morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-04-24
From: Franklin, NC Sapphire Inn

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 4.2
Weather: broken clouds

4/24 4.2 miles, 2.5 hoursMy first hike using two poles. They definitely help you go uphill; if nothing else, they increase the length of your stride. Now my arms hurt! Hikers have to have triceps, too??? I didn¢t get much of a chance to use them going downhill, yet. I can¢t imagine not having a pole downhill.It was sprinkling off & on after I was dropped off at 11am. There were two sectioners here when I arrived at 1:30; they didn¢t think it odd that I was going to stay so early, since it was raining. I took a nap around 5pm while they and another guy walked to Siler Bald.Thankful for: reading time.
Date: 2007-04-25
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: clear sky

4/25 13.6 miles, 8.5 hoursI was the first one to leave this morning at 7:30 (Beernuts woke us up at 6am after Crease kept us awake till 10:30pm). I got lost and took the wrong trail downhill about .5. The second half of the loop trail to Siler Bald Shelter was AWFUL - if I had known how bad it was sloped uphill, I would¢ve left the way I came in. I got on the AT around 8:30. It was a nice gentle slope down for a couple miles. I had accidentally packed my knee brace in with my sleeping bag, so I thought I would give it a try without. Big mistake. I had to stop along the trail and dig it out. Then it was a long, slowww, uphill for a couple miles. We were up over 5300 miles today! The highlight of the day was the Wayah Bald observation tower area. I got a picture of a benchmark there, too. After that, the bottoms of both feet were tormented. I had to stop from 1:30-2pm with just 4 miles to go. This big mile day was the first that I ever ate everything in the fanny pack for lunch. I got water from a nice fast stream; I didn¢t treat it. Later I noticed it kinda tasted like toilet water. I also noticed that my left boot has a hole in it; so far it is still waterproof. The last mile was another endless uphill; my face was burning red when I got to the shelter with the two sectioners - Hatchet and Beernuts, Crease, and a bunch of guys I didn¢t know. I was doing the afternoon hustle - trying to get to the shelter without any faster people passing me. Crease sat down on a log with me for a little bit. He said that as Hatchet was leaving the shelter, he told Crease to make a final check and bring along any gear he may have forgotten. After Crease agreed, Hatchet dropped his entire backpack and started walking off. Neat trick!This is a very cute shelter - I got a couple pictures. The floor slants pretty bad toward the back, so we will have to sleep with our heads toward the outside. The spring is right out front and there was a hellbender in there earlier.The firebugs are gathering the rotten wormy green fungus coated branches to burn. I don¢t think the noxious smoke is worth the little comfort it gives on a warm night like this. They stink us out in the mornings, too, for what purpose I do not know. I could¢ve sworn it was summer today - warm and sunny.Thankful for: surviving a 13 mile day.
Date: 2007-04-28
From: NOC

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: light rain

4/28 6.9 miles, 6 hours, $6HOLYCRAP the climb out of NOC is awful! I knew we would be going up all day, but the annoying part was when you are tricked by a bunch of false tops - you think you can¢t go any higher, then turn a corner and see another SOB climb!I had to wait around for the outfitter to open at 8am so I could buy some Iodine this morning. I also discovered that you can¢t call an 800 number on any of the pay phones, even using a calling card. I wasn¢t able to do PocketMail from NOC.I took a break around 10am for water. I ate everything in my fanny pack - that¢s only happened once before. For a moment I had the thought that I¢d better go back to NOC and eat for another day or so. Today was wildflower day - I couldn¢t stop snapping pictures. The lower altitude and recent rain popped lots of them! I also saw a day-glo red bird with black wings. Someone said it might be a scarlet tanager.Potion¢s buddies, Curly and Zorro, are here with me tonight, among others. I¢m not the only one who noticed the Bag Lady. One kid said he couldn¢t understand what she was talking about.I attempted to start reading "Red Badge of Courage" by Stephen Crane but couldn¢t stay awake. It is getting cold again! I have my Space blanket ready!Thankful for: extra food.
Date: 2007-04-29
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: clear sky

