morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-04-01
From: Cable Gap shelter

To: Fontana 28 AT Crossing
Miles today: 5.5
Weather: overcast clouds

From Fatboy:Our morning started by my alarm ringing at 0630. I was not ready to get up. The sunrise in this area can be delayed depending on which side of the mountain you're camped on. It was still pretty dark so I dawdled in bed. We didn't have a tent to break down or a bear can to get out of a tree so why rush? We were the last people out of camp. Again! We only had a 5.5 mile hike to the Fontana Dam Visitor center and the terrain profile looked fairly easy so we were counting on an easy day. Here's a hint. Don't underestimate Ginger's motivation to get to nachos! She set out in the lead and rarely looked back. She was moving faster than any day on the trail so far and the weather was perfect. We made the trip in less than 3 hours. This particular section brings Fontana Dam into view a long time before you get to it. A LONG TIME.   We met with Tequila Sunshine, Happy Feet, and Viet Nam Vet at the marina and caught the shuttle to the lodge. Check-in was smooth and we moved our stuff to a beautiful room. I checked the hiker box and scored an almost full fuel canister and some cookies. We met Tequila Sunshine and Happy Feet in the restaurant and Ginger got her nachos. My burger was delicious and the soda took care of my dehydration from Ginger's forced March. We returned to our room for showers and a nap after buying a few supplies. The afternoon was spent lying in bed and relishing feeling clean, warm, and dry. Dinner was at the lodge restaurant and we were ready for bed by 2130. I'm looking forward to a zero tomorrow. Laundry, food, coffee, naps, and recuperation. My knee support straps arrived and I hope they make the upcoming downhill sections less painful. Time will tell if I can survive this trail when Ginger wants food.
Date: 2017-04-02
From: Fontana Lodge

To: Fontana Lodge
Miles today: 0.0

From Fatboy:Lying in bed reading and writing was the order of the day for me. My right foot is battered and every step hurts. I promised Ginger I would follow her anywhere, and I will, but I need rest and time for healing. I've removed all of the KT tape from my knees and right foot to give my skin a break. My skin feels good but without the tape support a lot of the pain from my plantar fasciitis returns. I hobble like a really old man and going down stairs requires very gentle tread. It will get better but it'll take time too. Ginger did our laundry so all of our clothes smell good temporarily. The materials our clothing are made of get clean and dry quickly but also smell funky after any exertion that creates moisture. After this trip I'm going to wear nothing but cotton for a month! I am relishing lying in bed drinking coffee with Ginger. We have a routine of bringing one another coffee in bed every morning when we're at home that I miss on the trail. Like many things (running water, showers, clean sheets, food on real plates, etc.) because we've been without those luxuries we cherish them more now.We said goodbye to our friends Tequila Sunshine and Happy Feet. Tequila had developed a foot problem that required medical care so she was traveling to Atlanta. They will return to the trail when she's able but I'm going to miss them. Papa Smurf and Viet Nam Vet are leaving the trail tomorrow. We will keep in touch but the laughter and camaraderie will be missed too. We'll just make more new friends among this crazy community of hikers and towns filled with generous and kind people. We had dinner late and purchased our Great Smoky Mountains National Park pass at the lobby computer. Tomorrow we leave our luxury bubble to resume our journey north.
Date: 2017-04-03
From: Fontana Lodge

To: Fontana Lodge
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

From Fatboy:It was raining hard when we woke up. A shuttle driver we met early on in this adventure told us some things that we're trying to live by. He said: Never carry water to water. Never carry food to food. Never leave a town in the rain. We're getting better with his advice about water; we aren't doing well so far with judging food. We always leave town with way too much. We are golden on his advice about rain. It takes virtually nothing more than a heavy dew to convince me to stay in a room with clean sheets, a shower, a flush toilet, and a locking door. I still love my creature comforts! So we stayed another day and were fortunate to have made that choice. It stormed and thundered very heavily until late morning. The power was out in the lodge but we were safe and dry. It also gave me one last chance at a 1/2 pound burger and we were able to ship a box of stuff home that we didn't want to throw away or donate but also didn't want to carry any more. I got the best sleep of this zero today and don't regret anything. It was almost like my birthday. The trail will be there tomorrow.
Date: 2017-04-04
From: Fontana 28 AT Crossing

