morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-05-08
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Cheoah Bald
Miles today: 14.0

It was a very warm day - hot and muggy. A good 2nd day's hike to Cheoah Bald. A spectacular sunset in the company of a Doctor and his son from FL, who have a camp locally. I would have spent more time talking to them, but they had a very smoky fire going! This is one thing that I have noticed - lots of well used campfire sites. I think there is more of this in the southern part of the AT, mostly cause everyone thinks they are camping and not hiking.It was below 30 degrees in the morning. My small bivy tent (an old Isis Solo) kept me nice and toasty as it was more than 50 degrees inside. I didn't see the sunrise as I got up and got going early.Sour
Date: 2007-05-09
From: Chepah Bald

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: clear sky

Good Day! Sour picked up a box of food he had shipped to Nantahala Outdoor Center today. He was able to take a shower, have a burger and beer and charge the phone. Basically he recharged! He is doing well. So far, he hasn't had any problem finding water and seems to be in good spirits and excited about being on his well planned 2007 AT Hike. He says the scenery is beautiful. I wish I could have gone, but I don't think I could have done over 165 miles on one hike. Until later,Sweetie
Date: 2007-05-11
From: Wayah Gap, N.C.

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: clear sky

Hiked to Rock Gap Shelter and then into Standing Indian Campground due to inclement weather. I got my tent set up and finished my shower when the most horrific thunderstorm I have ever encountered started. I crawled into my tent and tried to relax as the ground was pounded all around me. After several hours the storm let up and a steady rain continued. I was glad I didn't spend the night on the mountain...
Date: 2005-02-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

My name is Gerald Isaacs. I am 62 years old and have been dreaming of hiking the Appalachian Trail for many years. My family consists of my wife Donna, daughter Heather and step-son Gary Lee. Two years ago I decided to hike the AT in the spring of 2005. So for the last 2 years I have been preparing my life for this journey. I own a small business and have prepared it to run in my absence. I will be starting this hike with my friend Ron Woody. His trail name is Quickstep.
Date: 2005-03-08
From: Hiawassee

To: Dick's Creek Gap Shelter
Miles today: 66.6

All of my journal entries from my start on February 27 until staying at the Hiawassee Inn were mailed home. There has been some kind of error in the mailing of the journal entries. They have not yet been received by my wife to enter into my journal sight. If and when they make their way home this sight will be updated with them.
Date: 2005-03-09
From: Dick's Creek Gap Shelter

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

This morning we got up about 6:00 and we asked the owner what time he could take us back to Dicks Creek Gap. He told us it would be around 9:30 because he had some other people that he had to take before us, se we decided to take our packs up to the office at 7:00 and tell him we would like to go now handed him $15.00. He had about 3 vanloads of people to take back to the trail this morning. He came back in the office ad said, Gerald I have already loaded your packs in the van, so I¢ll take you guys to the trail first sense your ready to go now, that will work better for me anyway. We got to the trail at 8:30 and started hiking for Muskrat Creek Shelter and arrived there at 4:30. We hiked 11.6 miles. The shelter was full, so we pitched tents.
Date: 2005-03-10
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

