morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-02-23
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

On Saturday JP, Ben and Dan from Florida State University's film school came to the house to get some "before" footage of life as we know it now. They are very nice young men and we look forward to meeting them again on Springer Mtn on March 16th. They'll hike with us a few days and film us as well as other hikers. This is a project they're working on for a class. Bob and I are camera shy, but glad to help them {if they can edit out all my wierd expressions due to nervousness.Christine flies home today. We'll pick her up at the airport tonight. Bob only has four days left at work. He works with a great group of people and I know he'll miss them. They're having a luncheon for him this Thursday at his favorite restaurant. Everything is coming together and before we know it, we'll be at the airport waiting for our flight to Atlanta! Happy trails!   Diane and Bob
Date: 2003-02-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, I'm finally home after my short extension in Baja California Sur. What an amazing experience. I've left my 152 foot boat that I made a home for six months and am now preparing for my much larger 2,000+ mile mansion. Whoooo hoooooo!! I knew it was going to be hectic when I got home. And, you know, it really hasn't been that bad. My mom and I went gear hunting on the first day and were very lucky clothing wise. Our little area down here in FL is pretty difficult to find good MT clothing/gear in. BUT, I've discovered clothing wise that our outlet mall (yes it's huge and ugly) has a few running stores (Nike, Saucony) which all have the wicking/quick dry clothing that I was looking for. So that was nice. Then the next day our plans were shot due to the fact I got some type of bug that planted me on the toilet for 24 hours.... not fun. Yesterday we drove over to Weatherfords in Pensacola and we were extremely lucky. I found just about everything I needed and only have a few small things remaining for me to buy in Tallahassee at Trail and Ski. I use to work there during college so I'm going today to finish up my search and to see some friends. I must say it's a relief to have a backpack, for starters, and to have mostly everything else. The thought of how far behind I was in preparing was starting to weigh me down, almost like I had my dad's backpack on my shoulders.. ha, ha, ha... Just Kidding Dad!! Well, I'm off to my dad's going away party at his favorite restraunt with all his adoring lady co-workers. He's going to miss them so much! But, this is huge for us. Mom's tooth is getting better, I'm home with gear, and dad's finished with work. IT'S TIME!!!
Date: 2003-03-02
To: Two Weeks To Go
Miles today: 0.0

Two weeks from today our journey will begin! There's still a lot of work to be done around the house, but we'll make it. Last night, our friends and neighbors surprised us with a going away party. We thought it was an early St Patty's Day celebration and when we arrived at Helen and Brad's, the house was decorated in green. So, it was quite a surprise when she announced it was for us! Billie made a cake with a great replica of our tent, a standup picture of the three of us and a black bear waiting just behind us on a mountain of chocolate frosting. Everyone gave us very creative and fun gifts for the trail, too. My job ended last week with a luncheon at my favorite restaurant. Coworkers gave me a bagful of trail necessities like batteries, duct tape, Advil, boil & dumps and much more. They also gave me a photo album with "The Smith Family Appalachian Trail 2003" on it. I was very lucky to work with such a great group of people who are not just coworkers, but friends.   Today, we pack our backpacks. This will be the acid test of pack weight and we're sure some items may be reluctantly set aside once we step on the scales. This Wednesday, we'll mail all three packs to Wes Wisson in Georgia, who'll meet us in Atlanta and shuttle us to Springer Mtn. Christine went to a Florida State water polo tournament at the University of Alabama with friends this weekend, so she'll be very busy when she gets home tomorrow.A lot of people began their hike this past weekend. We look forward to their journal entries and wish them all the best of luck and good weather!   Bob
Date: 2003-03-05
To: Packing It In
Miles today: 0.0

