morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-03-09
From: Tri-corner Knob Shelter

To: Davenport Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

At last the sun came out to save the day and lift our soggy, frozen spirits! It's amazing how much good a little sunshine and some gorgeous views can do the soul. We were especially fortunate to have such great views in the Smokies, as air pollution has had such an enormous impact in the park. The ozone, nitrogen, and sulfur levels rank among the highest in the entire country and on a clear day, the pollution can reduce visibility from 93 to 22 miles.We quickly forgot how miserable it had been packing up in the single digit temperatures. We even let it drift from minds that it took us each over 10 minutes to put on our frozen solid boots, only to find that they were then impossible to tighten and nearly impossible to hike in. What a wondrous thing sunlight is!We are less than a mile from being out of the Smokies at this point, but will surely be carrying our wounds from this place for quite some time. Josh somehow managed to bang his head twice on shelter beams, and to slam his head into three fallen trees, one of which produced a scab. On the other hand, I somehow managed to fall down five times in two days, after not falling down a single time in the preceding 200+ miles. Fortunately the falls only produced bruises. Hopefully we are out of the two inch thick ice for a while and I can recuperate.Tonight we are sharing a shelter with two UNC students, Mark and Craige. Mark actually lives with a friend and coworker of Josh's. Small world. Hopefully we didn't annoy them with our constant chatter... we nearly talked their heads off.We've been debating trail names. Grasshopper and Breakman suggested "StarMan" for Josh, and "Discount" (from working at REI) for me. Traveler thought Josh should be "Hungry". I think Josh should be "AYCE" for All-You-Can-Eat -- he just can't eat enough. "Astro AYCE" would be good too since he wants to include astronomy. I might choose a name referencing my undying love for Max Patch, a grassy bald on the AT which we are soon to arrive at. Josh has suggested "TwigSnapper", as I tend to drag my feet, getting twigs stuck between them, and snapping them in the process. Anyone have any ideas?In other news, congratulations to our favorite sister Amber -- she got into the school of nursing at UNCW!!!-Amanda
Date: 2008-03-10
From: Davenport Gap Shelter

To: Max Patch
Miles today: 17.0

Today was an absolutely glorious day. It started off wonderfully, and just kept getting better. You have to love days like that.This may sound ridiculous, but my day started off with the gift of 2 oranges. I'd been craving oranges for days, and the guys from UNC happened to bring a whole bag of them on their spring break backpacking excursion. They were kind enough to give us 2.Soon after we made it out of the Smokies we encountered Skipper, a thru-hiker who is experiencing the trail southbound, from Maine to Georgia. In trail lingo this makes him a "SOBO" (we're "NOBO's"). He had to take time off in the middle as his wife was having surgery, so he's the very last SOBO making his way to GA. Due to weather conditions, most SOBO's start May-July, so we won't see another for quite some time. After meeting Skipper, who was named accordingly as he did look like a seafaring man, we happened upon some trail magic: a bag of food tied to a tree containing cheese puffs and oranges. We hoped this wasn't too greedy of us, but we took the oranges and left the cheese puffs for the next passerby. Hopefully Donkeylegs ran into his first real trail magic.In the middle of the day we happened upon a bald that had a rather large FAA radar building built upon it. Apparently it's used by air traffic controllers to track planes. As you can tell if you look at the photos, Josh was beyond thrilled to stumble upon such a place--it wasn't listed in our guidebook. I enjoyed the views at the bald while he stared wide-eyed at the building.Our day ended at Max Patch. Hiking 17 miles was worth it to end up at such a gorgeous place in time to catch the sunset. We were married there on the AT in late September, so it was incredibly exciting to revisit the bald. We talked about how perfect (to us) our wedding had been, and how we hoped that everyone who helped make it possible and who attended knew how much it meant to both of us.If you haven't ever been to Max Patch, where there's 360 degree views of nothing but mountains, I could not recommend it more. It'll take your breath away and steal your heart.-Amanda
Date: 2008-03-11
From: Max Patch

