morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-04-06
From: Rock Gap

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: broken clouds

Andrew Wade and I were the last ones to leave Miss Janet's hostel. Ron Haven drove us to Rock Gap to start back on the trail. Before we even got there though, it started to snow. We both knew it was going to snow, but Drew and I were pretty anxious to get back on the trail (esp. Drew as he had been in Franklin for almost a week w/ an ear infection). There was Trail Magic @ Rock Gap. A couple had hot dogs, pasta salad, etc but we had just eaten a big breakfast. Kristin & Tori came down the trail just as we were getting dropped off. Drew hiked much faster than I and lost him w/i 15min. It snowed during my entire hike, but it wasn't too bad, and there wasn't any reall accumulation until I got to the shelter. Drew was already there and working on a fire. He and I were the only ones at the shelter and so we decided to setup a fire the dirt inside the shelter. While we were setting it up, Wrath came walking up. I had not met him yet, but I had heard a lot about him from many other hikers. Many different people said he talked about his ability to turn invisible, and also about how he has the moral authority to kill anyone who tries to mess up his hike. He was instantly recognizable from the descriptions (blond dreadlocks, courderoy pants and a trench coat). He was also wearing ratty, old tennis shoes and a Bass Pro Shops life jacket. He didn't mention anything sketchy (just a little strange). I got the feeling that he has just smoked a little too much meth (which he admitted to smoking). Other than that, he was actually very polite and almost likable. He offered to share his coffee. I also got the feeling that he is homeless. He mentioned walking the interstates around the US. I'm falling asleep writing this. Goodnight.
Date: 2009-04-07
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: Wayah Bald
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I actually wasn't that cold last night. I was wearing almost everything, but I was still warm for a long time. We woke up to about 3-4 inches of snow on the ground, and it was still falling. Drew and I left Wrath in the shelter at about 8:30. I was able to keep up w/ Drew for about an hour or so, but once the serious uphills started, he was gone. I hiked for a while until I came upon Summit & Christian Cowboy (section hikers). We hiked together for about 30-45 minutes before we came upon the Wayah Bald observation tower. We all stopped inside to take a break & get out of the snow. I then realized that all my torso clothes were soaked w/ sweat, and I was freezing when I stopped moving. I had also noticed earlier that the water in my hydration pack hoseline had frozen and I couldn't get any water from it w/o stopping to open my pack. I ended up eating snow to get moisture. I also had sweat-sickles hanging from my hair. Thank God, though, there was a family sledding near the tower. Since I was already soaked and the snow was still coming down, I took them up on their offer to drive me back into Franklin. It was a little depressing having to leave the trail, but I'm confident that I made the right decision, and that it was b/c of the Lord that I was able to find a ride back into Franklin. I don't want to use their real names, but the family and their two kids invited me to go to lunch w/ them @ an AYCE pizza buffet. They even paid for my lunch. I am so thankful and in awe of their generosity. I pray that the Lord continues to bless them, their family & friends on their journeys. They gave me their email address & last name. I would love to do something nice for them when I get off the trail. The dad dropped me off @ Miss Janet's. I found out that Miss Janet got lost on Wayah Mtn two nights ago looking for her dog. She made it back home safely, but not before a few misadventures. I'm tired and going to sleep now. I love you and miss you, Amanda.
Date: 2009-04-08
From: Janet's Hostel

