morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-04-14
From: Walasi-yi Cabin

To: Walasi-yi Cabin
Miles today: 0.0

Freak snowstorm.More to come...It was an unusual day today.I got up to see snow out the window of the cabin. When Winton, the owner of the outfitter at Neel's Gap picked us up at the cabin and drove us up to his store, I had a chance to see the results of last nigt's freak snowstorm. It was the kind of snow that covers everything not paved. There, it melted. Trees, grass, buildings, paths, trails, mountains -- all covered by this wet, sticky snow. Eskimoes probably have a word for it.When we got up to the store, he answered the phone a couple of times and, after the last one, looked around, zeroed in on me and asked if I had a driver's license. Of course I do. Then he asked me if I could do a shuttle from Woody Gap. He gave me the keys to his minivan, directions, who to look for and sent me on my way. It was an easy drive over, but when I got near the top of Woody Gap, the wind picked up, the road iced over and the driving got a little hairy. I pulled into the iced over parking area and looked for my hikers. No one around but a couple of Georgia highway workers in their trucks and a sheriff's car. I asked the highway guys about hikers and they pointed to the can. Sure enough, just as I got over there, the door opened to reveal four cold, cold hikers. They piled in and we drove back to the hostel where they got rooms for the night.I decided to stay in the cabin for another night, with four other middle-aged men, and Winton told us to keep the van for the day and use it to go into Blairsville. So we did. Stopped at the library for the internet and to update my journal. That was pretty much it for the day. No way was I going out into the ice and snow and up and over Cowrock Mountain.
Date: 2004-04-15
From: Walasi-yi Cabin

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: clear sky

A perfect day. Details to come...In the shelter tonight: Me, Lt. Dan, Sassafras, and Walkabout. Tenting nearby: Jordan, Rooster, Mac, Spider, someone else. Sleeping under the stars: Mama Bear.As bad as the last several days have been?...that's how good today was. A beautiful, clear, warm, coolly breezed, day. Just remnants of snow in the mountains. Just enough to make and throw a couple of snowballs. Hiked up Cowrock Mountain right off the bat, passing Sassafras and Walkabout early on. Stopped with Lt. Dan at the top and then down a bit to a flat area like a giant cow patty. Cowrock..cow patty...get it? Stopped for lunch -- some trail mix -- and water. People just kept showing up. Rooster was already there. Mama Bear and Spider soon joined. Lt. Dan reported and Jason, too, who wasn't carrying any food, but eating out of hiker boxes (where hikers leave extra stuff, or stuff they don't want, or stuff they just don't want to tote any further). Had a discussion about trail names. Jason was dubbed Starvin' Marvin' by someone at Neel's Gap. He didn't really want that one to stick and was rechristened Brother at the shelter that night.I was only going to go to Whitley Gap shelter but I was with most of the people I've mentioned when we got to the turnoff and they were all going on to the Low Gap shelter. I couldn't resist that red flag waved in front of my face so I set off. My map's elevation profile did not match reality after the first two miles of the afternoon's hike. Every time I came to what I thought was the top of the mountain, there was another peak ahead. After about four of these I let out a big yell, heard by Lt. Dan ahead of me. He thought briefly of yelling down that I was almost at the top, but he wasn't sure where the top was either. Finally getting to the top, I didn't see any blazes marking the trail, so I turned back until I saw one. If I had kept on another 200 yards, I would have come across Spider, who was waiting by a newly hatched butterfly and waiting for Mama Bear. Anyway, it was downhill from there and soon I reached the shelter.Lt. Dan told many very funny stories about construction, the army, and recruiting in the shelter tonight. Kept us up for a while.Stones stayed at Neel's Gap because his stone still hadn't passed.
Date: 2004-04-16
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: clear sky

