morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-03-21
From: Icewater Springs Shelter

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

When the weather cooperates in the Smokies, this can be one of the most beautiful places in the world I¢m sure. And it makes the hiking so much easier, too. There were amazing views from early this morning until early in the afternoon when it clouded over again (but never got wet). I took more pictures today than I think I¢ve taken collectively on the whole rest of the hike. The air was really cool, even in the sun, and at times it reminded me of hiking in the Rockies of Colorado. The miles just seemed to fly by today, and I reached this shelter around 2:30. I felt good enough to go on to the next shelter about 8 miles away, but decided against it since this was where everyone else is staying tonight.Someone in the shelter had a radio tuned to NPR, which was broadcasting news about the war in Iraq. Part of me feels glad to be out here away from it all and part of me feels guilty for having fun while so many people are suffering. Being on the AT where everyone seems to get along with each other makes it very difficult to fathom war. It¢s hard to imagine how the conditions could come about to make war necessary. I really don¢t understand the motivations for this violence, and I hope it is finished quickly. I hope everyone at least for some brief period in their lives can experience the peace I¢m experiencing hiking the AT. I know that may sound flowery, but that¢s how I truly feel.
Date: 2003-03-24
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter

To: Campsite Between Big Rock Spring & Garenflo Gap
Miles today: 18.8

I think ever since I left Standing Bear Farm I have been hungry. My appetite has been big pretty much since I started the hike, but right now it¢s something I never imagined. I¢m carrying a lot of food since my last maildrop was supposed to get me past Hot Springs, so I¢m just eating everything and plan to replace it with a resupply in town tomorrow.The hiking today was pretty uneventful. The view from Max Patch was pretty amazing, not a cloud in the sky. For some reason I had very little energy for the first half of the day. Eventually I found a rock near a stream in the forest where I had a big lunch and a long break and afterwards I felt a little better. By the time we reached Walnut Mountain Shelter, Flick, Java and I decided to go on a few miles further and find a campsite. We hoped that we could camp around the Big Rock Spring, but when we got their, there wasn¢t a level site to be found. So we went on until we came to an old roadbed and decided to make camp there. Only problem was when we tried to put a stake in the ground, it wouldn¢t go in more than 12 inch. I then walked about 50 yards down the trail and found another old road bed where the ground was softer, so that¢s where we all ended up. Eventually Squirts and Redstreak came up on us and decided to camp here too. Pop Tart, Subman, and Grunt all probably made it to the next shelter, making it a 23-mile day for them.Apparently Doodlebug, a ridgerunner in New Jersey last year and thru-hiker class of 01¢, is out here about a day or two ahead of me. Supposedly she got on at Davenport Gap, and I¢m not sure how far she plans to go. Hopefully I can catch here before she gets off. That would be the third of last years mid-Atlantic ridgerunners that I¢ve seen since I started.
Date: 2003-03-25
From: Campsite Between Big Rock Spring & Garenflo Gap

To: Elmer's Hostel (Hot Springs, NC)
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: clear sky

Short entry tonight because it¢s late. Way past my bedtime. This morning I did the about 7 miles into Hot Springs in an hour and a half, including a brief break at the last shelter. The rest of the day I pretty much just took care of my in-town chores and ate. Except for Fontana, I¢ve seemed to have good luck finding neat places to stay in towns during this hike. Elmer¢s is an old historic house with really nice folks and great food. There¢s also a music room with many various instruments, including a guitar, so I¢ve spent a good bit of time in there this afternoon. I also went to Bluff Mountain Outfitters where there was a computer. I found there that I had gotten an e-mail from Ed, an old high school friend whom I had lost contact with. That was pretty exciting to hear from him again. Tomorrow I plan on getting out of town in the morning after breakfast, even though most of the people here are going to take a zero day. I hope to make Erwin in five days where there is supposedly going to be some type of hiker party, and I¢ll hopefully catch Doodlebug there.
Date: 2003-03-26
From: Elmer's Hostel (Hot Springs, NC)

