morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-02-19
From: Neels Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

As the weather was supposed to be holding up I decided to go on to the next shelter. I got my picture taken in the Walasi-Yi Outfitter Center and filled up my fuel bottle. As I had no nalgene bottle I bought one for 6.99 and also a creme for my hurt fingertips. The road in front of the store was covered with ice and a ranger who was driving up the hill crashed into a traffic sign that read "Danger Ice". Now that was funny.I left Neels Gap at 11.00. The trees were all covered with ice and it looked like walking through winter wonderland. Probably an hour later somebody yelled at me. As I looked around I saw a tent pitched on a flat spot maybe 100 feet away from the trail. Inside of the tent laid a man in a down jacket in his sleeping bag. His trailname was Lone Star and he told me that he was caught by the icestorm yesterday. As he couldn't made it back to Neels Gap and the next shelter was too far away he decided to immediately pitch his tent otherwise he probably would have suffered serious freezing injuries. At least he has not lost his humor as he told me he was considering to change his trailname into popsicle. This is a very good example why one should always carry a tent, even when he most of the time plans to sleep in shelters. Under such unforseen circumstances a tent can save your live (and has probably done in this case)I didn't feel very good while hiking and the reason was that I was wearing my polarguard jacket. I started to overheat pretty quickly and didn't drink enough water. Even in those wet conditions it is very important to drink.I arrived at the shelter arround 6 pm and was pretty exhausted. The first words I was able to say were "hiking sucks" which gave the others at the shelter a good laugh. With me were The Bull, Pilgrim, Sunset and Redblaze. As soon as I started to coock my dinner (fried pepperoni sausge and fried tacos, rahmen noodles with instant potato and a cup of hot cocoa) my mood started instantly to get better. A hot meal in the evening is one of the most helpfull things after a long hiking day, and I love to cook anyway. 30 minutes after darkness had fallen we saw lights on the trail and minutes after two hikers approached the shelter. It was a newly married couple from New York and the reason we didn't see them in Neels Gap was they had rented a cabin at a lower price. So we made room for them and after they had eaten dinner a long hiking day ended long before hikers midnight.Tomorrow will be a tough day as we want to make it to Tray Mountain Shelter. The weather forecast for tuesday isn't very promising and this way we have only a ten mile day to the Blueberry Patch Hostel. Nuts
Date: 2006-02-20
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

This will be a very short entry as the day was pretty much exhausting. Three Mountains to climb, one of them 1000 ft over 1 mile and a knee breaking ascent into Unicoi Gap. As I learned my lesson from yesterday I had no dehydration problem today and was able to hike much faster and had no problem to stay with my pace. The first three hours were no problem and as we arrived in Unicoi Gap Sunset's Mother, Mary, already awaited us with a ton of trail magic. She had cooked pasta with sauce and served sodas and bread with garlic spread and hot water for making a tea or cocoa. What a welcome surprise this was! Thank you so much Mary. You really know how to make hikers happy.The following ascent reminded me at the day as I hitched with Pilgrim into Suches to eat pizza. That day we couldn't even move because our bellys were filled up to the top. Today was similar. Sadly this was not the end of the day, as there was yet another descent and afterwards an other mountain to climb. Tray Mountain seemed to be an endless uphill and even as you thought the top was reached the trail changed direction and another uphill followed.We made it just in time before it got dark and after a good meal it's now time for a couple of hours well deserved sleep.Tomorrow we will reach Blueberry Patch Hostel where I probably will take my first zero day. Sunset's mother offered me a ride into Hiawasee so I can resupply and will have enough food to tackle the next part of the trailAlthough the weather was bad the last days and it was sometimes pretty exhausting I won't miss one single second of this crazy adventure. Even when I sometimes curse, in summary it's pure fun. And the people I have met so far are worth the little downsides hiking sometimes can cause.Maybe I will find the time for a more extensive update when I'll take my zero day.Nuts
Date: 2006-02-21
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Blueberry Patch Hostel
Miles today: 20.5

