morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-04-03
From: Hot Springs, NC

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

What a lovely day we have had enjoying this charming little town! We had signed up for breakfast here at Elmer's so our day began with the most interesting and delicious hot cereal and pancakes. All of Elmer's meals are gourmet vegetarian and we have been totally impressed with the results.   The outfitter gets his mail around 10AM so we went down and our food drop had arrived so we could then resupply our packs and reorganize for the next stretch of miles. I also got a pair of Superfeet insoles for my hiking boots so my feet should be smiling all the way to Erwin.   Next, we went to The Paddler's Pub which has the reputation for awesome hamburgers. They make burgers from ostrich, buffalo, and venison in addition to beef, but we settled for the awesome beef ones. What a treat!   The Hot Springs Library is up on the hill above town so we walked up and spent some time using their computers and ran into Red, Sonic and Guana, and Jan Liteshoe. It was interesting to read some of the other hikers' Trail Journals for the days we got caught in the snow and hear about their experiences which were so similar to ours.   Dinner tonight for the 16 people who signed up, was another veggy masterpiece. Even the salad was artistically arranged with circles of sprouts and sunflower seeds and tomatoes and feta cheese on a bed of leafy greens. Each dinner begins with introductions all around and then answering the question of the night. Tonight's question was, "If you were running for President, who would you choose to be your running mate?" Answers varied from Whoopy Goldberg to Yo Yo Ma to Forest Gump and it was fun to hear the reasons given.   We've had a wonderful time here and it's the kind of town that draws you in by its quiet peaceful small-town feeling...but the trail is waiting and Erwin and more adventures lie ahead. So, in the morning we'll swing up our packs and climb up and out of this river valley and back into the mountains.   Thank you, Lord, for this special place - for Elmer and his service to the hikers, for this idyllic trail town, and for this restful day.
Date: 2003-04-04
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

People tend to build towns along rivers. That's just how it is. I knew that, of course, but never experienced the reality of it until we walked time and again into towns along the trail. Every time we dropped down thousands of feet off the mountains to the elevation of the river, where the town is, and then had to climb back thousands of feet up into the mountains when we left town.    We left Hot Springs this morning by walking over the French Broad River bridge, and after walking alongside the river whose stretch here is known for it's rapids where kayakers get their thrills, we began climbing up... and up... and up.   We came to a cute little pond with benches about 5 miles up the trail where we stopped to take a break along with Red & Blue, and 2 section hikers. It was a pretty spot and cared for, as we could see birdhouses and naturalized daffodils blooming.   We hiked for the rest of the day simply regaining the elevation we had lost 2 days ago. It was a hot day and the constant uphills were tiring. We met Jan Liteshoe heading south doing a slack pack and she gave us some Snickers and Reese's cups Trail Magic. Thanks Jan! Jan is always upbeat and never without a smile and is a favorite thruhiker of ours.    We were glad to see the shelter appear and were greeted by Red and Blue who had chosen spots up on the hill behind the shelter to set up their tents. We joined them and soon saw that the 2 section hikers along with Sonic and Guana are staying in the shelter.   It showered briefly as we got into our sleeping bags and is stopped now, but the forecast tomorrow is for 50% chance of rain. That's OK. It's better than snow and slush... lots better!   Thank you, Lord, for this day of sunshine that took us a little bit further north.
Date: 2003-04-05
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: moderate rain

