morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-04-16
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: broken clouds

I'm at a very rustic but cute farm hostel in Hartford, TN. A few of us had to pick up maildrops so we were determined to hike the distance, pick up our packages, and head further north for a cheap campground. But once you get here, you are really too tired to hike further.Saltlick, Coyote, and I hiked most of the day together passing the time by telling wacky autobiographies. The highlight was when Coyote yogied some snacks from some unsuspecting day hikers. They were thrilled to meet us and had some very intelligent questions for us, the first being,"Don't you have jobs?"It took forever to get to Standing Bear Farm but Catdog saved a room for us. It is a cabin made completely of wood with a porch built over a running river.One thing interesting that we all discussed. Since the day we started hiking each of us has heard a strange but subtle noise that is hard to identify--a thud as mild as a heartbeat with a sporadic rhythmn like a bouncing ball coming to a stop.It is such a quiet noise each of us thought the other would think we are crazy for asking about it. Saltlick felt comfortable asking me first what I thought. I thought it was my inner ear equalizing since it seemed that nobody would hear it at the same time. We asked Catdog and she thought it was a woodpecker poking the ground. Coyote was told it was a grouse taking off but she thought it was a beetle in a tree. Does anyone know? Feel free to send me an email.The sun is out again and with the low altitudes, and the temperatures are pleasant. Unfortunately, from reading the registers in the shelters, many thru-hikers did not have a good experience in the Smokies because of the weather. I had a fulfilling one, though, and am a little sad to leave the park.After last nights craziness and todays miles, I'm pretty tired.
Date: 2004-04-17
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Max Patch Campsite
Miles today: 14.1

Here is the day in a nutshell. The trail went up and the weather was hot.But the big highlight was reaching Max Patch summit in time for the sunset. The second highlight was reaching the stream by Max Patch Road after running out of water and finding a cooler of trail magic.That morning we all relished the comforts of the Standing Bear Hostel by sleeping in. I found it pricey because it is only a step above camping, with no heat and no electricity in the cabin. I guess you are paying for the experience which wasn't too uncomfortable.Catdog left early never to be seen again that day. Saltlick and Coyote were kind enough to wait as I sorted out my food drop.When it came time to hike, Coyote was gone while Saltlick and I struggled with the soaring temps. At one point, my thermometer was in the high 80's.We reached Brown Gap and unwisely chose to not filter water there. Coyote ran out of water within a mile. Saltlick also went dry. I still had a cup left. Fortunately, Stargaze and L.L. Fuzzy, two young women we met in the Smokies, were passing us, slackpacking, and offered my friends some reserves until the next stream.When we got to Max Patch road and the spring beyond, we found a cooler full of beer and ginger ale. Cool. Coyote and I decided to cook our dinners so that we could reach Max Patch by sunset and not bother with our meals later when setting up camp.I was the last to stagger up the .8 miles to the grassy summit of Max Patch. A group were there observing the horizon. A crowd gathered like we were waiting for the fireworks show to start. TreeFrog also showed up after leaving Standing Bear around 11 am that morning. For a guy in his late sixty, he sure puts my hiking abilities to shame.After the sun set, we hiked another half mile to a woodsy area and set up camp. Nice day and it was still warm when we turned in. Where did the cold weather go now?
Date: 2004-04-18
From: Max Patch Campsite

