morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-03-18
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

We woke up to an amazing sunrise over the mountains, had breakfast, and starting hiking around 9am. We hiked up Wesser Bald where we had lunch at the top of the firetower with L Train and Andy. Great views similar to the views from Wayah Bald yesterday. We descended into the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC), a whitewater rafting mecca, which is right off the AT. Rocket and I beelined it to the administration building to reserve bunks for us all for tonight, changed into our crocs, then headed to the River's Edge Cafe for fries and beers.We hung out for a while in front of the river with Tagalong, Tagless, Katchup, and Ms. Muster, then went to dinner at the River's Edge with about 15 other thru-hikers. I had an amazing pizza (finally!) and peanut butter pie for dessert. Catch-Up and Mustered said they put a lot of food in the hiker box, so I totally raided that after dinner and got enough food to last until Fontana Dam...sweet potato and corn soup with noodles, green and red curries with rice, apple crisp oatmeal, and much more! Jackpot!Tomorrow we are zeroing at the NOC and whitewater rafting down the Nantahala River. Egghead needs to pick up a maildrop at Fontana Dam (which has weird business hours) so she's hiking out tomorrow and we'll catch back up with her on Monday before hitting the Smokies.      Sunrise at our campsite at Cold Spring Shelter:Mountain view:
Date: 2009-03-19
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

What a great way to spend a zero day! Grommet, Storm, Rocket, and I went rafting down the river and Smiley Mike decided to join us last minute. It's a fairly calm (and cold!) river with two class 3 rapids and it was sunny and warm all day...a perfect day to be on the river. Afterwards, I ate a pizza and icecream sandwich and then Stride's (GA-ME '08) friend Amber picked us up at the NOC and drove us around to resupply and develop our film from rafting. She offered us a place to stay at the camp she works at, so of course we jumped all over that. Amber and a co-worker of hers treated us to dinner at a local pizza joint (SO nice of them!!), but since I had pizza for lunch, I just had soup and garlic knots. Amber set us up with towels and wash cloths for showers in the morning, including shampoo and conditioner (it will be a nice change from using hand soap!). We don't even know Stride (she had just gotten in touch with us via trailjournals) so it is amazing how generous and welcoming she and Amber are. We unfortunately didn't get to meet Stride today but hopefully soon so we can thank her in person for setting us up with Amber. They have been amazing trail angels!Amber's co-worker is driving us back to the trail around 9:30am tomorrow...gotta get back to the grind. The weather for the next few days looks great!         Rafting with Grommet, Rocket, Storm, and Smiley:
Date: 2009-03-20
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: clear sky

