morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-09-04
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Jerry's Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Saturday morning I left Little Laurel Shelter about 7:40 AM. Sometime during the morning I came to a blue blaze that said bad weather route. I should have taken that route. Nothing in my Thru Hikers Handbook told me about the climb I had in front of me. I took the white blaze and had quite a difficult rock climb. It was tough going up and tough going down. When I had finished going through the difficult section I ran into a hiker who was taking a lunch break. We had a chat. He was rather large and I think would have had a problem going through this section. I made it into Jerry's Cabin Shelter about 1:20PM. It had only been 6.7 miles but I was worn out. Since I had been alone every night so far on this leg of the trip, I thought I would be alone once again. But soon, I was joined by Paul (Roadhog) Hayden and Jimmy (Ironman) his son. They were from Greeneville, TN and were good company. Paul had a JanSport external frame backpack he had purchased in the 1980's. It was a like mine but just a little bigger I think. These two packs have served us well through the years. Later two guys came by and said they were going to tent camp near us. Late that evening a man and woman came by and they also tent camped close by. So there was just the three of us in the shelter. Paul had told me that the night before he was at Hogback Ridge Shelter and the guys who spent the night there had gotten all their equipment wet. It seems a cloud had come into the shelter and there was a fine mist everywhere. I will have to look out for that tomorrow night. We had a good supply of water and there was a privy. So I was in good shape for the evening. It was good to have some company at the shelter for a change.
Date: 2004-09-05
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: few clouds

Since I thought Hurricane Frances would be keeping me in the woods for a couple of extra days, I chatted with the two tent campers near by and they were nice enough to give me some of their food. I figured I may get caught and need to spend a couple of zero days in one of the shelters before Erwin. I had plenty of fuel and food so I thought I would be in good shape. I began hiking about 8 AM. Somehow I hiked past the Bassett Memorial honoring the 1968 thru-hiker. I must have been watching my feet pretty close because I never saw it. The AT had taken me down a road at first and I missed the turn off. The AT blaze was painted on a post that had fallen over. After going about a quarter of a mile down the road and not seeing a blaze I went back and found where the trail leaves the road. I went over Big Butt mountain which was not bad at all. At the Shelton Graves area I met a southbound hiker. It was about 10 AM and we had our mid-morning snacks. He took some photos of the grave stones. I thought I did but I don't have any so I guess I did not. About noon I reached Flint Mt. Shelter. This was 5.9 miles in four hours. Good time. I reached Devil Fork Gap at NC 212. This had me confused because I thought I was in Tennessee but apparently I was still hiking down the TN/NC state line. Everytime I would come to a highway there would be a state line sign. I went through the stiles and got to a pasture and had no idea where the trail went. This was the first time there had been a lack of blazes to follow. I picked out what looked like the most traveled trail and went along it. Once again the post with the white blaze on it had been knocked down. Without posts with blazes painted on them these big open spaces can cause problems. Eventually I found the trail and headed back into the woods. About 6:45 I reached Hogback Ridge Shelter. After 14.6 miles of hiking that day I felt tired, but pretty good. Maybe I am getting my hiking legs back. I fixed supper and spread out my gear in the shelter.I had a good supper. Listened to the radio some and read a little. Life is good!
Date: 2005-04-14
To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Janet and I drove to Erwin, TN and checked into the motel. We had checked at the desk and found out that Dave (Halfway) and his wife were checked in also. After unloading my gear into our room, I called Dave and we arranged to meet in the lobby at 6 p.m. We had met while hiking last year on the AT and then after leaving the trail we communicated via e-mail. Both of us wanted to hike the AT some more and we decided it would be fun to hike together. The start date of April 15 was selected and the place to pick up was at Erwin where I had stopped hiking in September of 2004.    When 6 rolled around we went down to the lobby and met Dave and Lou. Dave and I looked something like twins. Our blue jeans, shirts and shoes were almost identical. Things were looking good for the hike. We had supper at Elms Restaurant and returned to our rooms to being packing our backpacks. The hike was to begin in the morning with plans to stay out two months this time and hopefully reaching Harpers Ferry, WV.    We were ready to hike!
Date: 2005-04-15
From: Chestoa Bridge-Erwin, TN

