morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-08-21
From: Crawfish Vally

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: light rain

It's cloudy and looks like rain so I am on the trail by 7:15 this AM. This year I have enjoyed the more frequent open areas on the AT and today there are several. And tho, the forest is "lovely, dark and deep", when exiting it for a meadow or open area, I always take a deep breath of relief. The trail weaves thru several fields but with caution signs about staying in the AT corridor. I see some deer early today. And after a couple of hours on the trail a gentle rain falls. Like I have said, I am not sure why I worry about the rain because usually it's such a nice soothing element. The boots and socks get wet but that's about it (my shorts get wet just from perspiring). I come to VA highway #42 and spot a large covered picnic table area called O'Lystery . The signs says "PRIVATE PROPERTY" but it's time for a break so I take the boots off and relax at one of the tables. A few cars pass but no one pays me any attention. This isn't a spot to camp overnight (unless it's a torrential rain) but it is a good break spot. But they need to put a fresh water spicket there for the hikers that they don't want there. Then it's back to the trail that soon is near some nice creeks. The rain continues off and on. But I am not looking forward to the 2,000' climb this afternoon to reach the Chestnut Knob Shelter. I always tell myself "one foot after another" or "you've done it before and you will do it again". And I do. And surprisingly the long climb was much gentler than what I imagined. Chestnut Ridge was a bit overgrown but it opened up and passed a large pond making the trek pleasant. And before I knew it I reached the shelter. Not having anything but an outdated data book and the section maps, I didn't expect a shelter with glass windows and a door to open and close. But it's quite windy at this former fire observation post. And I had the shelter to myself so I hung my wet clothes and started supper. Usually I don't have much of an appetite while hiking but this afternoon I was famished. After polishing off half a bag of Mt House, I was ready to eat the second half when a man and two women showed up. Dayhikers just out for a stroll. Then two people on horseback rode by to check out the now clouded view. The dayhikers came into the shelter and visited for awhile. A nice couple from Kentucky and a women from Czechoslovakia. They were members of the Piedmont AT Club and knew the area, the trail and some local history so I enjoyed their company. But as soon as they left I heated up the second half of the Mt House and downed it. I expected a visit from some mice later but none showed. I don't think the wind ever stopped blowing while I was at the shelter but the old buiilding kept it outside, so I slept soundly.
Date: 2004-08-22
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Bland, VA
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

It's Sunday and another beautiful morning. The view east from the shelter shows the top of clouds hovering a thousand feet below. The trail drops down to Walker Gap just a little over a mile from the shelter. Gee and I thought my visitors yesterday had hiked many miles to get to the Chestnut Knob Shelter. My goal is to get to the town of Bland fairly early this afternoon so I am shooting to leave the AT at VA road #615 then hitchhike to Bland. Hey a few miles past Walker Gap two trail runners zip past me. Good, maybe I'll see some people today on the trail as I haven't seen any other hikers in two days. The trail is good along here with some picture-book like distant views. Someday I'll get a camera that captures distant scenes. The trail passes Jenkins Shelter and then criss-crosses Little Wolf Creek about 10 times. More picture book scenes. There's an alternate "high water trail" that one would have to take if Little Wolf Creek got flowing good. Not needed today tho. I get to road #615 where the creek joins Laurel Creek. Two guys are in the creek catching crawdads so they can use them to fish for catfish. Unfortunately they aren't going towards Bland so I head down #615 on foot. Of course all cars on the road are going the opposite way. But after about a mile near a little church, a lady pulls into its parking lot and yells out "want a ride?". I am back there quickly and she and her grandson take me all the way to Bland to the doorstep of the appropriately named Big Walker Motel. The helpful lady is a hiker and goes by the name "Traildreamer". Big Walker doesn't have a washing machine or dryer so I washed clothes in the bathtub. I ate a good sandwich at one of my favorite chains, Subway, and followed it with a stop at the DQ. The Big Walker is about a mile from downtown Bland so there's not much more than a gas station and the food franchises in that location. So the evening was filled with calling my wife Patricia and watching the tube. I didn't sleep worth a damn, I think I am getting too used to my sleeping bag and ground mattress.
Date: 2004-08-24
From: VA 606 Hollybrook Camp

