morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-03-15
From: Center Gap Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: light rain

March 15, 2005The days here just keep getting better and better. I got a late start out of the shelter this morning and ended up hiking alone most of the day. I saw Whitey, Blackbird, and Terrapin twice for a short time but the rest was solo. With this solo walk came some humorous moments. First off it was not a clear day. It was overcast and 29° when I went to get water and as I am filling my bottle snow starts to fall. So I don my pack cover and rain jacket w/the hood up. When your hood is up it amplifies everything. I am happily hiking along and I hear a loud deep bass thump thump thump. I stop and listen¢¦nothing. I start walking and hear it again and stop to listen and peer through the woods. Bah nothing. I look at the frozen ground and start forward and BAM! My head is forced down and I stagger with a huge screeching noise overwhelming me. I recover and spin around in the swirling snow with adrenaline flowing. I ran into a branch LOL¢¦ a big one. I laughed a little and moved on. I really got into the groove after that I passed Terrapin and Blackbird in an hour and kept going. I wasn¢t trying to rush but I felt good. I went up Mt. Albert and it was great. The last 4- 500 vertical feet were almost straight up. A little rock scrambling and some narrow, steep stairs led to a summit which had a five story tower. I ran into Whitey there and took photos of each other with the amazing view. From there I was off again and only stopped once for lunch (snickers, nutrigrain) and then onto Rock gap Shelter a total of 12.1 miles which puts us 3 miles from Franklin, N.C. for a possible zero day. When I arrived at the shelter Wildchild, a local trail angel, was here and gave me an apple and some peanut butter crackers. Whitey went into Franklin but Terrapin and Blackbird convinced me to stay at the shelter so we could have a full day in town tomorrow. I may go see a movie?. On the *amazing* end to the day four guys from UNC Chapel Hill hauled a lot of food up from the road and made corn, potatoes, and steak for US!! I had a 9 oz. pack of tuna and snickers before they arrived. Then I had a huge steak, 2 baked potatoes, 2 corn on the cobs, sweet tea, and a honey bun. I still have room for more! Anyway these guys were very cool and hung around talking till 8. We thank them soooo much, never ever expected this. That¢s all for now folks, night!                                                No-Legs
Date: 2005-03-16
From: Rock Gap

To: Franklin, NC (Haver Inn) 
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: light rain

March 16, 2005Just a short entry from Franklin, NC at the Haver Inn. I want to start by saying the Hotel proprietors in Hiawassee and Franklin have been awesome. At the Hiawassee Inn Ron shuttled us wherever we needed to go and took good care of us. Here in Franklin, Ronnie of the Haver Inn has been just as gracious. 3 of us in a 2-bed room for $40 is extremely nice. I think a day and a half in town is a bit much though¢¦ I am ready to get back on the trail tomorrow and head towards the NOC and Fontana Dam. So we have almost 5 days until we hit the great Smokey Mountains. Recently in the Smokies four NC students had to be rescued (one had to be airlifted out) while attempting the 70 mile stretch of the trial. They were caught in snow/ice storms and were hiking in cotton clothing. Out here cotton is a thing that will get you in trouble. So remember¢¦ when hiking anywhere, ¢don¢t be that guy¢ and just say no to cotton?. No-Legs
Date: 2005-03-18
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: View Entry
Miles today: 10.5

Terrapin, Blackbird and I started late this morning. We had a nice breakfast at teh B & D Diner and then passed on the 9am shuttle so we could get our gear together and let breakfast settle.   In the end we did not start til noon but made good miles as we stopped at a campsite past Wayah Bald (10.5 miles ) at 6pm. Today was a decent up and down day. We started at Winding Stair Gap at 3750 ft. elevation then went up Siler Bald, 4940 ft., then dropped back down to 4150 in Wayah Gap and then the big jump up to Wayah Balf at 5340. My feet feel beaten after all the steep ups on rocks and roots, not to mention the day and a half off. We decided next time to just just leave town the next day. Even a short time like that leaves me feeling soft and out of the zone. All the ups and downs were worth it as Wayah Blad has the best views I have seen yet. There is also a stone tower we went up but the views were comparable. Anyway I'm off to sleep. We want to do 11 miles tomorrow and make Wesser Bald Shelter early.
Date: 2005-03-19
To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: scattered clouds