   At dawn, we were awakened by thunder and lightening and hard rain that lasted for a while but by 9AM the rain had stopped and the sun was beginning to peek out.   Our gear was dry but the tent had to be packed away wet. We went down to the shelter to cook breakfast and then set off.   It really was a perfect hiking day. The temperature was comfortable, the trail was good - gentle ups and downs and flat sections, we walked through fragrant pine forests and rhododendron tunnels, and when we arrived at the shelter after only 8.6 miles we decided to stop.   This gave us a chance to dry out the tent, groundcloth, and fly, and have a relaxing supper. We had one of our dumpling dinners which is our favorite.    In the shelter with us tonight are Papa Bear and Ham Bone, who are hiking from Hot Springs to Kincora Hostel, and John, another section hiker.   Thank you, Lord, for days that work out just right...going through the tough times makes us appreciate the good times all the more.
Date: 2003-04-06
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Today began with a big uphill up Camp Creek Bald (4600') but after that the trail went through some pretty areas. We had a lunch stop at Jerry Cabin Shelter with the White brothers, Jan LiteShoe, Papa Bear, and Ham Bone. This shelter has a mailbox but the reported telephone and electric light fixture are not there anymore. We were looking forward to seeing them. You can tell that little things like this add a bright note to a thruhiker's day. A shelter with a mailbox, telephone amd light fixture, even knowing they're nonfunctional would be very cool.   We had a nice walk over Big Butt Mt. which was grassy on top with a viewpoint from which we looked down on a wide TN. valley.   As distant rumbles of thunder began, we arrived at Flint Mountain Shelter. The White brothers were already here and Papa Bear, Ham Bone, Jan LiteShoe, Weed and Alligator soon arrived. We all managed to fit in and fix dinner before the rain began and in the cold evening temperatures we're all glad to be inside here tonight.   Thank you, Lord, for shelter from the rain and cold, and for hiking friends spending the night together.
Date: 2003-04-07
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Sam's Gap
Miles today: 11.2

What a rainy night we had last night! We awoke to overcast skies and as each hiker left, we fully expected the rains to start again but it was just drizzly all day.    We went over our first stile, which is a set of wooden stairs on the trail that go over barbed wire fencing, thus allowing hikers to pass through but not livestock. We caught up with Jan LiteShoe at the second stile and hiked with her up Sugarloaf Mountain. It was a steep stretch but loaded with wild flowers. By a pretty waterfall we saw little white bleeding hearts growing wild.   We had talked with Jan last night and she was getting a shuttle into Erwin, TN. today and so we decided to join her. We would then be able to "slack pack" or "freedom hike" the sections into Erwin. This means that using shuttles, we could hike those sections without our big heavy packs.   We arrived at Hogback Ridge Shelter and cooked a meal and rested up before hiking down to Sam's gap where we would meet Miss Janet, the shuttler and owner of "Miss Janet's House", a hostel for hikers in Erwin, TN.   We waited at Sam's Gap for 45 min. in the cold drizzle (she hadn't gotten the message of when to pick us up) before we started hitching and soon got a ride right to Miss Janet's House. The house was full of hikers but since Miss Janet wasn't there, we walked down to the famous Erwin Burrito and had some non-trail food that was incredibly good.   We no sooner finished eating when a Nolichucky River guide offered us a ride back to the house. This town oozes Trail Magic! So we're settled here in a bunk room which has double size bunks for couples. Nice!   Tomorrow, we'll try for a slack pack unless the weather is really nasty, which is what the forecast is saying- rain tomorrow and then snow showers. Yikes! Not more snow!   Thank you, Lord, for good folks like Miss Janet, who open their homes to hikers, the majority of which are young people, far away from home.
Date: 2003-04-08
From: Sam's Gap

To: Spivey Gap
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: overcast clouds

