morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-13
From: Deer Park Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up to a beautiful morning! and a town awaits! what a good start to the day! Ahh, Hot Springs, the "best small town on the trail," according to some magazine, and when I got there I could see why. It was cute, small, very hiker-friendly and had great restaurants along with, yes, hot springs! We hiked into town, stopping at the Hostel at Laughing Heart Lodge where I met Chuck Norris and Tigger, friends of Maw, hikers who run the place. Chuck Norris immediately reminded me of my college professor, Dr. Robinson, by his appearance and personality!Tigger handed me three packages: one that Maw had left with some trail food I asked her to bring which also contained some extra goodies, one small one from my parents (boring), and one from Weatherman, who clearly knows the heart of a hiker girl...It contained lots of chocolate, snacks, a couple facial masks, nail polish (which I did not use!), and plenty of random supplies that he knew I needed, all with little comments on post-it notes. Basically it was the best care package ever. I am so blessed by his friendship. We went into the main part of town for breakfast and I spent the remainder of the day doing laundry, organizing my gear, eating, and hanging out with lots of other hikers there. I also ate an entire (14"?) pizza, which in hindsight I should not have done as I got way too full, but it was *delicious*. Probably the best pizza I've ever had.
Date: 2013-05-14
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Last night I slept in a room with Piper and Spooky, but did not sleep well because, guess what?! Spooky was SNORING! (and, to be fair, I was coughing). I resolved then and there to get my own damn room next time I am at a hostel--or to sleep outside in my tarp. In the morning, half asleep, I got up and went into the kitchen, where a bunch of guys were hanging out. As I poured myself a cup of coffee, one of the guys (who is quite the flirt, I've come to realize, and is from Louisiana--where I'm told they speak their mind??) said: "I gotta say, Poppins, you are looking sexy this morning!" (!!!!!) I was pretty shocked as I've never had anyone tell me that to my face before. I don't remember what I said back, but I'm sure I looked aghast, rolled my eyes and said something like, "Thanks, I guess??" Part of me was kind of flattered to hear that on the trail, since usually when I hike I feel pretty hideous, covered in scratches, dirty and whatnot, with my face broken out and my hair greasy. It has been quite interesting being on the trail with so many guys...and kinda fun in a way, I have to admit :-) I feel special since there aren't that many of us women out here! I wasn't sure if I would hike or take a zero, but when I found out I could get a massage in the morning and that I could also do a work-for-stay for a second night at the hostel, I decide to go ahead and take the day off. I got a nice massage and then had brunch in town with Jason and Paul, followed by some time doing errands...As many of you know, I am rather frugal, so I was not going to spend $15 dollars on a visit to the hot spring, but when the massage therapist suggested it might help me feel better, I went ahead--also thinking, when in Hot Springs, go ahead and enjoy a hot spring...and I'm so glad I did. I got my own little hot tub in a private enclosed area, looking out on the river, and since I was alone and didn't have a swim suit I decided to ditch the clothes rather than wear wet clothes the rest of the day...The bath felt amazing...I called some girlfriends on the phone and chatted and had a lovely time. Ahhhh!!Then I followed it up with a big burger and fries and a hard cider :-) oh yes!When I got back to the hostel, Chuck Norris surprised me by giving me my very own room that night. What a nice guy.
Date: 2013-05-15
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

