morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-04-14
From: Fontana Dam Marina

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: clear sky

Today started off great with a good breakfast buffett at the Inn. I picked up some Prep H to try to alleviate the mad shaffing down-under from all this walking, but I'm not too sure it will even work. The store was very small and there wasn't much selection at all. The sales woman at the counter was adamant in her position that the best remedy for shaffing is to "rub lard, like Crisco, or honey, that works GREAT, all over the area because the natural oils work wonders for ya!" I thought about it, and here's what I thought: hmm, I'm about to spent the next five days hiking through an area that just so happens to have the highest concentration AND population of black bears in the country. Do I really want to be putting animal fat or honey all over my private area before walking in there? All I know about bears is what I've seen on TV and the movies and they always seem to be fighting over who gets to eat the honey...the mental picture forming in my head right now is horrifying! Maybe this is too much information...I digress. So today, Peanut, Ribeye, Dutchman and I hiked into the Great Smoky Mountains. I have been waiting to see this place first hand for years now and today I am actually writing in my tent, atop those very mountains.The hike was by no means a cake-walk, but it was not nearly as tough as hiking out of the NOC! The scenery was totally unreal. The ground was completely covered in white common woodsorel, or at least that's what Sparkplug told me. The shelter we are at is VERY OLD and it is encaged in the front by a metal chain-link fence. It smells very dank in there and it is relatively crowded so I am tenting nearby. I admit I am a bit of a bear-puss, but this is an adventure I'm on so why not live on the edge! Besides, I brought one of my hiking poles inside the tent with me in case I need to regulate a Yogi at some time tonight.
Date: 2005-04-15
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: clear sky

Today was supposed to be easy but it turned out to be pretty tough. I came to the conclusion that I am not eating enough or I'm simply malnurished. I am taking vitamins and eating as much as possible but I still feel tired all day...when I get to Hot Springs I will re-evaluate my diet and look for other stuff to eat.Anyhow, I spent a lot of the day thinking about other things I'd like to be doing, which isn't a good sign. On my list was to backpack Europe and at some point open a restaurant/pub of my own. I have a strong feeling I will not complete this journey, but it may turn into an adventure of another sort. At the shelter tonight a hiker named Drumstick had a Martin Backpacker guitar and he let me play. That definitely made my day! All I can say is that I am very much looking forward to the Trail Fest festival in Hot Springs.
Date: 2005-04-16
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: Cold Springs Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: clear sky

Today felt like a long day. Mainly because of the vicious shaffing going on down-below. The Prep H is not working. I definitely need to remedy this before it gets out of hand, especially since we are going to try a twenty-mile day tomorrow. God, that could be very painful if this rash doesn't clear up!Anyhow, something very cool happened today. We were hiking along and could hear a loud noise up ahead. We turned a corner and there were members of a Hiking Club from Indianapolis lining both sides of the trail with their hiking poles crossing in the air for us to pass thru. There must have been at least 25 of them too! They hooped and hollered, and yelled encouragements as we passed by! It was really awesome! My faith has been greatly renewed in this trek today. My body felt great (with the exception of Hell's Kitchen, which is what I now call my shorts and their burning contents)!We met up with Drumstick and Six Piece tonight and Drumstick let me play his guitar for most of the evening, which was awesome. At bedtime, Drumstick played in front of the fire in the shelter fireplace and he played mostly bluegrass and jazz numbers, which were very relaxing, and I listened from my tent. He really rips on the guitar too! I am tenting tonight nearby the shelter and it is freezing out. I hope my bag can keep me warm!
Date: 2005-04-17
From: Cold Springs Shelter

