morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-03-20
From: Near Whitley Gap Shelter

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

Well, it's pretty wild on Blue Mountain with a storm raging, earth shaking, and the green, canvas walls of the tent X-rayed against the sky every 10 seconds by lightning. I'm looking around for metal objects and feeling pretty glad I left the poles outside. But, I could to be only a charred, barely smouldering outline by morning.Earlier in the evening we were sitting aound the campfire toasting smors, all the time the sky in the distance vaguely alight moving closer and closer. By the way UK readers, smors are toasted marshmallows, with a slice of chocolate between 2 gram crackers. It was chilly on top of the mountain and the fire was welcome, even if I did have to fend off persistent giggles every time I said aluminium. Most people from Neels had made it here: Steven, Chef, Dan, Scott, Alabama, Brutus, who some now is calling Richard Dreyfuss, for obvious reasons.Here comes the wind. The Laserlite has a funny design and relies on 2 vital stakes for its stabilit ywhich are straight carbon fibre pencils. I hope they hold out.
Date: 2004-03-21
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

I set off at 10.00AM. Pretty late considering this turned out to be my longest day yet. Late last night (around 9.00) I was doing some calculations and realised I had to hit some serious miles if I wanted to get to Maine in 6 months and take a zero day a week. It means nearly 15 miles a day or 88 per week. I might have to cut back on the zeros, but I don't really want to as I reckon 1 day off out of 7 is important to let the muscles relax and recover. Oh, and I want to hang out in motels watching cable, eating chips and drinking beer in bed. Today has been funny weather: bright blue skies and sunny, but with a piercing wind from the west. I've hiked in my fleece all day and added gloves around 5.00, my hands were so cold on the poles. Tonight is cold. Maybe down to the 20s F.Tray Mountain was tough. I reached the summit around 1.00. It was a great view over the hazy, mauve mountains, many in North Carolina apparently. Very windy, but when I descended the rock by only a few feet it was sheltered and I warmed up. I had lunch with Brutus and and 2 people from Athens, Georgia, one of whom was British and a lecturer at the universty.A good group at Deep Gap shelter. Only Chef and Slainte here from last night. Another campfire and much trail wisdom shared around it. I'm looking forward to a warm bed tomorow night. I don't think there'll be another for quite a while.
Date: 2004-03-22
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Hiawasse
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: clear sky

A zero day, or more properly a nero day as I had to walk about 3 miles to the road to catch a rde into Hiawasse.It went really well, when I came out on the road a shuttle from the holiday Inn Express pulled in straight away. Me and Boo Boo jumped in and I had a mini-suite all to myself and retrieved my box from the PO by 10.00AM. The first thing I did was get the coffee brewing as I've been on Earl Grey only the past couple of days and it's just not hitting the spot. Then I got complimentary shave foam and razor from reception from Reception and scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed. It's a great room and the management very accommodating of messy thru-hikers.Hiawasse a nice little place. It's good to descend to the valley as to better appreciate the mountains and get a sense of scale and proportion.So, I've done nearly 70 miles including the approach trail. I hate to tempt fate and say this BUT I can honestly say I've never felt better at this stage of a hike. My feet are in great shape, in fact the Java Montrail GTXs are so comfy I'm wearing them right now barefoot in the town library.No bears.
Date: 2004-03-23
From: Hiawasse

