morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-03-18
From: Neel's Gap

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

We all had a nice breakfast, prepared by Old Man, consisting of eggs,pancakes,juice, and real oatmeal. The four of us then shuttled back to Neel's Gap. Around 9:00 we got back on the trail. It was a pretty cool morning but it didn't look like rain which made us all happy. I still am running rear guard but I make it to where I am going and that is all that matters. Around lunchtime I caught up with Scholar and Break. They were on top of Cowrock Mtn. relaxing and getting ready to eat. I joined them and it was just warm enough to be comfortable. I laid back on the rocks and dozed. Scholar and Break wrote in their journals. We spent about an hour there. I am still amazed at the approach I am taking toward the journey this year. I very rarely sat down for 15 minutes last year and here we are taking a couple of hours a day. Makes the day mighty fine. During the afternoon, Eric(now Weatherman) was telling a story about last night. He said he was so worried about his pack weight he woke up in the middle of the night and started stuffing turkey jerky down his mouth. We all cracked up at that one. He is good for some great stories. We reached Low Gap where we met Low Gear and Jake Brake. They had thru-hiked before and were doing it again. I also met Snuffleupagus(great name!). We set up our tents and did the basic camp chores. I looked over at Weatherman's area. He had purchased a tarp at Neel's and it was a very bright yellow. We teased him about not being hard to find and being able to flag down helicopters. After awhile James,Mike, and Amanda came in so the seven of us were back together. We started a fire and enjoyed the cowboy TV before bed. Another good day on the trail!
Date: 2005-03-19
From: Low Gap

To: Cheese Factory Site
Miles today: 13.0

As the saying goes, this was the best of days and the worst of days. For some reason I was having a real rough go of it today. I think this cold is knocking me back a bit because I had little to zero energy and it took its toll. A bit of bad news this AM, Weatherman was going to get off at Unicoi Gap because his ankle was really bothering him. He said he was going to pick up a couple of braces and rest it. We told him we would meet up with him in Hiawassee to see if he was going to continue. The rest of us hiked on and gathered for lunch at Blue Mtn. Shelter. James was thinking of pushing on to Trey Mtn. Shelter because he was uncomfortable in his hammock. The rest of us still planned on the cheese factory site. After lunch the trail took us down to Unicoi Gap where I ran into Sunset Screamer and Bodie. She had gone into town to get some knee braces(injury 2 for her). They were planning for Deep Gap also.We also met a couple of trail angels,Glenn,Tyree,and their wonderful little daughter Meredith handing out cokes and cookies there. Much appreciated! We also heard there may be a cookout at the cheese factory site tonight. That got everyone fired up! I stayed for awhile and chatted after everyone took off. Soon, Break came down the mountain. She is taking it slow because her knee is bugging her a little. We both talked to the angels some more and then we headed up Rocky Mtn. I still didn't have much energy so that climb was a bear but I finally made it to the campsite. Sure enough, Crash Bang,who thru-hiked last year, as well as Azimuth,and Smokey Girl were grilling burgers,dogs,veggies,and corn. That and all the fixings that went along with it. It was a good end to an otherwise exhausting day! There were a lot of us there that night;Amanda,Mike,Scholar,Break,Low Gear,Jake Brake,Sunset Screamer,Bodie,Senator,Footloose,and Fancyfree. There is another group in front of us at Trey Mtn. It seems everyone will meet up in a day or two at Hiawassee.
Date: 2005-03-20
From: Cheese Factory Site

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Once again, the weather is pretty chilly. We really have not had a good,warm day since the first day. We did receive some good weather news for next week. Supposedly, by next Thursday or Friday the temps will be in the high 60's, low 70's. Hopefully that will happen. Scholar is on a roll. For the last two days she has been the first out of camp and I have not seen her till the end of the day. I've been teasing her about that! Another problem arose this morning. Amanda has been getting some pretty good blisters and she was getting sick and tired of them. She was going to push on into Hiawassee and meet her parents, who were in the area, in order to change out her boots. We told her we would see her in Hiawassee and she took off. The plan for today was to meet up at Deep Gap, a nine mile day, and go into Hiawassee monday morning. The group at Trey Mtn. Shelter were also planning on doing the same. The trail grapevine has been passing messages back and forth. Works like a charm! The ones up there are also part of M Company and we all wanted to meet up. I took it easy because it was going to be an easy day. Mike and Break passed me and around 11:30 I caught up with them having lunch. I was in the groove so I kept going. The groove soon fell apart because I was heading up Kelly Knob. A very long and constant uphill. It was tough but I managed. Near the top I saw Red Hat sitting on a rock. She passed on the news that the rest of the crew had decided to go on into Hiawassee today instead of waiting. I sat on the rock and decided to wait for Break and Mike to pas the news onto them. They finally arrived and we made the decision to go to Deep Gap as planned. We would not have gotten into Hiawassee until late afternoon and it isn't worth getting into town that late and spending money on a room when it is too late to do anything. We had a mile or so to go to the shelter when we ran into Bones. I had met him a couple of days ago and here he was, relaxing on the side of the trail, listening to the NASCAR race. If you saw Bones you would think he was the last person in the world who was a race fan. He said we would find him doing this every Sunday, as long as there was a race. We laughed and headed on. Mike had pulled ahead. He has a long stride and can really kick it into gear when he wants to. Break and I got to Deep Gap which is a pretty nice shelter,except for the warnings of mice. It was early so we went for a second lunch. Mike says he is becoming addicted to the Mountain House dinners. We teased him about how expensive they were and that is when he got his trail name. Break named him Freeze Dried and it became official. It was a fun evening. A couple of section hikers from Atlanta were there and we had a good time talking around the campfire. Tomorrow is Hiawassee. Maildrop,laundry,and shower. Things are good! It was a good walk today. I had energy again. Maybe the burgers from last night had something to do with that!
Date: 2005-03-21
From: Deep Gap

