morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-04-12
From: Big Spring Shelter

To: Silas Bald Shelter
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: light rain

7:26 pm ¢ WindmillsAs the miles roll byMy feelings drift and scatterI dream of windmillsToday involved a lot of hiking, a lot of rain, and unfortunately, the intersection of the two. Still, I tend to crank out miles more quickly when it rains, whether it¢s due to extra motivation or simply stopping less.We had an early lunch today, then took a 0.7 mile blue blaze to see what is purported to be the world¢s second oldest yellow poplar tree. If nothing else, it¢s big. It also looks pretty dead ¢ nobody told us ahead of time that it might have croaked.I churned eight miles in three hours this afternoon trying to keep warm during ideal hypothermia conditions, arriving at the shelter just as the weather unexpectedly broke. I didn¢t complain though, merely changed into something dry and cooked an early dinner. I need to figure out what¢s going on with my food bag ¢ I swear it¢s double the size of everybody else¢s and I¢m certainly not eating twice as much. I¢ll sort it out day after next at the NOC when I get my food drop.The shelter looks full tonight ¢ seven across and one at the feet. I finally caught up with Brewmaster, whose register entries I¢ve been reading for the last few days. As I suspected, he¢s a fan of Brick Skeller (Editor¢s Note ¢ check out the Guinness record holder for most beers under one roof south of Dupont Circle in DC. http://www.thebrickskeller.net ) A guy named Paul also drifted in recently ¢ quiet fellow, but a lot of fun to talk to. He¢s tenting ¢ hopefully these blue skies last the night for him.Finally, I find myself wishing for a Sherpa. My external camera mic has stopped working. I checked and all of the trail magic footage from yesterday has no sound. That¢s a major disappointment, since it was the best stuff I shot. Hopefully it¢s just the battery. I¢ll try to swap out as soon as I can, along with the battery for other electrical devices. My watch¢s low battery light has been on for a few days and my headlamp died last night. Luckily, I don¢t think I have any other electronics that can fail, other than the camera, of course. Now if you¢ll excuse me, I¢ll go find the largest piece of wood I can for knocking purposes.One more note ¢ some of my waterproof bags aren¢t as waterproof as I thought, namely the one I was using for my sleeping bag. My pack is also less water resistant than previously believed. Live and learn. I guess I¢ll be shuffling around stuff sacks and buying a pack cover at the NOC.
Date: 2005-04-13
From: Silas Bald Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: light rain

7:34 pm ¢ Go Your Own WayBefore I started hiking, I read an online article entitled, ¢The Thru-Hiking Papers.¢ One suggestion made by the author was to write a contract with yourself. To hike your own hike, he said, you should know what your hike is. What follows is my personal contract.Listen to my body. If it aches, tend to it. If a blister or hotspot appears, treat it immediately. My body is the one and only thing that will get me to Maine.Don¢t be pressured. If I do anything, it will be because I want to do it, not because everybody else is doing it. I won¢t get Lekis unless I think they¢ll help. I won¢t do a long day when my body needs to recover even if it means falling behind a group. The trail has many temptations ¢ mileage competitions, trail towns, pot, the half gallon challenge and that final cheeseburger. I will be sure that any decision is mine.Don¢t be ¢that guy.¢ I won¢t be the snide, the obnoxious, the talker, the beggar and so on. I will respect others¢ hikes and do what I can to make theirs a pleasant hike.Hike with my camera , not for my camera. Yes, I¢m carrying about five pounds of video gear. Yes, my second journal entry concerns a documentary. Still, I¢m here for hiking first ¢ video will not interfere with my enjoyment of my hike. Regardless of what I may have previously said, my video is primarily for myself, to document my trip. I won¢t plan my trip around getting better documentation. Likewise I will try not to be ¢that guy¢ with the camera. It¢s better to lose some footage and gain a friend than vice versa.Hike the white blazes. As of most you know, the AT is blazed with white marks. White blazes are purists who try to hike past every single blaze on the trail. Most side trails are marked with blue blazes. Blue blazers hike from Georgia to Maine, but they may deviate from the official AT at points, whether it is to see a more scenic vista or to bypass a tough mountain. Yellow blazes follow the blazes down the middle of the highway skipping sections of the trail using nothing but their thumb. Though I will be white blazing, I won¢t look down on those who aren¢t or try to diminish their accomplishment. After all, aren¢t we all out here to have fun in our own way?In the spirit of the Thru-Hiking Papers, I will allow myself to change or alter this agreement at any time, consciously or unconsciously, with or without written or verbal agreement.
Date: 2005-04-15
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Locust Cove Gap
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: clear sky

