morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-03-15
From: Unicoi Gap (Helen, GA)

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 5.6
Weather: light rain

"One instant is eternity, eternity is the now." Well, how to begin to tell such a big tale?? I am still in love with this place, with this trail and what I am doing. I have never felt so at peace with life, with myself, and with where I am going (MAINE, right?). So, no sooner had Dave dropped me off at Unicoi Gap, I could see the poor weather quickly overcoming me. I could look up towards Blue Mountain and see the rain... sweet! I had plenty of rest and after watching the news that morning of the storms (ok, tornados) that hit Atlanta I was prepared for the worst. Well, maybe not the worst. But, on a good note, my umbrella got its first real test and it passed with flying colors. The climb up Tray Mountain seemed absolutely endless -- and, the view at the top was... well, just not there. As I crested the mountain I found myself, my two metal poles, and my metal umbrella a little weary of hanging around. I mean, I think a strike of lightning would have found me to be quite a convenient target given that there weren't even trees taller than I was standing upon the rock. Not that I could see anything if I had decided to tempt fate and hang around for a while. I was walking in the clouds and I quickly (ok, fine, I did stop to take a few pictures) descended down to the shelter. I received a few comments about my umbrella, but although a few chuckled at the thought while the weather was fare, I saw many envious eyes while I walked through the rain without water streaming down my face and back. I am sure I could have even sold a few for a hefty profit. I made my way to the shelter in good time. It was close to full and setting up a tent in this kind of weather is not something I look forward to doing. I am here with all new people because my group has been temporarily dispersed. Alf (from Australia), Voodoo, Fish, Texas (to keep the journal rated PG) and some weekend hikers shared the space. I spent most of the day hiking by myself and it was a little eery with the weather. Honestly, I didn't have much time for reflection; although the climb went on forever, the miles went by pretty quickly. 9:44pm: up late tonight, can't sleep with three guys having a snoring symphony in the shelter. The mice are out crawling around. Texas had one crawling under his sleeping bag a little while ago and I can hear them getting into things. When we go to sleep in the shelter we have to make sure to open all the pockets of our packs and any bags because if it isn't open they will chew right through to get to what they want. Sucks to have hundreds of dollars worth of gear lost to a curious critter. Just hope one doesn't decided that my sleepig bag is more cozy than their nest of socks and other stolen goods. First time my thoughts have caught up to me. Time to turn on the iPod and drown out my shelter-mates.
Date: 2008-03-16
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: clear sky

