morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-05-15
From:  Little Laurel Shelter

To: Little Laurel Shelter to Flint Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: light rain

Hiked my new favorite section today. Rocky exposed ridgeline followed by green fields. We stopped at White Rock Cliff for some views and pictures. Had lunch at a shelter and met The Only Wanderer, he was an interesting character. There was a stray dog that has been at the shelter for a while, those beautiful blue eyes demanded attention and respect. It was shy at first, but warmed up to us after we fed him. Got to Flint Mtn. Shelter around 6 p.m. and met Eagle and Wrong Way. Wrong way is doing a 700 mile section southbound. He told us there was snow on the Bald we are climbing tomorrow. Eagle has hiked the PCT and CDT and is in the process of finishing up the Triple Crown this year. It was chilly so I gathered firewood to get something going to try and warm us up. I performed a bear bag rescue ala M silver. Cassie and Ryan got their lines tangled, so I climbed up the tree and cleared it for them. There is an owl hooting in the distance. I'm so happy to be here.
Date: 2006-05-16
From:  Flint Mtn. Shelter

To: Flint mtn. Bald to Bald Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 18.8

We started the day with lots of climbing. It was chilly and overcast with rain threatening at any moment. I hiked with gloves on for the first time, and that says nothing for the the layers that repeatedly went on and came off. By the time we got to Hogback Ridge Shelter I felt like getting in my sleeping bag. Tator Tot and No Whammies! were even colder than I was. Kim shivered almost the entire time we were there. The water I went for seemed like it was 1/2 a mile on the other side of the ridge. It was hard to leave the shelter, but eventually we did.While chugging down Sam's Gap the sky cleared and I thought I saw a mirage...As we got closer I realized it wasn't a mirage, but a cooler near the side of the road. "Kim, there's a cooler, RUN!!" It was filled with sunkist, coke, m&m's, and snickers. What a boost, it took a while for our smiles to fade. Thank you Mountain Dews Mom
Date: 2006-05-17
From:  Bald Mtn. Shelter

To: Bald Mtn. Shelter to Erwin TN
Miles today: 16.9

The plan was to sleep in and have an easy day with a 10 mile hike to a shelter before Erwin. Everyone's food bags were nearly empty so we decided to head into town. We made it into town rather late, so we decided to stay at Uncle Johnny's, which is right off the trail. It turned out to be a packed house, and all of the cabins were taken and the bunkhouse was packed too. Tater Tot and I went on a bicycle beer run that reminded me of Pee Wee's Big Adventure. We strapped the 18 pack to the back of the bike, and on the way back Tater almost wiped out when the shoulder disappeared. "Not to worry, we still have the package," he exclaimed.
Date: 2006-05-18
From:  Erwin TN

To: Erwin TN to Trail Days, Damascus VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Miss Janet had some room in her van so we hitched a ride with her to Trail Days. We set up camp near Billville and wandered around to get a good look at things. My memory of the weekend is a little fuzzy, but I can remember bits and pieces. Here they are:Shortly before sundown a dark cloud blotted out the sky while all of the revelers stared up blankly. By the time the realization set in people were scambling everywhere to secure tents and escape the downpour. No Whammies! and I helped a bunch of people whose tents were doing fine impersonations of kites. Many of us took refuge in the Billville shelter. While waiting it out Mala cooked up some smoked sausage and Trail Angel Mary made hot dogs. The rain did nothing to stop the party that moved on well into the night.
Date: 2006-05-19
From:  Trail Days, Damascus VA

To: Trail Days
Miles today: 0.0

On day two we went into town and ran into some friends, namely Tator Tot, F'ing Dubbs, Gemeni, Woodsie, and Ewker. It was great seeing all of the people we had met and hiked with all together in the same place. Unabashedly, that fuzzy haze returned. I remember Gemeni's cocunut rum, Phantom Soul talking to Kim for 10 minutes without realizing who she was, dancing around the fire to the beat of drums, and taking off my rain jacket when it did start to rain.
Date: 2006-05-20
From: Trail Days

