morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-03-28
From:  Neels Gap

To:  Wildcat Mountain
Miles today: 6.0

ADVIL IS MY FRIEND!!Well, today has been wonderful, but I am here to tell you that THIS IS HARD!! Ok, now that I have that out of my system....it really has been a great day. I woke to the smell of eggs, sausage and coffee....thanks to our favorite trail angel..Jerry! He really is the best! After breakfast, Bumpkin asked if I would mind if she found a chiropractor. She took a little spill yesterday, and her back was giving her trouble. I thought it was a great idea cause we are going 20 miles before we hit another town and back trouble can be bad, bad when you are having to carry 40 pounds on your back! Well, we dug up a chiropractor and he fixed her up good as new. It was noon when we hit the trail and we were in high spirits.   The hiking was really great! The ups are still really, really hard, but I can feel myelf getting stronger and better at them. I read somewhere once that the mark of a long distance hiker is that they set a pace and that it does not vary regardless of whether they are going up hill, down hill or on flat terrain, (which doesn't exsist on the AT!:)). That is my goal...I want to be like that!   We didn't see another soul all day and we had a great time, sometimes talking, sometimes dreaming. All went well til 6:15 this evening when we came to Tesnatee Gap. We had come down Cow Rock Mountain and were looking for a camp site. There was nothing! We elected to keep going when all of the sudden I looked up and saw the trail going up the biggest mountain I ever saw! "This is not what I had in mind!!!" I told Bumpkin! I used several colorful words to describe the mountain, and then, once I had it out of my system, up we went. And up....and up.... And not just normal up!! Steep...step up big rocks ...rugged...leave your legs shaking.....up!!! I was about 10 minutes from the top when Bumpkin peeked her head around to tell me that she ahd found a great campsite. Halelujah! We were both so exhausted that we didn't even consider cooking dinner. We hung the bear bag, threw up our tents, ate a cold supper and went to bed!! So, I am laying here with my muscles twitching and my heart full. I can't believe that I am lucky enough to be doing this! :)    And one more thing...to all of you that are reading my journal and sending all the motivational emails, you move me to tears each time I read them. Thank you, thank you, thank you. Love, Anna aka Mud ButtPS- make sure you check out my partners journal also! It is at www.terrisanders.comAlso, if you are so moved, send her an email at bumpkin@pocketmail.comI would love to see her pocketmail full!! :)
Date: 2003-03-29
From: Wildcat Mountain

To: Chattahoochee Gap
Miles today: 9.6

Walking in the cloudsWell, today I learned what the inside of a cloud smells like! We walked up in the clouds most of the day and it was our best hiking day yet! We did 9.6 miles today and would have gone further except that the weather turned very nasty very quickly. So we pulled into a great campsite out of the wind and hunkered down. The temperature is dropping very quickly, so the best place to be is in my sleeping bag!   It was a great hiking day, though! A lot of ridge walking which was fairly flat with just a few big climbs. We stopped for lunch at the Low Gap Shelter and there was a group of fraternity guys there out doing trail maintenace with a member of the Ga. trail club. They were so funny, these self assured young men. You should have seen the look on their faces when we told them we were walking to Maine! It was priceless! We did take the time to thank them for the work they were doing on the trail. I, for one, am so grateful!   We enjoyed the rest of the days hike immensely. Bumpkin and I both agreed that it was our best hiking day so far. When the weather turned nasty,she found us a wonderful camp site out of the wind and off we went to find water. The neat thing about our water source was that it was the actual head of the Chattahoochee River! I think that is kind of cool! The not-so-cool thing was that it was a half mile hike down a very steep trail! And when I say steep.....I mean steep!! But like Bumpkin said...that is what hiking the AT is all about! After we had retired to our tents for the evening, we heard two voices shouting out 'hello'! It was 2 thru hikers that were looking for a camp site. As they set up their stuff, we introduce ourselves. It turns out that they are the Good Grass Consort, a bluegrass duo that we had heard about on the trail. Needless to say, we had a ton to talk about! Well, the temperture is droping quickly and my hands are freezing, so I am going to bed, but in case I haven't mentioned it....I am having a really great time! Love, Anna aka Mud Butt
Date: 2003-03-30
From: Chattahoochee Gap

