morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-03-22
From: Tray Mountain

To: Dick's Creek Gap (Hiawassee)
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: clear sky

I got an early start for a relatively long day, but had a happy ending planned - a town stop with a shower, clean clothes, an AYCE (all-you-can-eat) buffet, and a real bed!Our only major climb was up Kelly's Knob - 1,000 feet up within a mile's distance. After that, it wasn't too bad. I made good time, arriving at the road crossing around 1 PM.I had been planning to take off my pack, and then videotape my efforts to hitchhike into Hiawassee. Even before I had my pack off, I was able to "yogi" a ride with an older couple who had just given another thruhiker a ride up to the gap. (Break - you want to explain to the rest of the fan club what "Yogi-ing" means?) (Ed.-- What, it's not enough for me to fix your spelling so your readers don't read about you yoggying rides into HiaWasieee after climbing up keelysKlob? Now you want me to explain your vocab? Should I just come out there and write all your entries myself? Do you want my lunch money? Were you one of those kids in high school who stuck other kids' heads in the toilet if they wouldn't do your homework for you? Not that I'm saying anybody ever stuck my head in a toilet. Dammit. Rewind: 'Yogi-ing,' gentle readers, is the art of getting somebody to give you something without ever asking for it outright. It helps to look emaciated and pitiful, and to widen your eyes. 'Wow,' you might say to a vacationing family, a crack in your voice. 'Is that a banana? I...I remember bananas.' If you do it correctly, they will press their produce upon you in a hypnotic daze. In this particular instance, our hero jumped in a stranger's backseat and then pretended he didn't know how he got there. We now return you to your regularly scheduled thru-hike.)Just then, a large Dodge truck pulled up and a bunch of hikers jumped out, having hitched a ride back to the trail. I saw Becca, Greaser, Jennifer (now Rapunzel), and the twins, Newt and Sarah - with an h(Ed.-- Jeez, man, the suspense is killing me. With an hourglass? An hors d'oeuvres plate? An homage to the fallen? An honest-to-goodness unicorn? Look, my editorial powers extend only so far. You are going to have to finish your sentences. Or are you just explaining to me how to spell 'Sarah'? I cannot keep up with you.)After doing my town chores, I went out for dinner, where I ran into Dutch, Spirit, and BooBoo, and met Fortune Cookie and Tax Dollar for the first time.I was thinking also about my AT BBF's (Ed--I think you mean BFFs...) - Break-a-Leg (Ed.--aw shucks), Butterfly Moon, Phoenix, Newbie, etc. Good times...I should have a good day tomorrow - I will officially finish Georgia and start North Carolina.Today's hike is dedicated to my little sister, Carol, my special friend and companion in spirit on this journey. Love ya, Sis.
Date: 2009-03-23
From: Dick's Creek Gap (Hiawassee)

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: overcast clouds

This was a total nostalgia day for 'ol Private 2nd Class Longhaul.I got a very early start, with a 7:00AM shuttle. In '05, this is where I finally met up with Break-a-leg in person. It was...memorable. (You remember, Ms. B?) (Ed.--Oh, do I ever. My heart. I called you a rat bastard, and you told me I was prettier than you. I particularly remember the lovely tribute to our meeting you wrote in the Plumorchard Gap Shelter register just north of Dick's Creek Gap, which I found two days later. "The divine Ms. B.," you called me. "So nice! So beautiful! So tall! And kind to animals! I can't say anything remotely derogatory! A perfect 10!" You walk on the trail in Georgia, buddy, but you walk on thin ice with me.)Before I knew it, I was at the North Carolina/Georgia sign. Not long after, I was at Bly Gap and the famous tree where everyone stops for photos. In '05, I camped there with four good friends, and we took each other's photos at the tree. I was missing my '05 friends a lot...Then Dutch came along just at the right moment. We took this year's photos, and I began to feel a bit less sad. We hiked on.It was a surprisingly hot day - over 70 degrees, and the bugs were out. There I was hiking in my long johns and wishin' for some Deet. (I really hope you were not hiking in only your long johns.) So I dropped a dime on she-who-knows-me-best, and she's going to send me some at Franklin.Tonight there are about 20 people in tents, and a few more in the shelter.Our entertainment for the evening was the bear-bag-hanging-exercise, since this is the first shelter since Springer where there are no bear cables. I got mine hung on the fourth try, but then I'm a bit rusty. Others were, shall we say, less adept... Film at 11!The communal campfire was a good one, and the marshmallows I brought up from Hiawassee were another big hit.With me here tonight: Doc, a nice kid from Massachusetts, and a paramedic (Readers: It is possible that Doc, the nice kid from Massachusetts, and the paramedic are one, two, or three people. I sure as hell can't tell. Your hero gets maximum points for marshmallows and not so many for punctuation.), Spirit, BooBoo, Will and Way, Rolling Stone and Mountain Man, Pancake, Dutch, Jackie O. and Squatter, Shane and Angie, and a bunch of others.I'm planning another long day tomorrow - 12.3 miles, so early to bed and, hopefully, an early start.
Date: 2009-03-24
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: broken clouds

