morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-04-05
From: Blood Mountain Shelter

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: broken clouds

Last night was a very windy night up on Blood Mountain and this morning with the low temperatures it was hard convincing myself it was time to get out of my sleeping bag. As soon as I unzipped my bag a rush of cold air entered and I had no choice but to break camp. I packed up and headed down Blood Mountain toward Neel's Gap around 7:00am. During my descend down the mountain there were great views of the sunrise that made the early rise worth the effort. The trees have yet to bud out so there were many opportunities for clear views of the horizon to see the sun. I made it down to Neel¢s Gap and met up with Salt, Pepper, Mac, Map-Man, Robin, Tipper, Power stroke, Jordan, Baltimore, and Phillip for a breakfast hotdog and washed that down with a bottle of fruit juice. The Walasi-Yi Center there at Neel¢s Gap is the first outfitter that a northbound hiker passes on the AT and is the only place on the AT where the trail actually passes through a building. The Walasi-TI Center is a nice stone building trimmed out in green with a really great supply store on one side of the trail and a hostel on the other. This is also the first place on the trail to ship any extra gear home that you have decided is not needed. I went through my pack and ended up sending three pounds home. That doesn't sound like much but once you carry unused gear on your back for a while you quickly realize it is time to get ride of it to lighten the load. We hung out for a bit then I bought a couple of additional items for a snack later then continued north. From Neel¢s Gap the trail was pretty rough over to Bull Gap but we were welcomed with a little trail magic when we reached Hogpen Gap on GA-348. There was a great little green and white VW Westy parked there and just in front of it was some section hikers that were handing out extra supplies and filling water bottles. This is the second little VW Westy that I have seen today so all I could think about was cruising around in my ¢78¢ Westy. Tonight we decided to stay at Low Gap Shelter and hiked into camp at 3:30pm. Once I made it to camp I put my tent up quickly and laid down for a while. I think the heat this afternoon got to me a little. It wasn't very hot but since the trees have not budded out and I don't have any sun block the sun just whipped me out. I have a feeling that there will be some skin shed here soon from the burns. After the short nap I came back around and just before dark Power Stroke strolled through camp and said that he had spent $750 at Neel¢s Gap this morning on new gear. He was happy with his purchase and said he was going a few more miles this evening before settling in for the night. After he left I grabbed my stove and picked out tonight¢s dinner then met up with Map-Man, Robin and Salt to discuss today¢s hike and start making plans for tomorrow¢s hike while eating. Tonight at the Low Gap Shelter: Map-Man, Robin, Salt, Pepper, Possum, Fargo, Two-Eagles, and a few others.
Date: 2006-04-06
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I was feeling much better this morning and had a really good start to the day out of Low Gap at 8:00am. Directly out of the shelter the trail ran across a few really nice campsites on the way over to Rocky Knob. There is a lot of rock through this section of the trail so I stopped up at Blue Mountain Shelter for a break. While there I took a couple of pictures of the mountains and met up with the River Weasel from Johnson City, TN. We talked for a bit then headed down the next section across to Unicoi Gap and then up to Rocky Mountain. This section was very steep. While on top of Rocky Mountain we passed Power Stroke and he had all of his new gear spread all over the place under a shade tree having lunch. We ended up chatting for a few minutes before continuing on up the trail. The next section through Indian Grave Gap was covered with dense rhododendron thickets and the trail was carved right through the middle of them. Started up Tray Mountain around mid afternoon and met Jane, Baro, and about six other thru hikers resting on top of the rocks at the peak. Come to fine out I had emailed Jane just before leaving out for the trail when I was trying to get in touch with other hikers that were scheduled to leave from Springer Mountain on the same weekend that I was. I talked for a couple of minutes and after leaving the top of Tray Mountain made it down to the Tray Mountain Shelter Trailhead where I waited for Map-Man and Robin to catch up. While waiting I got a chance to meet Model-T and Ranger Dawg, two legends of the trail as they passed by. Model-T has hiked the trail multiply times and has written several books about his adventures. Shortly behind them was Power Stroke so I got a picture of him next to the Tray Mountain Shelter sign as he passed by. Map Man and Robin showed up and we decided to stay at Tray Mountain Shelter area for the night because the camping area had great views of the valley and there was also a nice soft patch of grass for our tents. We set up camp and chatted for a bit because tomorrow I have to go into Hiawassee for my mail drop and they do not, so I am not sure when I will get a chance to meet back up with them. To this point we have camped every night since Springer Mountain together and they are truly a tough couple to keep up with on the trail. I sure hope to catch back up with them at some point but if not wished them well on their adventure. After talking for a while and finishing dinner I settled into my tent around 9:05pm and went off to bed anticipating my trip into town tomorrow.Tonight at Tray Mountain Shelter: Map Man, Robin, and I
Date: 2006-04-07
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Dicks Creek Gap (Holiday Inn)
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Woke up early at Tray Mountain Shelter this morning and had a little breakfast with Map-Man and Robin before hitting the trail at 7:30am. Shortly after starting to hike I stopped and chatted with Salt and Pepper #2 for a while. Salt is from Kansas and her dog pepper was along for the hike as well. Just before Powell Mountain I stumbled across a cooler with cold drinks and took advantage of an ice cold Sprite. I reached Dick¢s Creek Gap on US-76 at 11:45am and started my first attempt while hiking the AT to hitch a ride. Just a few minutes after my thumb was in the air a nice Lexus pulls over with Florida plates to pick me up. Turns out that two thru hikers had met one of their 'companions' as they called her here in Hiawassee, GA for the weekend and just happened to be going into town on US-76. They drove me into town and dropped me off at the post office. This allowed me to pick up mail drop #1 for supplies that would hopefully get me to Fontana Dam. Once in town I got word that severe storms were supposed to roll in later tonight and I decided to try to get a room while I was there. The Hiawassee Inn was completely booked so I had to opp for a stay at the Holiday Inn Express just down the road. It wasn¢t easy to get a room there since all but two rooms were already booked for the night and neither of them had been cleaned. I ended up working a deal out with the clerk where she let me have the room for half price. The maid didn¢t have time to clean the room thoroughly so she stripped the bed, gathered up the towels, and gave me fresh ones to use. I ended up making the bed but let me tell you that it was well worth the troubles because the first thing that I did was take a nice long hot shower. After showering and washing some cloths I felt like a new person with a growing appetite. I met up with Ben, Grits, and a few others for an all you can eat buffet just across the street at Daniel's Steak House. While there Ben got his trail name ¢Sweet T¢ because he is from up around the Boston area and has now taken a liking to southern sweet tea after his very first try. After cleaning out the buffet and now with a happy tummy I returned to the room and hung out in the lobby for a while. There I met up with Jane, Baro, and a few other hikers also taking shelter from the storms tonight. We took turns checking emails and updating our trail journals on the hotels computers before retiring for the night to soft king size bed. Yes, I know this is roughing it in the wilderness.Tonight at the Holiday Inn: Many happy dry hikers.
Date: 2006-04-08
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: moderate rain

