morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-03-28
To: Mini-Crises!
Miles today: 9.0

Several things have happened on the trail that were disconcerting, but no real big deal. For the first 3 days my air mattress had a hole in it, so I spent the first 3 nights sleeping on the ground basically! That problem was later resolved when I was at Mountain View store. They found the leak, sold me a repair patch and things have been great since then. None of these episodes were a big deal, just a nuisance. Mini-crisis #1!Then there was the mouse who scampered across the outside of my tent all night. He finally found his way into the tent through the opening I inadvertently left when I didn¢t zip it completely. He got into my pants to feast on some trail mix I had left in my pocket. I felt him nudge against my leg, but by the time I got the light on he was long gone. Food was scattered everywhere and there were holes in my pants pockets. Mini-crisis #2!The next day I lost my spoon! Losing your spoon on the trail is huge because you don¢t have any other utensils! No fork, no knife, no 2nd spoon. If you lose your spoon you will be eating with your fingers until you get somewhere to get another! I walked around the campsite and finally did find my spoon, cleaned it off and was back in business! Mini-crisis #3!And finally, day I walked all day in the rain. I thought I had things secured, but apparently not the toilet paper. The paper got very wet and stayed wet! It really wasn¢t all that uncomfortable to use¢¦actually felt pretty good! If you used enough sheets it stayed intact and did its job. At least I had one clean spot on me. Crisis #4!
Date: 2012-03-29
To: Mountain Crossings - Neel's Gap
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: light snow

Today I traveled to Mountain Crossings via Blood Mountain. This was a very steep climb to the top. From the top of Blood Mountain I could see far off into the distance and had an awesome view of northern Georgia. It was a very steep climb down, as well, after which I arrived at Mountain Crossings hostel/store where I stayed Thursday night. The AT literally goes under the roof of the store and I believe in the entire 2200 miles of the Trail it is the only place where the trail goes through a building. There is some history there. Lots of good folks work there. I met Winton Porter, the owner. He is author of the book Just Passin¢Thru, a collection of stories about AT hikers. I also met Baltimore Jack and a number of other employees. Willy and Pirate, who I call the denim twins because they look alike and dress alike, live in the hostel area where for a small fee you can stay in a bunk, have a real wash cloth and towel, take a shower and have free food. It¢s a chance to get off the trail, clean up and charge up your electronic stuff. It was a great place. This is also where the leak in my air mattress was repaired. During the night Wednesday a bear came and tore two food bags off the tree. Even though they were tied securely, this was a smart bear who ruined the food supply of two hikers.
Date: 2012-03-30
To: Trail Angels
Miles today: 10.0

Since starting my hike I have been incredibly impressed by the kindness of total strangers. I first came upon four ladies, some of whom were big-time hikers who had hiked the trail years ago. Two were from Evansville, which is in southern Indiana. I even had a connection with one of them through a friend of my friend, Jean Deeds. They had food, fruit, hot dogs, and cold drinks. This was very generous of them and happened at just the right time.At Mountain Crossings, a group of kids from a Christian college brought in great food including lasagna, salad, and banana pudding. It was plentiful, very good and very much appreciated. Along the trail we met a couple of fellows with their two dogs who brought cold drinks, hot dogs, and corn chips. Best of all, perhaps, were the two people, Mo and Mike from Stevens Pointe, Wisconsin, who had driven all the way down with a trailer full of food with the plan to stay there for a week or so, feeding hikers as they came through. They cooked cheese and eggs, fried potatoes, sausage, venison, fruit and fruit juices. They even had (best of all) a keg of ice cold beer! Nothing starts the day better than free hot food prepared and given to you by very nice folks who had to drive quite a long distance just to be generous to you. Everyone with me was very appreciative. It seems like just when you are the most tired and the most thirsty, a Trail Angel pops up! These people are great people who represent some of the Trail Angels I have come across, very nice people who are being nice just because it is good to be nice. I love that spirit.
Date: 2012-03-31
From: Hiking, Blisters and Food is Fuel

