morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-05-08
From: Atkins, VA

To: Knot Maul Shelter, VA
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: broken clouds

As usual, a stop in a town means breakfast at the local diner before heading out to the Trail. Blaze, Gimpy, Vagrant, BooBoo, Suzanne, KrispyKritter & Jacki, Beatbox, and I met at The Barn for breakfast after checking out of the Relax Inn motel. Afterwards, we had a few errands to run. These included a trip to the Post Office, grocery store, and to get a haircut. KrispyKritter and I went into a local hair salon and basically got most of our hair shaved off. I can't complain. I kind of like my hair this way now. It should be much cooler for the summer.I finally headed up the Trail around 1pm with the intention of catching up to Blaze, Gimpy, Suzanne, Vagrant, and BooBoo. It was a late start, but it was all I could do. The trail today took us up, over, and down acres of meadows with tall, swaying grass. Every few miles the trail would go back into the woods where all sorts of wildflowers were blooming. A lot of the trail in this state has been winding underneath the trees on the top of the mountain ridges. Occasioally, you will have a good view, but it's still a nice hike. Unfortunately, darkness caught us tonight on our way to the shelter and we had to walk the last two miles with our headlamps on.I'm impressed! Virginia has some beautiful, well-maintained trails. I'm really enjoying hiking through Virginia, so far. It's been a relief to find out that the Trail through Virginia is somewhat easier than the prior states.I hope that I can continue to enjoy this trip. As much as I'm looking forward to New England, I know that it will be very difficult. I don't want to see any more snow or become too cold again. Will I make it to Maine? I don't know. I'll just take it one day at a time. This hiking experience is a lot of work, I mean, a lot of physical work. It's not really a vacation or sightseeing tour either. There are times when I'd just like to stop and stay at a destination for a few days, for instance, and rent a boat or canoe to take across Lake Watuga or someplace, but you've (I've) got to keep going. This trail is about the miles. You'll need to make notes of the places that you'd like to visit in the future because you can't stop too much now if you want to finish the trail by October. So, this experience is like a race and it is a big individual effort; everyone is in it for themselves.Acknowledgements:Thanks to Aunt Cindy for sending me a care package.Thanks to Sam I Am for picking up the tab for dinner for me and Beatbox.
Date: 2004-05-09
From: Knot Maul Shelter, VA

To: Jenkins Shelter, VA
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: few clouds

Today looked like a long, but easy day. However, it turned out to be rather difficult and unpleasant. The 9.0 miles to Chestnut Knob Shelter was decent. Chestnut Knob shelter is a fully-enclosed shelter with an amazing view of the farms in the valley below. It's a little bit better view than Vandeventer Shelter.The elevation profile showed what looked like an easy grade to the Jenkins Shelter, ten miles away, but it was ten miles of rocks and boulders. There was also a lack of water sources betwen the two shelters. I finally made it to the shelter after 6pm, tired and thirsty. Sam I Am was the only other person in the shelter. Wildhorse decided to set up his tent. Jill & Matt decided to stay in the shelter after it started to ran in the evening. Gaia, Mad Scientist, Beast, Rael, and Arms decided to tent a few miles down the trail.
Date: 2004-05-10
From: Jenkins Shelter, VA

