morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-05-05
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: light rain

I made breakfast and left the shelter by 8:15. Huck and Haiku had left before me at 7:30. Haiku, is an older hiker who has been hiking with Huck for a few days. He writes Haiku poetry and leaves a verse in the shelter register at the end of each day.The AT follows the road that travels along the top of Fontana Dam. Before I started walking across the top of the dam, I took some pictures of the dam and the lake, and used the phone in the visitor center to send a few emails.I crossed the dam and walked about 1/2 mile down the road before the trail entered the woods and the Smoky Mountain National Park. Last night there was a hard rain and it was good to be in the shelter. This morning it was drizzling lightly so I put the pack cover over my pack and put on my rain jacket. After hiking a mile or 2 it was just too hot with the rain jacket on so I took it off and just hiked in a T-shirt and shorts. As I gained elevation the fog swirled thickly in the woods. The rain started falling heavily and I was quickly soaked, but the pack cover protected the contents of my pack. The rain continued for quite a while and eventually the trail resembled a fast running stream. I tried to avoid the water by side stepping the trail, but gave up after about 10 minutes of this, I just sloshed through it.I eventually reached the first shelter where I met Huck. We were both soaked and immediately put our rain jackets on. It's OK to hike in the rain without a jacket as long as you feel comfortable, which you normally will, since you are constantly generating heat. However when you stop you need to cove up, otherwise you will become chilled quickly and possibly risk hypothermia. We both ate something quick for lunch and then pushed on 3 more miles to the next shelter. We immediatley shed our wet, soggy clothes and got into dry clothes. The rain had stopped but a heavy fog lingered, making everything slightly damp. We made and ate a hot dinner, hung our food bags, and jumped into warm sleeping bags, calling it a day.Welcome to the Smokies, day one.
Date: 2007-05-06
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: broken clouds

When I got up this morning, there was a heavy fog hanging in the air, and moisture fell from the rain drenched trees. I felt somewhat disorganized and had a tough time packing up and leaving. Most of my gear was kind of damp. This bothered me, but after giving it some thought as I began hiking, I realized that's how life on the trail is, and you can fight it or simply go with the flow. I decided to accept the present situation and dry things when the sun eventually shines.The fog persisted for a while and it even rained lightly for a few minutes, but I started to focus on how green the forest was. There was a verdant carpet of ferns and a multitude of plants spreading out from either side of the trail, with an abundance of wild flowers blooming everywhere. The pleasant smell of composting vegetation filled the air.Just after noon, the sun broke through and burned off the remaining fog. I arrived at the first shelter and stopped for lunch. This shelter was situated in a clearing, and had a small grassy field nearby. Before I started lunch, I emptied my pack and spread it all out on the grass. I ate lunch in the sun, with my shoes off feeling the warm rays of the sun, and a gentle mountain breeze drying my water logged feet, and all was good again.From this point the weather continued to improve dramatically, and I hiked for the rest of the day with motivation and high spirits. I arrived at the shelter with plenty of time to set up, clean up a bit, and prepare dinner. Had a great night sleep!I think I'm back on track again.
Date: 2007-05-08
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: clear sky

Today was another outstanding day. The weather was the same as yesterday. I know I must be sounding like a broken record as I report on the fabulous weather, but that's what we're getting and I'm not complaining. In addition to the great weather, what made this day so special was that it was a classic ridge walking day. Let me try and explain. Basically on the AT, you are hiking through the Appalachian Mountains. For the most part you hike up and down and around mountains and you do see a lot of interesting terrain and flora. Sometimes you stay hiking along the ridge, and can get some nice views if there aren't too many trees blocking the view. Usually though you are on one side of the ridge and may only see views from that side.Today however, almost the whole days hike kept us on the very spine of the ridge which means we could see outstanding views from both the right and the left, with little to no trees blocking the views. As soon as I left the shelter I encounteed a place called Charlies Bunion, which was a large rock outcropping I was able to climb up on and get a great 360 degree view.After that it was just one fabulous view after another. I kept stopping to snap pictures every 15 minutes or so. It got to the point that I'd just pause briefly to enjoy the view but stopped taking photos.The walking was great too since there were relatively few ups and downs. Towards the end of the day things got a bit rougher as the trail became rockier. It seems I was dodging small softball sized rocks for the last 4 miles to Tri-Corner Knob Shelter (our originally planned stop). Huck and I had talked about going 8 miles further to the next shelter. He was ahead of me, and I thought I'd make a decision to continue when I reached our original destination (12.5 miles). Because the last 4 miles of rock walking had drained me so, I was seriously considering aborting the plan to go further. When I got to the shelter though, Huck had moved on, so I decided to go. I had something to eat, re-hydrated and started walking slowly. As it turned out, this section of trail is what I call "Easy Street", smooth trail, no rocks, and few ups and downs. So the distance was long but I still had some energy left when I arrived. Actually just enough to prepare and eat dinner, clean up and fall into a deep bone tired sleep.This shelter has had a recurring bear problem, so in addition to hanging our food, we have also hung our packs. Things could get interesting!
Date: 2007-05-09
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Green Corner Rd. - Standing Bear Hostel
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: light rain

