morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-05-16
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: clear sky

Day 10 ~I got a real late start today. I didn¢t leave the site until 12:30. On the map it showed a side trail that followed a creek, and then turned into a road which linked up with Hwy 64. This highway would take me into Franklin, NC. I decided that I would be able to get a room and dry out my gear. My pack must weigh 10 pounds heavier because of all the water.I took the trail and found the highway which was dead. Walking down the road a Park Ranger came up and said it was the old Hwy 64 and it was four miles to the new Hwy 64 and then it was another 18 miles into Franklin. He ended up giving me a ride to the new Hwy 64 where I would have a better chance hitching a ride. As soon as I jumped off his truck another truck stopped and brought me into Franklin.I¢m officially past the 100 mile mark. Here in Franklin, NC I am 106 miles north of Springer Mountain. Tomorrow before I head back to the trail I will go to the photo shop and send a CD out to be added to the journal. Till¢ tomorrow¢¦Transcriber's Note:Manfire didn't provide me with any mileage info for this day and my maps do not show the side trail he took to Hwy 64. I have temporarly marked today as a 19.5 mile day, but will ammend the mileage once it is confirmed how far he hiked.
Date: 2005-05-18
From: Franklin, NC

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 12 ~I left the hotel in Franklin, NC around 8:00am. A sweet lady named Cathy picked me up and brought me to the trailhead. She gave me a hug goodbye and wished me luck. The people are so nice out here. Here I am living my dream and people I don¢t even know are going out of their way to help me.It was 8:30am when I finally hit the trail. I think sending the extra gear home has helped me with my miles. My pack is a little lighter and I was able to knock out 16 miles to Cold Springs. I bet if I sent my tent home and used my tarp I have instead that I would save another 2-3 lbs. I could be flying down the trail then. I could easily knock out 4 more miles today, but either way I will be in NOC tomorrow. It¢s only 12 miles away.Today was the first day without the Georgia boys. They got off the trail in Franklin, NC and are planning to head to the beach before school starts. I personally would rather be out here than out on the beach. All day I hiked and didn¢t see one soul. I wish I could hike for a living. Maybe I could be a human factor psychologist for a backpacking gear company and test their gear out. If not, my original plan for wilderness therapy is cool too.I wanted to let people know that if they send me any mail that I probably won¢t get it if they are going by the mail drop dates on my webpage. I¢m like 10-12 days ahead of schedule and as time goes on that number will increase. If you want to get a hold of me then you can e-mail me or sign my guest book and I will get back to you.Good night y¢all
Date: 2005-05-19
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: NOC
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 13 ~I made it to NOC, 12 miles. I saw my first snake too. It was a black snake so it wasn¢t poisonous. I also heard grouse beating their wings on a hollow log. It sounded like a Harley Davidson starting up. It was pretty wild.I left Cold Spring shelter around 8:30am and arrived at NOC at around 1:00pm. As soon as I came off the mountain I saw a pay phone so I called home to let them know I was all right. Then I rented a bunk for $15 and grabbed a burger and fries at their restaurant. I was disappointed that they didn¢t serve beer. I think it is because everyone there is kayaking or rafting down the river. I wish I had the time to take a day off and rent a kayak. I¢d rather take a day off in Hot Springs, NC instead. There I can soak in one of the hot springs and relax.
Date: 2005-05-20
From: NOC

