morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-07-07
From: home

To: Fontana Hilton, Great Smoky Mountains National Par
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Oh boy, am I excited! Take It Easy is going on a golf trip with his buddies down to Myrtle Beach next week, so I've come up with a great activity to help pass my time: hike! A good friend of mine, Anet, jumped at the invitation to hike through the Smokies. On Monday, July 9 Take It Easy will drive Anet and me down to the Fontana Hilton. He'll spend the night with us there, then drive back home and leave the next day on his golf trip. So starting Tuesday morning, Anet and I will wave goodbye to Take It Easy and start plodding uphill toward Mollies Ridge Shelter. Hope it's not too hot and steamy during that climb! Anet has only dayhiked, and is so psyched about an extended hike through such a beautiful area, staying and hopefully sleeping in shelters,tenting when we exit the park, and learning hiking routines including privy and hygiene issues(guys have it so much easier than gals!). Using some of Take It Easy's gear(poles, sleeping bag, headlamp,etc.), Anet hasn't had to make a major investment in equipment beyond shoes, hydration system, and other odds and ends. It'll be so much fun to hike the Smokies in a different season. When Take It Easy and I hiked through back at the end of April, only the spruce and fir trees were green, no others had unfurled their leaves. In some areas, the forest floor was carpeted with colorful flowers. Seeing the summer growth should be amazing. Views should still be spectacular, even with the expected humid haze. Stay away thunderstorms! Lightning is the one thing that worries me, especially given some of the ridge walking we'll be doing. Oh well, at least we should have fair warning since we should be able to just look around and see the storms a comin', right? I'm keeping up with the Smokies daily update webpage. It looks like water is an issue at several shelter water sources. Ugh, guess that means we'll be lugging a heavy load of water to hold us. Also there are bear warnings at lots of the shelters. Don't want a repeat of the nuisance bear problem that Take It Easy and I had with our shelter group at Cosby Knob back in the spring. That was scary! Practically walking smack into a bear in the middle of the night once was enough for my lifetime! Cosby Knob is one of the shelters listed as having a current bear problem. I guess the best we can do is to hoist our stuff up the cables and have a pile of rocks handy. Getting back on the trail will be such a neat experience. It'll be interesting to see how fast my shoulders begin to ache, how long it takes before I huff and puff going uphill(do I have any residual stamina left over from our 500+ miles hike we finished near the end of May?, how fast I fall asleep). I'm ready to go! Anet's grandkids better get set..after this experience, ya'll better gear up...your grandmother will be ready to take ya'll into the woods for adventure hiking!
Date: 2008-01-30
To: home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Wow, it's that time of year again. Take It Easy and I are anxious to get back on the trail. You'd think we're heading out within days the way we're both watching the sky and paying attention to weather forecasts. But alas..."sigh"... we have to wait. Our plan is to start hiking the first week of April, as long as it's not snowing, definitely we'll be hiking by the second week of April regardless of weather conditions. I'm halfway through my massage school studies, and will be taking a leave of absence until our return in June. Upon returning I'll have to practice up and study, then jump back into massage school with a different bunch of classmates and teachers. I'll miss my current class and mentors, but it will be exciting to see what the next setting brings into my life. Take It Easy will be taking a leave of absence from his golfing groups. But guys, you better be prepared--when he returns he's gonna be even stronger and tougher!Knowing that "flexibility and adaptability" are a hiker's requisite qualities , our trail restart will consist of getting ourselves to Troutdale, VA where we left off at the end of May. Then we simply hike northward for a couple of months, covering another 500+miles. It'll be a breeze, right?! We surely will have fantastic hiking experiences, enjoy the wonder and beauty of nature, and meet fascinating people. Our immediate distance goal is to make it to Harpers Ferry, the psychological halfway point. Before we hit the trail again, we'll be biking long miles weekly and working out loads to prepare. It works out best for us and our bodies to feel fit so the hike demands on our minds and bodies don't take quite a huge toll. It's been fun keeping up with our hiking friends of the Class of 2007. We had the pleasure of attending a welcome home party for one--Focus, and continue to feel inspired and encouraged in our efforts. Thanks everyone!...Keep the good vibes coming!
Date: 2008-04-03
From: home

