morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-07-06
From: Trail Magic Massage Center

To: Cloud Pond Lean-to (3*)
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: overcast clouds

by PickleWe found out that The Admiral was not going to finish his hike because his mother got sick. This is his 4th or 5th attempt to finish. We felt really bad for him because he's from Washington state and may never finish the trail.Lindy is a masseuse and gave me a massage last night. I've never had a professional massage and OH MAN! It was good! We said our goodbyes to her this morning. We loved hanging out with her and I wished she lived closer to NC so I could visit!We started the 100-mile wilderness. It's not as remote as people might think, but we are carrying more food than we have yet.The wilderness is great. We got real close to a moose and got to see 3 waterfalls. And the views are amazing as well! Only 95.4 miles to go.
Date: 2004-07-07
From: Cloud Pond Lean-to (3*)

To: Carl A. Newhall Lean-to (3*)
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: clear sky

by PeanutToday was beautiful - all blue skies and sunshine. It would have been a great day to summit Katahdin. I hope the weather is this nice on our day!We got to check out a beautiful waterfall called Screw Ager Falls. It was so gorgeous we even went for a swim. Boy it was so cold it took my breath away.We made it to the shelter where we met Caveman and Carrot Top. They are hiking southbound and we have had fun times with them. They are hillarious - we wish them the best on their journey. By the way, Pickle got to name Carrot Top. Carrot Top has one of the funniest quotes we have heard yet: "There's 2 things in the 100-mile wilderness that I wasn't going to do - starve and treat my butthole with disrespect." This quote was in reference to a boy's camp who was not allowed to use toilet paper - instead they used leaves. That's pretty crazy.
Date: 2004-07-08
From: Carl A. Newhall Lean-to (3*)

To: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to (3*)
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: moderate rain

by PickleToday was rainy all day. It's days like these that I hate being out here. It doesn't really matter because we only have 4 days left. 59.7 miles.We still haven't seen Katahdin, but we'll see it soon enough.It's amazing how much I've fallen in the 100-mile wilderness. And the wilderness has lots of roads, noise, and people. Lots of people.We basically got kicked out of the shelter at lunch due to 2 groups coming in and with it raining. We met some cool people at the shelter we're staying at tonight. Good night.
Date: 2004-07-09
From: Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to (3*)

To: Whitehouse Landing Wilderness Camp
Miles today: 13.8

by PeanutIt poured today! We waited around this morning for it to stop, but no luck. Around 9am, we just went for it and hiked in the rain.Originally, we planned to camp a few miles past Whitehouse Landing, but the rain changed our minds.This place is so cool. You have to hike a mile off the trail, and when you get to the boat dock, you sound a fog horn and the owners come and pick you up by boat. It is so crazy!We got dried off and showered then went for dinner. They are famous for their 1lb. hamburgers. They are massive and I ate every last bite. It was delicious!The evening was very relaxing. We went and canoed on the lake and visited w/ the other guests. So much for the 100-mile wilderness!
Date: 2004-07-10
From: Whitehouse Landing Wilderness Camp

To: Camped at Rainbow Lake
Miles today: 23.0

by PickleI have to say that Maine is my favorite. "The Way Life Should Be" is their motto. We got an early start from Whitehouse Landing by Bill in his boat. It's fun riding in a motorboat! The lakes here are outstanding and they're everywhere. I've been amazed by how many we pass everyday.I cooked spaghetti for lunch. Yuck! Worst meal I've cooked yet! It tasted like spaghetti paste. Peanut was a good sport and helped me eat it.We weren't planning on hiking such a big day, but the campsite was full. I'm glad because we camped beside a beautiful lake instead, and we don't have to hike 21 miles tomorrow.I got really emotional today because it hit me that we are really going to make it. I know I'm going to miss this lifestyle/(vacation). Peanut and I have shared something that not many people get to do. These things don't hit us while we're hiking, and it's not until reflecting after the trip that you really begin to start thinking about what you have done. Does it feel like I've hiked from GA/ 2000 miles??? NO. I'm shocked when I think about that. If you concentrate on how many miles you do from the beginning, then you'll be overwhelmed by how much you have to go. We've tried to forget about Katahdin and here we are, 23 miles away.What an adventure! This is the ultimate backpacking trip. The thing that makes this trail different from the Pacific Crest Trail and Continental Divide Trail (I'm guessing) is that there is such a community of people surrounding the AT that makes the AT work. We've encountered numerous trail angels along the whole way and I'm sure we've missed many of them as well! The thing that I enjoy the most out here is the great people we've met. Hiking is sort of like driving down the road everyday, except the path is a linear path instead of a circular path. And before you know it, you're 23 miles away from the end.I am very thankful that I've had Peanut this trip to share my memories with. Also, I'm thankful for the support of my family and everyone else who encouraged us to make it. The whole trip we've heard horror stories about what's ahead. There's nothing that's going to stop us now. They could put Mt. Everest between us and Katahdin and we'll make it. We still haven't seen Katahdin, but I plan to see it tomorrow!
Date: 2004-07-11
From: Camped at Rainbow Lake

