morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-03-20
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: clear sky

Jitterbug here. I got home to Arkansas safely and saw a doctor yesterday. The diagnosis is that I have at least one, possibly two, cracked ribs. The prognosis is that it'll be 3-4 weeks before deep-breathing will be pain-free. So it looks like I'll be heading back out to the trail with Hoover in mid-April, starting somewhere around Hot Springs.I talked with Hoover today. His spirits seemed good, and he was hiking strongly. Without his "ball & chain" he covers the miles a lot faster. I like to think that my wit and companionship make the slower pace bearable for him, but he can really fly without me!Hoover made it to Standing Indian Shelter tonight. I'll let him fill in the hike details later.Hoover here, adding to Jitterbug's entry above. I'm writing this from Franklin, NC on 3/22, but I'm updating the events of 3/20.Jitterbug and I had originally planned to hike a short day on the 20th, covering just 4.5 miles to Plum Orchard Shelter. We were then going to hike 12.1 miles to Standing Indian Shelter on the 21st. But since I lost that half day due to the rainstorm on the 20th, I hiked the full 16.6 miles in one day--probably a mistake at this early stage of the hike.I hiked most of the day with a young couple named Dirt Patch (husband) and Pine Sol (wife) from Indiana. When I say I hiked "with" them, I really mean that we were traveling up the trail at about the same pace, starting at the same point and ending at the same point. During the day, we leap-frogged each other, as our rest stops were out of synch.One milestone met today was crossing our first state border. That's right, I'm now in North Carolina. But as much as we cursed the North Geogia mountains, I don't see that the ones in NC are much easier to hike!I had lunch at Muskrat Creek shelter with 3 women (Jersey, Rocco, and Beaker), as well as Wind-Up and Punchline. Jitterbug and I had heard about Punchline before; he's a magician and comedian, and I hear he has put on some pretty good performances at hostels and shelters already. I hope we'll get to see his "act" sometime.I made it to Standing Indian Shelter about 5 pm, and set up my tent (way too big without my hiking partner) nearby. It was a long, painful, lonely hike without her today, but it felt good to know I can cover that many miles. My knees and feet are feeling the miles, but hopefully that will get better.
Date: 2008-03-21
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

Jitterbug here again. Hoover called, and he was lunching at Carter Gap Shelter. His destination is Big Spring Shelter tonight. He'll hike in to Franklin NC mid-day on Saturday and will try to update these entries then.Hoover's edit, entered on 3/22 from Franklin, NC:I did make it to Big Spring Shelter last night, after hiking a more reasonable 14.1 miles. The highlight of the day was talking to Jitterbug back in Arkansas, as I had not had cell phone coverage for the last couple days. She filled me in on her trip home and her medical checkup. I hope she does recover in time to rejoin me at Hot Springs after our trip to Cabo.The biggest news on the hike today was climbing Albert Mountain late in the day. I was already pretty tired, and this mountain is one of the most challenging on the portion of the AT we've previously hiked (through New Jersey). After a long steep climb, I had to scramble up a section of rocks to the summit. I was glad to reach that summit and then coast down a short bit of trail to the shelter.I slept in the shelter last night, the first time I've done so this season. Jitterbug and I always prefer to sleep in our tent, but I got a good night's sleep on the shelter's wood floor. Didn't even hear any mice during the night!
Date: 2008-03-22
From: Big Spring Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: clear sky

Hoover here. Today's hike was a pretty easy one into Winding Stair Gap, where I caught a ride into Franklin. I was again hiking "with" Dirt Patch and Pine Sol, and we rode together to town. We were met on the trail by a trail angel named Gayle, who gave each of us a zip-lock bag containing a box of raisins, a boiled (colored) egg, and candy--an early Easter treat. She had also left Capri-Sun drinks cooling in a spring on the trail just north of Wallace Gap, which we passed around 11:30. Very refreshing, and very kind of Gayle.We sat at the trailhead at Winding Stair Gap waiting for the shuttle to town, and Gayle drove up and offered us a ride. She already had a hiker we'd met the night before, named Hell on Bad Wheels, in the van with her. So the 4 of us rode into Franklin with her.I'm going to do laundry and take a shower, and in about 2 hours I'll catch a shuttle to a grocery store for resupply. I haven't checked the weather forecast yet, but I've heard rumors of a cold front and snow approaching. I hope to head out again tomorrow, but that will depend on the forecast.
Date: 2008-03-23
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

