morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-03-28
From: Springer

To: Baxter SP
Miles today: 0.0

Hello to all visitors to Alec's trail journal! I'm Alec's wife - Mary Lynn - and I just wanted to let everyone know I'll be posting journal entries and pix for Alec. I dropped him off at Springer 03/26 and am now waiting for the resupply orders/destinations as well as journal entries and other progress reports to come in.I'm so happy my hard working mate is finally going to 'play' awhile. This hike will be relaxing compared to the physical work that's been his life for more than 34 years! He has been so excited about this adventure ever since he let himself believe it would actually happen. He called me last night to report he had made 21 miles his first full day out. I told him to slow down or he'll be in Maine by mid-June. He claims not to be sore - maybe it's all that Arnica I made him take along : ) My job is to whip up the best tasting, most nutritious food that weighs next to nothing and send it to him ready to pour in boiling water. Tomorrow I'll be busy trying my hand at drying some great local, grass-fed beef to put in a good chili dish. YUMMM!! I don't want him to lose weight - he's too skinny already.If you see him out there, ask him what's for dinner : )Mary Lynn
Date: 2008-03-28
From: Big Cedar

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Awoke to a windy, gray and overcast morning. I'd worried that my food bag may have gotten ripped down from the tree where I'd hung it the night before. The bag was on the windward side of the rock outcropping near our campsite and the wind was quite fierce last night. It was a relief to see it still hung from the limb, not scattered all over the AT!Kevin and I hiked together all day. At the foot of Blood Mtn drizzle started which turned to light rain on the ascent. I was thinking "this climb's a piece of cake" as I pondered the events that must have gone into the naming of this peak. THEN . . . as I topped the ridge and began the descent I realized the reason for this mountain's reputation. You must walk across open rock faces that get quite slick when wet. Luckily I didn't fall and contribute more of that red stuff to the mountain rock!Made Neels Gap in the afternoon and am staying in the hostel at Mountain Crossings outfitter at Walasi-Yi. The hostel has bunk beds and about 15 hikers are staying here tonight. It's nice to rest in warm and dry quarters! The weather forecast is for more rain tomorrow so I don't know how tomorrow's hike will be but tonight is GOOD!Later . . . Alec
Date: 2008-03-29
From: Neels Gap

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I'm at Low Gap - journaling from the tent by headlamp. Raindrops are hitting the rainfly at a slow, steady pace and thru the rainflyonly a light breeze.Here we have three levels of accommodations. The trail has a side trail that drops down to the area where we're camping and our tenting area has 6 tents and 7 hikers. 80 yards below us there are 8 tents and then the shelter below that. I don't how many hikers are there but I guess about 25. You hang your food bag on a set of cables so that bears don't get into your backpack or tent. If you aren't in a shelter area you still hang your food bag but you use your own rope over a tree limb. Everything with a 'scent' must be hung including pots, pans, toothbrush, toothpaste, etc. It looks like my trail name may be "Clueless". The name arose from a conversation I was having with SlimJim at Neels Gap where I expressed my comfort not knowing the answers to life's big questions and preferred to stay 'in the question' rather than think I had all the answers. Earlier, Cayenne (another hiker) had told me it was better to come up with your own trail name than to let this bunch give you one. Later . . . Alec
Date: 2008-03-30
From: Cheese Factory

