morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-04-07
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I was headed up from 3100¢ to over 5700¢. I was going into Grayson Highlands today. To get there I needed to climb the shoulder of Whitetop Mountain and later the shoulder of Mt. Rogers, the highest mountain in Virginia.I knew I was headed for snow as we could see Whitetop Mountain on several occasions yesterday. As I got to the shoulder of Whitetop I met several men headed down the mountain with chainsaws and tools to work on the trail. I talked with them about what I was headed for and the trail conditions. I thanked them for the work they were doing and moved up the trail. The day was warm and the 4 to 5 inches of snow I was walking on was very wet. I would say that 5 to 6 miles today was in this slush and even the best gortex boots can¢t keep that much water out forever.After a brief stop at the Thomas Knob Shelter I moved into the heart of the Grayson Highlands. I am anxious to see the wild ponies of this area. After another mile I spotted my first pony. Then another and another. I probably saw 30 or more. This is a unique area and I recommend anyone visiting in southwest Virginia to visit the Grayson Highlands.I¢m in the Wise Shelter now and it is getting dark so I¢ll sign off for now.
Date: 2004-04-08
From: Wise Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I saw a few more ponies this morning before finally leaving the Grayson Highlands.It seems I did a lot of climbing today even though my profile map doesn¢t show it. My highlight for the day was when I got to VA16 and Fireball was waiting for his wife to pick him up. She had extra sodas, which really hit the spot. The shelter tonight has a fireplace inside, a very nice shelter. Here tonight is Shadow Man, Haiku, Tell It Like It Is and Brier Rabbit who is off shortly to do a little night hiking.By the way¢¦ at 11:15 am today I crossed the 500-mile mark.
Date: 2004-04-09
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Relax Inn
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: scattered clouds

I got an early start today. I was looking to do two days in one. I left the shelter at 7:14 am and arrived at the Relax Inn at 3:30 pm. My first stop was at the Partnership Shelter, which is located near the Ranger Station on VA Route 16. This is a special shelter as there is a phone nearby which is often used to order pizza. AND¢¦ there is a shower at this shelter. I only had time to eat a Cliff bar and refill my water bottle. I did stop to take advantage of a soda machine located inside the ranger station. I did the Dew!I had over 12 miles to go and over two mountains to get there. I took one break on the summit of Glade Mountain where I could see route 81 in the distance. I¢m now at the Relax Inn and route 81 is 75 yards outside my window. I did laundry and got a 12-pound burger and a salad.Tomorrow, back on the trail.
Date: 2004-04-10
From: Relax Inn

To: Knot Maul Branch Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: broken clouds

I got up early to get my re-supply organized and packed. By 7AM I thought I¢d knock on Lulu¢s door to see if she was going to hike out with me. She was still in bed. I went back to my room to finish packing.Soon we were ready and on our way via the Red Barn Restaurant for breakfast. I had French toast and a ham and cheese omelet. We also split a 12 gallon of OJ that we put in our water bottles to start the day.We crossed under Route 81 and through some small farms. We got a good taste of ¢Stiles¢ today. Stiles are like a ladder up and over the barbed wire fences. I guess we crossed a dozen today. Lulu was a little slow at first, but pretty good at them by the end of the day.Starting to see more signs of spring today. A lot of spring flowers are starting to bloom. It¢s suppose to rain the next several days, if it does, and we can follow that with a few warm days ¢ I expect Spring to explode by the end of next week.Another milestone of the hike occurred today: I¢ve now completed 25% of the trail.
Date: 2004-04-11
From: Knot Maul Branch Shelter

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: light rain

Today started off with no rain, but it wasn¢t to last.I started off by dropping into the valley and crossing over the valley and then climbed the ridge on the other side. Then down to the next valley and across, and on towards the biggest ridge of the day. I started climbing towards Chestnut Knob Shelter and I thought that it was going to be the standard climb through the forest, but as I got up the mountain a bit, I could see that at last part of the climb would be in the open. It was raining pretty good by now, but I was enjoying hiking in what appeared to be an old pasture. The climb continued up this open ridge and finally came to the Chestnut Knob Shelter at 4400¢. The last 10 miles of the day took me along the ridgeline, bouncing up and down 50¢ to 100¢ between the peaks. I was disappointed with the weather as it was killing the view of Burkes Garden, also known as God¢s Thumbprint. This is one of the prettiest views in Virginia. Once to the shelter, I got water and changed into dry clothes.On rainy days it¢s only about ¢doing the miles,¢ which is not the hike I prefer.
Date: 2004-04-12
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Bland
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: moderate rain