To: Hiawassee,GA
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I am usually the first one up and Freeze Dried wanted me to get him up early because he had to get to Dick's Creek Gap by nine to meet a ride. Break and I didn't have to hurry so Break and I took off at a leisurely pace shortly after Freeze Dried left. We met up with Low Gear and Jake Brake,said our hellos and continued on. They too, were heading into town. We also ran into Sunset Screamer and Bodie who were doing the same. Hiawassee is the first real trail town you hit while out here and very few people pass on by. Some may only come in and head out again but most do go in. It was a nice morning, a little cool but still nice. I was panting my way uphill when I noticed Break had dropped a bandana. I grabbed it and continued on. At the top of the rise I caught up with her and gave her back her bandana saying,"Here, I am tired of carrying your weight around. I draw the line at carrying your pack if you drop it".She looks at me, grins, and says,"Well then, why don't I just give you back your pocketmail". My jaw hit the floor and then I busted up laughing. I really thought I finally had her with the bandana thing. I had forgotten I had given her my pocketmail so she could type some stuff and she has been carrying that weight for the past two days. I guess I am going to have to get up a little earlier in the morning if I want to win a battle of wits with her! We made it to Dick's Creek Gap where we ran into Longhaul and Butterfly Moon. Break finally got the chance to meet Longhaul. They traded jabs for a bit and we found out that most everyone who went into town yesterday were taking a zero day today. He and Butterfly were heading out. We told him we would see him soon and then we got a ride into town. I am typing this in the lobby of the Holiday Inn Express. A nice place and when you split a room 4 ways it only comes to 15.00 each. Not bad at all. I did all the town chores first. Laundry,post office,shower,refeuling,etc. This all takes time so it isn't like you get to town and then sit on your butt all day. I finally sat down to relax around 4:00. That evening a group of us went to the AYCE place and chowed down. It is good to get fresh veggies and other goodies. Maybe it will help with this cold. I feel as if it is hiking to Maine with me too!Things are good and the second little goal has been met. Not to mention, it is the first day of Spring. Next goal on the list is Nantahala Outdoor Center and then the Smokies. Oh boy, the Smokies. Damn, I hope the weather is good there this year.
Date: 2005-03-23
From: Hiawassee,GA

To: Bly Gap
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: light rain

We left the motel at nine and headed to the post office. From there we decided to try to hitch instead of paying five bucks each for an eleven mile ride. We tried for about 10 minutes when I suggested we split up. Easier to pick up two instead of four.Weatherman and I headed down the street to try our luck there. We knew darn well that the girls were going to get a ride first. We could see them up the street and pretty soon a vehicle stopped and picked them up. We were going to wave as they went by but when the vehicle got to us it stopped and we hopped in also. Worked out pretty well! We started on the trail around ten. The goal was Bly Gap, about nine miles away. It was a lot of uphill today and it gets worse tomorrow. We stopped at the Plumorchard Gap Shelter around 12:30 for lunch. We just relaxed for a bit and didn't leave there till around 2:00. I wish I could express how at ease we all are about the way we are approaching this hike. The four of us are relaxed, we aren't letting the crowd dictate where we end up, we rest when we want and we still reach our goal at the end of the day. I really think the Mileage Monster is a bit pissed right now because he is locked up tight! The afternoon took us over some more ups. Scholar and Break started a riddle game which was fun. Weatherman and I could only play on the flats or downs because those two can really move uphill. We, on the other hand, are wondering why we are able to breathe at all on the ups. We reached the NC/GA border around five. A big milestone is out of the way. Cameras were flying around as we took a lot of shots of everyone around the sign. Not far past that was Bly Gap where we set up camp. Thatch,Freedom,and Serenity were also there. We ate quickly because it was pretty cool and geting colder. Tomorrow the weather is supposed to be nice. I hope so because we want to camp on top of Standing Indian Mtn. tomorrow. Off to bed.
Date: 2005-03-24
From: Bly Gap

