morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-03-21
From: Hiawasee, Ga

To: Plumorchard Shelter
Miles today: 4.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Post Office for mittens, and meandered around town for a while. Went for all you can eat Chinese with the crew and got a wonderful fortune "You will obtain your goal if you maintain your course." That got pasted into the journal. AFter that we all crammed in an Oldsmobile, four of us and a dog, with the driver to head out to the trail.On the way the woman driving, editor of the local paper, related to us a story to be published in tomorrow's paper. Aparently around noon a chicken had jumped out of a pick-up and spent over an hour running around in the middle of the road in town blocking traffic, until a truck full of Mexican farm hands managed to catch it. After which, a girl identified it as one of her Papa's 200 chickens.Had a buffet powered speed hike out to Plumorchard shelter. Scared an owl out of a tree along the way. This shelter is a three tiered one, so Rick and I are up on the third floor of this beautiful timber frame. Rick had quite the evening. His trailname, Mystery Chicken, seems to have stuck and several mice woke him while crawling on his sleeping bag.
Date: 2007-03-22
From: Plumorchard Shelter

To: Standing Indian 
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: overcast clouds

60 partly sunnyHad a very pleasant hike from plumorchard to Standing Indian Shelter. We met up with a couple other hikers Donnie Quixote and Finnegan, both from Northampton (Finnegan is an old friend of my friend Ira, they both worked for Outward Bound). We also met Fidel, from Vermont. It's a real small world out here.Crossed our first state line, GA - NC. Woohoo! Twelve more to go.
Date: 2007-03-23
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: clear sky

70 and blue skiesWow! Great day.We all decided to get up before dawn for an alpine start up Standing Indian Mountain. We got to the top and all cooked breakfast while watching teh sunrise.Then we cruised through beautiful sunny weather doing nearly twenty miles, almost all the way to Franklin. Lots of great conversations along the trail, and some amazing hours alone to think. I'm feeling very strong, healthy, and clear headed.Flowers in the mountains are starting to come out all over the place and we had our first snake sighting today. Unfortunately with the warmer weather bugs seem to be coming out too.At the Gap before the shelter we stumbled upon an oasis of shady grass, covered by beautiful rhodedendron, with tall hemlocks all around and a stream flowing out of the roots of the oldest of these trees.At the shelter we all had a long dinner and some fiddlin' from Finnegan. I got some of it on a video recording in the camera that I will have to see if I can post at some point.
Date: 2007-03-24
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 6.2
Weather: clear sky

70 clear, sunnyWoke up early for another alpine start. Left Rock Gap and hiked into Franklin. Trail magic breakfast of eggs, sausage, bacon, potatos, tortilla, and onions at the trailhead along with a free shuttle in from the owner of the Budget Inn. Terrapin, Chicken, Stitches, Donnie, Fidel, and Finnegan all got rooms. I decided to just run errands and get back on the trail. The car exhaust and noice of town are making me edgy.We had great NC pulled pork BBQ for lunch. I picked up stuff that Eric sent me from Atlanta and hit the grocery store after sending myself some things in Hot Springs, NC. I also made sure that Cullin is sending me maps in Fontana.I got my phone in my mail drop so I made a whole bunch of calls to family and friends, which was great. I didn't have time during this stop to get on the internet and update trailjournals, so that will have to wait.Now I'm done with town and sleeping out under the stars on a cloudless night, next to a secluded stream a couple miles from town.
Date: 2007-03-25
From: Franklin, NC

To: Cold Springs Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

Woke up next to my stream.I had four pop tarts for breakfast and a multivitamin. I cleaned up a whole bunch of other people's litter around the stream. It feels sort of like cleaning up junk that strangers left in my bed. Which in a way they did. It's just really offensive to see garbage being left in the woods.The hike today was blistering hot. I ran out of water several times and there is almost no place to find shade without leaves on the trees yet.The view from Wayah Bald was amazing. Even through the haze I could see Clingman's Dome and the Smokies where I'll be in a few days. When I'm hiking there comes an odd feeling as geography and time become linked. I can look at a mountain range and over a valley with certainty knowing that in four hiking days I'll be there. Distance is measured in days and time in mountains. The only reason to look at ones watch is to measure the distance traveled.Finally, I made it to Cold Spring Shelter. The shelter was dirty and full of flies. It felt full of mice. Thankfully there was great tenting up on the ridge above, with a great view of the valley. After a day mainly hiking alone most of the crew started to peter in throughout the evening.I'm tired now so it's off to bed with a stomach full of sesame noodles. Good night.
Date: 2007-03-26
From: Cold Springs Shelter