To: campsite in the woods
Miles today: 5.5

April 15, 2005End ¢ in the woods   344.3Begin ¢ Erwin, TN   338.8   5.5Friday, April 15, begin at Chestoa Bridge 8:30 a.m.We hiked until 4 p.m. and tent camped on a slopped area. There were very few areas anywhere close to flat and we were sliding off our mats and then getting cold. The weather has been cold but beautiful. The moon was very bright. We covered 5.5 miles to 344.3 as best we can figure. There were lots of hikers passing us and talking to us. I met a woman named Vision Quest. She was the only black woman I have seen on the trail. She was from Greenville and I asked here if she knew Hugh Mysinger and she said she did and he was a very fine man. There was a man named Michigan and he reads the trail journals and knew lots of folks I knew. He had hiked in Pennsylvania with Tree Frog last year. It was cold that night getting down to about 32 degrees and was tough getting up in the morning and getting dressed.    After leaving our wives that morning we started hiking but taking it easy since it had been months since we were out on the trail. But it felt good to be back hiking. 11:30 a.m. we passed Curley Maple Gap Shelter and it was too soon to stop so we hiked on. About 4 I was looking for a place in the woods to camp. We spotted an area where they had intentionally burned up the rhododendron and it was about as level a spot as we had seen for a while. After pitching our tents and making camp I hiked up and down the trail a little. I had not realized it but we were camped right beside the AT. I had cut into the woods to find this level space and the trail had gone on and turned back 180 degrees and climbed a little higher up on the mountain to where we were camped. I looked up at a tree my pack was leaning against and there was the white blaze. We were right at the trail.    That evening is when Vision Quest hiked by and stopped to chat. She was hiking back to Erwin that evening and hoping to get there before dark. I cooked my Ramen noodles and relaxed. It was good to be back in the woods.
Date: 2005-04-16
From: campsite in the woods

To: Deep Gap 
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: clear sky

April 16, End ¢ Deep Gap   350.9Begin In the Woods 344.3   6.6 Breakfast was two pop tarts and some Carnation Instant Breakfast. You dress quickly when it is 32 degrees. The sun was shinning and it was a beautiful day. About 8 am we started hiking. We reached Beauty Spot about 11:30. This is an open area with lots of views. After traveling in the woods for so long it is nice to get out where you can see something. There were four kids there resting in the sunshine. Two were a brother and sister from Lafayette, LA and one was from Philadelphia. While we were chatting a truck towing a big horse trailer pulled up on a road nearby and stopped. Six folks got out and walked up to talk with us. They were from Michigan and had heard there were good horseback riding trails near here. They knew nothing of the AT. One had bought a 30 acre farm near Erwin and will be moving in soon. There was a couple that had just gotten married in Jonesborough. They said they had some colas and water and they would share with us and went down to the truck and returned with a cooler of drinks. While we were talking to them a hiker joined us. It was Swamp Fox. He said he was a thru-hiker. He was about my age and we compared birthdays and they were identical. After a very nice visit with these folks Halfway and I started hiking again.    Later in the day we were about to run out of water and we passed a couple hikers. We asked them if they knew where we could find water. Their guide book was better than ours and they told us we were almost to a camping area with water. Turned out this couple was Mandolin Man and his sister Laughing Dog. They led us to a great place to camp and a wonderful water supply. This was Deep Gap.Unfortunately, it was beside a gravel road. During the night there were two cars drove by on the road and I did not know if we were going to have a problem or not. You never know especially on a Saturday night on a gravel road in the woods. But all went well. That evening after supper Mandolin man got out his mandolin and he played and he and his sister entertained us with lots of oldies. They were really good and it was refreshing to have this entertainment. A tent camper from the other side of the road heard the singing and he came over to join them for a while.    The next morning we found out she is a nurse. For breakfast they cooked bacon and eggs better than our pop tarts and CIB that we had. That night the temperature got down to about 35 degrees. The temperature during the day was about 65 degrees making for good hiking. The moon was bright and you could still see Erwin over the hill. We seem to be hiking a circle around Erwin.
Date: 2005-04-17
From: Deep Gap 

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 4.3
Weather: overcast clouds

April 17, 2005 AT journal        End Cherry Gap Shelter   355.2      4.3 milesBegin Deep Gap               350.9We got up late at Deep Gap and since we had lots of water available we took our time getting started. We made some breakfast, our usual stuff of pop tarts and CIB. We watched with envy as Mandolin Man and Laughing Dog pulled out their skillet and fried bacon and eggs. They were fully stocked with the mandolin, skillet and a dozen eggs. They started hiking before we did. Our first tough climb was Unaka Mountain (5,180¢) with a wooded summit. So, what is new? We got to the top about 10:40 a.m. and took a little rest before continuing. About 1:30 I walked into Cherry Gap Shelter. It had only been 4.3 miles but I was feeling tired. Two hikers were there eating lunch, August and a friend. Someone had left a plastic bag hanging with lots of food. I checked that out and found some spicy Cajun rice and Gatorade. So I unpacked and had a little feast myself. Soon, Halfway walked in and joined me. There were lots of good tent sites around and some flat ground. We are always happy to find something even close to flat to sleep on. I am carrying a book this hike and since it was still early afternoon and I was tired, I decided to take a rest and do some reading. I am reading ¢The Kite Runner¢ and it is a good read.   August and his friend hiked on and soon another thru-hiker joined us. He was from Japan and I think his name is ¢Oriental Legs¢. I believe he told me he was 68 years older, and in very good shape. He spoke very little English and was difficult to communicate with, but he was always in a good mood. I showed him the food bag that was left and he spotted some Ramen Noodles. Ah, Japanese he exclaimed with great pleasure. I think he took all the food that was left in the bag.    With our tents pitched we were ready for a good night¢s sleep.
Date: 2005-04-18
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Greasy Creek Friendly
Miles today: 6.8
Weather: scattered clouds