To: Birch Spring Gap campground
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: clear sky

From Fatboy:We had oatmeal in our room with coffee from the lobby, finished packing up and checked out of the lodge. It was a very pleasant place to rest and restore and it would be nice to come back. We caught the shuttle back to the place we were picked up two days ago and we began climbing. When you're leaving a lake which was formed by damming a river any way you go you must go up. For some reason today seemed like a harder hike than we expected. Maybe our packs were too heavy from extra food or maybe it was something else. We talked to other hikers today and discovered our feelings weren't unique to us. Today was just a hard hike. The weather was beautiful and walking across the dam was a kick. We met a hiker named Foghat who I learned is also 60. When he told me his name I immediately replied Slow Ride. We are products of the same age. He is from New Hampshire and is hiking for his son who was a Marine who died under very unfortunate circumstances not related to the military. Foghat had a small brass cylinder attached to his pack strap which I think had some of his son's ashes inside. I can't imagine the pain of losing my son but I offered my regrets for his loss and we hiked on. We ended our hike after about 7 miles and camped at one of the few approved tenting sites within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The tent site was level for a change which was nice because we're both getting tired of sliding down to the foot of the tent all night. The water source was convenient and they had bear cables. The only thing missing was a privy but we'll make do. Tomorrow will be day two in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and we're restricted to 8 for a thru hiker passage. We've tried to arrange a stay in Gatlinburg, TN, for this coming weekend but everything we've tried has either been fully booked or very expensive. We most likely will have to just hitch to a convenience store to resupply and do a quick turn back to the trail. I guess it's all part of the adventure.
Date: 2017-04-05
From: Birch Spring Gap campground

To: Mollies Ridge shelter
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: clear sky

From Fatboy:We were out of camp by 0900. We were hiking strong and the terrain was reasonably forgiving. Then it began to rain. And it got cold and windy. And it was miserable. We made it to Mollies Ridge Shelter and found respite from the weather and we decided to stay. The shelter had a tarp rigged to block the wind and it was wonderful to get warm and dry. We had some boillion and tried to warm up. Ginger takes such good care of me. I had hiked without stopping to put on rain gear and I got chilled. Ginger crawled in the sleeping bag and warmed me up and I took a nap. Ginger also hung all of my wet clothes outside after the rain stopped and took the best care of me. I don't know how anyone can do this by themselves. I am so blessed to have Ginger in my life every day.As the day wore on I became less and less enamored with the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and their policies. The policy in this park is that thru-hikers must purchase a permit to walk through the park and your transit of the park must be completed within 8 days. You must stay in the shelters or approved tenting area (there's only one in the whole park.) If the shelter is full you can tent next to the shelter. SECTION HIKERS HAVE PRIORITY IN SHELTERS. This last rule can create more difficulties than I really want on this journey. We stopped at Mollies Ridge Shelter early in the day and the shelter gradually filled throughout the afternoon. The weather continued to be windy, wet, and very cold. The togetherness with this group began to cause small conflicts. A woman (shrew) who claimed to be celebrating her 20th anniversary constantly was unpleasant to her husband and generally was a pain in the ass. The topper of the evening was a man who arrived and immediately claimed section hiker status and needed space for 5. This wasn't a popular way to say hello to the group and almost got a rise from me. I didn't engage him in conversation and probably shouldn't. He had an accent that I think I could identify and it certainly wasn't Texan or local. I admit my prejudices and try my best to be tolerant but I hope I don't run in to many more of this type as we travel north. I hope to leave the Smokies as soon as possible. It's an amazing natural resource but I doubt I'll ever hike here again. Their policies create an environment that's a setup for a bad experience.
Date: 2017-04-06
From: Mollies Ridge shelter

