morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-03-16
From: The Smokies - Russell Field Shelter

To: The Smokies - Siler's Bald Shelter
Miles today: 14.7

Day 17: The Smokies in the RainElevation Gain: 4800'Hiking Time: 7:30-5:30I was definitely singing the Hey Crawdaddy rainy day blues song today. Rain, rain, rain, mud, mud, mud. I finally met another girl, Braveheart. She is from New Zealand, so we talked for awhile before she moved on again. She is sending herself maildrops along the way. What a study in logistics. She was pretty impressive. I hiked up Rocky Top and sang all the verses to the song at the top of my lungs and did my version of buck-dancing. Yee Haw. It was great. Couldn't see a thing from Rocky Top, but I imagine that the views were spectacular on a clear day. I arrived at a very crowded shelter that night. Lunaire was there, along with 10 other white guys with beards and similar fleece toboggans. Sometimes it's hard to tell them apart. I met a cool kid named Bone Dancer who carried a banjo with him and serenaded us in the shelter. He was a great player, and he sang Rocky Top with me in the shelter. I also met my first avid pot smoker on the Trail. He whole Trail identity was wrapped up in smoking pot. He asked me if I had a pipe on me. Now who would bring a bunch of weed with them into the woods and forget to bring an instrument with which to smoke it? But he was a nice enough fellow.   Next morning, we all agreed that we would be willing to pay approximately $20 for a quart of orange juice.
Date: 2003-03-17
From: The Smokies - Siler's Bald Shelter

To: The Smokies - Newfound Gap
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 18: Cell Phone Works on Clingman's DomeElevation Gain: 3200'Hiking Time: 7:50-5:20I sort of hiked with the pothead, Lunaire, and NightOwl during the morning, and we all arrived at Clingman's Dome during a brief respite from the fog and were able to see some great views. We stopped for a nice lunch and talked to some section hikers (they were part of the bearded hat boys from the shelter last night, but I didn't recognize them without hats). We also met a nice day hiker, new name Saint John. He gave us an orange and offered the section hikers a ride all the way around to Cades Cove. That was pretty nice. Lunaire let me use his cell phone close to Clingman's Dome, and I called my Dad to come pick me up at Newfound Gap that night instead of at noon the next day. I raced all the way down Clingman's Dome, got to the Newfound Gap parking lot an hour and a half early, and there was Dad, already waiting for me. That's a good Dad who will show up two hours early to pick you up just in case you were there early. We drove down to Gatlinburg, got settled into the Grand Prix Motel, ate dinner, and did laundry. The Grand Prix was actually a pretty clean motel with rates of only $22 or so dollars a night. It was a little smoky and came with a guy named Manny who hung out in the office and stared at your crotch as you walked by, but overall it was a pretty good place. I would recommend it to other hikers.
Date: 2003-03-18
From: The Smokies - Newfound Gap

To: Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 19: Zero Day in GatlinburgI know I'm home when I see Dolly Parton on the local news. Dolly was having a discussion with a frog, the mascot of the local country music station, WIVK. Dad was nice enough to drive me all over Gatlinburg and Sevier County. We went to a movie in Sevierville (Tears of the Sun). I found a coffee shop near the cemetery and was waited upon by a surly teenager, which made me feel right at home. I went by the chiropractor to get some bones adjusted, and he was nice enough to tell me all about the woman who was attacked and killed and partially eaten by bears in the Smoky Mountains just a couple of years ago. His favorite part of the story was that the bear (and her cub) ate approximately 30% of the woman's body before the park rangers shot them. He mentioned that 30% number several times. Dad is going to join me for the second half of the Smokies, and he should up wearing all cotton, so we had to make a trip to the outfitters for some clothes that would not give him hypothermia. He protested, but I prevailed. The big news of the week in Gatlinburg is the landslide that took out the produce section of the Food Lion grocery store. We ate lunch at Calhouns, one of a chain of restaurants known for their ribs. I wanted ribs, but I wanted a hamburger more. It's hard to decide what to eat when you finally have a choice. None of the shows I wanted to see were playing in Gatlinburg or Pigeon Forge. I think the season doesn't start up until April. Even Dollywood was not open. There is a woman named Patty Waszak that I really wanted to see (her slogan is "One Gal - Thirty Instruments"), but she wasn't in town. I visited the Ripley's Believe or Not Museum and learned that Gatlinburg was named after a guy named Radford C. Gatlin, who was later run out of town. Believe it or not. Gatlin was a Baptist minister who opened up a general store in town and let the postmaster use a corner of the store, as long as the mail was addressed to Gatlin's store.
Date: 2003-03-19
From: Gatlinburg, TN