To: Hostel at Troutdale, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Ready, set, go! Today we're driving to Troutdale, VA. Tomorrow we'll be dropped off at the trailhead where we got off last year. Wow, it seems like just a few weeks ago that we left the trail! I'm sure my body will say so, too, as old familiar aches crop back up as we carry our fully loaded packs up the first slope We're driving up to Jerry's Kitchen & Goods, run by Jerry and his wife, Suzanne. Their restaurant was the site of last years exit meal shared with our hiker friends. It's neat, too, to return there since Jerry and Suzanne are transplants from our hometown. Nice folks. Eating a good dinner, sleeping at the church hostel right across from the backdoor of the restaurant, and being shuttled to the trail should go smoothly. Take It Easy's sister and brother-in-law are going to fetch our car from Jerry's in a couple of days. Thanks, Linda and Dickie! Now we're moseying around the house, excited but a smidgen reluctant to leave our nest. Here we go...I'm gonna take a deep breath and jump into the car...hope I packed everything I'll need!
Date: 2008-04-04
From: Hostel at Troutdale, VA

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: broken clouds

Watch alarm went off at 6:30 a.m.. We each only slept perhaps 2 hrs perhaps. Must be the adrenaline keeping us wound up. Said goodbyes to the other hikers we'd dined with last night at Jerry's Kitchen & Goods. The others are : Jenny(Tulane geology student)& her companion, Snidely Whiplash(Tulane architecture student)-both are taking semester off to hike the A.T.-started in February; Sandalwood(a retired special-ed teacher from Quebec, woodwork is his hobby, likes scent of sandalwood and cherry)and his neice, Chatter(university speech pathologist/professor, her trailname suits her . Jerry shuttled us to the trailhead around 8:45 we were off and hiking! Temp around 65, partly sunny til 11:30, then clouds and scattered showers. Fabulous hiking even tho there was occasional drizzle. Didn't see a soul as we walked 'cept for a few cars at each road crosing. Now at Partnership Shelter with Faithful, a southbounder finishing up his hike he began last yr. We all ordered pizza to be delivered by Pizza Hut(rd to visitors center runs near shelter). Yummmmy! Sky cleared some before turning in for nt. Maybe drizzle will stop and go away. Take It Esy's feet hurt him badly on and off all day. We'll see what tomorrw brings. Saw coyote scat during our hike. Heard our daily morning woodpecker.
Date: 2008-04-05
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Relax Inn, Atkins
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: light rain

On trail at 8:55. It's 3:40 here at Atkins, Relax Inn. We're relaxed now after bome cold sandwiches purchased at the adjacent gas/food store. Dreary skies today and rain set in this afternoon. Would've hiked on the next 4 miles to the shelter, but Take It Easy needs to give his feet a more gradual introduction to the trail, plus the rain factor encouraged us to seek comfort of warm room, tv, and rest for feet. Had a good night last night. Faithful told us he thought he heard an airplane during the night, then realized it was me snoring!   How could that be? Southern ladies don't snore! All morning hike was through foggy miist and drizzle over TOUGH ups and downs til lunch. After lunch at Chatfield Shelter we had numerous stream crossings of the same stream. Manh of them were quite a "stretch" for me, but I and my shoes managed to not slip and get soaked Met a group of Boy Scouts or other father/son organization who were day hiking up to the peak around lunch time. Neat to see so much raw energy; 'cept for some of the kids who drooped when we told answered there questions about how much further up to the top--they had at least another 25 minutes or so. Got a showere with hot water tonight. Great cause we've been stewing in our rain suits. Weather was too cool at 50'ish degrees to not not wear them. Today saw wolf(larger?) and coyote(smaller) scat. Going to bed with patter of rain outside in parking lot.
Date: 2008-04-06
From: Relax Inn, Atkins

