morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-05-08
From: Punch Bowl Shelter

To: Brown Mtn Creek Shelter
Miles today: 9.5

We had a good night at Punchbowl Shelter. There were 7 people in a shelter designed for 6, cozy but ok. It rained most of the night but stopped about 7am in time for us to finish our breakfast and packing. We left at 7:30 for a 9.5 mile hike to Brown Mtn Creek Shelter. It was Mother's Day and I was able to get a call to my wife early in the day so that was good. We crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway again. One of the nice amenities is a trash can at most of the crossings; I loved to deposit my garbage whenever the opportunity presented so I kept it at the top of my pack for easy access. There was a short climb up Rice Mtn and then we crossed the Pedlar River Bridge. In 1904 the Pedlar Dam was constucted and thus the Lynchburg Resovoir was created. It holds 82 million gallons of water and furnishes 14 milliom gallons a day to the Lynchburg area. It was huge. After completing a loop hike around the reservor we began to hike adjacent to the Brown Mtn Creek. This area was farmed by slave labor from 1800 to the end of the Civil War. A former slave bought the land, built cabins and rented them to former slaves who sharecropped the land. Remains of the old cabin foundations and rock walls were visible. We reached Brown Mtn Creek Shelter at 12:30pm in time to have lunch and a leisure afternoon.
Date: 2011-05-09
From: Brown Mtn Creek Shelter

To: Hog Camp Gap
Miles today: 8.1

Today we have a short hike, 8.1 miles, to Hog Camp Gap. Soon we passed Long Mtn Wayside, a picnic area with tables and a trash can. This site was originally an old stagecoach road and also was the site that Union General David Hunter's calvary crossed to get into VA to burn VA Military Institute. General Hunter was soon defeated by General Jubal Early and was relieved of his command. Hunter later gained fame by presiding over the commission trying those who conspired to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. There was a long 3000 foot climb up to Bald Knob . Cow gap shelter was .6 miles off the trail so we did not stop. The Little Cove Creek ravine adjacent to the shelter is known for its old timber growth and RATTLESNAKES, so it was a good shelter to skip. Next was Cold Mtn and there were wonderful views of Spy Rock, The Priest, The Cardinal and many more Mtns. Shortly after arriving at Hog Camp Gap, we set up our tents and had lunch. Padre camped with Gerda and me. It was a beautiful site with a very good water source close by. Later that afternoon Delaware Dave came into camp and set up his tent a short distance from us. I had Santa Fe Pasta with Fritos for dinner and it was good. We went to bed early.
Date: 2011-05-10
From: Hog Camp Gap

To: Dutch Haus Hostel
Miles today: 10.1

I enjoyed a good night of sleep in my tent, I much prefer tenting as opposed to sleeping in the shelters but the terrain and weather sometimes forces me to sleep "inside". In Europe it was the tradition for over a thousand years to have a Watchman to alert the city to invaders, fires etc. Among his duties was to wake the people of the village with a wake up song. At 5:30am Gerda came to our tents singing one of the old beautiful melodic watchman song to wake Padre and myself. After that, I started calling Gerda the "Watchwoman"- it should have been her trail name.I ate breakfast, had a hot cup of coffee and broke camp. Only minutes after packing my tent it began to rain, good timing! Another short hike of 10.1 miles for the day to the Dutch Haus Hostel. All three of us were excited to enjoy the comforts and amenities as well as good food at the hostel.It was a fairly flat hike to Spy Rock. At Seely-Woodworth Shelter, I called Arnold to arrange a pick up for us. We decended a steep gravel road to the bottom of Spy Rock Road where Arnold was waiting for us in his pick up truck for a brief one mile ride to his hostel. Shortly after arriving, Lois fed us hamburgers & hot dogs with all the trimmings-very tasty. They offer a free lunch to all hikers regardless whether they stay at the hostel or not, a nice thing to do. We were assigned to our beds, Gerda and I stayed in the house and Padre went to the bunk house. All the accommodations were clean and well maintained. Lois collected our dirty, smelly clothes and did our laundry. She furnished us with bathrobes to wear while she washed our clothes. We later hung the clothes on the clothes line to dry. A hot shower was also very gratifying to our sore and dirty bodies. Other hikers at the hostel were Walking Man, Delaware Dave and Reuben II, a radiologist from Ashville, NC.
Date: 2011-05-11
From: Dutch Haus Hostel

