morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-04-04
From: Amicalola Falls Literally

To: Black Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: clear sky

Goodbyes were tougher than expected. The wind blowing hard and cold. It was even harder to watch my ride drive off as I was left standing there with my backpack on and no where to go but down the trail or should I say up the trail. I headed on following the white blazes for real this time. Going all the way for the end, no day hiking this time, this is for real I'm actually on the trail and doing it! I can't believe it! After all that work and planning I am finally here! I actually get all giddy and excited for the adventure that lies ahead. All the unknown possibilities start right here.The land is quite desolate looking, no leaves on the trees yet, which actually makes for good views. But wait the blazes are blue, thats right I won't actually be on the AT until tomorrow. I am hiking the approach trail to springer mountain and the AT. I make pretty good time or should I say real good time, hiking along on the adrenaline rush of actually being out here, and arrive at Black Gap Shelter by 11:45am, way to early to stop for the day. So I decide to eat a snack/lunch and hike on to Springer Mountain Shelter and the AT. Which is only 1.7 miles farther.I run into a ridge runner named 'Gizmo' who is out here to make sure all the hikers attempting thru-hikes know about leave no trace ethics. I assure he I do, even show him my trowel for digging 'cat' holes. He gives me a sourvenir book of GATC leave no trace matches. I hike on to find I am already at Springer Mtn. and the famous bronze plate marking the start of the AT. The length of trail ahead and the effort/time required to hike it seem insurmountable at this time, but damn I got this bug and I am going to do it anyway. I sign the register hiddden in the stainless steel box in the boulder at the summit of Springer Mtn. I try to think of something profound to write in it, but nothing noteworthy comes to mind. I hike on to Springer Mtn Shelter which I was told by Gizmo, has a an upper sleepoing loft. Hope I can get there early enough to get an upper sleeping spot. Worried by stories of early trail crowding and no space left at shelters I exspect to be lucky to even get a spot in the shelter let alone a spot on the upper level. I arrive at the shelter shortly after 1:00pm, still early but it is too far to next shelter for me to attempt on the first day out, after all I am now ahead of my schedule because I thought I would only get to Black Gap Shelter today. No problem getting a spot in the shelter I am the first one to stop here for the day. Even by 5:00 there were only two of us in the shelter! Where is this crowding I have been hearing so much about? It has been steadily been getting colder all day and as the late afternoon sets in it starts to get even colder.Finally a bunch more hikers start arriving,there ends up being 8 of us here for the night. around 8:00 we all hike back south to the summit of Springer and watch the sunset. Nice way to finish the first night out here. I lay down to go to sleep by 9:00pm.
Date: 2004-04-05
From: Black Gap Shelter

To: Hawk Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: clear sky

Damn it got cold last night, one guy says his thermometer reads in the upper teens my says 20 degrees. My water bag is frozen solid. It was very cold and very windy in the upper level of the shelter. Will stay on lower level from now on. After a hot breakfast of instant oatmeal I am out and hiking by 8:20. Sure don't want to sit around want to get out and get warm by hiking. Even have to put my buff on over my ears to keep them from hurting on the cold. Pass all kinds of hikers going south to the summit of Springer Mtn. Most are hikers starting at forest service road 42 which is .9 miles north of the southern terminus, the closest you can get to the start of the trail without having to hike the 8miles of the approach trail.It's all downhill hiking for about 4 miles which makes the7.4 miles I have to travel easy. I take my first break at 10:30 the wind is still blowing hard from yesturday. I shouldn't complain the cool weather is perfect for hiking. I see surprising few people actually on the trail, which I like, I enjoy the time to myself. I was worried before I left that the trail would be more like a highway jammed with people.It couldn't have been more than an hour after starting off again that I arrived at Hawk Mtn Shelter! Damn I am making good time. Guess I can plan on doing 10+ mile days alot sooner than I expected. The next shelter is another 7 miles, so again I find myself at my destination by lunch time. I get a spot in the shelter while others are around eating lunch, they too find themselves here with alot of hiking time left in the day. By dinner time there are between 20 and 30 people here, 5 in the shelter and tents set up all around. I meet Eric and his son Clay, Amy who is out to train for her 2005 thru-hike and is getting off the trail at Neel's Gap, Kip with a backpacking guitar,Travis, Tim "rooney tunes", alot of others whose names I don't know yet. Even though I stopped early today I am tired and ready to go to sleep by sunset. Day two is now complete and I've gone a whopping 15 miles, doesn't seem like much when you compare it to 2174.1 miles. I'm tired and need sleep but can't sleep all night the adrenaline and excitement fires stoked high from all the fellow hikers meeting and talking to each other all evening. God is everybody wound up! Almost all here have the destination of Maine on their minds.
Date: 2004-04-06
From: Hawk Mtn Shelter

