morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-03-13
From: Franklin, NC

To: ----
Miles today: 0.0

Well, well, well.100 miles, 3 double digit days in a row, our largest summit, the NC border...can you think of any better reasons for a zero day in Franklin? I can¢t! Especially with a hot shower, internet, Western Sizzlin, Chinese food, cosmic bowling...ohhhh, can't you just FEEL how good that sounds to us?Other than being long, today wasn¢t too bad. Albert Mountain was INCREDIBLE! The views were amazing. We also saw the world¢s second largest poplar tree. That was beautiful too! Two friends almost left today and still might leave. Nuffy is homesick but we¢re trying to keep her. Ashtray wants to take his dog, Cosmos, home and he doesn¢t want to leave his dog. It¢s hard watching friends struggle with giving up on a dream. I¢m so lucky to not have had any quitting thoughts yet. I¢m in with a good group.Ah well, town visits can do wonders for the morale and feet
Date: 2004-03-14
From: Franklin, NC.

To: Franklin, NC.
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Start-Franklin, NCStop-Franklin, NCFranklin is amazing. I think if every town was like Franklin the world would be too happy to be in turmoil. I woke up early and went to a Methodist church for their contemporary service. Bloody Cactus came and I think he enjoyed his first church service ever!While at church we met Joe and Frances who immediately offered to pick all six of us up and take us to their house for a sirloin tip fellowship meal...and who would know a group of hikers to turn down an invitation like that?I don¢t know what to say other than God really does work miracles. This dinner helped us all out tons and I haven¢t seen Nuffy smile like that yet. I really think that that meal will fuel us on for miles!Thanks so much to Joe, Frances, and all the others there! That Sweet Potato Pie will be the stuff of thru-hiker legends!Otherwise, the day was pretty normal for a zero day¢K-Mart, outfitter, Ingells, and LOTS of food. Ran into Seeker finally--found out Banjo quit. Very sad, but illness can wear on the morale. Seeker¢s friends, Mets and Snickers treated us to French fries anD sweet tea.Still not sure about Ashtray¢s plans. Hate to see Cosmos go, but really hope he gets back on. I¢ll miss his smile and stories. We do have Nuffy back, after helping her lose about 10 lbs from her pack. Very excited about that.All in all, Franklin ROCKS!
Date: 2004-03-15
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Silar Bald Shelter
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: moderate rain

Start-Winding Stair GapStop-Silar Bald ShelterI thought this journey was supposed to be about new experiences, but I've already been in a car accident! After hitting the post office, Dylan (Whose dad and sister are trying to complete the Triple Crown in just a year) was driving us back to the hotel when a semi would have run into the car in front of us, that is, of course, if the driver in front of us hadn¢t thrown his car into reverse and hit us first! I must say, I don't miss driving at all. Anyway, short day today. Joe brought us up to Winding Stair Gap and we got to Silar Bald Shelter just as the rain started falling. Lots of people at the shelter including, but not limited to, Honey Pie, Hoss, and Fingers. We must be moving slow, these people started on the 5th!Oh well. I like this pace for now. We'll see my parents Saturday and hit the Smokies on Sunday! duh-duh-duh!The rain sounds nice tonight!
Date: 2004-03-16
From: Silar Bald Shelter

To: Burningtown Gap: The Dome
Miles today: 10.9

Start-Silar Bald ShelterStop-Burningtown Gap-The Dome10.9 milesToday is the first day I thought about going home, but this is life on the trail. The kind of day where every ache is amplified, every uphill is harder than the last, the mud makes you slide or sticks to your boots. Everything is just out of sync.We went to sleep to the rain and we woke up to the rain. Hard to get motivated when everything is fogged in. Honey Pie did help things when he began commentating a new Olympic sport--Dumpster Diving.   Not much in the way of views. Wayah Bald was fogged.Finally, though the sun came out around 1:00 or 2:00. We all stopped for a break about 1.5 miles from the shelter when along comes Apple. "Hey, there you guys are. I've got hot dogs, candy, hot drinks..." Lo and behold, we walk down to The Dome. It's like a little slice of heaven. We are now curled up inside what looks like half a soccer ball.Wolf Cookie, Dances with Wolf Cookie, Erik the Red, Lekiless, Nuffy, Bloody, Camera Crew, Honey Pie, Hoss--we're all having a blast.Time for more trivia--what are the 8 pro teams whose names don¢t end in S?
Date: 2004-03-17
From: Burningtown Gap: The Dome