What a day. 17 miles from teh campsite to Nantahala Outdoor Center. We dropped from 5200 to 1700 elevation in those 17 miles. We made great time, probably the best so far. We started at 9am amd made 9 miles by 1pm. Seeing the pace we were at we decided to do the 16.7 to Rufus A Morgan Shelter, just shy of the NOC. From the way the data book is laid out I thought we were going to drop straight into NOC but that was a naive thought. We went up and down and all around. We topped Copperidge Bald then dropped down to Tellico Gap and then back up to Wesser Bald where we had great views from a firetower. We headed down to Wesser Bald Shelter and stopped to read the register. When we loaded back up I felt a twinge in my left ankle up through my calf which was weird. It went away shortly but after a few miles my right ankle started tightening up. Before long I could not put much weight on it, which of course sucks with 30 pounds on my back. I told Terrapin to go ahead and then slowed down. That did not do the trick at all. I hobbled 5 miles into NOC trying to ignore the pain and somehow pulled into port 45 minutes behind Terrapin. We went down to the cafe and had burgers, salad and a blackberry cobbler which was great. My ankle is still locked up so I am taking a zero day tomorrow for sure. I don't want to push it and risk doing something serious to it. I can not say I am happy about another zero day. We were supposed to cruise through to Fontana Dam without stopping here . The odd thing is today when I was hobbling along I stopped in the woods alone and sat back listening to the silence. It dawned on me that 15 days into the journey and I have focused on miles and destinations instead of the dreams of walking through the woods and reading a book on a mountain top in the sun. It is definitely tough to hold that focus. I like the people I hike around so straggling behind is not my favorite idea, The chill in the mountains so far has forced my reading to be in a warm sleeping bag at night. I will reevaluate my anle tomorrow and look at the reason I am hiking.
Date: 2005-03-20
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I took a zero day to rest my ankle and shared a hostel room with Terrapin, Backcountry Dave, Traction, Diesel and Chino. We had a good time bs'ing and having a few beers. My ankle is feeling better so I plan on continuing tomorrow.
Date: 2005-03-21
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: broken clouds

