morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-04-26
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: moderate rain

Rain, rain, go away!A thru hiker from Canada came in last night who was just full of energy. He just hiked 24 miles that day and was still full of energy. He's a teacher in New Zealand for 4 and 5 year olds. I asked if he'd been climbing the mountains in New Zealand to be in such great shape. Of course, he had not. We wanted to call him Pony Express because several of us asked him to pass messages to people ahead of us. 24 miles! Oh, to be 25 years old again!It was so wet out that it seemed like we were hiking through water troughs all day. It didn't matter if I were going uphill or downhill. Keeping the water out of your boots was a challenge by itself but, I did manage to keep my feet dry...I think I was the only one though. I have great boots!At lunch time I stopped off at Icewater Spring...what a terrible name on a day like this!A few of the hikers decided to have a short day because they were saturated with water and cold. Since I was still dry and I also took a couple of short days, I decided that I needed to move on since my food supply was getting low.Librarian joined me. This was the first time I hiked with her and I really enjoyed our time together. She quit her job driving a bus for special needs kids to hike the trail. This had been a dream of hers for 20 years. Her boyfriend is a big supporter of her fulling her dream and sends food packages, etc.We had a rough day. We knew there was an initial steep climb, but we thought the trail would even out. Not so. You'd think I'd learn by now...We walked over a few razor backs. This is where the trail would drop on both sides. No room for a bathroom break!Late in the afternoon, the skies opened up and we heard the thunder approaching. Run for your life! The top of the mountain is no place to be during a storm!We ran, which I did not think was physically possible after the long hard day. I keep yelling at Librarian to pass me if she wanted to, but she said she couldn't even keep up with me! I must of really been moving since usually I'm the slow hiker! At one point Librarian stopped and yelled "I'm exhausted". We'd stop only to take a few gulps of air, then ran again.Once we approached the shelter, I saw everyone staring down the trail looking for us. I yelled "We're home!", and home it did feet like. Our fellow hikers where worried about us and concerned that we might of been caught in the storm. The storm continued and the temps dropped below freezing that night, but I was warm in my sleeping bag. Adventure I wanted and adventure I got!
Date: 2006-04-27
From: Pecks Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: clear sky

It was another long day, but thankfully the rain subsided.It's a shame that we missed so much of the scenery with the rain, fog, and clouds. We did have some beautiful views today, but that only makes you wonder what you did miss!Digital cameras are great though. A few of the hikers were able to show me their pictures from Clingmans Dome, etc. The Smoky Mountains can change in seconds. When Librarian and I were hiking together, we stopped of at Charlie's Bunion to take some pictures. One minute there was a view, and the next it was covered in clouds.I came upon Roll Tide sitting on the side of the hill enjoying the sun and view and decided to join him. It felt so good after all that rain to just relax and sun my feet! Life is good today.
Date: 2006-04-28
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm Hostel
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: light rain

I had a great day hiking. The weather was beautiful and it wasn't too hot, except in the afternoon. Also, the trail is getting greener the further we move north.I was just thinking about Julie and Liz, the two section hikers I spent time with at the Nantahala Outdoor Center a few weeks previously and then they appeared around the bend! They too were wondering if they would run into me.Remember the abandoned dog I mentioned earlier? Well, it appears he started to follow them. This dog loved the hikers because we feed him. They managed to get him to follow them for several days while they hiked to Standing Bear Farm Hostel. Once there, they captured him. The dog must of been abused because he wouldn't let anyone touch him. The dog will be on his way to Maine because Julie decided to adopt him! What a great ending to story that could of had such a bad ending. Thank you Julie! If I'm fortunate enough to make it to Maine, we plan on getting together.I followed a river for a mile or two. It was a nice change since we don't see water often (unless it's falling from the sky!)I arrived at Standing Bear Farm. What a great place! Curtis is the owner with Maria (who was away at the time). It's an old farm and the various buildings were converted into a bunk house, shower, laundry, kitchen, resupply store, etc. It is a nice place to rest for a few days. Everything is on the honor system, including the small store to resupply.It was tempting to take a zero day here, but I just spent the night. Librarian hurt her knee on the hike in and had it packed in ice. She thought she would take the next day off to give it a rest.
Date: 2006-04-29
From: Standing Bear Farm Hostel

