morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-03-27
From: Bly Gap

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: clear sky

5:50 PM Muskrat Creek ShelterThe white flower is bloodroot, according to Marty. The Old Fogies and I did a short day today. They have decided to cut off the loop over Standing Indian and go through the campground to Glassmine Gap. I want to go the AT the whole way. I may be sorry because I will be out of fuel before Rainbow Springs. Tomorrow will be the test. If I can do 9.3 miles to Beech Gap in one day, I can do the whole loop, even if I do have to drink cold gruel.7:30 PM Put down Ravenrock ridge as one spectacular sunset view. There are also pieces of an airplane wreck strewn over the hilltop. That made me sad, but it couldn¢t erase the delight I felt sitting at the top of a cliff looking down into the Ledford Creek watershed, then off to Lake Chatuge in the west. The sun sank as a red ball and the first quarter moon was straight overhead with Venus in between. I could hear a waterfall or some rapids down below and a few birdcalls. Otherwise, there was complete silence. I loved it.
Date: 2004-03-28
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Beech Gap
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: overcast clouds

6:00 AM Muskrat Creek Shelter (my tent)It was a night of difficult dreams and frequent awakenings, but there were no disturbing outside noises. I can hear Marty snoring in his tent 50 yards away but it is not loud enough to disturb me. Sometimes the ground vibrates rhythmically, but it is very subtle. I am going to pack my things and leave this site as quickly as I can.1:20 PM Standing Indian ShelterI¢m having my hot meal midday as I planned. I¢ll fill up my water container and head for the top of the mountain soon. I¢m concerned about one fellow hiker who seems to have vanished. Cameron/Slowpoke did not arrive at this shelter last night as he agreed to do to meet his hiking partner, Brandon. Brandon waited until a few minutes ago, wrote a note, and hiked on. He hopes to get cell phone reception at the top of Standing Indian.Marty and Nancy took the Kimsey Creek Trail into Standing Indian Campground. I may not meet up with them again, but then I might, if I can hike fast and far enough. The flower of the day yesterday on Courthouse Bald was bluet. The flower of the day on Yellow Mountain is yellow violet. I love their sunny little faces.8:10 PM Beech GapI made it. I got my camp all set up and filtered 2 liters of water before dark. I ate my cold supper as it was getting dark and I had to finish supper with the headlamp. I¢m pleased to have accomplished m goal. At the Standing Indian shelter, I was able to cook my noodles completely and get my tea with 1 ounce of alcohol, so I think I¢ll do the same think tomorrow. Cold breakfast, then tea and hot lunch at Carter Gap shelter, 3.2 miles from here. I have almost established a routine, but Sunday was a little different from preceding days. I sang some praise songs, but that is no different from other days, either. I am looking forward to Easter in church.
Date: 2004-03-29
From: Beech Gap

To: Big Spring shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: broken clouds

9:45 AM near Coleman GapThe 2 mile walk from Beech Gap to Coleman Gap was easily accomplished in under 2 hours. It was mostly downhill. Coleman Gap is a marvelous rhododendron thicket, perfectly lovely. The biggest annoyance for me is that my trigger point behind my right shoulder blade is bothering me. I miss my gym workouts. It didn¢t hurt me when I was doing seated rows and pull-downs. I need to figure out some way to exercise those muscles while I¢m on the trail. One thing I did notice, coming out of Coleman Gap, is that it doesn¢t hurt as much going up a steep slope. I forgot to mention the butterflies yesterday. There was a brilliant blue one as I was leaving Muskrat Creek and a mostly black one with sharp orange stripes on top of Standing Indian. Snack break is over. On to Carter Gap for second breakfast.9:10 PM I made it to Big Spring shelter before dark. I cooked my dinner by headlamp, but that was fine in the shelter. It looks like I have enough alcohol for my tea in the morning and then I will be at Rainbow Springs where I can get supplies. I¢ve been thinking long and hard about the Smokies. I have decided to go home from Fontana and leave the Smokies for another time. I would have to push myself too hard to get to Newfound Gap by the time I had originally envisioned. I think the wisest thing is to go more slowly and enjoy being in the mountains and woods. Today was lovely. Much of the trail was easy walking, but I still managed to drop my stick twice, both at times when I really wanted it. The first time was when I was crossing a little stream to steady me when I stepped down off the log, but I dropped the stick and then fell over backward. The pack stopped me from hitting anything too hard, but it gave me a start and a slightly bruised hip. Then on the really challenging trail from Mooney Gap to Bearpen Gap, I dropped my stick and had to slide down a rock on my butt. The only damage was a wet spot on my shorts for a little while. The trail up Albert Mountain was rock climbing. I felt almost like I needed somebody on a safety rope. But we all made it in one piece, including Joanne! Although Joanne confessed that she did not go over Albert Mountain. She took the advice of others who advised her to take the longer route around the summit, but she complained that it was still very difficult.
Date: 2004-03-30
From: Big Spring shelter

