morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-04-11
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Wine Spring campsite
Miles today: 8.2

Took a zero day yesterday in Franklin, NC. Mom and Dad and the kids headed back to Virginia. Barb, Len and I went over to Nantahala Outdoor Center to leave a package and reserve a hostel room for since we would be there in a few days.We slept in a bit today because we were doing a short day. Perfect timing meeting Mother Nature and Smokestack at the trailhead. It was raining during breakfast but the day ended up being pretty nice. We hiked to a camp site at Wine Spring. We set up our tents, started a fire and had some dinner. We were soon joined by a couple lads from England (Dan & Craig).
Date: 2004-04-12
From: Wine Spring campsite

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: light rain

Woke up to rain this morning so we stayed in the tents until 0800. This is the first time we skipped the oatmeal breakfast, didn't feel like firing up the stove. Everything was soaked, including my rain jacket that I left outside last night -- DUH. We went over Wayah Bald today but since it was socked in with fog we did not get the wonderful view. Rained on and off all day today. The shelter is pretty tiny so we decided to tent. Not a great selection of sites but we found some reasonably flat areas. Sheriff, Swiss Miss, Fly, Patch & Hugs (from Ireland), EasyDoesIt and a few others were there.
Date: 2004-04-13
From: Cold Spring Shelter

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

Boy did we have a thunderstorm last night. It rained most of the night and there were some strikes that seemed to be very nearby. Barb had a quite a wet area under her tent, but Mother Nature and Smokestack had a stream running under theirs. The rain stopped around 0800 so I got out of the tent and found Barb had already gotten the bear bag down and moved her stuff up to the now vacated shelter. We let our tents dry a bit and had breakfast before heading out to NOC around 1100. There were a few tricky spots on the trail today and found out later that it was Swiss Miss that slipped off the trail and slid about six feet down the hill. Luckily she was not hurt. The last few miles to NOC were downhill and boy did my knee hurt by the time we got there. We made it just in time to grab some food at the restaurant. We headed up to our hostel room. It was not too bad, Barb and I were in a room by ourselves. Shower and laundry is always a nice reward for a day of hiking. We dug out our tents to let them dry a bit, then headed off to bed. We did see quite a few people who we thought were days ahead of us.
Date: 2004-04-14
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Sassafrass Gap shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: light snow

Got up around 0700 and stayed in bed a bit, nice to be in a warm room. We packed up most of the stuff and headed down to the restaurant for a nice hot breakfast. Went by the outfitter store to refill the fuel bottle. Started up the trail around 1100, short day but all uphill. Half the trip was in leaves the other half in snow. We passed a few guys coming off the mountain and they were all parka'd up, they warned us to put on a few more clothes. By the time we crested the summit, we were walking through six in drifts. It wasn't snowing, though it seemed to be since all the snow from last nights storm had left a lot of snow in the trees and it was blowing down on us. When we got to the shelter around 1600 there were already seven people there. By the time we turned in for bed we had nineteen and a dog. I think the shelter was designed for fourteen. Everyone packed in helped keep it a bit warmer so it wasn't all bad. On the way up the mountain we passed a memorial to Wade Sutton - a firefighter who had died near the trail in 1968 working a forest fire.The sad part of the day was saying goodbye to Sue and Pete (Mother Nature & Smokestack). Sue's knees were hurting a bit so they were going to take a zero day at NOC.
Date: 2004-04-15
From: Sassafrass Gap shelter

To: Brown Fork Gap shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: clear sky

Trudged through a lot of snow on the way up to Cheoah Bald this morning. The weather had cleared so the view was another beauty. Took a break in Stecoah Gap and had some trail magic. Beer and honeybuns. D-bone, Gordy and Munchkin drank the beer, but I got myself a honeybun and was happy. Patches & Hugs had to head into Robbinsville because Patches had a dental emergency (they are the couple from UK). We continued on to Brownfork Gap shelter. It was rather eerie because we were the only ones there. Swiss Miss and Jake Brake showed up so we had four for the night. A-dawg had stopped for water but decided to push on to the next shelter.
Date: 2004-04-16
From: Brown Fork Gap shelter

To: Fontana Dam (village)
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: clear sky