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up... rain again... mud again... filty again... smelly again.It was just one of those mornings but I was in high spirits and town was not far off. It was another long day. I knew that I wouldn't get to the shelter till late, but it didn't matter.When I see the work, money, and effort the Appalachian Trail Conservancy and volunteers have put into making this trail a reality, they should only be given praise for their accomplishments. But, the one thing the trail does not do is go through many of the special places in a park, etc. To visit these areas you have to take side trips. I guess it just is not possible to take the trail everywhere, but they do the best they can.This afternoon the ATC overdid itself and routed the trail through Max Patch Summit. This place gets 5 stars in my book. I didn't care how bad my feet hurt today. I enjoyed this beautiful 360 degree panaramic view. It was breath taking and kept me in high spirits. After all, it is sights like this one that made me want to hike this trail to begin with.Nevertheless, I belive the draw to the AT is not necessary the trail itself, but all the things that come with hiking it. Namely, the social aspect of the hikers and the support system provided by the towns. I don't believe the Pacific Crest Trail or Continental Divide Trail offers these aspects like the Appalachian Trail does.One day I will visit Max Patch Summit again.
Date: 2006-04-30
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Garenflo Gap
Miles today: 11.4

The morning started out easy.I was able to get in a lot of miles since the terrain was kind. I stayed in a new shelter last night. Apparently, the old shelter was removed because it was in an area that the ATC is trying to restore back to an agriculture field. It seemed a bit eerie to go through the area where the ATC is cutting down trees, etc. I don't fully understand what they are doing but they posted numbers to contact them for info.Pine needles. They are my favorite trail covering to walk on. Even through my boots it feels like I'm walking on carpet. They smell good too!I had to stop 3 miles from the shelter. My feet were tired and burning from all the walking downhill from Bluff Mtn.I hadn't used my tent in awhile and noticed that it felt heavier then usual. Well, it had gotten wet in all the rain and mildew had started. I wanted to get it aired out but guess what, it rained that night. Oh well...it will have to wait till I get to town.
Date: 2006-05-01
From: Garenflo Gap

To: Hot Springs, North Carolina
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: few clouds

I just realized that as of yesterday, I have been hiking for an entire month... How time goes by when your having fun!Speaking of fun, I met a section hiker who told me he loved hiking. This took me by surprise because I have never heard anyone on the trail say that! I've been asked if anyone was having fun (versus loving this) and not one person could tell me they were!This hiking is hard work...we get up, put on our work clothes (the same ones we wore the day before!), tigthen up the boots, get water, etc. It's the same routine everyday, only the weather and the terrain vary.So many people have already gotten off the trail because of injuries, exhaustion, or just missing their own bed. Why are we here and putting ourselves through this... the challenge? the social aspects?? I don't know...The arrival at Hot Springs was great. It is a clean and friendly little town. The AT trail goes right through it past hostels, post office, stores, etc. The people in town love the hikers because we are a steady stream of customers for many months.
Date: 2006-05-02
From: Hot Springs, North Carolina

To: ***Zero Day!
Miles today: 0.0

I decided this was a good place for a zero day.I went to the post office and got my jump box. This is the box I send forward that contains things like my camera and cell phone chargers, nail clippers, extra socks, etc. Basically, it's stuff I don't need often and don't want to carry. I got what I needed and will forward the box to a location a few weeks down the road.I just said goodbye to Roll Tide and Turtle. It's always sad bid farewell after hiking with someone. Roll Tide said he's not having fun anymore and headed home. Turtle was a section hiker who was going to stay on the trail till Damascus, but fell and hurt her wrist and leg. She decided to get off and mend before going back to work. We exchanged numbers so hopefully we will meet again one day. Librarian still isn't back on the trail. Her knee continues to bother her so she rented a car to go visit her grandma for a few days.There is a scale at the outfitters store and it seems everyone has lost lots of weight. I'm headed down there in a little bit to see how much I've lost. I still do not have the hikers appetite. After I do that, I'll head over to the spa for a soak in the hot springs and a massage... luxury.On the trail again tomorrow!
Date: 2006-05-03
From: Hot Springs, North Carolina

