morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-05-31
From: Wapiti shelter

To: Pearisburg VA
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: broken clouds

I got up early and left at 6:45, just as it began to rain. I used my umbrella up Sugar Run Mtn., but the rain stopped in an hour or two. I met Marcie coming up before Big Horse Gap. I caught up with her again at Doc¢s Knob shelter, at the low point on Pearis Mtn, and again on the descent into Pearisburg. The sun showed briefly around noon, but the view from Angel¢s Rest was a scenic but messy cloudscape with some gaps open to the towns below. Along the way I encountered frequent pink azalea and honeysuckle, which has a sweet fragrance you can pick up several feet away. The final descent was steep and much of it covered with particularly sticky, slimy mud. I literally boot skied on it at times. I decided to pass up the motel at the base of the mountain and to hike the 1/2 mile up to Pearisburg, where laundry, P.O., restaurants, etc. were more accessible. Showers continued while I did the laundry and talked to a local guy who was there because his power had been knocked out by a storm. I had dinner at a restaurant/sports bar next to the motel and had a long interesting talk about racial matters with a black man named Bob who had lived in Dracut MA for 22 years and then moved back to Pearisburg. (He agreed with me that the Red Sox¢s ¢Curse of the Bambino¢ had more to do with their unwritten policy that continued almost to the current ownership of limiting the number of black players on the roster and thereby excluding themselves from a talented pool of players.) Nice guy. I called home and talked to Greg and Matt.
Date: 2003-06-01
From: Pearisburg VA

To: Pearisburg VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I spent most of the zero day resting in the motel room. I called Sheila and had a nice talk. Later, I found the internet terminal in the motel office (library not open Sunday). Got email from Skip and my friend Gordon and a long one from Sheila, which I replied to and spent much of the day thinking about. Clearly, my absence has been harder on her than I thought. In my reply, I offered to come home if she needs me.
Date: 2003-06-02
From: Pearisburg VA

To: Pine Swamp Branch shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: clear sky

I didn¢t get to sleep until 2AM, tossing and turning. Got up at 7AM and had breakfast at Hardee¢s, and picked up my mail drop and a package from Debbie containing carefully bubble-wrapped chocolate chip cookies, fruit bars, and a squirt gun. I bought a few groceries and walked downtown to buy Heet to fuel my alcohol stove. I checked out of the motel at 9:30 and walked down the hill to the trail. It was a warm, sunny morning. I passed No Pain, who was headed up into town. I crossed the New River bridge and followed the trail up the hill behind the big Celanese plant, which remained audible for a couple of miles. The trail climbs up the nose of Peters Mtn and follows the ridge until it opens up to pasture at Rice Fields shelter. On the way I spent a lot of time thinking about Sheila. I shared Debbie¢s cookies with four hikers at the overlook, which had a panoramic view of West Virginia. I walked on toward Pine Swamp Branch shelter. There was a lovely prospect before Syms Gap, looking across to Pine Swamp Knob. The walk down to the shelter was longer than necessary because of nearly flat trail between umpteen switchbacks. I passed Pokey and a woman named T-Bird, both of whom showed up at the shelter a little later. Also at the shelter were Nemo, Gus, Twigs, Moose-Munch, and James. Gus turns out to be a social worker who worked Sheila last year and is hiking thru to Harpers Ferry. Small world. Got a nice reply to my reply to Gordon this morning; he is taking a course on baseball in American culture which included a field trip to several major- and minor-league ballparks; I narrowly missed his stop in Bluefield WV, just across the New River from Pearisburg. Pine Swamp Branch is an excellent shelter with a central fireplace flanked by sleeping shelves.
Date: 2003-06-03
From: Pine Swamp Branch shelter

To: War Spur shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: moderate rain

There was rain at night and in the morning. I started hiking at 8:45, under the umbrella again. Bailey Gap shelter (4-5 miles ahead) was still full of people when I stopped for a rest. The rain is getting on people¢s nerves. The rain finally stopped, but the ridge was cold and windy. There were a couple of pretty sections near the end of the day with lots of mountain laurel and rock outcrops. I made soup and tea for lunch at War Spur shelter around 3PM and decided to stay. The same crew showed up as last night, plus the addition of Blueberry and Pinot, a couple from CO who both went to Hiram College in northeast Ohio. I spent much of the day thinking about Sheila.
Date: 2003-06-04
From: War Spur shelter