To: Gooch Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: clear sky

Another breakfast of instant oatmeal and I am out and hiking by 8:14am. Quite a bit warmer today after the wind finally died down yesturday. I am even getting sweaty. I heard that the military trains in these woods around here and when I got to a jeep road crossing with army vehicles and personnel set up there I wasn't quite sure I was still on the trail, but across the way was the now familiar white blaze on a tree. I could hear someone snoring as I went by,while two others were talking, both ignored me while I hiked on by. I climb what I think is the first real climb so far and reach the top of Sassafrass Mtn,where I take a break at 10:05am. I check the map and find I am already about half-way to Gooch Mtn Shelter. Find myself making very good time again.So when I come upon a nice creek I take the time to rinse out both of my shirts and my socks. I find my first blister, it is on the outside of my right heel. I put a blister pad on it and hope for the best.I put a wet shirt back on and damn it feels good, very cool and invigorating. Once again on down the trail I go. I am the first one to stop at Gooch Mtn Shelter for the day, yes I could go farther today but not as far as the next shelter 11.9 miles away. That 11.9 miles is the distance I will have to cover tomorrow, which I should beable to cover easily. I eat some tuna fish with mayonaise on crackers and boy is it good! I am finally getting an appetite after not eating much for the last two days. I meet "goosebump" who is out here to finish her thru-hike, she has already hiked south fro Maine to Tenn. and now she is flip flopping, going from Ga to Tenn. She is full of advice and trail information and loves to talk and I am happy to listen. About 12 hikers show up for the night before it is time to sleep. Seems pretty much everybody goes to sleep at sundown and gets up at sunrise.I do need the sleep after not sleeping very good the last two nights and planning a big mileage day for tomorrow. I have now completed 14.7 miles of the AT but have really hiked 20+miles.
Date: 2004-04-07
From: Gooch Mtn Shelter

To: Woods Hole Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Finally slept good after three nights. The shelter was very full, like 12 or more people in it.Goosebump,Sleepy the Arab,rooney tunes,Puckfin, Bernie and Libbie, Eric and clay, Kip and travis are just some of the names I can remember all stayed at or near the shelter last night. I had, would you beleive another instant oatmeal for breakfast with a cup of coffee from another hiker, a first for me, I don't usually drink coffee but it is warm and gives me that shot of caffiene to help me get started in ther morning. Got out and hiking by 8:05 possibly the earliest yet. To make it to Woods Hole Shelter today I will have to hike 11.9 miles plus another .4 miles to get to the shelter, yes it is that far off the AT. That will be almost a mile round trip to the shelter! Quite a long distance for a greehorn like me. I wasn't hiking for more than 20 mins. when Goosebump caught up to me, she already has her trail legs and can do 15+ miles a day easily. Goosebump and I end up leap frogging most of the day. I also run into and meet 'Stickman' a thru-hiker from 98. He says he is on the six year plan, out here to do it again 6 years later. Stop at three different but breaktaking overlooks during the day. I can see Dahlonega to the south, that's where I stayed with my wife the night before starting the trai. I can remember sitting in the Hotel room looking north and seeing this section of the mountains that I would be hiking during the first week. God it makes me glad to be out here. Four of us end up hiking together for the last half of the day Stickman, Puckfin, Goosebump and I and when we get to the side trail that leads to Woods Hole Shelter none of us want to hikr it. We all figure the mileage hiked to and from the shelter would be better spent going on down the trail towards Blood Mtn, which is only 1.7 miles farther. So I have already come 11.9 miles ( a record for me) and now I am going to hike another 1.7 that will make a 13.6 mile day for me. Damn good in my book. And that will be finishing on a mtn. (read hiking uphill) which I have to carry extra water up because there is no water at the top of Blood Mountain. We all arrive at summit and shelter by 4:30. Gososebump decides to go on to Neel's gap, like I said she has her trail legs already, which is 2.4 miles farther. I know I can't go any farther, I have met my limit today and my right knee is sore. Stickman and I had plans to set up our tents on the summit but the storm off in the distance has other ideas. we end up staying in the old c.c.c. constructed stone shelter famous for it resident skunk. No covers for the windows and worried about the wind possibly blowing the rain into the shelter Stickman finds a piece of loose plywood to put up over the window on the storm side of the shelter. "halfmoon" and another hiker show up before we call it a night. The other hiker ends up snoring and weasing all night long so I get no sleep. The good thing though is that it naver rained during the night nor did we see any signs of the skunk.
Date: 2004-04-08
From: Blood Mountain Shelter

