morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-03-26
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter, NC

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter, NC
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: broken clouds

"One may go a long way after one is tired." ¢ French proverbI slept well in the shelter last night. It was quite full but in a very courteous group of hikers ¢ and no mice! I did notice that the shelter floor is harder than the ground ¢ even with my sleeping bag pad, I woke up in the night noticeably stiffer. But on the other hand, it was nice to not have to pack a tent up this morning!We packed up and headed out at 8:45 this morning. By the afternoon we had covered 6.7 miles ¢ just a couple more to go! But MAN, was the hike out of Sweetwater Gap STEEP! You couldn¢t stand up straight because the weight of your pack would pull you right over backwards! I had to pick a tree about 25 yards ahead and think, "I can make it to that tree," then pick another one. I finally realized if I kept my knees bent more than felt normal, I could lower my center of gravity and do this sort of duck walk up the hill that utilized my leg muscles much better. (Rather than planting my poles and few feet in front and hauling myself up with my weak upper body!) It felt a little ridiculous ¢ and I¢m sure it looked it! ¢ but it really helped me power up that hill. When we got to this shelter I was so happy I literally kissed it. We hit another milestone today: 150 miles!!In other news, a few days ago, I asked Auntie Mame and V8 if I could be head of the Bear Bag Committee. They seemed shocked that someone would want this position, and quickly seconded my self-nomination. I LOVE hanging bear bags. It¢s such a thrill. I find the right tree (limb at least 12 feet up that sticks out away from the tree), and throw your line so hard at it and see it sail over the branch! How satisfying. V8 seems to have named herself head of the Water Committee, she¢s the one who takes the bottles and fills them up for us. Let me tell you: when I finally get to a shelter, the last thing I feel like doing is going to get water. So our division of labor really works out. Spring must be on the way: we saw our first dandelion today!
Date: 2008-03-27
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter, NC

To: Cable Gap Shelter, NC
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: broken clouds

"Renew your passions daily." - Abbe Yeux-verdiI had a relaxed morning, since we're only six miles to town. It was an easy hike today, which was welcome after the climbing we had the last two days. Tomorrow we hike into Fontana Dam!I keep seeing these small beautiful butterflies - very luminescent blue. I don't know what kind they are, but they're a reminder that spring is coming!I'll be entering the Smokies soon, which I'm very excited and nervous about. It's amazing to be hiking in these places that I've been reading about for years. But I will be checking the weather forecast very intently before I go!Looking forward to town food tomorrow. Somewhere in Fontana is a pizza with my name on it!
Date: 2008-03-29
From: Fontana, NC

To: Fontana Dam, NC
Miles today: 1.4
Weather: light rain

I woke up to the sound of pouring rain - it felt so good to be indoors, pull the blankets over me, and go back to sleep without worrying about packing up a wet tent or hiking in the rain. I got up around 7:30 and it was still overcast but the rain was letting up.I was moving to the Hike Inn tonight, and it was the usual mad scramble getting out of town. I was in line at the post office to mail a package to Ground Control when the shuttle arrived. I grabbed my pack and my poles, abruptly ended the conversations with the hikers around me, and crossed my fingers that I'd be able to mail my package from the Hike Inn. (I will.)Yesterday we had gotten off the trail at the highway in Fontana, and tomorrow we were getting dropped off at the Fontana Dam Visitors Center 1.4 miles north on the trail. Today we left our packs at the Visitors Center (unattended, with our fingers crossed that no one would bother them and that 3 unattended packs wouldn't force the security level to be raised to red). We got dropped off back at the highway, and hiked back the 1.4 miles to our packs. Confused yet? Basically we connected the dots.We got a shuttle to the Hike Inn, where I laid out my stuff, had lunch, and LEARNED THEY HAVE A CAT! Catzilla sat on my lap and purred and purred, then followed me back to my room and is laying on my bed as I write this! Oh, happiness.I saw a snail today on my hike! But he was a shy snail, as soon as I got my camera out he retreated into his shell. Not a snail model! Still, neat to see.
Date: 2008-03-30
From: Fontana Dam, NC

To: Birch Spring Gap, Great Smoky Mountains
Miles today: 5.6
Weather: overcast clouds

