morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-04-01
To: Waiting - Impatiently
Miles today: 0.0

StillHereInTikrit   I'm gonna get that put on a T-shirt.       Well, another week down. 84 hours a week for 4 months with no days off. Then we get 10 days off to try to go have some fun. After that, back to it for four months. That makes 30 days a year off and doesn't sound bad until you realize that weekends back home take up 104 days a year. The movie "Groundhog Day" is the best way to describe this place. It is the same day every day. It actually goes pretty fast until you decide to leave. Once you get a date to fly, things slow to a crawl and each day lasts a week. If you have something ahead that you REALLY want to do, the last few days last forever.    I am in that empty page between chapters.    We had incoming night before last. I was just settling down to sleep when the hootch did a low end richter scale shuffle. I heard a nice sharp impact with secondary detonations. ("Heard" is code for got the crap scared out of me.) Dammned rockets. 122mm (about 6 inches) rockets have a range of 12 miles and have a hellacious warhead. This one hit the fuel point on base. Code red, go to bunkers, blah blah blah. After 14 months, dammned incoming still gives me the latent shakes and bad dreams.   Give me mosquitos, blackflies, snakes, mice and bears. Give me sore legs,blistered feet and body odor that would drop a moose. Give me a real nights sleep for Petes sake. I want an uninterrupted,exhausted,after twelve hours of walkin,too tired to see straight, all night long coma. I want some peace and quiet. This place is nothing but noise: generators,helicopters, an endless line of trucks, outgoing, incoming, gunfire........and that mush mouthed speaker system. Nobody knows what he's saying. It sounds like Charlie Browns teacher. Waah waaah wah wah whaaaah.    Ok, enough complaining.    I wanna start walkin.    Can't wait. Can't wait, can't wait. Cantwaitcantwaitcantwait....
Date: 2006-04-05
To: for budget minded jerky freaks
Miles today: 0.0

Hey, OK this was too good to keep to myself. Oberto beef jerky sells bagged ends and pieces on their website. Just google em. I just got about 21 POUNDS of jerky and meat snacks for 59 dollars after shipping is added. That is about 17 dollars a pound less than normal. The other major makers might have the same type of deals.
Date: 2006-04-08
To: Saw this on "The Mummy"
Miles today: 0.0

One of the most interesting things about Iraq is the exreme weather. It is spring here and that means it will be unstable till the heat sets in. Last year at this time it was into the 120s yestrday it was 55 at 4 am, and 90 at 1 pm. The day before we had a dust storm. It will be loopy like this till it gets hot and then it will just be heat. We broke 140 3 times last year and 125 to 135 was the normal temp during the middle of the day in the summer months.    I am 3 days away from leaving Iraq. I have all of my gear waiting at home and will be flying to Georgia on the morning of the 19th. I will be at Springer sometime between 1 and 2 pm. It still seems a million miles away.
Date: 2006-04-16
To: I'm in Texas
Miles today: 0.0

Ha,   Lots of people told me I'd get myself killed in Iraq. I am obviously not deceased. (nor am I an unwitting ghost haunting my brothers computer.)I'm alive and kicking. I'm going to be leaving here on the 19th to make like a cowpie and "Hit the trail." I can say things like that because I'm from Texas and we're known for being pretty damn wierd anyway. Be leery of Austin though. Them folks is reely wieerd.   The trip back from Iraq was long and tedious but no real excitement. The russian disco plane was elsewhere so I was force to leave Tikrit on a mundane communist era cargo plane with not a magenta acccent or zebra stripe to be found. It was utterly and truly anticlimatic. Nothing but cyrillic (sp?)writing and a vauge sense of nausea brought on by a spiraling approach and combat landing at Bagdhad.   I've been beset by the allergies that I suffer from constantly here in the Houston area. (The main reason I'd rather be nearly anywhere else in spring) One thing about Tikrit, the mold and pollen counts are always low. I've also got a nice case of the trots a-la Sonic chili dog that I ate yesterday morning. I'm also nursing a low grade migrain that makes me recoil from the light of an opened window blind like Nosferatu from a sunrise. The truth is that I feel like absolute crap and have the morale of Ahabs crew just after that big fish made kindling out of their boat. Not the tail wagging excitement that you might expect from somebody starting the trail in 3 days.   Yes. I know a whale is a mammal and not a fish. He was fiction anyway.   Not one of the 237 pounds of trail food that I ordered has arrived here. I was assured delivery by the 15th at latest.I had forgotten that this was Easter weekend ( no. I'm not a heathen. I've been in Tikrit. They don't do a lot of pre- easter advertizing at the local mosque.) Maybe UPS forgot too. Hah, what can brown do for you? Can you say Sonic? I wonder if that name was intentional? It shure was high speed.       If the food arrives tomorrow, I'll spend the next 2 days bagging it all up and sealing it all to ship to locations various and sundry, spattered along the length of the AT. If it doesn't arrive tomorrow then I'll have to re-schedule my flight to Georgia. I am basically sitting here like a lump and hoping I'll feel better tomorrow. I know it's just because I'm tired from the trip and the migrain and the old digestive system is not used to food that is more lively than cardboard. I'll get better.   Well, I'm kaput and that's that. I'll write more later.                                                       Bill
Date: 2006-04-18
To: still in Texas
Miles today: 0.0

