morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-05-03
From: low gap shelter

To: 1 mile before hiawassee
Miles today: 24.3
Weather: broken clouds

i woke up and it was pretty chilly out this morning. glad i still have my 10 degree bag because i sleep great in it. it was a beautiful day....partly cloudy and breezy and cool all day. this is the first day with no rain. i hiked out of low gap shelter area and took a morning break at blue mountain shelter where i ran into trog___. i can't remember the last part of his name...sorry. i dried out my tent while i was ther. he said he just about froze last night and was in no hurry to get going today. i hiked on to tray mountain shelter and took an early aftrenoon break. i ran into hans, brittany and a brit by the name of andy.....no trail names yet for any of them. andy had way too much food and i helped him out by eating a bunch of his heavy cookies....always willing to help out a food heavy hiker. i aired out my sleeping bag while i was there. i hiked on to deep gap shelter and ate my dinner. i met stranger there...quiet but nice guy and hans, brittany and andy hiked in and claimed a spot in the shelter. i started shivering about the time i was done eating and hiked on about another hour so i would be close to dick's creek gap in the morning. i found some really soft leaves and made a great bed tonight. i'm planning on hitching a ride into hiawassee early in the morning and having a nice sit down breakfast and updating my journal at the library. i'll resupply and eat at daniel's steakhouse buffet for lunch and thinking about hiking on into north carolina tomorrow....we'll see if i can pull myself away from all that restaurant food. i've been thinking about buying a house next to the buffet and give up this walking crap. i guess you'll have to wait until i get to another computer to see what i decided. oh yeah, i ordered a pocket mail so i won't have to sit at the library and update this journal. that will allow me to update more often. i'll get it in a week and a half.
Date: 2004-05-04
From: 1 mile before hiawassee

To: .7 miles past muskrat creek shelter, n.c.
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

i slept great last night. the moon was so bright i thought someone had a flashlight on when i woke up in the middle of the night.i slept so soundly that i couldn't believe it was morning already. it was in the upper 20s. i walked a mile to dicks creek gap and started hitch hiking at 7:10 amand caught a ride with a nice lady that had just lost her husband to a heart attack last october. at 7:55 am i was sitting down and drinking coffee and eating breakfast at a nice little restaurant in hiawassee, ga. it even had cloth napkins....now that is extra nice. i went to the library and updated my journal. i'm still learning how to do this and i'm also learning what to write about. i should get better as time goes on. i resupplied at ingle's food market and sent out two birthday cards. i went to daniels steak house for lunch and had to have the buffet. i hitched back out to the trail and caught a ride with a guy who has a pottery shop in dillard, ga. i got back on the trail and was hiking by 2 pm.i love going to town for food, but i love it even more when i get back on the trail and start walking in the woods again. i hiked to plumborchard gap shelter and ran into britt and hans who were just leaving when i got there. i took a break and signed the register and aired out my feet and then hiked on to the n.c. border where i ran into hans and britt again who were tenting there. they walked up to bly gap with me and sat by the old knarly tree and we talked while i ate dinner. i had packed out two hardee's 1/3 lb hamburgers for dinner. i love doing that for dinner on my first night out of a town. i said hi to pamela and hiked on to muskrat creek shelter and signed the register before moving on about .7 mile where i found a nice soft bed of leaves to sleep on. an old hoot owl is doing his thing while i'm writing this.
Date: 2004-05-05
From: .7 miles past muskrat creek shelter, n.c.