During the night last night it snowed, I thought it was raining but when I got up we had about an inch of snow on the ground. Shook the snow off my tent and started hiking for Carter Gap Shelter, 12.5 miles. The temperature in the morning has been running close to 25 degrees. The temperature today got up to about 40 degrees and clear. We stopped for lunch on top of Standing Indian Mountain. There were big flat rocks, and the sun was shinning and the view was great. Before we ate lunch I needed to poop, so I went down over the hill a ways on the side of a very steep hill. When I got done I wiped myself and got out my wet wipes to clean myself better and noticed there something on the wet wipe bag. I started looking around and it was on my pants where I got out my wet wipes and also found it on my right hand. I discovered that the hill was so steep that when I wiped I had run my hand into the pile I had left on the ground. It was a good thing I had plenty of wet wipes to wash up with and hand sanitizer. What a mess. We arrived at Carter Gap Shelter at 4:30. When we got there we found two shelters. A new one that was already full with young people, and an old shelter that was in bad shape. Miles McDuff was sitting in the old shelter, so I stayed in the old shelter with Miles. Quickstep, Oldyeller, the truck driver, Utah and his wife all pitched tents. Utah and his wife always pitch their tent. Utah is a wilderness survival instructor, so that evening after we had read the warning sign about the bear in the area taking backpacks and I had just started the cowboy TV (camp fire) he gave us a short lesson on bear behavior. He said that when bears smell smoke or the smell of smoke on your clothes, they associate that with rewards of food. I had just been working on the campfire with smoke blowing all over me. Later I was trying to hang my bear bag on a tree limb about 25¢ high. I am a little stiff, so Utah threw my rope over the limb for me. I told him that if that bear could reach that we wouldn¢t need any food.
Date: 2005-03-11
From: Carter Gap Shelter

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

Left Carter Gap Shelter at 7:00 and arrived at Rock Gap Shelter at 4:00 12.1 miles. We went over Albert Mountain today at about 5,250 feet high. On top of Albert Mountain is a fire tower, so I went to the top of the tower and took a 360-degree video. It was very windy and cold on top of the tower. When we got to Rock Gap Shelter Gravity and Danger were already there. The five of us spent the night there. It was so windy and cold that we all went to bed around 5:30. Around 1:00 after starting down Albert Mountain it got cold and very windy, then it started snowing very hard. We had to stop and put on our rain gear and pack covers. While we were eating supper it snowed very hard until there was about 1 inch of snow on the ground in about 30 minutes. Gravity and danger is a young couple maybe 30 years old from Boulder, Colorado. We met up with them from time to time.
Date: 2005-03-12
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Haven Budget Inn Motel
Miles today: 3.8

Left Rock Gap Shelter at 7:00 and arrived at Winding Stair Gap at 9:00. Quickstep said he was going to have to take some time off from hiking so his knee could heal some. So we decided to go to Franklin, North Carolina and take the rest of the day and the next day off and see if he can continue hiking on Monday morning. Oldyeller has a cell phone with him so we called the Haven Budget Motel and asked if they would come to Winding Stair Gap and shuttle us to the motel, they said they would. Gravity and Danger caught up with us. Franklin is 10 miles from the AT. When the shuttle came they brought three young fellows that we had met in Hiawassee. We all exchanged hellos and good luck on your hike and they went on up the trail and we went to the Haven Motel. After we showered and cleaned up, put on our town clothes we went to an all you can eat buffet and did I ever eat. I ate so much that I thought I was going to pop. Then I ate some more. I wished I hadn¢t eaten so much. We sat at the table and talked for a while and I burped about 3 times and started feeling better. We went to Hardees for dinner and I had a six-dollar burger. Yesterday when I was hanging my bear bag I was thinking about the bear that sings the song about how he loves to find the backpack trees. Putting my money in a sandwich bag under the insole of my boot didn¢t work out very well. The sandwich bag tore up and the money was soaked with sweat. If I had left the money there much longer it would have been destroyed. $300.00. (When I say we in my writing that means Quickstep, Oldyeller and myself)
Date: 2005-03-13
From: Haven Budget Inn Motel

To: Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0

We got up this morning at the Haven Motel, took a shower and trimmed our beards. Quickstep used my electric trimmers. He sent his home a few days back to lighten the weight in his pack. We went to the buffet down the street and had a good breakfast around 9:30. After breakfast we had the shuttle take us over to a shopping plaza. We bought a few needed items at the grocery and at the outfitters. Quickstep bought some medicine at the pharmacy that is supposed to help lubricate your joints, so I bought some too. In about 5 days we should know if it is going to work. Just hanging around the motel this afternoon waiting to go back to the trail in the morning. I¢m not very happy just sitting around waiting. At around 3:00 this afternoon I was lying on the bed while Quickstep was gone to the post office. Someone knocked on the door, I got up and opened the door, and what a pleasant surprise. It was Pine and Pixie; we hadn¢t seen them for about 3 days. We went to a Chinese restaurant buffet with them to eat. We are going to have a good breakfast in the morning before the shuttle takes us back to the trail at 9:00. While we were at dinner this evening it started raining. The weather for the last two days has been clear, the temperature 60 and 70 degrees. It is suppose to be mostly cloudy tomorrow and then rain the rest of the week. The temperature is supposed to be high 50¢s during the day and low 40¢s at night. It will probably be 10 to 15 degrees colder in the mountains. We are one day behind our schedule now and will probably lose another day on the way to the N.O.C. depending on how Quickstep¢s knee feels. I will sure be happy to get back on the trail in the morning.
Date: 2005-03-15
From: Camp sight

