morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-04-23
From: Blood Mtn Shelter

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: broken clouds

Last night I woke up in the shelter and heard a mouse rummaging around my pack. I started swatting in its general direction with one hand while I located my headlamp with the other. I turned the lamp on and saw a huge rat staring at me about a foot or two from my face. I froze as I noticed the black and white stripes running down its body. The skunk ran around in circles a few times before departing. I went back to sleep. Today, after descending Blood Mountain, I stopped at the Walasi-Yi Center (hostel and outfitter) for about four hours. The trail actually goes right through the building. I swapped out some gear and somehow spent a whole lot of money for . . . well, not much. Mountain Squid suggested the trailname Photo, because I am carrying all this camera equipment. We'll see if the name sticks. I got tired of waiting for the Tour de Georgia Race and Lance Armstrong to come through and pushed past the next shelter (1.2 miles off the trail) to the Low Gap Shelter. There I met lots of great people including Shady Smurf, who hiked in 2003 and is hiking to Trail Days in Virginia, Jaz, Big Blood, Crow, Eli, and Travis. Jaz shared a flask of Jamaican Rum with everyone (to reduce weight) and we all went to sleep. Owls were calling back and forth all night.
Date: 2004-04-24
From: Low Gap

To: Tray Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: broken clouds

I started this morning with the intention of a short day. Eli, Travis and I arrived at the Blue Mountain Shelter around noon. I made lunch and decided to push on to the next shelter. I know I shouldn't be doing this because my knees are giving me more and more problems, but I left and walked the 7.6 miles to the next shelter. Here I met Bill, who is attempting a thru-hike, Second Wind, who is going to either Hot Springs or Virginia, and two others out for the weekend. Tomorrow I plan to go to the Blueberry Patch Hostel. . . an easy day, a shower, laundry, and a 'bed'.
Date: 2004-04-25
From: Tray Mtn Shelter

To: Blueberry Patch Hostel
Miles today: 10.6

It was cold when I woke up this morning so I packed up quickly and started walking. My knees were feeling a little better, until on the final climb, something went wrong. I believe this is unrelated to the problems I was having before, as I was going uphill and the pain was in a different location. Anyway, I proceeded like I had a peg leg for the next mile or two. I finally got to Dick's Creek Gap and started down the road to the Blueberry Patch Hostel. I hadn't gone 100 yards before a pickup truck stopped in the middle of the road. I got in the bed (which was full of backpacks) and made it to the hostel in no time. At the hostel I met Steven and Yogi who had arrived earlier. We got showers and had our laundry done, then got a ride into the town of Hiawassee. We are definitely in the Bible belt. Yogi is from NYC so the two of us were a little bit nervous walking around, especially after we spotted the confederate flag flying in front of the town hall. We all ate, then re-supplied, then wandered around, then ate again at an AYCE (All You Can Eat). After returning to the hostel, Bear arrived. He had been of the trail for 18 days and is starting again tomorrow. He works in Antarctica for half the year then has five months free to go on crazy trips like hiking the AT and biking through Washington. A cold front is now moving in and it is raining pretty hard outside. What a great night to be in the hostel! Oh, at dinner I was given the name, 'Magnet', after telling stories of all my animal encounters. These encounters include meeting four bears in one day, a close call with a cougar, a stare off with a buck (all last year), the bear on Springer Mountain, and the skunk. We'll see if the name sticks.
Date: 2004-04-26
From: Blueberry Patch Hostel

To: Plum Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 4.3
Weather: moderate rain