Heading to Fontana Village today. Nothing extraordinary on the trail today. Stopped by Cable Gap shelter for lunch, Jake Brake was just finishing when we got there. Caught sight of the lake on the way down the trail, it is rather long, winding through the valley below. About a mile short of the trailhead we could see Fontana Dam. We got to the marina, called for the shuttle and headed over to the post office for our mail drop. Great thru-hiker rate at the Fontana Inn, the rooms were old but nice. Made some dinner, watched a little TV and headed off to bed.
Date: 2004-04-17
From: Fontana Dam (village)

To: Russell Field shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: clear sky

Planned the longest day so far, close to fifteen miles. Had some breakfast at the restaurant and caught the shuttle back to the marina. We hiked the mile from the marina to the dam and walked around a bit. It is rather impressive (480 feet high), the largest dam east of the Mississippi. After walking over the dam we now enter the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. The bad thing for us is that we are now required to stay in the shelters so our daily mileage must be very specific. Upon entering the park, less than a mile up the trail, we spotted a herd of 4 or 5 deer. They did not seem to care that Barb and I were there. They wandered up the draw a bit and watched us. I am so used to the deer in PA shooting off like a rocket when they spot you. On the way up Shuckstack Mt. (7 miles of up) we met a Park Service volunteer who has worked this section for many years. He told us today was his 161st time hiking the mountain. We grabbed some water and a break at Mollies Ridge shelter then headed off to Russell Field. Pepe' and K-bear were at Mollies Ridge but about a 1/4 mile from Russell Field they caught up with us. They didn't want to be slackers.
Date: 2004-04-18
From: Russell Field shelter

To: Silers Bald shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: clear sky

Another long day with two killer climbs over Rocky Top and Thunderhead mountains. Lots of wide open fields on the way up with some great vistas. Watered at Derrick Knob shelter and had a snack, we need the breaks on these long days. There were already four section hikers and a few others at Silers Bald when we got there. The shelter ended up being full for the night. There had obviously been horses here recently because there was some left-over grain on the ground and a lots of manure. When I got up in the morning, some of the grain was in my boot. I guess a little mouse thought my warm boot would make a nice house for the evening.
Date: 2004-04-19
From: Silers Bald shelter

To: Mt. Collins shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today we crossed the highest point on the Appalachian Trail - Clingman's Dome (6,643 feet). The big climb was actually up Mt. Buckley, very steep, 1000 feet over less than two miles. The summit was beautiful and we could see the tower on Clingman's Dome just a bit higher than we were. We had decided to take a long break at the dome. When we got up there we took off our boots and relaxed for awhile. There were quite a few tourists out for the day and they were very interested in our little adventure. It was funny too see how exhausted they all were after their 1/2-mile "hike" up the paved road to the tower. I guess it is all a matter of perspective. I took the ramp up to the top of the tower and the view was amazing. They had little photos at all the cardinal directions with the points in the distance labeled. It was interesting to see where we had been and where we were going. Barb chatted quite a bit with a 65-year old lady and her 96-year old mother. They were "High-Pointers", trying to visit the highest point in the 48-CONUS states. We continued on to Mt. Collins shelter for the night. Shawn was there with us, he had been in the 10th Mtn for a few years so we did some Army chatting. He is diabetic and has a real slick way of keeping his insulin cold, a steel tube in a water bottle in which he merely puts cold spring water. Tough walk to the water here, but the privy is very nice. We had a fire while we ate dinner, then headed off to bed.
Date: 2004-04-20
From: Mt. Collins shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Short hike today to Newfound Gap. It is a popular spot to enjoy views to both the Tennessee and North Carolina sides of the ridge. Here you find the State Line Ridge, which serves as the spine for the entire distance of the Smokey Mountains National Park. This is where we attempt to get a ride into Gatlinburg, TN. We did the answer tourist questions thing again and were treated to an orange and a bag of grapes from a couple very nice ladies. We did not get a ride out of the parking lot so we decided to head downhill and put the thumbs out. We walked about 1/2 a mile and were picked up and taken to the park visitor center, another guy took us all the way to the post office in Gatlinburg. We picked up our mail drop and bounce box, caught the trolley back to the main section of town, and grabbed a hotel room. We were led a bit astray and ended up in Pigeon Forge - yes the Dollywood place. Other than the time wasted and getting stuffed at the all you can eat catfish restaurant, we were no worse for the wear. It is definitely no exagerration when people call Gatlinburg a tourist mecca. Every cheesy store or exhibit you can imagine is located here. They also have the Vegas instant wedding thing here. I think I will pass on coming back for a longer stay.
Date: 2004-04-21
From: Newfound Gap