Amber's friend picked us up right at 9:30 from the camp bunkhouse and treated us to McDonalds on the way back to the trailhead. I got 4 hashbrown patties, and I probably could have easily eaten 5 more. We got dropped off at the NOC and hung out for an hour or so before hiking. The 6.9 miles to the shelter were all uphill (from 1,740 to 4,330 feet) and took us 5 hours because we stopped to chat every 5 minutes to take our minds off the grueling climb. At least we were rewarded with some nice views today. My dinner was amazing tonight - a homemade dehydrated meal left in the hiker box...red curry and rice with coconut milk and potatoes. I'm already looking forward to tomorrow's dinner. Thanks to everyone who has given suggestions on a new hiking shirt. I am currently sleeping in a merino wool icebreaker shirt so am hesitant to pick up another wool shirt for hiking since I already have 4 articles of clothing that I can't put in the dryer. My current thought is to ditch the Tech T (it now smells right out of the wash and is unbearable and may require a hazmat team for disposal) and wear my merino wool shirt for hiking and pick up a cotton t shirt for sleeping. I've been thinking a lot about it and think this may be my best option at this point.We are tenting tonight but the shelter is full and pretty loud. Some of the people here tonight include Not Too Swift (Swifty), Blue, Grandpa, Smurfette, and Flame Thrower. Rumor has it it's supposed to get down into the teens tonight...brr! The privy here is the worst we've seen yet...keeping my distance from this one!   Sporting my new temp tattoo. I'm....Dangerous!:
Date: 2009-03-21
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Cody Gap
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I had the best night on the trail so far...I slept like a rock for 10 hrs! It didn't get into the teens overnight because my water wasn't frozen in the morning, but was probably just hovering around 32 degrees. I had issues treating my water this morning because my steripen was flashing red which means it didn't properly finish treating. I used iodine as backup and hope to call steripen as soon as possible to see what the issue is.We left camp around 9am and hiked up to Cheoah Bald which had amazing views! I kind of wish we had camped up here because everyone said the sunset was amazing. We soaked in the views for a while then hiked 7 miles more to Stecoah Gap for lunch...my lunch was awesome - tabouli and hummus wrapped in a tortilla and a king size recees fastbreak bar (a whopping 440 calories!). I also met St Pete Sue, a section hiker who has been following my trailjournal. The climb out of Stecoah Gap was brutal...definitely the hardest climb yet! The shelters have been pretty crowded and loud lately, so instead of staying at the shelter we pushed on a few miles more and are camping at Cody Gap with a few others (Radio Freq, Leaf E, Tekla, and Uconnrasbutan (sp??). I'm definitely looking forward to arriving at Fontana Dam tomorrow...quite a milestone for me (164 miles!).         Rocket and Loon on Cheoah Bald:
Date: 2009-03-22
From: Cody Gap

To: Fontana Dam NC28
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: clear sky

I woke up around 7am to a bloody nose. The culprit: too many snot rockets yesterday. The solution: no snot rockets allowed today We only had less than 9 miles to hike to Fontana Dam today, so I put on my 90s mix and basically ran down the trail. I'm seeing the first signs of spring today...blooming buds on the trees and some wildflowers growing alongside the trail including Trillium.   I think I'm getting used to my stink which is fortunate for me but unfortunate for passersby on the trail, especially day and overnight hikers, since I am less aware of my smell. I thought at first that perhaps I just miraculously didn't smell anymore, but Rocket shot that theory down quick after she got a good whiff of me. But, alas, the Tech T has been packaged up (washed first of course) and will be sent home tomorrow. Tear.We got some views of the dam as we descended from the mountains, and I didn't realize how massive both Fontana lake and dam were. Tomorrow we'll get some up-close views of the dam which I'm looking forward to.We got a shuttle from the dam to the Fontana Village Resort where we'll be staying the night. It's a very nice hotel and so cheap since this is the off-season. Picked up my maildrop and a package from my sister that had rice crispy treats in individual baggies for each of the packadivas, girl scout cookies, gatorade mix, emergenC, gushers, and fruit by the foot! Such a nice surprise! We did the normal town chores today...laundry, etc etc and then went back the hotel and had a massive dinner - salad, bread, french fries, and the hiker special (pasta alfredo). I finished every last morsel of food but unfortunately didn't have any room for dessert. Not too many people at the hotel tonight, but we did run into Swifty, Jack Straw, and Rehab at the hotel restaurant.We are heading into the Smokies tomorrow...we filled out the backcountry permit and are ready to go. Bring it on! Trillium:Munching on rice crispy treats from my sister:
Date: 2009-03-25
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: light rain