Another perfect day -- except I really overdid it.Story to follow...I left Low Gap shelter early today, about an hour after Spider and Mama Bear, and at the same time as Rooster. First part was an easy uphill, about a three percent railroad grade equivalent, almost flat ground. Caught up with Sp. and MB after an hour. But they ended their break almost as soon as Rooster and I started ours. After the break, we made great time to Chattahochee Gap. Then we had a hard time up Blue Mountain and a harder descent off it to Unicoi Gap. Broke with Lt. Dan, Sarge, Rooster and a section hiker at the Blue Mountain shelter before the descent -- a nice long relaxing break. At the gap we were going to hitch into Hiawassee for a shower, resupply, gear dump, zero day day off. The GATC, ridge runner, Zoomah (sp?), and trail maintainer, Matt, were there getting ready to leave, so we coerced them into giving us a ride to town. Payoff, a cool one or two.Many other hikers here at the Hiawassee Inn, almost all of them younger than me. Cupcake, KTR, Solace, Rooster, Lt. Dan, Waker, Charley, Sugar Plum Fairy (Suge to the girls, Plum the the guys. I think this one's gonna change.), Hobbit (Amy of Stones and Amy), Jaws and half a dozen others. Ron dropped us at the "all-you-can-eat" restaurant, Daniel's Steakhouse, where I also saw several hikers from earlier in my hike (if you can refer to earlier in a 10 day hike). Lots of good stuff, fried chicken, fried shrimp, fried fish, fried hush puppies, and a good salad bar and as many refills of sweet iced tea as you could keep down. Lucky I grew up on the stuff.After dinner, several of us sat out in front of my motel room and the crowd just seemed to grow from there. More beer more people, more noise. We were finally shooed out back and we quieted down some. I doled out some of my Johnny Black on ice to Cupcake and Plum. Had a good time.Lt. Dan had an epiphany (not a revelation, an epiphany) last night. His story: he is in the army and serves as a recruiter. He has been in for eight and a half years and is on terminal leave if he decides to leave the service. He can stay in for another year as a recruiter, then go to language school and stay in the service. He was hiking for thirty days or so to get away from things and to make up his mind. Weeelll! After last night at Low Gap and talking to Sassafras, a high school teacher who loves her job, he has decided to leave the army, go back to college and get his teaching credentials. I think he will be a great teacher.
Date: 2004-04-17
From: Hiawassee Inn

To: Hiawassee Inn
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Another zero day. My feet are killing me still. No blisters, just tired and sore and achey. My crocs did more damage to my feet than hiking does. They rubbed a spot raw as I walked around town doing errands. I spent some time with Waker, Rooster, Sugarplum and Cupcake. Otherwise nothing special today. Almost everyone else got back on the trail this morning. Lt. Dan got off the trail to take care of the rest of his life.
Date: 2004-04-18
From: Hiawassee Inn

To: Sassafras Gap
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

In the shelter tonight: who knows. We're not near a shelter. Tenting nearby: Rooster. Sleeping on the ground: me, Zoomah.Hiked with Rooster today. Started out with a hard climb out of Unicoi Gap over Rocky Mountain. Then a nice easy day after that. Stopped at Indian Grave Gap for a break -- water and trail mix. Ran into some guys driving up the forest service road to do some mountain biking on other trails. They shared their big, big jug of water with us, saving us the trouble of filtering. Passed a couple going the other way on a day hike. They gave us an orange. Had lunch, and half the orange at the Tray Mountain shelter, and a nap. Took water from the spring. Hiked on to Sassafras Gap where we ran into Zoomah the GATC ridge runner again. Cooked dinner, and bedded down next to trail, across from Zoomah and rooster in his tent.
Date: 2004-04-19
From: Sassafras Gap

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Miscellaneous stuff today. Hard climb up Kelly's Knob to start out the day. Easy after that. Passed on the uphill by a couple moving very fast and a section hiker. Why do the trails go to the tops of the mountains. Why can't it just go around some of them? Wildflowers blooming all over the place -- violets, bluets, trillium, others. Passed through a rhododendron thicket. Hate to have to get through one if there was no trail. Rooster and I got to Dick's Creek Gap early and scored a ride with the second car we stuck out thumbs out for -- a salesman who hikes and so he picks up hikers. Had a VW Passat. Not exactly a large car. Still we both managed to get in with our packs. Staying at the Hiawassee Inn again. Sharing a room with left fielder. Last weekend most of the other hikers were younger than me. This weekend they all seem to be older. Taking another zero here tomorrow and getting back on the trail Wednesday. I need to put 5 or 6 days together so I can see what kind of shape I'm really in at this point. Another 40 miles or so to Franklin. I'll see if I can do them in 4 or 5 days.
Date: 2004-04-20
From: Hiawassee Inn

