morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-02-15
To: Vermont
Miles today: 0.0

Dreams....I had the strangest dream last night. Who¢d have thought I¢d even have time to be dreaming? There¢s so much to do. Food, packing, travel, and my pack won't fit anything!I thought I¢d share it with you.I had arrived at a trailhead. Somewhere. It didn¢t really matter where; it was more about the feel of the place and the level of excitement. It was one of those days where light flickers through the leaves on the trees and everything stands out crystal clear, as though you have 20/20 vision, which you know you perfectly well you haven¢t had since 3rd grade. It was one of those places which lets you know that you¢re on the brink of a marvelous adventure. The sky was mostly clear, but the day is a little crisp, and there is a slight breeze.A bunch of nicely scrubbed people are standing around. Evidently they are starting out on a trip and haven¢t seen each other for a while. But they all look like they¢ve just jumped out of washing machines: clean skin, clean hair, clean chins clean ears, clean shorts, clean, spanking clean, T-shirts. Men and women both.They have packs. Boy, do they have packs. And this seems to be what really catches my attention. I have never seen packs like this before! They look like external frame packs for toddlers! They have itty-bitty metal frames with even itty-bittier pack bags attached. There is a pack leaning against a car tire. Over to the right, 3 packs to one side tee-peed together while their owners (presumably) chat nearby. More packs randomly scattered on the ground to the left. Other packers have their little frames tucked neatly between shoulder blades and waist. There must be 12 or 15 people with these remarkable rigs.There is no evidence of extra gear, no dangling cups or bulky thermarests or yesterday¢s lunch in a plastic bag.Aren¢t they taking shelters? Yes indeed: in there.Where¢s the food? Don¢t they ever have to eat? Yup. It¢s in there.Where¢s the sleeping bag? How will they keep warm? In there, too.Don¢t they have hats, gloves, long underwear? Sure, they do. All stashed away.And everyone is looking like this is the way to go! They make it all look so easy, so casual, so uneventful. Lucky them. And they know it.We do too.Ahhh¢¦..my pack¢s going to be heavy, and big, and nothing is going to fit!
Date: 2007-02-25
From: Springer Mountain

To: Stover Creek Shelter
Miles today: 2.5
Weather: light rain

I couldn¢t have had a more perfect day to start my trail journey. The weather has been tangy: sunny and sharp at the same time. The trail was mostly clear, despite some mucky spots from a morning deluge. It was easier, too, than I had planned or expected. You do hear horror stories about the difficulties of the first few days on the trail.I was picked up shortly before noon by Josh of the Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega at Atlanta¢s North Springs, MARTA station. Right on time. After dropping off another hiker at Amicalola, we stopped by the hostel, a lovely new log cabin in the woods. I mean really lovely. I would have been thoroughly spoiled if I had bunked there for the night, which I didn¢t.As I arrived, Paul (Ole Man) was just finishing repacking Paw Paw¢s pack, Paw Paw being 89 years young! Paul then delivered both of us to Springer, considerably further up a long forest road than I expected. We got going up the trail about 3:30, with the long shadows of late afternoon, making the trail exceptionally appealing.Paw Paw is so organized, it¢s embarrassing. He had finished his dinner by the time I got my first batch of water boiled. And he manages to make do with almost nothing: years of living on a submarine, I suppose.There is no one else here at Stover Creek, although the Trail Runner at the Springer Terminus mentioned that we were thru hikers 15 and 16 to check in TODAY. I hope I manage to stay ahead of the crowds. Hiker Hostel Josh mentioned that he expects 50-60 hikers to start on Wednesday! Whew!Despite all my efforts at slimming down, my pack weighd 38 lbs, with water and food. That¢s about 10 more pounds than I might wish, so I¢ll have to jettison something at Neels Gap.Springer Mtn. PlaqueWhite Blaze and Springer Plaque
Date: 2007-02-26
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: scattered clouds

