morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-03-11
From: Camp site just beyond Wayah Bald, NC

To: Day 10: Beyond US 19 @ Nantahala River, NC
Miles today: 17.8

When I got up on AT Day 10 it was only 20 degrees and the snow was still piled up. Luckily since it was so cold, the snow under my tent did not melt, so my gear was still dry. I briefly chatted with a new group of NOBO AT through hikers, Wildcat (50 yo male), Captain Hook (~19 yo male), Haiku (~25 yo male who wore a kilt), the 5¢11¢¢ Moonpie (~25 yo female), Jason (~22 yo male) and his girl friend Betty (~22 yo female). The first half of the day¢s hike was in heavy snow, but the second half was in the sun ¢ so bright that I was forced to put on sunglasses to reduce the glare. My original goal had been to camp at Cold Spring Shelter, but I got there early in the day and to be honest it was a rather depressing place, so I pushed on. My next plan was to camp near A. Rufus Morgan Shelter near the Nantahala River, but I never saw it. I took advantage of this oversight to hustle on to the N.O.C. Center where the AT crosses the Nantahala River so I could use the landline phone to try to call my wife. Total failure. Not only could I not reach her, I couldn¢t talk to the RV park where she was supposed to be camped. My problem was that I did not have the name or phone number of the park, another lesson learned the hard way. So after spending an hour on the phone, and getting cold and a bit depressed that I was going to have to wait at our next pick-up spot for at least a day, I decided to push on. I stopped about a mile up the trail for a total hike for the day of 17.8 miles. The long evening was made even longer, due to the fact that cold weather had sapped all of the energy out of my iPod so I could not listed to my book. Well, the sleep was welcome, and rather enjoyable since I don¢t think it dropped below freezing.
Date: 2004-03-12
From: Beyond Nantahala River, NC

To: Day 11: Brown Fork Gap Shelter, NC
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

AT Day 11 started and ended with lovely weather, but the first challenge was a steady 3,000-foot climb ¢ a good way to warm up! When I finished the climb I was amazed at how good I felt, clearly I am getting my ¢trail legs.¢ I ran into the kilted Healed and his dog Wonder at the Sassafras Shelter. I asked him how his dog managed to climb the mountains and he gruffly said that these were nothing compared to what we were going to see in Maine ¢ and he should know since this was his fifth AT. The best news of the day was that I ran into Hot Chocolate (she was sleeping in our truck) at Steoah Gap. She told me that she had driven to the N.O.C. Center and they told her that I had been there the day before, so she went to the next AT road crossing. Our original plan was for her to drive to these AT road crossings and then hike in to meet me whenever she could, but she passed up on this chance since she had had an accident the day before ¢ two blown tires on our 20-foot recreational trailer while she was driving at highway speeds. Skid marks everywhere, but her cool head, and our big Ford F-250 diesel truck managed to not cause the truck and trailer to flip. In the end we did have well over $3,000 dollars damage to the truck and trailer, but both are still in working order and we will push on. Obviously I was relieved that she was OK, and that we could now arrange for the early pick-up.After chatting with Hot Chocolate for about an hour, I pushed on anxious to reach Brown Gap Shelter before darkness. When I got to the shelter, Sun Stroke was already in his sleeping bag, but a young (28 yo male) NOBO AT through hiker named Pez joined me in gathering water and settling in. Given that I was a bit wound up with all of the news from my wife, and my interest in chatting with the other AT hikers, I decided to stay in the shelter ¢ also staying in the shelter would allow me to get out quicker in the morning so I could meet up with my wife at Fontana Dam. As it turned out, both Sun Stroke and Pez were, like me going to take a day off at Fontana Dam (i.e., a ¢zero day¢), Sun Stroke to meet with friends and Pez to meet with his finance. Total hike for the day was 15.0 miles.
Date: 2004-03-13
From: Brown Fork Gap, NC