We got up early this morning, borrowed day packs from Miss Janet, packed a lunch and warm clothes for the end-of-the-hike wait for the shuttle, and we were off by 7:30. That's when Miss Janet takes her daughters to school so she does the first shuttle run then. We took 4 thruhikers to the Erwin trailhead, then Jan LiteShoe, Greylock and I were dropped off at Sam's Gap.    Sam's Gap was clear when we arrived and we had a good couple of hours of hiking. We even remarked that it was a perfect hiking day - overcast but clear and with a cool breeze. We could see the summit of Big Bald (5,516 ft.) in the distance and we hoped to reach it while the weather was still good.   As we climbed near the summit, though, it began to get cold and misty and the white-out increased as we got to the big grassy top, so we took a few quick pictures and scurried down to the woods.   A mile down the trail was the Bald Mt. Shelter so we stopped there for lunch along with quite a few other hikers. It got colder, wetter, and just plain raw as we ate so we hurried to get on the trail again.    It began to rain harder, icy winds began to blow, and as we scurried along the trail to get off the higher elevation, we were pelted with little chunks of ice. For at least half a mile while it was still over 5,000' we fought this storm until we dropped down below it and it was just lightly raining.   Since we were hurrying faster than planned, we arrived at Spivey Gap sooner than planned which meant we had a 1 1/2 hr. wait for Miss Janet, in the cold rain. We finally began walking toward Erwin since at least we stayed warmer when walking.   We were SO glad to finally see her van and after an AYCE pizza dinner we are warm and happy to be back at Miss Janet's House. Tomorrow, we will slack pack the final 11 mi. section into Erwin and then we'll be ready for a Zero Day. Yea!   Thank you, Lord, for Zero Days for our bodies and minds to anticipate.
Date: 2003-04-09
From: Spivey Gap

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: light rain

We had gotten up early yesterday since Miss Janet leaves at 7:30 to take her daughters to school so the early shuttle goes along then too. That meant we had missed Miss Janet's famous breakfast. Since we could leave later for this hike, today then was Breakfast Day!   Listen to this menu: scrambled eggs and bacon, orange juice, banana walnut pancakes with a huge slab of vanilla ice cream and sliced bananas and fresh strawberries. Doesn't that sound delicious? It was!   When breakfast was done the 2nd shuttle left with Jan LiteShoe, Greylock and me. We went back to Spivey Gap and started hiking back to Erwin. It was a cold rainy day so progress was cautious since it was slippery underfoot. Jan LiteShoe wore her garbage bag skirt that is her standard foul-weather garb regardless of the comments she fends off from fellow hikers.   We stopped at No Business Knob Shelter for lunch and afterwards along the trail met some fellow Massachusetts thruhikers, Tubbs and Bubba Luga with their dog. They had seen our shelter register stickers with our pictures on it and wondered when they'd catch up with us. Hey, we're easy to catch! BG   The woods really seemed to be "greening up" with mounds of neon green moss along the trail and some tiny bright purple wildflowers that we hadn't seen before called fringed polygala.   As we neared Erwin, we could look down on the Nolichucky River below and hear the train whistle blowing, and when we reached a viewpoint where we looked down on the RR bridge across the river, along came the train right on cue. It was perfect.   We had decided to move from Miss Janet's to the Super 8 Motel to have a little more space to organize our gear, so that's where we are tonight. It's supposed to rain tomorrow, but if it's not too bad we'd like to do one more slack pack north of Erwin before we take a zero day.   Thank you, Lord, for evidence of Springtime in the woods; here and there a touch of green in the mountains with deeper and brighter shades of green as we descended into the valley.
Date: 2003-04-10
From: Indian Grave Gap N>S