Well last night the troublesome bruin never showed up, or at least he never woke me up. I was the last one to leave the shelter today and as I hunched over the water source near the shelter to filter water, I kept looking over my shoulder expecting the Cosby Knob Shelter bear to suddenly show up.The hike today was only about 10 miles to a hostel, where we would be staying to shower, get laundry done and re-supply for the 2 day hike to Hot Springs, NC. Since this was our 5th straight day hiking from Fontana Dam and the beginning of the Smokies National Park, we were more than ready for all of the comforts mentioned above. We left the Smokies today. The days hiking through the Park were quite enjoyable and challenging and one of the highlights of this trip. As we came closer to the hostel, the trail all of a sudden came to the I40 interchange and it was confusing trying to figure out where the trail re-entered the woods. After reading the guide book very carefully, I managed to solve the problem.We arrived at the Standing Bear Hostel at around 2pm and checked into the bunk house, basic no frills accomodations for 15.00 a night. This hostel is quite unique. It consists of seperate rustic looking buildings which house the bunkhouse, a kitchen / dining building, laundry area, shower, bathroom, which is a "moldering privy" or outhouse, which relies on an environmental process of decomposition of human waste (the same thing we use at all the shelters). There is also a supply shed stocked with everything a hiker needs for short term re-supply. The honor system is used here, which means you take an envelope when you arrive, put your name and the date on it, and keep track of your tab while you are there. You then place your money in the envelope and drop it in a box when you leave. The sign on the registration box says "Honor Yourself By Following The Honor System". Amazing! Even though the hike was only a short distance (I can say 10 miles is short now, it was huge when I first started), it seemed to be harder than most days due to the heat and our desire to arrive at the hostel.
Date: 2007-05-10
From: Green Corner Rd. - Standing Bear Hostel

To: Walnut Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 20.3

I left the hostel by 10am. Huck had left around 9am. Right before I left Calm Water, and 2 other thru hikers (Slick and Snake Charmer) arrived. They were not planning to stay but will only re-supply to make it to Hot Springs, NC and then hike another 7 miles to Max Patch summit to camp.Huck and I are planning a 20 mile day today, so that the next day we only need to hike 13 miles to get to Hot Springs. I felt good as I hiked down the road from the hostel to the trail. The first 6 miles semed all uphill. A gradual climb which was not steep but never-ending. The woods are very green now, in contrast the the dull browns and greys we would see at the beginning in Georgia. Wildflowers were abundant with the predominant species being the Trillium, with white and pink flowers. In some locations I walked past, the entire hillside along the trail was filled with these flowers.The highlight for today was hiking to the summit of a mountain called Max Patch. Max Patch is a bald, which I spoke about in previous entries. However, unlike the previous balds I have hiked up to, which may have had an open grassy area of 1-2 acres, Max Patch has an open grassy area of approximately 20-30 acres. It closely resembled the opening seen from the movie Sound of Music where Julie Andrews is singing on top of a mountain. I just had to spend some time here and enjoy the peace, the views, and the striking beauty of this special place.From here I hiked the last 7 miles to Walnut Mountain shelter. I was beat at the end, and as usual the last 2-3 miles seemed to take forever. This shelter is old and small, but fortunately there are only 4 of us here tonight.On to Hot Springs, NC tommorrow.
Date: 2007-05-11
From: Walnut Mt. Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: scattered clouds

