morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-03-12
From: N.O.C

To: Cheoah Bald
Miles today: 8.2

Day 13, March 12, 2004I wish you could see what I¢m seeing right now. The view is what you would see in a western movie, or some postcard. Right now I¢m laying on my sleeping pad in the sun with a cool mountain breeze every so often. It¢s so fresh, and refreshing, and quiet. Could get used to this. Was thinking back over the trip and can¢t really think of any real problems that have happened. The only one that comes to mind is the credit card issue, but it seems to be working just fine now. Have used it 2 times without flaw. Right now I¢m at 5,062 feet looking over a vista. Have the tarp facing so that I will be able to see the sun rise without leaving my bag. Only have to walk a mere 20 yards to a rock overlook to view the sunset. Started today at the N.O.C. which was at an elevation of 1,750 feet - spent all day climbing. Left a little before 11am. Went to the outfitters on site and got some food which consisted of a lot of snickers, peanut butter crackers, pepperoni, and cheese. It¢s a well balanced diet :-) Hiked alone today, it was very enjoyable, even if it was uphill the whole way. Will be hiking with people I have not yet met. This is perfectly fine, it¢s always fun to meet a new faces. A lot of the people in my group are a day or more behind me. LWOP is here camping on the bald. He has been here before but did not camp. It¢s about 10 till 5. It¢s starting to get cold, think I will start dinner, get dressed for the cold weather, and then find a place to watch the sun set. The sun sets on the unprotected side of the mountain, so its a bit nippy. Mmmmmm mac and cheese and snickers for desert. Ta ta for now its feedin time!....Just got back from watching the sunset. The air was cold but LWOP and I were all bundled up. He is from Flordia and is not used to these cold temps so he called it an early night just after the sun disappeared behind the mountains. I stayed and watched the changing colors of the sky. The dark blue sky slowly turned to black; the clouds with their pinks, yellows, and oranges. It was all very calming. It was just me and the duck. Not much was said between us, but nothing needed to be said. Now I¢m not the sharpest when it comes to reading the bible, but at this moment I was thinking that this trip would be the best chance of any to start reading a little each night. Were not talking bible school before bed or anthing. Just somthing to reflect on, somthing to think about. Just as I was thinking about this a bird flew in and landed not more than three feet away from my head. This is the dead honest truth, I kid you not. I shot up, it scared the begebies out of me. As soon as it had landed it took off and flew out of sight. No other animal or noise beside the wind was heard the entire time while watching the sun set. I think that says something.
Date: 2004-03-16
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: moderate rain

Day 17, March 16, 2004 It rained most of the night... scratch that. It rained all night. Just after waking, the rain stopped and we got on the trail around 7:30. I was the second out of the shelter, second to Stiff Arm - soon followed by Haiku, Moonpie, Mellow, Deja Vu, and Sugar Daddy. The hiking was hard and long today. The trails were rocky and the views were just fog until about noon. Sugar daddy was feeling under the weather today, hope he gets better. Today was one of the first days that I did not have enough food. Well I had enough, but wanted a lot more than could be rationed out for today. Today I saw the first views while in the Smokies. Just looking at the clouds rolling off the tops of the peaks was amazing. It was neat to see the thin wisps of cloud work its way through the tree tops and to once again see blue sky. Today I realized that this is going to be a long trip. Have started to notice how time is beginning to change. Can¢t believe 2 weeks have already passed. The week structure no longer has any structure. It no longer matter if it¢s Friday, or Monday. All the days are the same. This was my food layout for today. Breakfast consisted of 2 granola bars. Pre-lunch snacks were 2 snickers, 2 peanut butter cracker packets, and a Nutty Bar. Lunch was a whole bunch of raisins, triscuits and half a beef sausage. For dinner, had mac and cheese.Things have been good. I think I owe all my good fortune to my luck duck. Had been thinking about calling it the luck duck for some time now, but today it was made official. It¢s looking kind of dirty. It might have to take a bath on the next town stop in a few days. Hot springs is about 3 days away, maybe 4, not sure. We have Stiff Arm, Haiku, Moonpie, and Pa Kettle sleeping in the shelter tonight. Two spring breakers are sleeping outside in a tent even though there is gobs of room in this shelter. So while we are safe behind this chain link fence they are risking it. We think they wanted to get away from the smell ;-) Right now we are 4 miles from Clingmans Dome aka the space station and will get some great views if the fog stays away. Off to sleep, later gator!
Date: 2004-03-17
From: Silers Bald Shelter

