morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-03-14
From: Justis Creek

To: Bull Gap campsite
Miles today: 5.9

Another fabulous day on the AT! We climbed Blood Mtn and it was easy...so maybeI'm getting in shape. Seems to work best if I skip breakfast and eat a trailbar down the road. Still takes me an hour plus to break camp...that seems toolong. Tim and I leap frogged our way up Blood Mtn. The views were fabulous and 360*. Daniel, Megan, & Tucker caught up...and I was glad they did. They are fun,friendly, and a joy to be with!Neels Gap was the best...got shower...and boy did I need it...even though I putmy dirty clothes back on for a couple more days. The biggest surprise was when I went up to the counter at the outfitters thereand the guy asked me if I was Bag Lady. You can imagine the look on my face. He tells me that Steve Morse from NPR called to say he was following myjourney....talk about pressure! But I can handle it!!!When life is stripped to the basics, the joys are simple and the highs comeoften: a shower , a spring of cold water, a red sunset, and good people who arewatching out for you.An example of the good things that happen here: yesterday I dropped my buffclimbing and decided not to go back...didn't Megan pull it out of her bag whenshe caught up with me! So the first thing lost, was found!Lessons learned this week: 1. Miles are longer in the woods2. It hurts going uphill AND down.3. And you're ALWAYS going uphill or down.4. Everything's better in the woods!It's going on 9pm...latest night yet...and we have a campfire...thru-hikersdon't have fires 'cause they don't stay up late enough!
Date: 2007-03-15
From: Bull Gap campsite

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.5
Weather: overcast clouds

My body is holding up great! Brett Phillips (Muscle Maintenance in Penfield) isto be commended! He worked hard for the last couple of months before I leftrepairing achy hips, thighs, feet, and back. Brett, your work has paid off sofar...40+ miles and doing better than many! I'm remembering to do my stretchesand it's making all the difference. Thanks so much!!!I'll bet many are wondering how I'm hiking in the woods AND keeping a journal online. Well, there's this get little device called Pocketmail that I type anemail into each evening to my daughter, Dana. Then when I get to town, I use apay phone, dial an 800 number and put the device up to the phone and it transmitusing modem noises. Dana then puts them up on the website. So you'll seemultiple days posted at a time. Then, I'll be sending Dana photos on a flash drive after I've pulled them frommy camera at a library. She'll doctor them in photoshop (I have to getsomething for the $100,000 I paid for her education!) and then put the best onesup on Trail Journals.com for me. I also have a cell phone and an iPod. Double A batteries work in or rechargeeverything but the ipod.Sleeping in a shelter tonight for the first time this trip....it's threateningrain, so this will make it easier to pack up in the a.m.Group of friends & acquaintances is growing ever larger:Dorothy & Toto are bunking in the shelter with us...check out their journal onthis site.Diamond & Black Jack are here...Diamond's a young woman who's on her firstbackpacking trip with her Dad and she's planning on going to Maine.Dirtnap is a barefoot hiker that reminds us of Jesus.And there's England who' s here from England.Goodnight...step lightly.
Date: 2007-03-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I got this email from my mom (The Bag Lady) along with her pocketmail emails which I've posted, she's having me add it in anywhere so here you all go!!:Daily RhythmWake upPack upHike upHike downHike upGet snackHike downGet waterHike upHike downHike upSay "Awe"LunchPack upHike downHike upHike downHike upHike downStopUnpackGet waterGet foodGet sleep Put this anywhere in the journal...ok?Thanks, Dana, for doing this for me...you're such a sweetie! Miss you!Love, Mom
Date: 2007-03-16
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Indian Grave Gap
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: light snow

