morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-04-20
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Day 17: Sharkchow took his first ¢zero day¢ today, because it did snow - and it was still snowing when we talked at 5:30 pm. Staying put was ¢totally the right thing to do,¢ he said. Plus, he got to spend the day with the ¢Magnificent Seven¢ - 7 guys from Birmingham, Ala., who were on a three-day bachelor party hike into the Great Smokies and they too were hunkered down at Icewater Spring Shelter.These guys brought a ton of food, and a big frying pan and a pot, plus axes and saws for firewood, all stuff that thru-hikers can¢t possibly carry. So the Seven started a fire and just cooked and cooked. Biscuits, sausage, and cheese in a pot, plus hotdogs. The reviews are in: Delicious. The Magnificent Seven were also hilarious, though I¢m afraid I don¢t have any jokes to share. But you can imagine - seven guys from Alabama, and one of them is about to have a huge wedding (325 guests). They'll all be sleeping in the shelter again tonight, along with Montana Jesus, and then the party ends. The Magnificent Seven head back to Birmingham tomorrow, and Sharkchow will hit the trail.Addendum: Sharkchow wanted me to add that the cowboy campers/Magnificent Seven must have carried in about 70 pounds of food for a three-day visit, and they fed every hiker who poked their head into the shelter. The guy who's getting married is called the "Chief." Also, a shoutout to section hiker Pete Just Pete, who spent the snow day at Icewater Spring Shelter with Sharkchow, Mountain Jesus, and the Magnificent Seven. True story: Pete Just Pete is called that because someone asked, what's your trail name? And he said, I dunno, "Pete, just Pete." And it stuck. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-04-21
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6

Day 18: Snow day over, Sharkchow hit the trail and bid adieu to the Magnificent Seven a.k.a. the Cowboy Campers, who should be back in Alabama by now. The melting snow actually created a hazard, as ice chunks as big as a fist fell off the trees. Sharkchow managed to escape without serious harm. Runoff from the melting snow turned the trail into ¢a big oozing, slushy mess,¢ he said. After a 12.6-mile hike, he landed at Tri-Corner Knob Shelter.Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-04-22
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm Hostel
Miles today: 18.4

Day 19: Sharkchow has made it out of Great Smoky Mountains National Park without being eaten by a bear. Thank you, Montana Jesus.Sharkchow spent the day going downhill - 4,000 feet. He¢s spending the night at Standing Bear Farm Hostel, just off the trail. It isn¢t really a farm, he says, but it¢s a ¢cool place,¢ which the internet says is in Hartford, Tenn. He's looking ahead to his next destination, Hot Springs, NC, which he expects is two and a half days away. There, he will do some resupply, and maybe spend the night in a hostel or maybe camp further down the trail. To Mrs. Sharkchow, who can only imagine what this trip is really like (despite her Girl Scout days of hiking and camping in New England), the best part is the people Sharkchow is meeting along the way. Like the section hiker he met named Pete. At some point, when Pete was asked for his trail name, he said ¢I¢m Pete, just Pete.¢ Thus was born his trail name, Pete Just Pete. Pete is a young guy from Charlotte, married, who ¢just likes to hike,¢ says Sharkchow. Too bad Pete has to go to work tomorrow.Good to meet you, Pete Just Pete. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-04-23
From: Standing Bear Farm Hostel

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: clear sky

Sharkchow took a bunch of pix from Standing Bear Farm hostel before heading out. Here¢s one of Montana Jesus, semi-obscured, in bright orange shorts. In fact, they're surfing shorts. "But he's from Montana, and I don't think he's a surfer," says Sharkchow, who used to surf back in the day. Montana Jesus wears those shorts all the time - even on Easter Sunday. After leaving Standing Bear Farm, Sharkchow walked over the famous Max Patch bald. A ¢bald,¢ we now know, is an area on a mountain with no trees, just grass. ¢Beautiful,¢ says Sharkchow.It was a 15-mile day, winding up at Roaring Fork Shelter. Sharkchow slept in his hammock, next to the shelter. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-04-24
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Laughing Heart Lodge hostel
Miles today: 18.0