Rain again today. My gear, even with a pack cover is getting soaked through. I¢m hiking today with Smokey and Lulu. We decided to go into Bland for the remainder of the day, to dry out and warm up.We went to Dairy Queen across the road for dinner. I am rotating items in front of the heating unit to dry them off.It¢s supposed to rain again tomorrow, but I think we¢re headed out anyway.
Date: 2004-04-13
From: Bland

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: moderate rain

Raining again this morning. We went to the Dairy Queen again for breakfast. Smokey called someone he knew for a ride.The trail had 2¢ of water on it in many places and everything that we had gotten dry in Bland was wet again. About 30 minutes from the shelter the weather cleared up. We soon arrived and dried some of our wet clothes. A couple hours later it clouded up again and some thunderstorms rolled through. The temperature started to drop and we ate dinner and got into our sleeping bags.The shelter was full and some scouts were camped outside. Tough day, but we were happy to be in the dry shelter.
Date: 2004-04-14
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: light rain

Woke this morning to snow and rain. After procrastinating as long as possible we packed and left. Smokey got going first and Lulu and I soon followed. We were all to meet at a small store/restaurant on Route 606.We all met as planned. I had a cheeseburger and sub. I saved half of the sub for later. Back on the trail, and in the rain now. In a little over an hour we were at a side trail to Dismal Creek Falls ¢ took a couple pictures and moved on. It seemed like today was going to be a repeat of yesterday. A short time before we reached the shelter the weather cleared.It got colder, but at least it was clearing. I had the second half of my sub for dinner. Got water filtered for tomorrow and called it a night. In the shelter tonight is Early Bird, Lulu, Mellow, Smokey and Mr. Smith, a section hiker.
Date: 2004-04-15
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: clear sky

Clear cold morning and we were all happy it wasn¢t raining. Early Bird left first, Mr. Smith, Lulu, Smokey and then I. Mellow was still trying to get up when I left.We had a long 1200¢ climb first thing and I caught Lulu and Smoky near the end of the climb. There was a couple inches of snow up on the ridge and we hiked in it all morning. It was a very nice hike and the snow wasn¢t a problem at all.Smokey, Lulu and I stopped at Doc¢s Knob Shelter for lunch. After lunch I decided to make tracks for town and after another 7 miles I was in Pearisburg doing my wash and ordering dinner.Life is good, living the dream.
Date: 2004-04-16
From: Pearisburg

To: Wards Campsite
Miles today: 11.0

We got out of Pearisburg about 11:30 and of course my backpack was heavy as it was restocked with food and we were climbing up out of the river valley. The climb wasn¢t too bad. I got to the shelter at the 7-mile mark at about 3:30. Lulu and I decided to eat an early dinner and get some more miles in. The trail was pretty easy and a nice evening hike. I saw 5 deer tonight, one of which was very close. After about another 4 miles we put up our tents and called it a day. We miss Smokey. It was great hiking with him. He had only planned to be out a week and only go to Pearisburg. He is two-time thru-hiker. Once north to south and once south to north. He had also done the Pacific Coast Trail. Next year he has plans to hike the Continental Divide Trail. A real good guy and like I said, we miss him.
Date: 2004-04-17
From: Wards Campsite

To: Campsite near Salt Sulphur Turnpike
Miles today: 15.5

Today was summer-like. It¢s hard to believe that two days ago we were hiking in snow. There seems to be a pattern developing here in Virginia. It seems that we climb up on top of a ridge and hike all the up and downs associated with it and then at some point we drop down to the valley, cross it, and climb another ridge, usually to the east of us.Today we again hiked past a shelter to get some more miles in. This time we passed Bailey Gap Shelter and were soon in a long rock walk that I wasn¢t sure we would clear by dark and this was a problem as there was no place to set up our tents. Just before dark we moved up near the crest of the ridge and found the campsites needed.
Date: 2004-04-18
From: Campsite near Salt Sulphur Turnpike