To: Mollies Ridge shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

From Fatboy:The weather never improved during the entire day. We had a fire, courtesy of Shane and Carson from Delaware, and it felt glorious. We were also joined by Nick, the local Ridge Runner, who was a very interesting young man. He spent the rest of the day and night with us and we had an enjoyable day. The trail shelters are maintained by the Ridge Runners and they do a really good job of educating hikers and keeping the shelters clean and the water sources working well. They are also a terrific resource for weather forecasts and local conditions. From Ginger:THANK GOODNESS for Nick. His cheery presence and tales about his past and current hiking experiences negated yesterday's brush with Rude Hiker. He assured us that most section hikers are not like that. Winds have picked up and lots of snow is falling ...
Date: 2017-04-07
From: Mollies Ridge shelter

To: Spence Field shelter
Miles today: 3.1
Weather: scattered clouds

From Fatboy:It finally quit snowing and the wind slowed some. The ground was covered with several inches of snow and it promised to be a better day. There was a shelter about three miles away that was reported to be an easy hike. As we hiked, the weather warmed enough that the trail slowly became a muddy slush track. My shoes aren't waterproof but I had plastic grocery bags over my socks so I thought I would be ok. The first three miles went well and we stopped to adjust clothing layers and have lunch. When we left there was a gradual climb and the muddy slush kept getting deeper. I sprung a leak in both shoes so I was hiking on cold, wet feet and my spirits began to sink. I don't like to be dirty and I really detest being cold, wet, dirty and hungry. We came to the next shelter and I stripped off my wet socks and the KT Tape that's holding my right foot together. It felt good to have dry feet but any time I'm not taped I can barely walk. We were joined by enough hikers to fill the shelter and we had another fire. I did manage to dry my socks by putting them on a stick and holding them over the fire. Yes, I did burn a big hole in one but I wear two layers of socks anyway so it is still serviceable. I still have trouble staying warm but the weather is supposed to get warmer. We have 27 miles to our next road crossing for resupply and we have about 2 1/2 days of food left so tomorrow we continue north.From Ginger:We were joined by Nick the Ridge Runner for a second night, this time in a new shelter. For some reason, I felt better having him there. He doesn't have the enforcement authority that a park ranger does, but his presence and pointed questions or directions to some was comforting. He clearly cares about people's safety and the welfare of the animals in this park, and the park itself. We learned about privy maintenance and a "fecal cone." You can imagine the complications brought on my freezing temps and snow for a typically moldering privy!At Spence Field this night were Shane and Carson again, which was nice. We also got to meet Phoenix (see Billy Mitchell's websites and videos for cancer and Hep C awareness), Tiny Tim, Zeus, etc. They built a terrific fire. I'm going to do that myself one day. I'm a little worried about performance anxiety and cold people's expectations, but I've now watched three methods closely. It's nearly time to try it myself.
Date: 2017-04-10
From: Motel 6, Gatlinburg, TN

To: Motel 6, Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

From Fatboy:Gatlinburg, Tennessee and staying at the Motel 6. This is a fun little town and everything is fairly easy to walk to or ride public transportation to. Be suspicious of anyone saying this who has just hiked 200 miles to get here. Their perception may be slightly skewed.Today was a lazy day. We had a big breakfast at Flapjacks and went to the Nantahala Outdoor Center outfitters to buy some new socks for Fatboy because he burned a big hole in his other socks while trying to dry them after a day of wading through muddy slush at 5000+ feet elevation. Ginger needed some socks and some new hiking pants because she walked off most of her butt before we left Georgia and her shirts all stretched too. I wonder how that happened? We called multiple people while trying to arrange for a ride back to Clingman's Dome too. Finally we found a man affiliated with the First Baptist Church who gives hikers free transportation back to the trail. You have to love the people of these communities. There are a lot of people who live their faith in very quiet ways without fanfare or expectation. We ate corn dogs for lunch and they were delicious! There can be so much joy in simple food without warning labels or nutrition breakdown information if you just let yourself eat without guilt. We rode a shuttle bus to a real grocery store to restock our food supply. We bought enough food for five days paying extra attention to upping the calorie values of each meal and getting enough vitamins and minerals. Fatboy had a lot of trouble staying warm over the last few days at altitude and we suspect it was partly caused by poor nutrition and dehydration. I hope the all night shivering episodes are a thing of the past.Ginger was tired after hiking around town and all of the people. It's kind of like sensory overload to be back in crowds when you've become accustomed to the quiet of the trail. Our diet had some really drastic changes over the last few meals. She stayed at the motel and Fatboy went to dinner with Foghat. It was an enjoyable way to spend the evening and we all are beginning to feel a little better after the last few days of skating on the muddy slush slalom course on frozen feet. We decided to spend one more night in Gatlinburg and even upgraded our room to include a Jacuzzi bath tomorrow night. Fatboy can barely wait to soak in a big tub with water jets pounding the soreness from his tired old body. Life is good and indoor plumbing is a miracle.
Date: 2017-04-11
From: Motel 6, Gatlinburg, TN