Woke up today to a great homemade breakfast. The Blueberry Patch is an organic farm and they make the best blueberry syrup ever! After breakfast, Bear and I got a ride back to the trail from Barry Poteat (hostel owner and previous thru-hiker). Yogi decided to take a zero day in Hiawassee, and we assume Steven ended up doing the same as he has not yet shown up at the shelter. It rained all morning and cleared up in the afternoon. On the way to the shelter I met Frenchie, who is doing a 'flip-flop'. He started in Harper's Ferry, WV, and is headed south to Springer Mountain. From there he will go back to Harpers Ferry and start hiking north to Katahdin. Bear and I had all afternoon to kill at the shelter so we decided to test our skills of fire-starting using drenched wood. We were successful but it needed constant attention. Around 4 o'clock, Lump showed up. He seems to be a very interesting character, bringing some extra life to everything. 'Take a Break' showed up a little later. (So named because he is always taking a break whenever anyone sees him.) Tommy and Jay showed up next and made a feast of fresh potatoes, cabbage, carrots, avocados, broccoli, and spearmint (growing all over the place). Now we are settling down in this three-floor shelter known as 'The Hilton'. Someone is already snoring louder than I've ever heard, and Lump is waging war with an army of mice.
Date: 2004-04-27
From: Plum Orchard Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: few clouds

Today was cold and windy. It probably would have been great hiking weather if it weren't for the wind-chill. I am also out of Georgia! The border was rather bland. North Carolina looks about the same as Georgia. Bear did do a little dance and kissed the marker nailed to a tree. I stopped for lunch at the first shelter in NC. Bear showed just before I left and he decided to stay there. It did not sound like he was enjoying NC. I nearly decided to stay but I was cold and decided to push on to Standing Indian Shelter. I soon caught up with Tommy and Jay and hiked with them for an hour. As I started up Standing Indian Mountain, I ran into an older man who told me that the shelter had been removed. I started considering pushing on to Carter Gap Shelter, 7.6 miles past Standing Indian Shelter. I arrived at the still standing Standing Indian Shelter but continued on because 1) I had gotten it in my head to push on to Carter Gap, 2) the shelter was empty, 3) it was a windy spot, and 4) there was a big sign saying that a bear has been stealing packs from that location. It was getting late so the last miles were done at a gruelingly fast pace. Fortunately I had taken some Vitamin I (Ibuprofen). I made it here before dusk and set up camp. Temperatures will probably drop into the 20's tonight so I set the hammock low to the ground and piled leaves all around and below it. I will be wearing all my clothes (not many) and my raingear (vapor barrier) to bed tonight. About eight people are here tonight including Second Wind (Tray Mountain Shelter), Lump, Len (a British fellow), a guy that likes to blow things up and looks freakishly like the Uni-bomber's sketch (especially with his hoodie) and some others. I am now going to freeze.
Date: 2004-04-28
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: clear sky

I am now lying in a real bed at the Franklin Motel in Franklin, NC. I will take a zero day here tomorrow so my knees and feet can heal, and will be back on the trail Friday morning. I was feeling surprisingly good today after the big push yesterday. Woke up cold this morning, though I slept pretty well most of the night. While walking today I came across a bat lying upside down on the trail. I poked it and to my surprise, it was alive and began hissing. I found a twig for it to grab onto and moved it into a bush. There was also a really cool tower on top of Albert Mountain (elev. 5220') that you could climb up. Other than the bat and tower, the day was rather uneventful. I made it to Winding Stair Gap and tried hitching a ride for the first time. The second vehicle stopped and once again, I found myself in the bed of a pickup. Got myself a room here for the next two nights and a few beers, a pizza, and some junk food . . . oh, and some apples. Television is just as bad as I remember it being and it is pretty boring compared to the trail. Much more comfortable though.
Date: 2004-04-30
From: Franklin, NC

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: light rain

Got a ride to the trail this morning from Anne and Kathy. They are writing a book about all the people they shuttle. It was foggy and misty all day and didn't rain much more than a sprinkle here and there. The highlight of today's hike was a small bird that seemed to fall out of the grass right in front of me. It then hopped a few feet down the trail and waited for me to catch up. We repeated this act for a hundred feet or so before I decided not to continue it all the way to Maine. I also found a big dead salamander and dodged snails all day. (I know I stepped on at least one.) I arrived at Cold Spring Shelter around 4 and ate lots of food. Len, the British fellow, Mountain Squid, Shannon, Brandon, Second Wind, and Travis are here at the shelter. The Pennsylvanian trio showed up later and camped a little way down the trail. It's good to know that they're still out here and doing well. Len is an expert fire maker and got a great fire going with all the wet wood I gathered. We all sat around and roasted marshmallows. Now it's time for bed. I still haven't figured out a good way to get into my sleeping bag and onto the sleeping mat inside the hammock. Tomorrow we all hit up the NOC.
Date: 2004-05-01
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