End Greasy Creek Gap   362.0      6.8 milesBegin Cherry Gap Shelter 355.2April 18, 2005Oriental Legs was up and off hiking about 6 am. Halfway and I saw him going down the trail and we did not get to chat with him this morning. We had our tents pitched near the trail and saw him head out. So we got up and fixed breakfast. About 9:30 we hit the trail ourselves. The last few days the high temperature had been about 65. Today it reached 70 and was a beautiful day for hiking. I think this was the first day we were out of the sight of Erwin. At 11:45 we came out of the woods at Iron Mountain Gap which is at the TN 107/NC226 state line. There was a paved highway there. We stopped for lunch at the sign for the Pisgah National Forest. I noticed the sign for Spruce Pine, NC 27 miles.    After lunch I was taking some pictures of the area around there and here came Miss Janet and her van with a group of slack packers. She let them out and they were hiking back to Erwin. I got to chat briefly with her.    Halfway and I started hiking after lunch. We had heard about a hostel named Greasy Creek Friendly and decided to try and stay there. I have Wingfoot¢s ¢Thru-Hikers Handbook¢ and his directions say: From the gap go right (downhill) on old jeep road. We gave this a try and it was not so easy to find the hostel. Pack-Rat and CeeCee Edmondson run the hostel and they were great folks. We got our showers and rested up before supper. After dark we got word that Pack-Rat had talked to a hiker on his cell phone and the hiker was lost trying to find their place. He went out to find him. Turned out the lost hiker was Vision Quest, a female hiker. She had gotten lost, tried to call and her cell phone and was able to make the connection. Pack-Rat had just about given up on finding her when she blew on her whistle and he heard it and they got together.    This is the place that has the neighbor across the road that hates hikers. (See my photos and the one with the sign he has painted on his fence) At 6 am the neighbor gets up and starts up all the gas engines he owns and then throws large stones into the bed of his pickup truck to make all the noise he can.    Even with all that going on and the difficulty finding the place Friendly is a great place to take a break. Cee-Cee says the secret to finding the place is the key word that Wingfoot uses ¢ downhill. When in doubt which way to go take the path going downhill. The bunk house was a very small room in back of the house. The meals and shower were inside the house. We were tired enough that we had no trouble sleeping.
Date: 2005-04-21
From: Mountain Harbour B & B

To: Mountain Harbour B & B
Miles today: 0.0

April 21, 2005Mountain Harbour B & B -0- Day No HikingToday was a day of sitting around the room over the barn and telling hiking stories. This place is a beautiful setting and easy to relax here. We worked on our gear, went into Roan Mountain town for lunch and supplies and in general took it easy.    A southbound hiker came in and joined us. His gear was already here and Terry had taken him off on the trail and he slack packed about 26 miles that day. He looked fresh as ever when he arrived. This was our introduction to Uncle Kodak. He is quite a hiker and had lots of interesting stories about the trail further up north.    We had a little afternoon rain shower that ran us inside off the porch for a while. Breakfast and supper were served up at the big house. Mary treated us fine with the food. My photo says getting ready for supper but actually I think we had eaten and went out back of the house just to relax and chat some more with Terry and Mary.    This was a great place for us to have a zero day and do a little relaxing.
Date: 2005-04-23
From: Mountaineer Waterfall

To: Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: light rain

April 23, 2005End ¢ Moreland Gap Shelter   402.7      9.0Begin ¢ Mountaineer Waterfall campsite   393.7When we woke up this morning the rain had stopped but the sky was still cloudy. It was pretty cold though and it was good to get back hiking and trying to warm up. Shortly after we started hiking a light rain began to fall. It was a day of rain, sleet and snow. But it was off and on, nothing solid so it wasn¢t too bad. We reached Moreland Gap Shelter about 3 pm and there was a light snow falling. Hikers kept coming in and it was looking like it was going to be crowded. I think we ended up with eight in sleeping bags on the floor of the shelter and one in a hammock stretched out above all of us. There were lots of campers out around the shelter in their tents. After a quick supper I got into my sleeping bag pretty quick to try and get warm. I had my book to read and my headlight to give me light so I was in pretty good shape. Maybe tomorrow will be warmer and better!
Date: 2005-04-24
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Dennis Cove
Miles today: 5.8