After packing up, I went into town to the Hillbilly Market to get a pastry (banana bread) and then stopped by the Hiker's Ridge Ministry Resource Center to pass greetings on from Maw and my friend Mandi to the lady that works there. She gave me warm snickerdoodles, and on that sugar rush, Beamer and I hiked up out of town...Up, because it was a lot of uphill. Seems that every town is in a valley and requires a long uphill climb to get out. Maw had called me to tell me that she was going to be at Trail Days and offered to pick me and anyone else up who also wanted to go. I agreed, because it was a chance to see Maw again! Beamer wanted to go, too, so over the next three days, Beamer and I were going to hike 43 miles to Sam's Gap, where Maw would pick us up to take us to Damascus, VA. We were hoping to hike about 15 miles leaving Hot Springs, but the trail was difficult (tons of uphill) and the day was noticeably humid. We saw a copperhead today. It blended in so well, it was hard to see. I wonder how many snakes I'm not seeing (and glad of it!). Not feeling super energetic, I decided that if I saw Ian and Leslie at that first shelter, I would stop there for the day. Sure enough, there they were, along with SIS, Rooster, and Fat Man Walking. So I decided to camp with them, up on a knoll. We had a nice time hanging out, and later we could just barely see the lights from Knoxville, TN, off into the distance. It was the warmest night I can remember so far. I invited all of them to go to Trail Days with us, and Rooster and Fat Man Walking agreed.
Date: 2013-05-16
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Really long day but I felt surprisingly good! I hiked from 8-6:40. The weather, especially compared to the day before, was *perfect* for a long hike: overcast and breezy, with lots of vistas. I hiked in the afternoon a lot with Ian and Leslie (Springbok and Kitty), whom I've come to find out are also Christians and just lovely people altogether. They also hike quite fast...fast enough to help me pace. Looking forward to seeing Maw tomorrow! Toying with the idea of getting a new, smaller, lighter pack in Damascus.
Date: 2013-05-17
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Sam's Gap/Damascus, VA
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: few clouds

The hike out to Sam's Gap felt much longer than 11 miles for Beamer, Rooster, Fat Man Walking, and myself. Maw would pick the four of us up there to take us 2 hours north for Trail Days, which is a HUGE hiker bash/festival in Damascus, VA. When we got down to the Gap, Maw greeted each of us with a big hug...and ice-cold lemonade, focaccia bread, cookies and oranges! YES! I had a feeling she'd go all out, thru-hiker as she herself is. Ian and Leslie also showed up and got to enjoy some snacks before heading off up the trail. I hope I will catch up to them--they are heading to Harper's Ferry by mid-July. Considering how strong they hike, I should probably be hiking rather than updating my trail journal if I really want to catch up! In Damascus it was a zoo of hikers...The "Tent City" area of town was full of tents all over a huge grassy field, and there were literally multiple neighborhoods of tents waaaaay back in the woods...And the partying had already begun. But we found a quiet(er) area to camp in and then took showers in a portable shower building that one of the local churches had set up. They even did my laundry...All in the name of Jesus. It was clear that all the churches in the area consider this a big outreach/ministry opportunity and were outdoing themselves to show love, and we were grateful...
Date: 2013-05-18
From: Sam's Gap/Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

After 2 pretty nice breakfasts, one at the local firefighter's station, the other at a gas station (yep, you read that correctly), I went to hear Jennifer Pharr Davis speak...She wrote my favorite book about the AT, "Becoming Odyssa," which chronicles her first thru-hike, which I read this winter (Minneapolitans: the library has a few copies!). She recently published a second book, "Called Again," which tells about breaking the women's speed record on the AT as well as the overall speed record (47 days), and it was of this part of her life journey that she spoke. She is a great speaker, very inspirational...it just made me want to get back out on the trail. I bought her new book (I needed reading material for the trail, and no, I did not weigh the book to see if it was too heavy! ;-) and introduced myself and took my photo with her. She is awesome. I feel many similarities with her, such as how she needed to do the downhills backwards to deal with pain in her legs...After this I heard Warren Doyle (16-time AT Thru-hiker) tell stories from the trail, and then I went to the food/vendor area for lunch. I met AWOL, who wrote the guidebook I'm using (he looked SO uncomfortable, like being amongst hundreds of people was the last place he wanted to be). Then we headed to the Hiker Parade, but before it even got going, it was called off due to an accident, which I did not witness. We saw ambulances and helicopters all over and heard rumors of what happened. Apparently, an elderly man had heart attack or something and lost control of his vehicle which plowed into a crowd of people. I think 4-6 people were airlifted out. The newspapers said 60 people were injured, but I think that includes very minor injuries, scrapes and such, like from people helping lift the car off of those who had gotten run over. I heard of one hiker who got run over, but apparently the only injury she incurred was a broken toe. Amazing. The accident put a damper on the weekend, as most people were quite concerned, trying to account for all their hiker friends to make sure they were okay. I hope everyone is okay, and that no current hikers were injured enough that they couldn't keep hiking.I went to the local outfitters to try on packs but decided not to make a decision til I came back into town next week when it wouldn't be so busy. Later that night the partying got going, and Beamer took me on a tour of the aforementioned "neighborhoods" because I was curious how big tent city was....lots of people gathered around fires all over the place. We got to the main party scene...hundreds of people dancing half-naked around a huge bonfire. Not exactly my cup of tea, so we kept going. I had just had some crown royal that Beamer gave me for my horrible cough, and it hit me quickly after that, so I went to bed.
Date: 2013-05-19
From: Damascus, VA