To: Janet's Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Zero day. Again. I'm really getting sick of zero days. I spent most of the day relaxing and watching movies, but I'm very anxious to get back on the trail. I know that I have around 6 or so more zero days available if I'm going to make it to Damascus by the deadline (and about 7 more if I'm just going to Erwin), but I feel restless and bord sitting in this town. Drew Wade walked back into the hostel this morning too. He said the snow fell all through yesterday and he was freezing as well. I really do feel that the Lord kept me safe the other day when I stopped @ the Wayah observation town w/ Christian Cowboy & Summit. If I hadn't run into them, I may have missed the family that gave me a ride because I wouldn't have stopped @ the shelter or I would have been hiking a lot faster still. Either way, I believe God was looking out for me and helped me get back to Franklin safely. I don't know how well I would have been if I had tried to stay the night on the mountain. I met a few other cool people today. I met Lion King who has made some really good AT documentaries. His name suits his look. I met an older man from Ireland named The Pilgrim of St. James (Pilgrim for short). He apparently left Springer the night of April 1st and is already here in Franklin. Struggles seems pretty cool. She is only 18 and was hiking w/ someone, but they split up. I finally recognized a guy I saw in Walasi-Yi on my first day before I started; Baltimore Jack. Very knowledgable about the trail. A number of people have commented positively about my cross. I haven't noticed it making anyone nervous, but it probably does. Anyway, it's getting late (11:00) and I'm going to bed. I love you and miss you, Amanda.
Date: 2009-04-09
From: Wayah Bald

To: NOC
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: clear sky

Longest day of hiking yet. Very tired. Will fill in details tomorrow. Tomorrow is Cous-Cous' birthday. Going to sleep now. Thank you, Lord, for getting me through today. Running into Splice and Cous-Cous will be well worth the effort, I think. I love you, Amanda.
Date: 2009-04-12
From: Sassafrass Gap Shelter

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: clear sky

Happy Easter! Slept pretty well last night despite crowding 19 people into a 14 person shelter. Got on the trail around 8:30. Hit Cheoh Bald around 9:15 and the view was awesome. The pictures will show what I mean. Hiking today was fairly easy except going up from Stecoah Gap. It was probably over 1000 ft up in less than 1/4 mile. Definitely the hardest single climb so far. The rest of the day wasn't so bad. Some fairly steep downhills, but I'm pretty sure my knees are getting better b/c I didn't feel them much today. Got to the shelter around 4, but it was already full (it's a little small). Splice got the last spot (he doesn't have a tent) so Cous-Cous and I setup our tents. We spent the rest of the time just relaxing and talking w/ the other hikers here. Splice climbed a slanted,      tree to get firewood. It was funny. Gorgonzola is (jokingly) giving Scabs & Roach a hard time b/c they yellow blazed once or twice and blue blazed. Rugged Shark & Mad Chatter went to bed early. The rest of the night was very calm. It is supposed to rain tomorrow, so I hope to get packed up & moving before that happens, but the clouds don't look good right now (9:00). I didn't think about God or Jesus today as much as I have been or as much as I should (especially considering it is Easter Sunday). However, Jesus did help me get through today, and I felt very blessed to have such great weather for hiking (70 and partly cloudy). We are planning to spend tomorrow in Fontana to wait out at least one day of rain before the Smokies, but I'm not holding my breath for good weather there. We'll see what happens. Didn't really meet anyone new today. I love you and miss you so much, Amanda. Bless this Easter Sunday! Thank you, Lord.
Date: 2009-04-13
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Slept pretty well last night. It started to rain late in the night, but it stopped just before dawn. I believe the Lord answered my prayer (and many of my prayers on this trip), and I was able to pack up this morning in dry weather. We got on the trail around 8:30 and hiked downhill most of the day. We (Splice, Cous-Cous and I) got to Fontana Dam just after noon. As we were waiting for the hiker shuttle to take us to the lodge, Rugged Shark got out of a car and said he saw my brother down @ the dam (we were at the road crossing). The shuttle drove us over to the dam, and, sure enough, Joe & Sarah were @ the dam waiting for me with beer & beef jerky. It was a wonderful surprise, and was one of many great events today. I felt bad though b/c I was hanging out w/ Splice (S), Cous-Cous (C), Scabs (Sc) and Roach (R) and not only wanted to get a room with them, but had a lot of things to take care of (drying my gear, laundry, etc). However, we all went shopping and had a fun lunch together. Gorgonzola showed up while we were having lunch and told a really funny story about his hiking today. I won't post it here b/c it is a little embarrassing, but if you know him, ask. All in all, I think Joe had a good time, but I feel like I neglected him a bit b/c I was so busy. Joe & Sarah left shortly after getting back to our room. S, C, Sc, R and I ordered pizza from a restaurant 30 miles away and actually convinced a girl to deliver it here on her way home from work. The 5 of us plus Gorgonzola and Skywalker watched TV, ate pizza and drank beer till about 10. A very good day. Seeing Joe was the best part, and I hope he will be able to hike with me more. I miss Amanda and really wish that she could have come w/ Joe, but I understand. Thank you, Lord, for such a wonderful day. Going to bed now (10:45). Goodnight.
Date: 2009-04-14
From: Fontana Dam