To: Neel's Gap, Walasi-Yi
Miles today: 2.4

My knee is still sore from yesturday, so the 2.4 miles to Neel's Gap is all I am going to do today. I am going to take my first "near-o" a low mileage day to rest up my knee. Every morning I get a little more efficient today I am hiking by 7:50 and get to Walasi-Yi by 9:15. I get a room in the hostel for the night and promptly do some shopping in the outfitters. I upgrade my rainjacket for a warmer and unfortunately heavier one, get a pair of crocs for camp shoes (all the experienced hikers have them and they are very light weight),Buy a titanium 'spork' to replace my spoon that is too small, and buy a packstrap bag that will hold my camera convienently within reach for quick access. I learn of a dinner run to the 'Cookie Jar' an AYCE restaurant and sign up for the shuttle to take us there. Meet "Boudreau" a south bounder who is finishing up his hike, an approx.60+ yr old who can stand on his head and shows us in the hostel, and polly. Goosebump,Rooney unes, Burnie, Libby, Travis, Clay, Eric and a host of others, more than 15, all show up for the night at the hostel. Stickman and Puckfin decided to hike on, 2.4 miles just wasn't enough for them to call it quits for the day. I learn of washer machines and I do my laundry, ahhhh clean clothes again atleast for a little while.
Date: 2004-04-09
From: Neel's Gap, Walasi-Yi

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: broken clouds

Another terrible nights sleep,just couldn't go/stay asleep with all the noise going on in the hostel during the night. With 15 plus hikers in the same room there is always someone making noise, soring, or getting up to go to the bathroom, including me. After two poptarts and teary eyed call to my wife Janice (toughest part of trip is having to leave her home) I am ot and hiking by 7:50. Stiif climb right away coming out of Neel's Gap and my knees that I thought I had rested up start hurting again. A burning pain across the tops of both knee caps. I take some Aleve but it has little effect. Looks like I may have to bail out at Whitley Shelter and call it a day after only 6+ miles. I start to slow down and take it easy when Goosebump catches up with me and has some Advil. I find that the Advil works alot better than Aleve taking the sharpness out of the pain. I make it all the way to Low Gap Shelter instead of having to bail out at Whitley thanks to Goosebump and her Advils. What a life saver. Rather than stay in the shelter and probrably not get a good night sleep, which I need very badly, I decide to set up my tent for the first time on the trip. Sleepy the Arab and Goosebump are also close by tenting out. We all sat around the ccamp fire at the shelter someone had made all talking of trail stories. Meet "Traildawg","Dutch", and "Bearbait". Have Macaroni and Cheese for dinner. Thinking of only going to Blue Mtn Shelter tomorrow which id only 7 or so miles away, so I can give my knees a break. In my tent and down to sleep by 9:30.
Date: 2004-04-10
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Blue Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: overcast clouds