Day 21: Sharkchow put in 18 miles Wednesday and made it to Hot Springs, NC, where he checked in to the Laughing Heart Lodge hostel. Shower! Laundry! Resupply! Those never get old. Then he went to a market and bought a green pepper and ate it straight up. You gotta grab your veggies when you can. After talking to Mrs. Sharkchow, he went out for a burger and fries.So here¢s the headline: After three weeks on the trail, Sharkchow has lost 15 pounds. He knew upfront he¢d lose weight, and packed a stretchy belt. So his shorts aren¢t falling off. He also pre-positioned a smaller pair of shorts at our house in Washington, DC, where he will make a detour when he¢s up this way. But honestly, he says, he could use them now - and thinks maybe they would also be too big. Sharkchow thought bubble: "If only my pack could lose weight¢¦"Thursday morning, he will step out of the hostel and hit the trail, which runs right down the main street of Hot Springs. Then he¢s into the woods for 5 or 6 days. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-04-25
From: Laughing Heart Lodge hostel

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

Sharkchow hiked 11 miles today to Spring Mountain Shelter, in Greene County, Tenn. What about his trail buddies? I asked. ¢No Keys¢ just arrived, he said. Who? Here's where that trail name came from: When he went to hike the trail, he handed his keys to his wife and said, ¢No keys.¢ And it stuck.I¢ve also been thinking about the weight-loss thing. As previously reported, Sharkchow lost 15 pounds in 21 days of hiking - but don¢t worry, he¢s doing great. In fact, he said, ¢everybody¢s talking about how they¢re losing weight.¢Then I did the math. If Sharkchow keeps losing weight at this rate, he will completely disappear in about 4.5 months. Haha, he said, that¢s not happening. But he does need a smaller hip-belt for his backpack, which I have ordered. (At left is a shot of Sharkchow on Day 1 of his AT hike - a "before" picture.)He also reports that he slept great last night in the bunkhouse at Laughing Heart Lodge hostel: Nobody snored. Besides Sharkchow and No Keys, there were two other guys, Showstopper and Sassafras, and a Swedish woman named Caboose. Showstopper is a Brit who hikes in a kilt. We need pictures! Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-04-26
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: light rain

Here's where Sharkchow slept at Spring Mountain Shelter, Thursday night into Friday. As predicted, on Friday there was a big storm - sideways rain and sleet. He walked from Spring Mountain to Jerry Cabin Shelter in that storm. "It was a difficult day," says Sharkchow. Jerry Cabin Shelter is at the 300-mile mark on the AT. That's something to celebrate. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-04-28
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: light rain

Sharkchow hiked 20.7 miles today (Sunday) - his highest mileage day so far. How did it feel to hike that many miles in one day? I asked. "It was a long afternoon...," he said.  But it was also a scenic day. He summited Big Bald mountain, 5,500 feet, in nice, cool weather (probably in the high 50s)."It's like a bald spot on a mountain - no trees, just grass," he says. Monday morning he'll head into Erwin, Tenn., and will probably stay at Uncle Johnny's hostel. Time for another shower, resupply, laundry, restaurant meal. When we spoke, he was in a valley, and the cell connection was spotty. But it was the first time we had spoken in 3 days. Saturday night, Mrs. Sharkchow was in the basement of the Washington Hilton - at the White House Correspondents' Dinner with 2,600 of her closest friends - and couldn't get calls. Honestly, she couldn't even hear the person sitting next to her, the room was so noisy. But some beautiful mountain flower pictures came through. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-04-29
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Uncle Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel
Miles today: 5.8

Sharkchow rolled into Erwin, Tenn., Monday morning, and headed straight for the all-you-can-eat pizza and salad bar. Lots of hikers in attendance. "We were all lined up like homeless people," Sharkchow says.  Dinner was penne pasta w/meat sauce (and salad) at an Italian restaurant. So it was a carbo-load kind of day. Next was Walmart - the gold standard for resupply on the AT. So Sharkchow is all set for the next five days. Here's what the daily menu looks like: Breakfast #1: bagel (2 bagels Tuesday to get pack weight down)Breakfast #2: PoptartsLunch #1: trail mix w/extra M&MsLunch #2:  beef jerkySnack: Clif barsDinner: Mountain House dehydrated backpacker meal, available in the sporting goods dept at Walmart.Loaded up with all this food, the pack will be extra heavy. So there's an incentive to front-load the eating.Some thoughts from Sharkchow on AT hikers: It's a good little community of people who are friendly, generous, and kind. You don't really get that from the blogs, he says. "Some of the nicest people in the world are here," he says. "Everyone is sharing the same impossible goal of walking all that way." And on the hiking itself: "This is WAY more difficult than I thought it would be, both physically and mentally, but mostly physically. Age is part of it."Yesterday was quite difficult (20.8 miles, the longest day so far). He says his legs were wobbly when he got to camp. Today he sounded much happier. I asked if he ever just stops to enjoy the view, and he insisted he does. The river here is beautiful, he says. There are train tracks near the edge of the river, and then a rail bridge over the river. As we spoke, a train rumbled by and blew its whistle. Last night, he heard an owl "making owl noises." You mean it was saying "who?" I asked. "Not quite," he said, "but you know it's an owl." He also recalled how, back in Georgia one night, a bunch of coyotes "going nuts" as soon as the sun went down, howling to each other - or maybe it was one coyote and its howls were echoing. "It sounded like we were surrounded," he said. Now he's sleeping in his hammock at Uncle Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel, which is on the AT, at the edge of Erwin, Tenn. "What's a nolichucky?" I asked. Answer: That's the name of the river that runs in front of the hostel.Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-04-30
To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: broken clouds