To: Day 12: NC 28 at Fontana Dam Marina, NC
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I got up early on AT Day 12 and was on trail by 7:16 a.m., anxious to be reunited with my wife, I guess¢¦ The original plan was for Hot Chocolate to move our truck and trailer to a new RV park, get to the Fontana Dam trailhead and hike in to reach me. As it turned out, however, just as I was getting was finishing the 11.6-mile hike to the dam, my wife pulled in with our trailer still attached. At first I thought she had either changed her mind, or over slept, but NO, calamity had struck again ¢ this time in the form of a dead battery in our brand new 2004 truck. It seems she had neglected to turn off the refrigerator/freezer that runs off the battery when she went to bed the night before. Luckily, AAA came to the rescue once again (they helped her with the blown tires the day before) and she was fine. Since it was only around 1:00 p.m. we decided to drive on to the new RV campsite, eat lunch and begin my day and a half of NO hiking ¢ hopefully ample time to prepare for the Smokies next week!
Date: 2004-03-14
From: Fontana Dam, NC

To: Seg 3: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

AT Segment 3: March 15-21, 2004Starting point = NC 28, Fontana Dam, NCEnding point = US 25 & 70, Hot Springs, NCTotal miles for this segment = 109.2 (7 days @ 15.6 miles/day)Total miles to date = 283.4 (19 days @ 14.9 miles/day) I had hoped that my introduction for the third segment of my AT hike would be that ¢we smoked the Smokies,¢ but with record cold in the Southeast this year, the Smokies nearly froze us. So the lessons for last week were ICE, SNOW and HYPOTHERMIA. And in spite of these challenges I am still able to outdo my original schedule so that I am able to take a day and half off each week to be with the love of my life, Hot Chocolate and still stay on schedule for a planned early August finish atop Mt Katahdin in Maine.
Date: 2004-03-15
From: Fontana Dam Marina, NC

To: Day 13: Russell Field Shelter, NC
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Hot Chocolate and I both started to hike on AT Day 13 at 8:20 a.m. in very humid, foggy, and 55-degree weather. The day began with a long uphill, which heated us up and with the rain later in the day, I had to stop to add, reduce or change clothing layers at least four times. About 2 miles into the hike we had to walk across the Fontana Dam, the highest dam in the East. Nice, but not as impressive as dams I have seen in other parts of the country. Just on the other side of the dam we ran into Haiku, Moonpie and Captain Hook and everyone posed for pictures at the sign announcing that we were about to enter the Smokies. Hot Chocolate hiked along with me for about 5 miles, after which she returned to our truck at the trailhead (see Hot Chocolate¢s trail journal for more details). Shortly after Hot Chocolate left (I do hike a bit slower with her), I caught up with my young AT through hiker friends, passed them and hiked alone for the rest of the day. Their plan was to stop at the first shelter, Mollies Ridge, whereas I was going to push on to start picking up extra mileage to ¢earn my zero day with my wife.¢ The rain also started shortly after my wife turned around and continued the rest of the day (at about 55 degrees). By the time I got to the next shelter, Russell Field, the rain was quite heavy so I decided to spend the night. I was not alone as there was already another NOBO AT through hiker in the shelter. His trail name was Pa Kettle and he was a 64-year-old retiree and given his age, we had some things in common to talk about as we spent a relatively pleasant evening together. Total mileage for the day, 14.9 miles.
Date: 2004-03-16
From: Russell Field Sheler, NC

To: Day 14: Double Spring Gap Shelter, NC
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: moderate rain

AT Day 14 began with fog and rain at 45 degrees, but by afternoon the sun broke through occasionally. As is the custom with many AT through hikers, Pa Kettle and I hiked separately and he stopped at Siler¢s Bald Shelter, whereas I pushed on to Double Spring Gap Shelter where I found four other hikers, two NOBO AT through hikers and two ¢Spring Break¢ AT section hikers. The two through hikers were young (20¢s) guys who were going slow (they started a full week ahead of me), and one of which was named Slips, makes you wonder¢¦ Nice guys though, even though their attempts to start a fire were largely unsuccessful. Siler¢s Bald was my first exposure to one of the South¢s famous treeless balds; neat, got some good pictures. Total mileage for the day, 16.4 miles.
Date: 2004-03-17
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter, NC

