morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-03-08
From: Sassafras Gap

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Hotdog and Bearkat both think a bear was in our camping area last night. I didn't hear anything, and almost wish I would've. Of course, then I might not have slept much, and last night, I actually think I slept for about 4 hours straight!We got moving around our usual 8:30am and made it to the gap by noon. Early Riser and Red took off before us, and were waiting in the parking lot, along with Tater (AT2000) who had cold sodas, and gave six of us a ride toward town. All but Hotdog are here at the Blueberry Patch hostel. It's awesome here! Pileup/Carter Fox is here already. We're working on showers, and then will probably head to town for resupply, restaurant food, and outfitter.The owners here are great! Gary and Lennie are their names, and I'm glad I came here instead of hotel. I get to meet new people, and save some money too.I'm back from town now. It looks like I'll be heading out to hike tomorrow, at least 4 or 5 miles. Bearkat and I were thinking about taking a zero day, but have decided to hike a little bit intead. Most of the others are shooting for 10 miles. I'll miss Denmark, Early Riser and Red, if I can't keep up with them. I've had fun with them the last couple of days, and hope if/when we separate, we meet again. I'm not sure what Hotdog's going to do. He's not staying here and we haven't heard from him tonight. Hopefully I'll meet up with him too.
Date: 2003-03-09
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Bly Gap
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: few clouds

It was nice to wake up from a bed this morning, and not have to crawl out of a tent, into the chilly morning air. The Blueberry Patch was hard to leave. Gary and Lennie are exceptional hosts. We had a pancake breakfast this morning, served to us in their house. During the blessing, I was thinking of Ted...he would've loved the place. He was going to talk to people along the trail about their faith/belief in God, and write a book. "Who are you anyway, God?" He's getting answers from the source now.I hiked with Bearkat, Denmark, and Early Riser again today. Subman is a little bit ahead still, probably 5-10 miles ahead. Despite a late start (10am) and some tough climbs, we reached a milestone: We entered North Carolina!!! It's cool to see the little goals become little achievements. I'm still just looking ahead a little at a time, usually just to the next town or re-supply.It's strange... we hike to the next town, anxious for real food and showers, maybe a bed to sleep in, but once the chores are done, we want to be back in the woods. Even though it was hard to leave the Blueberry Patch, once back on the trail, I felt at home.It is so beautiful! I huff and puff to reach the top of a mountain, and even if the view isn't great, I feel great. It's strenuous, difficult, my feet hurt, my pack is heavy, but I like it. The air is fresh, the stars are bright. It's just beautiful. I cannot think of another place I'd rather be right now.Some advice for physical preparation to hike the AT: Use a stair climber for 8 hours a day, on the hardest setting, carrying 40 pounds on your back. :-) I didn't do much physical prep, so I'm prepared to take it easy when necessary until I get in trail shape. Patience is difficult, but necessary.I started at Amicalola Falls with a 38# pack. That was with all gear, food for 5 days, and 2 liters of water. That comes to about 1/4 of my body weight*, which isn't bad, but when I see 200 lb guys carrying the same or less, i wonder if I could do better. I never weighed my pack or any individual item in it before Amicalola. I just figured I was taking along what I thought I needed, and it didn't matter what it weighed. At Neel's Gap, Cornbread (an employee) went through my pack item by item and made suggestions as to what I might want to send home. I sent a few things home, mostly things I hadn't used by that time, and I bought a few small things (stuff sack, waterproof food bag). This whole backpacking thing, for me, as a beginner, is about being flexible, open to change, and learning by trial and error. I have lots of miles to work things out the way I want them.*Funny sidenote: I accidentally typed "1/4 of my boody weight" and almost left it in the journal. Not exactly true, but funny anyway. I had to tell Bearkat, since he was tenting next to me. He thought I should leave it the way I typed it.
Date: 2003-03-10
From: Bly Gap

