morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-02-25
From: Neels Gap (Walasiyi Inn)

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.6

Today has been cloudy and windy but no rain or snow (yet).The terrain is pretty much the same as I¢ve seen so far. I started at Neels Gap this morning at 7:20 am. The elevation there is 3140¢. I went up Loveland Mountain at 3942¢, down to Swain Gap at 3450¢, to Wolf Laurel Top at 3766¢, to Baggs Creek Gap at 3591¢, up to Cow Rock Mountain at 3842¢, down to testnatee Gap at 3140¢ and back up to Wildcat Mountain at 3420¢. All of that in the first half of today¢s hike.The most significant thing I didn¢t see today was other hikers. I¢m in between groups right now. I got here to Low Gap Shelter at five minutes after 1:00. I changed out of my sweaty shirt and put on a dry one. I dried my fleece jacket, but my shirt is still damp. My concern is the weather. They are calling for a winter storm. I had a decision to make. Should I try to make it 9.2 miles to GA75 (highway), which would make it a 20-mile day, or stay put and risk hiking out in 6¢ of snow¢¦ I have food and water, enough for several days. Most of my clothing is dry and I have a warm sleeping bag. My son and I were once in a similar situation in the Adirondacks. Our decision then was to stay put. I have decided that is what I will do here, too. If it is not raining in the morning, I may decide to walk the eight miles to the road and hitch into Helen, Georgia. If it still bad, I¢ll stay here in the shelter another day. It is supposed to be better Friday and Saturday. For dinner, I had three cheese mashed potatoes with ham. They were good, but twice as much as I could eat. At my retirement party, I got some goodies from coworkers. They signed their names to the items. Tonight I had hot cider from Cindy K. The note on it said, ¢hope for snow.¢ (Cindy loves to cross-country ski.) Well Cindy, I¢m not hoping for snow but I may get it anyway.Stay tuned¢¦
Date: 2004-02-26
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, the storm hit and we have snow on the ground. It is still pretty windy. The good news is I¢m not alone. I was joined last evening by five people: Monk, Lars, Mrisie, Tucker and Phillip (from the UK). It is 11:00 a.m. and Monk, Lars and Mrisie are going on to Blue Mountain Shelter. The three of us that are left are going to stay the day. There are a couple of inches of snow on the ground. It¢s about 31 degrees but windy¢¦ and the higher you go the windier it is. Tomorrow it is supposed to be a bit milder. I¢m thinking about going about 9 miles tomorrow and then hitch into Helen, Georgia for the night. We¢ll see.
Date: 2004-02-27
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 9.4

I left the Low Gap Shelter at 7:45 this morning. The trail out of Low Gap was uphill but graded very well. I was fast moving (even in 2¢ to 6¢ of snow) for the first five miles or so. It then became very rocky and with the snow cover, also very difficult. I was thankful for my trekking poles, as they kept me from many falls.About a mile from the Blue Mountain Shelter, Phillips caught up to me. I knew he would, as he is a very conditioned hiker. I was beat when I reached the Blue Mountain Shelter and I took a break while Lars, Mark and Mrsisie got ready to leave. I had a Snickers bar and some water. After ten minutes of rest I was hiking the last 1.5 miles to the road. About two-thirds was downhill and very slippery due to the snow.I was at the road (GA75) at Unicoi Gap at 12:40. I waited about 20 minutes for a ride when a man in a pickup truck stopped. He was at a campground at the edge of Helen, Georgia. He took me to the Holiday Inn where I just finished a long soak in the tub. I¢m going to see about getting a ride back to Unicoi Gap sometime late tomorrow morning.
Date: 2004-02-28
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: clear sky