"I have always found that plans are useless, but planning is indispensable." Dwight EisenhowerI was NOT firing on all cylinders today! We entered the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which was incredibly exciting, but I just wasn't hiking well. We got to the campsite at 2, intending to push on to the first shelter 5.5 miles ahead. Up until now, you're allowed to camp anywhere along the Trail (anywhere you can find level ground!). In the Smokies, you can ONLY camp at designated areas - so you have to make it to the next shelter along the Trail. We had a snack at the campsite, and V8 and Auntie Mame were fine with hiking on, but I just felt really depleted. I told myself I would be okay, I could push on, but when I got up to put my pack on, I knew if I tried to hike on another 5.5 (hilly) miles, I'd be miserable.Auntie Mame and V8 were very understanding, and we all pitched our tents at the campsite. I ate a bunch of food, both for the energy and to lower my pack weight, and rested all afternoon. I should be good to go tomorrow!Patrick made a fire, Pips and Sauerkraut came in and made camp, and a few hours later 5 more thru-hikers rolled in. We had a nice evening, and it really worked out we didn't go on to the first shelter. Fontana Dam, which we walked over this morning, is closing tomorrow for repairs so hikers will be re-routed on a blue blaze trail that's a couple miles longer. That meant a LOT of hikers decided to hike out today to avoid the lengthy detour tomorrow. Word has it that there are about 30 hikers at the shelter! Wow!
Date: 2008-03-31
From: Birch Spring Gap, Great Smoky Mountains

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Wow! The hike today was magical. It was foggy and windy, but there were beech trees along the trail with their luminous leaves fluttering in the wind. It was so beautiful, they appeared lit up and stood out so starkly compared to the gray fog all around. Amazing.I made it to Spence Field Shelter today - I now have less than 2,000 miles left of the AT! 1995.9 miles to go - but who's counting?
Date: 2008-04-01
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: few clouds

Wonderful hiking today! The weather this morning was foggy and windy, which normally isn't inspiring. But coming up the balds - areas that are covered by thick coarse yellow grass - with the wind blowing and the fog rolling in - made for a dramatic sight.A couple of hours later the sun came out, and it warmed up to the 60s. Wonderful!I saw a wild turkey cross the trail about 20 feet in front of me. I heard a grouse beat his wings a few different times. It's a very deep sound - it sounds like your heart beating in your ears! There were a lot of birds singing away today, which is always nice to hear.
Date: 2008-04-02
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: clear sky

The views today were surreal! I was ABOVE the clouds. If you looked to the horizon, it looked like you were looking out at the ocean with islands in it - but the 'islands' were actually tops of other mountains poking through the cloud cover. Amazing! It was strange to think that to everyone in the valley it was a cloudy, foggy day - but where we were it was beautiful out! Sunny, in the low 60s. I'm fortunate to have such good weather in the Smokies.It was an easy 7 miles today. I would have loved to keep going, but the next shelter was another 6 miles with a tough climb involved, so I called it an early day.When I got to the shelter, Ginken gave me a Tootsie Pop. I've obviously been on the trail awhile, because that Tootsie Pop just about made my day! I raved about it for at least 10 minutes!
Date: 2008-04-03
From: Double Spring Gap

To: Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: light rain

I hiked to Clingmans Dome today - the highest point on the AT (6,643 feet). I went up the observation tower and looked out, and you could see for...inches! There was fog everywhere! But that's life in the Smokies - I had good views while hiking yesterday so I'm quite content.I hiked to Newfound Gap, the only road crossing along the Trail in the Smokies. V8 had gotten there 20 minutes before me, and had found us a ride! Frank, Christina, and Amber stopped and asked V8 if she needed a ride. When she said she had two friends 20 minutes behind her, they offered to wait for us! How nice! I can't tell you what a welcome sight it was to walk off that trail and see a gleaming car and three smiling people ready to whisk us to Gatlinburg! THANK YOU, Trail Angels!We checked in at the Grand Prix Motel - very hiker-friendly. They had Krispy Kreme donuts in the lobby ("Hiker pills" he calls them), so I promptly stuffed one into my mouth. We ordered pizza to be delivered, did a load of wash, cleaned up, and ate pizza. Then we went to dinner at the Peddlers Pub! Delicious!Today is my one-month anniversary of being on the Trail!Zero day tomorrow. Then back on the trail on Saturday. Destination: Hot Springs!
Date: 2008-04-04
From: Gatlinburg, TN