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: broken clouds

We had initially intended to go 20 miles today, which would have put us at Cosby Knob Shelter, a lot closer to the end of the Smokies. However, we didn't get out of camp early enough and the hiking was largely uphill , so it diddn't take long for us to realize our folly and decide on the 12 mile hike to Tri-Corner Knob Shelter. As it turned out it was the best decision we could have made! Our friends Snowman and Sparkplug were there, along with Drumstick and Six-piece when we arrived. Bodacious showed up next. He is a cool, soft spoken, older guy (40s) who has hiked the whole trail 3 times now!The shelter was actually a beautiful structure. Slate stone on the back and sides and an open front that had a built-in tarp that covered the whole front of the shelter if you pull it down. There was also a built-in stone fireplace inside the shelter. The roof was tin with a bunch of plastic skylights all around. It was very hooked up. After dinner, Six-Piece and Bodacious built a fire in the fireplace, and more people showed up. In came Potholer, an Englishman who now lives in Tennessee and then the Ramblin' Ramblers from Seattle: Crazy Legs, Scavenger, Catch23 and Montana Lush. Ribeye was giving Peanut a back massage when Potholer says, "I'm a masseur, let me help you out!" So he gives Peanut an unbelievable deep-tissue massage and we all look on in envy as Potholer finishes by cracking Peanut's back and neck. He then says, "Who's next?". Potholer procedes to give everyone of us this same awesome yet painful treatment! It may sound sketchy to you but it was very evident he knew what he was doing. So the night wound up like the following: We lit a huge fire and lowered the tarp, which warmed the whole shelter. Scavenger has an amazing voice, and using Drumstick's guitar, he performed Whiskey In The Jar and Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key. It was amazing! All the while, Potholer's continuing to put on his massage clinic in the middle of the shelter! It was definitely the most memorable night I have had in a shelter yet. My back feels a lot better after Potholer's treatment though and he showed us some great stretches too.
Date: 2005-04-18
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: A Spring & Campsite
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: clear sky

Another day of beautiful weather. We stayed warm all night because of the fire, it was awesome not having to wake up in the middle of the night because un-Godly cold is eating at your joints.We hauled butt to make it to Davenport Gap before 5pm, because that's when Mountain Mommas (hostel/restaurant) closes, and we all really wanted one of their famously huge cheeseburgers! We got to the gap and then walked 1.5 miles in the wrong direction! Upon realizing this at 4:30pm, a feeling of panic set in because there was no possible way we could walk the 3 miles to Mountain Mommas in the half-hour we had left. We threw our thumbs out and hitched a ride almost immediately! A caravan full of old women from Michigan pulled over for us. Since our new friends, The Ramblin' Ramlers didn't get a ride, we asked the owners of Mountain Mommas to pick them up, which they so kindly did. The burger almost caused me to slip into a food-induced coma because it was such a shock to my system. We were able to resupply there and get a ride back to Davenport Gap, where we hiked in a mile and a half to this picturesque campsite among two springs with cascading waterfalls on either side of us. Very cool! Three days to Hot Springs and I'm trying to decide if I should get off the trail there...I'm just not sure. I keep thinking I would love to go home, save more money, and backpack Europe. There is so much more to see there. The people on the AT are definitely what keeps me going. The Smokies were also really phenomenal! What an experience!
Date: 2005-04-19
From: A Spring & Campsite

To: Hawk's Roost
Miles today: 10.8

I slept really well last night! That campsite was unbelievably beautiful. Today we hiked our butts off up a three mile series of killer hills. At one point the Ramblin' Ramblers, Drumstick and Six-piece, Walrus and the three of us, all hung out at the top of a large grassy hill with an FAA tower on top of it. It was a beautiful day, very sunny and HOT! I was having flashbacks of our hike out of the NOC...anyhow we wound up separating from the Ramblin' Ramblers, whom we spent last night with, and camped with Drumstick and Six-piece. We lit a huge fire and stayed up late playing Drumstick's guitar and sharing stories. It was an awesome night!
Date: 2005-04-20
From: Hawk's Roost

To: Old Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: clear sky

We didn't get out of camp today until 10:30am because we all slept in. The only reason I woke up was because the sun had heated up my tent so much I was sweating! We got up to Max Patch and ran into some TRAIL MAGIC! Spiff, a former thru-hiker, had coolers of soda, water and beer (which had already been drank), fresh fruit, pizza, and more. Spiff was even serving strawberries dipped in sugar! That was a huge treat! I ate a green apple, a slice of pepperoni pizza, and a package of pop-tarts for lunch. The open area on top of Max Patch is really sweet with a 360' view of the Appalachians. I took a few pictures up there too...
Date: 2005-04-21
From: Old Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Deer Park Shelter
Miles today: 11.7