To: Niday shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: broken clouds

I awoke early to a fair sky and left the shelter at 6:50. It was a long haul to Laurel Shelter ¢ got there at 10AM. I¢m glad I didn¢t try for it yesterday. I walked on through a pasture in Sinking Creek Valley, which is well-named. The pasture had some seriously deep muddy spots, and I went in 10 inches deep in a pond of mustard-brown slime right in front of the style. There was a group of hikers who had just had the same experience hanging around to watch the next victim. I later heard that a couple of hikers had made a decision then and there to hitch to town and get off the trail. There were lots of clouds by now, and showers soon began, but it was a fairly warm day and my shirt was already wet from being rinsed out in a brook so I didn¢t bother with the umbrella.I met Tom from Birmingham, a section hiker going SB, and he warned me about the muddy climb ahead up Sarver Mtn, but it wasn¢t as hard going up as he had experienced coming down. I came to the side trail to Sarver shelter, which drops about 200 feet over a quarter mile. I slipped on the very steep, muddy trail and fell on my butt going down, but soon reached a beautiful new shelter, which has a nice spring. The path kicked my butt going back up and I cursed polysyllabically to the merriment of some hikers taking a break at the junction with the AT up on the ridge. The Sarver family had collected a lot of rocks while farming the rocky ridge-top and piled them up in strange looking mounds which have remained over the years.The ridge walk had many large sloping ledges with wide views of the valley and the opposite ridge. By now the sun was appearing, and scattered castellanus clouds made an awesome cloudscape. I survived a few slips on the lichen-covered ledge and made it down to Niday shelter around 4:30. The same gang showed up again, plus Smokey and Bandit, Flatlander, and some others. T-Bird, who carries a small guitar, sang beautifully and entertained us.
Date: 2003-06-05
From: Niday shelter

To: Four Pines Hostel, Catawba VA
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: broken clouds

I woke up at 6:30 ¢ it was a nice day. I got on the trail at 7:50 after some granola and worked my way up the ridge after crossing Craigie Creek. The morning was sunny, breezy, and very pleasant. I met Pokey on top of the ridge and took a rest on a real bench the trail crew had provided. We talked about how the climb up the ridge illustrated why it is so favorable for an army to defend a ridge-top position, as Lee¢s army did at the Battle of Fredericksburg, inflicting over 12,000 casualties on the Union forces that had the misfortune of being commanded by Burnside. After the break, I walked along the ridge, past the Audie Murphy memorial and caught a view of Core Mtn and Dragon¢s Tooth, which I climbed up after crossing Trout Creek. Reaching 2500 feet, there was a view north and a little later a view to the many-toothed ridge. It was a tough climb over Dragon¢s Tooth, with many rocky outcrops, each of which looked like the final tooth, only to be followed by another and another. The descent was over lots of bare rock and was also tough. I made it to Four Pines Hostel, where many of my recent acquaintances were staying (including Chilly Willy and Kilroy, whom I had last seen at Cherry Gap shelter south of Roan High Knob), as well as Lone Wolf and Baltimore Jack. The hostel is a big garage with mattresses and cots, a fridge with cold drinks, and other comforts of home. We shuttled to the Home Place restaurant in Catawba for a terrific all-you-can¢eat meal; it was barbeque night to boot. I called Sheila after dinner and cleared the air between us after having obsessed about it for four days. I told her again that I was serious about coming home if she wanted me to, which was not an easy decision having come this far, but which I meant sincerely. She told me she was feeling better about being on her own and wanted me to finish my hike. I felt a lot better afterwards.
Date: 2003-06-06
From: Four Pines Hostel, Catawba VA

