morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-04-24
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: light rain

It was a tough climb up Rocky Top but a beautiful sight overlooking Cade's Cove, Maryville, Fontana. Wonderful!!! I took a neat video of it and hope to get it online soon. The climb up Thunderhead was the same, long uphill but an awesome view from the top. Rain was coming so our stop wasn't for long, Half Left, my personal timekeeper rushed me through luckily because it started to rain on the way to the shelter. We arrived early, about 1:00PM and quickly set up camp, gathering wood and getting our stuff out of the way of the rain. 5 more hiker showed up wet and cold. They hovered over the fire and changed into dry clothes. Some even decided to continue on in the rain. Not the Flatlanders!! We love to be warm and dry! Baltimore Jack, Low Key, Zeb and Sam decided to stay for the evening. It was a nice group.
Date: 2010-04-25
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: scattered clouds

We left out early again, thanks to the timekeeper. The rain had passed and we wanted to get to Double Spring shelter which was 2 shelters away. The terrain was uphill most of the day but definitely not the uphill from the previous days of Shuckstack and Rocky Top. There were lots and lots of wildflowers everywhere!! We hiked along peacefully through the forest just moseying along to the shelter. Low Key, Wild Poodle, Baltimore Jack, a section hiker who snored very loud and 2 young men stayed at the shelter with us. A fire was made by Half Left and Low Key. The two young men told us of a bear that entered Mollie's Ridge shelter the night before. They even had evidence on their camera. He was a black bear about 200 lbs. So cute but even cuter on someone else's camera! Of course many people have trail stories that have been passed along through trail talk of bears stealing packs, food bags etc. I am glad we don't have any yet.The shelter was another stone building, three sided with a fireplace. The water was 75 feet from the shelter pouring out of a rock like a fire hydrant. We were all nestled in our bags by hiker midnight (8:00PM) when it started raining, all night! The timekeeper got me up early, Baltimore Jack was gone very early with no trace he was even there, apparently the snorer ran him out early. Low Key also moved his sleeping bag out to his tent during the night for the same reason. We started out early because we had 10.8 miles to go for the day. Up and over Clingman's Dome. The highest point on the whole trail...
Date: 2010-04-26
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: light rain

Rain, rain, rain all day. Cold windy rain, up and over Clingmans Dome, 6643 feet, the highest point on the trail, but no view today. Clouds surrounded us, so just a short stop for photos in front of the dome and off on the descent into Newfound Gap. On the way down, snow still existed along the side of the trail. We wanted to make a snowman but Half Left threw snowballs at us. So with the rain pouring down, we moseyed on through the mud puddles we went. We arrived at Newfound Gap about 3:00 PM, at the colder, wetter, windier peak. The NOC shuttle we were told arrives at 4:30 so we bunkered down in the women's restroom to get out of our wet clothes and boots, into fleece and crocs. It was so cold!!! At 4:15 we went up to the parking lot waiting for the shuttle with 4 other hikers, all of us cold and wet again. We waited until 5:00 and the NOC shuttle never showed!!! We went back into the restroom, Wild Poodle made some calls from numbers in our guidebook and got us a ride into Gatlinburg. At 6:30 we were heading to a warm and dry hotel.We decided to stay at the Grand Prix Hotel, a hiker friendly hotel that shuttles around town and is right on a trolley stop.
Date: 2010-04-27
From: Newfound Gap

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

In Gatlinburg to was clothes, resupply food and goods, call family and friends, nice, warm, yay!!!We took zero day, all nestled in warm clean clothes! DonnaMarie my BFF came in from Maryville and joined us for some beers and lunch at the Brewhouse. It was a nice visit. Low Key, Baltimore Jack, Wild Poodle and some other hikers joined us at the Grand Prix Hotel. Hiker friendly hotels are much needed for hikers. We are usually dirty, muddy and wet when we arrive in a town. The hotel has a laundry onsite and friendly people running it. They will shuttle to the post office and grocery store and even shuttle back to the trail. We plan to leave tomorrow about 1:00 for the trail.
Date: 2010-04-28
From: Gatlinburg

To: Icewater Springs Shelter
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: clear sky