Pack it... unpack it... pack it again... unpack it... pack it again. So, why isn't it getting any lighter????? Ounces add up to pounds, but can taking out a bandana REALLY make a difference? Reluctantly, that extra pair of shorts, my mesh bug jacket (and so on) is pulled out of the pack and set on the closet shelf. Bob gets out the Backpacker "Everyday Wisdom" guide and looks for reaassurance on our packweight. I stand on the scales and move from side to side, hoping the pointer will move downward. After seeing all this, Christine decides not to weigh her pack at all (I think she's the smart one). Bob says the two pounds of cashews we have will go fast and will give us energy to carry our packs up those mountains!   The root canal on my injured front tooth has been tough. I'm going back to the endodontist Friday for the third time and hopefully, the last time. Another tooth was bothering me and my regular dentist says there's nothing wrong with it, that I'm just getting paranoid about living in the woods - says I'm probably grinding my teeth together, so I ask him if I should just drink more wine. He thought that was a good idea! A real "tooth grinder" journal entry from Mud Butt (great journal) tells of a roaring bear encounter at Gooch Gap Shelter ('cause that's my one fear). Bob says you should feel fortunate to get to see a bear along the AT - we'll see!! Just a few more days to go - we can't wait to get started!   Happy Hiking! Diane
Date: 2003-03-12
To: Where's My Pack?
Miles today: 0.0

How do you lose a backpack before you even leave for the trail? That's easy. Just ship it via UPS!!! Tracking numbers confirmed that all three packs were delivered to Wes Wisson, two on Friday and one the following Monday (why not all three on the same day - another mystery). To be on the safe side, I called Wes last night. Thank goodness I did!   Christine's pack was never delivered to his house. You should have seen the look on her face when I told her. Can you imagine replacing all your gear just days before your hike begins? We called UPS and they said there was no problem because tracking showed the box was delivered (grumble, grumble, grumble . . . .). This UPS guy apparently leaves packages ANYWHERE in the general vicinity and not necessarily at the address shown on the shipping label! Wes got in his car last night and searched for our box. Luckily, he found it down the road on someone's porch!   WES, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! Only five more days before we fly to Atlanta! We really enjoy the messages you have sent to our guestbook and always look forward to getting them.   See you up the trail! Bob
Date: 2003-03-14
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

In less than twelve hours, our journey will begin. I will have to say goodbye to our dog, Elly, and that's the hardest thing of all. People understand why you go away, but how can a dog understand? Thank you, neighbors, for taking the extra time to visit with her and let her see a familiar face. This hike has been a long time coming, but now it's here! It will be a test of my body, mind and spirit. I am incredibly lucky to share this journey with Bob and Christine and know we'll have lots of great memories. Happy Hiking, DianeAlright, this is it, what we've been planning for and talking about for such a long time now. I've said my goodbyes to my friends and I thank them all for their best wishes. I went to the beach to get one last dose of the Gulf air, and I'm ready now for the fresh mountain winds! I wish we could bring our dog with us. That's the hardest part and I'll be glad to have giving her a goodbye hug overwith. Thank You to everyone for all your support and excitement. It feels great when people you've admired tell you they admire what we're setting out to do. The guys at Weatherford's and Trail & Ski were great to go through my long list of needed supplies. So, off we go, I'm excited, this is where the adventure begins! To all my friends (boat, school, home) I HOPE YOU'LL COME HIKING!! Christine.Shortly after completing my 1999 thru-hike Diane and I went to Springer Mt. I wondered then if I would ever be there again with a too heavy pack on my back getting ready to head north to Katahdin. I just can't believe how lucky I am that in just a short time I will be back there again. My hike in 99 went very well, I met so many great people and saw so many great sights. It was a great hike. But now I have to seperate this hike from that hike. I can't expect that I will see that big beautiful deer standing on the same rock this time or this time I will cross the same mt with the great friends of 99. This is my 03 hike and all will be new this time. How lucky can one person be. Take care and see you up the trail. Bob
Date: 2003-03-16
From: Springer Mt.