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: overcast clouds

We left the campsite at 7:30 and headed for Wesser Bald Shelter and arrived around 4:00. We stopped by the dome and had some hot chocolate, Reeses cups and a coke. I also had my oatmeal for breakfast while we were there. The dome is a 25 foot round tent that a guy named Apple sets up and has free food for hikers that come through Burntown Gap. We thought we would have some hot dogs but he was out and had gone into town to get some more supplies when we got there. He will not accept any money or donations. He is a member of the Appalachian Trail Conference. We are told we are supposed to get 6 to 8 inches of snow tonight. If we do, it should be really pretty in the morning. No snow. It started raining around 5:00 and rained all night. When we got to Wesser Shelter, no one was there. We thought we would be the only ones there. As the evening went on more people showed up. The shelter will hold six people by dark there were eight people and one dog at the shelter. It was raining and there was no place to pitch a tent so we made room in the shelter. Seven of us and the dog stayed on the platform of the shelter and the last guy in slept on the table under the overhang. We were all jammed in shoulder to shoulder. It was very hot in my sleeping bag so I had to keep it unzipped.   I also had to take off my pants to keep from sweating too much. It was the first time I had slept without my pants on. The temperature was around 35 degrees. We met a young couple there with the dog that is hiking the trail to raise money for under privileged kids. We met a fellow that was hiking with his wife, but she had knee problems and had to leave the trail. His name is shadow and he hopes his wife can rejoin him in about 30 days. Eagle Foot showed up, I referred to him earlier as Talon. We were glad to see him. We thought maybe he had dropped off the trail. Back at the Walasi-yi Center he wasn¢t feeling well and his knees were hurting.
Date: 2005-03-16
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center (N.O.C.)
Miles today: 5.6
Weather: light rain

When we got up at 6:00 at the Wesser Shelter it was still raining. We ate breakfast and headed for the Nantahala Outdoor Center at around 7:30. We arrived there at 11:00 and it rained all morning. It was down hill just about all the way. Very hard on the knees, but we got there a lot sooner than we thought we would. I am feeling very good, but I move very slowly on the steep ups and downs. When we got to the N.O.C. we met with the Tennessee Walkers, the young couple that is hiking to raise money for under privileged kids, so I bought their lunch and told them that could be my contribution for their charity. They were very thankful. We rented a room in a cabin that has six rooms, three full baths, a kitchen, dining room and lounge area. After we got in our room that had three single beds we found out the Mr. And Mrs. Utah had gotten here the day before. They are staying in the same cabin we are. We went down to the outfitters to pick up the supplies we would need to get us to Fontana. In the outfitters we saw Pine and Pixie and after talking with them for a while they said that the N.O.C. had no more rooms. This was 4:00 and the next campsite is seven miles up the trail and a steep up hill all the way. We told them they could stay in our room and use the shower and visit for a while and if they just happened to fall asleep on the floor in their sleeping bags we would wake them in the morning when we woke up. They accepted very gladly. That¢s what good people on the trail do, is help each other out.
Date: 2005-03-17
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center (N.O.C.)