To: Bald Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: overcast clouds

We got a late start out of Damascus, so by the time we got back to Sam's Gap, it was early afternoon. I tearfully said goodbye to Maw, resolving to meet her at the ALDHA meeting in PA in October, and then Beamer and Fat Man Walking and I headed up the trail. Rooster stayed in Damascus to hike further north from there. We didn't get very far because a thunderstorm came through and we sat under my tarp for an hour or so, waiting out the storm because we were headed up to Big Bald, which is the last place you want to be in a thunderstorm. Big Bald was beautiful, with a 360 view, when we finally got up there around 7pm. We could see the Smokies to the south. There were clouds in the valleys on all sides. So we hung out there for a bit before heading on to the shelter.
Date: 2013-05-20
From: Bald Mountain Shelter

To: Uncle Johnny's in Erwin, TN
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I got off to a late start. I wanted to read a little of Jennifer Pharr Davis' new book and, as usual, was not packing up very quickly. For some reason, I am almost always the last to leave camp...It was this way even when I was at HoneyRock. And I have yet to improve in this area. I'm sure my spiritual director would say that I need to accept this part of myself, that maybe I'm getting something out of moving slowly in the morning, and I probably do. I think a lot about this when I'm hiking...I think I'm slow because I actually cook breakfast (on an alcohol stove, which is slow) while most people just eat a granola bar and go. I like a hot beverage in the morning--also a HoneyRock tradition that I keep up. I also do stuff like put sunscreen on and take vitamins that others do not. But I wonder if I can really get the miles in if I keep these habits up. The key to getting in lots of miles seems to NOT be just increasing speed (rate) but rather increasing time (hours hiking), if Miles = Rate x Time, though I'm sure my speed will naturally improve as I get stronger. How else does Jen P-D hike 46 miles in a day than to hike from before sun-up to sundown as fast as she can? 46 miles is not my goal, but hitting 20 is, soon.Well, anyway, today I hiked pretty fast and the miles went by, though not as fast as I thought they would, considering how relatively level the trail was today. It was quite hot--high 80s was my guess, with high humidity. I drank a ton (and peed a ton, TMI!) but still felt dehydrated. One funny thing I saw today was a gravestone for "Norovirus," which plagued many hikers on this section of the trail. So funny! It was a lovely hike today into Erwin, which was not originally my destination, but my feet were hurting, I needed to use a computer to buy new shoes, and I got a work-for stay at Uncle Johnny's, so I called it a day. After an hour or so cleaning a bunk-house and bathroom, I set up my tarp, took a shower and hand-washed my clothes. It cooled down to the 60s so it was a really nice night.
Date: 2013-05-21
From: Uncle Johnny's in Erwin, TN