To: Davis Path Shelter
Miles today: 0.0

It was a warm and cozy night in the hotel room. Raining outside now. Take It Easy got some coffee from the gas station food store. Kicking back watching tv til checkout at 12:30. By then the rain/fog should be lifted. Set out on hike under solid cloud cover, temp around 51, winds about 5-7 mph. One very difficult stream crossing. We picked different crossing spots. I stayed dry, but Take It Easy's right shoe got damp . With wind chill factor and high humidity it's quite cold feeling; feels like 32 degrees--brrr. Cooked dinners in Ziploc freezer bags(pour dry dinner-Knorrs/Lipton Pasta Sides- into Ziploc, add boiling water, seal, and voila!-good food with no pot to clean!). The dinner warmed us up and tasted pretty good, too. The best part about Ziploc "cooking" is that we can put the bag in our lap and warm our laps/legs while we wait for the noodles to hydrate. It's just us at the shelter tonight. Good thing cause this shelter has 2 puddles from leaky roof. Glad we don't have to squish up for others and sleep under the leaks.
Date: 2008-04-07
From: Davis Path Shelter

To: Knot Maul Branch Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Very cold last night. We both put extra clothes on during the night. Our 20 degree sleeping bags continue to prove to be a blessing. Heard metal popping sounds from the shelter roof all during night, as well as mice running around on the roof. What in the world were those mice doing running back and forth so many times? Misty, cloudy day til 12:50 when sun came out as we descended near a pasture full of black cows, a grain silo, and pretty farmhouse. Lunched here. Earlier we watered up at a stream where a couple were breaking camp. They'd gotten on the AT at Atkins yesterday, hoping to hike to Maine this yr to complete their hike(yrs ago hiked from GA to Atkins). Sun heated things up; got sweaty. Beautiful day hiking thru fields with lots of curious cows. One black cow stodd his ground where the AT path crossed his pasture. Take It Easy had to shoo him off. As soon as we got past, he began to follow us, the herd following him. We hoped they didn't get it in their heads to stampede us! Here at the shelter for the night are Kristina and Mark(the hikers we met earlier today), Chatter and Sandalwood, and Just Rick(a retired golf course manager). Chatter and Sandalwood had tales of the trail magic they'd received from a Boy Scout troop and Christian youth group over the past few days--hot meals and even hot water bottles for their feet in their sleeping bags! How nice! Also here is Brandon( an Auburn University international business student who plans to complete the AT before school starts in Aug), and Roundhouse. Oh, I forgot to mention that at Davis Shelter there were 4 dead mice lined up on the fire ring stones. They were in mint condition. Wonder how they got killed. Tonight we found out: some hiking fellas ahead of us are putting out traps each night.
Date: 2008-04-08
From: Knot Maul Branch Shelter