"Unfettered like a wafting mist I give myself up to where the wind wants me to be" A beautiful day. Last night was a little rough, I didn't get much sleep. But, day break came soon enough and a new day started. I wasn't anxious to get out of my sleeping bag because it was chilly and I was tired. I was waiting for the sun to come out and as soon as the rays hit the shelter I planned my escape :0) My energy level was pretty low today and Kelly Knob (which has a very desceptive name... Knob sounds a lot easier than Mountain) was surprisingly brutal. I considered going on to the next shelter in my effort to catch up with the group, but I figured I would check the shelter log at Deep Gap first. Almost every shelter has a log book that hikers can sign or leave notes in for other hikers. I knew that if any of the group had been through they would have left me some information. But, even better than a note, I found Butters! He was rained out the day before and decided to hang around in the sun drying out his clothes and gear. It was SO great to see him in good spirits despite the poor weather. The rest of our group is MIA for now. Longburn came to the shelter after awhile and for hours we thought we would be the only three, but right before sunset the crowds came in... Respect, Applicator, and Vagabond (who is hiking around the world... seriously); Wingfeet (another girl!!); Harvey with his dog; and then three more girls (amazing, i know). The last group of three came in quite late so I really did not get a chance to talk with them. It was a good crowd. I like how I forget the days of the week.
Date: 2008-03-17
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Plumorchard Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Happy St. Patrick's Day! Another beautiful day. I had a great night of sleep and despite the typical chilly start, the day came and went before I knew it. We hiked pretty quickly down to Dick's Creek Gap before we made our way back upwards towards the shelter. We are SO close to North Carolina I can smell it. I promise, it smells differently. We, Butters and I, wanted to make it there today, but I am still making shoe and "feet" adjustments and I was already pretty sore by the time we made it to the last shelter in Georgia. It is pretty cool -- has three stories. Butters and I got a kick out of the shelter logs today. Kota and Ruby (the missing two of the quartet) are actually in FRONT of us rather than behind... but, I won't disclose how they were able to hike 26 miles in one day. Butters and I have decided to take on a 12+ miler tomorrow to attempt to catch up to the two "rascals". So, I am intaking large amounts of food and water in preparation. Berf, Kyanite and Sunkissed are still behind us (we think... you never know) and we are hoping to run into them again in the near future! Butters and I have been joined by Wingfeet and it looks like the three of us will be sharing a three story shelter all by ourselves. I decided to spread my stuff on all three levels just to give it more of a lived in feel. I also figured that tonight is our best chance of getting a bear shot. If we leave food out on the second story and maintain a good defensive position on the third story maybe we could entice them into a photo shoot?? On a less exciting note, I was able to get my shelter mates to break out the cards and play a little Rummy. Life is so complicated out here. How far to walk? When to stop for lunch? Which water source to use? Tuna or Chicken? I am so overwhelmed. :0)
Date: 2008-03-18
From: Plumorchard Gap Shelter

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Well, what a day. Accomplishments: highest mileage, new state, caught up to Ruby and Kota! Butters and I headed out of Plumorchard with Muskrat Shelter as our goal. Our grand ideas of a 12 mile day didn't seem as plausible when the rain started falling and the climbs got drastically steeper. North Carolina was right around the corner but it took so much effort to get there! But, we did get there and it brought the smile back to my face. I finally saw the results of my labor and it felt good. BUT, the welcome we recieved was a little less heartening. Between the showers, the two wicked climbs, and the gusts of wind I just thought it might be better to just do Georgia twice and claim credit for the mileage. However, my mind was quickly changed. I mustered up some energy and made great time to Muskrat Shelter. It actually felt so good. I just kept telling myself I was in North Carolina and I felt nothing was impossible today. Bag Lady was hiding out in the shelter when we got there. She didn't feel like braving the weather today. I checked out the shelter log and found out that Ruby and Kota were only at the next shelter -- another 4.9 miles AND relatively easy terrain. So, despite the ongoing weather, we committed to the extra miles. I hiked the following miles in record time and the great reunion commenced. I met Mary Poppins, Saurkraut, and Little Fox who made room for two more in the shelter! Saurkraut and Little Fox are from Newnan, as well. What a small world. I really like the additional company. We squeezed Wingfeet into the shelter later on and Barley and Rain and Ryan and Rob made camp near the shelter. Madras: the bear trap I set up last night failed. I will adjust my tactics and try again at a later date. I LOVE the messages and will do my best to reply to them when I have more time with a computer. Oh, and I apologize for my poor grammar -- I am typing quickly and have limited time for editing :0)
Date: 2008-03-19
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Well, the terrible weather continued on and instead of fighting the rain and wind and cold for a slim chance at a spot in the next shelter, our group of 7 decided to stay camped out for the day. The wind brought the rain into the shelter and I woke up to a wet sleeping bag; but, I had good company to keep my spirits up. Ruby found out that I am a terribly competitive card player, but I think there is still a small chance for future engagements. I am anxious to get back out there tomorrow!!
Date: 2008-03-20
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: clear sky