What a day! The warm weather left us when a front rolled in last night bringingrain. Six of us (and a dog) were in the shelter (Dorothy & Toto, Pilot (aretired diplomat to South Africa),Daniel, Megan, Tucker (the dog), and me. Snorers are a problem in a shelter and we had a couple of them. I could use agood night's sleep...too much insomnia and then I get to a deep sleep justbefore dawn.We woke to rain, fog, and 40 degrees. Diamond, a novice got drenched...don'tlet your ground cloth stick out past the sides of your tent! The hiking was comfortable but we had to remember to put a fleece on when westopped. But it was a long day with one very steep, mile long climb out ofUnicoi Gap. Then it was too windy at the top so we went another two miles to agap with a place to camp...but it's extremely windy here. It's going to be acold windy night for us hammock campers. I couldn't find two trees with a levelspot between them...so I'm swinging tonight...and the breeze is not only blowingunder me but over and through me too. I'm not a sailor, but I'll bet it'sgusting 30 to 40 knots with gusts even stronger! It's like a major gale outthere!!! There'll be more nights like this before spring is really here, so I better getused to it. But I have to say, my backside is cold already...wish that windwould stop or it's going to be a long night. It may get quite cozy in Dan andMegan's tent when Clint and I come knocking in the door!Gotta go figure out how I'm going to stay warm...goodnight.
Date: 2007-03-17
From: Indian Grave Gap

To: Ken & Diane Perkin's house, Haiwassee, GA
Miles today: 13.4

What a night to remember! The wind gusted all night long, rocking the hammocklike a cradle! I thought I was on Mt. Everest in a blizzard! And, boy, was itcold...but with several layers on and a vapor barrier bag, I did pretty well aslong as I was curled up on my 3/4 thermorest...think I need a full size one forthe hammock and I'd be fine. It's quite cozy in there. I tie my boots up inthe foot and my fanny pack into the head. I put in a mesh pocket on each sidefor glasses, book, and anything else I think I might need. I also string a linefrom head to foot and hang my socks up to dry and hang my headlight so I canfind it quickly. I also hook the mouthpiece to my platypus with a carabiner andhook it on a loop near my head so that I have water when I need it (except whenthe tube freezes!).Today lots of good things happened to me...lots of trail magic! I got up earlybecause it was not fun with that wind blowing the way it was, so I was hiking by 8 am alone. And it was cold! The plan was for me to me Daniel, Megan,Tucker, and Honey in the Morning at Deep Gap Shelter (10 miles) for the nightand then hike to the Dicks Creek Gap and hwy to town (Hiawassee) in the morning(3.5 miles). As I was hiking along alone, I thought about how I could go allthe way to Dicks Creek Gap and spend the night a bit happier than last nightwas. I ran into Dorothy & Toto and another thru-hiker girl of 23, Bucket allslack packing (hiking with day packs) southbound...a local guy, Tater, was withthem. I asked him about a motel in town and he offered a bed in his downstairs. I said yes! Planned to meet at Dick's Creek Gap at 6 pm. I now had about 8miles to cover in 5.5 hours, but I was a happy camper...er, hiker! Then about20 minutes down the trail I found a group of a! bout 8 guys heading south and asked them to carry a message to Daniel, Megan,and Honey that Bag Lady was going all the way to town. They invited me to stayfor lunch: sausage, crackers, and mustard..mmmm...better than my sloppy mess ofPB&J!I trucked along, up,up,up, and down, down for the next 5 hours...hot goinguphill and freezing going down...the wind never letting up...but thank goodnessfor the sun. Riding in a car felt so strange after a week of hiking...moving along at 50miles an hour, not 2. Well it was another wonderful surprise to see their newcabin in the woods and then be served a steak and baked potato dinner withcobbler for dessert. Ken (thru-hiked in 2000) and Diane come up to their cabinand pick up hikers most every weekend. These are the wonderful people that makeup not only the AT experience, but this wonderful country of ours if we wouldjust trust a little and drop the fear.Well, tonight at least, I'll be warm with a full belly.
Date: 2007-03-18
From: Ken & Diane Perkin's house, Haiwassee, GA

To: zero day
Miles today: 0.0

Zero day spent in Hiawassee at a motel catching up on emails, supplies, riding abike around town, soaking in a hot tub, and eating! There are no truly down days with nothing to do...I'm busier than ever.Good night...here's to sleeping 8 consecutive hours!
Date: 2007-03-19
From: Ken & Diane Perkin's house, Haiwassee, GA

