morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-05-18
From: Abingdon, VA

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

"In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity."--Albert EinsteinToday we had the opportunity to do some things that most thru-hikers don't get to do. We drove Papermaker's truck to Johnson City, TN to our friend Dan and Judy's home and picked up our Jeep. We had the chance to visit briefly with them and enjoy a cold beer by their pool. Then we shuttled Papermaker's truck to Troutdale, VA for him to pick up in a few days.The truck delivery was an adventure in itself. We had agreed to park the truck in the Baptist Church parking lot next to the Bank. Papermaker had obtained permission from the pastor to leave it there a few days. When we got to Troutdale (population 300), we found four churches, two of them Baptist, but none were any where near the Bank! We finally tracked down the pastor who explained he wanted the truck parked next to the earthen bank at the edge of the lot. (NOTE: Papermaker and Bumpkin later reported hunting all over town for the church next to the bank, so we weren't the only ones confused!) We then drove to Erwin, TN to Miss Janet's Hiker Hostel. Miss Janet has an old house in downtown Erwin, the entire downstairs of which is a hiker hostel. She has bunks for sixteen, and when we arrived at 9 p.m. te hostel was full up and Miss Janet was in Damascus. One of the hikers suggested that we pull our Jeep around to her backyard and sleep there. Tenting is not allowed in Erwin city limits, so we'd have to sleep under the stars and hope it doesn't rain.When we got to the back, there was another Jeep parked there, and its owner, VanGo, was planning on sleeping inside his car. We decided to do the same, as the skies looked like rain. We shifted our packs and so on to the front seat, folded the backseats up and spread out our sleeping bags. I fit great, but Hoover had to sleep slightly curled up. If anyone had told me I'd ever resort to sleeping in my car, I never would have believed it! All in all, though, it appears to be a pretty comfy arrangement...VanGo offered to help us out with our slackpack hike tomorrow. He will follow us to US19E where we'll park our car, then he'll shuttle us up to Carvers Gap where we'll start our hike.
Date: 2003-05-19
From: Carvers Gap, TN

To: US 19E, near Hampton TN
Miles today: 13.7

"I am a part of all that I have met."--Alfred Lord TennysonA man. A woman. Twenty Watusi. We had a close encounter with a herd of Watusi as we hiked on the AT today. And what exactly are Watusi, you may ask? Well at first glance (and the twentieth!) I thought they were longhorn cattle, but our friend, VanGo--who knows his livestock-- educated us this evening. Watusi have wider, longer horns than longhorns and are¢-trust me on this-¢plenty intimidating. The entire herd was parked on the AT near Hump Mountain, so we had no choice but to have a closer encounter with them than I would have chosen. The bull eyed Hoover suspiciously, but we sauntered through the herd unchallenged.Our hike today was physically demanding. We hiked from Carver¢s Gap north towards Hwy 19E and summitted four mountains that exceeded 5000 feet in elevation. We climbed Round Bald and Jane Bald, and were disappointed because the view we saw at the tops was of the inside of a cloud. By the time we got to Little Hump Mountain and Hump Mountain, though, it had cleared and we had fabulous views of Watauga Lake and surrounding countryside. The descent down to US 19E was steep and precarious in places. (You may remeber US 19E is the spot where we were put back on the trail by Pat Peoples after my father's funeral). We were nearly to the road when I slipped on a rock and went down hard. My first thought was that I had broken my left foot--it was twisted under me at an odd angle and hurt like the devil. Upon closer examination I found that it still worked okay, albeit painfully. I also had a gash on my left forearm that was bleeding. Hoover wrapped the cut with a bandana. I was concerned about my foot swelling inside my boot, and so we moved on quickly to make it back to the road where our car was parked. Once we got there and I got my boot off, I was amazed to see no swelling at all. We stopped at a convenience store and got ice for it, hoping that it would be okay tomorrow. Hoover¢s ankle did well today, so if my foot is up to it, we¢ll try another challenging hike tomorrow.
Date: 2003-05-20
From: Carvers Gap, TN