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: light rain

After a wonderful night¢s sleep last night, I woke up and had a huge breakfast at the hostel. We had waffles with many different kinds of toppings, granola with lots of different nuts and fruits, cantaloupe, and grapefruit. There was so much food on the table that I wanted to eat, but even with my appetite I couldn¢t fit it all in. I left the hostel shortly after breakfast and went by the post office and outfitter on my way out of town. I didn¢t actually leave town until about 10:00, which is a bit later than I wanted. Most of the crowd I¢ve been hiking with decided to take a zero day, but I¢m thinking about taking a zero in Erwin, so they¢ll probably catch up to me there. I felt pretty good today after being refreshed in town, so when I hit the first shelter 11 miles out of town I decided to go on despite the rainy weather. I¢ve been in a cloud for most of the afternoon and getting rained on, but it was never really bad enough to put me in a bad mood. I hear that it is supposed to turn cold on Saturday with the possibility of snow. If I keep up with these big days I¢ll be in Erwin by then, but actually I kind of want a bit of snow.
Date: 2003-03-27
From: Little Laurel Shelter

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

My first 20-miler! That¢s a big milestone. Otherwise, it was pretty uneventful. The weather was gorgeous, and there were some great views on Camp Creek Bald and Big Butt Mountain. Tennessee and Dean made the journey with me from the shelter last night, and since the 6-pack decided to go night hiking, we¢re the only ones in the shelter tonight. (The 6-pack is a group of 6 guys that I caught up with today). I can¢t really think of much else to say. Oh, we passed the 300-mile mark today. That¢s about it. Like I said, pretty uneventful.
Date: 2003-03-28
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Spivey Gap
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: broken clouds

My legs have been reminding me all day that I¢ve done over 40 miles in the last two days. I was wanting to get to the next shelter 5 miles from here and get closer to Erwin for tomorrow, but when I got into Spivey Gap and saw the nice campsites, my legs said no way. And almost 16 miles is certainly a respectable day, especially over this terrain. The climb over Big Bald today was really quite tough. The view from the top was spectacular with all the clouds in the sky breaking up the sunlight. I wish there wasn¢t a jeep road to the top, though. The grass on the summit is all torn up and looks disgusting. There was a guy showed up in his jeep at the same time that I reached the top. He told me that this was his second drive up there and that wasn¢t this an incredible spot. And then I said yes this is an incredible spot and it is my second time too. But then I thought to myself that I hiked it both times so why can¢t you, instead of tearing up the ground with the huge knobby tires on your jeep. I got the guy to take a picture of me there, though, so that was cool. Neither one of us spent more than a few minutes up there because it was super windy.Tennessee and Dean are here with me again in camp. They both left the shelter about half and hour before I did this morning to hitch in from Sam¢s Gap to a diner a few miles down the road. I decided not to go with them since I had a lot of food in my food bag. I planned on going from Hot Springs to Erwin in five days instead of four, so all day today I¢ve been eating my extra food. I already carry a whole lot of food, much more than most hikers out here, but I think I¢m going to start carrying even more because it sure feels good to actually be full.
Date: 2003-04-02
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: clear sky

Okay, I¢ve learned my lesson. I will no longer get excited when it snows during a camping trip. The cold doesn¢t bother me, and in fact the past two days have been quite warm. It¢s when the snow is melting and becomes all slushy and makes everything muddy. Any slope at all for the past two days has been super slippery, and it¢s making the hiking very difficult. Top that off with some very steep climbing for several miles today, and I¢m absolutely beat. On the positive side of things, though, the weather today was quite perfect. Hardly a single cloud all day, and very little wind at all. The views going over Round Bald and Jane Bald just north of Roan Mountain made the rest of the day seem worth it. And tonight I get to stay at the Overmountain Shelter, which has got to be in the running for most scenic shelter on the trail. It¢s a renovated barn that could probably sleep 20 hikers comfortably. It opens up looking south down a valley that¢s quite gorgeous. This is one of the most peaceful spots I think I¢ve ever experienced on the trail. So despite the trail conditions, today turned out to be pretty good.One month ago tonight I met Flick, then know as Ray, at Hawk Mountain Shelter on my first night out, and he¢s here with me tonight. I¢ve also caught up to a number of folks that were ahead of me due to the snowstorm. Tonight I met Apollo, Ounce, and Snuggles, and for the past couple of nights I¢ve been in the shelter with Caddis. To me, the best part about the past month has been all the people I¢ve met.
Date: 2003-04-03
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Campsite just North of Walnut Mtn. Road
Miles today: 19.3