4/29 9.2 miles, 8.5 hoursOne of the guys got up twice to pee last night; the other one got up three times! As we were packing up, Curly sat on his sleeping bag compression sack to get the air out. Zorro said ¢No matter how long you sit on that, you¢re not going to get it upyourass. You¢re gonna hafta put it in your pack.¢ It was hilarious! A young kid who didn¢t make a sound all night was hiking in Crocs! He had one of those dinky packs, although he claimed it weighed 30#. I didn¢t see another NB all day. There was one old SB; otherwise us three had the trail to ourselves. Cheoah Bald was the highlight of the day at 5062'. There was a Benchmark there, too.I saw two snakes today - a small brown checkered one in the morning, and a tiny ring-neck snake in the afternoon. I also took pictures of yet more flowers today. I took a shoes-off break at Stecoah Gap with Zorro. Good thing, too because it was a killer straight-up climb.I¢m beginning to wonder if my body has adjusted all it¢s genetically capable of. Maybe my muscles won¢t get any bigger, and I will have to struggle like this the whole trip. Unless I were to lose 50# of fat overnight, maybe this is as good as it gets? Zorro kinda got me doubting myself when he said we don¢t need to worry about crowded shelters anymore because anybody who was going to Maine has long since passed us slowpokes.This shelter is another log cabin, with a wooden roof. The ¢privy¢ is a toilet seat on a box with a roof and (most of) a fence between it and the shelter. On three sides its just you and Nature. It is my favorite privy so far - I even took a picture. The water is down a steep slope, but it is a nice piped spring.Thankful for: flowers and snakes.
Date: 2007-04-30
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: clear sky

4/30 6.1 miles, 5 hoursA nice little stroll in the woods today. I knew it was a short day, so I poked around a lot, looking at rocks and stuff. It didn¢t take so long because of the terrain; I just never broke a sweat. It was a very nice day. Curly was complaining and taking pain pills for his leg last night, yet he was going the 10 miles to Fontana today.I leap frogged with Zorro all day. We got to the termite infested log cabin around 2:30. Baldo was just leaving from a lunch break. He seemed much more relaxed. I told him I had heard about him drinking wine and puking all over NOC. I ate so much I don¢t know how much I ate. I traded Zorro some peanuts for a bagel; I had carried a little tub of PB from NOC with nothing to eat it on.Fontana tomorrow! I am at the foot of the Smokies. I haven¢t seen them since G. was about 8 years old. That would make it about 7 years. It is also a 15-year circle of sorts; 15 years ago I first set foot on the AT and the dream began. It is one part of the trail I have really been wanting to do.Thankful for: my health.
Date: 2007-05-01
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam Lodge
Miles today: 5.5
Weather: clear sky

5/1 5.5 miles, 4.5 hours, $80.98I was the only one in the shelter last night. Zorro set his mat and bag down, but changed his mind when the termites started swarming out of a log on his side of the shelter. I kept telling him they would be done with their little party by sundown, but he still chose to tent. It was super quiet last night, although I only slept in 2-3 hour chunks. A rude New Yorker with a paternalistic attitude came to ¢my¢ shelter at 6:30am to heat his coffee water and wake me up. It is warm enough now that I am going to start using my hammock after the Smokies. I like sleeping until, say, 8am. One thing you can always count on is for people to be inconsiderate.I left the shelter at 7:45 and popped out at Fontana around noon. I managed to trip myself and fall down. The trail was covered with about 3? of leaves; I stepped on a small log with my left foot, which caused the other end of the log to rise, and I tripped on it with my right foot and went down on my right knee and hand. It didn¢t hurt much, but I got scratched up and decided I needed to take a break and clean up with a wet-wipe. Also today, I discovered the magic number for taking a boots-off break is 4 hours. That is when my feet start getting white and tender from the waterproofing.First thing I did at Fontana was get ham sandwich fixin¢s ($2.69 for a loaf of bread) and BBQ Pringles. The store didn¢t have brown mustard, so I made do with mayo. I drank a 32oz blue Gatorade within about 2 minutes. I did laundry and chatted with passing hikers. Baldo stopped to chat a bit as I was getting my maildrop for the Smokies in order. I still have to make my way over to the Dam Visitor Center to get my UPS package from Neel¢s Gap with my GPS in it. I¢ve been kinda anxious about it since I had to trust it to someone else¢s hands. I will probably hang around here and sightsee and Geocache, then stay at the ¢Fontana Hilton¢ shelter tomorrow night. This afternoon I checked into the Lodge ($60), ate a fourth ham sandwich, and took a shower then soaked my carcass in a hot bath. I¢m looking forward to a good night¢s sleep. I put the ¢Do not disturb, Por Favor¢ sign out around 5pm.Thankful for: clean linens, pillows, and towels.
Date: 2007-05-02
From: Fontana Dam Lodge

