morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-05-31
From: Damascus, VA (Laurel and Shady)

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Yesterday was a non-hiking day. I was able to get much needed rest lounging around the hostel. I was even able to get hold of a bicycle and go for a half hour ride on the Virginia Creeper Trail. You read that correctly. Not sure why someone would want to put the word creeper into a wonderful outdoor attraction. I had planned on new shoes but decided to have a new pair at home sent to Pearisburg, Virginia.Erich hiked into the hostel the day after me. It was a plesent surprise as I didn't know he had plans to stay there. We had lunch at the local diner then went resupply shopping at Dollar General. Erich bought a six pack of Corona and kindly gave me two while we talked that evening. This DG sold beer and wine.The hike out of Damascus was not difficult. I'd done far more challenging hikes. The rain didn't arrive until after I settled into the shelter. For that I was grateful. It may seem odd to those of you not hiking, but it always feels good to get back to the adventure after taking a day's rest. There wasn't much scenery today but the miles still count toward the total. For book followers, mile 486.1 page 50.
Date: 2018-06-01
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I'd been looking forward to this day dating back to before the adventure started. My niece Melanie did not believe me when I told her my adventure would include seeing wild ponies in Virginia. Well Mel, they are real and they are spectacular! You never knew when you'd see them. At one spot I rounded a corner in the brush and found two merely ten feet in front of me. As I was filming them eating grass it started to rain so I darted into the woods to hide under a pine tree. The rain came upon me really quick. I could see the two ponies, now about 30 feet away, and they just stood still in the rain like statues. The heavy rain subsided and I was only 45 minutes from the shelter so I continued onward. By the time I arrived at the shelter the sun was already out. At the shelter I meet a guy from Euclid, Ohio. He was hiking with his adult daughter. They were only hiking for a week though. He told me the ponies were just over by his campsite. That is where I spotted the mom and the fawn. They even wandered within feet of the shelter at various points in time. They were unphased by humans but the adults would move away if you approached them. The fawn came right to me, probably looking for a snack, then hurried back to mom's side.Today was also the day I crossed over 500 adventure miles. The terrain in the state park was very rocky. But the wild ponies more than made up for that. So Mel, perhaps you and Harper can visit the ponies someday now that you're a believer! For book followers, mile 503.6 page 51.
Date: 2018-06-02
From: Wise Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: light intensity drizzle

The hike began early but most of the shelter guests had departed before me. As usual with the past couple weeks it was threatening rain again. It was foggy up on the mountain and the forest was dark and damp. I felt like a frog today hopping from rock to rock to avoid mud and standing water on the trail. These conditions seemed to go on forever. I just wanted good terrain under my feet. Eventually the terrain improved as I hiked down the mountain. Then the weather improved too and the sun made an appearance. It did not rain during my hike. News is spreading on the trail that we'll see sun for a week beginning Monday. I'm hoping that stays as the forecast and this daily rain ends for us hikers.I'd gone two days without any cell service and was in need of it today. Up high on a ridge line I was able to get service. In came a photo from Mike U. enjoying the annual Tour de Fort bicycle event in Fort Wayne, Indiana. I attended last year but my adventure kept me away this year. Hope you all had a great time! I also texted my sister to mail my new shoes and some protein bars. The cell service was gone by the time I reached the shelter.At the shelter I met the hiker with trail name Mammoth. He and Ray Ramono sound nearly identical. I believe Ray voices a woolly mammoth in a film, hence the trail name. Mammoth, sporting a full white beard, had lost his watch in the middle of the night. It fell between the outer rock wall and the planks of the shelter floor. He attempted in the night and again in the morning to fish out the watch. He said the watch was a lost cause and gave it up. Now I like a challenge, and to fish, and I said that if I get the watch its mine since he'd given up on it. He agreed. I could see the watch and went to my pack saying this calls for some Air Force ingenuity. Mammoth went to retrieve his food bag he'd hung the night before to prevent bears from getting to it. I used a tree limb to form a big check mark-like tool and a rubber band to hold the shape. I had the watch in less than 45 seconds. When Mammoth came back and asked about the watch, I simply said I was done looking for it. It was now time for some trail humor. Then I said I can't tell what time it is, my left watch says 6:53 and my right watch says 7:00. He caught on seeing his Casio on my right wrist. When I gave it to him he was very grateful and said thanks. It looked as though he thought I'd keep it since he'd given up on it. But, we all know the type of person I am and I simply said, "You're welcome, always glad to help." He asked my trail name again to be clear who it was that saved his watch. He called the saving of the watch trail magic. I wished him happy trails since I think I'm moving faster than Mammoth and may not see him again. I grabbed my pack and hit the trail aiming for the town of Atkins, Virginia. For book followers, mile 523.7 page 54.
Date: 2018-06-03
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Atkins, Virginia
Miles today: 21.4