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

Day 14 ~I woke up and it was storming out. I really didn¢t feel like leaving the safety of the bunk house. I gathered up my gear and checked out. I stopped in the restaurant had a big omelet breakfast. I was hoping the storm would stop by the time I finished but it didn¢t.I headed out at around 10:00am. It was a 7 mile climb to Sassafras Gap. I planned on stopping there for the day. I only saw a couple on the trail. They looked like they were Amish or Mennonites. They weren¢t carrying anything and the male was scary looking, he had no teeth and had a face like Teen Wolf. I said to them ¢There¢s a tree back there¢ and the lady said ¢A tree?¢ I laughed and said ¢There is a tree blocking the trail and you have to go around it. It was quite difficult.¢ I moved on and thought to myself they must think I¢m weird¢¦ of course there is a tree up there, it¢s the woods!Anyway, I arrived at Sassafras Gap at around 3:00pm. No one is here and it looks like I will be by myself again. I did find a new way to pass the time though. As soon as I get to camp I ditch the boots. I now find a rock and scrape my feet with it. It feels soooo good. I spend about 30 minutes on each foot. Surprisingly I don¢t have any blisters. I think it is because I went all out on boots and socks. I highly recommend Lowa boots and Thorlo socks and liners. My feet do ache at the end of the day, but that is to be expected when you hike all day.Well I need to go filter water, stretch, and eat before it gets dark.
Date: 2005-05-21
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Cable Gap shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 16 ~I woke up, had a quick breakfast, and headed up the trail. I only saw a few people who were heading south. They were from Michigan and were in town for a wedding. They were just out for a day hike.I hiked 9 miles to Brown Fork Gap where I stopped for lunch and filtered water. It was only a 30 minute break before I headed back up the trail. I hiked 6 more miles to Cable Gap shelter where I will stay for the night. Again, I am all alone which is a little unnerving. Cable Gap is only 1 mile from a dirt road. I have visions of waking up in the middle of the night to the sound of 4 wheelers, gunshots, and hootin¢ and hollerin¢ while someone yells ¢Lookie here Jethro, we got one of ¢em hikers!!! Where ya from boy!? Yankee!!¢ I¢m 99% sure that won¢t happen though. I think that if this were a hangout for local rednecks that there would be beer cans and cigarette butts everywhere.Tomorrow is going to be and easy day, just 6.6 miles to Fontana Dam. Then its straight into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park for 4-5 days. I¢m looking forward to that. I bet I;m going to see a lot of wildlife there. 10-4 Good buddy.
Date: 2005-05-23
From: Fontana Dam

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Day 18 ~I ended up getting a late start because of the backcountry permit before entering the Smokies so I ended up taking a zero day at Fontana Dam. I¢m glad I did though because some other hikers caught up to me. During the day I hung out at the shelter at Fontana Dam. People who were sightseeing or out for a picnic would come to the shelter and ask questions like ¢You a thru hiker?¢ and all the questions that follow. It was like I was in a cage at a zoo and they would come and look. Anyway, I talked with the Park Ranger and got my backcountry permit filled out. Tomorrow is the Smokies.
Date: 2005-05-24
From: Fontana Dam

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 19 ~I woke up this morning and headed into the Smokies. The Smokies are not that hard. The first day is kind of hard because you have to hike up about 4500 ft from Fontana Dam, but once you are up in them it is not so bad. The one thing I don not like about them is that they are cold and windy. Unfortunately, I shrank my wool sweater in the dryer so it is no good. I have to wait until Hot Springs until I get my fleece sent to me.Anyway, I did 11 miles into the Smokies and stayed at Russell Field Shelter. It is mandatory that everyone stays at shelters while in the Smokies because of bears. When I arrived to Russell Field Shelter a park service person was there and was planning on spending the night at the shelter. That was because there has been a lot of bear activity the past week. The shelter even had a fence in front of it. I was so excited that I was going to see a bear that night. It turns out that if a bear did come, then we all slept through it.
Date: 2005-05-25
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 20 ~Fifteen miles to Siler Bald. It was a long day. Today was the first day I used my MP3 player on the trail. Usually I listen to it at night. It must have helped though. I was up and down these mountains with ease.After eating dinner a coyote came over the ridge about 15 feet away. I ran to grab my camera and I only got a picture of a coyote¢s ass running down the trail. I need to remember to keep the camera closer at all times.Just before sundown I walked up to Silers Bald where there is a lookout and watched the sunset. Now its time for bed, tomorrow is a big day. I will be going over Clingman¢s Dome, the highest peak on the trail.
Date: 2005-05-26
From: Silers Bald Shelter