To: 1 mile north of winding stair gap, n.c.
Miles today: 28.6
Weather: scattered clouds

got up this morning and packed up my tent and walked until i found a nice spring where i sat down and made coffee and had breakfast while i watched a woodpecker getting his breakfast. i had packed out two apple fritters, an eclair, and a jelly donut for breakfast. i hiked on to standing indian shelter and took a short break there and talked to 5 other hikers before i left. i hiked on to carter gap shelter and ate lunch. i ran into rowboat who was supposed to start his hike with officer taco, but had a foot problem and had to delay his hike until now. i hiked on and climbed albert mountain....always love these good climbs, then hiked on to big spring shelter and took and early afternoon break. it was partly cloudy and mild today with good views all day long. i hiked on to rock gap shelter and ran into terrapin and otter again. they were at standing indian shelter when i went by and they took a blue blaze trail to get here. we talked while i made dinner. they were very interested in how i keep my pack wieght down. i hiked on to winding stair gap and declined a ride to town (can you believe that???) and i hiked on about a mile and found a nice soft bed pretty close to a stream. i had some good trail magic left by someone near winding stair gap....thanks. i stepped over a small snake on the trail today and rowboat said that he thought he heard a bear. other than that it was the usual song birds and pileated woodpeckers and some male grouse beating their drums. at least that's what their mating call sounds like to me.
Date: 2004-05-07
From: natahala bunk house

To: stealth tent spot at walker gap, n.c.
Miles today: 25.0

great breakfast at n.o.c.!!! i had a veggie omelete with swiss cheese while sitting practically right over the natahala river.they opened the dam and i got to watch the river rise while i was eating breakfast. i started hiking at 8:45 and climbed up the mountain. i saw giftgiver and i kept getting closer until i finally passed him. i was nice to him....last year when i passed roadkill, i walked up to him queitly and when i got close to him, i passed real close and about scared him to death. i didn't know a white boy could jump that high. anyway, i was nice to giftgiver and didn't scare him like that. i ran into whittler sitting on a stump. he got his name by the stuff he whittled in his hiking stick. he wasn't too happy because he had just hiked on and left his hiking partner behind because of sore knees. i actually talked to her for a while at n.o.c. before i left, but didn't realize until later that they were together. her name was sawbriar. i hiked on and i startled a grouse....or i should say that a grouse startled me when it waited until i got right next to it before it flew up and away. i ate lunch at sassafras gap shelter and whittler hiked in and we talked some more. after lunch he brought out a pipe he had whittled and lit up some pipe tobaco. pretty neat pipe. it looked kind of like an old peace pipe. i saw the first sign of a bear today that i've seen on this hike...there was some bear scat on the trail while i was climbing up to cheoah bald.there was a nice breeze up on the bald. i met nightmare and clueless and sparepocket andbrown creek shelter. i got to see two jack-in-the pulpits today. shortly after nightmare and clueless left the shelter they saw a rattle snake. they were carrying a digital camera, so i got to see him too. i hiked on to cable gap shelter. that's where liteshoe and i surprized some old trail friends with some trail magic a few weeks ago. i surprized goosebump the snow princess and jan surprized gabby with some fried chicken and biscuits and iced cokes and for later that evening, some hot chocolate and bailey's. that was back on 4-22-04. no one was there when i stopped in for a break today and there wasn't any trail magic....not even any fried chicken or anything.....can you see my pouty lip now??? i hiked on to walker gap and decided to stealth tent there and take a nero (nearly a zero mileage day) tomorrow. i've only got a few miles to fotana village and who knows what kind of food i may find there??? it's been a good day to hike. sunny and mild to sometimes hot. i must have drank at least 3 gallons of spring water today. it's great getting water from these mountain springs, especially on these hot days and the spring water is so cold. a song bird is singing to me while i write this. i sure hope they have a breakfast buffet at fontana in the morning.....ah, nice dreams of food.
Date: 2004-05-08
From: stealth tent spot at walker gap, n.c.