To: NOC
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: broken clouds

Start-Burningtown GapStop-NOC12.7 milesWaking up to the sound of boiling water for hot chocolate and the smell of Krispy Kreme donuts courtesy of Apple does a lot to get you motivated in the morning...can we take Apple with us everyday?Beautiful views from Wesser Bald today. Nuffy and I had a great day chatting and gossiping while hiking. Now we've made it to NOC, soaked our feet in some FREEZING water, eaten 8 frozen pizzas and some chicken nuggets and are all gathered around watching The Wedding Singer. Oh, and I finally got to meet Brother Nature!Life doesn¢t get much better!
Date: 2004-03-18
From: NOC

To: Sassafrass Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: light rain

Start-NOCStop-Sassafrass Gap ShelterDistance-6.9Today is the first day I've cried out here. Today is the first day I've thought about turning around and not making the mileage I thought I'd make. Today is the first day the pain was almost too much to bear. Almost!Maybe I'm being melodramatic, but I think I'm entitled. I think, up to now, that I've been pretty much complain free.Today I was going to write about a typical day of hiking, hour by hour, but the pain in my Achilles heel was so bad today that when I was walking uphill I had to walk on just the tip of my foot. I couldn¢t put my heel down at all. Finally made it to the shelter where we were going to have a lunch break only to find out that Leki and Arwen were in just as bad shape. We icy hotted up and took our Vitamin I and decided to stay here for the night. It means we're going to have to try to make15 miles tomorrow, so we can get to the Dam by post office time Saturday. But we'll figure it out. I just wish I could zero before the Smokies.Alas, this is what we signed up for. And as the saying goes: no pain, no rain, no Maine.(Oh, and Tracy, Mousetrap is a day ahead. Haven't met him yet)
Date: 2004-03-19
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: clear sky

Start-Sassafras Gap ShelterStop-Cable Gap ShelterDistance-15.3Yes that's right. FIFTEEN MILES!First things first-the pain in my toe is much better, thanks to an icing trick taught by one of the fine fellas at the NOC. My heel is better, too, since I took my super feet out. I think my boot is getting too small.So, the sun was bright and shining this morning when we set out. We thought we¢d try the 15 and see what happened. We found out 3.5 miles in that Lekiless forgot not only his rain cover but also his raincoat back at the Shelter! Luckily he ran into Takoma Tedd who had brought them along.When we reached the parking lot 6.9 miles into our hike we ran into Mala and Tucker Dog and got a wonderful invitation to slack pack the next 7.5 miles. Of course we took him up on it. Leki thinks he didn¢t slack pack because he carried his pack, but emptied it, so don¢t let him fool you!The next 7.5 miles took 3 hrs, but was well worth it when we smelled a fire and cooking hotdogs! Sodas, chocolate peanut butter cookies...ohhhh...I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. The last mile was in the dark, but we made it and now it's bedtime! 11 hours of hiking. Sheesh!
Date: 2004-03-20
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam/Fontana Village
Miles today: 5.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Start-Cable Gap ShelterStop-Fontana Dam/Fontana Village5.5Monkey bread is the only thing that got me hiking by 7-30 this morning.I get to see my parents!Beautiful hike in and after laundry and lunch my parents showed up and brought LOADS of food. It was wonderful to see themBushwack and Bramble showed up as well.A goodtime was had by all even during the hurricane-type storm that blew power out for a few hours.Great to see everyone, but I¢m ready to get the Smoky¢s over with.Weatherman says 60s and sunny all week!Bring it on!
Date: 2004-03-25
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Painter Branch Campsite
Miles today: 12.7

