morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-04-15
From: Wallace Gap--Franklin, NC

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0

A zero day today. Resting my feet and knees, which are holding up quite well, but still need a day of rest at least once a week, I think, considering that they are really pushed every other single day.But even a zero day is busy. First, wash all the stinky clothes. Then wash my dirty camping stuff in the motel sink (water filter, bottles, knife, cook pot, etc.) The we went to the outfitters where I got a pack cover for the coming rain, more hand warmers, which are great in the hammock at night, and some energy gel, which I like to have on hand in case my energy flags, like at the end of the day with a steep mountain still to climb. I love the outfitters, I could spend a fortune in there. But I restrained myself. Went to eat and had a cheeseburger, then to Ingles' grocery store to buy food for the next leg of the trip. Back to the motel, then back to Dollar General because I forgot to buy Ibuprofen at the grocery store, and I take vitamin I twice a day, every day. Then back to the motel again, and a sad good bye to Mike, my support system. I couldn't do it without him, and I am well aware that he is sacrificing to make this possible for me. He is totally unselfish. Fortunately, he is all in favor of me making this pilgrimage, and constantly encourages me and does whatever it takes to keep me going. He doesn't want me to quit. I wish all hikers could have a support system as positive as mine. Some folks have it hard. He brought our old blue camping mat, which I will somehow add to my already overburdened pack, and I think my nights will be much more comfortable now (but I will be paying for it by my days being less comfortable, I think!) Hiking is all about choices, weighing the pros and cons. Franklin is a very nice town, beautiful countryside, of course, being surrounded by these gorgeous mountains, and a friendly little town, and full of hikers and hiker-friendy businesses, but also just a nice small town, historic, scenic, etc. I like it here, but think I will go back to my bland motel room and lay on my bed and ice my knees and watch something mindless on tv. This world is so removed from the world of living in the woods, it is hard to comprehend moving back and forth between them. Here in town where everything is easy, it's hard to think that just a day or two ago the single most important thing in the world is how far it is to the next water source. It is surreal. Pizza. Maybe I need a pizza.
Date: 2013-04-22
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: clear sky

Today begins my epic 9 day wilderness bonanza. Nine days between visits to civilization. So my journal entries will have to be short, sweet, and to the point to save battery life. Today's hike was short but not so sweet. A long six mile ascent out of the gorge. It wasn't always steep, but there were plenty of very steep sections,along with boulder ffields to navigate. It was tough. Got to the shelter fairly early in the day, but believe I will stay here anyway. May sleep in the shelter, it's supposed to be a cold night. Old New Yorker is here, and Brick with his nice dog Mika, who will hopefully keep the bears away, there are no cablesand no one is hhanging their food bags, except out of the mices reach.
Date: 2013-04-23
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 9.1

Last night I was possibly as cold as I have ever been. Where are you, Spring?? Have I ever told you that I hate being cold more than just about anything? It kept the mice away though. Between the cold and the hard shelter floor, I barely slept. So I had a headache all day, and no headache ointment to use. Nor anything else peppermint and lavender scented to use,either, because of the bears. They have super-sensitive smelling, and are always on the prowl for food. So all hiker products are unscented. I guess bears can't tell the difference between headache ointment and Thin Mints.   Besides the headache, today was a good day though. In the warmth and sunshine of a beautiful mountain day, the cold of the night before seems like a distant memory.   I made it to the busy road crossing at Stecoah Gap early in the afternoon with only about 2 miles to go to the shelter, so I decided to try hitchhiking again, hoping that some caffeine might help my headache, (also looking for adventure, too, I guess. ) The instant my thumb went up I got a ride. I think it's easier when you wear your pack so you look like a hiker and not just a shabby person. Went into Robbinsville and a cheeseburger and a Mello Yello later, I felt like a new woman.Then hitched back to the trail and on to the shelter. I'll be in the hammock tonight though, I may still get cold, but at least it won't be on a hard floor. I am as dirty as I have ever been. Last night's shelter was filthy, and I was crawling around in it. Then I sweated all day in the sun. I'm smelling a little gamey again too. You would never know that I am a maker and purveyor of fine herbal bath products if you met me now! In other news, the dogwoods are blooming!
Date: 2013-04-24
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter 

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 12.7

Guess where I am? Guess how far I walked today?This was supposed to take me two six mile days, but I got tired of lollygagging, turned on the gas, and here I am. The shelter at Fontana Dam is so great it is called the Fontana Hilton. It is very clean, the area is landscaped, and there is a SHOWER!   This is the best smelling bunch of hikers I have seen in days! Tomorrow we enter the Smokies, and it gets real. No easy getting off the trail in the Smokies. The woods were so beautiful today. At some pointthey turned green and full of wilwildflowers and it was so beautiful my eyes filled with tears and I just thanked God for letting me see something so beautiful. I took pictures and will post them whenever I get somewhere with electricity, but I don't think the beauty could be captured.Went to the PO and had three mail drops! Some necessities from St. Mike, some luxuries from my friend Leslye (loved the oranges! ), and a letter from Duckman. I appreciate it all so much I can't say.
Date: 2013-04-25
From: Fontana Dam