To: Standing Indian Mtn.
Miles today: 9.2

Awoke to a pretty thick fog this morning. Kind of bummed me out because I was looking forward to the so called nice day. We ate, got packed up and headed out. Scholar was in cruise mode and she took off well before the rest of us. We did not see her till the end of the day. North Carolina greets you with a nice steep climb and then the rest of the day is just a climb. As we climbed higher the fog started to disappear and the sun broke out. Things were looking good for later! Weatherman,Break, and I took it easy. We ran into Freedom, resting by the trail and decided that was a good idea. Freedom headed on and a half hour later we moved on. We kept moving and stopped again at Muskrat Creek Shelter for another snack. We ran into Jax,Soulman,and Brownie doing the same. We have been leapfrogging since Plumorchard Shelter. As the afternoon progressed we stopped for another break..see the pattern developing here!..when Baseline and Took came past. We chatted awhile and Took said her sister wasn't far behind. Sure enough, a little while later Gypsy comes by. They are great people and a lot of fun to talk with. We reached Standing Indian Shelter and there was Scholar. I had told Break earlier in the day that I was going to get one of Weatherman's bungie cords and bungie Scholar to a tree the next time she got the itch to move out early. I relayed this message on to Scholar. We reached the top of Standing Indian Mtn. around 5:00 and set up camp. Thatch,Freedom,and Serenity were already there. Weatherman says,"I lost my britches"! His longjohns had dropped off his pack. We told him that someone would,most likely, bring them along tomorrow. We all made dinner and just sat and watched the sun go down and the moon come up. It was the perfect end to the perfect day. We have started story telling. Yesterday, Break said everyone should think about something that happened to them and then we would tell a story each evening. This has been day two and so ar there have been a couple of good tales coming out!
Date: 2005-03-25
From: Standing Indian Mtn.

To: Betty Creek Gap
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: clear sky

Sunrise on Standing Indian Mtn. was pretty nice. Not spectacular but pretty nice. We all, Scholar included, got out of camp around 8:00. The weather was decent and we hiked along. We came upon Serenity who was taking a break and we joined her. Freedom had pushed on because she was trying to get to Franklin before noon Saturday. Serenity left. Gypsy and Took came by, joined us, they left and Brownie came by. We all finally left. The pattern contines! After we got going again I saw my first bluet. A single little flower just off the trail. I called out to Break, who was a little ahead and she came back to see it. It was her first sight of one also. We all pulled into the Carter Gap Shelter area around noon. Thacth,Serenity,Gypsy,and Took were there eating lunch. It was nice and warm by then and after lunch I laid back in the sun and dozed off. When I awoke Break was also napping so I had to take a picture of her being lazy! She saw it later and said it couldn't be used as blackmail because you couldn't tell who it was for sure. We moved on to Betty Creek Gap where we set up camp. Tomorrow will be Albert Mtn. The place where I first injured my foot last year. Ghosts of the past hover around my head. I will be glad to get over that mountain. A little while after we got set up a trail maintaineer came in. We talked a bit and he said to be prepared for the magic tent in the morning. We all grinned and thought BREAKFAST! We had our story telling session and then it was hiker midnight. Off to bed. By the way, Weatherman did get his britches back. Someone had given them to Serenity and when we caught up to her she gave them back to Weatherman.
Date: 2005-03-27
To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We awoke early and were greeted with a nice breakfast prepared by Swiss Miss's mom. After breakfast Swiss Miss gave us a ride into Franlin and dropped us off at the Haven Mote. We said our goodbyes and she took off. Swiss Miss, you will have a special place in our hearts!We checked in and for the most part did a whole lot of nothing. Scholar and Break worked on their journals most of the day while Weatherman and I read and listened to music. Baseline,Raz(different Raz from earlier. Original Raz is now Bruce Spruce),Touk,and Gyspy were also there so we chatted with them during the course of the day. The Haven is a nice little place and the owner provides shuttles to the trail and to the various stores in town. Later that afternoon Captain Chaos showed up. He is the son of Rebel with a Cause whom I had met last year,in the Smokies. Low Gear,Jake Break, and Mother Goose were also checked in. That evening Gyspy whppred up some tortillas and we also ordered pizza and we shared in a good old meal while watching a movie. This was a good rest day. Tomorrow, the post office and then back to the trail.
Date: 2005-03-28
From: Rock Gap