Woke up to rain this morning. It is expected to rain for the next three days I believe. The inside of the hammock was pretty wet but the sleeping bag seemed to have stayed decently dry. I ate my oatmeal quickly and was the first one out of the camp. For some reason I seem to usually be the first one out, probably because I'm cold and want to get moving. As for animals today, there were LOTS of big, slimy slugs. I also met SALLY the SALAMANDER on the trail. We had a short conversation then I moved her off the trail, out of the way of hikers' feet. There would have been some great views today had there not been fog. One nice thing about the rain and fog is that it accentuates all the green colors. It also makes things slippery. The climb down to the Nantahala Outdoor Center was quite treacherous in the pouring rain. After I arrived at the NOC, blue sky and sun appeared. I waited around for others to show up. In a little while, the Pennsylvanians showed up, as did Mountain Squid and Travis. Squid, Travis and I split a room so we could dry out and get out of the rain. We ate well tonight as we watched kayakers play in the rapids. Around nine, Steven came in soaking wet. Fortunately he was able to get a room.
Date: 2004-05-02
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: moderate rain

Great night indoors while it rained and stormed last night. Started the day off with a big breakfast and a final trip into the outfitters for some candy bars. I almost walked out with a new sleeping bag. Travis and I hit the trail around 11 this morning, facing a 3000 ft climb up Swim Bald. And swim we did. We ran into Squid on the way and were the first to the shelter so we were able to claim the prime spots. The shelter is quickly filling up. In addition to Travis and Squid, the others now here are Amos (Slippy), Rufus (Stuby), Leon, Roger and Annie (started on Springer at same time as me), Len (London), Brandon (he's tenting) and someone else. Now we are debating whether or not to try doing 22.5 miles to Fontana Dam tomorrow. I think we will wait to see what the weather brings. Now we've decided it is time for some more food . . Well, done eating and now the food is out hanging in a tree getting soaked. Lump showed up, to some's dismay (he is a VERY loud snorer). It's just a little after six and most are already in their sleeping bags, some have been asleep for hours already. The shelter looks like a Christmas tree with packs and clothing as ornaments. It is now about seven and Lump is already snoring up a storm. For now it is funny. I am quite bored at this moment, so this may be a good time to mention that I now have Superfeet. Yes, I bought new "Superfeet" insoles for my boots at the NOC. So far they seem to be a good improvement. Well, all but Leon and me and some birds seem to be asleep now, and it's still light out. Guess it's time for the earplugs. Hopefully I'll stay warm tonight. At least I'll be dry.
Date: 2004-05-03
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: NC 28 - Fontana Dam
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: light rain

It was really, really cold last night. When we woke up, or rather gathered the courage to emerge from our sleeping bags, we looked up at the sky and to our surprise, it was blue! Not a cloud in sight. Then we looked down below us into the valley. There was a sea of white. I think this was a first for me; I've seen fog obscuring the land below before, but never fully formed clouds. I was able to take many photos from the top of Cheoah Bald, and because we were above the clouds, visibility was excellent. The air was crisp and invigorating, though still COLD. As we hiked on, either the sky clouded over, or we walked down below the clouds. For a while we were pelted by frozen rain. I definitely prefer the frozen variety of rain as it just bounces off of you. Around mid-day, we passed some people who told us that it was predicted to be well below freezing tonight, and that was for the lower elevations. The Pennsylvanians and I began dreaming of nice heated rooms at Fontana and pushed hard to make the necessary miles. So now we are here in a great room for only $10. I hurt a lot. Don't know how far I'll make it tomorrow. Right now I don't feel I'll be able to move for the next few days as I am quite stuffed from the buffet we ravaged tonight. While doing laundry we met "Ponderer", a flip-flopper headed south. Now the Pennsylvanians are having a mail drop crisis. We all are supposed to have mail drops waiting here for us, but they just discovered that theirs was sent to the wrong place and sent late. Well, it's almost eleven and we can't keep our eyes open.
Date: 2004-05-04
From: NC 28 - Fontana Dam