To: Musk Rat Shelter
Miles today: 11.6

I made the most of the 11.00 AM check out time and hung around 'til then, trying to eke out my 24 hours at the Holiday Inn Express. The continental breakfast was pretty good, I could have done without the hard boiled eggs but I forced one down anyway, reckoning they must be full of some kind of nutrient I'd been lacking.I checked out and went to the PO, bouncing a box on to Fontana Dam. Postage rates are really cheap here, the box was heavy, loaded with spare gear, clothes and food provisions for the Smokies, but only cost me 6 bucks to send. I originally said I woudn't do the box thing but seem to have got in to it now. The next one I'll boot a bit further along the trail.I hitched a ride out f town and got a ride witha nice guy called Roy, he'd already picked up another hiker, John, and his dog.I met Peak a Boo and Cuppa Joe at the gap. she was concerned about her foot which is swollen and not 100% She's getting it checked out in Hiawasse, but hopes to be on the trail again as soon as tomorrow doing short miles.Whilst we were chatting a crazy old preacher came out of the woods clutching a 3 pound bible which he has apparently been lugging up the trail in his hands and began to harangue the motley crew of bemused hikers at the road side. Some young guys told him they wee into Eastern religions which sent him off on a rant. Whereupon another older hiker got een madder and started yelling at the preacher and generally threatening to wrap his stick around his neck. Eventually the preacher, who had Old Testament written all over him and could have escaped from a Nick Cave song, was sent hopping back into the woods.It was a great afternoon's hiking. Very sunny, not too hot, but T-shirt weather out of the wind which was gentle today. The light is Australia sharp and the leafless trees look almost like gums in the sun's stark rays. I retrieved a sun hat from my box in town and this is ch better. I'd been burning up.I called in at Pum Orchard Gap, a nice shelter, just to sign the register, before pressing on to Bly Gap where most folks who went to town decided to camp. I was considering whether to push on to Musk Rat Shelter when Alabama showed up and said he'd go if I went. We decided to flip a coin except nobody had one. Paddler went to his tent and found a St Christopher, the patron saint of travellers, a dude you can trust. Anyway, St Chris reckoned we should go on to Musk Rat Shelter, so we left. As we were going it was suggested I take the trail name St Rick, which seemed nice. I've always wanted to be canonised, or is it beatified?At Musk Rat a good crowd was in with a fire (it was cold up there) and laughs around the campfire. Papillion and Gaia want to call me Java, as every time they see me I'm moaning about my lack of coffee. We'll see.
Date: 2004-03-24
From: Musk Rat Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: few clouds

Trail names are flying about all over today. There's Mouth, Tarzan, Blue Eyes, Alabama, Gaia, Papillon and the two options I've been wrestling with: Java and Saint Rick. The consensus is St Rick, as when I had the option to purchase real coffee in Hiawasse I wimped out and bought instant instead, despite the fact 2 French presses were going begging in the hiker box at the hotel. The mental turmoil of the life and death issues we have to wrestle with here on the trail, it really is too much.Did I mention I crossed the first state line late yesterday and am now in North Carolina? No, I think I forgot. I also climbed up Standing Indian Mountain at 5498 feet by far the highest yet. I am now camped out in a bear sanctuary. According to signs there's a rogue bear on the loose that shows no fear of humans and steals back packs. It didn't say which brands. I hope bears aren't starting to go ultralite these days...There was a lot of talk around the campfire of heading into town at Franklin to take advantage of the Pizza Hut buffet. I'm not sure if I'll do that as it wasn't long since Hiawasse. Not everyone went in to town then however, in fact Alabama hasn't showered for over a month. Quite impressive.There was a fire burning in the distance today and the trail was smokey in parts. At night you could actually see the flames. It might be a prescrbed burn, but it's fairly windy, so I don't know.
Date: 2004-03-25
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: broken clouds

Chef was determined to be last to leave the campsite today and he managed it, just - I ran him a close second and it was 10.30 before I hit the trail.Today has been fantastic weather, sunny all day and warm in the afternoon, the sun bleached trees reminding me of Australia. It was good hiking, apart from one mountain, Albert,the going wasn't so tough with fine views from steep ledges. Later, there was a high, white fire tower from where you could see for miles. Desolation Angels. Trail magic today! I passed a clearing and there was this SUV pulled in with Gaia, Papillon and Alabama standing around the back. I was called over and there was a guy called Barry from Rainbow Springs Camp ground handing out hot dogs and sodas. He had a little fire going and we soon had sausages roasting away on sticks. He was a nice guy and was hoping to get to that spot regularly in thru hiker season, though that was the first day. Of course, it was a great bit of free advertising for him too and he told us all about what Rainbow Springs has to offer. It sounds as if its shaping up as a little Neels Gap. Rainbow Springs is ther place Bryson trashes in A Walk in the Woods. Barry only took over last year and I think it's changed since then. (I hope)A shortish day. At Rock Gap Phil Mill, Alabama and me tented slightly away from the shelter on the only flat ground. Alabama and me took a short side trail to see the second largest poplar in the USA. This might not sound like much and frankly, it wasn't really, the poor tree being effectively dead. It might sprout a few leaves later in the season, but I wouldn't put money on it.
Date: 2004-03-27
From: Wayah Gap