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Last night I slept pretty well - rain off & on all night with wind kicking up. Standing out in the cold but hot coffee with lots of NIDO and blueberry oatmeal warmed me up. Not much rain on the hike today but lots of damp wind. Hiking keeps you warm, though. Over a couple of mountains today - got more interesting after lunch when I started hiking with Tim (trail name 'Thinker'). He's recently graduated from Michigan Tech with a degree in Forestry and I learn a lot from about him the forest. It rained in the afternoon when Tim, Rush (Long Portage) and I came upon the site of an old dairy - probably active in 1830s - 60s. Now there's no telling where the fields or facilities were located. It's cold in the campsite (40 degrees) but no rain. Everything in my pack is slightly damp but everything's working okay so all's well. I'm going to sleep now and on to Hiawassee, GA tomorrow night.Later . . . Alec
Date: 2008-03-31
To: Hiawassee, GA
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was good hiking - journey took us over several mtns. Big climbs! Now, fewer people are seen along the way. There were many hikers when I stayed at Low Gap - a group of guys going south, a couple from Nova Scotia heading north. Met two guys there, Pat and Jeff, who camped near me at Low Gap. They're staying at Cloud Nine hostel tonight for the second night and are slack packing. Their "pick up" point is Dick's Creek Gap and that's where we got a ride today into Hiawassee. I'm at a Holiday Inn Express sharing a room with Tim- which now looks like an outfitter store on inventory day with all our gear strewn around the room for the purpose of drying. We have a tent set up in the room, no less! Our hotel is beside 'Daniel's' - a restaurant with an all-you-can-eat buffet (heretofore known as an AYCE buffet)and I retract everything bad I ever said about eating in those places. Iceberg lettuce never tasted so good! You can relish and pack away that kind of food when you can sit on a soft chair and have a table with real silverware plus someone pouring your water for you. I ate too much.Later . . . Alec
Date: 2008-04-01
From: Hiawassee, GA

To: Plum Orchard Gap
Miles today: 4.5

Our hotel served a nice AYCE breakfast including sausage gravy, biscuits, bacon & eggs. I ate all that plus yogurt and took away a banana for later. After re-sorting our gear we packed up to leave but had to wait for Tim's drop box to be delivered by UPS which wasn't due until 2 pm. We were given a ride back to Dick's Creek Gap by a section hiker who had hoped to be a thru-hiker but his wife (and hiking companion) developed knee problems. Both were hoping to get back on the trail. I'm reminded how easily physical ailments can curtail this adventure!Our hike today over Plum Orchard Mtn involved difficult,rugged terrain but was incredibly beautiful. Contrary to the weatherman's prediction, it was sunny all day. After 15 minutes of a steep climb this afternoon the return of wet,cold weather seemed like it would be refreshing. So, from the top of the peak we appreciated the temperature drop experienced from the gain in altitude plus the wind was blowing. The vistas were spectacular - light & shadow playing over near and distant mountains. One long, but not steep, descent today was especially beautiful & majestic. We crossed a very steep piece of terrain and above us were vertical rock faces green with moss. Below us prolific stands of rhododendron. From that height we could look down at the tops of large trees. It reminded me of scenes from a Lord of the Rings movie.We're tenting tonight, though we had access to a triple-decker shelter at Plum Orchard - the largest & nicest I've seen so far on the AT. Showers are passing thru with distant thunder. Into the night, coyotes serenaded me with a howling song. They were pretty close & their song rose to a crescendo. If it were not a sound I'd heard from my own home, I'd have found it unnerving.Later . . . Alec
Date: 2008-04-02
From: Plum Orchard Gap