To: Trail Days
Miles today: 0.0

I paid the price of Trail Days fun with a wicked hangover. We went for breakfast with Big and Bed Bug. I had a vendor repair my pack, and Leki worked on my poles. The parade was a blast, the highlight being a huge water fight. After the parade, the water fun continued into the park. I drenched quite a few people with my water bag including Phantom Soul and Miss Janet. We were so tired from the previous two nights that we hit the sack by 10. I ended up getting more rundown from Trail Days that from a month of hiking, go figure.
Date: 2006-05-21
From: Trail Days

To: Danascus VA to Erwin TN (Miss Janets)
Miles today: 0.0

It took all morning to pack up, being tired and unmotivated had me moving like molasses in July. All I wanted to do was take a nap. These zero days were not meant for resting. During our ride back with Miss Janet we stopped at a family style Restaraunt. I had sweet tea for the first and just loved it. There was chicken, roast beef, bisquits, and a dozen sides going around till everyone had enough. I tried to skip desert because I was stuffed, but as the boo's started I had to retain my self respect and cram down a piece of peach cobbler, movie images of "get in my belly" floated through my head.There were about thirty of us staying at Miss Janet's, and Mountain Dew was kind enough to switch spaces with us so we could share a full size bed. Some slept on the porch, the entire living room, and the backyard. Staying at Miss Janet's feels like home.
Date: 2006-05-22
From: Danascus VA to Erwin TN (Miss Janets)

To: Miss Janets, Erwin TN
Miles today: 0.0

We had been planning on hiking out today but the vortex was to strong. Janet made breakfast with the help of some hikers. We sat outside and ate healthy portions of eggs with bisquits and gravy. Miss Janet always poses a question at breakfast, and todays was " What is one snapshot of your experiences at Trail Days that stands out?" Mine was sneaking up on HER and dumping a big bucket of water over her head. Everyone helped clean up after the feast, and the shuttling began to various places on the trail.In the process, Magnet came by to spread some magic. He donated some beer to the communal cooler and took a few of us to Erwin Burrito. We ordered and sat down before realizing he had paid for us all. Magnet SOBO'd in 99' and seems to enjoy helping prospective thru hikers. As a last note, if your ever in Erwin get a burrito, they're fantastic.
Date: 2006-05-23
From: Miss Janets, Erwin TN

To: Miss Janets to Beauty Spot
Miles today: 10.6

Woke up to another wondeful breakfast, Janet had made cheesy eggs, bacon, and pancakes. Some AT alumni showed up after breakfast and proceeded to clean up the entire house. Baltimore Jack was there with a few others that were heading up to the beauty spot later for some trail magic. No Whammies! asked if they could slack us and Jack was happy to oblige, it was our first. Miss J lent us a daypack and dropped us off at the Nolichucky River. Not only was it great to be back on the trail, but hiking without packs was heaven. As we got close we saw a huge teepee surrounded by tents and people all over the beauty spot. It's a bald grassy summit with beautiful views, hence the name. We were warmly greeted with refreshments and smiles. Awesome and another thru were already there. Mala cooked up some hot dogs and chili, and Miss J showed up a bit later with some KFC. Jester got a fire going and had many stories and jokes that entertained the crowd. I particularly liked his adaption of the Scotman's kilt. Many thanks to our host Jester and The Dude. They sure know how to spoil a hiker. I hope to see them again in Duncannon. Billville Rocks!
Date: 2006-05-24
From:  Beauty Spot

To: Beauty Spot to Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Woke up to a morning of sunshine and amazing views. After packing up I wondered if someone had hidden rocks in my pack, damn it felt heavy. We thanked our host and bid farewell to all. Covered with an open pine forest Unanka Mtn was a magical place. We stopped at a campsite for lunch and lit a fire to keep the bugs away. Awsome came by and we chatted for a bit before he moved on. When we reached the shelter we found a beer with a note, thanks Awsome.I was pretty tired so I layed down to rest, which in turn made me more tired so I decided there was no sense in fighting it and took a nap. I guess we are staying here for the night. There are two cool shelters up ahead. Roan High Knob Shelter is the highest on the A.T. at 6275'. Overmountain shelter is a converted barn that was used as a backdrop in a movie. It's a shame they are so close together, as we would have liked to stay at both. We shared the shelter with a father and daughter, Hojo and Tagalong, and a thru named Mr. Lucky. I fixed up firepit #9 and gathered wood before dinner, this was followed by catching up on my journal by the fire. Where will we end up tomorrow? I cant say.
Date: 2006-05-25
From:  Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Cherry Gap Shelter to Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: overcast clouds