To: Day 15: Ice Water Spring Shelter, TN
Miles today: 13.8

Very cold (22 degree) weather with serious patches of ice on the trail (perhaps heralding the much more severe ice hazards to come) greeted me on AT Day 15. One of the early goals for the day was reaching Clingman¢s Dome, the highest section on the entire AT at 6,643 feet, but with about a third of a mile from the summit I misread a sign and took an incorrect turn and hiked down for at least a half a mile before I wised up and turned around to resummit the mountain, which when I got there was ¢no big deal.¢ My wife and I had actually already visited the site a few year¢s earlier. At the summit there is a large concrete observation tower from which you are supposed to be able to see all the surrounding mountains, however, on this mid-March morning you could only see a hundred yards (if that), so I skipped the tourist trap and pushed on ¢ only to discover the real challenge for the day, ICE!The trail descended fairly easily, but there were large patches of ice on the trail making travel very hazardous, I fell at least 10 times, nothing serious as all but one fall was onto my 50+ pound pack. The latter was actually no surprise since at nearly 40% of my body weight ¢ 136 pounds ¢ my pack has seriously diminished my ¢gymnastics-honed¢ balance. Around noon I crossed my second state border, going into Tennessee, but in truth with the AT skirting the NC/TN border for the next week or so I weaved in and out of NC and TN over and over again. With the ice during the first half of the day my speed was markedly reduced (often much below 1 mph) so I was forced to stay the night at the next shelter, as it would have been foolhardy (unsafe) to try for the next.At the Ice Water Spring Shelter (great name!), the sun broke through for an hour or so before it set, warming things up a bit and giving some great views which we hoped would portend a beautiful sunrise, but ¢mother nature¢ had other ideas ¢ see below. I spent the night with Haiku, Moonpie, Pa Kettle, Captain Hook and Straight Arm (a new to me 28 yo male NOBO AT through hiker ¢ must have been a former football player as he was not fat at 220 pounds). The only disappointment for me was loosing all the additional mileage I had picked up on the previous day, so I once again pledged to go for an early start. My total mileage for the day was ¢only¢ 13.8 miles.
Date: 2004-03-18
From: Icewater Spring Shelter, TN

To: Day 16: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter, TN
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: snow

LOTS and LOTS of snow greeted us on AT Day 16, but as we pushed on through the sub 30-degree weather the snow turned to rain and then back to snow. We all had very serious concerns about life-threatening hypothermia. Keeping dry and keeping moving were very high survival priorities ¢ what fun for me being challenged in a whole new way compared to my former life as a high pressure academic administrator. In any event, common sense dictated that everyone stop at the first available shelter, Tri Corner, for a total hike of only 12.6 miles, a hard goal that we all made by early afternoon. I spent the first hour or so in the shelter hunkered down in my sleeping bag trying to warm up, the shivering was interesting but not scary. Each time I opened up my bag the steam just poured out, the goal being to dry out my clothes. Eventually, I gave up and changed into dry socks, top and pants. My ¢Gore-Tex¢ hiking boots were also wet ¢ well I guess there is a limit to the wonders of this miracle fabric.Around 5 p.m. I emerged to make a quick hot dinner and I had barely finished eating and putting everything away when we were besieged by a group of about 18 Boy Scouts and their leaders. The Scouts had taken a different route to reach the shelter, most of which was below the snow level, but they were still all cold and it was admirable watching the way their leaders made sure they were all safe, warm and fed ¢ they obviously have had a lot more experience with this kind of weather than this Floridian! With the large group, we were all packed in like sardines in the shelter, one benefit being that it was a bit warmer ¢ one deficit was that it was so crowded that I was unable to cook a hot breakfast. Instead I created a new dish, chocolate whey protein, milk and ¢uncooked¢ oatmeal ¢ actually not too bad, you just wait a few minutes and the cereal softens up making it palatable.
Date: 2004-03-19
From: Tri-Corner Shelter, TN