To: Birch Spring Gap
Miles today: 7.0

We ate a huge buffet breakfast at the inn this morning then headed to the outfitter. I bought a nice fleece sleeping bag liner so hopefully I'll stay a little warmer at night now. After the outfitter's, we went to the post office to pick up our mail drops. One of two of the Pennsylvanian's boxes arrived as we were there. It was on its way to the "wrong place". The other box had already been sent to the wrong place but will be forwarded to our next town stop at Hot Springs. After my mail drop and the trip to the outfitter, my pack gained about 13 pounds and not all the straps will close. I think it's heavier than when I started. About an ounce or two of new weight is from a stuffed caterpillar that is now tied to my pack. It makes a "boing, boing" sound when you push on it and will be good for the rainy days. We started hiking early in the afternoon. Checked out the "Fontana Hilton" Shelter that has restrooms and free hot showers right there. Shortly after, we crossed the Fontana Dam, which is much larger than I had expected: 480 feet tall. After the dam was a big climb up Shuckstack Mountain. At the top we climbed a rickety tower with wooden steps that were rotting away. The handrails were missing from some places as well. I did not stay up there very long. I will be hammocking at a campsite tonight with the Pennsylvanians. My mom wants me to say what I eat and how I cook so . . . I usually have oatmeal mixed with hot chocolate mix for breakfast, have candy bars throughout the day, and have a dinner of two or three Lipton meals (usually rice based). I mix in tuna, salmon or chicken from foil packets every few nights. To cook I use an alcohol stove I made from V-8 cans. It weighs only two tenths of an ounce. It burns denatured alcohol, which so far, has been easy to find at town stops. To save fuel I transfer the pot to a "pot cozy" after the water boils. The pot cozy is basically bubble wrap coated in foil to act as insulation; it allows the food to simmer.
Date: 2004-05-05
From: Birch Spring Gap

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: scattered clouds

None of us has any energy today, probably because our packs are loaded with so much food. I called it a short day and the Pennsylvanians pushed on. The shelter is in a great spot with open fields of tall grass and blooming cherry (we think) trees. Lump is here and so is Shady Smurf, who I met at Low Gap. We all went up to the field on top of the ridge to watch a big red sun set behind the blossoming trees. Eight Marines are also sharing the shelter with us and Grey Wolf and Angel (Roger and Annie---started on Springer with me) are tarping outside. Apparently there are 64 Marines split into groups of eight trying to hike the AT through the Smokies. Many of them do not look like happy hikers. I forgot to mention that I had my first two falls today. The trail was muddy and slippery.
Date: 2004-05-06
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Spending another night with the Marines, though only half of them made it. It's funny to see all these Marines complaining and barely able to stand. Actually the ones who made it here seem to be handling it pretty well, but there have been some humorous entries in the shelter registers. The Marines out here are communications units. They set up antennae every night to make contact with other units. They don't seem to be very good at this assignment, as they have had no luck in the last two nights. We've also discovered that MRE (meal ready to eat) heater packets explode in fire. So tonight it's four Marines, Lump, Smurf, Second Wind, Boston, Shannon (Cough Drop) Travis (Gilligan), Len, Mountain Squid and myself. Smurf has been telling us about a microbrewery in Gatlinburg with 33.8 oz brews. We may all take an unexpected town stop tomorrow. I need to re-supply my Snicker bars anyway. I think Lump needs to re-supply some cheese and perhaps invest in some more advanced mousetraps. The last two nights he has set up two mousetraps baited with cheese. The first night the traps were both set off by morning, but no dead mice and no cheese. Mice: 2. Lump: 0. Tonight we watched as a mouse ran around investigating the traps. There was also a "friendly" trap set by the rangers. The mouse got caught in the "friendly' trap but Travis opened the door a tiny bit to try to see inside and the mouse poked it's head out. It was stuck like that for a little while until Travis opened the door wider to let him out. Just afterwards we noticed that the cheese was gone from the other traps but they had not been set off. Mice: 4, Lump: 0. Those are some smart mice.
Date: 2004-05-07
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: clear sky

