morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-04-07
From: The Blueberry Patch

To: Plum Orchid Shelter
Miles today: 4.3

The morning started with the ringing of the breakfast bell. We all piled into the ¢dining room¢ extension on their house. We had orange juice, coffee, tea, scrambled eggs, cheese biscuits, and a stack of pancakes with homemade blueberry syrup. I love blueberries! I totally forgot to mention how cute the farm was. I fed the donkeys carrots. It was cute. Anyway the Blueberry Patch is donations only. Can you believe it? Apparently they¢ve been having problems recently of hikers using the service and not giving any money. It¢s so unfortunate. I left $20 because they were so good to us. :-D After breakfast Gary dropped us off back at Dick¢s Creek Gap. It was all rainy outside so I hiked to the first shelter only 4 miles up. It was the notorious Mr. Fusion and this guy Kelly from Maine who plays guitar. It was awesome having the music going. I want everyone to know that I¢m spending the night with someone who has a degree form Berkley! He is so good and played in a jam/fusion type band back home. How cool. I hope we end up together for a while just for entertainment in the evening. :-) So this dude, Tapeworm, shows up and pulls out 4 Yuenglings. That was a nice treat since I felt guilty for hanging out all afternoon. After he left, these two crazy kats show up. One of them is walking up to the shelter with his shirt off and carrying a hot pink chair! It turn out to be Rocky ¢ this kid who thru-hiked in ¢03. His friend ¢Pop Tart¢ (haha) is thru-hiking this year and decided to visit for a day. So Rocky hiked up to Plum Orchid Shelter w/ a chair (for the hell of it) and a backpack full of beer. More beer! I can¢t believe I¢ve been partying as much as I have out here. S.W.I.F.T. showed up later after spending the day in town ¢ just in time for beer. It was a fun time had by all. Apparently the trail magic dies down dramatically after North Carolina. Most say it¢s the southern hospitality. I¢m getting my own ideas when I finish ¢ maybe in VA. Everyone joked saying if I really want to shock thru-hikers to be a trail angel in New York. It¢s amazing because everyday I love it more out here. Everyday is a new experience with new people. I¢m waiting for Mr. Fusion to get sick of me. I love hiking with him ¢cause he¢s so much fun. Gosh, It¢s been like 5 nights together. :-( Ya, he¢ll ditch me soon.
Date: 2005-04-08
From: Plum Orchid Shelter

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: light rain

The morning started off early. We all had a long day ahead of us ¢ 12 miles. Kelly and I were the last two to leave. It feels like it¢s been a while since I¢ve been around others who are as passionate about music as I am. He¢s another good conversationalist. Today is the day I cross state lines. Georgia, it¢s been fun! -A lot rockier than I would have imagined. The border was a little disappointing. It was a little lame piece of wood that said NC/GA. I celebrated in the same fashion as when I cross state lines on road trips ¢ Tyrone & Matt know what I¢m talking about. I also yelled out some words from the famous poet, Peady Pablo ¢North Carolina, come on and raise up. Take your shirt off and twist it around your hand. Spin it like a helicopter.¢ It was a momentous time. The first hill in NC was Sharp Top. OMG it went straight up! After that it got a bit better. When I passed from Chatahoochee Forest into Southern Nantahala Forest there was a sign mentioning a certain bear. This bear is roaming the local hillsides, has lost all fear of humans, and is dragging hikers packs into the woods. Yippee! I do not want to see a bear out here, because I know if I do my pants will become wet. Speaking of pissing pants, last night at Plum Orchid we had this big thunder/lightning storm. We also had a big metal rod in front of the shelter. So naturally we sat around and discussed what would happen if lightning hit that rod. The two most popular responses were ¢piss my pants¢ and ¢scream like a girl¢. Okay, back to today: I slowly made it all 12 miles to Standing Indian Shelter. I made it just in time for a short downpour. During the downpour we had a grand ol¢ time attempting to hang all our food bags at once. S.W.I.F.T. got a picture of the disaster. I¢m sure it was hilarious to witness. It¢s dark now, so I better go to bed before I annoy people with my light.
Date: 2005-04-11
From: campsite by stream