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: clear sky

I had my first fall today. There were other close calls in the Smokies where I would lose my balance and break it with a pole or fall on one knee. But today was a genuine feet-in-the-air, arms-out-stretched, slide-into-home-base kinda wipe-out.I think I was overly excited by the blue blaze designating a water spring ahead. I missed the root or rock that tripped me.No harm done. Just amazed that I was suddenly thrown to the ground and twisted in a lopsided backpack. The only way I could escape the wreckage was unclip myself.Today was the longest stretch of miles yet. I'm sure we did twenty by the end of the day after walking up and down the main street of Hot Springs looking for an open restaurant.Coyote, Saltlick, and I had a late start this morning and were unsure of our destination. I wasn't in the best of moods due to feeling dehydrated from the heat and the drinking. So I tailed behind the others. Again it was a hot day but there were many stream crossings to quench our thirst. At Bluff Mountain, I ate lunch, took off my shoes, and discovered I had a phone signal. I made a few calls. Very strange to be surrounded by nature and talking to home. The worlds just don't connect but some how I feel close anyway.By the time I was done with lunch, my socks were dry again and I was ready for another four hours of hiking. Basically it was a walk in the woods with sparse views, running streams, and merciless sunshine.I met up with these folks who had hiked from Hot Springs that day. Nine miles. I thought that if they could do that, I can certainly reach the town as well that evening.I reunited with Coyote and Saltlick at the last shelter about three miles before Hot Springs. We all decided to go the distance. I didn't even think of the total miles at that point. I popped an Aleve and headed for town.Somehow, seeing Hot Springs through the trees enlightened me. I literally ran the last mile increasing my average 2 mph to 3 mph. Only later in the night did I regret my actions when awoken by achy muscle pains in my calves and feet.The rest of the evening was spent setting up camp in town, greeting Catdog again, who was very happy to see us, and cooking dinner. Pretty exhausted, we still had time to celebrate our close to 20 mile hike by doing a very painful dance on the grass.
Date: 2004-04-19
From: Hot Springs

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

What a fun day. After breakfast with Catdog, Coyote, and Saltlick, I went to the post office to pick up many cards and packages. Wow, candie, cookies, and cliff bars. Thanks!After errands were completed, I checked out the outfitters where all the employees look like Jerry Garcia--I'm not kidding! I accidentally bought a very expensive pair of sunglasses and, finally, a silk liner for my sleeping bag. This will guarantee that we will never get sub freezing temps again.After the long walk to the library for internet access and dinner at Paddlers with the gang including Hawk, who came into town that afternoon, and Lefty and Michagoose, we went to the hot springs across the street from our campsite and spent an hour soaking in mineral water.I did not expect Hot Springs to be such a sleepy little town. The way previous hikers spoke of this place, I figured I was entering Hyannis at the Cape. I had also hoped to stay at one of the B & B's so raved about in Wingfoot's book but decided to camp since the weather was nice. And I have to say that everyone here is very pleasant and, yes, Hiker friendly.
Date: 2004-04-20
From: Hot Springs

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I had reservations about leaving Hot Springs. But as I sat on the campground picnic table watching pickup trucks pull into the camp store parking lot, I realized that there is nothing else to explore in this town. It is time to hit the trail again.But when the salutations from locals behind the counters include, "Now, you be careful out there," and every store has hooks on the outside so you can hang your pack, you start recognizing the true signs of a hiker friendly county. And you linger as long as possible.Saltlick went back to the outfitters to buy a new sleeping bag. I decided to wait for him but gave up and began the steep ascent out of town. I passed Lovers Leap which should be Hikers' Leap since the climb was grueling after filling up my bag with food. I bought too much in town. Lesson learned, I suppose.For the first mile you are above the white rapid French Broad River hearing its roar. Then you turn a corner around the mountain and everything is quiet. You are back in the woods.Saltlick caught up with me and we chatted for awhile. We met up with Lefty and Michigoose for lunch at a rundown dam and then hiked through a "tropical" storm. We later split when I stopped to get water. Coyote showed up while I was at the stream. She had been at a friend's house the day before. I would see them soon so she went ahead eager to catch up on the gossip.When you hike the trail, especially alone, there are many games you can play with the terrain and the distance. I keep trying to beat my steady 2 mph speed but so far it has been very reliable for measuring distance covered.Because the gully of the trail is deep, it tends to blend in with the brush and trees ahead. So you only can discern the trail 20 feet ahead. Another game is to figure out which way the trail turns before you reach that point. Will it go up, switchback, go left? Usually it keeps going up.So you see, hiking the trail isn't that boring. My wildlife sighting for the day are a snail and a frog.Although I met Saltlick and Coyote at the tiny shelter, circumstances forced me to continue to a campsite where Hawk and Catdog had pitched their tents. This is where I am now, listening to dueling Hoot Owls from my Virga Tarptent.Earlier, before the sun went down, I went searching for water down this side trail called Little Paint Creek. It wasn't maintained and when I approached the ravine, it was dry. I continued, curious and soon heard the steady rush of a brook. Sure enough, I found a great water source deep in some brush. When I headed back (it took me ten minutes to return to our campsites) Catdog and Hawk were looking for me. They knew I went down the side trail but said I was gone a long time. Even though nothing happened to me I was grateful to have fellow hikers look out for me like that. You never know.So, it is not in the Wingfoot or Data book but Little Paint Creek Trail has a good water source ten minutes down from the AT. Make sure you tell someone you are getting water lest they may worry.
Date: 2004-04-21
From: Deep Gap

