morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-05-18
From: Laurel Creek Campground (Zero Day)

To: Abingdon Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

   Set out from Hwy 91 with a full pack. It wasn't easy to leave such a great place, but I have to get going. I'm just going to take it easy going back to Damascus, 20 miles in two days. I had been going along at a steady, comfortable pace for an hour or so, when I met a southbound hiker which rather surprised me. Turns out he had mistakenly headed south coming out of the shelter ahead, and wasn't sure whether to believe me concerning his direction. We hiked together back to the shelter and he continued on in the proper direction while I took a break. The rest of the day was spent alone. Late in the afternoon I came upon a very small primitive shelter that might sleep two in a pinch. It was dubbed the "Hoilday Inn". Looked like it had a good roof. though the rest was rather sad looking. A few sprinkles began, and I continued on to this shelter. If it had been clear, I would have continued and tented. My new misdirected friend, Jest Bill, was here and some section hikers tenting. They had seen a bear earlier about half a mile north of the shelter. I had seen some bear poop about a mile south, so maybe we'll have a visitor tonight. The blue blaze to the water was the toughest section of trail I saw all day.
Date: 2013-01-13
To: Sunday Mornings
Miles today: 0.0

It's been unseasonable warm in Ohio this weekend - yesterday was mid-60's. My daffodils are 4 inches tall and I have celery that has overwintered and still edible. Plus, there's a Rosemary plant that is on its third year and now a Rosemary small bush - unheard of in the 'old' Ohio temperatures. It makes me wonder what type of Spring storms we'll run into with this weather topsy-turvy. Remember, I told you I was a worrier...Sunday mornings are among my favorite times around the house. Hubby Don and I watch the CBS Sunday Morning show and have a little Carolans in our coffee. I plan on getting a good walk in today - our local Metro park with great hills. I think I may get to try out the rain gear too.Fritz, our Giant Schnauzer, knows something is up around the house. My husband bought a new tent for when he meets up with me and it's set up in our spare room (same room where I have all my equipment). I put everything I have so far in my pack and weighed it - 11.2 lbs. I'm pleased. It didn't have the misc. items like cell phone, odds and ends (small things), clothes, food, water, but it does have lots more than the basic four (tent, sleeping pad, sleeping bag, backpack). Recommendations are that you keep the basic four below ten pounds. I'm getting excited! I can't keep the smile off my face!
Date: 2003-05-19
From: Abingdon Gap Shelter

To: The Place, Damascus, VA
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

   It never did rain last night. I had a somewhat restless night for whatever reason. Got an early start for me. Saw at least a dozen pink lady slippers today. One spot had several growing in close proximity. There were also some wild lillies of the valley along the trail. When I stopped for a break, a bronze-colored salamander with red under his chin was crawling in the leaves. A ruffed grouse scolded me and did her entire display as I passed too close to her nest. As I descended into town it got warmer and warmer. Settled into a bunk at The Place and then went for an ice cream cone. I had a headache and felt rather crappy, but after taking some ibuprofen and lying down for an hour, I perked up.      Wideload took Strider and I in his car into Abingdon later to get some supper. They aren't used to feeding hiker appetites apparently as the portions were small. There are quite a few hikers here, which was surprising. Apparently a large group went and worked on the trail after Trail Days, building a reroute and privies. Most of the bunks are full and there are a couple of tents in the yard, but nothing like last week.
Date: 2013-01-16
To: The Waiting Game
Miles today: 0.0

