morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-03-29
From: Cheese Factory Site

To: Blueberry Patch Hostel, Hiawasse, GA
Miles today: 12.5

Well, we made it, although I¢m sure I left some significant bits of what used to be my left knee on the trail today. I was doing pretty good until the last 4 miles. Stopped for a break at the blue-blaze to Deep Gap shelter and the knee decided that it just didn¢t want to work anymore. I knew from there I had a small climb up over Powell Mountain, and then a long, slow decent into Dicks Creek Gap and Hiawassee. As any hiker with bad knees will tell you, it¢s the downhills that really hurt. I broke in to the ¢just in case the kidney stones come back¢ Vicodin supply, threw in the rest of the Motrins from the first-aid kit, and pushed. Felt mighty good for the first mile to mile-and-a-half. Too bad it was a 3.5 mile hike.Skunk of course , beat me to the Gap by a long stretch, and when she saw me at the Deep Gap Shelter she threatened to hike in to the Gap, drop her pack, and then come back and take my pack from me and carry it the rest of the way. I have no doubt that if her own ankle hadn¢t acted up in the last mile that she would have done exactly that, and I have no doubt that I would not have been able to stop her from carrying my pack. Male ego can only go just so far when faced with a force of nature like Skunk. I not only finally arrived to a standing ovation(ovation of one), but to learn that Skunk had already smooth-talked us a ride to the Hostel. Brief Souljoy update: She is going to keep going. Her and Skunk are going to buy some new gear so they can be more independent, but will still meet up at town stops, good for her, for both of them. Tomorrow will be a zero, and the trip to the hospital.
Date: 2006-03-30
From: Blueberry Patch Hostel, Hiawassee, GA

To: Blueberry Patch Hostel, Hiawasse, GA
Miles today: 0.0

Zero day in Hiawassee. Spent the morning in the emergency room. The knee doesn¢t appear to be terminal, and we¢ve ruled out amputation, for now. X-ray¢s didn¢t show anything, as expected, and only an MRI could show any possible cartilage damage. Rather than wait the week and a half to get in for an MRI we made the decision to press on, albeit slowly. If it gets better, then we know it wasn¢t serious damage, if it doesn¢t then we know it was. For now I have got a fancy new knee brace and a ziplock bag full of shiny new prescription strength Motrin.Souljoy, Skunk and I spent the after noon and evening in Hiawassee, mostly at Rose¢s Restaurant, hanging out on the balcony with B-Dub, and Heckle & Jeckyl. Buffalo wings for lunch, followed by steaks for dinner(with several pitchers of beer to fill the time in between). If you are ever passing through Hiawassee I highly recommend stopping in. Great food, fun people, plus they¢re the only place in town with a beer/wine license, it¢s a dry county! Back to the Blueberry Patch for one last night, then back to the trail.
Date: 2006-03-31
From: Blueberry Patch Hostel, Hiawassee, GA

To: Bly Gap, N.C.
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: overcast clouds

The new brace (and drugs) did the trick! Almost no pain in the left knee at all.New event for tonight: Sleeping in North Carolina! I¢m not much across, only 200¢ or so, but I have officially crossed over.A bit of a reversal here, but it now appears that Souljoy is quitting after all. She rode back to the trailhead with all of us, but her and Skunk hung back at the picnic tables in the parking area. About 11:00 my phone chirped: Souljoy left me a voicemail to let me know that her and Skunk were headed back to town, and that she was going home. I feel for her, I really do. I¢ve come close to that point more than once while my knee has been hurt. In fact, if it wasn¢t for her and Skunk¢s encouragement, I¢d probably be home right now.
Date: 2006-04-01
From: Bly Gap, N.C.