I¢m writing this while tucked in bed under my nifty tarp. I don¢t think I could have had a more beautiful day to hike in: clean, clear, and crisp. Surprisingly, no one is actually sleeping in the shelter because we assumed it would be crowded by nightfall.Today was the day I learned about mouldering privies. I had thought this meant they were ¢mouldy¢ (English spelling) and therefore out of use. But no, they are high tech, highly engineered devices with worms to do the work of a sewage facility. Don¢t get the idea that they¢re private, either. Oh no! In fact, as some kind of bizarre scientific project, they keep statistics on how much people poop and even how often someone has to go.MOULDERING PRIVY There are many things I¢m thankful for today - my brothers and their families who did such a good job hosting me in the days before I left for the trail, soap (I have berry flavored baby soap), tea and time to make it, cherries in my porridge oats.
Date: 2007-02-27
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Justus Creek Campsite
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: clear sky

I haven¢t seen very many people all day. There were only 5 of us at Hawk Mountain Shelter last night ¢ but now, all kinds of people are appearing out of the woods! I¢m here with a group from Alabama, two fellas from Iowa, Paw Paw (who I¢ve been hiking with) and a very LOUD fellow with a dog who just showed up even though its already been dark for 2 hours.This would not be my usual choice of a place to camp. It¢s overly trampled and muddy, the kind of muddy that glues itself to your boots. Luckily, there¢s water right here, which serves to drown out the racket from other campers, as well as, yes, helicopters, presumably from the ranger training base nearby. They have been buzzing us by flying just a few hundred feet off the ground. I¢ve been listening to Paw Paw¢s stories all day, about his wife who died 3 years ago, life on a pre-World War II submarine, and archaic scuba training methods (he was in the Navy). He¢s never hiked in hilly terrain before, so I have been coaching him to keep him on a sustainable pace. For this he owes me a steak dinner, so I¢ll be off the trail for a bit tomorrow.
Date: 2007-02-28
From: Justus Creek Campsite

To: Gooch Gap
Miles today: 2.8
Weather: clear sky

I¢m sitting here in the Hiker Hostel kitchen and it¢s late for me, already almost 11:00 a.m. Today has been a day of trail firsts. My first look in the mirror - my face is bright red from the sunshine. My first hostel night off the trail, but that¢s another story. I hiked off the trail to hand Paw Paw over to the capable hands of the hostel staff who can see him on to the next stage of his journey. My first steak restaurant dinner for years, a thank you from Paw Paw. My first attempt at a trail name ¢ ¢Hot Tea¢ (get it?), because of my addiction to tea. This one might not stick. ~ (Trail name SILVER did stick---it's the hair!) The first people are already leaving the trail, because of accidents, revelations, or the prospect of rainy weather tomorrow.I probably won¢t get too concerned about the rain if I can make a cup of tea en route, so I¢ll be back on the trail tomorrow.I have lots of material for deeper reflection, but it¢s past the hour where that is practical. So I¢ll leave it for another day.PAW PAW AT HIKER HOSTEL
Date: 2007-03-01
From: Gooch Gap

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 3.6
Weather: moderate rain

Tambourine & Silver at the Hiker Hostel, DAHLONEGAThis seems like d©j vu. I¢m sitting here again at the Hiker Hostel, and that¢s a long story. I started out from Gooch Gap with Paw Paw thinking that we would split at Woody Gap. He would come back to the hostel and I would keep hiking. Well, it didn¢t happen that way. We started hiking in a DELUGE. Within 2 minutes, water had wicked down my socks and turned my boots into buckets. I was warm ¢ I have good long underwear ¢ but soaked nonetheless.Plus, until I had him trained to stand in the lee side of a tree to talk, Paw Paw wanted to have discussions and tell stories in the middle of the very biggest puddles! I got really drenched. After a mere mile and a half, I decided to head back to the hostel with him. So, I have been luxuriating in the warmth of the hostel for the rest of the day. Good decision.This has also given me a chance to work through my gear and eliminate items. My sleeping bag ¢ which was useless ¢ will be sent back to REI, and another one is on the way.So, I¢m here with a whole bunch of ex-drenched hikers or hikers who saw the conditions this morning and decided to take a zero.
Date: 2007-03-02
From: Woody Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: clear sky