To: Sassafras Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: light snow

We left the N.O.C. at 9:00 and arrived at Sassafras Shelter at 1:30, seven miles of steady up hill. It was raining when we left and as we climbed higher in elevation it kept getting colder and the rain turned to snow. At the shelter there is about two inches of snow on the ground and a light snow coming down. I would guess the temperature to be about 25 degrees. There are 15 people in this shelter tonight, seven on the top level and eight on the lower level. Most of the people in the shelter stayed at the N.O.C. and several of them we have been staying with at night since the start of our trip. Everybody seems to be having a great time. It is 6:30 now and getting dark and foggy. When we arrived at the shelter this afternoon, Ron¢s clothes and mine were soaked with sweat. Ron came very close to having hypothermia. I was chilled and had to take off all my clothes including underwear and put on all dry clothes. The first time I have used my long underwear. I got in my sleeping bag about 3:00 and slept until 5:00. I was very warm in my sleeping bag. When I woke up they told me I really snored. I probably did because I died to the world. Hope I can sleep that good tonight. I usually have to get up two to three times a night to pee. That doesn¢t feel very good to have to get out of my warm sleeping bag in the cold to pee. Good night all and have a good night.
Date: 2005-03-18
From: Sassafras Shelter

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: overcast clouds

We left Sassafras Shelter at 7:15 and arrived at Brown Fork Gap Shelter at 2:20. Our plan was to go to Cable Gap Shelter, but it was too many miles with the long steep up hills, so we decided to stop at 9.1 miles. The weather was cold this morning. It cleared off last night around 12:00 midnight, and the stars were out. I know because I had to get up to pee three times. We got up this morning just before 6:00, packed up and ate breakfast. I ate four pop tarts and a large cup of hot chocolate. We were the first ones to leave the shelter. The younger always pass us before long. We were the first ones to arrive at the shelter that plan to spend the night. Mr. And Mrs. Utah, Pine Dragon and Pixie, Eagle Foot, Oldyeller, Quickstep and myself, Steadystep stayed at the shelter. The entertainment for the evening was when Pine Dragon threw his bear bag rope up in a tree and got it hung up. They had quite a time getting it down. It probably took them about an hour. I got some of it on file, but ran out of tape before they got it down. The weather stayed clear all day and warmed up very nice. This afternoon it may have got up to 50 degrees or better. It really felt good after last night.
Date: 2005-03-19
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Inn
Miles today: 12.4

We left Brown Fork Gap Shelter at 7:15 after breakfast and arrived at Fontana at 2:50. Quickstep said he arrived at Fontana at 2:15. Oldyeller and I stop to look at views and other things of interest to us and Quickstep says he is cold and keeps on hiking on up the trail. Last night at the shelter there was eight of us that have been staying at the same places almost every night together. We have almost become a family of hikers. We all seem to get along very well and have a good time together. The Utah couple, Pine Dragon and Pixie, Oldyeller, Quickstep, Eagle Foot and myself, Steadystep. When we got up this morning it was clear and the wind was very light and the temperature was about 32 degrees. I got up at 5:45 and everyone was grumbling because I got up before daylight. Everyone else went to bed around 7:30 to 8:00 but I stayed up until 10:00 playing with the campfire until there was no fire, just hot coals. After about eight hours I can¢t find a way to lie that it doesn¢t hurt. Quickstep said his knee was hurting very bad today. He doesn¢t know if he is going to be able to continue on or not, we will see after our zero day tomorrow. Monday morning we will be starting into the Smokeys.
Date: 2005-03-20
From: Fontana Inn