I had a very restful night at the Holiday Inn in Helen. They had an outstanding deluxe continental breakfast. I loaded up on a big breakfast and I could feel the difference for the first half of the day.After checking out of my room, I walked about a half mile to Wildwood Outfitters where I had called about a ride back to the trail the previous night. I was told to be there by 10:00 and I would be given a ride back to the trail. At a couple of minutes past 10:00, Nathan loaded my pack in his car and I was back at Unicoi Gap in about 20 minutes. Nathan wouldn¢t accept any money for gas. I understand that this kindness to hikers in the south is typical.I started up from Unicoi Gap up Rocky Mountain (3810¢). This is where I felt the effects of my good nights rest and big breakfast. I stopped near the summit of Rocky Mountain to take a couple of pictures, and then moved down into Indian Grave Gap (3115¢). From there I started up Tray Mountain, the highest mountain on the AT in Georgia at 4930¢. My point in telling everyone the elevation changes is to give a proper impression that Georgia is anything but a ridge walk.On my way up Tray Mountain I ran into Brier Rabbit. I linked up with him later and hiked to Deep Gap. This was a long day and were both glad it was over.
Date: 2004-02-29
From: Deep Gap

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: overcast clouds

We (myself and Brier Rabbit) left Deep Gap Shelter at about 8:00. We had 3.5 miles to get to Dicks Creek Gap US 76 Highway. Sounds easy¢¦. You never know what the trail will throw your way. Brier Rabbit found a young dog next to the trail. It was half starved and shivering. Rabbit and I gave it food and took it with us. It could only walk a bit, so Rabbit carried this dog for miles. We got to the road and couldn¢t get a ride to the Blueberry Patch Hostel so we walked within a mile and Potato (AT 2002) stopped and gave us a ride the remainder of the way. This is a great place. Everything I had always heard about Gary and Lennie Poteat is true. They are the salt of the Earth.
Date: 2004-03-01
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Before I tell you anything about today¢s hiking, I need to finish the story about the dog. His name is Gus and Brier Rabbit was able to contact the owners. They were thrilled that he had been found. I don¢t know if Brier¢s family is reading this, but in my opinion, he saved that dog¢s life. Brier, already carrying a 40-poung pack, often carried Gus on his shoulder. Gus¢ family came to the Blueberry Patch Hostel to pick him up and left us some goodies including a bag of oranges. A happy ending to Gus¢ story.We started hiking at Dicks Creek Gap where Gary (Blueberry Patch Hostel) dropped us off. It was almost 10:00. Brier Rabbit and I are hiking together for now. I like hiking with him, he is encouraging me. I hope I can keep up with him. We crossed the Georgia-North Carolina border today. (We did it, Deb!) Right after crossing the border at Bly Gap we were welcomed into North Carolina by a long, steep mountain. That was a killer climb. We got to Muskrat Creek Shelter at about 5:30. Another tough day.
Date: 2004-03-02
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: light rain

The word for the day is RAIN. 12.5 miles in the rain. We crossed Standing Indian Mountain at about 5500¢. We have been in the clouds all day with no views. Once we got to the shelter, we got our water for the night and then got some dry clothes on. We are hoping for better weather tomorrow. We had two section hikers (Chris and Adam) join us later this afternoon. Chris is from Atlanta and Adam is from Mobile, Alabama.
Date: 2004-03-03
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Another milestone, but a small one. I¢ve now hiked over 100 miles on the AT. 103 to be exact. Brier Rabbit and I started out from Carter Gap this morning at 8:30. There were some patches of blue sky, which gave us hope for a dry day. About a half-mile from Carter Gap we started to see Wild Boar activity. We didn¢t see any boars, but we did see tracks and where they had been routing around looking for nuts.We climbed Albert Mountain and reached the summit around noon. This was the toughest summit yet for me. 5220¢ and the last 100 yards were steep. It reminded me of some Adirondack peaks but now I¢m carrying a 40-pound pack. Clouds moved in and we got no pictures. We reached Rock Gap Shelter at about 3:00pm. Physically, I¢m not doing too badly. The rain yesterday started some blisters and a little chaffing. We¢ve strung a clothesline and are drying some of yesterday¢s clothes.
Date: 2004-03-04
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: overcast clouds