To: Bastian, VA
Miles today: 11.5

Yesterday was a difficult hiking day and I slept well last night. The idea for me today was to try to go another twenty miles, but it was just not going to happen after yesterday. Sam I Am and Rael had the idea to stay at an inexpensive motel in Bastian, VA rather than pass through Bastian and walk to a shelter only 2.5 miles outside of town. Who am I to pass up the idea of splitting the cost of a motel room and getting a hot shower?Anyway, there was a sign posted inside the Jenkins shelter alerting hikers to a free, AYCE breakfast on Mondays at the New Hope Methodist Church. All we had to do was to wait for the shuttles at a certain road crossing.So, Sam I Am and I left the shelter before 7am to get to the road crossing. Oh, there were a couple of tame deer hanging around the shelter this morning. That was a treat for me since I haven't seen many on this trip.Anyway, three pickup trucks came to pick up about sixteen hikers and take us to the kitchen at the church. Once there, they served us waffles, pancakes, sausage, bacon, fruit, eggs, and other breakfast faire.I walked with Sam I Am for most of the day. Sam I Am is retired from the commercial insurance business and lives in Stuart, Florida.We had trail magic twice after breakfast today. We found a styrofoam cooler, hidden behind a tree, filled with ice and assorted fruit drinks, labeled "for hikers." A few hours later, we found four, one-gallon bottles of store-bought spring water and a printed weather forecast for the next seven days. The water was labeled, "In Memory of Soleman." Soleman, passed away before a few days before he could begin his AT hike (last year?). Trust me, this segment of trail, during the past few days, has been dry and I was low on water. These bottles of water were a welcome sight.In contrast to yesterday, a portion of today's trail segment crossed many creeks. It was almost like a game of hopscotch, or better yet, a video game with increasing difficulty after reaching each new creek. If it got any harder or if there were fewer rocks in the creek, I would have had to take off my boots and wade across.In the early afternoon, Sam I Am, Rael, and myself arrived at the Big Walker motel. It's funny how some of these mom and pop motels, close to the Trail, will be filled with hikers and have a no vacancy sign on, but there may only be one or two cars in the parking lot. The next stop for me after a shower was Dairy Queen, right across the street. Several people have noticed that I've lost weight on this trip, so far I've lost in the neighborhood of twenty pounds, so, I'm making sure to eat plenty whenever I can find something to eat other than trail food. However, I have to figure out a way to eat at a fast food restaurant without it costing me $12 a meal. My appetite is fairly large now.
Date: 2004-05-11
From: Bastian, VA

To: Jenny Knob Shelter, VA
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: light rain

I was out like a light last night. I needed to catch up on my sleep. It was great to sleep again on a real mattress.Sam I Am, Pegasus, and I headed down to Dairy Queen for breakfast. Yes, they had breakfast consisting of hash browns and some sort of variation of sausage biscuit.Shortly thereafter, we picked up our packs and began thumbing it back to the trailhead, 2.5 miles away. We met a gentleman at a gas station who agreed to give us a ride in the back of his pickup truck to the trail.Once at the trail, the segment to Jenny Knob Shelter was relatively easy and, for the most part, free of rocks and roots.There is now quite a crowd at the shelter. Some have been playing the card game Uno at the picnic table and others just talking, cooking, and joking around. Those I've met who have been to the shelter today: Sam I Am, Pegasus, BooBoo, Blaze & Gimpy, Arms, Little Bit, Monstone, Bluebell, Vagrant, Zippy, Pokey, and Switchback. There are a few others that I haven't met yet.
Date: 2004-05-12
From: Jenny Knob Shelter, VA

To: Wapiti Shelter, VA
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: clear sky

We've only been back in the woods one day and already Rael knows where there is a deli where can have lunch. It's only a short hike to Trent's Grocery where you can get a sandwich, rent a video, and buy shotgun shells. So, a group of us went there for lunch. That means that most of us will be carrying still more food than we need to be carrying. Earlier today, the Trail passed over a neat 150 foot suspension bridge.Past the bridge, a few miles, is Dismal Falls. It was a decent side trip, but not spectacular. It is an overused area.After a hour there, I moved on towards the shelter. The trail has been very flat for the past few days, but tomorrow is going to start with a steep climb and steep descent into Pearisburg. I really wanted to get the climb overwith today, but maybe tomorrow morning, when it's cooler and I've had some sleep, it will be an easier day.I'm sitting at the picnic table outside the shelter and watching a couple of deer walk by in the woods. At the shelter tonight: Pokey, Zippy, Switchback, and Sam I Am. Soon to arrive: Blaze, Gimpy, and BooBooAhead: Ranger Jim, Rael, Pegasus, Moonstone, Little Bit, and Bluebell
Date: 2004-05-13
From: Wapiti Shelter, VA

