morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-03-15
To: Prep #9
Miles today: 0.0

The journey begins ... 10 AM, March 12, 2004. I traveled to West Palm Beach And boarded the train for Washington D.C. First time I have traveled this way. Pretty interesting way to travel. You sure do get a lot of leg room plus the ability to move around. I guess you need it becauseit sure does take a long time to get anywhere! We were 2 hours late getting into D.C. Took longer than driving a car up here!I did meet some nice people on the trip to D.C. Tom, the poet, who has 2 books published and is working on the third. He and I had a long conversation about publishing and poetry. I peppered him with questions because I was intrigued with his description of how he got started in it. Very fun.Then there were the 3 kids who missed there train in D.C. [First time a train was ontime] They seems interested in what I was about to do so I gave them my website. Hope the 3 of you made it home.Last but not least the gentlemen from Scotland, who had a story from hell. He had traveled from D.C. to Miami and from there he was going to New Orleans. Something was messsed up and he had to come back to D.C., hop another train to get to New Orleans. This added up to about 3 days of train travel. Needless to say he was a bit perturbed!   I arrived in Gainesville the morning of the 14th and I was picked up at the station by Leigh and we headed back to the Hiker Hostel. She works in the same field I did so we had a fun conversation on the way back. The hostel is great! Wonderful place to spend the day before the hike.When we got there I mest her husband Josh, Old Kathy, and Frank. Old Kathy was heading to the trail but the rest of us had a good time talking. Josh went through my pack and helped me repack stuff and then adjusted the pack on me. Interesting tidbits were learned and I can't thank him enough. It is now 7 AM Monday morning and I will be heading for the approach trail shortly. Can you say "excited","bouncing off the walls"!
Date: 2004-03-15
From: Amicalola Falls

To: Springer Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 0.0

Got to the start about 9:00. There was a group of 7 of us starting then, including Krispy Kritter,Grant,Brian,Peak-a-Boo,and 2 others I cannot remember the names. We did the picture taking and off we went. It quickly became apparent that there were two types of paces. Fast and then ours! When I say ours I mean Grants, Peak-a-Boos and mine. We had decided early on to take it nice and easy. The trail started uphill and then went further uphill! All I have to say is who in the heck turned down the oxygen supply! I was huffing and puffing like a steam engine and then it hit me .. sea level to about 3500 feet above sea level .. there is no air! Grant and Peak-a-Boo were more accustomed to the altitude so I took up the rear [better to protect ours backs from those pesky bears...well it sounded good]. We stopped for small breaks several times for a drink of water which we had plenty of. The weather was teasing us with rain all day but it never did until we reached the shelter area and then, it was only a sprinkle. We pitched our tents, got water, ate, and settled in for the night. It isn't cold tonight. I am sitting in my tent, on top of my sleeping bag, with no shirt on and I am comfortable. One thing I learned today was to take time to eat during the day. We only stopped for 1 snack break and the last mile was all uphill. Talk about running into "The Wall"! I could feel all my remaining energy leaking out of my toes. That won't happen again.
Date: 2004-03-16
From: Springer Mt. Shelter

To: Hawk Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: light rain

Last night was an introduction to what can come. Sometime after midnight the rain picked up as well as the wind, along with lightning flashes but it must have been pretty far away because there was no thunder. The wind was awesome. You could here it swirling around the mountain. I had a hard time sleeping, not from the weather, because I was plenty warm. More from the excitement and thinking about things. It finally got light enough to get out of the tent around 7:00. It was still raining a little but the fog was real thick. I headed over to the food bags, which we have to hang on a cable system so bears don't go rummaging through tearing up the camp and hikers trying to get to their food. I was a little nervous as I was walking there because I had told Peak-a-Boo her knot would hold her food bag when we hoisted them. I could just imagine what she would have to say if the knot had not held. Luckily it had, so I was safe! Grant, Peak, and I headed out around 9 AM. The fog was still real thick but the rain was letting up. For those of you that saw The Two Towers think Frodo and Sam in Emuyn Muil. That is the best way to describe the scene. Eventually the sun came out and it was a good day to start breaking in the trail legs.   We stopped for lunch at Long Creek Falls, a nice little waterfall. Welsh Nomad, her husband, and a surprise guest was there..Hopeful.. Hopeful was a thru hiker who hiked last year. I followed his journal and he had a good journal to read. He was hiking to Neel's Gap with Welsh Nomad. After lunch we all headed to the destination and did the usual camp thing. One thing about hiking is you get to bed shortly after sundown. You are more than a little tired!
Date: 2004-03-17
From: Hawk Mtn. Shelter

