morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-03-24
From: Newfound Gap

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: scattered clouds

   I had breakfast with Pebbles and BamBam at 7:30. We walked out of town to hitch a ride, which is illegal to do in Gatlinburg, at 9:00 a.m. We were joined for the hike in the Great Smoky Mtns. National Park by Burn. After 20 minutes a SUV stopped and picked us up. They were the parents of two thru-hikers, who they were meeting at Newfound Gap. I repeated my walk up to Icewater Spring Shelter. Now, after two days, I thought the ice would be melted. Wrong! Once we came to the spring at Icewater all the trail was iced over. No turning back this time. I had to leave the trail and go into the woods to walk on the snow. I slowly made my way. I went .8 mile to Charlies Bunion Loop Trail where there was no ice on the loop. I walked out to the observation rock and climbed up the boulder. The view was a category 5 (perfect). For the next couple of miles the trail had cleared and the hiking was easy and the views were great. On one side the trail had washed out with a huge rock slide. Trail maintenance had built a 2' trail as a ledge about 75' feet long. If you were afraid of heights, this would be a tough one minute walk. I stood in the middle of the section, looked down and was glad that no ice was here. It would be impossible to continue this section in ice! The walk from Icewater Spring Shelter to Pecks Corner Shelter is one of the most beautiful sections of the AT. Today was a great day for views that more than compensates for the ice and snow.
Date: 2004-03-25
From: Pecks Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: broken clouds

   I got up early and started after a great nights sleep. I was expecting more great views, but there were very few. What I saw was rocks, thousands of rocks, all on the trail. Horse rocks! The trail's purpose is to make the horse comfortable. What I needed was horse shoes, not boots. I had regular rocks, ice covered rocks, snow covered rocks and more rocks. I had sent a pair of New Balance 806's to Standing Bear Campground and cannot wait to send the boots as I have huge blisters on both feet and the bottom of my heels are on fire. It was a miserable day of hiking. There were two retired US Marines at Cosby Knob Shelter. Their names are Kinloch and Lopaka. Kinloch agreed to take a safety pin and puncture my blisters. Blackish blood poured out of the blisters. We bandaged my feet and I went to bed. I now call him Dr. Kinloch. The boots had 250 break-in miles plus 200 miles on the trail for a total of 450 miles. Never before had I had a problem with blisters. What is the problem? I have no idea except that the pounding day after day has simply worn the feet down. The fact is that most of the hikers are having the same problem except those with light packs and trail or tennis shoes. New Balance here I come!
Date: 2004-03-26
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Green Corner Road
Miles today: 10.4

   The walk down the mountain to Green Corner Road and Standing Bear Farm was a 7 mile rock walk. Each step was painful. The bottom of my heels were so hot and sore. Once you arrive at I40 you can go under it to a long steep climb. At the bottom of the climb, I talked to a Minnonite family and they said that they would be praying for me. The drops in altitude from 6,350 feet to 1,700 feet brought a drastic change in the temperature. It was 70 degrees and hot. I arrived at the Standing Bear Farm and asked Kinloch to relance my blisters and doctor my feet. He is great with blisters. I set up my tent in the yard, took a long hot shower in the outdoor shower room, washed my clothes, ate a microwave pizza and sat around a great campfire. BamBam and I chose the tent site over the two bunk houses. The grass was nice and soft and I had a peaceful creek running beside the tent. Standing Bear Farm is operated by Maria and Curtis. It is a safe rustic campground in a very relaxed environment. You can purchase food and soft drinks on an honor system. You simply tell Curtis what you owe as you leave and he accepts your word. Mountain values! Curtis had worked all day on building a chichen coop on Grindstaff Road. He said all the Grindstaffs came to the mountains as loggers and timber men. When the timber dried up, most Grindstaffs left the midwest and went west looking for more timber work.
Date: 2004-03-27
From: Green Corner Road