We left the shelter arround 9.30 and the first hour wet by smoothely and almost only downhill. The sun sowly warmed up the air and the fog began to lift. Suddenly I realized that I haden't seen my neck pouch for the last 2 days. I thought about where it has been the last time I saw it, but couldn't remember. As I put most of my loose gear in the sleeping bag for the night I hoped I only had forgot to remove it from there. As It was time to undress my rain jacket I soped to look after the missing pouch. First I turned the sleeping bag inside out, but there was noting but the moisture from a foggy night. I stated to dig deeper into my pack and removed all the little suff sacks , but the outcome was the same: nothing. I started to get a little nervous as the pouch contained all my money, my traveller checkes, my debit cads and my passport. Out of desperation I even started to empty my food bag, but the pouch wasn't there. As a last resort I thought about removing all remaining stuff from the pack and turning it inside out. As soon as I pulled out the empty plastic protection bag there it was, right at the bottom of my pack. I was so relieved I almost had to laugh out loud. And once again a lesson learned: Always make sure that you now where yor money is. ALWAYS!The rest of the day wasn't a cakewalk but compared to yestedays 15 miles it was not that hard. The sun had come out and it was the first perfect weather day since last friday. I was even able to shoot some nice pictures from a vista up on Powell Mountain.At arround 3.30 pm I arrived at the parking lot of Dick's Creek Gap where Sunset's mom Mary aready waited for me to give me a ride to the Blueberry Patch Hostel. What a good deed for a tired hiker (should read: me). Arriving at the Hostel I was greeted by the owners, Lenny and Gary, and we had a nice conversation. He was busy with building a little shelter for one of his goats who was due to give birth to a baby this night. I learned that he truhiked in 91 with his son and one of his hiking buddys was a swiss hiker called Swiss Chris. I probably will write more about the hostel and his owners tomorrow as it is aready 11.00 pm and I'm pretty tired. A warm bed is waiting for me and tomorrow will be a day for licking my wounds (in fact there are not many, but it sounds pretty heroic to say so). Hopefully the weather will hold up so I could sunbath and make a little sightseeing and photographing in Hiawassee. Nuts
Date: 2006-02-22
From: Blueberry Patch Hostel

To: Blueberry Patch Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

I didn't sleep very good in the bunk bed probably because I'm yet used to lay on a hard floor. We got up at 08.00 and had a great breakfast with eggs, saussage, pancakes with homemade blueberry syrup and coffee/orange juice in the dining room of the owners. Lenny and Gerry do virtually everything to make you feel like home. Seldome I have met kinder and warmer people and it was really a privilege to stay at their place. They call you with your name even if you told them only once how it is. I asked Garry how he is able to remember all the names and he answered this may be a special gift god has given to him. They are both religious people but they don't force you to do anything you don't want to do exept a prayer before breakfast where everybody joins hands. Although I'm an atheist I think a little prayer from time to time doesn't hurt. Yesterday I had my first AYCE buffet at Shoney's. I almost could not believe how much food you can get for only 8.99. All kinds of vegetables, soups, breads, salats, deserts and even a big rib eye steak were included. Red Blaze, a 18 year old hiker from Vermont who has hiked with us almost since the first day filled his plates 4 or 5 times. I never saw a kid eaten so much. Maybe his metabolism burns at highest speed because he is an unbelievable fast hiker. Even if he leaves the shelter 1 hour behind us he is almost every time the first who arrives.After breakfast we went to town to visit the library and to do some shopping. I bought some food to cook diner at the hostel and the first zero day ended with a meal of chicken, onions with garlic and mushrooms and potatos. Later in the evening two hikers, Braveheart and Messenger, whom I already have met in the Hiker Hostel arrived. They had lost three days in Helen because they arrived to late to make it to the post office so they had to stay for the weekend. And as Monday was Presidents Day they had to wait until Tuesday to resume their hike. What a PITA. Tomorrow we will leave and even as it rained the whole day I'm hoping for good weather, as it was very warm today.Some of you may have asked themselves how I will ever be able to hike the trail in my given time of 88 days. I made "only" 72 miles in 9 days, which is not even half the pace I need to made if I wanted to complete the whole 2167 miles. This is the big difference between hikig on paper and hiking the trail in reality. I definetly won't make it all the way. I had never thought it would be that exhausting and we really don't trudge. The difference between a dreamer and an idiot is this: the dreamer one day realizes that he has had a dream and that reality looks completely different. The idiot tries to abide to his plans even if he realizes it won't be possible. So call me a dreamer but I won't be an idiot.   Nuts
Date: 2006-02-23
From: Blueberry Patch Hostel