I started late as usual, so around 9-930am. Terrapin and the rest were already gone when I returned from eating eggs, hashbrowns and bacon. The great thing is that I felt good, good, good. The climb out of NOC is the climb we have been dreading. All the profile maps and data books make it look bad but it was a piece of cake . I made the 7 miles to Sassafrass Shelter quickly and saw Terrapin's note in the register that I should catch up to him. After that I shot straight up Cheoah Bald. The path must have been cleared by a fan of rappelling because it seemed like a hand over hand climb. The views were excellent though with a vista on both sides of the summit. I could see the Great Smokie Mountains all day and I am a tad excited to be getting close. Right now from Brown Fork Gap Shelter I am only 11 miles from Fontana Dam and the border of the Smokies. Tommorrow is the day! Before I go on...one quick complaint. At 6/10 of a milebefore this shelter is an unnamed hill coming out of Sweetwater Gap. It puts the Cheoah Bald AND Wildcat Mt.(Georgia) climbs to shame. I knew I was close to the shelter but for what seemed like a mile this hill went up and up and up. The path was six inches of dead leaves so I could not get traction with my boots and it came down to my Leki's(hiking poles) to pull me up. I would go a hundred feet and then hang onto a tree for a few seconds. Chino and Backcountry Dave concur that is was hideous and they even enjoy doing uphills more than downhill hiking (sick bastards). So Terrapin did not come in to the shelter. He left NOC an hour ahead of me and now it is dark so I am a tad worried. I do not see how I could have passed him and the next shelter is 6 miles ahead which would make for a 23 mile day. Bah I don't know why I'm worried. He'll pop into Fontana tomorrow I'm sure. Night all.P.S. It was finally warm today and very nice tonight
Date: 2005-03-22
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Hilton Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was anice easy day compared to the recent 16 and 17 mile days. Oddly enough the soles of my feet are screaming...may have been all the the rock and boulder hopping. There was a nice blowdown that forced me to remove my pack and crawl under the downed tree. There have been a lot of blowdowns lately on the trail. Coming into NOC the other day there was a 10-15 section of the trail that washed away, trees and all. That was a tricky, muddy endeavor in crossing. So I arrived at the Fontana Village Outfitter after a nice gentleman gave me a ride. I had already walked a mile up the road so it was a nice reprieve. I bought 6 days of food for the Smokies which weighs a ton and then we all (Chino, Diesel, Backcountry Dave) shutled back to the trail and walked the remaining 1.1 miles to the Fontana Hilton Shelter. Still haven't seen Terrapin so I hope he is ok. Another guy came in from NOC and said he had not seen Terrapin during his hike either. So tomorrow morning I am into bear country alone. My first rule will be food bag on the top of my pack and if a bear charges I will throw 14 pounds of food at it. Take that!! I also ripped my thermarest today at some point. This is a critical piece of gear as it keeps me off the freezing ground. Diesel loaned me his superglue which I supplemented with duck tape and now it seems to be holding air. The sky is clear now and the moon is almost full...that thing will make your tent glow. A nice illumination with shadows of trees swaying. Much better than the rain we had hiking to the shelter. Well I am going to watch the stars. Sorry my journal is so scattered. Just hard to remember everything I want to write so it goes in willy-nilly.
Date: 2005-03-23
From: Fontana Hilton Shelter

To: Mollies Rige Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: light rain

Today was the day of doubt. I woke up pretty early and stared at the Smokies across the lake as I packed. Last night we endured a nice storm that shook the shelter at times. One of the episodes of thunder and lightning sounded like it was right above the roof. We had clear skies for the AM though. The same crew as the night before was in the shelter except for one addition with a dog. We know this person from NIC and let me say his dog is nice. I wouldn't mention him if he hadn't pissed me off and set the tone for my worst day. I have to admit I have been nervous about the thought of the bears in the Smokies even if it is a mostly silly fear. Several of the guys have dealth with bears so I covered my bases and asked the required questions to keep myself safe in case I ran into one. This guy starts talking smack (just for the record the dog is quiet and polite while the guy yaps and yaps) and I told him to get bent(thats the nice version). So I left in a bad mood which turned for the worse. It isn't really all this guys fault though. My legs just felt like jelly. 3 miles in and I was ready to turn around. In my mind I was writing my thru-hike's obituary. I decided I couldn't do it and was figuring out where I could get off the trail. My mind was NOT right. I tried everything I could to turn it around and finally about 4 miles fromt he shelter I just gave myself the necessary mental biotch-slap. Why was I freaking out and being an idiot? No apparent physical problems and thisis my shortest day in over a week. Finally I got it together and hopefully I can keep it together. I misssed some great photos because I was in this silly funk. First day in the Smokies and I only took photos of the Fontana Dam, which consequently is the highest dam east of the MIssissippi. I ate a lot of my packweight today which was good. 2 Snickers, 2 granola bar, poptarts, 4 tortilla/cheese/bologna sandwhiches. Maybe 2 pounds of food or so? Thanks to the lady at the Fontana Outfitter I had mustard packets for my sammiches Backcountry Dave had Tequila in his bouncebox so I had a chance to taste his "Backcountry Tequila Sunrise" lol. It was very good and he said he would put the recipe on Whiteblaze.net. Blackbird showed up late but saw Terrapin in Fontana which is cool. Tomorrow is a new day (aka no massive elevation changes so I think I will be in a better mood. Last tidbit...for the past three days I have had the following song stuck in my head and its HORRIBLE!Glory, glory, Maine's a hell of a ways to hikeGlory, glory, Maine's a HELL OF A WAYS TO HIKE!Glory, glory, Maine's a hell of a ways to hikeI ain't gonna hike no more (today)Someone shoot me?
Date: 2005-03-24
From: Mollies Rige Shelter

