morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-04-01
From: DOUBLE SPRING GAP SHELTER

To: ICEWATER SPRING SHELTER
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: light rain

APRIL FOOLSThe joke was on us but it was a pleasant surprise. We were mentally gearing up for what was to be our longest day yet and it turned out to be the easiest. We visited Clingman's Dome around 9:30 a.m. They just opened the road up to the tower today, so there were very few other visitors. The views were only half clouded over so we took some pictures. It was interesting to look back over all the peaks we have been to. It was also extremely windy up there so we didn't linger long. Next, we set our minds to making it over Mt.Collins. Everyone said it would be the worst climb of the day. We barely noticed it as we went over. What we could not help but notice, though, was the continuous "boot wash" all day long. Because of last night's heavy rain and all the melting snow, the trail had become a virtual river most of the way. Where the water was not flowing it was a mud bog that sucks at your boots with every step. Slosh, slosh, squish, squish we went all day long. Then there were the ice patches. Mudflap did a mud-flop earlier, and I later tried skating in boots with no success. Down I went onto the hard, cold, wet ice: ouch! All this water walking was causing me to have potty issues. To make matters worse, this is a very populated section of trail so finding the "little girl's room" was out of the question. Thus, I ended up doing my laundry in the bathroom sink at Newfound Gap if you catch my drift: bummer! Now I had my unmentionables plus hiking shorts hanging off my pack to dry. Boy, did I ever feel like a dirty hiker bum in front of all those dozens of squeaky clean tourists milling about.Another 3 miles of very scenic hiking brought us to Icewater Spring Shelter. It was packed with a troop of boy scouts aged 10-12. Besides them, Goggles and Andy were here and another guy named C.W. who has thru-hiked before. At first I thought we wouldn't get any sleep in a shelter full of pre-teen boys, but troop 222 all fell asleep pretty early after a good day's hike. This shelter offers good views as well. Most notably, you can se Cherokee from here. The city lights at night are beautiful to look at from above
Date: 2006-04-02
From: ICEWATER SPRING SHELTER

To: TRICORNER KNOB SHELTER
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: broken clouds

SAD NEWSWe found out this morning via a trail register that fellow thru-hiker Phoenix passed away at Mt.Collins shelter a couple of days ago. We are shocked and saddened by this news. We only met him a couple of times, once at the trail magic site with Gatorade and Fishin' Fred and another time on the trail. He was an older guy, but a very strong hiker, with grey hair and beard out for his third thru-hike. Last we saw him, he was leading a pack of 20 year olds up the trail on the way to Franklin. Our sympathy goes out to his family.The hike today was filled with view after view. Charlie's Bunion was a highlight for us. It is a large outcropping of rock off the mountain. When you step out onto it, you can see for miles into the distance. It's a little scary though because it drops straight down on three sides about a thousand feet. Other than that, it was another day of ice-capades and walking in the river also known as the A.T. We arrived at the shelter at about 5:15 this evening. With the time change, we still had plenty of light. There are several people here at this shelter. I did not get any of their names. Most of them are just out hiking in the Smokies. Andy and Goggles moved on to the next shelter for a 20-mile day.
Date: 2006-04-03
From: TRICORNER KNOB SHELTER

To: DAVENPORT
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: few clouds

MUDFLAP'S WEEKLY INPUT #4 Last night it rained and hailed all night. When I got up there were two more hikers at the shelter. Novacaine and Lil Easy came in while I was sleeping. We left with our stopping point undecided. We had two choices, a 7.7 or a 14.8. In the park you must stay at the shelters. We started off at a good pace until the ice. The trail already looked like a muddy creek. The water from the mountaintops pour down the trail like the trail is a ditch. The trail was frozen over in several places. The snow is left over from a week ago. It melts and refreezes over. Daisy and I both took a big spill on the ice. It was like trying to walk across an uneven ice rink. When we put the ice behind us we started to get some good miles in. Daisy is fast going downhill; I can't keep up at her pace. She is a little slower than me going uphill. I am slow going downhill. Snails and old ladies with walkers pass me up going downhill. It's a combination of a mental thing and my sore ribs. My ribs are still tender from my fall on 3/21. We pushed on today to do a 14.8 mile day. It is our longest mileage day ever. We are both tired and have sore feet. We hiked with C.W. for a little while today. Towards the end of the day we got soaked by a thunderstorm. We got to Davenport shelter at 5:15. We were the only ones there. This is where I decided to make this a doable goal for us. We came up here to walk up to this shelter and see the AT. I guess this was the real start of my interest in the AT three years ago. After an hour Novacaine and Lil Easy showed up, but they moved on a couple more miles. Then about 7:30 the Jersey Boys showed up. We been hearing a lot about these guys. These are four guys from Jersey. Well, one is from Philadelphia. Their names are Twist of Fate, Shank, Kingpin and Radly. They did a 20 mile day today. Well it's time to shut off my headlamp and go to sleep. Until next time.
Date: 2006-04-04
From: DAVENPORT

