morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-04-12
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

Today was so drastically different than the past couple of days. It started out cold, but the sun was shining. I felt terrible when I got up, as my cold kicked in big time overnight. All night long, I couldn't get warm...I even wrapped myself up in my emergency "space" blanket, and it didn't work. Then I started coughing and couldn't stop. It made for a very long and restless night. Consequently, I wasn't too keen to start out on a 12.5 mile day! I took my time getting ready, making sure I did my morning yoga, as my muscles were sore due to the lack of sleep (if you ever want to be convinced that sleep is necessary for rejuvenation of muscles, as well as mental energy, just spend a week or two on the trail). G.I. Gypsy gave me some cough drops, which helped immensely. The miles today, though long, were easier than I anticipated. The biggest mountain today, Standing Indian Mountain, 5498', was graded, making for a long but not steep climb. The summit area featured huge rhododedron thickets, which seem to be common, especially on the tops of the mountains here...not in bloom yet, though. The weather was just gorgeous, and looks as though it will hold for a few more days. It sure beats the rain and fog we'd been slogging through! There was still a good bit of snow on the higher elevations, that seemed to be taking its good ol' time melting.Tomorrow we have another 13 miler planned, which includes the mountain I've been dreading, Albert Mountain...stay tuned!
Date: 2003-04-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

What a day of trail magic!!! Today started out well for me, as I was finally able to get some sleep last night. I propped myself up on my backpack, and it made for easier breathing...I only woke up coughing twice. Also, my sleeping bag seems to be getting some of its loft back, so it's warmer.So, I got up pretty early, got my morning routine done, and hit the trail. I stepped off for a privy break, and when I got back on, G.I. Gypsy, and then Baltimore Jack came by. We talked for a bit, while G.I. and I got rid of layers (it was so hot today!). I then left them and continued on. When I got to Betty Creek Gap, there were several thru-hikers talking with a local person. He directed us to the creek, where I went to get water. He said he was looking for Baltimore Jack, and I said that he was right behind me. He then proceeded to ask Jack if he wanted to slack pack (when someone takes your pack ahead so you can hike with just a day pack). Then he asked me, Nuts and Twigs if we wanted to. I said sure, although the others were a bit wary. G.I. also joined in, so we all hiked the last 9 miles today with no packs...yay!!Then this fabu person brought us and our packs to the Rainbow Springs Campground where we have a beautiful campsite, have had pizza and hot showers, and have done all our laundry. What a wonderful day! We're sleeping in a bit, getting a ride back to the trailhead, and working on catching up with Dutch and Reason at the NOC by Tuesday!Oh, yeah, and Albert Mountain wasn't that bad, either! :)
Date: 2003-04-14
From: Wallace Gap (Rainbow Springs)

To: Campsite/Wayah Bald
Miles today: 13.6

Well, I have headed out on my own today. Nuts' ankle has been bothering her for days, and Twigs has caught the cold that I had, but worse. Also, her other knee has started giving her problems. They were either going to do a zero day at Rainbow Springs, or start out and take it slowly, but at least be on the trail. So, sadly, I left them and took the shuttle back to the trail. I walked till lunchtime with Mountain City and occasionally Old Smokey Lonesome, Cinderella and Happy Feet. Today was a great lesson in patience and perseverence. I enjoyed walking with Mountain City, because he taught me a new way to pace myself. He stays slow and steady on the ups AND the downs. Trying this, I found that I not only kept the same pace (2 miles per hour), but had more energy throughout the day, and didn't get so winded on the uphills. By expending less energy on the downs, I had more energy for the ups...who woulda thunk it???So I'm camped with a past thru-hiker named Gutsy (1996), and am quite tired after a 13.6 mile day. I'm hoping to be able to put in a 16.5 miler tomorrow to get to the NOC, but if not, there's a shelter before it that I can stay at and be there early Wednesday morning.We'll see...I'll continue to challenge myself. But for now...bedtime (early out here on the trail. I think it's 8:30!).
Date: 2003-04-15
From: Campsite/Wayah Bald