To: Pearisburg VA Plaza Motel
Miles today: 23.0

Well Jeb and his buddy didn't find or bother me last night. Not a real purty camp site but it had running water, flush toilets, and a hot shower, so once again I am feelin good when I start walking today. And instead of heading back to the AT, I take road #201 for about a mile to Dismal Falls. The locals said it was pretty cool and I love flowing water and any kind of falls. And they were right, Dismal is not dismal but very refreshing. And as the AT map shows, there's a trail that leads from it back to the AT. Back on the AT, it's an amazingly nice flat and not so densely forested stretch. A great way to start the day. And after just a few miles, I meet two fellows hiking south. They are from Pennsylvania (Daredevil Dick & ?) and Dick has been section hiking the AT for several years and is closing in on the finish. I was surprised that both he and his partner had large packs. Not me, I go bare bones. At Wapiti Shelter there's another not-afraid-of-humans deer. The easy hiking is interrupted by a 1300' ascent after leaving Wapiti. I had thought of checking out Woodshole Hostel near Sugar Run Rd but Traildreamer had told me it closes at the end of July. I was looking forward to the reputed great breakfast. At 3:30 I make Doc's Knob Shelter. There's a small pool of water there so I fill up and because of the early hour set my sights on another hot shower in Pearisburg, 8 trail miles plus another road mile away. I must be nuts as at home I drive to the ice cream store a half mile away. Then, less than a mile from Doc's Knob Shelter it starts to rain. And pretty hard too. The ball of my left foot is hurting a bit but it really takes a beating dropping down about 2,000' in a couple of miles to Pearisburg. But just after 7 PM, and 23 miles today, I follow the road into town and rent a room from a sweet older lady at the Plaza Motel. It's apparent that I am getting acclimated to sleeping outdoors as I keep the motel door open almost all the time I am awake. They have a free washer and dryer at the Plaza and a hiker box with some goodies too. Nice folks at the Plaza. I sup at an all you can eat Chinese Buffet. The sore feet keep me from doing any exploring around town tho. Instead I watch the USA women's beach volley ball on TV. Whew, those are some sleek hardbodies. Hmmm, how many days before I'll be home to Patricia?
Date: 2004-08-25
From: Pearisburg VA Plaza Motel

To: Ridge on Peters Mt
Miles today: 10.0

My plans to sleep in are thwarted by my early waking habits so I am up by 7 AM and soon head down to the Hardy's for breakfast. A sobo hiker, Romangoat, is eating there. He updates me on what to expect ahead. He thru hiked the AT many years ago and is doing half of the trail now. He says another hiker, Freddy Bear, is also staying at the Plaza. After buying some supplies after breakfast I walk out of Pearisburg across a long bridge over the New River. I plan to take the hiking easy for a couple of days and today to only hike to Rice Field Shelter, about 7 miles away and 1,500' up. The noise of the highway seems extra loud leaving Pearisburg. The first few hiking miles are pleasant but the ascent is a bit of a huffer. But then the trail follows a wide ridge on Peters Mt without much view along the West Virginia/Virginia border. Then I come to Rice Field Shelter. It sits back off the trail a few hundred yards in the trees. But it's best feature is the gorgeous view about 300 yards in front of it. Some nice big flat rocks are perched for hiker long distance viewing into the state of West Virginia. I sit and enjoy the view into the natural and civilized life a few miles away. I am like someone from on high, gazing at life down below. That goes on for quite a while. Simultaneously I debate with myself whether to end the day here at just past 3PM or continue on a few miles. I, probably wrongly, choose the latter. Man that was a nice view. In another 1 1/2 miles I find a water source near the trail, fill my bottles and continue on for another 1 1/2 miles before finding a soft, clear spot just off the trail. I position the tarp so a steady slight breeze catches a bit of the tarps opening. I liked Pearisburg but it was noisy so I relish the quiet of my campsite. I sit on a log and enjoy the forest while I eat supper. But once it's close to dark I am in the bag. Gee it must be 8:30.
Date: 2004-08-27
From: War Spur Shelter