To:  Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: broken clouds

Walking in a winter wonderlandWell, last night my tent collapsed on me 3 times.....due to the weight of the snow!! OK, so maybe the way I pitched it had something to do with it, but we did get three inches! Oh man! Everything I have is soaked! But Bumpkin plied me with a cup of hot coffee and Q, the woman from last night, played Amazing Grace on her Irish whistle to greet the day. Simply put, it was beautiful.    We have a short 4.5 miles into Unicoi Gap and our plan was to go into Helen for a hotel room tonight. I need a shower BAD! And to wash my clothes!    Well the hike was really beautiful, but rocky and hard for me. But the snow made it an amazing walk! As I walked, I leaned over to grab snow to eat. It was better than any water anywhere!   At one point I came up on a huge tree across the trail. Bumpkin....who had to have been a good ten minutes ahead of me had stopped and waited. Not to help me, mind you! To take a picture of me trying to get over it! How is that for a friend?! :) Well, her wait was not in vain because as I rolled over it, I got stuck on the top. I am sure that it was priceles cause Bumpkin laughed about it for a good 3 miles! It is a good thing I have no pride! :)   Well, as we were hiking down the trail, 2 hikers approached us and started to scream! It was Silver Lining and Coosa from the Women Hikers list!! They had hiked up the mountain looking for us! How is that for trail magic?! Before we knew it we were at the bottom of the mountain speeding along in Coosa's car, petting Casey the Wonder Dog on our way back to Neels Gap. After a quick stop at Dairy Queen and a call to Swallowtail, we were at Neels Gap moving into 2 bunks and headed for the showers. tonight we are going out to dinner. Man....you gotta love this thru hiking stuff! :) Love, Anna aka Mud Butt
Date: 2003-04-01
From: Unicoi Gap/Neels Gap

To: Cheese Factory
Miles today: 3.4

Well, today was a hard day. I got food poisoning last night and when I woke up this morning, I wasn't sure I could hike. I asked Bumpkin if we could hang around for a couple of hours to see if I felt better, and of course, she said ok! Coosa showed up and mainly, we just hung around til I decided that I could try to hike. Everyone was very patient with me, but I felt horrible.    On the trail, right off the bat we had a 1100 foot climb!! By this time I was feeling very sorry for myself and I just wanted to go home and climb into bed! :( BUT slowly but surely I started to feel a little better, and slowly but surely, I made it up that mountain! We did not get on the trail til 12:30 and by 4:00 I was feeling rather rotten again, so we stopped to camp at the old Cheese Factory site and I am laying here in my sleeping bag. I am in better spirits, and if my stomache would calm down, I would be downright happy!! Well, it is colder than you can imagine, so I am going to sign off, but before I go, know that even sick and puny, there is nothing I would rather be doing! :)Love, Anna aka Mud Butt
Date: 2003-04-02
From: Cheese Factory

To: Addis Gap
Miles today: 7.2

Well, after feeling so bad yesterday, today was great! Last night was the coldest I had ever been in my whole life, but Bumpkin brought me hot coffee in my sleeping bag this morning, so I finally got up. Isn't she the best!   Well, the hiking today was beautiful! The weather warmed up alot, and the views were spectacular. We had a ton of uphills, including Trey Mountain but it was ok cause it was so pretty. I was in a great mood until late in the afternoon when we hit a mountain that the writers of the guide book saw fit to leave out, so it took me completely by surprise. Needless to say, after a few minutes of struggling uphill, I was in serious need of an attitude adjustment! I just kept reminding myself that I chose to be here and that all the complaining in the world wasn't going to make this mountain any smaller. Finally, I was over it and arrived at Addis Gap, our campsite for the night.    There are 5 other thru hikers here and we had an amazing evening! Three young testosterone-laden men named Parkway, Booble, and Sidewinder, made a huge fire and we all sat down to eat together. Also joining us is Julia, a warm, funny woman that is about my age, and Healer, a retired doctor from Florida by way of Iran.    This man is wonderful with a capitol W!!! He went around and did massage and adjustments on any one that was in pain, and then talked about his experience with Tai Chi studies.    The jokes were flying fast and furious and before we knew it, the fire had died down and it was bedtime. There are five million stars out and as I lay here listening to the owls and coyotes, I can't help but wonder how I got to be so lucky. Love, Anna aka Mud Butt
Date: 2003-04-03
From: Addis Gap

