morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-06-26
From: Boiling Springs

To: Allenberry-Boiling Spring
Miles today: 0.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 104: we didn't go far today. Beth, Greg and Matt were leaving for a Christian concert. As we gave them a hug goodbye, Blue grass was talking about getting a headlamp bc we were going to night hike 16 miles tonight. This stretch doesn't provide any shelter or camping. One of Greg and Beth's friends said she would take him to the sports store. Mom and Coach said they would go to the Allenberry to check it out. When we were dropped off at the Allenberry we ate at their AYCE buffet. Afterwards, they had a play, The Full Monty. We watched it. the show was wonderful, had us laughing the whole time. We made our way over to the bar and there we sat for hours! The time flew by. We watched the news and saw a big storm coming in tonight so we decided to stay at the Allenberry. It was only $20 per person for a thru hiker when it's typically 5x that price. Twix
Date: 2003-04-13
From: Pecks Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: clear sky

The weather was beautiful. We spent the whole morning going up, but were rewarded with some great views of mountains dusted with snow, jagged ridges, valleys and then finally a view over the mountains to the flat land beyond with a river flowing through it. I tried to take a picture but there is no way to capture it in a picture because the mountains are above, below, on both sides. They stretch off to the horizon and beyond the mist. There were also long walks through the snowy trail lined with spruce and Eastern Hemlocks. There is the faint smell of Christmas trees as we walk along. We hiked from 8:30 until 6PM to make it to Cosby Knob Shelter. Tomorrow we head for Davenport Gap and we will be out of the Smokies. I didn¢t find them as bad as I thought, in fact, I really enjoyed the last couple of days of hiking. I am glad we were forced to stay in Gatlinburg until the sun came out and we could see the Smokies at their best.   Even the snow was good because it made the mountains more beautiful. It also tested our goretex boots and they passed the test. We are the only hikers around with dry feet. There are rumors that Mountain Mamas one mile form the gap has the biggest cheeseburgers in the world. I think it is a bit exaggerated by hungry hikers, but we will find out tomorrow.
Date: 2013-06-27
From: Allenberry-Boiling Spring

To: Darlington Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

Day 105: I was sad to leave the Allenberry. It was my favorite place so far but we have to hike on to get to Maine. We were the first group to Leave in the morning. i know this because with every step on the trail i got a mouth and body full of cobwebs . After a few miles I asked Mom if she wanted to lead. She said, nope youre doing a great job. I sighed and said "this sucks". I told her about the cobwebs then she decided to give it a try. it was very entertaining. She was hooting and hollering with every step. She tried different methods with her hiking poles to stop the cobwebs from getting on her. I was laughing for hours. The morning was beautiful. The sun was shinning, the trees provided shade, there was berries along the trail, it was perfect until... Ouch! A misquito was on my arm, then my leg, then my face. I was swatting them off me left and right. bluegrass was right behind me and said he could see a ton of mosquitoes just flying in a bubble right behind me. I took off and ran the rest of the trail until I came to a meadow. I put my rain jacket and laughed. "Try getting me now". I think they got the last laugh though. I found several bites all over my body but mostly on my butt. I was scratching my butt the rest of the day. Twix
Date: 2003-04-17
From: Camp Site on Bluff Mountain

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It was another nice day to hike. There were even more flowers out today and the air was filled with the fragrance of flowers and white pine. Just as we came to Hot Springs, it began to cloud up and we felt a few drops of rain. It was a great view looking down on the little village of Hot Springs as we came down the mountain side. Our first stop was the outfitter, Bluff Mountain where we picked up our drop box and Relentless¢s medium pack belt, only to find that our local outfitter had also miss-sized his pack and gave him a large when he should have had a medium. We have both lost weight. Relentless is down 20 lbs. and I am down 10lbs. I guess this is about average. We are at the Alpine Motel where the two Petes and Zack¢s Dad are also staying. Zack¢s Dad gave us some cookies he got from home because he just celebrated his birthday.        Window, Sassafras, and Flying Cricket are also in town. There are also a lot of young hikers, Truckin¢, Steve, 1/3, Dirty Frank, Sour Mash, and more. Most are staying at Elmer¢s. The Smith¢s are here too (2/3rds) Mrs. Smith is recuperating from Pneumonia.        It was wonderful to get a shower and wash our clothes. It was also great to eat real food and be able to call home to talk to our kids and to my brother and his family.
Date: 2003-04-19
From: Fire Tower Campsite