We started from Rock Gap at about 8:30. But before we left, Wayne Ramage from CO stopped by to see us off. He brought some yogurt, bread and a couple of other goodies for Brier Rabbit and myself. He is a very nice man and very interested in the trail. Our goal today was the Cold Spring Shelter 19.6 miles away. Our concern was the weather forecast for Friday. They were predicting strong winds and rain by afternoon. If we could reach our goal today we could potentially get into Wesser, NC before the rain was predicted to start Friday afternoon. That was the plan, but nearly 20 miles in these mountains isn¢t something I would advise someone to do. Brier Rabbit ¢took off¢ and we both hiked pretty much alone for most of the day. I caught him at Winding Stair Gap where he was getting a snack. We crossed US64 and we were soon separated again. There was a place where the trail came next to a forest service road and I stopped to take a drink when two ladies (who looked to be near 70) asked if I wanted a ride. I told them that I¢d love one, but I¢d better not.I caught Brier Rabbit again having some lunch on Siler Bald. This is the first of the ¢Balds¢ that the AT crosses when traveling south to north. It was windy and cold so I kept going down the other side and stopped at a stream to filter water and eat some lunch. Brier Rabbit soon passed me again. After a period of going down, I started going back up again. This was a long climb and brought me to Wayah Bald (5340¢) with a stone observation tower. I took several pictures over the mountains that I had come over the past days. In one picture you can see Albert Mountains¢ fire tower. I was there for lunch the day before. It looks like a long way off now. This is a nice place for views and I would have loved to stay longer but it was after 3:00 and I had to travel 6 more miles to reach the day¢s goal.When I think about the remainder of the day, I remember having to climb 700¢ in the last 1.2 miles. It was slow going as I was about out of energy. I reached Cold Spring Shelter at 6:25, nearly dark. I think I surprised Brier Rabbit by making it. I got water from a piped spring and made dinner (Mountain House Chicken Polynesian) it was very good. That¢s it¢¦ a very difficult and long day, but nice to know that I could do it.
Date: 2004-03-05
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: Wesser, NC (NOC)
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up feeling the effects of yesterday¢s long hike. I was hiking by 7:35 and Brier Rabbit wasn¢t far behind. The main feature of today would have been Wesser Bald, but when I got there it was quite windy and cold and with the pending storm I decided to pass on climbing the tower. I reached Wesser, NC just before 1:00. I got an overpriced room and am taking a day off tomorrow.
Date: 2004-03-06
From: Wesser, NC (NOC)

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Zero day, although that doesn¢t mean that I get to lay around all day. There¢s laundry, getting mail drops, sorting out food for the rest of the section and of course, getting something to eat!To this point, I have covered 134 miles. So what have I learned? First, it¢s important to keep your pack as light as possible. If you don¢t need it, don¢t bring it. Second, keep a positive attitude. Find the good in every day ¢ even if it is raining. I¢ve heard that hiking the AT is mostly mental. I would like to qualify that a little. If you are physically capable of hiking, and you don¢t develop any physical problems¢¦ Then I¢d say that ¢hiking is mostly mental¢ is somewhat true. But¢¦ don¢t forget that there are buckets of sweat that you will experience along the way. No one should get the impression that this is a walk in a local park. It¢s more like 10 hours on a stair master with 40 pounds strapped to your back. So why do people do it? I think it for me it is for the experiences you have today and those you will have tomorrow. One more thought that I hope I can put in perspective¢¦ I got a note from my daughter who is doing a lot to help me with this trip (posting my journals for one) and she closed her note with ¢I hope you are having fun.¢ Well, I have had very little ¢fun¢ so far, but I¢m enjoying the challenge.For those of you that think you may want to try this adventure, get ready ¢ physically ¢ as best you can. Nothing will get you ready for backpacking like strapping on the pack and doing the miles. Read all you can from others that have done all or some of the trail and look for helpful hints. There are forums on the internet that are dedicated to this effort. Join a group and get to know your fellow hikers before you ever hit the trail.If there is something specific you would like to know from me, make a guest book entry with your question and I¢ll get an answer to you.The NOC isn¢t that best stop on the trail. I guess if I were to do it over I would have set up a mail drop in Bryson City with someone who could have provided a shuttle. The worst thing is that there are no restaurants open yet. That is a real pain.So, I hiked into Bryson City and a very friendly couple by the names of David and Debra Bennett of Fort Myers, Florida gave me a ride. They were very kind and took me to a part of Bryson that had a group of restaurants in one area. I ate at a chicken place and then walked across the street to Subway. While my sub was being made, I asked the manger what would be the best way to hitch a ride back to the NOC. He thought for a minute and then said to his two employees, ¢Watch the store, I¢m going to give this guy a ride.¢ It is 13 miles back to the NOC. Allen, the manager, wouldn¢t take a dime. Turns out that Allen went to Syracuse University, so he was familiar with where I am from.So, to David, Debra and Allen, your kindness has touched my heart and has become one of those special experiences that I will always remember. May God bless you.
Date: 2004-03-07
From: Wesser, NC (NOC)