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: light rain

Lots of rain last night, but it was timed nearly perfectly: started at 7:00PM (AKA hiker bedtime), and let up at 6:00AM, just in time for breakfast. The new tent passed its first rain test with flying colors. Only had a few drops of condensation fell on me all night. Took it easy today and only did 7.7 miles. Knees felt good, but the next shelter is 6.8 miles away, with 5500¢ Standing Indian Mountain (our first >5000¢er) in between. Decided not to push it.
Date: 2006-04-02
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Climbed our first two(!) 5000¢+ Mountains today, Standing Indian, at 5498¢, and Albert Mountain, at 5250¢. Indian was a breeze, up and over before I even realized I was at the top. Albert was a much tougher climb, with some nifty rock scramble portions in the last quarter mile before the summit. But oh was it worth it. The view from the top may have been the best yet.Weather was lovely, mid 70¢s with lots of sunshine. Had about an hour of gentle rain in the afternoon. But that actually made the walking better, it rained so lightly that you didn¢t even get soaked (these fancy wicking fabrics dry faster than you can wet them practically). And nothing brings out the colors and smells in the forest quite like a rain shower. The rhododendron and mountain laurel both have beautiful foliage right now and there¢s tiny Bluets blossoming all over beside the trail. The sweet smell of the peat moss practically screams spring. We¢ve passed through some pine and fir coves in the past couple of days, and everytime we do I find myself thinking of vacations up at the cottage. Look at me, waxing poetic after a 14 mile day¢¦hmmm.
Date: 2006-04-03
From: Big Spring Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 5.3
Weather: light rain

Had an exciting night in the shelter last night. Just three of us in there, myself and Scott and Dub, who are from South Carolina. About 11:00 it started rumbling, and flashing. It didn¢t take long for the storm to start beating on the tin roof full force. And then came the hail. Albert mountain shelter is an older one, basically a three sided garden shed with a metal roof. The racket that hail makes on such a roof is hard to imagine, climb in to a clothes dryer with a piggy bank full of spare change and crank it up on high, and you¢ll get an idea. We just sat there, sitting up in our bags with our headlamps on, staring out at the melee.
Date: 2006-04-04
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Budget Motel, Franklin NC
Miles today: 3.8

"Nero" day today to get in to Franklin. Nero's (hiker slang for "nearly zero") are sort of the best of both worlds: you get all day in town to run your errands, you get to sleep in a real bed and take a shower, but you still feel productive since you knocked a few trail miles out too. Skunk and I are sharing a room at the "Budget Motel", which is a hiker-centric motel right in the middle of downtown Franklin. Not a fancy place by any stretch of the imagination, but clean, and cheap, and it's better than sleeping in the woods. It's run by Ron Haven, who is really willing to go way out of his to help out - they run free shuttles out to the outfitters, Walmart, grocery store, etc, etc. Dinner was the "steakhouse" AYCE here in town, a place that has certainly seen better days. Ate with Nokia and Livin', two hikers who are enjoying an extended break here in Franklin.
Date: 2006-04-05
From: Budget Motel, Franklin NC

To: Licklog Gap Campsite
Miles today: 12.3

Took the 11:00 shuttle out of Franklin this morning with Skunk, Nokia, Livin', and Oyster. Skunk and I made pretty good time, even given the late start. It's an odd thing, but it always seems to be harder to hike after a night in a real bed than it is after a night in the woods. You would think it would be the opposite, that a better night's sleep would translate into a better day's hiking, but nope, not at all. "Town legs" is what the hiking veterans call the phenomenon.   We settled on a nice little campsite at Licklog Gap. It has a nice view to the east, so it should provide for a nice view of the sunrise. (I still haven't gotten over the fact that I'm actually up for the sunrise now....frightening)   The evening's entertainment was watching a forest fire burning down in the valley to the east. It's a couple of miles away, and the wind is blowing away from us, so there's nothing to worry about. But still, I hope it's a "controlled burn" - I'd hate for my parents to hear about a wildfire in southwest NC on the national news.
Date: 2006-04-06
From: Licklog Gap Campsite

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: broken clouds

Big push to get into the NOC tonight. I'm feeling pretty good despite the miles. A couple of decent climbs today, but it was really the decent into the gorge that took the most out of me. "Slow n' steady" is my philosophy on the downhills; too fast and my knees complain, loudly. "Slow n' steady is also the rule on the uphills, but that's because of the lungs, not the kegs. But hey, I'm pretty fast on the flat parts. Too bad those are so fer and far between.   We didn't even bother showering before dinner in the restaurant. I suppose a place that caters to hikers, mountain bikers, and kayakers is used to that sort of thing. I did at least scrub off the top couple of layers of grime in the restroom first though. Good meal, and an interesting menu, although I stuck with the big ol' burger, and a salad, and about a gallon of lemonade. Over the course of dinner our table grew to include myself, Skunk, Piper, Weeks, Harley Hogpit, and Baldilocks.   An "it's a small world" bit on Baldilocks: He's spent the last few years working for Vinnie's Pizza in Savannah, delivering pizza by bicycle. Given the dates, and the frequency of which I ate Vinnie's Pizza while in school, it's almost certain that Baldilocks and I have met before. Pretty cool.   For the second night in a row the post-dinner entertainment was a fire. Tonight's though was much closer, and more spectacular. The local fire department used a to-be-demolished old house on the NOC campus as practice material. Went from house to smoldering pile in half an hour.
Date: 2006-04-07
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