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

Gatlinburg is fun! We woke up early and got a nice pancake breakfast. Then we took the trolley to the grocery store, resupplied, and walked across the street to the post office. THANK YOU Nina, Big, Boris & Natasha, Helen, Ground Control, and Carol & Bart!! I loved your mail!The best part of the day was it is spring here! It smelled like spring with the grass and the flowers blooming. It felt great to be outside and not be cold. And it felt good to be feel the sun on me. I can't tell you how good it feels to experience spring after a month of walking through the end of winter. Gatlinburg is a very kitschy town. I've really enjoyed it! If I had come when tourist season was full-fledged I could see it being a bit crowded and overwhelming. But I've really enjoyed my time here!Heading back out on the trail tomorrow! Oh, and thanks Minnesota Smith for the tip about a hat to prevent sunburn. I went to the Happy Hiker today and bought one. And thanks Persistent for the tip about lithium batteries. I switched to them, and my camera is working like a charm! Thanks for the tips!
Date: 2008-04-05
From: Newfound Gap

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: light rain

We got up, had another hearty breakfast at the local pancake house, and checked out of the motel. At the Happy Hiker we weighed our packs - with food and water my pack is just under 30 pounds, which I'm really happy with! We asked about getting a shuttle back to Newfound Gap. They had the numbers of some shuttles, but suggested since it was Saturday we try hitching as a lot of cars would be heading that way. They gave us cardboard and a marker, so we wrote "AT Hikers to Newfound Gap" and stood by the side of the road with our best smiles. Within 20 minutes a pickup truck stopped and the three of us piled in the back. (My late mother would kill me if she had lived to know that I was riding around in the bed of a pickup truck!) The couple dropped us off at the trail head and wouldn't even accept any gas money! Thank you Trail Angels!Corkscrew was there with trail magic, so I drank a Gatorade and hit the trail. We ran into Pops, Brushstrokes and Quattro. We got to the first shelter and we had planned to stay there. But as soon as you walked into the shelter the smell of alcohol hit you. (Most bars I've been in smelled better than this shelter!) It was only 2, and a gray and chilly day - it would have been a long afternoon just sitting around so we started hiking to the next shelter! It was seven miles and we had to hustle to get there before it got too dark. V8 went ahead and left us encouraging notes, and Auntie Mame and I hiked together. It started drizzling, then raining steadily, so after a couple of hours I was pretty soaked. Luckily if I kept moving I didn't get too cold. But the relentless rain made it one of those days you endure more than enjoy. Got to take the bad weather along with the good! When it got to be 7pm, I was like "We should be there!" Knowing our pace and the numbers of hours we hiked, I kept feeling like the shelter should be around the next corner. Finally we saw the double blaze - we made it! I changed into dry clothes as fast as I could, cooked and ate dinner, and climbed into my sleeping bag. I'll sleep well tonight! It's still raining out, hopefully it will clear up by tomorrow morning.
Date: 2008-04-06
From: Pecks Corner Shelter

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: few clouds

Falling asleep last night I could hear the rain pounding on the shelter roof. It felt so GOOD to be snug in my sleeping bag. It's funny because in any other context, if I found out I'd be sleeping basically on a wood floor with no running water, electricity, or a bathroom, I'd be like "Are you kidding me?" But when thru-hiking, a nice shelter that doesn't leak is the height of luxury!I woke up this morning to sunshine! I crawled out of my bag and hung my hiking clothes up in the sun to dry. I started hiking around 10:30 and just ambled along, enjoying the views and enjoying the sunshine. I've been having some problems with my left hand, one of my fingers is going numb and I'm having trouble closing that hand into a fist. I thought I was from holding (clutching) my hiking poles, so yesterday I hiked without my left pole and I still woke up this morning with my hand numb. I adjusted my backpack straps this morning, thinking perhaps the way my pack is laying on my shoulder is hitting a nerve. Hopefully that will help!P.S. I've completed 10% of the Appalachian Trail!
Date: 2008-04-07
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: broken clouds