To: Motel 6, Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 0.0

From Fatboy:One more day of recovery for Fatboy. A couple of hours in the Jacuzzi and ibuprofen but knees and feet continue to be problematic and make even walking to the bathroom in the hotel room very painful. KT Tape helps a lot with the foot problems but also the adhesive causes skin problems and a lot of itching. Rest and staying clean and applying steroid cream help a lot but prevent me from helping with any of the chores. Ginger is ALWAYS gracious and kind and takes care of everything. Again, I don't know how anyone could accomplish this journey alone. Ginger also took care of mailing things home we don't want to carry and went to the library to use the computer. Fatboy keeps the journal updated every day on his Kindle but Ginger uses a real computer to copy and paste these entries whenever we are in a town with access. The highlight of the day for Fatboy was spending the evening watching TV, sharing the Jacuzzi and going to bed in a clean, warm, dry place.From Ginger:Today's act of kindness from a stranger ...Aboard the trolley, we had more riders staying on the edge of Gatlinburg, so I saw more views of the fire damage. After expressing concern about the toll it took, the trolley driver pointed out to me numerous sites where businesses once stood. Parts of the town were burning on both sides of the main street. And the ones tucked into the streets a bit, removed from the thoroughfare ... those seemed to fare far worse. There is a lot of reconstruction going on. Two women who live and work in Gatlinburg commented on how good the overtime has been for them recently. They also lamented how difficult it's been for their employers to hire enough people: Many folks can't pass a drug test. We keep hearing more and more about heroin and meth use in these small towns. Many of addiction awareness posters and signs for families.Back to the benevolence shown me ... Heading to the library, I was eventually the only person on the trolley. The driver, who'd just been radioed to refuel the vehicle, dropped me at the post office, allowed me to take care of business there while he refueled, then doubled-back to the PO, picked me up and continued on the community center and library! It didn't cost me two trips. And at the trolley stop, an area Baptist minister stopped to check on me. Said he couldn't overlook the hiker attire (he was in line with me at the PO). His relative helps operate the Sevierville shuttle we'll be taking back to the trail tomorrow. Gave me his card in case we need anything before leaving town. Thank goodness either I find the Baptists, or they find me, starting in 1991 with Baylor! Lately, they remind me of our friends Carole and Trent who just moved to Amarillo. Or Joe Cook at home. Just more God winks.
Date: 2017-04-12
From: Motel 6, Gatlinburg, TN

To: Icewater Spring shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: scattered clouds

