morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-04-10
From: Uncle Johnny's

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

It's funny how quickly perspective changes, how soon luxuries become disposable, how different the definition of comfort already is for me, from what it was before. I find myself writing, "I am warm and I am dry. What more can I ask?" only to be struck by the irony of the statement. I think of the multitude of other things that, one month ago, I might have asked for: a third change of clothes, heated bathrooms, a haircut, to hear a certain song... but even now I find it hard to think of things to wish for.Out in the woods, I am comfortable if no part of me is too cold to feel. Hunger, sore muscles, blisters, the wetness... these become constants. My needs are contained in a forty pound pack. And in all this want, I findwe become more and more generous. I feel like anything in my pack belongs to whoever needs it most. Med kits, snack bags, filtered water-- all become communal. Whenone hiker spilled his last noodle dinner in the dirt the other day, five other hikers jumped up to offer him their extra dinners. Conversely, the individuals out here are extremely capable and extremely independent by nature, and so rarely need beg the generosity of their companions. Thank yous are effusive. Everyone owes everyone, so no one really owes anyone else.But, oh, town... we are twelve tonight in a bunkhouse suited for nine. Some on the floor, some under leaky spots in the roof. But it's warm, and it's not a tent, not a shelter. Our bellies are full and we have enough food in our packs to last us until the next major road. The luxuries? Movies! Sopapillas! Beer!Today only two people braved the weather, and both of them returned within the hour after coming to a flooded stream, too deep and cold to ford. Snow above 3000, and we'll be up too 6000 by tomorrow. So a lot of sitting around, watching movies, burning the hours between shuttles to town for meals.Tomorrow, Stringbean and I are attempting 16.
Date: 2003-04-11
From: Uncle Johnny's

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

Left Uncle Johnny's by ten, and came across the flooded stream not long after. Desmond, TN-man and Lady Walksalot had left before us, so we knew at least that they had crossed, that it was crossable. We jumped out to an island in the middle and then Stringbean chucked out packs across the rest of the way. Then we jumped for it. Stringbean was dry; I dunked a foot. In perfect Trail fashion, not a tenth of a mile further on, the path switched back and crossed the same stream, this time bridge provided.The rest of the day was wet. There were places where the water was foot-deep. An hour and some into the hike, my boots were saturated and stayed that way. And as if the water/slush/muck wasn't enough, there were downed trees and bushes everywhere to climb through/over/under/around. I was covered with mud and lichen. Oh, and it gets better... Mid-day, we crossed Beauty Spot, a large bald. All day we'd been following Desmond's footsteps, but up there they diverged, crossed a road, and we couldn't find them again. We passed a half hour up there, following different footpaths. Stringbean disappeared into the snow and fog and not long after, I heard him shout my name. I followed in the direction I'd seen him disappear, and we were back on track again.Tubbs and Bubbalooga caught up at the next bald, where we'd again momentarily lost the trail, and we continued on together.Arrived at Cherry Gap to find Red and Blue, who'd taken a zero day in their tents the day before because of the weather. I climbed in my sleeping bag to warm up and dry off, ad an hour later, made dinner and a pot of tea to share. It was a cold night.
Date: 2003-04-12
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: clear sky

Hiked through the morning with Tubbs. It was very slow-going. With every step, we slipped backwards half a step. Fell twice. The first time was in the snow. The second, in the mud. I was caked from hip to boot, but, hey, at least I had an audience. Falls like this are too funny, and you just feel stupid laughing alone in the woods. I sat down in the snow, cleaning myself off, leaving a dozen butt-prints all around. By lunchtime, we were trying to figure our miles. Tubbs said twelve and I said ten. We got to theshelter: we'd done 8.7 in four and a half hours! It blew, but somehow, not enough for us to change our plans. We still wanted a twenty-day. The last five were downhill, right? (But the next seven would take us over Roan Mountain, over 6000 feet.)Tubbs and Bubba passed me another three or four miles out. And after that it got bad. It got steep: there were places where I'd have to lift all two-hundred pounds of me and pack, starting with my foot higher than my waist. I slipped backwards whole steps. Bubba and Tubbs disapeared ahead, and there's something about bringing up the back: it feels like everyone else is having it easy. I realize now that we all sufferthe same shit, the same trail, the same miles, just at different speeds. But then, I was cursing the mountain. I hit it with my pole, I yelled at it, pushing towards a real tantrum. And then the trail got worse. Foot-deep slush with a few extra inches of icy water underneath. Every step sloshed. And as far as I knew, everyone else was still pushing for twenty. A little after the summit, I caught Bubba and Tubbs again, talking to some skiiers. They told me they were beat, that they were stopping at the next shelter. It made me feel so much better.We arrived at the shelter, and it had four walls! Hah-le-loooo-yah! We found Stringbean and Desmond there, along with Alaska and Rafiki. Everyone was coughing; I was in such a miserable state; my boots had been wet for over thirty hours now. Crawled into the bag and slept warm. That fourth wall makes a difference.
Date: 2003-04-13
From: Roan High Knob Shelter