To: Birch Spring Gap (Campsite 113)
Miles today: 5.5
Weather: moderate rain

A very short day of hiking today. Got started late. Didn't leave the room until about 10. It was also pouring down rain this morning. S, C, Sc & R ate breakfast @ the hotel restaurant while I went to the P.O. to forward my extra food to Hot Springs. It actually stopped raining by the time the shuttle dropped us off. We started hiking around 11:30, and took a bunch of pictures @ the dam and at the Smoky Mountain sign. We walked 1 mile up a road to the trailhead. The hiking wasn't nearly as steep as the book made it out to be, but @ the higher elevations it was very cold and windy. We hiked to the campsite and debated if we should continue to the shelter. We decided to stay @ the campsite, setup our tents and got a fire going (it took a while since everything was wet). The rest of the night, the 5 of us sat around the fire cooking, talking and joking around. A few other hikers came to the site, but no one we knew. Apparently, one of them saw a bear & 2 cubs while pitching her tent just a few hundred yards away. I'm praying that the Lord will keep us all safe tonight. It is barely sprinkling now, but it is supposed to be nice for the rest of the week. I hope so. Especially since we are doing a 17 mile day tomorrow. I love you and miss you, Amanda. Lord, thank you for my many blessings today. Please keep us all safe tonight and through the rest of our journey. Goodnight (9:50).
Date: 2009-04-15
From: Birch Spring Gap (Campsite 113)

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Didn't sleep very well last night. Not only was the designated campsite slanted downhill, but I forgot to put on my long underwear and was cold all night. Some loud owls were fighting last night and making loud noises around 2 am for 20 minutes or more. We also heard a bear walking around and playing with the bear cables. He never got real close to our tents, but close enough that I could hear his footsteps in the leaves. Got moving this morning around 9. Today was the sloppiest and muddiest day so far. There were parts that rival Petty John's Cave for how muddy and slippery it was. The day was also pretty cold (37F). I am surprised to find that the park service is starting to take the chain link fences off the shelters in the Smokies. We were the first to arrive @ the shelter and get a fire going quickly. In total, there are now probably 15 people in the shelter and 12 people camped outside. The 5 of us all gathered wood for the fire, but only 1 other person in the shelter gathered wood (not even a thru-hiker). I am still a little worried about bears b/c I think @ least 1 person in the shelter is just hanging his food from the ceiling instead of using the bear cables outside. Lord, please keep us all safe tonight, and thank you for my many blessings today. Going to try for 13 miles tomorrow (it's supposed to be sunny, but I'm not holding my breath). Met a hiker named Highlander today from NY. Thru-hiking but he's never been on the AT before. He hikes very fast and is wearing a cargo kilt. Cool guy. I love you and miss you, Amanda. Goodnight (8:30).
Date: 2009-04-16
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

Slept pretty well last night. Got moving around 9. Today was the best weather we've had so far. We woke up to sunshine and the sun stayed out all day. It was probably in the high 50's to low 60's. Partly cloudy. No fog. The views today were excellent. Got a lot of good pictures. The hiking was a lot of up & downs, but the length of the climbs weren't bad at all. We stopped for a long & relaxing lunch @ Derrick Knob shelter. After resting for almost an hour, we packed back up. After about 1.5 hours, I stopped to wait for Splice & Cous. They showed up about 20 minutes later and told a humorous story about Splice dashing into the woods. The small ferns and flowers are out and the green is starting to return to the mountains. We got to our shelter around 4:30. A few deer were hanging around up the trail. We are going to try and catch the sunrise on top of Clingman's Dome in the morning. We are going to wake around 4:15 to hike 2.5 miles uphill to catch the sunrise before 7. Gotta go to bed soon. Thank you, Lord, for all my blessings today. Please watch over us tonight and keep everyone safe. I love you, Amanda. I can't wait to see you. Goodnight (8:30)
Date: 2009-04-18
From: Gatlinburg, TN

