morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-12-25
To: First night in hammock
Miles today: 0.0

Our plan for the next few days was to park at Rockfish Gap, hike seven miles to Calf Mtn shelter, continue north for a bit, and then turn back. But after arriving at the abandoned motel and restaurant at Rockfish Gap, where the parking lot was located, we felt the surroundings were too eerie and unsafe to leave our car. We decided drive into the park on Skyline Drive to see if there was a safer area to park. We found such a place at Beagle Gap, where several other cars were parked. Since the shelter was only a mile and a half away, I decided to hike southward first, and then turn around. The trail was nicely graded and the bare winter trees allowed plenty of views. We hiked to McCormick Gap in the cold, crossed over the road and made our way over our first style, ascended a steep hill, and found a nice rock to eat lunch on. We then turned back and hiked about three and a half miles to Calf Mtn shelter where I looked for two good trees to hang my hammock. For some reason, I have found that I end up drinking too much water on the first day of my hikes, and end up losing a lot of electrolytes. When I took off my pack, my hands felt like stumps, as they were both very swollen and cold. My fingers would not function, and I had an incredibly difficult time undoing any buckles! Again, I wondered if I was cut out for this¢¦        With a pounding headache, I went about setting up my hammock on a slope behind the shelter. I knew how to tie a half-hitch, but could not for the life of me remember how to start the knot! Erik watched me with difficulty as I struggled, wanting to help, but knowing it was better if he did not, as I would have to be able to do this on my own. It was a trying time, but I managed. Once the hammock was strung, I set about tying the tarp lines to the stakes, finding it very difficult to do in the cold.        Once it was all set and stable, we retreated to the shelter and made dinner. Erik tried to make me a protein shake, but the consistency was so thick, that I could not drink it. We had a special piece of homemade dark chocolate for a treat, and then headed to our respective shelters for the night. This would be my first time sleeping in a hammock and I had to figure out how to place the sleeping pad in and get myself on top of it. At first, I placed it upside down, and could not get it to lie flat, but after I remembered that Certain had cut out some of the padding at the feet, I turned it around, and had no problems getting situated on top of it. I found there was a little pocket hanging from the top of my hammock for my glasses and compass with thermometer, just as my tent had!         Of course, just as I had turned off my light, I started hearing noises again. This time, it seemed like a man was emptying a dumpster just down the hill from me. I thought he was going to climb the hill and approach my hammock and I didn¢t know what to do! I also heard an animal investigating nearby. After realizing that everything would be okay, I tried to relax and drift off to sleep.
Date: 2008-12-27
To: Taking It Easy
Miles today: 0.0

   We heard the jet engine stove starting up and decided to get up. Jim packed up quickly and headed off to Rockfish Gap, while we lolly-gagged around without a real plan. "That's it?" Erik asked as Jim meandered off. We didn¢t have a strong incentive to spend another night out in the woods. We kept thinking of Certain¢s warm and cozy house and how much fun it would be to stay there. I started reading the registry, and at 11am, we headed south toward McCormick Gap again. The weather had turned much warmer, and our outlook improved dramatically! What a difference a day can make! It felt like summer! We hiked past the tractor seats that we had tried out on our first day, descended to McCormick Gap, and then climbed the same steep hill where we had lunched. The hip belt on the Catalyst was causing me so much pain, that I felt like I couldn¢t continue at a couple of points, but I loosened it and pressed on. We decided to eat lunch at the top of the hill- just beyond where we had stopped the first day.       But before we got to that point, we encountered two men with large beer bellies, missing teeth, worn-out t-shirts, and gold chains around their necks. They were headed in the opposite direction and couldn¢t believe that the distance between the two gaps was only 2 miles. They were struggling and hoping for sight of the next road. Erik told them they didn¢t have far to go and they seemed very happy to hear that. Before they left us, they warned us about a rock scramble we had ahead of us. ¢You should take her pack when she goes over it, and then she can take yours,¢ one of them said. We weren¢t planning on hiking much farther, but I just had to see this place! I was pretty sure that I could get over the rocks without removing my pack. We walked along and didn¢t see anything. Finally, we saw a large rock in front of us. This has to be it, I thought. Erik wasn¢t sure, but there seemed to be no other option. The funniest part was seeing how the trail wound directly around the rock! They somehow did not see either the trail or the white blaze on the tree next to it, and thought they had to scale this rock! No wonder they were so tired! We decided to award their move with a Darwin¢s survival of the fittest nomination.        We scrabbled through the forest to reach the highest point in our vicinity and called Certain to ask if they would be available for dinner. She told us when she would be home from work, and we had plenty of time to hike back to Beagle Gap where our car was parked, and relax in the warm sun in a field. It felt so wonderful to remove the pack! Now this was something I could get used to!
Date: 2009-03-07
To: 6 miles!
Miles today: 0.0