To: Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Day 20: Another Zero Day in GatlinburgI picked up a bit of history about Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains National Park. Unlike other national parks, which were created out of land previously owned by the government, the Smokies were created in significant part from existing farms. Twelve hundred families had to leave their family farms in order to create the park, so there is a good amount of recent human history there. The Cherokee Nation settled the area about a thousand years ago, but then there was the whole Trail of Tears, which I won't go into here. The first non-Native American settlers in the area were the widow Jane Ogle and her children, who arrived in the early 1800s. The cabin she built is apparently still in existence and was made of logs from the now almost extinct American chestnut tree, decimated since by the Chinese Chestnut blight. (My Dad told me that he remembers the chestnut trees were dying when he was growing up here in the 1930s). The area was later settled by mostly Irish and Scottish, and soldiers from the American Revolutionary War who were awarded land grants. Until 1955, 80% of the population of Gatlinburg could trace their roots to Jane Ogle or her brother. There is also a great debate going on about a road that the federal government promised to build in 1943 in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The building of Fontana Dam and the filling of Fontana Lake flooded the only access to more than 44,000 acres of land during World War II. This meant that many families in Swain County, North Carolina, had no access to their family cemeteries. The government's argument for not building the road is that it would be an environmental disaster, causing iron to leach into streams and waterways. My favorite take on this issue is the local legend I heard that, when the road was started decades ago, the federal road makers struck gold while digging a tunnel through a mountain, then shut down operations so that no one would know about the gold. On a lighter note, I visited the Ripley's Believe It or Not Haunted House, which really was scary. I talked awhile to Brian, self-described as "the Head Scary Guy", who told me that cameras were not allowed in the Haunted House because "You know, weird people doing weird things". I think he meant no high-tech things were allowed because of terrorism fears, but I'm not quite sure. I went to the Ripley's Believe It or Not Movie Screen next door and recognized the guy at the booth from high school. It was good ole' Larry Lindsay. My sister dated him in high school, so this will be a good test to see if she is reading my journal.
Date: 2003-03-20
From: Gatlinburg, TN

To: Peck's Corner Shelter
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: light rain

Day 21: Hiking with Dad in the SmokiesElevation Gain: 4000'Hiking Time: 8:30-6:30Dad and I caught a ride back up to Newfound Gap and began our first of three hiking days. The weather was pretty crappy, as it has been through most of my time in the Smokies. We shared a shelter that night with two high school students. At dusk, I saw the dismembered arm of a pale six-year-old girl child floating in the distance. Well, I saw the arm until one of the high school boys pointed out that it was really a white-tailed deer, come to take a drink from the spring near the shelter. We made a fire that night with lots of help from the extra white gas the high school guys had. In fact, I learned several tricks you can do with white gas and a match that night. It was like Vegas in that shelter.
Date: 2003-03-21
From: Peck's Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 22: Hiking with Dad in the SmokiesElevation Gain: 4500'Hiking Time: 7:30-5:00So I think Dad has decided that he no longer wants to hike in the Smokies and longs for his arid Arizona hikes on more level terrain, but we still have to get out of the Smokies, so we head off for a very long day. We make it to the shelter before dark, which was our goal because Dad forgot to bring his headlamp. The ranger told us that the shelter was fully booked that night but we ended up having it all to ourselves, and we went to bed at 6:30pm. Tomorrow we will be back in civilization or at Mountain Mama's Kuntry Store and Bunkhouse, which ever comes first.
Date: 2003-03-23
From: Davenport Gap/Standing Bear Farm

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: broken clouds

Day 24: Back to the Middle and Around AgainElevation Gain: 5630'Hiking Time: 7:50-6:30On the way out of Standing Bear Farm, I came across a couple of guys camped by a stream. Turns out it was Tim and The Other Guy whom I met way back on Day 2 at Neel's Gap. The Other Guy's name is Adam. They also go by "The boys from Pennsylvania" and "Teacher and Yingling". They have both lost a bunch of weight and I hardly recognized them. They were almost out of food and still had 3 more days to go until the next town. They were happy as pigs in mud about that. There's something about making your own adversity and surviving. I convinced them to pull a long day with me that day so they could get to Hot Springs in two days instead of three, so off we went. We stopped for a bit on top of Max Patch Bald, a really pretty piece of meadow, then got a shelter all to ourselves that night at Roaring Fork. Somehow, I also got them to get up early in order to make it to Hot Springs by lunchtime.
Date: 2003-03-24
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: clear sky