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: broken clouds

Day 18, March 17, 2004It is really cold, let me emphasize that!! ¢¦warming hands¢¦Ok, well I¢m not going to write much today but maybe at lunch or tomorrow I will write about the tallest point on the trail - Clingmans Dome. Very icy. That¢s all I can manage. Got in late today, plan to really make some time and get to camp early. I wrote this after my hands warmed up¢¦.Climbed Clingmans Dome. The morning was crisp since the shelter was so high. ¢Respect the mountains¢ ¢ that¢s all I¢ve got to say. We were camped only 4 miles from the top of Clingmans so we started climbing early on. It was no surprise that the fog was in when we woke up. The climb up was long, but the views were great. All of the trees were moss covered as were the rocks. When we went to see Clingmans Dome, on a family vacation, I wanted to see a thru hiker really bad. This was before I wanted to hike the AT. So this was a very special part of the trail to reach. The clouds came and went but mostly came as I gained elevation. Hiked alone, but met up with Moonpie and Pa Cooker on the summit. Ice was on everything. The wind at the top of the tower was quite brisk to say the least. Walked half a mile to the visitor¢s center looking for a phone to check my email... no phone and the restrooms were locked. So it was half a mile back up the hill. The tower and road was closed for the season, and I can see why! But with all the cold temps and wind it was a very enjoyable experience. The trip down the mountain was icy. Had a really good fall, you should have seen it. Oh and almost did a cartwheel. Lost footing and my weight shifted to one foot. Then fell to one side and all my weight shifted to an outstretched hand. It was very amazing. Have never fallen like that before, but I would not call it a fall because as soon as the weight was all on my hand I pushed off and landed on both feet! The rest of the afternoon was not as entertaining. Stopped at Newfound Gap and talked with a few tourist. One lady asked if I was a hiker. I said yes, started in Georgia. She could not believe it. Her husband shook my hand, he felt privileged. Got up to the shelter and that was that.
Date: 2004-03-18
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: snow

Day 19, March 18, 2004Woke up today and it looked very bright out. Could not figure out why till I put on my glasses and could see 2 inches of snow had fallen last night. It was a surprise to everyone in the shelter. Got out about 7:00. Wanted to get an early start and get stuff done early so I could relax. There was a set of tracks in the snow, the trail would have been hard to find without the footsteps. It was a winter wonderland. Feet stayed warm in my shoes, but not for long. The snow started to pick up once reaching higher elevations as did the depth of the snow. It was 6 to 7 inches deep, not including the drifts. The winds were fierce and the snow switched to rain. Oh things got cold. The snow was a huge surprise, but the rain was just unexpected. That continued long enough to completely drench my shoes and then it switched back to snow. Then it switched to sleet. Then back to snow. This was the first real challenge. Don¢t remember the last time I felt as miserable as today. It was tough because the terrain was unknown. Did not know how much further the shelter was or how far I had been. Got to the shelter and was never so relieved. Thirteen miles of misery. But its all good, have been in my sleeping bag all afternoon. It was all piece and quiet, just us thru hikers. Who would be crazy enough to hike through that snow and rain other than the Boy Scouts... This kid comes up and we asked how many were in his group. He said 14 other boys. We all looked at each other and knew our sleeping area was in jeopardy. Thru hikers are the first to get the boot if the shelter is full. We all squished together and it all worked out. Before they came we were all relaxed with gear everywhere. It¢s all part of the game. Plan to hike 18 miles to a warm hostel. It¢s going to be a push, but it will be mostly down hill so we will drop elevation and get out of this snow. Its amazing how elevation has an effect on the temperature. This week was supposed to be in the 50s... not here in the Smoky Mountains. This is our last night in the park. I have gained an amazing respect for these mountains. They are truly great.
Date: 2004-03-20
From: Standing Bear Farm Hostel

