morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-03-25
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: clear sky

Last night Rock Hound gave the shelter and excellent bedtime story- Mark Twain's short humorous story abuot Adam and Eve. The dude's got some talent- did the boices and really told the story well. Everyone was under the spell. I'll remember that night. Weather still holding, though chilly. Time to descend from the ridge tomorrow- done w/ the Smoky Mountains!
Date: 2013-10-09
From: pearisburg, va

To: woods hole hostel
Miles today: 10.4

Picking up mail and doing a frustratingly short mile day. Hope to get to the hostel early to socialize. Don't need hostel services really but this is supposed to be one of the best on the trail. Actually the next few days will be a mix of 10 (too low) or 22 (potentially too high) mile days and really inconvenient resupply points. There's probably a good way to even it out by slackpacking or getting picked up/dropped off at some dirt road somewhere but I don't want to trouble the hostel owners.
Date: 2003-03-26
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: light rain

3,000 ft. drop in elevation really making my right knee scream. With Rabbit, Rock Hound, Fiver Thinmint & 3 Sock walked 1.3 m down a winding dirt road, past a llama farm, to Mountain Mama's Kuntry Kitchen & Bunkhouse for the best cheeseburgers this side of the Mason Dixon line. With my knee hurting and a hostel beconing, I decided to stop. Unfortuantely that meant a split with Rabbit since he was hiking on to the next shelter. Hopefully I'll catch up soon. Standing Bear Farm rocks. There's a teepee in the front yard, a little cabin over a gurgling creek, a bunk house, a cooking area with a boombox, and a laundry & internet hut (really bad connection). The first thing I did was split some wood for fun. Then Curtis, who runs the hostel and lives on the farm, rolled up in an old Bronco (right out of "Deliverance"). Think the Dude from the Big Lebowsky with a Tennessee accent and a 5 year plan. He took us for a pizza & package run and would only accept a 6 pack of Natural Ice for gas money. When we got back he told us about moonshine making and living the life of the Dude e.g. the last place he lived it was so secluded that he's mow the lawn in nothing but his boots then hop in the creek, which he dammed up for the purpose, with a few Natural Ices.
Date: 2003-03-27
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: clear sky

Excellent views from the some bald mountains, notably Max Patch. All along the trail I'm noticiing seas of tiny white wildflowers popping out of the dead leaves. Saw a yellow and black centipede ~ 3 in long on the trail. Found a severed section of deer spinal column; odd. Rock Hound told a side splitting story he made up in celebration of entering Hot Springs tomorrow, which is the first real "trail town". It was titled something like "The Platypus Murder Mystery, dum dum dummmm, told by Detective Rock Hound- that's R as in rododendron and H as in halatosis". We were the characters and inside jokes were the punch lines- couldn't do it justice trying to capture it in writing.
Date: 2003-03-28
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: broken clouds

First "real" trail town. Staying at "Elmer's Sunnybank Inn, a beautiful historical Victorian house. Elmer, who used to be a chaplain at Duke, runs the house as an inn and keeps it kept up. Shared a room with Rock Hound. Main Street is a stone throw long- Elmer's and the diner at one end, PO in the middle, and a pub and outfitter no the other side. The Sunnybank Inn is a neat house- music room (with a rack full of ridiculous hats), sitting room, 2 dining rooms & a kitchen downsairs, 2 staircases, study & about 6 bedrooms upstairs. At night we (Rock Hound, Fiver, Thin Mint, 3 Sock & I) went to the Paddler's Pub (the only pub in town) for to listen to a local jam session and get some restaurant food. I was feeling, what's the word, fey, so I brought a rather loud orange and blue cat in the hat hat to the pub. I pulled it out of my pocket and modeled it to the rest of the table. You get a few looks with a scraggly beard, long hair & a cat in the hat hat in a place like the Paddler's Pub. The music was excellent- all told there were about 11 pieces just picking up tunes and running with them, improvising and plain jamming: banjos, mandolins, guitars, fiddles, and even an upright bass. But alas it was past our usual hour of sleep (down with the sun) and I dozed off. When I woke up I explained to Rock Hound that being able to doze without people knowing if you're awake or not is another virtue of the hat. He surpressed a smile with minimal effect and said, "Your hat's on the table in front of you." And it was.
Date: 2013-10-19
From: damascus, VA