To: Boone, NC
Miles today: 15.1

If the past two days made me wonder why the hell I am out here, today answered that question. Woke at the highest shelter on the Trail, and pushed through what remained of the slush down to Carver Gap. There we found Red and Blue, who had camped there having missed the sign for the shelter. A couple leaving from a Roan camping trip gave us what was left of their camp food, which was a good snack. The miles out of Carver Gap were beautiful. The hills were bald, scattered with rocks and low brush-- you could see the top of every climb before you even started up it. The skies were blue blue, clear clear-- we all got sunburns. We came into Overmountain Shelter mid-day, and blueblazed the .2 miles to see it-- and was it worth it! It's an old red barn, nestled in a green, green valley, mountains on all sides, with this great sloping field rolling down between. Rafiki and Alaska decided to stay, and Bubba, Tubbs, Stringbean and I would have too were we not headed for town that nig! ht.We crossed two more huge balds in the afternoon, and made it to the road, 19E, in time for Stringbean's friends from college to, um, not pick us up. We were supposed to meet them at seven, and we waited and waited before hitching into Roan Mountain (the town) to call. Only slightly nervous, considering that hikers are particularly cautioned at this road crossing, due to various acts of vandalism and harassment against us.But as it turned out, this was not the case. The couple that picked us up rearranged their truck so that all four of us, and our packs, and Iwo, Bubba's dog, could fit. And then, when Iwo's collar broke, the took the collar off their own dog, sitting in the front cab, and put it on him.In town, there was a lady playing guitar in the laundromat, and the attendants at the gas station were very tolerant of the four vagrants hanging out in front of their store. They even gave Iwo hotdogs.Stringbean was on the phone for a while, trying to figure out where his friend was, and what would be the backup plan to get into Boone. Just as he had found us another ride,his friend pulled up to use the phone. I guess he'd driven all the way up Roan Mountain looking for us.Within a few hours, we were at Stringbean's friends' house in Boone, with a large pizza for each of us, drinking beer and sharing good times.
Date: 2003-04-14
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

A well-spent zero day in Boone. Meandered the business/college district, visited outfitters, library, bagelry, etc. Sneaked (snuck?) into a dorm to shower(first time using real girl soaps since being out here!), drank a great coconut mocha latte, also a first since being on the trail. Boone was a very cool little college town, and Stringbean's friends were great: super accomodating, generous, and funny as hell. At night, we visited his friend Summer, who was super cool. She named my pack "Lucy." She's supposed to join Stringbean on his hike just before Trail Days, and I hope to be still hiking with him then. We then hit a party before crashing. I am definitely not used to these late nights. I have been rising and sleeping with the sun and nightfall.
Date: 2003-04-15
From: Boone, NC

To: Campsite
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: clear sky

Woke late, due to the late night with Stringbean's friends, and still had to breakfast ans resupply. Summer joined us at the Bagelry and then we hit the grocery. Said bye to Max and Sarah, our excellent hosts. Max had us back to the trailhead by noon. I hiked behind, I hiked ahead. I must admit I was getting slightly frustrated. As much as I love these three guys, I had been hiking with them all week.I had been thinking a lot about what it was to "hike my own hike." Does it mean to do your own miles? Or does it mean to hike with the people you want to? I think it must be a balance of the two. Over Roan Mountain, I was whipped. As consequence, while in Boone, my feet swelled up really bad. I think I pushed myself right to the edge that day on Roan, and even though there was no really good alernative, (crap weather is crap weather) it got me thinking. About how much my body could take. About hiking my hike.Anyhow, late in the day we came across BobMikeBob,Bearly Bald and Hotfoot camped out. The boys pushed on another mile. I decided to stay. I hadn't seen these guys in days, and I wanted to be apart. I tented and rested well.
Date: 2003-04-16
From: Campsite