To: STANDING BEAR FARM
Miles today: 3.7
Weather: scattered clouds

IMPRESSIONS OF DYLANWe left the Jersey Boys still in bed as we hit the trail around 9 a.m.. We had only 3.7 miles to go to get to Standing Bear Farm Hostel. We've heard it's been a favorite with hikers in recent years. After the seven day stretch without a shower and clean clothes, we're ready to feel human again. Besides, I think I have the beginning of shin splints; time to rest for a little while.As we walked past the gravel drive lined with yellow, blooming forsythia, we were greeted by a pony-tailed, middle aged man. "Can I help you?" he asked. "I guess we'd like to stay," was my reply. He showed us the bunkhouse for singles and the couples cabin which had three double-size beds. We chose the better looking double bed of the two that were available. The cabin is not heated, but there is a large stack of quilts to use, if needed. I began to wonder if there was going to hot water for showers. The hostel is an old 1928 farmstead with the main house where the owners live, a large barn, and many converted out buildings. There are the two cabins for sleeping, one building that houses the two showers, another is the privy, one for the outdoor kitchen, another for the store and one for washer/dryer, phone and computer.The couples cabin where we are staying is built over a swift running creek that runs through the property. It is so relaxing to sit out on the sunny porch and listen to the water trickling by.In the center of the circle of buildings is a large fire pit surrounded by chunky wood benches. It's the perfect place for hikers to gather around and socialize. Early in the afternoon the Jersey Boys showed up. They were just stopping in to wash clothes and cook a meal before moving on. While Kingpin cooked and the others washed clothes, Twist of Fate found a guitar waiting to be played. He fiddled around a little bit with pieces of tunes unfinished. Then he sang and played a haunting, sad version of "House Of The Rising Sun". I never realized before that the song is about a young prostitute in New Orleans. By now "Twista" had attracted a small audience around the fire pit. Twista is a 22 year old young man, tall and skinny with tons of curly, shoulder length black hair. His blue eyes reflect the exuberance of youth from behind thick, black rimmed, retro style glasses. After a brief pause, he fell into an impressive rendition of Bob Dylan's "Gates Of Eden". This was my favorite moment of the day.We work so hard day in and day out on our hike. Even when we stop for an overnight off the trail we're busy taking care of business. It was pure pleasure for about an hour this afternoon to relax in the sunshine, next to a stream, in good company, listening to the music from the days of my youth.
Date: 2006-04-05
From: STANDING BEAR FARM

To: MAX PATCH
Miles today: 13.6

MAXIMUM WINDS ON MAX PATCHIt was so hard to pull myself out of the warm cozy bed this chilly morning. My leg is still sore too, but hike we must. Knowing we will see Alena and Briauna (daughter and granddaughter) in Hot Springs on the 7th is all the motivation I need.Up, up, up we went most of the day. We were passed by Parkay early on, who has now decided to try hiking in crocks. More power to him if he can do it: they weigh almost nothing. At the top of Snowbird Mtn. we saw an FAA tower that reminds me of the old Apollo lunar modules. We took a picture of it with the daytime half moon in the background.We had lunch near the tower but needed to move on quickly. We didn't start hiking until 10 a.m. and we wanted to get to Max Patch Bald by sunset. On the trail we passed a family of hikers New Day (mom), Old School (dad), and 17-year-old son B-Rad. Later in the day they caught up to us again at some trail magic. Apple, a section hiker and member of the ATC, is out here at Brown Gap for two weeks handing out Hot Dogs and sodas to hungry hikers. He has a nice large tent set up with chairs inside so we could get out of the elements while we ate. Inside the tent when we arrived were Pilgrim, Leprechaun, and Parkay. As we were finishing, the family of three arrived.We only had 3.5 miles to go to to reach the summit of Max Patch but we had to hurry, it was getting late. We huffed and puffed our way over several more small peaks until we finally got to our destination with only about 20 minutes to spare. Being up on Max Patch seemed like being on the moon. It is completely bare except for the short grass that grows there like a giant putting green. Not only was that strange, but the wind was ferocious! We guesstimate that it was blowing at about 40 mph. The views were gorgeous though. We took several pictures before we left the top. We had to lean hard against the wind to make it down over the other side into the tree line. We found a good spot to camp just before the sun disappeared. A few minutes later, the family of three also camped nearby
Date: 2006-04-06
From: MAX PATCH