To: damascus, VA
Miles today: 1.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Zero day in damascus, trail days headquarters in april, quieter now but a big sobo bubble is exciting after being so quiet out in the woods. Darryl and a nobo named tommy twotoes showed up at 1am. The whole bubble is now them, radar, nightwalker, cosmonaut, bearbell, poppabear, oz, globe, claire, and myself. A busload of loud church kids showed up at 2am. Theplace is really big, a little hard to sleep. Town wifi signal is really flaky and there hasn't been cell service in a week. Sorry for the weak updates on TJ but did upload a good chunk of pictures to tumblr.
Date: 2003-03-29
From: Hot Springs

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

A "Zero Day" is a day on which one does not hike any of the trail; this was the first official "0-Day" of my hike. However, 0-day does not mean that you relax and do nothing for the day. I managed to spend the day running circles around the one horse town doing laundry, shopping, hitting the library for a half hour before it closed, popping into the outfitter 23 times, and generally making like one of those "Family Circus" cartoons with the longest possible route maps laid out.
Date: 2003-03-30
From: Hot Springs

To: Spring Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light snow

Walked in our first snow storm of the trail! The trail was largely obstructed by weighed down trees so I had fun taking turns with the gang clearing the trail, and earning the nickname "the Goat" which came up over dinner last night. At Elmer's, at every dinner a question is put out- last night's was, "If you had to be another animal, what would it be?" Platypus was taken. Plus, my horoscope sign and year of birth are both the goat. Oh, and one of my goals on the trail is to headbutt a mouse then have it stuffed while posing like a grissly bear and put it on my mantle, when I have a mantle. The drifts on the trail got knee deep in places and breaking trail was a good workout. But the thing about snow is that it gets you wet, which is a problem when you stop. We all immediately jumped in out bags at the shelter and made room for an elderly couple, Mama Lipton and Flatlander, when they rolled in late.
Date: 2013-10-25
From: overmountain shelter

To: greasy creek friendly
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Had a great night in the overmountain barn's hay loft, listening to the snow come down and hiding in my new 0*F down bag that was a lifesaver since my old bag wasn't working below 40*F. Temps got down around 10*F last night.Got an early start, headed over Carver's Gap which had about 1" of snow, and Roan High Knob, the highest elevation shelter on the trail. Daytime temps were 20*F. Hoofed it to get to a hostel that shuts down at sunset for the sabbath, she's letting us crash on the floor in front of the stove since the temps tonite are supposed to be in the teens. My cell phone was destroyed by ice last night.
Date: 2003-03-31
From: Spring Mtn Shelter

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: overcast clouds

More walking in the snow and being wet, but it is noticably warmer today. Hopefully the snow will melt soon. Had a few views of the lower lands today- green and probably warm and dry. Afraid nobody will believe the weather we get up here when down off the ridge it is so much warmer and they get so much less precipitation. At the shelter met Siesta again and Lune Air (musician who graduated Indiana U); Lune Air was using powdered drink mix to make sno-cones.
Date: 2013-10-26
From: greasy creek friendly

To: curley maple gap
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: clear sky

Fantastic warm night watching bagger vance and chatting at greasy creek friendly. Hard to leave in the morning but we knew we had to pull about a 3 mph pace til rundown to make it to the shelter. Fortunately the ground was frozen hard so our boots stayed pretty dry for once. Mine are coming apart already/again.Hiked over Unaka mtn which was a dense spruce forest that was utterly silent. There was still some snow but otherwise the forest floor was dense moss and spruce needles. The smell and feel was phenomenal. Just sat down in a little patch of sunlight and breathed for a while.Passed an unusually large group of about 50 asian dayhikers with what seemed like guides. Also passed two deer hunters who had set up ON the AT overlooking a long stretch of switchbacks near red fork rd. Had to hike right thru their intended "range" for several minutes. Apparently this was intentional too since poppabear saw the same pair in the same place a half hour later.Made it to the shelter where two couples already had a fire going and immediately offered me trail magic. Turns out the two guys had thruhiked in 2003 and they were coming out for their ten year reunion. One of them, Wildcat, was a triple crown- one of the brave few that have hiked the PCT, AT, and the CDT. Had a great time talking with them, hopefully we might run into them in the smokies too and get some more stories.
Date: 2003-04-01
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