When I turned over first thing this morning it was still storming outside. Man was I lucky that I had stayed in town and gotten a room last night! Since I was safe and dry inside my room at the Holiday Inn, I decided to snooze a little while longer before starting the day. I didn¢t think that this early on the trail I would be seeking shelter from a little rain, but since the option of getting a room was available I enjoyed the heck out of it. Later on in the lobby of the motel I grabbed a few things to eat from the continental breakfast bar and set down with a few other fellow hikers. We were all watching the weather channel in hopes that the storms would soon pass so we could return to the trail. From the forecast it looks like the worst of the storms are over and things should be clearing up soon. This gave everyone plenty of time to finish packing and hang out in the lobby for a while longer before catching the shuttle service back up to the trailhead on US-76 where I left of yesterday. The shuttle dropped me off on the trail around 11:15am and from there it seamed like the trail was all up hill to the state line. Around 3:15pm I crossed the state line into North Carolina and have now completed 75 miles and the 1st of 14 states along the trail. Just after crossing the state line Mother Nature presented me with a really cool piece of her artwork. It was a narley tree that I have seen in many pictures before but is much more impressive in person. By this time I had caught back up with Salt and Pepper and we hiked together to Muskrat Creek Shelter for the night. We reached the shelter around 4:35pm and the temperature was already starting to drop rapidly. As we set up camp other hikers continued to roll in the rest of the afternoon filling up the shelter and the campsites for the night. After getting camp set up I met a scout troop staying there for the night. They are on the AT training for a trip out to Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, NM later this year. It was fun talking to them about their upcoming trip because many have never been to Philmont and I got to tell them all about my trip out to the ranch in 1998 on a fall adventure with the Birmingham Area Council. After chatting for a while I decided to cook dinner and then went over to the shelter to join in around the campfire. ¢Turtle¢ and a few other hikers were gathered around the huge campfire that they had built trying to stay warm. This was a perfect way to end the cold afternoon and it was also great because this was my first campfire while on the trail. Since it was so cold outside everyone just stayed huddled around the fire until time for bed then everyone disappeared one by one to get settled in for the night. As I headed to my tent off in the distance I could hear a pack of coyotes chasing something. The chase ended with a howling victory. Finally I settled in my tent around 9:40pm for a cold night¢s sleep with the temperatures dipping down into the 20s. Tonight at Muskrat Creek Shelter: Salt, Pepper, Turtle, A Scout Troop, myself and a ton of other hikers.
Date: 2006-04-11
From: Bartram and AT instersection at mile 114.7