To: Hiawassee Inn
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Zero day in Hiawassee again. Something wrong with my shoulder. Going to take it easy.So far the trail has been harder -- and easier -- than I had expected. Harder, much harder, on my body. Easier to find a place to stay for the night, whether it's a shelter, hostel or just under the stars. The walking is about as I had expected it.I'm a little surprised at how many nights I have spent off the trail. Those nights, and the zero days, are really good for recuperating and I'm happy I've taken them. This is very tough on my body. My feet and kneen have felt it the most. My feet, while not blistered, have been very sore and swollen at the end of the day. I have soaked them in cool creeks when I have had the chance and iced them while in town. One minor blister. I've had more foot skin damage from wearing my Crocs camp shoes while shopping in town. My left knee, slightly sore to begin with, is no better or worse than when I started. Aspirin helps a lot. My right knee is occasionally sore. I take one aspirin for that too. My back is OK so far. I have had this strange muscle pull on my shoulder blade since last night. Tough to tell what's going on there.Finding a place to stay has been easy. Shelters, of course are easy to find at good intervals on the trail. They have not been crowded on my nights in them. They all have had cable systems for hanging food bags out of reach of bears and that may also help to keep down the mice. I read for two years in trailjournals.com that the mice in shelters were terrible. I've seen no evidence of that so far. There have been some, but not very many. Several shelters have been timber framed. That's nice to see after spending all those months at a timber framer. Those have been the nicest shelters too. GATC has done a nice job with shelters down here.Hostels have been exceptional. Hikers Hostel near Dahlonega was great. Josh and Leigh do a great job and their hostel is really nice. See their web site for all of their services. The Walasi-yi cabin was nice. Hiawassee Inn, here in Hiawassee (duh!) has also been nice. The new owners, Ron and Sam, go out of their way to be hospitable to hikers. This in spite of the fact that last Friday night's group was a little out of hand. They have free denatured alcohol, do shuttles back to the trail, shuttles to dinner and back, drive us to pick up pizza, serve continental breakfast. Can't say enough about them.Sleeping under the stars is another really good option. You can just throw down your sleeping bag wherever you find a good place and sleep right under the stars. It gets you away from the (sometimes) bustle of shelters and having to keep to others's schedules. You spend a quieter night. You can make the miles you want instead of having to stick to the shelter mileage.
Date: 2004-04-22
From: Muskrat Creek shelter

To: Carter Gap shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: scattered clouds

In the shelter tonight: Knuckles, Goggles, Santa, Moxie, Whoa, someone I don't know. In the old shelter: Frenchy. Tenting nearby: JP, Samurai, Augie, Too Near, Mike, Monk. On the ground: me.Physical mishaps today. Stumbles: 3. Rolled ankles: 1. Falls: 0.Got out at 8 am. Trail was smooth and easy today, with a couple of exceptions -- down Yellow Mountain and partway down Standing Indian Mountain. They were rocky and hard on my feet. Man, I hate rocky trail. In June, the trail down Standing Indian will have its compensations because the rhododendrons will be blooming, but today only the baseball-sized rocks on the way down were in full bloom. The descent seemed to take forever (if I can't complain about how steep something is, I'll find something else to whine about). Otherwise Standing Indian was a snap. Easy up on an old logging road with plenty of switchbacks, easy down too, but with no logging road. Well, easy except for the rocks. The trail was a little different today. Lots of rhododendron and lots of pine forest. The degree of difficulty compared to yesterday? No comparison.Saw lots of outdoor things today. Birds, insects, flowers, trees, springs, rocks, views, bushes, blue sky. Just the usual.The shelter and camping area today are in a pine thicket (if you can call a bunch of widely spaced pines a thicket). Santa is here tonight. He's carrying some kind of duffel/cooler, an umbrella slung from his belt and a bag slung over his shoulder. Saw Sarge on the trail early today. He's having some pack weight problems and it's slowing him down. He's taking the shortcut into Standing Indian Campground so he can lose some stuff. He was having some trouble and taking plenty of breaks, but he has everything he needs so he should be OK. Lost my flask with my last shot of Johnny Black in it. I must have left it at the shelter last night. My left thumb, little finger and index finger are cramping like crazy the last several nights. Don't know why. They don't do anything all day.Must drink much, much, much more water.Found my flask. Still had that last shot. Not any more.
Date: 2004-04-24
From: CMTF