To: Muscrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Sorry for the short entry today, but it's friggin cold in my tent and I'm tired.Gerry dropped us of at Dick's Creek Gap after breakfast and we started to hike arround 10.00. The sky had cleared up and the sun came out. A beautiful hiking day and perfect for hiking in shorts and short sleeves. This was the first day in a week the weather was how you wish it for hiking. The first 2 hours went by in a second and we had our lunch break at Plumorchad Gap Shelter. We met Peacemaker whom we had seen already yesterday in the library. He planned to stay for the night at this shelter and as all others wanted to move on to the next shelter he had all the space for himself. The trail up to the state line was pretty tiring.The famous MUDS (mindless ups and downs) had eaten me out pretty much. But we finally reached the magic spot who is in fact a simple tree with a little sign on it wich marks the border between Georgia and South Carolina. As this is the first state line to cross hikers greet this event enthusiasticly. So we had our little celebration with some biza! rre rituals (e.g peeing from NC to GA) and took a lot of pictures. Incidently we were 6 of us who reached the border almost at the same time. Pil(l)grim, Sunset, Braveheart, Messenger, Red Blaze and me. I signed the last shelter register with a reminiscence to Ray Charles "Georgia, you will be always on my mind."As we arrived at the shelter (I was the last who came in, as almost every day. Maybe I should change my trailname to Slug) there were already 3 people with their dog, so I decided to pitch my tent the first time since I started and so Pilgrim did. The guys starded a fire and as the temperature has dropped to 30 degree and the wind is pretty chilling up here (elev. 4600 ft) this was very welcome.Pilgrim came up with couple of famous words today and suggested we should call them "The ten biggest lies on the Appalachian trail". Even as they aren't complete yet here a little sample.1. It's all downhill from here.2. The shelter is just arround the next corner.3. The forecast calls for great weather.4. The trailguides are 100% correct.More to come. And by the way: North Carolina isn't much easier to hike as Georgia. But we will hopefully get used to it ;-)Nuts
Date: 2006-02-24
From: Muscrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Sleeping in the tent was really warm and I had a snorefree night (exept my own nasty sounds, but I don't hear me when I'm asleep). We started late as usual and the weather started to be fine. I think Gerry from Blueberry Patch must have made an extra prayer for us as we are really blessed with the weather until now. First big ascent was Standing Indian Mountain. The ascent isn't steep but long and the trail looked very well maintained even as it was especially held in good conditions for day hikers and tourists. I had my little private celebration on the mountain top and when I update my pictures you will know what I mean. The view was beautifull and the sun was shining hot so I was able to put off my shirt and shoes. On my way to the next shelter I found some really interesting documents written on leaves with blueberry syrup. This was the content:How to catch lonesome hikers(confidential,for bears only, don't show to other raptors)1) First look for a good spot on a creek crossing. Cut down some rhododendron bushes before and after the crossing.2) Hide and try to make no noise.3) If a hiker approaches wait until he has to bushwack arround the first blowdown.4) If the hiker crosses the creek attack him and smack him with your claws.5) Remove his clothes and backpack and make sure to hide the stuff behind in the woods not to alert other hikers.6) Eat raw or let him rott in the sun until he is tender. 7) Don't forget to air him out at least 5 hours because he will stink like hell.Ok, I made this up, but this were my thoughts as I saw the many blowdowns of rhododendron bushes at the creek crossings. The first thought wich came to my mind was "Bear ambush".The new Carter Gap Shelter is located at a real nice location. As it was going to get cold I started a fire and 30 minutes later it burned like hell. We had a long night at the fireplace with a good conversaion and what else could you wish afte a long hiking day. Nuts
Date: 2006-02-25
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: light rain

