morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-05-19
From: Double Spring Shelter

To: Clingman's Dome/Gatlingburg
Miles today: 3.0

Another short day for my weary soul. I decided I needed a couple of days in Gatlinburg to rest and rejuvinate. I had considered waiting until tomorrow and going in from Newfound Gap but by the time I got to Cingman's Dome I knew I was ready to call it a day. Somehow I missed a turn and ended up on the bypass trail. I was glad because it ends in the parking area and I was able t put my pack down and walk up a nice paved road to the top of the dome - a half mile up and a half mile down but worth it as the views were gorgeous plus it's the highest point on the AT and I wouldn't want tomiss it. Before I started up some nice girl gave me a Pepsi I was dying for a soda. I guess that's called yogiing (begging for food/drink). I also begged a ride to Gatlinburg from Joyce and Henry, a very nice couple staying in Gatlinburg. They were having an interesting discussion about the DiVinci Code and asked me some questions which allowed me to bear my testimony I loved it!After arriving at the Happy Hiker I called the number in the phone book for the church. I finally rahed Sister Johnson and asked if I could stay for a couple of days. What a beautiful family - Patrice, Eric and their 4 kids,Sarah, Emma, Anna and Josiah. They opened up their home to me and I was ecstatically grateful. Especially around midnight when it started pouring down rain and thundering. I was snug in a bed! I was also loving the 2 hour soak in their jacuzzi tub.I don't remember if I mentioned that yesterday while relaxing at Double Spring Gap, 2-Packs stopped in for lunch. I was astonished because I thought he was either gone or way ahead. He had been sick for a couple of wks, but was getting back to his 18 mile days. I didn't feel so far behind as we were together at shelter #1, Stover Creek. Maybe I will see some of my friends again.
Date: 2005-05-20
From: Clingman's Dome/Gatlingburg

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Patrice was substitute teaching today so I slept late, read watched TV and slept some more. The Johnson's have a beautiful cabin style home overlooking Greenbrier Mtn. I spent some time on the deck reading conference talk. It was a lovely, lovely day.At about 5:00 we left for the church in Seveirville. The young women were putting on the play "Women at the Well." They were having the dress rehearsal. It was so good! What a beautiful uplifting experience. I reallylikedit. Everyone was so nice to me. Patrice lent me the book Blind Courage about Bill Irwin's hike on the AT with his seeingeye dog Orient. Very inspiring.
Date: 2005-05-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Today I went early over to Kathy Hinson's as the Johnson's had a temple trip. Kathy had a lot of errands so we spent the dayout and about. First we went to her grandson's ball games. I fell asleep in the car during one game. I also finished reading Blind Courage. Next, Kathy went to get a pedicudre/manicure while I went to Wal-mart to resupply. In the evening Kathy fixed the best chicken Quesadillas ever. I repacked and picked out a dress of Kathy's to wear to church. Went to bed early.
Date: 2005-05-22
To: Icewater Shelter
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Up early and off to church. It was great to be there. Patrice and Eric were the speakers. They both did great! After R.S. Patrice took me to New Found Gap. She had packed a lunch for me. Everone was so nice to me. I hiked to Iewater shelter which was 3 mile mostly up. Starting at 3:00 was tough. My food bag probably weighs 12 lbs. YIKES!
Date: 2005-05-23
From: Ice water Shelter

To: Peeks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: broken clouds

I was scared today. 8 miles after two zero days and three short days. We woke to sprinkles and fog. I was glad as I walk faster and take less breaks on rainy days. It cleared up pretty much an stayed partly cloudy and windy and cold. It cleared just as I reached Charlie's Bunion, a cool rock formation surrounded by sheer cliffs. It was a ten hour day, bu I felt surprisingly good. I reached Bradley's View around 5:30 and as I had spent most of the day torn between getting off the trail and heading on to Maine, I cursed the Smokies. I tried to take it back, but it was too late. Shortly thereafter, I tripped and fell of the trail and over the side of the mountain. I tumbled about 8 feet and was stopped by a stump. I wasn't hurt, but decided one should only curse the Smokies AFTER you're out of them!
Date: 2005-05-24
From: Peeks Corner Shelter