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

Bummed out a bit- walking in this snow has made me lose a full day off my plan which means that I'm out of food and will have to try to hitch in at Sams Gap tomorrow. The shelter is really messy- a Boy Scout Troop (normally god-sends who feed thru-hikers extra food which, "being prepared," they always have) had apparrently left a mess or missed loads of garbage in the snow drifts. On the up side, the snow is melting quickly and it was warm enough in the sun to dry our pruned feet out.
Date: 2013-10-27
From: curley maple gap

To: uncle johnnys nolichucky
Miles today: 4.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Wasn't nearly as cold as previous nights, maybe only 35* so I think the freak cold snap is over. Realized last night that I had forgotten my air mattress at greasy creek so spent the night on the floor of the shelter. Didn't realize how effective it was until it was gone. Wildcats mouse traps baited with peanut butter caught at least two mice so I had a blissfully quiet night. Might have to start packing out traps.Needed to resupply, get my mattress back, and find a new phone so headed into Erwin, TN hoping to find some way to do all that without a car. Rented a bike from uncle johnnys, and Connie from greasy creek VERY graciously agreed to meet me in town for lunch which saved me a $50 shuttle, all day hitch headache to get back to the other side of the mountain, or another $20 zero at uncle Johnny's waiting for another sobo hiker to ferry it. We went to an amazing ayce buffet called golden corral and ate too much. Then wandered around walmarts and T-Mobile stores which were all fairly unhelpful but finally got what we needed. Gave Connie another big hug goodbye and hopped on my rental bike to ride the 8 miles back to uncle johnnys. The chain broke immediately. Spent some frustrating hours pedaling, fixing, smashing fingers, and walking back with groceries in tow.Girls in this town seem to like my haircut. Got like three compliments today. If they only knew how easy of a kill I would be right now. =/So anyway, I have a new phone and will try to update more. I'm excited and a little nervous about how many people are reading this now so I'm trying to do a better job. Its difficult to find the hour or two it takes to update, you'd think I had all the time in the world but there never seems to be time with so many interesting people around each night that you'll likely never see again, but they feel like old friends almost from the moment you meet.
Date: 2003-04-02
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: clear sky

Food is a morale booster. I'm just starting to appreciate that. Walked down a few miles to a diner at the gap after not getting a hitch. Saw Thin Mint & 3 Sock drive by in some tiny two seater hatchback with their packs sticking out and them piled on one seat. Stopped at Lyle & Diane's diner- great place. Had 2 full breakfasts (washed down with root beer) then the waiter was nice enough to drive us 6 miles to the nearest grocery store (the one listed in my Wingfoot guide book closed this year). Really nice place and folks- it needs to get in the guide books. The day was warm with clear skies. Walked over some beautiful bald mountains in bit of mud but only a little snow. Fixy, a really nice retired guy who we've been leap frogging with, was at the shelter before us. He told us about hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) and Mt. McKinley in Alaska. Tree, who I've also been leap frogging with since the Smoky Mtns., rolled in late and pitched his tent.
Date: 2013-10-28
From: uncle johnnys nolichucky

To: bald mtn shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: broken clouds

Rain let up about 10 am, headed up heart attack ridge, got some nice views back into Erwin. Passed a couple groups of northbound day hikers. Thought it would take less time but by mile 15 or so it was dark. Came to a spring that wasn't in the guidebook, and thought it was the "spring on the way to the shelter" so spent half an hour bushwhacking and even calling out into the dark trying to find the missing shelter. Hiked up a quarter mile further, didn't see the shelter, hiked back down to the spring and looked around in confusion. Finally gave up and decided to just walk until I couldn't keep going. Of course, a half mile down the trail again there was the correct shelter and spring. the shelter had a winter tarp covering the 4th wall and it made me worry about poppabear out in the dark behind me dealing with the cold and soon rain without a tent. There was a previous thruhiker named Trouble up reading inside, we talked for a while, really great guy.
Date: 2003-04-03
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: clear sky