From Fatboy:We met the 0830 shuttle to Clingman's Dome. The Baptist church of Sevierville provides the free shuttle from the NOC for hikers returning to the trail. This is just another form of trail magic that we are gifted with every day. Foghat was on the same shuttle and we started our hike together. Ginger brought snacks to give to other hikers as trail magic. It's gratifying to be on the giving end of trail magic. The hike from Clingman's Dome to Newfound Gap was about 7 miles and it was almost all down hill. Hard hiking for Fatboy. We did get trail magic from a mother and daughter at Newfound Gap. Mountain Dew to the rescue for Fatboy! We also used the public restrooms at the gap parking area and started our last 3 1/2 miles to Icewater Spring Shelter. The trail was wide and generally easy but we still didn't get there early. We're slow because Fatboy can't walk fast downhill and Ginger always stays within sight. There's a big bubble of hikers that has a lot of young people. The area around the shelter has a lot of tents and groups of laughing hikers. We ate dinner and retired. After the sun went down the temperature dropped fast so we really appreciate our warm, dry tent and double sleeping bag. I'm tired but it's good to be back making progress toward our goal.From Ginger:Thru-hikers aren't the only ones milling around at stops in the Smokies. Today, we were surrounded by day hikers and short travelers at Newfound Gap. There's an unmistakable rock wall that draws lots of attention. And we were photographed like wildlife in the area! It cracked me up and made me proud. Just before Newfound Gap, we saw a group on one of Gatlinburg's wildflower pilgrimages. I so want to know what all these flowers are that we're seeing. If we come back to this area, I think that will be on the itinerary. Or I'll get yet another book (once I don't have to carry it every day).Waiting outside the public restrooms, several people stopped to chat about our packs. A couple of them were past thru-hikers, but several were people who knew nothing about it. One guy gasped at the fact that we hiked here from another state. He kept laughing and shaking his head. "From Georgia?!"
Date: 2017-04-13
From: Icewater Spring shelter

To: Tri-Corner Knot shelter
Miles today: 12.1

From Fatboy:Our most miles in one day yet. Icewater Spring Shelter to Tricorner Knob Shelter for 12.1 miles. Somehow we got the idea that we would exit the National Park tomorrow but we were wrong, we will need to go 14.8 miles tomorrow and then about 4 miles the next day to get to Standing Bear Farm/Hostel. We have a mail drop there and also some maintenance items from Amazon such as more KT Tape and some spray benzoin to protect my skin from the tape. Our hike today was actually pretty easy. The terrain didn't include a lot of mud or steep altitude changes and we had the bonus of some of the most beautiful scenery yet. We visited Charlie's Bunion, a rock formation that is very close to the trail and offers spectacular visibility and photo opportunities. I climbed the rock and had a nice conversation with some young ladies from Canada who were section hiking as part of a leadership class. They were having a great time and we're a lot of fun to talk to. We made it to Tri-corner Knob by 1730, set up our tent, filtered water, and cooked dinner. There were several section hikers already at the shelter and we had more mature adult conversations than we've had in quite a while. There was even a hiker named Astrid, who was from Austria and was celebrating her birthday. As usual, once the sun started to go down the temperature got quite chilly and uncomfortable for us so we retired to our cozy tent. It was a beautiful day with my best friend.From Ginger:Tenting was crowded at this site, but oh, the morning sunrise!! Nathan caught a terrific photo of it that we'll need to post eventually. We could easily view it from the tent vestibule. How spoiled is that?! All I had to do was lean over Nathan, and I got to watch the sun slowly fill the horizon with orange and yellow rays. It was gorgeous. He even switched places with me in the sleeping bag so I could beam at it rising up. (And I think he got a few more winks in that way!) Once we got to the shelter, as Nathan says, we met some really cool people. We've now met enough enjoyable section hikers to totally eclipse that initial (and likely not typical) group from Mollie's Ridge shelter our first night in the Smokies. Gonna let that experience go now. Of the folks from Tri-corner, there were five women (from Lexington, Kentucky; Cincinnati and Carolina) who take a trip together every fall and spring. One of them was an extremely experienced hiker, Jennifer. Another actually lived in France when the U.S. military still had bases there. I'd never met someone stationed in France before! I really enjoyed talking with several people in their group that evening. We had things in common to share, but I learned things from them, too -- and not just trail wisdom. Wonderful day out here, all around. And, I have to share this from Fatboy:We haven't seen any bears yet -- and I'm happy to never see one out here. I'd rather see a moose later -- but Fatboy muses aloud (did I already document this?): "We haven't seen any bears, but I wonder how many bears have seen us?!"