To: DEER PARK MOUNTAIN SHELTER
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: overcast clouds

RECORD BREAKERToday was our longest hike yet at 16.6 miles. My leg still bothers me a lot. The pain starts in the front of my ankle and ends about halfway up the front of my leg. This is the fourth day of it and my knee is being affected because I'm walking differently. Of course I trip over every rock and root with the sore side: ouch, that hurts! A couple of days off in Hot Springs are just what I need.Naturally, the thought of seeing loved ones kept us going no matter what today. Alena is supposed to be driving up from Florida today. We hope and pray she has a safe trip. Other than that, we also hope to meet up with Caboose and Walkabout tomorrow. We saw Labowski this morning and he said we are trailing them by about two hours. We thought they might stay at this shelter but they didn't. It's only about 3.5 miles into Hot Springs from here. I'm going to soak in those hot tubs at the spa when we get there. Right now, my feet are smarting from the pounding they took today. I am proud of myself and Mudflap for finally surpassing a fifteen mile day.
Date: 2006-04-08
From: HOT SPRINGS

To: GREENEVILLE
Miles today: 0.0

R&RBreakfast was lovely at the Sunnybank Inn this morning. We all sat together family style at long tables. In the center of the table was a big wooden bowl full of granola with a big metal scoop for serving ourselves. There was also a large pitcher of cold milk, fresh sliced cantaloupe and delicious bran-apple-raisin-nut muffins still warm from the oven. It was a satisfying start to our day.Afterwards, Mudflap and I went upstairs, packed our bags and lugged all our stuff out to the wet front porch to wait for the family to pick us up. It was drizzly and a little cool out. When Alena showed up, we went on over to the Hot Springs Spa. Because of the weather, we weren't so sure we wanted to strip down to shorts and a sports bra. Once we were in the 102 degree mineral water, we felt much better. You get a whole hour in the tub which is more than enough time. After about 20 minutes, we were hanging over the sides trying to cool off! It was very pleasant though, relaxing in the tub watching the rain dimple the surface of the French Broad River flowing past.Next, it was time for our half-hour massages. I have been experiencing a hot shooting pain in my neck and shoulder on the uphills. It gets to the point where I can't look left or right or down until Mudflap tries to work out the tension in my shoulder. Alena went with the female therapist and I with the male. I thought since he was a man, he would have greater strength to break down the rock in my shoulder. It would have been better if he didn't talk the whole time. He worked more on my left side even though I told him it was my right side bothering me. Alena on the other hand, got an extra 15 minutes and described an excellent massage. I'm jealous.Leaving Hot Springs, we traveled the 30 miles or so to Greeneville, TN where Larry attends Tusculum College. That short ride was on some of the curviest roads I've ever been on. Mudflap & I were in the back seat with Bree and I was getting queasier with each corner turned. I forgot to take my Dramamine. We checked into the Jameson Inn minutes away from Tusculum. The room is very nice with microwave, fridge, recliner chair and semi-fluffy pillows. We will walk next door to Fatz Cafe for dinner and maybe we¢ll get some good sleep tonight.
Date: 2006-04-10
From: HOT SPRINGS

