morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2002-04-16
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 17.2

Ugh! Finally at Derrick Knob Shelter for lunch and advil replentishment. It's a mostly sunny, warm day. Changing into sandals, eating, getting more water. If this keeps up I will run out of advil much sooner than later. It's 5.5 miles to Silers Bald, which'd put me in around 5:30pm, but sets me up well for Clingman's Dome tomorrow. That's the plan.Silers Bald Shelter, 7:30pm--It's raining here and thundering in the distance. It's still light. Everyone at Silers Bald has eaten and is settling in for some reading, writing, and fussing in the last light. It's me, two local hikers just doing the Smokies, and Joe and Mike (Joe and Mike pulled into Mollies Ridge about an hour after I did). They're from Philly, or Pittsburgh--something like that! An oil company executive and a chemical engineer, Joe and Mike.I got here at 6pm. The hip is a problem. I don't know what to do other than lighten my load, which I do with every meal. Oh, the stove. It's okay. I love the light weight, cost, and that I can buy fuel just about anywhere. But, it takes a while to boil water. I've tried boiling enough water for dinner and tea together, but it takes too long. Plus, I burned a hole in the brand new table at Silers Bald! I don't think anyone noticed.
Date: 2002-04-18
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 14.9

I'm on the Rockefeller Monument at US441, Newfound Gap - -hoping I could keep a signal and call Greg but no such luck. Gonna get more water (faucet!) and pee then push on to Icewater Springs Shelter.I booked -- 5 miles in 2hrs 15min -- on great trail. Looks like today's sojourn won't be so bad.I pulled into Peck's Corner at 4pm. The shelter, like Mt. Collins, is 1/2 mile off the AT, so that makes it just about 8 miles from Icewater Springs Shelter (which, when I got there, was full of a group of older teens from Dearborn, MI). Two guys were here when I pulled in, Blue Elk and Florida Runner, section hiking in the Smokies. No Brits -- they must've pushed on to Tri-Corner. A couple, X and Pixie, just pulled in, and maybe Flatfoot will show up later. Passed Sage and Forest, the patchouli-smelling hippie couple from Oregon, on the trail. First thing I did when I got in after staking my spot was eat! After that, introductions, then the journal. Was raining, but has cleared a bit. I'm planning on going to bed early tonight -- all that tea sitting around the shelter yesterday and I didn't sleep for shit!A beautiful day's hike -- good trail, not a lot of steep up and down, and much of it was along knife ridges -- sheer drops! -- and great views of ridge after ridge. My favorite section so far. Although X and Pixie are complaining about all the ups and downs. They also say 3 or 4 people are on the trail behind them and are heading here tonight.Hey! So at Newfound Gap, while I was getting it together I got some more of the zoo experience I got at the Dome. A bus of old ladies pulled up and two of them quizzed me: you're hiking the AT? Alone? You carry all of that? Where'd you start? How far you going? They couldn't hardly believe it, but thought it was cool. They said, "You're just a bitty thing," when I told them 205 miles in two weeks. And a couple (she sounded local; he was an Aussie) talked to me, too. He sounded wistful -- I told him about the retired thru-hikers -- and he told one me about hiking in New Zealand. He was disappointed that I'm not thru-hiking; think he wanted a photo op.
Date: 2002-04-19
From: Pecks Corner Shelter

To: Mountain Momma's
Miles today: 20.9

It's 7:15a, and I should be outta here by 7:30a. A quick note: X and Pixie smoke. Oh, the reek! I thought they were smoking this morning but it was just the smell coming off their stuff. Went to get my pack and a guy camping out asked how many were snoring last night? Oh, only 4 - -he laughed. I told him about the reek problem and he agreed, no good. His name is Lex and he thinks I smell nice! Hiker's perfume, certainly.Christ almight on crutches. Change of plans -- I'm at Mountain Momma's. That's 20.9 miles of AT and another 2 miles down the road to the hostel -- a 22.7 mile day! But it was another perfect day -- great scenery, good trail, light heart -- and I just zoomed along. Got to Cosby Knob Shelter at 1:30 -- my proposed stop for the night -- met Birdman taking the Low Gap cutoff for the waterfalls (Flatfood said it was nice) and decided to push on to Davenport Gap Shelter. But as I thought about it, I realized that if I went not quite 3 miles more I could have a shower and clean clothes tonight and still be on track to pull into Hot Springs on Monday, plus get to split what looks like some big ups and downs into three very reasonable days instead of one mondo and one normal day.The Brits are here, as are Foxfire and Pirate. Pirate's an older hippie-looking dude; Foxfire is a thru-hiker from Indiana. Her husband is in Macedonia or Kosovo (she doesn't know which); they left the same day. Mountain Momma's has a hiker-friendly store, so I have victuals for the stretch into Hot Springs: Lipton noodles, tuna pouches, and poptarts. I also have postcards which I'll write next, and a Great Smoky Mountains shotglass for Lesley's collection. No tincan stove fuel, though.Oh, and the town is Mt. Sterling, NC. After breakfast tomorrow I'll catch the shuttle up to the trailhead.
Date: 2002-04-20
From: Mountain Momma's