To: Newfound Gap / Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

Day 21 ~Today I climbed Clingman Dome, the highest peak on the trail and in the smokies. When I got to the top there were a bunch of tourist, restrooms, sidewalks and water fountains. I thought it was going to be in the wilderness and peaceful at Cling Man¢s Dome. There was half mile road that went up hill to a tower where you can look off. Dave and I walked up the road passing everyone. Three weeks on the trail and I already have my trail legs. People were stopping and resting on the benches on the way to the top and looking at us as if we were crazy.We got to the top, had a quick lunch and headed back into the woods to Newfound Gap. Newfound Gap is another tourist section. We were able to hitch a ride to Gatlinburg, Tennessee. By the way, Gatlinburg was rated the ugliest town in America by U.S. News and World Report. It had everything we needed though. We got a room and went out to eat. We both had half a large pizza and two Whoppers, and washed it down with a six pack. After that we had a good nights sleep.
Date: 2005-05-27
From: Newfound Gap / Gatlinburg, TN

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 22 ~I woke up and wanted to get back to the trail ASAP. We had to take care of a few things first. I had to mail my tent and water filter home. It saved me 7 lbs. Instead I¢m going to use a 1 lb. hammock and drops for water. Also, I had to buy some more food to get me through the second half of the Smokies.By the time we were done it was 2:00 p.m. We hitched a ride back to Newfound Gap and hiked ten miles to Pecks Corner. The shelter was full as expected. It was Memorial Day weekend and everyone was doing a few days in the smokies. The A.T. in the Smokies is open to horseback riders also. When I arrived to the shelter there were four horsemen. I took a picture of the horses and the cowboys who rode them. They were really cool. Everyone else in the shelter ignored them for some reason, but me and Dave sat by the fire with them and chatted. When it was time for bed, I rolled out my pad and slept under the stars. There was no room in the shelter and it would be more comfortable anyway.
Date: 2005-05-28
From: Pecks Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: light rain

Day 23 ~As I munched on my Pop-Tart I watched the cowboys dig in their cooler for Oscar Myer pre-cooked bacon, biscuits, and eggs. They must have seen me stareing because they shared their feast with me. Dave and I packed up and headed out in the rain. We reached Cosby Knob shelter fourteen miles later. There was a group of Boy Scouts there. They kept us entertained all day and night. I heard them recite all the lines to the movie Napoleon Dynamite.After dinner another hiker came in that we secretly trail named Pig Pen. I came up to the shelter and saw that he pushed all my gear out of my sleeping area and laid his stuff out. I said to him "Hey man I had my stuff there, that was my spot." He ended up moving his stuff. He sat on a log with his ass hanging out as he shucked and ate a raw potato. All whole he burped and farted every 30 seconds. Jim the ridge runner for the park showed up and got after him for all of the trash and cigarette butts he left around. About 12:30 at night he was laying in his sleeping bag in the shelter smoking a cigarette. I noticed that he didn¢t have a backpack either. He would throw everything into a tarp and tie it up with rope and carry it. I asked him, if he was a thru-hiker and when he started. He said he was thru-hiking and he started April 1st. Not thinking I chuckled and said "Wow are you just going shelter to shelter or something". Here I was three weeks into the trip and at the same spot of the trail as he was. He got mad and said "no I camp sometimes too". I think he was running from the law. Dave pointed out to me his huge knife he had in the pike of gear he had laid out. I thought "Oh great, here I pissed this fugitive off and he has that huge knife. I¢m going to have to sleep light tonight".
Date: 2005-05-29
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 24 ~Today was the last day in the Smokies. I knew once I reached Davenport Gap outside the Smokies there would be a restaurant called Mountain Mama¢s. It was thirteen miles from the shelter so I booked it there. I was running down the trail, and made it in two hours and forty-five minutes. The cheeseburger there was worth the pain.I pressed on another three miles to standing bear farm were I could do laundry and use the phone. So I ended up camping there that night.
Date: 2005-05-30
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 25 ~Eighteen miles to Roaring Fork. It was a long day, but the views were worth it. On top of Max Patch which is a bald with 360 degree vies was so beautiful. I didn¢t bother taking a picture it would have done it justice. So far Max Patch has been the best view on the trail. I could have stayed there all day, but I had to press on.Not much happened today, just a lot of walking. I concluded that the trail was like a girlfriend. You need to give it your full attention and if you don¢t even for a second you will pay for it. At all times you need to be looking at the trail, the moment you look up, you will do a face plant into the dirt.
Date: 2005-05-31
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Elmer's Hostel / Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 26 ~Today I hiked fifteen miles to Hot Springs, North Carolina. I picked up my mail drop and I¢m staying at Elemer¢s hostel. I¢m going to take care of some gear maintenance buy some fuel and relax. Tomorrow will be a zero day here and visit the Hot Springs and spa. Also, I weighed myself her and I have lost 35lbs since Springer. Unbelievable huh?
Date: 2005-06-02
From: Elmer's Hostel / Hot Springs, NC