So.... during our zero day at the shelter Butters says "this couldn't possibly get any worse." Good job, Butters. Nightfall lowered the temperature to below freezing and I awoke to snowflakes on my face, the reflection of the morning sunshine on the snow, and all that was once wet, now frozen. Glorious. The only thing to do: laugh and get moving (to stay warm). No chance of another zero day because being cooped up in a three sided shelter was far from appealing and our food supplies were running low. I was out of the shelter quick-like. Like before, I had to get moving in order to feel my fingers and toes. Standing Indian Mountain loomed over the shelter, but once I got moving the climb seemed to be far from my mind. It really was a beautiful day; the sun came out and it got warmer as we climbed to lower elevations. I never really ran into anyone, either. I finished the 7.6 miles pretty quickly. It was a great hike! Soon after the rest of the crew made it to the shelter we had the place looking like a gypsy camp with clothing lines hung and everything we owned hanging on tree branches and spread out to dry (ok, and maybe to get the smell out of them). At Carter Gap there are actually two shelters, an old one and a new one. Kota, knowing I was ahead of him and not knowing about the existence of two shelters was a little unnerved that I wasn't around when he came into camp (the old one). And, after hiking through (and stopping to eat a snack in) the Wilderness Bear Sactuary, I guess it could be plausible that the bear got to me first :0) Trail Magic also came from a family hiking the trails. We were able to add fresh fruit to our gourmet meals and given that a few of the group were running low on food it really was a blessing. I love this place.
Date: 2008-03-21
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

The miles just keep going by. Another 12+ miler today and it felt so good! We want to be able to head into town first thing in the morning so we got out of camp pretty quickly this morning and set out. The weather was perfect and the views today were spectacular. I took plenty of pictures today. Knew we had one big climb today but it was nothing that I expected! It was so steep I had to climb with my hands and feet a few times and the pictures didn't quite capture the intensity of the climb -- but it was so much FUN. And, the view at the top just blew me away. We usually just get a climps here and there through the trees or out on a rock. Sometimes we crest a mountaintop but the weather has to be in good spirits to take in the view. This was amazing. A clear, beautiful day... and the great mountaintop view was dismissed as soon as I caught sight of the fire tower we could climb! A 360 degree mountain view trumps everything else I have seen so far (except maybe the sunset on Blood Mountain). It was simply: fun. I was hiking alone a lot of the time and I just couldn't stop myself from smiling, even when no one could see. It was just a great day. We met Dirty Girl, Pilot, and Yukon on top of the fire tower and I hiked with them for a while after lunch. We quickly covered some miles. Yukon is heading out in a month to hike the PCT (another long trail) which is pretty sweet. Days like today make me think I could hike anything. Maybe a PCT hike is in my future? Sound good, Meg?? I loved the challenging pace today and really I can't wait to see my parents tomorrow. I find the toughest part of this trail is finding the connection between home and... home. I can't be both places, so I have to follow my heart and take in the little pieces of home that I can, when I can. And, for now, the trail is my home and I have never really felt more comfortable, more settled, and more stable than I do now that I continuously wandering :0) This rocks.
Date: 2008-03-22
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 3.8
Weather: clear sky