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: few clouds

It rained last night, but I didn't hear it. I really slept well. This morning was a little wet, but we packed up oour wet tent and started walking. Soon the sun came oput and the gray sky turned a pretty blue. It was a fun day on the trail. Since we are both getting quite used to moving faster, we now have time for breaks. We took one for lunch under a shady Rhododendron bush and another at Allen Gap. There is a highway there with an old gas station just off the trail. I decided to walk there to see if I could get some water. Although the gas station was out of business, I heard the sound of running water coming from a nearby tree. Sure enough, there was a black hose attached to the tree and a nice stream of water was constanly flowing from it. I filled my water bottle and was just heading back to the trail when a van pulled up. A man a woman got out. The woman looked a bit familiar and said, "What's your trail name?" When I told her, "Bee's Knees", she said, " Do you know who I am?"Sure enough I did! It was Miss Janet, a friend I met at the PA Ruck. She has a hostel in Erwin and was dropping off a hiker named Doc. We had a few hugs and a nice chat. What a pleasant surprise to find water coming from a hose and a friendly face at the same time! We used the water to have a cup of coffee and some candy and started off again. Only a few more days and we will see Miss Janet again in Erwin.    Tonight we are camped close to Little Laurel Shelter. The Petes, Retro and Orbit, Genesis and Cody and Wild Child are here. We found out today that Genesis is from Columbus, OH and used ot live close to where my son lived. It is a small world. Ohio is well represented on the trail.
Date: 2013-07-03
From: 501 Shelter

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 24.1

Day 111: moms leg was not good this morning. She woke up limping around. As we were checking out her leg we noticed another member limping, Bella. Her foot was swollen 3x her normal size. We have no idea what happened to it. We decided to call Rock Ocean and have him take mom and Bella to Port Clinton while the three of us hike the 24 miles to Port Clinton. Rock Ocean was awesome, down to earth guy. Since he was taking Salsa to the town we decided to send our packs with them so we could get there quicker. We got a late start but we did walk fairly fast. We ate all our food that we brought within the first hour and we potentially had 8-10 more hours. The terrain was easy so we got there by sunset, we were starving and exhausted! I didn't know what to do first, lay down to rest my feet or cook.Twix
Date: 2003-04-21
From: Big Butt

To: 4 miles from Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: light rain

We got a late start because of rain but finally packed up at 10:00. The tent was really wet, but we wanted to get going. It was misty for the first part o fthe morning, but the sky finally turned blue with only a few patches of gray here and there. We ate a hurried breakfast along the trail of Special K Treats, Peanut Butter Granola bar and a small package of Fruit Loops. We stopped for lunch at Flint Mountain Shelter and got some water. The next section was really pretty! We walked along with a stream with lots of water falls and wild flowers.   After 8 miles and long up, we decided to camp about 5PM. We were both starving and wanted time to fix a good super. This gave us time to dry out the tent before putting it back up. We built a nice fire, more for the cherry glow than the warmth.   It seems a long way from Hot Springs to Erwin and knowing that we will be heading home for Kristen's graduation is making it seem even longer. We are both really anxious to see the family, friends and our dog.
Date: 2003-04-23
From: Water Tower on the way to Big Bald