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: light rain

Crossed the GA/NC state line today - SWEET! Nice hiking all day. I had a rub on my left heel Monday that I taped over with duct tape. It's still a little sore but not a problem. For this entry I'll share my observations about backpacks. Every hiker seems to have a different pack. Most, however, are internal frame packs though some hikers have external frames. Some hikers have nothing strapped on the outside of their pack and some look like the Joad's truck! There's every color - mostly provided by the pack cover protecting the pack from rain. Of course faster hikers (those making 18-20 mile days) prefer very small, lightweight packs and minimal gear. I met one such hiker at Low Gap. On a very cold, rainy night he slept only under a tarp. He was the first to be up and away the next morning - I assume to get warm!My old Gregory is serving me well. I purchased this backpack in the mid 90s before going backpacking in Canyonlands. I've learned a lot about the interplay between the waistbelt and shoulder harness adjustment in order to bring the top of the pack closer to my body. I've also learned the importance of proper weight distribution created by arranging things inside the pack. It helped me to learn that putting my food bag (especially after a resupply) higher in the pack worked better with my center of gravity and allowed me to place more weight on my arms which are supported by my trekking poles. The other tricks I'm learning related to packs is how to organize items so that I can quickly retrieve what I need along the trail without having to unpack or dig (e.g. water filter placed near the top of the pack or outside the pack depending on where the sources of water will be found that day). Later . . . Alec
Date: 2008-04-03
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Benny Creek Gap
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Rain off and on all day. Luckily no hard rain and, at times, no rain at all. I'm getting better at keeping water out of my tent by not bringing in items like my rain jacket or food bag. It's nice and dry inside the tent right now. I don't know the weather forecast but think Long Portage and I will be in Franklin, NC tomorrow night. We have not had cell phone service for 2 or 3 days. Tomorrow's hike will be 12.4 miles and I hope not too muddy or rainy since it's easier to get a ride into town if you're dry and don't hve muddy shoes.Later . . .Alec
Date: 2008-04-07
To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Should reach Natahala Outdoor Center in Bryson City, NC today (134.9 AT miles). I haven't journaled for a couple of days. The trip in to Franklin, NC Friday afternoon got us resupplies, showers, laundry and a bed (good rest). Met some new people there - among them most notably is Ron Haven who owns two hotels and arranges shuttles to & from the AT as well as around town. Back on the trail Saturday (4/5)we experienced our first real downpour of rain. We had almost made it to Wayah Bald shelter but the last mile it really rained. The shelter was pretty full of hikers (at least 7) so we tented and did pretty well at getting set up in driving rain w/o carrying too much water into the tent. Sunday's (4/6)dawn was clear with spectacular views of mountains peeking up out of a sea of white below. I finally got to see the mountain vistas most of that day. We had two encounters with 'trail angels' - added to the magic of the day. One angel grilled hamburgers for us for lunch! Today's hike (4/7) will be difficult as it's all downhill and hard on the knees. Later . . . Alec
Date: 2008-04-08
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: NOC
Miles today: 6.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Tim (Thinker) *** (note to reader - Alec's secretary made a grave error in an earlier journal post. She thought I said my buddy's trail name was 'Stinker' -but it's 'Thinker'. Once again, you just can't get good help these days), Rush (Long Portage) and I did the 5 miles to Nantahala Outdoor Center then rested for the remainder of the day. Did laundry, showers and resupplies. For me, resupply only consisted of insoles for my boots. I'd not expected much in the way of selection at NOC since it's reputation is one of a whitewater rafting center but found the store to be excellent. It's been fun hanging out at NOC since it groups many hikers in one place at one time instead of having them scattered at various locations throughout town. Not much mixing occurs between the rafters and hikers, however. One strange phenomenon here is how many New Englanders are hiking south to north on the AT. There are three from NH and then there's Dave from Maine whose happy commentary on everything from grits to mountains kept us rolling on the floor with laughter!Later . . .Alec
Date: 2008-04-08
From: NOC

To: Locust Cove Gap
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was a real "upper". We began the hike at NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center) after a good night's sleep at their hostel. Thinker, Dave from Maine, Twinkletoes, Catfish and I ate pretty hefty breakfasts before our departure. We started at 1740' elevation and topped out at 5062' on Cheoah Bald. A lot of the trail led straight up the mountain rather than winding around it, making the climb difficult. I suppose today will be good practice for Saturday's ascent up into the Smokies.Dave from Maine accompanied Thinker and I some of today. Dave's fast, clipped speech and Maine accent along with his insights and hilarious humor made struggling up long, steep mountainsides pass with much less pain. We are camping at Locust Cove Gap, 2.4 downhill miles beyond the heights of Cheoah Bald. There are 7 hikers camping together - most of these guys (and girls) I've never met until today. The network in the hiker community seems to grow daily!.Views from Cheoah were spectacular, we appreciated them even more because we missed several of the previous vistas due to fog.Later . . . Alec
Date: 2008-04-09
From: Locust Cove Gap