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 5.4
Weather: clear sky

Hot tubs!!!I hear town calling me!! I woke up this morning to the laughter of our combined group. It was a gorgeous day and we only had 5.4 miles to do to get into Hiawassee. Right off the bat, we had a 1000 foot climb followed by a 1000 foot descent.Good Morning!!!! I tell you what....I am getting sick and tired of going up hill! Well, it would have been downright miserable, but half way up the hill I heard a scream and there was Silver Lining!!! She had hiked like a mad woman to catch up with us! What a woman! So now we are three!   Let me tell you,SL is wonderful! She is hysterically funny and I am so glad she is going to hike with us for a while! So off we went...the 3 of us jockying around each other, but mostly with Bumpkin in front, SL in the middle and me bringing up the rear. Some things never change! :) Well, we set the record for the slowest walked 5.4 miles, but finally we came out at the highway. I was worried cause we had invited Julia from the night before to wait for us at the road and go to the Blueberry Patch (a hostel ) with us, but I knew she had to be a good hour ahead of us...but there she was!! It the meantime, we had heard a rumor that the Bluebery Patch was full, so looking at the guide book, we decided that a hot tub was just what we needed! Holiday InnXPress....here we come!!!   Next came the hard part....how to get to town...11 miles away. Now, we all know that hitchhiking is bad, bad!! But along the AT corridor, it is actually very safe cause families that live in the area cart the hikers around on a regular basis. Tell that to 4 women that had never gotten a ride with a stranger!! We would all stick our thumbs out, and then pull them back when a car came along, dissolving in hysterical laughter. I think, in all honesty, that we scared most of the people going by!!:)Finally, a man in a pickup truck pulled up and told us to hop in the back. The next thing you know, we are speeding down the mountain with the wind in our hair, laughing at the top of our lungs. Life is good!   After getting our maildrops..another first!...we met up with Hummingbird and Jan and headed out to do some serious damage to the local buffet. We had just masacred the salad bar when in walked Healer and his friend from Florida. We had become one of those huge hiking groups at restaurants that I had read so much about! It was cool!   Finally sated, we headed for the hot tub. I looked at Julia and said, "What do you think, Julia....want to hike with us for a while?" She said, "I think I do!", so now we are 4!!   Well...tomorrow we are off again!Thank you so much for your emails! I am a little overwhelmed by this whole thing, but you guys are really helping to keep me going!!Love, Anna aka Mud Butt
Date: 2003-04-05
From: Plumorchard Gap

To: Muscrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: heavy intensity rain

NORTH CAROLINA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Today we walked into North Carolina and it was a very big deal!! I cried, we all high-fived and did the dance of the real women, and then proceeded to have a party complete with cake and 1 birthday candle! You have to smile when you think of the four of us singing "north carolina to you..." to the tune of happy birthday! It was wonderful!   Of course, every book I have read mentions the long climb up into N.C., and I am here to tell you.....it is awful!!! Very, very steep! We have spent 2 days doing nothing but going uphill, but this was the hardest ascent for me yet! Oh well, I guess I better get used to it! :)   The trail and mountains changed dramatically once we crossed the state line! Gone were all the friendly switch backs of Ga....instead..we are going straight over the mountain! And the top of each mountain is a forest of rhodedendron. It is very rocky, but, oh so beautiful!    We did a 7.something mile hike today and it sprinkled on us on and off.   I spent the first half with Bumpkin and the second half with Silver Lining. We were soooo tired, and didn't think we would ever get to the shelter, but at 6:30 we turned the corner on the trail and there were Bumpkin and Hikerbikerbabe in the most idyllic campsite. HBB said, "the fire will be ready in a minute", and Bumpkin said, "I have hot water here for tea". Are these women amazing or what?! After a nice dinner around the cmpfire, we all turned in by 8:30. That is the wild and crazy life of a thru hiker! :)   Another good day come and gone....I can't wait to see what tomorrow brings!!Love, Anna aka Mud Butt
Date: 2003-04-06
From:  Muscrat Creek Shelter