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

Well my weight results are in. I lost between 23-25 pounds... no wonder my pants are falling down! It does feel good to be back at this weight. I'm sure my feet really appreciate it too since the added weight of the pack didn't make them feel any better.I got a late start out of Hot Springs. It was a great place to relax and feel normal...the hot springs and massage worked wonders. If we could only get the ATC to have a massage therapest at each shelter, I would no longer be the slowest hiker on the trail.Leaving Hot Springs was not easy...not only because of the hospitality but because I'll miss watching "Lost"! But, getting back on the trail is more important. Besides, it will be on dvd by the time I get to Maine.The townspeople here were so friendly. I was actually delayed an hour as I was leaving town because some of the locals were asking about my hike. But, I didn't mind the delay...I thoroughly enjoyed talking with them and things like that make great memories.I hike the 11 miles to the shelter quickly (at least for me) and got there just before sunset. One of the hikers was quite ill. He kept saying something about a bad mushroom. I thought he was talking about something he ate in town, but it turned out that he found one in the woods the size of a frizbee and ate it!! Thank goodness he is still with us. Didn't his mother ever tell him not to eat wild mushrooms!?
Date: 2006-05-04
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Big Firescald Knob
Miles today: 12.9

Wow, what a day! It was a nice pleasant, varied walk even though it rained on and off.I found a great campsite, but then I heard some voices of kids, which meant there was a parking lot nearby. So, I decided to move on. After another hour or so, there was not a campsite around. Then, I came to a sign that said if the weather was good go left and bad to right because this was a ridge walk.At the time, the sun was shinning even though it was getting low in the sky. I thought it might be a good opportunity for a sunset picture. Well, the sign failed to mentioned that mountain climbing was ahead! It felt like Albert Mtn all over again, but worse!Long story short, it seemed to take me forever to get over the ridge. By the time I got down, it was dusk. Fortunately, there was a campsite as soon as I finished. I bet I really sounded like a truck driver that night!
Date: 2006-05-05
From: Big Firescald Knob

To: Big Flat
Miles today: 15.1

I am finding more and more thru hikers that are leaving the trail.Every shelter has a register that the hikers sign, leave messages for other hikers, or just to write something silly. Of course, you look for the hikers you know to see what they have to say or if they left you a message. When you no longer see anything thing written by a particular person, you suspect they left the trail. It doesn't take long to find out if someone left or not. The list of hikers continue to dwindle but there are still a lot of us out here!The hikers out here are great... warm, friendly, and helpful. If anything happens, there is always a hiker there to help. A thru hiker came up another thru hiker laying on the ground. The hiker had a heart attack, so the hiker gave him an aspirin and called for help. The forest service was able to evacuate the man to the local hospital and he is doing fine.The mix of talent out here is unbelievable. I've met doctors, lawyers, factory workers, social workers, high school and college students, physical therapists, nurses, lots of retired military, etc. It's like one big family working together and helping each other out.One hiker from Minnesota said his daughter has been wanting to hike the AT alone and he wouldn't let her do it. Now that he is hiking it and sees the quality of the people hiking the trail, he's going to call her at the next town to say she can hike it alone.
Date: 2006-05-06
From: Big Flat