In between me and my destination for the day was Standing Indian Mt. - a thousand foot climb. The climb seemed to go on forever! The grade wasn't bad, and the trail had a lot of switch-backs, but it was just one false summit after another.Knowing we faced a relatively long day, I was up and out early this morning. I figured most of the younger, stronger hikers would catch up and pass me - if not before Standing Indian Mt., then certainly before the summit. Somehow that didn't happen. In fact, the only one to catch up was Dutch, and then I passed him on his lunch break, and didn't see him again until I was setting up my tent at the shelter. So it was a first out, first in day for 'ol Private Longhaul. (Perhaps this is because you are some kind of freak about leaving the shelter when it's pitch black out. Listen, genius, if you start hiking at 3AM, you are going to stay ahead of the other hikers. It ain't rocket science. That is how it works. But go ahead. Pat yourself on the back.)The birds were out in force today - pileated wood peckers, titmouses (mice?) (tit!), nuthatches (nut!), blue jays, and I don't know what all. (Sorry. Apparently I am still twelve.)A weather front is moving in - clouds coming, temperature dropping, wind picking up, etc. The weather report predicted up to two inches rain. It is what it is...The usual crowd from last night is starting to roll in, set up tents, collect water. It's early still, but I think I'm going to eat anyway and then turn in. Sadly, no marshmallows...(No marshmallows? What the hell use are you?)Tomorrow, we climb Big Albert!
Date: 2009-03-25
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap / Franklin, N.C.
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: light rain

(15.8 miles? Whee-hoo. Looks like somebody crossed into North Carolina and pulled out the big guns.) This was one of those very satisfying days where things went better than I would have thought possible. My original plan allotted four days to get from Hiawassee to Franklin. Today was to be day three - a relatively long day at 12.1 miles into Rock Gap shelter.I was up early (How unlike you.), and lay in my nice warm sleeping bag listening to the patter of rain on my tent and the winds howling through the trees, dreading having to pack up in the rain. But pack up I did, and again was the first out of camp.(I am tossing around the idea of mailing you one of those packets of metallic star stickers that first grade teachers always used to put on phonics worksheets. That way you can give yourself a gold star every day [or even a silver or red or green or blue star if you're feeling like a change, or if you start walking at 3:15AM instead of your usual 3AM-on-the-dot]. I am afraid they might get soaked in the rain though, and who needs a soggy star? Have you been feeling lately like you yourself are a soggy star?)I reached Betty Creek before Dutch caught up with me, and then ran into some trail magic just before Albert Mt. - coffee and pancakes. The climb up Big Albert was steep in places, hand-over-hand over the rocks, but it didn't last that long.There was a tower at the top, but it was locked, and the fog was too thick to see much of anything, so I hiked on.The plan for the day was to have lunch at Big Spring shelter, but I missed the turn-off in the fog. Someone told me later the sign was actually missing! The trail after Albert was flat and level or gently down, and I soon got into a sustained groove. Before I knew it I was well beyond Big Spring, and found myself only 2.5 miles from my planned destination. An hour later, I was at Rock Gap shelter. It was only 2:30.We'd all planed to overnight there, and then have a short day (3.8 miles) into Franklin the next morning. Burning Tree and Doc were both there, and we all decided we were fresh enough to do another 3.8 miles. The alternatives were to stay there, set up a wet tent in the continuing rain, and spend another cold rainy night on the trail; OR hike 3.8 miles to get us to a hot shower, restaurant food, and a real bed. GO! (Yeah. OK. I can't really make fun of you for this one, and you know I've tried. Except we both know the real reason you wanted to get into Franklin was for a resupply. You better get more marshmallows soon or nobody will hang out with you anymore.)We called Ron Haven from the Gap, and he sent a van to collect us. Thirty minutes later, I turned on the hot water in the shower...Tomorrow I will take my first zero day. Sweet!
Date: 2009-03-26
From: Winding Stair Gap / Franklin, N.C.