To: Ice Water Spring shelter
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Slept in this morning at the hotel, we knew we had to get to the post office to mail off some boxes. Grabbed some lunch at the grocery store, got a fuel refill at the Happy Hiker, and got out on the road with the thumbs out again. Waited about a half-hour and got picked up by Becky and Dave, they took us all the way to Newfound Gap. They were going out for a short day-hike. Just a quick, short three miles to the shelter. Nice views with mountains to the left and Cherokee, NC to the right.
Date: 2004-04-22
From: Ice Water Spring shelter

To: Tri-Corner Knob shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: light rain

Woke up this morning to a completely socked in ridgeline and quite a bit of wind. First stop out today was at Charlie's Bunion, neat little rocky outcropping. The rest of the day was rather uneventful, other than NOT finding water where Wingfoot said it was. I was very low all day and dry on the last climb. I quickly filtered and drank a liter of water at the shelter, luckily the spring was immediately in front of the shelter. Scattered thunderstorms was the forcast, but they only threatened all day, no storm. All we got was a little rain overnight. As it was getting dark, in comes Gordy, D-bone and Little Munchkin. Li'l M is so excited because she gets Kaya back tomorrow. Dogs are not allowed to hike the AT in the Smokies, horses are though - go figure.
Date: 2004-04-24
From: Cosby Knob shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: few clouds

Ended up with 23 at the shelter last night, I never noticed the rain. Plan today was to hike to the I-40 interchange and meet Len. Nice hike down the mountain, stopped at Davenport Gap shelter for lunch and water. Finally saw some horses in the Smokies after seeing all the manure for a week. Unfortunately, our meeting with Len was cancelled due to extenuating circumstances, oh well; we will try again later. We pushed on to Standing Bear Farm Hostel. Had a great time with the whole group.
Date: 2004-04-25
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Brown Gap
Miles today: 10.1

No definite plan today and we hit the shelter way too early to quit. Caterpillar told us about trail magic at Brown Gap so we headed there. Sure enough, we caught the tail end of a multi-day party. A bunch of the kids decided to go up and spend the night on Max Patch, we decided to crash on the logging road up from the gap.
Date: 2004-04-26
From: Brown Gap

To: Kale Gap
Miles today: 11.0

WET! WET! WET! Started raining around midnite and was still going in the morning. It took a slight break around 0900 so I got the bear bags down and ate some breakfast. It started raining again, so breakfast was in the tent. Another little break around 1100 so we got up and packed the wet tents and headed up the mountain. It rained all day so we missed the beautiful views on Max Patch. We got some water at Roaring Fork and pushed on through some badly burned areas. Walnut Mtn. shelter was full. Pushing on to Kale Gap was great. We had the best campsite, soft pine bed and the water wasn¢t too far away. The rain went away and we got our tents and gear dried out.
Date: 2004-04-27
From: Kale Gap

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Heading to Hot Springs today. It is another one of those little towns where the AT goes right down Main Street. The terrain was good today and that was fortunate since I needed to get to town before the post office closed. The weather was beautiful and everything is lush and green going down the mountain. Very bummed that Elmer¢s hostel is full so I got some juice and waited for Barb. We headed over to Bluff Mtn. Outfitters to get some local info. They were very nice, and helpful. We ended up at the cheesy motel, but the bed was soft and the water was hot.
Date: 2004-04-28
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Rich Mtn campsite
Miles today: 8.3