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: moderate rain

When we left the motel this morning, I couldn't have imagined this journal entry. Unbelievable!   It was raining, so we dressed in our rain gear and prepared for a wet day. We had no clue as to how wet it would get. Miss Janet's van arrived and we set out for Indian Grave Gap(3360') with 6 other hikers - Jan Liteshoe, Sonic, Guana, Don, and Loadrunner and Apricot, a brother and sister hiking team.    As we drove up to the gap the rain changed to snow, and at the gap it was 2" deep. We walked carefully since it was slippery and it deepened to 4" at Curley Maple Shelter where we stopped for lunch.    The trail as we left the shelter became slushy as we dropped in elevation and soon that had melted and water began running down the trail. Within minutes, the trail became a stream and we tried walking along the woods beside the trail/stream ducking rhododendrons and looking for rocks to step on as the stream widened and began to rush faster.   We reached a stream crossing and the stream was a torrent of water boiling down the mountain. Our bridge was a single log about 20' long, flattened on top but covered with snow. It was a dizzying heart-pounding crossing.      Greylock and I were the last in the group and as the trail/stream grew to 10' wide flooding out the ground on either side and steadily growing, we began bushwacking through the underbrush trying to stay out of the water. Suddenly there was Loadrunner calling to us and encouraging us. It was so good to know they were there!   Sonic, Greylock and I struggled along, pleased that our boots seemed to be staying dry, when we rounded a bend and to our horror, there was a raging river, 25' wide, churning down the mountain directly across the trail. There was no bridge or way around it.   On the other side were Jan, Guana, and Don, yelling that we would have to go through it, it would be over our knees, and that the current was strong. Sonic went first and she struggled to gain footing as she slowly battled the current and pushed across. I went next, and Greylock came last with the others all calling out encouragement. Sonic aptly observed that we were all now out of our comfort zones. How right she was!   It was still over a mile to the bottom of the trail and as we slogged along in water-filled boots, I found myself still trying to avoid stepping in the water. LOL!   Soon we were down at the level of the Nolichucky River which by now was swollen over its banks, muddy, and filled with giant-sized rapids... and we were very glad to see Miss Janet's van once again.   Thank you, Lord, for your hand of protection on our group today and thank you especially for our fellow hikers who were concerned for our safety.
Date: 2003-04-11
From: Erwin, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Zero Day in Erwin, TN.   There are quite a few thruhikers here at the Super 8 Motel. We had breakfast this morning with Fly-by-Night and Smooth Navigator, Jan LiteShoe and Sonic. Some will try the trail again tomorrow and a group is heading down with Miss Janet to Trail Fest in Hot Springs.   We went to town and did laundry and then located the library, which is located in the former town train station. It's an historic building and so has retained much of the original character which is charming. While I had fun using one of their computers, Greylock tried to track down our missing food drop. He went to Miss Janet's house and someone said that we had perhaps used the wrong zip code which is listed in Wingfoot's Handbook on p. 18. FYI - the correct zip code for Erwin is 37650. Even though p.104 and p.168 have the correct zip, I must have taken the one from p.18 so our package went to another town and hasn't been rerouted here yet.   We had lunch for the second time now at the Erwin Burrito which is such a great little place to eat, and then walked back to the motel. We'll stay here one more day, hope our food comes, and give the trail a chance to melt down and dry up a bit.   We're enjoying in-town treats like watching the Weather Channel and eating ice cream, taking showers, and using the phone, so another day of this will be a real luxury and the forecast for the next several days does look sunny and warmer.   Thanks to all who have signed our Guest Book. We're encouraged by your comments and we're glad you're following our adventure. Sometimes when we have to cover miles we feel as if we're on "The Amazing Race", when we face hazards like snow storms, floods, thunder & lightening it seems like "Fear Factor" but mostly day by day we feel like we're on "Survivor" except as one thruhiker observed, on the trail the reality is that thruhikers eliminate themselves.    Thank you, Lord, for the support and encouragement of family and friends who send us cards, goodies, thoughts, and prayers.
Date: 2003-04-12
From: Erwin, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Erwin Zero Day #2   Our goal this morning was to walk the 1/2 mile to be at the Erwin Post Office when it opened at 10:00 AM to see one last time if our food drop arrived. To our great relief, it had. That meant we quickly had to carry it back to the motel, another 1/2 mile, do what we needed to do with it, and get it back to the PO before they closed the window at 12:00 noon.   Inside this food box, we had asked Kristy to put in our hair cutting tools, so the first item on the agenda was a haircut for Greylock. He now looks a lot less grey with fewer locks. Much better! :)   We went through all the food, keeping out some and putting back some to mail ahead to Damascus, VA. We evaluated all the non-food items and decided what we might need now and what could get mailed ahead. We packed the box up with the items we would "bounce" ahead, made up a new shipping label and started back to the PO, another 1/2 mile.   Now this is a busy railroad center with several sets of tracks that stretch across the road and that we walk over on the way to town. We got right up to the tracks when a train slowly pulled across the road. It was a long train...a very long train. We tried to wait patiently but our deadline was just moments away.    As the last car crossed over the road, we dashed across and Greylock started running with the box. He cut across a parking lot, ran up a grassy embankment, and barely got in the door when it was locked behind him. Whew! We made it and our "bounce box" is on it's way.   We walked 1/2 mile down Main St. to the supermarket where we got some food for lunch and some fruit to take with us tomorrow, then we walked a mile back to the motel.   Notice how this is called a Zero Day? That just means we didn't walk any official miles on the AT. It DOESN'T mean that we didn't walk at all. When hikers get to town, out of necessity they walk or hitch hike; to have a car really seems like a luxury!    We have a shuttle lined up for 9:00 AM tomorrow morning to take us back to the trail, so we say "Good-bye" to Erwin and leave with many fond memories.   Thank you, Lord, that our food drop box arrived today and we were able to get back to the PO on time.
Date: 2003-04-13
From: Indian Grave Gap