Up and out early for the climb out of the Nantahala gorge. We hit the restaurant as soon as they opened and thus began the climb with a belly full of omelette and grits. Six and a half miles of up, up, up. I made better time than I expected, and the view from Cheoah Bald was worth it.   Heard from a couple of dayhikers that the overnight forecast was pretty nasty, so Skunk and I huffed it on to the Brown Fork Gap Shelter.   Very tired, and will likely be asleep before the sun goes down.
Date: 2006-04-08
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Village
Miles today: 11.6

Good thing we pushed on yesterday; last night was all wind, rain, and thunder. Not as bad as the hail last week, but I was still thankful to be in a shelter and not in a tent. Dawn brought cold wind, fog, and spits of rain. Slipped and slid through the muck and mud to the Fontana Lake marina.   I had a very quiet evening here in the village. I ended up with a cabin all to myself! Part of the AT's original mantra was that it is a footpath for those seeking solitude in the wilderness, but this afternoon, evening, and overnight here in this cabin is the single longest stretch of that I've been alone this whole trip. Go figure: to find solitude in the wilderness I needed a resort cabin with cable tv and a microwave.
Date: 2006-04-09
From: Fontana Village

To: Fontana Village
Miles today: 0.0

What a wondeful waste of a day. Skunk got shuttled over to the cabin by Mala at about 9:00. We ran the town errands, such as they are here in the resort, early in the day, and then basically wasted the rest of the day lounging about the place. Watched some bad tv, took a nap, did laundry. We spent the evening over at Bama and her husband Bill's cabin, drinking wine and chatting about the trail and life in general. Good times.
Date: 2006-04-10
From: Fontana Village

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: clear sky

First night in Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Mostly uphill after crossing the dam (of course), but not too bad. I paused for a break at Shuckshack Mountain and climbed the fire tower with Piper.   Crossing Gregory Bald was a surreal experience. You come over the lip of the climb and onto the flat top and suddenly you're in a sea of tiny purple wildflowers. I took a few pictures but I doubt they'll capture the scene properly. Just the combination of cloudless azure blue sky, with the open carpet of emerald green foliage and the delicate purple flowers broken by solitary silver birtch trees had to be seen to be understood.   Tonight is a reunion of sorts; I've caught back up with Rusch Hour and Tyler (who's now going by "Hey Now"). That means that with the exception of Skunk, who is one shelter ahead, and Gray Matter, who isn't a hiker this year, our entire first night Springer mountain wine party is right here.
Date: 2006-04-11
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: clear sky

Tougher day than the mileage would suggest. No injuries, and no one body part hurts any worse than any other really, I'm just plain old out of gas from the up's and down's of the day. It's 6:20pm, and barring a call from nature I'm in bed for the night.
Date: 2006-04-12
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Up and over Clingman's Dome today, the highest point on the entire AT. It is, literally, all downhill from here. The shelter group tonight is Oly (whose 70th birthday is tomorrow), Bama, Snickers, Piper, Rabbit, Rusch Hour, and myself. I hadn't planned on going in to Gatlinburg tomorrow, but it sounds like I'm going to anyway. I'm short about a day on food, plus everyone else is going....oh the power of peer pressure.
Date: 2006-04-13
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Nero day into Gatlinburg. The "original" plan was to hitch in, resupply, have a birthday lunch for Oly, and then get back to the trail in time to make it to Icewater Spring shelter. That, of course, did not happen. Instead Rusch Hour, Rabbit, Piper, and I are sharing a room at the Grand Prix. Oly and Bama, and Creaky Bones, are staying here as well.   We ended up having a very late night, so this'll have to be a brief entry. It started off as dinner at the brewery with Piper, Rusch, and Rabbit. The downhill slide began with us guys ordering the "9 beer sampler" of all of the brewery's homebrewed beers. Post-dinner the group expanded to include Frisbee, Tattoo and Pidgeon, and Bill&Ted. (Bill&Ted is one person...he's having "an excellent adventure") Piper and Pidgeon faded early (smartly), and the venue changed from a restaurant to a bar on the main drag. Turns out one of the universal rules of good times everywhere does still apply while on the AT: When the cops show up, the party's over.
Date: 2006-04-14
From: Gatlinburg, TN