To: Things I've Learned on the Trail
Miles today: 10.0

Hiking: The saying is, ¢Let the Trail come to you.¢ Don¢t be in any hurry. It will wait for you. Good advice, especially for someone my age. I am not in a big hurry to keep up with the young guys. We somehow always tend to meet up.Blisters: Wear shoes that fit, wear plenty of socks, use Band-Aids and most importantly, use duct tape! If you think you are going to get a blister, slap a single or double layer of duct tape on your feet. Duct tape has been working great for me. Fortunately I have not had any blisters. I have some soreness in my feet, but it¢s mostly muscular and goes away as soon as I get off my feet, so I am not concerned. It also helps to take plenty of ¢Vitamin I¢ (Ibuprofen!).Food is Fuel: When you are really tired and worn out it may not be because you have done so much hiking, although certainly you are up and down mountains. There is no question that this is very difficult everyday in every way, but it¢s supposed to be. You know that before you start, but you do have to consider there are several reasons for being tired. The first is obvious, because you have done much work. Second, you may be dehydrated. Drink plenty of water. Third, you may be low on sugar, so take time to eat something. You have control over your water and food intake, so do the obvious things first. Then if you need to rest, rest. It is hard to carry something light, nutritious and palatable. I am told that after a while taste isn¢t as important as just eating something. People who do the long distance hiking tend to get hungry and stay hungry the entire trip.I want to mention again that the Trail Angels have been wonderful. They are very generous and spend a lot of money and give it away to total strangers they may only see for a few minutes. Again, I sing the praises of the Trail Angels who do great things and who always show up right when I need them.
Date: 2012-04-01
To: Beek's Gap 
Miles today: 12.5

Today I hiked my longest day yet, over 12 miles. It was a typical AT hike, a lot of miles up, a lot of miles down, and occasionally a flat surface. I got so tired during part of the hike that I just went off to the side, found a shady spot and took a nap. I felt great. I got myself up and got going, and before dark I was at Beeks gap shelter where there were a few other people. I spent a good evening. No rain. It was a good day as far as putting in a lot of miles, however it was a day where water was hard to come by. Twice I had to leave the Trail and go down a steep, difficult trail to a spring. Of course the springs are always at the bottom of a mountain. My total mileage was probably 14-15 miles if you take these side trips into account! It was very hot today. A lot of sweating, a lot of hard work. People in this area say it is incredibly warm for this time of year. Today was a good day just grinding out the miles. I¢m looking forward to a nero (almost a zero hiking day) tomorrow in Hiawassee.
Date: 2012-04-02
From: Beek's Gap 

To: Hiawassee, GA
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Today I took a nero day! A zero day is when you do not hike at all. A nero is when you hike a little and take the rest of the day off. Today I hiked 3.5 miles to Dick¢s Creek Gap and caught a ride with a local in a pickup truck with a huge Chow dog in the back of his truck. The dog guarded my pack and I sat up front. They took me to Blueberry Patch Hostel, a Christian outreach hostel run by Gary and Lynnie Poteat. They are very authentic, very nice folks. Their place was very rustic. They had goats, donkeys, and a vegetable garden. It was a great place to take the day off. I took a shower. They did my laundry! Gary took me in to Hiawassee during the day where I walked around town and relaxed. I stayed in the shade because it got into the upper 80s in town. I went to McDonald¢s where I totally dominated the $1 menu, taking one of everything on the dollar menu and drinking about 12 gallon of sweet tea. It was great being in an air conditioned building, eating a lot of food and reading the paper. It was a great day to relax and catch up. I did a little shopping. I got a watch so I would know what time it was on the Trail. I checked my blood pressure and bought a few groceries. I caught a ride back to the hostel where I hung out with some other hikers, Yukon, Nick, Bonk, and Baby Scrooge. I just missed Austin, an attractive blonde lady from Austin, TX who likes to box. I also missed Gram Cracker, a senior citizen who through-hiked the AT 2 years ago and who has hiked many trails throughout the U.S. I met them earlier on the trail and was disappointed I missed them at the hostel. Gram Cracker¢s husband teaches zumba somewhere in Florida. The Poteat¢s provided a wonderful breakfast on Tuesday morning of biscuits and gravy, sausage, blueberry pancakes with blueberry syrup and coffee. I didn¢t know how much I had missed coffee until I had my first cup in about 10 days! These people are just wonderful folks.
Date: 2012-04-03
From: Hiawassee, GA

