morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-04-07
From: Hog Back Ridge Shelter

To: Sams Gap (to Erwin)
Miles today: 2.6

Well, some snow drifts were up to our knees, and the snow kept falling. It snowed into the shelter and I woke up to a white sleeping bag and frozen snow-filled shoes. Group decision: get off the mountain! A wise choice, we ran into other hikers later in the day who say the weather was only getting worse up there. So, once again we are in a hotel room (sigh, I really love my tent and would rather camp). Tomorrow we will slack pack 15 miles to Spivey Gap and sleep in this cozy room again. I can't really complain about a hot shower and a bed after a wet snowy day on the trail. It really is so beautiful hiking in snow though. A lot of hikers are zeroing and have been hulled up due to the current weather. Here tonight is us 5, Radio Freq, Serial, Glow Worm, Red Bear, and a bunch of other hikers we don't know. Tag Team was here and are hiking back out on Friday from Erwin, so we will finally be back on track with them. We were SO excited to see the Tag Team again! We keep missing them by a day or 2 all the time.Loon's dad and uncle took us all out for a Mexican dinner, a favorite in the south. I don't even know what I ate it went down so fast, again, the raging appetite.Thanks to mom, Theresa, Persistent, and Brooke for my awesome snackaliscious mail drops, I have a lot of eating to do! Brooke, your student's drawings were adorable! Since I really don't have the time to respond individually to those signing my guest book, I just want to thank you all so much again. Your support is what's helping me push along on this tough and incredible journey! To a few who I remember signing more than once: Brownie-I hope my writing skills are up to par, will I be recruited to the copy dept now? Ha kidding! Jeff-uh, I better not return to my entries printed out and marked up in red pen! Sasso's-thanks to all of you signing in, I miss you! Give Ava and Kaelyn hugs and kisses for me!
Date: 2009-04-08
From: Sams Gap

To: Spivey Gap
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Dear right ear phone,I am sorry to inform you of the loss of your bud, the left ear phone. I had to literally cut all ties, I couldn't bear to see him hang lifelessly any longer. I promise a replacement soon.Your beloved owner,Storm Slack packing is life-changing. Tomorrow, when I haul my full pack up a mountain, I may slap myself for allowing such luxuries I can only occasionally take advantage of. Trudging through 1-2 foot snow drifts was nice to do with minimal weight. Hopefully, tomorrow some of it will have melted away. The day was beautiful, maybe one of the prettiest days yet. We came up and over Big Bald. Seeing the enormity of the snow-covered mountains surrounding us made me feel like I was hiking in the Rockies, though I was never there before. Amazing. It was so cold and windy on the bald, so after some photos we plowed through and got off the summit to eat lunch and refuel. I wish I could have spent more time staring off and letting my mind wander, it was such a nice day to dream. Oh and I don't recommend spending an entire day staring at the purest of white snow without sunglasses, apparently eyeballs suffer sunburn too. I let Rocket use my broken pair that I was going to toss. I figured living on the edge is pretty cool. Supposedly lighter eyes burn easier, and I was concerned she may go blind! I am now the proud owner of $5 Walmart specials, they are pretty badass. Now my eyes will be protected from silly sunburn again.Tomorrow Loon's dad and uncle are dropping us off at the trailhead, and they are headed back to Florida. It has been really fun spending time with visitors, can't wait for others. It is extremly late, time for bed.
Date: 2009-04-09
From: Spivey Gap

To: Uncle Johnny's (Erwin, TN)
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: few clouds

We kicked butt and got into Erwin early, so we had plenty of time to hang around. The porch at Uncle Johnny's was inviting, we sat around drinking sodas and enjoying the breeze. I had to deal with my too heavy mail drop and cursed it's being. So, after some frustrations and lazing around, we took the shuttle to a local dairy shop for greasy food and milk shakes. It was pretty delicious, but Grommet would disagree. Her meal got left behind some dumpsters 5 minutes after consumption, poor Grommet! The serious carnivore is having trouble with all her meat selections these days. (Note from Jonathan: You can see more about Patrice's relaxation spot at: http://www.unclejohnnys.net/).Stride arrived tonight, we are super-excited to have a guest for the next 3 days. She drove 3.5 hours from GA to come hike with us, how cool! I look forward to getting to know Stride better; she was our trail angel before we even met her. The trail really is amazing.Well, off for another night in southern appalachia!
Date: 2009-04-10
From: Uncle Johnny's (Erwin, TN)