To: Gooch Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: scattered clouds

We are starting to get into a routine. So far I have been the first one up. Heck, I am up and just lying waiting for enough daylight to see. I'll go get our food bags and then come back and wake Peak-a-Boo and Grant, usually between 6:45 and 7:00. Once up everyone has their own routine for getting ready but it basically entails 3 things;pack,eat,and get enough water to get you to the next water source. It is funny how much pack weight is on everyone's mind. Once you eat something you are thinking that there is a half pound less weight. Water is heavy. I started out carrying about 3 liters which is about 6 pounds, give or take a few ounces. Now we are lucky to carry a liter if we know we can get to the next source before it runs out. I would rather filter water several times than pack a lot. Hiking was tough today. Sassafras Mtn. was a long climb. I am still getting used to the altitude but things are going well. I am tired but there is more I want to say about today. I'll save it for the next entry. I will try to avoid getting into the routine of talking about what mountain or hill we crossed every day unless it was noteworthy and try to talk about general tidbits about the hike, etc. Tomorrow I am going mention some of the people I have met.
Date: 2004-03-18
From: Gooch Mtn. Shelter

To: Jarrad Gap
Miles today: 10.6

As I said yesterday I am going to introduce some of the people that I have met today.Peak-a-Boo and Grant -- Over the last year I met a lot of people on various AT forums. Peak[from now on to save typing] and Grant were leaving the same day I was and we got to know each other a bit while discussing the trail.Rick Bayley - Another thru hiker from England. He also has a journal on trailjournals. No trail name yet.Joanne - She has been the most incredible person I have met so far. She is 72 years old and is doing the Trail in samples. She made the climb over Sassafras Mtn. and some climbing that had younger people exhausted. We have passed heratvarious times over the last couple of days and once she said "Tell them the little old ladyis on the way and to save her a spot in the shelter". I replied, "I'll tell them but you are no little old lady. You are much more than that in my book". Incredible person!Kelly and Courtney - a couple that we have played leapfrog with over the last few days. They are from Minnesota and are also attempting a thru hike. One thing about the hike, the hikers are like a big accordian. We stretch out, compress, and then play a lot of leapfrog, all depending on the various hiking paces.Chef - He is from New York and is also attempting a thru. More on him in the next persons bio.Hopeful - I have mentioned him before and have several chances to chat with him. I have a lot of respect for that man! The night at Gooch Mtn. he stopped for supper and then was going to head on for a bit. I went to say goodbye and he said he was going to give Chef a "phonics" and to wait. After a bit he proceeds to try to teach the New Yorker how to speak Southern. Oh my God! He had the 10 of us that were sitting,laughing till it hurt. What a routine. His timing was impecable and the delivery perfect. I said I wanted to be his agent because he had a great stand up comic routine. If any of you have seen the "Blue Collar Comedy Tour" you will appreciate what I am saying.There are more and I will bring them on later. Getting late.
Date: 2004-03-19
From: Jarrad Gap