As I left the Trimpi shelter I had my sights sent on reaching Atkins, VA. It was a hike of 21 miles but nothing I haven't done before. And best of all with a town comes luxury. To a hiker the simplest things are big luxuries. There was yet another small chance of rain and at this point rain was the norm so it's impact would be minimal. While hiking I was hoping to reach a ridge to get cell service. I needed to contact my sister to have her mail my shoes to Pearisburg the following day. I've been moving quick and there was little room for delay.If I reached Atkins I was planning on staying at the Relax Inn. As luck would have it, when cell service became available in came a text from MF Mouse saying he was already at the Relax Inn and he was staying there another night. I was welcome to the second bed if I reached Atkins. That was all the motivation I needed. It was Atkins or bust! Just before reaching town I came across a section of trail that was a boardwalk over a small swampy area. Too bad there wasn't more trail like this. I arrived at the inn, took a shower and headed to the Mexican restaurant within the Exxon gas station 100 yards from the inn. After I ordered the El Grande the rain came pouring down. Didn't matter now since I reached the comforts of town, albeit a small town like Atkins. The meal was the biggest Mexican dish I'd ever seen consisting of six items. Initially I thought it was too much. But no, a hiker can put down food like a competitive eater. And knowing I was heading to town, I didn't snack after lunch. I even ate all the ccomplimentary chips with a side of cheese dip. The food was excellent even though the restaurant was part of a gas station, who knew! The rain ended as quickly as it started and I was able to walk back to the inn rain free.At the inn I did laundry and updated my journal while MF Mouse watched movies. The only food or drink I managed the rest of the day was a cold Budweiser. A nice way to finish a day of 21 miles hiked. For book followers, mile 545.1 page 55.
Date: 2018-06-04
From: Atkins, Virginia

To: Licks Creek
Miles today: 18.4

The trail rumur that nice weather would arrive was spot on! As I exited the Relax Inn I was greeted with the most beautiful blue sky I'd ever seen. There was only two things in the sky. The sun in the east and a half moon in the west. Not a cloud of any shape or size was visible. That wasn't all either. The temperature was awesome for hiking and there was a nice cool breeze. Mouse and I where aiming for a tenting spot along the river. Raccoon and Monk were aiming for the same spot. The tent was coming out of the backpack for the first time since May 15th. Yes, its been that long. I've been in a shelter, hostel or hotel for over two weeks. Mouse and I stopped for a 45 minute lunch, the longest one I've taken. We were overlooking the valley below and that added to the experience. The extended lunch gave me rest off my feet and helped make for a strong afternoon. We made our destination by the side of a river. Raccoon and Monk were there long before us. They swam, ate and were already in their tents. Most days I hike the majority of the day alone, meeting at the ending destination. Today was different as I was able to keep up with Mouse and his dog Terra the entire day. It was a great change of pace. For book followers, mile 563.5 page 56.
Date: 2018-06-05
From: Licks Creek