Jitterbug here. I talked with Hoover today, and he's made it to Cold Springs Shelter for the night. Since Dirt Patch and Pine Sol got off the trail in Winding Stair Gap he's been hiking on his own, although he sees people on the trail regularly. Tonight he's the only one at the shelter so far. He's feeling strong, with minimal knee pain on the downhills, and no ankle/tendon issues so far. He plans to hike into the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) tomorrow.Hoover edit: It turned out I was the only one at Cold Spring Shelter that night. It was a pretty rickety old shelter, with a floor that slanted down to the back-right corner. So I slept with my feet back in that corner and my body angled toward the front center. It snowed a bit overnight, and I awoke with a dusting of snow around my head. Not a big deal, though--actually it was kind of cool.
Date: 2008-03-24
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: light rain

Jitterbug here: Hoover hiked into the NOC today, a relatively easy hike, and then a steep and long downhill to the Center. He's bunking with five other guys tonight, most of whom will be hiking on towards Fontana tomorrow. Hoover should have company for his hike into Fontana, and probably through the Smokies as well. His spirits are good, and it looks he'll have good weather over the next week. More from him later...Hoover edit: I hiked all day alone, though I did pass 3 hikers enroute. The steep descent into Nantahala Outdoor Center was murder on my knees, but they recover quickly once I'm no longer descending. The right knee is worrying me, though; the pain is much sharper than in the left knee.The NOC is a pretty cool place. It's been there for over 35 years. In addition to the hiker hostel where I stayed, they have a very nice restaurant right on the river, an outfitter, a small grocery store, cabins and lodge-style rooms, and a terrific whitewater program--everything from gentle river floats in large group rafts to kayaking through Olympic-caliber runs. I stood on the bridge next to the restaurant and watched two men in small kayaks, taking turns doing FLIPS. Intentionally. Again and again. Rolling a kayak is one thing, but flips??? Maybe someday.
Date: 2008-03-25
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: clear sky

Jitterbug here: I spoke with Hoover this afternoon. He had a huge climb out of the NOC this morning, gaining over 3000 feet of elevation in the first three hours of hiking. He plans to spend the night at Brown Fork Gap Shelter, and then head into Fontana Dam tomorrow. More later.Hoover edit: Hardest day of hiking yet. It started with the climb out of the NOC as Jitterbug mentioned, then dragged on for another 13 miles of ups and downs--mostly of the 400-800' variety. What really got me was the last 2.4 miles past Stecohah Gap. My AT handbook listed just another gap--no mountains--between Stecohah Gap and Brown Fork Gap Shelter. But between these two gaps was an unmentioned, unnamed mountain that I had to climb. It was about a 1200' elevation gain, and the trail went straight up the mountain. No switch-backs, no S-curving up the mountain, just straight up. Everyone in the shelter that night was complaining about that climb at the end of the day.The shelter was fairly full. There were 2 young teachers and a retired teacher all from Charlotte and section-hiking together during spring break, plus 3 more thru-hikers besides me. One of the thru-hikers had done the same 16.1 miles I did from the NOC. All the others had hiked the 9.1 miles from the Sassafras Gap Shelter where I had eaten lunch. The two young teachers were a hoot. The other thru-hikers present were Cricket, Indy Girl, and...uh...I forgot his name.
Date: 2008-03-26
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: broken clouds