To: Big Stamp
Miles today: 11.2

I got up late this morning...7:15! Apparently, that hike over the rocks really tuckered me out.It rained during the night and it was extremely foggy. I hiked to the next shelter which was only 1.5 miles away. A few hikers were still there and they said I might have started the rock climb too late in the day...of course I did!The sun eventually came out, so I stopped for an hour to cook last nights meal and dry out my gear.I heard the mating call of a grouse, the first time since leaving the Smoky Mountains. The first few times I heard it, it sounded just like a beating drum and I wasn't sure what it was.Parts of the Smokies felt ancient. In the sections where the pine trees were tall and large, moss covering everything and the musky smell always set off my imagination. So when I hear the drumming sound, it felt like I walked back in time to a lost civilization (or maybe, they found me!).My survey of whether the thru hikers were having fun continues to be an item of discussion at the shelters. It's rather interesting how most people talk around the fun part! Like beauty, it really is in the eye of the beholder.
Date: 2006-05-07
From: Big Stamp

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: moderate rain

It poured all morning long.The trail was slick, so the hiking was slow over the rocks. It was so cold, I even put on gloves even though I knew they would be wet in minutes. As long as I continued to move, I was cold. To keep my mind off it, I kept thinking of the movie theater in town and eating hot popcorn. I planned on going into Erwin in the morning and heard they had a movie theater. I love going to the movies and was looking forward to that.Unfortunately, my feet got wet this time. With so much rain and moisture in the air my boots weren't drying out completely.Surprisingly, I arrived at the shelter at 4:00. There was plenty of time to hike the remaining 6 miles to town, but I would probably get in too late. So, I decided I would just tough it out till morning. Besides, that would give me more time to get my stuff done in town.Early the next morning, a hiker got up early and immediatly put a pot of coffee on. When it was done brewing, he went off and sat under a tree taking in the morning, rain and all. This was a man who truly loved being out here.
Date: 2006-05-08
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Erwin, Tennessee
Miles today: 6.3

I arrived in Erwin, Tennessee today, another hiker friendly town. The town had a beautiful setting with the mountains surrounding the area.Luckily, the rain held off during my hike into town. For some reason, the hikes into town always seem to take the longest, even if they are only a few miles. I guess we're like kids wondering "are we there yet!?"One would expect that road into town should only be downhill, but I think the ATC likes to play with our minds and they make us go up another mountain or two before going down.I checked in at Uncle Johnny's Hostel and I have my own cute little cabin. The town is spread out much more then I realized, so Uncle Johnny's offers a free shuttle service for us to get around. I went out with some hikers for Mexician food and beer (after a shower and laundry of course). It was great!The sad news that nobody wanted to tell me... the movie theater was closed Monday through Wednesday, so I wouldn't be eating that popcorn that kept me going in the rain after all.
Date: 2006-05-09
From: Erwin, Tennessee

To: ***Zero Day!
Miles today: 0.0

I've been busy getting food, mail, etc. today. Just the regular chores to be done when you arrive in townPartner and Stand By Me got in late last night. Partner took a spill and hurt her leg. She wasn't sure if she pulled a muscle or what, so she was headed off to emergency to see how bad it was.Another dog story...a thru hiker found three abondoned puppies on the trail and brought them into town. Other hikers took the dogs in and they are now en route to their new homes to stay with a friend while their new owner continues to hike the trail. Between these three puppies and the dog Julie adopted, it seems we have been able to find a happy ending for four dogs so far!
Date: 2006-05-10
From: Erwin, Tennessee

To: Beauty Spot
Miles today: 10.6

I had a great stay in Erwin. I rented a small cabin at Uncle Johnny's which was great. I had to share the bathroom, but that wasn't a problem since I had my own comfy bed.The weather reports called for rain all week. But. today turned out to be a beautiful day, so was able to get in a few more miles. This was fortunate since I left town late. Fargo caught up with me and we spent the day hiking together. Come late in the afternoon, the dark clouds started rolling in. We decided to set up camp where we were because we figured it would be a nasty storm and didn't want to hike further up the mountain.Just as we where throwing our stuff into the tents the rain came pouring down. This was about 5:30, so it was a long evening of sitting in the tents with nothing much to do.
Date: 2006-05-11
From: Beauty Spot