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: clear sky

I think this might be a record day for me in terms of mileage. I started at 10.00 and finished at just before 7.00, so I suppose I should start earlier if I want to do bigger miles. It felt ok, however.Today has seen the best views so far and it has been a beautiful warm, sunny day. I thought thre views were good from the stone stucture on Wayah Bald, but they were surpassed by the fire tower on Wesser Bald on which two friendy brothers from Alabama had erected a tent in which to spend the night. I hung out with them for a while and watched the beautiful sunset. The Smokies high and imposing in the distance. It was possible to see Clingmans Dome and other big peaks that I'll soon cross in the days ahead. Earlier, I took a short diversion to the top of Rocky Bald Lookout. Good views too, but also intricate paterns of moss and lichen on the granite slabs. Sometimes the micro picture is cool too.The little band that was hiking together for so long has been parted. Some ahead, some behind. I knew no-one at the Shelter tonight except Tom. There was a big group of sectio hikers form Atlanta/Athens in who were doing the AT in 40 mile, yearly stretches. They reckoned it would take 50 years to complete that way. Nice people.Tomorrow I reach the Nantahala Outdoor Centre where it's possible to get a shower. It will be much needed.
Date: 2004-03-28
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Unknown Camp
Miles today: 8.2

I left at 10.00 to hike the 5.8 miles in to the Nantahala Outdoor Centre. It has been a beautiful day with temperatures in the mid 70s F. More importantly, the early mornings and evenings have been pleasntly warm. I've worn my shorts all day and the Ronhill Tracksters (much favoured by 1980s PE teachers) have remained firmly in the pack.I spent more time at the NOC than I'd intended but it was time well spent, so that was OK. I had my first, much needed, shower for a while. This morning I had breakfst with some weekenders and I was surroundd by a swarm of flies much thicker than theirs. I felt like Charlie Brown's mate, I can't remember his name.I wanted to use the internet but it ws one of those crappy TV terminal, touch the screen, things and it was impossible to upload trail journals. I bought a new platypus and a few odds and ends in the good outfitters and had lunch with Moonstone, Littlebit and Beast. It was a burger with fried green tomatoes but I was disappointed not to get that much on the plate, so follwed it up with dessertAt the NOC who should I run into but the Scott and Zelda Fitzgerald of Trail Journals - I speak of none other than Ross and Grace.Now, the last time I saw Ross it was Trafalgar Sq and he'd had more than one or two beers. In fact, he was asking Nelson for directions. It was good to see him again unmistakeable in his England shirt. Grace had just bought new shoes and by some weird chance Ross and I were not only both wearing Montrail Java GTX, we were toting Vapor Trails as well, as if it was UK issue standard kit.I left the NOC at 4.45 and soon caught up with Ross and Grace on the mountain. We were too late to get to the first shelter, so after the steep, hard climb we located a campsite near a blue blazed side trail. This place is not mentioned in the companion but is in Wingfoot's book, wich Ross has. There is a rock formation nearby that looks alarmingly like a bear cave, but we decided not to let this worry us.We were the only ones there. It was good to finally get to know Grace whos funny journal I've been following for some time. As she often writes herself, she's not as intimidating in person as her writing would suggest. There was no shortage of firewood, we soon had a blaze and sat up late in the murky woods telling scary tales of mountain lions and other nightime beasties.
Date: 2004-03-29
From: Unknown Camp