We hauled ass today because we were hoping to get to the shelter in time to drop our gear, hike to town for beer, and hike back to surprise the other hikers at the shelter with a little party! Hot Springs is only 3 miles from the shelter so it sounded feasible...however, we were too tired to do all that once we actually got to the shelter so we hung out all afternoon with the 3 folks we met at Max Patch: Vocal, Norway and Lauren and her dog Maggie; they are a fun group and they will be finishing their section hike at Hot Springs. Also joining us was Oma and Opa and their golden retriever. It is beginning to rain so we all retired to our tents after lighting a big fire at the shelter and listening to some interesting conversation between RibEye and Opa about the "World Bankers Conspiracy." Ribeye wasn't really buying it...I am reading a book given to me by Ribeye entitled, "Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance", it came highly recommended. I have heard the same nocturnal bird for 2 nights in a row now! It's called a "Whip-worbler", named after the only song it sings...it doesn't really bother me though.So we will be spending the next 2-3 days in Hot Springs because there is a big festival called "Trail Fest." We plan on meeting back up with many of our trail friends there and enjoying some time off of our feet, ideally because we will be sitting in bar stools! On a more serious note, I am enjoying every day of this trip, however, 6 months of this type of lifestyle may be overkill for me. It has been 8 DAYS IN A ROW WITHOUT A SHOWER and I don't know how much more I can take. I know I will shower tomorrow and I had been somewhat bathingin the streams when they are big enough, but I am still really nasty overall. Besides that, I can't escape the fact that I am constantly thinking about how great a trip to Europe would be, and the amazing backpacking awaiting me there! I may only hike to Damascus, VA for "Trail Days" and then go home to save more cash so I can do the Europe trip after the summer. Time will tell I guess. That's it for tonight. Can't wait for breakfast tomorrow!
Date: 2005-04-22
From: Deer Park Shelter

To: Hot Springs - Trail Fest
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: overcast clouds

4/22-4/24   We stayed at Elmer's Hostel for 3 days straight and had a blast! It rained all weekend so the actual Trail Fest event wasn't very cool but we had a lot of fun anyway. Elmer's hostel is a huge victorian mansion that sits off the main road in town. Elmer and his cooks prepare breakfast and dinner (All Vegetarian) and you can sign up for either if your staying there. I highly reccommend it! At each meal Elmer asks everyone to state their name, where they're from, and something about themselves. At dinner he asked each of us, "If you could be anything in the springtime, what would you be?" I answered, " A cold bottle of beer sweating in the sun...and then I'd drink myself!" After all, my trail name is Thirsty!The hostel has a music room with 2 guitars, a banjo, a piano, lots of percussion instruments and recorders, kazoos...etc. So naturally I was eager to play some guitar and it so happened that Brandon (Scavenger) of the Ramblin' Ramblers was staying at Elmers along with the rest of the Ramblers, and so was Drumstick and Six-Piece. It was great because all day Saturday we played songs, mostly Garcia or Dead songs, and it sounded amazing! We did an awesome version of "I know you rider" with Hazy Sonic playing the piano! I can't say enough about how aewsome that whole day was! In the evenings we went downtown to the only bar in the county (no joke). It was called the Paddler's Pub and it sucked for the most part but it was fun meeting up with my other Thru-hikering friends down there (Noonen, Sweet 16, Syracuse Pete, Southshore, Jersey Fresh, Beantown). I had a great time playing chess and hanging out with Southshore. I also enjoyed catching up with Beantown, he's from Mass too and he's a great guy too.Anyhow, a very strange happened that is worth mentioning. I had mentioned several times to Ribeye while we were in the woods this past week that I felt like someone may have died in my family, and I was worried that no one would tell me. So I called home as soon as i got into town and my Dad tells me that my Great Uncle, Sonny, has died and his funeral is on Wednesday. Yeah, it was pretty wierd...I don't know how to explain it or what to say about it except that it's a true story and that's no lie.
Date: 2005-04-25
From: Hot Springs - Trail Fest