This morning we woke up and it was cold. Very cold. Someone checked and said it was 20 degrees. Snow had blown in the shelter during the night and the eight of us stretched out on the floor were all covered with snow. When there was enough light to see outside we could see nothing but snow everywhere. The ground was covered with 4 to 5 inches of snow. Our boots all had gotten wet the day before while walking in the rain and now they were frozen solid. We had to work them with our hands to get them soft enough to put on our feet. Quickly I got dressed and loaded up for the hike out. Several others were up and began hiking first and I was glad there would be someone marking where the trail went. You had to be really careful hiking on the rocks covered with snow. I started about 8 am and it was fun hiking in the snow. It doesn¢t take too long to get warm when hiking with a pack on your back. The trail was not too bad and I was able to make good time. Halfway had shipped a supply box to Laurel Creek Lodge and Campground and so that was our next destination. When I was just about out of the woods I met four or five hikers hiking up the trail. Word was at Kincora that Just Ray and Chilly Willy they older couple from Orland, Fla were having a problem getting out of the woods on the snow. These kids had hiked up with little or no supplies and were going to help get them out of the woods. They were going to carry their packs and give them any assistance they needed. It is amazing the community that exists on the trail. I was on the last downhill almost out of the woods when I took my tumble. I slipped on the snow and fell on my back. I was not hurt and took my time getting back up before starting up again. Soon, I was out of the woods onto USFS Road 50. There was a sign and Kincora was to the left. That was the hostile where most hikers stop. Our Laurel Creek Lodge was about a half mile to the right. I got there and rented a small cabin for Halfway and me. I picked up his supply box and then took a hot shower and changed clothes. Laurel Creek had a nice kitchen with supplies and a wood burning stove for the campers to use. I had a good hot cup of coffee and warmed up by the stove. Halfway came in after a while and he was having a problem with his legs. He decided to leave the trail and I would be hiking on by myself. Wandering Bull joined us that afternoon. For supper we had pizza ordered from Hampton.We met a couple of women who were in the area for day hikes. We enjoyed swapping hiking stories with them. I was ready for a good nights sleep. This had been a very interesting day. I was sorry Halfway was having such a time with his shin splints and was not looking forward to hiking alone again.
Date: 2005-04-25
From: Dennis Cove

To: Watauga Lake Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: few clouds

This morning I got up and looked out the window at the mountain beside the road. Yesterday it was covered with snow. Today there was no snow. A good sign. The sad part was my hiking partner, Halfway, had decided to give up the trail once more. His shins were hurting too bad to go on. So we parted ways and I headed out of the campground onto the road leading back to the trail. Almost immediately after entering the woods, you begin losing elevation. I never like this when the trail goes steeply down because I know at some point it will go steeply up again. At the bottom of the trail I found Laurel Falls and it was worth the hike. This is an interesting part of the trail because you hike on a narrow shelf of rock just about a foot above the stream on one side and the vertical wall of mountain on the other side. With a pack on your back you have to be careful and watch your steps. Graybeard was there looking at the falls and after we started hiking again we ran into some of the younger group that were hiking southbound for this stretch. Sowega is the only one I can remember that was in that group. The trail was easy hiking, following the stream and crossing over several small bridges. The air was chilly but it was a clear, beautiful day to be out hiking.    The elevation at the stream was 1900 ft. and soon the trail started up. My guide book says the top was around Pond Flats at 3700 ft. That was a tough climb that took a while. Graybeard and I kept passing each other when one of us would stop for a rest and a snack. He is a good guy and a strong hiker, that is fun to hike with. That afternoon I hiked out of the woods at Shook Branch Picnic Area on Watauga Lake. Back into civilization. It was too cold for anyone to be swimming in the lake. There was a picnic table and I rested and snacked there. Close by was a water pipe that I could get a good supply of wonderful tasting water. So, I took a little time to soak up some sun, clean up, eat and get water. The sign said a mile and 6 tenths to Watauga Lake Shelter but the hiking time seemed to go on forever. The trail was littered with junk since this area is near the highway and has lots of picnickers and short term hikers in the area and they left lots of their junk.    Finally I reached the shelter. Graybeard was there and the couple from New York and the guy from Hagerstown who had made all his clothes, sleeping bag and I guess his pack. I had gotten to the beach area about 4:45 in the afternoon and to the shelter about 6 pm. I fixed supper, cleaned up a bit, then climbed into the sleeping bag to read a little before falling off to sleep.