To: fontana village, n.c.
Miles today: 4.1

i got up at 6 am with the thoughts of a breakfast buffet still in my mind. it was a warm night and there were alot of spider webs crossing the trail. i got to where i would just let the web lay across my face unles i felt a little critter crawling on me. i hiked past a stealth tenter who i later found out was musicman. he has played a saxaphone in key west for the last 13 years. i hiked on down to rt 28 and thought about going on in to fontana village, but it was still real early, so i hiked on to the dam and road walked back to the shuttle phone. i called and the lady said the shuttle didn't start until 9 am, so i walked on into the village and walked right into the middle of a breakfast buffet.....ahhhh, life is good!!!! i had filled out my smoky mountain parmit while i was at rt 28 so i didn't have to mess with that later. i had three plate fulls of bacon, sausage and eggs and some fruiity looking stuff and lots and lots of coffee. i talked to james who had shaved his head. funny how some guys with hair shave it all off....sure wish i had some of that stuff on top of my head. you can bet i wouldn't shave it off. i went to the outfitter and the general store after checking into room 210 to check on hours for my resupply.i met sticks who has been here 2 days, but said he's headin' out later on today. i went back to my room and took a long shower and washed my clothes in the tub with me. i called some friends, including rainbow slick, wondering where my fried chicen trail magic was at cable gap shelter.i took a chance and called frogcaller's maine phone # because i didn't have her pa. phone # with me and was pleasantly surprized when lew, her husband and a good friend of mine answered. it was good talking to some of my best trail friends. i found out that i'll probably run into frogcaller this summer hiking in vermont or n.h. i went and resupplied with enough food (mostly junk) to get me to hot springs in 5 days. i hate packing out that much food, but rideshoe is picking me up on thursday in hot springs to take me to trail days in damascus, va. i can't wait to see some of my old trail friends at trail days. the whole group of us "03 sobo's will be there and i know quit a few of the "02 nobo's will be there too.i'm laying in bed in the motel room, i'm all clean and the a.c. is cranking and my belly is full.....life is good!!! i think i'll take a nap and get ready for the dinner buffet at 5 pm. i woke up and got to the buffet at 6pm and shoe and whittler were there. kiwi and a ridgerunner named greybeard sat next to us. terrapin and otter came in and sat with me after the rest left. you sure make lots of friends out here hiking this trail. otter was getting off the trail and offered to give me a ride back to the trail in the morning just after the breakfast buffet.
Date: 2004-05-09
From: fontana village, n.c.

To: derrick knob shelter in the smokies
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: light rain

i woke up in the motel room at fontana village, got packed up and went to the breakfast buffet. shoe joined me and then musicman came in and joined us. otter came in and said i had to stop eating now because he was leaving, so i had to go hike and leave all that food. the climb up to shuckstack wasn't too bad, even on a full stomach. i ran into jim and talked a while before i hiked on to birch springs tenting area and got some water. i dumped the rest of the motel water i had because the spring water tastes so much better. i talked to greybeard for a few minutes and then hiked on. it was warm and the knats were bad, so i drapped my bandana over my head and put my hat on over that and they didn't bother me as much then. i saw some blaze azaleas on the way up the mountain and lots more bluets and lots of other flowers that i don't know the name of. i took a break at mollies ridge shelter and yet another at russle field shelter and still another at spence field shelter. it started to rain and thunder after i left there and i had to climb over rocky top mountain and thunder mountain in that mess. i don't mind walking in the rain, but i sure wish it wouldn't have all that thunder and lightening striking all around me. it cooled down nice and the rain let up after about 2 hours. i saw lots of piles of bear scat, but still haven't seen any of them thar varmints yet. i'm tenting at derrick knob shelter tonight because in the smokies you are not allowed to stealth tent....i'll miss my stealth tenting until i get out of the smokies. nightmare, clueless, photofanatic and sid are here. sid knew hippie longstockings from back in '01. i took my first picture today of the thunderstorm coming at me up near rocky top mountain at over 5000' elevation.
Date: 2004-05-10
From: derrick knob shelter in the smokies