Today seemed endless and wonderful! We were up before the sun packing our stuff and heading out for a little night, or "morning", hiking. I was so anxious to see my parents; however, my body was not prepared for even the few miles we had to get to the road. Being so close to town and low on food I had not eaten enough the evening before and I certainly had not drank enough (the privy, or rudimentary toilet, was across a stream and not very accessible in the dark). So, the going felt excruciatingly slow; nevertheless, we made it to the road earlier than expected. I was so excited to see my parents drive up! And, they had offered to drive Saurkraut, Little Fox, Mary Poppins, and August into town, as well. They really are the best. After getting them settled we headed for the next most important thing: FOOD. All you can eat Shoney's buffet never looked so enticing. Four plates later, my mind was telling me I was full, but my body felt like I was feeding a bottomless pit. So, as we were walking out the door I was already planning our next food stop. We went to the Outfitter across the street to officially sign the thru hiker register and have my photo taken. I remember going to the outfitter a few years ago and looking at all the poloroids of the thru hikers for that year and being so jealous... now, I am right in the middle of them! I love it! We made a few gear purchases -- namely, a belt! (because my pants are stretching and not because I am losing that much weight, I promise!) and then finally headed back to the hotel so I could do the second most important thing: SHOWER. I swear they didn't stick us in the little back room of Shoney's because I had seven days of filth still on me :0) But, the shower felt quite heavenly. In fact, I think I will have another. Next, cleaning gear, washing clothes, restocking supplies. Then, Walmart and Ingles to make a few purchases and off to the movie theater to check out Horton Hears and Who. I had to catch up on phone calls afterwards and after another stop for food I was finally able to start working on my trail journals. These are quite tedious when you are trying to update so many days at one time. It is already past midnight and I must now wrap this up, post pictures and get a few hours of sleep in my cozy hotel room bed. I will hopefully get a chance to post an update in a couple day! Thanks to everyone for the comments you leave and the support. I wish I had a chance to reply to all the messages, but even zero/nero (Near Zero) days seem to be exhausting!!
Date: 2008-03-23
From: Wayah Bald 

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: clear sky

Here we go again! I am back on the trail. However, for those of ya'll tracking my progress you will note that I did not begin today where I left off. My parents' (have I mentioned how much I love them lately??) drove me to the top of Wayah Bald today so that I could hike SOUTH to meet my brother, Smeagol, tomorrow at Winding Stair Gap (which, with the pending weather predictions is much easier to access in the rain/sleet/snow/ice). So, for a day I am a SOBO (south bounder). And, no worries, no one let me forget it. Every hiker I passed stopped long enough to say "you're heading in the wrong direction!". Of course, they were quite perplexed when I responded: "Are you sure?" and started to get out my map like I was double checking... Oh well, it was fun for a day, but I certainly didn't like the feeling of heading south. Oh, and before I left I think I consumed my weight in food... well, at least the weight of an arm or two. From pizza to waffles to eggs, grits and toast, not to mention the Easter candy and the bag of potato chips that my hand was still inside of when I woke up this morning... yea, and that was all before eleven (in the morning, kids). On my southward trek I passed Bronco, Wingfeet, Hoover, Marko, Brushstroke, Leaping Frog, Pops, Blake, TigerLily and Ranger... I am sure I forgot some, but the memory game I was playing in my head to keep track of them all could have failed me. Sauerkraut, Mary Poppins, August, Butters, Kota, and Ruby were all at the shelter when I showed up. They were surprised to see me as they had hiked from the other direction and were not sure where I was or how far I was going. They LOOKED happy to see me when I wandered into camp, but I was happy to see them, nonetheless. Tomorrow I get to see my brother and spend some time with him and hopefully catch up to the crew without getting too far behind. To the Newnan Hiking Club: thanks for your support!! I am looking forward to a group hike when I return :0)
Date: 2008-03-24
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 4.7
Weather: scattered clouds

What a great day!! (I think I say that too much). It is becoming a pretty common occurrence, but we woke up to snow and ice, as predicted. I finished my "flip-flop" and met my brother down at Winding Stair Gap. I LOVED seeing him and I don't think we stopped talking for two hours straight. OK, I may have exaggerated the previous statement a little. We talked and ATE for two hours straight. I miss him! But, after we eased my raging appetite we headed to NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center) where, had the weather been more in our favor, we had planned to go whitewater rafting. Sadly, the weather did not agree with us and close to freezing temperatures and snow flurries screamed "HYPOTHERMIA". So, we grabbed a delicious brownie and ice cream instead while hatching our plans for the evening. We decided to head back into town and grab marshmallows, Hershey chocolate bars, and graham crackers (and some fire logs) and surprise the crew at the next shelter with some.... s'mores! Smeagol: trail angel extraordinaire :0) We made our way back up Wayah Bald and Smeagol, with only a sleeping bag and the temperature coming in at 25 degrees (before nightfall), hiked the mile to the shelter to spend time with some of the people he had met when he hiked with me the first few days of my trip. Oh, did I mention that it is still snowing? Glad I didn't lose the crew in the flip flop (even though Sauerkraut, Mary Poppins, and August are at the next shelter). And I met a few new people tonight: Sampson, Grey Ghost, Double Bag and Beatbox. A "shout out" to: Dayahneirah, Marshall, Zachary and Tyler from Madras for leaving me comments! I hope you have fun following my journals. Think: the very moment you are getting to school, I am packing up camp and starting a new day of hiking. Crazy? DREAM BIG :0)
Date: 2008-03-25
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: clear sky