To: CMTF
Miles today: 0.0

I got my car into town and shuttled Knuckles, JP, Moxie, Whoa, and Samurai around for groceries, outfitter, PO. I did the same plus I sorted equipment, checked email, got cash, refilled the flask, all the usual town stuff plus the Franklin/home stuff I had to do.
Date: 2004-04-25
From: CMTF

To: Siler Bald shelter
Miles today: 6.8
Weather: overcast clouds

In the shelter tonight: Knuckles, JP, Moxie, Whoa, and Widget. Tenting nearby: Samurai. Don't know yet: me.I slept very badly the last two nights at CMTF -- 6 hours Friday and 2 hours last night. I am so tired. Going to bed early tonight.Today I repeated some of the day hikes I did in February. Started at Wallace Gap, hiked over to Winding Stair Gap and then to Siler Bald shelter. I took my aspirin too early today and it wore off by the time I was halfway between Wallace and Winding Stair Gaps. My feet hurt, my knees hurt, I was tired too fast. By the time I got to Winding Stair, I was about to give up for the day. Moxie gave me a couple of 200 mg Ibuprofen and I felt them almost right away. They really alleviated the pain in my feet and knees. The trip up the 4 miles to Siler Bald shelter was easy after that. I caught up to JP and Knuckles about halfway. The short day and the Ibuprofen were what I needed. Normally I try to hike without an over-the-counter assist, but today...I don't know what I would have done without it. Most of the last half of the Wallace to Winding Stair section I had quitting-no more hiking-off the trail for good fantasies.I have been hiking for the last few days with Moxie, Whoa, Knuckles, Samurai and JP -- ever since Muskrat Creek shelter. Weeellll, not really "hiking with," but "running into during the day, ending up at the same place at night hiking with." We're a group -- for the time being. Moxie and Whoa are also on TrailJournals.com.After we got to the shelter, Chickenlegs ('03) dayhiked in and sat and talked for a while. She is working at the Coweeta Hydrological Lab (near the astronomical observatory in Otto) doing bird research.Saw both my roommates at Hiawassee Inn, Left Fielder and Adam, on the trail today.Neal and Kara got up early to give me a ride into town to catch the shuttle. Thank you.To Steve and Grace at CMTF: thank you for letting me leave my car with you while I start my hike. Also for letting me stay there during my zero day in Franklin.Other thank yous: Goggles' friend Robb for the ride into Franklin on Friday from Rainbow Springs. Goggles for his trail wisdom. Other hikers for keeping the hiker boxes full. To the blond woman who gave me my first hitch to CMTF, to the Cowee Valley volunteer fireman who gave me my second hitch, to the NC highway super who gave me my third hitch, and to Neal who finished the job.
Date: 2004-04-26
From: Siler Bald shelter

To: Ridge above Cold Spring shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: moderate rain

In the shelter tonight: a whole bunch of people who beat us to it. Tenting nearby: Olivia, Nitro, JP and Knuckles, Widget, two other guys I haven't met. Hammocking: me.It rained hard last night. It started just as we got a fire going at Siler Bald shelter. It started hard, got harder, and then it really came down. We were nice and snug and dry in the shelter. It was still drizzling a little when we left this morning, but I still wore only my shorts, long sleeved poly and Buzz Off shirt. Big mistake. Well, medium mistake. It could have turned out worse. I warmed up as I hiked, but the rain came down harder. I didn't take a break until Wayah Bald. There was a long uphill before it that kept me warmed up. By the time we reached it, the temperature had dropped, fog had set in and I was very cold. The only shelter was the stone tower at the top and it wasn't very warm. It had an uncovered window on either side letting in the wind and a big, big puddle in the middle. It was fogged in so tight that the views were limited to 50 feet or so. Too bad. On a clear day you can see forever, even over to CMTF. I put my fleece and Marmot Precip jacket on over my thoroughly soaked clothes and warmed up fast. I hiked the afternoon in them and was fine. They actually dried out just a little over the course of the afternoon.When we reached the shelter, we found it full so JP, Knuckles, Widget and I set up on the ridge above the shelter. It had stopped raining by then. I set up my hammock for the first time. Next time: trees further apart, fly tighter, trees small enough for the webbing to go twice around, trim pads to fit better. In bed early and shivered a little. Got out and moved around to warm up. Got back in and was fine. As it cleared up, the moon made intermittent appearances, casting shadows on my hammock fly, but the wind did not die down.Writing this from the hammock.
Date: 2004-04-27
From: Ridge above Cold Spring shelter