To: Peck's Corner Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: few clouds

We had a very tough time getting a hitch out of Gatlinburg this morning. Not real surprising, since tourists are said to be less likely to pick up hikers than locals who are used to seeing us at trailheads everyday are, but it was still frustrating. With the help of a couple of signs, big smiles, and showing a little thigh we eventually got a ride up the mountain with a nice family from Cincinnati.   Other than that the rest of the day was pretty smooth sailing.
Date: 2006-04-16
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm Hostel
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: light rain

Relatively short day today in to the hostel. Mostly downhill too. I made pretty good time, and got in here in time for lunch. Rabbit, Rusch, and I split a stack of pizza's for lunch, which I topped off with a pint of Ben and Jerry's. Pretty full house here tonight, with good reason; this is one of the most interesting hostels we've come to yet. Very laid back. I'm sleeping in the cabin with Bama, Oly, and Piper.
Date: 2006-04-17
From: Standing Bear Farm Hostel

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Short entry tonight: I'm tired, bloodied, limping, and generally one cranky S.O.B. The left ankle, which has been sore since just before Gatlinburg, took a turn for the worse today. Rolled it half a dozen times...it seems to roll really easily all of a sudden. By the time I got to camp I had almost no range of motion in it, and it swelled enough to make my toes numb. Had to unlace the boot all the way to the toes just to get the darn thing off.   Hot Springs, and a day off, is only 17 miles away.
Date: 2006-04-18
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Deer Park Shelter
Miles today: 14.8

Second tough day in a row. The ankle hurts worse, but at least my spirits are better. Only 3.2 mostly downhill miles tomorrow in to Hot Springs. As an experiment I'm going to try tonight and tomorrow without any pills...haven't slept or hiked pill-free since the second day out of Springer: I'm curious to see how much pain I've been masking.   Sharing the shelter with just Piper tonight - Oly, Bama, Rusch Hour, and Rabbit all pushed on to Hot Springs. Piper and I were too beat to go on.
Date: 2006-04-19
From: Deer Park Shelter

To: Alpine Court Motel
Miles today: 3.2

   Turns out that pulling up short last night instead of pushing on was a bad idea. Just before dawn the thunder and rain moved in, and continued until midmorning. We were pretty soggy by the time we got to town. The rain had another side effect as well: it kept Elmer's full to capacity. Several of the people who otherwise would have pushed on this morning instead decided to stick around in town for the day. Can't say that I blame them...if I had to choose between staying in a nice warm bed for another night or walking all day in the rain I'd stick around too. I ended up down the stick at the Alpine Court motel. It's a little more money than a hostel, of course, but there is something to be said for having a room all to yourself. But what is it with motels in trail towns not having telephones in the rooms? I don't think I'd ever seen a motel, even a real fleabag, that didn't have phones in the rooms until I got on the trail. And this is one of the nicer ones I've seen. Odd, Satellite TV, but, you need to walk down the street to use a payphone.   Piper, Rusch Hour, Rabbit, Oyster, and I split an hour of the "Hot Spring Spa" thermal baths. I highly recommend it for any hiker passing through Hot Springs. I think that's the cleanest I've felt since I got on the trail. We all showered before going, and we still left a "ring around the tub".   Going to zero here tomorrow for sure. Headed over to the clinic in the morning to get the ankle looked at.I think it's a bad sign when hikers you don't even know comment on your limp.
Date: 2006-04-20
From: Alpine Court Motel

