morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-10-05
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Look who's hiking again! Yes, after three weeks of farm work, I am back on the trail, continuing on towards Springer once again. Though I would have been perfectly content staying put for, oh say, forever, I knew it was time to move on. I could feel the rapid changing of seasons in my bones, and if I had any chance of beating winter to my destination I had to leave like yesterday. Most thru hikers would balk at the thought of taking three weeks off, but I keep saying that I if was so desperate to get to Georgia I could have driven there. Instead, I chose to walk, inherently making the trip a lengthy one to begin with, so what's a few more weeks? Plus, I don't think many other hikers have gotten to hand feed goat kids, walk herds of cattle, pigs, and goats up and down the road, administer bovine medications, assist in dispatching chickens or a pig, trim goat hooves, install electric fences, chase runaway livestock, watch chicks grow to adulthood, or wake up with ducks in their bedroom. In a relatively short amount of time, I've managed to do all of the above, plus much general gardening and hospitality work. I've had some prior experience with the raising of vegetables and produce farming, but the animal husbandry aspect was new to me and I found I was quite taken by it. I've learned a lot about what is involved with the maintenance of livestock, it's challenges and rewards. I fell in love with cattle for the first time and remembered again how fond I am of goats and chickens. I learned that "pig-headed" is a synonym for "stubborn" for a reason and that any animal can get out of any enclosure. I learned that loss is a part of farming, that plants and animals can all fall ill or prey to outside threats despite all human attempts at prevention. But moreover, I learned that an incredible degree of balance is required to run a diverse homestead encompassing crops, livestock, and a household. But I do not find the amount of work deterring, rather it is enticing and intriguing. For a future farming hopeful, I've deemed this experience a worthy one. It can be tempting to try hang onto something good and not let go. But in this case, I recognize the value of such a thing, appreciate it for all it has taught me, and commit to not let it go to waste, all while understanding it must end so something else just as wonderful may begin. Here's to new windows of opportunity and bright futures!
Date: 2003-05-08
From: Fontana Dam

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 14What a wonderful "bonus" day. Due to a poor forecast, I was considering sitting it out today. But I saw a clear weather map in the morning, hopped a shuttle back to the trail, and hiked all day under clear blue skies.Last night and this morning I ate AYCE meals at the Inn. Dinner was the only time in my life that I was purposefully gluttonous. I believe it paid off, 'cause I hiked with energy all day.Made good miles despite gaining 3000 feet in elevation and I left 2 hours of daylight on both ends of the day.There was a crowd of thru-hikers headed up from the dam, at least 6 from Fontana Village and 8 more from Fontana Shelter. It looks like only Snail and Patience are coming this far.Ridgerunner Roger "Manysleeps" was doing a headcount of thru-hikers for the ATC. I was the 927th NOBO on his count. He tells me he¢s manned his post from 7 am to 5 pm all season, so he doesn't think he's missed many. Roger says the dropout rate at this point is 50%, year after year.Spence Field is a beautiful place with an orchard of flowering trees raining white petals down on everything.
Date: 2013-10-06
From: wapiti shelter

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 22.1
Weather: broken clouds

Today I am thankful for easy trail. As I had suspected, such a lengthy hiatus has created a slight deficit in my abilities, as compared to before. I had anticipated such setbacks and planned a slow return. I was correct in such assumptions and my digression was obvious, mostly in my feet and stamina. However, I expect that such difficulties (as minor as they are) will dissipate quickly and make a full rebound. Fortunately, this has been an exceptionally easy and pleasant section of trail, making my triumphant return as painless as possible. However, the forced reining in of pace has allowed me to do all kinds of exploring with my extra time. I detoured from the trail thrice today- once to visit the beautiful Dismal Falls (not aptly named at all), once to Trent Grocery for a nice cream snack and a chat with an 82 year old Virginian name Albert, and once on the most epic water quest I've ever embarked upon. This trek for elusive and precious water that has been so scarce of late came with an elaborate list of directions, including obscure instructions such as "turn right at the green muddy puddle", "do not despair when you cross the third dry creek bed- carry on", and "turn left at the last tree and look for the pile of rocks". This half hour mini adventure had me convinced that it was either a joke or a trap, but lo and behold, a shallow stagnant pool was waiting for me. A doe stood across and watched me fill my bottles with greenish water and didn't flinch until I walked away. Somehow, I miraculously managed to find my way back to the trail. Tonight I share the shelter with five (5!!) other hikers, all hoping to stay dry through tonight's rain. There are two section hikers, Gerald and Joanie- a couple from Georgia that I met back at woods hole and are hilarious, and a young sobo named Houston. Here's to having a roof over our heads, even if just for a night.
Date: 2003-05-09
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: broken clouds

