morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-04-13
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: clear sky

4/13/03Had the 1 mile climb to Cheoah Bald - not as bad as it was portrayed on the elevation map. The joke in the shelter register is that the GA-NC elevation profile will say-\____>___/----\___/ \______ What it really means is /\ /\ /\ /\ / \/ \/ \/ \(It's the best I can do with her art work :)- Julie.) Several of the guys had spent the night on the Bald. Caught up with Iron Chef(Jarred) Pipes(Erica) and Windtalker (Mary) from CT and MA. (Took picture of snowman left over on Cheoah Bald.) Nice walk 6 miles DOWN to Stecoah Gap. (See picture of Iron Chef, Pipes, and Play at Picnic area). The two miles out of there was a killer though. Someone forgot to put in the switchbacks. My knees are hurting today. Took some ibuprofen. I stopped after a 9 mi. day at Brown Gap Shelter - It was another 6 mi. to the next one. I didn't think I could get there in the 4 hours of daylight left. I ate dinner early. I feel like I've been eating all day. Firefeet came in tonight. She's the last of the bunch I started with. Everyone is off the trail or ahead. She probably weighs 115 lbs. at the most. She had dropped her pack weight from 55 lbs. at the beginning to her current 39 lbs. She's looking forward to cutting more. There's a rumor that they've closed Fontana Dam to foot traffic for security reasons so that the hikers will have to hike an additional 4 miles to go around it. I'm running about 2 days ahead of schedule. So I'll probably take another zero day at Fontana Village.
Date: 2003-04-14
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Village
Miles today: 11.6

4/14/03The moon was very bright last night. I slept in the mesh part of the bivy without a rain fly. It was beautiful watching the sunset. It was so bright though that I had to walk further from the tent area when I got up to pee in the middle of the night. Walked 12 miles today in 7 hours. Much quicker pace than usual for me. We dropped from 4900 ft to 1700ft at Fontana. It was a dramatic change in the environment. Everything brown at the top and as you walked down the mountain, there was more in bloom - both flowers and trees. It reached the 80 degree mark today. You could hear more birds singing, saw butterflies. The smells were very fragrant. I almost stepped on a 3 ft. black snake (see picture). Also see the picture of FireFeet = proud of her 39 lb. pack pared down from 55 lbs.) We got some Trail Magic again as Hammock Hanger, a thruhiker from last year met us at the road to Fontana Village. Gave us a ride in. We got here in time to pick up our mail drops from the post office. Firefeet and I shared a motel room. We split the 35 dollar thru hiker special compared with the standard $69 summer rate. The AYCE(All you can eat) buffet was calling us again. I think they lose money on us hikers. We're washing clothes and plan on meeting up with everyone later this evening to soak in the heated pool. I recieved 2 pkgs. and 6 letters at the post office. I've heard from friends that I haven't heard from in a long time. I'll spend some of my time out of the woods writing cards and letters today. (Picture at Dinner of Firefeet, Windtalker, Iron Chef, Pipes, Semi, Play (L to R); Picture of Re-Bob, myself and Wizard) Re-Bob had previously attempted to thru hike 2 years ago - Quit because of his knees. Since then, he has had both knees replaced. He's carrying an 18lb pack. (No Stove No Tent) When he thruhiked before, his trail name was "Just Bob". He's "Re-Bob" for the 2nd attempt. He's had no problems and has covered the same distance in 14 days that I took 20 days to cover. He's from Minnesota. His friend Wizard is from GA. They're hiking together.
Date: 2003-04-15
From: Fontana Village

To: Fontana Village
Miles today: 0.0

4/15/03I talked to Alex and Jane last night. He's going to pick me up at Davenport Gap on the 23rd; a day earlier than planned. I'll hang out here in Fontana an extra day. Work on my suntan. Thru hikers are only allowed 7 days to traverse the Smokies with the permit we get. I'm still running a day or two ahead even with the layovers so will probably spend an extra day in Hot Springs. Casey, a friend of mine, is working at Elmer's for the season after finishing his trail crew hitch in South Carolina. I'll get to visit with him.
Date: 2003-04-17
From: Birch Springs Camp

