morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-03-05
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: light rain

Up at 6:45 to temps in the teens. A clear day. I started out at 8:45 with a 500 foot climb to Little Rock Knob. That was my warmup.... Then it was down to Hughes Gap and the Big Daddy- Roan Mountain. A steep, 2,000 foot elevation gain in 3 miles. It was a tough one...   I felt relieved when I reached the summit only to find the most treacherous ice patches on the way down to Carvers Gap...   It was very slow and scary going for about a mile. Did NOT like it! At Carvers Gap I stopped for some lunch and a tranquilizer (kidding). There was a family there taking a day hike up to Grassy Bald. The father of this family asked me if the shelters I stayed in were heated! I answered that they were not. I'm not sure what he thought about that..   I continued on over Round Bald, Janes Bald and Grassy Bald. I stopped on Janes Bald to take a break and air out my sleeping bag. The temps were warmig to around 50.   As I continued on I began to notice footprints in the snow that I realized were not those of the family I had seen earlier.. When I was approaching Overmountain Shelter I came upon Paul who trying to find the trail to the shelter.   He is a student a Florida State and he was with two friends, Adam and Bill, on a 4 day trek. My first sheltermates...   Not long after, another college guy came in. Tim is a student at North Carolina State - Ashville.   These were all really neat young men and it was great to have some company!Overmountain Shelter is awesome! It's a barn converted to a shelter. It sits at the top of a valley and the veiw is outstanding, especially in the moon glow. This has been quite a day on the trail.....
Date: 2007-03-06
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: US 19E Mountain Harbour Hostel
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: haze

Left the shelter at 10:10 am. Beautiful day! Climbed up over Little Hump Mt. and then down to Bradley Gap and a big climb up Big Hump Mt. This was a great place to take a long break. The view was fantastic! I could see forever. I stayed there for about 45 minutes and made some calls. Good cell service! The rest of the hike was a little slippery and icey in places with rocks to go over. A lot of downhill which is tough and slow going. I don't like that! As I descended, the snow deminished and things improved greatly! I got to 19E at around 3 pm and walked the .2 miles to the hostel. Again, a very nice place! After a good shower, Terry shuttled me to the Times Square Diner. Now I've never had a chili cheeseburger in my life but this was something else! A huge hamburger with cheese, chili, cole slaw, onions, pickles, lettuce, tomatoes catshup and mustard!!! I ate it with a knife and fork!! Plus a huge order of fries!!! And a giant pepsi!! Ok, so I'm all about food... Later that evening I had another bunk mate, Andrew, who was doing a section hike from Damascus to Erwin. Nice young man who will be serving in the Peace Corps this spring. Good to share stories once again.
Date: 2007-03-07
From: US 19E Mountain Harbour Hostel

To: Dennis Cove USFS 50
Miles today: 23.8

Got up at the hostel around 6:30 and just sat and drank some coffee and ate my oatmeal. It was nice to just sit and reflect and not be in a hurry to get going. I left for the trail at 8:40 and made to the start at 8:50. I'm really lucky to have this nice weather! Good climb to start and then much easier as I went on. I caught up with my Florida State friends after about 4 miles. They had stayed at Apple House Shelter the night before. I was happy to see them and thought it would be nice to hike with someone. Well they were having a problem in that Adam had sprained his ankle. Their plan was to have Bill and Adam hike back out the 4 miles and for Paul to hike ahead 20 miles without his backpack to get their car and shuttle back. I helped Adam with a makeshift ankle brace with his socks (phew!). But as I started hiking I thought about Paul making that 20 miles. I was planning an 18 mile day and then going the last 6 to Dennis Cove and Kincora Hostel the next day. So I decided that I'd better hike all the way to Dennis Cove and make sure Paul made it ok. I caught up with Paul with about 9 miles to go. We were both tired at that point and I told him I'd walk in with him. We really pulled each other along and finally made it out to the road and Kincora Hostel just before 7 pm. Paul and I said our goodbyes and he was off to pick up his buddies. I haven't heard how they are doing. A long hard day but I felt pretty good and tired... Pat Peoples met me at the door and showed me to my hostel room. A very nice and rustic log cabin building with a great double bed to spead out in. BUT I was able to order a pizza and down that is short order!! Bob came in a little later and we talked for quite some time. He's one of those great people in our world! An energetic man with a vision and passion for maintaining the trails in this area! A lot of great stories and wisdom! I slept like a log!!!
Date: 2007-03-08
From: Dennis Cove USFS 50

