morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-04-03
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Hostel
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: clear sky

Last night in the crowded shelter there were a little snoring and a little tossing and turning. However, in general, Mr. Ed got a good night's sleep. He was up by 6:00AM and on the trail by 6:45 after eating Brandy's cereal for breakfast.The sunrise was a beautiful, red tinted sky. The temperature was 50 degrees, great hiking weather. It climbed to the mid 80s by late afternoon. Tonight, it is cloudy with a chance of rain. Enjoy the weather while you can.The southern part of the Smokies has an elevation range of 3000 to 4000 feet. The ground cover is Spring Beauties. The northern part has an elevation of 5000-6000 feet. The ground cover here is all moss. What a change elevation can make in plant life! Mr. Ed saw his first snake today. It was a water snake he thinks. He saw it while coming down from Mt. Cammerer Side Trail. Here is a historic stone-and-timber structure built in 1939 by the CCC and rebuilt by in 1994. The views here are amazing. Going up was a pretty good climb. On the way down to lower elevations, he was surprised by the leaves. The lower the elevation, the larger the leaves. Today, he made it out of the Smokies - a journey of 5 days and 4 nights. Tonight, he is staying at Standing Bear Hostel, just off Green Corner Road. His total mileage today was 18.1 miles. He hopes to reach Hot Springs in two days. He is sore as usual. His back, legs, and feet all hurt. Otherwise, he is in great shape and is looking forward to whatever tomorrow and the A.T. brings.
Date: 2007-04-04
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I could hear the wind blowing and Mr. Ed's teeth chattering as he called in to report on his day. He had to hike up to the top of a hill so he could get a strong enough signal to make his call. He reported that he had a pleasant evening at Standing Bear Hostel. There were 6 hikers and 1 biker there. It was a good night to be inside. Heavy rain and wind came in during the night. He had a shower, a frozen pizza, and two beers for dinner. It was all good.He was up at 6:30AM and on the trail by 7:00AM. He started out with no rain, but a hard climb ahead of him. The forest had that wonderful smell, the birds made beautiful music, and the dogwoods were in full bloom. Could be the beginnings of a great day. The climb from Green Corner to Snow Bird Hill took about 2.5 hours and was 5 miles. He came into a big meadow - the first one he crossed in 240 miles. On top, fog set in, the wind was blowing hard, and the temperature was about 50 degrees. He had to wear a long sleeve shirt. He considered putting on a rain jacket, but he was afraid of getting too hot from the body heat he was putting out from the hard climb.He stopped at Groundhog Creek Shelter for an early lunch. He thought about a conversation that occurred last night in the hostel. What is the most important piece of equipment to have on the trail? One hiker was sure it was his water filter. Another said his shoes. Mr. Ed thought it was his trekking poles. He did not think he would be as far along the trail without these. They have saved him from several falls. They provide three point contact with the ground at all times.(Does that sound like a former safety man?) Also, they provide support both going up and coming down. That takes lots of pressure off the knees. Others may disagree, but he is sticking to his opinion.At Max Patch, he met 14 college students and their professor studying forestry. They were from Haward College. Max Patch is a very interesting place. It is the site of an old homestead and logging camp. It was originally forested but was cleared to graze sheep and cattle. It has also been used for a landing strip for small planes. The summit offers a great view of the Smokies and a glance of Mt. Mitchell (6,684 feet). The wind was so strong on Max Patch Summit that it almost knocked Mr. Ed down three times. Dr. Doyle had warned his class to get off the summit as soon as possible if the weather turned cold while there. Like a good student, Mr. Ed followed his teacher's advice. He walked to Walnut Mountain Shelter to spend the night. Buckets, Silver, Stubbles,and Mr.Ed are staying there tonight. It is supposed to get down in the 20s. Hope everybody has a safe place to sleep. It has been another great day of hiking.
Date: 2007-04-05
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Last night at Walnut Mountain Shelter, Mr. Ed slept comfortably in his Western Mountaineer Sleeping Bag despite the fact that it was 20 degrees and the shelter was built on top of a mountain. He was up at 7:00 and on the trail by 7:30. Light snow flakes were falling. When he climbed to Bluff Mountain, elevation 4,686 feet, the snow fell much harder. Yet, it did not accumulate. The sun was out by 10:00, but it was still a cold day.The last two days have not been as difficult as the Smokies. Your feet take a pounding there due to all of the rocks in the trail. It seemed as if some of them must be imported from somewhere. It just shows that the tops of mountains are made of rocks. Now, as Mr. Ed looks back at some of the mountains he has just crossed, he is in awe. It gives him a good feeling until he realizes just how many more mountains are still in front of him.Yesterday, the wind and 50 degree temperatures felt like air-conditioning. Today, wind and 20 degree temperatures feel like a freezer.Mr. Ed, Buckets, and Stubbles walked for ten miles before stopping for lunch. Mr. Ed reminded them that they only had 3 miles to get to Hot Springs. He mentioned that it would be nice having a short hiking day. Both of them laughed at Mr. Ed. Thirteen miles did not seem like a short hiking day to them.Tonight, Mr. Ed is staying at Alpine Court Motel. He enjoyed a shower. He washed his clothes and picked up his mail drop at the post office. Then he made it to the library shortly before closing to check out his journal. He says I have a little editing to do, but not much. He ate dinner at the Paddler's Pub, a place that came highly recommended. He ate a green salad that he had been craving. Next, he ate a Blue Ridge Burger. It was an enormous burger with fries. Not health food, but he is on the trail. He has traveled a total of 270 miles. Hopefully, the weather will not be too severe tomorrow. Best wishes for warm places to sleep to all of those hikers out there.
Date: 2007-04-07
From: Camp Creek Bald