To: Campsite near old barn
Miles today: 16.0

I slept well last night and after breakfast and packing up, we went off and soon came to a parking lot. There were a number of cars there and we were to soon see this was a favored spot for college kids to come and camp. Wind Rock was only a short distance from the parking lot and we went there to take a few pictures. What happened next got my day off to a bad start. What I thought was the trail, an old woods road, turned out to be an old section of the AT complete with white blazes. I thought there was an unusual number of trees on the trail but I was still seeing the occasional white blaze. After about 1.5 miles I sensed that something was wrong and we started back to Wind Rock. When I got there, there was one of the college boys that was there when Lulu and I had come through that morning. I asked him where that AT was and he pointed across the road where we had been hiking. I told him that we had just done and he said three other people had done the same thing yesterday. I wanted to ask the boy genius if he knew that we were going the wrong way why he didn¢t say something, but I held my thoughts. It turns out that there had been a trail relocation, yet the turn was not marked with a double blaze. The first blaze on the new trail was 40 yards down the trail and I missed it. I was fuming mad about this and Lulu kept telling me to let it go.Later on that day, near the end of a long climb, I came to a cooler next to the trail. I opened it and there was one soda left. I waited for Lulu and I split it with her. The trail magic was from Super Dave, a two-time thru-hiker. Thanks Dave, you improved my day!We stopped at Kelly Knob, a limestone cliff with great views. We decided to move on and the trail took us through farm country and finally back into the woods. We found a campsite next to an old barn that was up in the woods on the hillside. It looked like the barn may have been a tobacco-drying barn.It was a long day and I was glad that it was over.
Date: 2004-04-19
From: Campsite near old barn

To: campsite near Pickle Branch Shelter
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Shortly after getting back on the trail, we came to the Keffer Oak. This is said to be a 300 year-old tree. It is over 18¢ around.The other big point for me today was the Audie Murphy Memorial. Audie Murphy was the most decorated war hero of WWII. He was killed near the site of the memorial in a plane crash.We camped near the cut of the trail to the Pickle Branch Shelter.
Date: 2004-04-20
From: campsite near Pickle Branch Shelter

To: Boy Scout Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today the trail took us past Dragon¢s Tooth, a rock formation high on the ridge. This trail was difficult and rough with backpacks. We got to a road crossing near a small country store that made subs. So, we stopped for lunch. We got back on the trail as soon as possible as Lulu needed to get to the Catawba post office before 5:00 and we had 6 more miles to go. She hiked on a head of me, as I wasn¢t feeling well after lunch. She got to the parking lot and got a ride to the post office and back to the trail. We just went to the next shelter, as I wasn¢t feeling great.During the night I was as sick as I have been in a long time.
Date: 2004-04-21
From: Boy Scout Shelter

To: Howard Johnson (Daleville)
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: few clouds

I wasn¢t feeling my best, but I was determined to get to Daleville and my day off. We stopped at McAfee Knob and again at Tinker Cliffs. The views were impressive.The ups and downs continued on for what seemed like forever. It¢s always that way when you are headed into town. We finally get here about 6:30.
Date: 2004-04-22
From: Howard Johnson (Daleville)

To: Howard Johnson (Daleville)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

What a great zero day. My sister an brother-in-law stopped by on their way home to see me. They took Lulu and I to lunch and drove us around to the post office, grocery store, outfitter, and I even got a haircut.The timing couldn¢t have been better. Thanks, Bev and Jack!
Date: 2004-04-23
From: Howard Johnson (Daleville)