My shelter experience last night was great - mice-less and snore-less. I'm so glad I was in the shelter because it started raining around 3am and I was warm and dry and didn't have to pack up a wet tent in the morning. The rain didn't let up when we left the shelter this morning, and the wind was blowing pretty hard that I actually got blown off the trail a couple times on the way up Rocky Top Mountain.Stopped at one of the shelters today for a hot lunch - a couple bean burritos - and then moved on in the rain and wind. The trail was pretty muddy and was littered with wet leaves, it reminded me of hiking in the fall. I got to Silers Bald Shelter around 4:15 to find 7 girls from Hamilton College on spring break staying here for the night. A couple other overnighters are here too, but we are the only thru-hikers here tonight. As thru-hikers, we are positioned lowest on the totem pole in the Smokies (don't ask me why, I think it makes no sense), so if we are all set up for the night in a full shelter and its pouring buckets outside and a couple overnight hikers show up late, thru-hikers must vacate spots in the shelter for the other hikers and set up tents in the pouring rain/dark or run the risk of a fine. I was dreading this scenario all day, but then decided that I'd rather get the fine then give up my spot in the shelter for someone else arriving hours after me. It's not like the non thru-hikers paid for reservations at the shelters and therefore get a reserved spot...everyone has to fill out the same backcountry permit and I think the spots in the shelter should therefore be on a first come-first served basis.Anyways, we are all cozy in the shelter as it pours outside. I made 3 dinners tonight, so I'm glad we're heading into Gatlinburg tomorrow to get more food. Depending on the weather forecast, we'll either head back to the trail on Friday or take a zero day. Grommet already spotted a mouse running around the rafters in this shelter!Rainy Rocky Top Mountain:Wet but happy!:
Date: 2009-03-26
From: Silers Bald Shelter

To: Newfound Gap US441
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Rain pelted the roof of the shelter and the wind was blowing real hard all night long. It was hard to get out of our sleeping bags knowing we'd be walking all day in this nasty weather. But good news - the mice didn't bother us last night!I was hoping my clothes from yesterday would dry out a bit overnight, but that was wishful thinking. Everything I put back on was muddy and wet and cold. I was wearing my wool tshirt, wool long sleeve shirt, and montbell vest (synthetic) under my rainjacket so even though I was drenched within 5 minutes of walking, the wool and synthetic vest kept me warm all day.The trail was completely washed out that it was like walking through a streambed for most of the day. Each of my shoes had like an inch of water in them and each foot felt like it weighed 20 pounds. A ridgerunner was hiking south and told us the weather was going to take a turn for the worse over the next couple days and was hoping we were getting off the trail at Newfound Gap, which we were planning on. We hiked up Clingmans Dome (the highest point on the AT) but was totally anticlimactic because we were in a rainy cloud and had no views at all. But we did pass the 200 mile mark which was of course exciting.We hiked fast to Newfound Gap where we'd get a ride into Gatlinburg to wait out the weather for a day or two. Rocket and I emerged from the woods soaked to the bone and got a ride with a family on vacation from St. Louis into town. They offered us bottled water, oreos, doritos, you name it. I felt bad about leaving a puddle of water on the carseat from my wet clothes and pack, but they didn't seem to mind. As we drove into Gatlinburg, the clouds started to lift, creating amazing views of the mountains and valleys, and we pulled over to take photos. The kind family dropped us off at the Grand Prix Motel (a hiker friendly motel) where we met Grommet and Storm who got a ride in another car.The 4 of us had dinner at the Smoky Mountain Brewery which had great food. We had cheesy garlic bread and spinach/artichoke dip for an appetizer, then I had a salad, calzone, fries, beer, and key lime pie. I feel very satisfied after a very tough day on the trail.Tomorrow we'll check on the weather and come up with a plan of attack for the 2nd half of the Smokies. Stay tuned...
Date: 2009-03-27
From: Gatlinburg, TN 