9:05 pm - TaxmanLast night at the NOC was pretty wild and crazy. I¢ll leave the details to the reader¢s imagination.This morning surprisingly started at the usual time. I enjoyed a rather luxurious shower and then had a large, non-oatmeal breakfast with extra biscuits for fifty cents each. I lazily packed up and found some time to interview Sal, a section hiker (so named due to an incident involving a water filter and two salamanders) and Gozar. I¢ve ended up at shelters a few times before with Sal, but won¢t any more ¢ he finished his hike and headed for home today.I finally set out around 11:15 on the trail, and boy was it a climb ¢ 3,500 feet over eight miles with very few breaks. Well, I took a few anyways, once for the barbeque sandwich I packed out of the NOC and another time to admire the view with Low Bridge and the Professor. Towards late afternoon, our Crew (now the 4 horsemen, Jeff, Amy, Slim, and Mr. Sweepers) made it to the top of Cheaoah Bald. We were content to just bask in the sun for a long, long while, making only the occasional Chia pet joke or stopping to hum the Sanford and Son theme song, which sounds scarily like the Chia pet theme song.Eventually, we pulled ourselves away from the bald and sharply descended to Locust Cove Gap, a nice little saddle snuggled deep inside the woods. It was getting late, so we set up camp, had dinner and stood around the campfire for a short bit before sacking out. There wasn¢t much extra time for shenanigans.It should be an easy day tomorrow ¢ twelve miles to Cable Gap shelter and then just six more to Fontana Dam the day after. A day of rest and then onto the Smokies!
Date: 2005-04-16
From: Locust Cove Gap

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: clear sky

One word describes today perfectly: laid back. Okay, so I lied. Two words describe today perfectly. (Editors note ¢ it is acceptable to spell it also as ¢laidback.¢ But, Dave¢s still a liar in his own ways, I¢m sure.) I slept in late (nearly 8 am!) and got started late (9:45 am) but since I wasn¢t in a rush it didn¢t matter. In fact, it felt good.We hit more trail magic too. EZ Does It rolled into camp this morning (really cool guy who has thru-hiked every year since 2000 or 2001) and predicted that we may find something at Stecoah Gap since it was a beautiful Saturday morning. An hour and a half later, he was proved right. Three thruhikers from last year were manning a picnic table full of goodies ¢ Crank, Liz and Deeds who was the same guy I met my first night out up on top of Springer. It was great to run into him again. An hour or so later, I felt quite satisfied by three turkey sandwiches, an orange, some Cheetos, two slices of cantaloupe, three little Debbies cakes and two cans of Dr. Thunder. I also threw two cans of beer in my pack, figuring it would be quite appreciated at the shelter around dinner time (it was).The afternoon was gorgeous, so I took my time, playing around a lot with my camera. I caught up to the early risers (Frank, Jeff and Amy) at a gap where they were stretched across various logs, soaking in the sun. I was very tempted to join them, but I was feeling very good and wanted to keep hiking. It was an easy grade the rest of the way in, where Head First had already arrived. I set my tarp up down the hill by the stream; I¢m trying the ¢flying wedge¢ configuration tonight. It¢s a very nice spot and very quiet since the main tent city is slightly uphill of the shelter.I talked tarps a bit with EZ Does It before dinner. He had cut his tarp down to 9 x 7 and was trying to get it set up. I was mainly just a sounding board, but he did give me a few ideas. (1) Stake down the corners loosely before setting it up (2) Use thermalite for a ground pod ¢ it won¢t absorb moisture like plastic. (3) Don¢t cut a 10x8 tarp down to 9x7.I hope my overall mood for the day is quite apparent: happy and content. This trip is one of the best things I¢ve ever done. I have the feeling that I¢ll tend to categorize events in my life as pre-AT and post-AT. This is an amazing experience, and I¢m only two weeks into it. Only five more months to go.
Date: 2005-04-19
To: Editor's Note
Miles today: 0.0