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: broken clouds

Our day began with Dave from Maine urging us to get up. It was around 7 am. He headed out of camp as we got up. (So long Dave - hope to see you again sometime!) Our morning hike was mostly a descent and upon arriving at Stecoah Gap we were treated to hot dogs, chips, fruit, soft drinks, water and trash collection by Bare Bear (GA-ME '06)and Shufflefoot (GA- ME '03). A very vice bit of trail magic! It was slightly early for lunch but they were set up in the gap so we had quite an ascent immediately after lunch. The hot dogs really helped me get up what turned out to be some of our steepest & longest climbs yet. I caught up with Catfish and Thinker during this 2-3 mile climb and must say Thinker's slow, steady pace up those steep, steep climbs works best for me! I tend to go too fast, then stop and huff and puff repeatedly getting more worn down than I would had I paced myself (editorial note from Alec's transriber/wife/resupply chief - I can personally attest to this fault as I have tried to keep up with him on hikes and he doesn't know the meaning of the words "pace yourself"!) I was suprised I had the stamina to stay with these 2 youngins (both just out of college). Another bit of help is the new insoles I got at NOC. They are designed to support your feet and legs under these strenuous conditions and I see a BIG difference already. Tomorrow we head into Fontana Dam for cleanup, resupply and rest. We'll be staying at the Hike Inn. We will rest all day tomorrow then head off into the Smokies for a 7 day hike with no opportunity for resupply. Hope the food in my resupply box is enough to last that long!Later . . . Alec
Date: 2008-04-10
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today's hike was an easy few miles into Fontana Dam, a "resort" built years ago to house the construction workers of the dam. It exists now to attract tourists. We gave ourselves a tour of the dam since the facility wasn't open yet then called the Hoch's at Hike Inn for a ride to their place. They did our laundry while we showered, then Tim (Thinker) and I were treated to a tour of a neighboring dairy farm - Yellow Branch Farm. They make cheese at this dairy and the farmer (Bruce) spent part of his afternoon sharing with us how he manages this farm. I bought 5# of cheese to fuel our Smokies trek. Nancy (Hike Inn proprietress) drove six of us hikers into Robbinsville for a great Mexican dinner, grocery shopping and an ATM visit. The day ended with ice cream and rocking on the Hoch's front porch. A real nice day!Later . . . Alec
Date: 2008-04-11
From: Fontana Dam

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Our first zero mile day. We're at Fonana Dam's commercial center for P.O., a stop at the outfitter here and lunch. Then we'll catch the shuttle to the Fontana "Hilton", an AT shelter near the dam that is supposed to be the nicest on the AT. I don't know what that means but we'll see. The weather forecast doesn't look very good for heading out tomorrow but we hope if it's rainy it isn't a deluge. Rain in showers lets you stay drier than constant wetting since you generate heat from hiking and quickly drive off a lot of water from your clothes. I have some concern about the weight of my pack as it has more food than I usually carry in anticipation of this 7-day hike ahead of me. Later . . . Alec
Date: 2008-04-12
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Note to readers: The total miles calculated by Trail Journals is not correct. My total mileage from Springer Mt. as of today is 177.4. Today I awoke in the shelter at Fontana Dam with 27 other hikers. It was the first shelter stay for Thinker, Long Portage and me. The other stays have been near, but not IN the shelter. I slept well despite some rustling noise and snoring. Today's hike looked to be wet, according to the forecast, but after a couple of claps of thunder during breakfast preparations no precip came all day. This was quite a blessing since today's hike had a lot of elevation gain plus the added weight of 7 days worth of food to carry. The climb up into Great Smoky Mtns Nat'l Park is very well graded so the climb's not as grueling as some of the other mountains (like Stecaoh's) before the NOC. We haven't had great views despite climbing to over 4500' today as there are no balds here. I guess in national parks the management is different but open balds like those on Wayah sure make for breath-taking views.Later . . . Alec
Date: 2008-04-17
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tri Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Total miles hiked so far: 220.2Today probably had the best views of all those I've seen on this trek. Too bad my camera died! The trail led through spruce and fir stands, some so thick they seemed dark and forbidding. Some forests include huge trees surrounded by small children of theirs. Some of the trail early in the day was rocky with shale-like rock sticking up out of the ground. It looked like a massive subterranean stone library where leaves of rock protruded through to the surface. Some places roots and moss encased the stone leaves like bindings. The vistas were truly breathtaking and often you could look east & west for miles as blue mountains faded to fainter forms and finally blended into the sky. Here tonight it's a crowd of more than 30 at the shelter. I got my tent set up in a narrow open spot so I'm comfy but there's snoring within 12' of me. I look forward to returning to national forest land where more tent sites exist at shelters and you can camp anywhere you want. It's too restrictive in the park & too many of us got bunched together because of the weather and "forced stay" in Gatlinburg. Later . . . Alec
Date: 2008-04-18
From: Tri Corner Knob Shelter