Day 25: Hot Tub CityElevation Gain: 2970'Hiking Time: 7:30-2:30A couple of miles out of Roaring Fork, we came across another shelter containing Dean and Ben. Dean is another thru-hiker, and Ben is a section-hiking medical student from ETSU in Johnson City, TN. They both came along with us. I was hiking in front of the boys for awhile and saw a group of wild turkeys (one of them was white) and a turkey vulture. Later that morning, we heard a pack of coyotes caterwalling, then minutes later we came across the freshly killed and stripped carcass of a turkey vulture. Those coyotes had eaten everything but the liver. Ben found the most beautiful forest road I had ever seen, it was all covered with soft grass, and we stopped there for a snack. Ben had a real nice philosophical air about him, and we talked about the philosophy of long-distance hiking; then all of us flew down the hill into Hot Springs. I headed straight to the Paddler's Pub for a burger and obscene amounts of Mello Yello, then on to the actual Hot Springs for a soak. In the ladies changing room at the Hot Springs, a nice woman named Barbara tried to convert me to Mormonism. She was very pleasant and enthusiastic about my hike and Mormonism, and we had a good conversation, although she didn't have any pants on. I also ran into Mr. Testosterone again, but he didn't say anything offensive this time, so I didn't have to get all riled up. That evening, my friend Lee Ann from Asheville picked me up and took me to her house. Lee Ann's brother David thru-hiked the Trail a couple of years ago, so she knew exactly what to expect: a very tired, smelly, hungry person. We stopped at the Wendy's for Frosties and french fries, went to the grocery store and bought one of everything, then she rubbed my feet and shoulders for me. Now that is a good good friend.
Date: 2003-03-25
From: Hot Springs, NC

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

Day 26: Zero Day in Hot Springs and AshevilleLee Ann and Pat's boys, Blaise and Gabe, woke me up this morning singing "Get your head out of bed, Get your head out of bed, You're not listening to what I said, I said get your head out of bed." They are very cute. After breakfast, Lee Ann and I went to the boys' school and changed the letters on the sign outside. Years ago, we used to steal the letters from these signs, but this time we were official sign lettering engineers (i.e., the school asked Lee Ann to do it). Afterwards, we met Pat in downtown Asheville for lunch at Tupelo Honeys. I got to eat pimento cheese and turnip greens. yum. Well, I meant to start hiking this afternoon but decided that I needed to experience Elmer's Sunnybank Inn before I left Hot Springs. I went around back to Elmer's kitchen and talked to side-eyed Paul, who sort of looks at you out of the corner of his eye, like he's not sure whether to trust you not to ask a really stupid question. I got the last spot over at Elmer's, a private room in the basement, for $10. I spent the afternoon with Shifty and Eggman, playing guitar in the music room. Turns out hikers really like John Prine, which works out fine because most of my guitar repertoire consists of John Prine songs. A fellow named Canoli from Ithaca, NY came in and sang harmony on Angel from Montgomery. Canoli heard me singing from the hallway and stuck his head in the music room with the look of someone who just found a kinsmen in the middle of nowhere: I call it the Prine face. We John Prine fans are always glad and surprised to find another fan in our midst.Today I discovered that someone had posted a rather racist statement on my guestbook, which really pissed me off. I deleted it, but I may have to shut down my journal if it happens again. I don't want to be connected to such things in any way, and I can't be worrying about what people are saying on my guestbook while I'm hiking. On a brighter note, Elmer served one of the best vegetarian meals I've ever had. It was a unique experience because hikers hardly ever sit around a table, freshly washed, in a well-lit room, looking at each other while we talk. We generally sit side by side, with our heads in our bowls, in the dusk, commenting about how bad we smell and how good our next town meal will taste.
Date: 2003-03-26
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: light rain

Day 27: Restless and the Big DecisionElevation Gain: 6200'Hiking Time: 7:30-5:30Hiking on the Appalachian Trail is like doing a few dozen short trips and stringing them altogether. I think of the journey to each town as a separate trip, but I'm better prepared for each successive trip. I got up early, had breakfast at a diner, got lost immediately, then got directions from a woman in a passing car. Apparently, many people get lost immediately upon leaving Hot Springs. I ran into Red Streak and Squirt packing up their camp along the French Broad River, then hiked up a steep hill to Lover's Leap. At the first shelter, I ran into a tall, gentle guy with crazy hair named Restless, who was out on the Trail for the weekend, trying to decide whether he should move out to the West Coast or stay in Virginia. He seemed to be one of the permanent hikers; people who started hiking long distances and just like the hiking community so much that they never go back. I've met many permanent hikers during my month out here.I did yet another almost 20 mile day and ended up in a shelter with Dean (who had stopped there for lunch and fallen asleep), Flick, Red Streak, Squirt, and Pile Up. Pile Up had been a ridgerunner (trail maintainer) on the AT last year, so he has tremendous knowledge about the trail and the best places to sleep and see while you're out there.
Date: 2003-03-27
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: few clouds