Erwin, Tennessee. This town hung an elephant. I kid you not- in the 1920's a circus elephant went wild and trampled a child. So the logic in these parts dictated that it had to swing. Of course, they were practical about it... an elephant can't swing from the gallows. So they strung the paciderm up from a crane. After some debate ("What should we do with this here elephant Hank?" "Well, it done killed somebody. What is it we do with killers?" "We let them swing until their faces turn blue and their little flailing legs stop a kickin is what we do, Hank." "Then I reckon that big critter's gotta swing one way or another. You know the Good Book did say 'Thou shalt not kill.'" "That it did, Hank.") and calculations ("Think this here chain will hold up that thar big critter, Hank?" "I'd a reckon." "Alright then.") they hung the elephant. Unfortunately, the calculations were a hair off and the elephant took two more hangings before it was good and dead. Dead as a coffin nail. Anyhow, we all stayed at Miss Janet's House (a hostel run out of, well, Miss Janet's house). Since this town was reported to have Mexican food, it was my turn to make up "The Erwin Burrito Story", which in short involved Jose Cuervo, St. Patrick, the Blight Worm, and an ocean liner. Oh, and of course Tommyknockers and the Mountain King. Took a ride with a schitzophrenic dude named Wind Gypsy. Scariest thing was that I was on the wavelength with this guy and was getting all of his allusions- I'm not saying that I agreed with him that Bill Clinton wanted him dead to steal his patents and collect life insurance, but I understood how he could see things that way; the logic of his world.
Date: 2013-10-29
From: bald mtn shelter

To: flint mtn shslter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: clear sky

Got up early to the sounds of hunting hounds chasing things. Two came into the shelter to check for bears and see what the smells were about. Got up on big bald for a great 360* view. Naturalists had set up bird nets to catch tag and release for studying the migrating birds and raptors. Crossed some more section hikers who warned there was no water. Immediately ran into 3 good springs. Cameled up anyway which was good since it was a dry ridge the rest of the day.Came to a large freeway crossing and had a pair of beautiful ladies pull up in their car and offer me a cold beverage. Was surprised and delighted at the randomness. Turns out it was littlesas, a nobo thruhiker I had passed somewhere in new Hampshire, but we knew many of the same people. And her daughter Socks who had thruhiked the year before. They were headed across the valley to sectionhike because lilsas couldn't get enough of the trail and to see some of the fall color the nobos usually miss out on. Met lilsas a few miles later on the trail, had a great conversation that could easily have gone on but we were worried about light. We exchanged information and hugged goodbye. Was sad Socks wasn't with her, something about her eyes and the way she looked at me with the knowing thruhiker smile had struck me in the moments we were chatting back on the road.Empty shelter when I arrived right at dark, had mice that stole my cheese without setting off the mousetrap left in the shelter, and a little rain, wondering where poppabear is.
Date: 2003-04-04
From: VA

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Late start and short miles. Tented with the gang (Rock Hound, Thin Mint, 3 Sock, Beef Stick) and Fixy. We thought the shelter would be full; somehow, Mama Lipton and Flatlander (the old couple we bunked with the first night of the snow) passed us and arrived in town before us and were on their way out as we were coming in. Theories are starting to ferment- my favorite so far is rocket packs. Fiver has moved on ahead, putting in a few more miles a day. This is my first time using my tarp and overnight rain was in the forecast. Two interesting things happened during the night: 1) we have apparrently decided to tent in the middle of a turkey orgy ground- there must have been a score of gobblers making a racket all night, until the thunder storms rolled in 2) thunder storms pouring really hard but I stayed bone dry under my smartly pitched tarp.
Date: 2013-10-30
From: flint mtn shslter