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: light rain

Well, it definitely rained! Actually flooded. It held off til after lunch. By the time I left Russell Field Shelter, the downpour began. It was too late to stop and put my rainpants on. I did try but they were way down at the bottom of my pack. So, I slogged the three miles to Spence Field Shelter. I was soaked - down to my underwear, socks and boots. My pack was damp but the sleeping bag was dry, Yes! Great pack cover. It was so foggy. The rain was falling horizontally with what the National Weather Service calls "Breezy." The sustained winds were more like 30 mph. Caught up with Firefeet again. We were the only thruhikers at the shelter (wierd!). We were joined by three Dads and their four young sons on their annual Easter week campout. It was hilarious to watch and listen to them. They spread stuff all over the shelter. It gave me nightmares of Eric's and Katie's rooms again. Thank goodness, the fenced part of the shelter (Yes, the fences still haven't been removed) was covered with plastic and tarps or the whole inside of the shelter would have been soaked. I saw a wild pig/boar/javelina (whatever you call them where you come from) right out of Birch Springs this morning. My first big animal sighting! There were signs at Birch Springs warning of the vicious bears in the area and of previous attacks. These were not at any of the other Shelters I've passed in the park. I wonder if something has happened here recently. It was cool to pass the Abrams Gap relocation that I helped do with the Rocky Top Crew of 2000. (Henry and Alex, do you recogize the picture of Buffalo Rock?) I also passed the part of the Trail that we "rehabed" north of Birch Springs. Henry, you'll recognize the wall that Laura, Lamar and you built. Also, there's the rock that Don drilled and hammered on all day to try to remove it from the footpath. You can see the drill holes. As you can see, he wasn't successful. There were loads of tiny white flowers carpeting the forest floor around Mollie's Ridge. A beautiful picture but probably would not have taken a good photograph.
Date: 2003-04-18
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Siler's Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: light rain

It rained all night. Awoke to the sun trying to peek thru the clouds. I hung all my stuff out to dry (a picture of my clothes line). I walked 12 miles today and didn't see a single person. What's up? I did see a grouse actually doing his thumping thing where he beats his wings. I had only heard them until now. It makes me feel like I'm kicking into atrial tach when I hear it. I also saw a white tail dear just behind the shelter. Most of the afternoon was in fog - down to 20 ft. visibility at times. You couldn't hear a thing. It was so still. I did make it to the top of Rocky Top before it fogged up. I did sing the required song before I descended. Unfortunately, it stuck in my mind all day. I got a picture from the top looking back at Spence Field Shelter - See the tin roof? Also, pictures of the rhododendron tunnels. I attempted to get a picture of the fields of sweet white violets that I've been seeing. It's so hard to capture what I'm actually seeing. I walked 12 miles and last to arrive at Siler's Bald. It was full so I had to tent. I didn't want to as the tent gets so wet and wet tents are so heavy to carry. I ended up spending the night in NC, instead of Tennessee as planned. The shelter was in Tennessee on one side of the Trail. I tented in North Carolina on the other side of the Trail. The AT is the dividing line between the two states in the park and I've been alternating states each night. Guess who I ran into at the shelter? Jeremy! He's working as a ridgerunner this year. Jeremy worked Trail Crew with Will, Don, Henry and I in 2001. He graduated from Warren Wilson College last year with a degree in ecological studies. He and his girlfriend will start southbound on the AT in Maine this June. We spent all night talking, catching up on everybody. I should pass him again somewhere in NY or CT in August. And then they may pass me in the Smokies while I'm working on Trail Crew in October.
Date: 2003-04-19
From: Siler's Bald Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: few clouds