To: Standing Indian Mountain
Miles today: 6.4

Trail MagicWell, the plan for the day was to get up early and hike 9.7 miles, including the ascent of Standing Indian, our first climb above 5000 feet. However, at 6:30 am, a big thunderstorm moved in and it poured on us for 3 hours! So, we did what any normal woman would do.....slept in!! :) It finally stopped raining and we got on the trail at 11:30.   The mornings hike was really nice...mostly ridge walking with one big rocky climb. Coming down it, I proved once again why my name is Mud Butt with a spectcular double-foot in the air plob onto my be-hind. :) It didn't hurt at all, but it sure was entertaining!   After about 4 miles, we came down into Deep Gap and there was a big banner hanging across the road that said "thruhikers-free lunch"!!! It was a man and two young guys cooking up burgers and hotdogs for hikers! They were so nice! The man is the owner of a place called Hostel in the Woods that is located in Brunswick, Ga. It sounds like a wonderful place for a peaceful retreat and I can't wait to go there someday.   Well, after a bite of lunch, (no, mom, I didn't have burger!) :) we headed up Standing Indian. The climb was very nice-switch backs with a gentle grade, and before I knew it we were camped near the summit. We are going to get up early and see the sun rise, so cross your fingers for good weather!!   The temperature is dropping fast, so I am going to snuggle in my sleeping bag. Good night all!!Love, Anna aka Mud Butt
Date: 2003-04-07
From: Standing Indian Mountain

To: Betty Creek Gap
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: light rain

Singing in the rainI awoke this morning to the sounds of Silver Lining going "wake up ladies...we are missing the show!", and we all jumped out of our bags to see the sunrise. It was really beautiful! We had a nice view from our campsite, and after a few minutes we traipsed up to the summit. The fog around the mountains made it look like there were huge lakes and rivers on the horizon. It was simply wonderful.   Our agenda for the day was 9.8 miles so we hit the trail early. For a while, I hiked alone. It seems to take me an hour to get really warmed up, and I enjoyed the time hiking alone. At 3 miles, I came upon Silver Lining writing in her journal and before long we were hiking through the mountains singing tv theme songs. :)   The trail took us through lots of interesting places, but most of it wound through dense forests of mountain laurel and rhodadendron. The trail was very rocky and root-y(that is a word, isn't it:)), and in one place, we hiked about a half a mile through a perfect tunnel of mountain laurel. It was very cool!   As the day went on, the sky started to cloud over, and eventually it began to spit on us. We came upon our trail partners in the middle of a small tent city that had sprung up in the bottom of the gap. Our bluegrass friends were here along with Iron Chef, and about four other folks I don't know. I remarked that we were like a strange wandering tribe of nomads that just springs up in small tent cities around 6 each evening.   By 8 tomorrow morning, you won't even be able to tell that we were here.   While we were doing camp chores, it kept starting to rain, and Bumpkin would look at the sky and say, "Lord, would you mind giving us a few more minutes?", and every time, it would stop! I am telling you, that woman has a special pipeline to the man upstairs!!:) Finally, the rain started to come down and we all dove for our tents. It has been a great day. This isn't really getting any easier, but I am still moving forward! I guess that is what it is all about! Thank you for your emails and messages...they are really keeping me going! :) Love, Anna aka Mud ButtAnna aka Mud Butt
Date: 2003-04-08
From: Betty Creek Gap