We are now in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. Travis, Smurf and I are splitting a room here and making good use of the pool. Lump's friend, Josh, drove us into town. It was a very exciting ride. The trunk did not work so the three of us were squished in the back of a compact car with our packs smashed into our faces. Lump is no longer with us as he is taking the weekend off to see his girlfriend. He is doing a flip-flop so will be heading south from Maine in a few months. Hopefully we'll see him then. Today's hike gave us some good views from Rocky Top and Clingman's Dome. Clingman's Dome is the highest elevation on the trail at 6643 feet. Time to celebrate with a beer at the microbrewery. Oh, I must mention how fortunate we have been to have perfect weather . . . a rare thing here in the Smokies. Just two days ago it was snowing here.
Date: 2004-05-08
From: Gatlinburg, TN

To: Peck's Corner Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

The views today were very impressive. We stopped at Charlie's Bunion, an interesting rock formation, for some quick photos before being scared away by approaching thunder. From there it was a seven-mile race against the storms to the next shelter. We won! It is now pouring out and I need to go hang my bear bag. There are some new faces in the shelter tonight. The names I can remember are Whoa!, Samurai, Knuckles and Moxie. JP, Travis, Second Wind and Shannon are also here. When I arrived there were two weekend hikers in the shelter. After awhile they pulled out their badges and guns and told us that they were actually rangers and since it looked like we were all being responsible, they were going to move on to the next shelter. They said one of the storm cells we were running from had just dumped three inches of rain in another section of the park. Tonight's dinner consisted of Lipton's Taco Rice with tuna mixed in. Tonight I used sterno to cook rather than my stove. I will try to make a windscreen /pot stand from the sterno container when it's all used up. The trip into Gatlinburg yesterday definitely made me appreciate being out in the woods. I think I'm beginning to feel more at home in the woods than in towns.
Date: 2004-05-09
From: Peck's Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: light rain

Woke up this morning after a good night's sleep to the sun rising over a mountain and the sound of approaching thunder. The storm missed us but the clouds still looked menacing from time to time. Everyone met up at the Tri-Corner Knob Shelter for some lunch and snacks. Soon after leaving, thunder was again heard in the distance and dark clouds were spotted. Looked like I was in for another race along the ridge. . . and race it was! Travis and I did the supposed 7.7 miles to the Cosby Knob Shelter in two hours. We still got soaked. Along the way we passed the debris of a crashed F-16 jet. Even with the storm, there were some great views into large valleys below. Actually, most of the time we were at the edge of the storm, so when we looked to our right, we would see dark clouds and rain, and to our left we would see blue skies and a sunny valley. The echoing of thunder between the mountains added to the experience. No rainbows though. Travis and I got into the shelter around four this afternoon and were greeted by Jill, Silky, and Stick, all headed north. Two Southbounders arrived shortly after followed by the rest of the crew from last night. By the time I finished my dinner of ramen and Lipton's Cajun Rice, the storm had passed. So now we are dry, full and ready for bed but it is still early with not much to do but catch up on journals. Tomorrow we leave the Smokies. It has been fun but I think most of us are ready to be out of here. Now for something new. From now on, I will try to write down some of the random thoughts that go through my head while hiking. Today's Random Thoughts: 1. For about 15 minutes I pondered over catching a rattlesnake with my hiking stick. I thought it would be cool if I could get the snake to bite the stick and then maybe its fangs could get stuck in the wood. Then, with the snake hanging from the end of my stick, I would walk to the shelter. I even practiced holding the stick out away from me as though a snake were on the end of it. So you know, these thoughts originated from part of a dream I had last night where a rattlesnake was somehow stuck to the end of my hiking pole. 2. This is not really a random thought but a comment or observation. Many of the people I've sheltered with the last few nights seem extremely familiar. It's almost a deja-vu thing, though I suspect it's more that they remind me of other people I've known. What is really weird about it is that their voices, physical appearances and personalities all match up. Do any of you have twins you haven't told me about?