To: Hawk Mt.
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: overcast clouds

We left home on 3/15/2003 and made it to Springer Mtn via plane, train and automobile. Meeting Wes Wisson was a real treat and we enjoyed his great sense of humor humor. Our first night at the Springer Mtn shelter site was in a big cloud and everything got wet. We left Springer Mtn on Sunday morning and hiked to Hawk Mtn Shelter. There is a large group here at the shelter tonight. The hike had it's ups and downs,some easy and some hard sections. The camera crew met us and has been filming, so we'll enjoy seeing the video. We've met a lot of nice people and everyone is pumped at the start of this hike. It will be a very hard day tomorrow,so we'd better get some sleep. All our gear is still wet and with the heavy fog and sprinkles it doesn't look like it will get dry.
Date: 2003-03-17
From: Hawk Mt. Shelter

To: New Gooch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: light rain

The hike today was really tough. Sassafras Mtn was a challenge and Justus Mtn was, too. Adding to the difficulty was the fact that the trail was muddy and a light rain continued to fall. Christine is having a problem with her heel and cannot wear her boots. She's hiking in Chacos {sandals} and socks through all that mud. Amazingly, she's smoking us on the trail and she says she's having a great time. She's ahead of us so everybody we meet already knows who we are. The FSU film crew {JP, Dan and Ben},have had a difficult time with their big camera due to all the dampness. They'll be with us one more day and we have enjoyed getting to know them. The shelter is full tonight and we barely found a place to tent. The rain is getting worse and all our gear is soaked.
Date: 2003-03-17
From: Hawk Mt. Shelter

To: New Gooch Gap Shelther
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: light rain

The hike today was really tough. Sassafras Mtn was a challenge and Justus Mtn was, too. Adding to the difficulty was the fact that the trail was muddy and a light rain continued to fall. Christine is having a problem with her heel and cannot wear her boots. She's hiking in Chacos {sandals} and socks through all that mud. Amazingly, she's smoking us on the trail and she says she's having a great time. She's ahead of us so everybody we meet already knows who we are. The FSU film crew {JP, Dan and Ben},have had a difficult time with their big camera due to all the dampness. They'll be with us one more day and we have enjoyed getting to know them. The shelter is full tonight and we barely found a place to tent. The rain is getting worse and all our gear is soaked.
Date: 2003-03-18
From: New Gooch Gap Shelter

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 5.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a short day for several reasons. The weather is getting even worse and it took us longer to get on the trail. The mud, wet rocks and roots make walking tricky, especially for Diane, who's being cautious with her knee. The film crew split from us at Woody Gap after final interviews and it was so foggy, we decided we couldn't go any further. We set up our tent just behind the parking lot sheltered from the wind. Predictions are for worsening weather with severe thunderstorms expected by midday tomorrow. It rained al night with thunder and lightening in the early morning hours on Wednesday. There was so much water on the underside of our tent, it was like touching a waterbed. We laughed at this very soggy start of our hike, but we're in desperate need of a chance to dry our clothes and gear out. Earlier today we threw out some of our food when we reached the bear-safe garbage cans. We took a ridiculous amount of food! When the film guys realized we had thrown i!t out, they went back and got a lot of it {we didn't realize they were low on food}! We have also realized we have way too much weight in our packs and all the things we thought we couldn't live without will be mailed home tomorrow!
Date: 2003-03-19
From: Woody Gap

To: Neels Gap via truck
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Weather predictions are for severe storms this afternoon with high winds and lightening. We decided to take a couple of down days to avoid the storms and dry out our gear. We'll also reaccess our gear and send as much home as we can safely afford.We had agreed to meet Christine at Neels Gap, where there is a large store and hiker hostel. To get there in time we had to get a ride. We stood out by the road and even with a heavy fog {I'm surprised anyone could see us}, a truck pulled over within five minutes and the nice gentleman agreed to drive us to Neel's Gap. We were so wet and dirty we insisted we'd ride in the bed of the truck. Bob was sitting extremely close to a pitchfork and I was leaning on a trash can. it was the best ride ever because it was taking us to a dry spot. We are staying at Goose Creek Cabins for the next two nights and will return to the trail on Friday. So far, we have met Brown Bess, Journey, Two-Fiddy, Bob Marciano {sp}, Footslogger, Rebecca a!nd Denise all from Trailjournals. Everyone has continued to be in high spirits even though the weather has been crummy. You meet really nice and interesting people on the trail, both thru hikers and those who are out for brief periods of time. Our first trail magic was cokes left on the trail just before Justus Mtn. It really gave us a boost and we thank the nice person who left them there! In a few minutes Keith {owner of Goose Creek} will shuttle a bunch of us into Blairsville for an AYCE dinner, only $5.95!
Date: 2003-03-23
From: Neels Gap via truck