To: Alpine Court Motel
Miles today: 0.0

Short entry for today. Got the ankle x-rayed this morning. They think they might see a stress fracture in it. Uh oh !! I've got an appointment tomorrow with Dr. Schroeder to talk about options. Till then, I'll be lounging around Hot Springs. Definitely not a bad place to be stranded, I suppose, although the dining options are a little limited. ( best find was the lunch wraps at the ice cream place by the outfitter...excellent)
Date: 2006-04-21
From: Alpine Court Motel

To: Ashville,NC
Miles today: 0.0

Well, looks like I'll be taking a few more zero days. I've relocated from Hot Springs to Ashville, to access the facilities of the hospital here. The diagnosis on the ankle is an avulsion fracture, along with tendonitis in pretty much every tendon that holds the foot to the ankle, and the start of plantar fasitis. The second two conditions were most certainly exacerbated by walking 30 miles on the darn thing after it got bad. (not much you can do in the middle of the Smokies). I've got my parents on their way down to pick me up.   At this point, I'm not exactly sure what the future is. Well, that's not completely true. The immediate future will be full of sitting on my butt watching TV, most likely.
Date: 2006-05-18
From: Grand Rapids, MI

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

On my way to Trail Days! The plan is to hang out there for the weekend, and then shuttle up the trail a bit and start hiking again. I'm hoping to run in to at least of the group that I was hiking with before and jump back on the trail wherever they're at. That will keep me on schedule for the finish in Maine, and the missing section can be filled in either late this fall or next spring.
Date: 2006-05-19
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus,Va.
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

   Well, had a very uneventfull bus ride south to Virginia. Sleeping on a Greyhound bus ia not easy. Maybe getting a half hour nap at a time. Lots of stops.   Another hiker boarded the bus at Wytheville Va. also heading to Damascus for Trail Days.   Arrived in Marion,Va.. Called the outfitters in Damascus asking about shuttles around here going to Trail Days. Turns out they have one. So, they came and picked us both up. Didn't have to wait very long at all.   Once in Damascus I got my tent set up, and everything. Met up with Rusch Hour (one of the Smokie Mountain group). Called home, let parents know I made it here. I'm sure I will run into other hikers I had met my first month on the trail.    I know taking a month off, healing my left foot, has put me behind on the trail. Will know more Sunday about where on the trail I will be restarting at.    Will let you know how Trail Days goes. Have heard and read alot about this 3 day event.    This time back on the trail, my mom will be doing some of my journal pages. Where I can't get to a computer, or have the time to, I will be sending the pages home to her. In fact, this one is being put in by her today. Hi everyone-- this is Trusty's mom. Hope you enjoy his journal.
Date: 2006-06-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Time for a much overdue recap and wrap-up for this journal. As some of you already know, I am back at home in Michigan. Again. The foot and ankle just were not up to the rigors of trail life yet. Rather than risk another, or more serious, injury, I made the decision to come back home. Given my pace, the additional time off to continue healing would probably make finishing the trail completely within the time I have an impossibility, so I'm calling it quits for this year. Another year, perhaps. Or maybe I will piece it together section by section.But, I did really enjoy my couple of weeks back on the trail. Had an excellent time in Damascus during Trail Days. (Rusch Hour's journal on here has a good picture of me having a good time too) After the weekend I jumped up to Pearisburg with Rusch and Baldilocks, and restarted from there. It was obviously from about noon on the first day that the ankle was going to be an issue, but I went slow, and made the best of it. By the time I got to Daleville I knew it was over for now. The bone had rebroken, and the tendonitis was back as bad, or worse than it was before. Oh well. I had a great time, met some wonderful people, and have memories and photographs that will last a lifetime. I'll post some more of the pictures soon.As for the question of "What now?", I'm on my way soon out to Phoenix to start a new job! I know, I know, moving to Phoenix in July!?! Should be an adventure, to say the least.
Date: 2005-10-12
To: GA/ME
Miles today: 0.0

I've reached my finiancial goal for the '06 hike!! Now to work on the old body. My conditioning is making progress. The weight is coming off and general health is good. I'm working mostly on legs , backand abdominal muscles. Incline walking, stepping and setup machines are getting a lot of time. In my '03 thru hike attempt I neglected to get into shape and by the time I hadgot my trail legs it was time to go back to work. Retirment will allow all thetime it takes this time.I'm changing some of my gear and replacing some worn out stuff.March 1 '06 is my target date to start out.