To: Iron Mountain Gap, TN
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: broken clouds

"Never, never, never give up."--Winston ChurchillBoot camp for hikers. That¢s where I am, and Hoover is my drill sergeant. I¢ve never had to do much of anything that was physically challenging. I never played a team sport, and I was never in the military. Whenever I did something that made me tired or hurt my body, I just quit doing it. BUT I¢M NOT QUITTING THE TRAIL! Hiking hurts. Every day. It isn¢t for sissies or lightweights. Today I hit a wall¢five hours into the hike with a sore foot and feeling exhausted, I had a melt down when I realized we weren¢t even half way to our goal for the day. I was sure I didn¢t have the energy to make it another seven miles, but Duane encouraged me to dig deeper. He told me that I, and my body, are capable of much, much more than I¢d ever imagined. He said that¢s what boot camp teaches people¢to tap inner reserves when they think they¢ve already given it their all. And guess what? He was right. We hiked the last seven miles in just over three hours and it felt GREAT to have done it. Thanks, Hoover, for teaching me that I can be whatever I want to be, I just have to want it enough!Our hike today took us over Roan Mountain (6285¢) and the Roan High Bluff (6150¢). We saw some beautiful rhododendron gardens, just starting to bloom. Just as I was feeling totally beat, we came into a field filled with wild yellow daisies¢an ocean of color. I was reenergized by their stunning beauty and reminded of why I¢m out here hiking this bloomin¢ trail¢¦ I could be at home, doing what I've always done, or I can be out here, challenging myself to grow in confidence and abilities. I have chosen to give this my best effort. No matter the ultimate outcome, I can be proud of my attempt!
Date: 2003-05-22
From: Erwin, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Hoover here. I saw the doctor today about my right ankle. She said it's tendonitis and prescribed oral steroids for 5 days, as well as 3 days off the trail. So I guess we'll hang out here in Erwin for a few days and resume our hike on Sunday.Anyway, I thought I'd take this opportunity, sitting here in the Erwin public library, to tell Jitterbug's readers how proud I am of how she's doing. I've been through similar levels of physical exertion before (high school football two-a-days, AF Academy basic training, etc), and I've spent a lot of time in the woods (Boy Scouts, US Forest Service, USAF survival training). But this is all totally new to Jitterbug--and she's doing great. We're covering more miles per day than we planned for these early weeks, and she keeps surprising me (and herself, I suspect) at what she's able to do. And she has taken to the outdoor life with no problems at all. No whining about bugs, no fears--at least none voiced--about forest animals, and no complaining about being dirty, wet, or just plain uncomfortable. What a trooper!Well, enough from me, at least for today. We're working up our plans for next week's hikes, and I'm sure Jitterbug will post those before we leave here Sunday.
Date: 2003-05-25
From: Erwin, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

"The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time."--Abraham LincolnThis is our fourth "zero" (no hiking)day in a row. We're waiting for Hoover's right ankle tendonitis to heal up enough to resume hiking.Yesterday we went into Johnson City, TN where a local outfitter was hosting a boat demo day. We each checked out four or five kayaks, and took them all over the lake--it was a blast. We're ready to try kayaking once we're home from our hike.We had a nice surprise last night. I answered a call for a pick-up of five hikers from the trailhead. They wanted a ride into Erwin to Miss Janet's Hostel. When I got there, I was happy to see that one of the hikers was our friend, PonyBoy. It was great to see him again and hear the news about the group we started with at Springer Mountain on May 1st.Today we were both a little down about not hiking. Our twin grandsons, Andrew and Tyler, are celebrating their third birthday, and we hated missing the party. It was hard enough to imagine being gone when we thought we'd be on the trail, but to miss it while sitting around recuperating was even harder! So we took a road trip to Asheville, NC. Tonight we're treating ourselves to a night at the Holdiday Inn Express in Erwin (hot tub, internet access, TV, and unlimited hot showers!!!) Tomorrow we're going to hike the 8.3 miles remaining north of Erwin. After we've finished that, we'll have hiked the entire AT from Erwin to Damascus, VA--as well as 30+ miles in Georgia.Keep your fingers crossed that Hoover's ankle holds up. We'll try to post tomorrow to let you all know how it went. We just have to take things one day at a time.
Date: 2003-05-26
From: Indian Grave Gap, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: light rain