After a sleepless night I woke up a wee bit grumpy. Its amazing how much noise someone can make during the night, I should have worn earplugs. The hiking started out damp and chilly, but the hellbenders wriggled happily nonetheless. Otherwise a pretty uneventful day.
Date: 2006-05-26
From:  Clyde Smith Shelter to Overmountain shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: light rain

Lightening struck all around us thrughout the valley as day faded into night. The trail became a brown stream, and NoWhammies! fell a few times, it was very slippery. Just as we came to our destination, the Red Barn, the rain stopped. You just have to laugh at these kind of experiences, what other choice do you have. Cornbread was in the shelter, this was after we saw him working for the outfitter and Neels Gap. Mash wasn't far behind us and Paul rolled in a little while later. The first thing he said was "Dude, I almost got hit by lightening." The storm ebbed and flowed for a few more hours, but from our dry spot in the shelter we had the best seats in the house for an awesome show.
Date: 2006-05-27
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter to 19-E Harbour B&B
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: scattered clouds

I love this section. Balds, fields, expansive views and rolling terrain are the norm. We were greeted by a group of longhorn cattle on one of these balds. These are just huge intimidating animals, we approached cautiously. NoWhammies! inched her way close for a picture, which did not seem to amuse them in the least. When she was through I crept in for a pic, doing my best longhorn impersonation by holding my poles up to the sides of my head. Little did I know that one of the massive beast had gotten up in appreciation of my display. The time came to move on or risk being impaled.We descended to US-19E. The plan was to do a little resupply and continue hiking, but Mountain Harbor was to nice a place to pass by. Terry shuttled us in to town for supplies and dropped us off at Country House for dinner. They make a mean hamburger. The hostle is above their barn, which is home to three horses and four goats. Its one of the nicest hosltes we've been in so far, you would never know you were above a barn full of animals. NoWhammies! liked it so much she said she would live their. However much we liked it we deicided to conserve funds and tent by the stream. When we walked over to take pictures of the goats she got zapped by the electric fence, it was hilarious! Mary is making breakfast for us bright and early, falling asleep by running water is about as soothing as it gets.
Date: 2006-05-28
From: Overmountain Shelter to 19-E Harbour B&B

To: Mountain Harbor B&B to campsite near Laurel Fork
Miles today: 12.0

I enjoyed the best breakfast I've had so far on the trail. I wish I had taken a picture of the spread Mary prepared for us. We all went back for seconds, the only drawback is you wont be able to hike for a while after such a feast. We didn't leave until 1 pm, and the intense heat made it even harder to move out. Soon after we started hiking we came upon what looked like a garbage dump. Someone had emptied their garbage and spread it over the trail close to a road. We had heard some locals were resentful of the trail because hunting lands were taken, and in years past they have been known to harrass hikers and go so far as to set fishhook traps along the trail. Luckily we had no trouble while passing through. NoWhammies! nearly had a heart attack when a passing truck backfired as we were road walking. We took a side trail to Jones Falls and ran into Miss Direction and her brother Elvis. The falls are beautiful, we climbed up the side to sit closer to the spray. It was refreshing on such a hot day. My boots stayed dry until I started climbing around on the rocks to explore the falls. It was a small price to pay for getting up close and personal with the falls. We stopped at a campsite for dinner and intended to move out afterwards, but filled bellies and tired legs vetoed our idea.
Date: 2006-05-29
From: Mountain Harbor B&B to campsite near Laurel Fork

To: Campssite near Laurel Fork to Kincora
Miles today: 11.8

Slow goin' today. When we got to the road the Downer Boys gave us a lift to Kincora. We rolled into the hostle after 8 pm, and it was a full house. Mash was cooking up burgers on the grill, and others went into town and came back with a ton of food. We got settled into the bunkhouse and took showers before having dinner. Bob, the owner of the hostle, came over and we chatted with for a while. He is truly a trail angel.
Date: 2006-05-30
From: Campssite near Laurel Fork to Kincora