To: Harpers Creek Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: light rain

We had a great relaxing night at the hostel. For dinner Lois served us pork chops topped with apples, salad and a delicious pineapple upside down cake. Walking Man, Ruben II, Delaware Dave, Padre, Gerda and I were present for the meal. Sam, a young man from New Zealand, came in late after dinner; he is hiking south bound. Gerda and I shared a double bunk bed. She was gracious to allow me to sleep on the bottom due to my need to visit the bathroom several times during the night. Breakfast was at 7am and we were presented an egg casserole, hash brown potatoes and pancakes. We all ate heartily. Arnold loaded us onto his truck at 8am and took us back to the bottom of Sky Rock Road, it was raining on us at that time. Originally, I had planned to stay at the hostel and take the 1pm shuttle after lunch but anticipating the steep climb up the Spy Rock Road in the noon sun made me reconsider my agenda . I had planned a short 4 mile hike to the Priest Shelter with a late start but as noted above, we left early and thus continued on to Harpers Creek Shelter. So the 12.1 mile hike plus 1.1 miles out of the valley made for a good hike. It was a short hike up to the top of Priest Mtn but a 3000 foot descent down the north side of the mtn; it was rocky thus painful for our feet. We crossed a 148 foot suspension bridge across the Tye River. In 1969 Hurricane Camille dropped 27 inches of rain causing the Tye River to flood resulting in over 1oo deaths and 900 homes and more than 100 bridges were destoyed. Harpers Creek Shelter is located in a beautiful peaceful site just across a babbling creek. At the shelter were Padre, Gerda and myself. Walking Man came in later but tented across the creek.
Date: 2011-05-12
From: Harpers Creek Shelter

To: Maupin Field Shelter
Miles today: 6.2
Weather: few clouds

We enjoyed a good night's sleep with only the three of us in the shelter. That is unusual for us, recently, but it was nice to be able to spread out. Last night I ate Mtn House Sweet & Sour Pork, one of my favorite dinners. I elected to sleep inside again today because the forecast warned of a 60% chance of rain. It was a short hike today because we extended our hike yesterday. Tomorrow will be a longer day with 15.8 miles. Even though today's hike was short it was a little demanding with a 2000 foot climb up Three Ridges Mtn. There were great views from Hanging Rock Overlook. We arrived at Maupin Field Shelter at 1pm and ate lunch. After setting up our gear and doing our chores, water etc, I read a book in my Kindle. Walking Man is also here and he is undecided whether to stay in the shelter or tent.
Date: 2011-05-13
From: Maupin Field Shelter

To: Paul Wolfe Shelter
Miles today: 15.8

Today is Friday the 13th; maybe we should stay here at the shelter another day! We ended up with 6 people at the shelter last night. Delaware Dave tented and Juro was in his hammack. Walking Man was with us again and a young couple came in late last night after all of us had gone to sleep. They cooked their dinner,talking the whole time, and finally got into their sleeping bags then he pulled out a book and read it for at least 30 minutes with his headlight filling the shelter with light! The mice were very active otherwise I did get a little sleep. All of us were up at 5:30am, packed and were on our way to Paul Wolfe Shelter by 7am. Of course the young couple that came in late were planning to sleep in. We did not talk and tried to not distub them although it was tempting to be loud, but that would have been rude. We had a long hike,15.8 miles, and there was an immediate climb of 2000 feet to Humpback Mtn. The elevation gain was not too bad but the trail was very rocky which added to the burden. At the top we hiked the ridge for several miles but it was also rocky. At the top of an overlook on Humpback Mtn I recognized a woman that I hiked with for several weeks two years earlier from Hot Springs to Pearisburg. At that time she was hiking with her boyfriend and they preferred to tent, as do I, so we had a good time toghether. She was and still is a very strong hiker and indeed was waiting for her hiking companion, another woman. They were south bound as we hiked north we passed the lady way up the trail.But I enjoyed seeing Nancy again. The next portion of the trail was a 1700 foot descent to our shelter. Paul Wolfe Shelter is one of the nicer shelters. It will sleep 10 and has a covered picnic table. It has a loft, side windows, a cooking porch and a neat swimming hole close by. I elected to stay in the shelter; tomorrow will be a short hike of 5 miles into Waynesboro and we are all excited about our first zero day.
Date: 2011-05-14
From: Paul Wolfe Shelter