To: Sassafras Gap
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: overcast clouds

80 dry, sweaty, and scorching hotFrom Cold Spring at eight am I took off at a good clip down to NOC. This stretch of trail is killing me. Steep downhills, not much water, sun beating down, sweating so hard. There are new flowers everywhere, lots of violets and tiny butterflies of the same color that look like the petals of flowers taking flight.I made it to NOC, bought a new packcover and a pint of ben and jerry's. I sat by the river and cooled down for a bit and then mustered up all my motivation to move on up hill.It was a seven mile up hill slog to sassaffrass gap. I got in just before sunset, made dinner, and passed out.
Date: 2007-03-27
From: Sassafras Gap

To: Cable Gap
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: light rain

Still unbearably hot and dry.Ditched the hiking shirt and just went in shorts to deal with the heat. Endless up and down. Hard trail for nine miles without a sign of water until brown fork gap.I left this log entry at the gap:"Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow creeps in this petty pace from day to day until the last sylable of every log book. All our yesterdays have lighted fools the path to dusty death. Out, out brief campstove. Life is but a walking shadow, a poor hiker who struts and frets upon the ridge with no water. It is a trail walked by an idiot ascending, descending, seemingly going nowhere."Walked the remaining six miles to cable gap shelter. Had a great dinner and met Dog's Life, Crankbait, Sunday, and Radio. Dog's life gave me the trailname Granite which everyone seems to think works well.   So from now on on the trail I'm Granite. Erik disapears from the logbooks.Radio and Sunday have friends playing bluegrass at Fontana Shelter tomorrow night so that's where I'll stay after meeting up with my friend Anne who is workign for the Park Service in the Smokies.
Date: 2007-03-28
From: Cable Gap

To: Fontana Village, NC
Miles today: 6.6

Hiked into Fontana, NC and took the shuttle to the willage. I picked up my maps that Cullin sent. I hiked out to the Fontana Dam Shelter (the fontana hilton). Met my friend Anne who is working for the Park Service in the Smokies after she drove out from Cade's Cove. We listened to some bluegrass at the shelter and had a trail magic dinner curtousy of Blue's parents. I took advantage of teh marble bathroom and showers at the dam and a beautiful view.
Date: 2007-03-29
From: Fontana Village, NC

To: Cades Cove, Smoky Mountain National Park
Miles today: 19.0

Fidel and I hiked all day through the Smokies to Russle Field Shelter. I turned off there and hiked down to Cade's Cove and Anne's house in the park.The Smokies are really beautiful, and great hiking. There are little white flowers all over the ridges that look like freshly fallen snow.At Anne's house I had a great dinner, and met her housemate Matt (a great guy). We watched some TV and I got an amazing backrub (thanks anne!).
Date: 2007-03-31
From: Cades Cove, Smoky Mountain National Park

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: overcast clouds

An uneventful hiking day. I went straight uphill 5000ft from Cade's Cove bakc to the trail, and out to Derrick Knob Shelter. I met Stitches along the way and later in the evening Tabasco rolled into the shelter. I imagine most everyone else is only about half a days hike ahead right now and with a good strong day of hiking I should catch up after my time off.
Date: 2007-04-01
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: light rain

Last night around 1am it started to pour. The rain has been unrelenting. All morning people have been coming into the shelter soaked and freezing after being pelted with sideways rain on the ridges. I've been hold up here keeping dry for the morning.Finally, at 2pm, I set off in the rain. I was just getting sick of sitting still even if it was keeping me warm and dry. I made it to Siler's Bald and warmed up a bit. I got some food from a group of Young Life kids on retreat and hung out for a little bit. I pushed on to double spring for the night. When I got in I found some kids on Spring break from University of Wisconsin. I got there fire going with wet wood so they could dry off their stuff and they cooked me a nice dinner in trade.
Date: 2007-04-02
From: Double Spring Gap