To: Beech Gap
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

Whew! Long day today, and I feel it! It started with a cold morning, about 19* as we climbed out of our tents. Brrrrr... we packed up and headed up some steep climbs over Sharp Top and Courthouse Bald. Even though the temperature was cold, I was shedding my jacket in minutes.I usually hike in nylon zip-off pants, a poly zip neck long sleeve shirt, and sometimes a micro fleece vest. Today, I also wore a fleece cap and gloves. It wasn't long before I was pulling them on and off to regulate my temperature. I seem to generate lots of heat while hiking, especially on the climbs. There hasn't been a day yet that I haven't sweated. (Yick!)The day warmed up nicely. I probably should've put on sunscreen, but didn't. Sometimes I'm just not smart that way.At Muskrat Creek Shelter, where we topped for a late breakfast, we met Gizmo, a southbounder. He's almost finished the trail! He started in June from Maine, and said the winter was really tough, but there wasn't anything he could do but keep hiking. I've been fortunate to have good weather so far, and I suppose when the bad weather comes, I have no choice but to keep going. After all, that's what I'm here for.The dreaded climb up Standing Indian Mountain wasn't anything to read really. It was a long climb, but not steep. Going down the other side was long too, and by that time,I was getting tired and ready to take a load off my feet. This has been my longest day hiking so far, in time and mileage.Early Riser and Denmark keep talking about doing 12-14 mile days, but I know I'm not ready for that consistently. I will miss them when we go our separate ways, but hope we'll meet again on the trail. I am enjoying hiking with Bearkat. It's like hiking with a brother. We have about the same pace and endurance, athough he can leave me in the dust on uphills! I don't know what his thoughts or plans are, but I hope we will get to hike together for a while.The short-term plan is to get into Franklin the day after next, for resupply. I'm hoping the timing will work out to visit friends that live nearby. I keep threatening a zero day...it's gonna happen soon: either Franklin or shortly after. I'm not a kid anymore... and have never done anything this strenuous, especially for ten days in a row.I'm camped in a nice litle area with Bearkat, Heald, Denmark, Early Riser, Speck, Slickrock, Oopu, Frigidair, Diesel, and a father and son hiking up to NOC. All are very cool, and I'm glad to have met them, and hiked with them. Everyone I've met so far has been so friendly. Heald is heded toward 10,000 miles on the AT and is great to talk to. There are lots of very knowledgable hikers out here.Subman is still ahead...not sure if/when I'll catch him. I'm anxious to hear Hotdog's status, and LIte Shoe should be back on the trail now too. Pack 31 is pretty scattered right now, but I hope all are doing well.I'd better rest up.. tomorrow is the feared Albert Mountain... stay tuned.
Date: 2003-03-11
From: Beech Gap