Actually hiked this piece SOBO slack pack.This morning (bright and sunny) saw me rambling up Blood Mountain, with a Krispy Kreme donut in each hand. Life couldn¢t have been better! The donuts were courtesy of Bopit who is staying at the hostel.It was icy and windy at the top of Blood Mountain, but nothing too difficult. Then I trotted down the north side. Paw Paw followed closely behind. A little bit later, it was a good thing he wasn¢t too close, because he tripped and landed, yes, on the top of his head! But he dusted himself off and we continued.Blood Mountain ShelterThe day was quite leisurely for me, but pleasurable. Since we were headed south, we met many northbounders. A rumored 200 hikers started from Springer today.
Date: 2007-03-03
From: Hogs Pen

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

This morning saw me performing my first double double . . . a second day in a row hauling up a hill with a Krispy Kreme donut in each fist!Paw Paw and I were dropped at Hog Pen Gap and slack packed back to Neel¢s Gap. It was a hard walk, even though it was short. We lost the blazes in several places, and there were some fairly steep up hills. There was a stiff breeze too, so I¢d have to zipper up every time we rounded the bend onto the windy side of the mountains.A most interesting observation about northbounders. They are much more relaxed and friendly after they¢ve left Neels Gap. It seems as though, with a few miles under their belts, everyone is more confident and friendly.
Date: 2007-03-04
From: Neels Gap

To: Hiker Hostel, Dahlonega
Miles today: 0.0

I was sore from the last few hiking days and welcomed the chance to do nothing for a bit. But, here it is, close to 11:00, and I¢m still rushing to pack so I can resume back packing tomorrow.Although I have greatly enjoyed hiking with Paw Paw, we have resolved to go our separate journeys since we have different hiking speeds and needs for hostel support, etc. I hope he knows he will be missed.Someone has shown up at the hostel tonight with a Bichon Frise who is hiking the trail too. Just a sweet little thing. I can¢t imagine a dog that size hiking all the way to Maine ¢ pangs of envy, too, because I left my own hiker doggie Bichon Frise home with friends.generic picture of a Bichon Frise from the internet
Date: 2007-03-05
From: Hogpen Gap

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

Today was one of the more complicated days of the trip. I had been feeling that I had given Paw Paw all the skills I could and he was ready to be emancipated. I have taught him how to go down mountains and how to go up mountains, how to tread on rubble, how to handle a slick slope, how to adjust a pack and how to pay attention to nature¢s signals. Everything I could think of!.We got to Low Gap Shelter and I was all ready to call it a day. But, Paw Paw was itching to go further, another 7.2 miles further to be precise. I begged him to follow his instincts and just go. He did.I sat at the shelter making tea and talking to Umbrella Lady and Habitual Hiker. After about 2 hours, I packed and got on the trail again. I made it to the next shelter with barely enough light to get water when I reached the other end. There was Paw Paw with 4 young men, finishing dinner.I was disorganized ¢ not having much shelter experience yet ¢ but managed to fix a quick and tasty dinner and get into bed not too much later than the others, about, uh, 8:00.
Date: 2007-03-06
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: broken clouds

It¢s 7:00 pm and we¢re all in bed. Paw Paw¢s asleep, two young men who were with us last night (no trail name yet) are reading. To my astonishment, one of them is reading Dicken¢s Pickwick Papers. Paw Paw has woken up once already to tell us a joke that had us all howling with laughter and then he promptly fell back asleep.To say today was strenuous is an understatement. It was a full day and of steep ups and steep downs, broke by occasional encounters with other hikers. There was the group of sorority sisters we came across draped glamorously over the rocks in a grassy glade. There was the dude out for a day hike who thought hiking to Maine was some kind of elaborate joke! And then there was thru hikers I¢ve met in previous encounters. There are about 9 of us total in the vicinity of the shelter tonight.TRAY MOUNTAIN SHELTER Charles Dickens - "One disagreeable result of whispering is that it seems to evoke an atmosphere of silence, haunted by the ghosts of sound - strange cracks and tickings, the rustling of garments that have no substance in them, and the tread of dreadful feet that would leave no mark on the sea-sand or the winter snow."
Date: 2007-03-07
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Cloud 9 Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 10.6