Day 15This was the hardest walking day of my trip. Since my knee is holding up better, I'm now able to punish the rest of my body.Right off the bat the trail went into a number of PUDs (pointless ups and downs), some of them very steep. This lasted until Derrick Knob. The trail was kicking my butt and it was looking like a short day.   I took a long break, ate, and had a dose of Vitamin I (another trail term: Ibuprophen).Feeling better and clear weather inspired me to get up Clingman's Dome. Then I had to drag myself up-and-over one more mountain to reach this shelter. CD is the highest point on the AT (6643'). Once above 5600', the trail buries itself in a spruce-fir forest with the look and smell of a Christmas tree lot.I'm right at the 200-mile mark. At 2172 miles you might say the AT is "2000 plus change". I've done little more than "the change".Notes for anyone planning to hike this section: The trail has few blazes in the Smokies. Many times I've walked hundreds of yards without seeing a white blaze. And avoid Double Springs Shelter, it¢s dumpy and gets swamped when it rains.
Date: 2013-10-08
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Pond
Miles today: 34.9

Today I am thankful to have stayed dry. Sunday and Monday's rain have brought the seasonably cool temperatures that makes it feel like fall had truly (finally) arrived. This makes for perfect hiking weather, when it's dry...yesterday ended up being a chilly, damp day that culminated at Fort Bastian, where TruBrit, a former thru hiker invites hikers to join him at his encampment. Houston and I gladly accepted, and after a short but wet 12 miles, spent the evening sharing a pizza, a teepee, and roaring fire, reveling in the warmth and dry. He happens to share my aspirations and plans for the future (and my deathly fear of the cold), and we stayed up to midnight discussing our hopes and dreams. This morning we awakened a drastic drop in temperature, a hearty breakfast of eggs and pancakes, and some target practice. TruBrit had a lovely recurve bow that he permitted me to use to launch some arrows at an old pumpkin. The limbs held 5 more lbs of tension than I'm used to, but I managed to annihilate the pumpkin anyway, ending up with 2 sore shoulders from being out of practice. A late start put us back on the trail at 11 with a goal of 17 miles to the next water source to avoid lugging a full days supply of water all day long. It was in the brisk mid 50s, which kept a pep in my step and reduced the profuse sweating, but hindered my ability to sit (which, lets be real, is the best part of the day (not really, but kinda)) because after 5 minutes of inactivity, one gets really quite chilly and must continue on to get warmed up. But overall it's really very pleasant. Today held my first big climbs in about a month (yikes) and I felt every day that I didn't hike. Yes I took the 2000 foot ascents a little slower than usual, but it's amazing how quickly the body can recondition itself and adapt. After a long ridge walk following the summit of Chestnut Knob with spectacular views, I reached our goal and spring well before sunset and did not feel terrible at all. I'm currently laying in my tent, gazing out the mesh panorama as the moon rises and waiting to see if I can catch a glimpse of a meteor shower. Here's to staying warm and being sung to sleep by bullfrogs!
Date: 2003-05-10
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Tricorner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: light rain