Woke up to a soaking wet tent. It was foggy until noon and then the sun come out. I took pictures of the shelter at Double Springs Gap. You'll see the privy that I helped put together during the Rocky Top Crew of 2001. They've replaced the top since then and moved the stairs around to the other side. Here you enter the spruce and fir forests which are both dying. It doesn't even feel like the Smokies with those trees here in the forest. More like the Rockies. Pictures of Clingman's Dome (way up on the mountain top) and of Pigeon Forge from the mountain. You have to look hard to see it thru the haze, though today was a fairly clear day. The farthest I've been able to see yet. Clingman's Dome is the highest point on the AT at 6643 feet. A big tourist attraction. It was definitely sensory overload to walk out of the woods to the masses of people at the observation deck. Being a clear, warm Saturday, there were more than the average number of tourists today. There were six of us sitting there eating lunch. We got lots of stares, and questions. Of course, we stunk and were covered with mud. I ended up having to walk a half mile down the hill to get water at the public bathrooms as I hadn't filled up three miles back. I thought for sure I'd cross some water somewhere on the trail. No luck. It was so hot that I couldn't go without for the next four miles to Mt. Collins shelter. When I got here, it was early. Too late to head to the next shelter at Icewater Springs. I washed clothes in the stream. I hope they dry before the morning. I hung them up in the shelter. It was odd with the Trail paralleling the road that comes down from Clingman's. Lots of road noise and exhaust fumes. It's a crowded shelter again tonight. All new faces. I don't think anyone is walking at my pace. It's supposed to rain tomorrow afternoon and night. Maybe I'll head into Gatlinburg. Who says you have to walk in the rain to get to Maine?
Date: 2003-04-20
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Gatlinburg, Tennessee
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: overcast clouds

When I walked the five miles down to Newfound Gap, There were Trail Angels! "Tweetie" (Leann) and her husband Greg. Tweetie is my age and she thruhiked last year. They are from Indianapolis. They had beer, sodas, snacks, and jelly beans (in honor of Easter Sunday) to share. Here's the crowded parking lot at the scenic overlook with a party of thruhikers going on in the middle of it. Some guys were playing chess as they ate and rested. I spent a long time talking to Tweetie, drawing from her experience last year. Especially because she's my age. I learned a lot. She started the same day as I and also reached this spot on the same day. It made me feel better. She actually finished October 6th. They offered me a ride to Gatlinburg. I hadn't planned on going in, but what the heck. I stayed at the Grand Prix Motel for $25 a night. Luxury accomodations. Actually fantastic considering the price. I ran into Firefeet, Radar, Hepcat, Sassy and Kodiak who had all come in the day before and took a Zero day. Blaze also caught up to us (He's pictured at the Fontana Hilton). He cut his hand while opening his mail drop at Fontana. It required 7 stitches. He ended up taking a couple days off and had to catch up to Radar and Hepcat. I hit The Happy Hiker (an outfitter store) for a new shirt today. My mouse eaten shirt has continued to unravel. My only other shirt, a long sleeve polypro was too hot to wear today. I definitely needed a new look for Gatlinburg! I also bought a "Hey Dude" entree of Mexican Rice to try. This line of dehydrated foods is cheap! So I'll have to check out the taste. Speaking of food, this is what I ate today: three pkts. of oatmeal (2 peach, 1 apple mixed together), powdered milk, hot spiced cider, a peanut butter power bar, a strawberry fruit and oatmeal bar, 2 Cokes, a large Snickers, a pkg. of Cheetos cheese crackers, a Little Debbie oatmeal pie (370 calories by itself), a granola bar, triscuits, an ice cream sandwich, and order of popcorn chicken from KFC, a large salad and vege pizza at the Smokey Mountain Microbrewery, along with two pints of Red Ale. I forgot the two scoops of cocoanut almond fudge ice cream and waffle cone from Baskin Robbins. This is not far from a typical day. I eat all day long. And I can still see my ribs! I can't get enough. I've noticed for the past week or so, my hands and feet are swollen in the morning when I get up, not in the evenings which I would expect from walking all day. It resolves when I get going in the morning. I don't know what the deal is. I read the Sunday paper from Knowville today and still can't figure out what's going on in the playoffs for both the Stars and the Mavericks. It listed other teams in the first rounds of the playoffs. What happened to them in the past four weeks? I thought they had clinched playoff spots!
Date: 2003-04-21
From: Gatlinburg, Tennessee