To: Greasy Creek Gap Hostel
Miles today: 12.7

It rained all night and broke slighly in the morning... Just enough time to pack up my gear and head out. It was quite cold and foggy. By mid morning, the rain started falling hard again.Fargo took off looking for the shelter which was about 2 miles down the trail. I guess she gave up because I came across her tent. She put it up to make some tea, but I continued on to the shelter.I ran into a section hiker who mentioned a great hostel that was about 7 miles down. Even though it was 6/10th miles from the trail I decided to chance it, so I took off and arrived at the hostel by early evening.I was cold, wet, tired, and hungry, which is what their sign asked me! I knew I had made a good decision. The Greasy Creek Hostel is a great place to put your feet up and take a break. They make meals to order and hearing the rain beat down on the tin roof was a great sound. It reminded me that I was dry and warm.
Date: 2006-05-12
From: Greasy Creek Gap Hostel

To: Roan Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I didn't see Fargo anymore. I figure she camped until the rain let up. It's too bad she missed the hostel.I climbed Roan High Bluff today. With an elevation of 6200', it will be the last 6000+ foot elevation until we reach Mt. Washington in New England.Needless to say, it was a day of climbing, climbing, and climbing. The views were beautiful and at times, it was steep, but I managed to stay on my feet and didn't have to do a hand over hand climb.I don't mind going uphill. My feet always feel better at the end of the day. You wouldn't expect it, but uphill is always kinder and gentler to the feet than downhill.I passed by a location where the Copeland Hotel used to be in the late 1800's. The unique feature of this hotel is that it stood on the state line of Tennessee and North Carolina, so a line was drawn through the hotel. That by itself is pretty interesting, but it gets better! At the time, North Carolina was a dry state, but Tennesse wasn't. So, you could only drink alcohol in the Tennessee part of the hotel!I met Wasp for the first time. She is a section hiker doing her final leg before completing the Appalachian Trail!I decided to spent the night at Roan Mountain Shelter. The temperatures were in the 30's and it was too windy and cold to hike for water or cook dinner.The boy Scouts came in around 7:00 and set up camp They were having a "Shake Down" preparing for a two week trip in New Mexico.I got in my tent and put on every piece of clothing I had to get warm. I was not successful.
Date: 2006-05-13
From: Roan Mountain Shelter

To: Doll Flats
Miles today: 12.5

It took half the morning to thaw out after last night.I meet up with another Boy Scout troop. There was about 20 of them out for the weekend. They had to hike 12 miles for a merit badge. We crossed each others path on and off all day long. It felt like I was one of them, except they had far too much energy and at some points during the day, they would start running for no apparent reason. Oh, to be 13 years old again....I hiked to Overmountain Shelter for lunch. This was a large red barn converted into a hikers shelter. A bit of trivia, the barn was once used as a backdrop for the movie "Winter People". I was disappointed that it was so early in the day because the views from the shelter were beautiful and I would have enjoyed just laying in the grass enjoying the sights.So, I continued on and crossed over the Humps Mountains and had another 360 degree view. These views are always spectacular when the weather is good!
Date: 2006-05-14
From: Doll Flats

To: tent campsite
Miles today: 13.4

Happy Mothers Day! I was able to get good enough reception and call my mother. Since I usually have my phone turned off, I didn't hear from my son, but I have a feeling there will be email waiting for me the next time I can check the internet.It turned out to be a beautiful day, even though a shower would occassionally fall for a few minutes. I had my doubts about today because at the start of the trail, there was a lot of trash delibertly dumped on the trail. A bit further down, I came across abandoned bed mattresses, washing machines, tires, etc. It was rather depressing since this is the first time I've seen this on the AT. I talked to the trail maintenance person and he said the mess is cleaned up every week and the person dumping the trash was caught on tape. Apparently, this will all be resolved in the near future but is still sad to see that anyone would delibertly dump trash on the AT.I loved the hike today. We walked through meadows and fields so there were song birds everywhere. We even watched some Chickadees that were doing acrobatics on the branches of trees. Unfortunately, they were moving too quickly for me to get a picture of them.I walked along Elk River, which was also beautiful. The ground was nice and flat, so it was nice on the feet. This is a rare find on the Appalachian Trail!