My poptarts I have for breakfast were more like crumbcake than poptarts, but eat them I did. Since my knees were hurting yesturday I am going to take it easy today, only going to next shelter 7.2 miles away. Stayed in my tent last night and I deffinately slept alot better than when I am in the shelters. Didn't have to listen to anyone snoring or the constant sound of rustleing nylon. Map profile says it is a relatively flat section today and after taking an early lunch I find myself at Blue Mountain Shelter by 1:10. Bearbait,Rooney Tunes, Traildawg, Goosebump,and Sleepy the Arab all stop by but all hike on down the trail, for this is too short of a day for them. I am not risking the extra distance on my knees, they need a break no matter how hard it is to watch evryone I know hike on past me. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, or so I keep telling myself. A bunch of new faces start showing up before dinner. I meet Thumper, Cassie, Katie, Spencer, and Cliffdancer all have hiked 15 miles today to get here. Even Burnie and Libbie show up after doing 13+miles. Thumper who arrived earlier than most takes it upon herself to move my sleeping pad and sleeping bag over to another free spot so she can take the spot I was at. I can't help to think how rude. She could have taken a free spot on either side of me.I don't say anything, I just go with the flow. Yes I am going to try to sleep in the shelter again. It makes for alot quicker start when you don't have to pack your tent away in the morning. When filling out my journal for the day I realize that tomorrow is Easter. I am finding it harder and harder to remember what day or date it is the longer I am out here,thank god I have a watch with day and date on it. Planning on doing 15 or so miles tomorrow since my knees are feeling good again. I can always bailout at the 7 mile mark at the first shelter. I have now completed my first week of hiking! The days are flying by.
Date: 2004-04-11
From: Blue Mtn Shelter

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

Woke up at sunrise but the sun really isn't shinning it is starting to rain. Had myself a carnation instant breakfast for breakfast and I head out in the rain a little after 8:00. This is the first time it has rained since starting the trail. I reach Tray Mtn Shelter after 7.7 miles of hiking and my knees are feeling pretty good, I eat lunch and decide to go to Deep Gap Shelter another 7.1 miles. My right knee starts to bother me before I reach the shelter but a couple of Advils do wonders and get me the rest of the way there. 14.8 miles! A new personal best! Most the group from last night also make it to this shelter. Get introduced to 'Nutella' by Thumper,a chocolate flavored peanut butter like spread that is very good, has lots of calories for the weight and is something different to have rather than peanutbutter. Shooting for Plumorchard Gap Shelter tomorrow only 7.8 miles away, the next shelter would be another 7.3 miles and I don't want to do two 14 plus mile days in a row. At least not yet....
Date: 2004-04-13
From: Dicks Creek Gap (Hiawassee,Ga.)

To: Plumorchard Gap Shelter
Miles today: 4.3
Weather: light rain

Slept til 7:30 and had the free breakfast provided by the Hiawasse Inn. Then sat around trying to decide weather to try hiking today or not, sure looked alot better outside, no rain and somewhat clear skys. Just can't bring myself to take a 'zero' not after only doing less than 4 miles yesturday. So I took the 10:00 shuttle back to the trail and was hiking by 10:30. I have plans to go to Muskrat Creek Shelter which would put me in North Carolina across my first state line of the trip. But after stopping at Plumorchard Shelter for lunch where I am joined by "pippin"(spencer), "rella", "burnie", Casey and others we all decide to stay here for the night. After all this is a rweally neat shelter is has three levels and a covered picnic table, it is also getting colder by the hour, as we all start seeing each others breath. A bunch of other start showing up, Redbeard,One stick, Onit, Jeremiah (with green hair) among them. I decide to stay on the lower level remembering a very cold first night in the windy rafters of Springer Mtn Shelter. We all sit around talking trail talk waiting for sunset while it just keeps getting colder and colder. 4 of us start a fire which is a real pain to start because of the rain the day before. I have most of my clothes on and find I am still shivering, it is already down to the low 40's. I climb into my sleeping bag to get warm and finally go to sleep after dark.
Date: 2004-04-15
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