To: Daleville VA
Miles today: 25.5
Weather: clear sky

I woke up in the hostel at dawn. I could see pink clouds through the open garage door while Lone Wolf and Baltimore Jack hustled around getting their gear ready. I left the hostel at 6:50 and walked down the road back to the trail, which went up and down a small hill through the woods, and then crossed a steep pasture and entered the Catawba Mtn ridge at Beckner gap, which I had seen yesterday from Dragon¢s Tooth. I passed Lone Wolf, a big man who carries a huge load, and then a couple resting at the site of the former Boy Scout shelter. I walked down the side trail to the spring and saw several large lizards along the way. Back on the trail, I stopped to talk to three older hikers, and continued up to McAffee Knob, a superb overlook. I got some other hikers to take my picture in the standard pose with legs dangling over the edge, but later found that they hadn¢t depressed the shutter release all the way. I saw Chilly Willy and Kilroy here and again later in the day at Tinker Cliffs, which is one of the greatest spots on the trail in Virginia (although everything seems nice when the sun is shining). There were some nice views along the way from a series of knobs of Tinker Cliffs getting closer and the ridge continuing past the cliffs toward Troutville. I had lunch at the cliffs, joined by Chilly Willy and Kilroy, Hoops (a Nets fan) and Stonehenge. Hiking on down the Tinker Mountain ridge, I got water at Lambert shelter. At the next stream crossing I met Slip and Trip, a couple from Ohio. We feasted together on three cans of trail magic soda left in the stream by an angel.By this time I had decided to push on to Daleville, and I steamed ahead at a good pace. The trail was good at first, followed by some steep, eroded sections. The weather continued sunny, breezy, and warm all day. It was an endurance hike for the last three hours, thru the hairpin turn at Angel¢s Gap, past the enormous Hay Rock, and finally down to a muddy bottom near the creek below, emerging on Highway 220. On the final leg into town I actually saw an opossum playing possum on the trail. Don¢t worry little fella, I¢m not going to mess with a critter that has teeth like yours. The Best Western was almost next to the trail, and that was good enough for me. I had dinner at the Chinese restaurant across the highway and crashed early. I covered 25.5 miles today, my personal record.
Date: 2003-06-07
From: Daleville VA

To: Daleville VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: mist

Yesterday was a high energy day owing both to clearing the air with Sheila and the good weather. Today rain was predicted to be heavy (although it turned out to be steady but light) so I took a zero at the motel. The woman at the desk gave me a ride to Troutville, where I walked around waiting for the post office to open. I got my mail drop and tried to hitch back, but got no ride for half an hour and finally decided to walk the 2 miles back to Daleville. I had breakfast at the counter of the truck stop near the interstate, and then walked the rest of the way back to the motel. My Merrill boots had developed a gaping hole that let in the water I was so often walking in, so I walked to the nearby mall and bought a pair of heavier duty Vasque Sundowners from the very good outfitter there. I had broken off the bottom section of a hiking pole when I fell on top of it a few days earlier, and they also had a replacement section for that. Back in business again, I bought a takeout lunch at the Bojangles BBQ and returned to the motel to watch Clemens lose to the Cubs. Sweet.I bought a BBQ stew for dinner from a different restaurant at the mall and watched the movie channel: first Cabaret and then Guys and Dolls. I called home around noon and talked to Matt; Greg was at a track meet. Called again at 11:30 PM and had a really nice talk with Sheila. There¢s no internet at the Best Western, so I have to wait to read the email she sent.
Date: 2003-06-08
From: Daleville VA

To: Wilson Creek
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: broken clouds

There was lingering light rain and low clouds in the morning, so I walked under the umbrella for a while. Stopped at Fullhardt Knob shelter for lunch with Moose Munch, Nemo, Beav, Blaze, and Littlest Hobo. The new boots seem OK but the sole is stiffer and therefore more slippery than the Merrills¢ on smooth rock. I went on to Wilson Creek shelter. Lone Wolf left to continue on but soon returned with a faun (!), probably a couple days old in his arms. As he told the story, the faun tumbled down a steep embankment when its mother bolted, and when she didn¢t return, he decided to bring the faun back to the shelter. A bad decision, we all know now. The faun hung around all night bleating and waking us up again and again.
Date: 2003-06-09
From: Wilson Creek

To: Bryant Ridge shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: clear sky