Start-Cosby Knob ShelterStop-Painter Branch CampsiteDistance-12.7Wow. I can¢t stop eating. Today I had 3 breakfasts before I even got out of the sleeping bag¢pop tarts, oatmeal bar, and the ever good macaroni left over from last night. Then a candy bar at 10:00, wheat thins, pop tarts, cheese, and another candy bar at lunch. I had a candy bar this afternoon and so far for dinner I¢ve had taco meat, mashed potatoes, stuffing, some of Bushwack¢s wild rice and a packet of cheesy peanut butter crackers.Maybe I¢ll make some ramen in a bit...WE'RE FINALLY OUT OF THESMOKIES!!! YIPPEE!!!I think that I will never hike the Smokies again. I may drive them, but if I ever get the urge to hike them, hand me some postcards and show me my last few journal entries.In summation, the Great Smoky National Park is not my most favorite place in the world. I¢m glad its over. It brought me my first fall on the trail...also my second thru fifth. It brought me my coldest day yet, 6 degrees with wind around 30 mph. It brought my longest day, 20 miles, my second longest day, 16.7 and my third longest day.Bear with me--Ive written a song. "Get Me Out of the Smokies" (sung to the tune of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame")Get me out of the Smokies,just get me out of this park.I'll carry 60 lbs, I'll run to Maine!It doesn¢t matter, whatever, I'm GaMe!Just get me out of the Smokies...If I don¢t leave soon ¢Ill go insane...Cuz it's 15, 17, 20 mile days...and we'll just have to do it again!
Date: 2004-03-26
From: Painter Branch Campsite

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Start-Painters Branch CampsiteStop-Walnut Mountain ShelterDistance-18 ish?Ouch. Boots are too small. Must get new ones in Hot Springs. Also need new pants, these are too big and are causing raw hips. Boo.Today was long and when we got to the shelter we were going to stay at (which was 2 miles past what Bramble thought it was in the first place...ahem!) Bloody Cactus, the dumb Australian I¢m hiking with, thought it would be a great idea to hike to the NEXT shelter because it would put us that much closer to Hot Springs in the morning. He's going to become a mile nazi--I can feel it. So, Max Patch is beautiful, a hard 11 miles to get there, but absolutely beautiful and we got to sunbathe on top for an hour. Just beautiful! So really, all in all, it was a good day. I just have to get my boot situation figured out. I didn¢t really get into hiking mode at all, the day was a struggle, but it was good, I got to the shelter, I¢m smiling, and, despite the pain and blisters, I¢m having the time of my life.And, as much as I¢ve complained about Bushwack, and Bramble, they really are great people to hike with. If they¢re along, even torture can be fun!
Date: 2004-03-27
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: clear sky

Start-Walnut Mountain ShelterStop-Hot SpringsDistance-13Boy, we did some serious hiking today. 13 miles by noon and we're into Hot Springs. tired, sweaty, sore, and ready for two zero days!Hot Springs sure is a tiny town...it¢s a got a few roads but I haven¢t seen a stoplight. Our hotel has a TV and VCR but no cable...and no phone. Just a few pay phones in town.Bushwack and Bramble paid for lunch--the best hamburger and sweet tea ever! As we were sitting there this semi-scruffy guy walked towards us with a smile on his face. I don¢t have my glasses so I squinted a bit and figured out it was none other than the infamous Grizzly Adam! He figured out when we were coming to town and stopped in for a visit.We were all ready for the hot tub and got there to find out that they were all booked up! Sad for us, but we spent the evening hanging out at the pub with Mailar, Chesnut, Packrat, Traillite, Boxtop and tons of other hikers. Burn showed up around nine o¢clock as we were walking back to the hotel. Finally beat him somewhere!It was sad saying goodbye to Bushwack and Bramble, but they may show up again sometime...hopefully it won¢t be boot camp again!Busy day tomorrow. Griz is taking us to Asheville!! I love Asheville!
Date: 2004-03-28
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Start-Hot SpringsStop-Hot SpringsIt¢s a good thing we're planning another zero day! Today was so busy that we'll need another day just to recoup.An early morning breakfast and Griz, Bloody and I are off to Asheville. We have to try the "world's best cinnamon rolls" and they are pretty darn good...though I told Griz ,my mom's were better. He says he'll need a taste test to make sure. We went to Barnes and Noble (ah, heaven) and the grocery store, then waited around for two different outfitters to open.3.5 hrs later Bloody and I both have new packs and tarps, and I have new boots. Hopefully this will cut down our weight and make the hike a bit more easy. Seemed like forever getting back to Hot Springs, but was thrilled to spend the day with Griz. The more I hang out with him, the cooler he gets. I am in awe. Can't wait for him to come hike with us some more.
Date: 2004-03-29
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Start-Hot SpringsStop-Hot SpringsOhhhh...massage....I am really contemplating getting off the trail and staying in Hot Springs and making Abriel massage me every day for the rest of my life!   The hot springs are amazing too! Bloody and I watched the river roll by for an hour. Burn thinks he's too good and didn't feel like he could lower himself to sit in the hot tub with us. Oh well! His loss.Got an email from Nuffy that said they would get into town tomorrow afternoon, but I really don¢t think I can convince Bloody to stay for yet another zero. We'll see.The pub again for dinner...since that's the only place to go for dinner...tons of hikers getting into town...a little crowded it seems. Hopefully we won't cause too many problems or be too loud.
Date: 2004-03-30
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Start-Hot SpringsStop-Hot Springs"You know, Joy, you¢ll get to Maine a whole lot faster if you hike..."- Xena¢s dad.Well, leaving today WAS the plan, but, alas, things don't always happen as planned....I got a migraine around midnight and didn¢t fall asleep until about 5 a.m., so Bloody Cactus was kind enough to allow us one more day in town for me to recuperate.I spent most of the day sleeping and finally got up around six to go eat dinner. Once we had eaten dinner with Maxi and Jimmy, we found out that they had slack packed our group for two days and they FINALLY got to Hot Springs!Soooooooo.....we MAY be staying one more day while they zero here so we can all be together to go home for Easter.I swear we¢ll start hiking again soon...
Date: 2004-03-31
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Hi folks. This is your transcriber. Xena should be heading out of Hot Springs today, weather allowing. We posted several pictures from last weeks Smokies section. Please go back to journals starting with 3/21-3/30 and also look in the Photo tab by date 3/21. Joy really thanks you all for supporting her. She's having the time of her life.-Bushwhack
Date: 2004-03-31
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hot Springs, NC.Ok, really, this whole zero day thing has got to stop. I love Hot Springs, but really, I¢m ready to go.Going to get packed tonight and head out after mailing stuff in the morning.The weather has turned cold and rainy but we're hoping the forecast is wrong and its not going to snow.... maybe we shouldn¢t have sent home tents so early...oh well, we'll see.Looks like plans are working out to get home for Easter and we're really excited about it! Nuffy, Leki, Bloody Cactus, and maybe Heather and Arwen will be coming home for good food and to see my doggy, which I miss like CRAZY!!!AHHHHHHHHH! I'M READY TO GET OUT OF HOT SPRINGS!!!
Date: 2004-04-01
From: Hot Springs, NC.