Jitterbug here: Hoover made it into Fontana today and is at the Hike Inn tonight. Altough his schedule allows for a zero day tomorrow, he plans to hike on into the Smokies instead.Today's hike was relatively easy, a lot of downhill. When he got to the dam, Jeff Hoch of the Hike Inn was waiting to give him a lift. He learned from the ridgerunner who was talking to Jeff that Fontana Dam is not yet closed to pedestrian traffic, although the website said it would close last Monday. Hoover was really happy to hear that, as the detour he would have taken added two hours and some very rough and steep scrambles to an already tough day of hiking tomorrow. A piece of luck!Hoover went into Robbinsville to resupply and ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant. He had the largest item on the menu (two large platters of food), and polished it off easily. To sleep in a real bed tonight...Hoover edit: There were 4 of us at the Hike Inn that night: Indy Girl, Jack Frost, Ten-88, and me. Jeff and his wife Nancy were superb hosts. Nancy took all our dirty clothes and returned them FOLDED! Then she took us all into Robinsville for dinner, and then to a grocery store for resupply.I asked Indy Girl where she got her trail name; she was an official timer/scorer for Indy 500 races for 18 years. She named several of the drivers she timed, but the only one I recognized was Al Unser Jr. And by the way, the name Ten-88 comes from half the length of the AT, 1088 miles. Tomorrow I head into the Smokies, and I'm soooo relieved the dam is still open to foot traffic!
Date: 2008-03-27
From: Fontana Dam

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Jitterbug here: Today Hoover climbed up into the Smokies, starting at 1715 feet elevation and climbing to 5200 feet. Of course he gained and lost a lot more elevation than that over the day as well. It was predominantly an uphill day, with a huge food bag (five days plus and extra meal), and 16.4 miles covered. The views were spectacular all day, and with the leaves still off the trees he had lots of views to enjoy.He stopped for the night at Spence Field Shelter. One of the other hikers there fell asleep and immediately began snoring loudly. Hoover pulled out his iPod and listened to it to drown and the snores, and it finally lulled him to sleep.Hoover edit: Yes, this was as hard a day as I expected. I had only planned to hike to Russell Field Shelter, but a ridge-runner named Gray Beard talked me into trying for Spence Field Shelter, about 3.5 miles farther. I'm sure he was just trying to spread out the thru-hikers a bit, but it worked out well for me. None of the other 3 thru-hikers from the night before made it this far, but there were several nice section hikers in the shelter and I had fun there.
Date: 2008-03-28
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Jitterbug here: The Smokies are magnificent, but there are some frustrations with hiking there. GSMNP regulations require hikers to sleep in shelters rather than tenting. Thus the distance between shelters dictates the distance you are able to hike in a day. Today Hoover had a choice between hiking 13.5 and 19.8 miles. Tomorrow he could choose to hike 6, 10, 14 or 21 miles. Another downside to sleeping in the shelters are the snorers. When you have a bunch of people packed together like sardines, the first one asleep is the only one who gets a restful night. I remember one night in the Smokies in 2003 when I laid awake listening to eight separate snorers in chorus. Ear plugs help, but they don't drown the noise out; music does a better job of that. Then there are the mice in the shelter. They scurry around all night looking for a crumb or two to nibble on. The scurrying can involve running right over the head of a sleeping hiker, or climbing up into your pack to check it out. But I worry even more when the mice are absent, because that means there is a snake in residence! All of this sounds bad to the uninitiated, but trust me when I say all of the frustrations are worth what you experience while hiking in God's country!Today Hoover hiked the day in off-and-on rain. He had to don and shed his raingear many times throughout the day--it's too hot to hike in raingear when it's NOT raining, and it's BAD to get everything you're wearing wet when you are carrying limited clothing with you. He also said that his energy level was a little low today. His plan had been to hike straight through the Smokies without stopping, but I think I persuaded him to detour into Gatlinburg tomorrow afternoon. There's a 60 percent chance of rain on Sunday, and he hasn't had a zero day since Dicks Creek Gap nine days ago. A day off will keep him dry and re-energize him for the remaining miles into Hot Springs.More later...Hoover edit: Today's hike was harder than I expected, and I'm glad I went the extra 3.5 miles yesterday; otherwise I couldn't have made it to the Double Spring Shelter as I had planned. Ten-88 caught up to me today, having hiked from Russell Field Shelter--so he hiked farther than I today. Did I mention before that Ten-88 is hiking in Crocs? Amazing. But then in 2003 two sisters hiked the AT barefoot!Ten-88 and I were joined in the shelter by 3 section hikers. Two were a married couple with trail names T-Square and Butt Girl. T-Square is an architect, and his wife (Karen actually) is a family practice doctor; her trail name came from a 5-year-old kid who saw her in pants she had torn in the Maine mountains who pointed and kept saying "Butt! Butt!" They were really nice people, and are hiking from New Found Gap to Fontana Dam. They have already section-hiked from Springer Mountain to Fontana Dam.
Date: 2008-03-29
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Gatlinburg TN
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: light rain