To: Laurel Creek, VA 615
Miles today: 20.8

For the second day in a row the weather was in a word, awesome. A cloud here and there but these where the high white clouds. It was once again perfect for hiking. The first eight miles went by fast and my energy was high. Then all of a sudden we came to a hill, my energy vanished, and the other three left me behind. My efforts to keep pace were useless. There was no gas in my tank. So I hiked at a slower pace and kept moving, stopping only to drink some water or wipe sweat from my face. I knew that I'd eventually catch up to the others as they planned to take an 11:30 lunch. I came across them at noon sitting on large rocks near the top of a mountain. Prior to that I had decided I'd find a spot in full sun and take my lunch there. As I passed the three I told them my plans and said I'd give it an hour to find a sunny spot. Good thing I decided to wait, for at 12:30 I came across the unexpected. I seen a road at the bottom of the mountain and there was a white truck parked there. Then two tables and three individuals caught my attention. They were Amish and had setup a road side, or in this case, trail side stand. They owned a store not far from there. The food wasn't free but the prices were great. I had the grumbellies coming down the mountain and it was time to feed the hunger. I had a cheeseburger with all the toppings on homemade sourdough bread, not one but two hot dogs with chilli and onions, two ice teas, a Gatorade and a snickers bar for a later snack. All this for $13.50 and the burger and dogs were grilled right in front of me. When Raccoon came down a little while later he said I must of had a sixth sense. Even though he ate lunch on the mountain he ordered up a cheeseburger after I told him how great they were. In talking with the Amish they relocated to the area from Ashland, Ohio. Yet another reminder of home. When I headed off to continue my hike Mouse had not yet came off the mountain. The four of us once again tented in the same spot near a small creek. For book followers, mile 584.3 page.
Date: 2018-06-06
From: Laurel Creek, VA 615

To: VA 606, Trent's Grocery
Miles today: 25.3

Today was a rare day in that we were able to take advantage of two small stores that were nearly on the trail. This allowed, or more appropriately, motivated us to have a big mileage day. We had a snack for breakfast then hiked about seven miles to Brushy Mountain Outpost where they had an indoor grill and a small menu. I chose to go with a combination of lunch and breakfast. I ordered a sausage biscuit and cheeseburger with cajun fries. I also had a can of V8 and a Gatorade. I met Swedee Pie here. He's a through hiker from Sweden. He didn't talk much and stayed to finish eating as we returned to hiking. I had seen him on the trail the past couple days and when I passed him all I received was a nod. Not a talkative guy.With full tanks it was time to hike the miles to the next food stop, a grocery store with a small campground. It was a long day of hiking, one in which I hiked almost exclusively alone. Knowing others were heading to the same spot kept me going and eventually I arrived at the grocery store. I had to walk an extra half mile down a busy road but it was worth it. For a $6 fee you could setup your tent, take a shower and do laundry. And of course there was food in the grocery store. This was a very small store. A local sat outside sanding a walking stick. He talked my ear off while I waited for my supreme pizza to bake. Mouse and I split the pizza and a bag of chilli cheese corn chips. I washed it all down with a cold beer. I met another through hiker named Lost & Found. He's from Connecticut, a Yankees fan, and lives in Boston. That has to be rough seeing the sports rivalry the cities share. Raccoon (from California) and Monk (from New Jersey) were at the campground as well. Given the long miles and extra amenities, I still managed to get to sleep at a decent hour. To keep our food safe from bears and mice, we didn't hang the bags in trees, we all put them in a broken dryer, ha ha! Oh, and let's not forget to mention that we crossed over 600 miles hiked today! For book followers, mile 609.6 page 62.
Date: 2018-06-07
From: VA 606, Trent's Grocery