To: 2 miles before Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: overcast clouds

It goes without saying that some sections of the AT are better than others; everyone knows that. However, which sections are "great" and which sections are not so great are lesser known. So in an effort to help those of you out there interested in just hiking parts of the trail I'm going to recommend my favorite sections:   Note: My recommendations are highly influenced/biased by weather. If I do not include a section you feel should be included, this is probably because it was raining or snowing and we couldn't see anything.In Georgia, I would recommend Trey Mtn. While Amanda and I summited this peak in the fog and at night, I have a feeling it had a great view. The only other wonderful spot in GA was Blood Mountain, but this spot is heavily visited due to proximity to a road so this detracts from it a bit.In North Carolina, I really enjoyed the balds and towers of the south. I would definitely recommend the section from Wayah Bald to the NOC.As for the Smokies, I very much recommend the 20 mile section south of Newfound Gap. There are great balds with spectacular views.The reasons I am telling you about my favorite sections thus far is because of how boring today's section was between Max Patch and Hot Springs. There really is just nothing to see. We persevered through the boredom and had a big day - 17.5 miles. This puts us around 3 miles from Hot Springs. The plan is to wake up early, hike into town and eat a big breakfast. We will see how that goes.-Josh
Date: 2008-03-14
From: near Log Cabin Dr.

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke this morning to warm temps and blue skies. We knew the forecast called for 40 percent chance of showers but certainly didn't think this meant rain most of the day. The trail took us back up into the mountains. It ran along a very rocky ridge just before Jerry's Cabin shelter. I wish it had been a clear day because the view from this spot would have been spectacular. Even with the fog and light rain we occasionally had good views of the Tennessee Valley. We will return here someday to hike this section again.We stopped at Jerry's Cabin shelter to dry off and we enjoyed a feast of miscellaneous foods we had received in our maildrop- thanks again! When the rain let up a bit, we set off for Flint Mountain shelter. We climbed over Big Butt (yes, the mountain is called Big Butt and if there had been a sign Amanda and I had plans to take a picture with it, possibly mooning the camera--so you are lucky there wasn't one). The terrain became fairly easy after this. We passed the Shelton graves. Apparently they were an uncle and nephew killed near that spot during the civil war. I was appalled that the site was covered in tacky fake flowers. It ruined the site for me.We arrived at Flint Mountain shelter around 8PM just as it was getting dark. We met Phil and Adam (other thru-hikers), as well as Dave and Carl, a couple of older section hikers from up north. All were very nice and we had great conversations. People are awesome!-Josh
Date: 2008-03-15
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: light rain

It was a short, semi-miserable day for us today. 40 degrees and thunderstorming with cold bursts of wind - that's the recipe for a soggy frowning hiker. We had plans of doing a bigger mile day to get into town a little faster (we miss our friends and family and are eager to say hello), but someone along the way told us the forecast for scattered showers had been replaced with all night long thunderstorms so we decided to tuck into a shelter earlier than usual. Look at us using common sense mom and dad! I will admit that it is quite unnerving being on the top of a mountain with metal trekking poles when it is thundering and lightening.One of the flashes of lightning today gave off a bright pink hue... that was a new experience. Also, when it rains, we've noticed certain trees with soap suds like piles under/draining from them. If anyone knows the reason for this, we are curious, so please share.MRE meals were what was for dinner (that's what the marines eat). It was some of the best food we've had thus far. Either we were ridiculously hungry or those meals are absolutely delicious. Sometimes it is hard to tell.We are spending the night with three other thru-hikers; Alex from Montreal, and Phil and Adam who are both taking a semester off from college to trek to Maine. Phil goes to Duke, but we told him we won't hold it against him. We've never agreed with that whole UNC - Duke rivalry outside of basketball.-Amanda
Date: 2008-03-16
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Temple Hill Gap
Miles today: 23.0