To: Rainbow Springs Campground
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: light rain

7:55 PM Rainbow Springs CampgroundI am sitting in the "old" bunkhouse in a plastic chair with a fluorescent overhead light. What luxury! I didn¢t have to filter my water or climb down and then back up a steep hill to get it. I turned the faucet on the porch. I do have to walk up a steep hill to get to the toilet, sink, shower, heat, and mirror, but there are significant amenities compared to Bly Gap or Beech Gap. I plan to light a fire in the wood stove in the morning to take the chill off. Right now it is 50 degrees in the room. That is warm enough for me with my thermal underwear and down sweater. I am content. My tent is now dried and put away after being rained on during the night at Big Spring shelter. I was glad to have the shelter as my staging area to break camp and get some of the water off the tent, and to keep most of my stuff, especially the sleeping bag and my down sweater, dry. Cooking breakfast was definitely easier at the shelter table. Plus, I got the use of Newt¢s windscreen for maximum fuel efficiency. I look forward to making a better windscreen when I am home for Easter.It is raining now. The weather forecasted a chance of snow. I wonder what the morning¢s hike will be like. There isn¢t much chance that I will want to stay here another night. I had a glorious time hiking in the rain today. I love the misty mountainsides. O course it did help to know I could get dry when I got to Rainbow Springs. As it turned out, the rain had stopped by 10:00 AM, and I was essentially dry when I got here. But I do intend to give up my Gore Tex for the rest of this hike. It just is not waterproof. I can¢t count on having a huge bunkhouse to spread out all my wet things every time it rains. I have made use of my various cords and laces for clotheslines. Very handy! My life his simplified down to this. Get food and water. Stay warm and dry. Keep bears, mice, etc. from getting the food.Breakfast in the morning? Sardines, crackers, and an orange. I had Vienna sausages and potato chips for lunch. Marty and Nancy invited me to share pizza for dinner, they were so pleased to see me again after we parted at Deep Gap on 3/28. They had arrived at Rainbow Springs the day before I did and stayed two nights in a cabin.
Date: 2004-03-31
From: Rainbow Springs Campground

To: Siler Bald shelter
Miles today: 6.8
Weather: light rain

5:00 PM Siler Bald shelter33 degrees. I was really glad to be at Rainbow Springs as I listened to the rain on the tin roof off and on all night. The only other disturbance was a hiker crawling into the top bunk on the far side of the room at 10:00 PM. He was very polite and apologized for waking me, "Ma¢am." He never said another word, even with my clattering around from 6:00 AM to 8:30 AM when I left the bunkhouse with all my gear, ready to be shuttled back to Wallace Gap. I didn¢t have much luck with the fire in the wood stove. I didn¢t have enough kindling, and I forgot to open the damper in the stovepipe, but I did manage to raise the temperature in the sauna area to 50 degrees from the 40 degrees in the rest of the bunkhouse. I made my tea in the sauna, setting up the alcohol stove on tope of the warm (not hot) woodstove. I ate my sardines there and used the wooden benches for packing up my sleeping gear. The ride to Wallace Gap was mildly amusing. Nancy and I dived for the front seat of the pickup truck, while Marty and about 6 other people piled into the back with all the packs. Barry took a photo of everyone in the truck in front of the Rainbow Springs sign to put on their web site. I¢ll want to check that out when I get a chance. It started snowing shortly after we left Wallace Gap. The flakes got bigger and more numerous as the morning progressed. I can think of no words more appropriate than magical and dazzling to describe the sight of the woods filling up with snow. The temperature hovered just above freezing all morning.   At one point, when it was slightly warmer, the clumps of snow falling from the trees were hitting me on the head, like the woods were pelting me with snowballs. When I got to the shelter, tired and hungry, since there was no place to stop for lunch without getting everything, including the seat of my pants, soaking wet, the shelter was crammed with folks trying to get warm. I was plenty warm, but my shoulders were soaked through. I have got to lose the Gore Tex parka when I go home for Easter. It is very inconvenient to get my shirts dried out under trail conditions. Right now, I have them hanging from a line in the ceiling of my tent. They may or may not be dry by morning, but I will wear them anyway. I don'¢ want to risk getting my long underwear and my down sweater wet, too. I¢ve already had supper. I just need to write in the shelter register before I take off my boots for bedtime. I still have some daylight. It is a good time to do a little Bible reading. I haven¢t read much of anything since I left home.
Date: 2004-04-01
From: Siler Bald shelter