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The forest is less thick as I leave War Spur Shelter. That makes it easier to spot a couple of deer as they spring away from the trail. It looks like I have a couple of 1,500' climbs ahead of me today. Then there's a familiar treking pole clacking sound. Gee, another hiker. Ole Corpus, from Texas of course, is a sobo and is doing I think half of the AT. He was in a hurry and worried about water. I think he better not hike the Arizona Trail as he would have a whole lot to worry about. Just after I pass Ole Corpus, I come to Super Dave's cache of soda pop. I had read about it in the shelter journals. There's about 30-40 soda, so I help myself to an orange soda. Wonderful. What a nice gesture by Super Dave. He even has a trash bag there and a journal where he apologizes for someone stealing the coolers that the pop is usually in. Later, I pass the Laurel Creek Shelter and pass thru some farm fields, nice streams, and VA highway 42 in an area called Sinking Creek Valley. Then it's up what seems to be a very difficult, physically anyway, climb to Sarver Cabin Shelter. It seems that when I start thinking about the end of the hike tomorrow, part of my body or mind has the idea that the hike is over. But it's not and I struggle with what isn't really that much of an ascent (<1,500'). And then it's another bouldery rock 1-2 mile section. But, one step at a time I make it to the Niday shelter. Again I have it to myself. It's my last night this year on the AT. The approaching darkness is again savored in an on the back, prone position atop the picnic table.
Date: 2004-08-28
From: Niday Shelter

To: Trout Creek VA 620
Miles today: 9.0

Knowing I have only a ten mile day ahead, I don't leave the Niday Shelter until 8:15 this morning. There's not much food in the bag so I have a granola bar, Kool Aid and a piece of chocolate for breakfast. A beautiful sky is overhead and the trail is excellent up Brush Mt. Lots of switchbacks make the ascent pretty easy. The trail finally hits a ridge and I reach the Audie Murphy Monument just after 10AM. The monument is pretty cool and a great tribute to Audie Murphy who died in a plane crash near this spot. There's some thoughtful little offerings at the monument's base by unknown folks. And there's a bench, so I sit there and enjoy the spot and moment. I have to dig deep in my memory about Audie Murphy. I remember as a kid he was a nice looking fellow who was in a few movies and that he was a war hero. Then I am back on the trail for the final 3 miles. It's flat easy walking along the ridge before the trail descends to VA 620 and Trout Creek. As I approach VA 620 I hear voices below so I hurry along hoping to catch someone and ask for a ride. Luck is with me as a young couple who attend VA Tech and stayed the night at the Pickle Branch shelter are loading up as I get to the road. They agree to take me a few miles down the road. But once we drive the few miles they are kind enuff to drive out of their way and take me to a store on highway 311. From there, it is about 10 miles or more to Roanoke. There's a backpack sitting in front of the store and a young hiker, Miracle Man, is inside loading up on some food and Gatorade. He's thru hiking southbound. But in talking with him, I can tell that he is beat and quite trail weary. I try and cheer him up a little with some encouragement. He's from San Francisco and his parents are meeting him in a few days so I am hopeful he will complete the trip. In front of the store, I put out the thumb and a fellow driving a pickup truck takes me a few miles to a spot where the AT crosses the highway. Hmmm maybe I should have hiked this far, I think. "Next year" my sore feet say. I am only out of the truck for a few seconds when a retired doctor from the Roanoke area stops and offers a ride. Wow, this is a hitchhikers dream. And then this kind man (Arthur or Author) offers to take me to the Roanoke bus station which I know is way out of his way. These Virginians are too nice. A fitting end to this year's AT hike. My plans are a bus ride to the Nashville area for two days before returning to Phoenix. The antithesis of my hiking the AT has to be the Roanoke Greyhound Bus station and trip to Nashville. It's a long story that I won't go into here but I think I could write a TV sitcom from the experience. I'd call it Old White Guys Don't Ride The Bus. Adios until next year.
Date: 2003-08-25
To: Route
Miles today: 0.0