To: Wessor Bald Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

This morning it was a little cool so we all set around the fire ring and ate breakfast. Even though we didn¢t have a fire burning it just felt natural when being out in the woods to gather around the fire pit. Shortly after starting my hike this morning I caught up with Donkey and hiked with him for several miles. Over the past couple of days he has started having a little knee trouble so he is wearing a knee brace to help relieve the pain. The brace however wasn¢t doing its job so he reinforced it with a little duct tape for extra support. This helped tremendously. Thus far on the trail duct tape has been a vital piece of equipment for most everyone. Donkey and I made our way over to the stone tower at Wayah Bald around midmorning for some great views of the surrounding forest and hillsides. From there you can see the town of Franklin, NC on one side and the Smokies in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park off to the other. The stone tower was built by the CCC in the 1930¢s and served as a fire tower for the area for many years. It is an impressive structure especially knowing that it was built out in the middle of the woods. We left the fire tower and shortly found the Cold Spring Shelter. This shelter is a really old three-sided log shelter that was built by the CCC back in the 30¢s. For its age though it is still a really good shelter. This is proof that good quality construction will stand for many years. While there at Cold Spring Shelter I met Jeweler¢s dad that goes by the trail name ¢Want-Ta-B¢ along with their dog named Damascus. When we left out of the shelter the trail went across Tellico Gap and up to the top of Wesser Bald. Once again we had spectacular 360-degree views for miles. After taking in the sights it was a short hike down the hill to Wesser Bald Shelter and campsite. After settling in camp and eating dinner Donkey, Sage, Gringo, Greg, Salt, Jeweler, and myself all pitched in and built a fire so we could finish off the marshmallows that Donkey had picked up in Franklin, NC. Also while sitting around the fire we talked about our plans for tomorrow at the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) on US-19 just outside of Bryson City, NC. Just before going to bed for the night I was able to get cell phone reception so I called home and made final plans for a spaghetti cookout at Fontana Dam this Saturday. Mom and Dad are going to leave Birmingham this Friday with a truck full of gear and food so we can do a little trail magic of our own for the hikers as they get to the Fontana Hilton. With pleasant thoughts of a good meal ahead I settled in and called it a night. Tonight at Wesser Bald Shelter: Donkey, Sage, Gringo, Greg, Salt, Pepper, Jeweler, and I
Date: 2006-04-13
From: Sassafras Gap Shleter

To: Camp site at mile 159
Miles today: 18.2

Got up this morning to a great start out of Sassafras Gap Shelter. The weather has been much better the past few mornings because the temperature has been a little warmer. It is pretty hard to get out of a warm sleeping bag when it is below freezing outside. Shortly after breaking camp and starting my morning hike I topped Cheoah Bald at 5062¢ for spectacular views to the south (where we had just hiked) and to the north across Fontana lake to the Smokies (where we were going). Cheoah Bald was less than a mile from Sassafras Gap Shelter but I had to stop and take in the views. The stop was well worth the time. Later on this morning and up the trail a little ways we passed a really nice picnic area at Stecoah Gap. There were roomers of trail magic at the Gap but unfortunately today it was just a roomer. Just after Stecoah Gap the trail steeply ascended back up onto the ridge. As I passed by the unnamed cliffs I caught a glimpse of a wild turkey off in the distance, and ended up stopping for a lunch break at Brown Fork Gap Shelter. Brown fork is an old log cabin shelter with a wooden shake roof and weathered logs. The water source there is just behind the shelter down in the bottom and the spring has very little water. I only took the time to get about 16 ounces because I just couldn¢t wait to get back hiking on the trail in hopes to find a better water source. This evening Salt, Pepper, and I planned to stay at Cable Gap Shelter but once we got there we decided to push on a little further. This extra hiking would put us a little closer to town in the morning. At the shelter while we were there though we met a guy by the name of ¢Cherokee¢. Not much known about him at this point but I am sure I will run into him again later. He is quite different to say the least. Salt and I decided to hike on to mile 159 where we decided to stay for the night at a little campsite by the stream. While there we met Bare Bear, Dick Tracy and Wild Bill. We have seen their journal entries but have yet to crossed paths with them. Also camping here for the night was the Mudboggers, Zoomer, Rip, Tree Hugger, and Jen. We all turned in for bed pretty early after sitting by a nice campfire anticipating our trip into Fontana Village tomorrow morning. I was also a little excited as I was scheduled to see Mom and Dad as well. Tonight at mile 159: Holly, Jen, Rip, Zoomer, Salt, Pepper, The Mudbogger Brothers, Bear-Bear (Florida), Dick Tracy (Georgia), Wild Bill (Oklahoma), and Zippo.
Date: 2006-04-15
From: Fontana Village