To: Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

We had the full Gatlinburg experience today. Grommet, Storm, Rocket, and I met Red Rocket (another Rocket!), Loki, and Radio Freq for breakfast at a pancake house down the road from our motel. You can just imagine how much I devoured. We stopped by the outfitter on the walk back to the motel where I picked up a package from my Uncle Paul with steripen batteries (so excited to be using my steripen again instead of iodine), backup batteries (so this doesn't happen again), chocolate, gum, and extra ziploc bags (always a hot commodity). Thanks Uncle Paul!After doing some much needed laundry, we caught the trolley to Food City to get food for the next 3 days. My food bag seems to be getting bigger and bigger with each resupply. I then went to the camera shop and had my photos (I can't believe I've already taken over 400 photos!) copied from my memory card to a DVD to send home so I have a backup in case anything happens to my camera.Then back to the Smoky Mountain Brewery for dinner. Can't go wrong with this place! We checked the weather forecast for the mountains and we'll make a decision in the morning about when we're getting back to the trail.I sent my book ('Under the Banner of Heaven') home because it was way too thick and heavy to be lugging up the trail. I was hoping to pick up a new, smaller, and lighter book in Gatlinburg but it appears that there are no bookstores in the entire town. I found some paperbacks at Food City and the drugstore but they only had Danielle Steel, VC Andrews, Stephen King, and James Patterson novels. Those would all be fast reads, but I don't want to read anything even remotely scary. Humph. Gatlinburg doesn't have a bookstore, but there seems to be an abundance of places to have your 'old time' photo taken - a black and white or sepia photo of yourself holding a gun in front of a saloon with the word 'WANTED', or something like that. It seems like every other store front advertises these photos, but each store name is slightly different - Old Time Photos, Olde Time Photos, Old Thym Photos, Old Thyme Photos, Old Timey Photos, etc etc. I thought it would be a riot to have our own Packadiva old time photo taken but can't entirely justify it.I'm hoping to get out of Gatlinburg tomorrow - hopefully we can come to a group decision first thing in the morning!
Date: 2009-03-28
From: Gatlinburg, TN

To: Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Another day holed up in Gatlinburg. I can't wait to get back to the trail! We debated our plan of attack for a while this morning and it came down to two determining factors: forecasted thunderstorms tonight and views. We don't want to be out on the trail if it's going to be dangerous, and I would prefer that we actually see SOME views while hiking in the Smokies and really experience and see what all the hype is about. I've heard that the views north of Gatlinburg are some of the best on the trail so I don't want to miss out! The most exciting thing that happened today was getting chinese food for lunch...fried tofu (first time since leaving for this trip and I was craving it like craaazy), lots of veggies, and brown rice. YUM. The second most exciting thing was finding a fresh stick of deoderant in the hiker box at the motel. I've heard rumors that the Tag Team carries deoderant in their packs, so at least I'm not the only one! I hope the bears don't bother me because of my new fresh scent!Had dinner, played some mini golf, packed up all our stuff back at the hotel, and we're calling it a night. Can't wait to get out of here tomorrow...I'm hoping for decent weather and some views!
Date: 2009-03-29
From: Newfound Gap