Day 16Another tiring day, but the trail was much nicer with gradual ascents and descents. Did a lot of walking on exposed ridgelines, so it was hot with the sun on me most of the time.I stopped for a while at both Newfound Gap and at the excellent overlook at Charles Bunion. Don't count on water in the Smokies anywhere but at the shelter locations. I was expecting to find springs mentioned in Wingfoot's guidebook and they weren't there. I walked the last five miles without water.I feel pretty weak after three long days. One more long day to get out of the Smokies, then I hope to take it easier.
Date: 2013-10-10
From: Pond

To: Dickey's Gap
Miles today: 46.6
Weather: moderate rain

Today I am thankful to have my groove back. I put in two big days yesterday and today, both by accident, but they went well and I felt great nonetheless. Yesterday we got up and decided to hoof it to Atkins, which isn't really a town but has a gas station and restaurant right off the trail, for snacks and such. En route, I ran into a very friendly section hiker named Blue Sky who had his car parked at one of the road crossings. He was heading into another nearby town, Marion, and asked if I needed to go to the store or anything. I was planning to resupply the next day, but a free ride would save me the headache of having to find a way into town, so I gladly obliged. He took me to an Ingle's and then dropped me off in Atkins where I was headed anyway. This meant that i jumped ahead a few miles, but it actually worked out for reasons I'll address in a bit. Houston had made it to the gas station by the time I got there so we reconvened and set off in search of dinner. A burger and chocolate milkshake apiece later, we had to race sunset to the next shelter. On the way I stopped at the Settlers Museum, which was a preserved 1800s settlement (Lancaster county folk, it was much like Landis Valley Museum, but a bit smaller). I checked out the one room schoolhouse and some other town buildings before hustling on to my destination. I heard coyotes for the first time at night.This morning, much to our dismay, we awoke to cloudy skies and a light rain, despite our weather channel apps reporting sun and a 0% chance of rain. It misted all morning, so by the time we reached the Mount Rogers Recreation Area Visitors Center, we were thoroughly damp and chilly, fantasizing about the warmth and vending machines there. Alas, MRRA is a USFS (national) establishment and is therefore closed. No shuttles or town food today! (This is where yesterday's unexpected trip to the grocery store was such a blessing- I was planning to get a shuttle into town from the visitors center to resupply, but with the center closed I would have had no way to get there and would have been completely out of food. I am so grateful to Blue Sky and his generosity, and have no regrets about the few missed miles if it means I can eat this week). After hearing reports of hikers getting thrown out of Shenendoah and Smokey (Natl) Parks, we decided to make a hasty departure before being seen having fun on national property. Shortly after leaving it began raining in earnest and I had to face my fear of precipitation in cold weather. Rain gear and layers proved successful and the rain tapered off after several hours. There was some great trail magic by a local youth group, the first I had seen since heading south! I was planning to camp a few miles short of my friends destination, but somehow missed the spot and ended up going just as far anyway, hence my second accidental long day. The clouds seem to be passing, at least for now. Here's to the kindness of strangers and paying it forward!
Date: 2003-05-11
From: Tricorner Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: light rain

Day 17I headed out into a windy, gloomy morning with an irrational fear of a tree falling on me. A non-indigenous insect has killed off many of the largest firs. With the recent storms, there are blow-downs all over. I saw a ridgerunner and told him what I was thinking. He reassured me by telling me I was much more likely to get struck by lightning.It rained for about two hours and stopped during the long downhill out of the park.I'm staying at the Standing Bear Hostel, a nice place only a few hundred yards from the trail. This is the private residence of a couple and they've built bunks in a spare building on their lot. They also have a storeroom with an assortment of trail foods. Tonight the owner just made a pizza run for Matt, the only other hiker here, and me.I started at 7 am this morning. My routine has been to get going between 7 and 8:30 and finish between 6 and 7:30 pm, unless it's raining or I'm hitting a resupply point. It still takes me about 45 minutes to pack-up in the morning...I expected to be faster.Info for hikers:A mile past Davenport Gap there is a confusing road crossing. You step out from the trail near the intersection of two roads. Turn left for about 15 yards, then turn right and walk the bridge over the Pigeon River. After the bridge, turn right on a road that is essentially an on-ramp for I-40. After 100 yards turn left and go under I-40.One mile after that mess, you step over a stream and onto a gravel road. A rock on the stream will point left and read, 200 yards to Standing Bear Farm Hostel. That is a good choice to make, but if you are continuing on the trail, then turn right.I was not unhappy to see a friendliness-challenged hiker lost here and looking for the trail. When I didn¢t recognize his name, I asked if he had been signing the shelter registers. His answer was curt: "I don't see any reason why I should."
Date: 2003-05-13
From: Kale Gap