To: Big Flat
Miles today: 18.1

Last night was an interesting one for Mr. Ed. He had little sleep as the wind howled all night. It was a true test for his tent. Even though the thermometer on his backpack read 5 degrees, he had stayed warm. Now, the hard part was getting out of bed in those temperatures. Finally, at 7:15AM, he rolled out and started the trail by 8:00AM. Three inches of snow covered the trail with more coming down. The trail went over an exposed ridge line. That meant that it was nothing more than a mass of exposed rocks covered with snow and ice. It took him 1 hour, 20 minutes, to cover one mile. He reported that he had to walk, crawl, climb, and even go backward in some places. He described it as a maze in an obstacle course. By 1:00PM, the sun came out, but the day never warmed much. His thermometer read 22 degrees and there were 4-6 inches of snow on the ground. Tonight is supposed to get colder than last night. He is at a lower elevation - 4,160 feet. He is tenting alone. He could have traveled 2 more miles to get to a shelter, but he is camping in a comfortable place. After getting out of the rocks today, the rest of the trail was easy. He managed 18.1 miles. He saw few people. Just two southbounders that are going to church tomorrow with Fal and Hercules. He saw an owl. It flew right beside him. He took a picture. He could have gotten a good one if he had his camera out when it flew by him.He hopes to make it to Miss Janet's place in Erwin tomorrow. He may not make it due to his last two days of hiking netted almost 39 miles. His body may not be up to three consecutive days of long hiking in this cold weather. We are thinking of all the hikers out there and wishing all of them warm, safe places to sleep. Happy Easter to everyone. Thanks to everyone for your support. It really helps.
Date: 2007-04-08
From: Big Flat

To: Erwin, Tennessee
Miles today: 4.5

Mr. Ed stayed in his tent until 7:00 AM. The temperature was 7 degrees. His boots were frozen and almost impossible to get on his feet. All water was frozen ice. By 8:00, he started walking. His finger tips were frozen. His shoes were painful for about an hour. After that, he started to warm and felt much better even though the morning was very cold. He hiked to Hogback Ridge where three young hikers told him about Easter dinner at Miss Janet's House. He was familiar with the hostel called Miss Janet's because he had stayed there in December when he took the class from Dr. Doyle. The hikers told Mr. Ed that they were being picked up at Sam's Gap. He called Miss Janet, and she told him to come on since there would be plenty of food. For a cold hiker who had covered close to 40 miles in two days, the following events seemed like miracles(at least, amazing acts of kindness). At Sam's Gap, he met Zenpig(Harry) and friend doing some Trail Magic. They were cooking egg omelets with pieces of ham, bacon, ham slices, biscuits, donuts, coffee, and other drinks. He gratefully ate breakfast there. Zenpig had section hiked the trail in 1997-1998. Hiking the trail does something to people. When they are back home from hiking the trail, they want to do something for all the other people hiking the trail. It seems to create a bond between them and all others who put feet upon the trail. No wonder they call it Trail Magic. After arriving at the legendary Miss Janet's, he was treated to a fabulous meal at the church across the road from the hostel. She and people from all around the area had cooked everything anyone could possibly want to eat. They do this every Easter for hikers. Kind of makes you believe in the humanity of man again. I know that I will sleep better tonight knowing that Mr. Ed is off of that cold mountain and in a warm, safe place. He would have slept on the floor if necessary, but he was able to get a bed. By the way, they fed 72 people today. This is a good time for him to slow down. His equipment needs to be cleaned and maintained. His body needs a rest. He will enjoy the company of many others. He will listen to their stories and tell some of his own. He will slack pack 24 miles tomorrow. That will feel like nothing without his 40 pound pack on his back. After two days, he will leave the hospitality of Miss Janet's and resume his journey. Hopefully, the weather will be warmer. At least he will be fortified with rest and lots of good food. The trail will call again.
Date: 2007-04-09
From: Erwin, Tennessee