To: Franklin, N.C.
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light intensity drizzle

Here is Longhaul's version of what he did today:Last night, after a hot shower, clean laundry, and a rack of ribs, I settled into to bed and fell asleep watching CNN.This morning, I had breakfast at the local Baptist church (trail magic); this afternoon I had lunch with Ron Haven at Mi Casa; and tonight had a pasta and steak dinner with Miss Janet. Two consecutive meals with two of the trail's better-known personalities. It was really good to get to know both of them even better. Good people!I also got my journal caught up, resupplied my food bag, and cleaned up and dried out my gear. I'm ready to hike out first thing tomorrow. I've got the marshmallows. AND Hershey bars and graham crackers. Sure hope it doesn't rain so we can't have a campfire. I'd hate to have to carry that stuff for two whole days!And here is *my* version of what Longhaul did today:Last night, after sluicing the scum off my unspeakably filthy carcass, attempting to wring the crud from my fetid undershirt, and sucking on a mess of cow bones, I stared hypnotically at a flickering screen until I passed out from bloated exhaustion.This morning, I snarfed down some grub; this afternoon I snarfed down some grub; and tonight, although it was out of character for me, I snarfed down some grub. Did I mention I like grub? I snarfed down grub with kind churchgoers and a pair of innkeepers. I like them because they help me snarf.I also kept a record of all my snarfings for posterity, went out and bartered for more grub, and tried again to get the rank sweatstains out of my sleeping bag liner. I'm gonna head back to the hills in the morning. I figure if I bring lots of grub to dish out I can reel some suckers in, and then threaten to take their marshmallows away unless they promise to be my friend. I'm pretty excited about this plan.
Date: 2009-03-27
From: Franklin, N.C.

To: Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: moderate rain

Today was a day of memories from my 2005 AT hike - of wonderful friends, of pain from my right knee down to my ankle, of the intense frustration of thinking my hike might be over almost before it had started, and of sheer exhaustion from struggling up mountains on essentially one good leg. (Yeah. I know what you mean. Sucks.) As I recorded in my diary that night, the day I walked out of Franklin was my first bad day on the trail.Today - this year - it has been one of those really, really GOOD days, not least because of the contrasts with that day four years ago. I felt better than I've felt in a long time. And it is a constant source of joy and amazement to me what it feels like to hike without a stabbing pain in my right knee - which is how it felt AFTER I got back on the trail following surgery to remove the torn meniscus cartilage in my knee. For 2,000 miles, from Fontana Dam to Katahdin, the pain was the only thing I knew - depending on pain killers and anti-inflammatories to keep going. That was then, and this is now. Now is better...(Nuts. You are not giving me enough to mock. You are, rather, inspiring a disturbing sympathy. Knock it off, dude.)For the second day in a row, I had breakfast at the First Baptist Church, but today I then caught a shuttle back to Winding Stair Gap and began my day's hike.It soon began to rain, with cold west winds, which turned the trail into mud, and made everything, me included, wet. But because of my memories and how good I was feeling, I just didn't care about the weather.At the Wayah Bald Tower I ran into BooBoo and Pancake. They were about to catch a ride into asville (um, what? Asheville? Is that anywhere near Franklin? I have no idea what you're saying to me. Sorry, readers.) - BooBoo to meet with friends and Pancake to have an injured knee checked out. I wished Pancake good luck.At the shelter tonight are Mountain Man, Rolling Stone, Patches, Chipmunk, Crazy Lady, Michelle, a new younger couple, and three section hikers. (Who apparently don't have names.) Earlier in the day I passed Will and Way, as well as Spirit, but none of them turned up at the shelter.We had s'mores, despite it being too rainy for a campfire - we cooked the marshmallows with a white gas stove, but it worked. (Attaboy! That's the can-do spirit I like to see!) This time, in addition to marshmallows, I brought graham crackers and Hershey bars, all of which seemed to be appreciated. (YOUR EVIL PLAN IS WORKING.)I'm planning another relatively long day tomorrow, with more rain predicted. I can't wait!
Date: 2009-03-28
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: moderate rain