To: Rock Gap
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: light rain

Well, it poured on us all night, and when 7am rolled around it was STILL raining! So, as usual, we were a little late hitting the trail, but for my part, that was ok! I have been nervous about this day for a while now! First we have to climb Big Butt Mountain,(and yes, that is really the mountains name!), and then we have to climb Albert, which is short, but brutal!   First came Big Butt, and it was a hard but pretty neat mountain! The trail here in NC is very rugged in places. We went through one of the wettest places in the Southeast and it was like walking through a rain forest! The plants and fungi were amazing, and for much of the trail we were literally walking through streams. The rocks and roots made the going very slow, but it was so magical that we didn't care. At one point, the drop off the side of the trail went straight down the mountain and all you could see was mist cause we were walking through the clouds. We agreed that it would be a very bad place to trip!!   We came down Big Butt and were standing on the trail right next to a forest service road eating a snack and gearing up for Albert. We heard a car driving up and immediately went on alert. A grey van pulled up out of the mist and I said, "that looks like my parents van". They started honking like mad and Silver Lining said, "that IS your parents van!!", at which point I burst out crying!! Here we were in the middle of NOWHERE and up pulls my folks with a van full of food and cold drinks! Two minutes earlier or later and we would have missed them. It was the best trail magic EVER!!   Well, they wanted to take the four of us to dinner, and who were we to argue?! After tearing up and down the road with them looking for the other two, we finally decided thatwe would leave our packs in the van and slackpack the six miles down to the road. We caught up to the othertwo and took off down the trail.   Three miles down the trail, we crossed the 100 mile mark!! After much hugging and doing the dance of the real woman, we raced off toward a hot meal!   I was making great time til my foot came down wrong on a rock. I don't know what I have done to it, but I hobbled the rest of the way to the road. I was mad!! Hopefully, it will be better tomorrow!   Well, mom and dad decided that we were worth a splurge and took us to the Dillard House! All you can eat country style comfort food!! Oh man!! My parents were so great! We all smelled horrible....no showers for 5 days, and they weren't the least bit ashamed to be seen with us!It was a wonderful dinner full of laughter. I spent the whole time being so grateful for how amazing my mom and dad are. Could anyone ask for better trail angels!   After dinner they took us to a hotel and sprung for the night so that we could shower, do town chores and get back on the trail. For now I am in a soft bed, with a full tummy and I am very, very content. Man, this thru hiking thing is the life! :) Love, Anna aka Mud Butt
Date: 2003-04-09
From: Rock Gap

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Bump in the RoadWell, I have walked over 100 miles.Crossed a state line, dealt with more fears than I knew was possible. Met amazing people, and become friends with three remarkable women.And now I have broken my foot. In two places.The bad news is that I have had to leave the trail, and my three friends.Understandably, I can't stop crying.   The good news is that the doctor says that if I stay off my footcompetely for four weeks, I can go back to the trail! So, I am at home for28 days and plan to meet up with Bumpkin in time to hike into Trail Dayswith her and then continue North. Your job is to keep me in your prayers! I promise you that I will notgo gently into that good night! :) I have worked too hard for this to justcome home after 100 miles! So please keep an eye here on my journal forupdates. I will pass along trail news as I get it! Speaking of trail news, both EZ Does-it and Pushing Up Daisies came toour hotel room to visit while we were in Franklin. It was so great to meetthem both! PUD hung out with us for the evening and it turns out that shehas been sick. She resisted medical treatment, but the next morning mymother swooped in and took care of that! One of the pair of ultimate trailangels that are my parents, my mom went into ultimte mom-mode and before weknew it she has gone into action! PUD was at the doctors, we were pickingup Papa Bob at the dentist where he was undergoing an emergency root canal:(, and delivering hikers to the post office! Somewhere in there, my mom,Pushing Up Daisies and I got to go to a Rotary Club meeting to watch Bumpkindo her presentation on her hike for polio plus. She is so awesome that Ibelieve that she is going to single-handedly eradicate polio herself withthis hike! She is my hero!   As for the other two members of the fearless foursome, Silver Liningand HikerBikerBabe hiked out early this morning. SL has a deadline to meether husband at NOC so off they went. Watching those two walk out of theroom with their packs on was one of the hardest things I have ever done I am determined to get this foot better so that I can meet them and keephiking with them! SL says that she and I can come back after Katahdin andmake up the miles we missed together. In case you can't tell, I adore these women and they arealso my heroes!   On a final logistical note....for those of you that sent me things tomy next maildrop, thank you,thank you! I will be getting those things. Asfor the rest of my maildrops, they are up in the air until I know where I amgetting back on the trail. Your support has been overwhelming and I cannot find the words to tell youwhat it means to me! For now, I will just say thank you. I will post herewhen I am back on the trail, until then, don't forget about me! I'll beback soon!Love, Anna aka Mud Butt