To: Chestoa Bridge
Miles today: 24.5

Mr. Ed stayed in a very crowded,but warm and cozy hostel, Miss Janet's. People slept in beds, on couches, and on the floor. At least 16 spent the night and stayed for breakfast this morning. Mr. Ed and three others, were driven to Sam's Gap and slack packed for 24.5 miles. It took them 9 hours. Traveling with Mr. Ed was Footpump(Daniel Zokaites) 22 years old and a VA Tech grad. There was Gulester(Patrick Guley) a 22 year old grad of Notre Dame. Smiley (Mike Rofo') completed the group. He was 26 and a graduate of the University of Florida. Their first big climb was Big Bald. The elevation changed from 3,850 feet to 5,516 feet. It was cold, and they needed to move fast. Big Bald has a 360 degree view of the surrounding area. It has an interesting history. From 1802 to 1834, a man named David Greer lived there in a cave-like structure. Apparently, he was turned down by a woman and could never face society again. He became known as Hog Greer because he lived like one.   A local blacksmith shot him in the back, but was never charged for the shooting. Mr. Ed and his fellow hikers traveled several other ups and downs for the next 9 miles. The rest of the trail was easy. There were several small downhill grades for the next 7 miles. Mr. Ed found it easier on his feet to slowly jog down these grades. The other three men stayed close behind him all day. All three were good hikers.Mr. Ed got in some good-natured teasing due to the fact that Footpump and Gulester wore hiking kilts. He told them that they had better be good hikers to get by with wearing skirts. Before this journey is over, even Mr. Ed might resort to wearing kilts. He has many miles to go and hot weather to face soon. Tonight he is back in Miss Janet's hostel. His feet hurt, but he is getting ready for 20 more miles tomorrow. Hiking without his pack made the miles seem easy. He is feasting on left overs from Easter dinner. Miss Janet's place will be missed once he moves on down the trail.
Date: 2007-04-10
From: Iron Mountain Gap

To: Nolichucky River
Miles today: 19.1

Today, Mr. Ed did a 19.1 mile southbound hike. He started at Iron Mountain Gap and hiked to the Nolichucky River. After a great breakfast of scrambled eggs, biscuits and gravy, and apples with other fruits, orange juice and coffee, he was dropped off to start his hike. He began at 10:00AM. This was the same hike Evil Eye and he did in December. They did the hike in two days back then. Now, 20 miles a day does not seem too bad, especially if you are slack packing.Mr. Ed had Fabian as his companion hiker today. Fabian is well known in this area. Mr. Ed was happy to hike with him, and Fabian seemed happy to be going with Mr. Ed. He seemed to be close to Mr. Ed's age, but wasn't too much into talking. There were several big climbs today. The first was from Little Bald to Unaka Mountain where the elevation is 5,180 feet. There were several more ups and downs.Fabian has over 5,000 miles of hiking experience. He did not worry about leaving the trail. He would leave the trail, but he would be back soon. Yesterday, Mr. Ed spent most of his energy trying to stay ahead of the young hikers. He hates to keep anyone waiting, so he wanted to be at the pick-up place with everyone else. Today, he did not have as much energy, so Fabian ran ahead on much of the trail. He would wait on Mr. Ed to catch up. Fabian made him humble. Mr. Ed did not think that Fabian had been doing much hiking lately, so he had fresh legs. Sometimes, Mr. Ed would get ahead, but Fabian would pass him and take in views while waiting on him. The weather was great for hiking - 50s and t-shirt weather. However, there was still snow on the north side of mountains. There were especially beautiful views on Beauty Spot, elevation 4,437 feet.He saw several patches of ramps in the woods. He didn't think that Fabian knew what they were even after spending so much time in the woods.They met over 30 people on the trail today. Fabian greeted all of them and knew about half of them. He is a popular guy. The last half of the hike was mainly down hill. The trail was rough with lots of rocks and roots. It was hard to make time. It took 9 hours to complete the 19.1 miles. Fabian could have completed alot more miles today, but he waited on Mr. Ed without complaint. He was always happy to see him coming down the trail. Fabian was also happy to see Miss Janet at the end of the hike. After all, he is Miss Janet's dog. He made a great, loyal companion for the day even though he just met Mr. Ed two days ago.One more thing. Mr. Ed got a chance to read some of his guest book today. He wants to thank all the people who write notes to him. He says that he thinks about what people write as he is hiking, and it inspires him to try to do a good job.
Date: 2007-04-11
From: Iron Mountain Gap