To: Wayah Bald campsite
Miles today: 6.8

6:15 PM Wayah Bald campsiteLast night at Siler Bald, the snow accumulated to about 1.5 inches at the shelter and 2 inches where the AT and the shelter trail join. Wine Spring Bald was a lot more snowy, about 3-3.5 inches. The shelter at Siler Bald held 11 people when it was designed for 8. There were 5 tents down the hill. One tent was occupied by Jon "Icebreak" from Nashville. I learned that he was the one who climbed in the bunk late the night before. He had spent the day getting fitted with a new pack, a Granite Gear Nimbus. I talked with Marty and Nancy about their Golite packs. They are not sure they would buy the same packs again. The trek today in the snow was hard. I made the campsite I had planned to reach, but I would have gladly stopped sooner if there had been any other choice. Depending on how hard it is to break camp tomorrow, I may have trouble reaching the Wesser Bald shelter tomorrow as I had planned. Snow is very beautiful, but makes for stressful hiking. If I don¢t get to Wesser Bald shelter tomorrow, I¢ll be pulling into the NOC running on nothing but Tang, milk and raisins. The wind is roaring, clumps of icy snow are pelting my tent, and the temperature in my tent is 30 degrees. I realize I haven¢t noted down every time it was 65 to 70 degrees on a south facing mountain top in the afternoons, but the cold seems more noteworthy.
Date: 2004-04-02
From: Wayah Bald campsite

To: Wesser Bald shelter
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: light rain

7:20 PM Wesser Bald shelterLast night was cold. The temperature didn¢t go below 30 degrees during the night, but it was windy, and I had my tent fly vents open. The night at Chattahoochee Gap, I forgot to open them, and the fly was all wet inside in the morning. The temperature dropped to 25 degrees before I left camp at 8:45. Breakfast was uncomfortable. I had to walk around while I ate my oatmeal to keep my toes warm. All during the walk to Cold Spring, the temperature stayed around freezing. The snow was a lot deeper at Cold Spring than at Wayah Bald. I was glad to leave that cold, windy place after lunch. I am staying in a shelter for the first time. So far, I am the only one in the shelter, but someone could come in at any time. I hope I don¢t get any visits from bears. It is cold. I am going to stop writing and pull the sleeping bag around me.
Date: 2004-04-03
From: Wesser Bald shelter