To: Mountain Spring Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 28 ~Before leaving town Dave picked up some hot dogs and rolls for camp. We hiked eleven miles to Mountain Spring shelter. We made a huge fire and shared our dogs and rolls with other hikers. It was trail magic for us and others. "Late Start" and "Nooner" there as well. I will probably be running into them on and off during the hike.
Date: 2005-06-03
From: Mountain Spring Shelter

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

Day 29 ~Fifteen miles today to Jerry Cabin shelter. On the way up the trail a pheasant jumped out in front of me and charged me then ran off. I must have been close to her babies. It was startling. About mile thirteen it started to down pour just as I was on a two mile exposed ridge. When I finally got to the camp I built a fire and tried to dry out my cloths and gear. It took a good hour to get the soaked wood to start a fire. Afterwards I crawled into my bag and fell asleep around seven. I¢m so glad I had my fleece jacket mailed to me. It has been keeping me warm when I come into camp and my body cools down. One would think that June in the south would be hot, but not in the mountains.
Date: 2005-06-04
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: broken clouds

Day 30 ~Fifteen miles to Hogback Ridge. Hiking was pretty easy today. I came across some cows in the woods. They were posing for a picture so I snapped a great picture. A few miles later I came to a field were a stile took you over the barbed wire fence. On the steps of the stile there was some Gatorade trail magic. It was awesome. I carried it and saved it for my dinner. Thank you for the trail magic "Professor".Tomorrow I am going to try to slack pack 25 miles to Erwin, TN. For those of you who don¢t know what slack packing is. It is having someone shuttle your pack to the ending destination and then walking the 25 miles with just a water bottle and maybe a snack and trekking poles. I¢m going to have to wake up early tomorrow if I am going to fit 25 miles into one day so I am off to bed. Night!!
Date: 2005-06-05
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 33.0
Weather: scattered clouds

6/5Well the 25 mile day plan turned out to be more like a 33 mile day. Dave, Late Start and I woke up early and hiked three miles to Sam¢s Gap. There was a farm there where we paid them $20.00 to drop our packs off in Erwin, TN. We then hiked the 25 miles to Nolichucky River. We left at 9 a.m. and reached he river around 7:30. It was a long hot day. Around mile 17 I came across a waterfall that I just ran over to and sat under. It felt so good. I regretted doing it 5 miles later though because my boots were soaked and my feet were in pain. Once we reached the river we hitched a ride into Erwin to the Wendy¢s. We chowed down and then walked about 2 to 3 miles to Miss Janet¢s Hostel.After a long day of hiking I would think I would be tired, but I wasn¢t. I showered and tried to go to sleep. It was about midnight before I could fall asleep. Two hours later I was back up and couldn¢t sleep. I think my legs and feet hurt too much and it was preventing me from sleep. Around 3:30 am I was able to fall back to sleep.
Date: 2005-06-06
From: Erwin, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

6/6Rest day. Sent more pictures and entries out. Got my grades from last semester. I¢m happy to report that I received three A¢s and a B, and I made the Dean¢s list. What a great way to finish off my degree!! Heading out tomorrow. Till Then!
Date: 2005-06-07
From: Erwin, TN