To: Fulhardt Knob Shelter
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was a short day because my hiking partner, Lulu, woke ill but wanted to hike anyway. I was under the weather yesterday with some lingering affects today. Anyway, we got to this shelter and Lulu was totally on empty. This is difficult enough when you are feeling your best. When you are not feeling well, five miles can seem like twenty. Lulu got to the shelter, pulled out her sleeping bag and pad and was out like a light in minutes. Moments later the skies opened up with a brief thunderstorm. I had chicken stew (Mountain House) for dinner. (Mmmm¢¦. good.) I actually have time to write my journal on the same day that I hiked it. Just a brief thank you to so many friends, family and others who have taken the time to sign my journal and offer encouragement. You¢ll never know how much those notes help me through the difficult days. Thank you!!
Date: 2004-04-24
From: Fulhardt Knob Shelter

To: Campsite 0.5 miles past Cove Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Today I reached the Blue Ridge Parkway and also finished the first half of the trail in Virginia. We crossed the Parkway several times and thought we¢d get a little bit of trail magic but I told Lulu that we didn¢t look pitiful enough. A short time later we were again crossing the Parkway and a truck pulled over. It was April and Tammy. They are trail maintainers in the area. They gave us their last Mountain Dew. Thanks, ladies!We got to the Cove Mountain shelter and Lulu read in the shelter log that the shelter was mouse-infested and that was it¢¦ We were back on the trail to find a campsite. A half-mile later, tents were up and we were on our way to la-la land.
Date: 2004-04-25
From: Campsite 0.5 miles past Cove Mountain Shelter

To: Thunder Hill Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Lots of climbing today. We hit a low elevation this morning of 950¢ and late this afternoon a high elevation of 4225¢, with lots of ups and downs in between.The weather today was on the edge of rain all day but it never did more than sprinkle. However, it did prevent any views from Apple Orchard Mountain, which are supposed to be impressive.
Date: 2004-04-26
From: Thunder Hill Shelter

To: James River Bridge
Miles today: 14.6

After a mouse interrupted the night, I woke this morning to rain. Sometimes light, sometimes heavy, but for most of the day it was a constant rain.We crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway again today and just passed ahead towards the James River. There were a few views but none worth taking the camera out in the rain for. The spring flowers are beautiful, and we are seeing different ones each day.The trail was pretty good today and I pushed the last miles of the day pretty hard. A good 3 mph pace.I did see a wild turkey today. All in all it was a good day of hiking even thought I was pretty soaked by the end of it. We hitched to Glasgow and got a meal, washed clothes and got rooms for the night. Also staying here are Lulu and Kung Fu. A special thanks today to Don Morehead who gave us a ride to Glasgow.
Date: 2004-04-27
From: James River Bridge (w/ a ride from Glasgow)

To: Brown Mountain Campsite
Miles today: 19.3

After a good nights sleep and a big breakfast, we got a ride back to the trail.It was a beautiful day and I was happy to get going again. We started up and out of the James River Valley. We stopped briefly at the cut off to the Johns Hollow Shelter. This is when I discovered that I had left my water bottle (that I had filled with orange juice) in the back of the truck that we had ridden in back to the trail. I was upset with myself, and more than the OJ, I would miss the second water bottle. I carry a Gatorade bottle on the side of my pack and a Nalgene bottle which screws onto my water filter. It was the Gatorade bottle that got left behind. Well, I put it behind me and pushed on. I got some pictures of the James River from the mountain. I hope they come out ok.We continued to climb and the weather started to change. I picked up the pace. I didn¢t want to get wet again today if I could get to the Punchbowl Shelter for lunch first.Lulu later told me that when she saw me react to the change in weather, she thought, ¢There goes Pilgrim, it¢s everyone for themselves.¢ I flew up Bluff Mountain and by the time I got there the first of several threats in the weather had passed.At the edge of the summit was a monument for four-year-old Ottie Cline Powell, who in the fall of 1890, went into the woods to gather firewood for his schoolhouse and never returned. His body was found where the monument now stands, seven miles and five months after he disappeared. Many hikers leave little mementos at the site.Within an hour I was at Punchbowl Shelter getting my lunch ready. Lulu showed up a short time later. This lady can hike.The weather continued to threaten rain and then clear again. We hiked past Pedlar Dam, a Lynchburg reservoir, and into Brown Mountain Creek Valley. This is a narrow valley, where from the Civil War until about 1918, a community of freed slaves lived as sharecroppers. The remains of stone foundations can still be seen. This had to be a difficult life as the valley is narrow and rocky. I would think nearly impossible to farm. We camped here just below the shelter after more than a 19-mile day.
Date: 2004-04-28
From: Brown Mountain Campsite