To: Allen Gap
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Easy day of hiking and it went by quick. We are camping next to a road, sweet!(not) And there's a tent city going on! With us tonight is Spoonman, Walrus, Cracker, Insanely Grateful and her daughter Sunshine. Oh yeah, Elf is here too. I am exhausted and am lacking creativity. Goodnight!
Date: 2005-04-26
From: Allen Gap

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was fascinating. We woke up and found flyers all around our tents advertising trail magic at a log cabin down the street. So we wasted no time packing up our stuff and heading for the house. The couple that owned the house were named Herculeus and Fal. They were very nice and they fed us beef stew, which rocked (I'm usually not a big fan) as well as blackberry icecream with oreos, hot fudge and whipped cream. All of that for free and gladly eaten at 9am in the morning!It looked like it could rain at any momment all day. The wind was near deafening at times but the rain didn't come down until the last 6 miles of the day. Earlier in the day we did a rediculous ridgewalk in 30 mph winds, I was actually able to get a decent picture up there before the fog rolled in. We got to the second shelter, which was 12 miles in and decided to the next shelter, 6 miles away. My knee was beat-up from the rocky, ridgetop run and my back was really knotted up because I've been carrying too much food, but I was determined to keep going. As soon as I started out from the shelter, the rain began. I tried to quicken my pace but sharp pains throughout my whole body corrected that mistake. Since I had my pack cover on and my hooded rain jacket, I figured, Fuck it, I'll just walk in the rain at whatever pace my body dictates and just go with the flow.My brain began to feel at ease and I began to drift into unconscious thought. It was a wonderful feeling.
Date: 2005-04-27
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Low Gap Campsite
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: light rain

So today I made it official in my mind, I'm going to get off the trail in Erwin, TN and try to do a work stay until someone can drive down to pick me up. Dad had actually offered during a phone conversation in Hot Springs. I do love the trail though. I know I'll miss it immeasurably, but deep down I know that other adventures are waiting for me and 6 months on the trail seems to be too much of one thing for me right now. I told Ribeye and Jenny of my plan and although Jenny said she understood, I think it will be hard for her. Ribeye may go to Charlestown for a week when we reach Erwin, which means Jenny may be alone. She will be fine though, there are lots of people that will help her out if she needs it.2 days to Erwin baby! It's bittersweet. By the way, today's weather was cold as hell and scattered hail storms. Yeah, HAIL! And it's almost May! I did come-up on some wintergreen and I put the leaves in my water to flavor it...that was a nice change...
Date: 2005-04-28
From: Low Gap Campsite

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: overcast clouds

So I froze my ass off last night. I couldn't get my feet warm to save my life. Anyhow, I did get some sleep because I had another dream about Carrie. I've been dreaming about her a lot out here and they are all similiar type dreams. In some, I am near her and can hear her voice, and hear her laughing. Last night's dream I was laying with my head in her lap and she was looking down at me smiling...I really miss Carrie.We went up to Big Bald today and I took a 3-picture panaramic photo up there. It was sunny and beautiful, but then the day turned to shit and it rained on us all day long. It wasn't too cold though, so it wasn't that bad. Today was also my last day of hiking as I only have a 5 mile hike to Erin tomorrow and then I will make my arrangements to get off the trail. There's a lot I'm going to miss about this amazing experience. Nights like last night when we just set up camp with Six-Piece, Drumstick and Thrifty and we lit a fire after eating our suppers and just hung around talking until we got too tired, and then retired to our tents for the evening. Life is so simple out here. It does parallel civilized life a lot in the way that we "work" seven or eight hours a day hiking, and then retire in the evenings and then wake up and doit again. It's sweet that we go through the exact same trials every day but experience it differently, and can sit around a fire we built and share our experiences together. Going back to the "real world" will be a tough adjustment, but I only have 4-5 months until Europe, or maybe earlier, who knows! I'm going to sleep now as Drumstick plays some awesome guitar in the shelter...
Date: 2005-04-29
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Nolichuky River
Miles today: 5.0