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

I woke up in the middle of the night to hear the familiar sound of a mouse climbing around in the shelter. Since I didn't see it or hear it again, I went back to sleep. A few hours later, Sam I Am woke me up at 5:30am so that we could get an early start into Pearisburg. We had many miles to go and I was motivated to get up early by the fact that by the end of the day, I would have had a shower and would be wearing clean clothes.To my surprise, I did find out what that mouse was up to in the middle of the night while I was sleeping. The mouse had collected scraps of unburned paper from the campfire ring and carried them into my pack to make a nest. Luckily, the mouse did not chew a hole into my new pack. I dumped the scraps out of my pack and began reloading it for the trip down the mountain. Sam I Am and I hiked quickly and almost without speaking. We were on a mission to get back into civilization. About the only interesting thing that we wanted to see was the overlook called "Angel's Rest." Sure enough, by 1pm, we were taking in an amazing view of Pearisburg, below. The rest of the trail is incredibly steep as it descends towards Pearisburg. I handled it without any knee trouble, surprisingly and thankfully. At the bottom of the Trail was more "trail magic." It's always nice to see that familiar styrofoam cooler at a road crossing, hidden behind some bushes. I was moving so quicly that I did not get a chance to make note of the former thru-hiker who had left it there, but I want to thank him or her. The cooler contained beer (already consumed by other hikers) and Coca-Cola's. Sam I Am and I split the last, remaining bottle as we continued towards the motel where a group of us planned on staying. My mother made plans to visit me during this weekend and she arrived around 6pm. I was glad that she was here. Most other hikers went on to Trail Days in Damascus, which, I envision to be a Woodstock-like atmosphere. It might have been fun, but I don't think that I'd enjoy being around thousands of other people after I've spent a couple of months in the woods with a dozen-or-so hiking partners.
Date: 2004-05-14
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was another zero day for me, but it's not all fun and games. Today meant a trip to the grocery store, library (for internet use), outfitter (for hiking stuff), post office, laundromat, and etc. Since my mother arrived, and this is her home state, I decided to take her to a place where we could hike a bit on the A.T. and see a view of the mountains. I saw on the topo map of the A.T. a viewpoint called Wind Rock. It was to have a great view of the valley. So, we headed out onto a winding country road that intersected the Trail about 26 miles away from Pearisburg. While driving up county road (?) 613, we were amazed to see a large hotel at a place called Mountain Lake. We had no idea that anybody would even live out this way. This Mountain Lake hotel is where the movie, "Dirty Dancing" was filmed.   You can view the motel's website at Mountain Lake Hotel We went inside to check out room rates and to view the property, then continued to the trailhead that leads to Wind Rock. Wind Rock was farther up a gravel road and a short walk down the trail. There really is a nice view of the valley from this location.Thanks to my friend, Doug, for the care package that arrived for me in Pearisburg. I've spent a lot of time today posting new pictures on the previous pages, so I will end this journal entry here.
Date: 2004-05-15
From: Pearisburg, VA

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

My hiking friends are back in Damascus for Trail Days this weekend. However, my mother is visiting me this weekend in Pearisburg. We've taken her rental car into Blacksburg to go to an outfitter so that I could get some fuel for my stove and to shop for lightweight hiking or trail running shoes that will be much cooler for me this summer than my full grain leather boots. We also drove along some rural roads connecting Catawba to Daleville that nearly paralleled the ridge that the A.T. travels on. It's really beautiful country with farms in the valley and an occasional older home that was built decades ago with a lot of charm and character.By lunchtime, we made our way into Daleville and had lunch at the Mill Mountain coffee shop. They are located within 1/2 mile of the Trail crossing and have a menu of sandwiches and a variety of coffee blends that they roast on-site.The store clerk said, "You're a hiker, aren't you?" I said, "yes, how did you know - is it the clothing?" He said, "No, it's because you keep your wallet inside a Ziploc bag."   Well, it's true; most hikers out here have a plastic bag of some sort as their wallet.I saw a funny bumper sticker today. It read: "Have you ever stopped to think -- and forgot to start again?"I'm staying another night at the run down Holiday Motor Inn in Pearisburg. For the price that management charges for a room here, you'd think that they'd be making some significant renovations. Unfortunately, there is no incentive or need for them to do that. I plan on hiking out of Pearisburg tomorrow after I make a trip to the post office.I will miss hiking with Blaze. She is going to see a doctor about her ankle. Hopefully, she will be able to continue hiking the Trail at a later date.
Date: 2004-05-16
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I've been bored for the most of the day today, but I'm waiting here in Pearisburg for my hiking friends to come back from Trail Days so that I can continue to hike with them. I also need to get to the post office before I leave. So, I'm thankful for cable TV, especially Comedy Central.Sundance, Bluebell, Moonstone, and Little Bit have returned from Trail Days and are already here at the motel.
Date: 2004-05-17
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Rice Field Shelter, VA
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: light rain