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: few clouds

I did it! 16.5 miles!! And man, do my dogs ACHE!!! I started out at about 7:30 - 8:00 this morning. Didn't have the best night's sleep, but not the worst, either. I'm still having some coughing/congestion issues at night, so I'm not sleeping through the night. (This did afford me a fabulous view of the moonset early this morning, however!) Anyway, said goodbye to Gutsy, who was headed south, did my yoga and got myself together. Now know I said that yesterday was a lesson in patience, but you don't expect me to learn all in one lesson, do you??? The morning was so cool, and the miles so easy, that I had cranked out four miles by 9:30. Passed by Cinderella and Happy Feet on my way to the first shelter (I passed 3 today). I stopped there for a snack, and they caught up with me. We read the register, and I found out that Dutch had hurt his ankle. Didn't know anything more than that. Continuing on, I knew that the middle miles would be a challenge...and they were. T!here was a descent going into Tellico Gap that was just brutal on both feet and legs. I arrived at the second shelter around 2:30, and had a late lunch. I had 6 miles to go, mostly downhill. (Another blundering error here: don't forget to check your water supply when there is water to be had.) I say mostly...except for the kick-your-butt parts that were uphill. So about a mile before the last shelter (and where there was the next listed water source), I ran out of water (I always drink more on the ups...). I was a bit panicked. I started wishing and hoping for a runoff stream to appear and...one did! I sucked a few gulps right off of the filter tube, then refilled my platypus. Whew! I wasn't going to die of thirst today!However...I didn't think I would EVER make it to the NOC! Finally, at 6:00, I arrived and procured a bunk in one of the bunkhouses. Turns out I have the whole room to myself! I'm sleeping in tomorrow!I had dinner with Batch and Mountain City. We were all hurting pretty badly, but we ate a good amount, washed down with pitchers full of sweet tea. I just can't sem to get enough to drink...especially in town. Mountain City said he has the same issue. We all got some tea to go...They're continuing on tomorrow, 3 days to Fontana Dam. That's as far as Mountain City is going, although Batch (who I don't think I mentioned, turned 81 yesterday...we sang happy birthday to him and bought him a muffin and made him cry...it was so sweet!) is continuing on.I have been reunited with Dutch and Reason. We're all taking a zero day tomorrow, and hopefully we'll figure out a new itinerary for the upcoming days. Dutch's ankle is not pretty...still very swollen. For my part, I plan on spending much of tomorrow (after sleeping in) with my feet soaking in the Nantahala River (icy cold, says Reason...good, says I).I hear a noise...I think there are mice in the bunkhouse...guess I'll hang my food and try to ignore them...I am sooooo tired!
Date: 2003-04-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Wow, what a fabu day of resting and eating! The restaurant here at the NOC has the most unbelievable salads...I've enjoyed one at every meal except breakfast. I really miss fresh veggies when I'm on the trail. It looks like we're going to spend another zero day here tomorrow. I waited all afternoon for Dutch to get back from the emergency room (he decided he should get his ankle x-rayed) in Bryson City. It turns out that it is sprained, but not broken. After considering that, as well as the fact that it's supposed to rain tomorrow, in addition to the Easter weekend closing of the post office at Fontana Dam (we both have mail drops there)...we're going to just wait here another day and not take a zero day at Fontana Dam, as originally planned. It's only $15 a night for a bunk, and as long as I can stay away from the restaurant, that's the only extra $$ I'll spend. I'm planning on spending time going through my pack again and sending stuff home or bouncing it ahead. I! really want to lighten my load before hitting the Smokies. Reason has promised go through my stuff and throw things out for me...that way I won't have to make any decisions about what to keep. How much easier could I have it??I also am hoping that by staying an extra day Twigs and Nuts will have a chance to catch up with us. I believe they're only about 10 miles behind now. Nothing else for tonight...hitting the hay.
Date: 2003-04-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Today was our second zero day at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, well chosen I believe. It was clear that it was going to rain at any moment. I got up early, so that I could go through my pack, send some stuff home and bounce some other things to Hot Springs. As I was crossing one of the parking lots, our fabu slackpacker (from the Albert Mtn day), who has been hanging and hiking with us over the past several days, yelled to me that "the girls" were here, eating breakfast in the restaurant. I went right over to say hi to Nuts and Twigs. They had done identical days to mine, after zeroing at Rainbow Springs. The only difference was that they had stayed at the shelter that was a mile from the NOC, and hiked in that morning. They are both feeling better, and were ready to continue on after breakfast. But forces beyond their control (a wicked guilt trip!) convinced them to stay and hang with us for the day, and stay the night at the hostel. I then suggested that they hitc!h into Bryson City with me...I had to get to a computer and pay some bills. They had been hiking the past few days with "Two Guys Hiking", and when the guys heard what we wanted to do, they offered to give us a ride. We hit the post office, then the library. As we came out of the library, to steady rain, we realized that none of us had brought our rain gear! Fine, prepared hikers that we are... We decided to get something to eat, and went to Bojangles, where for 12 bucks we got 8 pieces of chicken, 4 biscuits, green beans, seasoned fries and a half gallon of lemonade. It was fabu! We then headed to the grocery store, our final stop in the big city. The rain had worsened, so we stopped in at a Fred's department store, where I bought "emergency rain ponchos (in fashion colors!)" for the three of us for a buck each. We continued on to Ingles where we got food for the next few days (for them, not me), some wine and beer for everyone back at base camp, a baguette and so!me brie. It took us a little while to get a ride back to the NOC, buta nice woman in a Ford Festiva brought us most of the way, and a young couple in a Honda took care of the last three miles. No one who helped us out would take gas money from us. It was really very cool of them, and we were extremely grateful. So we finished our day with a fun bit of hanging out with everyone (Psycho Pat, Troy, Taro, Reason, Dutch, Woman with Three Pillows, Cinderella, Happy Feet, Argon, Laffy Taffy, Toby, Ryan, Nuts, Twigs and myself), eating brie and bread, drinking wine and beer and doing a lot of laughing. It was a really wonderful day...
Date: 2003-04-18
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