To: spring mtn shelter
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Got up and going early to try and knock out a solid day without running into the ever earlier darkness. Staying in camps alone is always hard in the morning with worries about things out of my control. My new phone has an FM radio so I've been listening to the local stations out of Knoxville for some new music and distraction.long ridge walk and big descent and ascent.found out via fb that poppabear had decided to quit. Quickly texted him and told him if he wanted to stay we'd buddy up and push thru the last 3 weeks. Hoping he comes back.Passed a family of bears and a couple more solo bears in the fading light, lots of activity. Got to camp around dark again and met a great couple who'd met on the trail and were taking time out to hike a short section. They really liked the stories and conversation, didn't feel like I was intruding or third wheeling, just good company. She was worried about the bears and I assured them the mice were the only thing to fear. The mice had climbed into the gap between an old metal roof and a new one and were rolling nuts around in there the whole time we talked. Couldn't sleep when the time came the mice were over the top. One came down the mouse trapeeze and tried to get into my pack, I reached up, snatched it by the back hips, and tried to break its neck. It bit my thumb and drew a good bit of blood. I ended up debriding the skin a little before finally figuring out where its neck was and killing it. Tried to clean up the mess with a bunch of hand sanitizer and Neosporin. Went to bed satisfied the noise would stop. Almost immediately another one dropped into the couples' pack. I hopped up, tried to quietly go over, and grabbed the second one as it jumped out, catching it by the tail and spiking it on the floor like a football so it wouldn't bite me. Felt very satisfied. Another hand sanitizer bath and back to bed. Immediately with the nuts in the ceiling again. Gave up and buried my head. So buying a fleet of mousetraps when I get to hot springs.
Date: 2013-10-31
From: spring mtn shelter

To: hot springs, nc
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Got up early and showed off my small collection of deadmau5es. The couple was amused and even found it funny how I'd played ninja warrior all night and not even woken them. Heard back from poppa saying he was getting back on and would get a ride to town to meet me. Put on my stupid witch costume and hat from Damascus and headed to town. Several people have told me hot springs is one of the best trail towns or their favorite so I'm really excited to get there. Great hike down, lots of rocking out and dancing down the trail. Came to a spot called lovers leap which was a great outcropping over a cliff with fantastic views the camera couldn't do justice to. Just past the cliffs someone had packed in like 20 sodas and bags of candy and cookies as trail magic. Great timing since I always eat all my snacks too soon and end up going into towns a little hungrier than usual.Rolled into town in high spirits already, and then on the first street corner, there was lilsas, with socks!, come to town on a whim and they insisted on buying me ice cream. I couldn't have been happier. Had fun talking and was so distracted I didn't notice Darryl sitting at the ice cream counter for half an hour. Didn't want the girls to go but they had Halloween plans so we hugged goodbye and hopefully will keep in touch, I loved being around them and that's not just the ice cream talking.got checked into laughing heart hostel, went to town in my witch costume to do laundry, got compliments from the little girls, and plenty of laughs. The kids thought my laundry bag was full of candy.poppabear arrived, and Chuck Norris at the hostel took us to a neighboring town to see a bluegrass band. Poppa and I popped into a pizza and pork restaurant to grab some food and flirted with all the staff. The bartender loved us and a local couple gave us their amazing egg salad, bacon, lettuce, tomato leftovers. I apologized to the waitresses poppabear had harassed, and we ran over to check out the band. It was great, like 10 musicians, grandpa pluckin with oxygen tubes in his nose, mountain tap dancing, the whole enchilada. Poppa got up and kept picking ladies to dance with, it was a little silly. Chuck got us out of there before we got in too much trouble and we headed back to the hostel.as we drove by the hot springs tavern a pretty girl in tall boots walked out to smoke and poppa and I pressed our noses to the glass, and chuck, the consummate professional, stopped and let us out. We walked in and met the colorful townsfolk but the real star was the sassy, sweet, exasperated bartender that kept yelling at people, couldn't stop watching her. We talked for awhile and ended up staying until closing hanging out.
Date: 2013-11-02
From: hot springs, nc

To: hot springs, nc
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

¢the only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars."¢I was surprised, as always, by how easy the act of leaving was, and how good it felt. The world was suddenly rich with possibility." -Kerouac