morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-09-18
From: Pecks Corner

To: Pigeon Forge TN
Miles today: 0.0

yesterday when we got to the shelter my left knee was hurting somewhat. This morning it was really b ad when I got up to go to potty. I just could barely hobble along..guess the long long downs got to it. Ray called our medical service thru AARP and Good Sam..they in turn called the forestry service. They sent a very nice ranger named Walt West. He came up on a little ATV type buggy and took us down the mountain. He put a braceon my leg to keep it from banging around.He has lived in the forest most of his life. He has not had a TV in his home for 10 years. Says when he visits relatives he falls asleep in front of it so why bother. There was a stream running by his home where he grew up and when his first born was baptised he took water from that stream and asked his pastor if he would use it to baptise his son with it..as it meant so much to him growing up and the pastor did so..Isnt that neat? I think so.So once again we are off trail I went to medical clinic, got x rays medicine and a brace. We will do some visiting of relatives and friends in Va,Pa and TN.Will do some checking on the trail before we go back IF we go back, part of the section is where the hurricane went thru so it might not even be passable..we just might have to give it up and go back after we do some motor home touring..or just say "nice knowing ya AT and try to be happy with what we've done..which will not be easyas it is a dream and goal I wanted to do.( note from Linda......I am very proud of what you have accomplished so far on the trail...not many your age would have done what you did....)
Date: 2003-03-30
From: Springer Mountain

To: Sassafras Mountain
Miles today: 11.0

Note: I'm doing this almost ten years after the fact. I'm doing this because I often want to reminisce. Others, I think, will find it interesting because it is very complete, from beginning to end, with very honest descriptions of the emotional aspect, as well as the physical aspect. There are also many excellent and varied photographs. When I did the hike, I was unaware of this website. I had my own website, but that site disappeared long ago. ********************* I flew to Atlanta immediately after leaving work on my retirement day (3/28). Stayed with Mike and Ann in Marietta. They live on Millinocket Street. I consider that a good omen; the only other Millinocket I know of is the nearest town to the end of the Appalachian Trail in Maine.I spent Saturday resting up from a very emotional (and wonderful) last day at work. Also did my final packing.On the way to Springer Mountain we stopped and weighed my pack -- only 33 pounds! Sure seems like a lot more than that.Mike and Ann kindly drove me up, up, up a rutty forest road to within 0.9 miles of Springer Mountain (the start). It¢s a shivery good bye.Started at 11:30 AM. Snow flurries; very windy. Not a good start. Springer Mountain had two inches of snow on it! Terrain wasn¢t bad today, though. No problems except cold. Too cold and windy to cook tonight. I just threw everything into the tent and crawled into my nice warm sleeping bag. Surviving on trail mix. Supposed to warm up tomorrow. Sure hope so!Several thru-hikers started today, including a few with no packs! They¢re being supported by a vehicle, as I discovered later in the day at a parking lot where I saw a sign saying, ¢Pittsburgh Slow Hikers meet here.¢ Now that¢s the way to go!Also saw a New Jersey fellow carrying several bags, stooped over at about a 110-degree angle, asking me how far to the next shelter so he could set up camp. He had gone only about two miles at that point, and it was noon. Poor guy! All I could do was pray for him, which I did.
Date: 2003-03-31
From: Sassafras Mountain

To: (No Name) Creek
Miles today: 12.8

Up at 6:30. I hadn¢t left the sleeping bag for twelve hours! Snowed during the night -- not good. I have Reynaud¢s disease, which means my fingers freeze up easily in cold weather -- quite a problem when decamping, with all the ties and buckles. I take off my gloves for a minute or two at a time, then re-warm my fingers before tackling the next chore. I hit the trail at 8:00 -- sun shining brightly. Good day of hiking -- sunny, cool (too cool when windy), great scenery. Hiked until 4:45. They say you get your ¢hiking legs¢ in two or three weeks -- sure hope so. I¢m slow and sore. Seeing lots of thru-hikers -- about 20 today.Cooked supper tonight. No wind and not nearly as cold as last night. Weather report for tomorrow -- even better.
Date: 2003-04-01
From: (No Name) Creek