To: U.S. 321
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: clear sky

Today I did a backwards slackpack from US 321 back to Dennis Cove and Kincora Hostel. It's legal! Bob Peoples shuttled me into town for some resupplies and we stopped at McDonalds for some grub! Big mistake. I scarrfed two egg mcmuffins and hash browns and oj down in about 2 minutes... My stomach was instantly queasy.. As I started my hike I was very tired and weak feeling. Not good! A 3 mile 1800 ft. elevation gain did nothing to help. I stopped several times on the way up and even took a 15 minutes nap along the way. Then it was a steep walk down to Laurel Falls and a steep up for about a quarter mile out of there. I had to force myself to move. I dragged myself back to the hostel by 2 pm, took shower and went to bed feeling nauseous.. I woke at 5:30 and tried to eat a candy bar. I couldn't even look at it and immediately went outside and threw up several times. I felt much better after that. Oh, Marlan and his son, Josh, were there(they didn't witness the purging) and we had a great conversation. They were doing a few days on the trail from Damascus. Nice people... I went to bed feeling pretty good at 10:30... I'll see how I feel tomorrow about continuing on....
Date: 2007-03-09
From: U.S. 321

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: clear sky

Today I had the option of getting up early and hitting the trail or waiting until afternoon. I opted to wait and see how I felt as the day progressed. I slept most of the day... Bob got back from his errands at 2:30 and shuttled me to 321. I also had the option from there to do a 2 or 8 mile hike. I felt ok as I started so I decided to do the 8. It was a warm sunny afternoon and I wanted to make some distance to be in Damascus by Sunday. The climb out of Watauga Lake Dam was steep and it got worse at Watauga Dam Rd. But after a mile it leveled off and I was fine. It's really nice to hike in the later part of the day/early evening. I made the shelter by 6:15 pm and got everything done just before dark... A very nice shelter with a great view of the city and lake below... Tomorrow I hope to do 23 miles to Abingdon Shelter. It's relatively moderate terrain.. We'll see...
Date: 2007-03-10
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Abingdon Shelter
Miles today: 23.8
Weather: few clouds

Nature called at 6 am and I was up. A pretty good nights rest. The horizon to the east was pink and it only got better as I witnessed the most awesome sunrise ever! I took a dozen pictures as it rose... I had cell service on the ridge so I checked my trial journals site and smiled a lot as I read notes from friends, family and complete strangers. One of them from my son's wife Erica brought a smile AND tear to my eyes as she sent it in the "voice" of Sam, my grandson... I was on the trail at 8 with a quick step and determined to make it to Abingdon Shelter. The is called, by some, the Damascus Turnpike because it's on a ridge and fairly level. Easier than anything I've walked so far. It was a long day and I ate and drank a lot with several short breaks. I stopped a couple of times to filter water also. Rain was in the forcast and I wanted to reach the shelter before it started if possible. I was sure I'd see some hikers out on a saturday but none were around. I arrived at the shelter at 5:15 and no one was there... It started to rain just as I jumped into my tent for the night.. Tomorrow a short (10 mile) walk to Damascus! I'm thinking I need a motel with a TV...
Date: 2007-03-11
From: Abingdon Shelter

To: Damascus
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: broken clouds