To: Fish Hatchery Road
Miles today: 18.1

After breakfast and packing, we were off. First we were to cross Route 60, which would take us to Buena Vista. On the way to Route 60, we met Double Nickels and Endorphin, a mother (55) and son who are thru hiking and are from Virginia. They were ¢slack-packing¢ today. As I approached the road I saw just inside the woods a cooler, which perked my interest. Unfortunately, when opening the lid I found that I was late¢¦ the goodies were gone. Oh well, maybe next time.We stopped briefly at a rest area on Route 60 where the trail crosses and then started the 2000¢ climb. I don¢t remember what I had for breakfast, but it was working. I flew up this mountain. I was hitting on all cylinders. Maybe I shouldn¢t say this, but after 800 miles, I think I¢m starting to get into shape. I¢m not saying I¢m ready to leap tall shelters in a single bound¢¦ maybe I¢ll start with privies.Anyway, I came to Hog Camp Gap. I was low on water, so I followed the blue blazes about 0.3 miles to a good spring. I filled my water bag and nalgene bottle and hiked back up to the AT. I started lunch and Lulu soon came along.In the afternoon we hiked through some semi-open ridges and then back into the woods. After 18 miles, we camped at Fish Hatchery Road.For those future thru-hikers who may be reading this, you may want to hike down the road to the Dutch Haus. From some hikers I spoke with, you will be put up and given 3 very good meals for $25. They really like thru-hikers!
Date: 2004-04-29
From: Fish Hatchery Road

To: Maupin Field Shelter (campsite)
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: broken clouds

We had a moderate 600¢ climb this morning to Priest Mountain. On the way, we stopped briefly at Priest Shelter. It was a short distance from the trail, no more than 0.2 miles. This shelter site has another great spring, right next to the shelter. On the way down Priest Mountain, I came to a great overlook and decided it was a good spot to have an early lunch/dinner. We cooked while looking down on some beautiful farm country. After lunch we had our work cut out for us. We descended to the Tye River at 997¢ and then had to climb Three Ridges Mountain at nearly 4600¢. My hat goes off to the people who put this trail in. It goes up and over a very steep and rocky mountain. It was a difficult climb to have late in the day, but we made it. Our plan was to stay in the shelter to save time packing tents in the morning, but when Lulu was standing to put sleep gear into the shelter, a large mouse changed her mind. (And mine, too!) One thing I don¢t like is to have mice running over me at night. So, we set up our tents.
Date: 2004-04-30
From: Maupin Field Shelter (campsite)

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: overcast clouds

We left our campsite near the shelter at about 7:15 am. We stopped at the Three Ridge overlook on the Blue Ridge Parkway. As we were getting ready to leave, Pam Bennett pulled up in her car. She asked us if we were thru-hikers and we told her that we were. She asked if we had received any trail magic. I told her of my recent disappointment. She then asked if we would like some. We told her, ¢Sure.¢ She pulled this tub from her car that was filled with goodies. She drives this way to work everyday and is always on the lookout for thru-hikers. She has been in the trail magic business for three years. Pam, you really got our day off to a great start! Thank you!!!We both pushed hard today, after all, we were headed to town! We had to do 21 miles, but not too much climbing and we made good time. At 5:30, I walked up to the road and Lulu was only a minute behind. During the hike in today, we wondered how we would get a ride into Waynesboro. Well, as I stepped off the trail at the edge of the road, a car pulled up. I recognized the passenger; it was Bones. He got out and was looking for some things that he had left at the Maupin Shelter. I knew who had them and how they planned to get his stuff back to him. After Bones left a note on the trail, the driver asked if she could give us a ride into town. She had been driving Bones around to help him recover his forgotten goods and was also a trail angel, our second of the day. Thanks, Sherri Terrell.