To: Peck's Corner
Miles today: 21.2

I took off today in the drizzle and started to catch up. I went up over Clingman's Dome (got 2.5 miles off trail which took some time to correct) and made it to the top for lunch.It is strange being in the park. Tourists keep wanting to take my picture because I'm thru hiking. It's a bit like being in a zoo exhibit. My fifteen minutes of fame.I met up with Bly and we hiked to New found Gap. I pushed to Icewater for dinner and met Siplock and Nitro. After dinner I just wasn't tired and the sky had gotten so clear with a full moon rising, so I took off for a night hike.It was exhilerating. I made 7.5 miles by moonlight with no headlamp. The moon was actually so bright at times I had to shield my eyes. The views from ridges over the valleys are something I wish I could actually show in a photograph. Everything looks like a different world bathed in moonlight.
Date: 2007-04-03
From: Peck's Corner

To: Davenport Gap
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept until 10 today, but still made it to Davenport Gap Shelter just before sundown. I met some nice vacationers and found out I'm three miles behind Mystery Chicken and Terrapin Flyer. Seems if I push hard tomorrow I'll catch them by lunchtime.I'm going to miss the granduer of the Smokies, but not the horse excrement in the trail.
Date: 2007-04-04
From: Davenport Gap

To: Roaring Fork
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: overcast clouds

40 windy and getting coldLast night after a clear sky at 11:30 we suddenly got pelted with violent wind and rain. I was glad to be in a shelter. I woke up early and took off in the rain, fog, and drizzle.By late morning the weather seemed to be blowing out and some nice warm sun started breaking through.Apparently, there is a hostel off the trail right after I40 and Davenport Gap that Terrapin and Chicken must have stayed at, so now I've managed to hike ahead of them by at least half a day because I didn't stop. Oh well, I'll see them soon enough.By the time I went over Snow Bird Mtn. I had amazing views with no fog left. I'm feeling tired of all these miles though. On the way off the mountain I scared a pheasant out of the bushes and headed down to Ground Hog Creek to stop for lunch. I unrolled my sleeping pad, ate some lunch and took an hour an a half nap in the sun, which put me in much better spirits.I took off for Max Patch with some new energy right as the wind started really picking up and the temperature dropping. The wind is from the northwest and seems to be carrying a cold front. I'm glad for the discipline of the trail. You simply keep moving forward. Keep going no matter up or down. No backtracking. Someone was calling all the small hills with no views that we do PUDs- pointless ups and downs. There are no pointless ups and downs. All these miles count. They all move you forward and the yall contribute to changing you into the person you are becoming.I'm greatful for all these miles. I heard some whining the other day about all the time spent staring at the ground to find footing and how it's frustrating to be distracted from the views, or seeing animals in the woods. Today I noticed that the beetles and grasshoppers are all out. They're quite fascinating if you look down at your feet a little bit.All this makes me think of Annie Dillard's "Pilgrim at Tinker Creek" and everything she has to say about seeing. About how the world is studded with treasure if we'd only learn to see it instead of seeing our own poverty.I made it to Max Patch and had a stunning view. It's one of the only balds I've been on that is kept bald by mowing and burns, so you can see on a clear day for miles in all directions over the hills and mountains. The wind almost blew me over while I was trying to take it all in so I started to make for camp for the night. I have to get out of the wind and biting cold into a more sheltered location.Much thanks to Carefree and Freedom (AT `05) for the beers as I got down off the patch.At Roaring Fork I met 1/4 Moon and The Dude, who left for a night hike into hot springs. I'll see them there tomorrow, but for now I'm curled up in my warm sleeping bag alone in this shelter.It's nice to have some solitude after the Smokies. I'm off to sleep now, happy to still have winter gear as I look at my breath in the air.
Date: 2007-04-05
From: Roaring Fork