To: 'The Birches' Campsite in Baxter St. Park
Miles today: 17.7

by PeanutWe are so close. I can't even put into words what it feels like to be at the bottom of Katahdin. It is such a massive mountain. I'm sure it will be a tough climb, but hopefully we'll get a good view. I can't express how much I want a good view!Everything that this trip means to me has not fully sunk in. I think it will take a while for that to happen. But, I do know that in Feb. I never thought I would make it here and now I am here and it feels really good to be here.Tomorrow we head up Big Mama K. Here we come!
Date: 2004-07-12
From: 'The Birches' Campsite in Baxter St. Park

To: Katahdin Inn in Millinocket, ME
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: broken clouds

by Pickle"We are the champions, my friend. We'll keep on fighting, til the end." On most of the high peaks (Clingman's Dome, Mt. Washington, etc) we've had bad weather, but not today. The big day. The day that really counts. Not a cloud in the sky.Mt. Katahdin is a beast. It means "greatest mountain." The hike up was not really hiking, it was rock climbing. The rangers suggest that you leave your packs at the station and carry one of the provided daypacks. There were only 2 guys ahead of us because we were so excited we left at 5:30am. We almost ran over those guys because of our excitement. They figured out that we were coming from GA and not your average Joes.I was starving going up, but I couldn't eat. I had to get to that sign. I wanted this mountain more than anyone today. Soon enough, we made it. Then we had to wait for an hour for someone to take our picture. It was nice to have the mountain to ourselves for awhile."What a Long Strange Trip It's Been." I'm am very proud of us. About 3000 people attempted a thru-hike this year, and only 300 will make it. The odds are against us finishing as a couple as well. We made it!I've learned some things along the way: * Horror stories are never as bad as people make it sound. * The way life works is that the journey is always more important than the destination. * The world is not going all to hell like the news makes it sound. * The same news when we left is going on now. * Being married must be incredibly hard. Before you laugh, remember that we were never apart our whole trip (5 mnths) - very intense at times. * Everybody has their own style of doing things - hike your own hike. (I hope Stanimal makes it! He started a month before us and probably a couple months behind us) * You don't really need all the things you think you need. I substituted my rain jacket for a trashbag, it's more light weight. * You can eat whatever you want and still lose weight, I call it the AT diet. * Parents are a big help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! * The "real world" is how you make it, some people never join it.There's one thing that is for certain right now, I'm tired and I'm ready to go home. Thank you for reading our journal, I hoped you enjoyed!
Date: 2004-05-18
To: Packing
Miles today: 0.0

I take off for Atlanta in two days, which means I am in a mad rush to make sure everything gets done before than. Hopefully I can take care of it all this afternoon. Ever since finishing the PCT last year I have been aching to get on the move again. I cant wait until I get to Springer.For those of you who don't know me I am a 20 year old rising Senior. This trip isn't just a vacation, however, it is also an oppurtunity for me to gather data for my senior thesis next year. I hope to finish my AT thru-hike by mid-August but there are obviously a few time constraints.Heres a short list of my equipment.Pack....Golight GustShelter..SilNylon TarpBag...Golight FlareGround Cloth...Army Poncho (doubles as rain gear)Cookpot...Snow Peak TitaniumBug BivySwiss Army KnifePetzel Micro HeadlampAqua Mira Water Treatment1st aid kitCannon Elph Z3 CameraCompassGuide BookJournalClothes Some details arent quite set yet but you get the idea, nothing special or out of the ordinary.
Date: 2004-05-20
From: amicalola falls visitor center

