morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-03-09
From: Fontana Dam, NC

To: Russell Creek Shelter
Miles today: 13.0

At 7:30 Jeff drove Jim, Bill, Big Daddy D (who I had met yesterday), and I to the trail. Feather and Heidi decided they would wait about a week before attempting the trek across the Smokies. After we had strapped our packs on we walked across Fontana Dam and officially arrived in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park about 8:15. The first thing the trail did was go up. At about 10:00, after almost two hours of mostly uphill, we made it to a firetower. When we got to the top we met Early Bird, who was standing up there snacking on her trail mix and enjoying the view. It was fairly difficult terrain the rest of the day. We arrived at Mollies Ridge Shelter around 2:30 and met Jill (his dog's name is Jack). He told us about yesterday when he had to trudge through deep snow drifts and only made 3/4 miles an hour because of it. We continued on past Mollies Ridge to Russell Creek Shelter and got there about 4:30. When we started that day there was no snow, but the more altitude we gained the more snow we gained. It was about ankle deep with some of the drifts knee high when we arrived at Russell Creek. The water source at the shelter, quite frankly, sucked. It was away from the shelter down a semi-steep hill and was a shallow creek. We had to filter the water through a bandana to keep all the leaves and twigs out.Early Bird was already at the shelter when we arrived and about 1 1/2 hours later a large group of thru-hikers arrived. I'm not sure if I remember all their trail names but here goes: Snow dog, Bender, Fry, Kato, KB, and Snow White. I think I missed a few, but hopefully I'll run into them again. They didn't all start together but just ended up that way. It was Snow Dog's birthday in a few days, so they were trying to push into Gatlinburg to party.
Date: 2005-03-10
From: Russell Creek Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: clear sky

Okay. It's been a while since I've updated this so I'll see if I can remember anything. This was day 2 in the Smokies. Jim (who I will now call by his trail name, The Great Whazoo, from now on) and I left the shelter 7:30 and got going. It was not easy since the ground was still covered with that evil powdery substance known as snow. Our objective that day was Siler's Bald Shelter about 14-15 miles away. I still laugh at how naive our Smokies planning was. We thought, "Yeah, 15 miles will make for an easy day. There won't be snow in the Smokies, and even if there is it won't slow us down." As it turns out we got to Derrick Knob Shelter, about 9 miles, at 2:30 and decided that was it for the day. We averaged about 1.3 mph that day. At that blazing speed we would have made it to Siler's Bald about 6:30-7:00. Just as it is getting dark and colder, if that's possible. Before we left that morning I noticed an orange pouch in the shelter. Early Bird said it was Jill's. I picked it up with the public intention of returning it to him if I saw him. Secretly I was hoping it wasn't his and I could keep it. At about 1:30 I finally ran into Jill and as soon as he saw it he shouted, "You're the king!" I couldn't figure out why he was so excited over an orange pouch until after I gave it back to him. He immediately started cramming snickers bars, crackers, and all sorts of goodies into it. At Derrick Knob Shelter that night we had Whazoo, Jill, Magellan, and I. Whazoo began to cook our evening meal. As he was cooking he was also talking to Magellan and Jill and not paying much attention to the stove. Suddenly he shifted one of his legs and knocked the stove over. An alcohol fire soon erupted, engulfing the area whre the stove was and nearly reaching our sleeping bags. Magellan (who everybody calls Gel) quickly grabbed his water bladder and doused the fire, saving the bags.
Date: 2005-03-11
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: light snow

To be honest, I didn't write anything in my journal this day. Partly because I was tired after a grueling 7 mile day through deep snow, and partly because my fingers would have frozen off and been added to Magellan's oatmeal (instead of the usual ripped up tortilla bits he has). I think we walked with our packs on a while and ate stuff. It was a whiteout at the shelter that night as the friday night "snow flurries" that the weatherman predicted moved through. The wind blew snow into the shelter. That's always fun. About a foot of snow fell that night (we think). And tomorrow we had to climb the highest mountain on the A.T: Clingman's Dome.
Date: 2005-03-13
From: Gatlinburg, TN