We had a surprise first thing this morning. Ten minutes after leaving the shelter we ran into a hiker and began making small talk. Within minutes, another hiker emerged from the fog and asked "Amanda and Josh!?" It was HikerMan who had been following us online. To say that we felt like many celebrities might be stretching it, but it was a pretty cool experience. After that it was a quite foggy day. I'd really been looking forward to visiting Big Bald, a bald with an elevation much higher than Max Patch, but it was completely fogged in and frost covered when we got there. We joked with Adam and Phil over lunch that it was like a frozen tundra. Brrr.We met someone today who started March 1st, which means that he has been doing over 20 miles each day. "Met" might be too strong a word - he would barely stop long enough to tell me his name which I was unable to decipher before he was running again. Josh and I spent a lot of time talking about 'hike your own hike', and how everyone is out here for different reasons and with different goals. Even so, I hope the individuals who are in such a hurry do get to experience some of the trail culture and incredible individuals like those we have met along the way thus far. In a shelter near Franklin, a SOBO about to end their journey wrote "this is not a race. the first one to finish loses." For myself, I like that mentality. It is about the journey. When is the next opportunity I'll have to take six months off to play in the woods, concerned about little other than putting one foot in front of the other? It is a simple life, and I love it.-Amanda
Date: 2008-03-17
From: Temple Hill Gap

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 3.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Thank you to everyone who has signed our guestbook and left comments on our journal entries. While on the trail we look forward to reading what you have written. Needless to say, we feel loved! Thank you for your interest and support - it means a lot to us both.Also, if you have any questions of would like us to address anything in particular in our journals, let us know and we will see what we can do. : )We are spending tonight and tomorrow in Erwin to rest our aches and pains. From now on, we will be sending our entries home for them to be typed up. This should mean more frequent updates. Until next time, take care.-Amanda
Date: 2008-03-20
From: Erwin, TN

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: scattered clouds

We ended up spending 3 nights in Erwin, TN. It took us nearly 2 days to update our website...we must write too much and take too many pictures. Mostly it took so long because the computer we had accesss to was from 1980 and both the space bar and the mouse didn't work. At any rate, we were thrilled when the update was complete. Then we saw that the weather channel was forecasting 70mph winds in the mountains as well as rain for the next day, and we decided to stay a third night. Weather.com's hourly forecast called for 2 hours of "squalls" in Erwin. That was something we'd never seen before. The storm wasn't nearly as bad as predicted, but in the end it's better to be safe than sorry.As for Erwin, TN... the town appears to be crumbling. There were many "For Sale" signs on homes, and every business we went to had "Help Needed" signs posted. The town is the site of a train repair station, and there were trains passing through at least once every 20 minutes. Each train blocked traffic for a minimum of 5 minutes. Someone that lives there told us that the roads are often blocked for hours at night, and it has been a safety concern as it restricts ambulance, police, and fire truck access to parts of town. Aside from the locomotives, the town is overrun with loan offices and laundromats.After our 3 day hiatus, we at last got back on the trail today. It's a good thing we're not superstitious, because the first half of our day was filled with numerous bad omens which will be detailed in tomorrow's journal entry by Josh.Despite our seemingly bad omens, we did make it to one of the most beautiful places yet:   Unaka Mountain. The top of the mountain was covered in fir trees and the ground was lightly dusted with snow. It is the first place we've been to with a very significant amount of new growth--there were innumerable small trees fighting for a place in the storybook forest.Another mentionable spot right before Unaka's majestic forest is Beauty Spot. It's a lovely bald--how I love balds!--with very nice views of the Tennessee Valley and mountains to the south. There was a parking lot near the top of the bald, so it would be a nice easy-access spot for someone with less mobility to go to. I appreciate that some locations and views are made available to those who aren't able to hike miles into, up, and over mountains. -Amanda
Date: 2008-03-21
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: broken clouds