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

Apparently I was not blessed with the skill of forward thinking. Had I been given this skill, I would have done 3 things differently today.1. I would not have mailed home the food that Bloody and I need to get from Erwin to Roan Mountain.2. I would not have mailed home my dead pocket mail when a fresh battery is being overnighted to Erwin...3. I would have plotted the April Fool¢s joke Bloody and I tried to play on Nuffy earlier than 4 miles into our hike.THE PLAN: Bloody and I had been up to the fire tower earlier in our visit to Hot Springs so we knew where the at crossed this old country road. We were going to get to the shelter earlier by hiking up on the road since road walking is faster than trail walking, and get to the shelter before Nuffy and get into our sleeping bags and ask what took her so long.WHERE WE WENT WRONG: Nuffy left earlier than we did by an hour and a half, she didn¢t eat breakfast with us. So as we hiked by this weird dam that was so out of place we expected to be somewhere back in the 1800's when we got on the other side of it, we began hatching our plan. It really wasn¢t much of a plan--just hike fast up the road and get to the shelter...but we were proud of ourselves. Not much you can do on April Fools in the woods. Well, we left too late or Nuffy hiked too fast and we got to the shelter just 20 minutes behind her.Oh, it could have been soooo funny....but...it wasn¢t.We were in the sleeping bags by 1:30 and surrounded by a few inches of snow and freezing.WHY DID WE LEAVE HOT SPRINGS????On another note: thank you to everyone who is reading and signing my guest book! I love the notes I¢m getting. It helps so much to know there are people supporting me and praying for me. I couldn¢t do this without you!
Date: 2004-04-02
From: Spring Mountain, Shelter