Today was thoroughly grueling! I was tired before I even set out from the shelter and almost the last to leave. Paw Paw seemed very fatigued to me ¢ despite 12 hours sleep ¢ so I offered to serve as ¢tugboat¢ and set the pace, so he could make it safely off the mountain.All day we had long hauls up. We couldn¢t imagine anything more appealing than a downhill. But sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for! One steep down hill was slick with mud, the kind that swallows hikers. Before I could yell to remind Paw Paw to bend his knees and take small steps so he wouldn¢t do a ¢banana peel¢, he had landed flat on his back on top of his pack and was waving his arms and legs around like a turtle. Unfortunately, he tried to get up, but that didn¢t work at all. Oh no! He slid on his back, pack and all, flailing around, to the edge of a cliff. I must have been shrieking as well as laughing. Luckily, he stopped before he went over the edge, and I helped him get out of his pack, so he could get upright, and start down the trail again. We were thrilled to top our trail hill and head downward for the last time. Bit it was like heading into an abyss, down, down, down. I thought we¢d never get to the bottom. Focusing on the prospect of a hostel and hot tub kept us moving.Once at the bottom, it was time to hitchhike. This was a first for Paw Paw. For me, it was a rare experience. The first car that came along zoomed by, so I muttered to Paw Paw that I¢d bet he was cuter than I, so maybe he should be the one to stick his thumb out. To my astonishment, that very first car had stopped a little further up the road. We scampered after it ¢ if you can scamper with a pack after hiking 10 miles ¢ and we were welcomed by 3 lovely people who took us right to the door of Cloud 9, hot tub, and clean clothes!
Date: 2007-03-08
From: Cloud 9 Hiker Hostel

To: Zero at Cloud 9
Miles today: 0.0

SHELTER LOG ENTRY BY TATER AT PLUMORCHARD GAP SHELTERA great pass time while relaxing in the shelters is to read the entries made by fellow hikers. Some are one line notations, some are paragraphs and many are notes to hikers a day or two behind. Many offer complaints about the weather, the shelter, the mice, the snoring or the privy. Once in awhile you see art work displayed which is always fun to see. Above is an entry made by Tater, a well loved hiker that also does trail magic. We read several entries by other hikers in the shelter log thanking Tater for the great food he served to many! Thank you Tater!!!
Date: 2007-03-10
From: Cloud 9 Hiker Hostel

To: Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0

Zero miles hiked. More explanation coming about a typical zero day.Photos taken inside and out of Cloud 9 by Stinger, thank you Vincent! "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did. Explore. Dream. Discover." Mark Twain
Date: 2007-03-11
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: few clouds

This was the longest hike by far and probably the most strenuous. Plus, we were now doing a repeat of Dick¢s Creek Gap to Plumorchard Gap Shelter. We had done that piece the day before yesterday before Paw Paw¢s accident. .Despite the strenuous day, there were some things to comment on.1. My legs work way better than they did a week ago.2. The privies in NC are no competition for the privies in Georgia!3. Sleeping near a stream is damp and cold.4. Rhododendron tunnels can be found on Knob tops in NC but apparently not in Georgia. They are one of my favorite features of the trail. Rhododendron tunnel before the leaves have grown completely in! Fun to walk thru in the summer when its hot, the shade being a very welcomed sight!Side view of Muskrat Creek Shelter while Lipstick was there. Two hammocks in the foreground that got soaked that night during a big storm!---life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the numberof moments that take our breath away.
Date: 2007-03-12
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 4.9
Weather: broken clouds

I resolved not to hike a long day today after yesterday¢s marathon. I¢m trying to build muscle so I can go long miles in Tennessee and Virginia, so rest is vital to my plan. I spent the afternoon just enjoying the sunshine, drinking tea, or meeting the multitude of hikers at the shelter.After many nights when I¢ve stayed with few other hikers, there must be about 15 here tonight and perhaps another 10 passed through. The trail was difficult today, too. Rocky and steep, like the trails in New Hampshire. I began to wish I was still in Georgia!Transcriber (Lipstick) took this picture of the shelter log while she was there on 4/2 during a 6 day section hike and found Silver's entry. If you can't read it, what follows are the words Silver wrote when she was there on 3/12.3-12-07"Silver in for the night: enjoying the sunshine, taking it easy since we had a long day yesterday. What's with all the toilet paper dropped behind trees as soon as you hit NC? Someone's trying to get GA out of their system? Speaking of which, this privy could do with a view: maybe the pooper could be the viewer and not the viewee? Do appreciate the mouldering effect though. Let's all thank the gods for creating poop-eating worms." --SilverLipstick (my transcriber) on the indiscreet privy, taken while she was there on 4/2.
Date: 2007-03-13
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: broken clouds