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: overcast clouds

This is actually the next morning and I'm laying in my hammock waiting for firstlight to get up...and I'm crying. I just spent the last half hour typing with mythumbs on this dang pocketmail keyboard about what tough day yesterday was andsomehow I lost everything I wrote. There's no time for stuff like that. Ican't dawdle now or I'll won't get in to camp again tonight until after 7 pm. Iliterally have no down time. I took 30 minutes out yesterday to talk to Dana ona mountaintop and catch up on what's happening in her life, but it came at aprice of getting to the shelter late. Can you believe it? Time pressures outhere? I've got to find a balance. The problem is I hike so much slower thanmost that it takes me longer to cover the days distance.Good news..we got into NC! Only 12 more state lines to go.Met another "crazy but not stupid" woman out here: Booboo...check out herjournal on this site. It's nice to have a cohort, but she's a much strongerhiker and will move ahead of me in no time.Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the warm and wonderful words ofencouragement and support! It' so nice to have the mail to read when I get to acomputer!!! I can't possibly answer them all, although I try to do some. Please forgive me if I don't answer yours...ok?Please send the questions. I'm sure there are many and I'll try and answer themhere. How do I know where to go? Great question for those unfamiliar with theAppalachian Trail. It's a footpath marked with a white patch of paint on trees. I took a picture of the first one I saw. check the photos to see if Dana postedit.Well, it's light out now, so I'd better get packing. They say that this stretchthis week is the hardest section in the south and the 2nd hardest of the trail. What fun! I can do this...I can do this...I can do this.Step lightly,
Date: 2007-03-22
From: Beech Gap

To: Budget Motel, Franklin, NC
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Happy 26th Birthday from the AT, Kevin! (my future son-in-law).Many of you reading this journal may not know how I know distances out here. Well there are various data books that note every gap and mountain, stream,spring, road crossing, and any other notable marking along the trail. And ithas the number of miles both from Springer and from Khatadin...we have tocalculate how far we went today or how far to the next water source.I've joined up with Willing & Abal and come into town to rest our wearybones...and feet! Abal and I walk about the same pace, so Willing went aheadinto town and got us a room at the Budget Inn. When Abal and I got to thehighway, I stuck out my thumb! Felt like an old pro...like I had done it all mylife. Took only about 5 minutes before someone stopped to pick us up. It was aguy from Columbia, South America with his elderly mom who spoke no English. Hehad never heard of the trail - we were surprised that someone who didn't knowwhy we were hitchhiking, would pick us up. He also wasn't from around here, sohe didn't know where the Budget Motel was! When we got in, I hear someonescreaming "Hey, Bag Lady!"...it was BooBoo! She had been about 5 miles ahead ofme with Stubbles, Blue, and others, but came into town for food and a shower. She was on her way back to the trail. Buzz came out of his room bringing us 1/2of a hot pizza:..now that's trail magic! Big Ole! Boy, Katz, and Twinkletoes were here too...Mickey One Sock and Forgetful, twoolder guys moving at a snail's pace, but making progress, arrived too. MickeyOne Sock has been through this section about 5 times since Dec and always comeswith a different hiking partner. Had a bit of excitement when one of the elderly gents who hikes this southernsection quite regularly became disoriented, quiet, and memory loss. He and Mauliwere camping and Mauli had to get him down to the road where their cars were todrive him to a hospital. The local hospital transferred him to a hospital inAsheville and we have not heard how he is doing yet.   Willing went back up withMauli to help break down the camp and bring the extra car to town.We also heard about an 80 year old man that fell at one of the shelters nearHiawassee and cracked his head. A rescue team had to bring him out. After hegot his head stitched up, he wanted to get right back out on the trail!Step lightly
Date: 2007-03-23
From: Budget Motel, Franklin, NC