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: clear sky

It had been several days since we hiked with full packs so we thought we'd take it easy and stay at the first shelter north of Indian Grave Gap, where the shuttle dropped us off this morning.   The day was blue-sky clear with sunshine and we loved the first mountain we came to, aptly named Beauty Spot (4437'). It was topped by acres of grass and we could look back and see Erwin in the Nolichucky River Valley. Just over the top we stopped at some rocks in the sun and had delicious tortilla turkey/cheese rollups and fresh oranges for lunch. Meals right after leaving town are usually great since we've been to the store, bought yummy food, but don't really want to carry it so we eat it. :)    The next mountain, Unaka, was disappointing since it was a hard climb but had a pine forest on top so no views. There were large patches of left-over snow here, and the trail showed evidence of above average runoff from Thursday's rain and snow. There was much debris, mud, and water still draining off the mountain.   Cherry Gap Shelter is a cement block shelter with a nice spring in back. It looks as if it will be full tonight with perhaps a tent or two outside. Wayne, a section hiker from Ohio, has a beautiful dog with him - a great dane/black lab mix named Daisy who is fun to watch as she runs around, showing no sign of being tired after hiking all day.   It's been a good day. We're looking at the topo map and elevation profile trying to decide how far to go tomorrow. Roan Mountain (6285') stands tall and majestic just ahead and we hear it's an exhausting climb. Can we do it at the end of the day, or do we need to use the energy of morning to tackle it? Check tomorrow's entry for the answer!   Thank you, Lord, that we're moving north once again and for today's sunshine and good views.
Date: 2003-04-14
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Ash Gap
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: clear sky

Our intention was to go as far as we could today, with the ultimate goal of summiting Roan Mountain. We had heard how hard a climb Roan Mt. is and that there are just a few switchbacks at the bottom and after that, it's pretty much straight up.   When we left Cherry Gap Shelter we seemed to climb one steep little mountain after another. It was a beautiful day so the sun beat down and we were greatful for every little breeze. It was hot!   We got to Clyde Smith Shelter, the last shelter before Roan Mt. at 3:00 PM so after resting up, we still had a few more hours to hike. Little Rock Knob was next, and knobs always seem to be nasty little mini-mountains that are steep and rocky. This one was no exception. After that there was a nice shady gap, a grassy hill where we saw our first Dutchman's Breeches blooming, but at that point the big uphill started.   We climbed slowly up and up and up. At about 7:00 PM we arrived exhausted at Ash Gap (5340'), which is a designated camping area with a spring. Since it would be getting dark soon we decided to stay here, even though the summit at 6285' was less than 2 miles away.   We set up the tent, cooked dinner, made a campfire, and just as it was almost dark along came Wayne, our hiker-friend from last night with his dog Daisy, and he had seen a bear on his way up! He was exhausted too and glad to see our campfire, so he set up his tent by ours. Daisy sleeps right in the tent with him. She was having fun running around and exploring the area but she was tired too so she went to bed tonight without coaxing. She sure is a beauty.   Tomorrow we'll reach the summit and then hike down to Carvers Gap, where we'll meet friends and go to their condo in Blowing Rock for a zero day.   Thank you, Lord, for the cool breezes that made today's strenuous climbing possible.