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: clear sky

I got up early to enjoy one more shower before leaving Wesser. I was packed pretty much last night. I take my pack and trekking poles and head to the administration office to turn in my key. No one is there and there is no key drop box. So I head toward the store to see if anyone was there ¢ no luck. So I climb the hill again where my room is located and decide to just lock the key in my room and I¢m finally on my way.I knew today would start with a long climb, so I was mentally ready. I started a 1750¢ and hit a high point at Swim Bald (not really a ¢Bald¢ mountain) 4750¢. Most of the trail was well graded and not too many steep spots. I got to Sassafras Gap Shelter at bout 12:10PM. No one is here but the log book shows that Brer Rabbit and Clown had passed through and are headed up the trail another nine miles. I almost went too, but decided to stay. It¢s a beautiful sunny day, but there¢s a cold wind blowing.I think I may have mac & cheese tonight and a couple of Laura¢s brownies. I appear to have lost my drug store reading glasses. I think when I took a break they slid out of my pocket. So, when I get to Fontana I¢ll have to see if I can get another pair. I¢m writing this while squinting. (I hope you don¢t have to read it that way.)I finished dinner and I was joined by Ashley and Jonathan, so I won¢t be alone in the shelter.Just before dark the wind picked up, and there were a few drops of rain. A short while later the wind was sounding like a 10,000 car freight train and what had been rain was now snow.A short while after dark, about 8-10 University of Florida students came in, covered with snow. They were a great bunch. I was definitely not going to be alone tonight.
Date: 2004-03-08
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: few clouds

You can imagine with all those people in the shelter the confusion in the morning with everyone trying to pack up.I waited about a 12 hour for things to settle down, and then I got up, got some breakfast and packed up. There was some ice in my Nalgene bottle and someone said that it was 27 degrees out.I was first the out of the shelter and headed north. Right away I had to go up and over Cheoah Bald, 5062¢. Once on top, I stopped to take pictures. I was hiking in a small amount of snow, but still needed to be careful on the down-hills not to fall. To this point, I have not fallen. I have had some close calls, but have been saved by my trekking poles. I had decide to go a little over 15 miles today, as they were calling for poor weather on Tuesday and so this would leave me just under 7 miles to do on Tuesday.It was a cool day to hike, cool enough to hike with my fleece jacket on all day. I stopped at Stecoah Gap on Route 143NC for a quick snack and a short break. When I got there, several cyclists were taking a break as well. They soon left and a police officer drove in and walked over to me and asked if the cyclists had come off the AT. I told him that they were here at the roadside pull off when I came off the mountain, and that I hadn¢t seen any bike tracks on the trail. Nice to know that he was looking out for the trail.I stopped again later at Brown Fork Gap Shelter to get water and bandage a blister on my right toe. I had 6 more miles to go for the day, it was 1:50PM.I arrived at Cable Gap Shelter before 5PM. Muttly and City Boy (father and son) and a couple of section hikers were in the shelter so I decided to set up a tent. I have been coughing a lot with this ¢chest thing¢ and sleeping alone would probably be a good thing. I got setup, had dinner (Mountain House Beef Stew) and crawled in for the night.
Date: 2004-03-09
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: broken clouds