To: Wesser Bald shelter
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: few clouds

In the shelter tonight: Me, Alexa, Chuggs, Maniac, Just Brian. Tenting nearby: Tim. Samurai, Moxie, and (The Evil Dr.) Whoa tented further along last night and got a head start to Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) today.My hammock system worked very well last night. The temperature on the ridge above the shelter fell below 40 degrees with a lot of wind and I was just toasty. My sleeping system consists of: two blue pads -- one an open cell foam pad 24" wide from REI, the other a closed cell foam pad from Wally World; and a Nunatak Backcountry Blanket with 4 ounces of extra fill. I have attached velcro to the closed cell pad so that I can attach one side of the Backcountry Blanket to it. I then lay the narrow foam pad on the wide one and pull the blanket over me. When I sleep in the hammock I just throw the whole thing in. The lowest I have slept in is about 35 degrees. I don't know how cold it will go. Whether I sleep in the shelter, on the ground or in the hammock, it has been way more than warm enough. I still need to trim the pads to fit in the hammock better, without making them useless on the ground. I also need to make the fly on the hammock tauter. It flapped all night. Also, for some reason I had to go to the bathroom about 5 times last night. Can't figure out why. I normally don't have to get out of bed at all. Anyway, the only real problem was getting back into the hammock after each trip. While I was warm, I wasn't necessarily comfortable, and getting in again was a prolonged exercise in wriggling and writhing until I was almost, but not quite, how I wanted to be. I never did get it exactly right. Bedding down in a shelter or on the ground is definitely easier.Left the ridge last this morning and only did a short day to save some wear and tear on my achin' feet. I just caught JP's and Knuckles' backs at Tellico Gap as I arrived and they hiked on up the trail. Talked to Olivia, Nitro and Haywire there. I caught up with JP and Knuckles at the Wesser Bald shelter for lunch. Said goodbye to them when they set out after lunch. I don't know if I will see them again soon. JP gave me a couple Aleves. I will try them tomorrow instead of aspirin. See if they do any more good. The plan now is to try other things for my feet -- different medication, take out my Superfeet, try hiking boots, take some extra time off the trail. I will get off the trail at NOC instead of Fontana, take my car up to New York, get a couple of extra days of recuperation for my feet and still get back on somewhere north of the Smokies.Finished the last of my Altoid Sours today -- the first time I have been without since I started.
Date: 2004-05-19
From: Deb and Jeff's in Stockport, NY

To: Greyhound bus enroute to Abingdon, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Got the train and the bus on time today. I had a layover in NYC for about an hour and a half, so I checked my pack and set out for Whole Foods. I picked up my favorites, real Parmigiano-Reggiano, cheese and a Cuban-style pork burrito. Also some lemon green tea and a bean burrito for breakfast. On the way back up to Penn Station I ran into Kenny Goodman, a friend of mine and someone who I used to work for. Didn't have much time so we just said hello and ran. Still, it was nice to be in NYC for just a couple of hours and run into someone I know.I haven't taken the bus in years and years. The trip from DC to Abingdon wasn't too long, only eight hours, so I didn't really mind it. Some people were going all the way to Dallas, though, a day and a half away. I don't know how they do it.
Date: 2004-05-20
From: Greyhound bus enroute to Abingdon, VA

To: The Place, Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Got into Abingdon at about 7 this morning. I stuck my thumb out -- all the way through town without getting a ride. I finally got to the two lane out of town (on the other side of town) just as the shuttle for Mt. Rogers Outfitters passed me. They couldn't stop right there, so they pulled over about a quarter-mile up to wait while I caught up. What an answered prayer. Jeff had two section hiker with him. They had left their cars at the bus station (yes the same bus station) at 8 and set out. You wouldn't think it would take me an hour just to get through town but it did. Nice little town too. Just long.I got to The Place and sorted through my pack again, went to the outfitter and replaced some stuff with lighter stuff, replaced some other stuff with stuff that doesn't chafe and then mailed all the old stuff back to Deb and Jeff. This took half the day. Then I ate and relaxed and said hello to all the hikers who hiked in that afternoon (well, most of 'em anyway).