morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-10-01
From: Pecks Corner Shelter

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: clear sky

We awoke to SUNSHINE! Woohoo, still cold, you can see your breath, but SUNSHINE!   Caleb a/d/a Lucky was planning on hiking 22 miles today as part of his job as a ridge runner for this section. He has to check on some shelters and was planning on backtracking and spending the night with our group at Tri-Corner Knob Shelter. Ridgerunners are paid by the ATC and are responsible for checking the trails and shelters for problems. They also monitor and rescue hikers. Caleb has had the job for three months. He hasn't made it through the winter yet.    I cross over Mt. Sequoyah today, (Elev. 6069). The mountain is named for a Cherokee silversmith who invented and transcribed the Cherokee language. This is the only known language which was created by one person from verbal to written word. He also was part of the successful resistance of the Indian Removal of 1838. Fugitives from the TRAIL OF TEARS became the present Eastern Band of Cherokee.   On to Mt. Chapman, elevation 5650, it is a steep rocky climb. This is the 4th highest peak in the Smokies and I felt it. The shelter is not far from the summit.   Patrick, a sweet young man from Knoxville, Just Fred GA>ME '06, Scott and Dan are the first at the shelter. It is pretty early to stop, but everyone wants to dry out their gear. We all sit on a sunny bank above the shelter enjoying the warm solar energy. We lounge there until dinner draws us back to the shelter.   The Family comes in last and takes over the bottom bunk. They are all related to each other and having a blast. Meredith and Sergio are a young married couple. Sergio is from Honduras, they met at UT Martin. They are real cute together. Travis, Randy and Kevin are Meredith's uncles by blood or marriage. They are from TN and KY. They have done several hikes together and keep us entertained with their "near death" stories. They all take over each other stories with a lot of laughter and teasing between them. A very fun group and I am happy we will be meeting again at the next shelter.   Everyone does chores and settles in for dinner. Patrick made it to the shelter early and has been scavenging the woods for dry firewood. He spent about three hours gathering up a large pile of wood. As dinner winds down he pull a small Duralog out of his pack to start the bonfire. Let the fun begin.   We are all kidding him about carrying the Duralog and he confesses he has one for every night. He really likes a fire. We promptly give him "Duralog" as a trail name. I hope I run into Duralog at every shelter. It is so nice to dry everything out.   The stories and laughter are dwindling and everyone is crawling into their sleeping bags. It is going to be in the 30's tonight.   I'm zipping up tight, Nite All.
Date: 2010-10-02
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: clear sky

Everyone wakes up and starts their morning chores. The temp is 38 degrees and people are moving quickly. Just Fred and Patrick head south and the rest of us go north. We don't try to walk together, more like leap frog each other through out the day. As I leave, I yell out I'm going to look for sunshine. Caleb yells back there won't be any, I laugh and tell him I'm small, I just need a patch to warm up.   We stay above 6000 feet for about two miles. Walking the ridgeline you can see Mt. Guyot to the East. I come across this high grassy meadow, with beautiful views for miles. I have hit the sunshine lottery. It is so warm, I lay out on this two by five foot rock. The sun feels good and the high grass protects me from the wind. I find out I have cell reception, woohoo! It dawns on me that my "rock" is made out of concrete. I am basking on an old helipad at Deer Gap, duh! The rest of the group meanders out of the woods and plops down to enjoy the warm sunshine and phone calls to home.   First one to get there, last one to leave. As I descend Inadu ridge, Cherokee for snake, I hear the excited voices of the Family.   They have found the wreckage of a 1984 plane wreck. It is F-15 Phantom jet and there are some big chunks of it plowed into the side of the mountain. All the engineers in the group are very excited. Part of them climb down and try to find more wreckage. I am content to look from the trail. Pictures taken, I move out.   The trail is all downhill but very rocky. I run into the ATC volunteers doing trail maintenance near the shelter. They are out on the trail for a week, they promise to come to the shelter later tonight.   I pass their camp, it has three strings of electric fence around it. I wonder if I can get one of those for my campsites. I wouldn't even have to think of bears with that little addition to my gear.Hmm, how much does that weigh?   Cosby Knob Shelter is nice. It has double bunks, a stone fireplace, a spring nearby and working bear cables. The icing on the cake is I can call Karen!   Everyone settles in and laments the fact all the wood is too wet to have a fire. Trail magic, the ATC volunteers show up carrying dry firewood and fire starter. They built a roaring fire. Everyone takes a rotation standing next to it.   The night is filled with stories of hiking trails, good food and new friends.
Date: 2010-10-04
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: broken clouds