Hello, faithful readers.Just wanted to apologize for the backup in putting entries up. Dave's doing well and I have a good many more to put up.If you have any pictures of Dave or other materials you'd like to put up, please feel free to email them to me. (jttsai AT gmail DOT com).Also, Dave does have limited email access on the trail -- he's checking it every now and again in the towns he passes through, so feel free to email him. If you want to meet up with him, or whatever, feel free to email him to try to coordinate.I'm going to try to meet up with Dave in Harper's Ferry, WV or SNP, VA or maybe some New York hiking later on. Let me know if anyone's interested also.best,James Tsai
Date: 2005-04-19
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: scattered clouds

9:11 pm - Into the Great Wide OpenWell, I¢m disappointed. I¢ve been in the Smokies for twelve hours and haven¢t seen a single bear. I¢m camping outside the shelter tonight in a tent circle I¢ve dubbed ¢Bait City.¢ Technically, you¢re not supposed to camp unless the shelter is full, but oh well. My back has been hurting when I sleep on a shelter¢s hard, wooden floor and I need a break so I can get a full night¢s sleep. In a shelter, I¢ve been awakening around 3 am unable to lie flat on my back. Hopefully I just need to get accustomed to it.After entering the Smokies this morning (farewell Hilton) we immediately climbed Shuckstock and were rewarded by incredible views from a very rickety fire tower. I tried a grazing approach to lunch today, stopping every hour or so to have a bit more lunch (tortillas with peanut butter, mixed fruit, and a candy bar). It seemed to work alright though I did miss the extended break I¢ve grown accustomed to.I briefly ran into a ridge runner just before Mullies Knob Shelter; he was headed to Birch Spring Campsite to address a problem bear. Mullies Spring was a nice shelter ¢ the metal cage for which the Smokes Shelters are famous had been removed. A park ranger told me the other day that hikers tend to get sloppy due to the cages, which ultimately tracks more bears, so they are slowly being removed. It¢s a classic example of the solution being worse than the problem.Russell Field Shelter, however, is old school all the way. It¢s a dark, depressing cave once inside. I¢m hoping that the other shelters we hit are newer ones, but I¢m not holding my breath. As long as I can tent without getting caught by a ranger, though, I¢ll be okay.We¢ve got a good crowd here tonight. Jay and Sloppy have arrived, along with Jay¢s dad. We¢ve got the usual crowd, Mr. Sweepers, Jude, Head First, and a few new faces I didn¢t get to meet yet.On a similar note, I misidentified Fester last night as Mr. Sweepers. Fester is Kevin, a guy I met on top of Springer. It turns out he¢s a free lance light rigger for films and TV living in Richmond. He, McGyver and I geeked out for a while talking cameras and the like, Fester told me about Project Revolution, a place where amateurs can have their films shown in Richmond. It¢s definitely worth checking out ¢ www.projectres.com or org I think. McGyver mentioned the Beale TRV 900 website which has all sorts of cool info about my camera. I¢ll have to investigate further when I get Internet access and some spare time.One final note ¢ the blister free portion of my hike is over. I¢ve got a small one on a toe on my right foot. I suppose I¢ll be happy if I only get one blister for each 176.4 miles walked. That reminds me ¢ I only have 1998.5 miles left to go. I¢m under the 2000 mile barrier! It¢s nice to notice a milestone; I didn¢t recognize that I¢d passed 100 trail miles until a few days after the fact.No real conclusion for today¢s journal entry, much like most of life itself.
Date: 2005-04-23
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: light rain