To: Bly Gap, NC
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: light rain

After a wonderful prayer and a great breakfast provided by Gary and Lennie of the Blueberry Patch Hostel, I started out again. (If you are in area and have a chance, check out the Blueberry Patch Hostel. It is very comforting there.) I hiked to and visited the Plum Orchard Gap shelter, which is a three-story sleeping shelter. It is a massive thing and was brought there by military helicopter and lowered to its current resting site, quite an interesting place. I continued on and as I was hiking across Rocky Knob, the last mountain that the AT crosses in Georgia, a terrible thunderstorm broke out. There was lightning all around the place, chasing me across the top of the mountain. It felt odd knowing I was carrying 2 lightning rods (hiking poles), one in each hand! I scurried across the top of that mountain trying to avoid the lightning. It rained very hard, then started to hail. The hail was so thick it covered all of the grass and leaves and looked like snow. This was one heck of a storm! The trail was full of water and was just like walking through a river. I got totally drenched. My boots were full of water and my socks were soaking wet. Then the cold winds came! It was a pretty miserable afternoon, however I was able to get to the campground at Bly Gap, just across the border where there is a much photographed tree lying in the middle of the trail. I pitched my tent and went to bed early because the cold wind was blowing and I had had enough for one day!
Date: 2012-04-04
From: Bly Gap, NC

To: Indian Mountain
Miles today: 12.1

I walked 12.1 miles today. I went from Bly Gap to Beech Gap, then stopped at Muskrat Creek Shelter on the way to cook myself a late breakfast. Someone had found a piece of an airplane at a crash site in the area and brought it there some time ago. There were six ¢trail maintainers¢ who came through, young men from the area who volunteer their time and work very hard to keep the Trail in good shape for those of us who benefit from their generosity. I hiked up Indian Mountain, which is 5500 feet high. This is the tallest mountain of any I have crossed to this point. I will be glad to be in Franklin, NC in a couple more days, as my food is almost gone. I met Griffin and Robert at the shelter where I stayed. I also met a family doctor from Wisconsin who was out for a hike.
Date: 2012-04-05
From: Indian Mountain

To: Mt. Alpert 
Miles today: 11.8

Today was another good day on the Trail. To this point I have done 102.5 miles. I did 11.8 miles today, including climbing over Mt. Alpert, which was a very steep, difficult climb up to a metal fire tower that was on top of the mountain. At times you had to use your feet and hands to climb up over the steep rocks. Once I was up there, I had a spectacular view of the surrounding area. I went up into the tower and looked around, but did not linger because there was a thunderstorm approaching. I came down, then hiked from there quite some distance. I met several people on today¢s hike from Princeton, Indiana. It¢s interesting that I have met several people from Indiana out here. I also met a 65-year-old fellow from south Texas named Johnsey. We discussed that we are about the same age and hiking the Trail. He hiked the Trail last year and got as far as New Jersey before he became ill and had to be admitted to the hospital with anaplasmosis, a disease somewhat related to Lyme disease. He is trying it again, starting at the beginning and again working his way north.
Date: 2012-04-06
From: Mt. Alpert 