To: Tri Corner Knob
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: broken clouds

It was a tough day with two high Mountains - Mt. Sequoyah and Mt. Chapman. It was a long long day. I met the nicest couples. Yogi and Boo Boo were practicing for wilderness hike in Idaho. Delta and Dirt are section hiking this week. They've been going shelter to shelter this week too. Both couples made me feel proud of my accomplishments. I'm also hiking all week with Nomad and his two brothers from New York. It should be a lot of fun as they are great company and Nomad can cook like no other. His pack weighs 60 to 70 lbs but when dinner is served it's worth every pound. How he hikes barefoot I'll never know!
Date: 2005-05-25
From: Tri Corner Knob

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Second to last night in the Smokies -Yea! Last night was cold. Low 30's I think. I shivered most the night. I hate that. I'll be toasty tonight as Delta and Dirt left me some chemical warmers. I'm so happy. I am meeting the nicest people out here. Delta and Dirt from Mississippi left early. We've been hiking together all week. Unfortunately, Nomad and his bros snore like crazy. I think they just couldn't take it anymore.Today was long but beatiful. I did the 7.7 miles in under 7 hours so it definitely was an easier hike than yesterday. Cooler too. The shelter is full tonight with a bunch of young thru-hikers. These young whipersnappers kill me. 18 to 25 miles a day. Absolutely no idea what they are going to do with themselves when they finish hiking. UGH! I'm having dinner with Nomad and his bros - YUM!
Date: 2005-05-26
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Davenport Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: clear sky

I've been singing good bye to the Smokies all day. I took my time today as it was mostly down hill. The shelter is only 1 mile from Mountain Moma's but Bill won't be here to pick me up until Saturday so I'm hanging tight until tomorrow. Nomad's brothers are going back to Long Island tomorrow. I contributed some onion and Ham and Nomad cooked some fabulously spicy Mac and Cheese. I was so happy to not have to cook. It's sprinkling but much warmer. I can't wait to see my kids and hubby.
Date: 2005-05-27
From: Davenport Gap Shelter

To: Davenport Gap 
Miles today: 1.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I caught a ride down from the Gap to Mountain Moma's. I'm living the good life with a hot shower and a huge cheeseburger and Dr. Pepper! I slept a lot today and am just counting down the minutes until my family arrives to take me home!
Date: 2005-05-28
From: Davenport Gap 

To: Waxhaw NC
Miles today: 0.0

I have mixed emotions today. I'm so happy to see my kids and husband and get some rest. My knees are killing me and I know some time off will do them good. I can't wait to go to the Chiropractor. I am very much looking forward to seeing my Mom and Dad and sisters and brother at a family reunion which was planned prior to my hike (although the 23 hour drive doesn't appeal too much).I'm also sad to be leaving the trail life even if it is only for a few weeks. I'm very nervous about deciding not to come back. I know it's going to be hard to leave the luxuries I'll be enjoying and come back to this very physically demanding life. I hope I can make a good decision about it.
Date: 2005-06-24
From: Waxhaw NC

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, the time has come to go back to the trail. Four weeks off is going to kill me. It will probably take me two weeks just to get my trail legs back. It definitely has been great. I loved my family reunion in San Antonio. Even the drive was fun in a way as I got to spend a lot of time with my kids. I have baked a lot and cooked dinner for my family and had lunch with my girlfriends and went out with my husband. (Notice everything involves food. I have totally pigged out.) I was scheduled to return to the trail last weekend, but just wasn't ready. I needed one more week to make sure I wanted to trade it all for the trail life. In the end I decided I had to go back. I just wasn't satisfied that I was done. I didn't feel good physically with all the eating and very little exercise. My allergies have been giving me fits and my tailbone which I broke in December has been hurting from all the sitting around. I decided to skip ahead as I will never make it to Maine if I don't and by skipping the part of the trail closest to where I live, it will be easier to finish it next year or the next or the next. I'm going back north of Roanoke. Waynesboro I think. I have a long drive today, but then I'm back to the beauty and peace and physically challanging but oh, so, good for me (I've lost 30 lbs. so far) life on the AT.
Date: 2005-06-08
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