I got up around 7:00 am and started to pack up. I was happy that it hadn¢t rained or snowed on my tent. I had some granola for breakfast and I was on my way. My goal was to get to the Fontana Dam Visitors Center. I would then call Jeff and Nancy Hoch at the Hike Inn to come and pick me up.As I walked up to a high point on the ridge, I looked over the other side and I could see the Dam for the first time. I had been seeing the lake since early yesterday, but this was my first sighting of the dam.I could also look beyond the dam to the Smokies and it was snowing! I was hoping that it would stay over there until I could get closer to the dam.The trail finally was taking me down to the necessary elevation. I reached route 28 where I found a Coke machine next to the trail and I had to stop and have one. I had another 1.1 miles to go to get to the visitors center.When I reached the center, it was sprinkling a little. I found that pay phone and called the Hike Inn and Nancy answered. She said that she¢d be there in 20 minutes. Fifteen minutes later, there she was and I was on my way. I told Nancy that I probably needed to see a doctor as I expected that I might have bronchitis. Nancy got me into a room and I called my wife to get my insurance number. A short while later Nancy said that I had a doctor¢s appointment at 2:30. I had time to take a shower and get there. Jeff drove me to the doctor¢s office and the doctor confirmed that it was bronchitis. The doctor was very interested in my hike and my health. He gave me a couple of prescriptions and Jeff dropped me off to get them filled and get some dinner. Nancy stopped back later, dropping off Muttly and City Boy and they had dinner with me.I¢m glad to be here. Nancy and Jeff are great and have gone the extra mile to get me help. Thank you!!
Date: 2004-03-10
From: Fontana Dam

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I went into Robbinsville with Muttly and City Boy (compliments of Jeff¢s shuttle). We went to the library and were able to get and send some email. I also checked my journal. My daughter is doing a nice job with what I¢ve sent her.We ate lunch at a Mexican place that Jeff recommended and it was very good, I picked up a sub for dinner and a couple of things for tomorrow¢s breakfast.I¢ve needed this rest and tomorrow I head into the Smokies. See ya in seven days.
Date: 2004-03-11
From: Fontana Dam

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: few clouds

Jeff Hoch dropped me at the Dam at about 9:15am. He took my picture and I was on my way. The first person I ran into was Andrew, he was already on the dam. I hike with him a bit, but his young hogs soon pulled away.It was all up hill today ¢ I started at 1715¢ at the dam and tonight¢s shelter is at 4570¢. The snow storm from Tuesday is very evident up here. Most of the afternoon I walked in the snow, slush, or mud. I¢m not complaining, it was a nice day and warm enough that most of the time I was able to hike without my fleece jacket.About 12 mile from the shelter I caught up with LuLu. She is from Rotterdam, Netherlands and has lived in Flint, Michigan for the last 20+ last years. She and I were both hoping to see the shelter soon ¢ it had been a long day of climbing.We get to the shelter around 3:30pm. Got water, made dinner and got ready for dark. At about 5:30pm Small Child and Crickett ¢ a guy and a gal that are hiking together, join us.Well, it is getting dark, I have to quit.
Date: 2004-03-12
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: clear sky

Yesterday, the first day in the Smokies, was spent gaining elevation. Today, the second day wasn¢t as intense as the first, but still I did a lot of climbing.I went over Rocky Top Mountain today. Rocky Top was made famous in a Dolly Parton song. Rocky Top was 5441¢ and then we went over Thunderhead (5527¢).About a mile before reaching Derricks Knob Shelter I spotted about 5 wild Turkeys just below me on the ridge.Tonight LuLu and I are sharing a shelter with a nice group of men and one of their sons. They built a nice fire in the shelter fireplace.
Date: 2004-03-13
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: broken clouds

Big day today ¢ up and over Clingmans Dome at 6643¢. You could not have asked for a clearer day. This is the 3rd straight day of clear weather.Tonight in the shelter are a number of students on spring break. A real nice group.
Date: 2004-03-14
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: scattered clouds

It was cold last night, and the soft snow we had been hiking on is now ice. LuLu and I made our way down from Mt. Collins to Newfound Gap and it was nearly all ice.We left Newfound Gap after taking advantage of the rest rooms. It was late morning and the ice was softening a little, but only making it more slippery. We did get to some ridges that were more exposed to the sun and we had some better trails.A key point of interest today was Charlie¢s Bunion, a rock outcropping that someone thought look like a bunion. We met some great students from the University of Wisconsin who gave us a wonderful apple. A piece of fresh fruit is special to a thru-hiker. Thanks!Tonight we shared the shelter with ¢Sam¢ and three students from the US Naval Academy. If these three are any indication of our future leadership in the military, then our nation is in good hands.