To: Waynesboro
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: clear sky

Last night the shelter was full with 10 people also there were several hikers tenting. Among the occupants were Walking Man ,Dead Man , Padre and of course the two of us. The hike to Rockfish Gap was only 5 miles and primarily downhill. It drizzled rain most of the way down. We had previously arranged a pickup by Mr Kirby to shuttle us to the Quality Inn. While waiting for Mr Kirby, Walkman and Dead Man arrived and we offered for them to ride the shuttle with us which they accepted. Padre had planned to stay at the Lutheran Hostel but it was not opened for the season, so he came with us to the QI, they did have a vacant room so that was good for him. I immediately unpacked all my wet gear and spread it out in the motel room to dry. I took a shower and it was luke warm but stll felt good. My car was at the motel, so I took several of the guys to Wal-Mart; we ate at Sonic's and it was good hamburger-my first Sonic Hamburger. After returning to the motel Padre, Gerda amd myself went to the library to email our friends and family. While at the library I received a call from Goose and Ducky: he had an infected ingrowing toe nail and needed a ride to the urgent care center. So, our time at the library was cut short but for a good reason. Saturday night we ate dinner at Ruby Tuesdays with Lynn, a friend of Gerda's that she had met prviously. He is an older gentleman and very nice to talk with. I had a big steak, salad bar and apple pie and it filled me up, all good and tasty. We went back to the motel and retired for the night.
Date: 2011-05-15
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Waynesboro, VA
Miles today: 0.0

The bed was comfortable, so I had a good night of sleep. Gerda and I went to Weasie's to eat breakfast. It is a well know stop for the thru hikers. The Hiker's Breakfast Special is all you can eat pancakes. I did eat pancakes but only three. I wanted to sight see but Gerda and I never found a place that interested us, so we stayed in town. The libray was closed (Sunday). I gave a couple of guys shuttles, went to the outfitters and read my book. Lunch at Hardies. By dinner time I was not too hungry; therefore, Padre, Gerda and I returned to Ruby Tuedays and I had a salad bar. Back to the motel to pack my resupply box. I had to carry about 7 or 8 days of food, my pack was going to be heavy! A relaxing but good day to allow our bodies to recover from the rigors of the trail.
Date: 2011-05-16
From: Waynesboro, VA

To: Calf Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: clear sky

Today would be a long day. I had to drive my Jeep to Harpers Ferry to leave it at the Comfort Inn. We had a quick breakfast at the motel and were ready when Mr Kirby picked us up at 7am. Gerda wanted to ride in the shuttle but Padre opted to wait and have us pick him up on our return. A young hiker named Sailor decided to get off the trail due to knee problems and asked Mr. Kirby for a ride to Front Royal, so Mr. Kirby asked if we objected. We did not but it turned ou to be a disaster. We had to get off the interstate and take the back roads over the Blue Ridge Mtn and we encounted a huge traffic back up due to construction. There was a considerable loss of time. Once we dropped Sailor off at the Quality Inn in Front Royal, about 10 miles out of town, Mr. Kirby found Sailors cell phone in his van so we had to turn around and go back to Front Royal, find Sailor and return his phone. Finally,I left my car at the Comfort Inn in Harpers Ferry, they were very accommodating; we returned to Waynesboro via the interstate- much faster. Padre was waiting for us at the QI. Mr. Kirby dropped Gerda and me off at Rockfish Gap but Padre needed to go to Simmons Gap. We enyoyed Padre's companionship and wished him the best of luck. It was 1:30pm when we started hiking. It was only 7 miles but we were hoping to get to the shelter befor the rain, there was a 80% chance. The trail was a steep ascent and it was drizzling rain most of the way. As expected the shelter was full as well as most of the tent sites but we found two. I met BeanPole, a young man from Alabaster, AL also Goose and Ducky and six young girls from Indiana came in late and all of them stayed in one big tent. I was surprised that they found a site big enough for the tent. Gerda and I found two nice tent sites and tented .As I stated earlier, I prefer to tent so I was not disappointed. I was anxious to start eating to reduce the weight of my pack. The extra food really made it heavy.
Date: 2011-05-17
From: Calf Mtn Shelter