To: Fontana Hilton
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

5/2 a couple miles, $8.43I slept very well, although I did get up from 3-4:30am for cookies out of the vending machine. I was itching and found black ants in my bed and in the bathroom. They didn¢t seem to bother me after I went back to sleep on the uber soft bed. I checked out and headed for the Administration Building to see if they had my UPS box. I was lucky to bump into a lady who seemed to be in charge of the whole operation who asked me if I was lost. She said new owners are changing everything around and my box could be in any of five places. She called around and found out it was back at the hotel desk I had just checked out at. I was happy and relieved to get my GPS back. It was a mistake sending it so far ahead - I missed it!I went to the store and had microwave pizza for breakfast, sent a bounce box to Hot Springs and some junk home, then waited around for another hiker to call the shuttle. I parked my 100# pack at the shelter. It sleeps about 24, has running water outside, a restroom with flush toilets nearby, garbage cans, a million-dollar view and showers about .5 downhill; otherwise it is just a nice big wooden floored shelter.Anyways, I left my pack there with some trepidation, and finally got up the gumption to leave it and go to the Dam. I found 9 Tennessee Valley Authority survey markers and took several pictures and GPS readings. I walked the entire length and back in the heat. There is no drinking water to be found; the TVA is using scare tactics in order to get the new owner/Leasee to foot the bill for a new water treatment system. There are blue signs on the restroom doors recommending boiling drinking water because the system was constructed in the 1930s, yet noone has gotten sick and the water meets maximum contaminant levels. The only drinking fountain in the park that works is at the shelter, and I¢m sure the water comes from the same pipes.So I was pretty thirsty when I came back to the shelter. My pack was still there, and there was a little bearded guy ¢Torn¢ too. I started yawning when he started talking about Michael Jackson (he had a sex-change operation and got kicked out of Saudi Arabia for wearing a burka and assaulting a child in a women¢s restroom) and Bill Clinton (he is the bastard son of Sam Walton). Also, people can watch you through your TV. You get the picture. I layed down and Torn wandered off. I guess he slept in his car last night. I slept for about an hour then started wondering if I was going to have to eat noodles or PBJ tonight. I could shuttle to the Village, but why pay $4 for a shuttle to have more microwave pizza? I had PBJ.Thankful for: peace and quiet.
Date: 2007-05-03
From: Fontana Hilton

To: Mollie's Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: scattered clouds

5/3 11.1 miles, 9 hours.A mouse kept waking me up last night. It was light enough that I could see him zipping around silently, getting way too close for comfort. I got up around 7:15 and left the shelter right at 8am. It took me four looong hours to climb from Fontana (1710') to Shuckstack Mountain (4020'). I had planned to take a break at the firetower, but the path went up steeply .1, and for a change the AT went downhill - I stayed on the AT. It was hazy and humid, anyhow. I took a break and got water another mile up the trail. I was prepared for an all-day rain; it sprinkled for about 30 seconds. The next few miles went well, but the last three were a bear. I don¢t know how I kept on; it must¢ve been endorphins. At one point, everything from my lower back to my toes hurt, with a record-weight pack. It was a 900' climb up to the shelter; the switchbacks went around and around the mountain. I began to think I had missed the shelter. I limped in around 5pm; it started raining around 5:30! That was an awfully long day. BS, who saw a bear today about 1000' away, and I were talking today about us slowpokes making it to Maine. If I walked 10 miles each day (ha ha), it would take 200 days to get done. I don¢t want to be doing this till November! I would like to be done before G¢s birthday in October. It¢s gonna be tough knowing he is out of school in a couple weeks. I¢m afraid once I finish the Smokies, it won¢t feel like vacation anymore. I¢ll want to get G and take him somewhere touristy. I¢m thinking for someone as slow as me, Maine is not a practical goal. Maybe halfway will have to do this year.Thankful for: releasing the pressure to rush to Maine.
Date: 2007-05-04
From: Mollie's Ridge Shelter