I forgot to mention a milestone on Wednesday - I passed my first 100-mile mark! For those of you in for a penny a mile in support of the GHHS Class of '62 memorial scholarship fund, you're going to need to cough up at least a buck! (Yeah. Did you people know he's raising money for the Danville Education Associates and Donors? Acronym: DEAD. Real promising.)I got an 8:30AM start (Dude, you're slipping) to an 11-mile day with two 1,000-foot climbs. Both were essentially conditioning exercises for the much longer, steeper climbs coming up - from Nantahala and from Fontana Dam into the Smokies.Once again, it rained almost all day. There were no vistas visible through the rain and fog until Wesser Bald when there was a break in the clouds. Momentarily overcoming my fear of heights, I climbed a ladder up to the top of a lookout tower and captured a panoramic view with my camcorder, with 30-mph winds blowing clouds around in a most impressive manner.I heard again from the mileage monster - but resisted his entreaties to do another 6 miles into the NOC -- all downhill, over wet rocks and mud. Others did not - 1et's see what happens up the trail.We had a brief respite from the rain, long enough to get my tent up, and chores and dinner over with. We even got a fire going to use up the last of the marshmallows.Here tonight are Will and Way, Spirit, Jackie O. and Papa Squat, Ice Fingers and Matt- now known as Hot Pants - a name derived from his efforts to dry his undershorts by holding them over the fire with two sticks. As the wet shorts heated up they started to steam - hence the new trail name!Tomorrow it's into the NOC for resupply, a hot shower, laundry and restaurant food. Life is good.
Date: 2009-03-29
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: clear sky

Today was a short day, but a good one. For lunch I had a Philly cheesesteak, and for dinner, pizza. These are taken for granted in normal life, but are a real treat after several days of dehydrated pasta dishes!This will be a short entry, as it's late, and I need to get to bed. I have my biggest climb so far awaiting me tomorrow - about 3,000 feet up in the first 6 miles. More about that tomorrow.
Date: 2009-03-30
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Locust Cove Gap
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Leaving my cabin at the NOC, I faced a 3000-foot climb in the first six miles to start the day, followed immediately by another 700-foot climb over two additional miles up to Cheah Bald. This is equivalent to walking up a 370=story office building. Oh, and in climbing all those stairs to the top floor, carry this 35-40-lb kid on your back would you...(Let us be fair. Children speak, whine, wriggle, pee, and lack hipbelts. And I have never known a kindergartner to require seam sealing.) The truth is that the AT actually requires a fair amount of athleticism (NO WAY SHUT UP!!!!!!!!!!!!!), including strength, stamina, and rock climbing skills--not to mention the ability to survive in the wilderness for days at a time with only what you are carrying in your pack.My climb today was actually not too bad, since my trail legs are kicking in. I was the first one out of the NOC, and the first one into the campsite ten miles up the trail. Behind me came Spirit, Will and Way, and three new, younger hikers who are doing big miles - Dinnertime, Racheopod (??), and Kevin, a 6'3" kid who Racheopod has christened Peter Pan.The usual communal campfire and s'mores completed the day - only the second non-rainy day since I started. Of course, rain is predicted for tomorrow...
Date: 2009-03-31
From: Locust Cove Gap