To: Fontana Village
Miles today: 0.0

Well everyone survived the night last night and we were all getting off to a little slower start than originally planned, but last night was well worth it. I got up pretty early and started washing all my gear and laying it out around the room to dry. Since I only had enough cloths for 12 of a load of laundry I just threw all my stinky socks, pants, shirts and bandanas into the washer and hit the start button in one load. While the washer was doing the work and I was sipping on a big cup of coffee, Mom and Dad started getting the goods together for the big ¢Trail Magic Fest¢ that we had planned for later this afternoon up at the Fontana Dam Shelter. It is also known as ¢The Fontana Hinton¢. Also this morning Salt had Pepper picked up by a dog sitter because you can¢t have dogs while in the backcountry at the Smokies. The good thing about is she gets a week off while we keep going. The dog sitter will then deliver her back to us once we get to Davenport Gap on the north side of the park. Later, with the Laundry done and the truck packed, we headed back up the road about 2 miles to the dam so we could set up to feed the hungry hikers. (For you that didn¢t know Fontana dam is the highest dam east of the Mississippi at 480 feet and was built between 1942 and 1944. It borders the Smoky Mountains to the south so there are some great views from across the lake. Also at this point the trail actually crosses the dam and starts into the Smoky Mountains on the other side.) When we arrived there were a few thru hikers from the class of 2000 that where setting up to feed hikers as well so we just set up beside them and doubled the magic. Their menu had hotdogs and hamburgers while ours had tons of spaghetti. Mom brought 10 lbs of noodles, 3 loaves of bread, and made a huge pot of sauce with meatballs. It was yummy!!! This is not to mention the cooler left over from last night that was still iced down with drinks. Once we got everything set up it was time for the fun to begin. Everyone had just returned from the village after doing laundry, mailing things from the post office and buying new supplies for our next week¢s hike. We started serving around 1:00pm and didn¢t stop until around 7:00pm. We not only feed the group of us from last night, but also a lot of new hikers that came into town today. There is always a continuous stream of people coming off the trail and hikers are always hungry for a good meal. After eating and eating and eating some more everyone just set around on the grass and had a good time talking about our next section through the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. Today¢s Thru-Hiker Attendance at Fontana Dam: Shasta, H-Bomb, Donkey Love, The River Weasel, Gringo, Salt #1, Salt and Pepper #2, Baro, Jane, Bright Eyes, Big X, The Three Amigos, Greg, Cherokee, Sage, Clearwater, Just Jean, Class of 2000 thru hikers, Mom, Dad, and I
Date: 2006-04-17
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter (GSMNP)

To: Double Springs Gap Shelter (GSMNP)
Miles today: 18.9

This morning was really foggy on Mollies Ridge but great for hiking. I ate a little breakfast and headed out on the trail around 9:00am to a beautiful morning. All along the trail was a ton of little white flowers that looked like a light blanket of snow from a distance. Around mid morning the fog burned off and I started hiking across the fields to Spence Field Shelter. The shelter was a little ways off of the trail but the surrounding area is really nice. From this area you can see back to shuckstack fire tower and Cades Code to the west in the valley below. This would definitely be a really nice place to camp and star gaze on a clear night. Anyone planning a trip to the area should pencil this place in the plans. A little further up the trail I stopped for lunch on Rocky Top. You have always heard the song and I have now visited it. Believe me it is truly rocky. I ended up catching Shasta, The Three Amigos, and River Weasel at Derrick Knob Shelter just after lunch. They were all lounging around in the warm sun and everyone else was just a little ahead on the trail. I believe the Amigos were still around because not only do they cook lunch everyday, but they also all share the same pot for cooking so it takes them three times longer to eat each meal. Shasta was ready to leave when I got there so we decided to try and catch everyone else that¢s up ahead. We headed out to Silers Bald Shelter and then on to Double Springs Gap Shelter for the night. During this time we talked a lot about the trail and about our lives back home, which passed time quickly for the big reunion with everyone at Double Springs Gap. When we got to the shelter Jane, Baro, The River Weasel, Silver Foot, Salt, H-Bomb, Donkey, Bare Bear, Dick Tracey, Zippo, Wild Bill, Gringo, Sage, Just Gene, and section hiker Funk were all there. The shelter was completely full by the time we got there so many of us pitched our tents for the night. Just before dark to add to the population two deer walked through the campsite and hung around while we took pictures. After the excitement we all gathered around the campfire to finish off some smores that someone carried in from Fontana Village. Everyone¢s biggest thought for the night was tomorrow¢s hike going over Clingman's Dome and completing the highest elevation hike of the entire trail. Tonight at Double Spring Gap Shelter: Jane, Baro, The River Weasel, Silver Foot, Salt, H-Bomb, Shasta, Donkey, Bare Bear, Dick Tracey, Zippo, Wild Bill, Gringo, Sage, Just Gene, and Funk