To: GREENEVILLE
Miles today: 0.0

MUDLAPS WEEKLY INPUT #5We ended up taking another zero day. We needed to go to a public library and put our photos on the website. We spent 5 hours putting pictures up and titling them. It¢s always time consuming when we do this. We had to open each one and decide to use it or not. There¢s always lots of work to be done on and off the trail. You learn to appreciate simple things we all take for granted. We have to purify all the water we drink. Sometimes the water source is a quarter mile from the trail or campsite. Hiking the A.T. is hard work, but well worth it. We also went shopping for our food supplies. We ate dinner with the kids again and went back to our hotel. We should be ready to hike in the morning. It was nice to spend time with Alena, Bree and Larry. The hardest part is being away from the ones we love. We miss everyone very much. I will be back in seven. See you later.
Date: 2006-04-11
From: GREENEVILLE

To: RICH MTN.
Miles today: 8.1

FINDING WHITE BLAZESIt's been so long since we've hiked I was beginning to wonder if I still could. Bree helped us find the white blazes that mark the trail along the French Broad River in Hot Springs. She and Alena hiked with us until the trail turned uphill away from the town. As we said our goodbyes, I was sad to see them go but we are ready to continue on our journey. We began climbing the switchbacks up the mountain and would catch glimpses of the girls headed back in the other direction far below. Of course, as any mother would, I watched until they were completely out of sight.The noonday sun beat down hot upon us as we headed north once again. I wish I had a short sleeved shirt, but our summer things will be sent to Damascus. I'm sure it will cool off again before it's all over.Since we started so late today, we were only going to hike 4.7 miles to a campsite by a pond. When we got there, we still had time and energy to spare so we went another 3.4 to Rich Mtn. It turned out to be just enough of a warm up for us getting back on the trail.
Date: 2006-04-12
From: RICH MTN.

To: LITTLE LAUREL SHELTER
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: overcast clouds

FAL AND HERCULESWoke up with the same headache I went to sleep with. Mudflap snored all night. Didn't get much sleep: very grumpy and slow this morning.Finally, at 10 a.m., we got moving up the trail. It actually turned out to be very pleasant trail all the way today. The ups and downs haven't been as severe as before the Smokeys. We still have to work to earn those views though. Best of all, the path is now continuously sprinkled with all kinds of wildflowers. My favorites are the little white ones with pink-veined petals that are growing profusely all over the hillsides. I only wish I knew what they are called. They remind me of sweet, soft, little new born babies.Halfway through our day, we were treated to some fantastic trail magic. We came upon a sign directing hikers to a home 300 yards down the road we were crossing. The sign also told of mouth watering foods like BBQ pork, baked potatoes, pork stew, stuffed peppers, peach cobbler, tiramisu, ice-cream sundaes and more! It was past time for lunch and we knew where we were going! Fal and Hercules are a middle-aged couple who thru-hiked the AT in 1999. Three years ago, they bought their home adjacent to the trail. Last year is when they began doing trail magic. They are the nicest couple. They welcomed us into their beautiful log home and sat us down at the large table. Then Fal reiterated the long list of meals to choose from. It was rather overwhelming! When I came to my senses, I chose the stuffed pepper and Mudflap chose the BB-Q pork served on a baked potato. We were also treated to home baked bread, three bean salad and peach-walnut jello salad for appetizers. This was unbelievable! Fal's cooking could rival any restaurant. How lucky we are that she wants to share her talent with hungry hikers. Just as we were leaving, two more hikers, Outbreak and Morning Fit arrived. I almost wanted to stay just to see their reactions when Fal served their food. Many, many thanks to this nice couple.
Date: 2006-04-14
From: FLINT MTN. SHELTER

To: STAMP RIDGE
Miles today: 12.0

EASTER DINNER INVITATIONHow I wish I had a wildflower ID book with me. I actually bought one but didn't bring it because it's so heavy. There are new varieties popping up everyday. I spotted one that I believe to be Dutchman's Breeches because of it's shape. I just wish I knew their names.We made excellent time today: 8.8 miles by lunch. That's our best yet. There was no one else at Hogback Ridge shelter when we arrived. We spent a leisurely hour there eating and resting our feet.We had to cross another interstate at Sam's Gap today. As we began walking down the service road, a van pulled up. The yellow van was kind of old and covered with bumper stickers. I think one of the stickers read "I Brake for Hikers".When we saw that sticker, we were sure we knew who that was. As we approached the open window Mudflap said to the driver, "You're Miss Janet!" It sure was her. She said she was looking for a couple of hikers named Neffa and Bob. She thought we might be them. She came to give them a ride into Erwin. I told her as far as I could tell they were two days ahead of us according to the trail registers. She asked if we needed anything, gave us the rest of her 32 oz. Gatorade, and invited us to Easter dinner if we could get there by Sunday. We thanked her and told her we would most likely arrive in Erwin Monday morning. She said she would make room for us if we could get there anyway. Miss Janet's Hostel is a favorite amongst hikers. She obviously goes out of her way to accommodate people. We will probably stay at her place when we get to Erwin.Another surprise came later today. As we were sitting on a log cooking our dinner, who walks up but Beer:30 and Centipede! We were shocked to see them. The last time we saw Beer:30, he was leaving Fontana as we were coming in. As for Centipede, we crossed paths a couple of times when she was hiking with another couple. As it turns out, they were at the shelter with Phoenix when he passed away. Because of that, they took some extra time off in Gatlinburg. They seem to be doing well. It was great to see them
Date: 2006-04-15
From: STAMP RIDGE