To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: overcast clouds

This was Mr. Ed's last morning at Miss Janet's hostel. He had a great breakfast of french toast, bacon, coffee, and juice. He also enjoyed the entertainment provided by Sonny Boy and Deep Sea. Sonny Boy played the banjo while Deep Sea played the violin. They played their version of old time folk and blues. The music was very good.For breakfast, there were Hangman, Pink Panther, Chris, Harmony, Miniscord, Chelsey, Rock Hound, Tondra, Hub Cap, Red Neck, and a few others. Mr. Ed had to wait for the shuttle to Iron Mountain Gap, so he did not get to the trail until 11:00 AM. He planned on an easy day. Boy, was he mistaken. The winds came out of the west at 30-40 mph blowing in a storm. By 3:30 PM, there was rain to go with the wind. After an easy 7 miles, he came to Little Rock Knob, elevation 4,918 feet. This was a good name due to the good rock climbing and nice views from the top. Mr. Ed could look far off and see the storm coming. He made it to Hughes Gap. He met a hiker there who said he was doing a thru hike. He was wearing blue jeans, work boots, and carried a big pack. He also had a big, black dog with him. He asked Mr. Ed if he knew of a camping area north or south from where they were. Since Mr. Ed felt a little uneasy, he decided to walk on to Roan High Shelter. It was only 3.3 miles,and he thought it would be an easy climb. He was wrong. It took him 3 hours to do the 3.3 miles. Roan High Knob Shelter has an elevation of 6,275 feet. He kept climbing and climbing through rain and wind. There were 4-6 inches of snow up there. Now, he had to deal with slick footing due to ice. He would walk two steps and the wind would blow him back one. He thought if he kept climbing, he would soon be above the clouds. Finally, at 7:30 PM, he made Roan Shelter. He had only traveled 12.5 miles, but it was a fight to get there. The rain, snow, wind, and ice had made it a hard day. Mr. Ed was in his sleeping bag by 8:00PM. Thank goodness, the shelter was a cabin. Eight people were staying there that night. Some of them were already asleep, so Mr. Ed did not cook. He ate a Snickers bar and tried to sleep. He thought of the beautiful pine forest he had come through. The trail had well-maintained areas, as well as dangerous rocks to go over. He over heard one college kid say to someone else, "Tell me again why we are doing this."
Date: 2007-04-12
From: Roan High Knob Shelter

To: Apple House Shelter
Miles today: 14.7

Mr. Ed left Roan High Shelter at 7:30 PM. The sky was clear. The storm had blown by, but it was still windy. He walked through tall pine forests. The wind made music in the tops of the pines. There were many beautiful areas and nice views. The next 9 miles crossed several exposed mountains. Dr. Doyle warned him about the dangers of getting caught out in one of these areas in cold weather. If the weather was bad enough, Dr. Doyle said to stay in a shelter and wait until the next day. However, the temperature was around 50-55 degrees. Rain was not a problem. But the wind! Several times the wind blew so hard that it blew Mr. Ed 7-8 feet off the trail. His trekking poles saved him several times.The trail provided several ups and downs. It was hard on his feet. He walked 14.7 miles. That does not seem like much. However, given the terrain and condition of his feet, his body tells him that he has worked hard today. Tonight, he is staying in the Apple House Shelter. Tim is with him. Mr. Ed fixed mashed potatoes in a bag, jerky, peanut butter and crackers. Looking ahead, the elevation seems low. Hopefully, the next few days of miles will not be so hard. He is still enjoying himself, but his body tells him that his first zero day may be coming up soon.
Date: 2007-04-13
From: Apple House Shelter