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Another good day on the trail. It started out a little warmer this morning than yesterday, about 35*, and it felt great! Of course I didn't get out of my tent until 7:30 or so. Early Riser and Denmark were about ready to leave at that time. Bearkat and I decided to sleep in some and have warm breakfast before hitting the trail. The four of us planned to meet 6.9 miles up the trail for lunch. It took Bearkat and I 3 hours to cover that distance. Hard to believe that many miles before lunch! There were some awesome views of Albert Mountain from Little Ridgepole Mountain. Just unbelievable!After lunch we only had 3 miles to go until Bearkat and I planned to stop, but we knew Albert Mtn was between us and the shelter. According to the AT Guide to NC-Ga: "The AT ahead climbs the steep, rocky, and memorable southern side of Albert Mountain for 0.3 miles." Steep? Yep! Rocky? Yep! Memorable? Definitely! I'm not sure if the memories will be of the trail itself, or of Bearkat saying "What *$$#^&* put the trail here?" I was laughing! Despite what he says, the climb up was fun. It was much different than any other part of the trail. Heck yes, it was hard, but spending time thinking about where to put my hands and feet so I don't fall took my mind off of my sore feet. I won't forget Albert Mountain. It was great.At the top of Albert Mountain, we took Ted's flag out and took pictures. I climbed the fire tower, but Bearkat and Heald decided not to. It was kinda shaky but the view was awesome. We could even see the Smokies from Albert Mountain. Just awesome!Now, at Big Spring Shelter, there's just me, Bearkat, Duwain and his son Elliot (who've been with us since the first night out of Hiawassee), and two young men on Spring Break from USF (Mike and Ryan). Denmark, Early Riser and Heald moved on. I'll miss them, but we planned on meeting for dinner at Shoney's at 4 tomorrow. They'll be headed out and Bearkat are planning on staying in town. I certainly hope we get to hike with them again. I had a great time with them.I'm anxious to hear how Hotdog's doing, and also Lite Shoe. I hope they're both doing well. Hopefully I'll find out tomorrow about both of them. Subman is still somewhere ahead, but not planning on taking a day off until NOC. The rate he's going (or is it the rate I'm going?) I might never catch up! It's a long hike, hopefully our paths cross again.It feels chilly already, with the sun down. Staying in a shelter isn't as warm as sleeping in a tent, but hopefully I'll be warm enough. It should be a fairly easy 9 miles into town tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it...a shower, bed, real food, and maybe a trip to an outfitter. Civilization...not sure if being in town is good or bad. Right now, it's just a necessity.
Date: 2003-03-13
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I finally did it... I took a day off. Aaaahhhh... The funny thing is, by 11am, Bearkat and I had almost all of our chores done. What to do then? Sitting in the hotel room, the phone rings. I answered "Hello." "Do they allow Wenches in this hotel?" "Yep." "They allow Hotdogs, too." Yeah! Hotdog was found! And he was here! We gave him hugs, even though he hadn't showered, then let him shower, and headed to Shoney's buffet (for the second time in two days).It's good to have Hotdog back! Now Bearkat and I can spread our wisecracks amongst one more person. Of course, Hotdog spews his share too. We always seem to have a good time. I'm looking forward to hiking with both of them tomorrow. It's like having more of the family around.I thought I'd enjoy the day off, and I did, but once chores were done, restaurants were pillaged, and internet journals were checked, there wasn't much to do. Maybe make a few phone calls, or send some email. It's time to get back in the woods. I think we're all ready for it. There's just some draw back to the hills.Some highlights of the first 13 days: Hotdog wondering why his new headlamp wasn't very bright at night, and 2 other guys comparing headlamps, only to find Hotdog was still wearing his sunglasses; Jan's Fancy Pants (yellow rain pants. I carry them too.) on chilly mornings; Hotdog's snoring and Bearkat's voice preceding them on the trail; Bearkat's obvious dislike of Albert Mountain; singing Sir Mixalot's "I like big butts..." while climbing Big Butt; the many reactions to my trailname, including offers of new trailnames; incredible views; incredible people.It's been so great so far, much more than I anticipated. I hope this adventure continues to be just as great. Looking forward to continuing in the morning.
Date: 2003-03-14
From: Franklin, NC

To: Campsite beyond Wayah Bald 
Miles today: 10.5

Back on the trail this morning, after mailing more stuff home. Dick Moulton of the Nantahala Hiking Club gave Hotdog, Bearkat and I a ride to the trail from town. It's good to be hiking with Hotdog again. It was very foggy this morning, but it made the woods a little quieter, blanketing sounds. Hotdog mentioned it seemed like something from Medieval times. I agreed, up until he said a horseman would come at us out of the fog and chop our heads off for not moving out of the way. I kept my ear open for the sound of a horse after that.The guys thought the trail was a little tough, coming out of Franklin, but I felt better than usual I guess, and didn't think it was too bad. Maybe it was just easier for me now that I have hiking poles. For my first day with them, I didn't do too bad. I only kicked them twice, whacked myself in the knee twice, put the pole down on my foot only once. I'd say that's pretty good. I think the more I use them, the more they'll help me, by taking some weight off my feet. Anything helps. :-)Speaking of weight, I weighed myself in Franklin. So far, in the first 13 days on the trail, I've lost no weight. I'm sure I'm toning up some, but nothing noticable. (sigh) There are plenty more miles to go though. Not that becoming physically fit is my goal... a nice side effect perhaps, but not the goal.Dog, Kat and I are camped a little past Wayah Bald. Wayah Bald has magnificent views...according to the guidebook. We had magnificent views of fog rolling in, but couldn't see past 40 feet. It was still pretty cool, not something I see every day at home.We didn't ask for it, but have gotten a steady light rain since leaving Wayah Bald. Luckily we found camping spots under a big pine tree which kept us dry enough to cook, and build a small fire. It was about 38* an hour ago, and maybe with the cloud cover it won't get too cold, but I keep thinking I might see icicles hanging from our food bags in the morning. Or maybe from the tree over our heads.I'm not looking forward to hiking in the rain, just because it'll make the already slick trail slicker. It seems, even on a dry day, because of the leaves on the ground, one out of every four steps isn't solid and a minor skid or burnout results. Oh well, it just makes it that much more fun.I'm still having a hard time believing I'm out here attempting to walk to Maine. I think about the small goals or destinations, even just the destination for the day, and once that's reached, I look ahead to the next one. Thinking about the entire trail at once is overwhelming. I'm proud of what I've done so far. Bearkat and I high-five every 10 miles we pass. Tomorrow we pass the 120 mile mark. Woo-hoo. Amazing.Oh, and Kenny G... you lose. I made it two weeks. :-)) Any more challenges???
Date: 2003-03-15
From: Campsite beyond Wayah Bald 