¢Today, I walked and I ate,¢ says Sharkchow.He hit the trail early, but not before eating 2 bananas and a cherry pie (a local version of Hostess). Then while walking, he ate two blueberry bagels, 2 blueberry Poptarts, a fistful of beef jerky, 7-10 handfuls of trail mix, and a backpacker meal for dinner. Aren¢t you getting tired of those backpacker meals? I asked. ¢No, they¢re actually delicious,¢ he said. ¢They just are. And they¢re convenient.¢ About 8 miles into today¢s 18.5-mile hike, Sharkchow hit trail magic. He had lemonade, but nothing else that was offered. He¢s trying to eat up his food and lighten his pack. It was really hot out today - mid-80s in the mountains. And he climbed 4,000 (sweaty) feet. Then he hiked down 1,000 feet to get to Cherry Gap Shelter. Other highlights of the day: walking thru a dense spruce forest, very dark, with soft pine needles covering the forest floor. It would be a cool place to camp, he says, but there¢s no water. Also cool: the tree on Unaka Mountain that someone decorated as a Christmas tree. The little tiny purple mountain flowers in the picture were near a place appropriately named Beauty Spot Gap. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-05-01
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Sharkchow walked 17.6 miles Wednesday and made it to Roan High Knob Shelter, the highest-elevation shelter on the Appalachian Trail at about 6,200 feet. That¢s higher than Mt. Washington. Cell connection was spotty, so we didn¢t talk long. For more on Roan High Knob, one of ¢America¢s best huts,¢ according to Backpacker magazine, check this out.Sharkchow is looking at rain in the near future - but probably not till Friday or Saturday. Sleeping in the hammock tonight. Meanwhile, Mrs. Sharkchow absolutely loves this photograph that Sharkchow took during Wednesday's hike. It looks edible, like soft-serve ice cream, maybe green-tea flavored or pistachio. My plant expert friend thinks it might be a hosta. But who knows.Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-05-02
From: Roan High Knob Shelter

To: The Station at 19E Hostel & Pub
Miles today: 15.8

Day 29: Sharkchow reports that today (Thursday) hiking in the Roan highlands was ¢spectacular¢ - one of the five best days of the trip so far. See menacing clouds in photo, the top of Hump Mountain¢¦ but he got off the mountain and down into the valley before he started hearing thunder - and then it started raining. Hump Mountain is just a big bald, he says.¢You¢re up pretty high, then suddenly it¢s just grass,¢ says Sharkchow. Thursday night he¢s staying at a hostel half a mile east of the AT called The Station at 19E (19E being a road) in Roan Mountain, Tenn. The hostel is ¢very full,¢ he says. Maybe that¢s because the lower level is a bar featuring a full menu of craft beers. Sharkchow headed straight to the local BBQ place (long line, full of locals) and pigged out, as it were: a large pulled pork platter with an extra bun, side of baked potato w/garlic, cheese, and sour cream. ¢I¢m stuffed,¢ he reports. Joining him at dinner were three other thru-hikers. One is a young woman named Cado (as in Avo-Cado) from Worcester, Mass., who literally eats avocado on the trail, and a couple (husband/wife or bf/gf) from the Eastern Shore of Maryland. In the morning, Sharkchow will have breakfast at the hostel before heading out. On the menu: eggs, potatoes, biscuits, pancakes. ¢I will eat all of the above,¢ he says. Mrs. Sharkchow had to ask if he had been paying attention to Washington news - AG Barr testimony one day, Barr refusing to testify the next. Indeed, he listened to NPR on his little radio on Wednesday, heard enough to know he had heard enough, then switched to a country and western station. Then he went to one of those ¢80s, 90s, and today¢ stations. ¢That got me up the mountain,¢ he says. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-05-03
From: The Station at 19E Hostel & Pub