"Today is your day. The mountain is waiting. So get on your way!"--Dr. SeussToday was our day to get back on the trail. We started back with a short, easy stretch just north of Erwin, the only piece of the trail between Erwin, TN and Damascus, VA that we had not yet hiked. We had perfect weather, and our spirits were high. It felt so right to be back hiking again.We were cautious and took our time, traveling at just over 2 miles per hour. We stopped frequently to stretch and rest Hoover's sore tendon. And that approach seemed to work--although his ankle felt weak, Hoover hiked the miles without difficulty. As our friend Bob said, "Hoov is on the move!"We were pleased to meet up with a couple of hikers that started at Springer the same day we did--Starburst (so named because she couldn't get her stove lighted the first night on the trail and so had just three Starburst candies for supper), and Shanrock. We had seen PonyBoy and Squeeze at Miss Janet's Hostel the day before, so the May 1st gang was briefly reunited in Erwin. It was nice to see them again and to know that they're doing well with the trail.Tomorrow we plan another easy (<10 miles) hike to see how Duane's ankle is doing. We are headed south towards Hot Springs, NC now, with the Smokies a couple of weeks ahead of us. Say a little prayer that our aging bodies hold up well enough to let us stay on the trail a while!
Date: 2003-05-27
From: Spivey Gap, NC

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: scattered clouds

"Half of this game is ninety percent mental."--Yogi BerraWe decided that--tendonitis, blisters, and whatever else is thrown at us--we are still AT thru-hikers, and we are back on the trail! Today we hiked the 11.2 miles from Spivey Gap, NC back into Erwin, TN. Tomorrow we plan to hike the 13.3 from Sams Gap to Spivey Gap, and then we are breaking out of the "Erwin vortex" and heading south to Hot Springs, NC.Every thru-hiker has heard mention of the "Erwin vortex" but for you non-hikers, here is a brief explanation. Erwin, TN is a pleasant little town with everything a hiker needs: a friendly hostel (Miss Janet's, with bunks, hot showers, and laundry facilities), good food (Erwin Burrito), and access to the internet (Erwin Library). Combined with the fact that it's possible to day-hike six section (totalling seventy miles of trail) from Erwin, lots of hikers get sucked into the "Erwin vortex" and end up staying in town WAY longer than planned. For us it's been even worse, since we spent four non-hiking days here. By the time we break free, we'll have been in the Erwin area for eleven days!Our hike today was great. We walked part of the way with a lovely couple from Virginia, Snuffy and Fuzzy. The trail was beautiful, with mountain laurel in full bloom. We also saw wildflowers, including a jack-in-the-pulpit and miniature irises. I encountered my first AT snake today. It was a four-foot long black snake, casually sunning himself on the middle of the trail. (No big deal - I am "JitterBUG", not "JitterSNAKE", afterall!) We crossed six mountain streams, and were treated to several views of the Nolichucky River, including watching a train cross a trestle bridge below us. The train looked like a toy, but sounded like the real thing!I am really encouraged by how well Hoover's ankle has done with the last two days of hiking. We hope all of our delays due to injury are behind us, and we are looking forward to finishing the section from here down to Neels Gap, GA (including the Smokey Mountains)by the end of June.
Date: 2003-05-27
From: Erwin, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

