morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-02-23
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

25 days to go......The reality is starting to set in. Like most, it is a mixture of excitement and fear. It is stark contrast to the days when I was in school in California, and we would decide at the last minute to head to the mountains for a backpack trip. This is a lifestyle change for 4-5 months (for me probably longer) that is akin to moving to a new city. I remember my first winter going from California to Michigan, and remember thinking, "What was I thinking coming here". I am sure we will all have days on the trail when we say...What was I thinking. I have made one gear change. I bought some boots from LL Bean, the GTX Ridge Runners that Backpackers listed as a Bargain buy. They are a bit boxy, and will fit only the average width foot, but they are comfortable. I will try to get to Harpers Ferry with those and swithch to a heavier lugged boot for the rockpile in Pennsylvania. If you need a last minute boot on the cheap, check out the LL Beans. Lest you think I am a gearhead (which I am not), no more gear discussions. A friend of mine told me she was surprised at how technical the gear was for going for a walk in the woods. Thanx to all for your help and support...Until then ...Vaya con Dios mi amigo...Trampas
Date: 2005-03-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

10 days to go....I leave a week from today going to my sister' place in Asheville, and then to Amicalola.....It is amazing how quickly word travels about people getting in trouble on the trail...My mom is concerned after reading about the hikers in the Smokies....I appreciate all the last minute advise I am getting from friends and family...."you better carry a gun for the bears"..."You better carry a snake kit"...."Mice in the shelters, they carry plague you know"....Watch out for those ticks, they have lyme disease"...."Lions and tigers and bears...Oh my.....". They are all well meaning, and I appreciate them all....But unfortunately most have never got to experience the trail for themselves...The stories are all much scarier than the reality in my humble opinion.I have yet to buy ear plugs as well as a few incidentals. The long range forecaster tonight on the weather channel said the persistent trough dipping into the east will last a while longer, so we may have to deal with inclement weather into April... Bummer...At least it will give us something to talk about around the campfires at night........Well, hope to see everyone soon..Until then....Vaya Con Dios mis AmigosTrampas
Date: 2005-03-20
From: Amicalola Falls

To: Springer Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 0.2
Weather: clear sky

About 430-440 thru-hikers have registered this year at Amicalola Falls but not all thru-hikers register here. My starting pack weight was 36 lbs. My sister is hiking with me the first 2 or 3 weeks. Her pack weighed 33 lbs. We left Amicalola Falls at 11:15 am... mostly sunny... in the low 60s... Arrived at Springer Mountain at 4:20pm. Stayed in a tent at Springer Mountain Shelter. Built a fire with Buffalo Bob and Sailor Syd.
Date: 2005-03-22
From: Near Sassafras Mountain

To: Near Ramrock Mountain
Miles today: 6.5

Had a severe caffeine headache last night, but it is much better today. Ate lunch at Gooch Mountain Shelter. We were in the tent by 2:30 p.m. due to a thunderstorm and thought we were there for the night. But the rain let up before sundown so I went for a walk. Saw an Eastern Bluebird and a squirrel hunkered down against the wind.
Date: 2005-03-23
From: Near Ramrock Mountian

To: Flatrock Gap
Miles today: 12.2

Had a wet night with a thunderstorm at 3am. Tent leaked some. Wind has been horrible the past three days. We crossed Blood Mountain and descended. Long steep hike. Krista has developed a blister on her plantar foot, but is being a trooper and hiking through it. Saw some new green growth on the trail today and heard the reedy trill of a Pine Warbler coming down Blood Mountian. Everything but the weather thinks it is spring. Krista smells after 5 days out. Glad I don't stink...ha... Well back to the wind. First zero day will be in Helen Friday night...
Date: 2005-03-24
From: Flatrock Gap

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Very cold and windy all night at Flatrock Gap. Left my bear rope in a tree! Got to Neels Gap and registered at the Walisi-Yi Center. I was the 321st thru-hiker to sign in at Neels Gap. The day turned out to be the prettiest day so far... sunny and no wind. Trail angels were at Hogpen Gap, Trapper and Myrtle... a big thanks to them for their kindness. We camped at Low Gap and had a great time at the fire with Geek (AT thru-hiker '90 and '02), Boo Dan (veteran thru-hiker), Spice Rack, Silent Bob, and Amy (no trail name yet). Geek and Boo Dan brought in trail magic for the thru-hikers and left us in stitches laughing about their experiences.
Date: 2005-03-25
From: Low Gap