Jitterbug here: Hoover called and he is Gatlinburg, TN for the night. He hiked from Double Springs Gap to Newfound Gap this morning. He needed a night in a bed, a hot shower and clean clothes, so he'll take 24 hours in town. Tomorrow calls for lots of rain, so he plans to sleep in and try to get back out to the trail between rain showers in the afternoon. He plans to hike to Icewater Springs Shelter, just 3 miles from Newfound Gap, so he can spend most of tomorrow in town.I am relieved that he took some time off the trail. Ten days in a row hiking can wear a guy out. He says his knees are no longer an issue except the usual for long downhill stretches, and his ankles and tendons aren't bothering him at all. I think a night of good sleep and comfortable shelter from the rain is just what the doctor would order, though.Hoover edit: Pretty easy (but wet) day, despite hiking an extra mile due to stupidity. I saw Clingmans Dome from the crest of a hill just north of it, and I estimated I would be to its top at 10 am (15 mintes later). Well, I bopped along, listening to my iPod and daydreaming, and then noticed it was 10:00 and I wasn't there yet. In fact, it occurred to me I had been hiking downhill, and Clingmans Dome was well above me. About then, I came to a trail sign that said the AT was 0.5 miles back the way I had come. So I had to retrace my steps for a half mile, all uphill, to get back to where I'd missed a turn. So I really hiked 11.8 miles, but the stupid miles don't count.When I got to Newfound Gap, I went into the restroom and cleaned up a bit to enhance my chances of catching a hitch. It worked, and a pair of women from Georgia stopped and gave me a lift down to Gatlinburg. They had left home planning to hike up Blood Mountain (which I did on day 3 of my hike). The weather was bad, so they kept driving north looking for better conditions. Next thing they knew they were at Newfound Gap in the middle of the Smokies! I'm glad it worked out so well, and now I'm dry, clean, and well fed.
Date: 2008-03-30
From: Gatlinburg TN

To: Gatlinburg TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I decided to stay in Gatlinburg all day Sunday (a "zero day" in trail lingo), and watch the NCAA quarterfinals games. Instead of hiking just 3 miles to the first shelter this afternoon and 12.6 tomorrow, I will hike the whole 15.6 tomorrow.
Date: 2008-03-31
From: Gatlinburg TN

To: Tri-Corner Knob
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I caught an early ride back up to Newfound Gap and started hiking at 8:30. The weather was nice down in Gatlinburg, but on the drive up the mountain we entered a cloud. I was to stay in that cloud all day, as it turned out.It wasn't raining, but the trees were very wet and the wind was blowing the water down on me, so I hiked all day in rain gear. It was foggy, cold, and windy all day. The terrain wasn't too bad, though. Once you climb up into the Smokies, you stay in the 5000'-5800' range, with only the usual ups and downs of a few hundred feet each.We had a pretty full shelter, with about a half dozen section hikers and about that many thru-hikers, including Hamburglar and Pippi, whom I'd met at the motel in Gatlinburg. Two section hikers from Indianapolis, Wes and Adam, provided a lot of comic relief--they were a real hoot. Another section hiker was a young woman who thru-hiked with her husband in 2005; she was hiking this time with a friend. All in all, a very nice and friendly group.
Date: 2008-04-01
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Hostel
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: light rain

My longest day yet, but it was a nice hike. More of the usual ups and downs in the 5900'-6300' range for the first 5 miles, then a pretty steady descent out of the Smokies after that (except for one strenuous climb in the early afternoon). After exiting the park at Davenport Gap, I hiked through a pretty wood along a stream that I remember being one of Jitterbug's favorite spots in 2003. The trail winds along, crossing the stream several times, and there are numerous cascades in the stream. A very pretty spot.I arrived at Standing Bear Farm around 4:30, got a quick shower and washed some clothes (with a scrub board and wringer!). Looks like DiGiorno pizza for dinner.I plan to hike the 33.4 miles to Hot Springs in 2 days, but I'm taking enough food for 3 days just in case; it looks like I would have to hike 18.8 miles the second day, and that may be too much, given the terrain. We'll see.
Date: 2008-04-02
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: few clouds