To: Peck's Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: moderate rain

It's raining this morning. Thunderstorms moving thru. I'm heading to the Pancake Pantry for breakfast with Firefeet and Moose. Moose is spending the week in Gatlinburg resting his knee. He rented a car and has been giving hikers rides. A ride back to the Trail! Trail magic again! It's difficult to hitch a ride out of Gatlinburg. You have to walk into the national park to do it as we've been told that hitchhiking's illegal in Tennessee. And that the Gatlinburg police enforce it religiously. They don't want those hikers harassing the tourists. I need to get to Davenport Gap by 2pm the day after tomorrow to meet Alex. It's going to be a long three days of walking. You'll see a picture of a fence and odd looking fence crossing that protects a birch forest within the park from the wild pigs! The wild pigs are not indigenous to the Smokies and they apparently tear up the forest. I saw neon pink Squeeze Parkay today. "Free Me" was cooking pancakes in it. Gross! I took several pictures of the views today. It probably doesn't do it justice.. I took a picture of myself at Charlie's Bunion, a rock outcropping. The views are really spectacular! The trail followed an exposed ridgeline for miles. Cliffs on either or both sides. I saw where a landslide took the trail out right before Peck's Corner. I think this is the one that Bobby, Matt, and Stacy worked on last fall, building log supports to hold the trail in place. Peck's Corner Shelter is a half mile off the trail and it's still crowded. There are several tents up also. See the picture of all the packs hung in the shelter along with Radar, Vagabond and me. Whoops, I also forgot that my picture is now enshrined on the wall at The Happy Hiker along with thruhikers from years gone by. Right in front of the checkout counter below the ceiling.
Date: 2003-04-22
From: Peck's Corner Knob Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: light rain

What a yucky day! Woke up to fog which persisted most of the day. It got colder as the day went on. The wind was gusty. Up on the ridges, it was cold! Rime ice kept falling on us from the trees. At first, I couldn't figure out where it was coming from. Was it hailing? Then when I looked at the ice on the ground, I noticed it was oddly shaped, wind blown crystal imprints of fir needles. I tripped and fell and now my left ankle is sore. I think I stressed some ligaments because I have to place my foot squarely flat on the ground to avoid any pain. I finally made it to Cosby Knob Shelter. The shelter was full so I had to put up my tent. There ended up being 15 tents camped by the shelter. Most cocked at a 25 degree angle as there were not any flat spots available. You had to set them up on the side of the hill. When I stopped hiking, my ankle started to tighten up. More pain, and much more difficult to walk. Here's a picture of tent city with You'ns, Shaggy, Strider, Rusty, and Molasses. Also pictures of the rime ice and the spruce skeletons.
Date: 2003-04-23
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Davenport Gap, Alex's House
Miles today: 8.0

Below freezing last night but the ice on the tents quickly melted when the sun came up. It was a beautiful day. Not a cloud in the sky! And I later found out that the humidity dropped to 25%. It was a downhill hike most of the way from Cosby Knob to Davenport Gap, eight miles. With 800 mg. of ibuprofen every four hours and a nice wide well maintained trail, I was able to hike pretty fast down the mountain. A drop of 3000 feet of elevation. Anytime I put my foot down on a rock or a root, my ankle would cock to the side and I'd scream! Carrying weight didn't impact it. I did get to see all the improvements we made to the Trail last October in this section. (See all the pictures of steps, cribs) The trail looked really good. Very few areas of mud even though it had rained two days ago, so it's draining well. There were lots of trees across the Trail that needed to be cleared out. They probably are from the recent ice/snow storm two weeks ago. The flowere really started to show up with every drop in elevation. The wild irises were gorgeous and everywhere, along with dogwood, Frasier Magnolia, and Carolina Easterbell trees in bloom. Firefeet and I hiked together most of the way. Alex met me at the Gap with Cokes and Twinkies. I haven't had Twinkies in years. We gave Radar and Hepcat a ride to Mountain Mama's for cheeseburgers and then headed to Clyde, North Carolina. Firefeet continued on the Trail. I had a great visit with Alex and Jane. Jane made Chili along with jalapeno cornbread for supper. Wow, it was good! Plus Ben and Jerry's for dessert. I plan on taking a Zero day tomorrow to rest my anlke. I'm keeping ice on it now. Will hit the hot tub outside with the best view ever later. Their house is high on a hillside with a great view of the Smokies and Balsam mountains. Gosh, I'd love to live here!
Date: 2003-04-25
From: Alex's House