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: clear sky

We are in a hotel in Helen tonight. Last night was very pleasant in Low Gap. The owls were active all night, three times swooping right over our tent. I noticed Krista unzipping the fly for air because the tent smelled so bad!! I think one owl crash landed from the smell as he flew over our tent! The weather forecast is iffy for 3/27/05. We may have to take 2 zero days... we will see.
Date: 2005-03-27
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: light rain

The rain held off this morning so I left Unicoi Gap hiking today. At Unicoi Gap, I saw Dave and MacKay. They told me that Rehab had fallen and broken an ankle yesterday. He fell 2 miles before Blue Mountain Shelter and used his hiking poles as crutches to get to the shelter. He was evacuated out on a 4-wheel buggy. I was careful after this, but I did slip on a wet rock and fell for the first time today! I got to Trey Mountain Shelter after 1:00pm and ate lunch. I hiked on until 3:45pm when it began to thunder and lightning. I set up camp at Addis Gap in the wind, however, I couldn't get warm in my tent. The rain let up so I packed up my gear and hiked to Deep Gap Shelter. Nate was the only other person there tonight. He is a real nice young man from Maine.
Date: 2005-03-28
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: snow

Two firsts today... My first new state, North Carolina, and the first new section of the AT that I've not been on before. I was glad that I was in the shelter last night as more thunderstorms came through. It was 43 degrees in the shelter this morning and windy outside. My food was all wet this morning after hanging from the bear cables all night. The majority of shelters have bear cables now making it easier to hang your food. I've seen no evidence of bears so far. However, Low Gap has been notorious for bear in the past... I went with my parents to see a friend last weekend, Harrison, who lives in the valley below Low Gap. He said somebody had killed a 400 lb black bear near Low Gap this past winter. He also said the Wildlife Service removed a black bear from his property after it tore a sink off the wall of his shed at his trout ponds... Apparently, hanging the food from the bear cable has not decreased the mice activity in the shelters. Nate said he heard mice all night in the shelter and one ran across his sleeping bag. I was out like a light and don't know if they were around me or not! Today was the worst day of all so far on the trail. It was windy and foggy and wet. I called Pam and told her I was wet and cold and muddy and I wanted to quit! I had lunch at Plum Orchard Gap Shelter. I was determined to get to the state line so I pushed on. I reached Bly Gap but the wind was awful. There were 7 tents hunkered down in the wind. Nate encouraged me to stay but I didn't think I would stay warm in my tent from those winds so I went on. In North Carolina, the trail immediately has a steep climb for one mile. As I climbed, ice developed on the trees and there was snow on the ground. The visibility was down to 50 feet and it was no fun hiking! There was ice forming on the windward side of the trees and shards of ice would fall out of the trees blown by the wind. I finally reached Muskrat Creek Shelter. The shelter was full and there were 10-12 tents around the shelter. I set up camp next to the creek and went immediately to bed to get warm!
Date: 2005-03-29
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Near Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: clear sky

Last night was the coldest yet and I never got fully warm all night. I was slow getting out of the sleeping bag so I didn't move until 9:00am! It was a glorious day, sunny and warm and no wind! With the exception of the first mile in NC, the trail has been wonderful with gentle grades up and down. The trail ventured over 5,000 feet for the first time and I crossed Standing Indian Mountain (5,498 ft). I had lunch near Standing Indian Shelter. Tonight as I was getting ready to write, I heard something walking in the leaves. When I got out, there was a ruffled grouse only 15-20 feet from me. When I got back into my tent, he started a pumping sound with his wings. The sound is something akin to a lawn mower trying to start. It's the mating call of the male in the spring. This went on 'till nearly sunrise!
Date: 2005-03-30
From: Near Carter Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: clear sky