Most people who walk the AT (Appalachian Trail) as thru-hikers (walking the entire Trail in one [calendar] year), do so as either NOBOs (North-Bounders, continuously from Springer Mt, GA to Mt Katahdin, ME, about 90% of thru-hikers) or SOBOs (Maine to Georgia, about 10%). A small percentage of AT thru-hikers walk it as a Flip Flop, where part of the Trail is walked in one direction, and then the hiker jumps to another spot and walks to completion. There are several flavors of Flip-Flop hikes. Weather is usually a consideration for choosing a particular flavor. One popular version is a NOBO hike to somewhere in the middle of the Trail, usually Harper¢s Ferry, then jumping to Katahdin and hiking SOBO back to the break point. A hiker who is running late and doesn¢t expect to make the October 15 closing of Katahdin will often choose this type of flip-flop.I myself plan to walk what I call an Inverted Flip-Flop. I will start near the middle of the Trail (probably in Shenandoah NP near Luray, VA, because a nephew lives there) at about the same time that most NOBOs are leaving Georgia. I will then walk SOBO to Springer. Then I jump back to the starting point (by some form of powered transportation), and finish as a NOBO.I have several reasons for choosing an Inverted Flip-Flop. One reason is to avoid crowds, since one motivation for my wanting to be on the Trail is solitude. I plan to start out on February 29, 2004. This year, 2003, in the week before and the week after March 1, nearly 100 people set out each day to start a NOBO thru-hike. At an average speed of 10 miles per day at the beginning of a thru-hike, this works out to about one hiker every 500 feet. Not my idea of solitude. Particularly at night, where the most natural place to stay is at the shelters (3-sided structures with sleeping platforms, built to accommodate 6-12 people, usually). When I visited Shenandoah in April this year, a ranger assured me that when I start out I may be the only person in the Park.Another reason is that when I begin my NOBO leg, I will join up with those NOBOs who left Springer about the same time as I, who travel about the same speed as I do, and who have made it to the half-way point. (Only about 20% of thru-hikers who start at Springer make it to Northern Virginia. You may detect a bit of hubris (one of my favorite words) in my assumption that I will be one of that 20%.) But I figure that I will have bumped into most of those NOBOs somewhere in Southern Virginia on my SOBO leg, and so will have a natural social group to join in with when I resume my hike.A third reason is to begin my hike easily, a warm-up so to speak. From reading Trail profiles (graphs of the elevation of points on the trail plotted against miles from Springer Mountain) and on-line Trail journals, I expect the terrain in Virginia to be much easier than between Springer and the Smokies. Of course, I am willing to be surprised, and expect to be so many times while on the Trail.
Date: 2003-08-27
To: Training
Miles today: 0.0

I have engaged in extensive running and biking for the past 30 years, so expect to have a good overall fitness base by the time I start on the Trail.I have only done a moderate amount of hiking during those 30 years, so for the last year or so I have engaged on a program to add mountain walking in to my regular training routine. That program consists mostly of modified ¢Peak Bagging¢ in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. New Hampshire has some 48 peaks which reach an altitude of 4000¢ or more. Peak Bagging is a hiking program that covers all of the 4000 footers. My modification is to only climb those 4000¢ peaks which are more than a quarter mile from the AT. There are 25 such peaks. So far I have climbed 19 of them, and plan to top the other 6 sometime this fall.
Date: 2003-09-16
To: Downsizing
Miles today: 0.0

I haven't added anything to my journal for a while now, but that doesn't mean I'm not constantly thinking about being on the Trail.In preparation for the Trail I am doing a major downsizing. That process started in earnest this last week. First, I sent off a room of furniture and memoribilia to each of a son and daughter, in preparation for putting my house on the market this Saturday. Then I held a garage sale and got rid of another room full. I have filled up one dumpster with yard refuse, which was switched out yesterday and is now 1/3 full of stuff that came out of my basement. But I still find there is an unbelievable amount of my personal history of consumption lying around the house.About half of the remaining furniture will be taken over by my other son, who is living with me while finishing his PhD dissertation. After selling the present house, I will have another garage sale to divest myself of much of the remainder of what has been accumulated over the years. Then my son and I will move into a condo near my work for a few months before my retirement. That's where I plan to return after my trek, for a bit of recuperation, before going off on another long meander, probably on a bicycle.Getting back to thinking about the trail, I can't wait until weekend after next when I plan to have the time to take a weekend hike into the White Mts in NH, to bag another couple of 4000 footers before the snows begin to fall. You will certainly hear about that hike.
Date: 2004-02-03
To: Retirement, The Ruck and PocketMail
Miles today: 0.0