To: SPIVEY GAP
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: broken clouds

BIG VIEWS ON BIG BALDMudflap led the way up the trail for the first time today. Until now, he has insisted on walking behind me. His reason, he proclaims, is he has to keep an eye on me at all times. Despite my protests, he believes this is necessary in case something happens. "What if a bear attacks you?" he asks. Then I, in return ask, "What exactly will you do?" Anyway, I don't think there has to be a permanently set hiking order and today I got my way.We crossed beautiful grassy meadows on the way to Big Bald today. Big Bald Mtn. stands tall amongst others at 5,516 feet elevation. Its summit offers 360 degree views. Again, I always enjoy looking back over the territory we've already covered. From a distance, the blue-green rippled mountains appear inviting and soft as if covered in lamb's wool. Up close, underneath the thick canopy of forest, there exists a contrasting world of strife and beauty. Peaceful creeks flow over fallen old trees. Delicate flowers bloom in the cracks of jagged rocks. At once, Mother Nature comforts me with her rich organic earth and intrigues me with her mysteries.
Date: 2006-04-16
From: SPIVEY GAP

To: ERWIN
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: scattered clouds

FIRE ON THE MOUNTAINWe ate lunch for breakfast and dinner for lunch. We just weren't in the mood for oatmeal this morning. For one thing, it was very hot out today with temperatures in the 80s. For another thing, we were in a hurry to get to Erwin. Six days of not even one raindrop on the trail means two hikers in dire need of a shower.The wooded path was especially beautiful today. Butterflies flitted and gave chase all around us as we walked. The people of Erwin are lucky to have such trails to hike near their homes. Someone was kind enough to play "Easter Bunny" leaving plastic eggs filled with candy for hikers on the trail.In the early afternoon we caught our first glimpses of the Nolichucky River and Erwin. Then we saw the smoke. A mountain across from the one we were on was on fire. From between the trees we watched as helicopters dumped buckets of water and airplanes unloaded orange fire retardant onto the flames. It was exciting to watch but scary for the people who live and work at the bottom of that mountain. We could just barely make out the farms and buildings down below where the flames were spreading.Down in Erwin, we found out that the fires were caused by arson and they caught the person(s) responsible for it. Ironically, we are staying the night at the Holiday Inn Express which is across the highway at the base of the mountain that is on fire.So far we've run into Handlebar, Outbreak and Morning Fit here at the hotel.
Date: 2006-04-17
From: ERWIN

To: ERWIN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

MUDFLAP'S WEEKLY REVIEWIt's time again for Mudflap¢s weekly input. Lucky for you and I that we took a zero day, which means this should be short. In the morning we received a call from "Miss Janet". She has a hiker hostel in town. She picked us up from the Holiday Inn Express and took us to the hostel. She dropped us off and left to shuttle Stumpknocker on a slackpack. A slackpack is when you hike a section of the trail without your pack. As soon as we got to the hostel. Baltimore Jack cooked us some breakfast. After breakfast we went to the post office and picked up our bounce bag. We also received a package from Daisy¢s brother. We were then shuttled to the grocery and to a small outfitter. We later walked to the drug store to put our photos on a CD. Then we went to get some dinner. Hostels are geared more for the younger hikers. Miss Janet goes out of her way shuttling hikers all over. She must love doing this because it's a lot of work running a hostel. I think we prefer motels because it¢s much more private. Well, that¢s another weekly input in the books.