To: Derrick's Knob Shleter
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Tonight I am in Derrick's Knob Shelter. So this one is for Derrick at work...totally enjoy the knob dude. Great work. Ankle kicked my butt all day so I paced slowly along. Around 3 miles in the hike it just started locking up. I walked through it though and it was probably the best day yet. First it was Little Bald which was basically a pasture at five thousand feet. It was lined with trees and rhodos. Hard to describe but it was awesome. I pushed on the Rocky Top which was even more amazing. If you faced south and pan to the east and west there is absolutely nothing higher than you. To the north I could see what appeared to be Clingmans Dome which is the highest peak on the AT at 6643 feet and could be the agenda for tomorrow. If my ankle still cranked tomorrow I plan to hobble short of it and summit the next day and procees to Gatlinburg, Tn. for some ankle R&R. Backcountry Dave said Dollywood is in Gatlinburg so there are at least two mountains in the town lol. Anyway I can't wait to show the pictures from today. Off to read. 185.8 miles so far. - No Legs
Date: 2005-04-06
From: Mollies Rige Shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I hate this entry...or at least having to do it. I am writing it from work and have been back home for over a week. I spent 2-3 days hiking the Smokies on an ankle that redeveloped a problem. When I reached Clingman's Dome I knew it was time to rest. I had little range of motion in my ankle, popping noises were emanating from the area and my shin was swollen noticeably. I spent 3 days in Gatlinburg icing my leg in general and popping ibuprofen with little result. In the end I opted out and flew out of Knoxville back to Dallas. I thought that in that time I would come to accept that the trail got me...that it was over. Now at 10 days after I have come off the trail I find there is no damage to my ankle or leg and it feels fine. I know I could not spend another 10 days in Gatlinburg but I feel slightly ripped off...a little let down. I do value the opportunity I have had. I value the experiences out there and definitely the people I met. It's hard to describe the feeling of knowing I am not heading back out of town and to keep this positive since I want to go back out. Some day I will give it another go and will remember the mottos: Go slow!You are in no hurry.Slow and steady.To those that are still out there...HYOH =)Don't let it go too easily or you will regret it.Word to Terrapin, Phoenix, Blackbird, Backcountry Dave and all the great people I met.I will fill in the last 3 or 4 days of journal entries just to finish things out but I will be following all the other people out there and maybe some time in the future I can restart my journal on Springer Mountain.Disappointed but alive,Eric aka "No Legs"
Date: 2005-01-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I am starting northbound on February 1, looking to finish anywhere between 5 and 7 months (best guess: 5-6 months). I am not in a special hurry.Why am I going? Many reasons; here are some of them:(1) I love the outdoors and walking. Whenever I walk for a few hours, even in a very familiar area, I invariably see or experience something interesting.(2) I am not married and have no children, so I am very unencumbered.(3) I have been working from home for the last 4 years (maybe more on that later), so I don't have employer or career issues right now. (4) I am looking for a major change in my day-to-day activities for a while, and whatever adventures arise from that change.(5) I have been living in the same apartment for over 10 years and want to move. My sister Su is storing a few things for me - photos, papers, some clothes, and other items I don't want to lose. My cousin Gregg took some of the things I didn't want to keep, helped me move a lot more into storage, and has kindly offered to store my car. (Thank you both!) I get to choose a new place to live later. (6) I want to get into the best shape of my life, and I think 6 months of strenous walking / hiking will do it.
Date: 2005-01-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Training:2004 was a good year for that, following a not-so-hot 2003. From the end of 2003 I have been fairly consistently walking or running at least 3 or 4 weekdays, with longer walks on the weekend. By early October 2004 I was up to 20+ mile Saturday and Sunday walks, many times back-to-back. The longest I walked was 26 miles in early December, with no ill effects: the next day I felt the same as usual. Mind you, this is on flat, sea-level terrain (central NJ), with a day pack at most, so it's obviously much different than Appalachian trail hiking. But walking 4-6 hours non-stop is very good for getting your muscles and feet accustomed to continuous use. I switched to weekday running in the fall (I've been an off-and-on runner for years), and my usual run is now about 6 miles. I go rain or shine, heat or cold, as I did when I was trying to build up my walking endurance. One time it rained fairly hard and continuously for the first 18 miles, with the banks of the nearby Raritan River close to overflowing; yet, you work with what you have, and that's what I had that day.
Date: 2005-01-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I camped out last night in the backyard because it was forecast to go down to 5 degrees Fahrenheit overnight and I wanted to make sure I was satisfied with my sleeping arrangements at those temperatures. I was. It may not have gotten down all the way to 5; it was 8 when I got up at 4:45AM today. New Jersey's record low for January is -16 (set January 22, 1984), so I'm not really pushing the envelope here - that's another 24 degrees lower!
Date: 2005-01-25
To: T-6 days and counting
Miles today: 0.0