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 3.7
Weather: light rain

The best laid plans of mice and men often deviate from the original! We woke to a cloudy,rainy morning. Not a hard rain but one of those pestering kinds of sprinkles. Just enough to make things soggy. We still planned on hitting the trail but not till later that morning. Baseline,Raz,Touk,and Gyspy were also heading out. We said our goodbyes around 11:00 and they left on the shuttle. Lori, the trail angel from Hiawassee was in town and she was going to give us a ride. We piled into her car and that is when we first heard the nasty word. Snow! It was supposed to snow and get pretty cold starting this afternoon and going through the night. it wasn't bad in town but as we got closer,sure enough, the flakes were falling. Not that nice white fluffy stuff but the big,wet miserable stuff. Break makes the comment,"If it keeps this up I am going to be in a real pissy mood later". This was followed by three nods from the rest of us! We got to the parking lot and got outof the car, snow coming down and the wind blowing at a pretty good clip. After a minute all you could se e of Weatherman was his eyes he was so bundled up. We looked at each and without too much discussion told Lori to meet us at Winding Stair Gap in 2 hours.Wet is fine, cold is fine, but wet and cold sucks! We seized the moment and decided a roof over our heads for another night would be a god thing. We hiked down to the Wasilik Poplar first. This poplar, if I'm not mistaken, is the second largest poplar in the country. After that we hiked the 3.5 miles to Winding Stair where Lori met us. Back to the motel for warmth and drying out. OK, so we are not the mighty hikers who brave all the elements but there will be plenty of elements to brave in the next few months! We were happy with our decision. Captain Chaos was still there and I also got the chance to meet Cupcake, whose journal I had read before I headed out. Another fine day on the AT.
Date: 2005-03-29
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Wayah Bald
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: clear sky

What a difference a day makes! Woke up this morning to a nice,sunny,warm day. Complete opposite of yesterday! As I was standing outside,drinking my morning coffee, I heard someone yell,"There you are"! I looked up and there was Rebel with a Cause! We laughed and talked old times for a bit. He had come by to see his son,Captain Chaos. Around 11:00 we headed to the trailhead. There, I met Domino and Bearbait. After saddling up the four of us took off. It was a perfect day for hiking but I had forgotten the ups out of Winding Stair. I remembered very quickly!. We reached Siler Bald and climbed to the top for a late lunch. Nice 360 degree view and the temps were great! Last year, I did not make the climb to the top so I am glad I did it today. Another family was on top of the bald and the father was teaching his son orienteering. It was nice to see someone learning about the outdoors. We continued on, with Wayah Bald as our goal. It was getting toward sunset when we finally reached it and just before the bald we ran into a cooler full of trail magic. Don't know who left it there but thanks to whoever did it. Our plan was to stealth camp on top of the stone tower on the bald. We rigged up a couple of tarps to help block the wind. After putting the fine touches on we had dinner and watched the sun go down. Then it was story time and bed.
Date: 2005-03-30
From: Wayah Bald

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

Last night was quite interesting, to say the least. The wind was blowing pretty well through the top of the tower. At one point I woke up and thought, "What happened to the tarp". It was not above us anymore. The other part of the rigged up tarp was still hanging from a thread and flapping around above me. I thought about it for a minute, rolled over, and went back to sleep. Awhile later I was rudely awakened by a thunk on the head. Break's water container had blown off it's resting spot and landed on my head. I thought,"What the hell"! and peaked over the edge of the tower wall. The wind was really blowing so I finally got up and took down the rest of our makeshift tarp system. I still did not know where Weatherman's bright yellow tarp was. I laid back down and zonked out again. In the morning I found out that I was the only one that seemed to have gotten any sleep that night. The others were just glad to see dawn. I didn't even hear them get up! We headed out around 8:00. It was even warmer today than yesterday. I am now hiking in shorts but I am sure that will change again in the near future. This was another day when Scholar took off and we did not see her again till lunch. Weatherman,Break,and I were pretty close together when we came to a temporary relo(relocation)due to a blowdown danger. You could tell it was hastily prepared and the trail was on a slope. The next thing we know Weatherman is sitting down holding his ankle. He had twisted pretty bad. Break and I looked at the guide and found there was a road a couple miles up. The plan was for Weatherman to get there and get a ride into NOC to rest it. We would meet him there tomorrow. Everything worked out and we got him off. We ran into Scholar, had lunch, and she took off again. She said she would meet us at Wesser Bald or at the shelter. I still need to get that bungie to tie her down! Later that afternoon we got to Wesser Bald and climbed the fire tower there. What a great view that was! We reached the shelter around five and performed the usual camp chores. It was a warm evening for a change so I sat at the tree by my tent and read for awhile. Should sleep well tonight! Forgot to mention..I saw a message for me at Cold Spring Shelter from Chill Out. I first met him outside of Pearisburg last year and the last I saw of him was just outside the Shenandoahs. He made it 1600 miles before injury took him out. He is back out doing the same as I am..from the getgo. It will be nice to run into him again. That makes four people I know that are restarting the trail this year along with a couple of others that are going to pick up where they left off last year!