When I got off the trail last year I thought it was over. I gave it everything I had and came up a little short. I walked almost 1500 miles and had my hike cut short because of Lyme Disease. After two rounds of antibiotics I'm feeling good. I'm ready to go hiking again. This will be my fourth year to hike the AT. In the past three years I have hiked over 2800 miles of the AT, but have never finished the trail. I have not hiked up the mother of all mountains on the AT, Mt. Katahdin. You see for the last three years I have been starting over at Springer Mt. in Georgia. This year, however, with much urging from my very patient wife, I decided to start where I left off last year. I will likely go back some year and try to thru hike, but for now I would just like to finish the AT, to climb up Mt. Katahdin. This will not be an easy task. I still have close to 700 miles to do. This is not a walk in the park. I cannot remember an easy day on the AT. Every day for me is tough. So I'm going to give it everything I have again and we'll just see what happens. My hiking buddy from last year, Wicomico Walker, will hike with me again. When I got off the trail last year, Wicomico kept going and was able to finish. So it will be great hiking with him again and drawing from his experience.
Date: 2005-06-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

My wife and her freind Judy drove me to the train station in Picayune, MS. I rode the train to Washington, D.C. which took about 26 hours. Wicomico and his son Robert met me at Union Station. We will drive to Connecticut where I stopped last year. The train arrived at Union Station an hour late. It was a long ride on a crowded train, but I enjoyed it.
Date: 2005-06-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I found Wicomico and Robert pretty quick and it wasn't long before we were headed for Connecticut. It was about an 8 hour ride to Maria's house where we were going to stay for the night. Maria is about 70 and makes a little extra money letting hikers stay in her house. She is a very nice lady. Robert is going to hike with us for a couple of days before returning to Virginia. We are planning to slack pack the first couple of days, so we'll get started early in the morning.
Date: 2005-06-11
To: Rt. 41, Mass.
Miles today: 18.0

Maria's son took us to the trailhead at 9am. The temps are in the high 80s with high humidity. We are going to do about 18 miles today. I think we over estimated our abilities, the heat was brutal. We had some very tough climbs. Some were over rock and near vertical. We had to stop often to rest. It was a very long, tiring day. We hiked almost to dark, nearly 10 hours. I did not enjoy this day.
Date: 2005-06-14
From: Tyringham

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: light rain

We spent a sweltering night in the pavilion. We had very little breeze. It starts getting light around 4:45am, so we were up early. Short hike today. Had two tough climbs early. Saw a lot of wild azaleas along the trail today. We arrived at Upper Goose Pond Cabin early. This will be our stopping place today. This is a pretty neat place. It is a cabin with a bunk room on the upper level. The pond in front of the cabin is quite impressive. We jumped in to cool off and it was wonderful. This cabin has a caretaker and pancakes will be served for breakfast. The cost for staying the night and breakfast is a donation. Looks like the weather is going to turn cooler. I have really been suffering from the heat, so this will be a welcome change. Planning another short day tomorrow. It's going to take to awhile before I have my trail legs. I'll just have to be patient.
Date: 2005-06-15
From: Upper Goose Pond Cabin

To: Dalton, MA
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: overcast clouds

The weather changed from hot to cool. This will be good hiking weather. The highlight of today's hike was stopping at the cookie lady's house for cookies and a cold drink. This has been a tradition on the AT for many years. Cookie lady was not home but cookie man handed out cookies and a gingerale. It was all very nice. It was a long tiring day but we made it to Dalton by late afternoon. Stayed the night in a hostel.
Date: 2005-06-17
From: Cheshire, MA

To: Mt. Greylock
Miles today: 7.7

Today's hike was not a long one, but it was mostly up. The weather was cloudy and cool. Good hiking weather. This will be our 7th day to hike and I'm starting to feel stronger, but I still have a long way to go. A lot of today's hike was over rocks that were slick from rain. The good news is I didn't fall. We are stopping for the night on top of Mt. Greylock which is probably the highest Mt. in Massachusetts. There is a lodge on top and we will stay in the bunk room for the night. You get a great view from the lodge. It's a stormy day and from the lodge you can watch the storms roll across the mountains. Well it's been a good day and I'm looking forward to supper.
Date: 2005-06-18
From: Mt. Greylock