To: Brown Gap
Miles today: 10.1

   I had a late start at 10:00 a.m. as I "piddled" around. I was so slow I was even tired of waiting on me. I had a long hard climb out of Standing Bear Farm. The weather was perfect. I had an elevation change from 1600 feet to 4,265 feet. I have a new attitude about the mountains. I have all the advantage since the mountains aren't getting any taller while I am hiking. I will get to the top. The mountains can bite back on your knees and feet as you go down. I have learned to like uphills. It's hard on your breathing but easier on your knees. There is very little level trail. The Tennessee AT is much softer on your feet that the Georgia and North Carolina AT. It has a lot of pine straw and leaves on the trail compared to the Smoky Mountain National Park. The Tennessee AT is perfect. Today was a good day in my 806 New Balance tennis shoes. My feet are still very sore and hurt with every step. But, guess what? All the hikers with me are hurting. NO PAIN-NO MAINE. There was no campsite at Brown Gap. I set up my tent on the logging road. About an hour after dark, a USDA law officer stopped by to check on us. He gave us his phone number and said that we were his customers and that if we needed any help for the next 90 miles to give him a call. A big thanks to this fine law officer!
Date: 2004-03-28
From: Brown Gap

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: overcast clouds

   It was an exciting day with beautiful weather uphill to Max Patch. Max Patch is a bald with planted grass on the top of a 4,629 feet summit. The shelter was at 2,850 feet. It was a pleasant climb with adequate switchbacks. It was not windy at the top, so I continued walking off of Max Patch so I could find an area of the trail out of the wind. I stopped at a stream and had a snack. The view from the top of Max Patch was worth the climb. It will definately be a highlight in my hike. I stopped at Roaring Fork Shelter for a snack and then I continued to Walnut Mountain Shelter. So far, I love the AT in Tennessee. The shelters are very old and the water sources are not the best, but the trail is fantastic. While hiking to Walnut Mountain Shelter, there was a controlled burn on Saturday night and the smoke was heavy. I was tired so I decided to stay at the shelter. As it approached dark, two more hikers joined me. We could see smoke on both sides of us. The smoke seemed to be getting closer and we were definately getting concerned. We decided to not to continue north because we could be walking into more fire. About an hour after dark a high wind blew through and we had bigger problems. The high wind lit up the hot spots and we were in the middle of a reborn forest fire. Smoke was choking us, but we could not afford to panic. We ate thick smoke all night. At dawn, we decided not to eat breakfast, so we could clear the area. About 2 miles from the shelter we were out of the burnt area. All's well that end's well!
Date: 2004-03-29
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs, North Carolina
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: few clouds

   After clearing the burnt area, it was all focus-get to Hot Springs. We left the shelter at 6:30 a.m. At 11:00 we were half-way there at Garenflo Gap. I stopped in at Deer Park Mountain Shelter at 11:45 for lunch. I saw Bunny as she was leaving. After a twenty minute lunch, it was an easy finish to Hot Springs. I arrived at 2:00 p.m. My feet were killing me. A day of rest is going to do me a world of good. I checked-in at Elmer's Sunnybank Inn. I got the last room at $10.00 a night located in the attic. I climbed the ladder through a trap door to a bedroom. I shared the room with Monday. Monday is a trail name for Elmer's cat. Monday did not like me closing the trap door, but that was too bad. So, I compromised with the cat. I would close the trap door three-fourths of the way and Monday could sleep on the down comforter. Even though the cat took the comforter, she was still mad at me. Baltimore Jack, an 8 time trail hiker, is working at The Outfitter in Hot Springs. What a nice gentleman! He is a very kind, considerate gentleman with a wealth of information on thru-hiking. He went through my pack and found 7 pounds of items that I needed to send home. This a hiking trip-not a camping trip. I was honored to meet Baltimore Jack and I know that he will help hundreds of hikers like myself. I ate the vegetarian supper at Elmer's and it was great! We all were able to share what historial figure that we would like to thru-hike with-I chose Meriweather Lewis.
Date: 2004-03-30
From: Hot Springs, North Carolina

To: Hot Springs, North Carolina
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

   I had a good night's sleep with Monday in the attic at $10.00 per night. It was raining lightly as I walked to the Jesuit House for a private mass with GG. The 87-year-old Jesuit Priest still hikes on the AT. The mass was said for the repose of GG's brother. There were four of us in attendance. GG, the Nun (sister), the Priest and myself. I was honored that I was asked to do the scripture reading from the Old Testament and Psalms. After a wonderful breakfast at the local diner, I returned to Elmer's. I was moved from the attic with my new friend Monday, to Room #3 on the second floor. I then sent a drop (bump) box to Erwin, TN. I carried my pack back to Baltimore Jack who wanted to demonstrate how to pack it. Light weight on the bottom and the top with the heavy items in the center of the pack. If you were to hold a rectangle picture frame in the center of your pack that is where the heavy items are to be carried. Baltimore Jack is a class gentleman. I called Snow Bear and her husband and invited them to join me for supper at 5:00. At supper, I mentioned that I had met Baltimore Jack. Snow Bear said that Baltimore Jack had provided emergency care for her on the AT. The legend of Baltimore Jack grows because of his unselfishness to all on the AT. Hot Springs is named appropriately. I walked down to the springs and rented a tub for over an hour for $10.00. The tubs are located on the bank of the river. So, I sat in the steaming water and watched the river flow for one fantastic hour. My feet are healing and I'm heading north in my tennis shoes.
Date: 2004-03-31
From: Hot Springs, North Carolina