Well, I'm feeling better. Things are not ideal at this point. I've had a few financial changes which means I'll be scraping instead of living like a trail king, but it's all good, I'll work it out. The men in the brown vans have lost some of my food and I won't have time to re-order so I'm going to be hitting the local wholesale club to set up the balance of my drops. I can now venture away from the bathroom for reasonable distances. I've got my backpack stuffed and baked. I'm now doing the little here-little there unneeded Item removal process. Mostly, I'm making a bump box.    My new flight to Ga. is saturday morning. I'll be Starting sometime around noon so hopefully I'll be squared away by then. If I'm not squared away by then, I'm goin anyway.                                                    Mr Bill
Date: 2006-04-21
To: Last day of civilization
Miles today: 0.0

I've been running around like a lunatic getting everything ready. I saved thousands on food by buying in bulk and packaging it all myself. All told it took 30 hours with a postal scale and measuring cup to get everything done. All of my food cost about 1200 dollars and I think it will be about 85 percent of what I need. It would have been easier if I had more time but that was out of my hands. My gear is all in good shape and the only problem I might have would be too much of it. I'll pare it down as I go if I need to. Everything else is set. Today is last minute stuff. I've been pretty good about my planning so there's not much left. Last night I had the first beer since last February. Man, I'm glad I've been busy. If I'd started drinking when I got off of the plane from Iraq, I wouldn't be ready to go. The picture is one of the last I took in Tikrit. I thought it was nice and deserved a peek. Next time the pictures will be from the trail.
Date: 2006-04-22
To: Hiker Hostel Dalonga Ga
Miles today: 0.0

Only got 2 hours of sleep last night and have been going flat out since I left Iraq. When the shuttle picked me up at the station this afternoon, I decided to stay overnight here and get a good nights sleep and start fresh in the morning. Last Prep. Springer tomorrow.   Everybody here is really nice. Lots of good company and it is nice and peaceful here. Lots of interesting folks here.   The feature show in the common room this evening was.....oh yeah, I'm not joking........ "Deliverance".    Welcome to Georgia.
Date: 2006-04-23
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: broken clouds

I had a good first day. I met Many Sleeps at the step off point on Springer. He was trying to keep up with the hikers that don¢t register at the park (guilty!) and start straight from the southern terminus. We spoke for a few minutes. I understand that he is well known. He was really nice and wished me luck. I got to Hawk Mountain Shelter in the late afternoon and there were already plenty of people there. After a relatively easy hike we were all talkative and laughed and bantered till dark. Amongst the group I met Space-Bear and Arson who were sectioning. I also met Boo-Yah, who is doing a thru-hike. Most of us agreed to meet at Gooch Gap Shelter the next day. I¢m happy to be here.
Date: 2006-04-24
To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: broken clouds

We all got off to a good start this morning. I left camp a little after 8 and felt pretty good. I¢m slower than I thought I¢d be. That¢s because I¢m fatter than I ought to be. I toting a 40-pound pack (with food and water) and an 80-pound gut. It is shameful what I¢ve done to myself ¢ and once I get it off, it won¢t be coming back. I¢m going to have to deal with it till I get lighter, though.As the day wears on I get passed by all the other hikers that I sheltered with last night. I still feel good and surprisingly no allergies or blisters yet. I met up with another thru-hiker near a stream (Justus Creek?) and Boo-Yah shows up a few minutes later. Boo and I introduce ourselves and the new thru-hiker tells us to call him Brax. Boo, Brax and I continue on to Gooch Mountain Shelter and stay the night there where we met up with Space Bear, Arson and a few others. We met Spice Man who thru-hiked in ¢04 and is out for a one-month section hike. I am hobbling a bit but otherwise everything is good.
Date: 2006-04-25
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Slaughter Gap
Miles today: 12.7