Today I was up at 6:15 and on the trial at 7:30. It was suprisingly clear (rain had been forcast) and cool (I didn't complain).. It was a very nice walk out and mostly downhill. I stopped at the Virginia State Line, a sign for Mt. Rodgers National Forest, and took some pictures.. A joke about Norfolk, Virginia that my late Uncle Jim told years ago came to mind and I smiled... So I'm in Virginia. Wow!I got to Damascus at 11 am and saw this bearded guy jogging on the trail in town. He came up and introduced himself as "Lone Wolf". I'd heard about him through Otto at Neels Gap. I had thought about calling myself Lone Wolf but Otto said I couldn't because of this Lone Wolf... Funny... Anyway, he suggested I stay at the Lazy Fox B & B. I checked it out and was not sorry... What a great place! Ginny is a great lady and the house is beautiful with a bedroom that's out of this world!! I'll even get a TV in my room and coffee and breakfast in the morning!! Very comfy!!The rest of the day was spent doing laundry and finding a place to eat and then just lounging. I caught the end of the Big Ten BB championship.. Poor Wisconsin... But wait... The NCAA's are still there for the taking! Later in the evening, Brian, a first time backpacker from South Carolina came in to stay. He had a lot of questions about backpacking that we will discuss at breakfast tomorrow. Seems like a nice guy!At this point I'm really tired and the glow of the trail is starting to leave me. I'm planning on a zero day tomorrow and will take a look at the next few sections and plan. I have no clue what's ahead. I know Mt. Rogers and the Grayson Highlands are supposed to be pretty cool. Time to recharge!!!
Date: 2007-03-12
From: Damascus

To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0

Wow! What an awesome breakfast Ginny served!! Everything one could want and more. Brian and I had a feast. Brian is up for a 5 day backpacking experience from here south to Kincora. This is his first real try at it so he asked me a lot of questions and I helped him out with reducing his 44 pound pack weight. We got rid of the machetti!!! The one thing I was mainly concerned with was that he had all cotton clothing. So we went to Mt. Rogers Outfitters and he purchased a good moisture wicking long sleeve t-shirt. They also let him borrow some Leki poles which he will appreciate! Hope he has a good adventure!My mail drop did not make it here... Ryan sent it more than a week ago, priority, and it's not here! So I did a resupply at MRO and had the package that's coming forwarded to Troutdale... But will it get there??? I don't know.. I must say that I'm feeling somewhat unorganized for the next week and a half as there doesn't seem to be adequate stop-off, resupply in sight... I might have to shore up more food supplies at MRO tomorrow.I had a great plate of spagetti and meat balls at Sicilys in the evening! Later, Tony and Mark showed up at the Lazy Fox. They are on a trip doing a number of things including hiking and biking.. Neat guys to talk to... Sooooo, I need to get organized tomorrow morning with planning the next week and a half.. It's unsettling but I'll figure it out...A big "Hi" to the gang in Mrs. Wehrman's class at the High School in Sheboygan Falls AND my followers at Mena, Ak. I've recently received a note from their 3rd grade class. I was looking at a map of Mena, Ak. sometime back and noticed there was a hiking area near there. I hope the students get a chance to do a hiking field trip there!!OK, off to slumberland!!
Date: 2007-03-13
From: Damascus

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: light snow

After another great breakfast I was back on the trail by 10:30. My mail drop had not arrived so I reesupplied at MRO. I had them forward the mail drop to Bland. There were a couple of 1,000 foot climbs and the temps were in the 60's so The sweat was flowing. This is a pretty stretch of woods and I stopped for 45 minutes on a really neat ridge just after Saunders Shelter. The sun was shinning and a warm breeze was cooling me off. It felt good to take my boots off and air my feet out! Part of the trail matches up with the Virginia Creeper Trail which is an old railroad bed converted into a bike trail. The bike companies in Damascus will shuttle people up to the Mt. Rogers area and they ride back, down hill all the way.... I saw a few couples out for a ride.I arrived at the shelter at 5:15 and there was a group of 4 guys out on spring break from NC Chapel Hill. We had agreat conversation. They admittedly brought along way too much food. Once again, I am amazed at how polite and freindly they are. One of them will celebrate his 20th birthday tomorrow. I decided to set my tent up outside the shelter for the first time on this adventure... The shelter is a very nice one!
Date: 2007-03-14
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: clear sky

Up at 6:45. Breakfast with the boys. On the trail by 8. Today started out with a 2,000 foot climb to Buzzard Rock. Cloudy with temps in the 50's. The next up was a 1,000 foot climb to Rogers Mt. I stopped at Thomas Knob Shelter for a break. Nice veiw. From there to the Grayson Highlands it was very rocky going and my feet took a pounding. It was beautiful, though, looking much like the Serengetti in Africa.. I saw only one wild pony in the Grayson Highlands andd that was at a distance. I arrived at the shelter at 5:20.   A long day on the trail. It's a nice evening here and I'm alone although there's a young couple camped nearby...
Date: 2007-03-15
From: Wise Shelter