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was the hardest hiking I have done so far. My feet were aching at the eleventh mile. So why did I go ahead to almost twenty miles?Catdog, Hawk, Michigoose, Lefty, and Coyote were all resting at Jerry Cabin Shelter. I was the last one in as always. We had all just climbed five miles up a mountain only to negotiate a dramatic change in the Trail. White petruding rocks speckled the path making foot placement rather tricky and time consuming. It dispelled any homesick feelings I had for NH trails. A new ridge walk was completed this year and the AT followed it over a few peaks with fantastic views. The rocks, though, were a bit rough on the knees and ankles. Some very large ones moved when you stepped on them.Everyone except Saltlick needed a rest at the shelter before moving on. Catdog suggested we camp on Big Butt mountain a few miles beyond the Jerry Cabin Shelter. So Hawk and I joined her to Big Butt only to find that the "campsite" was covered with brambles. So we forged ahead to look for any reasonable places to pitch a tent.This is how a twenty mile day gets started. You just keep going. Although the Shelton graves had a good camping spot, we continued since it was only 2.4 miles to the shelter. We made it in time to make dinner with the rest of the crew. Saltlick greeted Catdog and me with a hug and disbelief that we had gone so far.It was a good night by the shelter with a raging fire and lots of laughter after hearing some crazy stories about Coyote's past.
Date: 2004-04-23
From: Low Gap

To: Erwin, TN - Holiday Inn Express
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Hawk and I had a very enlightening conversation today. We were at US19 taking off our boots with the intentions of soaking our feet in the nearby stream. Basically it consisted of "Ow, ow, ow!" and "Ooh. Groan. Ack!" When we immersed our feet in the ice cold mountain water, we both simultaneously said "Ahhhh!" Then Catdog came around the corner and said, "What you two talking about?"We had started our hike very early hoping to jump ahead of a crowd of hikers that camped at Low Gap. So we got to summit Big Bald in the morning light with a dry breeze and a hazy glow. Spectacular.Despite getting ready in the dark, hiking in the morning is cooler and you can see more wildlife. We weren't sure how far we would travel but we definitely banked on getting to No Business Knob Shelter before the end of the day and making a decision on whether to stay the night or go ahead into the city.I hiked with Catdog and Hawk all day. Hawk had a filter as well and let me use it at the springs. Something to hold me over until I get to the next outfitter for a replacement.Along the way, we met a couple of AT Hobos (career AT hikers) Lone Wolf and Mala with their very friendly dogs.We also met some section hikers; Ponderer and Kat at the US19 intersection. We got there just as Miss Janet, hostel owner and shuttler from Erwin, was dropping Ponderer off. I spoke to Miss Janet and she informed me that her hostel was full but still willing to drive me to pick up my packages when I got to the Nolichucky River. You immediately get a warm, welcoming feeling from this woman.After Ponderer set off south for his 15 miles, Kat quietly emerged from the woods holding a cup of tea in her hand. She planned to hike from Amacolola Falls to somewhere in Virginia by June.It looked like rain so we cut our lunch break short. The trail had more pine needles and cones on the ground which reminded me of the trails at home. The grade was probably the easiest since Hot Springs, too. By four we were at No Business Knob Shelter, a mere six miles from hotels and hot showers. So we all cooked our dinners, collected water, and relaxed a bit with the Honeymooners and Mala.I mentioned to Hawk that I packed these peanut butter and jelly sandwiches from Hot Springs that I can't wait to trash. Hawk, another thru-hiker with a relentless appetite, offered to eat them for me until I tossed him the sticky ziplock bag. He winced and tossed them back. No thanks.With heavy sighs we pulled on our packs and headed to town. It took a painful three hours but the views were impressive.Just as we arrived at the junction before the Nolichucky Bridge, Miss Janet and Ponderer pulled up in her van. It seems that all you have to do is think her name and she is there.I asked Ponderer to take a picture of Hawk, Catdog, and me because we had achieved our first 20 miler of the trip. Unfortunately, we were so tired, we resemble zombies more than happy hikers in the picture.And that is all I remember from the hike except that Saltlick visited our room at 11 pm congratulating Catdog and me for our first 20 mile day.
Date: 2004-04-24
From: Erwin, TN - Holiday Inn Express

