morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-03-22
From: Beech Gap

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

Pretty close to freezing when I woke up this morning. Goof said some of his water was frozen when he woke up. It was 42 in my tent and I slept comfortably again last night. I was up and out early at 8:40....my earliest yet. I had planned on an easy 10-mile day. And the hiking was easy for the first 8 miles. More on the last two later!I have been blessed so much so far on this adventure. I started mid-week like so many past thru-hikers had suggested when starting in March. The shelters ahead and behind me have been packed with as many as 20 to 30 hikers, and we've met some hikers who were leaving the trail, and maybe getting on later after the crowds dwindle. A little group I have been hiking with the last two nights have stayed together with only 7 of us at the camp locations, and we're here tonight with only 7 thru-hikers and 3 section hikers (who tented). Four of us thru-hikers tented, so there were only 3 in the shelter....Goof, Rusty and Karl.Also the weather has been incredible. We have been very fortunate.Some fantastic views today, right after Carter Gap Shelter, and the Cliffs of Big Butt Mountain.Back to the last 2 miles of today. So I'm cruising right along thinking this is going to be an easy 10-mile day! Woops...the climb up Mt. Albert was straight up! And Rocky! I was ready to call someone for some caribiners and climbing rope. It was tough, and challenging, but fun at the same time. Nice rock scramble. The views from the top of Mt Albert and the Fire Tower on top were magnificent---again the pictures I took just don't do it justice. Took a nice long break soaking up the sunshine, before heading down to the shelter less than a mile away. Very peaceful tonight here with good people...Goof, Mr. Buffalo Man, Gator 65, Rusty, Karl and Joni, Flying Scottsman, and the 3 section hikers.Body is in great shape. No blisters yet, no injuries, no aches and pains other than what would normally be expected after hiking all day.The walks these days have been totally relaxing. My cousin, Alan Blyler, an avid hunter, would totally enjoy this hike. I think he just uses hunting as an excuse to walk all day in the woods!Right now I'm totally satisfied with my clothing and equipment. My Steripen finally required some new batteries after about 50 liters of water purification. I've been drinking about a gallon of water per day.
Date: 2009-03-23
From: Big Spring Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Got up at sunrise to warmer than expected conditions....about 38 outside. We all expected it to be much colder based on the previous night and us sleeping at higher elevation last night.Got out of camp about 9:20 planning to meet up with others at Rock Gap Shelter, 5.3 miles, where they were going to wait for us (actually waiting for Mr. Buffalo Man (Chris), Plunger's (Amanda) brother.I know we had plenty of time so I basically "deer hunted" all the way to the shelter--walked very slowly trying not to make any noise. No deer. Tons of squirrels, chipmunks and birds, but no deer.The woods opened up today and you could see a couple of hundred yards through the woods....just beautiful. It was easy terrain today and a nice hike to the "lunch shelter". Karl and Joni, Goof, Mr. Buffalo Man and I got to the shelter....and no others to be seen. They had moved on to town, Franklin, NC. So we had lunch at the shelter and Goof was kind enough to read us the graffiti written on (i.e. carved into) the sides of the shelter while we ate. It was entertaining....hey, there's no TV out here! So we finished lunch and hiked the last 3.8 miles to the Gap where we could get a shuttle into Franklin to re-supply.When we get to the gap, Cool Breeze pulls in and calls Ron Haven for a ride for us into town. Cool Breeze was one of the guys who does the pack shake-downs back at the Walasi-Yi Center at Neel's Gap. He was on his way back there from a NASCAR weekend and just happened to see us standing there like typical hiker trash and stopped. Pretty cool!Karl and I are sharing a room and I haven't decided if I am going to take a zero day tomorrow or hike out. I hadn't planned on arriving here until tommorrow. We'll see how the evening goes. We're all off to Pizza Hut to carbo-load!!Just to give you a feeling of how things go, I'm sitting here writing this in my rain gear.....rain pants and anorack since every other stitch of clothing I have is in the washing machine! Thank the Lord.....it was ripe.OK...the limiting factor on my distance capability right now is my feet. My legs feel strong enough to go farther, my back feels good, everything....my feet getting sore is what is limiting me right now. So the question is, is this a normal limitation, or is it a footwear problem? I have asked two hikers this morning what their limiting factor was and they said feet also! So I'm not as concerned. I'm going to try an experiment between Wesser, NC and Fontana Dam. I'm going to do that small section in my running shoes and just see what happens. I've run 20 miles at a time in them on concrete....but never with a pack, and not on uneven terrain. Don't worry....I'll be smart and careful. I think it was Jan Liteshoes who hiked the whole trail a couple of years ago in running shoes. And of course, I may be worrying for nothing and this is just normal "growing pains" for the thru-hiker. I'll keep you posted.Next update should be on the 27th or 28th.
Date: 2009-03-24
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 3.7
Weather: clear sky