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 9.6

It's a quarter to 8 in the morning and I'm waiting for the little store to open -- I want my pancakes and coffee! While the hostel accomodations are threadbare, it was beautiful listening to the river outside the window last night. Called Greg, too -- finally! So good to hear his voice. This morning my feet are swollen and my hip hurts. Popped some advil wich I'm chasing with a poptart. Gonna try for a shelter 10 miles away.It's noon, and I think I'm near Snowbird Mountain, or about 3 miles from the shelter. This hill has a big buzzing white structure on top that looks like something Starfleet might build, but it's an aviation signal tower. Taking a short rest/lunch break. I am so glad I didn't go to Standing Bear Farm for the night! I passed the turnoff for it this morning and decided to see if they had stove fuel and just check out the place. It's a nice-looking farmhouse, but I didn't see anybody around and, when i got to the driveway, an unchained Rottweiler started barking, so I turned around and went back to the trail.Foxfire is aiming for the same shelter I am, and she said I could use her stove tonight. I've got about one meal's worth of fuel left so that should get me into Hot Springs okay.Heh-heh, only hiked five hours today. I'm at Groundhog Creek Shelter (a pretty ratty-looking shelter if you ask me) and Nick and Foxfire are here, too. Who's Nick? I first ran into Nick when I walked into the Mt. Collins Shelter. I wasn't expecting to find anybody there, and I happened upon him when he was adjusting his backpack ... he was bent over and fussing with his belt like it was a bathroom break. He later told me I had an I-just-found-an-axe-murderer expression on my face.I got in around 1:30p, and I plan on starting early tomorrow to climb Max Patch 'cause it was pretty warm today, in the 80s (ah, the Weatherman said it was 83 degrees; record for the day is 85). Actually, I am hearing a lot from people about how great the weather is, how many flowers are out, etc.
Date: 2002-04-22
From: Unnamed campsite

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 8.1

I am in Hot Springs, whee!This morning at 4:30a the rain let loose in a big way.* At 6:30a I started packing up and was out by 7:00a -- it rained steadily til about 8:30a. I got to town, went through town to the outfitters, got directions and went back to Elmers, aka the Sunnybank Inn (closer than Duckett House; an important fact after hiking all morning in the rain). It's lovely -- an old Victorian. Changed into dry clothes, did laundry (not much, but expensive at the laundrymat in town, $2.50!), got fuel, and finally laid out all my wet stuff in the back of Elmer's to dry in the sun. After I do some postcards I'm going down to Paddler's Cafe for lunch. Dinner at Elmer's -- already signed up. Breakfast today? Besides the luna bar on the trail, a whole-milk organic yogurt and chocolate bar from Bluff Mtn Outfitters -- orgasmic! They have half gallons of organic whole milk and at first that seemed a bit much but I went back and bought it. Ah.Oh, the tragedy! That temple of organic food, the Bridge St Cafe, is only open Thursday through Sunday. I'll just have to console myself with the copy of The Thru-Hiker's Handbook and "Wildflowers of the Smoky Mountains." I'm ripping out the pages of the thru-hiker's handbook I need for the rest of the trip and mailing the rest back along with some stuff from my pack (cell phone, space blanket, compass -- ha!), but the flower book stays. It's arranged by season of bloom, which is a little strange, but the color plates are terrific.Who's in town? The Brits left this morning; I've seen Foxfire, Nick, GoBack, Matt, Rayman, and Ballpahk. Flatfoot is my roommate at Elmer's tonight. Elmer's filled up pretty quickly; I was the odd-girl-out and ended up with a big room all to myself, so I mentioned to the staff that if a guy named Flatfoot came in I woudn't mind sharing.I'm glad I know some hikers now; makes being in town and reading the trail registers more fun. The downside, I already know: I leave in a week and next year they'll be gone.*The talk in Paddler's Cafe over dinner was about the hikers camping that night on Max Patch, and how their tents got flattened or destroyed in the storm! Guess there's something to camping in a sheltered low spot ... next time, though, I won't camp on the roadbed. In addition to not being all that comfortable to sleep on, all that compacted dirt and gravel funnelled the rain right under the megamid.
Date: 2002-04-23
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0