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: light rain

What an atrocity, the weather is horrible once again. We started hiking; 5 minutes later the sky opened fire on us until lunch time. Out of nowhere, the sun came out and the sky was a beautiful shade of blue with cotton ball clouds. Why did it have to go away? Once again, it is pouring on us and we are tenting. Too bad we are not under a shelter roof somewhere; this really sucks. My shirt has no chance of drying either, but I'll just have to deal with it tomorrow.Hiking with Stride has been really fun! She tells us tidbits from her '08 thru-hike and it seems like she had worse weather than us since she started in January. Other than bringing the rain, she brought us a little luck too! Six sodas were left as trail magic in Indian Grave Gap and there are 6 of us. Coincidence? Maybe, but we were happy for the special treat. Thanks to whoever left the sodas!Here tonight is us 6, Ducky and Madison, Tag Team, Katchup and Ms. Muster, and Jones and her 2 dogs. So it's a total lady fest plus Tagless. Full house out here in the thunderstorm. If I were alone I would be crying! I hope the lightning and thunder pass soon...
Date: 2009-04-11
From: Low Gap

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: light rain

Good news! I survived the lightning and thunder storm last night; we are all alive and well. We slept with our food bags in our tents. Since the weather was so horrid, we assumed bears wouldn't be a problem. It was amazing to wake up, eat breakfast, then go back to sleep for an hour without having to leave my tent. I wish I could do that every night. It could be trouble though, I could potentally tear through more food than I should and be stuck without snacks some day. Better off hanging it away from the bears!I should introduce you to Helen, the newest member of the pack, since she has been around a while. Helen is a Greek godess statue that Grommet found glued to a rock on Bluff Mountain in 2006. She went back to the spot and found her knocked off, so she took her back to show her off. Originally she was Troy until we realized her lady lumps, so Helen it is, Helen Athena to be exact. She comes out at lunch and usually faces Loon's tent at night since she is most offended by Helen. We think she may be good luck, so she can stick around a while. Welcome Helen.Today kicked my butt, I was so exhausted since I didn't sleep well. Hiking in the rain also brings me down in a bad way, but Grommet forced her iPod on me for the last few miles. It really helped; I got to listen to Ray LaMontagne and Damien Rice, who I both love but are not on my mp3 player. Music always lifts me up. Thanks G.Tomorrow is Easter and it will be amazing! Grommet's roommate Nina is coming to bring 12 of us a big feast on top of Roan Mountain. We have been talking about it all day, how special to spend a holiday with my trail family. My mouth is watering just thinking about the great meal!Off to sleep early for an early start.
Date: 2009-04-12
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: clear sky

Happy Easter! The Easter bunny gifted us Roan Mountain today. Roan was a beast of a climb, but I took really small steps and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be, it was just a really long relentless climb. There was amazing trail magic waiting for us down in the gap, a "full-on" Easter lunch hosted by Grommet's friend Nina and Nina's parents. It was awesome, and so kind of them to spend their holiday feeding us stink bombs. They brought a ham, salad, vegetables, fruit, homemade coconut cake, cookies, and sodas. I ate so much and had a nice long break in the sun, what a perfect day, my favorite so far. My belly was happy. Thanks to Nina and her family! This will be a holiday I will not soon forget, spending it with trail family was great.The rest of the day's hiking was smooth sailing. The shelter is a converted old red barn and overlooks the valley below, super cool, so we decided to stay in it rather than tent. We'll see how it goes.Goodnight Easter bunnies.
Date: 2009-04-13
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Mountain Harbor Bed & Breakfast (Roan Mtn, TN)
Miles today: 9.2