When I got up this morning I was sore and stiff. I didn¢t sleep very well but I think I just need to get used to a mummy bag. I slept in the shelter with the others and other than a mouse or 2 there were no nighttime antics. About 3 am I saw a light on the trail but it was too far away to make out who it was. I set out behind Boo this morning. He set a quick-steady pace and I lost sight of him after 30 ¢ 40 minutes. Once again, everybody passed me and I played caboose. I stopped on the Big Cedar Mountain Lookout rock to change socks and drink some Gatorade (Big Cedar wore me out). I make it in my cook pot because I don¢t want the sugar to promote bacterial growth in my water bottles. While I was recuperating from the climb uphill I met a section hiker. He did a big piece of thru-hike a few years back but Lyme disease took him out. I must have looked rough because when he met Boo and Brax at Woods Hole Shelter, he told them that I looked bad. After a little while I got going and for the next 4 hours I worked my way down Big Cedar ¢ across Woody Gap and over Burnett Field Mountain. I was really going slow by now. My feet and knees are hurting and I¢m tired. I met up with Hitech and Mallard at Jarrard Gap. They are both thru-hikers too. They invited me to stay but I¢d like to catch up with Boo, Brax and Uphill. I carry on. I surely was trudging the rest of that afternoon. I had my eyes on the trail and missed the sign for the Woods Hole Shelter. I ended up at the Slaughter Gap tentsites on the side of Blood Mountain. When I realized where I was at¢¦ ¢NOOOO!!¢ I was too tired to go back and too tired to go up the mountain to the shelter. I slept there in my tarptent on the mountain and listened to the rain. There were a few thunderstorms, but mostly it was wind. My tent danced around most of the night.
Date: 2006-04-27
From: Neels Gap / Goose Creek Lodge

To: Neels Gap / Goose Creek Lodge
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I woke up to throbbing feet and a swollen right knee. The feet are worst. All of the blisters are burst and the big one on the middle of my left foot and heel of my right are both obviously infected. I discussed things with Uphill for a while and as much as I hate it, I decided to stay for a day. I walked from the cabin to the office and as they are pulling out of the drive, Keith, with Uphill, Brax and Boo turn around and drive to me. We all shake hands and say goodbye for now. I feel like I¢m being left for dead. I¢m gonna miss these guys. Maybe I can catch up later. I head back to the cabin after seeing X, Y, Spice Man and Doodles (?) off. (Doodles, Spice Girl, Cheese Girl ¢ I don¢t know what they settled on but she¢s really a nice person. She¢s tough to if she¢s keeping up with Spice Man).When everybody is gone, I turn to the grim task of salvaging my feet. I now refer to them as ¢Poncho¢ and ¢Lefty¢. Poncho has an abscessed and infected hole in the heel. I cleaned out a marble sized wad of pus and cut off all of the rotting skin with a sterilized razor. I scrubbed the hole out with gauze and alcohol. Lefty got the same treatment on the inch-long by 34-inch wide furrow just behind the 2nd and 3rd toes. After a half hour of cutting, swabbing, and scraping, I had two nice red raw holes. I packed them with triple antibiotic and took a long-exhausted nap. I woke in the afternoon and ate dinner at riverside caf©. Keith drove. ¢Thanks Keith, for everything!¢I went to bed with body aches and chills. My feet are still swollen. I feel like hammered dog-s#!@!
Date: 2006-04-28
From: Neels Gap / Goose Creek Lodge