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: scattered clouds

It was nice to camp with people who get up even later than I do. Ross and Grace don't waste time making coffee or fixing oatmeal like me, but they have their own unique forms of displacement activity.Grace reckons Ross has been getting away with this wide-eyed, butter won't melt in my mouth routine for too long and wants to tell the world about the real Ross, so she was busy preparing a trail journals expose on his secret life: the fear of bees, the love of cats etc. But all this early morning effort proved tiring and she had to go back to bed around 10.00 AM. When I left Ross had dismantled the tent around her and was trying to squish both Grace and tent into a stuff sack in a fruitless attempt to get the show back on the road.I bumped into Alabama almost as soon as I'd begun hiking. It was good to see him after quite a while, we hiked together for the rest of the day.Today's hike was pretty hard but with cooler weather, good for walking. There were a lot of uphills and the last section into Brown Fork Gap Shelter was graded by a novice who knew nothing of switchbacks. It felt much more like a British path - straight up. I don't think we saw another hiker all day, it was eerily quiet on the trail. I was even more surprised when the shelter was completely empty when we arrived just before 6.00, more often than not they're packed. I was half expecting half a dozen people to jump out from round the back shouting 'surprise'! But nobody came.Tonight we cooked over the fire the old fashioned way. Despite having a 40 pound pack Alabama has no stove and cooks like this every night. We stayed up late and had a wide ranging discusion from free trade to Dollywood. Alabama now reckons Tenessee's finest attraction might lay too far from the trail to be a viable visit. I was devastated.
Date: 2004-03-30
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Inn, N. Carolina
Miles today: 11.6

My first night sleeping in a shelter was interrupted at about 4.00AM by the sound of heavy rain on the tin roof. It continued without interruption until 8.00AM when it receded to just the faint drips from the trees. A thick mist hung around for another hour or so, but by that time I'd emerged like a sleepy bear to cook oatmeal and make coffee.A southbound flip-flopper turned up bearing the news we were caught in some kind of cloud pocket on this funny little hill but it was clear on all sides. The ground had drained well and there was very little reason to hang around.A shortish walk today but quite frustrating as Fontana Dam hove into view early on giving the impression we were almost there but; there were always more hills, more switchbacks and unexpected deviations to negotiate. The view was good, however, the water of the lake unexpectedly blue set against the brooding hulk of the Great Smoky Mountains.I needed to get a few things done in Fontana. I have a box here and really needed to do laundry. Badly. I decided to split a room with Alabama at the Fontana Inn which does a really good deal for thru-hikers.So now I've been to the buffet, I'm all clean and shiny and ready to hit the Smokies, which contain the highest peak, Clingman's Dome, on the AT.
Date: 2004-03-31
From: Fontana Inn, N. Carolina

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I checked out today, walked around, it rained, checked right back in again.It was meeing Ross and Grace at the PO that did it. They had both taken delivery of enormous parcels of supplies but were reluctant to leave the warmth of the PO. They'd just got in from the hills where the rain had been faling as snow. I was headed in to the Smokies where things could only be worse. I stayed another night doing 0 days.Ross had a few English beers in the mail from Burn, he invited me round to their room where I found them both in much better spirits sitting around in towels munching their way through a mountain of junk food sent courtesy of Grace's mum. I managed to yogi an Easter egg and a couple of pepperonis myself.Later in the day a whole bunch of people showed up that I wanted to catch: Gaia, Papillon, Phil Mill, Deer Hunter and Squirt. Deer Hunter was getting off the trail at Fontana anyway and was kind enough toask his mates who were coming to pick him up to get me a case of Sam Adams in. This was deliered to my room.Later that evening things got pretty raucous at the hotel with Papillon driving all the to Bryson Cityto get more beers, a distance of over 30 miles. This is a dry county, no booze available, but I have had more beers here than anywhere else on this trip.Enough said.   The evening ended with a lot of drunken guys in the sauna at 2.00 AM chucking water on the coals.It was a fun night.
Date: 2004-04-01
From: Fontana Inn, N. Carolina