To: stream
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: broken clouds

I woke up way before Mr. Fusion. Let me say that McDonald's napkins make THE BEST toiletpaper! I'm hooked. When Mr. Fusion woke up with the same intention he too agreed. Definitely the best. Stats & Mudpumpkin came through while we were still kickin' it. I hadn't seen them since the 1st week. I ended up leaving camp first only to be passed a few miles up while tending my feet. The insoles were awesome except that it raised the foot a little so I had blister potential going on. It was a pretty lonely day. I didn't see anyone after Mr. Fusion passed in the morning. Oh wait, Bottle Rocket passed later that day. Then I saw him at Wayah Bald Tower. It was pretty up there but the sun was lowering. Bottle Rocket was talking about sleeping there but we both pressed on. He ended up setting up camp not too far from the bald. I pressed on. I was singing along when all of a sudden I came down on a tent. I stopped to take a picture of the sign and looked for any life. He must be in the tent already. So I continued on my way. Then out of nowhere "was that you singing?" I looked up and saw this grinning tan face. It was this dude Dennis from New Jersey who just started that day. He was cooking his food like a half mile from his tent. As I began to walk off he yelled out "Hey! How far away do you hang your food from your tent?" I laughed and said "not this far away". The sun was set and I got paranoid of the rainy forecast so I stopped at a little clearing and set up my tent. I didn't make it to the shelter. Whoa, this is the first time camping alone. I hung my food and pulled my pack under the tent fly in case it rained.
Date: 2005-04-12
From: stream

To: A. Rufus Morgan Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: light rain

It didn't rain. It turns out I was only half a mile from the gap which is only a mile from the shelter. I thought I was a lot further than that. I met a German guy and his dog when I was packing up. Very nice. He camped with Bottle Rocket who thought he was camping alone for the first time. I had a beautiful might. No snoring, no weird sounds and no being paranoid of waking someone up. My first night alone in the woods (ever) was a success and a grand one at that. I hung out with Bottle Rocket in Cold Spring Shelter while it rained. It was time to break out my pack cover for the first time. That was one thing I wouldn't spend money on at Neel's Gap. I've heard so many horror stories of water collecting at the bottom. I pulled out the giant garbage bag and cut slits for the shoulder straps. I hope this works. After the morning bonding I did not see a soul. It was a rainy, boring, lonely day. Did I mention my headphones are busted? This is one of the reasons it's been so torturous. No music! Oh and sinuses. I finally made it to Rufus Morgan Shelter - less that a mile from N.O.C. It was a small shelter that I almost passed. G.R.U.M.P. & Bottle Rocket were the only two there. I guess most people don't bother and press on to civilization. Bottle Rocket and I discussed breakfast plans while I cooked dinner. I feel honored tonight because it's G.R.U.M.P.s first official stay IN a shelter and he's sharing it with us. Someone left a menu from the Riverside Restaurant in N.O.C. in the register. I'm getting so excited. Breakfast awaits! So even though the last couple days have been sucky with no music and sinus issues and Kelly behind and Mr. Fusion ahead, it's nice to have seen Bottle Rocket. :-)
Date: 2005-04-13
From: A. Rufus Morgan Shelter

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: light rain

N.O.C. Day! Last night it stormed so bad. It was like the thunder and lightning were dancing right in front of the shelter. Bottle Rocket and I headed off early using a hot breakfast as our motivation. I wore my crocs instead of my boots 'cause we didn't have far to walk. Bad idea. It was almost a mile of me slipping and sliding in the mud. The Riverside Restaurant is off the hook! Every thru-hiker MUST eat there because they do such a fabulous job at catering to us. We sat and drank coffee and talked after eating almost everything available on the menu. It was SO relaxing. Bottle Rocket pretty much has me convinced that Louisville, KY is the place to move to. I've been talking to people from all over so I can learn about all these different places (since my options are open after this). After breakfast we bummed around in the outfitters and then got back on the trail. We started just in time for a hail storm. I'm talking at least 3 to 4 millimeters in diameter. At one point in the rain and hail and fog I came to a downed tree. I tried my hardest to get under it but it's extremely difficult with a giant pack on. I ended up falling backwards in the mud. There's no telling how long I would have been stuck there, but luckily Erik & Shannon (some section hikers I met a few days ago) came up just in time. Erik said I looked like a turtle on it's back with it's legs wailing around. I was laughing so hard I was crying. By far the funniest spill yet. I finally made it to Sassafras. There were so many of us there hiding out from the rain. I finally met Sunflower along with some other new faces. She's not old and definitely not serious. :-) The weirdest thing about this shelter was the ratio. It was 5:4-guys:girls. That's a lot of estrogen! The girly giggles went on into the night.
Date: 2005-04-16
From: Fontana Inn

To: Fontana Damn Shelter "The Hilton"
Miles today: 1.1
Weather: clear sky

An almost zero. Today was wonderful. It was freezing this morning because we kept the balcony door cracked for Kelly. We had a wonderful breakfast buffet at the restaurant where we ran into numerous people. We basically hung out and did nothing all day long which included arcade games, swimming in the heated indoor pool, ping pong tournaments and a round of miniature golf. It was exactly what I wanted before heading into the dreaded Smokys. I talked for a long time with Kat (as well as other's from work (yah, Matt :-) )) and my mom for quite a while. After dinner we headed back out into the woods. Kelly, Sunflower and I hiked a mile to get to the shelter while the others were shuttled (we were initially picked up a mile from it so we couldn't just skip it). "The Hilton" is the nicest shelter yet! Right on the lake it had trashcans and a water fountain! Before going to bed Sunflower and I had girl talk. It was great!
Date: 2005-04-17
From: Fontana Damn Shelter 