So what do you do when you're ready and rearin' to go, BUT your d-day (departure date) is more than 2 months away? ...You read a book about the Appalachian Trail, of course!My selection? 'Just Passin' Through', by Winton Porter (Kindle Edition). This book is about Mountain Crossings, the very first hostel/outfitters/vestige-of-civilization one encounters after leaving Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. The guidebook puts it about 30 miles down the trail. This is one of those grand products of the Civilian Conservation Corps from back in the '30s (our beloved Hocking Hills in Southern Ohio benefited from this program too). It is notable as the only place where the AT passes through a man-made structure.I've heard of people that are ill prepared for backpacking - tales of hikers that just drop their equipment in the middle of the trail and go home - this author has seen that and more! There are so many funny stories and even funnier (if that is even a word!) characters. I've been reading it on breaks and lunch at work and can't help but chuckle at the stories. One of the services the Outfitter provides is a 'shake down' of your pack. They will go through all your equipment to advise what will work, what won't, what you can improve on. Socks did pretty well on her shake down - she bought a sleeping pad (she didn't think you would need one with a hammock, but you actually do to retain heat). The only other thing that she was advised to discard and buy new - her eating utensil. She had one of those aluminum nesting spoon/fork/knife combos that you see with the old mess kits. She put it in the hiking box* and bought a new 'spork'! When I met her two days later at Unicoi Gap (to make sure that she was really going to do this!), we had to go to Mountain Crossings to pick up the Ipod she forgot there (charging in their outlet). Okay, I'm ashamed to admit it, but I looked for that old set in the hiking box, technically, I think it may have qualified as an antique! But, alas, it was gone.....sniff, sniff.. ...someone else liked it too.The thing that I want to ask Winton Porter about are all the boots hung in the trees out front. Do people send those to him? Are they the ones purchased there and then returned when they have served their purpose? There are hundreds of old used hiking boots - someone enlighten me!Oh, yeah - and the last thing. As all my fellow 2013-ers are descending the steep, treacherous two miles from Blood Mountain (the highest point in GA), just think of this: This is Winton Porter's daily run - from Mountain Crossings, up to Blood Mt. and back. His 'walk in the park'!! * hiking box - hostels, and even some hotels, along the trail have what is known as a 'hiking box'. People put things in it that they don't need - food stuffs, equipment, etc. - and people take from it what they do need - food stuffs, equipment, etc. You get the idea - it's a free-for-all!
Date: 2003-05-23
From: Camp Near White Top Mtn.

To: Troutdale
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: overcast clouds

   Another overcast, drizzly day. The trail was rocky, wet, slippery and muddy. Almost fell a couple of times. Mt. Rogers was a waste of time and energy--lots of rocks and mud, and very foggy. Saw a couple of deer in a high meadow. I missed the longhorns back at Hump Mountain, so I hope not to miss the ponies. In the Grayson Highlands the plants are stunted. I was going through some small rhododendrons, went around a curve, and suddenly there was a mother pony with her foal. I'm tearing my pack apart trying to find my camera, and enticed her with a piece of bagel. Hopefully, the pictures will come out. The mother pony was tiny--the top of her back wasn't up to my waist. Saw some cattle later, but no more ponies--kind of disappointing, but at least I got to see one and a half. Continued on until reaching Old Orchard Shelter. There were several hikers there including No Pain and Indiana Slim. The sky was getting dark and we could hear distant thunder. Slim said there was a church hostel in Troutdale, and with the road less than two miles away, I headed out again. I thought I was really moving, but Slim flew by me a quarter mile from the road. I got to the road but didn't see him. I took of my pack and stuck out my thumb at the first car. Wonder of wonders! They stopped--an older couple, who after collecting Slim down the road, dropped us at the Baptist church. Very nice hostel here--in the old church, with showers,laundry and bathrooms. Women stay in the old church, while the men have to hike up the hill to a shelter still under construction. We dropped our gear and went down to the store/restuarant 200 yards down the road. Had the AYCE buffet while a local band played. They even did "Never Leave Harlan Alive", and I felt homesick for Diane and Steve and the Stevettes. When the storm hit, the power went out for a couple of minutes, and there was much lighning and a downpour. Was glad to be able to sleep in a structure with a good roof over it. Returned to the hostel, took a shower and went up to the bunkhouse for the night as the rain continued.
Date: 2003-05-24
From: Troutdale

To: Campsite
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: broken clouds