To: Red Line Trolley
Miles today: 0.0

Whazoo and I decided to take a day off in Gatlinburg to rest and resupply. WE went to breakfast at the Pancake Roadhouse and once again I tried my tactic of getting the cheapest thing on the menu. It turned out the cheapest thing was something like 1 egg. That wouldn't fill me up so I looked for cheapest relative to filling potential and got an omelette. They only make 5 egg omelettes at that place so 15 minutes after I ordered, a monster omelette was placed in front of me. I had also ordered a side of pancakes, which also turned out to be monsters. Looking at all that food I wasn't sure if I could handle it. The omelette gave me a menacing stare as if to say, "You can't eat me! Hahaha!" Twenty minutes later the omelette and pancakes were gone. That afternoon Whazoo and I paired up with Bill and Gel and went to the grocery store, which was no easy task. First we got on the red line trolley and went to the aquarium. Then we waited for 20-30 minutes for the blue line trolley. While we were waiting I got very thirsty. It was a nice warm day in the lowlands. I spotted a vending machine, but decided that 20 oz of water was not worth $1.50. The blue line arrived and brought us to the post office. From there we got to cross a busy road to get to the Food Lion grocery. After we bought everything we headed back and ate lunch at some expensive Mexican place. That night the 4 of us had lunch at the Texas Roadhouse, which meant more roadkill for me. We also arranged for a shuttle to bring us back to the trail.
Date: 2005-03-14
From: Gatlinburg, TN

To: Peck's Corner Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: overcast clouds

The shuttle brought us back to the trail at 6:30 and we were hiking by 7:15. It was today that I saw some of the most spectacular views yet. We were at about 5500 - 6000 feet all day and if you looked out across the valley below you could see nothing except an endless sea of clouds stretching out to the horizon. It was like an ocean with some scattered islands where the mountains were high enough. Not much happened during the hike. At the shelter Whazoo and I met up with Fievel Knievel, Justice Lizard, and Whiskers, who we hadn't seen since Deep Gap Shelter back in Georgia. Bill and Gel came in later that night, along with a bunch of spring breakers. In all we had 17 people at the shelter that night.
Date: 2005-03-15
From: Peck's Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: clear sky

I woke up at about 6:00 and got ready to go. At about 6:30 everyone else started moving around too. Whazoo, Magellan, and I left together around 7:00 and Bill was close behind. I encountered a new kind of trail torture today. If someone tramps through snow, and the snow melts a little bit but then frezzez again it creates icy footprints that you get to walk in all day. They are very hard on your ankles.Whazoo and I made it to the shelter at about 2:00. There was a father and son at the shelter that were section hiking. Magellan arrived about 3:30 and Bill 5:00. The other 3, Fievel Knievel, Justice Lizard, and Whiskers, made it shortly after Bill. I made a discovery that night. We were getting a resupply the next day and I had excess food. I decided something should be done about that and lightened my food sack.
Date: 2005-03-16
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm Hostel
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: light snow