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: clear sky

Day 19Cold, cold morning...so glad I got the warm sleeping bag. After wrapping up my tarp and fixing cereal, I sat down to eat and noticed a big rabbit eating leaves just 15' away, not bothered by my rattling around. We ate watching each other. Magic Rat, one of the nice guys in the shelter last night caught up to me while I was trying a timer photo of myself. We walked in tandem the rest of the way to Hot Springs. Both of us were moving to get to town for maildrops, food, errands - typical town stuff.The Rat is also doing TrailJournals, and we talked all the way to town. The 12 miles flew by. First time I've hiked like this on the trip, and I was happy to do the day a little differently.On one scale in town I weighed 157. In disbelief I tried another scale that had me at 159. I thought I started trim at 172 and wouldn't lose this much until the end of the hike. That might explain the appetite.I'm staying at Elmer's hostel, and six hikers had a gourmet vegetarian family-style dinner with Elmer and his two helpers. I'm rooming with Cimarron, an 81-year-old thru-hiker.
Date: 2013-10-16
From: Double Spring Shelter

To: Kincora Hiking Hostel
Miles today: 31.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I am thankful to be out of the Virginia desert. Is what I would say if it were true...But although water was temporarily more available for a few days before Damascus, we've returned to the challenge of lengthy stretches and dried up springs. Instead, I'm thankful for humor out here on the trail. Yesterday we passed signs alerting hikers of "active bears", the phrasing of which conjured up hilarious mental images of a cross between a black bear and Richard Simmons. We walked in silence in hopes of glimpsing such a bear, and indeed we did (although it was not wearing shiny spandex). We interrupted what I can only assume was its morning calisthenics, and since I was in the front at the time taking my turn on spider web duty, I caught a peak of the bear's rear end as it bounded away. Later, I was startled by a branch crashing down from a tree directly to my left and noticed that it still had a squirrel attached to it when it landed. The squirrel ran off unharmed while we were left in hysterics. After the exact same thing happened twice more, I deemed it a bad day to be a squirrel. We braved the night alone in bearland, in a shelter that was 'closed' due to said ursine inhabitants, but the night passed without incident. The next morning we walked a quick 10 miles to the Kincora hiking hostel, one of the oldest and most famous hostels on the trail. It drizzled all morning, but we arrived by noon and spent the afternoon doing chores and playing games. A most terrifying shuttle took us to town to resupply, careening down the mountain taking the hairpin turns at breakneck speed. We returned, white knuckled and slightly nauseous, but oh so glad to be back on solid ground again and cooked a pancake feast for ourselves for dinner. Terducken, Sprout, and Red Tail had arrived by then and I whipped up some chocolate cookies with the sparse ingredients I found in the fridge. We all spent the evening playing cards and reading National Geographic over cups of tea. It was a cozy 'family night', and here's to good company and simple pleasures!
Date: 2003-05-15
From: Elmer's Hostel