To: Budget Motel, Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Had a beautiful sunny day in Franklin NC walking about town getting caught up on journals, getting new gloves (old ones got a hole in the thumb already), and W&A got resupplied with food. Last night sleeping in a bed was the pits...I was so uncomfortable...missed my hammock, I guess. Gotta sleep in the bed again tonight and off on an early start tomorrow. The plan is to continue hiking with Willing and Abal for a while as long as the pace works for me. We're going to Wesser, NC by Monday. We'll have a nero day there, hiking about 5 miles and then spending the night at the hostel. Then we have another 3 days to Fontana Dam.I find coming in and out of town actually a difficult transition because I like both places. But I also found I cannot carry more food than 4 days worth or the weight really gets me down, especially going up and down so many hills, do I'll be planning to come to town about every 4-5 days. Someone told me this was a series of 50 4-day hikes! I think I need to reconsider my food quantity and bring less during each leg. I thought I'd be hungrier and need more food than I actually do. It doesn't hurt to be a little hungry. I am losing weight; I'd guess I'd lost about 5-6 pounds these two weeks. But I pigged out tonight and had a whole foot long Subway veggie sub...we're all craving vegetables and fruit more than anything else.Had lunch today at a darling cafe on the patio over the Little Tennessee River. Just my kind of place. It was warm and sunny, and all the forsythia and Bradford pear trees are in bloom. Also saw someone out mowing his lawn...spring has sprung in North Carolina!Megan, Tucker (her dog), and Clint (formerly Honey in the Morning and now known as Doser) came to the Budget Motel today. It was good to see them again and catch up! Megan's offered support to me for getting to the plane in Roanoke because she lives near there. See, Trail Magic...problems are just solved all on their own out here.Tomorrow's another hiking day so it's early to bed tonight for us!
Date: 2007-03-24
From: Budget Motel, Franklin, NC

To: Spring/Campsite
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: broken clouds

Sure, just as I'm getting used to sleeping in a bed again, we're off to thetrail. Two nights in town seems to be too long, but my feet sure enjoyed therest. Had a great time sharing a room with Willing & Abal (she's spelling hername like that because it's a compilation of her 2 daughters' names, Abby andAllie, I think).Today we got to the balds of NC: tops of mountains that have no trees. They'renot sure how they came about, perhaps the Cherokees cleared them or the earlierfarmers. What a 360 degree view from up there! Mountains in every direction! Then, later in the day, we were able to look back over the miles that we hadhiked. I'm amazed to see the distance we covered.Willing is quite a strong athlete. He's 63 years old, lean, and races throughthese woods. He walks with Abal and me for about the first hour, then we agreeon where we want to stop for the night, then off he goes! Yesterday, as he wascoming up Wayah Bald, he found himself in the middle of a wilderness race, andof course, he joins right in and passes some woman running up to the finishline! And he's there with his pack on! Wish we could have seen that!When Abal gets to camp, he's got the tent set up, dinner soaking (they don'tcook), and water pumped. Great arrangement. But I still have my camp to setup. Abal offered to help, so that was sweet.About dusk, Hermes shows up in a hiking skirt, filthy as could be, barely anygear on his back. Says he's traveling at 15 pounds. Just a tarp, a sleepingpad, a jacket, an alcohol stove. Too little for me, but my body sure wouldappreciate it. Abal spent some time talking with him, so I can't wait to hearthe stories.
Date: 2007-03-25
From: Spring/Campsite

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: clear sky

Late start again this morning...nearly 9 o'clock...we're trying for 8 tomorrow.Up and down over some more balds today...quite the rolling mountains here in NCand beautiful views off the top of every one! Finally Abal and I got toindulge in Trail Magic food. Apple, an ATC volunteer had a large dome tent setup at a road crossing with coffee and donuts this morning! What a treat! Itenergized for the long climb to follow. The weather has been delightful: warm & sunny! Feels like summer! Hope it holdsthrough the Smokies. We'll be starting up them later next week after FontanaDam. After the Smokies, I'll send stuff home and lighten my pack. If I couldget it under 30 with 3 days of food and water, I'd be one happy bag lady...andmy feet would be happy too!You would not believe all the different types of trail we begin to notice...youhave level trail with packed dirt and no rocks, our favorite, but a very rarefind. Then you have gradual uphill, add to that some small rocks, add roots,add large rocks that you have step high to get over, and then there's logsteps, almost the hardest thing going up because swelling in the knees makes them hard to bend! Now take all those uphill varieties and tilt them down hill! We've all come to an agreement that downhill hurts more than uphill because ithurts both the knees and the feet! Uphill just gets to the heart but we'regetting stronger every day, so the uphills are getting easier.Well tomorrow is down 7 miles into the Nantallah Outdoor Center...whoopee! Ourpoor knees!!!Step lightly
Date: 2007-03-26
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Nantallah Outdoor Center, Wesser NC
Miles today: 5.6