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up, surprisingly, without a hangover. The Days Inn free breakfast was very disappointing. Day old donuts, crappy cereal and white toast. We ate a few things, but then Cous, Scabs, Roach and I went to Burger King. We packed up & headed out around 11. The sisters were going to get an afternoon ride from the people who gave us a ride yesterday. Splice, Cous and I didn't want to wait that long. We hitched a ride from two guys who were driving a tiny, early 90's Corolla. Cous' pack went in the trunk, but Splice's and my bags were in our laps in the back. The driver was probably in his late 60's and the passenger was probably in his late 40's. They told us they were headed to Cherokee to gamble and get hookers @ the local casino. As soon as the car was moving, the passenger pulled out a bottle of Parrot Bay, took a few hits and then passed it to the driver who took a couple hits. They offered some to us, but we declined. The passenger talked the entire way up about smoking pot, getting 3 hookers, his .44 that he always carries and how he had "come into a large sum of money," and he asked us if we needed any. He even offered to take us w/ him to Cherokee, put us up in our own room and get us some hookers. Needless to say, we declined, and Cous and I were a little spooked (but apparently Splice was having a blast). But they dropped us off w/o any trouble and wished us well. Hmmm... oh well. A lot of tourists at Newfound Gap were asking us questions and taking our pictures. It didn't bother us, but we felt like a tourist attraction. We started hiking and got to the shelter @ 1:30. We were the first ones here and claimed our spots. I should say, while I'm thinking about it, that my pack today was the heaviest it's ever been, and I'm only carrying 3 days of food (the food I'm carrying is very dense though). Scabs and Roach showed up around 2:45. We dropped our packs and walked to Charlie's Bunion b/c it's not supposed to be clear tomorrow and we wanted to have a clear view. The rock walls left and right weren't as steep or high as I remember, but it was still really cool and the view was awesome. We went back to the shelter and then headed another way to the Jump Off to see the view there. It was cool too. It was much higher than the Bunion, but the view wasn't as wide. You could see the Bunion from the Jump Off and barely make out the people there. I bushwhacked a little bit past the Jump Off to find the very edge with an even better view. It was a great day of sightseeing. When we got back to the shelter, there were lots of people around. Gorgonzola, Denali, Skywalker, Houdini, T-Suds, Kristin, Carpenter and many more. We had fun just hanging around and talking. We packed up some dry tinder into Ziploc bags b/c it's supposed to rain for the next 5 days. Thank you, Lord, for keeping us safe today and for the beautiful wilderness and creation. I love you and miss you, Amanda. I can't wait. Less than 30 days now. Goodnight (9:45).
Date: 2009-04-19
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: light rain

Slept very well last night. Had some strange dreams though. Got on the trail around 7:45 this morning. It had just begun to rain and it didn't stop all day. It wasn't ever really pouring down rain, but it was coming down enough to soak my clothes, despite having my rain jacket on. After a while, I didn't really notice it much though. The rain pushed us a little harder, and we made it to the shelter before 1. Water somehow managed to get on the top of my pack, but luckily, the pack material is somewhat water resistant and so very little got through. We were the second group to make it to the shelter today after Kate & Ed, however, despite grand plans from last night, no one else (that we wanted) from last night's shelter showed up. There are a couple people here from last night that we are intentionally going to hike further to avoid in the future. The shelter is very full. It's supposed to only sleep 14, but there are 20 people on the bunks with 4 more people on the floor. The rain has picked up a lot since we got here and it's not supposed to stop until Thursday. Oi! We are going to try to get out of here early in the morning. I do need to thank the Lord for keeping us safe today on our hike. I love you so much, Amanda, and I miss you. Goodnight (8:25).
Date: 2009-04-20
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Waterville School Road (Standing Bear Hostel)
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: light rain