I got up around 6 am this morning. Got a good night's sleep! The office opened at 7 am so I got to do some early morning journaling. I then went to the Post Office to get my mail drop (food for next few days). So...there I am with all my stuff....do I really want to take a zero day and just hang out at the hotel...NOPE! So I got back on-line and downloaded all my photos and answered the guest book entries....except Scott Tobin's novel of questions ...I'll finish that one at the next stop! I got started but the shuttle arrived and I climbed aboard with most of "The Group" minus Ian and Kendra who are a day ahead of us now.It was a short hike to the shelter for the night. It was too far to the next shelter and we wanted to stay in a shelter tonight since it was supposed to rain this evening.This shelter is my favorite to date...picnic table, cooking table, large open field, fire ring, etc. So we're here chillin', playing cards and just hanging out. Two section hikers (Chris and Terry, retired SWAT) came in and set up tents. There were four snakes down by their tents so we went down and took pictures. I don't know snakes well so I don't know what type they were.Some people have inquired about the "downside" to being out here, or what is not working out so well. I'll try to incorporate more observations about the "bad stuff" as I write. The only body part I am having a problem with so far is my sore feet....but after asking around, it seems to be the norm.Some equipment notes: I sent the poncho I had purchased home at Neel's Gap on day 4. It was a pain in the butt to get on and over the pack and a pain to secure. The Anorack and Pack Cover have been good enough so far.I really don't need the stove, pan, and fuel since I'm using MRE's. I have done a couple of Mac-n-Cheese meals and hot cocoa, but these really have just been excuses to "play with fire" and break out the stove. I may eventually send these home, but they are light and don't take up much room.OK...enough rambling for this entry. I'll try to give a flavor of the downside when there is some, but nothing really to complain about yet!Mark Allen- Make it a good day !
Date: 2009-03-26
From: Cold Springs Shelter

To: US 19, Wesser, NC (N.O.C.)
Miles today: 11.5

Last night was the first time we have not been able to get everyone out of the rain. The Cold Springs Shelter was built in 1933 and only held six with no overhang. "The Group" was in the shelter + Chris (section hiker). Terry tented and 3 other thru-hikers came in late and had to tent also. It was raining so I definitely felt for them. If the tent is up before it rains...no problem. Setting the tent up in the rain is no fun at all.It was raining when I got up, but relatively warm. I was up and out really early for me...up at 7:30 and out at 8:30. Today I was on a mission...it was raining harder than it ever had so far. So I knew I would be taking no pictures, no views, etc. So I hiked 11.5 miles straight today....no breaks, no pack-off....straight thru. I was definitely ready to sit down at the end, but I was in decent shape. Good experiment.The trail was very wet today and it was the first time my feet got soaked. There were some tricky steps/rocks going downhill today!The highlight of the day was meeting Jen Stockton hiking southbound, training for a future section hike. She gave me some Amish Friendship Bread. Wow! It was awesome! And how about that....Trail Magic....delivered on the Trail.That picked my spirits up on a very wet day. So that got me to the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). Neat place....but spread out all over the place. Laundry soap here, bunk over there, change here, towel over there. Oh, by the way, restaurant is way over there. A lot of walking.....last thing I needed!!!OK...the force was working for me today. As I was hiking I was thinking that we didn't have very far to hike tomorrow, so I was thinking that it would be cool if the group of us had breakfast together...I'm thinking pancakes, eggs, sausage, the works! Well, while talking with Jen, out of the blue, she tells me to have a light breakfast as the there is a big climb out of the NOC and we wouldn't want to do that on a big breakfast. Angels come in all forms (as it turns out....this was very good advice)! Equipment note: One thing I like about the Platypus water bladder I have is that it sits in my pack and has a drinking tube. This is very convenient. My MRS dromolyte water bladder had grommets and cord that made it easy to hang up while filling. The Platypus does not. Need a mixture of the two.Not much negative to report. I did my homework prior to the hike so I feel I am both prepared mentally and equipment-wise.
Date: 2009-03-28
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