Today just a small hike of 3 miles to the shelter. It is sunny and cool today, should be a nice hike. The shuttle is taking us to Newfound Gap about 1:00PM. Our packs are filled with all the comforts of finding stuff at the store we have been craving, heavy, heavy packs...Yes the packs were heavy, but 3 miles is a breeze with our "trail legs". After putting your body through these hikes everyday, your body responds and give you super power in your legs, yeah right. But it is amazing the difference we all feel now compared to the beginning. Hiking 10.6 up and over Clingmans Dome the other day was invigorating to say the least.We started the trail about 1:30PM after Hemmi, the owner of the Grand Prix Hotel were we stayed shuttled us up to Newfound gap. On the way, we spotted our first bear, on the side of the road. Noone got photos but I promise it was there!The trail was filled with day hikers (out for the day), section hikers (out for a couple of days) and thru hikers (us the crazy ones going all the way to Maine). It was about 50 degrees, sunny and beautiful. We stopped and spoke to lots of others along the way, taking our time to soak up the people on the trail. One phrase that always comes up, "It's all about the smiles, not the miles". So we are getting all we can out of this wonderful adventure. Snow had fallen when we were in Gatlinburg so the trail was covered with snow and slush. It was amazing, going from 75 degrees and sunny to 50 and snowy. We took lots of photos and even videos, I have to copy them to a CD, then mail them to Samantha, then she uploads them. Sorry but trailjournals doesn't have an uploader we can use while on the trail. If your a Facebook friend, I have posted some on my facebook. If your not and want to friend us, look up:Cindy Arnold Porter and friend me.Arriving at the shelter early allows one to pick a spot, any spot and claim it. Half Left, Wild Poodle and I grouped our bags together for warmth and because Half Left carries this huge piece of Dupont House Wrap to lay down as a cover to protect our sleeping bags from dust, dirt and tears from the shelter bunks. There is usually one or two platforms for hikers to spread sleeping bags out like sardines. It is very interesting. We spread out or sleeping bags and got everything ready, then on to more important things, food, camaraderie. We brought some TacoBell for dinner, yum and a little premixed White Russians, Half Left got me some clean snow and I had a nice slushy. Looks like most people brought some kind of treat.Other hikers at Icewater gap Shelter: Low Key, Baltimore Jack, Casper and Chef, Moped, a group of 5 Boy Scouts, 3 kids section hiking and Screamer.
Date: 2010-04-29
From: Icewater Springs Shelter

To: Tricorner Shelter
Miles today: 13.6

By the way, I updated 4/28 so go back and read the extra input. Also, the Great Smoky Mountain National Park makes it mandatory to stay in shelters, no tenting unless the shelter is full. Lots of people would rather tent than shelters because of the snorers and people get up early and make a bunch of racket.We got up early to get a good jump on the planned 13.6 mile day, our biggest to date. The trail provided wonderful scenery, to start with was Charles Bunion. It is a small blue blaze trail over a cliff trail ending at an awesome huge rock overlooking most of the mountains surrounding Gatlinburg. We all took time to photograph each other, Baltimore Jack, Moped, Low Key, Wild Poodle, Half Left and I took turns photographing each other. Then on the the miles. The terrain was still full of snow, slush, mud and yuck. We were all trying not to get our boots wet on the top because water gets in and your feet get soaked, then blisters. So we walked as careful as possible and noone got overly wet feet, yay. There was lots of beautiful scenery along the way, many overlooks where you could see Clingmans Dome, Gatlinburg, the eastern Smokeys, just incredible! We also saw more hikers along the way, some from Germany. Apparently Germany filmed a special on the trail and played it on their TV and now lots of Germans are coming out to meet the people giving out coffee and hospitality, "Trail Angels" We have met at least 2 germans hikers, a couple of New Zealanders, 5 Austrailians, 5 U.K. ers, 1 Candadian, 1 Swiss, 1 Japanese girl and lots of people from all over the country. It is a very interesting group of people.Grasshopper and Breakman showed up on the trail also. They are thru hikers training to do the PCT. We originally saw them back at Low Gap shelter while having lunch. They are just doing some section hiking training for their hike. It was so neat we all said, Hey I know you, Hey I know you!We arrived at the Tricorner shelter about 4:00PM, a record pace! There was still plenty of room and we picked our spot. This shelter was very nice, the water source was about 20 feet on level ground in front of the shelter and the privy was about 100 feet away also on level ground. Normally, it is a hike way down to the privy on tired feet, mine say, no, no, no!!! But it must be done. Water is usually down some long hill and 200 feet away. We were in heaven! The shelter was crowded, more thru hikers that caught up to us and most of the hikers that stayed at Icewater. It was a nice group everyone took turns cooking their meals, cleaning the area for more to use it. The cooking area is on the outside so the food smells and droppings don't attract mice and bears. Which they do anyway. If you leave any food in your pack at night and have it in the shelter, it will surely have company during the night. One night Half Left got his towel eaten by a mouse who used it for bedding.
Date: 2010-04-30
From: Tricorner Shelter