To: Baggs Creek Gap
Miles today: 12.0

Hit the trail at 7:45 and arrived here at 4:45. Great weather -- sunny, not too hot, not too cold. Super scenery, especially Blood Mountain -- highest point on the A.T. in Georgia (4481 feet). Very up-and-down today, much of it steep and rocky. A real tester! Reached Walasi-Yi at 12:30. It¢s a grocery/hostel/outfitter store where the backpackers (including me) love to chow down real food. Also the place where hikers can purchase the stuff they need but forgot about or didn¢t know about.Finally saw a couple of hikers close to my age -- that¢s encouraging.
Date: 2003-04-02
From: Baggs Creek Gap

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: clear sky

Started at 7:30 and ended at 4:15. Another gorgeous day with lots of scenery and sun (too much), temperature in the 60¢s. Despite quite a bit of level hiking, I only covered 13.6 miles. I greatly overestimated my speed, at least early in the game. They say one speeds up a lot after a few weeks -- let¢s hope so.Wanna hear something gross? I just removed my navy blue t-shirt for the first time since I left Springer Mountain! I have three t-shirts, the plan being to wear one for four days, then another one, saving a clean one for going into town. Wanna hear something even more gross? Nah -- I didn¢t think so.
Date: 2003-04-03
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

Went 14.8 miles today, despite two very long climbs (Tray Mountain and Kelly Knob). Maybe I¢m starting to get into shape.Again, not a cloud in the sky. Water can be a problem here -- sometimes several miles between springs. Because of weight, I carry only one one-quart bottle -- I may need to rethink that. As it is, when I reach a spring, I usually drink a quart and fill my bottle to the brim. I slightly underestimated my food intake and am having to ration it to get by until ¢town day.¢ I always skip breakfast -- too eager to get moving, and when I eat breakfast I often have stomach problems. I snack throughout the day -- dehydrated fruit and trail mix, then cook a good meal in the evening (re-hydrated potatoes, beans, pasta).Unconfirmed observation of mine: 60 percent of all thru-hikers are in their 20¢s.
Date: 2003-04-04
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: White Oak Stamp
Miles today: 16.1

Started at 7:00 and ended at 4:30. Cloudy and pleasantly cool. Drizzled a bit -- no problem. Not quite as scenic as the last two days. Big event -- left Georgia behind -- my first state! For thru-hikers I expect finishing a state is a major milestone. Here¢s the mileage for each state:GA - 75.4NC/TN - 380.0 (the trail goes back and forth between these two)VA - 531.9!!!MD - 40.4PA - 229.4NJ - 72.6NY - 88.6CT - 51.6MA - 90.2VT - 148.6NH - 161.0ME - 281.4So it¢ll be quite awhile before I bag another state. Saw only a total of eight thru-hikers the last two days. We must be losing some. I heard somewhere that only 50 percent make it out of Georgia. Unconfirmed observation of mine: About 20 percent of thru-hikers are female.
Date: 2003-04-05
From: White Oak Stamp

To: Betty Creek Gap
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Started at 7:00 and ended at 3:00. Just when I thought this might be fun. Rained intermittently last night. Tent held up great, but this morning, just as I had taken down the the tent and was starting to fill my pack, a downpour began. Cold, cold rain with all the trimmings -- wind, thunder, lightning. Nothing for me to do but hit the trail and hope to outrun it. The only way I prevented hypothermia was to hike fast -- too cold to stop. After three hours of nonstop (I usually stop every hour for rest, drink, and a handful of trail mix or dried fruit), I forced myself to stop, though doing so started some violent shivering. Obviously, if the rain kept up I¢d have to stop for the day and put on dry clothes.Fortunately, the weather broke at about 11:00, and it turned out to be a lovely day. High and scenic. Standing Indian Mountain, in fact, is the highest point on the A.T. (5498 feet) south of the Smokies. Because of the nice, gradual rise and fall of the trail, no problem.Tomorrow evening I should be in Franklin, NC -- a hot tub, chocolate milkshake, cheeseburger, salad, fries, pie and ice cream -- I can¢t wait. Maybe even some Krispy Kreme donuts. A nice soft bed. Sounds wonderful.Unconfirmed observation of mine: About two percent of thru-hikers are canines. Each carries its own dog food in a pack on its back, saddlebag style.
Date: 2003-04-06
From: Betty Creek Gap