To: Mollies Ridge shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: light snow

Last night ended fairly riotously with a drunken sauna and people crashing on the carpet. Luckily, by the time I got up at 9.00 all was calm, save for a few Sam Adams bottles dotted around the room.I made it to the dining room in time for the last of the breakfast buffet. My fourth in two days, not a bad calorie boost. Chef poked his head around the door about 10 minutes later, it was nice to see him as he's been a little way behind. He had to put in 20 miles to make the Shelter last night. Alabama, Ross and Grace were also at breakfast.Taking the zero turned out to be an excellent idea socially as I caught up with almost everyone I'd been hiking with over the last 2 weeks. It was a lot of fun.Papillon is leaving the trail today as planned and was kind enough tooffer Bama and me a lift to where we left the white blazes. Bama did an extra 1.5 miles yesterday before thinking better of it, so we were walking separately in to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park, another landmark of sorts and nearly 70 miles of walking with only road access in a couple of places. In that respect it's one of the wildest parts of the trail, correspondingly, my pack wa ther heaviest it's been loaded with the extra food.The weather forecast indicated a chance of rain today and it looked dull, moody and overcast as I crossed the expansive wall of Fontana Dam, onr of the biggest in the US.I'd heard there was snow about on top of the mouintains but it rapidly became cler we were talking about more than just a sprinkling as I climbed higher and higher. The conditions were rather peculiar in that the snowier things got the calmer the wind and more pleasant the walking, until I found myself alone in a soft, white forest, footstepsquietened in the crisp snow.It was rather magical and I wasn't hurrying. The hemlock and rhododendrons loaded up and dumping clumps of the cold stuff now and then. It didn't sem too cold and yet it wasn't melting either, I think it mustn have fallen just last night. The path was clearly defined and well trodden but the sow was perfect all around.I got to the shelter late, about 6.30. The atmosphere was bit subdued wih a few huddled around the fire but more ensconsed in their bags. I've never slept in a full shelter before and the vibe can't help but recall refugee camps and disaster relief. You are not allowed to camp in the Smokies unless a shelter is full, there was only one or two spots left for me but camping on deep snow was not an option any way. I decided not to cook, the 4 trips to the breakfast buffet must have helped with that. I was the last to arrive and the last to crawl, slothlike, in to my cold bed.
Date: 2004-04-02
From: Mollies Ridge shelter

To: Derricks Nob Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: snow

It was cold today, really cold, Much colder than yesterday and not always pleasant hiking.By the time I got up at 8.00 many people had already gone and there was space to do your thing at the shelter. It was coffee and oatmeal as normal, only I got the coffee muddled witht the beef stock with unexpected results, epecially when I added the creamer.Did I mention the trail was cold today? There was a stiff wind blowing when we set out and it brought down the snow in the trees like a fine hail. Round about lunchtime things did settle down a bit and there was an hour or so of pleasant walking. It certainly was beautiful in the frozen forest, the snow now 7 inches deep.We pushed on to this shelter, the wind blowing hard when we arrived, it was great to finally get here, the last part was just a slog. A good group at the shelter much livlier than last night and in high spirits despite the freeze and cramped conditions.Did I mention it was cold?
Date: 2004-04-03
From: Derricks Nob Shelter

To: Double Springs Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: broken clouds

At about 8.00 AM the snow began to slide off the roof. It was a good sign and by the time we'd set off, late, at 11.00, the sky had started turning blue and the temperature was soaring. I took off a layer of clothing, dug out the sunnies and applied sunscreen.I only made 7.2 miles today. Pretty appalling but the conditions were bad with deep snow melting by the minute. It was getting pretty slushy and will be worse tomorrow when the mud shows up. I had high hopes of making 13 miles but wasn't even going 2 miles per hour, the next shelter was another 6 miles on so I stayed put at Double Springs Gap.The shelter was a lot of fun tonight, much improved on ther morgue-like atmosphere in the first Smokies shelter. Man, we must have kept on chatting until at least, like, 8.15.