To: Rufus Morgan shelter
Miles today: 4.9
Weather: scattered clouds

1:20 PM Rufus Morgan shelterI fell down, face forward, today with my pack on. It was a relatively level spot on the trail, but I wasn¢t paying enough attention, and I was tired and hungry. I was thinking about getting to the NOC and washing my dirty bandanas in the restroom. A root reached up and grabbed my toe, and down I went. I hit both knees and hands, but the pack kept going until the frame hit the dirt. I¢m sure I was quite a sight, if anyone had been there to see me¢my butt in the air, and my nose inches from the ground, until I figured out how I was going to stand up. I was grateful I hit dirt and not rocks. I was grateful my pack carried almost no food and water. I scolded myself for thinking about laundry instead of watching where I was going, and I promised myself to repack the pack, with the heavy parka in the bottom, for the rest of the trip down to the NOC. So here I am, resting and eating the rest of my food (except I still have Tang, milk, chocolate chips and raisins). My portable energy drink is a frosted orange (Tang, milk powder and water). It is actually pretty good. I¢ve played in the creek, filtered some water for drinking, and now I am going to wash bandanas in the sun-warmed creek water. My black pack cover makes a reasonably efficient solar water heater. The walk down Wesser Bald was stunning in its floral display. There were a few places I had to coax myself to keep walking, the arrays were so glorious. There were bloodroots, rue anemones, yellow and purple violets, pussytoes, and cinquefoils. There was one tree with white flowers that I had never seen before. The flowers had a sweet fragrance (Downy serviceberry). The bark was smooth and silvery. Looking across each cover was a mysterious wonder with all the different pastel colors¢red maple blooms, feathery green of the white pines, gray bark, pale green lichens. I forgot to mention how much like Christmas trees the Eastern hemlocks seemed, all weighed down with snow two days ago. It is amazing that I have experienced a 40 degree temperature difference, between 25 degrees 36 hours ago and 65 degrees now. The sun feels good, but I had better get busy before I get sunburned, and before it gets too late to get to NOC, shop, and figure out where I will stay tonight.7:20 PM Rufus Morgan campsiteI was doing well with my trail schedule until I decided to stay south of NOC tonight. At least I won¢t cook breakfast or carry it. I will hurry down to NOC in the morning to get the restaurant breakfast, buy some food and alcohol from the outfitter and hightail it up the trail. I hope to make Locust Cove Gap by dark. We will see if I am getting any more efficient at breaking camp. The walk back to Rufus Morgan last evening was even more beautiful than it appeared earlier in the afternoon. The flowers are absolutely gorgeous.
Date: 2004-04-04
From: Rufus Morgan shelter

To: Sassafras Gap shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: clear sky

7:40 PM Sassafras Gap shelterI just cannot make fast hiking times going uphill. I left NOC right after breakfast (eggs, hashbrowns and biscuit). It too me a little while to get packed after getting my supplies, but I was going up the trail at 10:00 AM, 9:00 AM sun time. I just couldn¢t go faster than 1 mile per hour. The wind was blowing so hard by the time I got over Swim Bald, I knew that it would be uncomfortable, if not downright dangerous, to attempt Cheoah Bald in the late afternoon. The main problem was that I really needed to rest and eat before I could set out again from the shelter. The best I can do now is get going as early as possible tomorrow and go steadily as long as I can. It will be cold in the morning. It is already 33 degrees and it isn¢t even dark. I found a lush patch of chickweed growing in a streambed right after leaving NOC. I couldn¢t resist stuffing a ziplock bag full for my dinner. I amazed the shelter residents with my green vegetable in my ramen noodles. It really was tasty¢Oriental flavor with 4 ounces of tuna. I think I can survive until my morning oatmeal. It is still light, but I am tired. I have no excuse not to read the Bible a little before I go to sleep.
Date: 2004-04-05
From: Sassafras Gap shelter

To: Cody Gap
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: clear sky

9:40 PM Cody GapI actually slept late this morning¢6:36 AM. I had intended to get up when it was still dark, cook my breakfast before anyone else was stirring, get packed up and be gone. As it turned out, I was the first one cooking breakfast, but most people left before I did. I just can¢t seem to get everything done in a short time. Even though I left late, I was able to hike pretty fast and still enjoy the flowers and the views of the mountains and valleys. I want to learn more about Stecoah. I saw it from many different angles, as the trail makes a large arc around it. The day¢s hiking was quite satisfying. I reached the campsite I planned for Monday night, even if I did have to hike 12 miles in one day to get here. 2 Cents gave me a Snickers at Stecoah Gap. It seemed to give me extra energy climbing out of the gap, but I had a little indigestion. Either peanuts do not agree with me, or they are just not compatible with steep uphill climbing. It is 10:00 PM and 42 degrees in the tent, time to stop writing.
Date: 2004-04-06
From: Cody Gap

To: Fontana Dam Visitor's Center
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: few clouds