I can¢t seem to get away from barking dogs. Last night there were three dogs at the shelter, and one of them decided to go off into the woods at about 11:00 and bark at something for a good half hour, waking everyone in the shelter up. I was a bit peeved at that. Now there are several dogs barking off in the distance (not hiker¢s dogs), not that close to the trail, but close enough to keep me awake. Actually, they just stopped as I¢m writing this so hopefully they¢ll shut up until I nod off. A good obedient dog can be a joy to have around, but when they go off into the woods and bark it doesn¢t just annoy humans, but also the wildlife.But when I got up this morning, I was well rested. Today I got to hike over the Humps, tow bald mountains with some fantastic views. The sky was completely clear again today, except the wind had picked up overnight. Shortly after the Humps the trail dropped off the ridge and left North Carolina for good. Two states down, and I¢m not far from finishing the third. Right now I¢m only a little more than 60 miles from the Virginia line, and with a few exceptions the terrain between here and there is supposed to be pretty easy. I¢m really making some progress on this trail. You chip away a little bit everyday, and eventually the mile start adding up behind you.Tonight I¢m camped out with Pog, and section hiker who I met at Miss Janet¢s. Everyone at the shelter last night with me either went on to the next shelter beyond here (which makes for about a 26-mile day!) or are camped out a ways back. So as long as those dogs are quiet, it should be a pretty peaceful night.
Date: 2003-04-05
From: Kincorra Hiker's Hostel

To: Watauga Dam Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: light rain

I weighed my pack again this morning at the Kincora Hostel. 40 lbs with one liter of water and three days of food. My pack is gaining weight, but my body is losing weight. Last night after I had gotten to the hostel I weighed just myself, and I had lost 10 lbs since starting. I guess I kind of freaked out because for dinner I ate most of a large ham and pineapple pizza, a banana, a pint of chocolate chip ice cream, and lots of orange juice. And I forgot to mention that not long before that I ate probably a dozen and a half oatmeal raisin cookies that Mom had waiting for me in my maildrop. Then this morning after eating a large breakfast to match the dinner, I weighed myself again and gained back five pounds. Could that really be healthy for me?I¢ve pretty much given up on writing anything at night when I stay at a hostel. I simply stay up too late and get too tired. So, briefly, yesterday¢s hike was a beast. It only came out to about 12 or 13 miles, but even though the elevation profile on the maps look flat, the trail wasn¢t. The first several miles kept climbing steeply up a little hill with no views, descending steeply, crossing a stream, then ascending again. And it wound around so much that I lost all sense of where I was. Quite frustrating really. The rest of the hike wasn¢t so bad terrain-wise, but I had run out of toilet paper and wasn¢t excited about using leaves. Needless to say, Kincora was a welcome sight. I eventually got to meet Bob Peoples who owns the place. He¢s become somewhat of a trail legend over the years for his hospitality, and I found everything I had heard to be true. A great person, a great place. If I¢m ever in the area again, I¢m going back. Today¢s hike with my stupid heavy pack, was quite different from yesterday¢s. Laurel Gorge is one of the most beautiful places I¢ve seen so far on the trail. I can¢t believe I¢d never hiked there before. The climb out of the gorge up Pond Mountain was a beast, but I had a full stomach and lot¢s of energy and rather enjoyed it. Tomorrow I look forward to what is supposed to be the easy terrain after I get up on the ridge along Watauga Dam, and also eating a lot.
Date: 2003-04-06
From: Watauga Dam Shelter