To: Unicoy Gap
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: broken clouds

This entry combines several days since our last entry dated 3/19/2003.We left Goose Creek Cabins on Friday and resumed our hike at Neel's Gap. Even with a late start that day we managed to make 11 miles to Low Gap Shelter. It was a beautiful day with lots of great views and many hard ups and downs. It was late when we got there and we were very tired. We both swallowed our first gnats today, too! On Saturday we hiked from Low Gap to Blue Mtn Shelter, 7.5 miles. We enjoyed a great campfire with other hikers. Everyone has been so nice. We're starting to see a lot of hikers with knee injuries and sore feet. We began our hike with way too much food, so now we're resupplying more frequently to keep our pack weight down. Our food supply was low so we hiked from Blue Mtn Shelter to Unicoy Gap, 2.2 miles. After 30 minutes a very nice gentleman picked us up and drove us to Hiawassee where we're staying tonight at the Holiday Inn. A lot of other thru hikers are staying here tonight. Tomorrow we'll start again at Unicoy Gap and head toward the much-!groaned about Tray Mtn and Kelly's Knob. Big News! We have trail names. Christine was given her trail name by fellow hikers as "1/3" for 1/3 of The Smith Family. We decided to be "2/3" {Diane} and "3/3" {Bob's name for this hike, but still known as Waterboy from his 1999 hike}. The hike has been very challenging. It takes time to adjust to living out of a backpack, walking from morning until almost dark and sleeping without our pillowtop mattress! Each day our legs and lungs will get stronger and the woods will feel more like home. Hello to al our relatives, neighbors and friends.
Date: 2003-03-25
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Tray Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 5.5

After two days at the wonderful Holiday Inn in Hiawassee GA, we got a shuttle back to Unicoi Gap and resumed our hike. Bob and I both had some stomach bug or food poisoning,not really sure which. There have been a few bumps in the road on our hike, like torrential rain and illness, but now we hope to get in some consistent hiking and reach North Carolina in just a few days. Christine is about 20 miles ahead of us so we won't see much of her. Our hike today was pretty tough, especially the climb out of Unicoi Gap and up Tray Mountain. It was a matter of walking uphill 10-15 feet, stopping to breathe, then starting again. Hope to have trail legs in two or three weeks. The weather was beautiful and small flowers are starting to bloom. Tomorrow's a big day with some large mountains, so good night.
Date: 2003-03-26
From: Tray Mt. Shelter

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: overcast clouds

We had another beautiful spring-like day today for our hike. When Bob hiked the AT before, he was in snow and ice this same time of year. Hopefully, that won't happen this time. The big challenge today was Kelly's Knob, a 900-foot ascent in 1.1 miles! Tomorrow, we'll have a short hike to Dick's Creek Gap {4 miles}, then we have to go into Hiawassee again to buy food. We'll need enough to get us to Rainbow Springs Campground, which is food for about five days. We have only a few more miles left in Georgia, then we'll be in North Carolina!
Date: 2003-03-27
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 3.7
Weather: few clouds