Wow, what a day! So glad I am here and didn't tumble down the mountain. Ducky was really sick all night, so we all decided to split up her pack contents and let her carry only her pack. She was really weak and extremely dehydrated, and wouldn't have been able to carry her full pack. The rest of the girls flew ahead while Grommet and I walked behind Ducky letting her set the pace. We didn't make it very far before Ducky had to sit down. Grommet and I decided to just take turns carrying her pack, until Ducky was just too weak to move any further. A decision was made right then and there, call 911 and get someone up the service road and get her off the mountain before she collapses. So, back to the shelter we went and waited for help to arrive. They whisked her off to the hospital. And while she was on her way to safety, we were on our way to danger. More on that in a minute. In the meantime, as other hikers passed, we had a few of them let the rest of the girls know that we would see them at the end of the day at the hostel. Somehow the message was confused upon delivery and everyone was in a huge tizzy. Rocket, Egg, and Loon waited 45 minutes in the severe wind for us; we never showed up. Mass hysteria was going on as we found out at the end of the day. They eventually moved on hoping we were together and ok, just as they were together and ok.Now for the danger thing. We climbed 3 balds. I was blown into a tree going up the first. I have no idea how none of us didn't blow off the mountain. I thought the wind speed was 50 mph, I later find out it was upwards of 80 mph. Today was really scary, I don't know where I found the energy to keep going on such a long stretch in that wind. I stumbled and tripped the whole way, fearing that if I fell, I wouldn't be able to get back up into that wind. (Note from Jonathan: A "bald" is part of a mountaintop that has little or no trees or other vegetation. For this reason, it is extremely exposed to the wind.) It took every ounce of strength in my body to stay on 2 feet. All I could think about was that we made the right decision and got Ducky off the mountain. She never could have done this stretch with zero energy. Some might frown on hikers who carry cell phones; I am thankful we had one today. Today was hands-down the worst day hiking the trail. I hope to never encounter Mother Nature's death trap again. Once we all saw each other at the hostel, some tears were shed. Such an emotionally draining day. Glad it is over and Ducky is back here resting comfortably.Oh Stride, you were right, we should have stayed upstairs in the barn! Too bad we didn't listen. (Location Note: Mountain Harbor Bed & Breakfast is located in the town of Roan Mountain, TN. You can find details at the following website: http://www.mountainharbour.net/main.htm.)
Date: 2009-04-14
From: Mountain Harbor Bed & Breakfast (Roan Mtn, TN)

To: Mountaineer Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: light rain

Mother Nature keeps unleashing her fury on us, the weather is horrible every other day. I am really feeling down about all this bad weather; it makes it really hard to keep the spirits up. I hope this is just a case of "April showers bring May flowers." If so, we still have a ways to go! Rant over.Breakfast at the B&B was ahhhhh-mazing. A huge spread of all delicious homemade dishes, even sticky buns, yum! The fruit salad made me happy, I don't eat fruit often since being on the trail, and it is one of my favorite things to take advantage of. The owners, Terry and Mary, were so hospitable and friendly. I would love to visit again some day. A+ hostel, and very clean, amazing shower, too, with real shampoo and Q-tips! It's the little things that make a hiker's heart smile.Quote of the day - "It feels like every one of my toes are broken" - yours truly. Rocket found it completely amusing. I wish the constant foot and toe pain would subside soon, though. It never seems to go away anymore. Tonight we are with the Tag Team, and will see a healthier Ducky, Madison, Katchup and Ms Muster in Damascus on Sunday. It has been really fun camping the last few nights with this group, 11 women and 1 man, unheard of. This is the year of women hikers for sure!(Stride-we miss you already, come hike again soon!)Peace.
Date: 2009-04-15
From: Mountaineer Shelter

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 15.5

Rocket says her knee caps are coming off the hinges, Loon says her heels are disentegrating, and my toes are still feeling as broken as ever. We hurt. Period. I am in need of a zero, and I hope to in Damascus. We hiked 15.5 miles today and they were easy miles, so it's not the terrain that is necessarily killing me, it is just the long days. We hike the same hours as if I were working. We started at 9 and hit the road crossing to the hostel at 5, and only took 2 or 3 short breaks. I am toast right now.We had a semi-homemade dinner tonight, our first time cooking. Rocket and I chose angel hair pasta with salad and garlic bread, it was awesome, and cheap. Bob Peoples is one of the nicest people, I am happy we decided to stay here in his hostel for the night.I am spent and my brain hurts. Time to give it a rest. Short crappy entry tonight.
Date: 2009-04-16
From: Kincora Hostel