It was 5 miles from the No Business Knob to the Nolichuky River. The walk was beautiful. The rain let up after a mile of walking and we got some awesome views of the mountains and the Nolichuky River and of Erwin itself. We stayed the first night at the Holiday Inn Express and ate at Erwin Burrito, which was unreal. I had two BBQ Chicken Fajitas. Real Good! We hung out and drank beer all night.The next morning RibEye, Peanut, Southshore, DrumStick and Six-piece all headed out to the trail. Ribeye found out from his dad that the Feds are looking for him because, apparently, he has never paid his taxes. He plans on sending some correspondence to the IRS at the next town. I wish him luck.I had talked with Miss Janet, who runs a hostel out of her house, about doing a work-stay and she agreed to let me do chores around her house in order for a bunk at her hostel. That was SWEET! Miss Janet is the sweetest woman! She basically gives you the run of her house and bends over backwards for everybody. In the meanwhile I mailed a "Bounce-Box" to Damascus, VA for Jenny. And I bought a plane ticket back to Boston for 5/2/05. I stayed at Janet's for two nights and three days total. She only takes donations for lodging and rides. I made a donation even though I worked for my keep. Miss Janet's not getting rich from the hostel business and I felt very indebted to her for her kindness and hospitality. The first breakfast I had there was a huge Lasagne with garlic bread and salad. It was awesome. One of the other guys working there made the meal, his name is Rigatourtis. He's got a big beard and dreads and actually knew RibEye from PA! I became friends with Rigatourtis quickly too, he's a very cool shit. For dinner that night we went to dinner at a Mexican restaurant that was very good and inexpensive. I forgot to mention that on 5/1, Miss Janet piled a bunch of us in her van and took us out to a real Southern Hoe-down at a big barn on a huge farm in the mountains! There were a bunch of talented bluegrass bands playing and they were selling BBQ sandwiches and fresh-sqeezed lemonade that were out of this world.
Date: 2005-12-21
To: It's never really over 'til it's over...
Miles today: 0.0

Miss Janet was kind enought to drive me to the Johnsonville Tri-city airport where I boarded a plane for Boston, my home once again after nearly 4 years. After returning, I took another 3 months off to prepare myself for the inevitable 40+ hour work weeks awaiting me in the working world. Since then I have been living and working in Boston. I like my job and my co-workers and am content there for the time being. It has also been extremely self-satisfying to be so close to my family. I spend as much quality time with them as I can these days.My next aspiration is to pay off all my debt, apply to Law School, and take that trip to Europe before going back to school in 2007. I still think of the trail nearly everyday. When I'm stressed out, my dreams are filled with images of the trail. I believe it to be one of the most profound experiences in my life.
Date: 2005-03-18
From: Ginger's House

To: Grocery Store
Miles today: 0.0

After over a year of planning, it's almost time for me to leave for a thru-hike the Appalachian Trail! Surprisingly, everything has fallen into place for my departure. Various loose ends have been tied up, and I've got just about everything I need for the journey. All I'm required to do today is purchase food for my first four days in the woods. My sister (Ginger) and I celebrate by eating out at what I like to call "the last supper."
Date: 2005-03-19
From: Charlotte, NC

To: Dahlonega, GA
Miles today: 0.0

Of course, I decide in the last minute that I need a haircut. So after waiting WAY too long at Super Cuts, I persuade Ginger into tackling the job herself. I've been itching to go all day, and I'm about to EXPLODE with anticipation. Finally, we load all my gear into her Civic and hit the road for Dahlonega, which is only a few hours drive from Charlotte. My mom (Diane) and step dad (Ted) have reserved a room at the same hotel, and they meet us after dark for a farewell steakhouse dinner. Afterwards, I spend some time relaxing in the hot tub (a questional mixture of water, chlorine, and urine) because "God knows" when I'll see one again!