Today we crossed the 100 miles mark. There was no marching band playing and no naked hostesses to cheer us. Maybe it was simply to cold for that. (Yes gals, I can almost hear you thinking: Typical male) But first we had to climb the steepest mountain we ever had to. Albert Mountain is only 5220 ft but the last 500 yards you go almost vertical up. It was pretty exhausting but the view from the top was gorgeous. There is a firetower on top and I recorded a little movie clip with my camera to catch the panoramic 360 degree view. The uphill was much easier and so we made it to the shelter at 16.30 where Sunset's mother alreay waited for us. She cooked a great meal of Thai Chicken, rice and vegetables on her portable gas burner (the road isn't very far away from here) and we had tea with concentrated milk wich tasted like coconut. She made even a pudding. What a meal! She's a real trail angel and to have a conversaion with her is always interesting. After lighting the second fire! in to days I enjoyed the evening and the company. We are here with two section hikers from Louaisiana who will hike the trail to Fontana Dam. As darkness had already fallen Braveheart and Messenger showed up. Tomorrow we will stay at a campsite as we want to make it to the NOC in 3 days. Two days later we will be in Fontana Dam ready to enter the Smokeys. But first we will have another well deserved zero day.Nuts
Date: 2006-02-26
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Campsite at Wine Spring
Miles today: 12.0

We woke up and had a beautifull blue sky wth no clouds. We are so blessed with the weather that I beginn to fear something bad will happen anytime soon. The guys from Louisiana saied they cant remember such a long period without rain in this part of the trail. And the are hiking a lot i this time of the year. As usual I was the last leaving the shelter at 9.30. I wanted to see the Wasilisk Poplar tree which is locatet only 0.5 miles from the shelter. On my way to the tree I first met a man who asked me if I am Gagamel. As this is my username on whiteblaze.net I was puzzled that somebody knew I was coming that way. If I recall correctly he is the owner of the website appalachiantrailservices.com. On the parkinglot were 5 peope who also started hiking down to see the tree. As they arrived a women asked me if she should take my picture with the tree. I got my picture taken and we talked a bit. They asked me where I'm from and as I said "Germany" one women said "oh, nice, then we can talk in German". She and her husband are from Cologne and live in the US since 1975. It was really strange to hear myself speaking German the first time in 13 days. Recently I even dreamt in English and when I'm taking notes I also do it in English. Funny how quick on can get used to this.As we plan to arrive at the NOC on Tuesday we had to skip the Siler Bald Shelter in favour of a campsite as this makes it easier to do the remaining miles in two days. We are here at 5200 ft and as you can imagine it is frigging cold here. I hope my second night in my tent will be as comfortable as the first but I doubt it will be warm. The hardest part is to get up and pee in the night wich at the age of 40 is pretty normal. Tonight I won't go out. And I will not tell you what I'm going to do instead. Nuts
Date: 2006-02-27
From: Campsite at Wine Spring

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: clear sky

I had a real late start today. I dont't know if it was the cold night (25 deg) or something else. As the others already left camp I was still cooking another cup of cocoa. He sun was yet out and it seems to be another beautifull day. I startet my ascent to Waya Bald at 10.30 and reached the to one hour late. Words are not enough to describe the beauty of the view from the top. There is a tower and some interesting information about the mountans you can see from the top, the developemet of balds and how the landscape looked like in former times. I spent over one hour looking around, taking pictures and enjoying the warm sun.The following hours I got weaker and weaker. I was running out of energy on every little ascent and as I had already lost a lot of time I decided to stop at Cold Spring Shelter to eat as much as I could and to relax a little. The original plan was to hike on to Wesser Creek Trail Shelter but the additional 7 miles had been to much for today. The shelter was empty and everything I needed was in shortest walking distance. The water source is 50 yards in front of the shelter, the privy 50 yards behind, and a fireplace is directly in front of the entrance. Somebody has left a lot of firewood and a saw was in the shelter. So I decided first to stat a fire and then cooked three meals which I stuffed down in virtually no time. At 5.30 Jason and Jennifer arrived. They are from Florida where they stated their hike to Maine. Tomorrow I'll have to hike 12 miles to the NOC where we will share a cabin. The shower will be very welcome and to sleep in a warm king size bed is also not a bad! thing. I'll have to get up early to make it until 2 pm and as you know I'm not a real early bird. But as it is not later than 6 pm and the day wasn't that long I'll probably be able to do it at least one time. Nuts
Date: 2006-02-28
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: NOC
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: clear sky