To: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I saw a shelter register entry by Martin, the Austrian hiker I met at Kincora, that said ¢I am immune to time,¢ or something close to that. He was referring to the fact that it is now Daylight Savings Time and that he wasn¢t carrying a watch. It¢s true, though. In the normal world, I would have lost an hour of sleep, but on the trail it makes no difference at all. The only schedule I keep is based on the sun, not a watch. Pretty cool, I think.I was originally planning on going to the next shelter tonight, 7.6 miles further on. By the time I got here, about mid-afternoon, some clouds had rolled in that didn¢t look very happy. I decided to stay here, but didn¢t unpack anything in case it was a short storm. Just as the sky really started to get dark, Caddis came by saying he was trying to get to Damascus tonight. I looked at him, then looked at the clouds, and said, ¢you know that¢s still 26 miles from here, right?¢ He knew, and he was aware of the storm, but he went on anyway. I know that boy is a strong hiker, but jeez! If he makes it he will have completed close to a 40-mile day from where he stared. Anyway, the storm passed and I decided there was still enough light left to make the next shelter. As I was about to leave I heard another rumble of thunder and sure enough more clouds were on the way. And so here I am. The storm must have been from a cold front because the bottom has dropped out of the temperature this evening. The cold weather is not over yet.
Date: 2003-04-07
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: The Place, Damascus, VA
Miles today: 25.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I did twenty-six mile today. Twenty-six! That¢s a long way. Go get in your car and take a drive. Keep track of the odometer, and when it hits twenty-six miles, pull over and get out. Now imagine what it would be like to walk back. Then imagine it with thirty extra pounds on your back over hilly, rocky terrain. You might be thinking ¢I¢d hardly be able to stand up after that!¢ Yep, you¢d be right. That¢s about how I feel. I guess you could say I¢m proud of myself, but I¢m not planning on doing it again any time soon.One highlight of the journey was that I finally got to see a bear in the wild. After years of hiking and backpacking, this is the first one. It was about a mile south of Abingdon Gap Shelter. I only saw it for a quick second running away down off the ridge. It was black and fuzzy and bear-shaped, so no mistaking it for something else. This is the first major wildlife sighting, besides turkey and grouse and deer and the other common stuff that I¢ve heard of this year. Lucky me.So now I¢m in Damascus, a major milestone on the AT. Three states down, eleven left to go. What a ride!
Date: 2003-04-08
From: The Place, Damascus, VA

To: The Place, Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Ah, zero days. I could get used to this. So much time to do so little. I basically spent the days exploring town and sampling every restaurant. And there are plenty of them. I spent about $40 today on food, and not expensive food, just lot of it. There are many fine eating establishments in the town of Damascus, but I can safely way the best one, at least for AT hikers, is the Side Track Caf©. It¢s run by a thru-hiker and has all the foods a hiker could want. Good sandwiches, pizzas, deserts, and to top it all off, Internet access. I met and talked to several former hikers there today. That just seems to be one of the hang-out spots for the AT community. In fact, even Miss Janet showed up this afternoon, coming up behind me while I was on the computer and scaring the crap out of me. That woman is everywhere at once. I don¢t know how she does it. Tennessee was there for a while updating her journal. We talked for a little bit about the negative posts she got in here guestbook and how they irritated her. So after she left I went on to her journal site and posted a rather negative message as a joke. She¢ll get it, but after I posted it I thought about how other people who don¢t know me might see it and not realize it was a joke. Oh well, I guess if they will never meet me anyways it doesn¢t matter if they think I¢m a jerk. Or maybe they¢ll find my journal and read this and figure it out.
Date: 2003-04-09
From: The Place, Damascus, VA