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

OK...Plunger and Mr. Right...what's with the getting up at twilight....an hour before sunrise. One thing about shelter sleeping...when one or two people start getting up, there is no way for the others to sleep. It's perfectly quiet in the woods, so when someone starts packing their pack, it's over. There's no way to pack quietly, as much as you may try. So the shelter is up way early this morning...I was like "c'mon, I only have 9 miles to go today...I was looking forward to sleeping in a bit!"So have I mentioned how much I love the hike in the morning....quiet, I'm full of energy, and it's neat hiking, even in the rain...then rain..some rain...then more rain. And we are on day 4 of continual rain, again! So about 11 am I had my first "not loving this" moment on the Trail. I was fed up with the steady raining...for days. I can't see more than 100 feet, I can't take pictures, I have to watch every step because it's so slippery. You get the idea!Then I thought about Dorothy, in the Wizard of Oz, who survived a tornado, then hiked all the way from Munchkin Land to OZ in a Sundress, wearing Ruby shoes, and carrying nothing but a handbag....and she had a dog. I guess she was the first real ultra-lighter. So I started singing some Wizard of Oz songs and got out of my funk! Luckily it was a short hiking day.My safari hat is definitely one of my favorite pieces of clothing, especially on a rainy day. The brim keeps the water off my face, keeps the hood of my rain anorak from coming down over my eyes, and keeps the hood off of my ears so I can hear. Love it so far.Bad stuff: Ok, today was the first day I had to put on wet clothes in the morning...my undershirt and shirt. Not fun. But it was fine after I got going and the body temp went up.By the way, Ian finally got a trail name, "Mudslide". He was walking down the side trail leading into Sassafras Gap Shelter and fell on the muddy down slope and slid the entire way down the rest of the trail. The register said he was even pulling mud out of the pockets of his pants. I took a picture of the trail, but they are a day ahead of me, so no shots of the actual event.Also bad: Being a little OCD maybe, trying to keep stuff clean when the world around you is muddy can be frustrating. Brown Fork Gap Shelter is not a clean place...especially when nasty out.All-in-all, still in a great frame of mind.By the way...here tonight....Goof, Mr. Buffalo Man, Hodgepodge, Plunger, Mr. Right, Sunnuke, Lefty and Dusty.
Date: 2009-03-30
From: NC 28, Fontana Dam

To: NC 28, Fontana Dam
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Zero Day today! And a beautiful day it was. We took a golf cart to run errands; get mail drop, do laundry, go to outfitters/general store, go to lunch, etc. It was a pleasant day and good day of rest. The Fontana Inn was a nice play to zero, everything right here together, but it's not cheap....the only drawback...but not that much more than a hostel if you share a room.We'll be out early tomorrow to start the Smokys. Once again, I'm rested and ready to hike! I've decided to stick wth my hiking shoes since my feet are in very good shape...no blisters, no problems at all....they just get sore. But I've seen a lot of people out here with some messed up feet, with gauze, duct tape, and other stuff all over....so I think I'm in good shape here and my feet just need to get used to the miles.Well, people are waiting for the computer so I'm going to get off now. Next update should be in about 10 days in Hot Springs, NC.
Date: 2009-03-31
From: NC 28, Fontana Dam