To: Dickey Gap
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: overcast clouds

This morning I woke up at 6 and was greeted by a "Nickee" moon - or the sliver of moon that, when turned on it's side, resembles a smile. Nickee was a speech tharapist at the school I worked at and we were good freinds. She loved nature and being out in it. She had a great husband and two young boys when cancer took her life in 1995. I worked with her on a video just before she passed away, so her sons would remember her and what her life was like.   At the end of the video she tells of how she always liked to see the new sliver of moon in the sky and hoped that when her boys would see it they would think of her smiling down from heaven and being so proud of them...... Whenever I see a sliver of moon I always think of Nickee and her courage and thoughtfulness in leaving that legacy for her family.I was on the trail by 7:45. Rain was forecast for later and I wanted to reach Dickey Gap before it hit. I passed the campsite of Joe and Gina, the couple I met last evening (thanks for the note) and they were still in slumberland.... As I made my way past the Scales parking area I almost ran into 4 wild ponies. They were right on the trail. It took me several minutes to "negociate" my way around them. Neat! Shortly after that I came upon a group og college guys from East Texas State camping in the woods. I stopped at Old Orchard Shelter for a break and water. A little while later I came to a road which indicated I had passed the 500 mile mark.... Got to Dickey Gap at 2:30 and hitched into Troutdale (thankyou Jim Howell). I checked in at the hostel just behind the Baptist Church and walked down to the Trading Post for the meatloaf special. This place is under new ownership (Jerry and Suzanne Bartley) and the local people just love them.. Suzanne is a real "live wire", very nice lady.. So it's raining pretty hard this evening and it is supposed to continue tomorrow....   Glad to be high and dry in this very nice, clean hostel!
Date: 2007-03-16
From: Dickey Gap

To: Mt. Rogers Hdqts.
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: clear sky

It rained hard all night long. I slept well and got up at 7:15. Packed up, got my rain gear on and headed down to the restaurant.   I wasn't really sure I wanted to hike in this rain... Forgot to mention that last night I met Ken Riggins, the pastor of the church. Great guy! His son is returning from duty in Afganistan today... a good thing!I had a "Hobbit" double breakfast and talked with Jerry about his new job as owner of this place. He's living his dream. He also gave me a lift back to Dickey Gap (10 am) on his way to Marion. Thanks Jerry!It was nice hiking in the rain. The trail was in great shape and fairly moderate. I passed a field with an old bus on the side of it that I recognized from a video I had seen. Cool.. I arrived at Partnership Shelter at 3 pm just as the rain turned to snow. My thoughts turned to a motel...... There was a couple there and they had just ordered a pizza from the Mt. Rogers Hdqts. So when the pizza man showed up I asked him for a ride into town and he said yes! OK, so I'm a woose! But I'm a warm and dry woose! Orfered a pizza from my shuttle man and got some this journaling done.   My lower back is very sore. I tweaked it a little this morning as I was packing up. I hope it takes care of itself by tomorrow. I'm actually having a hard time walking around the room... This has happened to me before but not on this hike.   Have to wait and see.....
Date: 2007-03-17
From: Mt. Rogers Hdqts.

To: Gooseclose
Miles today: 11.5

When IAwoke this morning I could hardly walk! My back was really tender.... But after some time and ssome stretching things improved to the point where I felt confident to hike. So I got shuttle from my pizza man, Driss at 11:00 am. He's retired, helping out his son. He said he just could not sit and do nothing and I agree. I hope I find something worthwhile to when I return from this hike. It concerns me.I started on the trail at 11:30. It was really quite an easy day with a couple of good climbs but mostly down and level. I met up with the couple I saw yesterday At the Mt. Rogers Hdqts. They decided to head out today because of the cold weather. I don't blame them.   I got to Groseclose at 3:30, checked into the motel and went up the road to grab a bite to eat. This seems almost like a zero day... They have a laundry here and I really needed that! My socks were starting to walk by themselves! So I'll relax here and head out tmorrow. I was really suprised today at how good I felt. No pain in my feet OR back. Aaah the joys of being old..... I've noticed. also, that my body is changing. I've lost some weight but also a lot of muscle mass. My legs and arms are much skinnier. It certainly makes sense but it's a little scarey. It will be hard to get back into my old routine when I return. I wonder how it will be to get back into running and biking also.... Oh well, as my son Tim says; "It'll be what It'll be." OK, off to finish my laundry. A hikers work is never done!
Date: 2007-03-18
From: Gooseclose