   Didn't have time to do laundry last night, so threw a few things in the machine first thing this morning. Slim and I went down to the trading post and had the "Hungry Man Special" for breakfast. The weather couldn't seem to make up its mind on what it wanterd to do. I felt lazy and decided to wait it out. Later, Slim and Kharma returned from lunch in the back of a pickup announcing they had a ride back to the trail. Unfortunately, I wasn't packed so they took off, and I felt guilty for wasting the day. I loaded the pack and headed out after them, knowing I would never catch up. I kept going until well after sunset, passing a couple of shelters. Finally I staked out the tent and crawled in after some furious trail time. And it never did rain like we were expecting. No supper tonight--too dark and too tired to eat. Besides, I still have plenty of reserves to draw from.
Date: 2003-05-26
From: Camp At Spring

To: Knot Maul Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

   Packed up the wet tent and gear early, and started up the first climb. Stopped briefly at the shelter on top. We covered some tough trail today--must have climbed at least a dozen stiles over fences. Wounded Knee was having trouble with his feet, and I was tired, so we were pretty slow. We had heard about trail magic at the road (root beer and Little Debbies), but by the time we got there, all we found was one can of 7up and a pile of ice. We each got a couple of sips. Wounded Knee decided to camp right there, but I wanted to make that climb rather than face it in the morning. I headed up and began looking for a tent site, but there were none. I finally got a pace going and went all the way to the shelter. Found a place to set the tent up, hopefully to dry out a bit. Quite a few people are here tonight, and they have a nice fire going. I turned in early and thankfully so did the others. T-Bird played some Neil Young--very nice.
Date: 2013-01-31
To: Thoughts on Ms. Gatewood
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

When I was at Hocking Hills a couple of weeks ago, I was surprised to see that the trail we were on was named for Grandma Gatewood. In fact, if you take a look at the picture of our hiking party in front of the bridge - that bridge is the beginning of the 6-mile Grandma Gatewood trail. For those of you not familiar with Appalachian Trail lore, Grandma Gatewood is credited to be the first woman to thru hike the AT solo in 1955. She is known for hiking in her keds (before Keds were cool), with a boy scout knapsack, and a shower curtain for her shelter. She was 67 when she did the first of her 3 AT thru-hikes.Some describe her as an ¢extreme hiker and ultra-light hiking pioneer¢. I have a feeling she would have gotten a kick out of that. She was a Gallia County, OH woman, lived on a farm and raised 11 kids (think work from dawn to dusk!). For those of you from my neck of the woods, you know that this river county is one of our ¢more challenged¢ in the economic department. And she raised her family in the first part of the past century when things were particularly tough. I think she was more than up to the task of walking from GA > ME - one tough old bird. This was probably her idea of the retirement cruise!What made me think of her today? It could be that I am observing a milestone birthday today - one that I¢ve been reluctant to embrace. So maybe I need Grannie to put it all in perspective for me. She was a pioneer all right but not as an ultra-light hiker. More like how to spend your ¢mature¢ years - just take off with what you have and make do.   So - here¢s to Grandma Gatewood and Flame (AT ¢11) and Mamaw B (AT ¢12) - you women are the inspiration in my life! You make me know that I can do this!¢¦psst- I turned 60 today and I can¢t think of anything else I¢d rather do than hike the Appalachian Trail!!
Date: 2003-05-27
From: Knot Maul Shelter

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: light rain

   Slept great last night, unusually so. No rain, so the tent dried inside and out. Went up the trail and got water instead of wandering down to the shelter's site before leaving. Almost all of the miles today were climbs--over 3000 feet in elevation gains. Five miles of constant uphill to this shelter took its toll on me. I had to take several breaks, and I was still beat when I got here. Rain clouds were looming, and it was very windy and cool. This is an enclosed shelter, like a cabin, with bunks. I had intended to continue, but since I could get a bunk here, decided to stay. There are a dozen hikers and one dog tonight. Watching six people firing up stoves and cooking various creations at the inside picnic table at the same time was entertaining. People played cards and chatted while the wind blew and the temp dropped. Some are sleeping on the concrete floor which can't be too comfortable.
Date: 2013-02-03
To: Androids et al
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