Very cold and windy all night. Sure makes it hard to climb out of my sleeping bag, but once you do the only thing on oyur mind is to get hiking to generate some heat to get warm. Another breakfast of Carnation Instant breakfast which just isn't cutting it anymore, I get hungrey again 30 mins later, and a hot chocolate. Plans for leaving early fade as I don't get back on the trail til 9:00, but I am still going to go almost 15 miles today. Even leaving this late I am still the first one out again. I still manage to do the 7.6 miles to Carter Gap Shelter by noon, where I happily stop to eat lunch. I find myself singing while hiking down the trail, helps pass the time, but the song that keeps popping in my head is "Alone Again Naturally" by Gilbert O'sullivan, which brings me to tears, for you see one of the reasons I am out here is to get over several loses that just seemed to overwhelme me emotionally. My father in-law passed away followed by my uncle, then a close family friend, and finally my mother all within a three month period and right before Christmas. Once I get through the morning depression, sorrow and tears I start pounding out the miles almost totally oblivious to the pain in my knees. This has been a reacurring thing since I have started the trail, but I didn't write about it til now. Hiking after lunch brought me to Mooney Gap and the climb up Albert Mtn, and a very steep climb at that, large rocks to climb up and over. I am told that this is just a little sample of what lies ahead in New Hampshire. The climb is well worth the effort because at the top is a firetower. I put my pack down and climb up. I seem to almost fly up the tower without my pack, virtually effortlessly. What an awesome view at the top! I take a picture, but there is no way a camera can catch this view, it is simply wonderful. After hiking just .6 miles more I find myself at my destination for the day Big Spring Shelter for a total of 14.4 miles today. That after doing 12.2 miles in the snow yesturday makes for 26.6 miles in two days! Feelin pretty good too. I set up my tent for he second time of the trip. Travis, kip, and Clay are close by tenting also. Just like last night they make a fire again tonight, I help by gathering some firewood also. We all sit around the fire listening to Kip play his backpacking Guitar, joined by "jollytime", Casey, Katie, and Pippin. I ask Kip if he knows/can play 'Norweigan Wood' by the Beatles, he plays it almost perfectly. What an awesome way to end another wonderful day on the trail.
Date: 2004-04-16
From: Big Spring Shelter

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: few clouds

Slept pretty damn good thanks to deciding to tent camp. Had poptarts and carnation instant for breakfast since the carnation instant just wasn't cutting it anymore. Have my tent packed and ready by 8:00. Planning on a side trip to Rainbow Springs Campground at Wallace Gap to get some supplies to tide me over to the N.O.C. where my first maildrop is waitnig for me. I get to Rock Gap just past Rock Gap Shelter whre there is a women offering to give me breakfast, I actually turn her down, not realizing that this is a trail angle, since I have never experienced this before I just hike on. A little over a mile further is Wallace Gap and the road I need to follow to get to Rainbow Springs Campground. Supposedly a mile down the road, must be the longest mile I have ever hiked, yes I had to hike the whole way, even though I try to hitchhike I never get picked up. Rainbow Springs is rather pricey but I pay for a shower, God it feels great, some supplies, and get a small $7.50 pizza for lunch. Pippin, Casey, Katie, and Jolly Time are already here even though they left after I did this morning, seems they got off at Rock Gap to get here. When I head back out for the trail I get a ride immediately from the first car that comes by. Thank goodness because it is all uphill from the campground to the trail. Once again I find myself behind Pippin, casey, katie and Jolly Time even though they had to do the mile or more between Rock Gap and Wallace Gap they are ahead of me. I come to find out they got back on at Wallace Gap and skipped that section! Only 100 miles into the trip and they are already skipping parts of the trail. That is not the hike I am hiking, to each his own. I arrive to find no one at Siler Bald Shelter by 4:00, make myself dinner of ramon noodles with parkay squueezed in for extra calories. When "Gabbie Art" shows up. A very nice fellow with alot of trail knowledge. He tells me about how Siler Bald has a good camping spot on the summit and that is where he is spending the night, says he even told Pippin, casey, Katie, and Jolly Time! Funny they never told me. I hike on up Siler Bald to Camp on the summit, a very,very steep climb, where I find, you guessed it, The 4 inconsiderate hikers that didn't pass on the word about being able to camp up here. Gabbie Art and I both camp at the very top of Siler Bald where we watch and photogrph my first sunset from a bald mtn. Simply Awesome! I make plans during the night to do some major miles in the next few days to get away from the 4 hikers that are too self serving for me and that I have been stuck with and catch the big group that I have been reading about in the registers ahead of us. I want to find someone more compatible to share this trail experience with. Which unfortunately means I will have to leave Gabbie Art behind. I go to sleep thinking of my kids and wife at home, yes I am a little home sick right now.