My feet smell bad. And I'm not just talking about the standard smelly feet smell. I've never smelled feet that smell this way. I pulled my feet out of my boots a little while ago and almost instantaneously Amanda, with her back to me, said, "Josh! When it is daylight the least you could do is fart outside the shelter!" They smell sort of like dead animal.Speaking of dead animal, Amanda and I experienced what we took to be five bad omens over the past two days, three of which deal with dead animals. Yesterday, while being driven back to the trail from Erwin we passed a nice green fenced in pasture with beautiful horses grazing. That's when I noticed that one horse was doing something I've never seen a horse do. It was laying on its side with its legs sticking straight out. To give you a better image of what this hrose looked like, imagine going to the county fair, playing one of those expensive games, and after spending thirty bucks you finally win one of those giant sawdust stuffed animals. Your stuffed animal happens to be a horse. Now, walk up to your horse and give him a good push. There's your horse, all four legs perfectly parallel to the ground. That's what we saw. So all three people in the car concluded it was a dead horse.Yesterday, we also saw a dead mole on the trail. What a freak thing! A dead mole in the middle of the AT; never going to see that again. Well guess waht I almost stepped on today. A dead mole in the middle of the trail.So three dead animals, a semi backed up too far and had its back tires hanging off a cliff, and I've already told you about the last omen: my feet smell awful.Anyway, we had a short day today because Amanda's food is hurting her pretty badly. Hopefully it will be better tomorrow because we have to summit our last 6000ft until New Hampshire. I came up with another possible trail name for Amanda: "Dankle." There is a swollen spot just below her ankle so it looks like she has two ankles--"Double Ankle" doesn't sound anywhere near as cool as "Dankle." Finally, today is a special day for Amanda and I. We will forever remember this 20th day of March in the year 2008 as the day I had my first fall. It was everything I dreamed it would be. I stepped a little too far on the right side of the trail, the earth beneath my feet gave, and I damn near fell off the mountain. Amanda, being the wonderful wife she is, did exactly what I would have done. She told me to hold still then asked me for the camera. -Josh
Date: 2008-03-22
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: few clouds

I'm writing this in an old, red barn, with banjo music being stummed out in the background of my thoughts. We're at Overmountain Shelter, a barn which has been transformed into a place that hikers can call home for a night. There are wonderful valley views. Keeping us company are Captain Neck Beard, who is from Massachussetts and shares Josh's inability to grow a standard beard (his grows only on his neck, hence the name), and Banjo. She is from California and is carrying a backpacker's banjo. The music is a nice change from the typical silence as everyone winds down from a day of hiking.We spent a lot of today being social. We hiked for about an hour with the Foret family from Louisiana--they were all incredibly nice and generous. When we parted ways they gave us bottled water and vitamin water. Much appreciated trail magic!There were some gorgeous views from the balds just past Carvers Gap...the area was full of people, which isn't something we're used to. Several people recognized that we're thru-hikers and wished us luck. The encouragement was nice.Today we also climbed our last 6000+ ft peak until we reach New Englad. It felt like a never-ending climb, complete with plenty of roots, rocks, and ice. I felt very accomplished once I was able to look backwards and see the monstrous mountain behind us.My foot is still being troublesome. It's not hurting nearly bad enough to think about quitting, but it is painful enough to make us slow down and take better care of our bodies. I suppose that's not a bad thing--we're in no hurry. I think we've both enjoyed the extra down time and the opportunity for additional sleep. Last night we slept 12.5 hours, from 7pm to 7:30am. I never imagined that either of us would manage such a sleep schedule. The thought of me as a morning person still makes me laugh.
Date: 2008-03-23
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Mountaineer Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: scattered clouds