To: Day 17: Painter Branch campsite, TN
Miles today: 20.4

As expected, AT Day 17 began very cold (20 degrees), but the sky was clear promising some much better hiking. There was still a great deal of snow and ice on the ground, but by lunchtime we had descended to point where much of it was melted and my hiking speed picked up markedly. I ran into Hot Chocolate near Davenport Gap (after a descent of 3,000 feet) and we hiked together for a mile or so before reaching the truck. I also hiked much of the afternoon with Captain Hook, who at Davenport Gap gave us some valuable details on a great telephone calling card (I was still batting zero on cell phone transmission) and e-mail microcomputer ¢ ¢Mail Pal.¢After leaving Hot Chocolate for the day and crossing under I-40, I was tested with my first real stream fording challenge. Although I got across without getting drenched, on the other side whereas all of my thru hikers buddies planned to turn left and go 150 yards up a gravel road to a hostel, ¢Bear Patch,¢ I was going to hike on (at this point we had already gone over 18 miles) to earn my ¢zero day¢ with Hot Chocolate. Unfortunately, I didn¢t see the next white blaze and I also turned left, passed up the hostel and, based upon some incorrect and frankly cruel advice from someone ¢ not one of my through hiker buddies ¢ at the hostel, hiked up the gravel road for at least a half mile before a nice couple of locals told me to turn around, go back down the hill and restart the AT again. To be honest, I was a little ¢pissed¢ at the bad directions I had been given, since I had hoped to go an additional six miles or so. In any event, at the correct restarting point the AT turned uphill, and in the sun it was a hot dry climb, so much so that I decided to camp at the first available site after gaining over a thousand feet of elevation. The campsite, ¢Painter Branch¢ was actually quite pretty since it was sort of an island between two branches of a small little stream. I had a wonderfully pleasant night listening to the stream and sleeping in moderate (upper 30¢s to low 50¢s) temperatures. Total mileage for the day, 20.4 miles (not counting the ¢detour¢); MY FIRST 20 MILER!
Date: 2004-03-20
From: Painter Branch, TN

To: Day 18: Beyond Bluff Mtn, NC
Miles today: 21.4

Got an early 6:30 am hiking start on AT Day 18 in cool (40¢s), clear weather ¢ perfect day for high mileage. I moved along quickly, but just after eating lunch I was once again caught by my speedy ultra light through hiker buddy, Sunstroke. One of the early delights of this glorious day was climbing and then crossing a massive bald known as ¢Max Patch,¢ as usual I got some great pictures. Sunstroke and I hiked together for a mile or so along a serious of small streams and dense ¢ GREEN ¢ Rhododendrons and other small trees, passing a surprisingly large number of weekend day hikers. Before Sunstroke and I parted we both agreed to pass up the ¢logical¢ next shelter, Roaring Fork, to gain some additional mileage. The hike uphill from Roaring Fork was challenging, but doable, and when I got to Walnut Shelter I decided to tank up on water (five quarts total) for my dinner and breakfast before hiking on to look for a campsite.Lots of hills today, but I felt great so even though I was forced to stop a little after 5 p.m. when the wind started picking up and the clouds got darker, I had still covered around 21.4 miles ¢ my second consecutive 20 miler and new record! Good thing I stopped since I had barely set up my tent, and made dinner when the rain and high winds picked up. I ate in the tent, watched the lightening, listened to the thunder and watched the tent get shaken by the high gusting winds (I put in extra stakes to make sure my ¢home away from home¢ didn¢t become airborne.). One other note for the day was meeting my first AT ¢flip-flopper¢ (he was headed South, and promised to see me again in New England in the Fall).
Date: 2004-03-21
From: Bluff Mtn