I finally got out of Pearisburg today after a trip to the post office. Thanks to "Missing Kink" for driving me back to the Trail from the motel.You'd think that after several days off the trail and some rest that the day out of town would be easy. Unfortunately, I felt rusty and sluggish today. A hike out of town means a pack full of food for the next several days and often a steep climb back to the top of the ridge.After a short 7.3 miles, I found the shelter and called it a day. Rice Field shelter is on the top of a grassy ridge that overlooks some homes and farms far down in the valley. It's really quite a nice area in a clearing about the size of several football fields. There are several big rocks that you can sit on and watch the homes, below. It gives you a neat feeling to be so high up and to be looking down at the surrounding area. It's a reward for working so hard to hike up here. This shelter would be a prime spot to see a great sunset.I was very lucky to avoid the rain that fell today. When I heard he thunder, I was motivated to hurry to the shelter. Now, in the evening, the rain has stopped and the sky is hazy, but free of rain clouds. Looking out over the valley this afternoon revealed some really interesting cumulonimbus (sp?) cloud formations.The sun is about to set and I'm going to try to get some decent sleep tonight. In and around the shelter: Bluebell, Carl (friend of Bluebell, who hiked the A.T. in 1982, PCT a few years later, and a section of the CDT.), Moonstone, Pegasus, HeyBob, a former thru hiker (with his dog named "HeyDog"), Sundance, Syracuse, Chef Ra, and VanGough.Hey Dog! is a stray dog that was found about 200 miles ago by Sundance and others. Hey Bob has adopted him and is feeding and hiking with him. Hey Dog is a fuzzy, yellow fog, with a gentle disposition. Hw must be some sort of Chow and Yellow Lab mix.Ahead at the campsite: Arms & Rael.
Date: 2004-05-18
From: Rice Field Shelter, VA

To: Bailey's Gap Shelter, VA
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: light rain

The view from the shelter this morning was foggy. However, what was neat was that the shelter was above the clouds - only the adjacent mountaintops were exposed. The valley below was obscured by fog.A lot of the trail followed through really dense areas of tall ferns. There are a lot of birds singing today. It sounds like an aviary in a zoo. I've heard some unique and downright strange birds out here. Since I have all day to listen to these birds, I am starting to be able to hear one bird chirp and another one respond, then their communication will repeat.It's been very humid during the past several days with some rain and rumbling thunder. Even with the temperature in the upper 60s, I've been sweating up a storm. Virginia has been nice, but getting water has been more dificult than the prior states. Usually the shelters are situated near a stream or spring. Unfortuntely, in this state, you have to walk a ways down the ridge just to find water.It looks like Little Bit will be off the trail for a while. Apparently she injured her ankle during a mud wrestling incident at Trail Days.I hope BooBoo shows up soon. He provides a good deal of entertainment. Who else can wear a hiking kilt, a Delta Delta Delta sorority t-shirt, and an upside down Easter basket with the handle removed as a hat?In and around the shelter tonight: Bonespur, Arms, Rael, Pegasus, Bluebell, Moonstone, Carl, Hey Bob! (and Hey Dog), and 78 year old George. George has the energy of a person decades younger. He's a southbound hiker. I hope that I have the youthfulness in my old age that he exhibits now.
Date: 2004-05-19
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Laurel Creek Shelter, VA
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: broken clouds

Today was basically a repeat of yesterday. The weather was incredibly humid with afternoon rain and thunderstorms. The Trail went through some beautiful forest areas with an easy, well graded trail. However, several portions of today's "trip" were very rocky, to the point of being annoying. I spent a good part of the day just watching my feet so that I wouldn't slip and fall. The temperature was mild, but with the humidity and my physical exertion, I could wring the sweat out of my shirt. Hiking this trail is starting to be a chore and occasionally boring. I suppose the only thing that keeps me going is the fact that I always wonder what the views will be like tomorrow and what the next trail town will look like. It's also a novelty to be walking from state to state.   Maybe I'd regret it, forever, if I left the Trail for good. It has its good times, but I'm a bit indifferent to the whole experience right now. But, for now, I'll just take it one day at a time and see how far I can go.Today, we passed by Wind Rock, a really nice overlook that has a great view of the valley below.Laurel Creek shelter is in a nice area surrounded with pine trees, Oak trees, and some sort of Maple/Tulip trees. Pegasus and Beatbox are experts at identifying plants, flowers and trees. I don't realy have a clue.It's 7:30pm and there is still "useable" light outside, but everyone except me and Hey Bob! is asleep. Even Hey Dog! is asleep outside the shelter having those doggy dreams of chasing animals or who knows what.In the shelter tonight: Bluebell, Moonstone, Pegasus, Carl, Hey Bob!(with Hey Dog!) Ahead at the next campsite: Rael, White Lightening, Yoda and dog, LucyBehind: Arms, Syracause, and Sundance
Date: 2004-05-20
From: Laurel Creek Shelter, VA