To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: light rain

We left after breakfast at Mt. Greylock, so it was after 9am before we started walking. Bascom Lodge on top of Mt. Greylock was a very nice place to stay. It's just off the trail and the people working there are wonderful. When we started hiking it was cool and cloudy with fog engulfing the trail. In short it was another gray morning. The first half of today's hike was not bad, but the second half had several steep climbs. We also entered Vermont today. There are only three states left. They are Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. The trail in New Hampshire and Maine is considered the toughest on the AT. Mud and water covered the trail in many places today. In some cases the mud was ankle deep. The mosquitoes are also back. Wicomico and I are tenting tonight. Wicomico is doing ok. We are both trying to hike our way into trail shape. I really am glad he is with me. He's good company. Well it's 9pm, that's past hiker bed time. It's getting cold, so I'm going to crawl into the sleeping bag and read some.
Date: 2005-06-19
From: Seth Warner Shelter

To: Bennington, VT
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I had a restful night in the tent. When we got to Seth Warner Shelter, Iceman was there. He had fever and had been throwing up. So staying in the shelter was not an option. There were some nice tenting spots around the shelter. Today's hike was good. There were the usual ups and downs, but nothing really tough until the last mile. It was an almost vertical down with rocks and boulders. I also saw a lot of beaver ponds along the trail today. At least half the hike was through ankle deep mud. This Vermont mud puts Mississippi mud to shame. They have some serious mud in Vermont. This section of the trail has not been well mantained. Most of the trail from Georgia is well maintained. Every now and then you find a section that has been forgotten. I also saw a lot of wild blueberry bushes and many different kinds of flowers today. Wicomico and I have not seen a lot of hikers on the trail. I guess most are behind us. We are taking a 0 day tomorrow in Bennington. This will be our first 0 day. We are going to get something to eat. Then I'm going to come back and call my son and daughter. Today is father's day. Just before coming back on the trail my wife and I learned that my daughter is pregnant. A couple of days later my son called and said his wife is pregnant too. So Ethel and I have our first two grandchildren on the way. Life is good.
Date: 2005-06-20
From: Bennington, VT

To: Bennington, VT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Today we took a 0 day. Most of the things we need to do are at least a mile away. Things like laundry, food, and the post office. So we did a lot of walking, but without our packs. This is an interesting town. It seems to be thriving and really alive. This is unlike some towns near the trail that appear to be dying. Wicomico and I will be leaving for the trail early in the morning. It will be good to be heading north again. The weather is supposed to be warm and sunny for the next few days.
Date: 2005-06-21
From: Bennington, VT

To: Kid Gore Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

We were back on the trail by 7:30am. Had a very steep up for about the first mile and several tough climbs later, but all in all not a bad day hiking. Wicomico has been sick to his stomach, but he has some medicine so hopefully he will be okay. I saw a lot of moose droppings on the trail but no moose. The trail was not quite as muddy today. Lots of rocks and roots but not as much mud. We are sleeping in a shelter tonight. This one has a pretty view looking out over the mountains. Right now we have the place to ourselves. There's just not that many hikers this far north yet. Looking forward to a good day tomorrow.
Date: 2005-06-22
From: Kid Gore Shelter