To: Sugar Run Gap, Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 15.2

When I awoke in the grassy campground there was dew on my tent. The small nearby mountain top was covered in mist or fog. It wasn't supposed to rain today. After I packed up my backpack I headed down to the grocery store for breakfast. I had a cinnamon roll, peacan twirls and a coffee while sitting inside talking with a few hikers. By the time I left the store, I'd day 45 minutes, the sky was now blue, all mist and fog was gone and the sun was out. We were setting up for another beautiful day.I walked the half mile back to the trail and took a couple photos. By this time Mouse arrived with Terra and we began our hike. Within minutes Terra bolted from the trail to chase a deer. Mouse called her back, but only after the deer hit full stride and vanished before our eyes did she listen and return. About an hour into the hike Mouse let me go ahead of him and this was the last I'd see of him until the hostel.I arrived at the Woods Hole Hostel early in the afternoon. There were options to tent or take a spot in the bunk house. I chose to tent given the nice weather, drying the morning's dew from the tent and my hopes of bunking at another hostel the following day in Pearisburg. Woods Hole is the oldest hostel on the AT. It's not a party hostel and I'm fine with that. Everything was on the honor system and you'd settle up before leaving. To tent, take a shower, drink two lemonades and eat one home made cookie only cost me $15. That's a steal! Normally there was a home cooked meal for an extra charge. But today in place of the meal we went to a Pearisburg restaurant.Now here's the cool part. Fifteen hikers loaded into an SUV and a pickup truck and headed to town. I was in the back of the pickup with five others, one from New Zealand. Later I found out the SUV included a woman from Norwalk, Ohio. We paraded into the restaurant in a single file line where they had already setup tables for us. Apparently, this happens often. I had cheese fries for an appetizer, chicken parmesan with spaghetti and broccoli. Then I bought a whatchamacallit candy bar for dessert. Honestly, I was still hungry and ate the big cookie when I arrived back at the hostel. In the morning I ate my own breakfast due to theirs coming with eggs. Those who know me know I despise eggs. I was the only one to skip the hostel's breakfast offer. I did drink the coffee though and it was great. The hostel had a community theme and we where all asked to do a chore before returning to the trail. They were written on clothes pins and ringed the lip of a mason jar. When the chore was done you dropped the pin into the jar. While everyone ate breakfast I took what is for me an easy task. I cleaned the toilet. The military didn't just teach me how to fix bombers. My fear of cleaning toilets ended in the late 80's. For book followers, mile 624.8 page 63.
Date: 2018-06-08
From: Sugar Run Gap, Woods Hole Hostel

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 10.6

It was going to be a good day. How could it not be? I was only hiking 10.6 miles to get to Pearisburg. And I'd be staying at another hostel with access to town food. Must we not forget I had two packages waiting my arrival to the post office. And so I set out to hike at 9:00 AM.As I approached the trail from the dirt road I came up to Swedee Pie, a 44 year old from Sweden. I've ran into him before only to get a nod or one to two words in return when I tried to engage conversation. However, this day was different. I yelled out as I approached, "Swedee Pie!" After exchanges of good morning, we started down the trail. For the next 45 minutes it was constant talking. I learned quite a bit about him and it made for quick and easy hiking until he darted into a shelter for a coffee break while I pressed onward. I said I hoped to see him in town.My first stop was the post office. The box from my sister Laura had my new shoes, protein bars, protein powder and some Aleve tablets. While at the post office I mailed home my old shoes. No longer good for hiking but will make nice lawn and garden shoes. I put on my pack and started my way to the hostel wearing cheap sandals and carrying two boxes. The clerk at the post office told me the hostel was behind Food Lion. I saw nothing there, went to front of store, saw two employees taking a break and asked for directions. They said to go back and I'd find a path in the woods which was a shortcut. It was there and I found Angels Rest Hiker Heaven. Later MF Mouse, Raccoon, Monk and Lost & Found would arrive.After showering I ate at a Chinese buffet, got some snacks at Food Lion and accepted an ivitatation to visit Dairy Queen with four hikers I met at the hostel. Two were from Germany. I had my favorite, a peanut buster parfait. When I left the comforts of being inside the AC, I seen Swedee Pie eating outside. We chatted and I said I'll show you the secret path to the hostel. I was fairly certain there were still bunks available. He was happy to land a top bunk in the bunk house.Thanks Brian for the wonderful care package. It will fuel me on my way to Daleville. For book followers, mile 635.4 page 63.
Date: 2018-06-10
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: scattered clouds