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: broken clouds

We were meeting Egghead at Newfound Gap at 10am so we got up, had a quick breakfast in our motel room, checked out, then walked down to the main road to find a ride back to Newfound Gap. We thought it would only take a few minutes to find a ride because almost every car leaving Gatlinburg is either driving to or past Newfound Gap. Wow were we wrong. It was frustrating watching every car pass us (big vans with sometimes only 1 person in them) and not pulling over. One family pulled over to have their photo taken in front of the Smoky Mountain sign we were standing near. I took the photo for them and the husband was very nice. The only thing his wife said was that her friend was hiking the trail and someone killed her dog and tried to kill her but she pulled out a gun to protect herself. Hey lady, thanks for the encouraging words! 45 minutes later, a nice man named Hugh pulled over in a big SUV and drove us to the trail. He was hiking to LeConte Mountain so was heading towards Newfound Gap anyways. Thanks Hugh! If he hadn't pulled over for us, we would probably still be in Gatlinburg. Gag!A park ranger who was all business came up to us at Newfound Gap and asked to see our backcountry permits. If Smiley was able to make the mean lady at the Fontana post office smile, I wonder if he would have been able to make this park ranger smile! As we hiked north from the gap, we walked past a sign denoting 1,972 miles to Katahdin. Sweet!I'm glad we waited until today to hike...it sounded like yesterday and last night was pretty miserable. We did have some views today (especially from Charlie's Bunion!), but the clouds were low and menacing and the temps dropped significantly and I even got snowed on a bit as I got close to the shelter. Oh, and I also saw some relatively fresh bear scat on the trail about 0.1-mile from the shelter.This shelter is CROWDED tonight. There are about 17 of us crammed into a 12 person shelter, we are basically sleeping on top of each other. Good thing a ridgerunner isn't here tonight because he/she would probably make a bunch of us tent out in the cold. Some people already fessed up to snoring and I overheard someone talking about how bad the mice were. It will be an interesting night to say the least!   ps - my feet KILL! The arches and balls of my feet have been pretty sore today, probably because I was wearing crocs around Gatlinburg for 2 days. Also, during an episode of Full House the other afternoon, I found myself fully immersed in the drama of the Tanner family and subconciously ripped off the callous that formed on my pinky toe. I didn't quite realize the extent of what I had done until it was too late. Ugh! I can feel a blister forming again on my pinky toe, but hope that it won't take another 3 weeks to callous.
Date: 2009-03-30
From: Pecks Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was probably the prettiest day on the trail so far!I slept like a rock last night thanks to AdvilPM, but before I fell asleep there was a symphony of farting and snoring occuring throughout the shelter. I woke up around 7:30 and everyone in the shelter was asleep and I could tell that is was freezing out. I'm not sure how cold it got last night but my shoes were frozen solid and it hurt my feet to put them on. I left the shelter around 9:15 and once I got a bit higher on the ridge I could see all the trees covered with a dusting of snow. It was amazingly beautiful, I couldn't help taking photos with every step up the trail. There wasn't a cloud in the sky and the views were incredible all day.We stopped for lunch at Tri Corner Knob shelter. Simba had signed the register, describing how a mama mouse gave birth in his backpack within his toilet paper when he went to brush his teeth. He tucked away the mama and baby mice in the woods and wished them the best!Had a long rest up on a ridge with sweet views all around, then a mile later saw some plane wreckage right off the trail. I'll have to look up the history about that when I get a chance. This is our last night in the Smokies and I'm really glad we've had nice weather since we left Gatlinburg. I'm looking forward to sleeping in my tent again even though my shelter experience has been better than I thought it'd be. Tonight the shelter isn't as full as it was last night, so we can spread out a little more instead of sleeping like a bunch of sardines. Other thru-hikers here tonight include Thin Mint, Ziggy Stardust, Leaf E, Moses, McBride, and some others whose names I can't remember.
Date: 2009-03-31
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Green Corner Road - Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: overcast clouds

We were awakened at 6:15am (!!) by a few people talking in loud voices and packing their packs IN the shelter! Couldn't they go outside so as not to wake everyone up?? At least we were up to see the nice sunrise.Anywho, we were on the trail by 9am and hiked to the next shelter for a lunch break (the last shelter in the Smokies) where I made some couscous. I left the shelter before everyone else and two miles later I exited the Smokies. Done and done. Sayonara Smokies, it's been fun!After Daveport Gap, the trail follows a paved road and then crosses the on and off ramps for I-40, a major interstate. Scary! Rocket and I made it to Standing Bear Farm around 2:15 where we reseved the cabin for the night (as opposed to the 14 bed bunkhouse). This place is rustic with a capital R - minimal electricity and plumbing and a washboard to do laundry on (I'm going to wait until Hot Springs). But this place does have frozen pizzas and an oven, just what I needed. We made dinner and then hung around the fire while everyone passed the homemade berry moonshine (only 1 sip for me) around. Then scrabble and a few card games, then I called it a night. The bunkhouse is completely full tonight and Thin Mint and Ziggy Stardust are in the "Diva Cabin" with us. It is supposed to rain tomorrow, but maybe it will clear in the late afternoon so we can camp on Max Patch.