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: broken clouds

Into the Smokies we go. I have been freaking out about the Smokies for weeks now (and especially thanks to S.W.I.F.T.). I eventually got out of the shelter after chilling with Kelly and Inspector Gadget ¢ a newfound friend from Fontana and after diviing up condemns (yes condemns) from the hiker box. They were all colored or flavored. Someone was actually carrying these! I hiked over to the damn itself where we had to fill out our Great Smoky Mountain Back Country Permits. We have to pre-choose the shelters we¢re going to stay at which completely limits our freedom. I don¢t know about this¢¦ no camping where we want to. First stop of the day: Shuckstack¢s Firetower. I took a nap down below by the random chimney with no building attached. Btw, I¢m taking Benedryl Allergy which I think explains the drowsiness recently. So far the trail is rather easy. Before hitting the first shelter I passed through fields of flowers!! It was utterly beautiful. When I reached the shelter I decided to stop even though everyone else was at the next one. I figure I can get up early and catch up on the lost mileage. It is almost all new faces at the shelter tonight. We have Arizona and Lizard and Mayfly. Swingin¢ Jane rolled in late - her first day without Simon. :-( Here goes my first night in the Smokies.
Date: 2005-04-18
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: few clouds

So everyone I was with stayed at the next shelter over. The plan was to wake up super early and catch up. Instead I awoke to two deer grazing in front of the shelter. I stayed in my sleeping bag and thought about how beautiful it is here. I started hiking with Swingin' Jane and shortly left here in the dust. I actually passed somebody for real! I heard about how they redid part of the trail in NC and TN and some of the land owners weren't too happy about it. So there are stories of these land owners rerouting the trail and even painting white blazes. So of course I get paranoid that I'm not REALLY on the Appalachian Trail. As if I wasn't that paranoid enough about that before. All that aside, the Smokies are abounding with life. There are so many bird songs going on at once. I just love how rich everything is here with plants and animals. One thing that I can't stand though is all the horse poop - and it's everywhere! I hate watching my every step just so I don't step into a pile of poop. I went up to Little Bald which was just beautiful. I even got a great shot of G.R.U.M.P. walking up a bald ahead of me while I was standing on Little Bald. It's kinda cool seeing the trail unfold so far in front of you. When I was climbing up Rocky Top I was trying to think of a cool Tennessee song to sing since I was straddling that state. All I could think of was Arrested Developments "Tennessee". Today had some amazing views with lots of vistas and beautiful weather. I ended up doing some night hiking in order to catch up with everyone as well as make it to the shelter I signed up for. When traveling through the Smokies we have to carry a copy of the permit we fill listing the shelters we're staying at. There are ridge runners that stop at the shelters and check peoples' permits. It really cuts down on the freedom of AT hiking. Last night I stopped short of my destination so I need to catch up. Back tot he night hiking... night hiking in the Smokies is so easy compared to before. The terrain is so much flatter (once you're up top) and straighter with virtually no surprises. It's a little spookier though because there's a lot more noises in the dark. I combated my nerves with Pocahontas¢s "Colors of the Wind". It worked well and I'm sure it scared every living thing away. I was also practicing my growl and whaling my poles around trying to figure a way to scare a bear just in case one popped up.
Date: 2005-04-20
From: Grand Prix Motel

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: clear sky

What a wonderful holiday. :-) I woke up and cracked open a beer (I love not getting hangovers) while poor Sunflower suffered. We all went to breakfast which was ultra delicious. Bottle Rocket and his friend, Stephanie who came to visit (so cute) picked me up to go shopping. It was finally time to get a tongue ring! After that we went to the little market and I spent $33 on candybars. And to think I was making fun of Fusion spending $26 in Franklin. I don¢t know what my plans were. They dropped me back off at the motel where we began to celebrate. Good times were had, but 4 0¢clock rolled around and Stephanie was driving us all back to Newfound Gap to get back on the trail ¢ all except Sunflower & Inspector Gadget who decided to stay another night. Somehow we managed to fit four hikers and four packs in a little tiny car. It was a very squooshed ride but fun nonetheless. We hike to the first shelter which was only three miles away. There were two Panic fans and their dog up there celebrating so we all hung out by the fire and drank Tequila. Mr. Fusion even ended up catching up (he had to cover the miles he skipped yesterday). It was a great might after a great day. :-D
Date: 2005-04-21
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: light rain