Day 28: My First Real 20 Mile DayElevation Gain: 5430'Hiking Time: 7:00-7:00Dean, Pile Up, and I blew out of that shelter and busted out a real 21 mile day. We ended up at Hogback Ridge Shelter (of course, I got there about an hour after they did because I'm slow). The group that calls themselves 6-Pack was there. One of the guys, Moxie, was playing a bit of Willie Nelson on his Martin backpacker guitar when I rolled in right at dark, with Johney Walker adding a bit of harmonica. It was a nice moment. The 6-Pack decided to try some night hiking, so they left the shelter around 9:30 that night, after a kid named Shovel finished eating, doing yoga, wrapping up his feet, and insulting everyone around. Shovel was entertaining, doing his Mr. Peeper's impression, but I think we would butt heads if we spent much time together.One of the 6-Pack was carrying a video camera and sort of making a documentary about the Trail, but he said it wouldn't be a true objective documentary because he didn't have the wherewithall to film when he was having a crappy day. I thought he showed a great deal of wherewithall just carrying the video camera, and I hope I get to see the end product one day.
Date: 2003-03-28
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Spivey Gap Campsite
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: broken clouds

Day 29: Lyle and Dian's Country KitchenElevation Gain: 3600'Hiking Time: 8:00-9:00 and 12:30-7:00Dean and I woke up craving diner food; Pile Up did not. Dean and I left camp early, hiked to Sam's Gap, and hitched a ride down to Lyle and Dian's Country Kitchen. Dean said he would never hitch with a lawyer again because it took us 27 minutes to get a ride. Finally, Billy, a bicyclist, picked us up in his truck. Lyle and Dian's was a fabulous place. We were treated like celebrities, so we stayed for 3 hours. Neither Lyle nor Dian was there, but Dian's father Ed was cooking that day, and Caroline the waitress took really good care of us. Ed sat down and chatted with us between the four meals that Dean ate. Ed had played guitar in a country band and traveled to 38 states with the band. After we had all the sweet tea we could possible drink, Ed gave us a ride back to the Trail in his pick-up truck, and Dean took my picture in front of the "Tennessee Welcomes You" sign. The Trail runs along the Tennessee-North Carolina border for many many miles here, so we've been seeing a lot of these signs. Dean and I had planned on doing a 20 miler that day, but it was getting dark by the time I got to Spivey Gap, and I was glad to see both Dean and Pile Up had set up their tents there. I joined them and we spent a pleasant evening around the fire pit. No fire, just a fire pit.   Pile Up's normal breakfast: granola bar, followed by 3 packets of Oatmeal, followed by 2 packets of Carnation Instant Breakfast, followed by whatever you throw at him, like a Snickers Bar. Dean can eat 10 packets of oatmeal for breakfast, but normally just 5 or 6. I only have two packets of oatmeal. I feel so dainty. I discovered that you can eat oatmeal with cold water, and you can just add the water (hot or cold) directly to the oatmeal packet and not dirty up a dish.
Date: 2003-03-29
From: Spivey Gap Campsite

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: light rain

Day 30: Jack and Janet: Two's CompanyElevation Gain: 1800'Hiking Time: 8:20-1:00Dean and Pile Up and I sang songs we knew in common this morning, I was dubbed "worst storyteller on the Trail" (well deserved today), then we hit the trail, all at our own speeds. We had heard snow was a comin', so we booked it down to Erwin as fast as possible. I picked up my 3 packages at Uncle Johnny's, made a donation to the local Humane Society plastic dog, and started hitching with the boys into town. Half an hour later (again Dean swore never to hitch with a lawyer again), the mayor of Erwin, TN, Russell Brackins, was driving by in his pick-up truck after picking up a load of hay, and he gave us a hayride into town. What a nice fellow! I had planned to stay at Uncle Johnny's Hostel, but I heard some not-so-flattering stories about him on the Trail that made it sound stressful to stay there. (I also heard several good things about Uncle Johnny's from hikers who did stay there, so I have no comment either way on Uncle Johnny's Hostel). We checked into Miss Janet's hiker hostel in the middle of town and headed directly to the Elm's diner for many meals and milkshakes. The waitress looked like a young Dolly Parton (in the face, guys, in the face, keep it clean here), and she kept asking us to speak up because she couldn't hear us over her headphones. I liked her - I thought she had edge. Playing cook at Miss Janet's was a fellow named Baltimore Jack, who has apparently hiked the Trail many times and adopted the Trail persona of an abrasive drunk. (I'm not saying he is an abrasive drunk, I'm saying that people told me he likes hikers to think he is an abrasive drunk and that he gets a kick out of doing it - I also heard from people who know him that he's a lovely person.) He's always carrying a bottle of liquor and listening to Bruce Springsteen. He cooks a mean breakfast, but I opted out of having dinner there after he grabbed a biscuit out of my hand because he thought it wasn't hot enough. I don't like people grabbing things from me, even if well-intentioned. It violates my admittedly over-sensitive "one- foot radius personal space" rule. But Miss Janet is one of the nicest people I've ever met. She just bent over backwards helping people out while I was there. She was just lovely, and her teenage daughters were delightful.