The plan is back on to meet Len in two days, so we left our excess food at the outfitters and headed up the trail. The weather is nice again as we walked along the shore of the French Broad River. Up the mountain to Lover¢s Leap Rock for some great views of the valley. Not a real long day, took a break at an old concrete dam and pond. Saw some dragonflies coming out of their little cricket-like shells. We got to the camp site below Rich Mtn. fire tower and got unpacked and started a fire. There was an entire tree that had been cut and split. A bunch of folks stopped, and decided to stay because I already had the fire going. I took a walk up to the fire tower to watch the sunset and got a few nice pics. We had a nice evening chatting around the fire and taught Pita Man some more English slang (he¢s from Israel). The wind vane at the fire tower was very loud. I am not sure how Achilles got any sleep up on top of the mountain because at the campsite it sounded like two Wookies getting it on.
Date: 2004-04-29
From: Rich Mtn campsite

To: Allen Gap
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: broken clouds

We knew we had a very short day today so we slept in and milled around the campsite until 1200. Saw my first snake today, a black rat snake. Scared the crap out of me because I didn¢t see it and it didn¢t move until I almost stepped on it. He was nice enough to pose for a photo though. We met Len about a mile before the road crossing, headed down to the car and off to Erwin. The weekend was very busy with college graduations and drag races so we were lucky to get a room. Stayed at the Holiday Inn Express, they have the best cinnamon buns for breakfast.
Date: 2004-04-30
From: Allen Gap

To: Devil Fork Gap
Miles today: 20.4

Let the slack-packing commence. Len will drop us off and pick us up at the trail head so we only need to pack food, water and rain gear for the day. The terrain looked better going southbound so that is what we chose. Kind of a dreary day but the terrain was interesting. Went through a boulder field and over a long, high, exposed ridgeline. It was VERY windy which made it even more interesting. We passed a bunch of folks we knew, good thing because I was carrying a new fuel canister for Swiss Miss. Fuel and a banana, both made her a happy camper. We saw some more friends at Little Laurel shelter as we passed by near the end of the day.
Date: 2004-05-02
From: Sam's Gap

To: Nolichucky River, Erwin, TN
Miles today: 24.5
Weather: light rain

Planned on our longest day yet and made it more than twenty-four miles. Iffy weather today, starting out in t-shirts and adding the rain jackets as the day progressed. The main climb today is over Big Bald and the worst weather of the day hit us as we were crossing it. Just about got blown off the top, rain and 30-40 knot winds and had fun sliding through the mud to the shelter. Read the journal at the shelter and found that Momma¢s Boy had taken a big tumble the night before. Critter, on the other hand, took the opportunity to practice his alpine turns down the slimy slope. The end of the day was nice with views of the Nolichucky River valley.
Date: 2004-05-04
From: Indian Grave Gap

To: Iron Mtn Gap
Miles today: 10.8

Last day of slack-packing. We hauled a pile of oranges up to Cherry Gap shelter for the folks coming north. Ran into Skippy, Poppins and Caterpillar having lunch on Unaka Mtn. We had stopped half-way up in a nice grassy area to eat and refill water. Had a very nice dinner at the Roadhouse with Sheriff and Swiss Miss, they are staying at Miss Janet¢s place.
Date: 2004-05-05
From: Iron Mtn Gap

To: Ash Gap
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Said goodbye to Len today and hello to our full packs, it was nice while it lasted. Headed for Ash Gap and ran into Aswah and Daytripper near Clyde Smith shelter. They told us the campsite at Ash Gap was nice. Had some nice views to the west from Little Rock Knob and a long climb up Beartown Mtn. We kept wondering if we would ever find Ash Gap. When we finally got there, it was getting dark. Barb got some water from a spring that was too far away and only trickling. Dinner was in the dark tonight, off to bed.
Date: 2004-05-06
From: Ash Gap

To: Bradley Gap
Miles today: 10.4

Awakened by two very noisy morning persons coming down the trail. I guess they decided it was time for us to get up (at 0630); I really hate that. Big climb up Roan High Knob this morning, a beautiful site at the Bluff where a hotel stood in the late 19th century. Trail magic at the shelter, some pre-treated water. Barb had missed the turn, so I ended up meeting her at Carver Gap. Hiked up the nice gravel path to Round Bald and took some great pics. There was a photographer there who was taking some panorama photos. He explained about the Smoky Mountains, apparently it is the gasses from the trees hitting the atmosphere that keeps it hazy all the time. Lunch and water at Stan Murray shelter then over Little Hump Mtn. to camp at Bradley Gap.
Date: 2004-05-07
From: Bradley Gap