What a day! The skies were blue, the temperature about 60 degrees, and I felt really strong climbing the several mountains on this hike. The result was my first 20 mile day this year, and now an easy 13 mile hike into Hot Springs tomorrow.The highlight of the day was Max Patch Bald. It's the highest peak for miles around, and with no trees on top it offers unrestricted 360 degree views. I ate lunch sitting on this grassy bald, but regretted not buying more food, because I was still hungry. Well, as I descended the north side of the bald, I ran into a large group of North Carolina teachers who just happened to have extra food. I scored 3 wonderful sandwiches (wraps, actually) and an apple, and I was all set.We had 4 thru-hikers in the shelter, but we were outnumbered by the mice. We could hear them scurrying around, scratching, and munching on something, but I found no evidence of damage to any of my gear in the morning. Our food, of course, was hung from trees to keep it out of bears' and critters' reach.One more day and I'm heading home to Jitterbug!
Date: 2008-04-03
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

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

What a great feeling, hiking down off the final ridge into Hot Springs today! The only thing that would have made it better would have been to have Jitterbug with me. I kept thinking how happy she would have been making that descent.It was very windy and fairly cold starting out this morning. I shed layers during the first big climb, and I was just on the verge of being too cool most of the day--any time I wasn't climbing, that is.All in all, it was a very good day. I pulled into downtown Hot Springs around 1:30, stowed my gear in my car, and went to the Paddlers' Pub for a cheeseburger, fries, and a beer. Several of the teachers I met yesterday at Max Patch were there, and we had a good time talking. Then it was back to the car and on the road to Arkansas.For anyone who's wondering about the road trip home in the middle of our thru-hike, I'm going home to be with Jitterbug until she's ready to resume the hike. The doctor said she should be able to hike in about 2 weeks, so we hope to pick up where I left off today, in Hot Springs NC, around the third week of April. More entries then, so stay tuned.
Date: 2008-04-18
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We are all set to start hiking from Hot Springs tomorrow. We had a great trip to Cabo with our friends, and my ribs are feeling about 85% healed, so I'm ready to give it a go. I am so excited about getting my boots back on the trail, I can't wait.I know it'll be frustrating for Hoover who has been hiking big miles, but he has suggested that we start out slowly to break me back into the trail. I know it's the smart thing to do, but it sure will be hard for both of us to quit for the day when there's lots of daylight left. We've never been good at pacing ourselves, even when our bodies would have done better with a shorter day now and then. But I promise to be good, pick up my feet, stop if I'm going to sight-see and be CAREFUL! Wish us luck...
Date: 2008-04-21
From: Hemlock Hollow Hostel

To: Campsite @ 278.5
Miles today: 8.8

We had a rough night in our little cabin last night. The mattress kept rolling us together in the middle, and we accidently kneed or elbowed each other all night struggling out of the trough. But it was great to be warm, cozy and dry.We set out at about 11:00 and quickly hiked the 1.6 miles to Allen Gap. Near there is a log house owned by Fal and Hercules, thru-hikers from 1999, who are trail angels extraoridinaire...they feed 100's of hikers every year with great food and a message of love. We stopped in for a glass of lemonade, a piece of brown betty with ice cream, and some good conversation. We hit the trail again at about 12:30, full of fuel and good spirits.And I needed it. The hike was much tougher (read: LOTS of uphill), and my legs felt like jello. A couple of times I turned to Hoover and asked him to remind me just why this hiking business is supposed to be so much fun. I did not much enjoy the day. We had planned to go about 11 miles, but I was so tired and discouraged that we set up our tent an hour early, ate dinner at 5:45 and were in the tent and in our bags by 6:45. I was feeling kind of blue about my slow progress and about what a whiner I'd been all day. Hoover hadn't had much fun today either.Lying there, tired and not enjoying my pity party for one, I had a revelation. I'd felt exactly this way a few days into other hikes, and I remembered how I dealt with it. It's all a head game. A positive attitude is what I've been missing, and I resolved to find mine and pull it out for tomorrow's hike.