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

Well, we broke our record again, 14.8 miles!!! Up and over some beautiful scenery again, snow, slush, mud also, but worth every step. Most of the terrain today was downhill, my favorite. Hikers don't usually like downhill because it hurts the knees. I personally like it because I can breathe! My calves don't burn also.We stopped for lunch at Cosby Shelter another beautiful shelter, but it was buggy and a little too close to hike. We are hiking more to get miles in since it is easier with Trail Legs and all. Arriving at the shelter about 4:30, we choose our bunks again, bottom left corner. Close to the ground for privy trips at night. But this shelter has a fence to keep the bears away, one of only 2 that still have the fences up. They are redoing all the shelters in the Smokeys removing the fences, people just feel protected and feed the bears through the fence, dummies. We don't really feel more protected anyway, as long as you hang you food away on the bear cables, they are not attracted to the shelter.Different group tonight, Zeus, Pappy, Husband and Wife, SLy (Quebec), and a few others I can't remember their names. It was not the nicest shelter but comfortable.
Date: 2010-05-01
From: Davenport Gap Shelter

To: Standing Bear Hostel
Miles today: 4.2
Weather: broken clouds

We left Davenport Gap Shelter early, 8:00. It was a nice trail mostly downhill past waterfalls, streams, mountain views and then to Intrastate 40. Wow a large 4 lane highway in the middle of the trail. I40 has been closed for several months because of a landslide/rockslide. People traveling in between Asheville and Knoxville had to detour all the way up I26 through Johnson City. I know with the road finally open, people are relieved! We hiked over the Pigeon River and then under I40 looking for the trail. The markings were on the large sign labeling Asheville East 40 and Knoxville W40. We hiked up from the gap to the hostel about 1 more mile.At the Standing Bear Hostel today. Shower, laundry, food, yum...This place is amazing, what a paradise in the middle of nowhere. A stream running through old barn like buildings, a kitchen, laundry, and computer room overlook the fire pit area where hikers gather by the stream. Hikers are constantly sitting around the conversation area talking about the trail, home, stories and wishes for the next miles. The hostel has a bunk house that holds about 15 hikers in "prison style" bunks as they are called, a cabin that holds about 6 hikers (we are staying in it) and a small bunk house out back. It has a kitchen available for anyone to use as well as a resupply house for food and stuff you may be out of (advil, bandaides,etc.) It costs $15 PP for the bunkhouse and $20 pp for the cabin. Our cabin goes over the stream, it is very peaceful! We all cleaned our clothes in the laundry which has a washboard and bucket to clean them and a gas dryer to dry them, as well as clothes lines. Thank God we have a regular washer, hand washing clothes on a washboard is not EASY!!! Clothes clean, showers had and now just relax for the evening. For lunch we bought a pizza from the resupply and a hamburger. Wild Poodle also shared a pizza with Low Key to save money. There is a shuttle that goes to the convenient store in the evening for beer and snacks. I went along a picked up some fried chicken for all of us to eat. $5.19 for 8 pieces to split with cole slaw, potato salad, corn nuggets and rolls between Half Left, Wild Poodle, Low Key and I. Nice!!!After dinner, we all settled down for the evening, bed, comfort, fan blowing, water passing under our cabin, wonderful.
Date: 2010-05-04
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