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

Well, we finally hit the trail again today. It was a bit difficult getting going this morning, as we had stayed up quite late (past midnight!) in the community room. I had to start my day off with some ibuprofen (note to self...no red wine while hiking...), then we all went down to the restaurant for one last breakfast. It felt very odd to put on my boots and strap on my pack after not wearing them for almost 3 days. Once I had, though, and hit the trail, I knew it was GOOD to be back. The trail started out today with a graded climb for the first few miles, then turned into a fairly relentless up. Many of the hikers who started back out today said that it wasn't that bad, and I guess I would agree with them. However, as Nuts said, I haven't quite gotten my "trail lungs" yet (trail legs I've got). Anyway, I was happy that we were only doing a short day...6.9 miles. Tomorrow we may crank out a few more than the planned 9. I guess it depends on how I'm feeling (I'm still having some issues with coughing at night) and how Dutch's ankle is doing. He said that it was okay today...as long as he keeps going it doesn't give him problems, but it stiffens up when he stops. The plan is to be at the Fontana Dam Shelter by Sunday night, so we can get to the post office first thing in the morning! and then hit the trail again. Oh, yes...happy birthdays to Dad, Gretchen and Karen!!!
Date: 2003-04-19
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: few clouds

Today began too early for me...another night of difficult sleep due to coughing. I was able to get to sleep easily, but woke up only a few hours later hacking. I was able to get back to sleep with a cough drop, only to wake again later...same thing. This time for variety, I decided to inhale a mostly-gone cough drop while coughing. I was feeling pretty bored, you see. It was a fairly noisy night, overall, with myself and Twigs coughing and Dutch and myself snoring...glad we camped away from the crowd! So, despite a difficult start, the day was beautiful...sunny and promising to be hot. We had an early ascent to the top of Cheaoh Bald, where we discovered that the world below us was in clouds...and we were above them all. All the mountains surrounding us were ringed with gorgeous fluffy white clouds...it almost looked as though you could dive right into them (thankfully, no one attempted it!). At the top of the mountain, several people who had camped with us last night had started playing an impromptu whiffle ball game (Taro carries bat and ball with him). The day seemed very mellow...but we had miles to go before we would sleep...onward. The rest of the day, while beautiful, was hard for me. I think I could easily have stopped at the first shelter, as we had done a mostly straight up 800 foot elevation gain right before it. It was still pretty early, though. I continued on to Cody Gap, where there was a campsite, but several people, including Dutch, Nuts and Twigs were going 3.3 miles further to the next shelter. I was tired and my feet hurt. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, so I took some ibuprofen, changed into my camp shoe to give my feet a breather, and went to the stream to get some water. By the time I got back from pumping water, my feet were feeling a bit better, so I figured I'd give it a try to get to the next shelter. Well, I was just amazed at how ibuprofen magically seemed to give me new feet! I had been only taking "vitamin I" at night when I went to bed, but clearly I need this supplement while hiking, as well. I easily covered the 3.3 miles, and was able to set up my campsite before! dark. We'll have an easy 5 miles into Fontana Dam tomorrow, where I am looking forward to showering, doing some laundry and being a tourist. But for now, after 15.2 miles, I am off to dreamland...
Date: 2003-04-20
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 5.0