To: Black Rock Hut
Miles today: 13.0

As expected,it rained most of the night, I was in my tent and stayed perfectly dry. BeanPole was next to me and he was soaked. I cooked breakfast in my vestbule and gathered my gear. There was a lull in the rain so I quickly took the tent down and packed everything. By the time we started hiking it bagan to drizzle then it rained very hard for the next 4 to 5 hours, about 2 inches. There was tremendous lightning, thunder and wind. On one of the Mtns I was on the windward side and really got cold to the point of shivering. I put on my Packa rain poncho and it made a big difference. Saw one large Black Snake. We arrived at Black Rock Hut and were able to get a couple of spots in the shelter. We hung up our gear to dry and soon the hut was full. Beanpole, Grandpa and two guys from Louisville( Richard & Warren) were there as well as several others.More rain was expected.
Date: 2011-05-18
From: Black Rock Hut

To: Pine Field Hut
Miles today: 13.2

As anticipated, it rained hard last night. Today will be a 13 mile hike to Pine Field Hut. The highlight for today was a stop at Loft Mtn Wayside for a hamburger. Gerda and I were approaching the wayside and it began to drizzle, we were inside only about 2 minutes and it began to pour. It would have been difficult to enjoy our food if we were wet and sitting in air conditioning. I ordered a hamburger, french fries and a coke. I had heard rave reviews about their Blackberry milkshake and was disappointed that their machine was broken. We had about 4 miles to the hut but left the wayside full and happy. The hut filled up as expected because we had more rain. Nice to be inside.
Date: 2011-05-19
From: Pine Field Hut

To: High Top Hut
Miles today: 8.2

Another crowded night at the shelter. There were about 20 people last night in and around the shelter. We had a big fire and that was enjoyable. No rain last pm but overcast today. It will be a 8.2 mile hike today, what I call an easy day to allow our bodies to recover. Gerda woke me at 5:30am and we were on the trail by 7am. There were three ups and downs today but nothing bad. Several of the guys saw bears today but we did not see any. High Top Hut is an old shelter with the original Chestnut logs and a tin roof. It has been well maintained, as a matter of fact, there were three trail men at the hut constructing a new privy. The young group of thru hikers, BeanPole et al, will do more mileage today so we don't anticipate as big a crowd tonight. The tent sites were muddy so we decided to stay in the hut. Richard and Warren came in later.
Date: 2011-05-20
From: High Top Hut

To: Bearfence Mtn Hut
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: light rain

Well, I was wrong, we had another large group at the shelter last night. Wild Rain a young lady from GA was there with Stephon, her boyfriend from Germany, also present were Richard and Warren and an older couple from GA. A group of 7 section hikers came in with their leader. It was a commercial trek to encourage overweight people to "get fit", they paid about $1500 for the adventure. They all tented but did take up a lot of space particularly when their leader was preparing and cooking their food. About 5pm a retired school teacher and a younger friend came in and erected their tents at the sites Gerda and I had originally considered. The teacher came to the shelter to be socialble; soon after his friend came down and said a bear climbed a tree and took his food bag. He ran up the hill screaming at the bear and finally drove the bear off but not before the bear had eaten a good portion of his food. He and his friend came back to the shelter and we were talking about the encounter and noticed the bear had come back and destroyed both of their tents. The bear was a juvenile and weighed about 150 pounds. He circle our shelter for the remainder of the night , usually 15 to 30 yards away. We could not run him off. All the hikers in tents relocated their tents closer to the shelter and we built a large fire. After a period of time it was obvious to me that the bear did not pose a danger to us, unless provoked, and was only waiting for an opportunity to grab more food. Nevertheless, it did make the evening exciting.
Date: 2011-05-21
From: Bearfence Mtn Hut

To: Big Meadow Lodge
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: scattered clouds