To: Levelland Mtn
Miles today: 6.9

The 3 of us camped at Jarrad Gap last night. We got a little campfire going which made it nice. We still hit the sack pretty early though. You are dog tired when you finally settle down from the days hike. This morning we were eager to get under way. The first big milestone.. Neels Gap and Walasi-Yi. Walasi-Yi is an outfitter place and the AT passes right through an archway in the building. Only building that does this on the AT. Walasi-Yi is the first resupply place you hit on the trail. You can either get stuff there or have a maildrop. I had sent myself a package with the next few days food although I did buy 2 sodas and a little box of Fig Newtons as my treat. When I went to pick up my maildrop the guy said I had mail. Boy, was I surprised! Thanks for the postcard Celeste. Grant decided to spend the night there but Peak and I were going to move on. We spent a couple of hours there sending emails, journal updates, and repacking my maildrop. Around 3:30 we headed out. There was supposed to be a campsite about a mile and half up the trail with a water source or so we thought.Needless to say old Daniel Boone and Pocahantas missed it! We kept going and going until ther was only about 45 minutes of daylight left. We had just climbed a mountain and there was a pretty nice campsite. We figured we had enougn water for dinner and a little for the next morning so we quickly set up camp before it got dark. I got a fired started and then we were treated to several great sights. A beautiful sunset, the lights of the different towns from miles away and a sky so full of stars it blew me away. Sometimes mistakes and overshoots can lead to good things.
Date: 2004-03-20
From: Levelland Mtn

To: Poplar Stamp Gap
Miles today: 10.5

The day started as any other day on the trail[in an upcoming entry I will post what a typical day is] until midmorning when Peak looked back and said Kelly and Courtney were coming. I was surprised. I thought they were well ahead of us. They had stayed at Neels Gap the night before. We exchanged hellos and they moved on. About 1:00 Grant caught up with us. He was moving fast and he said he was going to Low Gap Shelter. We thought we were also but when we got there Peak and I decided to move on, again. Grant stayed and we pushed another couple of miles. Finally got to a place to camp and lo and behold there was Kelly and Courtney along with another guy named Louis. There was room so we set up camp also. Have backtrack just a minute here. The day was quite warm and the bugs were out in force. Don't want to call them gnats because they were a little bigger than that. They were a pain in the butt for a lot of people though. Louis built a fire to help get rid of the bugs and we made our dinners. It was starting to get dark when Kevin pulled in. He set up and we sat around the fire talking. I thought I saw flashes off in the distance and Kevin confirmed it. Lightning. We watched the storm roll in and finally it was time to batten down the hatches. Everyone got in their tents and shortly thereafter it hit. Being in a thunderstorm on a mountain,in a tent is a whole lot different than being in one on your back porch! This thing was right on top of us. The lightning would flash and immediately the thunder would bang. I couldn't even look at the top of the tent because the lightning was so bright. Of course the rain came with and for awhile it was quite a show but it was fast moving and it didn't last a long time. Another great end of day for the trail!
Date: 2004-03-21
From: Poplar Stamp Gap

To: Cheese Factory Site
Miles today: 11.6

Not much to talk about today. Grant has pulled ahead of us. Peak's feet have been bothering her so we have been taking it pretty slow. We did have a heck of a climb to Unicoi Gap. Problem with the ups are that you have to go down and if you go too fast you can wreck your knees very easily. I don't want to be taken out of this hike due to something stupid I have done. We did find that we missed some trail magic. About an hour after we went through Hogpen Gap someone had pulled in and started cooking hot dogs and handing out sodas to the hikers. Good people around here. People will pull up and ask how we are doing when you cross the roads at some of the gaps. As we got close to our campsite we found out it was supposed to get cold. Could prove to be another interesting night.Other People Met John and his dog Lucy - Lucy is a pretty cool dog. Carries her own saddlebag Selma - another thruhiker I talked while filtering water.
Date: 2004-03-22
From: Cheese Factory Site