To: Erwin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Erwin, TN is a spread out town for hikers and a resting spot for interstate drivers. It is also in the record books for the execution of Murderous Mary, an elephant in a visiting circus, in 1916. Mary, for various reasons, had had enough with her trainer and killed him. The town considered it necessary to destroy the elephant but was unsure how. Hanging her from a chain and railroad crane seemed to work.A few of us went to The River's Edge for dinner--okay food, excellent view. They had an article and a picture of Mary's execution. Pretty bizarre and, well, disturbing.I met Peggy, Hawk's wife. She would be considered both a hiker widow and a trail angle. She drove Catdog and me to the outfitters where I discovered they did not have the brand of filter cartridge I needed. Sigh again.I talked to my friends Lee and Marsha in MA and they offered to mail me a replacement to my next stopping point. Cool. In the meantime, I am going to try the Katadyn tablets. See if they are worth the cost.I heard there was a party in room 207 for some thru-hiker's birthday but this ole' gal is just plain too tired! I soaked my legs in the hotel hot tub and called friends at home. A nice day.
Date: 2004-04-25
From: Erwin, TN

To: Curley Maple Gap Shelter
Miles today: 4.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Today would be consider a "near-zero" day. My legs were still sore even at checkout. Catdog, reunited with Wags, Saltlick, Coyote and others headed for the hills. I wanted to linger to give my legs time to feel better. As I sat alone in the lobby of the hotel, Hawk and his wife Peggy spotted me and said they were seeing a movie in Johnson City. Naturally, I went with them to kill a few hours.When the movies got out, the sky was pretty dark. A front was coming in. I headed for the first shelter around 4:30 but never got stuck in a storm.I'm here now and the forecasted rain still hasn't started. I'm here with good company who brought yummy food after resupplying in town. I met Largo who did the AT in '97 and plans to do as much as possible again. Willy Wallace, a young Scotsman, and Zak are also here. They shared their chocolate and mac and cheese with me. Since I had a cheeseburger at Long John Silvers before hitting the Trail, I managed to end the evening without cooking.
Date: 2004-04-26
From: Curley Maple Gap Shelter

To: Indian Grave Gap
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: light rain