Last night I had trouble falling asleep, and I finally had to admit I was STARVING! I tried to ignore it, but finally at 11:30pm I crept out of the shelter, got my food bag off the bear bag cable, shoveled gorp in my mouth, then climbed back into the shelter. I find it hard to believe I need to eat more - I'm eating A LOT but it's hard to argue with hunger!None of us heard or saw any mice in the shelter last night, but they were hard at work. This morning Auntie Mame's pack towel was chewed up, and when Wooly Mammoth went to pack his pack for the day he found a carefully constructed nest in the bottom of his pack. (The nest included little bits of Auntie Mame's towel!)My hand/arm was bothering me today, so every hour I stopped hiking, took my pack off, and stretched my shoulders, which felt good. I think a nerve is getting pinched, either due to my pack, handling my hiking pole all day, or even sleeping in the shelters. (The shelter surface is much harder to sleep on than the ground.) I'll keep stretching and will hike with only my right pole tomorrow. During my hike today I saw these huge pieces of metal lying about 20 yards off the trail. At first glance it looked like parts of a car body, though clearly it wasn't. Some other hikers scrambled down to take a look, and they said it looked like parts of a helicopter that went down. I wonder how many years it's been there. I got to the shelter and Auntie Mame and V8 had already scouted out some nice tent sites, so I pitched my tent. Technically you can only tent if the shelter is full, but there's been so many people on the trail we were pretty sure the shelter would fill up - and it did. (Any many more tents sprouted up!)I had cell reception today so I picked up my messages, and I had a lot encouraging voicemails, which was very nice to hear and came at a good time. I've enjoyed the Smokies, but it did feel like I wasn't making much forward progress. The 'novelty' of the hike has worn off, but I still have a staggering number of miles in front of me if I do a thru-hike. So it was a real boost to hear so many familiar voices wishing me well! Thanks Mike, Becky, Alex, Theresa, Sara, Keri, Mary, Brian, Kan, Neeta, and Venus!! Your words meant a lot!Thanks to everyone for their guest book comments. I always look forward to checking it and reading what everyone has written in. Thanks so much!
Date: 2008-04-08
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm, Hartford, TN
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

I had trouble waking up today - then when I finally poked my head out of my tent, I realized: it's a BEAUTIFUL day!! Time to get up and enjoy it! I started hiking a little after 8am, and hiked most of the day with Auntie Mame. We went from 4,700-foot elevation to 1,800 feet. We literally walked into spring!There were two guys from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch newspaper taking photos of AT thru-hikers for a story, so we both had our pictures taken. Our 15 minutes of fame!I was telling Auntie Mame today, "We're done with the Smokies! It was a three snail trail." She said, "Oh, you're rating trails by snails? Why was it a three snail trail?" I said, "I saw three snails in the Smokies." She started laughing, she thought I meant I was rating a trail the way critics give restaurants a certain number of stars, except snails. Hey, it could catch on!We got to Standing Bear Farm at 4. They have a good selection of resupply, so my food bag has plumped back up! I'm hoping to make it to Hot Springs (35 miles north) in 3 days. It feels good to have made it through the Smoky Mountains. Ever since I started this hike, I've been having VERY vivid dreams out here. My mother passed away almost 10 years ago, so in "real life" I hardly ever dream about her anymore, or when I do, it's about her being gone. But out here, I dream about her all the time. It's amazing how vivid and detailed, and yet mundane these dreams are - mostly us going on with our lives, and her being there and being healthy. It's almost like out here, her spirit is still alive, still with me on this trip. Of course, I also had a dream last night I was riding a beautiful white pony - so who knows what gets kicked up in our subconscious minds here?
Date: 2008-04-09
From: Standing Bear Farm, Hartford, TN

To: Brown Gap
Miles today: 10.1

I saw a bobcat this morning! It streaked in front of me and bounded into the woods. It was only about 25 pounds, and moved like a cross between a house cat and a very nimble bunny rabbit!It was warm and buggy today. I just kept telling myself it's only going to get warmer and buggier, so get used to it! I hiked in short sleeves for the first time today and forgot to put sunscreen on my arms, so I got a sunburn on my right arm. Drats!I'm camping tonight at a campsite (not a shelter). Also out here are Auntie Mame, V8, Brad, Quattro, and Malmut. Quattro and Malmut built a nice fire so we sat around that for a while chatting. It's nice when you see the same hikers several times and can get to know them!Where we're camped there are a lot of peepers, so I'll be falling asleep listening to them. Life is good!
Date: 2008-04-10
From: Brown Gap