To: Neels Gap / Goose Creek Lodge
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I woke refreshed this morning. Poncho and Lefty are back to normal size as is my knee. The holes in my feet are not swollen or weeping anymore and seem to be on the way to recovery. They still hurt, but what the hell, its better than gangrene. I spent some of the morning in the lodge watching TV. I was hoping to see a hiker or two, but I¢m the lone desperado around here. It is a BEAUTIFUL day! I should be making miles up in the hills! I tell Pancho and Lefty to hurry up and get better. I¢m gonna need them. My conscience, no, my ¢Pride¢ is like an angry general interrogating a sick soldier.¢Where were you wounded, Soldier?¢¢Blood Mountain, Sir.¢¢Where did they get you?¢¢The feet sir, 4 infected blisters.¢¢Blisters! You big pansy! Blisters my butt! Get outta that cot and get back in the fight!¢ He glares with steely eyes, ¢No soldier of mine is gonna give up over blisters!¢I¢ve obviously had too much time to think. Some people have a little angel on one shoulder and a little devil on the other. These two argue it out and act as your conscience, ¢right¢ and ¢wrong¢. I¢ve got Patton and that guy that painted the ¢Happy Little Clouds¢ on PBS. (Transcriber¢s note ¢ BOB ROSS). Hopefully, I¢ll get going in the morning.
Date: 2006-04-29
From: Neels Gap / Goose Creek Lodge

To: Neels Gap / Goose Creek Lodge
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

One week and 30.7 miles. I¢m a real trail bum. Just not good enough to go this morning. I¢m hobbling around like an old man. One more down day. I¢ve got to get moving or I¢ll never get there before winter.
Date: 2006-04-30
From: Neels Gap

To: Hogpen Gap
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Did a short day ¢ kicked my butt. Had to start back up ¢ only did 6 hours. Still, my knees hurt and blisters aren¢t up to snuff yet. Miserable to tell the truth. Staying at Goose Creek Lodge one more night to ice down my knees. Anybody that reads this should know that Keith at Goose Creek is a SAINT! If you get by Goose Creek Lodge, tell Keith that ¢Blister Bill¢ says hello.
Date: 2006-05-02
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Up, down, up, down 1,075 feet; up 1,070 feet; down 904 feet; up 1,217 feet; down 230 feet. That¢s 4,496 feet up and down over 7.4 miles. WOW.
Date: 2006-05-03
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Laughed our a$$es off last night. Eight people in Tray Mountain Shelter and rain & thunderstorms all night. It was like Sardine Night at the Improv. It was a good day, I¢m starting to get better at the uphills and the downhills don¢t hurt as much. It is still a real challenge but getting a little better.
Date: 2006-05-04
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Plumorchard Gap Shelter
Miles today: 4.3
Weather: broken clouds

Left Hiawassee this morning, got my drop. It had been ¢inspected by US Marshalls¢. It was stamped as inspected in black ink. These guys have gotta have better things to do. My feet are getting better and my knees are getting worse. I will be taking it easy tomorrow ¢ I hope. Both knees are swollen and I think I just need a break from the vertical work. I won¢t get it but it would be nice. Other than slow-going because of the knees, everything is good.
Date: 2006-05-05
From: Plumorchard Gap Shelter

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: light rain

All uphill today. Got to North Carolina at high noon. Made it to Muskrat about 20 minutes after it starting raining. It has rained pretty hard all evening with wind and thunder. It¢s getting cold. I was going to go another 4 miles but my knees are swollen and stiff. I don¢t want to have to leave the trail again to recuperate. I think low-mile days are better than no-mile days. I¢m getting better, but I¢m still too tired to write much.
Date: 2006-05-06
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

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

Long day. Still working on the feet and knees. I¢m not sleeping well and its keeping my body from healing after long days. I¢m not trying to complain; I guess that¢s what it sounds like. I¢m just not adapting as fast as I need to. We shared a shelter last night with 2 SOBOs (aka south-bound hikers) and 2 NOBOs (aka north-bound) section hikers. Other than a few mice, it was ok. I got in about an hour before the rain tonight and got a fire going. By the time Whimsy got there, we had a good campfire and 3 or 4 visitors hung out until 8:30. Two campers shared the old shelter with us after the rain set in. Steve and Carlos were cool and we all laughed and joked around. One small problem ¢ Carlos has gas that will make a thru-hiker yak! Oh my word! I told him he needed to see a doctor. They were cool guys though, and it was a quiet ¢ smelly night.
Date: 2006-05-07
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: moderate rain

It rained all night and all day with a short break at mid-day. The climb over Albert Mountain was in HEAVY fog. We had about 10 ¢ 15 feet of visibility most of the way up and it cleared to 100 feet at the top. Whimsy made better time the first half of the day and I led the second half. The trail was something out of an M-Night Shamalan film today. Not much dialogue and lots of suspense. It was a cold, miserable day and most of the trail was shrouded in mist and pretty eerie, but it was cool too. It was like being in a National Geographic episode. I got hit on the leg by something. It felt like someone threw a rock and hit me in the calf. There were no bites or scratches though. I almost missed the turnoff to camp. We¢re soaked.
Date: 2006-05-08
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 3.8
Weather: light rain