This was a short day, but that didn't mean it was easy...no, it was downhill thewhole way...and that's so hard on the knees and feet...but then I probablyalready told you that. If I repeat myself, it's probably because our days havea lot of repetition to them:eat, sleep, walk; eat, sleep, walk; eat, sleep,walk.....I'm behind schedule, but this life shouldn't have a schedule. I'm just worriedabout getting north of Damascus so I can get to Roanoke for my flight May 5th. My calculations at the rate of 9 miles/day (based on the two weeks I've beenout) put me just north of Damascus, so I should be all right.This NOC we're staying tonight is on the Nantallah River with a dam-controlledflown where they do lots of kayaking. We got 2 good meals, so that was nice,but the bunkrooms leave a lot to be desired AND are way up the hill, so we'vebeen forced to do a lot more walking than desired on our afternoon off! Oh, myaching feet...did I mention my feet ache with every step? But I'm doing betterthan some who have knee and ankle injuries that are laying them up from hiking. Tomorrow we climb back up all that distance we descended today, so I'd betterget my rest.oh, I forgot to mention the overnight change: wildflowers were burstingeverywhere that we didn't see the day before...and the trees were showing leafbuds of red and green. It must be the warm weather that's doing it.This is the next morning and I remembered I forgot to write about the snakes Ialmost stepped on! The first one was big, black, about the size of a broomhandle, and 4 feet long. I was hiking along mentioning to Val behind me all theflowers on the side of path and I looked down between my legs and screamed,flying backwards. After we got the required photos to document our sighting, weweren't sure how we were going to get by this guy as dense brush and steepinclines lined the path. Eventually he decided to slither on by, rattling histail for effect. We heard later he frightened another hiker...busy guy!Then, within an hour I almost stepped on a small snake that blended in with theleaves. We had seen one like this one a few days ago:Wildlife sightings: 1 chipmunk many birds (robins, cardinals, etc) 1 rabbit, I think, it was early morning and I only saw it's tail 3 snakes 1 squirrel here at the NOC.The woods are pretty still with few critters...I'm surprised.Step lightly
Date: 2007-03-27
From: Nantallah Outdoor Center, Wesser NC

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: light rain

What a gang we had at the NOC. Let me see if I can list the names of those Iknow. There were a few more hikers on the fringe that I have not yet met.Stitches (she cut her elbow and had to get stitches)Knockout (an anesthesiologist)Mystery Chicken (long story)Yard Sale (lays all his gear out when he arrives)Doser (formerly Honey in the Morning and Clint...he sleeps by the side of thetrail)Father Christmas (formerly England)Diamond (a young girl named after a slow horse)Big Old BoyTwinkletoesTerapin Flyer (she hiked it 14 years ago)her dog, Murray, an Australian sheep dog Mickey One SockForgetfulWilling & AbalThen last night, here at the shelter, we met Grambo, an older woman hiking italone with her dog.Yesterday was a day from hell. Even though we only did 7 miles, it took Abeland me 7 hours! It was a steep climb most of the day and we had that "out oftown" drag going on...just no get up and go! On days like that I often question"What the heck am I doing out here?" It was really hard to keep going. We'vegot 9 miles to do today starting with another steep climb. And then a 12 mileday to get into Fontana Dam before the Smokies. We're all talking about how wecan lighten our load after the Smokies by getting rid of our winter gear. Herewe are carrying heavier down bags to 15 degrees or below, and extra layers ofclothing, and the temperatures have been between high 50s at night up into the80s during the day...and our sleeping bags are making all of us sweat! I'vebeen unzipping it and using it as a quilt which cools me off a little bit. Addto that my usual night sweats, and I'm just wet most of the night! And chilledwhen I get up.One of the things I don't think I've mentioned is the challenge we girls have inwinter woods...there's no place to hide to go potty as all the leaves are down.Sometimes you just have to yell "Privacy" so that everyone turns their back! Yesterday we did see a change in the forest floor...pine straw! Really made mefeel I was in NC then! We haven't had many pines until now.Oh and I wanted to add a fourth element to Eat, Sleep, Hike...and that's Laugh. There's so much humor and joking that goes on out here..I wish I were a talentedwriter who could capture it.Oh, oh, I hear W&A packing up their tent, so I'd better get going. (I write myjournal often the morning after...) Step lightly