Six more days and I'm on my way.I got a bit of "cross-training" in during the last few days as we got a decent amount of snow, leading to some good snow-shovelling sessions. On my jog tonight I was motivated to sprinkle in some sprints by those homeowners with unshovelled sidewalks; the deep snow there forced me out onto the road, and I then picked up the pace to minimize the time I had to spend out with the traffic. I had a few snafus with automatic electronic bill payments that weren't working as expected, and address changes that didn't "take."   I think they are straightened out now.I'll be packing up my PC in two days, and after that my updates will be coming from PCs in public libraries along the way (hopefully!)
Date: 2005-02-03
To: Gooch Mountain Shelter - 14.9 miles so far
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Ice chunksOn the initial part of hike up the Approach Trail on Tuesday, 2/1, I had a warm sunny afternoon, and saw a group of turkey vultures perching and soaring off the side of the trail. (Note: I plan to add LOTS of pictures to this journal. I can't do it just yet as the first internet connection I have found is a slow dial-up connection on an old PC, with no USB capability.) As it warmed up, chunks of ice started falling from the trees, as often as every 30 seconds, with many making near misses of me, and lots of loud crashes in the forest. That night I camped just short of Springer Mountain and freezing rain moved in, and I awoke to 3-4 pounds of ice that I needed to shake and break off of my tent (or else I had to carry it!) The trail was strewn with icy chunks and many downed trees and branches. I couldn't penetrate some of them and had to bushwhack around them. A makeshift hiking stick I had picked up to help me out became glazed over with ice everywhere except where I was holding it. I fell 5 times that first full day (day 2 of my hike). I put on my new pair of Yak Traks to help with the ice, but they kept slipping off my boots. The closest calls I had with the ice chunks were two that hit my shoulders and one that just grazed my nose. The next day I caught on to the pattern. What has happening was that ice would freeze on the branches overnight or in the early morning, then it would warm up into the 40's and the ice would start to melt. A strong gust of wind would come along and flex one of the branches, break off some ice, which would then break into smaller pieces as it hit other branches on the way down. It would be like a mini hailstorm, except that some of the chunks were big enough to do real damage if they scored a direct hit. (I imagined that a person could be knocked unconcious by a large one.) What I started doing when I heard a big gust of wind coming in was to bend forward and cover my head with my hands, and let the pattern went out. I had trouble finding the trail in some places because the ice glaze on the trees obscured some of the blazes, there was enough ice and downed branches and trees that the trail didn't look much different from the forest, and because there was some fog at times as well.After meeting one man coming down the Approach Trail just as I was starting, I saw no one else for 3 days. On Friday, 2/4, the sky finally cleared early in the morning. I met a couple about noon, and I asked them about their experience with the ice chunks. The woman said that she had bruises from them and that she wished she had had a helmet!I fell only 2 times the second ice day, and haven't fallen in the 10 days since.