No bear attacks during the night. The bear was still present this morning and continued to circle the hut. Gerda and I were awake by 6am and on our way by 7am. The 8 mile hike to Big Meadow Lodge was unremarkable and we arrived at the lodge at 10am. We tried to check in but were told check in was not till 3pm. Unfortunately, it was a Saturday and they were full so we had to be patient. Gerda suggested that we go to the laundry and get that task done. We changed clothes in the bathroom and were able to wash all of the dirty clothes, I was wearing my rain gear. Richard and Warren arrived; they were not staying at the lodge but wanted to eat lunch so they availed themselves to a hot shower for a cost of one dollar. At 12 noon, we went to the dinning room and the four of us enjoyed a nice lunch. Richard and Warren went back on the trail and Gerda and I inquired re an update on the status of our rooms. The clerk said yes and I was assigned a room and given my key and then she told Gerda that her room was not ready. I felt terrible about taking the first available and of course would have given it to Gerda if I had known. She put her pack in my room and walked around. I checked into my room at 1:30 and she did not get into her room till after 3pm. I was disappointed with the lodge; it was obvious that we were tired,dirty hikers and were there at 10am; I thought they should have been more considerate and assigned us a room sooner. The rooms were old, built in the 1940's, but ok. We both cleaned up, rested and met for dinner at 5pm. I had a salad,steak and a Blackberry Sundae-all good. We went back to our rooms anticipating a good night's rest but to my chagrin the adjacent room to me was a suite with 2 families. There was no insulation in the walls; therefore, all conversations could easily be heard. The children ran and played until I clearly heard the parents tell them to go to bed at 10pm. I thought good, but the two couples continued to talk til 12:15am. I am a light sleeper so it was not a good night for me.
Date: 2011-05-22
From: Big Meadow Lodge

To: Byrds Nest #3 Hut
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: few clouds

I was up at 6am and we were at the dinnig room when it opened at 7:30am. I had a big breakfast-eggs, ham, breakfast potatoes and of course coffee. We were on the trail at 8:30am. The trail was easy at the beginning but began to climb. The trail was not really difficult but the heat and high humidity added an additional burden. We passed Rock Spring Hut and skirted around Hawksbill Mtn which is the highest mtn in the Shenandoah Park. Soon we took a .2 mile side trail to Skyland Resort for lunch. The food and service was good. It is always nice to refill our water bottles with tap water, use a flush toilet, wash our hands in hot water and eat good food. Simple things that are taken for granted back home. From the resort it was a fairly flat hike to Byrds Nest #3 Hut. The water source was good but was down a steep 0.4 mile path. After replenishing our water supplies it started to rain hard so it was an easy decision to stay in the shelter. I have never stayed in shelters as much as I did on this section. It was a big shelter and only a couple of people thus far. One of the thru hikers had also lost his tent to the bear at Bearfence Hut the night after our bear encounter, it was totally destroyed and he had to sleep in the shelter. So that makes three tents destoyed by the bear that we know of and there may be more. He planned to replace it in Harpers Ferry. It was a long day and I was tired. If you add the 14.4 miles of trail hike plus the 0.2 mile trail times two to the resort and double the 0.4 miles to our water source, it was well over 15 miles.
Date: 2011-05-23
From: Byrds Nest #3 Hut

To: Gravel Springs Hut
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: light rain

There was heavy snoring in the shelter last night; therefore, I did not rest well. We were full again with Richard, Warren, The Professor, Buffalo, MooseJaw and several others. Although I don't like shelters, it rained hard last night with tremendous lightning and thunder; so probably better to be inside rather than in a tent. Gerda and I were up early and on the trail by 7am because we had a 17.5 mile hike today which will be our longest hike for this section. Initially, we went down 1500 feet and then began an 800 foot ascent up Pass Mtn. Gerda and I prefer to hike 12 to 14 miles maximum per day. She is quite capable of doing long miles but prefers not as do I. We passed Pass Mtn Hut on our way but did not stop. Elkwallow Wayside was only 75 yards off the trail so we obviously stopped there for lunch. I had a hamburger with fries and a blackberry milkshake. Gerda was able to enjoy a beer with her sandwich. We ate outside, there were no indoor dinning facilities. It looked like it might rain during our lunch but thankfully it held off for a while. The lunch break lasted about an hour and that was restorative. I developed a shin splint on my left leg several days ago and the pain level has been a 1-2 out of 10. But today, it was annoying and noticeable and was a 5/10 level of pain. I bought an ace wrap at the wayside and wrapped it I thought that would help. After the wayside there was 6 miles to the hut and it required us to climb Hogback Mtn and then descend 700 feet to Gravel Spring Hut. We barely made it to the hut when it starting raining hard. No tent again tonght! This has been a consistent pattern There has been very little rain while on the trail but we get rain almost every night.A full shelter tonght with virtually all the same people from last night except Richard and Warren, they stopped at Pass Mtn Hut. After arrival my left leg was very swollen and red. Tomorrow will be a shorter day and perhaps I can rest it more at the hostel. Two brothers from Montana came into the hut and announced that they were heavy snorers and got up early. Oh no, not another night of misery.