To: Hawk Mtn shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Started at Amicalola vistor center with my mom and her friend Sheri. Straight off the bat we were treated to a massive climb and We're sweating like dogs. I made a few allusions to canine as we reached the overlook. At the falls we took pictures and said our good-byes. I headed out to Springer solo.    Although it was only 7 miles to Springer, it seemed longer because it was hot, up and viewless. I reached the top and stopped to make lunch.   The evening was nicer. I enjoyed the rollings climbs and downhills until I hit hawk mountain. I searched in vain for a "room with a view." Failing that I set up a tarp and went to meet the neighbors. A small group of day hikers and one prospective through hiker were staying in the shelter along with an elderly man camped on the other side. Those in the shelter invited me to join them and I obliged, not wanting to be caught with a wet tarp in the morning (adds weight). Jeff was from Brekenridge CO, so we had something in common to talk about.
Date: 2004-05-21
From: Hawk Mtn shelter

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 34.0
Weather: few clouds

I wasn't planning on breaking out the miles so fast. I just felt really good this evening and I ended up going about 10 miles after 4:30(when I left Neels Gap.   I started at around 7:00. The elderly man gave me a ¢farewell friend.¢ and I took off for Neels Gap.   The ups and downs around here are crazy, I¢m used to switchbacks that I can cut, not going straight up and down the mountain. I got an opportunity on Blood mountain though, but got lost. So I turned and paralleled the mountain until I found the trail again. At Neels gap I took advantage of some beverages and massive mountains before climbing up to Levelland mtn. Rock Springs and Cow rock had some good views.    I pulled into Low Gap shelter around 9 pm. I joined two women from Iceland and two men, one from Alberta, the other from Dallas. The one from Dallas talks a lot and about not much. The one from Alberta talked less about even less. They are entertaining company though and that¢s what I need.
Date: 2004-05-22
From: Low Gap

To: Plum Orchard
Miles today: 30.0

I saw two bears yesterday afternoon, so I was wary; however, the only thing I had to worry about was a mouse (that ran into my sleeping bag) and the Canadian¢s snoring, which kept me awake until midnight.I took off at 7 am again. This morning¢s walking was awesome, rolling trail with the sun slowly rising through the trees. After Blue Mountain though, the steeps returned with a vengeance. Rocky mtn was ugly, but I saw some hot looking girls on the way up. Tray mtn has some pretty views on top and an excellent spring. On the way down from Tray mtn I ran out of water¢no excuse for that in Georgia. I found some just before US 26 at Deep Creek Gap. Coming up from the Gap, I got my first dose of rain. The start of things to come, I¢m sure. I pulled up at Plum Orchard shelter and I¢m hanging out with Joe and Brokenwings, two recent graduates enjoying their summer as long as possible. Joe¢s packer is even lighter than mine.
Date: 2004-05-23
From: Plum Orchard