To: Watauga Lake Shelter
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Just yesterday I was wondering what my limits were, and today I break twenty. Go figure.Woke early, with Hotfoot and Bearly Bald, and was hiking by seven- thirty. Passed Stringbean, Bubba and Tubbs a mile out, camped by a lovely stream. Bean was the only one awake, so I said hey and kept on moving. Continued to think about how I want this hike, this time, to be,coming always to the same conclusion: it's a balance between your capabilities and those of the people you want to hike with.Passed Hotfoot and Bearly, and some miles later I hit the road that led to Kincora. Kincora is a hostel run by Bob Peeples, who I met briefly over breakfast in Hot Springs at Elmer's. Bob manages the only part of the Trail maintained exclusively by thru-hikers. For a day of work, you get a patch for your pack.I wasn't planning on stopping, since I had just come from town the day before, but I wanted to see who was there, and if perhaps there was a soda to be had. So I hiked up the road and met sonic and Guana, Smooth Navigator and Fly-By-Night, Suebear and Drinkwater, who I'd not met before, and a few others whose names I didn't. While I lunched on the porch, Bearly, Hotfoot and BobMikeBob came in. I left thereafter.Passed by some waterfalls, where I found Tubbs and Stringbean. They had lost Bubba and Iwo somewhere since the last shelter. They were still planning on going on 11 more, though it was past three when we left. I'd only planned to go on six more and camp up top Pond Flats, the only big climb left between us and Damascus, but I was feeling good, and after a day of hiking alone, I enjoyed hanging out with them again. So we pushed up Pond Flats. Hard. That was a mean, steep climb. Slow, little steps. After that, it was all downhill. Ouch, ouch. Ouch! My knees! Reached the lake before night and pushed on to the other side. The lake was disgusting, full of trash, standing, stinking water. The other side was just as gross. So we pushed on even farther, to the shelter, where there was a BIG PARTY! Well, not exactly, but there were a lot of people: Smoky, Six String, Tampopo, Lady Walksalot, Red, Blue, Drew, and later, Desmond, Snail and Sally. Laughed lots, and found out that everyone we had left in Erwin had gone back to Trailfest in Hot Springs, and was now at Kincora. They had been aaway doing trailwork that day, when I'd stopped in. Good stories. Good company.
Date: 2003-04-17
From: Watauga Lake Shelter

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: broken clouds

Normal day hiking. Left early from camp, and came across Smoky, Six String, and Tampopo, who'd left the night before. They were shooting for a thirty-plus day all of the way into Damascus.Met Stringbean and Lady before lunch. Saw my first deer of the trip. I took my boots off. Then we mosied on. Started raining at the end of the day, as the sun dropped, as I arrived at the shelter.Stringbean tented, and I got the last spot in the shelter. The luck backfired, though. The register said something about a leaky roof, and I felt a drip-drip on my face when I crawled in the sack. But I figured it was just a little. I woke a few hours into the night, rolled over, and heard a slosh. So I turned around, my head to the inside of the shelter, and pulled my feet up really tight to me, slept in an extraordinarily uncomfortable fetal position, and in the morning, I woke to see a puddle where I'd been sleeping, and my bag was wet despite the uncomfortable sleep. Still have faith in this down bag, though. I was still warm, despite the wet.
Date: 2003-04-18
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Damascus VA
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: light rain