To: Spivey Gap
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

It was cold this morning and a bit foggy when we woke up, so we got off to a late start. The tent was just too cozy to motivate us to leave. The hike on Big Bald was fantastic!!! There was frost on the trees and the wind was still blowing fairly strong, but the view was great! The sky was blue and the sun was out; we could still see the moon too. The Big Bald lived up to its reputation for a great 360 degree view. We could see the tops of other mountains, the roads winding through them, houses on the mountainsides and everywhere trees with their different colors of greens and yellows and browns.The bald has the course grass that covers it and the stunted little trees toward the edges.   We ate breakfast at the Big Bald Shelter where we saw Sassafras and Flying Cricket. There was also a '99 hiker named Wild Child who had done the AT south bound. He was day hiking today and gave us some tips about what was coming up. Tonight we are camped at Spivey Gap just off the trail near a good stream. We built a fire and visited with another hiker camped here named Jim. He is from Missouri. Tomorrow we need to hike 12 miles to get into Erwin. We are looking forward to showers, clean clothes, food and going home for Kristen's graduation.
Date: 2003-04-24
From: Spivey Gap

To: Erwin
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

We awoke this morning to the sound of birds singing. One bird in particular had the clearest and most beautiful sound that I have ever heard. Jim was fixing his breakfast when I went to get our bear bag down, and I asked him if he knew what bird it was. He guessed it was a worbbler. I wish I could carry books with me to help me identify the birds, plants and constellations that I see. We also saw a wild turkey on the way to Erwin. We have seen lots of hunters, but this is the first time we have seen their prey.   It is always nice to look down from the mountain as we come into a trail town, but the view of Erwin is exceptional. We saw a train going across the river below and it looked like a tiny Cracker Jack toy. The river is like a long silver ribbon stretched out before the town with white rapids breaking across it. The town itself is nestled between the giant mountains on all sides. We stopped at the first place we came to, a hostel, to get a coke and some cookies before going up to the Holiday Inn. We had a nice chat with a WWII veteran who had done a lot of hiking, but was now taking people to and from the trail heads. We also saw Window and Truckin' who were headed back on the trail. We enjoyed our night at the Holiday Inn getting cleaned up, eating at Long John Silvers, and watching TV. We have done 338 miles of the trail. Now we will take a break, but the sound of the birds and the wind, the smell of the wild flowers and the pine, and the views from the balds and the ridges will bring us back to finish the trail. We still have the problem of getting our car from my brother's house near Charlotte, NC. He and my sister-in-law can bring it on Sunday, but it will be a long drive for them and there really is no good way to get home from here.
Date: 2003-05-09
From: I-81

To: Indian Grave Gap
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: broken clouds

We ate a good breakfast at the Comfort Inn. They even had biscuits and gravy, one of Gary's favorites. Then we drove the last 68 miles to the Tri-City Airport to turn in the rental car. It is a very small airport, so we didn't have to deal with a lot of traffic. We ate another breakfast at the Cracker Barrel on the way to turn in the car. There is a theme here- eat, eat, eat while you can! Miss Janet picked us up about 12:30 and we got back on the trail about 2 PM. It was a very hot and muggy day, the sweat was really pouring off of us as we climbed our first up in two weeks. Fortunately, it was not very steep or long. The trail was pretty easy and the Rhododendrons were in bloom and that took our mind off the pain. We met two hikers at Curly Maple Gap Shelter and later camped by them just before USFS 230. They had a fire going as we came to their camp and shared it with us. Their trail names were Wiggle Stick and Bucky. Both were history majors in college and are going to enter grad school in the fall. Wiggle Stick will be working on a PH.D. We enjoyed talking to them. It was nice to sit by the fire and cook our dinner listening to the Whipoor Will.   I lost my watch on the trail today. This is a big loss because I really loved that watch and also because for the next five days we will never know the time. I was able to measure our distance with the watch because we walk about 1.5 miles per hour, so if we had been walking 3 hours, we would have gone about 4.5 miles. I will have to get a new one in Damascu during Trail Days. We both had some aches and pains the first day back. Time for some Advil.
Date: 2013-07-23
From: Bear Mountain

To: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center (Monastary)
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: light rain

Day 132: Well we didn't do very many miles today mostly due to being rained on three times. It was great going over the Hudson River and Twix went through the zoo. She saw her first black bear there! I chose to bypass it as I am not too fond of zoos. We had a steep incline out of Fort Montgomery, NY and then the rain started to unload. I didn't have my pack cover or rain gear on as the rain actually felt good even though it was really pelting me. We made it to a deli (Appalachian Deli) after about five miles. Awesome deli sandwiches, italian ice and pizza. We dried off with Semi and Reboot. Then it started to rain again so we decided to head over to a monastary. There, they allow us to camp in a huge ball field that also has a pavillion. We played cards there (while it rained again) and hung all our wet packs and clothes there. There were probably 15 tents there. After ordering taco pizza from a local pizza place, we headed for bed.Salsa
Date: 2003-05-10
From: Indian Grave Gap