10:05 pm ¢ That Good Ole Mountain DewWell, we got the rain yesterday. It started off beautifully ¢ Professor Nutbay, Low Bridge and I enjoyed some spectacular views from Charlie¢s Bunion, a really cool rock formation. I technically became a blue blazer though. We took the bunion trail rather than the AT. However, the bunion trail was the AT a few years ago, so we didn¢t consider it ¢cheating.¢ It was a stupid reroute of the trail.And then the rains fell down. We had a wet morning, but luckily, the heavens broke exactly as we reached a half mile spur trail to a shelter. We didn¢t want to lose a mile on a rainy day, and we didn¢t. A half hour after we stopped, the rains returned and so did we to our hiking.We reached the shelter and afternoon, and as suspected, Crazy Legs and Low Bridge had moved on. The rest of us stayed in a shelter that rapidly filled up. We even had a ridge runner ¢ Shatter. Batch showed up at the end of the day when the shelter was full. He was told the next shelter was 7.5 miles on. ¢Yup, that¢s what I¢ll do,¢ he replied, as he set out to do some stealth camping instead.Some more thunderstorms swept through overnight, each one starting practically instantaneously. The winds howled, but the tarp of Tricorner knob shelter held tight, keeping us warm and dry. We awoke early to cloudy skies but dry weather. Unfortunately, it didn¢t hold. Before breakfast was over I¢d seen rain, hail, and snow. I left in the sleet.In the midst of all the ingredients for a miserable day, beauty prevailed. The weather was rough, but it was exhilarating. I felt alive. The rains slowed and a light blanket of snow lined the trail. I hiked all day with the Professor, dry and comfortable. It was one of the best days I¢ve had so far on the trip and was a wonderful way to finish the Smokies.We rendezvoused with Jeff and Amy at Davenport Gap shelter and hiked the final 0.9 miles out of the park. We opted to push on to the Standing Bear Farm hostel, which turned out to be a very cool place. I highly recommend that any future thru-hikers stay here. It¢s got a bunk house with a nice fireplace, hot shower, laundry, internet, and an honor-system based camp store. The guy who runs it ¢ Curtis ¢ is nice as can be. It¢s only been open a year or two, and will only get better.We cooked up some pork chops for dinner, which I washed down with pizza and moonshine, which had been procured by an unnamed member of our hiking party. It was strong, but surprisingly smooth. I can¢t say I¢ve ever had moonshine before, but it makes up for the disappointment of Rocky Top.In the end, the Smokies, were a mixed bag. We had good weather for most of it and great views, but my favorite parts were when the trail wound through the lush vegetation of the lower elevation. Unfortunately, it didn¢t do it much. Still, it was a good stretch that I¢m also glad to have behind me.
Date: 2005-04-24
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: overcast clouds

7:49 pm ¢ Waiting on a Sunny DayAfter hiking 237.3 miles and finishing the Smokies ahead of schedule, I feel that I have earned the right to be lazy for a day. I awoke to a light blanket of snow, a snowstorm, and a weather forecast calling for more. I contemplated taking a zero day and making a two day dash to Hot Springs in nicer weather, but any desire to hike won out ¢ sort of. Despite preparing for a quick departure last night, I lingered at the hostel until nearly ten. I then trekked the five miles up the aptly named Snowbird Mountain, the snow deepening with each step. By the time I reached the top, there were several inches of snow on the ground, a daunting quantity for a man wearing running shows and Coolmax socks. Drifts were well above my anklesThe views were uninspiring due to the continuing snow showers, so I continued down the backside of the mountain without stopping for long. I grew a bit chilled but was able to warm up pretty quickly. Dropping down to a lower elevation definitely helped too. At 1:30 I reached my final destination of Groundhog Creek Shelter, a mere 7.2 miles from my point of origin. It was 11 and change to the next shelter. Rather than risk getting into a hypothermic situation on Max Patch or having to tent at the next shelter, I opted to stay despite the early hour. I found a copy of Catcher in the Rye in the shelter and settled in for an afternoon with Holden Caulfield.Slim, Jeff and Amy also stayed, but everyone else moved on, including Professor and Jude. However, we¢ll probably catch them tomorrow since they¢re just tenting a few miles up the trail. Everyone else will be pushing on to Hot Springs. In the shelter we¢ve also got two teachers from New York City; Bill Smith (a Smokies -> Damascus section hiker), and Turbo Joe, a thru-hiker returning to the trail after taking two weeks off for a wedding. It¢s a quiet crowd, but it¢s a nice change of pace. Plus, Turbo Joe has a bubble wand. He also has a bell on his hiking pole to use when he passes other hikers, but that¢s another story altogether.
Date: 2005-04-25
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter

To: Possibly a mile after Garenflow Gap
Miles today: 20.6

What a perfect day. I awoke to clear skies and fantastic weather. We got an early start and I hiked with Jeff and Amy up to Max Patch. As we climbed, the snow got thicker and the weather grew colder. Before leaving the woods, there was even a snow angel in a bank. We caught Slim right as we entered the meadow. It was a spectacular view, but the winds were mighty fierce. I had joked about building a snowman on the way up, that idea was squashed by reality. We quickly retreated to the leeward side of the mountain and had a hurried lunch.The afternoon was gorgeous and the miles flew by. We reached our original destination of Walnut Mountain Shelter a little after two. We rested then decided to press on. It was too gorgeous a day to waste sitting around a shelter. We hiked on for a few more miles, clearing Bluff Mountain and descending its backside. We soon hit a spot where the AT joins three forest roads in a clearing. It was perfect for a campsite, so we settled in next to the New York teachers from last night who had the same idea. (Curiously they seem to have disappeared. I think they holed up in their tent.)The evening has been calm and still, a far cry from the hustle and bustle of a shelter. The woods have dried out quickly, so we had a nice fire to keep our attention. Jeff joked that each year the AT has some trademark ¢ drought, floods, etc. He¢s going to be working on a fishing boat in Alaska after Damascus and joked about sending entire salmon to general delivery for the next thru-hiker to pass through. Imagine a hiker pulling into camp with the fins of a beautiful fifteen pound salmon sticking out of his pack, or a Katahdir triumph picture with the salmon lifted in victory over a hiker¢s head. Yes, sir ¢ this could be the year of the salmon.Right now, I¢m hoping for a calm night. Because my tarp is pitched on an old forest road, I couldn¢t drive in any stakes ¢ surface may be grass, but there¢s plenty of crushed gravel below. I had to scrounge up rocks and tie the guylines to them instead. It¢s all fairly precarious, and liable to blow over in a heavy wind. But now, I¢ll take my chances lie back and relax, letting the sounds of owls and coyotes lull me to sleep.
Date: 2005-04-28
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I heard a sad story today. On the trail, I met two people who previously had a thru-hike cut short by this very medium ¢ trailjournals. They had a house near the trail, and a traveling companion had posted the location of their home. This couple didn¢t much appreciate this breach of privacy, rightly considering it an invitation for thieves and rogues. Thus, they cut their journey short. Should any fellow trailjournal posters be reading this, please take this lesson to heart. Before posting a detailed log of a fellow traveler¢s activities, please consider the potential consequences. Having a public forum is a great privilege, but it also has its costs. What seems a minor detail to you could be a severe invasion of privacy for another.Now I¢ll get off my soapbox and return to the previously scheduled programming.A beautiful morning became even more beautiful due to a nice bout of trail magic ¢ beef stew, ice cream sundaes, cappuccino, and a handful of candy bars. We were ¢tricked¢ when we first saw a sign announcing trail magic; it said it was for April 27-28 only. However, our angels do this often and put a fresh sign out daily. Sneaky.I lingered too long and paid the price. The afternoon skies turned gray and a cold rain began to fall. I hiked across an exposed rock ridgeline in the pouring rain, missing out on a view that would be fantastic on any other day. The cliffs were great ¢ it was as if somebody transplanted the White Mountains to Tennessee. But in the rain, rock is slick, and the non-rock areas were mud or roots. In short, it wasn¢t a pleasant experience. I hiked on, cold, wet, and not having much fun.Things improved when I reached the shelter. I managed to snag the last open space. I was prepared to tent but glad I didn¢t have to. It¢s easier to dry out in a larger space ¢ plus I don¢t have to carry a wet tarp tomorrow. An AT saying is that the shelter isn¢t full until it¢s full, but nobody else wanted to squeeze in after me, so it looks like I¢ll be spending the night nestled between Jude and G.R.U.M.P. (Grinning Retired United Methodist Pastor) and below Crazy Legs¢ hammock. Good stuff ¢ at least it¢ll be dry.Every day out here may not be fun, but it¢ll be an adventure.
Date: 2005-04-29
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: light rain

I¢m enjoying a break from the rain right now. Argo¢s got a radio so that¢s some Dire Straits in the background. Out in the woods, we¢re the Sultans of Swing.Though it rained almost all day, today¢s been great. I got an early start and took an early lunch at Flint Ridge Shelter during a lull in the rain. I passed a nice waterfall in the late morning before slugging up a mud slope posing as a hill. It was two steps up and one step back the whole way. It made me appreciate the ridge walk for the rest of the afternoon.At 3:30, I had a surprise ¢ Hogback Ridge Shelter only had a single occupant. Of course, the pack of six people I passed on Flint Ridge who were zeroing was likely a contributing factor. Still, having a nearly empty shelter on a rainy afternoon is an anomaly. It didn¢t last ¢ we¢re up to seven with one more on the way. But hey ¢ the shelter¢s not full until it¢s full.For now, though it¢s time to just sit back and chill. It¢s looking to be a nice evening, we¢ve got a fire started, and this classic rock station is on fire. I¢ll see you on the dark side of the moon.