Slept very well last night. Thank you, Benadryl. Got up and moving around 7:30. The weather was pretty good today. Some light sprinkling every now and again, but pretty clear for most of the day. The hiking was downhill almost entirely. My knees didn't hurt too badly, but I was taking it a little slow. We made it out of the Smokies today around 1:30. It was rather anti-climatic. No signs or anything except a little yellow 6"x6" board saying NPS boundary. We then went under the I-40 bridge. After about another mile, we came to a painted rock pointing towards Standing Bear Hostel. The hostel is actually a huge farm. Aside from the main house, there was a hiker cabin with beds, a hiker bunkhouse, 2 or 3 sheds, a large barn, and many other buildings. There wasn't anymore room in the cabin or the bunkhouse, so we setup in the hayloft of the barn. It was a little surreal, but still really cool. There was a huge hiker feed tonight consisting of a pig roast, hotdogs, hamburgers, mac&cheese, potato salad and lots of other really good food. I actually ate tripe for the first time. It wasn't half bad when it was hot. I did eat myself uncomfortable, though. We spent the rest of the night listening to live bluegrass music. There was a girl, Alex, from Australia there just to hang out with hikers. Cous and I found some people in the barn smoking. Alex also let us know that there were going to be desserts served. We went back down to the house and they were giving out brownies and ice cream. Both were really good. We're going to bed now b/c we're really full and tired. It was a great day. I love you and miss you, Amanda. Thank you, Lord, for all my blessings. Goodnight (12:15).
Date: 2009-04-21
From: Waterville School Road (Standing Bear Hostel)

To: Max Patch Campground
Miles today: 13.6

Last night was crazy. I woke up around 2:30 to someone (turned out to be Government Mule) screaming at the top of his lungs in the lower level of the barn. He sounded like he was either extremely pissed off or he was engaged in rough activities. I was still really tired and out of it. I couldn't tell. We woke up around 9:30, did some resupply, ate breakfast, and hit the trail around 11:30. I felt surprisingly well rested. The hike today was a little boring except for Snowbird and Max Patch. Both are balds. Snowbird has a FAA relay station or some other sort of communications array on top. Both were extremely windy and have great views. The wind of top of Max Patch was so strong that I could open my jacket and lean against the wind. Meredith pulled a pretty funny duck&turn maneuver the instant she got to the top and the wind hit her. She put on her jacket and RAN off the top towards the campsite. It was really funny. We camped about 3/4 of a mile from the summit on the trail. It was too windy and cold to stay on the summit. We built a fire and just hung around it for the rest of the night. I'm praying that the Lord will keep us safe tonight especially considering the recent bear activity. I found Drew back at Standing Bear yesterday and said he watched a bear destroy his tent and gear two or three nights ago. Please keep us safe, Lord. I love you and miss you, Amanda. Less than 3 weeks now! Goodnight (10:45).
Date: 2009-04-22
From: Max Patch Campground

To: Deer Park Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I'm writing this entry two days after the fact so I don't remember as much. We woke up to snow on the ground again. Very little though. It was kind of cool. I got the fire going again (the embers were still red hot) easily. We left the campground around 9 or so. The hiking was mostly downhill and went very quickly. We got to the shelter and decided to use the campground off to the side away from the shelter as the floor of the shelter was very short, and there were a number of people camping behind the shelter that we didn't want to be around. We found a nice secluded campground near the water. We setup and got a fire going and just hung out for the rest of the night. Blessed came around and hung out with us as well. He's a great guy. He worked as a youth minister in MA. We talked for a long time. I went to bed around 10. We planned to get up early the next morning b/c we only have 3 miles left until we get into Hot Springs. I love you and miss you, Amanda. Goodnight (10:00).