North Carolina completely redeemed itself today. After 2 days of strenuous rocky, climby hiking, we had beautifully graded trails through thicket after thicket of ancient rhododendrons. I felt like a hobbit making trails through the undergrowth.I¢m here ¢ as is Paw Paw ¢ with about 10 hikers I¢ve never seen before. Since we are doing less miles than most other people, we now see new people everyday. I have deliberately kept miles low, with an occasional long day to increase conditioning and build muscle.The most amazing sight has just walked in; a woman with a pack half again as tall as herself, with things hanging off in every direction. I¢ll have to get a photo in the morning. I¢m also curious about what all that stuff is!Not the true picture of her but this photo brought her to mind! Ha!--- photo by DocThe mantra on the trail is "no rain, no pain, no Maine".
Date: 2007-03-14
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 6.8
Weather: clear sky

Today went from easy to strenuous in a half mile stretch: rocky, precipitous, hand-over-hand. We pulled into the shelter about 2:00 pm. Just in time for Paw Paw to take a nap.The rest of the day I¢ve spent just watching people. I¢ve seen more boorish behavior from other hikers than I could imagine: hikers putting plastic and tinfoil trash in the fire, hikers not even bothering to greet others, a kind of strange competitiveness that a few hikers get into, especially regarding daily mileage; hikers with really aggressive sounding trail names. Now that I think about it, competitiveness has been a dominant theme during these first miles of the trail. I can¢t wait for people to mellow out! Remember.....The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheesein the trap.Bloodroot - used by the Indians for war paint, seeps bright orange red.
Date: 2007-03-15
From: Big Spring Shelter

To: Budget Inn, Franklin, NC
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Today¢s hike felt easy and fast, perhaps because I was really motivated to catch the shuttle into town from Winding Stair Gap, perhaps because the miles are just plain easier now, or perhaps from the satisfaction of going past the one hundred mile mark.I was down at the Gap by 1:30 pm, after a mere 5 hours of hiking, a good rate for me and a wonderful post hike endorphin boost as well.In town, we¢re at Ron Haven¢s Budget Inn. Ron has organized a non pareil set of hiker services, including regular free shuttles in plush vans to and from the trailhead, a shuttle in a converted school bus to merchants around town, and a daily breakfast shuttle. He seems single-handedly to have turned Franklin into a trail town, and almost every hiker I know has stayed here. Unbelievable!Nitro, Ziploc, Bucket, Dorothy, Toto, Ron Haven (owner Bduget Inn) & Granbo - photo by Buckles - Greg Hull"The quality of life is not measured by its length, but by the fullness with which we enter into the present moment."
Date: 2007-03-16
From: Budget Inn, Franklin

To: Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0

Dogwood beginning to bloom!You may be curious about what happened on a zero day, since so far I haven¢t written anything on my days off. It¢s time now to make some illuminating remarks.First off, a zero is scarcely time to be idle. Consider:1A. Toenails have to be clipped. This is a serious matter. Cut them too close, and your boots will mess up your toes. Leave them too long, and ¢¦yes, same out come.1B. Then you have to eat.2A. ALL your food has to be replenished, rethought, recalculated, even if you have worked out provisions for the next leg, ten times already. This is because your appetite may have changed alarmingly since you last did your calculations, and you (a) don¢t want to starve to death any time soon and (b) don¢t want to carry even the teensy weensiest extra ounce.2B. Then you have to eat!3A. Thru hiking generates a prodigious amount of ear wax. Someone really should study this phenomenon. I mean, you could do a thorough ear cleanse in the morning and have a whole new crop at lunch and again at dinner.3B. Then you have to eat!!More later on the quirkiness of zero days.