Today I had a real early start. I got up at 6 and was raedy to leave at 6.40. As sn as the first light was to be seen I was headed to Wesser Bald. There is a Tower on top and I once again had a fantastic 360 degree view in gorgeous weather. The downhill to OC was a kneebreaker and one time I slipped in the mud and couldn't hold my balance, so I did a few tumbleweeds and finally lay on my back as a dead turtle. Fortunatelly I didn't hurt myself (at least not that bad to complain about).S I arrived at the NOC the others were yet there and greeted me like the lost sheep. The cabin is great and if I upload the pictures (probably on Saturday) you will see what I'm talking about. We had a great meal and then the first shower since we left the Blueberry Patch Hostel. I could almost not believe that a human can get that dirty.We did our laundry, went to Bryson City for resupply and had a absolute awesome barbecue in the evening. That's why I keep my entry short today. I almost can't breathe so stuffed as I am. Tomorrow will be another demanding day as the climb out of NOC will be pretty tough. In three days we will reach Fontana Dam. And after a zero day we will enter the Smokeys on Sunday.Thank you so much for all the kind entries in my guestbook and the support you offered me. I'm really overwhelmed how friendly people are with me and how much interest they take in my hike. I'll try my best to keep up with my entries even if it is sometimes hard when it's late in the day and I'm tired and hungry. And don't mind the bad spelling and the missing letters as it is not easy to type on this little keyboard.   Nuts
Date: 2006-03-01
From: NOC

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: overcast clouds

It was a long ascent today. We had to climb almost 2700 ft over a distance of 6 miles. Because the next shelter is another 9 miles we decided to call it a day and so our working (hiking) day ended alreay at 2 pm. I wouldn't have thought that after yesterdays barbecue gorging eating would be a topic today, but for breakfast I had scrambled eggs, french toast and half a pint melted Ben's & Jerry's with a banana and an apple sliced into it and it was no problem to get it done. Eating becomes more and more important and the main event in the day is cooking the evening meal. It's always interesting to watch what others have for dinner and sometimes you wish to have the same stuff your neighbour has. But no fighting for food so far. But who knows what's coming? Keep your fingers crossed that the National Security Alert for the next days remains yellow, because if it changes to orange the dam at Fontana will be closed. Who knows what we would have to do in this case. I'm pretty excited that we will enter the Smokeys in a few days. Hopefully the weather god stays at our side as He(She/It) has done in the past. 14 days ago there were 40 inches of snow, but I doubt that it will be that bad. The forecast doesn't sound negative (although I've learned to mistrust every forecast as they are mostly false) and at the moment temperatures even go up. While having a break today I looked at my thermometer and it read 80 deg (in the sun). The warmest day since weeks. And today is the first day of March wich sounds much better than February. We are hiking definately towards spring. We see much more animals now than in the past days. Even the nasty little insects are back. I really don't want to know how hiking North Carolina is in summer. It must be darn hot and humid. But in spring weather this state is as lovely as one could wish for. Nuts
Date: 2006-03-02
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: light rain

Until noon everything was fine but as I took a break at Stecoah Gap something must have went wrong. It was very windy and I was sweating but this wasn't the first time that happened. The ascent from Stecoah Gap almost killed me and as arrived at the shelter all I wanted to do was to sleep. As I woke up 2 hours later was feeling dizzy and feverish and almost could not eat. Nuts