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

   My feet are almost back to 100% and I'm feeling great on the climbs out of Hot Springs. The view from Lovers Leap Rock back to the river and Hot Springs is beautiful. I hope to repeat the climb in the future. It was beginning to rain. By the time I reached the concrete dam and pond it had become a slow cold winter rain mixed with fog. At the gravel road I climbed up the mountain onto what I thought was the AT. As I was entering the wood line I heard Lopaka yell, "Mickey!" I yelled, "What?" He told me that I was not on the AT. So, I came back to the gravel road and corrected my course. As I began to climb over 3,000 feet the rain had turned to snow. I had checked the forecast before I had left and it had called for snow flurries at the high altitude. This was no flurry! It began snowing heavily. By the time I reached Spring Mountain Shelter, we were getting a heavy accumulation. As we reached the shelter, BamBam, Pebbles, Cahana and Eighth Wonder decided to walk onto Allen Gap and hitch back to Hot Springs in the dark. Also, one gentleman had to walk to Allen Gap and hitch to the hospital for medical treatment. It was a cold, miserable night. Little did I know just how miserable this was to become.
Date: 2004-04-01
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

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

   When GG, Woody, Castro and myself reached Allen Gap, we were below the snow line. We decided to walk left in Tennessee to the convenience store about 2 miles from the gap. By the time we reached the mountain top tavern a beer truck was finishing supplying the store. GG and Woody went into the tavern and asked the owner if we could purchase some food and drinks. He agreed and we sat at the bar at 11:00 a.m. drinking Pepsi and eating pizza and corn dogs from the microwave. The owner is a nice man who's mother use to run the General Store where the AT meets at Allen Gap. His mother knew Grandma Gatewood and Bill Irwin. The store now closed was operated by his mother for over 40 years. He offered us a ride in his truck back to the AT. Since the tavern doesn't open until 4:00 p.m. we appreciated his Trail Angel. He was so nice to us that we know his kindness will not go unrewarded.   As we began to hike up to the Little Laurel Shelter the snow began to get heavier. We could see the ATV (4-wheeler) tracks on the AT where the 11-man rescue team had used to save a hikers life during the night at Little Laurel Shelter. He was taken to the hospital for surgery. I can't say enough about the wonderful people of Tennessee. 11-men, all who were volunteers, went there to save a thru-hiker. God bless them all! Thanks to their heroic effort the last report is that the hiker is alive. Thanks to their heroism. It was a cold night at Little Laurel Shelter. Yes, it snowed all night and the snow was getting deeper. It was a true test for my non-water proof New Balance 806 tennis shoes. Ignorance is bliss because if I had known what I was facing in the next 24-hours, I know that I would have retreated to Allen Gap.
Date: 2004-04-02
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 6.8
Weather: snow

   Each step from Little Laurel Shelter brought deeper snow. I was hiking with GG and Woody. Visibility was very low. I lead then came Woody with GG last in line. We agreed to stay close because of the conditions. Although my feet were wet and cold, I did have good traction with my tennis shoes. I needed my boots. Walking in fresh, deep snow requires a lot more effort than usual hiking. When we reached the entrance to White Rock Cliffs and Blackstack Cliffs there was a new sign for a bad weather trail. There was no information on this in our books so we continued on the white blazes. The ridge line goes to the top of the two cliffs. It was very dangerous! We were in a blizzard in white-out conditions. Yes, I was wet and cold. One fall to the right would have brought no hope. The pace was slower than the falling snow flakes. The rocks were slick with snow and ice. It took all my effort to break the snow path. I knew that if I stopped it would be fatal. As we neared Jerry Cabin Shelter, I could smell the campfire. What a reassuring smell! Little did we know that the Jerry Cabin Shelter had a fireplace built into the shelter. A big thanks to Kinloch and Lopaka, who built the fire and worked late into the night to keep it going. Also, Jim Leadfoot and Big Jim were helpful to all hikers including making coffee for each hiker. Leadfoot is a retired architect with a heart of gold and Big Jim is a retired school superintendent, who now teaches at the university. I was freezing and could not get my body temperature up. I put on a dry shirt and two pairs of socks and stayed in my sleeping bag for four hours before I could feel warm. Plans were made for Kinloch, Big Jim, Leadfoot, GG, Woody and myself to hike to Devil Fork Gap together.
Date: 2004-04-03
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