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Woooooohoooa! It's cold out.This morning got really cold. Solid camelbak. Frozen Nalgene. I had a brilliant idea, though. Put on just my hiking t-shirt, shorts, goves, and a hat so I have to hike really fast to keep warm. It actually worked so well I made it into Hot Springs in six hours, for the whole eighteen miles. Brilliant!The hike was beautiful. Great views the whole way. On top of Buff Mountain is was amazing, out of nowhere it started to snow hard and accumulate. I stopped just long enough to snap a photo and wolf down an energy bar before I needed to move and keep warm.The hike into Hot Springs wound down the longest switchback I've ever hiked. For three miles I swear I was a quarter mile from town and kept winding back and forth wishing for a good old new england trail straight down the mountain.Finally, Hot Springs, hiker friendly town, right on the AT, geothermal baths, and cheap tasty pie at the diner. This is a little bit of heaven for Easter weekend. Ahhhhh.I went in to the diner for the aformentioned pie and met up with Fidel and Dan. They hooked me up with a great cheap room for the night with Mr. Easy, No Problem, Not Yet, and Zubie. Nice relaxing night.
Date: 2007-04-06
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: zero day
Miles today: 0.0

Spent a good chunk of the day trying to find lodging in this small town, overrun with hikers escaping the cold front. Finally, I decided to splurge and went to the Duckett House Inn B&B. Nice rooms, laundry, breakfast, internet and a former thru hiker owner (actually only $40, but on my budget a splurge). I had my own bed, with 400 count sheets, what luxury.Mystery Chicken and Terrapin Flyer arrived in the evening with Bly and Focus. They got rooms behind Paddler's Pub with broken windows, a hole punched in the door, and no heat. Crazy. Paddler's Pub actually looks like it has a bullet hole in the front door.Went back to Ducket house to get some sleep after a hot bath.
Date: 2007-04-07
From: zero day

To: zero day
Miles today: 0.0

I bounced my box to Damascus this morning, got ready to hike, and then decided I better not. The weather coming in is nasty. Freezing cold and the hikers coming in are talking about huge snow drifts up in the mountains.Chicken, Terrapin, Focus, Bly and I all found a house to rent for next to nothing with a full kitchen, DVD, and tons of space so that makes staying even easier.I went to the outfitters got online and printed all the Easter Vigil and Easter Sunday readings off so that we can do church in the house tomorrow morning and then go get breakfast a the diner.Later in the day Terrapin, Zubie, Flyaway, Bly, Chicken, and I went to the hot springs and got a tub for the six of us. We sat, relaxed our sore muscles, and drank some cheap beer.After that we went back to the house and watched cheesy sci fi movies (Logan's Run)"Fish, Plankton, Sea Greens, and Protien from the sea!"
Date: 2007-04-08
From: zero day

To: zero day
Miles today: 0.0

Happy Easter! Beautiful Day!Read the easter readings and went to the diner for biscuits, gravy, sausage, and a slice of strawberry rhubarb pie. Mmmmmm Mmmmm Good.I'm still glad to be out of the cold, but I'm now getting oficially bored of town.Zubie, and Chicken left to brave the cold.Bly, Diamond, Yardsale, Siren, Terrapin, and I had a delicious easter dinner at Bridge Street Cafe. I had an amazing rosemary lamb and enough leftovers to know what I'll be eating on the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2007-04-09
From: zero day

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Packed up and rolled out of town. Eleven miles straight up hill to Spring Mountain Shelter.Yardsale, Diamond, and I got in early and relaxed. We got a fire going to break the cold. Terrapin and Siren got in late. Siren is a friend of Terrapin's from home who is out doing a day of hiking with her.We read Winnie-the-Pooh around the campfire and passed out after a relaxing first day back on after a vacation from the trail in town.
Date: 2007-04-10
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Jerry Knob
Miles today: 15.4

Made Jerry Knob shelter and stayed in to keep out of tomorrow morning's 35 degree rain.Good hiking over a beautiful rocky ridge with wonderful cliff views.We said goodbye to Terrapin's friend Siren a little before noon. It's interesting having friend's come out and hike. You want to see them so much and enjoy hiking with them so much, but at the same time your pace and style of hiking is so different than someone just coming out for the weekend. Most people don't want to hike much more than eight miles when it comes down to it, but we have to do days that are double or triple that most of the time. Still it's always good to see friends.At Allen Gap we had wonderful trail magic. Fal and Hercules (AT `99) invited us into their home just off the trail for belgian waffles, pulled pork sandwiches, potato salad, baked beans, and ice cream sundaes. It was a complete dream. We spent almost two hours eating, talking, and looking at photos of all the hikers who've passed through this year.We left for a slow, food coma-hike to Jerry Knob where we ran into Ranger and are all piled into the shelter to keep warm and dry in the storm.
Date: 2007-04-11
From: Jerry Knob