To: Mollie's Ridge Shelter 
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: few clouds

I left Fontana Dam Shelter this morning to enter the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. From the shelter it was a novel walk down a paved road and finally over the dam itself. It's the tallest dam in the eastern US, and part of the movie The Fugitive with Harrison Ford and (one of my favorite actors) Tommy Lee Jones was filmed here. I walked across the dam in the very early morning hours when it was quiet and misty and very peaceful. I got some nice pictures which I will post. Then off the dam and more road walking, until I finally came to the point where hikers re-enter the woods, and start hiking the Smokies. Hiking the Smokies is kind of a big deal, and a real commitment. Once you enter the park on the AT, you have 70 miles of rugged trail ahead of you, and only two chances to get off the trail, at Clingman's Dome, or at Newfound Gap. No road crossings every 5 or 10 miles like we have gotten used to. Hikers also have to stay in the shelters, no camping anywhere else, and you have to stay IN the shelter itself, if there's room.I had met three nice gentlemen at the Fontana Hilton, that I call the Johnnie Walker Express, becauseThere's walk together all the time, single file like a train, with Johnnie Walker in the lead. The other members are Phoenix, a fellow Tennessean, and Highlander, from Scotland. I was the caboose on the Express for a while, and enjoyed their company. There's a rock formation that looks exactly like a throne, so we stopped there for a rest and snack break, also a photo op.I continued up, up, up, a gain of 2820 feet for the day's hike. It was a long day for me, but I made it to the first shelter with a feeling of relief. There is a ridge runner here, an employee of the ATC (Appalachian Trail Conservancy), whose job is to advise and assist hikers, provide education, compile reports on the number of hikers, and keep a general eye on things. Basically he's the eyes and ears of the ATC on the trail. He was encouraging everyone to hike on to one of the next two shelters, which were only 2.8 and 5.7 miles farther on, explaining that those few miles were relatively easy, while the 7 or so miles after that were the hardest in the entire park. I think he's really just trying to prevent a hiker traffic jam. Anyway, I told him I was too tired to go on, and would need to stay here. There is a large tarp across the opening of the shelter, and it is getting very cold as night is coming on, so I appreciate it. 8 PM, time for bed. Yawn, good night.
Date: 2013-04-26
From: Mollie's Ridge Shelter 

To: Derrick Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 12.0

Before I started hiking the trail, I often told St. Mike that the only thing that I was really afraid of was the weather in the Smokies. It seems that it's always horrible in the journals I have read. I am afraid of being cold, but I'm especially afraid of being cold and wet. Judging by today, I have nothing to worry about. Today was gorgeous. Originally I was going to walk 5.7 miles today, to the Spence Field Shelter. Remember that I have to stay at shelters, so my choices were 5.7 miles, or 12 miles, which seemed too far, since I have been told that this section is the hardest in the Smokies,and I have just walked several long days. But the Johnnie Walker Express offered me a free ride into Gatlinburg from Clingman's Dome with them, but I wouldn't get there on time doing 5 mile days. So I decided to go for a 12 mile day. I changed my approach a bit for this long day over difficult terrain. Instead of pushing myself and my pace, I slowed it down. I walked deliberately slower, and took more and longer breaks.   I knew I was giving up my spot in the shelter, which have to fill up first, and I actually wanted to sleep in the shelter because I am so afraid of these very cold nights, and when I am so tired at the end of a very long day, sleeping in a shelter is easier than setting up the hammock. But so be it. I strolled, I lingered, I took long, shoes-off breaks.And it was the most beautiful day! The prettiest scenery yet. After climbing a mountain called the Devil's Tater Patch, I then climbed up to a fascinating series of balds. I have never seen so many balds in one place, except at a Stephens family picnic. They were so pretty. One golden meadow after another. It felt like I was in a park, or in someone's backyard. The sun was warm and life felt perfect. Except for the little bugs. I don't know what's so fascinating up in my nostrils, but they all seemed determined to fly up in there and have a look around. But I was loving the day, and felt like I had the wide eyed innocence of a child, waiting with glee to see what was around each bend in the trail. THEN, after all that awesomeness, I got to climb up old Rocky Top! I've been singing about it my whole life, now I got to stand on it! From the top I could see Fontana Dam,where I had been just two days ago, and it was so far away! I couldn't believe I had walked all that way on foot! Then turning the other way I could see Clingman's Dome, where I will be in two more days. Awesome! Nothing to see but mountains. Then there was a Long, Steep descent at the end of the day. What else is new, right? But I eventuallymade it into the shelter area, set up my hammock in the rain that was just starting, and gratefully crawled inside. Everyone else at the shelter was saying this was their hardest day ever, but it didn't seem that hard to me! What's up with that?
Date: 2013-04-29
From: Clingman's Dome