To: Devil Fork Gap
Miles today: 8.7

   GG, Woody, Leadfoot, Big Jim, Kinloch and myself left at 7:55 a.m. with Kinloch breaking the path in the 12-16 inches of snow. I put my head down and followed his footprints. The snow line continued until the Flint Mountain Shelter. My feet were very cold. I had decided to hike with two pairs of socks in my 806's. At the Flint Mountain Shelter, I put on my last pair of dry socks and the change made a big difference. We continued our descent to Devil Fork Gap where we were able to hitch a ride to Erwin, TN. I was totally drained from the storm. I checked in at Miss Janet's but she was full. I then went to the Holiday Inn Express and took a long hot shower.    What did I learn from this snow storm? One, sometimes you are going to get wet and cold regardless of all your precautions. Two, keep moving. Three, drink plenty of water. Four, as soon as you find shelter, get in dry clothes. Five, get into your sleeping bag. And, number six, eat and continue to drink plenty of fluids. It worked for me in this situation. I will never, ever leave Springer Mountain before April 1. Individuals do get injured along the AT. Yes, I am convinced that you can die. But, as far as I know, no one this year has lost their life. For another perspective, the last two hikers, who came to Jerry Cabin Shelter, making a total of 15 people, were Sweet Cheeks and Willow. They are from the University of Maine. Both said that they had such a fun day they were going to zero at the shelter and stay an extra day. Oh, yes, they did find a bag of marshmellows to roast. Now, with an attitude like that-on to Maine!
Date: 2004-04-04
From: Devil Fork Gap

To: Erwin, Tennessee
Miles today: 0.0

   This was the day I was looking forward to as I was going to see Carol. Burn and his wife were going to return a rental car to the Tri-cities Airport and provided us a ride back to Miss Janet's. GG, Woody and I agreed to go to the Methodist Church across the street from Miss Janet's. It was a very friendly church towards hikers. It was a beautiful Palm Sunday service. After church, I returned to Miss Janet's and met Crash Test Dummy, who is hiking from the Canadian Provinces to Key West. It was so nice to see Carol drive up the street to Miss Janet's house. Carol, GG, Woody and I went to a great Sunday lunch at the Maple Grove Restaurant. If only Carol could have brought my wonderful dog, Bentley, and my beautiful cat, Amber, it would have been perfect. As it was, it was a fantastic day!
Date: 2004-04-05
From: Devil Fork Gap

To: Sams Gap
Miles today: 8.4

I had breakfast at the Huddle House with GG, Woody, Pebbles, BamBam and Carol. I had sent two boxes from two different locations to General Delivery at the Erwin Post Office. The box from Standing Bear Farm had arrived, but once again I had out-walked the US Postal Service from Hot Springs, NC to Erwin, TN. BamBam was taking a zero day. Carol delivered us to Devil Fork Gap at 9:45 a.m. The trail was clear of snow. All of the snow was in the higher elevations near 3,500 feet. It was an easy hike. We finished at 2:30 p.m. and Carol was prompt in picking us up. It was interesting that most of the trail parallels an old fence line. Tennessee is such a great place to hike. For all you purist, today was my first day of slackpacking. I carried my backpack, water, food, flashlight (don't leave home without it), winter jacket, gloves, hat and one extra dry shirt. At the end of our hike, I went to Johnson City, TN, with Carol, Dave and Miranda to visit the Hikers Outfitter store. This is a first-class outfitters store for hikers. Dave and Miranda are from Maine and are a wonderful young couple. It has been great having Carol around and I am going to miss her presence.
Date: 2004-04-06
From: Slack Pack Jump to Hughes Gap