To: Addis Gap
Miles today: 7.2

Woke up this morning and checked the little thermometer I am carrying. 23.5 ... A mite chilly, especially with the wind blowing. Now that I think about it the wind has been blowing every day so far with brief interludes of breeze. I literally threw everything into the pack and told Peak I was going o head out before I became an icicle. [I did stay warm during the night]. I knew Peak would catch up with me because we were starting the day going up Tray Mtn. and I am slow on the ups. Finally made it to the top where I met Bare Behind. We talked for a bit and then John and Lucy showed up followed by Peak. We took some pictures and moved out. We had the goal of Addis Gap which would leave us a 5 mile morning the next day to get to the road which would take us to Hiawassee, our first town stop. As I said earlier Peak's feet are really bothering her. She will most likely have them checked when we get to town. Got to give her credit for what she has done with how much they are bothering her. We reached Addis Gap about 3:30 and set up camp. It was nice to get in a little early and relax a bit. From what we heard it was supposed to be cold again tonight so it was into the tents early to prepare for the upcoming chill. Signing off now...fingers getting to cold to type properly on this little thing.
Date: 2004-03-23
From: Addis Gap

To: Hiawassee, Ga.
Miles today: 5.4
Weather: clear sky

It did get cold last night. 20 at 7:00 AM. Two things happened last night. First, the wind stopped. It was amazing how quiet it was without the wind. The silence set up the second thing. Sometime during the night I was abruptly awakened by a loud noise. Best I can figure it was a bobcat or something like it. I went very still and then it growled again. It wasn't real close but it was close enough. A little eerie. We were on the trail at 7:10 with the knowledge that civilization and a shower were close. I need to explain something about thru hikers. We are out here for 5 to 9 days at a time, hiking in the same shirt, pants, and maybe switching between 2 pair of socks. You sweat all day and you tend to develop a "funk". Why, I have seen small birds drop from trees, unconcious, after a group of hikers passed by. Just this morning, when I got up I went to grab my hiking socks and they actually ran away from me! You know it is pretty bad when your smelly socks think you smell worse! OK, maybe I embellished here a bit but you get the idea. So here I sit, on a bed typing this entry. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express. Grant,Kelly,and Courtney are in town. I guess Courtney's knee has been bothering her so they took an extra day here to give it a rest. As a note to future thru hikers, this place is a good place to stay. Laundry in motel,breakfast provided, gorcery store, post office, and an AYCE [all you can eat] right next door. Looks like Peak-a-Boo and I are going to split up for a bit. She is going to the doctor in the morning to have her feet checked. She wll probably stay an extra day. I hope they can fix the problem because I like hiking with her. I plan on heading out around noon or 1:00 and go for a few miles to Plumorchard Shelter. I met another hiker while I was doing laundry today. Pennsylvania Mule, a 1999 thru hiker who is doing it again this year. You always seem to run into another hiker whereever you are on the trail. You may hike for several hours without seeing a soul but eventually you will see someone. That's it for now. Next update will be in about 6 days when I reach NOC [Nantahala Outdoor Center].P.S. One thing I should mention is I am doing quite well. No blisters or knee problems. Just some very tired feet at the end of the day.
Date: 2004-03-25
From: Plumorchard Shelter

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: broken clouds

WooHoo!! Hit the first big milestone today. Crossed into North Carolina. One state down 13 to go. I got out of camp early and just before the state line Mule and River Queen passed me. They waited for me at the GA/NC sign and we took the round of pictures. It was a euphoric moment. And then NC struck! I guess the state didn't want us to think we were all that! It sent us up the mountain by Bly Gap and what a climb it was. It knocked the euphoria out of anyone who went up it. That was all you read in the shelter registers that night. As a matter of explanation concerning shelters. A shelter is basically a 3 sided sleeping platform that will usually sleep 6. Some of them are 2 story and the one at Plumorchard was a 3 story. Each shelter has a register in it and when you stop at one for a break or for the night you sign it and leave notes for hikers behind you. It is a good way to see how many days someone may be ahead of you. Anyway, it was a long day. When I got to the shelter there was a note in the register from River Queen for me to push on another mile to the top of the mountain. I laughed and said to Kickstand, who was already there, that I didn't have another mile left in me that day. Others started showing up shortly thereafter, Risk and Pappa John who are section hikers. Skeemer, who thru hiked last year. AYCE, minus Heads Up who had blown out his knee and was taking his time getting there. We ate and then got the fire going and watched some cowboy T.V. Someone had called the fire that and I thought it was a pretty good line. Well, off to bed. Have to climb Albert Mtn. tomorrow and that is supposed to be tough also.
Date: 2004-03-26
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: broken clouds