To: Watauga Lake Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: clear sky

Happy 400 miles! Well a day late, I forgot to write it in yesterday. Each 100 mile mark is coming faster and faster now, so excited to keep marking off the milestones.Today we took our sweet time getting to the shelter. Finally, good weather to spoil ourselves in, it was way overdue! Lunch was an hour or so, and we took an hour+ long break/nap at Watauga Lake and loafed around in the sun. I think we have nice weather for the next few days; it feels weird to see blue sky and sun for a full day. It is such a welcome change though.I expressed my need for a zero day this morning with a few tears in my eyes. Grommet and Rocket are feeling exactly the same. I think we are all feeling broken and exhausted; it is time for some rest. I also haven't been sleeping really well lately, but I also haven't been in my tent for a while, the place I sleep best. So, Damascus here we come, for some rest and good food! I can't wait for Sunday to arrive!We hope everyone is still on schedule and getting to Damascus on Sunday too. We heard Ducky wasn't feeling well again, and we need a little Madison in our lives. She is the cuddliest hiker dog and I love hugging her since I can't hug my dog when I think of him! We miss all the ladies, there were 11 of us plus Tagless, the only male, for a while there. I really think this is the year of women hikers, there are so many traveling together, I hope we make this a record year for the books. I have been reading "Three Cups of Tea" and it just started getting good, so I am off to plow through more pages. The dang book is heavy, I need to finish it and pass it off or send it home!
Date: 2009-04-17
From: Watauga Lake Shelter

To: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: clear sky

Right Earphone,Sorry I chucked you. I have a relacement that will make both ears happy now. It's been nice spending some alone time with you, but I must move on. Good luck and good bye. I hope you make your way back to lefty some day.Adios!StormLast August, Rocket and I met for an overnight backpacking trip in PA, back when we were still just Liz and Patrice. We met some SOBO hikers, one named Timber who we spent the night chatting with. I never thought I would see him again. Well, I rolled into a shelter for lunch earlier and there he was, I screamed his name! He remembered us as the girls with matching Seedhouse tents, so cool. He is still hiking south, he took the winter off in Damascus. What a nice surprise to see Timber again.Today was supposed to be all ridgeline, someone lied. It was a long butt kicking day and my feet are done. I just keep thinking about a nice bed in Damascus, and sleeping in, and a beer or 2 would be nice! It's so close, yet so far away, two more days, and tomorrow is a hefty one.So all the ladies are here, we are only missing Ducky and Madison, who we hear is feeling great today. I hope she catches up with us, we miss them! Helen is even rockin it out in front of Tag Teams tent tonight, they love her as much as we do. Oh Helen, what would we do without you, our little protector.We met another group of women today, Little Dipper, Nutmeg, and Billyhoot. So many females representing!Off for some Damascus dreams...
Date: 2009-04-18
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: Abington Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: clear sky