I did it! I ran the 6 consecutive miles that I hoped to do before starting the AT! It was at a slower pace than my original expectations, but at least I did it and felt strong at the end! After I finished, I looked behind me and saw the mud coating my legs, so I had a person on the street snap a photo for me as proof and remembrance of this achievement.         I have to say that, aside from my foot pain, this is the longest period I have gone injury free since I first started trying to run in high school. I give most of the credit to the benefits of rolfing (along with a better diet, cross-training, and strength training).          Rolfing is a type of bodywork that manipulates the fascia of the body, which connects to the muscles and skeleton. By rearranging the fascia, the body is realigned, resulting in better posture and greater ease of movement. Everyone can benefit from this type of work, but I know for a fact that those who suffer from injury after injury like me, benefit dramatically from this process. Since my backbone is strongly curved, it sets up an imbalance in my pelvis and continues through every other structure to my feet. I received the initial series of 10 rolfing sessions during the late summer and early fall of 2007 and have since received an additional few sessions from an advanced rolfer for problems that continue to bother me. I had been suffering from a very painful Achilles tendon for nearly two years prior to being rolfed, and since the sessions ended, this problem has been significantly reduced and I have not sustained any additional structural injuries that have prevented me from exercising. I highly recommend this process to anyone and everyone! (In an unrelated side note, I wanted to mention that Ray LaMontagne¢s performance on SNL was not his best! He seemed out of his element. But I heard him sing live in October and he was amazing. And each of his three CD¢s are outstanding!)
Date: 2009-03-19
To: Spring is near!
Miles today: 0.0

It¢s time again. Tear up the violets and plant something more difficult to grow.                                                -James Schuyler        The preparatory phase of my journey has drawn to a close and tomorrow I will venture into a new world. I will climb Springer Mountain on the first day of spring. Who can say what awaits me, what challenges lie in my path, and what I will discover? Although the contents of my pack are not tidily put away, most of my mail drops not yet started, and the number of days I have exercised at all in the past few weeks far and few (we¢ll just call it ¢tapering¢), I feel surprisingly serene.         I am ready.
Date: 2009-04-06
From: Gatlinburg

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

The storm never came... but boy what a difference in the temperature! It was almost too hot yesterday, with the sun blazing down (walking around Gatlinburg felt like being at Disney World!), but the next day, we had on our down jackets and we were still chilly! Erik and I drove downtown to find a breakfast spot, not realizing there would be no place to park. We spotted a long line of people waiting to get into the 'Pancake Pantry', so we figured that was the place to be! I ended up waiting for Erik in the foyer while he parked at an $8 spot (which turned out to be not very far from our motel...). We shared a Western omelette and whole wheat pancakes, and also an order of Austrian apple walnut crepes. The crepes were way too sweet, but the omelette and wheat pancakes were perfect! (along with orange juice and coffee). This would become my staple meal in Gatlinburg!   We headed back to the motel where I started typing away, and then I got very tired. I took a much-needed nap, and slept incredibly hard for about an hour. Then, it was back to typing! There was only one computer in the motel, but luckily, Erik had brought along his laptop for me to write on. He did an excellent job bringing me everything that I could want or need during this little break. He even massaged my feet with Arnica and applied some liquid tiger balm to help soothe the pain on my arches. I did not sleep well the night before because the insides of my arches were very bruised, swollen, and painful, and the outsides of both knees really hurt as well. Every time I turned, one of these tender parts would bear too much weight and keep me from sleeping.   I was hoping some of my trailmates would be coming in off the mountain, but there were very few hikers at the motel. Erik did our laundry and would come back to our room and report back on who he saw. I recognized his description of Ian and Anita (Mr. Ed and Lightweight), so we found out what room they were in and hung out with them for a bit. We found out that it had started snowing in the mountains that morning and that they had closed the roads to Newfound Gap! They made it down just in time! This was something I had not considered! The weather would be even worse on Tuesday, so I had no choice but to take a second zero. That was a good thing, as I had only written four entries that day (with six still to go...)! I got to see a few minutes of 'Dancing with the Stars', with a take-out meal of burgers and chili that Erik brought back to our room.   Tomorrow, my task would be six entries, plus label the pictures on my second memory card!
Date: 2009-04-07
From: Gatlinburg