I am sitting at Winding Stair Gap waiting on my Dad. The day is over except for the ride to Asheville to my sister's house for the night. It was another nice day and I was on the trail by 7:30am or so. The trail was wonderful until Albert Mountain. The guide book says the climb up Albert Mountain is "memorable." The adjectives I used for the climb were not as nice! The view from the fire tower at the top is incredible!! It looks down over Franklin, NC and the valley south of there. The sheer cliffs of Whiteside Mountain near Highlands are also easy to see. I hiked with Pappy this morning. Pappy got his name from his grandchildren. He is a retired papermill operator from Arkansas. We got trail magic together just before Albert mountain by Barry and Teri, former operators of the Rainbow Campground. We had black beans and corn burritos with all the condiments cooked over an open fire. They were awesome! They told us that the Rainbow Campground was sold for over $1 million to a developer who plans to turn it into a residential complex. Thanks to Barry and Teri for being great supporters of thru-hikers still. I ate lunch at Rock Gap Shelter this afternoon. I could see smoke from a forest fire in the bowl east of Standing Indian Mountain all afternoon. After all the rain we've had, I'm amazed a forest fire could get started. I called my parents this evening and told them I was a day early at my meeting point. Dad immediately got in the car and drove 230 miles to pick me up and take me to Asheville. I'm extremely fortunate to have such supportive parents and supportive wife and sister. The weather forecast looks iffy for the next 2-3 days.
Date: 2005-04-03
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Wayah Gap
Miles today: 5.9

I hit the trail again today after three zero days due to weather. There were thunderstorms in the area the first zero day. Last night it was cold and windy with wind gusts over 50-60 mph. It also snowed in the mountains above 3,000 feet. Therefore, we waited until today to leave. We got to Winding Stair Gap about 10:30 am. There was 4 inches of snow on the ground there. However, several had already hiked the trail since it snowed. By the time we reached the top of Silar's Bald and north of there, there was a foot of snow on the ground with higher drifts! It was SLOW going! We heard a blue-headed vireo today. I always think of vireos as summer birds. It sounded out of place in the winter wonderland we were in. Krista went with me today but neither of us were wild about setting up camp in the snow. We caught a ride back to Franklin, NC with a man and his son from Atlanta. They were going to the Smokies to backpack but said they couldn't get in because the road was closed due to the weather. Krista called her friends, Katie and Jan, who came and got us and took us back to Asheville. The weather forecast looks better for tomorrow. I will try again! Thanks, Katie and Jan. At this rate, I should finish the trail by December, 2011 !!!
Date: 2005-04-04
From: Wayah Bald Gap

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: clear sky

I am at a campsite above Cold Spring Shelter. It is a pretty sight at about 5,000 feet with a good view down into Franklin, NC. Krista brought me back to Wayah Gap today. I left near 11:30 am. There was much less snow when I left but parts of the trail on the north face of Wine Spring Bald were still snow covered. Between the snow, slush, and ankle deep mud, the track was slippery today. It was a very nice day and the trail was much improved by evening. The highlight of the day was Wayah Bald Lookout. From a stone tower lookout you have a 360 degree view of the mountains. You can see Clingman's Dome in the Smokys, only 21.7 miles away as the crow flies. However, it is 77.9 miles by the trail. The trail swings west to get around Fontana Lake and to cross Fontana Dam, the entrance to the Smokies. There was a detour near Licklog Gap of about 1/3 of a mile, due to a high risk of slides on the trail. It was tricky walking on the side of the hill bypass. I slid and almost fell today, but I didn't! I have fallen once since I've started. I fell on the eighth day on a wet rock. They should have the trail damage repaired soon from where I fell!
Date: 2005-04-05
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: Nantahala Gorge
Miles today: 11.5