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 3.6
Weather: light rain

Last night it rained all night long. I camped alone because I missed the two shelters I was looking for. I apparently walked right past them. They were back in a grove of trees, but I did not see the sign because I was being careful to watch where I was walking. I finally just pitched my tent and camped alone, which was fine. In the morning I realized that everything was wet. This made today¢s hike more difficult, as now all of my gear was wet, smelled worse, and was heavier. I only walked a short distance, then hitch-hiked into town with Kathy, a lady from near San Diego who was supporting her friend who was hiking the Trail. She was driving from place to place where the Trail crosses the road. Her car was stuffed with luggage and guitar and banjo cases and her big dog, but she graciously offered me a ride. Because my backpack and her luggage took up so much room, the only place for her dog to sit was on my lap. So the dog rode on my lap 15 miles into Franklin, NC! I got a room at the Budget Inn. I did happen to see myself in a mirror and realized for the first time that I looked nasty! My beard has grown out scraggly and I have the Bobby Knight eyebrows going and it was pretty frightening!! So I got cleaned up, dried out and did a load of laundry. Somehow someone put a load of their laundry in with mine, so I spent a while sorting out whose was whose! At the Inn I spent some time with a fellow named Tom Dykes, a doctor from Portland, Maine, who was hiking 150 miles and then would be returning home soon. He took me for coffee to a place here in Franklin. He has invited me to visit him when I get in his area and I am looking forward to that.I later went to the Dollar General and stocked up on supplies. I went to McDonald¢s and again dominated the $1 menu. I just kicked back for the day. It felt good to get off the Trail for a day!It¢s interesting how you will meet someone along the Trail, not see them for 2-3 days, and then run into them again. Some of the characters I met along the Trail include Sweet Spot, Plodder, Joey, Simon, Yukon, Yodeler, Salt, Animal, Gonzo, Johnsey, Turtle, Austin, Nick, Bonk, Dimples, Griffin, Bucket, Incline, Day Pack, Zip Code, Robert, Blue Dragon Fly, and Baby Scrooge. Blue Dragon Fly is a young lady from Oklahoma who is having trouble with Achilles tendonitis. I did an exam, gave her some medicine and wished her luck. Unfortunately she was having quite a bit of trouble with her Achilles tendon and I feel sorry for her.It was a great day in Franklin and I look forward to tomorrow morning (April 7) when I head north again on the Appalachian Trail. NE on the AT is NEAT!
Date: 2012-04-07
From: Franklin, NC

To: Near Wayah Bald, NC
Miles today: 11.9

Today is Saturday. For the past 5 years, everyday for 3-4 weeks, the people from First Baptist Church of Franklin, NC pick up several vans full of thru-hikers and take them to their church for a wonderful free, all-you-can eat pancake and bacon breakfast with all the trimmings. Bright and early this morning they picked several of us up, fed us breakfast, then returned us to where we stayed the night before, in my case, the Budget Inn. They even took my picture! This is part of their ministry and they do it to be kind. The kindness of people along the Trail continues to amaze me.   After the wonderful feast, I hiked a total of 11.9 miles for a total of 118 miles. There were some very tough climbs today and I got quite tired, but you get used to the ups and downs and just keep going. I crossed paths with some people I had seen before including Yukon, Yodeler, Baby Scrooge, Animal, Dimples, Griffin, and Blue Dragon Fly, the young lady from Oklahoma with Achilles tendonitis who continues to hike, even though it has a great struggle for her. She is a very brave soul to continue. I also met Robert, Vegan, Plant Man, and Strider. The Trail took me past Silers Bald at the top of one of the Great Smoky Mountains where you would expect there to be trees, but instead there is about a 200 acre patch of grass! This allows for a beautiful, unobstructed view from all around. I camped near Wayah Bald with Dimples and Griffin. I slept in a tent, and although it was very cold, my sleeping bag is very warm and there were no bears, so I had a good night¢s sleep.
Date: 2012-04-08
From: Near Wayah Bald, NC

To: Tellico Gap, NC
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

Today, Easter Sunday, was a beautiful day, although it started out quite cold with a brisk, north wind. I had to get dressed, pack up and take off pretty quickly because it was so cold. On my hike I passed through Wayah Bald where there is a two-story stone watch tower. From the top of this tower I could see all directions. The sun was out and the view was beautiful. This was very meaningful to me since this was Easter morning. In my view was Clingman¢s Dome, which is a mountain located in the central portion of Smoky Mountains National Park. I hope to be there in 8-9 days.I had yet another encounter with Trail angels today. Two couples, also hikers (The Turtle, Cheez-It, Mellow-Yellow and Colin), drove 2 12 hrs. from Atlanta, GA to grill cheeseburgers and hand out soft drinks. They even brought chairs to sit on and it struck me how much I had missed something as simple as sitting on a chair! Ordinarily you sit on the ground or in your tent and, when lucky, on a log! These chairs felt really good for a change!Today I met a nice gentleman named Fozzy, from England. He has written a book (The Last Englishman) about his 2010 thru-hike of the Pacific Crest Trail. His book has been well received and he is very notorious and popular to those he meets along the Trail. I also met Slayer, a young lady just out of high school who is attempting a thru-hike. I met Red Wolf, who sings loudly as he hikes. Also today some kind people had hidden Easter eggs with candy along the Trail just to boost the spirits of the hikers. Again, these random acts of kindness are very heartwarming and again bring to mind The Golden Rule. Tonight I am going to sleep in a rhododendron thicket, the only flat land in the area, near a gravel road at Tellico Gap. At the end of today, Easter Sunday 2012, I have completed 129.2 miles.
Date: 2012-04-09
From: Tellico Gap, NC