Albert Mtn. was a tough climb. Actually had to do a little rock climbing, very little but it is an experience when you have a 34 pound pack on your back. I got to the shelter area for the night around 4:30 and the crew there that night consisted of AYCE, River Queen and Mule, Yertle, Risk and Pappa John, and the Rat Pack. The Rat Pack is a group of 4 guys that I have not gotten there names down yet. Good group. We ate and watched some more cowboy T.V. Today was the first day where I went "Oh oh". I was starting to feel a small twinge in my left achilles tendon so I favoring it a bit so I would not pull it to much. Will see how it goes in the A.M. Figure it is time to my basic daily schedule. I am not going to give times because that varies day to day.1. Wake up at first light, crawl out of the tent and make breakfast.2. Break down tent, pack the pack nice and tight. You want the pack compact so you don't have things rattling around plus it keeps your center of gravity stable.3. Start hiking4. After a couple of hours take a snack break which usually consists of a couple of Pop Tarts or a Snickers bar.5. Hike some more.6. Around noon stop for lunch which has consisted of a variety of these things, Bagels with Peanut Butter or Tortillas with tuna or chicken. [you can get tuna or chicken in pouches that won't spoil]7. Hike some more.8. Stop for a mid-afternoon snack if you still have a way to go. Usually I end up rolling into my planned shelter area or campsite around 3:30 or 4.9. Set up camp, read the register, eat, talk, plan your next days miles, and go to bed.10. Rinse and repeat. During the course of the day you will also stop at streams to filter more water, stop and take pictures and stop to take small breathers. If I am going uphill it is a lot of small breathers! Side Note - Heads Up got off the trail today because of his knee. He hops to get back on soon if things work out. That's it for now.
Date: 2004-03-27
From: Big Spring Shelter

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: clear sky

Hit another milestone today. Hit the 100 mile mark at Glassmine Gap today. Just think, only 2067 miles to go! One piece of advice I got just before I started was not to look at Maine as the goal. It is too big. I was told to set small goals because they are more manageable. It is a good piece of advice. The group was splitting up today. Most of the crew was heading into either Franklin or Rainbow Springs to stay the night and resupply. I was pushing on because I had picked up enough food to get me to NOC from Hiawassee. I was definitely going to be in between groups after today. Late in the day I was feeling the foot again and finally got to the shelter area. Remind me to check how far off the trail the shelter is! This one was almost a mile off the trail. What was funny was that I had caught up with Grant. I was surprised to see him. Figured he was a day ahead of me. Also met Stumblebum, Eagle Eye, Bluebell and Fullmoon at the shelter. Another surprise as the evening progressed; Kelly pulled in, minus Courtney. Courtney's knees were hurting so she got off for a few days. He was going to meet back up with her at Fontana Dam. Hope the rest does her good. Side note - there are other people on the trail other than us thru hikers. There are church groups, boy scouts, etc; out for a few days or just a weekend. There was a group of Boy Scouts at the shelter last night and they were getting off that day. About halfway through the day 4 of them passed me. I said where are you guys headed today. They said Wallace Gap. I looked at them and told them that they missed it by 3 miles. They had kept going and overshot. The section they overshot was a tough one. They headed off down the road to get back instead of climbing back over the mountain.