I was able to get a half way decent start today at 8:10am. ahead of Huck and another thru hiker called P.S. The hike today was a mostly downhill affair as I was hiking into the town of Hot Springs, NC. It was good to get an earlier start to take advantage of the cooler part of the day. It was a 10 mile distance to the next shelter from the one we stayed at last night, but I was able to hike there by 11:30am. I dropped my pack and dug into my food bag for some lunch. Unfortunately the day you are hiking into town for re-supply and rest, is the day your food bag is the lightest, which is a good thing from a hiking perspective, but when you are seriously hungry, your options are usually limited. I managed to cobble together a meal from what was left and kicked off the boots and socks to give my feet a much needed break.After about 45 minutes, I continued for the last 3 miles to Hot Springs. Huck was just arriving at the shelter and I told him I'd see him in Hot Springs. The last 3 miles seemed in some ways harder than the first 10, because it was now much hotter and I was anxious to get to town. Finally the trail led me to a parking lot at the edge of town.Hot Springs, NC is probably one of the most hiker friendly towns along the AT. The trail runs right through the town, from one end of the main street to the other end. Within that distance a hiker can easily walk to all of the services needed (lodging, post office, grocery store, outfitter, etc.). Huck and I had decided to stay at the Sunnybank Inn, situated right where the trail enters town. The Sunnybank Inn is quite an extraordinary place. It is an old Victorian mansion, which has served as a conference center, hiker hostel and hotel since 1978. There are numerous rooms, a kitchen, and common areas filled with books, antiques and musical instruments you are allowed to play. The Inn serves breakfast and dinner and the food is all homemade vegetarian cuisine, with much of the ingredients coming from a local farm owned and managed by the Inn. When I arrived, check in was extremely casual. The staff, which are college students or sometimes hikers allowed to work for their stay, will show you to an available room. I was lucky to have a large room on the 2nd floor with a very large and comfortable bed. This was definitely an improvement in the bunkhouse type living quarters we have stayed in at previous hostels, and this room was available for the same price - 15.00. Huck had a finished room in the basement which he was happy with too. We both signed up for the breakfast tomorrow morning but decided we needed something more substantial then just a vegetarian meal tonight. We opted to walk across the street to the Smoky Mountain Diner to order two very large hamburgers and a never ending glass of sweet tea (a southern specialty). After devouring that I had a warm piece of pecan pie and one of the best tasting cups of coffee I've had in a long time. It's amazing how time on the trail can make you really appreciate some of the everyday simple things in life.
Date: 2007-05-15
From: Whistling Gap campsite

To: Erwin, TN - Uncle Johnny's Hostel
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Today's hike was basically uninspiring. The last few days of big mileage hiking had kind of worn me out physically and mentally and my main goal was to simply reach Erwin, TN, where we were planning to stay at a hostel by the Nolichucky River, called Uncle Johnnies.The hike was somewhat frustrating due to some minor pain in my right ankle, and as a result of the PUDS (Pointless Ups and Downs). This was especially annoying since today we were basically going down all the way. But the trail follows the contours of the mountains. and that means there are still some irritating climbs that are required.By 2:30pm we both dragged ourselves to the hostel. Uncle Johnnies, owned and run by John Shores, is an interesting place and a great spot to simply rest and recover for a day or 2 before hitting the trail again. The hostel is on the outskirts of Erwin and within walking distance to the trail, so it is not as convenient as Hot Springs, but John runs a shuttle into town 3 times a day, so there is no problem taking care of whatever you need to do in town.We plan to stay here a few days and possibly "slack pack", which I will explain later.Good to rest up and let these old legs recover some.
Date: 2007-05-16
From: Erwin, TN - Uncle Johnny's Hostel

To: Indian Grave Gap
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: moderate rain

I am still at Uncle Johnnies hostel. Huck and I have discussed the possibility of going to Trail Days. This is a huge hiker festival held each year in Damascus, VA, sort of a hikers Woodstock. It is planned for 5/17 - 5/20. We thought we could get a ride there on Fri. and stay until Sun. While we work out the details, we opted to stay at the hostel another day. In order to at least hike a few miles today, we are "slack packing". This is a hike with a light dayback (for water, snacks, raingear, etc.), in which we will be dropped off at a point on the trail north of the hostel, and then hike back south to the hostel.So after the breakfast run into town this morning (a shuttle provided each morning by the hostel owner) we were dropped off at a trailhead 8 miles north of the hostel. It felt great to hike without the usual load on my back. It was interesting too, meeting a few thru hikers we knew who were continuing their hike north.The 8 mile slack pack went well and I'm back at the hostel, showered, updating my journal, and sorting through my gear. It's nice to be here now since it is currently raining.Still working on a plan to get to Trail Days.
Date: 2007-05-17
From: Indian Grave Gap

To: Erwin, TN - Uncle Johnnies Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

We are still at Uncle Johnnies Hostel, and have decided to take a zero day (no miles hiked), to further rest up and coordinate a ride up to Damascus, VA for trail days. The day turned out to be very cold, and windy and later in the afternoon it rained, so we did not mind being here at the hostel for another day. I spent a good part of the day updating my journal and talking with the other thru hikers (always an interesting lot) here.I beleive Huck has coordinated a ride for us to Damascus, VA tomorrow, so we can see what the Trail Days Festival is all about. We will check out of the hostel tomorrow and ride to Damascus with a young couple, who just finished a section hike of the AT. They will visit for the day and then drive home. We plan to camp there Fri. and Sat. night and find a ride back to trail on Sunday.Two other thru hikers we know, Slick and Snake Charmer, arrived at the hostel today and we made some plans to see a movie (Spider Man 3) in Erwin, this evening. There was a special at the local movie house on Thurs. night and addmission was only 4.00! After the movie, we stopped by Little Caesar's Pizzeria for 2 large pizzas which were 5.00 each! It's been a long time since I have been able to go to the movies and buy pizza for under 10.00.
Date: 2007-05-18
From: Erwin, TN - Uncle Johnnies Hostel