A word of advice. Never put summer sausage and sweet and spicy tuna into ramen noodles at the same time. I'll spare you the details, but let's just say it's not pretty.So anyway, Whazoo, Magellan, and I made it to Davenport Gap about 11:00. That meant we were out of the Smokies. Good riddance. I have talked to very few thru-hikers this year that have had good things to say about the Smokies. We decided to take a snickers break for a few minutes and while we were, Snowdog and his posse arrived. Snowdog is an interesting character, and getting to be almost a legend this year. He celebrated his 42nd birthday in Gatlinburg. He hiked with a group of people that included cross-country runners through the Smokies and left them all in his dust. He would get down the trail, build miniature snowmen, and still get to the shelter first. He was walking with Gel one day and told him he was going on ahead a ways. An hour later Gel found him just finishing cleaning up from cooking ramen noodles. He never fastens his hip belt and carries a hiking pole that nobody has ever seen him use. We talked with him and the rest of the gang which included Sleeping Beauty, Kollege Boy (yes, spelled with a K), Wellsley, and Kato (I think is how you spell it). After our conversation, the five of them disappeared down the trail. I haven't seen Snow Dog since. Us three slow-pokes made it to Standing Bear Farm Hostel and met Curtis, the owner. He is a very nice guy who enjoys sitting around the bunkhouse with the hikers drinking beer. There was also Snapper, a hiker who was working for Curtis. There were pizzas for sale that Curtis priced at $9.00, but which he eventually lowered to $6.00. A bunch of other hikers showed up that night. Eric, Scarecrow, Shorts, and some others that I can't think of now.
Date: 2005-03-19
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Another day of no journalling. We met up with Doc Holliday the night before. He's a professor from a college in Maine. We got an early start and headed to Deer Park Mountain Shelter. We got there at about 12:00 and decided we might as well just go the extra three miles into the town of Hot Springs, the first town that has the trail running right through it. There is a hostel in Hot Springs called Elmer's. Elmer is a vegetarian that lives in an old Victorian house. For $15 a night it's hard to beat. Unfortunately it was full. So Whazoo, Gel, and I walked down the road looking for a place to stay. We found some cabins across the street from the Hot Springs Mineral Spa. I checked the book and found out that they are expensive, so Gel, Bargainmaster, told us to wait outside while he got us a cabin. We waited in a convenience store and located a freezer full of ice cream stuff. After about 30 minutes Gel returned and told us we had a cabin for $44. Split 3-ways that's less than $15. After we moved our stuff into the cabin we tried to find a shower. It was turned off for the season. So Gel went back into the office and when he came out he told us that we were getting a free hour at the mineral spa.That night we ate at The Smoky Mountain Diner. I ordered the Hungry Hiker, a 12 oz burger. It was gone in less than 10 minutes. After dinner we went to Paddler's Pub, where a bunch of other hikers said they'd be. We hung out there for a couple hours and listened to the band.
Date: 2005-03-20
From: Cabins

To: Elmer's
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We technically did negative mileage today. The trail runs down main street, which contains most of the town. Our cabin was further down the trail than Elmer's so we technically backtracked. Elmer's is very cool. The house is large and almost like a maze at first.While we were doing laundry this morning I ate a pint of ice cream. While I was eating I noticed that the saturated fat was 60%. Then I saw that there were 4 servings per container. Wow. That afternoon I had another pint.We went to Paddler's again tonight. It was the only place to eat after 6:00. Jill and Bill arrived in town so we ate with them, Jill's friend 20/20, and Gel.
Date: 2005-03-22
From: Elmer's

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Our original plan today was to get up at 5:00 and be on the trail by 6:00. When it wasn't light out at 6:00 and when we saw that the diner across the street was open we decided to scrap that plan and have one more meal. We were on the trail at 7:00.We hiked until about 12:30 or 1:00 and decided we didn't want to go the extra 9 miles to the next shelter. The shelter was built poorly and faced into the wind (don't they all). The No Name Newlyweds and Senor Nobes joined us at about 5:00.
Date: 2005-03-23
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: few clouds

I woke up at 5:00 to a loud booming thunderclap. It was raining and I didn't feel like getting up so I layed there until 5:30. I got up and was ready to go at 6:20. It misted for about an hour and then stopped. At about 8:15 we saw a sign that told hikers to come to a house 300 yards down a nearby road for pie, ice cream, and other goodies. Down the road we went and up the long driveway that led to the house. We found a large log cabin and knocked on the door. It was answered by Fal (trail name), a former thru-hiker, and her incredibly friendly half poodle half golden retriever puppy. Her husband Hercules (trail name), also a former thru-hiker greeted us as well. They had us sit at the dining room table and served us hot chocolate, chicken soup, pie, muffins straight from the oven, and ice cream. It was well worth the 300 yard walk. We ended up staying there for about an hour. As we walked back to the trail Senor Nobes and the Newlyweds were heading for the house. For the next few hours the weather was perfect. The sun was out and I hiked in a t-shirt and shorts. Whazoo put on his newly-acquired kilt and hiked in it for the first time. Later that all changed. We saw a front move in and it became colder and overcast. We ran into a split in the trail that afternoon. To the left was the "Bad Weather Trail" and to the right was the "Exposed Ridge Trail". We idiotically saw the overcast sky and chose the "Exposed Ridge Trail". About 15 minutes later it started to rain. About 10 minutes after that we got to the exposed ridge and discovered the sign didn't lie. It really was an exposed ridge. The trail was very rocky with a sharp drop-off on both sides and we were above the trees. The trail would climb about 30 feet, and we would clamber over the rocks to the top, and then it would drop 30 feet, and we would slip and slide down. Then the thunder started and the rain got harder. On the exposed ridge YOU are the biggest lightning target. Fortunately the trail dropped back below the treeline. After a few minutes of in this lightning safety zone we climbed back out of the treeline. We kept doing this for the next 30 minutes dropping in and out of the treeline. Finally we made it past the ridge. It was another mile to the shelter.We were at the shelter at 3:30 and about an hour later the Newlyweds and Senor Nobes showed up. They had also crossed the ridge. They stopped in, ate, and decided to push an extra 6 miles to the next shelter. We calculated they would arrive at 9:00 that night. I didn't envy them. At 9:00 that night I was in my sleeping bag listening to the wind howl.
Date: 2005-03-24
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