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: clear sky

After some time on the computer in the morning, I gathered my things and weighed my pack. 34 lbs. Seems like it keeps getting heavier even with the same amount of food. Huh. That's not the way it's supposed to be!Sweat was dripping off my face as I worked my way out of Erwin. It was in the high 80s with humidity levels in the 80s. Ever since I went through Nashville, which was incredibly hot and humid, on my way to the Atlanta Olympics in '96, Tennessee has been synonymous in my mind with extremely uncomfortable weather, and today was no exception. But I drank a lot of water and plowed on 12.2 miles in 4 hours to Beauty Spot, lured by the rumor of TRAIL MAGIC! Sure enough, arriving at the top of the bald after a very hot morning, I met Baltimore Jack, last seen in Neel Gap, who was handing out (not so cold) beer and water and random food leftover from Hardcore, a work crew organized by trail legend Bob Peoples that does trail maintenance after Trail Days. Baltimore Jack asked me how long I've had my pack and I told him--and that I was thinking of getting a new, lighter one. But he and Krispy Kritter (an older guy with a long beard who wears a kilt and uses an umbrella, too!) said no, I should just keep using it if it's worked so far...and what's 2 lbs anyway?? But I'm not sure. I continue to debate.I hung out there under the shade of my umbrella for a couple of hours until 4:30 when Gabe/Mad Dog and I headed out for the last 5 miles of the day. Glad to be in the shelter tonight...rain, thunder, lightning, hail came just after we arrived! Mad Dog wants to hike 24 miles to Overmountain Shelter tomorrow. Granted, it's an awesome barn-turned-shelter with a wonderful view, but I don't think it's a great idea. But...we will see how far we go. With a nice break in the middle of the day it could be okay.Been forgetting to mention that as of last Friday, my knee is feeling great! No Pain! Thank God!
Date: 2013-05-22
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 23.9
Weather: clear sky

What a long day. Mad Dog and I hiked together from 8 am to 8:30 pm. Right away after leaving the shelter, we saw fresh bear paw prints in the muddy trail. We followed them for maybe 50 feet down the trail. Still not a bear, but pretty cool. In the morning we saw over 20 florescent orange salamanders (about 3" long). In the afternoon we hiked up Roan Mountain, which is a huge (and I mean HUGE!) mountain. Getting up it was so hard--a bitch really. Sorry...That's the best way I can describe it. Bob Peoples, who runs Kincora Hostel and has been doing trail maintenance in the area for years, organized a crew that recently added some switchbacks to the trail. Going up it, I understood why: the trail used to go literally straight up the mountain. The crew had just put in some new trail and I could still see where the old trail used to go. Unfortunately, it had just rained a lot and so the new trail (which still wasn't finished) turned to mud, which made the going even tougher. Once Mad Dog and I made it to the shelter at the top, I wanted to stop. My body hurt, it was already 5pm, and I was so tired. But Mad Dog convinced me to keep going by telling me that if we kept going we could make it to Kincora Hostel by Friday night and not have to hike on Saturday. Then he gave me a Little Debbie Cosmic Brownie (I shudder to think of what's in it) and we kept going. Coming down Roan, we got to the balds--Jane and Round--just as another storm was coming in. So we put on our rain gear and hiked on, praying that the rain and thunder wouldn't produce any lightning while we were crossing the grassy tops. It did not.By the time we got to the Barn, as Overmountain is also called, it was getting very foggy and darkness was coming on. But we made it. 24 miles. Whew. I was so tired, I decided not to cook dinner. I didn't know too many people at the shelter but it was nice to see Slo-go'en again there.
Date: 2013-05-23
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Mountain Harbour B&B/Hostel
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: light rain

Last night at Overmountain, my ears perked up when I overheard Slo-go'en mention "best breakfast on the AT". Come to find out there was a B&B about 10 miles down the trail that is known to have a breakfast to die for. So of course I changed my plans and went. But before I left, I waited for the clouds that had been surrounding the shelter to lift so I could see the view. We were looking down into a lush valley many miles long. It was stunning to see the low-hanging clouds come and go, lift and fall, so quickly. Pretty spectacular. I left the shelter around the same time as this guy, Titus, who was also heading to the hostel and we ended up hiking together the whole way. Had a nice conversation as we hiked in the cold foggy rain over another bald. And then, all of a sudden, the clouds parted above us and it was sunshine and butterflies...just kidding, no butterflies, but the sunshine was lovely. We met two girls who were finishing up their southbound thru-hike from last year but couldn't finish then because of Hurricane Sandy. They noticed my Dana pack, having used it also for guiding in the past, and when I mentioned I might switch it out, they suggested I keep using it if it's worked so well. They might be right.When we arrived at the hostel I found SIS there!! It was good to see her again. She, Titus, Slo-go'en, a bunch of young guys and I all went to town for BBQ. Then I went to sleep under the tarp, looking forward to breakfast in the morning.
Date: 2013-05-24
From: Mountain Harbour B&B/Hostel