To: Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: clear sky

Mr. Ed was on the trail by 7:15 today. Only he and one other hiker had spent the night in the shelter. They needed to get out of the wind because it was cold and blowing hard. He crossed Route 19, traveled less than 1/2 mile, and came to a road that he recognized immediately. It was one of the trails Dr. Doyle had taken them on and also the road on which Evil Eye received his trail name. A hiker named White Cloud came from behind him. He was walking fast, but slowed down to walk with Mr. Ed. White Cloud told him that he had walked over 2000 miles of the trail last year, but he could not finish it due to bad weather. This year he is trying it again. He switched into a higher gear and left Mr. Ed. Alone again, he decided to take a blue blaze for 0.2 of a mile to see the Jones Waterfall. It was a nice sight. On down the trail, he met a mountaineer shelter work crew. They were busy building a very nice shelter. One talented worker had carved a bear out of a log using a chain saw. He ate lunch there. Stoneage, Tim, Clay, and Caterpillar were there - all young and in their 20s. Mr. Ed traveled on about three more miles. Finding a lovely spot with temperatures in the 50s and no wind, he found a nice place to lie down and take a 45 minute nap. Sleeping in the woods can be very restful. He awoke refreshed and walked until 6:30 PM. The trail had some small climbs, but nice walking. He arrived at Moreland Gap Shelter where he met 3 hikers close to his age. Mississippi Mule is 64, Fenceman is 62, and KZ is 57. He had walked 18.2 miles and is now at the 403.2 mile marker.
Date: 2007-04-14
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Laurel Fork Lodge
Miles today: 6.1

Mr. Ed left Moreland Gap Shelter by 6:30 AM. He walked with Mississippi Mule, Fenceman, and KZ. The four walked to Dennis Cove Road. Due to stormy weather coming in, they decided to go to Laurel Fork Lodge. Mr. Ed and Mississippi Mule shared a cabin. Fenceman and KZ shared another. They had hiked 6.1 miles today - considered a slack day. Mr. Ed realizes that his body needs some rest. He took a long, hot shower, washed clothes, and took the shuttle into Hampton ,TN. They went to a Thai restaurant for dinner. Hopefully, the weather will cooperate tomorrow and Mr. Ed can make some miles. He hopes to be in Virginia in 2-3 days.
Date: 2007-04-15
From: Laurel Fork Lodge

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: moderate rain

If you combine shrieking wind, torrential rain, blowing snow, and freezing temperatures, you spell MISERY for AT hikers. Today has given Mr. Ed every kind of condition imaginable. Probably due to the system of lows that have taken over the area, his back hurts, his feet hurt, his legs hurt, and his teeth were chattering when he called to update his journal. It was hard to take down his information due to the howling of the wind on the cell phone receiver. It sounded like he was on the deck of an aircraft carrier and jets were taking off every 10 seconds. I had to keep asking him to repeat what he said. It was also hard to hear him in obvious pain and cold. He left Laurel Fork Lodge at 7:30AM in very rainy conditions. Mississippi Mule had decided to slack pack 9 miles for the day. Mr. Ed wanted to try to make some miles on the trail and so struck out on the trail. He passed beautiful Laurel Falls before stopping at Watauga Lake Shelter for lunch. He then had to cross Watuaga Dam. This is an earth-filled dam, very similar to Summersville Dam. This was a TVA dam built in 1948. It displaced almost 75,000 people, but it provided flood control, electricity, jobs, and recreation. A few miles later he encountered Iron Mountain that presented 5 miles of hard climb. It took him 3.5 hours to reach the top. At the bottom, it was raining and windy. He climbed and climbed. Soon, it was snowing and windy. By the time he reached Vandeventer Shelter, there were over 3 inches of snow on the ground. It was cold and in the 20s. This shelter faced the wind. Four other people were there - Clay, Rock Hound, Widow Maker, and KZ(I think). They had tents positioned to try to block the wind. It helped to a degree. However, this was a long, cold, windy night. Mr. Ed had traveled 17.5 miles and is at the 426.8 mile marker.