To: Headlamp Spring 
Miles today: 17.7

We arose at 5:00 and got ready to go. At 5:45 we were ready to go but it was still dark so we had hot chocolate. At 6:15 it was slightly light so we headed out. There was a very thick fog all morning. We walked through several large open meadows. The fog was so thick I could only see 30 feet in front of me. It was dead silent, very eerie. It was as if we had walked into the twilight zone.The fog lifted that afternoon and it was another sunny day. We made it to Sam's Gap, where the trail goes under I-26. According to our books there was a cafe about 3 miles down the access road. We stood around trying to hitch a ride for 10 minutes, but when no cars passed by the whole time we decided it was a lost cause. At about 3:30 we made it about a half mile past Sam's Gap and pitched out tent. That night we had a scrumptious meal of macaroni and cheese with tuna mixed in.
Date: 2005-03-25
From: Headlamp Spring 

To: No Business Shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: few clouds

We got up at 5:00 again and packed the tent up. We were on the trail by 6:10. It was a clear and warm day. There were many ups and downs as usual, but I must be getting used to it because the ups don't affect me as much as they used to. At about 2:30 I was hiking along a mountainside and Whazoo was ahead out of sight. Suddenly I heard a loud yell. I sped up my pace to see what had happened. Thirty seconds passed before he came into view. He had fallen and was making his way up a steep slope back onto the trail. I asked him if he was all right. When he said he was I burst out laughing. Later that afternoon the trail crossed a stream. About 100 yards up the trail from the stream there was a sign that said "water" and pointed to the stream. I thought that was a redundant sign probably posted by a moron. We made it to the shelter 10 minutes later at 3:45. A young married couple who were section-hiking was there. I opened my book to see where the water source was and it said "water source 0.2 miles south on A.T". I then realized I was the moron. I ended up making two trips back to that stream, almost an extra mile added to the 17.8 that I had already walked. Two women section hikers arrived later and set up their tent. The register at the shelter warned of a "friendly skunk". Charming.
Date: 2005-03-26
From: No Business Shelter

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: broken clouds

Got up at 5:00 this morning and was on the trail at 5:30. We had to walk with our headlamps on for 30 minutes until the sun came up. It was an easy hike made all the better by the thought of breakfast in town. We made it to the road at 8:00 and got a hitch into town almost immediately. The guy who drove us dropped us off right in front of Miss Janet's House, the hostel we planned to stay at. We walked in the door just as breakfast was being served. Perfect timing. Scarecrow was there and ate with us. We last saw him at the Standing Bear Farm. He left later that morning. Miss Janet was on vacation so Sunrise was running the place. Okey and Eternal Optimist (who thru-hiked with a 20 pound pack!) were there too. We spent the day running errands and eating at the Erwin Burrito Company. Monstrous burritos.
Date: 2005-03-27
From: Erwin, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

At 5:00 I woke up and went to the sunrise Easter service with Whazoo, Sunrise, and Okie. After that we returned to the hostel and got ready to leave. We planned to stay for lunch and then head about 7 miles to the next shelter. Miss Janet returned today. We had a big Easter lunch and they made me a surprise birthday cake. After feasting, Whazoo and I decided we didn't want to hike today and decided to stay another night. Restless, who has hiked 15,000 miles on the A.T, came later that day. He went through my pack and helped me shave about 3-4 pounds off my pack. Feather and Heidi showed up today, surprising both Whazoo and I. They had been making some good miles the last few days and were going to zero the next day.
Date: 2005-03-28
From: Erwin, TN