To: Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Breakfast was a buffet of a hiker's dream: quiche, french toast with pecan topping, ham, biscuits and gravy, fruit, cinnamon rolls, apple strudel, scrambled eggs, coffee, even blackberry cider. It was *awesome*. Definitely worth the stop. The woman who prepared the breakfast started cooking at 4am, and when I heard that I told her I used to be a baker so I could identify!Hiking in the morning was not so pleasant--overcast, misty, cold, and--most of all--MUDDY. The countryside was NOT very nice but in the afternoon the sun came out and it was perfect hiking weather. SIS and I hiked some in the afternoon but around mile 15 I took off, hiking hard and fast, since the hiking was pretty easy. I think reading Jennifer Pharr Davis' book really motivates me to hike hard...but sometimes I notice my shins start feeling like they might be overworking themselves so I slow down a bit. But I know I'm getting stronger.SIS and I stayed at Moreland Gap Shelter which was so very cold and windy that I had to put up my tarp across the front to block the wind. We both felt it was colder there than in the Smokies.
Date: 2013-05-25
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: clear sky

It was a beautiful, cold, sunny day, perfect for hiking, in the morning but I was only going a short ways to Kincora. Kincora's a place that nearly everyone has heard of on the trail, and I wasn't sure what to expect...Let's just say it's a classic hiker hostel...A place you just gotta visit and see for yourself. For example, stapled to nearly every flat surface (walls and ceiling) are hundreds of pictures and thru-hiker Christmas photo cards (usually of a hiker at Katahdin with the greeting, "With your help I made it! Thank you!") that hikers have sent over the decades. It was so nice to finally meet Bob Peoples (I thanked him for his trail work at Roan!). He let me stay in his tree house, something Maw told me about! It was not necessarily so great to be up in the trees, though that was neat, but to have a place to myself, especially with all the guys around. Ahh, privacy. I got there around noon and tore into the two packages that I knew were waiting for me. Many thanks to MN Paul and Renee for all the chocolate, snacks, treats, supplies, and a book! You two rock. After chores I chatted a bit with Bob, and then we did a town run. In the evening we hung out in the hostel and I got to look at a handbook for hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, which is next on my list after the AT. Oh, was it exciting to read about. But first I have to finish the AT!
Date: 2013-05-26
From: Kincora Hostel

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: clear sky

As I headed out from Kincora in the morning, I was not looking forward to the hike up and over Pond Mountain. My guidebook shows the elevation profile of the whole trail, so I could see that I would have to climb a few thousand feet to get over the mountain. But it wasn't bad at all. I am starting to realize that the elevation profile does not always speak to the difficulty of that particular section. Anticipation of difficulty can often make things worse. I am learning to experience the trail as it comes and not worry about what is up ahead, because I can never really know how it will go. Lessons learned.Vandeventer shelter looks out over Watauga Lake, which we got to hike around and look out on most of the day. It was nice to be near a lake again. Makes me miss the Boundary Waters.At the shelter, people have written on the walls hilarious quips about Bob Peoples...I just had to write them down:-What Bob Peoples doesn't know doesn't exist.-Bob Peoples doesn't recognize the periodic table of elements, because he only recognizes the element of surprise.-When facing a dilemma in life, ask yourself--WWBPD?-Bob Peoples gives his boots blisters.-When Bob Peoples stays here the mice bring him food.-Bob Peoples was once bit by a poisonous snake. After 3 days of suffering, pain, and delusions, the snake died.-When Bob Peoples craps in the woods, flowers grow in that spot.-Bob Peoples was once bit by a zombie. The next day, the zombie became human and then built some switchbacks.-Every time Bob Peoples builds a switchback, an angel gets his wings.
Date: 2013-05-27
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Abingdon Gap
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was fairly "easy walking" but still quite long. I hiked hard and fast but took a number of breaks. As I walked, nearly all I could think about was the PCT, and how I can get a job that will allow me to do the PCT next year or the year after. It's clear to me that I've caught the long distance hiking "bug"...Got some trail magic today! Some local church left cold pop in a cooler! Yes!I ran into Harry today! Gave him a big hug. So good to see him still out here hiking. Part of me wants to stick with him to help him if I can. I know he is capable, but I still worry. Tomorrow Damascus...again!