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 21, March 20, 2004As of tonight I¢ve hiked 256 miles. Feet started hurting as soon as I left the hostel. Left later than I wanted to leave, it was around 9:00. It¢s really hard to leave a place with comfy beds. The hike today was long and pretty uneventful. Saw a small snake but that was it. Decided to push today so that tomorrow will be an easy 10 miles into Hot Springs. Hope to get to town around noon because I ate tomorrow¢s lunch today :-) was super hungry! I have not yet decided If I will take a 0-day (hike 0 miles and stay in town). It¢s very tempting since my feet have been screaming at me all day long. There is one rub spot on the back of my left foot, right above the heel. The bones in both of my feet are extremely sore. Starting to wonder if they got bruised coming down out of the Smokies. Oh well live and learn. On the bright side, there are no blisters to be found... ¢knock on wood¢ - I¢m sure its only a matter of time. Did not get a lot of sleep last night so I¢m going to play catch-up now and hit the sack. It started raining just after arriving at the shelter. Great weather today, almost a little too warm, but would rather have the heat than the winter mix up in the Smokies. That could change as the warm humid summer starts to heat up here in a few months. Ta ta for now. Oh yeah, should have some more pictures up soon - two rolls are being developed, and I have one roll that is finished and will be sent home when I get to town. So be sure to check back.
Date: 2004-03-21
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: The Inn at Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 22, March 21, 2004Woke today and got on the trail. The hiking was easy today. My feet felt fine at the start and began to get tired the last five miles. When I could first see the town of Hot Springs, it looked like a speck in the woods. Later in the day when closer to the town, it looked like a town you would see on a train set. Tiny houses and tiny roads, dogs barking and roosters crowing. It was nice to be in a town again. Got hooked up here at the hostel, and then went and spent some time at the outfitters just done the street. Purchased a new headlamp. Sorry Liston, it was just not meant to be. For those of you that don't know I developed a headlamp for Liston Concepts. Wanted to show it off on the trail. So today I went with a Princton Tech Aurora. It¢s a little heavier than the Liston headlamp combination, but, it puts out a lot more light. Can't wait till tomorrow to get my MP3 player in the mail. Today is Sunday so the post office was closed.Just got finished with dinner. This was no ordinary dinner. For $8 here at the hostel I got 2 bowls of cheese and broccoli soup, a full plate of salad, a full plate of pasta and a really good eggplant topping, then to top it off, a lemon pie and a large mug of mint tea. Have never had so much food in my life at one sitting. It¢s nice to have a gourmet vegetarian chef that lives here. The funny thing is, now that I think about it, I'm hungry again. That¢s why the towns are here. It¢s like Thanksgiving. The object is to stay somewhere nice, take a hot shower and eat as much food as you can get your grubby little hands on. For lunch I had a double cheese burger with a side of fries and a slice of strawberry rhubarb pie. Was not going to get the pie, but Haku talked me into it (he did not have to try very hard :-) Getting ready for bed, breakfast here is at 8:30. Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about this house. It¢ very old, don¢ know exactly how old, will find out tomorrow. Will be spending the day here to rest up and eat more food. This house is an old Victorian house that actually has historical status. All the woodwork and furniture is amazing. They have done a great job keeping this house alive, while sticking with the old style. Just found out that a ghost lives here. The owner said that once a year a guest will say that they saw an older woman looking over them while they are in bed. He said that it¢s a mother looking for her child and that she will come in through the door in the room that opens to the porch. I asked what room. He replied that it was the nursery in room 4. That just happens to be my room. I¢ve always wanted to see a ghost, but at the same time I think it would really freak me out. It¢s neat to talk to people who have seen them. Have talked to a good number of em too. Kinda makes you wonder. Well sweet dreams, I¢m off to bed. Plan to relax tomorrow, and maybe soak in a hot spring, who knows.
Date: 2004-03-22
From: The Inn at Hot Springs, NC

To: The Inn at Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Day 23, March 22, 2004Well let me fill you in on the 0-day. It was a blast - spent a lot of money. For sure can't do that very often. But this was my first real spending frenzy. Ate as much as my stomach could hold. Ate breakfast at the house. They had the best homemade granola. It was just sweet enough, but not too sweet. Had four helpings of granola, some good tea, and some fruit juice. Then went to the post office to pick up my package contaning my MP3 player. To my surprise it contained a lot more than that. It had birthday hats, killer brownies from a local fine foods grocery store in Dayton, a birthday candle, and birthday cards. Oh and can't forget the package of Snickers! So that was a pleasant surprise. My birthday is the 30th of March, so we celebrated after dinner at the house a few days early. So after going to the post office I headed up to the library to reply to some email. Only got back with a few people because I got side tracked by reading other hiker journals. Ate a late lunch around 3:45. Then went hot tubbin¢ in the hot springs. Had a great view. Our tub was right at the vee of two rivers coming together. Shared a tub with Pa Kettle, Stiff Arm, Mellow, and Haiku. After that, ate dinner just 3 hours after eating lunch. For lunch I had a giant greasy club sandwich with fries, and for dinner had a double cheeseburger, also with a large platter of fries. Life is good! Got a game of chess in while waiting for dinner to settle. Then soon after went to go find my warm bed to sleep for a few hours.
Date: 2004-03-23
From: The Inn at Hot Springs, NC