To: Franklin, NC (Microtel Inn)
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: broken clouds

Easy miles today to Winding Stair Gap (U.S. 64). Hitchhiked from there to here. Started hiking at 7:45 and ended at 1:30.Enjoyed a hot bath here and a humongous meal at Shoney¢s. Now catching up on the news via TV and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Called my wonderful, lovely, understanding wife and caught up on the local news. I love these respites in civilization!Highlight of today¢s hike was the fire tower atop Albert Mountain (5250 feet). It was a strenuous climb to get to the top of the mountain, but the gradual descent on the north side was a breeze.How am I feeling after my eight-day hike? Am I optimistic about the success of this quest? It depends upon when you ask me. In the morning, with fresh legs and lots of calories to burn, I¢m full of optimism. In mid-afternoon, when exhausted and hungry, Katahdin seems light years away. My physical condition is improving, so, hopefully, those afternoon downers will diminish.Tomorrow, I¢ll do my laundry, pick up supplies mailed to me by my wife, plan the next few days, rest, and eat. A day in town -- nothing like it!
Date: 2003-04-07
From: Franklin, NC (Microtel Inn)

To: Franklin, NC (Microtel Inn)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Spent the day doing errands, eating, napping, reading, watching TV. Nice! On town days, I need to go to the post office to get my supply package from my wonderful wife -- and, of course, to a laundromat. Unfortunately, the post office here is a mile and a half from my motel -- and the laundromat is 3/4 of a mile in the opposite direction! The last errand was to Mail Boxes, Inc. to mail home the diary and digital camera memory card.I can tell that town days are going to be a great temptation on this journey.
Date: 2003-04-08
From: Franklin, NC (Microtel Inn)

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: light rain

Worst day yet. Hitched a ride from Franklin with no problem, but from then on...foggy, steady rain all day. Trail was an up-and-downer -- rocky, rooty, muddy, slippery. Would have been some great views except for the fog.Passed Siler¢s Bald and the famous Wayah Bald -- no views, of course. Balds are grassy mountain tops with no trees to obscure the view in all directions -- lovely places. Hopefully, the balds coming up the next few days won¢t all be enshrouded in fog.This is my first night sleeping in a shelter; it¢s literally wall-to-wall people. Should be interesting. The advantage to staying in a shelter (in addition to dryness) is that you get to know more people. Unconfirmed observation of mine: 95 percent of all backpackers are really nice.
Date: 2003-04-09
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Another night in a warm bed! I earned it, though. Last night it rained all night, so it was good to be in a dry shelter. It was also a reminder as to why I should sleep in my own tent when the weather allows. Two very knowledgeable backpackers took turns one-upping each other as to what they know (lots) and where they¢d been (many places). One could learn a lot just listening to them, if one could ignore the egotism. No questions from those two -- they knew all the answers.The younger backpackers are much better companions -- not hampered by huge egos, willing to expose their ignorance, interested in others.This place is a whitewater rafting center right on the trail. Has a restaurant, hostel, and cabins. My cabin is quite nice -- two beds in my room, which is one of ten rooms in the cabin. Showers, washer, dryer, TV in the common area.Had a chili cheeseburger and fries for supper -- two things I don¢t even crave while living my ¢normal life.¢It was another wet, foggy day. Only 11.5 miles, but they were rugged. Mostly downhill, but treacherous, rocky, muddy, slippery -- hard on old knees.Unconfirmed observation of mine: Cell phones are starting to appear on the A.T. -- approximately 25 percent of thru-hikers have one.
Date: 2003-04-10
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: snow

