Floyd, and my Dad just hung out at the cabin my Dad had rented. We ate snacks all evening and had a great time. And before we knew it, it was midnight so everyone slept over. It felt like being in the shelter.So after all our running around and driving 2 hours North, we got back on the trail about 6:30. There was a brief thunderstorm moving through but it quickly passed. Of course we waited it out so we could stay dry. It was a nice and easy walk to the shelter. We were pushing daylight so the last 20 minutes felt like we were walking in the dark. We arrived at the shelter at 9PM and the 3 hikers in the shelter were already asleep. I¢m sure they¢ll be gone by the time we get up. We¢ll take another easy day tomorrow and gradually build up the miles. Yeah, we¢re back!
Date: 2004-05-17
From: Fullhardt Knob Shelter

To: Taylors Mountain Overlook
Miles today: 9.4

What a great day. We got up and took our time this morning. After a few miles of hiking, we stopped at Curry Creek and cooled off. It was a great water source. We arrived at Wilson Creek Shelter just before the afternoon thunderstorm hit. We took a long lunch and waited for the rain to pass. Boy was it humid today. The temperature was 80 degrees with lots of humidity but luckily it was an easy hike with lots of gradual switchbacks. We only met 3 thru-hikers the whole day. It¢s so strange how empty the trail is , although, it¢s nice at times.So, my Dad is still in the area and he decided to do some trail magic where we were. We had other ideas and thought it would be great to go to Cracker Barrel in Troutville! Of course, once we were done eating a hot shower sounded wonderful. Once again, we are in the Econolodge in Daleville. It is amazing how quickly you begin to stink on the trail, which is why we also did laundry. Ah, fresh clothes!! Plus we are going to slack 7 miles tomorrow with my Dad¢s help. And I think then he will head home before we spend all of his money!
Date: 2004-05-18
From: Taylors Mountain Overlook

To: Bearwallow Gap
Miles today: 7.3

What an exciting morning!! My Dad dropped us off around noon (so much for an early start) and not ten minutes into our hike we spotted a bear! A black bear cub. It was about 40 yards away right smack dab on the trail. It lingered for a while but then we started talking loudly so it would know we were coming. Plus it was a bit frightening seeing a cub because we knew Momma Bear was close and we didn¢t want to make her mad. Our talking must of done the trick and scared them off because we never saw any of them again. I tried to get my camera out and get a picture but I wasn¢t quick enough. Finally, we got our first bear sighting.It was a nice easy hike again today. The trail crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway several times so that was fun. And once again around 3:30 we had another quick thunderstorm. We were hustling to the road to meet my Dad and hopefully stay dry but he was nowhere to be found. So we stood in the rain for 20 minutes but it actually felt nice since it was in the low 80s.We decided to call it a day and went to Buchanan and had pizza for late lunch/early dinner. We are now at Peaks of Otter Campground. It is gorgeous here. There¢s a small lake and a lodge. We managed to get a campfire going and we are enjoying this beautiful night. I can¢t believe it¢s been only three days since we started after Trail Days. So much happens I one day it feels like much more time has passed.My Dad is lovin¢ it out here, so looks like he¢ll be a hiker groupie for a while. It¢s great. We¢ll take all the support we can get.
Date: 2004-05-19
From: Bearwallow Gap

To: Bryant Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was awesome! We had a beautiful 6 mile hike to Jennings Creek where I swam. It was a perfect way to spend a hot afternoon. Then we had another 4 miles to go to reach the shelter. Tonight we¢re staying in Bryant Ridge Shelter and it¢s huge. We¢ve definitely found some hikers¢¦finally. The trail has felt deserted up until now.Wrong Way and I were talking about the place we camped last night (Peaks of Otter) and we both agree that it was a magical place. Wish we could¢ve spent more time there.
Date: 2004-05-20
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter

To: Thunderhill Shelter
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Can anyone say Trail Magic? My Dad hooked us up with a fantastic dinner at the shelter. But prior to that, he was parked at the base of Apple Orchard Mountain and gave us orange juice, soda, and cookies to give us the extra boost we needed to climb the last big up of the day. My butt was dragging after getting an early start this morning (we were on the trail at 7:20 AM) and climbing Floyd Mountain (elevation gain of 2000 feet). So for dinner, we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. We also had corn and baked beans. It was so good. Oh yeah, canned peaches and soda. Good stuff. Then wouldn¢t you know it a day hiker (named Scott) comes up with hot dogs, chili, Vidalia onions and adult beverages. We had ourselves a party! Some of the hikers that were here tonight were Castro, Honey Pie, Knee, Hoss, Gump, Lush, Gang Busters and Wandering Nunn. It was a great group. Lots of fun and good laughs. Plus, Scott brought his guitar, so we had live music. Life is good.