To: William Douglas Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Started walking at 7:15 this morning. It's a cloudy and rainy morning. We had a big climb first thing. No serious elevation gain after that. Lots of ponds and bogs. Saw several beaver dens. Wicomico seems to be over his stomach problem. The sun made an appearance in the afternoon. There's a cold front coming through tonight. Temps will be in the low 40s. I will not want to get out of the sleeping bag in the morning. Tonight we are staying in a shelter. It really feels good to be back in the mountains. In Vermont we are walking through the Green Mountains and they are beautiful. A typical hiking day for me goes something like this. I wake up in the morning to the sound of birds singing and slight scent of blooming wildflowers. The air is usally fresh and crisp. I pack up and start walking. In the early morning I might see turkey, deer, and a number of song birds. If I'm lucky I might see bear, wolves, coyotes, and Vermont moose. I walk through forests of hemlock beech and white birch. I also see a lot of pine spruce and countless other types of trees. Just off the trail but within sight I see wild roses, azaleas, mountain laurel, trillium, violets, and iris. I see a lot that I can't identify. In the afternoon when the air warms from the mountain tops, I can see turkey, buzzards, and hawks soar on the warm thermal currents. They hardly have to flap their wings. They just soar. Near the end of the day I'm looking for a shelter or a place for my tent. After making camp I look for a water source. This could be a stream or water flowing up from the ground. I get my water and head back to camp. I clean myself up the best I can and then cook supper. If other hikers are present I will socialize some and get set up for bed. Hiker bedtime is usually between 7 and 9pm. In a typical day I would walk 12-20 miles in 8-12 hours. I probably burn over 6000 calories. I get up between 5 and 6am and do it all over again. Life is good.
Date: 2005-06-23
From: William Douglas Shelter

To: Peru Peak Shelter
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: broken clouds

Cold start to the morning. The temp was 40 degrees. I packed up quickly and was on the trail by 7:15. We have a very short day. There's a mail drop waiting for us at the Bromley Lodge. This is a ski lodge but caters to hikers in the off season. The hike was good today. Blue sky and cool weather. The trail was kind to us today. We did not have many steep climbs. It just has been a good day. We will rest here tonight and then get an early start in the morning.
Date: 2005-06-24
From: Peru Peak Shelter

To: Big Branch Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: clear sky

We had a steep morning climb up Bromley Mt. This is a very popular ski resort area in the winter. They get close to 300 cumulative inches of snow on average. The afternoon hike had a lot of ups and downs that seemed to really tire me. I struggled to get to Big Branch Shelter. It's right on the bank of the Big Branch Creek. We can hear the creek rushing by from the shelter. It's just Wicomico and I in the shelter tonight. We did meet Can Do It and Seneca who are thru hiking. They seem to be moving a lot faster than Wicomico and I. So we probably won't see them again. I'm writing with my head light on and am attracting a lot of bugs, so I will call it a night.
Date: 2005-06-25
From: Big Branch Shelter

To: Clarendon Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: clear sky

We started walking at 6:45. Temps in the 60s. We did over 8 miles by 10am. Then it really started heating up. This turned out to be a day of record highs across the state of Vermont. In the afternoon the temps climbed into the mid 90s with high humidity. The heat pretty much did me in. This was one of my worst days on the trail since I started back. It was really tough walking. VT 103 crosses the AT and one half mile off the trail on VT 103 there is a roadside cafe. We headed for this cafe. After cooling off we had lunch and hung out there for awhile waiting for the heat to subside some. Then we had to walk 1/2 mile uphill back to the trail head. It is a mile uphill to the shelter where we will stay the night. This was probably my toughest day on the trail. Tomorrow the heat is supposed to moderate a little. We are planning to hike to the inn at the Long Trail tomorrow. We will stay the night there and perhaps take a 0 day if the heat beats us up again.
Date: 2005-06-26
From: Clarendon Shelter

To: Inn at Long Trail
Miles today: 18.3

Wicomico and I spent a hot night in the shelter. It really never cooled off. This shelter has a forest service road near by. So some local idiots drove an ATV around the shelter during the night. They didn't cause us any harm but did wake us up. It's never a good idea to stay in a shelter near a road. We were up at 5am and walking by 6am. The early morning hike was not bad. We have been seeing a lot of moose droppings. Well today we saw a moose run across the trail in front of us. It's really special to see an animal like this in the wild. We also saw a number of Grouse today. One acted like she was hurt. This is a routine they sometimes go through to lead you away from their chicks. Along about 11am it started really getting hot. We still had 6 miles to go and a big mountain to go over. We were near exhaustion. My pack thermometer was at 95 degrees. In spite of having plenty of water to drink, we lost a lot of fluid. We finally made it to the Inn at the Long Trail, our destination for the night. When we got to the inn we found the temp to be 97 degrees. The heat has been unrelenting for the last few days. The forecast is for this high pressure system to move a little and hopefully this will provide a little relief.