It is only natural to want to plan your schedule. But on the trail we hikers are more of a day to day group. When you wake up you worry about today. Getting through today is tough enough to worry about tomorrow. Many times I've had to remind myself of this fact. For instance, after eight straight days of hiking I decided to take a rest day the morning I planned to leave. MF Mouse also rested and our biggest accomplisment of the day was walking to the Mexican restaurant for lunch. I had jalapeno poppers, three tamales and a grande mango frozen margarita. It was awesome! The remainder of the day we watched two movies and relaxed around the hostel.Although hikers form friendships, they come and go. Raccoon did not take a rest day and left the day before. No telling when I'd see him again. Mouse told me he wasn't feeling well and would be taking yet another rest day with hopes of seeing a doctor on Monday. Then I found out Monk would not be continuing his hike. His girlfriend came from Italy two days before and they decided to catch an Amtrak to the west coast. Their adventure continures, not on trails, but on tracks. Best wishes Monk. Swedee Pie had also left the day before and Lost & Found decided to slack pack a day or two. Slack packing is hiking without most of your gear and only a day's food. You end up back at the hostel as they shuttle you up trail and you hike back in the opposite direction. I've yet to slack pack.When the hostel shuttled me back to the trailhead I was hoping for a big day. It was over 90 miles to Daleville and I wanted to be there in five days. The day started good. At the trailhead a woman was doing trail magic. She gave me a Gatorade and a blueberry muffin. I noticed her car had Ohio plates. In chatting I learned she had ties to Lorain, Ohio, the town next to my hometown.I found out why some were slack packing. This section of trail was rocky and rough on the feet and forced a slow pace. I made my big day but it took until 6:30. It had rained on the trail but in most areas it was before I went through. I only saw the mud puddles. So when I arrived at a shelter that was designated as closed for safety reasons, I was elated to find out others could care less and where going to stay there. The hazard was dead trees that were at risk of falling. Five of us stayed the night, stayed dry, and five of us made it through another day on the trail. For book followers, mile 655.8 page 66.
Date: 2018-06-11
From: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter

To: Laurel Creek Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: clear sky

I wanted to have another big day in order to keep a pace that would make Daleville in five days. Yesterday my feet were aching most of the day. Today they felt much better even though the morning was more rocky terrain. I usually average 2.5 miles per hour over a mixture of trail conditions. But today at lunch I realized I'd only made 7.5 miles in four hours, less than two miles per hour.Just before I took lunch I came out of the woods to a gravel road. Across the road reading a trail information sign was a group of about eight kids, one teenage girl, and one adult male. They were going on a mini adventure, good for the kids. What was potentially bad for me were the two large dogs that came running toward me while barking. I froze, touched my trekking poles to the ground, they investigated then left. Meanwhile, the owner didn't blink an eye nor did he put the dogs on a leash.They left and I setup on a large rock for lunch. Sky Diver shortly joined me and I told him about my encounter. We went on to debate the potential negatives of dog owners not leashing their dogs while they are on the trail. (Note to reader, please remember this story for a later entry.)After lunch the terrain eased and my pace quickened. I managed an 18.5 mile day before settling into a shelter at 6 PM. Here I met a hiker named Troop Leader. He's a former DEA agent, now retired. For this I was glad since I assumed he would not be partaking in herbal refreshments. There is more than just natural weeds on the trail, if you know what I mean.Only Troop Leader and I used the shelter. Two others, Robin and Freight Train, opted to tent. I was in my sleeping bag early. The rocky terrain the past two days had taken its toll on me. For book followers, mile 674.3 page 67.