To: Hogback Ridge
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Today started with a cold blustery morning. None of us; Yardsale, Diamond, Terrapin, or myself wanted to get out of bed. I don't think we actually broke camp until about 10 in the morning.With predictions of rain all day we shot for a shelter. The morning was foggy but nice and after lunch it started to rain as we crossed Flint Mountain. We started hiking up into a cloud with cold wind whipping the rain into us. I actually loved it. When my body gets cold and wet like this sometimes it's just a rush. Something in my DNA is screaming "Yes, I'm a Viking, this is what I was made for, push on harder and faster." So I just about flew to Hogback Ridge pumping out heat the whole way, running on endorphines the whole way.I got in famished, set camp, made dinner and am now comfortably curled up writing in my journal.On a side note we passed a grave monument today for William and David Shelton, an uncle and nephew who crossed sides to join the Union Army during the Civil war. When returning home to visit family they were ambushed by confederate soldiers and killed. It was an amazing reminder of people who take great risks and pay high prices for thier principles and doing what is right.Righ tnow I'm thankful to be warm, dry, and with good friends. I hope all of you reading this can say the same. Their is not much else more pleasant.
Date: 2007-04-13
From: No Business Knob

To: Curly Maple Gap
Miles today: 10.5

Nice morning. A little cold. Yardsale pointed out that it's Friday the thirteenth. We had a nice six into Erwin, TN for resupply. We got a hitch in the back of a great old beat up Dodge pickup to Miss Janet's hiker hostel.It's a little bizzare getting into hostels like this and seeing some of the same people you saw a hundred miles previous, but have not seen out hiking or read anything from in the shelter registers. There certainly seems to be an odd group of people hitching up the trail from hiker town to hiker town forming a scene of nonhiking thru hikers.We caught up with Chicken finally who zeroed here. Terrapin will stay, and Yardsale, Chicken and I will hike out tonight.At the post office I was greated by wonderful soft cookies from Nuna (one of my grandmothers). We ate some quesadillas, showered, did laundry, shopped for trail food, and all the other things a hiker does in town.Despite horrible forcasts we three left and said goodbye to Terrapin for a while. We night hiked in the rain up to Curly Maple Gap and settled into a shelter. I fell asleep to the soft fall of rain and the smell of wet earth and fir trees.
Date: 2007-04-14
From: Curly Maple Gap

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Time out here feels all strange right now. Long and short. Days fly by but some miles drag on painfully. So much has happened and I feel like I've known some of my fellow hikers so long, but there is never enough time to spend wit heveryone or get everything done and seen. Were I not keeping this journal it would be easy to forget what day and date it is. But at the same time I can tell you my exact schedule for the next week.It's such a strange and wonderful life.Sad news from Chicken. Zubie left the trail in tears at Allen Gap because her knees hurt so bad. She hopes to get back on soon. I'm so thankful that my body seems to be cooperating beautifully. As for hiking I felt tired and heavy all day. Always hot or cold and never finding a groove. Tough way to do twenty, but I pushed through.Mid day we met Terrapin and Murray slack packing in the opposite dirrection back to Miss Janet's. A little after that Yardsale's uncle met us to hike the last six miles.We got pretty drenched and are hearing that tomorrow may be snow flurries and high wind over Roan Mountain. Should be exciting.I'm tenting at Clyde Smith Shelter. Pebble, 1/4 Moon, Ohm, Drip Dry, and Mountain Mike are here with us all.Pebble started to teach us all how to do baton twirling with our hiking poles, which was a great activity to do in the rain.My hair, which is getting rather long and out of control, was given some semblance of order by pebble who put it in braides with string woven in ala. "Braveheart" Maybe I'll paint my face blue and run through the snow tomorrow screaming give me freedom or give me death.