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I woke up to see snow on the trees in Gatlinburg! Oh boy... I knew it was much worse up in the mountains and felt thankful that I was safe and warm in a room with a bed! I guess Erik did have the right idea in coming to take me down into town for a little respite from the Smokies. I thought I was going to breeze through it with no problem! We breakfasted at the 'Pancake Pantry' again, this time joined by Anita and Ian. Then, it was back to the motel for day two of writing. Erik went for a 4 mile walk to the Park Visitor's Center by himself. As the day progressed, he felt more and more neglected by me, as I was putting all of my time into writing journal entries and labeling pictures! I felt bad, but also knew there were many people waiting for me to update my journal...   We had dinner with Ian and Anita. I had chicken parmasean (which was too cheesy and rich for me), with four pieces of cheesy garlic bread! And then I had coffee and a super rich piece of chocolate cake (with the consistency of mousse!). Then, it was time to get my picture labeling done!    Erik had to leave town the next day to get back for a meeting on Thursday, but the road to Newfound Gap (as well as other roads around town were still closed). It was looking like I would have to spend yet another night in Gatlinburg! The snowstorm and this town were sucking a lot of unexpected money out of me! When would I be able to get back on the trail?
Date: 2009-04-08
From: Gatlinburg

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Finally... a real zero day!   With the roads still closed and Erik needing to get back to Durham, I set aside the remainder of my writing, and decided to have some fun for once! But first, I needed to attend to some gear issues. We walked over to the 'Happy Hiker' outfitter where I hoped to get my shoes waterproofed (I had walked the 40 miles from Hiawassee to Franklin with puddles in my shoes!). We were told again that there was a foot and a half of snow in the mountains with chest-high drifts, and that the temperature had dropped to 14 degrees last night! Hmmm... We headed over to the now depleted crampon section and found a pair of cleats I could strap over my shoes with metal knobs to help me get over the ice and snow. We went back to the room to wipe off and spray my shoes with the repellant and headed off to the visitor's center. We walked through their museum, containing several of the animal and plant species found in the Smokies, but I did not see the bird (nor the flowers) that I had most consistently been seeing. I wish I knew more about the wildlife around me (something to do later on, I guess).    Next, we headed back to Main St. for my staple meal, and then a round of mini-golf! For the first time on this trip, I did something other than hike or write about it! I was totally free and relaxed! I got a hole-in-one on the second hole, and things were looking great, but then my luck reversed and Erik ended up winning. But the new easy-going me was okay with it!    Next up was Erik's choice of entertainment: a hall of mirrors. I thought it was going to be a series of disorted mirrors, but it turned out to be a mirror maze with colored lights and pop/techno music: a perfect place to break out a little robot/popping! Lots of fun! Erik took a bunch of pictures. Then, it was off to the ice cream shop! I wanted a scoop with three of my favorite flavors: peanut butter chocolate, mint-chocolate chip, and mocha almond. The lady thought I wanted a scoop of each, so she pulled out the jumbo cup! Well... I ended up eating it all! I am primed and ready for the half-gallon challenge!!   Erik left a little after 5 (while I still had on my back-up pair of hiking shoes that he had brought for me...!) and I started packing up my gear and writing two more entries. The three days of rest was good for my body, as the pain in my arches gradually subsided with each day. Tomorrow morning, I am scheduled for an 8:30am taxi with Anita and Ian that is headed back to Newfound Gap!
Date: 2009-04-12
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: clear sky

The Easter bunny came to our shelter last night! I was the first to wake up, and saw a lime-colored plastic egg next to my head! I thought it might have belonged to Flamethrower or Smurfette, who were hanging their bags on the side of the shelter I was on. But then I looked across the shelter and saw a different colored plastic egg by everyone's head! And I looked out into the woods and saw more eggs in the tree stumps, on the bear cables, and by everyone's tents! Wow! Easter at home is never like this!! There were two dark chocolate Hershey's kisses in each egg. I wanted to tell everyone that the Easter bunny came, but I also wanted to be able to take some pictures and get a head start on packing up, as I'm slower than most people to do so. So, I let everyone discover them on their own. How fun! Now this is an Easter I will never forget!   Truckin' left at 8am as usual, and I did not get going until 8:40. I passed by Spirit, and soon after, saw Truckin' ahead! She was gazing at the green valley we were passing above. "Hey!" she called out when she saw me. We both were ready to remove some layers, and we ended up hiking together for most of the day, which was nice. We got to have a little girl-talk, and just catch up, as we had never spent much time just with each other. We came upon "Wolfy", as Truckin' affectionately calls Wolverine (who had been booking it, thinking that both Spirit and Truckin' were ahead of him). He was surprised to see us! He ended up hiking with us for a little bit. At one point, a pheasant got spooked and flew out only yards in front of Wolverine. "Does anyone else want to take the lead?" he joked. It startled us all.   Later on, we got another surprise. Skip came up behind us! He was happy to take the middle position between the ladies! He charmed us with his knowledge of some of the plant life we had been seeing, as well as special dishes he cooks up on occasion (marinated portabello mushrooms with goat cheese and sliced cucumbers and tomatoes). Oh, Skip... The three of us lunched together at Deer Park Mountain Shelter, and then the girls moved on to Hot Springs! "Have a good ladies night out on the town!" Skip called after us. Truckin said, "Have a good man's night in!"      We descended into Hot Springs and Truckin' sang "The girls are back in town..." It was hot in Hot Springs (about 75 degrees!) We found Elmer's house and were extremely fortunate to get our own rooms! This place is wonderful! (Unfortunately, we arrived on their night off from cooking dinner- once every three weeks ). But as Truckin' is fond of saying, "Life is good..."
Date: 2009-04-28
From: Damascus