Went to bed early last night. Whimsy cranked out the Z¢s. I chased the bears away from the food lines. They got somebody else¢s food last night according to the shelter log. I finally fell asleep around 4 am and Whimsy told me I slept hard and snored till 7 am. So at least I can get a few hours when I¢m really exhausted. We came into Franklin about noon and got a room at the Franklin Motel. The two old guys who gave us a ride into town had been digging rakes (transcriber¢s note ¢ ramps? Wild onions?) and the smell followed us because we were in the back of the truck with them. We did laundry first thing. We¢ve re-supplied and ate at the Sirloin All You Can Eat Buffet. I ate 5 sirloin steaks and a salad. Feel¢s good to be clean.Addendum:Talking to Whimsey and discussing last nights bean events, I realized that it is not normal for a person to pursue bears wearing only slippers, drawers, and carrying a tiny photon flashlight. I've realized that I'm not afraid of bears. I'm afraid of a bear carrying off my food! What's wrong with this picture? Whimsey seems amused.
Date: 2006-05-12
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Zero!!! Had a great zero day. Ate, slept, ate, slept, ate, ate, slept, ate, then slept. Whimsey did an 8-mile kayak trip. I needed the rest for my legs. Whimsey needed to let off some steam apparently.
Date: 2006-05-15
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Lake Marina
Miles today: 0.0

Temperature was in the 30¢s last night. Did Okay today ¢ got to the Marina. We¢ve been passed by 8 ¢ 10 hikers in the last 3 days. It¢s hard to watch all these fast, skinny kids fly by while I¢m struggling to break 10 miles a day. I know I¢m improving, but it¢s frustrating.
Date: 2006-05-19
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: broken clouds

Man, did this section kick my ass or what? It took 10 hours to do 11.7 miles! Somebody told me that this was the worst section of the trail. I believe them. Spence field was beautiful. I¢ve never seen anything like it. Rockytop had a good view.
Date: 2006-05-20
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 5.5
Weather: broken clouds

I know. 5.5 ain¢t much. I elected to not walk in the marble and grape sized hail for the rest of the afternoon. By the way ¢ The maps for GSMNP (Great Smoky Mountain National Park) are crap. CRAP! I think a review of all distances and signage in the Smokies would be very interesting.Oh yeah. Fell on my ass today. I would have been seriously injured if my pack hadn¢t broken my fall. Having periodic back spasms. I don¢t know if it was the fall or if it is potassium deficiency. I¢ve been sweating like a racehorse. It¢s been raining and hailing and sleeting all afternoon. It¢s 8 pm now. Going to sleep.
Date: 2006-05-21
From: Silers Bald Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: moderate rain

Got a good start at 8 am and made it to Clingmans Dome by noon. We did get pictures from the tower. We got to Mt. Collins Shelter by 3 pm but didn¢t go farther due to threatening T-storms. I¢m worn out to tell the truth. This park is really wearing me out. Had 2 guys come into the shelter about 10:30 pm. They left their buddies on the trail in the dark. Not good. Somebody saw a bear after dark but he took off before I got to see him.
Date: 2006-05-22
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: overcast clouds

This is probably the most ludicrous four and half miles in the park. We got to the gap around noon. It was VERY COLD and raining. It took about an hour to get a ride into Gatlinburg because the parking lot was filled with tourists. Tourists don¢t know the trail or thru-hikers. They don¢t see hikers trying to thumb a ride. They see homeless people with sharp sticks in each hand. We got a room at the Grand Prix and went with Dirtbag and Rubberneck to celebrate Dirtbag¢s birthday. We had a good night and got back to the hotel before midnight. I¢ve got a mild case of food poisoning from a meal I ate in Gatlinburg. Been to the privy 11 times in four hours. Very Dehydrated.
Date: 2006-05-24
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tricorner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: clear sky

I had a rough day. The food poisoning really dehydrated me. I used all of my water and couldn¢t find the spring at Eagle Rock. Whimsey and Montana helped me get enough water from a tiny puddle in the trail to get me through the day to get to Tricorner Knob. If I wasn¢t sick, today would have been perfect. It was a beautiful day. We passed the 10% mark, too.