Last night I went to sleep early, as usual, around 9:30, but was awakened by a group of young people. As usual, there was one vocal, noisy leader who loudly regaled the group with stories of his backpacking escapades. Most people, especially the young, I think, abhor silence, but silence is a major reason I¢m here. For the most part, I¢m getting plenty of it. I plugged my ears with toilet paper, covering my head with pillows, and went back to sleep.It rained steadily all night and into the morning. I was warm and cozy in my cabin, waiting for it to stop. I hiked only from 9:15 to 1:00 today before getting snowed in here. Dave, from Philadephia, had said before I left that a foot of snow was predicted in the mountains, but I decided to go as far as I could -- and here I am. It is beautiful.We hear that a guy broke his ankle a mile from here -- a rescue team is on its way.Unconfirmed observation of mine: Sixty percent of thru-hikers are going it alone. Believe me -- hiking the A.T. would put real stress on any relationship.
Date: 2003-04-11
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: overcast clouds

There were 12 of us snowed in at Sassafras Gap Shelter last night. Luckily, there was enough space (barely). Three of the 12 were nationally ranked snorers. I thought Rosie could compete with the best of them, but she¢s an amateur compared to these three guys. (I, of course, never snore...)We got no additional snow during the night, and it was starting to melt by morning; in fact, after a couple of hours of descent, I was out of the snow completely. Still, though, not an upper of a day -- cool, foggy, drizzly. The spectacular view from Chenoah Bald was totally obliterated by fog -- so what else is new?I was planning to be in Fontana Village tonight, but the half-day snow delay forced me to put that off. As it is, I¢ll get there tomorrow morning and face the decision whether or not to stay all day and night or to hike right on into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Note: A day off the trail is called a ¢zero day¢ -- as in zero miles on the journal. Thru-hikers have a love/hate relationship with ¢taking a zero.¢
Date: 2003-04-12
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Village Inn
Miles today: 5.5

Hiked only from 7:45 to 10:45, then hitchhiked two miles into this beautiful little mountain resort community. Little happens here until Memorial Day, so there are few visitors, other than hikers. Trees are in bloom -- lovely! Also, it¢s sunny -- first time in a week.I got my first bath since Franklin -- ditto for TV and a newspaper. Will enter the Smokies in the morning.So far, I¢ve hiked 161.7 miles in 13 days, not including one rest day.Note: Hikers can be classified as follows:(1) Thru-hikers -- attempting the whole A.T. in one trip. Subclasses include southbounders (10 percent) and northbounders (90 percent).(2) Section hikers -- hike a section of the A.T. at a time -- may or may not want to do the whole trail.(3) Day hikers -- hike a day or less at a time -- no overnight stays.(4) Flip-floppers -- like Wilbur, a South Carolinian I met earlier. He can¢t retire until May 16 -- too late to thru-hike -- so he¢ll start north for 3-4 weeks to Hot Springs, North Carolina, then drive to Maine and start south to Hot Springs. There are infinitely many ways to flip-flop, but it¢s basically the same degree of difficulty as thru-hiking.
Date: 2003-04-13
From: Fontana Village Inn

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: clear sky

A different kind of a day. Decided I needed more food to get me through the eight (optimistically) days to Hot Springs -- next town -- so had to wait until the grocery was open; thus, a late start. Then lost another half hour because I didn¢t know where to get my national park camping permit.Unlike the remainder of the A.T., in the Smokies we can¢t just camp anywhere we like. Actually, anyone except a thru-hiker must have a reservation to use a shelter -- this keeps the number of campers under control. However, three spaces in each shelter are reserved for any thru-hiker who wanders in. If we don¢t get a spot in a shelter, we must camp next to a shelter; thus, we lose a lot of flexibility. (Tonight there is plenty of space in the shelter for me.)The trail crosses Fontana Dam (tallest dam east of the Mississippi) into the national park. It was a lovely, cool, sunny day, with lots of lovely views. Lots of uphills, making that 14.7 miles very hard work.Big news: I saw a bear! About a hundred yards away, running like crazy to get away from me.Bad news: Left tibia starting to ache near the end of each long day -- that can¢t be good!Note: Dogs aren¢t allowed on the A.T. in this national park. I have to conclude from this that the only canine thru-hiker to ever complete the whole trip was Bill Irwin¢s guide dog. (Bill Irwin is the only blind person to complete a thru-hike of the A.T. -- an absolutely incredible feat!)Note: Shelters in this park are screened in for protection from bears, although as they¢re rebuilt, they won¢t contain this feature.
Date: 2003-04-14
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Siler's Bald Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: few clouds