Well, Stringbean and I weren't planning on hitting town today, but here we are. We got up late (since we weren't going far, you know?) and poked around. It was cold, so Stringbean hiked ahead to warm up. Drizzly and miserable weather, though, in the morning. Damascus was ringing tempting in my head already. Had lunch at the last shelter before Damascus-- we'd planned on staying here for a long break, then continuing on, campingnear town, hitting it in the morning. It just felt like we'd already taken so many zero days. But I asked him, excepting money, was there any reason we shouldn't go in tonight? So ten miles on, we were in around five, sat in the park with Firefly, had pizza at Sicily's, where I ran into Team Spud! I hadn't seen them since Hiawassee. Hashbrown caught me up on all their trials later, at the Place. It was just so good to run into someone from before I went home to the wedding. Plus, they are both super cool. I remember thinking they were sooo fast when I ! first met them. But now I realize that of course they were fast that first week, when I was doing ten-mile days. I'm just hiking normal now. Anyhow, I want to catch them at some point. Hashbrown cracks me up. They have this great dynamic; they're really fun to be around.Dumped our stuff at the Place, a hoste run by the methodist church. During hiker season, it's up to the hikers to clean and maintain it.That night, we had some beers at the Side Track Cafe. I checked my email while there, and got one from my dad, saying "we're still planning on coming up on Saturday or Sunday..." and my reaction was, STILL? Of course, then I checked my messages and found two from him. He and Ben would be up to Damascus the next day! What timing!I called home, ecstatic, and was glowing the rest of the evening.
Date: 2003-04-19
From: Damascus VA

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Started the day with a phonecall home. Bring CDs, a blender, soda, beer, pie, fruit. Poor Dad. Did laundry, checked out the outfitter, and then gathered the troops for the half-gallon challenge.There are two versions of this: 1) Do it after your first twenty, and 2) Do it at Harper's Ferry, the (not-really) halfway point on the trail. Well, we've all done our twenties.The contestant: Tang, Snail, Lady Walksalot, Stringbean.The contest: to eat a half gallon of ice cream in one sitting.And so it began. Snail chooses vanilla, strategizing that the less gunk in the ice cream, the easier it would be to get down. He also buys a 2-liter of root beer. I go for strawberry, Lady for strawberry swirl, and Stringbean with a daring Fudge Sundae, thinking the good taste could keep him going.Stringbean and Lady started strong, neck-and-neck, chiseling at the frozen block. Snail and I? Slow and steady. Snail is dismayed when he realizes that vanilla actually has 10 more calories per serving, and 20 more fat calories. Multiplied by 13 servings. I guess it doesn't seem like s much, a half gallon of ice cream. But it's not the amount of food that gets you, but the amount of dairy. It's like chugging a gallon of milk. No, not quite that bad. But your body rejects the lactose in the same way. Lady and Stringbean burnt out. Bean sprawled out on the lawn; Lady couldn't move, so had to close the box so as to not look at the ice cream. Snail and I continued, but it was awful. One might wonder why, after putting our bodies through all sorts of beatings out on the trail, we subject ourselves to these stupidities while in town. Ah, well.In the end, I beat Snail by a spoonful, but we all agreed that he was the champ, not only for the aforementioned qualities of his flavor choice, but also because his ice cream was liquid by the time he finished, and that makes it a lot harder, trust me.So I got a cup of coffee to settle the tummy before going back to the Place. Crusty pulled up with his wife and dog in the car, told me he was off for a few days, but would be back if hisphysical went well. Also told me that everyone from a day back was down at the park, so Snail and I decided to go and meet them.They came en masse: Chunky, Sticky-Fingers, Kool-Aid Luke, Bliss, Noll... Orb had arrived earlier that day. It was a big crowd of dirty hikers moving down the street. Gave them what was left of my Pringles, (thanks, Jo!) caught up on the past week and a half, and soon, they started trying to talk me into staying another zero day with them.Late that night, my dad and brother arrived with Cagney, and we headed over to the Chestnut Lodge, a little cozy room on top of a guy's garage on the outskirts of town. That night I slept on a real mattress for the first time since being home out of NOC.
Date: 2003-04-20
From: Damascus VA