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Up and at 'em early today. Knew it was going to be a tough one in every way....and it was. All uphill and 12.4 miles. Wind howled all day today with huge gusts. And its still howling as I write this snuggled up in the tent. Oh yeah, of course, it's raining too.The shelter is packed, so I'm glad to be in my tent even though it is raining and blowing. The tent is rocking, but it's kinda neat. Don't get me wrong, I'd prefer calm and 65!The first thing we did this morning was check out Fontana Dam, the highest in the East at 400+ feet. Very cool. Then we entered the Smoky's for a week long treck through them + a couple of more days into Hot Springs. My food bag weighs a ton...ouch. I was thinking that if I ate 6 pounds of food tonight, my pack would be much lighter!The woods were very scenic today. Check out the photos as I'm not a poet and will never be able to describe the beauty of the woods out here. The first big climb we had was 3000+ feet up the Shuckstack culminating in a climb up the fire tower with some great views...glass enclosed...yeah...wind block...so I had lunch there.Long climb to the shelter. Shelter is badly placed as it will get winds from every direction. Hoping for better weather tomorrow. Well, I'm beat. Good night.
Date: 2009-04-01
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Holy Cow! Good test of the tent last night. Rained and blew pretty good. Dry as could be....great job REI Half Dome! I slept really good also. Woke about about sunrise and was out of camp around 9:20. Takes a little longer to break down camp with wet rain fly and trying to keep everything dry while packing up....rain fly and food bag in garbage bags. In case I haven't mentioned it, we hang our food bags so bears can't get them. I use a dry bag but the outside gets soaked from the rain.The Trail was one big mud pit this morning and I started out in a foul mood. I had to watch every step because it was so slippery and muddy. I couldn't see any views because of clouds and fog. I was thinking that it was going to be a long, awful day of hiking.I got up to Rocky Top and was not happy since I could not see anything. I voiced my displeasure with a loud scream!By the time I got to the next peak, Thunderhead Mountain, the sun was out and in no time I was hiking in sunshine. Boom, my mood elevated immediately. The camera was out and the views were absolutely amazing. Made my day!I found out today that the little bird that I'm seeing all the time is called a Junco. So I'm hiking along in the Great Smoky Mountains, a forest, and all of a sudden I'm in a field. Very unexpected and very cool. Why don't trees grow here in these fields?Note about camping: First thing is to pick a tent site and set up the tent. Once the tent is set up, I can unpack everything inside and let it fluff up (sleeping bag and parka). Then I go get water for the night and next day. Then it is time to eat....yeah! After eating it is time to hang the bear bag. Then just hang out and share the day with other hikers. Hopefully I remember to sign the shelter register. Finally climb in the tent for some journaling, then to bed.
Date: 2009-04-02
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Double Springs Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I am actually writing this part of the journal entry this morning right after waking up. A short day today so no hurry getting out of bed. And it's 40 degrees and gusty outside and 50 degrees and comfy in my tent. The bottom half of my body is in the sleeping bag. I have my parka on so the top half is cozy also.This may be too much info, but the first thing I like to do in the morning is go out and pee. Then I can relax, get warm in the bag again, and take my time packing things up. By the way, if I do this hike again, I will bring a two-man tent again. Me and my pack fit comfortably in the tent and I can pack my entire pack inside the tent....a big plus when it is raining outside.OK...enough procrastinating. Time to pack up my stuff. (more later).Later....Right out of camp this morning I started hiking with Squeegie, Greaser, and Ms Scarlet and Newt (twin sisters). They had a pretty good pace going so I hung with them for the first 6 miles. Then came decision time: we got to Double Spring Gap Shelter at 1 pm. The next shelter was about 6 miles away with Clingman's Dome, the highest spot on the A.T., about halfway between the two shelters.I met a RidgeRunner (think Park Ranger) this morning and he said severe weather was approaching. So I decided to stay here at this shelter tonight. I wouldn't get to the next shelter until 5 or 6, if I spent any time at all at Clingman's Dome, and the weather was going to be bad for sure today there.Here's hoping it clears by tomorrow. I'm sure my feet are happy to stay here tonight.OK...just for fun..some Trail Name stuff:1. Rambo, aka Karl, was stopped by a sherrif in Hiawasee and was told "there is no hitchhiking in this state, you best be moving on." Karl was trying to hitchhike from town to the Trail. No, the sherrif did not give him a ride.2. Goof carries a Goofy Doll with him so he has someone to talk to when alone.3. Squeegie sweats a lot and wants one for her forehead.4. Repunzel has very long hair...usually in braided pigtails.5. Moonwalker looks like an astronaut with all of her foul weather gear on6. Skittles has all kinds of different and brightly colored clothing7. Mr. Buffalo Man was given this name by Mr. Green Tea for being a big man with a huge pack.8. No Nails lost all of her toenails hiking9. HodgePodge, real name is Bill Hodge10. Mr. T., real name is Mat with one T11. Sunnuke did some graduate work on nuclear fission
Date: 2009-04-03
From: Double Springs Gap Shelter