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Cold night. Brandon caught one mouse in his trap during the night. Cloudy start. Sun appeared before noon, so temps were great, not as hot as yesterday--just as well cause the hiking today was all uphill thru forest, then up a bald with a spring-fed pond near the top. It was the only water supply for miles. So everyone has to lug their full water Platypus up the mountain. Coming down the mountain toward us as we climbed thru the forest earlier today was a man and his grandson(?). The elder gentleman told us about their ordeal from last night. They got lost during their day hike. They scrambled around the Beartown Forest(adjacent to the AT forest trail), freezing, and clawing their way through bramble and rocks. Finally, almost hyporthermic, they came to a house a little after 4 a.m., knocked on the door. The owner let them in to sleep on his couches. What a close call! They could've died out in the cold woods! At the shelter tonight: Chatter, Sandalwood, Just Rick, Kristina&Mark. We gave Kristina a trail name: Piglette, cause she's toting her stuffed Piglet(Winnie the Pooh character) on the back of her backpack. Tonight Mark decided to pick his own trailname: Smoky Booze Hound, a nickname he has back home, he says. Discoved that Piglette is a massage therapist who did her schooling in Arizona. She works for a chiropractor and has her own clients as well. Neat to find a massage therapist here on the trail! She and Smoky live in Vermont. This is a great shelter. It's a completely enclosed building high on the bald, grassy peak. It has a well-contraucted roof, FOUR walls, a door, and 2 plexiglass windows, and a picnic table inside! Wonderful since the wind is gale force outside. No one would attempt tenting in that wind! Way after dark, around 9 p.m., in came a hiker who introduced himself as Stovie. The only illumination was his headlamp; he asked if there was room for him in the shelter. Of course room must be made when there's bad weather. He had to choose between sleeping on the concrete floor, or the picnic table with warped surface boards. He chose to put his sleeping pad and sleeping bag on the table. Don't know how much sleep he'll manage to get there, but it's bound to be warmer than the cold floor. He didn't cook or eat, just set up his sleeping spot and tucked himself in. Highlight of today: 25 --yep- 25 stream crossings! Only a few had bridges or logs across them. We stayed dry. Take It Easy's feet are holding up. Has bouts of pain, then fine throughout the day. He's determined to take care of them so they'll serve him well. We take a break every 1-2 hrs or so to sit, elevate, and massage his feet. They enjoy the coddling and perk up after each break.
Date: 2008-04-09
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Temp in 60's, sun only out for an hour, then gray blanket cloud cover. Leapfrogged all day with Just Rick. Hike mostly ascending rocky ridge overlooking valley of Burkes Garden. There's a silver ribbon stream curling across the valley pastures which are the green Easter basketgrass. Take It Easy's feet doing ok he says--good At luch time we descended to a road where we saw a man in a car who raise his tailgate as we approached. Oh boy! we thougt: trail magic! No such luck. Instead of a cooler or grocery bags, he got out his backpack and put it on. He announced to us that he has a permit from the forest service to collect trees suitable for his bonsai hobby. Told us about the various species of dwarfed trees to be found in these high elevations that he's seeking to uproot and take to cultivate. At shelter tonight: Toddy Bear(judicial law major graduate), Bad Hummus(about to enter medical school this fall-going to become an osteopath), Sandalwood & Chatter, Piglette & Smoky, Yeti(mechanical engineer major), and Snidely Whiplash & Jennie(met them at Jerry's in Troutdale). Amazing that Snidely and Jennie made it here; they're carrying about 20 lbs of food each! They came into camp with a dog that'd followed them all the 19 miles of their hike today! Dog was worn out, starving and skidish. Sad. Highlight of today: putting my hand on the side of a tree where a bear had clawed the bark off. His claw marks were deep, and the bark had been freshly peeled off. Neat and eerie to put my fingers into his claw grooves and trace them downward. Hope he's satisfied with sticking to clawing trees
Date: 2008-04-10
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Helvey's Mill Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Sunny morning, just a little cool. Day got warmer. Hike was great- trail magic from a chuch alongside trail!: a white styrofoam cooler full of apple juice bottles and bottles of orange juice. Just the thing on a hot day They even include an printout of the 8 day weather forecast--how thoughtful! Chatter, Sandalwood, and Just Rick were with us when we came upon the cooler. Everyone took pictures. It was Just Rick's first trail magic ever! We left them behind to drink their drinks. We hiked up a smooth, rising trail overlooking the valley of Bastion. At a pretty overlook, we had lunch, called Mom, Take It Easy called his daughter, Stephanie in London(found out a cold front coming our way-snow expected in Pearisburg area Sunday). Tried to hich ride to Bland when we hit road so we could get a big hot cooked lunch and wouldn't have to bother with cooking dinner. No luck hitching. Others knocked on the door of a house at the rd, and paid the person to drive them into Bland. Others are spending night there. We hiked on. Just Take It Easy and me at this shelter. Pretty view across to opposite ridge. Just before hiker midnight(9p.m.) we heard turkeys gobbling gossip back and forth. Nice woods' sound to hear.
Date: 2008-04-11
From: Helvey's Mill Shelter