To: icewater springs shelter in the smokies
Miles today: 21.0

i slept good last night, woke up and had coffee and a fried apple pie and powdered donuts. i hiked on to siler's bald shelter and ate some more.there are still lots of wild hogs in the smokies. you can see where they have rooted up in lots of places. it was a beautiful day to hike, but my stomach was protesting not having a buffet today. i hiked on to double spring gap shelter and ate again. from double springs agp shelter up to clingman's dome it was really beautiful. it reminds me of hiking some of the higher elevations in maine. the only two things that were missing were the moose and the moose poop.if anyone wants the feeling of hiking in maine without going all the way to maine, then this is the place to hike. the strong smell of spruce is even here. i got up to clingman's dome and ate again. the trillium up here are smaller than the ones at lower elevations. i did get to see lots more bluets today. i hiked on to newfound gap and ate again. it started raining so i started hiking. it only rained about 15 minutes. i hiked on to here at icewater springs shelter at set up my tent and ate again. it's raining right now while i'm laying in my tent writing this. i love it whens it rains on my tent. it puts me right to sleep and i sleep really well. i met radio flyer here...not the same radio flyer from '02. i saw lots more bear scat, but still no bears on this hike.
Date: 2004-05-11
From: icewater springs shelter in the smokies

To: mt. cammerer fire tower in the smokies
Miles today: 23.1

this morning started early after a great nights sleep. i got up, packed up my tent and was on my way to charlies bunion to wait on the sunrise. it was only about a mile to get there and then i got to watch the sun come up while i was having my coffee and breakfast. i got a picture of a beautiful sunrise. it was another mild day. i saw another type of trillium, instesd of having the black center in the white trillium, it had a red center. the smells of the forest this time of year are everywhere. lots of things blooming. i hiked to the side trail to peckscorner shelter and ate there. i didn't hike the 1/2 mile to the shelter. i carried 2 litres of water today because there haven't been as many springs lately. there were alot of big spruce (i think) trees today that were blown over and the roots stood up in the air as much as 20'. these were mostly from the base of chapman mountain on up to the top. i hiked to tri-corner knob shelter and ate lunch there. i met a thru hiker by the name of freebird there. he knew sassafras from'02 and hippie from '01. i later found out he knows liteshoe of '03. todays hike was mostly on ridges...in somes cases as narrow as 5'. you could fall for a while before hitting anything in alot of places. some places you wouldn't go so far, but it would be almost impossible to get back up on the ridge by yourself. most of the time while you hike there you don't even realize how steep it is because you spend all your time taking in the breath taking views. i hiked to cosby knob shelter and ate an early dinner. i got a litre of water and headed out another 3 1/2 miles to mt. cammerer fire tower. it started raining and then lightening for almost all of that 3 1/2 miles. this is the first time that i've ever taking the .6 mile side trail to the fire tower, but i'll never pass by it again without stopping. it's about a 20' hexagon buiding with 360 degree views from about a mile high. bumpo and freebird showed up after the rain let up and we all spent the night. the thunder storm moved off to the north, but the views in the other directions are unbelievable.
Date: 2004-05-12
From: mt. cammerer fire tower in the smokies

To: stealth tent .2 miles north of summit of bluff mtn
Miles today: 30.5

bumpo, freebird and myself enjoyed a beautiful sunrise this morning from the tower on top of mt. cammerer. i felt like i was on top of the world. i made coffee and ate breakfast while the sun came up in lots of beautiful early morning colors. after coffee, i headed on back down the .6 mile side trail back to the a.t. and i ran into this little otter like critter. he kept running away from me, but he was running down the trail in the direction i was going. finally, he turned of into the woods and i didn't see him again. i hiked on down to davenport gap shelter, the last shelter in the smokies and ran into jazz and billy the kid who were just leaving. they were in a hurry to get to mountain momma's for some food. it was a long down from the tower. i went from 4930' to 1425' and then right back up to over 4200' at snowbird mountain. i hiked on up to the top of max patch where i ran into cowboy taking a break. we talked a while and enjoyed the cooling breeze and the nice views before i hiked on to walnut mountain shelter where i ate dinner. i got rained on for about an hour from 11am and about another hour from 6pm. i saw more trillium today than i've ever seen before. there were carpets of them for miles. on max patch i got to see lots of buttercups and even some may apples. i saw lots of fire pink and lots of squaw root today. there were also 2 different varieties of purple flowers today that i don't know the name of. i had a mole dash across the trail in front of me and i scared a pileated woodpecker that i snuck up on. i met seeker at davenport gap this morning going south. he started at harpers ferry and plans to flip back there from springer. i hiked to this nice stealth site just past the summit of bluff mountain. it's good to be able to stealth tent again now that i'm out of the smokies. i really enjoyed the smokies this time more than any other time i've been through them though. i'm only 10 miles from hot springs and if i can get up early enough in the morning, i'll have breakfast at the smoky mountain diner.
Date: 2004-05-13
From: stealth tent .2 miles north of summit of bluff mtn