Oh, a slow start today! Didn't leave Hot Springs until 11:30a, even though I was up at 7:15a, trying to unload some of the food from Monday: luna bar, chocolate bar, yogurt, 1/2 gallon of whole milk, tuna sandwich with chips, vege burger with chips, a plate of pasta marinara, and a beer. Had some coffee with Flatfoot as I weeded through my gear. I pounced on a silnylon ditty bag Babysteps dropped in the hiker box -- the best hiker box I've yet encountered, a veritable cauldron of plenty. When you're in Hot Springs, even if you don't stay at Elmer's, be sure to check out that box -- because the cord broke. I offered to fix it but she didn't want it so score for me!Elmer's was a real treat: homey, hospitable Victorian with cats, books, musical instruments, vegetarian food and wonderful vibes ... for $15. Incredible. Fellow hikers, I highly recommend it!Oh, Monday night four of us went to the hot tubs down by the campground for a post-dinner soak ... mmm. Considering you get a big ol' tub open-air tub on the river bank with mineral water, it was a bargain. They have old swimsuits they'll rent you, or you can go nekkid like we did. Hey, I'm a Californian.Anyway, got great views of the town and river heading into the hills outside of Hot Springs, although I did find the blazes less than adequate -- turn hard right immediately after crossing the bridge out of town and scramble down the road embankment. It was pretty warm; encountered a few people hiking into town from the other direction that were just worn out. At the shelter -- not a great one -- we had Flatfoot, Foxfire, Big Boy and three others.
Date: 2002-04-24
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 21.2

Laurel Springs Shelter, 11am--Taking an early lunch. It's all I can do not to race through my chow bag! I'm hungry all the time now. I don't think I'll stay long -- too cold sitting here because of the wind. Last night was the first time this trip I had to zip my sleeping bag, so it's definitely cooled down. Jerry Cabin, my potential stop for the night, is only 6.7 miles away, which puts me in at 2:30, a little too early in the day to stop.Flint Mountain Shelter, 4pm--pretty good time! And I feel like I could go on another 4 or 5 miles, but Weatherman says it's gonna storm tonight, so I'm staying put. (Weatherman is a retired--wait for it!--weatherman from Michigan; he carries one of those NOAA weather radios with him. It is very handy for the trail, I must say. And it's fun to run into people on the trail who say, Weatherman says it's gonna storm/rain/clear up--whatever.) Should be crowded tonight, too: in addition to me, there's Chupa, Ledgerman, Matt, Nick, Weatherman, and Rambling Man. Shelter sleeps 8.
Date: 2002-04-26
From: Bald Mountain Shelter