My new trail name for early mornings only will now be Crankenshteen, saidin a German accent. Yesterday morning I emerged out of my tent, grouchy, barely awake and could hardly see anything. I did a Frankenstine-like walk (sore feet), right into a rhododendron. Everyone was already out and eating and witnessed the morning entertainment. I grunted. So, Crankenshteen comes from Frankenstine. Hello!Today was such an easy day, why does it still have to be so damn painful? The miles passed quickly. We got to walk through some rolling grassy fields for a while, a nice change of scenery. It was nice to actually hike with the Tag Team a little today, rather than just camp with them. Everyone is looking forward to Damascus tomorrow and a zero on Monday. Oh, we cross into VA tomorrow and will have knocked 3 states down! It feels amazing and I am proud. A lot of hard miles have been put into getting here.The hunger is really out of control now, I think I ate 5 oatmeal cream pies and 6 or 8 granola bars for snacks. I also ate my dinner, finished Rocket's and most of Grommet's since she doesn't have a crazy appetite yet. This is insanity. Keeping it short tonight.
Date: 2009-04-19
From: Abington Gap Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Drum roll...Three states down, 11 to go! Welcome to Virginia! I am so freakin' excited to be here and still be truckin along. This journey is amazing.We spent the rest of our day getting the important chores done so that tomorrow we can sleep in and have a lazy day. Sleeping in will probably mean waking up with the sun as usual. I plan on eating a lot and visiting the outfitter to look at new packs. I love mine, it is just really heavy. A nap would be nice too; we'll see how the day goes. We need some rest, though. The next few days after our zero are going to be hard.Off for another hopeful night of sleep.(Note from Jonathan: I received no uploads for April 17 or 18. I'm checking with Patrice to see if she didn't write any or if they were lost in transmission.)
Date: 2009-04-20
From: Damascus, VA

To: Zero Day #1 in Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Zero day. Did the usual town chores and had dinner with Tag Team, Katchup and Ms Muster. I LOVE Damascus, my favorite trail town yet. I splurged on a new and much lighter and slightly smaller pack, a stylin' Granite Gear. I hope this will do the trick; taking some weight off my back will hopefully ease the foot pain at the end of the day. We shall see.(Note from Jonathan: You can see more about Patrice's zero day spot, Damascus, VA -- "Trail Town USA" -- at: http://www.damascus.org/.)
Date: 2009-04-21
From: Zero Day #1 in Damascus, VA

To: Zero Day #2 in Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

We got all packed and ready to go, then the sky opened up. Bam, zero day number 2 was upon us. Hiking in the rain is awful and we were still really tired and sore, so the decision was easy. Katchup and Ms Muster were just as easy to convince, especially since Dot's was finally going to be open. So we hung around at the coffee shop, read a little, went to the library and the post office, then hit up Dot's at night. All in a day's work.
Date: 2009-04-22
From: Zero Day #2 in Damascus, VA

To: Pond campsite
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: overcast clouds

It was really hard leaving Damascus, but we chugged along. The pancakes I ate for breakfast were practically deep fried and almost were seen a second time. I did not feel well at all, but by lunch I was ready to eat again. Crisis averted. My feet had a nice break, but today they are screaming again at me. Maybe my shoes are now the problem? I hope it will subside soon, it's driving me nuts and they always feel broken. Tonight's main event was bear bagging. Note, do not use any type of wood to launch the rope over a branch, it never ends well. I told Grommet that she is no longer allowed to bear bag because someone's rope always falls victim to a tree. I walked over and found a stick tied to the rope dangling lifelessly from a branch and all tangled up, so the lifeline had to be cut and we now have yet another half of a rope. Hiker stress, this should be on Katchup and Ms Muster's list.
Date: 2009-04-23
From: Pond campsite

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: clear sky

Today was our second longest day, 16.2 miles and almost 11 hours long, including a few long breaks and an hour lunch. For the first time my feet are actually ok at the end of the day. I think it is the "Vitamin I" (Ibuprofin) working. Beautiful day and beautiful views. We climbed a bald, ate lunch in a pasture, saw some horses in the field and smelled alpine air, all in a days work. There is no better job I can think of right now. Is it normal to eat 2 bagels and 33 grams of fat (the cream cheese) for lunch? Then Little Debbie brownies? I didn't think so. Thankfully, I walk for a living. My stomach is raging but I hear the hiker appetite will still increase. I am already eating for 2, or 3! Note-the new pack is rockin it out, I love it!
Date: 2009-04-25
From: Old Orchard Shelter

To: Troutdale, VA
Miles today: 10.2

What happened to spring? This heat is intense, seriously. I had a headache so bad I almost puked, the sun sucked at my brain. Tonight we are staying in a church hostel. Instead of staying in the bunk room, we are tenting in a pavilion on a cement patio. Hooray for not having to use the rain fly for the first time! It is quite cozy out here with just us; should be a nice night. Oh and the shower was amazing, real shampoo and body wash, it's the little things.