To: Wallace Gap
Miles today: 34.0

I left Plum Orchard Shelter after eating breakfast, instant oatmeal, and hiked 5 miles through cobwebs to the Georgia/North Carolina Border. All in all, it was fairly unremarkable with the exception of a gnarled weather beaten oak in a clearing. North Carolina greeted me with a series of steep inclines followed by a long milder climb up Standing Indian Mtn. I stopped by the shelter to use the privy but there was none, so I used the woods instead. On my way back to the trail I discovered a copy of A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson inside the shelter and began reading it along the way, my legs pretty much on auto-drive unless they required more attention. One such point was the climb up Albert Mtn. This was a climb not a hike. I scrambled up the trail using all four limbs for about 500 ft of elevation gain and then had another 500 ft to do. The top had a large cliff and a massive lookout tower. The rest of the day went downhill. I was slowly and steadily over come by exhaustion and sore feet. I also made an ill-advised decision to take a mile long side trip to visit a massive tree called the Basilik Poplar. The tree was large, but it was less interesting than the oak on the border.I reached Wallace Gap, my first real resupply point at around 8:00 pm, walked a mile down the road to the camp store only to find it closed. Desperate for some respite I walked another mile to Highway 64 and Hitch hiked to Franklin. I was picked up by a sweet elderly couple in a red pickup and whisked off to Franklin¢s strip. They dropped me off at a $150 a night Inn. I skipped that and walked another two miles to find a room for $30 with a free shuttle back to the trail. I had a short conversation with the clerk that went something like this.¢William Ter-ter-ter¢¢Tarantino¢¢Tarantino, that¢s Italian right?¢¢Yeah but I¢m not Italian¢¢And you¢re not Italian? That¢s weird¢even so it fits you it¢s a very what the word. It fits you¢¢¢Appropriate?¢¢That¢s it!¢On the clerks advice I went to Western Sizzlin¢, an ¢all you can eat¢ buffet that also happened to be the closest restaurant to the hotel. After dinner I went straight to my room took a shower and went to bed. All night I couldn¢t figure out whether I was hot or cold. My feet ached and I was too exhausted to sleep. Maybe I overdid it. Oh and I think I pulled my groin.
Date: 2004-05-24
From: Wallace Gap

To: Rufus Shelter
Miles today: 26.0

Rise and Shine. Tired I walked to the Gas Station to resupply and buy donuts for breakfast. I limped back to the hotel wondering how in the hell I was going to make it five minutes on the trail.The owner of the hotel didn¢t arrive until 11:00 am to give me a lift, so I sat in front of the hotel reading A Walk in the Woods and chatted with a few people who wanted to see Ronnie, the owner, about the multi-millionaires buying up the land for their summer homes. Ron showed up eventually and drove me back to the trail. We chatted about truck driving along the way. He dropped me off and I started on down the trail. I felt better as soon as I warmed up. The days was full of rolling gentle climbs and descents (comparatively) with a few fairly decent views, Unfortunately all of the ¢balds¢ around here are no loner bald because the grazers that kept them bald are gone. I read a good deal more of my book and eventually made it a 26 mile day, stopping just before NOC at Rufus Shelter with Bob, Bob, Roman and Karen. The three guys are middle aged and from Cleveland and they are hiking a week long 50 miler. Roman is carrying as much on his belly as his back. His buddies teased him while he drank vodka and smoked a cigarette. I just hope he doesn¢t snore.
Date: 2004-05-25
From: Rufus Shelter

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 30.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I left Bob, Bob, and Roman while they made coffee and walked down to the NOC. When I made it to the restaurant it was closed so I decided to chill out next to the river for a half hour, waiting for the restaurant to open because my friend Sharon had highly recommended the pancakes.Bob dropped by and joined me for breakfast. We had a lengthy discussion on long distance trails. He hung around to wait for his friends and I took off once again.The first climb out was long, hard, and sweaty. Hardest climb so far. The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. There were some pretty spots and steeps climbs. I reached Fontana at around 7. The Fontana Dam shelter is massive. It is also provided with working toilets at a nearby picnic area and hot showers at the Dam¢s visitor center. I took a shower first.On the way back from my shower, I passed three high school graduates (Shawn, Eric and Sophie) from Tennessee, who were about to head South. They offered to take me into town the next morning in exchange for a map of the area.They were staying at the Hilton tonight too and they offered me a ride in town this evening to look for food. Unable to find anything, they decided to try to buy a few cokes at the vending machine. Shawn scrounged around Eric¢s car for about 5 minutes and eventually came up with enough change for two cokes, Which they passed around like tokes.Because dinner was a failure, we decided to wander to the dam and eat candy and crackers instead. The dam looked much larger lit up at night.
Date: 2004-05-26
From: Fontana Dam