Score: Smokies 2, Chimpy 0. Here¢s the thing -- the A.T. covers 71 miles across the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I need to do it in five days, because it¢s three more days after that to Hot Springs -- and my food will barely make it. So that¢s 14 miles per day, which the last two days tell me is a very tall order. I can¢t imagine my body holding up for another day as tough as these last two. Still, though, the weather is perfect and the views fantastic!If 14 miles per day proves to be too much, I¢ll need an alternative food supply -- either a diversion to a store or restaurant -- or perhaps some ¢trail magic.¢Note: ¢Trail magic¢ occurs when tourists or residents of the area leave food or drink for hikers at one of the road crossings -- or even go on the trail to deliver it. So far I haven¢t gotten any trail magic, but maybe there¢ll be some at Clingman¢s Dome in the morning...Observation confirmed: One of the ¢ridgerunners¢ (A.T. volunteers who roam assigned sections to monitor activity) told me that 23 percent of thru-hikers are females (compared to my previous estimate of 20 percent).Note: About that tibia pain -- it was aching badly as I started out today, and I was really worried. Remembering shin splints from high school basketball days, I taped the shin area with duct tape, and -- voila! -- problem solved -- at least temporarily.
Date: 2003-04-15
From: Siler's Bald Shelter

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: few clouds

Hiked from 8:00 to 5:45. Another beautiful, sunny, cool day -- what more could a guy ask for? Level hiking, maybe? Other than a horrendous climb up to Clingman¢s Dome and a long, gradual uphill to this shelter, pretty easy going. Felt good all day.Funny thing -- around Clingman¢s Dome, the trees went from not-yet-leafed-out hardwoods to evergreens. Since then, the woods has been very green and thick, contrary to the previous hiking. Couldn¢t have seen a bear today if it¢d been 20 feet from me! I did hear lots of ferocious growling...from my stomach. Got my first trail magic today -- a glass of cranberry juice from some tourists on the Clingman¢s Dome road.At 6643 feet, Clingman¢s Dome is the highest point on the A.T., even higher than New Hampshire¢s Mount Washington. It is not, however, the highest point east of the Mississippi River -- you can look that one up and report back to us. (Answer: Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina -- 6684 feet)Unconfirmed observation: 90 percent of thru-hikers use trekking poles (or the old-fashioned version -- walking sticks). Of that 90 percent, 80 percent use two poles. These are invaluable in taking pressure off of the knees and in balancing in precarious footing situations. The ultimate in machismo -- hiking with no poles! I couldn¢t go five miles without ¢em.Yesterday, a fellow from Vermont gave me a great tip on downhill poling technique. His tip has taken a lot of the dread out of the downhills. That may have been a big reason I felt better today.
Date: 2003-04-16
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tricorner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Hiked from 8:15 to 4:15. This was the most spectacular scenery yet! Highlight was Charlie¢s Bunnion -- a promontory with long, steep drop and wonderful view.Tip: For the best combination of hiking ease and spectacular views, try a two- to four-day hike from Newfound Gap (U.S. 441) to Davenport Gap (NC 284) -- a 31.3 mile beauty. Don¢t go the other direction -- much tougher.Here¢s an unhappy and little-known fact: Much of the ¢smokiness¢ of the Smokies is pollution from cities west of here. This weakens the resistance of plants, particularly conifers, so they¢re more susceptible to disease and insect damage. As a result, I see many evergreen tree ¢skeletons,¢ in some places as much as 50 percent of the forest, dead. Sad!The first thing a thru-hiker looks at on the trail map is the vertical profile for the miles ahead. This curved line tells you the slope of the trail by mile and is a big indicator of what kind of day you¢re in for (disregarding weather, scenery, hunger, thirst, and mood). For example, I¢m 15.7 miles from the eastern border of the park (yay!), and the vertical profile shows the last seven miles as all gradual downhill. I could be out of the park tomorrow night -- completing a tough five-day crossing.Unusual situation today: There was no water source during the entire 12.6 miles! I was one thirsty dude when I got here -- all day on one quart of water!