To: Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: few clouds

Sharkchow rolled into Moreland Gap Shelter in Tennessee today after an 18.9 mile hike. Along the way, he crossed the 400-mile mark. (See photo, cue the noisemakers.) Weather was like yesterday - beautiful in the morning, thunderstorms in the afternoon. The weather app on his phone isn¢t all that helpful, he says. ¢In the mountains, anything can happen.¢Speaking of water¢¦ it occurred to Mrs. Sharkchow that she hadn¢t heard how his water filtration system was working. Turns out it¢s great. He uses a Sawyer Squeeze, which is popular with the AT crowd. He screws the filter onto a smart water bottle, then squeezes, forcing water thru the filter. In theory, water from a spring should be fine, but Sharkchow filters it anyway. Water from an open stream has to be filtered, because maybe an animal peed in it. The thing about the Sawyer Squeeze is it can¢t freeze. So when Sharkchow is in cold temps, like when it snowed, he kept the filter in his sleeping bag when he slept, to keep it warm. Bottom line: ¢Filtered mountain water is delicious,¢ says Sharkchow. When he¢s in a town, and drinking water from a tap, he can taste the difference. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-05-04
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Boots Off Hostel
Miles today: 14.9

One month ago today, Sharkchow started his long-anticipated walk in the woods. Now, 426.8 miles in, he¢s a little dinged up and many pounds lighter, but psyched to keep going. Tonight (Saturday) he¢s at the Boots Off Hostel in Hampton, Tenn., right off the trail. He arrived in the nick of time. Literally 30 seconds after he walked into the bunkroom, the wind picked up, the skies opened, and it poured rain.One highlight of today¢s hike was the beautiful Laurel Falls and river. Another highlight: The guy at the hostel who makes food for the hikers. Today it was pulled pork sandwiches. And not just any pulled pork sandwiches. ¢It was the best pulled pork sandwich I¢ve ever had,¢ Sharkchow says. ¢So incredibly good, better than Sonny¢s.¢ Anybody from Florida knows what that means. ¢That alone is a reason to come here.¢ The chef, a retiree who¢s a ¢master pit boss,¢ cooks the pork overnight in a smoker with five different kinds of wood. Technically, this wasn¢t trail magic - he charges $5 a sandwich, enough to cover his costs - but it sounds like magic to Mrs. Sharkchow. Yesterday he made BBQ ribs, tomorrow brisket. After the pork sandwich, Sharkchow headed into town to resupply at the Dollar General, then have more to eat. So he hit the McDonalds and had a fish filet, a Big Mac, and medium fries. Really. Sharkchow also got a kick out of the other hikers at the hostel, including a young guy named Flash Bandit (once known as Sharkbait) who got caught in the rain in the mountain. Then there¢s a group of young women, who all started hiking the trail individually but met along the way and have formed a kind of posse. ¢It¢s like they¢ve known each other forever,¢ says Sharkchow. ¢They¢re hilarious.¢ Their names are Bambi, Data, Keebler, and Zora. Sharkchow is impressed by these women hiking the trail. ¢They¢re just fearless,¢ he says. Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-05-05
From: Boots Off Hostel