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 21Hot Springs is a hard town to leave. Here at Elmer¢s, 14 of the pack of hikers had a family breakfast. Lone Wolf comments that he has to stop taking these zero weeks.Stretch is the most athletic person I've seen. He's 2 years out of college where he played soccer. He and I seem to be the ones most concerned about stopping our weight loss, but I can't match his eating: 6 pancakes, two bowls of granola, cantaloupe wedges, and probably stuff he snatched from plates on both sides of him.Some people I have not mentioned yet: super-friendly thru hikers Moss, All Day & Mrs. J, and section hiker Allen whose love of the trail is written all over his face -- we all hope to see him again near his home in Maine.Unfortunately many hikers here are opting to ride up to Damascus for trail days. By the time they get back to Hot Springs they will be 4 days back.I passed the first pond on the AT, a place where my brother and I camped about 25 years ago. Few hikers were on this section of trail today. I saw Tenderfoot but she did not come as far as this shelter tonight, looks like I have it to myself. It¢s quite a contrast to the crowd at Hot Springs.I was lucky to miss the patchy rain today and got into the shelter just before an hour-long tempest.
Date: 2013-10-26
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Cherry Gap
Miles today: 129.8

Tonight i am thankful for the warm sleeping bags in which we've been spending an inordinate amount of time as of late. Mother Nature took us all by surprise when she switched seasons on us virtually overnight. Suddenly, our comfortable fall days were instead bringing hail, sleet, and snow with wind chills below freezing and deep frosts at night. The rocks and roots who have found hiding under several inches of leaves to snag the feet of unsuspecting hikers have stepped up their game by adding a thin layer of ice or remnants of other unidentified wintery precipitation. After a rather uncomfortable and slightly unnerving night, we decided to push a few extra miles into Hot Springs, NC a day early. There we met up with Sprout and Terducken, and another couple, all of whom were also sort of taken aback by the abrupt shift to winter. To say we were unprepared would be inaccurate; to say we weren't ready would be more appropriate. We took the time to reevaluate some gear and clothing and to regroup mentally. We stayed a night at the Sunnybank Inn, where we exchanged a few hours of raking leaves for a bed and dinner. I simply love that there are still people out there who value an exchange of goods for services, who appreciate the company, help, and servitude of others more than the dollar. I want to live in an environment or society where people are free to share their home and a meal, time, energy, and labor in exchange for the same from others. There is so much more to be gained from such interaction than cash, and it was a most rewarding and refreshing experience. The days have been getting away from me as the mileage clock ticks down, and I find myself enjoying every day more than the last. The fires, laughter, deep conversations, outrageous jokes, lessons, and reflections cause all the discomforts to fade away into the background. We've received numerous gifts from friends and strangers, from boxes of baked goods in the mail to an offer to fix my bent, broken, and mismatched hiking poles for free (which remain mismatched but neither bent nor broken) to perfectly timed rides to an indoor stay when every bed in town was booked. Blessings have been abundant and the rest of this week can be summed up in extremes: extreme temperatures, intense beauty atop the Roan Highlands and Max Patch bald, and the outrageously exciting location and consumption of sweet potatoes twice in one day! Here's to the excitement of not knowing what tomorrow will bring!
Date: 2003-05-16
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 223 bears, 300 miles, and I've finished 3 weeks on the trail. I left the shelter at 7:30 and about a half hour later a heard a large animal crashing through the woods. A small bear was running away from me. I watched until he was out of sight, then when I took more steps, 2 others bolted from their hiding places.Near the 300-mile mark, there are headstones for boys killed in the Civil War (Shelton brothers and Millard Haire).Felt low on energy today, and by the time I had gone twelve miles I felt sleepy-tired. This is the first time I've felt daytime tiredness on the trip. I rolled out my sleeping pad at Flint Moutain Shelter and took a nap. Woke up fine an hour later and made the last 8.7 miles from 3:30 to 7:30.I saw no other hikers on the trail today, but there was a crowd at the shelter: thru-hikers Cimarron, Matt & Todd, and a handful of section hikers. There is a campfire; first time I've seen one. Thru-hikers never seem to build campfires.Cimarron groans in his sleep: "Arrrgh...oooohh...my achin' body". I don't know if he is aware that he's doing it. What a great guy he is. He just did a 14-mile day. Did I already say he's 81?My nagging pain of the week is a strained Achilles tendon. It's been tight and painful since the descent into Hot Springs.