I got up and onto the trail at 6:30 after listening to the faun all night. The sun was shining. I crossed the Blue Ridge Parkway several times and saw two indigo buntings, spectacular blue birds shining in the sun. (Have I mentioned that I¢m one of those people who have an internal juke box playing songs in my head all day? The indigo bunting has a distinctive ¢high-high-low-low¢ song, so I spent the rest of the day with the 60¢s R&B classic ¢I Like Bread and Butter¢ going through my head.) I met Moose Munch on the trail and Sleepy Floyd while eating granola at one of the overlooks and catching some rays. Water sources were scarce, so I carried 3 liters today. I stopped for lunch at Cove Mtn shelter and met Moonshadow, who had been at Miss Janet¢s in Erwin, although we never talked there). I swam at Jenkins Creek in a big eddy. I¢m having some pain in my left foot and left shin, probably due to the stiffer sole and higher heel of the new boots. However, I¢m still happy about the protection they¢re giving my feet from sharp rocks, of which there are many on the trail in this area (contrary to the shibboleth about Virginia trails being easy). I reached Bryant Ridge shelter around 4:30. It¢s a beautiful new shelter with a loft. 2 Dog Night was there with her dogs; her mother was paying a trail visit. Sleepy Floyd, Moose Munch, Moonshadow, Indigo, Cruiser, and later, Lone Wolf also stayed there. We had a nice campfire before turning in.
Date: 2003-06-10
From: Bryant Ridge shelter

To: Marble Spring campsite
Miles today: 17.2

I was up at 6 and out at 7. It was not a perfectly clear day but mostly to partly sunny all day, becoming quite clear by dinnertime. I saw a small bear on the trail up Floyd Mtn, just sitting in the ferns until I got his attention by clicking my hiking sticks and he ambled off into the woods. There was lots of climbing up Apple Orchard Mtn and High Cock Knob. I fiddled with the lacing of my left boot to soothe some metatarsal pain I was having. I stopped at Thunder Ridge shelter, where two section hikers were still lying around. Their dog waded into the walled-in spring just as I was trying to get water, stirring up the mud, so I went on without refilling. I camped at Marble Spring along with Chilly Willy & Kilroy, Moonshadow, Slip & Trip, Indigo & Cruiser, and a guy who was pulling 30-mile days to try to thru-hike the trail in 3 months. I set up the tarp and mosquito net bivy that hangs under it to ward off the bugs. Warm night.
Date: 2003-06-11
From: Marble Spring campsite

To: Punchbowl shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up at 5 and couldn¢t get back to sleep, so I packed up and left camp at 6. It was a beautiful warm, humid morning with delicious breezes. There¢s a great view down valley to west from ridge. I continued down across Matt¢s Creek to a mega-footbridge that was built to carry the trail across the James River. It was guarded by legions of mosquitoes. I waited in the sun for 40 minutes for hitch to Big Island post office, joined by Hoops, Stonehenge, and Brew. After picking up our mail drops, Brew and I walked to an Amoco/grocery store, stopping for lunch at a hot dog stand. We yogi¢d a ride back to the trail from a guy who runs a cabinetry shop and likes hikers. Back on the trail, I walked next to a lovely swift stream but didn¢t swim. I had lunch at John¢s Hollow shelter ¢ Moonshadow and a section hiker named Virginia Creeper were there. It was hot and humid, and I drank three cups of Tang. After lunch there was a grueling climb in the heat. I was all in by the top of the hill. There was a long traverse through pretty woods to Bluff Mtn. Thunder was rumbling all the way up, and it rained for 10 minutes, which felt good; it was surprising to enjoy the rain after grousing about it for weeks. I made it down to Punchbowl shelter before it rained hard. Two section hikers from Gaithersburg, VA Creeper, Moonshadow, and Sleepy Floyd were there. We cooked in the shelter as the rain fell outside. The bugs were bad today.
Date: 2003-06-12
From: Punchbowl shelter