...testing,testing...I'm doing my first post via smartphone. I believe I'll have to break down and buy a stylus as I find it laborious. I have just a touch of perfectionism and the typos drive me crazy! Not to mention the auto-populating this 'smart' phone does as a service. I also practiced uploading a picture from my gallery, thus the random shot. Hint to others if you're having trouble doing this-I couldn't do it until I cropped the picture. I guess I won't know how it goes until it actually posts.The cold weather is great for hiking but I wouldn't want to camp in it. I know odds are that I will get a bit, but I hope to minimize it.Time is counting down! I'm making my lists and checking them twice...Yeah! Just checked and it worked! One more thing off my list
Date: 2003-05-28
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Laurel Creek Campsite
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: broken clouds

   Staying at the Chestnut Knob turned out to be a great decision. About 2am a hail storm, beating on the metal roof, awoke everyone. This was soon to be followed by heavy rains and gusty winds. In the morning clouds were being blown up the mountain and past the shelter, and it remained cold and windy. I left wearing the long nylon pants and rain gear, but within a half hour had to stop and remove them due to overheating. I think I've only worn long pants for maybe a total of one hour on this trip while hiking. I saw no campsites for several miles after the shelter, and was doubly glad I had stayed. Today was ridge walking without reward. Views were scant at best. There was one area of several hundred yards where the rhododendrons were in peak bloom. And I did see an orange salamander, about three inches long, along with thousands of millipedes. None of this made up for falling twice today and banging up my "good" knee. The mud and rocks were a treacherous combination for me. Eventually made it to the Jenkins Shelter, but the group had or were headed to another camping spot farther up the trail. I ate my last food--a pouch of tuna--and followed suit. I found them camped near Laurel Creek. I filtered some water, crossed the road and found a tenting site and an empty trail magic cooler(again!). By the time I got set up it was close to dark. I was glad to take a handful of ibuprofen and crawl in the tent. You hear a lot of shooting in these rural areas which unnerves some of the hikers, but makes me feel at home.
Date: 2013-02-06
To: Pets on the AT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I'm going to envy the hikers hiking with their pets. I've always been around animals and get a lot of comfort from their presence. But it's a huge responsibility hiking with an animal. Ticks, sore pads, loss of weight - just a few of the perils. And, to top it off, dogs aren't allowed in Baxter Park to end their journey - so the ones that do hike the trail miss out on their summit shot. No fair!I'm not siding one way or the other. I'm just saying I'll miss the pets and probably be the one with the hostel cat in my lap.Socks hiked with Doobie (yes, I know it's a totally inappropriate name for a dog). Doobie is a Boston Terrier/Shih Tzu mix and is immortalized as 'The Smallest Hiker Dude on the Appalachian Trail' (google it and you'll get to see a lot of famous AT personalities - credit goes to Rainbow for the video).Doobie hiked from Davenport Gap, just out of the Smokies (dogs aren't allowed in the Smokies either) all the way to Bland, VA, for a total 350 AT miles. You know she probably did at least twice as many miles with all the running around she did. She was pure muscle when she came home with us.My second favorite animal AT hiker is a cat - actually from the same year. I heard the story of Sir from Socks and just love it. To quote the American Mountain Club's story of Sir and Magic Mix (his thru-hiker owner):"...Magic Mix decided to hike the Appalachian Trail after serving five years in the Marines. He started in Georgia alone, but before long yearned for companionship on the trail. At an early trail town, he got online and onto Craiglist, where he found a silky black kitten he promptly named Sir. Magic Mix stayed in town an extra day to get Sir checked out by a veterinarian.At not even a month old, Sir was young to leave his mother. Maybe this made the kitten cling more tightly to Magic Mix, or maybe being together nearly every minute of every day did it, but by the time the feline and the human reached New Hampshire, they¢d developed an unusually strong bond. Sir spent most of his time sitting on his backpack cushon; when he wanted to get down, he nudged Magic Mix with his nose or a paw..." awww...how cute is that! Socks memory of Sir:"Sir was so cool to hike around!! We were stuck at a shelter for a day b/c of weather and Sir would take turns crawling down into everyone's sleeping bags to keep our feet warm! He was funny!"Yep, I'm going to miss my pets (and as I say this, I'm trying to type while balancing my laptop and Skinny Winny, my cat, on my lap). What will I do when I yearn for companionship on the trail? Stray dogs will be my downfall!
Date: 2003-05-29
From: Laurel Creek Campsite