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: light rain

Today was hot and muggy again. We started out early, 7:30 AM, but also quit early, about 4 PM. We also took about a half hour lunch break. There were some really hard ups as we climbed Unaka Mountain. Early in the day the trail went through some beautiful meadows and we had some nice views from the Beauty Spot, a bald. The Trilliums were really blooming and there are a lot more birds singing now than there were early in the spring. Someone told me the bird I love to hear in the morning is a Thrush. What a great sound to wake me up! Much better than my alarm clock at home. The bugs have been really bad, little black bugs that fly into the eyes and ears, and ugh! sometimes even the mouth. Some black flies too that bite like the dickens! I have bites all over me despite putting on insect stuff with deet in it. The bugs treat that stuff like purfume. Gary doesn't seem to be as bothered. Maybe he isn't as sweet tasting and juicy as I am. We plan to eat a good meal tonight and go to bed early. Our packs are way too heavy with food and we are both suffering from aches and pains. Gary has foot and knee problems plus coffee withdrawal. I just ache everywhere. 16 miles down, 100 to go until we are hiking in VA.
Date: 2013-07-24
From: Graymoor Spiritual Life Center (Monastary)

To: Long Hill Road (Plantman's House)
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 132: Got up early so we could hike 16.4 miles today. Today, we are going to meet Mark (Plantman) who hiked the AT last year. He read our journals online and offered to pick us up and take us to his house for showers, laundry, dinner and resupply. Tomorrow we decided to slack pack...oh how we love to slack pack. Today the trails were awesome. There were some diverse vegetation and woods that really made it beautiful. We are pretty low (under 1,000 feet) so there were not many views. Today was the first day that my hamstring and knee were almost pain free. It wasn't until the last couple of miles where they began to get sore. Twix's ankle and feet are a little sore but she continues to hike on. We met up with Mark at Long Hill Road. He lives about 45 minutes away and as soon as we got to his house, we were taking showers and doing laundry. We also needed to dry our tents due to all the rain. He and his wife, Pat, made us some vegan pasta and chili dishes. It was so good and filling. Thanks Plantman for you fantastic hospitality.Salsa
Date: 2003-05-12
From: Hughes Gap

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: scattered clouds

This was a perfect day! It started with the crows acting as my alarm clock about 6 AM. Then the people across the road from us in a camper offered us coffee and cookies. Wow! What a treat, real coffee to start the day! Then we got our ride from Hawk-6, I think his real name is Dave, but I'm bad with names. He and his friend dropped us off at the gap and we tackled Roan Mountain. It was tough, but the weather was cool so it felt good to hike and the wind kept the bugs away. We could see our breath in as we struggled up the mountain over lots of rocks and roots. At the top they once had a hotel, but now it just has the road and some information about it. Part of the hotel was in TN and part in NC. One state was dry, so they drew a line down the middle of the hotel so people would know which side of the hotel they could drink in.   Then we hiked up a bald. The view from it took my breath away- mountains on all sides as far as I could see and on the north another bald to climb. We could see roads, towns, farms and houses but they all looked so tiny nestled between teh big mountains. Tonight we are camped by a barn that was converted into an AT shelter and the view from here is awesome. It's a little cold and windy. But wow! What a great day!
Date: 2013-07-26
From: Nuclear Lake