To: Wesser Bald Shelter 
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: light rain

No icicles this morning. I don't think it got any cooler than it was while we were up last night. The drizzle continued today, but kept me cool while hiking. I only wore my rain jacket for about 15 minutes right after lunch, because I was cold. Other than that, I didn't worry much about it.We hiked just over 5 miles by the time we stopped at Cold Spring Shelter for lunch at 11am. Someone had left Cokes and candy bars, so we took advantage of the Trail Magic and indulged in the goodies. The soda tasted good! It's the little things that can make a hiker happy!Once again our views from the mountaintops was... well, nonexistent, unless you count fog. Hotdog, Bearkat and I took out Ted's flag on Wesser Bald and took some pictures on and near the firetower. By the time we stopped at Wesser Bald Shelter, around 2:30, we'd covered 11.1 miles. That makes tomorrow's dive into NOC an easier day. It's mostly downhill too, although the downhill into Tellico Gap was rough on the knees. It's not easy fighting gravity.Hotdog's impeccable timing was shining today. As we were coming into Tellico, he was right behind me, and seemed to be closing fast. I asked if he wanted to pass me up, and he said "No. I'm going too fast and need to slow down anyway." Then he immediately slipped and fell on his butt. I knew he wasn't injured because he was laughing, and I nearly died laughing myself. If it weren't for the timing, it wouldn't have been as funny. Bearkat was busy skipping down the trail ahead of us, and missed it. :-)The three of us are sharing the shelter with Slow Ride. Crumbsnatcher stopped by on his way to NOC from Franklin, for a quick 28 mile dayhike. HA! He's thruhiked the trail already so I guess he's allowed to do that. Debbie For Now also stopped by, but continued on. Probably a wise choice with this crew. I told the guys they chased another one away. I'm not sure if they were upset or proud of that.No fire tonight, so we're all in our bags early. It's just now 7pm. Early to bed makes for a looong night on not the most comfortable bed, but that's just the way it is. It's not like we can turn on the TV and watch Wheel of Fortune. And honestly, at this point, I don't have any desire to either.That's a good thing. That just means I still have the desire to be out here. I haven't had one moment where I wished I was somewhere else. Maybe that will change. And maybe it won't. Either way, I'm here now, and enjoying it.
Date: 2003-03-17
From: NOC