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center, NC
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: clear sky

The weather was great again today. It was about 6 miles to the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). The last 5 miles were almost all downhill, which was quite a difficult descent. This means tomorrow I will have an equally difficult ascent up into the mountains again. At the notch the Nantahala River goes through the NOC. This is a very popular place for kayakers and for white water rafting. I again ran into Turtle, Becky, Steve, and Poco au Poco (aka Pokey) a lady from Columbus, OH who is probably a little younger than I. We had a late lunch at the caf© there and the entire area alive with visitors, hikers, and kayakers all out having a good time on a beautiful day. Fozzy was there, as were Dimples and Griffin. There I also picked up a box of food I had prepared at home and had my sister send to me. There aren¢t many places to buy food, so this was convenient. There will be another box sent to me in about 4 days when I start my trek through the Smoky Mountains. Tom Dykes (the physician from Maine I met previously) and I had dinner together. We had walked about 2 miles from where we are staying to the cafeteria, so after Tom and I had dinner, we had an equally long walk back. A nice gentleman who lives in the area, Horace Holden, picked us up and gave us a ride to our room and said he would come back tomorrow at 8:00 a.m. and take us to breakfast. I only hiked 8.1 miles today as I wanted this to be a limited day. I have had a shower, had cooked food and I will be sleeping in a bed. I have met so many nice people and it continues to warm my heart that people freely do such nice things for total strangers. I am feeling good!
Date: 2012-04-10
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center, NC

To: View Entry
Miles today: 10.3

This morning Horace (Holden) picked up Tom and me and drove us the 1.5 miles to the caf© where we had breakfast together. He is a very interesting, kind gentleman who shared the history of the NOC dating back to the early 1970¢s. He studied religion at Cambridge, is a pastor and businessman and was one of the founders/owners of the NOC in 1972. Although ownership was recently transferred to another party, Horace continues to be a major investor. He took us on a scenic drive through the hills to see the homes and even drove us by his house. It was a nice break from the Trail. He injured his shoulder in a fall a few months ago, so of course I examined it and told him what he should do.Later today I again ran into Pokey, Red Wolf, Steve and Tom at the campsite. I also met Balls and Sunshine, a father/daughter team attempting to hike the AT. So far they are moving right along and doing great. Sunshine is an 11-year-old girl who, at the age of 10, hiked the Pacific Crest Trail.   The climb out of the NOC today was the longest and hardest yet, five miles up. It was very difficult and took a big chunk of the day. I was very thankful for the biscuits and gravy breakfast at the NOC as I am sure that is what helped power me to the top. I completed 10.3 miles today.
Date: 2012-04-11
From: Somewhere on the Trail

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: clear sky

Today I hiked 11.6 miles for a total of 159.2 miles. Today wasn¢t too bad except for climbing Jacob¢s Ladder. It was only 12 mile long, but it was so steep I don¢t think the heels of my shoes touched the ground the whole way. It was almost straight up. I have seen a variety of plants along the way including Trillium, several kinds of ferns, mountain laurel trees, lots of May apples, many rhododendron thickets and poison ivy! I have been looking for morel mushrooms but haven¢t seen any, although one of the locals reported some being found. I met several new people today including Lucky Ten, a guy from California who hiked some of the Pacific Crest Trail last year. I also ran into Cocoa and Red Wolf. I am currently resting in my tent alongside a babbling brook which is great because of the easy access to water. Finding water is a constant problem. Tonight I will stay at the Cable Gap Shelter. Tomorrow I should be in Fontana Lodge to take a half day off.