Beautiful scenery abounded around us again, now the trees were budding green foilage, the flowers are all blooming and the sky blue as could be. Lots of waterfalls, creeks and streams, rock, flowers, butterflies, birds and just plain incredible views followed us the whole way. During the day we all seemed to hike spread apart, Low Key way ahead as usual, Wild Poodle sauntering ahead of Half Left and I. I hold Half Left back of course! He carries extra stuff just to slow him down, but he always waits for me, saying you're doing great. It is a well accepted comment, it helps me tremendously having him to be so understanding. I have decided to look into new boots when we get to Hot Springs because my feet are really hurting more and more especially on the long downhill portions. We stopped for lunch at a parking spot for day hikers. Peanut Butter and Jelly, Fritos and a candy bar. We took off our packs and used them like a recliner and enjoyed the sandwiches. Half Left always seems to be in a hurry to get to the next place but he knows I don't want to get up and go so fast, we compromise and wait just a few more minutes.We arrived at Deer Park Mountain Shelter, another creepy old building from Abe Lincoln era I think. Low Key had arrived and left, Wild Poodle was enjoying a snack while talking to a couple of section hikers sitting in the shelter. We arrived, feet hurting but knowing we would hike the 3.2 miles into Hot Springs. Wild Poodle said Low Key had also decided to hike in. We snacked, resting for a few minutes and all ready to hike all the way. The first bit of the trail from the shelter is uphill. I was already hurting so it wasn't a welcome site! Right after the exit from the shelter trail were 2 gravesites for a husband and wife, the "Graggs". She died in 1941, he in 1966. They were plain graves and odd to be up in the mountains alone. The rest of the hike into Hot Springs was downhill, our feet were hurting from the constant pounding of the rocks and twigs. My feet hurt!!! Advil down and into Hot Springs. We arrived in front of Elmer's Sunnybank Inn, a hostel perched above the main street in town. A beautiful white victorian house complete with vegetable garden and lots of porches. Elmer is a nice gentleman who rents out rooms like a bed and breakfast. He loves hikers never minding whether you are thru hiking, day hiking or section hiking. He charges $20 pp and offers breakfast for $6 and dinner for $10, all vegetarian. We opted for a breakfast one of the mornings but craved the greasy spoon across the street, The Smoky Mountain Diner. Home cooking, pizza and wonderful breakfasts, complete with meat.
Date: 2010-05-05
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Zero Day!!!Hot Tubs, massages, shopping, yes!!!I forgot to mention, yesterday while we were in the post office to retrieve our bump boxes, the clerk mentioned that our hiking friend was looking for us. Who? Cahoda? Yes, she was in town on her way to Rogersville for a doctor's appt. Wild Poodle called her on her cellphone and she quickly met us at the laundry. What a nice surprise.She decided to stay the evening at Elmer's with Wild Poodle. It was nice to have the group together. Our hot tub was planned at 11:00, our bodies needing some kind of comfort. The shower is nice but muscles and feet love to be soaked and pampered. After soaking in the tub I suggested we all get a massage. Half Left and I signed up for the massage and Wild Poodle decided to go with the foot massage/mini pedicure. We all enjoyed the hour in the tub, talking over plans for the evening and ready for the massages. Half Left and I went and sat on the couch while they took Poodle back for her foot pampering. Next Half Left was taken back for his massage while I continued to sit on the couch readin smut (People Magazine). My appt. was at 1:00, it was 1:20 when the counter lady came over and said your massage therapist hasn't showed up for work, would you like to wait? I said no because they would be out and ready for lunch, can I reschedule? or get a refund? She offered me to schedule a 4:00pm massage and give us another one hour hot tub. Yes!!! Can we use it tomorrow? Yes, sold, done deal.Lunch was tomato bisque soup with grilled cheese served outside on the balcony overlooking the creek. It was as relaxing as the tubs. We were all in heaven.I went on my appointment and had a wonderful massage from Mona. Low Key had rented a car to go to his nephews graduation so he and Half Left picked me up. Since he has a car, we have an appt for hot tub tomorrow and my feet still hurt, we decided to take another zero day tomorrow. Pizza, Caesar salad and sweet Tea for dinner at the diner. Wild Poodle had a hamburger steak, while Low Key had the tenderloin with homemade veggies.Since we are zeroing tomorrow, Half Left and I decided to move to the Alpine Motel from Elmer's for more privacy and closeness to town and Low Key.
Date: 2010-05-06
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

We all gathered at the Smoky Mountain Diner for a nice egg and fixen's breakfast about 8:00am. Discussing the day, hot tub at 11:00am (free) yay, then shipping birthday gifts for Hannah (5/19) and Jesse (5/23), two of our children, internet at the library and a trip to Asheville this afternoon.We have so graciously been awarded some of the best weather we could ask for, blue skies with warm sun and breezy. To be continued...
Date: 2010-05-07
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Boxed spring pond
Miles today: 4.9

Left out of Hot Springs this morning after arguing with the hotel, Alpine Inn in Hot Springs. If you plan to stay there, don't in my opinion but get the cost in writing because he changes his prices whenever he decides to. Everyone else was paying $45 a night plus $10 for extra person, he told Half Left $69. We told him we weren't paying more and gave him the $55. I also told him we would pass the word on about him trying to rip us off.Secondly, I got this horrible cold that has drug me down and made me feel like it is the first day on the trail. So we decided to camp at this pond 4.9 miles in. It is also a long uphill which takes your breathe away! I struggled the whole time, coughing and hacking. We arrived about 2:00 at the campsite. Half Left was so excited it was right by a fishing pond and he found twine and a hook. I set up camp while he played around the pond like a little boy. The smile on his face was priceless! He caught 3 bream, pan sized but let them go because he wanted the big bass he kept seeing. With camp set up, I relaxed by the firepit on my new found sponge pad on a log, reminiscing the past few days. Hot Springs, spas, massages and good food, now back to the grind.Wild Poodle was sitting by the pond talking to people back home when we arrived. She had planned to carry on 6 more miles but opted to camp with us after seeing the nice site uphill from the pond. She put up her tent and took an afternoon nap.Half Left finished his fishing and was hungry so we ate lunch and heard another hiker along the trail. It was Red Baron, a retired police officer. We invited him to our camp and he set up his tent, then along came Iceberg who also set up camp. We had an enjoyable evening around the fire pit (with no fire). Half Left, Iceberg, Red Baron and I went to the pond right before dark to hear all the animal sounds. We could hear frogs talking to each other very deep and loud, crickets singing in the wind and birds chirping away. We all stood around the pond talking about the day and listening, hoping to see a deer or bear or something furry, to no avail.Hiker midnight was upon us, so we all quietly went to bed. All except me who hacked and coughed seemingly all night.