To: Niday Shelter, VA
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: broken clouds

The rain fell fairly hard last night. I was glad to be in the shelter. Unfortunately, the shirt that I left outside to dry on a clothesline was now soaked. It's not easy putting on a cold, wet shirt in the morning.Bluebell wakes up early, around 6am, every morning. I don't like to wake up early, but I like to hike with Bluebell and Moonstone. When I leave early in the morning, the temperature is cooler and I like to get half of the day's hiking done by noon or so. I also like to get to the shelter before 5pm so that I have time to rest before dinner.This morning I was up and hiking with Bluebell and Moonstone by 7:30am. Today was a little different than the day before. We walked through a misty and foggy forest. A little while later, we spent a good deal of time walking through meadows and farmland that had (rye?) grass on either side of the trail that was up to our elbows in height. The Trail passed by Keffer Oak tree. This is the largest oak tree on the A.T. in the south, according to the Companion. It is at least 18 feet in circumference and estimated to be at least 300 years old.The Trail also passed through lots of streams with cold, clear water.It was nice, once again, to have trail magic today. It's always a surprise to see a styrofoam cooler at a road crossing. Thanks today goes to "Nobody's" family, from (New Hampshire?), for the bananas, Cokes, and fruit juice. Also, thanks to the other people who left drinks at various road crossings during the past week.In and around the shelter: Bluebell, Moonstone, Pegasus, Carl, Hobbs, Wild Man, Highway Man, Walking Stomach, and Little Tree. Ahead: White Lightening, Rael, Mad Scientist, Yoda, and Hey! Bob.
Date: 2004-05-22
From: Catawba, State Road 624, VA

To: Lamberts Meadow Shelter, VA
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: clear sky

I kept thinking today of the restaurant last night. That was such a good meal after a hard day. The coffee was great, too.Later, outside at the hostel, I watched as a storm moved slowly across the mountains. The lightening was amazing. It would streak across the sky, lighting up the cloud formations. Interesting enough, though, the storm was so far away that there was never any audible thunder. An hour after watching this storm, a huge, high velocity gust of wind blew across the valley. I expect that it was what's called a microburst. By morning, there was never any rain.I began the day again hiking with Bluebell and Moonstone. Our first viewpoint was McAfee Knob. McAfee Knob is a series of rock cliffs that has spectacular views of the valley. Our next stop was Tinker Clifs, several miles beyond McAfee Knob. It's very similar to McAffee Knob. Once there, we spent a while watching eagles soar effortlessly across the valley. They would circle back and forth in front of the cliffs and rarely flap their wings.A few other random remarks about today: I passed the 700 mile mark. I've been surprised by the number of butterflies and even lizards that I've seen along the trail. I can hardly believe that the humidity in these mountains can make it feel like a jungle. It's downright sticky. I'm now in the shelter and we're experiencing an unbelieveable rain, thunder and lightening storm. This area needs the rain, however. I'm really glad that this shelter is in a valley. The thunder is just rolling across the sky after each blinding flash of lightning. The lightning lights up the forest in an eerie way creating silhouetes of the trees. The thunder is shaking the shelter floor like the explosions of a fireworks show would on the Fourth of July. I've timed distance to the storm by counting the delay between the flashes of light and sound of thunder to about two seconds, or roughly less than 1/2 mile. It's a very slow moving storm, too. It's been storming for just over an hour.That's all I think I can write about tonight. Good night.In the shelter tonight: Bluebell, Moonstone, Bramble, Choo-Choo, Wild Man and Hobbs.