The day dawns cold and foggy. The bed was toasty and comfortable and I slept great last night. No sunshine and the weather forecast is not promising. Welcome to the AT. Lets go.   I start down the gravel road and reconnect with the AT. The trail goes up to the summit of Snowbird Mountain, elevation 4623 feet. The weather is frigid and foggy. I just tuck my head and walk. There is a side trail to the Snowbird Mt. FAA tower at 4263 feet. I skip it, I've seen pictures of the white colored mushroom shaped tower. I'm not sure you would be able to distinguish it from the thick white fog in any photo I could take today. The trail drops down toward Brown Gap. The shelter sign materializes out of the fog and I am happy to call it a day. Dinner is quick, the warmth of my sleeping bag beckons and I answer the siren's call. Any one have a working electric blanket?
Date: 2010-10-05
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: broken clouds

I awake to frigid cold and rain. It doesn't look like sunshine will be in the forecast. A fast cup of hot coffee and some nutri-grain bars and I am off. I am excited about crossing over Max Patch today. I'll be walking in the Pisgah National Forest. Max Patch is at 4,629 feet, this bald offers 360 degree vistas of Mt. Mitchell to the East and Great Smokey Mountains to the Southwest. The Bald's only growth is knee-high grass and seasonal flora. There are two theories as to the formation of balds. The first is the Indians and/or settlers cleared these areas for grazing of livestock. The second blames it on drastic climate which prevents any growth of trees. You pick.   The trail is a sunken path through the sea of grass as I climb to the summit of Max Patch. History states at one time this summit was so clean of vegetation and so flat it was used as an airstrip for small planes. I am at the top, the wind is wicked and cold. I can see for .... inches! It is a total white out. I can barely see 15 feet in front of me. If it wasn't for the fact the trail is embedded six to eight inches into the earth, I wouldn't be able to find it. No views today! Down into the forest I go.   I pass Roaring Fork Shelter and I am feeling pretty good, so, I keep going. The trail is rolling and not to rocky. From Lemon Gap it is all uphill to the summit of Walnut Mountain (Elev. 4260) and the shelter. The ATC maps do not show this shelter on their maps, but AWOL's AT guide does list it. I see why the ATC did not mention it. It is one of the ten remaining original shelters. It is made from whole logs and sleeps four very short people. It is located atop the summit and catches every wind Mother Nature sends to earth. It is freezing cold and I am the only one on this frozen planet. I know why they call her a Mother now. I hang my hammock lengthwise across the sleeping platform and I take the entire space of the shelter.   For the first time in my hike I build a fire in front of the shelter. It takes a couple of hours to find enough dry wood. I end up with a nice pile and get the fire going. For the next couple of hours I live next to the warmth of that fire. Dinner over and no stars in the sky I crawl into my hammock for a good nights sleep. I can see the fire from my hammock and it is a warming sight. Nite all.
Date: 2010-10-06
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: clear sky