Road crossings are good and bad on the trail; good because it is often where town stops are located with hot food, showers and a comfortable bed out of the elements; bad because they are usually in gaps and mean big descents into the gap and big climbs out! Today, going into Nantahala Gorge, it was a 2200' drop. The initial drop from the "jumpoff" was as steep as anything yet on the trail. I had to grab roots and trees to get down the slope. It was a mystery to me why the trail architects feel the need to climb a 50' hill after you've descended 1,000'! I know why they call them "puds" (pointless ups and downs)! I tented near a nice young man, named Spoonie from Ohio. This morning I was on the trail by 8:15am. It was a warm, almost hot, day today. There were many pretty purple, yellow, and white flowers on the trail. I heard black and white warblers, and black-throated green warblers for the first time today. North Carolina did it's best Texas imitation, going from winter to summer in two days! At Wesser Bald, Clingman's Dome appeared close and I saw Fontana Lake for the first time. I got to the Nantahala Outdoor Center shortly after 2:30 pm. I saw Silent Bob for the first time in almost a week. He had hiked four miles out of the gorge before getting sick and turned around. Krista was there to take me back to Asheville again today. I had to exchange my water purification system. Black Dome Sports in Asheville has been fantastic in helping me with glitches that have come up on the trail. I highly recommend them. Today is day 17 on the trail, 10% of the time I estimated it would take to do the trail.
Date: 2005-04-08
From: Nantahala Gorge

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: light rain

A few years back I went backpacking with a friend in the Sierra's in California. He made a comment about the Appalachian Mountains saying they were so low and small, why bother! I thought about that comment a lot today as I climbed out of the gorge. It was a long, brutal climb from 1,728' to about 4,500'. Backpacker Magazine recently did an article on the three major trails. The AT elevation change per mile was about 263', as I recall with the Continental Divide Trail and Pacific Crest Trail about 160 - 180'. In other words, on the AT, for every 20 miles you hike, the elevation change is about one vertical mile. Granted, it is low elevation but it is still a workout!! Nantahala Gorge was real pretty looking down into it. It rained on me about 4:30pm, one hour before I got to Sassafras Gap. I thought about going on but then it started raining again, so I pitched my tent by a stream. Tonight, I had leftover pizza from my sister's house. It really hit the spot compared to the squirrel food I've been eating!
Date: 2005-04-09
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: broken clouds

It was a very eventful day, the highlight of which was trail magic by Hopeful and Diana. Overnight was warm and the rain stopped. The next morning hardly a cloud was in the sky and fog covered the valleys. However, the trail was still wet and muddy and I managed to fall twice. (The volunteers should have the trail fixed in a month or so!) I saw and heard the whistle of a broad-winged hawk over Stecoah Gap. As I descended into the gap, there was a big tent with chairs set up with bright orange University of Tennessee banners. It turned out to be a feast set up by Hopeful (AT thru-hike '03) and his wife, Diana and crew. They had hot dogs, baked beans, coleslaw, cookies, chips, etc. They were celebrating Hopeful's birthday by giving a feast to the thru-hikers. Words cannot express the gratitude we feel. We were raving about it in camp tonight. There had been a lot of damage to the trail from the recent hurricanes. There have been slide areas and blown down trees. There were trees over the trail. For the first time I threw my poles to the other side and swung with my pack underneath the tree to get to the other side. All day I could see the Smokies north of me. Tomorrow I go in! AGAIN A BIG THANKS TO HOPEFUL AND DIANA!!
Date: 2005-04-10
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Birch Spring Gap Campsite
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: few clouds

Day one in the Smokies. I'm at Birch Spring Gap Campsite. When I came here with my cousin, Danny 19 years ago, there was a shelter here. The rock wall of the old shelter is now part of the fire pit. I left at 8:45am this morning. It was a pleasant and pretty hike, looking down at Fontana Lake and Dam. It looked a lot like spring today. I saw my first chipmunks and ground squirrels and somebody on the trail saw a four foot rat snake. I left my cell phone on yesterday and ran down the battery. I found a bathroom at the boat launch at highway 28 and plugged my phone in there. Fontana Dam is 480 feet high, the highest dam east of the Mississippi. Thankfully, the terror threat level is now at yellow. When the level is orange or red, they do not allow you to walk across the dam. This necessitates a detour below the dam to a bridge about one mile down river, then climbing back up the opposite side of the gorge. I drank a bunch of water from a bathroom on the dam. After I had done this, one of the girls told me there was a sign in the girl's bathroom stating their water treatment facility was old and run down and recommended all water be treated before drinking. Too late now! I guess I shouldn't have drank the "dam" water! It was a hot sweaty climb into the Smokies today. It was hard to believe that only one week ago we were trudging through snow! Ridgerunner is the only other camper here tonight. He is a volunteer with the park service monitoring back country foot traffic. He reports a mother bear and two cubs have been seen in the area. At about sundown I smelled smoke and it looks smokey in the valley below us. When I asked Ridgerunner about it, he turned on his radio and there were reports of a fire.
Date: 2005-04-11
From: Birch Spring Gap Campsite