So I totally forgot to mention that I have no batteries for my camera. They ran out the other night in Gatlinburg. It probably didn't help that I was looking at all my pictures after Clingmans Dome. The sad thing is that even though I wrote it on my hand AND Stephanie reminded me in line at the store, I STILL forgot to get batteries. So I guess I¢ll have to live with no pictures through one of the most beautiful sections of the trial. :-( Today started off with leaving late once again. It¢s becoming a tradition with Kelly and I. I giggled myself to sleep last night between all the farting and snoring. At Qpparently it¢s way too entertaining to ignore. The first stop of the day was Charlies Bunion. As soon as I saw the sign saying something to the effect of ¢Parents ¢ watch your children on the rocks¢ I knew it had to be fun. So I dropped my pack and practically skipped to the giant rock overlook. I ate a fruit rollup and chatted with a South Bounder. Shortly after I came to another great overlook. As soon as I got comfortable on the rock it started to rain. G.R.U.M.P. came up and we talked and then he moved on while I ate my trail mix in the rain. I came up to this gigantic rock slide. It looked so creepy with all the downed trees on this gray foggy afternoon. The rain had let up whin I rolled into the shelter. It was a nice shelter with a brand new privy. I committed my first act of vandalism ever tonight. For some reason I am especially giddy this evening. I kep referring to the privy as the poo poo room so Mr. Fusion suggested I write it on the door. I did a very poor job of trying to carve it on the privy door with my little Barefoot Manner knife/ nail clippers. But exciting nonetheless. After dinner, Kelly, Mr. Fusion and I went to collect firewood by the horse hookup thingies. When we got up to them I went ¢oh cool. A seat.¢ Kelly told me not to sit on it so of course I did. I managed to get on top of it after a couple tries. AI was probably on it for a minute and then began to slide off. I let out a little scream and byt the time Mr. Fusion and Kelly looked over my body was parallel to the ground about a foot or two above it still. After I crashed, Kelly just looked at me and said ¢I told you not to sit on it¢. Naturally I just laughed it all off.
Date: 2005-04-22
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Davenport Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Inspector Gadget showed up last night. He hiked out of Newfound Gap and booked it to catch up to us bearing stuff I had left in the hotel room. I am forever indebted now. :-) Kelly, Inspector Gadget and I hung out for a bit and then I headed off into the rain. I met the ridge runner hiding under a pine to get a quick snack. I had been hearing the ridge runners were all a-holes so it was a nice surprise to find out the opposite. He mentioned snow coming so I was happy I was leaving the Smokies in time. I rolled into Davenport Gap Shelter fairly early ¢ early enough to impress everybody. I t was pretty much downhill which helped. I thought I was a lot further from the shelter than I actually was. I was walking and singing and all of a sudden heard a snap. I had no clue what that was, so I continued walking. SNAP! I stopped again, looked around and couldn¢t see anything. This happened a couple more times. It sounded like someone had a B.B. Gun and was capping something. Then the shelter appeared out of nowhere and I saw Funnel Cake snapping branches in half for the fire. It¢s so nice because a lot of these shelters have fireplaces so even if it¢s raining you can sit close to the fire and not worry. The mice at this shelter are very brave. They made and appearance before it was even dark! One ran across my foot whine I was cooking dinner. It was crazy in here. When it finally got dark we all climbed into our sleeping bags. As we lay there the most incredible sound took place. We could hear the storm rush down the valley. It was calm and then an increasing swoosh from the gust of wind came in from behind. It was the coolest thing. Aside from that the night consisted of this guy cooking his food in his sleeping bag with his headlamp, Bottle-Rocket and I passing notes back and forth, and random headlights turning on to follow the many mice scaling the walls and beams. Once again I giggled myself to sleep. :-)
Date: 2005-04-23
From: Davenport Gap Shelter

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: light rain

What a rainy yucky day. At least I'm out of the Smoky's and at a much lower elevation so I don't have to deal with snow. Kelly and Gadget talked about dropping by Standing Bear Farms Hostel which is heard to be way cooler than Mountain Mama's. By the time I got there they had already left. I bought some salmon and ice cream and a soda from the shop (no batteries). Before I left I introduced myself to some guys who had just walked in and then left. My original plans were to go past the shelter onto the new one that was built. When I got to Groundhog Creek Shelter Mr. Fusion was there along with OC-1. Mr. Fusion said he'd heard the new shelter wasn't finished yet and that everyone pushed on anyway. The weather was so yucky there was no way I was going to chance having to walk to a shelter past the not new one, so I wrote off those guys as crazy and stayed there the night. There were three section hikers and this guy Argo. Argo is from Brooklyn and a little on the weird side, but I saw him making sun tea so now I'm going to try that. We squeezed all seven of us into the six person shelter so at least if it's cold and rainy tonight, I'll be warm from all the bodies. :-)