To: Elk River campsite
Miles today: 12.5

Climbed Hump Mtn. this morning and nearly got blown off of it. Some guys had camped halfway up and were having a heck of a time packing up their tents this morning. Beautiful views from the top, but we didn¢t see the long horns that occasionally graze here. Had lunch at Apple House shelter. Jones Falls is spectacular, highest one we have seen so far. Running into some trouble today, the water filter is broken and Barb is getting sick from the iodine tablets. We have been boiling water for her and borrowed a pump at the campsite. It is very nice along the Elk River, which was good for a chilly swim tonight. Shared some dinner with Scraggly tonight. After we had all gone to bed, a couple stumbled into the camping area. They had been day hiking and gotten lost. They had no idea where they were and had no gear whatsoever. One of the guys got out of his tent and helped them make a fire and gave them directions up the trail for the morning. We ended up meeting them near Walnut Mtn. Road the next day still not completely sure where they were.
Date: 2004-05-08
From: Elk River campsite

To: camping near Moreland shelter
Miles today: 9.9

Barb is feeling a little better after flushing all that iodine out of her system. Got some extra fuel from another hiker and lent him my stove for a warm breakfast, a fair trade. The hike today was a bit odd, like going in a circle. It went something like this: cross a stream, steep climb, level, climb, descend, repeat, repeat, repeat. We stopped at a camping spot short of Moreland Gap shelter. We just got the tents up and it started to rain. It let up, so we cooked dinner. As soon as we had the meal separated, here comes the hailstorm. It lasted about 20 minutes and when we came out of our tents, down the trail comes some hikers we know. They had been caught in the hail and apparently it was not very comfortable.
Date: 2004-05-09
From: camping near Moreland shelter

To: Kincora Hostel - Dennis Cove Rd
Miles today: 7.5

Uneventful hiking day and got into Kincora hostel at a decent hour. We made it in time to get some bunks and catch the shuttle into town. AYCE Chinese buffet for dinner and a run to the grocery store for some breakfast stuff. Bob and Pat Peoples run the hostel and they are the kindest most generous folks I have met in a long time. Kincora is the log cabin in which they live and the added on bunk room for hikers. It is on the rustic side, but has all the conveniences of home - kitchen, shower, laundry and a soft bed. Lots of friends here and making some new ones.
Date: 2004-05-10
From: Kincora Hostel - Dennis Cove Rd

To: Wautaga Lake - US 321
Miles today: 0.0

Bob took us to Watauga Lake this morning so we could slack pack back to the hostel. Beautiful day for a hike, Laurel Falls was spectacular, if a bit cold. AYCE pizza for dinner with Sleepy the Arab and Jack Rabbit.
Date: 2004-05-11
From: Wautaga Lake - US 321

To: camping near Iron Mtn shelter
Miles today: 15.2

Bob gave us a ride back to the lake. We wandered around the perimeter and over the large, earthen dam that keeps the lake there. Climbed up and had lunch at Vandeventer shelter, the view from the rocks was nice. We continued on and found a nice clearing near a spring just short of the Iron Mtn. shelter. Camped with Momma¢s Boy, Keytone, Blue, Geezer and Gadget. It was a nice night but very damp. Barb is checking out Geezer¢s Hennessey Hammock.
Date: 2004-05-12
From: camping near Iron Mtn shelter

To: Abingdon Gap shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: clear sky

Keytone beat me on the last one out of camp bet today. There was a large memorial to Nick Grindstaff on the first hilltop, sad quote on the tomb; ¢Lived Alone, Suffered Alone, Died Alone.¢ Caught some trail magic at TN91, just a quick soda, no time to stay for the BLTs. Met up with Barb at Double Spring shelter, mom would have been proud of the use of utility hooks in the shelter. More trail magic at US421, bean soup, hot dogs and Little Debbies - woo hoo. Thanks to Blue for sending a BLT forward for me, it was very good. I missed the trail to the pre-Civil War cabin and cranberry bog that was supposedly in the middle of the fields through which we wandered today. Started to rain but quit before we got to Abingdon Gap shelter. Quite a few people here tonight, staging area for going into Damascus for Trail Days.