To: Ten Mile Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 134: Goodbye to New York and hello to CONNETICUT! This morning was kind of cool (in the high 50's). We all kind of got up at different times and started hiking. Twix was in front when I got behind. After a couple of hours, I still didn't catch up to her so I kept hiking. I kept thinking that I would run into her as she typically waits down the trail...but no Twix. I ran into my third SOBO and her name is Unicorn who started on May 30. She was hiking by herself and was doing well except she had a knee brace on. I asked her what was in front of me and she said the most beautiful country that she has seen. She said that Maine was really tough on her and her knee was sore especially going downhill. It was great talking to her. I also met Rooster as well who started on June 13.Well I still didn't see Twix so I started speeding up my pace. I went past the Appalachian Trail Railroad Station which was near a rather long boardwalk next to the rails. I started climbing Hammersly Ridge. There was a point in the trail that both sides had about 6 foot tall grass. When out of no where was a large doe that lightly touched the left side of the trail and was jumping right over me. Her hooves were at my eye level in front of my eyes. It was beautiful and glad that she was about a foot in front of me otherwise, I think I would have been hit. After about 10 more minutes down the trail, it started to rain so typically I continue to hike but for some reason, I thought I would pull out my GoLite tarp/poncho and found a log to sit on and draped it over me and my pack to wait out the rain. After about 10 minutes, I could hear a faint "Salsa" coming up the hill. It was Coach and she sat down with me and said that her and Twix were trying to catch up to me. I guess Twix took the wrong trail early in the morning and was going down a yellow blaze. So fortunately, we all found each other. we all made it to Ten Mile River Shelter where we camped in the back of the shelter. It was another cool night.Salsa
Date: 2003-05-16
From: Dennis Cove- Kincora

To: Kincora
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

We woke up this morning to ride into Damascus, VA with Bob for Trail Days, an annual hiker event in this friendly trail town. We rode with a freind of Bob's named OX and three other hikers. One of them is going to start a south bound hike in two weeks. First we came to the campground where we saw dozens of hikers camped out. There were also equipment companies that would fix damaged gear or replace it. We got some free samples and took Gary's trekking poles to be fixed, talked to the Mountain Hardware Rep who said they would replace our damaged pole, and talked to the MSR rep who said they would fix our water pump.   Then we went into town where we stopped at the Side Track Cafe. This was like attending a reunion because as soon as we walked in, we were greeted by Regan and ATWanabe. Later we saw Bam Bam, Miss Janet,and Papa Tom. All people we had seen earlier on the trail and who had passed us. Later walking around town we saw Al and his dog Sugar, Bree (Lady Bug), Laura ( one of the two Canadian girls who started with us on the 9th). We also got to see Sparrow and Hutch, two of the people we met at the Ruck last winter.   When we got back to the hostel with Bob and Gleb, there were more new faces on the porch. The others had all gone to Damascus. The new hikers were Pokey, George, Chemo, and Lumber Jack. Now there were new people to meet and more eating and pleasant conversation. Pokey is doing section hiking because she has already done the trail once. She runs a bed and breakfast in New Hampshire where I hope to stay when we get there. It is nice to have another woman close to my age to chat with. George is about Gary's age, so this is an older crowd this evening. The hostel is designed encourage chatting and friendly gatherings with food. No TV or radio, no alcohol, big table outside with a big grill. Great kitchen facility with lots of pans and dishes. Pat and Bob truly enjoy hikers and have made a wonderful place for them to stay on the trail.   I called Jon and Snikers is doing better. I just wish I could be there to give him some TLC.
Date: 2013-07-30
From: Stealth Camp after Salisbury, CT

To: South Egremont, MA (Stealth Camp)
Miles today: 16.4

Day 138: Today we are in MASSACHUSETTS! Today was a really great hike. We have been following the Housatonic River. There were pools and falls of water. Bluegrass and Jabberwocky were swimming. The trails in CT have been so easy on our tired feet and the woods have been so beautiful. I really like the CT trails. Our destination today is to get close to Great Barrington as possible so we can spend as much time during the day in town. This is where Plantman is going to bring Bella back to us, Coach will be leaving us and we will also be meeting Can Do and Y-Not. We are so excited to see Can Do and Y-Not as we have not seen them since Damascas, VA. We found a really nice spot to camp about 3 miles from Great Barrington, MA. Early to bed tonight and early to rise...to go into town! We so need of some time off...hopefully a zero day. It has been since July 9 since we had a whole day off.SalsaSalsa