To: Trent's Store, VA Rt. 608
Miles today: 16.3

Last night we were awakened by coyote howling just yards away from shelter! Heard it shuffling around in the leaves. Take It Easy shined his headlamp around and hollered--no more coyote to disturb us now Saw blue heron flying at top of peak directly above our heads as we whiked today. Also saw 2 deer, heard barn owl hooting, and male & female great horned owls calling back and forth. Got to Jenny Know Shelter at 1:00'ish, feeling good, so decided to hike on to Trent's to camp and get hot dinner from his diner/food store. Hot day; 85 degrees Thunderstorms threatening as cold front coming in, storm clouds building, winds picking up. Of course, the pleasant footing disappeared. Had to hike a long ridge with jagged rocks to pick footing on and around. Ugh! Finally got to Trent's before thunderstorm. Pitched tent where we were directed by store manager smack next to horse pasture; literally 15 feet away from fence. Sat on bench in front of store. Lost lady driver from Suffolk pulled up to ask us directions to a prison in some town that turns out to be several hrs away from here. Fortunately for her a man happened to be walking next to our benches and he directed her. It was amusing that instead of simply asking how to get to the town she was looking for that she'd announce to all of us she's going to visit a prisoner at the prison. Ate bountiful dinners in diner. Lots of townfolk here picking up pizzas, etc. Many of them were curious about us(guess they know all the locals) and came over to ask us questions and chat. Met an interesting fellow named Crowbait who told us all about accidentally shooting himself in the femur, having to crawl to his car parked at the edge of the forest, and drive himself to get help. Neat sighting of today: Take It Easy saw a red salamander on the path. Thunderstorms never materialized. Tented under starry skies--there are millions up there-without glare of city light, it's marvelous to see so many!
Date: 2008-04-12
From: Trent's Store, VA Rt. 608

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: clear sky

Partly cloudy in a.m., very windy 10-20 mph.Ate big breakfast at Trent's. Take It Easy had Trent turn on water in utility building next to campsites(advertises showers for hikers); I got a shower and rinsed out hiking clothes.   It took a while to get all that accomplished, so Take It Easy skipped showering. Stood on side of rd next to Trent's for 5 minutes and got offered ride in back of pick up to trailhead. Oh, I forgot to say that yesterday we crossed a long swinging bridge over a raging creek just before reaching the rd to Trent's; and when we got to the rd we got offered a ride before we even put our thumbs out! Well, back to today. Rode in back of a pick up truck the half mile up to the trailhead. Noticed that Chatter and Sandalwood had signed the trailhead register just 15 minutes before our arrival. They must've gotten rides here from Bland. No uphills that stressed us to the point of sweating. Just rolling trail thru level forest of mostly conifers---ahhh such a sweet smell! About 20 stream crossings today and a neat pond with loads croaking frogs that you could hear in advance of seeing the pond. The pond was ringed with level ground used as a popular campsite area. No one there now though. Lots of tadpoles in various stages of development around the waters edge. Arrived at water source a few yds away from Wapiti Shelter, while filtering and filling our water bags up walked Chatter&Sandalwood! How did we miss seeing them on the trail today ? Turns out they took naps about 30 ft or so off the trail noonish and we'd walked right past them unnoticed! Here tonight: Just Rick, Chatter&Sandalwood, Ember(UNC Chapel Hill student), Scrabble(Georgia Tech mechanical engineering student). All tenting except Ember and Scrabble. All gathered for several hours around mealtime til dusk talking and laughing. Great time sharing stories, etc. Fun! Wind picking up. Cold and clear right now.