To: Gatlinburg 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I'm thoroughly enjoying my zero day here in Gatlinburg. My boots are drying on the heater, there's a Mello Yello waiting for me in the motel mini-fridge, and I am considering taking a totally decadent second shower in two days. Best of allSt. Mike will be here tomorrow!The original plan to hike the rest of the Smokies together isn't going to happen due to work-related reasons, but we are going to slackpack the Clingman's to Newfound Gap section together. So we will get to spend a whole hiking day and a night together. It will be great! Now I just have to arrange shuttles, which is proving to be difficult (and expensive) . St. Mike is reluctant to hitchhike.One story I wanted to share but forgot earlier: There are horses allowed on the AT in the Smokies, and I saw three pretty ones my first day. The riders stopped to talk to us and were very nice. Later, I was walking some distance behind the Johnnie Walker Express, but still within earshot. Suddenly they yelled" Trail magic! " I hurried ahead, wondering how someone had managed to leave trail magic so far in the woods, so far from a road crossing, and hoping for something sweet. When I got to the spot where they had been, there was......a big pile of horse manure! I called up to the Express, "Is this what you all call trail magic? " to the sound of much laughter. Not to worry though. I have a Reese's cup in the nightstand!
Date: 2013-04-30
From: Clingman's Dome

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 7.9

What a great day! A fabulous beautiful day, both on the trail and off. St. Mike is here. And I celebrated 200 miles today! And tomorrow marks one month on the trail.I waited rather impatiently for Mike to arrive at the motel this morning. I was so eager to see him, and also eager to get back on the trail. I found myself getting a little antsy, and I decided one zero is enough. Finally he arrived at the exact moment that Little Janie's shuttle arrived and she left to get back on the trail. So I exchanged one roommate for another. Mike and I went out for an early lunch and he seemed surprised at how much I can eat. Maybe my hiker appetite is kicking in. We left our Jeep at Newfound Gap and shuttled over to Clingman's Dome which is where I got off the trail two days ago. What a difference two days can make!   Little Janie and I left Clingman's Dome cold, wet, and muddy, and Mike and I returned on a warm sunny day. We hiked together and I can't even tell you how wonderful it was to walk with him, to have the peace and quiet of the forest around us as we walked and talked without the telephone as an intermediary. The weather was perfect, the terrain was gentle, the woods were lovely. Life is good.We celebrated my 200 mile milestone early in the walk. It seems like just yesterday I marked my 100 mile celebration, atop Albert Mtn. with Nightingale. Now 200 already!We drove back to the motel, now we have pizza and Mello Yello, and there's a Braves game on the tv. Could it be more perfect?   Tomorrow Mike will drive me back to Newfound Gap and I will resume walking, alone. I have probably another 4 or 5 days of walking before I leave the Smokies, and I will be glad to do so. It is absolutely beautiful here, but the Smokies make for difficult hiking with the high elevation, lack of road access, lack of cell phone reception, crazy unpredictable weather, and stringent rules about shelters. I'll be happy to see Davenport Gap, the end of the Smokies coming up soon. Night all!
Date: 2013-05-01
From: Newfound Gap