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

I started the day assuming I would stick to my plan to do an 11-mile day into Cable Gap, followed by a relatively short 6-mile day on Wednesday into Fontana Dam. The rain started not long after first light, but the trail was relatively kind, so I was able to complete the first several miles at a 2 mph pace. That's when the mileage monster got on my case, arguing for us to do a 17-mile day and then take a zero day tomorrow. Given the weather, it was very tempting. I decided to leave it up to the trail itself between there and Cable Gap. If it were sufficiently kind, I'd be inclined to go for it. The trail, however, immediately turned to crap - rocks, roots, slippery mud, and one PUD after another.Long story short: Longhaul 2, mileage monster 1 (that extra 3.8 miles into Franklin that bought me a zero day there).My thoughts tonight are on this same evening four years ago: my last night on the trail before injuries forced me off the trail for six weeks.To keep my mind on this year's hike, I made a really good campfire - which was a good thing, as it started raining soon after dinner. The fire was hot enough and big enough to stay lit though the first bout of rain. Soon after, it didn't matter much as we climbed into our sleeping bags for the night.Tomorrow, it's into Fontana Dam, and another set of memories - both good and not so good.
Date: 2009-04-01
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: overcast clouds

It thundered, lightninged, and poured last night. The rain slacked off enough for me to get my tent down, and after that it was foggy and overcast the rest of the day.Shortly after leaving camp, I ran into a group of hikers who had gone beyond the shelter last night. I informed them that the Forest Service had closed the Smoky Mountains to thru-hikers, and were shuttling us from Fontana Dam up to Davenport Gap - the northern boundary of the park - due to severe fire hazards. They looked quite disappointed, and one asked if there were a forest fire currently in progress. I said nothing, and just smiled at them until it began to dawn on them that perhaps I wasn't serious, at which point I asked them if they knew what day it was. Right - April 1st. Fire hazard??? It has rained 17 out of the past 19 days! I hiked on, looking for the next group of gullible hikers.(Boy. You're one slick trickster. You stay up all night planning that one?)By noon, I was at the dam. Mountain Man and I had agreed to share a room at the Hike Inn, and I suggested we stow our packs at the information center and hike across the dam and about a mile along a road to the trailhead that goes up into the Smokies. That gave us a one-mile head start on tomorrow's hike, as that's where Jeff Hock picked us up, and will drop us off tomorrow morning.Not long after we arrived at the inn, the sun came out and we were able to get all our gear dried out. The forecast said it was also supposed to be sunny tomorrow morning, but that it would cloud up and rain tomorrow afternoon, oh, and the next day. ("Just SINGIN' in the rain...") (Don't quit your day job.) Oh well. It could be snow...
Date: 2009-04-02
From: Fontana Dam

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: overcast clouds

The day began with overcast skies, and the mountaintops were enveloped by clouds. I had a joyous hike up to the first shelter at Mollie's Ridge, comparing it to that day back in '05 when I first got back on the trail after being off six weeks with injuries. It was so sweet hiking without pain this time! I caught a brief glimpse of a mama bear with her cub about halfway up.The trails were kind all the way up to the shelter, having originally been designed as horse trails - so the grade is limited to a very pleasant 8%. I made the 10-mile climb up 2300 feet in about six hours.After resting a bit and eating lunch, I pressed on another 5.5 miles - past Russell Field Shelter to Spence Field, just as I had in '05. By the time I reached the shelter, however, the weather had turned rather nasty - hard rain, winds gusting to 40 mph. with sustained winds not too much below that, and with the temperature predicted to drop near freezing overnight. Because of the altitude, it took forever for my alcohol stove to cook my evening meal.I normally tent, but in the Smokies they make you stay in the shelters due to bear problems. Some shelters even have bear fences across the front to keep the bears out.The shelter was built to accommodate 12, but sixteen people showed up, so we kept scooching closer and closer together to accommodate the new arrivals. The shelter had a fireplace in it and a tarp hung over the front to keep the wind out. With everyone packed in together like sardines, it was surprisingly warm. I slept well.Meanwhile, Walter was allowing his very active imagination to run wild, having concocted a scenario in which Lt. Colonel Mitty was leading an armed force assigned to wrest control of the chain of French-held forts along the trail (beginning with Mollie's Ridge, referring to it as the Great Smoky Mountains campaign..."It's madness to attack at this time of year" warned Captain Askew, "especially with the weather closing in.""Rubbish", said Colonel Mitty, dismissing the captain with a wave of his hand. "It's the perfect time, man. They won't be expecting us - so we'll catch them completely off guard."Lieutenant Smyth just smiled knowingly. Once again, he felt certain, the Colonel was right...