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: light rain

Last night was very fun playing "Werewolf" (aka "Mafia"), a card game, with all 14 people in the shelter. It was a good idea to stop there for the night yesterday. Mr T. built a great fire in the shelter. The shelters in the Smokys all seem to have fireplaces.Everyone was up early knowing we had 14 miles to go today. Yep, that's right! A new record for me today. The temperature actually dropped throughout the day and it rained intermittently, and the wind was gusty at times. It was 38 when I got up and was 34 when I reached the shelter for the night.OK..I'll admit I wasn't having much fun this morning. I was hating it.....cold, rainy, foggy, windy....and I was hiking the Appalachian River. It really was like hiking in a stream all day.Well I got to Clingman's Dome, the highest point on the A.T., at 6643 feet. The group of us made the best of it and went up to the observation deck and took some pictures in the very windy rain...just to say we did!After that, and I have no idea what happened, but I really enjoyed the rest of the day. The trail between Clingman's Dome and Icewater Springs Shelter was the most interesting so far. There were lots of variations of everything....lots of log steps, rock formations, pine groves, and lots of twists and turns...just fun hiking. Even with my feet being soaked all day long, I started having fun sloshing around in the wet and mud. Don't worry....feet are all warm, dry, and toasty in the sleeping bag right now! We went over 200 miles today. I didn't make a sign or anything because I didn't even realize it until I got to the shelter tonight and people started talking about it.We are basically hiking on the North Carolina/Tennessee border right now, so I guess we are in each of these states at times over the next several days.It is going to be brutally cold tonight....the coldest for me so far....it is already 32 degress and its only 6 pm. Brrrrr Very packed shelter tonight....way over capacity. Hopefully the body heat will help out. Greg and his son, Caleb, (section hikers) were in the shelter with us. I hope Caleb had a good time....and wasn't too overwhelmed spending the night with a bunch of strange hikers. He seemed to be having a good time.By the way, I saw a lot of downed trees today (dozens)....looks like they had a really bad storm a few years back.Short day tomorrow...yeah!
Date: 2009-04-04
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Peck's Corner Shelter
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Everything was frozen this morning. Our coldest night so far. Rambo, Goof, Mr Buffalo Man and me were only going 7+ miles today so we waited until the sun was way up before we got going. It was awesome to see the sun today...all day long. Yippeee!!There is no way to describe the beauty of this morning's hike. Yes, it was freezing but I'm dressed for it and very comfortable. The frost on the trees and vegetation made for a hike through a beautifully frosted forest. I tried to get some good pictures. Absolutely brilliant scenery.The highlight of today's hike was Charlie's Bunion, a cool rock formation. We played around there for about an hour, eating snacks, taking pictures, and just generally goofing around on the rocks.The sun does wonders! By noon I was hiking in a capilene top and shirt with the temps up into the 50's...perfect backpacking temperature.We ran a ridge almost all day long allowing for amazing views all day. I was hiking so slow today just enjoying the sunshine and the views. Just an amazing day on the A.T. There were some prime spots for some views and we stopped for snacks, took pictures, and soaked up some rays!About a tenth of a mile from the side trail that leads to the shelter for the night, I hear what sounds like an elf playing a flute in a fairy-like forest. As I near the intersection, I see Greaser there playing a penny whistle. It was so cool walking through the forest to that music...very dream like. I hope to have the chance to hike to more music like that in the future.Got to the shelter with plenty of sun left to set up my tent and let it dry out. I had slept in my tent a few days back and this was the first chance I have had to let the fly dry.Really looking forward to getting good sleep tonight. Lots of hiking tomorrow. Lot of people in the shelter tonight. I should have tented tonight but I can get going earlier if I stay in a shelter....no tent to pack in the morning.