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: snow

"We're all gonna be like wigglers in the bottom of a bucket in the mornin'." -Mickey-One-SockWell, well, well, what a day. Got going late, around nine. Bushwack would have had a heart attack.   Snowing like crazy and hard to get motivated, since no one in the shelter was too motivated. The first nine miles was 3 hrs (yes Bushwck, just 3 hrs!) of uneventful boringness.After lunch was when the "fun" started. The snow had apparently been heavier here with somewhere between 12-18 inches in most places, with low hanging trees that either stab you in the head (yes, it hurts) or catch between your head and your pack and fling you backwards on your butt.We had no footprints to follow but those of Bloody about an hr in front of us. We couldn¢t see the blazes and the trail was completely covered.We got to a blue blazed trail that said "bad weather trail" but there were no footprints on this trail. None of us having maps and all hiking like 30 minutes apart from each other, we decided to follow the footprints instead of the bad weather trail. Bad idea.Here, the AT does a nice 2-mile ridge walk. A nice 2-mile ridge walk across a boulder field. Treacherous at the best of times, even more life threatening in 15 inches of snow.There were notes written in the snow all along the trail today, hikers telling others what they thought of the snow. ("fun" "not fun" "this sucks" "boo" and other, more colorful expressions) Especially when we got off the ridgeline and found the other end of the "bad weather trail" did not in fact lead to a road, but just around the ridge that reminded me of the Hillary step on Everest.The smell of the smoke almost made me cry as I got close to the shelter, but it was the stab in the head by an angry branch that actually made me cry.There are 15 people in this shelter that sleeps 7. It¢ll be a long night, but with the snow outside, we¢re not complaining about the closeness.We hear the temp is supposed to bottom out tomorrow, but there¢s a road just 9 miles away, probably heading into town. During the freezing, better safe than sorry.And even though I fell about 20 times, I¢m still smiling and laughing. A bad day out here is still 100 times better than my best day at the TV station. This is why we¢re out here.This rocks, but it is a wee bit cold...
Date: 2004-04-03
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 11.0

Start-Jerry Cabin ShelterStop-the ends of the earthdistance-hiking 11 miles...on the bus...350 or so."Everyone is driving dodgy little abduction vans" Bloody CactusHuh? So we're sitting on the concrete in front of the Johnson City Greyhound Bus Station. Where?Exactly.Ah, how I have missed the smell of stale cigarettes and automobile exhaust.We are on our way home. No. We¢re not getting off the trail, don't panic. We are merely chicken and running away from the snow.The temperature is supposed to bottom out tonight so everything will freeze. Doesn¢t sound like much fun, does it?So the old folks got up at 6 like normal, not that any of us slept at all last night. Nine miles of 15-20 inches of snow to hike through and a ride meeting us at Devil Fork Gap at      4 pm. Plenty of time for two thru-hikers like us, pros at this old hiking thing, to get where we need to go, right? We¢ll stay in our sleeping bags till 9:30 and leave around 10:30. We¢ll get there in plenty of time.HIKING LESSON NUMBER 12: don¢t get cocky about your hiking ability when there's snow around.2 hrs-3.5 miles.Xena is not a happy warrior princess today.Oh, but there is a bright side.A downhill.Now, I know I¢ve said uphills are better than downhills, but in the snow, everything changes.Downhill means you can go 3.5-4 miles an hour sliding downhill at break neck speeds.This I can handle.So I run, run, run, running into a Boy Scout Troop totally unprepared for the impending cold weather, and zoom past, running, sliding, and running some more.I get to the shelter, 2.5 miles past the Shelton Graves in 45 minutes. I rock.Bloody has only been there a few minutes and we found out that some of the crew planning on going into Erwin is going onto the next shelter.It would be a plan except that I gave all my food to Sweet Cheeks and Willow because they¢re staying in the shelter and may not have enough to get to Erwin.We have to go to town.And who picks us up, but my dear second cousin in law thrice removed on my dad's aunt's grandfather's side, Miss Janet.What a fantastically wonderful woman with a wonderfully fantastic hostel.While there we find out that the snow has spread to Grayson Highlands and is just as deep the whole way up. We also find out that for $64 and an 11 hour bus ride we can get home and have home cooked meals and hike south of the Shenandoah¢s where there supposedly isn¢t any snow and slack pack some distance south. Good plan...in theory. We¢ll see what happens.Oh goody, the bus.Hey, it¢ll make a good story!
Date: 2004-04-04
From: Johnson City, TN

To: Harrisonburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0

"Look. There¢s a peak...Virginia isn¢t that flat...oh, and I use the term 'peak' very liberally." Xena"Oh, is that where they filmed 'Into the Void¢?¢ Bloody Cactus"Boy you are just being a big fat loser today, aren¢t you?" XenaAhhh.... what 11 hours in a bus will do to you. I¢m surprised both of us have made it to my house alive...especially on a combined total of about 7 hours sleep in 48 hours...