To: Big Rock Spring
Miles today: 14.0

Today was my highest mileage day yet! We hiked up to Max Patch, a huge bald with amazing views. The weather was perfect today, sunny and breezy. We got to the shelter, which was 10 miles for us, took a pack-off, boots-off, feedbags-on break. Then we felt recharged and decided to press on! We did another four miles, watered up, found a nice campsite next to the trail, and now we're tucked in for the night. TOMORROW: HOT SPRINGS!
Date: 2008-04-11
From: Big Rock Spring

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: broken clouds

What a great day! I broke camp early and was hiking by 7:45. (It's always easy to get up on town day!) Auntie Mame and V8 caught up with me around 9am. I had a GREAT hike today. I felt strong, my pack felt light. Usually I'm strong on the uphills and VERY SLOW on the downhills. But today, I was creeping downhill and I broke into an easy jog, figuring I may as well take advantage of gravity, and I realized that was easier on my knees than walking the downhill. So I broke into a run, and let me tell you, tearing down that hill with my pack on my back, my poles horizontal in my right hand, feeling totally in control and my strides just eating up the ground - it was a rush. I had a blast.We got into town around 1, and found our hotel - Bridge Street Cafe & Inn. Our room wasn't ready yet, but they had plenty of outdoor seating on the patio, so we flopped into chairs and ordered lunch. The service was so good. I said to Auntie Mame and V8, "I can't believe how nice our waitress is to us considering how bad we smell!" Without me asking, she even brought a pitcher of ice water, saying I looked thirsty. (Probably because my face was flushed bright red!) The food was so good, we all kicked our hiking boots off, ate our delicious food, enjoyed the view of the river, and listened to the music. They had a radio station playing on speakers, and it felt so good to hear music. I headed over to the post office and picked up my mail drop. THANK YOU Mike, Nina, Big, and Boris & Natasha. I was so excited to get your mail! Thank for taking the time in your busy lives to think of me!I headed over to the outfitter to get a hiking skirt. I also weighed myself - and even though I've gone down two pants sizes, I haven't lost a pound! Well, I guess it's still a long way to Maine. There was a hiker getting rung up when I got in line behind her, and I'd heard it was her birthday today, so I wished her a happy birthday. The guy ringing her up finished her transaction, asked me to hold on, went and got a chocolate bar and gave it to her for her birthday! How nice!We went to the Peddlers Pub for dinner with Leaping Turtle and Barley and Rain. It was good to see them as they were a few days ahead of us, but took three days off here so we caught back up. Now I'm just relaxing in my room, listening to some live acoustic music that's floating up from downstairs. Oh, one note for future thru-hikers. If you're like me and you need to bring a book, DON'T bring a murder mystery. I started reading one last night, and a woman gets abducted from a deserted campground within the first 50 pages! I couldn't fall asleep for three hours! Good heavens, I'm picking a different genre for my next read.
Date: 2008-04-12
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Zero day today! I did the usual errands: breakfast at the local diner, laundry, outfitters (bought a hiking skirt, some postcards, and a vanilla cream soda - yum!), grocery store. It was sunny and warm, and it felt great to walk around town. It's very picturesque here. The funny thing was it turns out I have a trail twin! There is another hiker (Sunbeam) who people were confusing for me. I ran into her today and we do look similar at first glance - height, coloring, blond hair, we both like to smile, she said she went to the diner this morning and ordered breakfast, and they said, "Weren't you just here 20 minutes ago?" Apparently people were also saying, "Hi Bananas!" to her! Too funny! (Maybe once she gets ahead of me on the trail, people will start saying, "Hi Sunbeam!" to me!) Hopefully I'll run into her again when I have my camera and will get a photo. I just sat down with my maps and my calculator, and OH MY GOODNESS! If I want to thru-hike, to finish this season without flip-flopping, I have to start cranking up the miles, to finish by September 1st, I'd have to hike 16 miles a day, six days a week. HOLY COW! Technically I can take until the end of September, but even then - I need to do some serious miles if I want to have any hope of finishing! Well, I'm going to give it my best shot!