OH Baby, that was a cold night! I am more than happy to get moving and warm up. I start down hill in the fierce wind. I have on my rain pants, fleece and jacket. It is cold. I walk down Walnut Mountain bundled in all the clothes I have carried in my pack. I don't warm up until I have passed through Kale Gap and I'm a third of the way up Bluff Mountain, elevation 4686 feet. I call Karen from the top, but I can't stand at the summit for very long. The wind just wipes away your body heat. I tell her if she doesn't hear from me I stopped at Deer Park Mountain Shelter. If I make to Hot Springs I will call her from Elmer's Sunnybank Inn. Check In with home complete I move out at a brisk pace. I descend a little under four miles into Garenflo Gap. The sign states I am 3.4 miles from the shelter or 6.6 miles to Hot Springs. It is one o'clock, I believe I will be laying my head down on a cotton pillow case tonight. The woods consist of pine and hemlock, I cross over several dry stream beds. The forest looks as if it hasn't rained in these parts for a long time. I make a mental note to conserve my water.   Two slight rises, some ridgelines and a steep descent into Hot Springs. I pass Deer Park Shelter on my right. On the left, thirty yards up the trail are the graves of George and Eva Gragg, the namesakes and former owners of this gap.    Hot Springs here I come. I am getting close enough to hear the sounds of the town and occasionally I can see the French Broad River and the rooftops of this valley town. When the early explorers saw this broad river flowing toward the lands claimed by the French, they called it the French Broad. It joins the Holston above Knoxville to form the Tennessee River, which flows south past the river town of Chattanooga, TN. The river heads north at this point and at Paducah, KY joins the mighty Ohio River.   I finally hit the bottom of the trail, I spy an AT bronze plaque erected on a stone which looks like a giant stone arrowhead. It is dedicated to the Carolina Mountain Club. I pass by the Forest Service Board and head out into the street. I cross the crosswalk painted with AT symbols and turn left on the sidewalk toward town. AT granite squares are embedded in the concrete leading the tired hiker toward the friendly town of Hot Springs, NC. I pass the Smokey Mountain Diner on my left and take a right up Walnut Street. Elmer's is the first house on the right. My new home for two nights, woo hoo!
Date: 2010-10-07
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Karen will pick me up from Elmer's on Friday. It has been a great section hike. I love the people I have met and views I have seen. Home to my other life until the Spring. Nature is awe inspiring and I am excited I experienced it close up and personal. In the beautiful thoughts of John Muir I leave you,Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.Nature's peace will flow into you as the sunshine blows into trees.The winds will blow their own freshness into you,and the storms their energy while care will drop off like autumn leaves.Peace, Robin a/k/a Options
Date: 2010-01-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

As I get ready for my AT section hike the first question is both the easiest and most difficult to answer: how long do I go? The short answer is "as far as I can!" But realistically I'm having a hard time figuring this one out. My employer is very generous with vacation benefits and I've accumulated about 11 weeks total time. At an ambitious pace that would let me finish about half the trail. At a more realistic pace, slightly short of Harper's Ferry. It also leaves me with no vacation hours for later use when I return. Decisions!At least setting my start date is easier. Beth is starting out from Springer on March 30th so I will join up with her in Texas the day before. From there we'll fly out to Atlanta and catch a ride to Amicalola. It seems so far away yet so close! And so much to do before then.Gear planning is coming along. I hike every weekend and backpack often over the summers so I have everything I need. My main purchases will be merino wool clothing to replace my REI synthetics. These serve me well for several days but reek horribly. I cant imagine how they'd fare with many weeks on trail. I also have to perform some repairs to my trusty Tarptent Contrail. Hopefully it is up for the AT!
Date: 2010-01-12
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hopefully soon I'll have an answer to how many days I can take for this section hike!Gear planning is coming along. I managed to break my trekking poles snowshoeing last weekend so that will be my next purchase. I'd be tempted to try repairing these yet again (they are 5 years old) but they hold up my Contrail tent so I'd want them to be very reliable. I've also decided to give the Montrail Hardrock Mid boots another shot. I ordered a pair at the REI sale last week and had the laces fail while trying them on. I returned them for a refund and tried a few others on at other stores. The Hardrocks fit really well and the price is too good. I ordered another pair hoping that first pair was just defective. I'll find out next week.I continue to have fun with the dehydrator I got for Christmas. I dehydrated an angel food cake last week which turned out awesome! The crumbled bits are like sweet popcorn. The bottled pasta sauce also worked great. I plan to make a large pot of my own to dry next.
Date: 2010-01-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