To: Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0

We stayed at Fontana Inn last night. Quickstep, Oldyeller and myself, Steadystep, shared a room. Oldyeller slept on a roll away bed and Quickstep and I slept on the two double beds. We ate dinner at the Peppercorn Restaurant last night and breakfast this morning. Around 12:00 we did our laundry at the Fontana Village laundry mat.   Fontana Village is a resort village that has an inn with a restaurant, cabins for rent, an outfitter, game room, fitness room and an indoor swimming pool. The latter is the reason we stayed here. Then there is Fontana Lake with a marina. For breakfast and diner the restaurant has a buffet that is pretty good. We will have breakfast in the restaurant in the morning before leaving for the trail at 9:00 in the morning. We had bologna sandwiches for lunch today. The lady that shuttled us from the trail into Fontana Village said when she came back to work in the morning she would pick us up some bread, bologna, mustard and onion and bring it to us. The weather has been very nice today, partly cloudy, the temperature was up to about 75 degrees with very light winds. The rule is that if March comes in like a lion it will go out like a lamb. I have found out through my lifetime that is usually true. If that holds true, then we should have good weather going thru the Smokey Mountain National Park. I hope to meet my wife and daughter, Donna and Heather, at Newfound Gap on Friday afternoon. That will sure be great since I have not seen them in about a month. I can hardly wait.
Date: 2005-03-21
From: Zero Day

To: Campground 113
Miles today: 12.4

We took the 9:00 shuttle to the trail and started hiking at 9:30. It was clear and the temperature was about 60 degrees. We hiked over the hill to Fontana Dam, then it was about 10:30. Quickstep told me and Oldyeller that his knee hurt so bad he could not continue on, so after about an hour of discussion he decided he would drop off the trail for now and Oldyeller and I would continue on. Oldyeller and I left Fontana Dam at 11:30 and hiked to campground 113 and arrived there about 4:30. On the way we stopped at the trail that leads to the fire tower on Shuckstack Mountain and had lunch. After lunch we went up the trail to the fire tower and took some pictures and shot some videos from on top of the tower. When we had lunch we met two college girls that were having lunch at the same place. One was named SuperCheese and the other had no trail name yet so she said her name was Chris. When we arrived at camp 113 we set up our tents and then had supper. After supper we sat and talked with the other campers there until it started getting dark and we all decided to go to bed at around 7:00. There are eight of us at this camp sight tonight. I sure wish Quickstep hadn't had to drop off the trail with bad knees. I will hike on to Newfound Gap with Oldyeller and he will continue on while I take a day off to meet with Donna and Heather. I sure will be glad to see them. It will be a month since I have seen them. Oldyeller and I will be hiking alone until he takes a day off later to meet with his wife. After that we will try to hook back up again and hike together. The temperature today got up to about 70 degrees and clear skies. It was very warm hiking up hill all afternoon.
Date: 2005-03-22
From: Campground 113

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 5.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up this morning at 6:00. Hiked to Mollies Ridge Shelter, got there at 11:15 and Ann was there. Last night after I went to bed and finnished writing in my journal and turned off my light, the moon was so bright it was shinning thru the top of my tent almost like the sun was out. I woke up at 11:30, 2:00 and 4:30 to pee and each time I thought it was getting daylight and time to get up. When I got up I packed up my sleeping bag and tent and went to the kitchen, got my food bag down and had hot oatmeal and hot chocolat for breakfast. Then packed my food and cookware and left camp 113 at 8:00. While we were having breakfast there was a deer wandering around the camp site. It followed us out of camp for a little ways. Going to have lunch now at Mollies Ridge Shelter. Lunch will be peanut butter and cheese on a tortila shell and hot chocolat. Around 2:30 after we left Mollies Ridge Shelter it started raining and rained the rest of the day. We arrived at Spence Field Shelter at 4:00. About mid morning the wind picked up to about 30 to 40 miles per hour and the temperature started dropping. There was still some snow along the trail. The temperature was about 60 degrees this morning and dropped to about 40 this evening. It is 6:00 now and the rain has stopped, but the wind is still blowing very hard. This shelter will hold 12 people and it is full now. The people in the shelter is myself, Oldyeller, Ann, Traction, Pine Dragon and Pixie and six other young men that came in and built a fire int he fireplace and put a tarp across half of the front of the shelter. The shelters so far in the Smokey's are built out of stone, 3 sided with a tin roof with a chain link fence and gate in front. Each one has a fireplace in it. Thats all I can think of to write for now. Enjoying my journey emensly. to bad Quickstep could not continue, I will miss him greatly. But that is the way it is and I will continue on.