To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Although we all went to sleep really late (between 12:30-1 am), after talking with Wolf Paw, I slept for several hours and it felt good! Patch felt so good that he got up at 6 am and did push-ups! I woke up sometime after seven when I heard the coffee maker clanging and banging. I joined my bunkmates on the porch for coffee and a banana and then we went our separate ways for our real breakfast. I had my heart set on Mojoe's, as they had Internet service, as well as good food.      I wished I could have ordered everything on the menu, as it all sounded so good, but went with the everything omelet and a latte. I think the best part of the breakfast was the strawberry jam for the toast. That tasted really good! Then, I decided to get one of the cinammon buns with the big glob of icing on top. (It was just okay. Cinammon buns aren't my favorite thing.) By that time, several hikers had come in and they went straight for the 1 computer! I started to get antsy!      Finally, I was able to write one entry. While I waited for more hikers to use the computer, I hung out and labeled my pictures. Then I ordered a blueberry bagel and 'Trail Magic' shake with espresso, vanilla ice cream, and caramel, hopped back on the computer for a bit, and then headed back to the Hiker's Inn to call Erik and gather some old maps and things that I didn't need to mail back to him.      He was able to look at a trail guide and we came up with a plan. I would hike out on Wednesday and stay at Lost Mountain shelter. Then, I would hike the 13 miles to Thomas Knob shelter, where we would meet and hike up to the summit of Mt. Rogers. Simple, right?   I did my chores, saw Sandalwood, who drove me back to the wooden Damascus sign to have my picture taken underneath it, and then back to Mojoe's, where I hoped to get a sandwich that came with a brownie. However, Mojoe's was not yet operating under its spring hours and had closed at 2! So we went to the cafe adjacent to the ice cream store and Sandalwood bought me a large chicken salad for dinner. I bought some peanut butter and chocolate mint fudge for dessert and shared it with him.   Papa November, who had planned on hiking the entire trail, but decided to end his hike in Damascus, came by the Hiker's Inn to distribute his leftovers. I scored a bunch of mini snickers, M&Ms, and a couple of Paydays. Then, Sandalwood called me into the living room to watch American Idol, as well as the Dancing with the Stars results show. I was tired after that and knew my bunkmates were already sleeping, so I retired as well! Tomorrow, it would be time to pack up and hit the trail again!
Date: 2009-05-04
From: Atkins

To: Atkins
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Breakfast is served at 7am at the Happy Hiker Hollow. As usual, I didn't get much rest on this, my first of two nights in town. I always go to bed so late and then have to worry about getting up early for breakfast. I joined Braid, Red Tree, and Bahama Dave for a breakfast of French Toast, pancakes, canteloupe, apple juice, and coffee, prepared by Aqua. Aqua is an extremely hard worker, and I always enjoy seeing couples who work together as a team and who are loving towards one another (why does this seem to be so rare?). We watched the weather forecast of rain for the next five days, as the other hikers gathered their packs and headed out.    I felt a bit lonely being the only other person in the house, but it was conducive to sitting down and getting some writing done. I was able to take a nice nap in the afternoon, which I really needed. I was surprised to learn that no other hikers had called about spending the night! I knew there were lots of hikers ahead of me, but as you hike, you really don't know who is behind you. I was feeling like I might be the last one on the trail!   Ram Bunny cooked up some burgers for us, and we talked about some of her experiences on the trail. She is a treasure trove of information and has the most extensive collection of books on the Appalachian Trail that I have ever seen! I never even knew that there were so many! I would love to return there some day, look through some of her books, watch the AT documentaries, and chat some more with Ram Bunny and Aqua.    I was able to watch 'Dancing with the Stars' that evening, and even paint my nails while doing it! How fun! This place has everything a hiker could need or want and more!   Aqua and Ram Bunny bought the house from Warren Doyle, who is an avid hiker of the AT (thru-hiked 14 times?). Warren runs a seminar on AT preparation, and Ram Bunny told us that he asks the participants a series of what if questions, such as, "What do you do if it rains for five days in a row?.... You hike!" Ever scenario ended with an answer of, "You hike!"   Although I didn't get to sleep until 1 am again, I slept for a few hours with a new sense of replenishment, enthusiasm, and peace.