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 16.9

I'm in Erwin!Well, I'm at Uncle Johnny's waiting to see if I can get into Miss Janets. Rambling Man is here, too -- Johnny just came out and chewed his ass for nothing -- suspecting, we suspect, that we're heading for his arch-rival's. So strange! This is a big town, so why the enmity? Hot Springs is so much smaller but I didn't see any competition for hiker dollars.Well, the UPS driver saw us hitchhiking on the road and told us he'd ask his wife to come give us a ride into town, and she did! I was touched by their genuine kindness. His wife had a mini-van piled with kids, so I got in (Rambling Man got into the car driven by Miss Janet's teenage daughter) and off we went. Miss Janet's is chaotic and wonderful and full of fun. The Erwin Burrito Co. is a short walk away, as is the supermarket, a drive-in, a bank, a movie theater ... and an Isshinryu karate dojo! I was floored. Isshinryu is an uncommon style, and to find one across the street from the burrito joint was pretty amusing.Okay, Miss Janet took a vanload of us into Johnson City for Country Corral AYCE dinner and a trip to the honky-tonk ... Miss Janet, Mercury, Geek, PigChicken, Beantown, Elvis, Big Boy and I went. Whoa. The cigarette smoke, the house band with the bad sound board mix and lead singer with an unpleasant wail, the hats (cowboy and ballcap), the mullets -- it was a parade of Southern stereotypes. Lots of Dixie Chicks hairstyles, including a blonde bob hairsprayed out like someone in the Shirelles. Lots of big women, too -- not just fat, but looking like they could mop the floor with me (now all those "you're just a bitty thing" comments the old ladies at Newfound Gap made make sense). Oh, and a woman that looks an awful lot like the singer Meatloaf. There are three or four full-size bars on the perimeter, then tables, then a space where Ms. Meatloaf and all the others are promenading, then a dance floor and the band. I'm getting several blips on the gaydar, especially from the guy in black leather, including chaps. Line dancing. Oh, get this! Not only are we all dressed in our hiker garb, I made a complete ass of myself at the bar by asking the bartender what single-malt scotches they had ...! She just sneered and walked away. Geek, who's on his third AT thru-hike, came to the rescue and got me a Chevas. He once hiked the AT with a cat, which would eat mice at the shelters. Only thing was, it fed so well that it soon got to be a big cat, which Geek lugged up the trail on his shoulders, cats being what they are. His plan is to hike the PCT next year. We may hook up for that and for Trail Days next year.Well, I get to hang out until Sunday morning, when I drive back to Asheville and catch my plane back home. Until next year,Bedouin
Date: 2004-02-15
To: Ready, set ...
Miles today: 0.0

Well, here I am, starting preparations for another section hike, only this time I've got to get myself to Virginia from southern Mexico instead of San Francisco. I'm waiting to hear back from my travel agent about this. I should probably be sitting down when I do hear back.But, I am excited just thinking about being on the trail again. More as my return date (around May 3rd) gets closer.Old hiking buddies from the AT have been e-mailing me, which I absolutely love. It's as good as getting a postcard in the mail. And I realized I had my head up something it shouldn't have been when I originally e-mailed my travel agent: I asked them to book me a flight to Raleight, NC, instead of Roanoke, VA! What the ...?! Sent off an apologetic e-mail, and should get the real fare tomorrow.Also, in packing up my backpack in preparation for moving to a new apartment three blocks away, I realized I didn't bring any of my hiking shirts with me. And only one platypus bottle. Oh yes, my head was clear last year when I packed this stuff up, that's for sure. I'm also worrying about the fact that I won't get in any hiking other than a couple of dayhikes before I reach the AT. Um, that's gonna hurt.
Date: 2004-03-29
To: Ticket to Ride
Miles today: 0.0

Got my e-ticket to/from DC, got a ride to/from trail via unexpected trail magic courtesy of Steama. Now I got to get off my duff and start doing some dayhikes so I don't die my first day back in the woods. Still have to buy a bus ticket from Mexico City to Oaxaca. It'd be nice if G-man could pick me up, but my plane gets in after dark, and it's really no fun -- dangerous, in fact -- to drive the roads, even the toll roads, after dark. 'Cause you can never tell what's going to be on the road, you only know that something unexpected will pop up in your lane.Two weeks to go. I've done exactly one shorty hike in the hills above my home, but I did work on my tan and, hey, that's what matters, right? Oh, yeah.
Date: 2004-05-04
From: Trent's Grocery, Va. 606