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 5.6
Weather: overcast clouds

5/4 5.6 miles, 4 hoursThis morning I heard wild turkeys, but as soon as the first hiker went by, they were quiet. I knew I had a short day, so I poked around and waited for the other 5 hikers to leave before going down to the ¢toilet area¢. No privy here. I did my job and as I was going back up to the shelter, there was a hiker wandering around, harshing my mellow. I read the register, got water a second time, played with the straps on my pack, etc., until he left. I hit the trail at 10am. Another hiker promptly passed me. I should¢ve had a couple thousand stickers made up to say ¢I passed MidgetMom¢. Also, I should¢ve had a T-shirt made to say 1) MidgetMom, 2) Florida, 3) Maine, 4) Springer 3/30. That would¢ve saved a lot of time socializing, equalling more reading time!We are obviously sharing the trail with horses. The trail sinks down almost a foot in places, causing even tall hikers to feel like midgets. One guy told me ¢Everything seems bigger in the Smokies.¢ We are required to bury our poo 6 inches, yet riders can leave a 15 pound steamy mound in the middle of the footpath for maggots to feast on. I can¢t help but think there wouldn¢t be so many flies if it weren¢t for the horses and stables around here.Speaking of flies, as I was coming up to Russell Field Shelter (just for a break), I was greeted by a horde of flies. Then I saw the sign ¢toilet area.¢ No privy there, either. George and Atmosphere were sitting talking to the Ridgerunner who I sheltered with last night, WhiteBrow. The father of the duo was sick. I took my pack off inside the fenced shelter and removed my shoes. The father wandered in, layed down, and moaned. Then he got up, went outside the shelter and hurled. I immediately started putting my shoes back on. I made a hasty exit, hoping to see them both in a few days. Then I wondered what those flies were swarming around and got myself a big gob of hand sanitizer.Later in the day I stood up from a log and was pulling my shorts out of my buttcrack (not very gracefully) when I heard ¢How are you today¢ behind me! I giggled and said ¢Excuse me¢ to the poor guy who had witnessed that! As I turned a corner, I was greeted by a big black raincloud crawling up the side of the mountain. I busted a move; luckily the trail was mostly level and downhill. Same story as yesterday-it started raining within 30 minutes after arriving at the shelter.Thankful for: perfect timing.
Date: 2007-05-05
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 6.5
Weather: light rain

5/5 6.5 miles, 6 hoursIt rained pretty hard through the night that I was aware of. A weekend couple kept us awake until nearly 10pm. The 7am'ers took off at 7:30 as it was pouring down rain. When I left at 9:30 it was merely a sprinkle, but that didn't last long. I had to put on the raincoat within an hour, and it remained on ALL day. I have never gotten so wet in my life. My shorts and underwear were soaked. My feet were swimming. I found out that the tops of my waterproof boots are NOT waterproof. It was slow going uphill due to the misery factor and the extra weight of all the water I was toting, and slow going downhill due to the slippery trail (which turned into a rushing stream in places). I managed to fall just once, stepping on a big rock to avoid the stream below. After that I just tromped through the water. I stopped for quick pictures of 3 benchmarks I found; otherwise nothing much to report. I stopped to stay at the first shelter; there were already 4 people there, all tucked in and cozy. My bag and mat were both wet; after I changed clothes I spent the next 3 hours drying them with my body heat (and shivering). The others were planning to go into Gatlinburg via the Clingman's Dome parking lot and invited me. I declined because I didn't want to do 10 miles in a rush, and I have enough food for 4-5 more days. Plus I am still pretty down about not being able to make it to Maine this year. I also miss the old gang I was hiking with and don't want to get attached to anyone else.I finished "Red Badge of Courage", ripped the first part of the book off, and started on the remaining short stories by S. Crane.Thankful for: the freedom to hike my own hike.
Date: 2007-05-06
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 5.5
Weather: broken clouds