To: hot springs, n.c.
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: overcast clouds

i woke up before dawn after a great nights sleep on some nice soft leaves. i packed up and started hiking before the sun came up. i got to watch the sun rise while i was hiking....very nice. it's easy to start this early when you know that there is someone waiting at the end the the hike to cook you breakfast. i walked into hot springs at 9:30 am and was eating breakfast and drinking coffee a few minutes later. the mountain laurel is starting to bloom. i saw some yesterday at davenport gap and some today coming into hot springs. i've also been seeing quite a few azaleas ranging in color from yellow to orange to pink. i can't walk by them without admiring them. i checked the library here but it doesn't open until 1 pm todat so i went to the outfitters to tell them that if jan liteshoe came by, i was in town. i left my backpack and my bounce box at the bluff mountain outfitters and then went back to the smoky mountain diner and ate lunch. i love it when someone else cooks for me. a girl from n.y interviewed me for a college project she was working on and then i went outside and met gilligan and moxey. i also met inchworm on my way in this morning and saw her again while i was having lunch. she has 100 days to hike and hopes to make it to harpers ferry, w.v. well, all i have to do now is wait for rideshoe to pick me up later today to take me to damascus, va. for trail days. i'm planning on taking the next 5 days off for trail days and then to do some trail maintanance with bob peoples in hampton, tn. seeeeeeee ya.
Date: 2004-05-14
From: hot springs, n.c.

To: trail days at damascus, va
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

liteshoe picked me up right on time in hot springs. i got in the car at 7 pm and we were off to abington, va where she had reservations at a motel. she had trail magic for me sitting in the car.....bojangles fried chicken!!! now that's trail magic. she said that i didn't smell too bad for not having a shower in a week, but that should be the first thing i take care of when i get to the motel room. well, i was in that shower for about 45 minutes. i always wash my clothes in the shower with me. i had to clean the shower tub out twice when i was done to get all the dirt out of it. i slept ok, but it is much nicer sleeping out in the fresh air. we got up in the morning and i had breakfast on my mind. there was a cracker barrel just around the corner and we had a nice sitdown breakfast. i sure do like it when someone cooks for me. we headed the 15 miles over to damascus and were running into trail friends all day long. i'm going to try and make a list of all the friends that i've run into from the past years and this year later, but i'm afraid that there is no way i'm going to remember evereyone, but it is one of the reasons that i'm always out walking.....all the fantastic people you meet. i was being hugged all day and giving hugs all day. alot of the hikers that i've seen recently were surprized that i'm out walking to maine again.....go figure. i had my mother cut out a zipper on a summer sleeping bag that i had, but when i got it out of my bounce box the other day, i still wasn't happy with how much it weighed. i ran into some friends of mine that hade a booth set up and while i was talking to ed speers and "pog" i noticed a quilt. i asked about it and found out it only weighed 1 lb and it packed up really small. well, i walked away with a little less money in my pocket, but should have my pack weight down to about 16 lbs now. i'll try to tell more about trail days on my next entry. it is just one big party that is spread out all over this town. all the people here for trail days look normal.....not like when you walk down a street in any other town. everyone wears microfiber clothes and dew rags and the men all have beards and the women all have hairy legs and armpits....good people. i guess if there was one person that looks out of place here it would be "chief". he looks like a tourist that just got back from tahiti. nice shirt "chief". i only lasted about an hour after the sun went down. i still on hiker bed time and it's very hard to stay up after dark. i still got to listen to some of the hoot and hollering from my tent though, so i still felt like i was in on some of it.