To: Day 19: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Anxious to meet up with Hot Chocolate in Hot Springs on AT Day 19, I got another early 6:30 a.m. start in cool, windy, and light rain. Once again, the rain forced me to be creative for breakfast, this time I decided to go for a double dose of chocolate whey protein milk drink and a high protein chocolate bar. Within 20 yards of my campsite, I found a nice, wet windbreaker, and thinking it belonged to Sunstroke, I picked it up and hustled ahead to hopefully return it. The day¢s hike was windy, but not too cold (mid 30¢s to low 40¢s) and my speed was good. Just after ¢signing in¢ at Deer Park Shelter I saw Sunstroke about 30 yards ahead of me. After paging him down, I was surprised to find out that the expensive jacket wasn¢t his. So someone else¢s loss was my unrequested gain, but then again what was I going to do with an extra large jacket?I easily got to Hot Springs by just after 10 a.m., and I immediately started looking for Hot Chocolate. Unfortunately, once again fate had other plans as even with a 7 a.m. start for her drive, my wife didn¢t get to Hot Springs until just after 1 pm. The 3-hour wait was a mixture of pleasure, anxiety and COLD. It was nice to have a chance to talk to the other AT through hikers passing by (Sunstroke and I actually hiked the last mile or so into town together). Some of the hikers I met for the first time already knew of me by reputation (perhaps from the trail shelter entrees, meeting up with Hot Chocolate, or other through hikers), and all expressed concern for my situation ¢ what a nice close-nit caring group of people. In any event, Hot Chocolate did eventually pick me up and we went to a local ¢AT eatery¢ for a long overdue and badly needed lunch. My wife KNOWS that I get grumpy when I get hungry, so we didn¢t waste any time ordering our food. My total for the day was just under 10 miles.The drive from Hot Springs to Roan Mountain State Park, TN took well over three hours. After her earlier driving ¢adventures,¢ my wife has become a quite proficient truck and trailer driver, nonetheless being isolated on the trail for day¢s on end, I was very nervous sitting next to her as she piloted our vehicle over the hilly and windy roadway. When we arrived at the park a very light snow was just beginning to fall, but the sites were level and the electricity worked (no water though) and we were safe for the night. We quickly piled into the trailer and enjoyed a hot pizza and beer dinner ¢ life is GREAT! Tomorrow (actually today as I type) began with a few inches of snow on the ground that melted and produced a wonderfully, refreshing and renewing ¢zero day¢ with my wife (to be honest these day¢s off with the love of my life are anything but zero!).
Date: 2004-03-22
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Seg 4: Elk Park, TN
Miles today: 0.0

AT Segment 4: March 23-28, 2004Starting point = US 25 & 70, Hot Springs, NCEnding point = US 19E, Elk Park, near Roan Mountain State Park, TNTotal miles for this interval = 114.5 (6 days @ 19.1 miles/day)Total miles to date = 397.9 (25 days @ 15.9 miles/day) The highlights for my fourth week included my first go at ¢mega-mileage¢ (and the subsequent need for ¢vitamin I¢ to walk through injury and more food to keep the engine fueled), the true kindness of strangers, and the peaceful serenity of watching the sun rise and set (cloud cover pending) while hiking on the AT. Also, despite my growing appetite, my weight loss appears to have slowed as I remain at a stable 134.
Date: 2004-03-23
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Day 20: Little Laurel Shelter, NC
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: clear sky

As before, the long drive from our trailer campsite (Roan Mountain State Park, TN) to the trailhead where I left off last week in Hot Springs, NC, took several hours along narrow winding mountain roads and I did not begin my AT Day 20 hike until 9:30 a.m. Considering that it was a brisk 28 degrees outside, Hot Chocolate had other plans as she went across the street to enjoy the world famous pleasures of the hot mineral springs that have made this little town world renowned. After crossing the bridge over the French Broad River and walking along its banks for less than a mile, the AT abruptly turns skyward as I scaled the cliff, passing such novelties as ¢Lovers Leap Rock,¢ all in all gaining over a thousand feet within a mile or so.As I climbed my body temperature rose and I had to stop often to shed layers to avoid the dangers of sweat-induced heat loss. After about an hour, I passed a lovely spring-fed pond with small concrete dam and shortly thereafter I was in turn passed by the speedy, lightweight pack, kilt-clad, Haiku. Later on I met and passed (a feat made possible because of his mistakenly excessive food load) a new to me through hiker, Red Beard, and when I got to Little Laurel Shelter I once again found Pa Kettle who told me that he and my other AT friends from the previous week (Haiku, Moonpie, Captain Hook and Stiff Arm) all took a zero day in Hot Springs to rejuvenate in the mineral waters.My original goals for this day had only been 12.5 miles, but the good weather and my improving fitness pushed me to reach 19.6 miles before setting up my tent at the shelter site. Wanting to get an official ¢20 miler,¢ Moonpie and Stiff Arm, who arrived at the shelter hours before I did, hiked on for another mile or so. Captain Hook got a late start out of Hot Springs and failed to show. Realizing that I had easily beaten my distance target by over 7 miles, I hatched a plan to see if I could average over 20 miles per day and perhaps pick up an extra ¢zero day¢ with my beloved Hot Chocolate ¢ and still stay on my early August target for Mt Katahdin in Maine.