To: Cherry Gap
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: broken clouds

6/7We left the hotel this morning and ended up walking the 3 to 4 miles to the trail head. There were no cars on the road that would give us a hitch. All day it threatened to storm but it held off until we did the 15 trail miles to Cherry Gap. About mile 11 the trail came across a service road and I couldn¢t see the trail markers anymore. I didn¢t know which way to go, up hill or down? I chose to walk down hill, three miles past and I still didn¢t see any blazes. I thought to myself ¢no need to worry, this road must lead somewhere, and I have everything on my back to survive. Eventually I saw a couple setting there tent up just as it began to storm. I asked the couple where the trail was because I haven¢t seen any blazes and that I have been walking on the road. The pointed over to the woods that had been parallel to the road for the past three miles. I got lucky today.When I came to the camp there were two day hikers that offered me tomato sauce, cheese, pepperoni, and fresh veggies. I had plain vegetable macaroni that I could have turned into spaghetti parmesan. Lesson learned today- never turn down any food.
Date: 2005-06-08
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

6/8Not much excitement today. Hiked 15 miles to Roan Mountain High Knob, it stormed hard that night, but I kept dry. There was an overnight hiker in the shelter that had a bad experience. In the middle of the night he began to scream and toss and turn. He said a mouse crawled into his hat while he was wearing it and he couldn¢t get it out because he was laying on his arms and they fell asleep, so the mouse was bouncing up and down inside his hat while they both freaked out. Other than that nothing else happened.
Date: 2005-06-09
From: Roan High Knob Shelter

To: Elk Park, NC
Miles today: 15.0

6/9Today was 15 miles to the road which lead to a restaurant. I grabbed some food and I felt like Forest Gump when he went to the White House and said ¢I must have had me about 17 Dr. Peppers¢, because that¢s about how many I drank.Dave came in and we sat on the porch of the restaurant and hung out for a few minutes. As we sat there a local drunk came over and started to hassle us. We tried to be polite to him but he would say things like ¢I¢m a legend around here¢ ¢you think I¢m dumb because I¢m country¢ and ¢I¢ll drag you out in to the parking lot and beat you.¢ I have heard from other hikers that the locals in this area don¢t really care for the hikers. Because, of the trail running through peoples private property. Sometimes they will throw eggs at hikers or throw their trash on the trail. I assumed this was the case with this guy. I felt like I was in the Wild West. Another local kid told us that the people were crazy around here. There was a sign in the restaurant that listed the people who were barred from going there. Highlighted was the family name ¢Holston¢s¢. The story is that the Oak family and the Holston family are fighting over land or moonshine. They had a shoot out on top of the mountain and when the cops arrived his car got shot.This is a crazy town so we didn¢t stay long.
Date: 2005-06-10
From: Elk Park, NC

To: Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: light rain

6/10Today was supposed to be an easy 14 miles, but it wasn¢t. There was a trail maintenance crew out that week that was adding a new section to the trail. They extended it 4 more miles than we thought we were going to hike. Also after we did the 18 miles to the shelter we had another surprise. The maintenance crew decided to cut down a tree near the shelter and ended up dropping the tree on the roof. We slept there anyway.We are planning some crazy miles soon so we are just going to hike seven miles tomorrow and stay at a hostel.
Date: 2005-06-11
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 7.0

6/11Hiked seven miles to the Kincora hostel and plan to stay today and tomorrow. We didn¢t have a ride into town so we called the local pizza place and asked if they delivered here. They did so we asked if we ordered food if the driver would bring up back into town with him for a $20. They gladly agreed and we spent the day in town. The driver said that he got off at 5 and could drive us back then. The next day we woke up to the rain and decided to pull a zero day. This was ok because we plan on getting to Damascus, VA in two days. Twenty-two miles the first day and 26 miles the second day. With those miles we will be saving a day. I would like to thank the ¢Frolicking Dinosaurs¢ for the ride to Elizabethtown during our second day at Kincora.