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

A little frustrated about the 3.0 miles for the day, but because of the locations of the shelters that we HAVE to stay at in the Smokies, today had to be either a 3 mile day or a 10 mile day, and I got off to such a late start that a 10 mile day would have been difficult. Not impossible, which is where the frustration comes in, just difficult. So I'm here at the shelter quite early, and I'm the only one here, but I'm sure hikers will start coming later.Actually going the extra 7 miles today wouldn't really change the big picture anyway. My goal is Davenport Gap this weekend. I can get there Friday night by doing a 12 tomorrow and a 14 Friday, or Saturday night by doing the 12 and two 7's. Here's the good part: remember how Mike was going to hike the second half of the Smokies with me, but wasn't able to for what I described as "work related reasons"? Well the deal is that our home business, Coyote Cove, was invited to the Asheville Herb Market for this weekend, May 4th, 5th, and 6th. We having been trying to get into the Asheville Market for a couple of years, so it's too good of an opportunity to pass up, even though it turned our chance to hike together into a one day slackpack. But, since I can get to Davenport Gap this weekend, which is near Asheville, Mike can come get me and I can go the Herb Market and work in our booth with him, or for him and give him a day or two off. He's. been running the business single-handedly with me on the trail, as well as doing his own job. He's expecting me Saturday night, so I think I am going to push for thr 12 and 14 mile days and surprise him by being there Friday night able to work our booth for two days. Going the extra 7 miles today wouldn't really.affect the next two days, due to the placement of the shelters, or enable me to get to Davenport Gap any sooner. So here I am, and it is a beautiful spot. I'm glad to be out of Gatlinburg, glad to be hiking, even glad to have the Green Monster back on my back. It feels right. I don't like Gatlinburg, and from reading the shelter log I'm not the only one. Here's a typical entry, dated April 28: "Survived the culture shock of Gatlinburg, grateful to be back out here, even though I'm still slightly nauseous after experiencing such nasty tourism."  And another from April 26: "Lost faith in humanity while in Gatlinburg, found it again on the AT. God bless this strip of dirt." To which someone had added "Amen."
Date: 2013-05-02
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tricorner Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

My 12.6 mile hike today has totally disabused me of any notion of hiking 14 tomorrow. As much as I want to get out of these blasted Smokies, as much as I want to see Mike and help him at the herb show, as much as I'd like an extra day and night in Asheville, (and I want all that very much), I can't hike 14 miles tomorrow if the trail is anything like today's trail. I would say today was my hardest day so far, if you don't count those two cold rainy days getting to Clingman's Dome. The trail today was hard in the following ways:1. It was very cold and very windy.2. There were a lot of ridge walks. The whole AT in the Smokies is high on a ridge, that's why it's always cold here. But the trail itself was a ridge today, dropping off steeply on both sides of me, freaking me out because I don't like heights. There are nohand rails, people.3. The whole trail was full of loose, fist-sized rocks. My feet and ankles hurt so bad tonight I'm going to give them a good rubdown with lotion when I put my two pairs of night socks on.It is so cold here I can't believe it. I have on every stitch of clothing that I own and I'm encased in down, and I'm still so cold. I know it's warm down in the valleys. I can't wait to get out of the Smokies! I learned last night that a hiker died in Icewater Spring Shelter a month or two ago. Froze to death. Would you like to hear some bureaucratic silliness, and government money wasting? This is really good. The privvies are wheelchair accessible!   A privy is an outdoor toilet. Most but not all shelters in the Smokies have one. They're like an outhouse, except instead of having a hole or pit that eventually gets filled in, they're elevated and the waste goes into chicken wire cages. Each time you use one you throw a handful of mulch in afterward. There are a couple of 5 gallon buckets of mulch in them for that purpose. They're called mouldering privvies, which sounds gross, but essentially they are composting outhouses. The idea is that air helps in the breakdown. Anyway, the Smokies of course are government land, being a national park, and they are in strict compliance with federal regulations about handicap accessible bathrooms. The privvies have wheelchair ramps and bars! Now of course the only way to get a wheelchair up to one of these privvies would be by an air drop. But if you can get it up here, it can get into the privy. Check out my photos. Folks, let's have a moment of silence for the death of common sense.In other news, I split my pants again today. I can't fix them tonight though, my hands are too cold to sew. I will just wear my long johns under my pants for the next couple of days. It's cold enough to wear them anyway, I just usually don't hike in them to preserve them for the cold nights.
Date: 2013-05-03
From: Tricorner Knob Shelter 

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: overcast clouds

An interesting day today.   I was so torn about not attempting the 14 mile day to get me out of here, and throughout the day I went back and forth: "I should have gone for it. I should have tried it." Overall I think I made the right choice.I got a late start this morning, on purpose, knowing that I only had 7 miles to walk and hoping it would warm up - the morning was so cold. I was the last one out of the shelter, and it was just unbelievably crappy weather. Cold, windy, miserable. I figured out that my phone would take videos, though, and I was entertained by making videos of the things I hate about the Smokies. Time passed quite quickly that way! If any of them aren't too silly I will post them. Midmorning I came upon the wreckage of a small plane in the woods. I have no idea when it happened, but I would guess it was a long time ago. I don't know anything about its history, but I took lots of pictures. It was a somber place.Made it to this little shelter fairly early in the afternoon. I had actually had minimal cell service for a few minutes so I was able to text Mike and make arrangements to meet tomorrow night. Tomorrow's hike features a 6 mile descent! That's a boo, and a yay. Boo because it's a long 6 mile descent - ouch my poor toes, feet, knees, and ankles! Yay because it's a descent! Going down the mountain, out of this high elevation, hopefully down someplace to where it's warm. Also down to meet Mike, double yay!I can see my breath.