To: Standing Bear Farm, Alex's House
Miles today: 2.4
Weather: light rain

Alex took me back to Davenport Gap this morning after making me some great waffles! I walked 2 1/2 miles before I gave it up. My ankle was killing me, expecially on the downhills or when I had to flex or extend my ankle. I stopped at Standing Bear Farm and called Alex to come and get me. He took me to the urgent care center in Clyde where they took 8 x-rays of my foot and pronounced that it wasn't broken. I knew that! The PA called it a sprain and told me to stay off of it for two more days. He also gave me an air splint to wear.
Date: 2003-04-28
From: Alex's House

To: Alex's House
Miles today: 0.0

I rested my ankle all weekend. Ice, heat, elevate, compress, and tried to stay off of it. I was bored to death. I helped Alex cut up seed potatoes to plant and then I cut up all the leftover pieces into french fries. His wife, Jane, is a fantastic cook. I've gleaned from her culinary talent while I've been here. We hunted for ramps, kind of a garlicky, wild onion. They even have a Ramp Festival in the area. Apparently the smell stays with you so long and is so strong that they will send kids home from school for smelling of ramps. I couldn't really tell that I stunk like ramps but then again, we all ate them so probably stunk together. Kind of like the thruhiker thing. I read MacLain's "Of Men and Fire" while I was being lazy. It's about the Mann Gulch Forest Fire of 1947. It was amazing how detailed the author got in his investigation. I finally broke down and called my son, Eric, to come pick me up. My ankle wasn't getting any better. I took a test hike of 1 1/2 miles up and down the steep road to Alex's house with my pack on. I even cut my pack weight down to 24 lbs. eliminating everything that wasn't essential. No go.
Date: 2003-05-09
From: Alex's House

To: Fort Worth Texas
Miles today: 0.0

It's been two and a half weeks off the trail. I saw Dr. Toledo, the orthopedist last week who pronounced it as tendonitis. I received an injection of cortisone and lidocaine in the tendon and was given an ASO brace to wear. Dr. Toledo's into mountaineering and backpacking. He's trying to complete the seven peaks (highest of each continent). He only has a couple to go. So knowing the stress your body takes backpacking, he said I could go back on the Trail that day! No Way! I've kept my poor frozen foot in ice baths most of the days, and it has just now started to feel better. I'm headed to West Texas this weekend to visit Melinda and will test it out on the hills south of Buffalo Gap. I plan on carrying my pack and hiking for 12-15 miles and see how it feels. Hopefully, the tornados will stay away. If it hurts, I'm heading to her ice cold pool to soak my foot. I want to get back on the Trail next week and in Damascus for Trail Days.   So I'll have to make up the 200 miles between Davenport Gap and Damascus when I reach Katahdin in October. I'll just come back down and hike it before I join the Trail Crew in the Smokies.
Date: 2003-05-16
From: Fort Worth Texas

To: Knoxville, TN
Miles today: 0.0

I'm catching a plane tonight to head back to the Trail. Will arrive in Damascus tomorrow afternoon just in time for the end of Trail Days. By chance, my friend Barbara is in Knoxville this week for her daughter's track meet. So she's going to pick me up at the airport and put me up for the night. I'll catch the bus in the morning for Abingdon, VA, and from there, I hope to catch a ride into Damascus. My ankle is feeling pretty good. I hiked several miles yesterday with a full pack and wearing my brace. It was a good test as the trail was rugged and up and down. I will be back on the same mail drop schedule so keep sending those cards and letters . I really appreciate them. I'll probably start out slow this next week, but am optimistic that I'll get back up to full speed soon. (Later) I ran into Michelle, who works in IS at Cook Children's with me while waiting for the plane. She was on her way to Knoxville to see her husband. She graciously offered to take me to their house for the night The plane that was supposed to take us from Dallas to Knoxville never arrived due to bad weather. After several announced delays and gate changes, American ended up pulling a plane from the hanger. I wonder how long it had been in mothballs. We didn't arrive in Knoxville until 1:30 am.   Thank goodness that I could call Barbara before I left Dallas and tell her to go to sleep!