We had a short day today because we have to get more food in Hiawasee. We decided to stay in town tonight since it will be almost two weeks before we enjoy this luxury again. Christine is about 3 days ahead of us, probably in Nort Carolina now. The weather forecast calls for rain and snow over the weekend with lows in the 20's. That's quite a change from the springlike weather we've had this week. The biting gnats came out in droves this past two days. Bob and I look like we have the measles. I have a bug hat {thanks, Tamara}, but the rest of me is covered in red dots that itch! We have met many nice people along the way. Our first hitch hike was with a gentleman from Jordan who was converted to Christianity and moved to the United States. He told us about the resistance he initially faced from his family and how they all later came to the United States. Today, we were picked up by three men from Mexico who are working in this area. They spoke very little English, but the one who was driving told us how much he missed his family and how he looked forward to seeing them again in a few months. We truly apreciated the kindness of these people and especially since none of them knew about the Appalachian Trail. We called home tonight. Our dog, Elly, is doing fine. Thanks to Holly and Heath for taking care of her.Well, wish us luck as we head out into some potentially bad weather this weekend. It may be awhile before we can send another entry. Happy Hiking! 2/3 and 3/3
Date: 2003-03-28
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Bly gap
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Hooray! Today we left Georgia and entered North Carolina. One State down, and thirteen more to go! We had a long,steep climb right off the bat from Dick's Creek Gap. After that, there were many more long ups and downs which made for a very tiring day. We camped atop the ridge at Bly Gap close to the famous old gnarled tree which everyone has their picture made with to celebrate reaching North Carolina. We say goodbye to Georgia!
Date: 2003-03-29
From: Bly gap

To: Standing Indian Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: light rain

We are sitting in our tent tonight awaiting showers which are expected to turn to snow by morning. The forecast calls for a possible one-inch accumulation at higher elevations, which is where we are!The hike out of Bly Gap this morning was the toughest one yet. Some parts of the trail went straight up with no mercy. As the morning went on, low clouds blew in and we had to change into rain gear quickly. It looked like the weather would deteriorate even more, so we considered stopping at 3 miles at Muskrat Shelter. We fixed a hot lunch there and the weather started to improve, so we decided to hike on to Standing Indian Mountain Shelter.   About a mile before the shelter, we came up on some of the best trail magic ever! A tent was set up with hot dogs, chili, cokes, beer, snacks of all sorts and comfortable chairs to sit and enjoy a break. Former hikers, Red Truck, Green Truck, Lil Bob, along with Trail Widow and Lil Bob's wife {I apologize if I didn't get all the names right} put on this wonderful feed for the hikers as a way to repay kindness shown to them when they hiked. Many, many thanks to them for their generosity.   Well, we hope the weather won't get too nasty. !If it is,we may sleep a little later in the morning and make it a short day.
Date: 2003-03-30
From: Standing Indian Mtn. Shelter

To: none
Miles today: 0.0

The one-inch possible accumulation predicted for last night turned into four inches and drove us into our tent for the day. We slept warmly and were surprised when we woke uo around 3:00 a.m. to find the roof of our tent sagging from the weight of the snow. We only ventured out to cook some oatmeal inside the shelter and I think that's all we'll eat today rather than take our bear bag out of the tree again. It's late Sunday afternooon now. Snow is starting to fall again even though no more was predicted for today. One of our fellow hikers, Molasses {on Trailjournals as Margie}, came up on a lost dog with tags on it. The dog's name is Hazel. It's a small dog, black with brown legs and face. Lucky for Hazel that Molasses is taking care of her and let her sleep in her tent last night. I don't think Hazel may have made it through last night. When they get to Franklin, NC, Molasses will call the number on Hazel's tag and hopefully reunite her with her family.Speaking of family, we know 1/3 had to be in this snow, too, and hope she's okay. Unless she takes several days off, we won't be able to catch her. Well, we'll head out in the morning regardless of the conditions because we only have so many days of food. It's supposed to warm up by Tuesday, so we'll keep our fingers crossed!
Date: 2003-03-31
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: scattered clouds

We both woke up this morning dreading the thought of leaving our warm sleeping bags and packng up to go out into five inches of snow! There was no choice but to head out. We didn't want to spend another zero day in our tent. There was a hard freeze warning last night and temperatures dipped into the low twenties. Luckily, the sun came out and the trail was not too difficult. It was absolutely beautiful with snow covering the trees and rhodendron bushes. Tonight, it's supposed to be cold again, but the temperature should rise tomorrow. Tomorrow we climb Albert Mountain, which is supposed to quite a challenge.