"Just keep focused on the next fifty feet of trail."--Hoover BenderHoover is always encouraging me to keep focused on the task immediately ahead, not to worry about what is coming up the trail. He is fond of saying that we are walking 5 million steps, fifty feet at a time. I have learned that he is right about ignoring all but the immediate task. When hiking the AT, there's no way to control what is coming--you just have to handle whatever the trail brings, as it comes.I've had a lot of people ask me what the actual trail is like. Before we started hiking, I had heard it referred to as the "green tunnel." That is an accurate description, but it's only part of the picture. I'll do my best to tell you what it's like...In a single day the trail can be as wide as three feet or as narrow as ten inches. It can be flat, covered with pine needles and dead leaves, or like a trench--knee deep with barely enough room to stand with your feet together. The climbs up can be steep and muddy (and slick as goose-poop), involve climbing up rocks that are knee-high, or can be gently switch-backed and gradual. The down-hill sections can be the reverse, with bone and joint-jarring steps down a rocky and root-riddled hill, a goose-poop- slick mud slope, or gently switch-backed descent. Generally we are walking in a "green tunnel" with trees arched over the trail and ferns and flowers brushing the trail-edge. Ocassionally we walk through meadows filled with wildflowers. Every day there are "blow-downs"--trees that have fallen across the trail. We can climb over, shimmy under or walk around these obstacles. These blow-downs offer some of the most hilarious photo opportunities, but Hoover is barred from taking pictures of the positions I get myself into trying to get around a downed tree! The larger rivers and streams have foot-bridges over them, but the many small streams and brooks are navigated by hopping from rock to rock (hiking poles come in handy), navigating a fallen log, or just wading through. If you can't tell from what I've written, I love the trail. I never know what is going to be around the corner. A breath-taking view, or a breath-taking climb. A single wildflower or a field of them. A waterfall or a crystal clear mountain brook. The trail displays God's nature at its best. This is an adventure I wouldn't miss for the world. I wish you could all be here to enjoy it with me.
Date: 2003-05-28
From: Sams Gap, NC

To: Spivey Gap, NC
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: overcast clouds

"Exit, pursued by a bear."--Stage directions for Shakespeare's "The Wintertale"It's a good thing I'm Jitterbug and not Jitterbear, because I had an actual bear sighting this morning. I had hiked on ahead of Hoover (who was changing shoes) and heard a racket (breaking twigs, rustling bushes) coming from my right off the trail. There was a bear in full retreat, about 100 feet away. I hope that's the closest I come to a bear on the hike! Since he was running away, I was excited about seeing him. I was thankful that he'd heard me coming and decided to "exit right", rather than pursue me!The trail today was tough. We climbed Big Bald and Big Stamp, among a lot of other ups and downs. The views from the balds were terrific, and the weather was perfect for hiking. During one of our rest breaks I took out my "sit pad" - a 12x12 foam pad that I sit on in camp, and that we use as extra padding under Hoover's hips at night. When we got up to leave, I just left it sitting there, and didn't miss it until we were miles down the trail. I figure it is gone for good. Shortly thereafter, we came across a familiar face from Miss Janet's: Constant Wanderer. He is headed the opposite direction and agrees to pick up my sit pad and carry it 'til he meets a hiker headed into Erwin. Hopefull it'll make its way back to me...We were a little slow hiking today and Hoover was afraid we'd miss our rendezvous with Miss Janet at the road crossing. He hiked on ahead of me--he's usually ready to hike a little faster at the end of the day, anyway. I tell him he's like a horse headed to the barn after a day out on the trail. He can't wait to get through and put on the feed bag! I got to the road about ten minutes behind our planned pick up time, and Miss J was there with Hoover. Between the time he arrived and she got there, Hoover heard a racket in the woods that could only have been a bear, but Hoover scared him off without sighting him. MIss J said bears are common in this area.Hoover's ankle held up great for the 13+ miles. We are ready to hike on out of the "Erwin vortex" and head south towards Hot Springs, NC. Stay tuned for another update in five to seven days.
Date: 2003-05-29
From: Sams Gap NC