I slept like a baby last night with the help of a little vicodin...it's the first time that I've used it out here, but I felt that it was an emergency. I hadn't really slept through the night for at least three nights. My body is currently thanking me for doing that...I just function so much better when I've had some sleep. I did a wimpy 5 miler today to get to Fontana Dam. It's huge!! The AT goes right over the top of it...but I won't be hiking that until sometime tomorrow...after I pick up my mail drop. I'm sitting outside of the Visitor Center right now waiting for a shuttle into town to do my laundry. All I can smell right now is someone's cookout, and I am STARVING!!!....So, the shuttle picked up me, Lone Wolf, The Dealer, Rambler and Happy Feet. Most of them are staying at the Fontana Inn, a hotel at the Fontana Village Resort. (The Dealer and Rambler are a brother and sister from Andover, MA...more Mass people!) Dutch and I are going to stay at what is called the "Fontana Hilton". It is the shelter just before the dam. It sleeps approximately 22, although I believe it may be full tonight. It's really quite nice as far as shelters go... I am in the process of doing my laundry now, decked out in my rain pants and rain jacket (which I haven't had to use in a week!), so that I can wash everything. It's a real fashionable look out here on the trail!... Okay, so skip ahead to dinner...I finally got the steak that I have been craving for the past two weeks...unfortunately, they have a state law about cooking it, so I couldn't get it rare, but it was GOOD anyway! I'm waiting for the shuttle to take me back to the shelter...I have clean clothes, a full belly, and Cinderella let me use her shower, therefore I am clean, so I must say that life is good. I mean, really, can it get any better than this??
Date: 2003-04-21
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: light rain

Today was another lazy day...decided to zero here at the Fontana Hilton. I couldn't sleep last night due to a major snoring chorus in the shelter as well as an animal that I could both see and hear around the shelter. I found out in the morning that it was "Nipples", the shelter dog, who hangs out and begs for food. Wish I'd known before, as I might have been able to sleep. Anyway, Dutch wanted to rest his ankle for another day, as well as get his laundry done, and we had to pick up our mail drops as well. So, we've now taken four zero days, but feel better for it. Reason also took the zero with us, and took a nap while we went to the village. We spoke with someone who told us that Nuts and Twigs set out at about noon. We hope to meet up with them again, but it looks like we're going to try and take it fairly slowly through the Smokies...about 10-15 miles per day. (please note that tentative dates are therefore changing...we anticipate being in Hot Springs on the 29t!h...other dates should be updated soon. Also, please don't send anything to Roan Mt., TN, as we will not be going there to pick anything up...the alternative to that will be Kincora Hostel)The shelter seems to be pretty quiet tonight as many of our crowd headed out this morning in thunderstorms. I know that there are people who will be leaving tomorrow with us, who are staying at the Inn tonight, so it won't be a completely different crowd. I have been meeting many great new people over the past couple of days...as well as hanging out with the old crowd. Well...time to hit the hay...I figure that if I get to sleep before the snorers, I'll be able to sleep through the night. Then, onward to the Smokies!!
Date: 2003-04-23
From: Mollie's Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: clear sky

Wow...what a great day!! It started out soooooo cold! I slept really well at the shelter despite the wind blowing through the stone walls. My sleeping bag has come back to its former self, and I no longer have a cold...life is good! However, it was still difficult to get out of the sleeping bag this morning, and I stayed bundled up while I had a double serving of hot Carnation Instant Breakfast. I even started out hiking today in fleece jacket, fleece hat and fleece gloves. That changed as soon as I got to the top of the first hill...removed all the fleece and put on my rain jacket as a wind barrier. The day was gorgeous and sunny, and our first few miles went by very quickly. This was still graded trail...horses are allowed on it and we met a few horsemen going the other way. Okay, a couple of them were cute and I wanted to follow them, but they were going the wrong way!! The trail steepened after about 5.5 miles and we had some more strenuous climbing to do (dire!ctly after I claimed "wow, so far the Smokies are pretty easy!). But the views were amazing...it was such a clear day. Today, we entered our third state...Tennessee! Actually, it was a day where I could put my left foot down and say "I'm in Tennessee," then put my right foot down and say "I'm in North Carolina." This, of course could go on all day, as we were traversing the border of these two states, but it gets old pretty quickly. All the wildflowers that weren't blooming yesterday were out in full force...and I had a fabulous lunch break at the top of Thunderhead, lounging on rocks, baking in the sun. Soon after, Dutch and I had another close encounter with a deer. We thought about venison for dinner, but then decided against it...after all, we'd have to carry it to camp! After a couple of killer climbs (anything in the guide book that reads "knob" means torturous climb...don't believe anything different!), I arrived at camp to find that the whole crew who had gone on to Russell Field Shelter last night were doing a short day, and were here. Had a fun time at dinner/setting up camp with G.I. Gypsy, Psycho Pat, Argon, Troy, Silverheels, Famous Shoes, Barking Spider, Dutch, Reason and Cruiser, as well as some section hikers. Tomorrow, we hike Clingman's Dome, the highest point on the AT. But now, the sun has just gone down and I'm sleepy as usual, so I'm hitting the hay...