To: Cow Camp Gap shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

I was back on the trail at 8:10. It was very humid and I was feeling low on energy, but there was spectacular trail magic ahead at the creek to give me a lift.   Dan and Judy Williams from Parrott VA were cooking a complete, deluxe, sit-down breakfast for thru-hikers, and it was good! After breakfast, I pushed on around a dam with a huge sheet of water cascading down a spillway ¢ psychedelic, man! The trail followed the edge of the reservoir to Brown Mtn Creek and the eponymous shelter (i.e., it was also called Brown Mtn Creek), where I had lunch with VA Creeper, who was preparing for a long hike out west. I gathered water from the small spring, which had a resident crayfish. It was still hot and sticky, so I went up the 2500¢ climb to Bald Knob in small increments of 250¢ with at least a standing blow or sit-down after each chunk. It turned out to be easier than I feared, and I made it down to Cow Camp Gap shelter at 4:30PM. I washed all my clothes in the stream and sponged off, and felt a lot better. Moonshadow arrived after a while, the only other person at the shelter.
Date: 2003-06-13
From: Cow Camp Gap shelter

To: The Priest shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I left the shelter around 7:50 realizing after it was too late that I had forgotten my food bagging line. I bumped into Moonshadow a couple of times on the balds. It was an overcast, cool, humid day with some low clouds in the valleys. Lots of up and down, nothing remarkable. I had lunch at Seeley Woodworth shelter. Later, I passed two groups on the way to The Priest, some camp counselors in training, and a large family group (who were going up to Spy Rock with no raingear while the thunder rumbled.) Rain began just before I got to The Priest shelter around 4:10PM. The shelter was indeed full of the family¢s tuff as they had warned me, and I crouched on the edge of the floor watching it rain, and then cooked dinner before they returned. I put up my tarp in a little thicket near the shelter when the rain slackened. The counselors and two of the family members showed up and I retreated to my net bivy under the tarp and got into dry clothes and stayed there rather than join the cramped chaos inside the shelter. It was a buggy day, and I got a few more black fly bites. I changed the lacing pattern on my boot again and eliminated the metatarsal pain I had been experiencing when going downhill. The heavier boot soles are saving my feet on the rocky stretches, and I¢m having no knee problems at all.
Date: 2003-06-14
From: The Priest shelter

To: Maupin Field shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: broken clouds

The family disappeared sometime before nightfall (I was under the tarp, pitched low, and didn¢t see them decamp), and the counselors moved into the shelter. I cuddled up to a rock under my ground cloth too big to move and managed to sleep pretty well. It¢s amazing how well the tarp keeps me dry even in steady rain. Saturday morning was humid. I got on the trail at 8:10. The trail was easy but monotonous going downhill to the Tye River, 3000¢ below. I crossed the footbridge and started up the other side, which was another grunt, sweat dripping off me and my energy fading. It felt good to stop every 250¢ for a blow. I found a new kind of trail magic when I reached the junction with the Har-Mau trail: a former thru-hiker named Seneca was sitting there reading today¢s newspaper, so I got to see the up-to-date baseball standings (Red Sox hanging in there.) I climbed up to South Ridge for lunch on the rocks. I met a couple of day hikers at Hanging Rock and we took each others¢ photos. I met Seneca again on Bee Mtn with good news ¢ the shelter was just on the other side of the hill. I reached Maupin Field shelter early, cleaned up, hung my tarp and wet clothes to dry and relaxed on the boards. Jason and Sarah stopped for dinner and then went on; Here¢s Johnny and Wu stayed for the night.
Date: 2003-06-15
From: Maupin Field shelter

To: Waynesboro
Miles today: 21.1
Weather: moderate rain

I didn¢t sleep too well ¢ it was warm inside the net bivy which I was using inside the shelter to keep the bugs off, and a nest of wasps somewhere kept buzzing every few minutes. I never actually saw a wasp, but the noise is enough to wake you up if you¢re not sure where they are. It was a nice morning but not destined to last ¢ light rain started around noon, resulting in poor visibility at the overlooks; nothing new about that. It was warm, so I walked without raingear or umbrella. I met three women on a trail crew doing an inventory with a measuring wheel. I had a quick late lunch at Paul Wolfe shelter, and made it to Rockfish Gap at 4:15PM. There¢s a wonderful group of people in Waynesboro who run shuttles into town for the hikers, so I was transported directly to the motel without hitching. Thanks to all those folks!