To: Devils Fork Gap NC
Miles today: 8.5

"No pain, no rain, no Maine."--AT Thru-hiker LoreOne last day of slackpacking to check out Duane's ankle. We left our car at Devils Fork Gap, then Miss Janet shuttled us back to Sams Gap. The plan was to hike back to the car, and then drive it to Hot Springs.We hiked through rain and pain today, so hopefully that means the adage will be true and we'll make it to Maine! Hoover's ankle was fine, the pain was mine. I had a bad day physically and the ups just seemed endless to me. My foot still aches in the afternoons, and I don't have the uphill stamina I need yet. Hoover was patient, the ups ended, and we completed our last leg from the Erwin area. Another eight miles under our belts.By the end of the day I was in better spirits. We saw a wild turkey, and were treated to a spectacular water fall. We bought new raingear for me in Hot Springs (FrogTogs)and had a yummy vegetarian meal at the diner in town. The laundromat was closing soon after we hit town, so we washed out our clothes in the sink and then took them to the laundromat to dry. After they kicked us out at closing, we took our mostly dry clothes back to our room and tried them and our boots by the gas fire. Hopefully the cozy bed at "Cody House" will have me feeling ready for the trail again by the a.m.Our plan is to leave our car parked here in Hot Springs for a few days. The outfitter here will shuttle us back to the trail where we left off this afternoon, and then we'll hike three days back to Hot Springs. At that point we hope to park the car with Danny in Johson City, TN, and continue south without the logistical hassles of bouncing a car down the trail with us!
Date: 2003-05-30
From: Devils Fork Gap NC

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: broken clouds

"All things are difficult before they are easy."--Thomas Fuller, M.D.After a shuttle from Hot Springs to the trailhead, we hit the trail running. Not literaly, but it was a much better start to the day for me. We saw more wild turkeys, the views from White Rock Cliff were spectacular, and the weather cooperated--no need for my new rain gear!We were happy to run into our friend Dandelion John today. We all started at Springer together, and he was very kind to me the night I learned my father died. His hike is going well, too. We spent half an hour catching up and hearing the news about our hiker friends, and then moved on. We may not see Dandelion on the trail again, but then we may--it's a small trail, afterall!We arrived at Little Laurel shelter in the early evening. There were two hikers staying in the shelter already, and they were relieved to hear that we planned to tent. We set up near the shelter, washed out our clothes, cooked dinner and hit the hay early. We'd hiked our longest day to date, with full packs, and we were pooped. Shortly after we got in our bags, it started raining, and the sound lulled us to sleep quickly.
Date: 2003-05-31
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Campsite outside Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: light rain

"If you're not living on the edge, you are taking up too much room."--Jayne HowardWe awoke to find it still raining. We shuttled all of our belonings over to the shelter and packed up there. It was nearly nine o'clock by the time we hit the trail, as we kept hoping that the rain would stop. Oh, well--a chance to try our my new rain gear!We walked our first two hours in a steady drizzle. Before we quit yesterday, we thought we'd summitted the mountain we were climbing, so it was a shock to face three hours of uphill first thing in the morning. But we managed to knock off the tough climbs by noon, at least. After lunching at the Spring Mountain Shelter, we hiked on to a campsite near a manmade lake six miles outside Hot Springs. When we learned that the site was near a road and that a troop of Scouts was camped nearby, we nearly continued on into Hot Springs. Fortunately we didn't, because Hoover's ankle started acting up again just before we quit for the day. We had to pitch our tent too close to the trail for comfort, but there just wasn't a good campsite to be found. Hoover further aggravated his ankle pain while hanging the food bags from a nearby tree. We hit the sack early and weighed our options--considered getting off the trail for a while, but decided just to play it by ear. We'd let the pain in Hoover's ankle in the morning determine our course of action. We had no choice but to hike the six miles into Hot Springs--we'll just take it slowly if Hoover is in pain. I was convinced that our hike was over, but laid there hoping it was not. Obviously the Boy Scouts across the lake were planning a big day tomorrow, as we didn't hear a peep out of them after 7:30, even though I was awake for several hours, worrying.