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 22.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a series of ups and downs both on the trail and in my mind. I started out at 9:30 with sunshine and temps in the high 30's. My mood, however, was not good. It might have something to do with leaving the creatcher comforts and easy contact with family and friends. At any rate I was ready to go home. At one point I saw a truck going down a back road and thought about flagging him down for a ride to Roanoke and catching a plane home... My oringinal plan was to make it to   Knot Maul Shelter, about 13 miles.   There were several pretty good climbs and some nice farmland fields to go through but I don't think I appreciated how cool it looked because of my mood... When I got to Knot Maul Shelter at 3 pm I sat and thought about moving on to Chestnut Knob Shelter, 9 miles further with a 1,000 and 2,000 foot climb to get there. The 2,000 foot climb would come in the last 5 miles. I decided to go for it... It was unbelievable how my mood changed after that. Maybe it was the challenge of it all. At any rate my pace quickined (is that a word?) and I felt much better, at least until I hit the last climb (kidding)....   I was rewarded on Chestnut Knob Ridge with a spectacular view of the surrounding mountains and valleys in the evening sun light. Chestnut Knob Shelter is a totally enclosed stone srtructure sitting in an open field with an awesome view. The sunset was gorgeous! As I went about my tasks, I thought about the day and how hard yet how rewarding it was. Kinda like life.....
Date: 2007-03-19
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Bland Hwy. 52
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: clear sky

Today turned out to be quite intersting. Last night it got down into the 20,s with a lot of wind. Glad I was in an enclosed shelter. I was on the trail by 8 am with the idea of making it to Bland and the Big Walker Motel. It was slated as a long hike but not particularly hard hike, at least by the map profile... After taking a short lunch break (the "Hikers Guild" requires it), I headed for Laural Creek.   About a half mile before getting there I noticed a sign that said High Water Trail. So naturally I stayaed on the AT. When I got to the creek I noticed that the water was flowing quite strongly and when I crossed, I had to jump acrossed the rocks to keep my feet dry. What I didn't know waas I would have to cross that creek about 12 more times... Each time the water was a little deeper and the steping stones a little less numerous.   Needless to my feet were drenched when I finnally got to the road. Then and only then did I realize What the High Water trail was there for... High water in the Laural Creek-Daaah! So the last 7 miles of a very long day were done with very wet and heavy boots...When I got to Hwy. 52 I put my thumb out to hitch into Bland only to realize I was hitching the wrong way! The couple who picked me up were kind enough to turn around and go back into Bland. Pretty good trail magic I'd say! So tonight I'm staying at the Big Walker Motel And having a DQ dinner. a reward for two long days on the trail....
Date: 2007-03-20
From: Bland Hwy. 52

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

Today started out late after a leisurely morning watching the news, drinking coffee and breakfast at the DQ.   Connie, the lady who shuttled me into town yesterday, was good enough to shuttle me back to the trail. She and her husband, Marty and son, Rutger are avid hikers. These are the kind of great people you meet! I started out at 11:30. I planned a short day, after the two long days, today. 12.1 miles to Jenny Knob Shelter. After the initial climb up to the ridge, it was a very easy hike. Gentle rolling. I felt like taking a nap all afternoon... It was nice not to be in a hurry. A cloudy day with temps in the 50's.   I got to the shelter around 4:30. Again, it was nice to relax and slow things down. Alone but content. I've gotten word that there is a group of "Youngsters" about 50 miles behind, Ant & Co. I'm planning a couple of zero days this weekend so they will probably pass me. Tomorrow, if all goes well, I'll the 600 mile mark!