To: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: light rain

On the road to Damascus... the world of the day is ¢slog.¢ Sharkchow walked 15.7 miles in rain, rain, and more rain. His boots are soaked, and will still be soaked in the morning, but tomorrow is supposed to be warm and sunny, so his boots will dry out as he walks ¢¦ after about 10 miles.The picture here is Watauga Lake near Hampton, Tenn., right before it started to rain. For much of the morning, Sharkchow walked along the edge of the lake, which is active bear area and has signs that say ¢don¢t loiter.¢ He didn¢t loiter. (The picture is from the other side, the ¢town¢ side of the lake.) A couple hours later he saw ¢a giant bear scat¢ in the middle of the trail. ¢That must have been a big bear,¢ Sharkchow said.Tonight he¢s at Iron Mountain Shelter with Flash Bandit (both in hammocks) and a few others, 4 sleeping in the shelter. It¢s pretty chilly out, supposed to drop to the high 40s, but nobody made a fire. ¢Thru-hikers don¢t make fires,¢ he said. They get set up, make dinner, hang bear bags, and hit the sack. He¢s 26 miles from Damascus, Virginia, a famous trail town, and hopes to get there in maybe a day and a half.A final observation: ¢I kayaked 1,200 miles around Florida in 19 days,¢ Sharkchow reminded me (yes, I know, you wrote a book about it). ¢This is completely different.¢ Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-05-06
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: Abingdon Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Sharkchow hiked with Flash Bandit today -- weather was fantastic, not too hot. Here¢s F.B.¢s story: He grew up in Alabama, now lives in North Carolina. He was working for the Department of Defense as a recreation specialist, and will soon move to Oahu, Hawaii to be with his girlfriend. He wants to work for a parks and recreation department. So here¢s Sharkchow¢s message for the good people of Waikiki:¢Flash Bandit is a really nice guy and someone should hire him. He¢s a great, great guy.¢ Sharkchow hiked 16 miles and stopped at Abingdon Gap Shelter, where he will sleep in his hammock. Flash Bandit kept going and was going to stop for the night just short of Damascus, Va., the famous trail town. Maybe Sharkchow will see him there.Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-05-07
From: Abingdon Gap Shelter

To: Damascus, Va.
Miles today: 9.9

Day 34: Sharkchow crossed from Tennessee into Virginia today, and rolled into Damascus - ¢Trail Town USA.¢¢It¢s just a little town, but with four outfitters,¢ he said. Also, Damascus has no motels, just hiker hostels. He left Abingdon Gap Shelter at 7:00 a.m., and reached Damascus before noon, checked in to Hikers Inn hostel, and went for lunch: a tasty, filling pulled pork sandwich and a smoothie. It is said that by the time you reach Damascus, you have your ¢trail legs.¢ And people keep telling Sharkchow he¢s doing great, including the guys at the outfitters. But he doesn¢t feel that way.¢This has been extraordinarily more difficult than I thought it would be,¢ he said. ¢I¢m just taking it one day at a time.¢ Sharkchow had dinner with a guy from Pensacola who¢s also a first-time thru-hiker, a couple of years older, and they compared notes. He agrees, it¢s much harder than he thought it would be. Even figuring out resupply takes some skill. Sharkchow says he bought too much food today, and will have to leave some behind. But at least he had a ¢semi-relaxing day,¢ he said. ¢I totally needed it.¢ Mrs. Sharkchow
Date: 2019-05-09
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: broken clouds

Day 36: Today, Sharkchow and Perdido were joined by another 60-something hiker, a guy named Paws, who is from Cape Cod and has another house in Arcadia, Fla. The three Florida amigos walked 17.5 miles and are at a campsite near Wise Shelter.They walked today over the Grayson Highlands - a beautiful area with wild ponies. That¢s the good news. The bad news is that they are in ¢a very active bear area¢ - and the bears are stealing food that¢s hanging in trees.Mrs. Sharkchow is glad Sharkchow is with two other guys. He said it¢s about to start raining. Maybe the bears will hunker down and not go out foraging for food tonight. Here¢s hoping. Mrs. Sharkchowp.s. Sharkchow expects to take 2 12 days to get to his next destination, Marion, Va. Not sure when we¢ll hear from him again - cell phone coverage has been spotty. It took 6 semi-audible phone calls to get basic info for this little report.
Date: 2019-05-10
From: Wise Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: moderate rain

Friday morning, about 5:00 a.m., Sharkchow heard a big ¢crack¢ as a branch broke - a bear entering the hikers¢ camp. Then Sharkchow heard Paws yell, ¢Get outa here!¢ Sharkchow climbed out of his hammock, and could see that the bear was going after another hiker¢s food hanging in a tree (not Sharkchow¢s food, which was safely in a nearby bear box). The guys threw rocks at the bear (who was climbing the tree) to try to chase it away, but it seemed unimpressed and ¢just looked back at us.¢The guys also shined flashlights on the bear, but ¢all I could see was his two white eyes,¢ said Sharkchow. ¢He didn¢t come at us.¢ Perdido, their other hiking buddy, stayed in his tent. ¢He thought we had it under control,¢ said Sharkchow, unperturbed.The actual owner of the food in question, a hiker named Strikeout, was camped down by the river, and had hung his food further up the embankment, where the other guys were camped. ¢We were defending his food,¢ said Sharkchow, maybe a wee bit perturbed. Note: this story is tame, compared with what Sharkchow and Perdido learned when they got to their next stop, Marion, Va. Please read next entry.Mrs. Sharkchow