To: Bland, VA
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: light rain

   It rained during the night again. I woke up and dragged everything inside. In the morning I loaded the wet tent, etc and started up the trail. I'm completely out of food, so need to get to town to resupply today. When I got to the highway, I met Cinderella. She was looking for her Prince Charming--HappyFeet--who I haven't seen nor met. She had trail magic of strawberries(all the way from Indiana), bananas and sodas. She offered to shuttle people around, and when I.B. came along, she took us into Bland. There's only one food store in town, and they don't accept checks or credit cards. May be the only cash store in the country! Ran into Footslogger who aimed us to the closest restuarant. Actually it was a combinaton gas station/video store/garden center/restaurant. We had a burger, and Cinderella showed up, and we sat and talked quite awhile. The clouds were dark and menacing, and we decided to stay over. She gave us a ride out to the Big Walker Motel, the only one around. When we drove up we had to laugh--all the hikers had their gear spread all over the parking lot to dry, and had rigged clotheslines everywhere (there is no laundromat in town). I.B. and I shared a room. I did the wash in the sink and hung it outside and set up the tent and ground cloth. We talked with the other hikers, and went down the hill to Dairy Queen for some life sustaining amounts of ice cream. The motel sits high up on a hill, with a spectacular view of I-77. Hours ago I was ambling hungrily alone through the wooded mountains, now I'm drinking strawberry shakes, sitting on wooden lawn furniture, watching the endless stream of semi's headed for Dollar Generals everywhere. Funny how confining being inside is.
Date: 2013-02-10
To: Indian Marker Trees
Miles today: 0.0

Last Thursday, I learned about Indian Trail Marker trees. Now Ohio is strong in Indian history and lore so I knew growing up that Indians marked their trails by bending saplings, which then grew in this horizontal state. I had never really thought about them beyond that until Denise, my clay class instructor, showed us a piece she is working on. It had been commissioned by a gentleman that grew up around the tree, had taken his children to see and play on the tree, and was now lamenting the death of the tree by immortalizing in a sculpture.The Trail Marker trees are dying! Ohio has now been a state for more than 200 years so its been a long time since our native Shawnees have roamed the forest marking their trails. The remaining Indian Marker Trees are aged and dying and there are movements to protect and record the ones remaining.On the Appalachian Trail, there is an oft-photographed tree just after the GA-NC border. It is a gnarled old snaking tree - an Indian Marker Tree! Any ex-thru-hiker remembers it and any future thru-hiker cannot miss it. It is very distinctive. The Appalachian Trail runs along many old Indian trails in the South (GA, NC, TN) - this was the home of the Cherokee Nation. When I hike this section, the leaves will still be off the trees so I'll be watching for more examples of Indian Marker Trees.Don, Fritz and I took a nice 5 mile hike in our neighboring State Park, AW Marion, and I found my first Indian Marker Tree! (1 for 1 - score!) Give me something in the woods to look for and I'll go all day until I find it!Ok - I'll be honest. It isn't verified but really, the only way to verify them is to be witness when the original individual altered the tree to make it grow in this way. I will say this - it fits the bill age-wise, it is definitely altered, and it points to where Don said a natural spring flows. Sounds like a Marker Tree to me. I'm going to submit it to the Trail Tree Project. For any of my fellow 2013-ers also interested in history, there is an Indian platform mound in Franklin, NC (a trail town you get to right after Albert Mt.). Franklin is built on an old Cherokee Indian village. For my readers, you're along for the ride so you'll just have to put up with all my historical references. Pity my children - this is what their vacations were like!