To: Kincora to Kincora
Miles today: 10.0

Bob took us to the post office before dropping us off at Watauga Lake. We slackpacked the section over Pond Flats so we could stay at Kincora another night. Diesel and Cargo headed out today so we got to take over the executive room. Nothing like some privacy and a double bed. The first part of the hike was a long climb up graded switchbacks. We had a nice break on top near a little campsite. We ran into the Downer Boys on the descent as well as a slew of others leaving the hostle. The descent was very steep. I'm glad we did the section southbound without packs, and as we moved along we could hear the river as we dropped into the gorge. Hiking next to the river cooled us off and we made good time up to Laurel Falls. They are by far the most beautiful falls we've seen so far, its no surprise they are such a popular place. People were speard all over the rocks admiring the falls.Bob told us where to find a private swimming hole, and although we searched all over we just couldn't find it. Instead we cooled off in the river close to the campground, and let me tell you the water was COLD. It took a while for my feet to adjust to the temperature after being in hot boots all day. Once again, we ran into the Downer Boys, who graciously offered us some soda as we chatted. We learned their trail names are Water Man and Brother John, and they'll be off to do a section north of Bear Mtn. in NY soon. By the time we arrived back at Kincora it was mid-afternoon.Showers and clothes from the hiker box was our next plan of action. It felt great to wear cotton again, and that says nothing for the great feel of denim. Our own clothes were in desperate need of washing, they were waaaay funky. Pat, Bob's wife, took us into town for a bite at BK and then over to supply at the supermarket. CupaJoe, who hiked last season, came by to make a spaghetti dinner for everyone. The less crowded space, combined with a nice meal, made for a relaxing night.
Date: 2006-05-31
From: Kincora to Kincora

To: Watauga Lake to campsite by Iron Mountain Gap
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Bob dropped us off by the lake and wished us well. We sat at a table near the lake and had some Ben & Jerry's. It was easy hiking around the lake to the shelter. We stopped by for a short break and found Poppa Bear's register was filled. NoWhammies! took it and will be mailing it to him when we reach Damascus. Watauga Dam was interesting, a mass of rocks with a road over it. We met Mountain Squid who hiked with us back to his truck. He gave us some snacks and we chatted for a while. We started hiking and stopped at the closest campsite as a storm rolled in. We were going to wait the storm out, but ended up falling asleep for a few hours instead. It was almost dark when we woke so we had a dry dinner and made a fire, nice end to a nice day.
Date: 2006-06-01
From: Watauga Lake to campsite by Iron Mountain Gap

To: Campsite by Iron Mtn. Gap to Iron Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 11.2

Another hot day. We started with a climb that had us sweating buckets. Thankfully the rest of the way was easy going. We heard thunder in the distance and wondered if the storm was heading our way. Sure enough, two miles from the shelter down came the rain. We did'nt put on our rain gear and ended up soaked in minutes. The plan was to put in lots of miles today, but everybody knows about best laid plans.. We cooked up dinner and changed into dry clothes as locomotive came in. He had just finished eating when I spotted a bear 150' away in the woods. "Yay! A bear!" He walked by, looked us up and down, then moved on. You should have seen the look on NoWhammies! face. She was in shock, but finally got the camera out and snapped a couple of pictues before he disappeared. As I lay writing in my journal a nameless thru came in after a 22 mile day. Its a late dinner by headlamp for him. I metioned the bear so he would know to hang his food. We dont want any surprises tonight.
Date: 2006-06-02
From: Campsite by Iron Mtn. Gap to Iron Mtn. Shelter