To: Indian Grave Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Trail DaysWe checked out of the hostel this morning and caught our ride to Damascus, VA to attend Trail Days. The drive was only about 1.5 hours by car, but it will take us about 5 days to hike there from where we left off just 8 miles north of Erwin, TN.When we arrived at Damascus, we walked to some fields on the outskirts of town where a "tent city" was set up. This festival attracts thousands, current thru hikers, past thru hikers, and basically anyone interested in the Appalachian Trail. We set up our tents and immediately started seeing thru hikers we knew. We then walked into town and checked out the exhibitions and schedule of events. Huck had a goal to purchase a new pack and spent quite a bit of time at the local outfitter. He eventually found one he liked and now has a brand new pack. As I was walking down Main St. I saw someone in the distance who looked familiar. As I got closer I realized it was "5 Eyes", who Huck, Wooly Bear and I had hiked with the first 2 weeks of my hike. He had gotten ahead of us and we never caught up to him. It was a happy reunion. His dad ("Pops") had driven down from NJ to hike 3 days with him. They are both driving home tomorrow, since this was the end of "5 Eyes" hike. We ended up seeing them later in the evening and planned to have breakfast in the morning.We visited some of the vendor booths for the remainder of the afternoon, got some dinner, and walked back to tent city for the evening festivities. That night, a huge bon fire was built, and a lot of folks pounded on various drums and danced around this inferno. It was a real meeting of the "thru hiker tribes". It was fun, but eventually I wandered back to my tent tired from all the walking around today and the massive number of people, which was quite a shock to the senses, after walking for weeks in the woods. I drifted off to a sound asleep.
Date: 2007-05-19
From: Erwin, TN - Uncle Johnny's Hostel

To: Indian Grave Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Trail DaysWe were up bright and early as usual. I mentioned something about vendors yesterday. As with any special event that caters to a specialized group, there will usually be vendors or companies visiting the event that sell products to this specialized group. At this event there are hiking products (tents, packs, sleeping bags, etc.) being sold. One of the vendors had free coffee and donuts so we sampled our share. We then met 5 Eyes and Pops, and a few other thru hikers and went into town where we had "Breakfast Burritos" at a place called the Baja Cafe.Unlike yesterday, which was cold and raw, today was sunny and in the 70's. We were able to get a free shower at the local Baptist Church. This church group has really gone out of their way to assist the hikers in town, in any way they can. Later in the day, we marched down Main St. in what they call the Thru Hiker Parade. We gathered before the parade for free hot dogs and then walked in the parade. There's just one catch. The spectators are allowed to throw water baloons and fire all kinds of water guns at you. It's all in fun and I was able to walk away mostly dry.After the parade there was a hiker talent show, which was quite entertaining. We went back to tent city met Slick and Snake Charmer and had some dinner at a local place called "Dot's". After dinner I went back to my tent for a rest at about 8pm and ended up sleeping through the entire night.Getting anxious to get back to hiking again.
Date: 2007-05-20
From: Indian Grave Gap

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: clear sky

Back to the TrailWhen we awoke this morning, the air was cold and wet and we proceeded to break down our camp and pack up. We still were not exactly sure how we were going to get back to the point on the trail where we needed to resume our thru hike. We had heard that the local Baptist Church was offering an afternoon shuttle to Erwin, TN, which would get us close to where we wanted to go. So we planned to hike over to the church parking lot at 1pm and see if we could get a seat on this shuttle.Huck later hit some pay dirt when he was talking to another thru hiker who had hitched a ride to Trail Days from a location south of where we needed to go. This guy had arranged to catch a ride back there with the same person. He checked with his ride to see if we could also come along and fortunately there was room. So Huck and I were lucky to have a ride back to where we needed to go. The person who gave us the ride was a guy who thru hiked the trail in 2005. His trail name is "Spoonman". We tried offering him gas money but he refused. Finally we were able to buy him some lunch before he dropped us off. Hey Spoonman, thanks for the awesome trail magic.Spoonman left us at the trail head at 4:30pm and we continued our hike north. We only hiked 8 miles to Cherry Gap Shelter. We had dinner and were about to call it a night when we kept hearing these weird sounds. We finally realized there was a mouse running back and forth in the gutter at the edge of the shelter roof. I stepped on the picnic table bench in front of the shelter and was about to peek over the gutter, but decided to nix that idea.Trail Days was fun but it feels so good to be back on the trail hiking again.