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Coming out of NOC northbound is a climb, about 3000 feet over 6 miles. It started out gradual, but became a series of neverending steep climbs. The sun was out this morning, but by 11 am, it started raining, first lightly then heavier. I created enough heat on those climbs that I didn't care if I got wet from the rain or not. By the time we reached the top of today's climb and headed down, the rain had started to chill me some. As soon as we arrived at the shelter, I changed into a dry shirt, and felt much better. The hot chocolate helped too. We got in around 1:30, and The Yellow Submarine guys, who were here for a break, left for the next shelter, about 9 miles farther. We decided our hiking day was over and settled in.This is a bi-level shelter and there are 10 hikers and 2 dogs here: Crumbsnatcher and Bear; and a couple and their yellow lab/great dane mix, Augie. Both are good dogs; they mind their owners well. We still have room for a couple more people here, if more should show up. The saying goes "The shelter's full when the last one is in." Especially on a rainy day.It's 6:30 now and some are in their bags for the night. I'm hoping to somehow keep awake until at least 8pm, but not sure if that'll happen or not. About a week ago, I started reading the book I brought, "All Creatures Great and Small." Good book so far, and great for killing some time after dark.
Date: 2003-03-18
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was about the same, weather-wise, as it's been since leaving Franklin: foggy, drizzly. Not much rain today though, but still no views. Cheoah Bald is supposed to provide some of the best scenic views on the AT, but we saw nothing but fog.We picked up some bottled water and a snack left right before Stecoah Gap by Trail Angel Butch Cassidy. Thank you! We stopped for lunch at Stecoah Gap, and who should ride by??? The University of Wisconsin cycling club. The VP, Nick, recognized us and stopped. It was pretty funny watching a dozen cyclists circling around the parking area and road... They looked like bees buzzing around! Good kids! Check out their website at: www.uwcycling.com.More good climbs today. Ugh! The climb out of Sweetwater Gap was...uh... steep. I'd say it was the steepest yet. Yeah, Albert Mountain was steeper, but it was like climbing, not hiking. This was just plain steep hiking. When going up the hill, I could've reached up and touched the hill in front of me.I was relieved, and surprised when we reached the shelter. I thought we had farther to go. Even more surprising was the time: 1:45. Dog, Kat and I thought about trying for the next shelter 6.1 miles farther, but decided to stay. I'm glad. We have a 13 mile day tomorrow though, to get to Fontana Dam. I'm not sure if I'll take a zero day on Thursday or not. The three of us have been discussing that, but I'll reserve my decision for that tomorrow. Crumbsnatcher, Bear (a dog), and Slowride arrived a little after we did, and are staying, and two guys on Spring Break from Georgia Southern are here now too. They were at the shelter with us last night too. I think we're all headed into Fontana tomorrow.Another milestone reached today: 150 miles on the AT!!! I am still amazed at the miles hiked so far. I believe I can hike the entire trail, but look at each little section as a major accomplishment. It's just unbelievable. It's hard to explain. This has been awesome so far, much more than expected. I still wish I could hike again with Lite Shoe and Subman. Perhaps down the road (or is it 'up the trail'?), I'll see them again. I hope so.
Date: 2003-03-20
From: Fontana Dam Visitors Center

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I took a zero day today, and am glad I did. When I woke up this morning, it took a while before my ankles, feet, and knees said it was okay to walk around. The first day out of here will be a tough one, with almost 3000 feet of elevation gain. Oy! Oh well. Where the trail goes, so do I.Nothing too exciting today: laundry, unpack and repack backpack, sort food, mail stuff home, etc. Boring chores. Around 1pm I headed out to the shelter from Fontana Village, had lunch, then went to the Visitors Center for phone calls, and Hotdog and I walked across the dam and back, just in case we can't do it tomorrow. It was very peaceful by the Visitors Center, not too many people visiting(especially since the center isn't open yet), but that was fine with me. I sat for a while, looking out at the Smokies. The clouds broke up and the sun (the WHAT?!) came out. It was beautiful! So relaxing. I should do that every day...look at the mountains. I guess I do, but when hiking, I don't take as much time to just sit and look.This shelter is large, but there are only 9 of us here tonight. It overlooks Fontana Lake and the Smokies, and since the clouds broke, the view is awesome. Smokey T and Yukon built a fire which I enjoyed. Also here at the Hilton are Hotdog, Slowride, Beefstick, and Witt and Ben and one other guy whose name I didn't catch. The last 3 started their hikes on the 10th, so it's taken them half the time to get here as it took me. Zoiks! Too fast for me!Bearkat left the trail today, headed home. Perhaps I will see him later this summer when he comes back to the AT with his family.Today, I was thinking about home, and what I left behind. It's strange to me to think that just over a month ago, I had a steady job and strong support of family and friends, and knew none of the people out here. As of now, I feel at home out here too, but I know that a lot of that is due to the support I have from home. I couldn't do this without them.Each day out here, I encounter a new situation, or at least a new location. It might be the same routine, but the scenery changes every day. All I need to worry about is water, food, and shelter. I no longer worry about other things that used to seem "normal" to me such as getting a paycheck, paying bills, cleaning house, deciding what to wear. There's no longer a choice of what to have for dinner; I cook what I carry. I don't think about what time I should go to bed; I think about where I should make my bed to be warm, or dry. It's not any harder or easier, it's just different.