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: few clouds

Today was a day of ups and downs -- literally and figuratively. First the bad... I had forgotten how rugged the Smokies can be. That, in mind with an overly agressive day mileage-wise, has left me beat. My feet ache. I would be crabby if I wasn't in this tent alone. Plus spring has brought the pests. I saw my first snake before Mollie's Ridge Shelter, a small non-poisonous snake, less than a foot long. The biggest pest has been small flies that hover around your head and face all day. They are as annoying as pop-up ads. But today was awesome otherwise. It was sunny this morning and I saw five deer within the first 2 1/2 miles. One was pretty in a field of white flowers (I think they were wood sorrel) on top of Doe Knob. I got to within 20 feet of another until she smelled me and ran through the woods gagging (I smell pretty ripe right now). I saw a wild turkey shortly afterwards. I also heard the pumping of another ruffled grouse late afternoon. I hiked alone all day until I got to the shelter tonight. The shelter was full and there are 7 or 8 tents. We stood around the fire talking until we ran out of wood. But best of all, it is only 10 days until Pam gets here!
Date: 2005-04-12
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Clingman's Dome
Miles today: 10.1

The wind picked up overnight forewarning a weather change. The birds were active this morning... two juncos were fighting (or mating - I get the two confused!) and flew into the fly of my tent. They would have wound up in my tent had it not been for the fly. There were deer in the camp last night and I could hear their hooves on the ground outside my tent. When I left camp at 8:15am, it was very windy. At 10:00am it started raining. Then it got foggy and cold. It turned out to be a miserable day for climbing Clingman's Dome, the highest point of the entire AT (6,643'). As I walked down from Clingman's Dome, I got wet and realized I may have to redo some of my rain gear. It was 42 degrees, windy, rainy and foggy and I waited in the bathroom for my parents to arrive. I'm at their house in Virginia tonight.
Date: 2005-04-15
From: Clingman's Dome

To: Icewater Springs Shelter
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: clear sky

It's a cold night tonight so I'm in my bag early. There's a large group here tonight - between 25 and 30. I met a nice fellow from Scotland tonight, named Reggie. He's going as far as he can in 5 months. My dad and my cousin Bob brought me to Clingman's Dome parking lot today. It is a half mile 330' climb back up to the lookout tower and trail. There was snow on top of Clingman's Dome. The day was cool and breezy with hardly a cloud in the sky... wonderful hiking weather. I was surprised by the number of winter wren I heard today. My pack weighed 32 1/2 lbs this morning. Unfortunately, I gained at least 4 lbs from my mom's cooking the last 2 days! I was tired when I got to camp tonight.
Date: 2005-04-16
From: Icewater Springs Shelter

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: clear sky

What an awesome day! I think this is how the good Lord would want us to spend every seventh day of the week. It started off cold with frost on the ground, then the sun came up with hardly a cloud in the sky. The trail all day was well graded (a bit rocky at times), with continuous, incredible views on both the NC and TN sides. I sat and had a pleasant lunch with Mother (a guy), Pumpkin, Moon Pie, and Drifter (hiked the AT twice in the past). I had to remove my pack twice today to get by blown down trees. Tonight, I am at Tri-Corner Knob Shelter, the most remote shelter in the Smokies. The terrain here is very rugged, with several slides on the mountain. Tonight I met Hot Flash. She is who rode down with her grandson (Mighty Mouse) with my dad from Unicoi Gap. I also met Rhino from Germany. Rhino built a bonfire in the fireplace in the shelter. The sparks came flying out of the chimney from his bonfire. Tomorrow night it is de-caf coffee for you at bedtime, Rhino!