The last few days I restitched the guidelines of my Contrail tent to beef it up and checked the rest for rips. One or two minor rips in the floor of the tent but nothing a little coat of seam sealer couldn't fix. I resealed all the seams while I was at it. I'd planned to pitch the tent behind my building sometime the last few days to make sure it could stand up to rain but despite the forecast it's been dry in Seattle! It's been incredibly mild and warm lately, it seems a shame to wish for rain just to test a tent.I've also been playing with my dehydrator. I checked out "A Fork in The Trail" from the library and picked out a few recipes to try. I made Hungarian Goulash tonight, which turned out really tasty. I'm drying it overnight and should get three servings out of it. I dont plan to rely on my own meals for my entire time on the AT but will supplement them along the way in my mail drops. It takes some time to cook and dry these but it works out to be very cheap and tasty too. This way I also know exactly what goes into the meals. I try to avoid processed foods but while hiking that's pretty much impossible. They wont last as long as a Mountain House but once vacuum packed should be good for a few weeks in a backpack. Plenty of time to mail and eat them. I love to cook and to hike so combining the two has been a lot of fun. I cant wait to try out some more recipes over the summer.I've been once again dealing with some shoulder trouble. A few weeks ago I subluxated (partially dislocated) my right shoulder snowshoeing. I did this about five years ago for the initial injury but have been lucky not to have another until just recently. It's mostly healed but I'm nervous about it happening again. I talked to a few coworkers who are MDs and they said I should try to strengthen my shoulders. That matches what I've read around the web. After some reading I bought a door mounted pull up bar. It also doubles as a tool for push-ups and dips. I can certainly feel it after using the thing! The sad part? I can do only one pull up. Hey, I'm a hiker! I never claimed to have great upper body strength!
Date: 2010-02-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I have finally found out how long I can be on the trail! I'm heading down to Texas to rendezvous with Beth on March 29th and my current return date is May 21st. That should put me somewhere in the 600+ mile range. I figure the closest airport is Roanoke and flights from there back to Seattle are reasonably priced. If I fly back on the 21st, a Friday, I'll have the following two days to get readjusted and settled back in before returning to work. I'm sure that's going to be difficult no matter how long!Also I believe I've finally settled on a pair of boots for the trip. After some bad luck with the Montrail Hardrocks breaking in the store (while trying them on!) and trying on many other boots or trailrunners I left REI with a pair of Keen Targhee Mids. I'd really hoped to get something without a GoreTex membrane but these things fit very well. They seem light enough that they will dry in a reasonable time (at least I hope). I am breaking them in around work this week and hope to try them out on a trail soon.Other gear replacements have occurred too, much to my budget's dismay. My trusty old pair of REI brand trekking poles finally bit the dust after 5 years. I found an orphaned single pole, the new version of my old ones, in the store basement for $10 and picked that up. Unfortunately it's been nothing but trouble and has collapsed, stuck closed, stuck open, and now the upper segment is hopelessly lost inside the handle. Why did they have to change the design? I gave up and bought a pair of Black Diamond poles I found on clearance.My final replacement was my shelter. Though I dearly love my aging Tarptent Contrail it has sustained some damage and with the heavy weather of the east coast so far I decided I needed something with better storm protection. I bought a Tarptent Moment. So far I love it! The setup is extremely simple with a minimum of 2 stakes (I plan to use 4 and guy it out better). I pitched it in my garage last week and sealed the seams. In two weeks Beth and I have a backpack trip planned to test out our AT gear.A very nice weekend as we packed in to High Hut and The Yurt, in the Mount Tahoma Trails Association. Well equipped huts with nice views and good sleeping arrangements. I highly recommend it to anyone! The only piece of AT-bound gear I used for this was my Osprey Atmos-50 pack. On the way in it was heavy due to a chicken fajita dinner for 6 inside. It carried the weight very well! Hiking out it was light and partially empty. Should work great for the AT!