10:15 PM Mountain Hollow Bed and BreakfastI can hardly remember last night, it seems so long ago and another world away. The 10 miles between Cody Gap and the Fontana Visitor Center are as long and hard as any miles I¢ve walked so far. The elevation profile on the map is very deceiving. The map shows an easy descent most of the way from the Cable Gap shelter. Wrong! There are quite a few steep ups and downs. I thought I would never get to see the Fontana Hilton. At one point, I was scrambling UP over a huge pile of rocks. About 6 inches from my foot was beautiful golden-patterned something. At first I thought it might be a snakeskin, but very quickly I recognized the pattern and shape of a copperhead snake, very much alive, but all coiled up, trying to go unnoticed. I managed to keep the rhythm of my climbing, so as not to startle the gorgeous and deadly creature. I thought we would both be better off if I acted as if I had never seen it.The miles being so difficult made me late getting into the Fontana Dam area. I wandered around for 45 minutes looking for a telephone to call John. I had agreed to call him at 6:00 PM on his cell phone to tell him where to pick me up at 7:00 PM. None of the hikers at the Fontana Hilton knew how to find the phone. The Visitor Center was closed, and I could not locate the phone. The TVA Police Headquarters was all locked up. I decided the only thing to do was walk down Highway 28 until I found a phone or John found me. Hallelujah! He found me at 6:50 PM. I was so happy to see that little red Mazda come toward me and slow down. The timing could not have been better. (The next day, we went to the Visitor Center and John found the phone. I now know that if I had seen the phone and tried to call him at 6:45 PM, I would have wasted time and money on a call to a cell phone with no signal, and John would have been driving around looking for me for a lot longer.)
Date: 2004-04-07
From: Fontana Dam Visitor's Center

To: Easter Vacation
Miles today: 0.0

John and I enjoyed a hike from where the AT crosses Highway 28 near the marina and pool up about a mile to look at the wonderful profusion of wildflowers. The trout lilies and trilliums were opening. Bloodroots and rue anemones were plentiful, and there were a couple of places where the spring beauties were spread out on the forest floor in a huge fragrant carpet. Then we got in the car and drove home, after a short tour of the Stecoah Community Center.It is good to be home and to celebrate Easter with my family and church community. Now I am ready to get back to the trail. I am skipping the Smoky Mountains for now. I couldn¢t bring myself to struggle with the backcountry permit situation right now. I can save that hassle for another time. Tomorrow I will board a Greyhound bus to Asheville where my godson will meet me and drive me to Davenport Gap to pick up the trail north of the Smoky Mountains. I hope to be in Hot Springs by Friday.
Date: 2004-04-12
From: Decatur, Georgia

To: Snowbird Mountain
Miles today: 1.8

9:45 PM a gap on a ridge of Snowbird MountainI was delivered to Standing Bear Farm by Drew at about 5:30 PM. Started hiking at Waterville School Road at 6:45 PM. I enjoyed seeing many people that I had seen way back in Georgia. Largo from Chattahoochee Gap, Jayne from Whitley Gap shelter, Casey my bunkmate at Walasi-Yi, Mockingbird from Siler Bald. The bunkhouse was filled and some tents were set up along the creek. I couldn¢t feel right about trying to set up at the hostel. I had been off the trail for nearly a week. I was all clean with a full pack, and I had spent the day riding in buses. I needed to hike before it got dark.And so I set out enjoying the familiar and some new flowers blooming beside the path. The nice surprise was one red flower, fire pink. I¢ve seen it on top of Rabun Bald before. I enjoyed the walk, climbing steadily uphill for 1.5 hours until the sun slipped behind the Great Smoky Mountains and the light started to fade. I kept hoping I would reach a suitable campsite but when it was time to put the pack down and get out the headlamp, I had to make do with where I found myself. It is a little gap high on a ridge of Snowbird Mountain.I haven¢t crossed any streams since I left the Waterville School Road. I have enough water to do all right until morning. The worst thing about this campsite is that it is full of little sprouting branches of poison ivy. I spent about 30 minutes wrestling with the bear hoist situation. I was tramping all around the places that I knew have poison ivy and I surely dragged the line over poison ivy many times in my struggles. At least I was wearing gloves. I will wash them when I get a chance tomorrow.I had hoped to walk far enough to get away from the traffic sounds on I-40, but it will be likely a long time tomorrow before the trail goes over the other side of Snowbird Mountain. At least the highway is a long way down in the valley.