To: Saunders Shelter
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Tis hard to leave a good trail town. I went back to the Sidetrack Caf© for breakfast before I went to pick up my maildrop at the post office. The owner there said that if my package hadn¢t come I could work there for the day and make a little extra cash. I was tempted to take him up on the offer even after I saw my maildrop had come in.After taking care of some town chores, I finally left town a little before 1:00 (after lunch at guess where). The morning in town was rainy and cold and crappy, but by the time I was hiking it had dried up. The clouds and the sunlight combined with the mountains and scattered farmlands made for some spectacular views through the trees. Unfortunately there was never a good clearing to take a picture.Tonight Journeyman is in the shelter with me, along with a thru-hiker I just met (who I can¢t remember his name at the moment) and two overnighters. Journeyman is amazing. He¢s 65 years old, but one of the strongest hikers out here. I¢ve passed him a number of times thinking I may never see him again, but he always catches up. He¢s got a good sense of humor and a great attitude for the trail.
Date: 2003-04-10
From: Saunders Shelter

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: snow

Didn¢t quite make the goad today of 18 miles. This morning we got out of the shelter and it was cold and wet, and it only got worse. By the time we got to this shelter it was raining hard, everything was soaking wet, and it was cold. Pretty much the worst weather there is for hiking. So Journeyman, Lucky Day (the guy I met yesterday but couldn¢t remember his name), and I decided to hang it up for the day. We¢ve been here since about noon watching the rain turn to snow, and the snow turn into slush. We probably had a couple inches, but it¢s all half melted now and really nasty. During the course of the day Poptart, Wild Bill, and Sap Runner (a guy who just started from Damascus today and plans to hike Virginia) showed up, and we¢re pretty much all just been wrapped up in our sleeping bags all afternoon talking to each other. Even though I think I¢d rather be hiking, this afternoon really hasn¢t been boring at all. Everyone on this trail has an interesting story to tell, so just hanging out and listening to people talk can be a fun experience. Though I still hope the weather clears a bit tomorrow so I can get out of here before I get cabin fever.
Date: 2003-04-11
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: overcast clouds

It¢s a good thing I didn¢t write this a couple of hours ago. This entry would have had a couple of choice words about the trail and maintaining club and other hikers, and just about anything or anybody else I cold think of at the time. I was really tired, really cold, really frustrated, and really unhappy.The day actually started off great. It wasn¢t too cold, a lot of the snow had melted off overnight, and the clouds looked like they could break at anytime. I actually rather enjoyed the hike up Whitetop Mountain but as I got higher the snow got deeper and deeper. Still, it wasn¢t until I passed Deep Gap, about the ten-mile mark for the day, that things started to get ugly. The wind was picking up and blowing all the snow from the trees onto my head and down my back, and all the walking through the slushy snow was starting to wear on me. By the time I reached Thomas Know Shelter, at about the 12-mile mark, I was already cold and damp and tired. I would have called it a day there, but the wind was coming through the shelter and everyone else was moving on. I didn¢t want to be stuck in a cold shelter all by myself. So I went on, and the last five miles were the worst of my hike so far. I¢m glad nobody was hiking near me to hear my yelling and cursing. I was mad at just about everything. I could go into it all, but I¢d just assume not remember it later when I¢m reading this in the future. When I got to this shelter and warmed up and ate, my mood cheered up a bit. I¢m glad I¢ve hiked this section before and saw just how gorgeous it is, because it was sure ugly today.
Date: 2003-04-12
From: Wise Shelter

To: Raccoon Branch Shelter
Miles today: 17.6

What a difference the sun can make! It was out first thing this morning for what felt like the first time in a long while. There was still slushy snow on the ground as I made my way out of the highlands, but the views that I could actually see this time made the hiking so much easier today. My feet hurt a lot by the end of the day, I think from the combination of them being cold and wet for so long with the usual pounding they get, but otherwise I felt good.I¢m a little concerned about where Tennessee has disappeared to. Hairless Joe said last night that she was in the shelter with him 2 nights ago, and then he got ahead of her in the storm. I caught Hairless Joe yesterday but never saw Tennessee. My guess is she came to a road and decided to get a hitch into town to wait out the weather, but no one seems to have heard from her.