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 24, March 23, 2004Today I got a real late start of 1 o clock. The pack was heavy with food and water. The feet and leg muscles were straining up that first uphill but soon fell into synch within half an hour. Decided to listen to the MP3 player today cause I really missed listening to my songs, but will not use it while hiking on a normal basis because those 45 songs are going to get old over the duration of the trip. About 2 miles from camp climbed a fire tower in hope to catch a great view. The mountains were actually smoky. Sat up on the tower listening to the radio, just pondering some things that were on my mind. It was good to sit and relax. Think that was the first time on this trip that time did not matter. Was just sitting, it was a great feeling, and plan to do it more often. It¢s easy to get caught up in the miles and time. Plan to get an early start and try to get some miles done in the morning so that the afternoon can be spent soaking up the rays in style. That¢s it for now.
Date: 2004-03-24
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 25, March 24, 2004The morning was good and not too cold. Took a break at Little Laurel Shelter and ate lunch a mile up the hill on a fire tower. The top deck was locked, but still got a nice view in the sun on the stairs. Was listening to the radio this morning and found out that the smoke we saw and smelled yesterday afternoon / night was from a controlled burn conducted by the forest service. That would have been nice to know last night. We were not sure if we were safe camping where we did, but it all worked out in the end. Walked a bit and then stopped at a rock overlook. The view was nothing short of breathtaking. Deja was taking a catnap in the warm sun on the white rocks. She looked very comfortable. Moved on down the trail not more than a minute and saw a sign for another rock outlook. Deja and Sugar Daddy passed it by. Followed the side trail for a short distance and had to drop my pack because the bushes were too thick. Reached some rocks but the view was not great. A lot of the view was blocked by low growing shrubs. Found another trail after climbing down the side of some rocks. The view before me was the best view on the trail to this point. Once the pictures get posted you will see what I'm talking about. Not sure if the pictures will do justice. Something like this can't be captured on film. The smells, light breeze, and warm sunlight can't be captured. The feeling of achievement was racing through my mind. It¢s times like those that makes it all worth it. It reminds me why I¢m out here taking six months out of my "busy" life. The view consisted of rolling hills decending to endless farmland littered with tiny houses and roads. In the far distance a mountain range could be seen. Life is good! Stopped for the night at the next shelter I came to and had a good dinner of a Lipton rice dish. Weather outlook looks great. Will be low 30s tonight, 40 in the morning, and high 60s, low 70s for the day! Only a slight chance of rain on Friday (today is Wednesday night). Off to bed!
Date: 2004-03-27
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Miss Janet's Hiker Hostel, Erwin, TN
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 28, March 27, 2004(Day 29, March 28, 2004 - 0 day)The hike into town was easy and went quickly. It¢s been a nice luxury of good plentiful foods, movies, great friends and even better hospitality. It will be tough to leave, but the trail does not stop here, at least not yet. Oh so much more to see.
Date: 2004-03-29
From: Miss Janet's Hiker Hostel, Erwin, TN

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 30, March 29, 2004It¢s tough to leave a town anytime early, so I got a late start. The comforts of town are no more. I¢m at least 3 days away from the next hostel. Should not have stayed up to watch Jurassic Park II last night / early morning. I was really dragging today, not sure exactly why. My muscles cringed at the weight of the pack. Yesterday Mellow and I worked for a nights stay at Miss Janet¢s house removing carpet from a room. It was not easy but went quick enough. The hike today was rushed, did not take time for the few views that were available. Took 2 quick 10 minute cat naps to renew what little energy I had. They worked and a few hours after lunch things were feeling better. Got into the shelter late. The sun had already set and I was using the last few minutes of light in the clouds for guidance. Luckily the shelter was right next to the trail and was easy to find. Fixed a quick mac and cheese dinner and am all ready for bed. It looks like rain all day tomorrow - nothing we have not dealt with before. Caught up with Wildcat here at the shelter, and looks like we will be hiking a lot together. Our pace is just about the same, and he is a good fellow to hike with.Well I need to catch up on some much needed rest, catch ya tomorrow!
Date: 2004-03-30
From: Cherry gap Shelter

To: Stan Murray Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light snow

Day 29, March 30, 2004Today was a very good birthday for several reasons. Reason one, it rained all day only stopping for a 2-hour period. Reason two, I fell 4 times today. Reason three, almost got hit by a thunderstorm on top of a 6,000 foot bald mountain. Ummm¢¦ I think that¢s all the reasons. But honestly today was a good day. Pushed a little too hard, but plan to only hike 10 miles tomorrow. It will feel good to kick back and relax. Should get to the shelter no later than one. Had a bit of a scare on top of the bald as I had mentioned before. I was reading a sign at the bottom of the bald and heard a noise that resembled a plane off in the distance. Most of today was spent hiking in dense fog, which blocked the view of dangerous storm clouds. I paid little attention to the far off sound and hurried up the bald since the sun was soon to set. After 15min of climbing, the top was within sight. The sound came again, but this time it did not resemble a plane. It was very clear to me that I had to remove myself from that mountaintop that had grass as far as the eye could see. Keep in mind vision was cut down to 30 yards, if that. I quickly thought about my options and then ran like a schoolboy being chased by bullies. Figured I was almost over the bald so I trucked it only to find a series of balds climbing in elevation. Only two more low rumbles were heard, and that was the end of that. If the winds would have gone the opposite direction it could have been a real dangerous situation. Soon after that I arrived at the shelter, quickly fixed dinner and again I¢m ready for sleep. Ta ta for now.