Date: 2010-02-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hooray for boots that work! I had the day off Monday for Presidents Day and late in the afternoon headed up to good ol' Mt. Si for a shakedown on my new boots. Mt. Si is a trail I rarely hike anymore and usually reserve it for a benchmark or test trip of some kind. This one was two fold: to make sure the boots work, and to beat Beth's best time!At the start I had the boots laced too tightly which caused some foot pain. I loosened the laces a little, but not enough for heel slipping, and it went away. I felt no hot spots and they were quite comfortable. They dont have the grip I'm used to from my Asolo Flames but they are also a heck of a lot lighter and softer. I hope they'll work for the AT. I didn't manage to shatter Beth's 1.5 hour ascent time but beat her by only 2 minutes. Take that ... sorta! And if you've kept up on Beth's journal we are dating again and have decided to share a tent for the portion of the trail I'm hiking with her. So far we haven't picked a suitable tent yet. Over the summer we backpacked in my Tarptent Double-Rainbow and only once had condensation problems. It unfortunately wore out (I've had it more than three years with heavy use) and had to be replaced.I borrowed a Six Moon Designs Lunar-Duo tent from a coworker and we set it up on my lawn to try out. The roominess is very impressive! I do have to say I was less keen on the little spreader poles which are inserted in the roof. This probably gets easier with time but it seemed kind of fiddly. Also it seemed like getting a good pitch requires some rearranging of the stakes. As much as I love the weight and the space I dont know if it's the tent for us.I've been using single-wall Tarptents for years and love them but I know Beth is less keen on that style. There is still time to decide though. I am looking at the Big Agnes Copper Spur tents now. Divided between two people the weight is only about 2 lbs each, which is manageable. Also with the bad weather so far along the east coast the added protection of a double-walled tent might be worth the weight penalty.Beth continues to randomly run into past thru-hikers, and others hiking this year too! Over the weekend we met two who are departing just a few days before us. Hopefully we will see them on the trail.
Date: 2010-03-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Preparations for the grand hike are nearing completion. Beth and I have finally picked a tent: the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL3. It's a 3-person tent but with the weight of typical 2-person models. Sure it's overkill on the space department but some luxury can be a nice thing, especially when it's pouring rain. Split between us, even with a footprint, we each only carry about 2.3 lbs.Over the past few weeks I've had a variety of health setbacks. Two weeks ago I picked up a minor cold. I recovered and we snow-camped at Artist Point in great weather! After the trip I found I'd strained a muscle in my neck. I'm guessing from carrying my dSLR camera and a heavy pack. I was on muscle relaxers the rest of the week but eventually it went away. I was finally feeling healthy last weekend but picked up a really nasty cold this week. I'm currently home sick from work recovering. Hopefully I dont have to deal with one of these on the AT.While camped at Artist Point Beth and I shared my 4-season tent. I slept quite warm with my downmat and 15-degree bag (Beth not so much and she has borrowed a 0-degree bag for the start of the AT). We buttoned up the tent too far in the cold, still weather and had moderate frozen condensation inside. Beth's Montbell bag handled it well but I found the shell on my Marmot bag was wetting through. I have had it for about five years and apparently the DWR coating is wearing off. I'm glad I found this out in WA rather than in the rain of the AT! I picked up a bottle of Revive-X based on a recommendation from Feathered Friends and plan to treat the bag and hopefully add some water resistance.Gear planning is now done, meal planning is wrapping up. I've pared my dehydrated creations down to 5 standard meals. Beth and I made a trip to Costco last night to pick up snack foods for drop boxes. I myself only have three drops to pack so I'll finish that off in the next few days, hopefully.Trail time is getting closer and closer!
Date: 2010-03-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

All my stuff is packed! I found a crummy duffel bag at Fred Meyer to hold everything that I'm checking. I also had to make room for Beth's boots and trekking poles as well. It all barely fit. And then the duffel bag zipper snagged and failed on the first use. I eventually got it closed and it should last for this trip, but you get what you pay for I guess.I'm leaving for Texas in the morning! Hope I didn't forget anything.