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: clear sky

Steama dropped me off about 12:30 where the trail crosses Va. 606, and planned to hang out to pass out oranges and cokes to hikers. So even with a late start I got in seven and a half miles in a short half day, and I¢m here at the shelter now with Gigi, Whetstone, Doc, Poppo (who is tenting out as I am) and another guy whose name I didn¢t catch. Beautiful day for hiking, 60s and clear and dry.Now that I¢m over the shock of leaving home and the nervousness of traveling, I am so happy to be back in the US. We¢ll see if this changes, but man it seems clear to me that Mexico will be short term; I don¢t want to move away permanently. As I was hiking today I was thinking how much I love being a Californian, and how hard it¢s been adjusting to Mexico, and about what Julian said about living everywhere and never feeling like he belonged anywhere ¢ better discombobulation than that.Since Steama sent me to the trail topped off with chow (seafood buffet last night; fruit and coffee for breakfast; Wendy¢s chicken sandwich, fries, and coke for lunch), I¢m actually not that hungry for dinner, especially since I had a Luna bar shortly before hitting the shelter.After putting up the tent, getting water (twice), and eating a little dinner, I am starting to feel tired, but I think that has more to do with two days of early starts than with hiking, though god knows I am sorely out of shape.Hey, the hiker whose name I didn¢t catch left SOBO, and another guy showed up ¢ Savvy? Sevvy? ¢ with a handful of Steama¢s oranges! (I later learned that Steama hung around the road crossing for awhile, never saw any hikers, left the treats and drove back home. So even though he didn¢t get the satisfaction of personally handing out trail magic, the hikers at Wapiti that night sure did get the satisfaction of some fresh fruit for dinner.)
Date: 2004-05-05
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Springs south of Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Rain during the night, and a bit cold for me; took my fleece and jacket inside my sleeping bag. Luckily though I missed the cold snap that hit Sunday/Monday, right before I got on the trail. Up at 6:30a for breakfast then moving on. If the day stays wet and cold it¢s Pearisburg tonight.Wades Foods, US 460, Pearisburg ¢ Got some snacks, tried unsuccessfully to call Greg, left a message for Patch, ate my fried chicken and Dr. Chill lunch sitting on the walkway beside the payphone, and am now trying to decide what to do: go on another 4 miles to camping for a 16.7 day or hitch back to the motel, or hostel in town.Campsite, mile ?, 7:40p ¢ man, I¢m tired. I thought lunch at Wades would get me up the hill, but it only got me two miles up the hill ¢ only the thought of vicious bears and sleeping on rocks kept me moving. Big crowd here: Burn, Sweetcheeks, MC, Castro, Willow, Gandalf, and Gimli. Very genial crowd, too, offering food, chat ¢ they even mixed up some tuna and stove top stuffing and baked it in some tin foil over the fire: tuna casserole! They said earlier that they hauled up Boboli, sauce, pepperoni and cheese and baked some Cinco de Mayo pizzas, too. I got to practice a little of my history and talk about Cinco de Mayo, plus a little Pancho Villa, too.Okay, the food is all hung from the tree limbs with care; now we¢re sitting around a fire. I figured I¢d be passed out by now, but I feel pretty perky, considering. Yeah, considering I did a 20.7 mile day! No pack and not on my feet (and some advil) counts for a lot, but I have a least 2 blisters, maybe more. So much for a slow and easy start to break myself in.
Date: 2004-05-06
From: Springs south of Rice Field Shelter

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: broken clouds

Early morning, Rice Field Shelter ¢ Hey, I¢m in Central Virginia now!Symms Gap Meadow, 11:40a ¢ was waiting on lunch for a spring as I¢m almost out of water, but this place (an old homestead by the looks of the fruit trees) is so pretty in the sun that I stopped for a little foot appreciation break. I now see a blister on my right heel and one starting on my ring toe. Think I¢ll patch ¢em up and roll along.Streamside, 3:30p ¢ while I wait for my water to treat, lemme catch up: Going up the ridge to Pearis Mtn saw a deer and a deer skull ¢ I forget how big while tails get. And I got a great view of its big, fluffy white tail before she stopped to see if I was pursuing her. Birdsong galore, and I saw a female cardinal. Also flowers: some white trillium, bluets, tons of violets, others. Some pink azaleas and white dogwoods, but no rhodedendron yet. Found ochre at the spring campsite last night.Spent the first part of the day playing tag with a guy named Tailwind, and have seen the True Tree Huggers (Gandalf and Gimli) off and on today, too. A trio of SOBOers and that¢s it.This morning when I was packing up about half the camp was already gone ¢ and there was an unclaimed bag of food. People thought it was the True Tree Huggers so I tossed it in my pack ¢ like I needed more food weight! ¢ and set off for Rice Field Shelter where, the True Tree Huggers said, it wasn¢t theirs! (MC came in a little later and said, oh, yeah, it was his.)Pine Swamp Branch Shelter, 4:15p ¢ It¢s only four miles to the next shelter, which I could totlally do, but I believe this awfully dry 15 miler is enough (water at the campsite, but not again til about half a mile up the trail from here). Tailwind is here, and the Curt Dude, too, and Sweetcheeks has just pulled in and is putting on her camp shoes.