As several people have reminded me, some subtly, some not so subtly, I have not updated my journal since mid-December.A lot has happened during that time, including my retirement, attendance at the PA Ruck, and the arrival of my Pocketmail. PocketMail is a small electronic device tht I will be carrying with me on my hike that will allow me to compose my journal entries electronically as I am on the Trail, so that I can record something of interest when it happens, or the latest at the end of the day.When I reach a phone I will be able to instantly transmit all my entries to my transcriber, who can then cut and past into the journal.This entry was composed on my PocketMail as a sort of 'proof of concept'. I will write about retirement and the Ruck in a later entry, on a regular PC.Alan
Date: 2004-02-05
To: Small Edits
Miles today: 0.0

Just made a few small adjustments to my journal.Have changed my start date to March 7. More on that in a later entry.Have added my photo. I have one I took of myself the first time I went snowshoeing in the White Mountains. I thought that would be the perfect thumbnail photo for this journal. However, I have been looking for it for months, but it hasn't turned up. This one was taken at my retirement party a week ago by Ken, who will be incorporating the photos I take on the Trail into this journal.
Date: 2004-02-28
To: Panic
Miles today: 0.0

Only 5 more days (120 hours) until I take off from Merrimack for the Trail, and I still have so much to do. This entry will be short.I mostly want to introduce you to my InterNet Support team: Tammy is my daughter-in-law and will be my lead transcriber. Jim is my oldest friend, dating way back to elementary school, and will be my alternate transcriber and entry archivist. Finally Ken was a colleague who helped me keep a tenuous hold on my sanity at my last pre-retirement company, and will be handling my on-line photos. Both Tammy and Jim will be introducing themselves to you in a later entry, sometime before I start on the Trail March 7.I also have begun to list my mail-drops, at least for the first part of the hike. Note that the date shown is for the EARLIEST expected arrival date.
Date: 2004-03-01
To: 3 days to go
Miles today: 0.0

I leave my new home in Merrimack NH in just 3 days, and start walking in 6. It's hard to believe it's so close, and frightening that there is still so much to do. But ready or not, come Thursday, here I come.The main purpose of this entry is to give my principal transcriber and daughter-in-law, Tammy, practice with the actual system we will be using to upload my entries via PocketMail. AlanFrom Tammy-I can't wait to follow Alan along the trail.
Date: 2004-03-04
To: Test Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Jim, Please transcribe this into my journal as a prep entry, then add something to introduce yourself as you see fit. Date: March 1Destination: Last ChatStart: N/AMileage N/A The 2004 AT thru-hiker dreamers have a chat on Yahoo Groups every Tuesday. For me it has been a time to get to know some of my fellow hikers I will meet on the Trail this year. It was something I looked forward to each week. Tonight as I was signing off it struck me that this was my last chat, which made my upcoming hike real to me in a way it hasn't until now. Now the time for dreaming has come to an end, and the time for actually walking has come. My next entry will be coming from the Trail. I am also using this entry to introduce my elementary school friend, Jim, who will be my alternative transcriber. See you down the Trail! Alan
Date: 2004-03-07
To: Luray, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Last Prep EntryStarted out with Ken (my photo transcriber) from his mother's house in Frederick, as planned, only an hour late. Were able to drive up to our expected starting point (Powell Gap), and see a magnificent sunset from an overlook on Skyline Drive on the way.Got to my nephew, Mike's, house in Luray after dark. To celebrate our imminent departure, Ken and I brought in anchovy pizza and beer. We had an enjoyable evening together before turning in, by 10:30. Woke up this morning with the dehydration headache I should have expected.I am now sitting in Mike's kitchen at 6AM, waiting for the others to get up so we can hit the Trail. It's hard to believe that I am actually about to begin this adventure.Alan