While I know Amanda has already touched on where we slept last night, I can't resist adding a little more. The barn was perfectly suited for a horror film. Growing up in Eastern North Carolina I've had my share of rural experiences on a farm. I worked in tobacco for two years and assisted in various other tasks such as harvesting potatoes, and loading/unloading many bails of hay. The barn in which we slept last night reminds me very much of a barn in which we used to store hay.Upon climbing the sleep, wooden ladder to the second floor you find yourself in a large flat open area. The floor was made from long planks of wood and the large spacing between them made it easy to see right through to the ground below. It was very drafty, with wind creeping in through the large, doorless, hay loft window as well as from below between the floor planks. This made for an even colder night.So we set up our sleeping pads and bags and were fast asleep. I aoke last night to what I thought was a dream--my mind playing tricks on me. Someone was down there...a girl, screaming. I checked my watch and it was 3am. I was breathing rather rapidly and my heart was racing. I listened...nothing. Must have been a dream. As I rolled over and closed my eyes I heard Captain Neckbeard trying to wake up Banjo. "Banjo! Banjo! Did you hear that?" It wasn't a dream. Just then, a loud shrieking scream came from below. It was enough to give me chills. I followed Captain Neck Beard's lead and tried to wake up Amanda, but she was dead to the world. While the thought crossed my mind I dared not roll over, turn on my head lamp, and peek through the slats to the ground below. There it was again! The same high-pitched scream-like sound--and it was louder.I was up for almost an hour after this, but never again heard that sound. I heard an owl and I heard mice sqeaking, but I nevre again heard the scream. This morning Captain Neck Beard and I attributed it to coyotes, but who knows. I think it has the makings of an excellent ghost story.We made our way up a very icy Little Hump Mountain, down the other side, then up Hump Mountain. The grassy, pasture-like mountain reminded me of Alaska and the Denali National Park. Those two mountains gave us spectacular views.We made it to Mountaineer Shelter around 7PM and spent some time talking to Hammer (his myspace name is djwthruhiker), cooked some couscous mixed with our "chicken breast in a bag," and then went to bed.-Josh
Date: 2008-03-24
From: Mountaineer Shelter

To: Kincora Hostel, Dennis Cove
Miles today: 15.6

Snow flurries on and off again all day today. Our thermometer read 40 degrees F and the skies were blue with a few crisp, puffy white clouds. Still the snow fell. We appreciated that it was a warmer snow--I didn't realize that snow could fall and stick at such high temps--and we appreciated that the snow wasn't constant. Even so, we were eating frozen candy bars for lunch. In case we haven't already said this, there is nothing rewarding about eating a frozen candy bar. You can't even taste that it's chocolate.After hearing numerous good things about the Kincora hostel, I decided that we should stay there tonight instead of spending another chilly night in the snow. I couldn't have made a better choice. The place is amazing! A $4 donation is all that the owners suggest, and they offer town shuttles, laundry, a hot shower, cooking facilities, and a wood-fire heated bunkhouse. More than all of that, Bob Peoples, the owner that we met, was incredible. When he entered the room all eyes were on him... he is such a kind, wise man with so many stories to tell that everyone was instantly captivated.Josh and I learned so much from him during our brief stay. The most interesting fact to me regarded changing of the trails route. He said that if the process moves along flawlessly, it takes an entire 3 years. During this time, a local maintainer/club will first flag a new route. Then someone from the Appalachian Trail Conference (ATC) evaluates the route. Third comes the forestry service. Finally, a biologist of some importance walks the suggested trail during all four seasons to make sure that it will not interfere with any endangered species, etc. During the process the flags for the proposed trail get shifted around until a re-route is agreed upon.We'd also been wondering why in some areas the white blazes are plastic pieces that have been nailed to trees (instead of paint). Bob informed us that in the winter when there are blow-downs and new blazes are needed they can't simply be painted on the trees, as it's too cold/wet and the paint won't dry. The plastic blazes are temporary.Finally, we learned that Bob's neighbors enjoy squirrel heads and thinly sliced beaver tail for dinner. I'd never heard of people eating squirrel heads--only the bodies--but apparently his neighbors say the head is the best part. Bob said the beaver tail is prepared like london broil, and it's tasty. These are the Southern Appalachians.-Amanda