"Now I'm going to ask you this once," I called to Catdog as she came down the trail to Indian Grave Gap. "Do you want to go back to Erwin?"Catdog's raingear was drenched and sunken. Her dog resembled a drowned rat. She had a big smile on her face, though, glad to see that I hadn't continued across the road and up the trail. "I wouldn't mind."She held my umbrella as I fished through my bag for my cell phone. Law of thru-hiking: What you need most will always migrate to the bottom of your backpack. The rain was coming down so hard that my stuff got soaked in the few seconds I had the pack cover off. We tried calling Miss Janet for a shuttle but only got her voicemail.I heard a car coming and practically threw myself infront of a red pickup to hitch a ride. The unsuspecting driver was more than happy to take two women and a dog to the Holiday Inn Express.I have to say that it wasn't the rain that bothered us, but the dropping temperatures. Catdog knew that Wags would not fit in a shelter in her condition and the next shelter was 12.1 miles and 850 feet up into the Highlands of Roan. With the slick trail, we would probably have to tent. Hitting the road and a hotel sounded so much better.But all is well that ends well. I had a chance to sort some things out that I forgot to do before I left yesterday. For one thing, I spoke to Glen Van Peski about my pack. He was surprised to hear that I used the G4 to hold 40 lbs of stuff. "It's ment to hold only thirty!" he informed me.He suggested that I buy a ULA-P4 in Damascus. He was also amazed I wasn't a disgruntled customer. I told him that I loved the pack and it has been holding out really well. Let's see if it holds out another 120 miles.I also found out that my friends Lee and Marsha never got my next maildrop address where they could send a replacement filter. A quick phone call fixed that.The rest of the day was spent drying off, getting to know Boonie, and eating. I think laundry and a few showers were thrown into that as well.We also got to see Palmtree again and caught up on everything that has been happening since we parted in the Smokies.
Date: 2004-04-27
From: Indian Grave Gap

To: Old Orchard Campsite (not official name)
Miles today: 12.3

Miss Janet is one of the most generous persons I have met so far on this trip. She goes out of her way to shuttle slackpackers and thru-hikers to their starting points and around town for film, candy bars, and sodas.It took almost two hours to get to Indian Grave Gap this morning, but the adventure was worth experiencing. For one thing, we met so many hikers we had heard or read about in the registry but had never seen. I can't recall all their names, though, but I hope to see many of them again.The number of women solo hikers this year apparently has risen to 25%. At one point Miss Janet had six women in her van with no male hikers.Catdog and I lost track of Boonie but managed to hook up with Hawk by the end of the day. It was a good thing we did not try to hike the full eleven miles yesterday in the rain. The hike was tough and long.Along the way, the wind picked up and we had some showers. We met Lady Di, a section hiker who reads and writes trail journals frequently. She recognized my trailname. Catdog also got her picture taken by some tourist checking out Beauty Spot. I saw them coming from their car and booked it into the woods. I was too cold to chat although the celebrity status and opportunity to yogi almost influenced me to slow down. I knew that they would catch Catdog, though.Bumped into Dingle and Skirt. We had met them at Curley Maple Gap Shelter and got off trail at Indian Grave Gap as well. Dingle's Mom reads every trail journal and knows all the gossip of the trail. I had a chance to offer them some trail magic before heading north.The Trail led us through a red spruce forest at the top of Unaka Mountain, which is dark on a sunny day. Hikers say this is an ideal place to camp, and it was quiet and away from the raging wind today. But I can't help thinking of the amount of sap that would drip on your tent. Regardless, it was a beautiful forest.At Cherry Gap Shelter, we read that both Coyote and Saltlick held up in the shelter during the rainstorm for all of Monday. They were hoping we would show up but we were too busy hitching a ride into Erwin, eating cheeseburgers, and watching TV.Although the trail had many PUD's (pointless ups and downs), we did cross a clear cut where we could see Unaka Mtn (where we had been a few hours before) and Roan Mtn (where we will hike tomorrow). Roan looks like a bear to climb--much like Mt. Washington.We caught up with Hawk about two hours later in a secluded field with a nearby watersource. It was an old orchard and had plush grass to lay out our tents. But most importantly, it was out of the wind that chill us.Hawk had left yesterday in the rain and got to Curley Maple Gap Shelter. The rain got pretty nasty and it got cold, so he stayed the night there. I guess Catdog and I did the wisest thing.Tonight, I am sleeping with my food in my tent. Too windy for a bear hang. Let's see if I see any wildlife.Tomorrow we plan to hike over Roan Mountain to the much talked about Overmountain Shelter.