Good morning! and 18 degrees seems like nothing :0) Marc, Smeagol, headed out early this morning to make it to his car (and heater) before he lost any fingers or toes. I headed off in the other direction: NORTH. What was new today you ask? Well, there was this tree... and a few rocks.. some dirt... these things they call mountains... you get the picture? aside from the lack of great new insight into my hike today, it was a great day! There was an infamous dome tent located near Burningham Gap and rumor had it that the person who camped there provided thru hikers with burgers and hot dogs. However, said dome tent was out of service when we arrived. It was a disappointment to some of the crew, but I firmly believe that the best trail magic is the kind that isn't expected! Trail Angel Apple served burgers and hot dogs to over 280 hikers this year and I can't really be too upset that I wasn't one of them. I think that I will appreciate Trail Magic more on a day when my spirits are a little lower and my head is hung a little lower. I haven't had a bad day yet so onward we go, burgers or not. Today was a bit slow going because it was my highest mileage in quite a few days. To top things off, I think I may have pinched a nerve. The pain is tolerable, if I don't move. Ironically, hiking requires movement. Resting up tonight and reassessing the situation tomorrow. Patience and time will see me through. We made it to Wesser Bald where they had another one of those fire towers that I love. This particular fire tower, however, was in less stable condition. No worries, the missing stairs and holes in the flooring didn't keep me from making the climb to the top. My stomach only made its way into my throat two or three times, the rest of the time I was soaking in the view and praying another hole didn't emerge underfoot - particularly, under MY foot. I met Forest, a dog, and it reminded me of Rescue (MY DOG!). I miss him terribly and worry every day that he won't even know who I am when I get back! I was so tired by the time we got into camp that I quickly tended to camp duties and crawled into my sleeping bag. Butters described the sunset to me because I was too exhausted to enjoy it myself. He even took a picture in case his words didn't do it justice. How lucky am I??
Date: 2008-03-26
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC)
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: clear sky

All downhill from here, right? Well, it was pretty much today. Walking back into civilization was pretty sweet. I had already been out this way with Marc earlier in the week so I knew exactly where I wanted to go first: FOOD. Surprisingly, the guys headed out to go whitewater rafting (instead of getting food), but I just couldn't agree to forego food in exchange for freezing rapids (even as crazy as I am). I will definitely grab a rafting ride when it gets warmer though. AND, I located Sauerkraut, Poppins, and August who I thought would still be a day ahead of me. I was able to eat (as noted above), shower, wash my clothes and even watched a movie in the commons area. Oh, I had to take the plunge: I had to buy a better mattress. I upgraded from my eggshells to a blow up (ThermaRest). It weighs more, but I think it is directly linked to my pinched nerves. I am hoping that this will be the less expensive solution to my problem and it will keep me on the trail; however, I am not excited about carrying the extra weight... especially with the CRAZY climb we have out of NOC tomorrow. When we head out tomorrow we will be climbing from one of the lowest points on the trail 7 miles back up to the elevations we have been climbing at (between 3,000 and 5,000 ft). I am eager to get the anticipation of the hike over with and make our way to the Smoky Mountains (and then, TO MAINE!). It really is great to finally be able to challenge myself physically as much as I have challenged myself mentally. I am feeling stronger every day and I just can't get the smile to go away :0)