To: Iron Mtn. Shelter to Damascus VA
Miles today: 26.0
Weather: light rain

We got an early start today. Abut two tenths of a mile from the shelter we saw a momma bear and her cubs. We stopped in our tracks as the cubs shot into the forest and the mother stood still as a statue watching us. When they were far enough away she took off after them, it was a wonderful start for the day. This section is relatively easier then the last few areas and we hoped to make it into Damscus by nightfall. Our wet boots kept us stopping every few hours to air out our pruned feet. We were making excellent time until the storms began to roll in around 2 pm, first a drizzle with more to come. An hour later we arrived at Abington Gap shelter soaked to the bone. I changed into some dry clothes and grabbed a bite to eat. When the rain stopped we decided to hike the last 9 miles into town. With such clear skies I decided to leave my dry clothes on, big mistake. The rain soon returned and followed the rest of the way. Despite slick trails we made excellent time, the prospect of a hot shower and cold beer can be a powerful motivator. Dave's was all filled up so we stayed at The Place. I'll sleep well tonight.
Date: 2006-06-03
From: Iron Mtn. Shelter to Damascus VA

To: Damascus VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

No hiking today, our feet needed some rest. We had breakfast at Cowboys, I love their bisquits. The magic phone was unoccupied so we made some calls. Let me clarify, this little miracle of modern technology will allow you to call anywhere for free, so, you know....Next we went to the library to use the computer. Fridge told us to get in touch with him when we came through, he wanted to come out and grill us some steaks. He mentioned meeting us at a shelter, so we left our itinerary for the next couple of days via email. The library was closing and kim's phone won't work so we wondered if we would actually get to see him. A couple of hours later he came looking for us, and next thing we know we're in the supermarket getting steak, corn, beer, and pie. He took us home and made us feel very welcome, we sat on the porch with his wife Paula and their dogs. All of this occured while he grilled away, and everything was delicious. I ate til' I couldn't eat no more.Mike and Paula, thank you so much for your kindness and hospitality, it was a pleasure spending time with you both. Fridge dropped us off at 11 pm, tipsy and content.P.S. Fridge knows winter camping, I want to make igloos too!
Date: 2006-06-04
From: Damascus VA

To: Damscus VA
Miles today: 0.0

We hung around one more day, Baja Cafe burritos are dynamite. NoWhammies! got new boots finally. Her old ones have been decommisoned, her feet should be happier now. Lots of hikers in town, Rainbow Brite and Mountain Dew hiked into town late, and wet, just like us. Glad to see them again. Another day of R&R has done wonders, tomorrow we hike!
Date: 2006-06-05
From: Damscus VA

To: Damascus VA to Campsite near Bear Tree Gap
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: light rain

We had a nice breakfast at the old barn with Rainbow Brite and Mountain dew. We went with them to Mount Rogers Outfitter so they could take our room. It took long to pack and leave, and by the time we knew it it was already 130 pm. A little while later; drizzle. You've got to be kidding me! Luckily it was a false alarm and we moved on through. We stopped at Saunders Shelter for water and ran into Big & Bed Bug, Danny, and a few others. They were staying their for the night. We ended up at a nice little spot by a pond, I loved listening to the ribbits, peeps, and croaks. We got to try the MRE's that fridge gave us, I made mine first while sitting by the fire. I was happily surprised at how tasty it was. I let NoWhammies! try some and she rushed out of her tent to prepare hers. I stayed up late into the night watching the fire.
Date: 2006-06-06
From: Damascus VA to Campsite near Bear Tree Gap

To: Campsite @ Bear Tree Gap to Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We had some easy hiking to start the day, the A.T. overlays The VA Creeper Trail for a little while. We crossed a long bridge, one of many on the creeper, and took a break midway to bask in the warm sun. There was a long climb up Buzzard Rock, but the views are well worth it. This was followed by another long break and sunbathing. The section after Mt Rogers is beautiful, and the crowds seemed to agree, Thomas Knob Shelter was packed. Diesel and Cargo had stopped to fill up on water and were off to find a tent site, we followed suit. Fridge told us Wilburn Ridge is a great place to camp, and while we hoped to get their we didn't make it. We settled for a cozy little campsite overlooking a valley, Wilburn Ridge, and scores of mountains. We're in wild pony country, some ponies even came over for some attention and to ham it up for the camera. There wasn't much wood around, but I scrounged enough to have a nice little fire for a while. The alarm is set for way to early, but I'm hoping the sunrise will pay off.