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: light rain

Okie drove us out to the trail at 7:30 and we started the next leg of the hike. It was sprinkling a light rain and it was warm. It was too warm and raining too lightly to justify putting on the rain jacket, but after a few hours of that I was soaked. About 11:00 the temperature began to drop and I put on my rain jacket for warmth. I hiked about an hour like this, freezing my butt off with my wet underlayers. Finally I stopped and took off the wet stuff and put on my fleece sweater. That kept me warm the rest of the day.We got to the shelter at 4:00 and I put on my down jacket. The temperature was still dropping and the rain was still lightly falling. Cold and wet. The worst kind of weather. I sat around camp eating, treating the water, and making a vain attempt to dry my wet clothes. At about 6:30 I started getting cold even with dry clothes and my down jacket so I got in my sleeping bag. That warmed me up. I went to sleep around 7:30 thinking about how much fun it would be hiking with mostly wet gear tomorrow. If only we were still at Miss Janet's.
Date: 2005-03-30
From: Roan High Knob Shelter

To: Apple House Shelter
Miles today: 14.7

Another day of hiking. The only challenging part about this day was getting from the shelter to the trail. As it turns out the path was icy. Big surprise there. Fortunately there were no broken bones.We arrived at Apple House Shelter at 2:00. Way too early. We spent the day sitting around camp eating all of our extra food. Later that evening a man came from the nearby road with three boys. He had opened a restaurant nearby and was sticking flyers for it in the shelter. An hour after he left the section hikers from Miss Janet's arrived and offered to take us into town to eat. So we packed up all of our gear and took them up on there offer. An hour later it was dark and we were fumbling down the trail back to the shelter on semi-full stomachs.
Date: 2005-03-31
From: Apple House Shelter

To: Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: light rain

Nothing happened until 8:30 this morning. We got to Jones Falls, the highest waterfall on the trail. We ate our breakfast there and I climbed further up the falls on an un-marked side trail. It was a strenuous day. Every mountain that we could have possibly climbed we climbed. We didn't go around any, there weren't any switchbacks, just straight up straight down.We arrived at the shelter at 3:30 after doing our longest mileage day yet. The water source was a spring located straight down the mountain, so I got another good climb in.
Date: 2005-04-01
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Kincora Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: overcast clouds

We got up early (5:00) and were in Kincora by 8:30. Fievel Knievel, Lizard, Whiskers, and Cat were there cooking breakfast. They were very generous and offered us pancakes and eggs, which we gladly accepted. Scarecrow rolled out of bed later and said hi. He was leaving that day. Bob, the owner of the hostel, drove us to town to buy groceries that afternoon. The road down the mountain is narrow and twisty with no guardrails near the top (the guardrail budget was depleted). We stocked up and headed back.That night Hippy Longstockings arrived. She has been hiking for 14 months. She hiked the A.T southbound then did part of the Florida trail and has been doing random A.T hiking ever since.
Date: 2005-04-02
From: Kincora Hiker Hostel

To: Kincora Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

Our original plan was to leave today, but when we saw the cold and the rain we changed our minds. Bob was going to take Cat and Hippy to do trail maintenance so we decided to tag along. A large group from a local college met us and came out too. We worked for about 4 hours widening the trail, making steps, tearing out tree roots, and chopping up blowdowns. After we were done, Bob awarded us a patch to sew on our backpacks.Feather, Heidi, Jill, and Fourcheese arrived today. They were wet and cold after doing a 24 mile day in horrible weather. After seeing them we were grateful we didn't hike today.
Date: 2005-04-03
From: US321

To: Kincora Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: clear sky

We slack-packed today. Bob's wife Pat drove us to where the trail crosses US 321 and we walked back to the hostel carrying only water and some food. It was a 9 mile walk over a large uphill, a steep downhill, and then a nice flat area near the Laurel Forks river. It only took us about 3 hours and we spent the rest of the day eating and sitting around the hostel.