To: sylers bald shelter
Miles today: 27.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I was the first to rise in the morning and my three companions woke up while I packed. We all piled into Eric¢s SUV and went toward town. The first stop was the Post Office. The three of them waited patiently while I took care of business, then we walked off to the hotel to get some breakfast.Breakfast was an all you can eat buffet for $7.95 or one trip for $5.95. Eric and I each got one pass. We piled our boxes as high as possible and walked out with enough food for the four of us. (The other two had no money.) I also drank six glasses of juice, while I was there.We drove back to the dam to eat the breakfast. I left them around 10:30 am and set out on my way. Ramble-on and Poodle-bus joined me from the visitor center to around the dam, but I spent the rest of the day by myself inside the Great Smoky mtn national park. After the original climb the terrain mellowed out fairly well with a few steep climbs but nothing of much length. There were some spectacular groves of sugar maples, with grasses and wildflowers, coming up to a Bald on multiple climbs. The ¢balds¢ here are actually bald, although shrinking due to lack of human use (the Indians are gone). Near the end of the day, I saw and heard and felt a thunderstorm. About a mile from my destination I started to get waves of rain, short enough that the tree could keep most of the rain off me. Just as the shelter came into view the wind rain and clouds come rolling with a vengeance, and I sprinted 50 yards or so to the shelter.After chatting a bit with it¢s three inhabitants (a father-son duo out for a week and another thru hiker) I made dinner. Now it¢s bedtime. Tomorrow could be a long day.
Date: 2004-05-27
From: sylers bald shelt

To: tricorner shelter
Miles today: 28.0

Today started out as a cool day in every sense of the word, but then lost its chill quite rapidly. The fist 5 miles up and over Climgman¢s dome were through a cloud sitting on top of a forest of young Frasier Firs and Old massive dead Frasier Firs. The dead trees (the Smokies have a pest problem) looked like the masts of skeleton vessels poking above the water, like in an eerie pirate story. At the top of Clingman¢s Dome things started to go downhill. At around 11 am, I really had to go to the bathroom. I dropped my pack and scrambled through the moss-covered branches. Thirty minutes later I had to go again. Then again and again. And Again. All told between 11 and 4 I had to go 8 times. I was sincerely concerned, as this was accompanied with stomach pains and lots of gas ( a key giardia symptom).Fortunately my bowels ran out of supply at around 4, and I was able to hike in relative peace . But the afternoon's events had slowed me considerably, so I had to cut the day short. I¢m hanging out with another thru hiker and father/son combo at tricorner shelter. A bear has been dropping by and interrupting our card game. Luckily all the Smokies shelters have steel cables to hang food.I¢m starving and geared to eat. Hopefully my intestinal troubles were temporary.
Date: 2004-05-28
From: tricorner shelter

To: Roaring Fork shelter
Miles today: 36.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up just after being blown up by a submarine (weird dream) to a true blue rain storm. No thunder required for noise here. It¢s raining so hard I don¢t think I could even hear the thunder. I set out into the monsoon at 7:30 hoping the rain wouldn¢t slow me down too much. The trail had become a running river 3-4 inches deep or a rut of mud of untold depth. This was fun hiking. It was about time something interesting happened. I slopped along in the rain for about 8 miles when the sun began to shine. I was genuinely disappointed. I reached Davenport Gap and the North End of the Smokies with a portly fellow named Dusty Dan the Turtle Man, who was hiking to lose weight (80lbs I think, he was about 5¢9¢ at 250). An hour after the Gap I stopped into Standing Bear Hostel to grab some lunch. While I ate I heard Curtis, the owner, and Mary Ellen, a Hiker, discuss various methods of killing chickens.The rest of the day went by relatively uneventfully. Snow bird mtn and Max Patch were gorgeous mtns to be on though. They were bald at the top and the winds was blowing on Max especially hard. There were 360 degree views, with the clouds pulled over just the tallest mountains. I pulled in at 8:30 a 36 mile day. Quiet, trying not to disturb the neighbors.
Date: 2004-05-29
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Spring mtn
Miles today: 26.0

I took a fast 15 miles into town. The temperature change between high and low elevations was truly dramatic. Hot Springs was baking. The first place I went to was the grocery store. This ¢grocery store¢ was less stocked than some gas stations. I bought some cranberry juice and chocolate milk and decided to resupply elsewhere. The convenience store across the way wasn¢t much better, but at least it had Mrs Field¢s cookies. I didn¢t like the look of Hot Springs that much so I grabbed a quick sandwich and moved on.The climb out above the river was hot and pretty, with a few small cliffs providing views of the town. 10 miles and some intermittent rain showers later, I¢m enjoying a mango (purchased at the outfitters) with Skittles ( a trail name) and another section hiker whose name I didn¢t catch