To: Stateline Branch Campsite
Miles today: 16.4

Total miles: 236.6Ahhh! Back in the national forest!! I camped beside a creek 1/2-3/4 of a mile outside Great Smokies NP with only one other tenter. The other folks I've been with stayed at Davenport Gap shelter where it looked to me as if the Park Service enforces it's "fill shelters first" policy by building steep slopes. I saw NO tent sites so I came here and Long Shot went to a hostel 1.5 miles ahead. I can hear a faint rumble of traffic on I-40 approx. 1/2 mile up the AT from where I am. The creek about 20' away drowns out most of the interstate noise thankfully. Wish I'd had this creek nearby last night rather than the snorers!I slept way better than those in the shelter I learned later. There was a MAJOR snorer in the shelter last night plus a bit of revelry at the fire ring just outside the shelter. I learned all this on the trail today as I was treated to renditions of the snoring from those unfortunates who had to sleep in the shelter. Later . . . Alec
Date: 2008-04-19
From: Stateline Branch Campsite

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: broken clouds

Total miles: 252.8Today I awoke very well rested having been comfortably lulled by the sound of the creek nearby. First, I hiked the beautiful 3/4 mile of creek descent toward its union with Pigeon River, crossed the river on a highway bridge, walked more road to an underpass below I-40, then back into the woods. Then began a hard ascent from 1750' elevation to over 4500' by early afternoon. It had rained earlier in the day then intermittently as I climbed. Atop the mountain the wet, cold air kept me cool even though I was exerting enough to sweat. I hiked further than I should have but I want to reduce Sunday's hike as much as possible since I want to reach Hot Springs, NC that day. Sunday will be my longest day of hiking (19 miles) but there won't be as much elevation gain as today. Today did afford spectacular views from Max Patch - an open bald of at least 75 acres with 360 degree views. I was skeptical I'd get much of a view due to the cloudy weather but once atop I was lucky enough to be there when the clouds were separating as they quickly blew across the bald. It was too cold to stay long with 40 mph winds blowing across the mountain top but I took some time to enjoy a constantly changing view through parting clouds. Later . . . Alec
Date: 2008-04-20
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: light rain

Total miles: 270.7Last night we had some excitement as a bear knocked down a tree just uphill from the shelter. He was after food bags hung from the tree. I heard the tree trunk popping, then break, then the crash of tree and bear landing on the ground. Needless to say the folks in the shelter got excited and started yelling trying to scare the bear off. Didn't work, however and the bear made off with three bags of food. I didn't fully awaken during the ruckus until Barefoot Sage came amongst our 4 tents yelling "you awake?" at around 2:30 a.m. Some guy in a tent next to me kinda grunted which gave her permission to recount the whole scene for those of us who didn't have a ringside view. I figured there was a pretty good chance the bear would get our food that night as some of us had hung our bags in a tree that arched over our tents - perfect angle for a bear to climb. Lucky for us the bear was satisfied with the initial 3 bags of food and didn't return later for our food bags!Later . . .Alec