To: Carvers Gap
Miles today: 4.8

   On my second day of slackpacking, GG, Woody and I agreed to jump to Hughes Gap and complete the climb over Roan Mountain. With the possibility of snow returning, we did not want to be stuck for a week waiting to go over Roan Mountain as many hikers had done for the last week. Having Carol drive us an hour to Hughes Gap was convenient. It was a perfect weather day. I Am Not Martha Stewart So Deal With It, who is Quincey Girl, told me that the snow was in good condition to cross over Roan Mountain. The trail goes from 4,040 feet to 6,285 feet in 3.1 miles. The snow on the trail was not slick and was only 4-6 inches deep. On the side of the trail, the snow was 12-18 inches deep. We began our climb at 10:00. Since more snow is predicted for Thursday night (rain in the valley), we wanted to complete this difficult section.   This was the most beautiful hike on my journey north. Perfection! Also, we were passed by Drahma and Numb Skull. The drive down the mountain was breath-taking. I have never seen such beauty with one exception, The Dingle Peninsula in Ireland. My slackpack schedule for Erwin includes: 1) Sams Gap to Spivey Gap for 13.3 miles; 2) Spivey Gap to Nolichucky River for 11.2 miles; 3) Nolichucky River to Indian Grave Gap for 8.2 miles; 4) Indian Grave Gap to Iron Mountain Gap for 10.8 miles and 5) Iron Mountain Gap to Hughes Gap for 9.2 miles. I will then purchase a shuttle to Carvers Gap to continue my hike north.
Date: 2004-04-07
From: Sams Gap

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

   Carol dropped GG, Woody and me at Sams Gap at 10:30 a.m. Our morning began with a trip to Miss Janet's House to leave all of our gear that we didn't need for slack packing. The weather was perfect. We crossed under the Interstate (I26) and began our climb from 3,800 feet to 5,516 feet at Big Bald. We were joined on our hike by Ichabod. He is from Ohio. Ichabod is one of the most intelligent individuals I have had the opportunity to meet. When he was in elementary school, he memorized 14,000 lines of poetry. He can quote poetry from almost any author I could name. Also, he has a beautiful singing voice. He could sing songs all day long. What a treat! He was raised by his grandfather on a dairy farm. Ichabod would be a great hiking partner for anyone who enjoys intelligent conversation and a love for music and poetry. Cross and the Wandering Nun from England and Lekiless were at the top of Big Bald. I will add that when you hike Big Bald as a 360 degree hike it must be in beautiful weather. In bad weather, it is one of the most dangerous locatiions on the AT. The walk down Big Bald was 4"-8" in black mud. "Slip-Sliding-Away" began our afternoon theme. This 13.3 mile section is very difficult and ends with several 'PUDS' (pointless-ups-and-downs). The last 1.4 miles was dry and a beautiful walk to the US19W highway. The group waited for Miss Janet, who carried us to an all-you-can-eat Italian buffet. There were at least thirty hikers to enjoy the music of Takoma Tedd Somerset and the dancing of GG and Bramble. Then, we all put our hands on the shoulders of the person in front of us and we did a train dance to the music of Takoma Tedd Somerset. On, to water guns in Damacus at Trail Days and the Potato Gun.
Date: 2004-04-08
From: Spivey Gap

To: Nolichucky River
Miles today: 11.2

   Potato Gun? Oh, the tradition is that when Miss Janet carries you for a shuttle, you unload a 3" X 6' PVC pipe. You then take a potato and place it in the 3" opening. Next, you take a Leki Pole and plug the potato into the tube. Then, you spray hair spray in the other end. Next, you thread the back shut with a regular PVC cap with a small hole drilled in the middle of the cap. The hole has a flint spark. Then, you place the potato bazooka on the shoulder of a willing hiker and turn the flint. Boom! There goes the potato. A good potato shot will go 50' into the air and 100' in distance. It was a good spud day! Then, off we went hiking. Thru-hiking is a very serious endeavor! This has to be the easiest 11.2 miles between Springer Mountain and the Nolichucky River. From Temple Hill (mile marker 336.3) to the Nolichucky River is so beautiful it has to be walked. I can't describe its beauty. O.K., I'll try. It was an awesome wide river view from 3,310 feet with a lot of white water. Trees were blooming in the valley of green fields and farms. There was a lovely town so clear it appears Rockwellian. I started (don't laugh) singing America, the Beautiful. Please go through the verses in your mind at this point. Serveral of the hikers ate at the Elms Restaurant. The Wandering Nun ate his first plate of Chicken 'n Dumplins. We are trying to teach this Englishman how to talk with a Southern accent.