5/6 5.5 miles, 4.5 hoursI had female issues to take care of this morning, so I stayed in my bag until everyone had left (9am). I was on the trail by 10am, optimistically without my raincoat. It was very misty (or should I say smoky); sometimes it was hard to tell if I was in a heavy mist or a light sprinkle. I did get chilled a couple times and put the coat on briefly. The sun poked through a few times so there was somewhat of a view today. Early in the morning I heard a big branch break; I stopped to look & listen for a minute but there were no surprises. For some reason, I became aware of the zipper on my shorts today. I think I must not have been able to see it for a few years. I kept looking down, fascinated all day, saying ¢Hello, zipper.¢My plan was to get to Silers Bald shelter and see how I felt, and go another 1.7 miles if possible. Then I was passed by a group of seven and remembered it is the weekend. When I got to Silers, I thought I¢d better get a space while I could. Plus my feet are very sore today, and my right hip kept making a strange clicking sound! I knew I was near a shelter without a privy about .5 away, when the flies started swarming me. My bag is still tacky-wet on the outside. I have prime hanging space since I¢m the first one here. Yesterday¢s soggy sox, my raincoat and foodbag are hanging in the breeze.Oh, yes, and since I didn¢t have to retrieve my female things secretly, I was able to take them out and count them. It looks like I will be going to Gatlinburg afterall, either tomorrow (12.3 miles) or Tuesday (7.8 then 5 miles). I am also low on fuel (I had to burn a pair of new underwear this morning). Maybe a shower, laundry, and pizza will help to cheer me up. I don¢t regret going halfway; it is just depressing having to change my mindset and explain to 20 people a day why I¢m not thru-hiking this year. If I stick to the generic ¢As far as my knees will take me¢, I feel like I¢m lying. I¢m sure C. and G. will be thrilled to learn that I will be home sooner than expected! I estimate roughly August 23 to Harper¢s Ferry.Thankful for: the support of C. and G.
Date: 2007-05-07
From: Silers Bald Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: clear sky

5/7 8.5 miles, 7 hoursLast night there was a bit of a party around the campfire with some college girls and a huge bottle of bourbon. The fun ended abruptly at 10:45pm when one of the girls started hurling. There have been so many first-hand accounts of bear sightings, I can¢t understand why I haven¢t seen any. A guy from Tampa who's name I haven't caught yet saw one running up the hill about 60-70' in front of him. A grad student sectioner kept hearing one all night and discovered he had tented about 20' away from a tree in which there was a bear sleeping! I was up at 7:45 and on the trail at 8:15. I had things put away in order to possibly do 12+ miles. Silers Bald had a great view first thing in the morning and a Benchmark. The views today were awesome. I¢m soooo glad it wasn¢t rainy or foggy today. This was the best hiking day I have had in my life. It was hard to keep my eyes on the trail, with spectacular views on each side! Colorado-quality views, sans snow! The hike up to Clingman¢s Dome was pretty long, but generally tourist-graded. I was surprised to see so many tourists on a Monday. I sorta wanted to go up the observation tower, but I wasn¢t certain if there were toilets or Coke machines. Also, the tidy whitey tourists were streaming out, and I hadn¢t showered since ??? After Clingman I took a nice boots-off break in the sun and ate some cheese (I skipped breakfast). My feet are still sore; I¢m wondering if I need new Dr. Scholl¢s gel pads. I¢ve got quite a shopping list for Gatlinburg. My Platypus liter bottle sprung a leak last night so it only holds half a liter now. I¢m also going to get some sinus tablets and see if I don¢t have to blow my nose every 15 minutes. Hopefully I can weigh myself somewhere. I keep thinking about Dolly (my 6# chihuahua) and telling myself she could ride where my belly used to be!Oh, big news! I passed a hiker today! Well, they were 70 years old, but still, I passed them!Thankful for: God¢s perfect timing.