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up and headed back to the Place, where Ben and I made breakfast smoothies for my fellow hikers, and I got to listen to my own CDs: Ryan Adams, Billy Bragg & Wilco, O Brother, Where Art Thou soundtrack, some Paul Simon... Said bye to Lady as she headed out of town. We were planning on leaving that night and hike late, so we would see her later.Dad went to Easter service, so Ben and I took Cagney down to the park and let her run off some energy. It was good to catch up with Ben, too. I have been getting to miss home a lot recently. I guess it's just that time; I have been out here long enough to start missing my bed, my cat, familiar faces and places...Met up again with the thru-hiking crowd to find out that everyone I had hiked in with was taking another zero: Stringbean, Tubbs, Drew, Desmond... but I was determined. The Sidetrack Cafe put on a free Easter dinner, (can we say, hiker-magnet?) So, of course, everyone was there. Ben and I stayed outside with Cagney, and Dad joined us shortly after church. Got an afternoon massage from my big brother (who is studying massage therapy) and my gosh, if I didn't regain feeling in my toes for the first time in weeks! They have been numb since before the Smokies, but after he worked on them, I could feel sensation in them again, at least until hiked out later that night.I dawdled getting out of town. Visited the outfitter for a hose for my water bottle, a bitty radio, stove fuel... I knew I was hiking out alone, and I think I was just postponing. Said good-bye to Dad and Ben, who were headed up the trail to leave more magic (soda and beer) for hikers ahead. And still I dawdled. Ate a killer brownie, brought by my fam. Enjoyed watching other hikers try them. Watched as Team Wa-Wa (Orb, Chunky, Sticky-Fingers, Bliss and KoolAid Luke) tore each others' packs apart, lightening their loads. Deciding for each other which items would stay and which would be mailed home. I left about that time, around four-thirty, my goal for the night being 16 miles out. Lady had left that morning, Drinkwater around 2. I arrived at the first shelter at sundown, Siesta having passed me by, and Sally and Snail having caught up there. Took a break, and, stubborn as I am, continued on. So six miles into the dark. My first night hike, alone, man, do the shadows play tricks on you. It didn't help that the last register had an account of three bears following two hikers into the shelter before theythrew some rocks at them scaring them off. But I was in by midnight, found Lady, Drinkwater and F8 there.
Date: 2003-04-21
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: light rain

Woke in the morning to rain. F8 had already left, Drinkwater came in from her tent. Having hiked so late the night before, I was wiped out. I cooked breakfast, then went back to sleep. I woke again, and Lady and Drinkwater had moved on. I packed up and was hiking sometime around 11. The first miles were tired-- or, rather, I was, so hiking was monotonous. Up and over Buzzard Rock and White Top Mountain, it was chilly. I knew that Mt. Rogers, the highest peak in Virginia, was at the end of the day, and hoped it would clear out.Up at the high elevations, I crossed several fields that were completely burnt out. I didn't know if the fires were intentionally set or by lightning, but there would besections of miles when the air was dense with the smell of ash, and blackened skeletons of bushes speckled the brown grass.I met Bearly and Siesta downhill a bit, by some of my Dad and brother's trailmagic. The beer had been hard hit, but we each had some, as well as some soda. Continued on, and not long after we began to climb Mt. Rogers. Not a bad climb, though--we were already up in elevation. Bearly ws hiking behind me, and we came out of the woods onto a large, expansive bald, with Thomas Knob Shelter right in the middle. Very nice shelter, but we only stopped to snack
Date: 2003-04-22
From: Wise Shelter

To: Raccoon Branch Shelter
Miles today: 17.6

I write this entry days later, and I just sent my journal home. I can't remember this being a particularly eventful day hiking, though. I woke late, hiked mostly alone, met Lady and Siesta at lunch, and made it to the shelter around sundown, again. Cold, cold night, and I was glad I hung onto my wintern gear.
Date: 2003-04-23
From: Raccoon Branch Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: clear sky

Woke early with the promise of Partnership Shelter at the end of the day. Partnership is located less than a tenth of a mile from a ranger station, and was equipped with running water, a shower, but, oh, it gets better... you could order pizza! And beer! So Bearly followed me out in the morning, and I don't know how I did it, but we averaged three miles per hour. Flew there. Arrived, took showers, rinsed clothes out, sprawled out to dry in the sun, on the lawn. It was GREAT! When Lady arrived, we ordered: for me, A pizza, salad, onion rings, doobie bread... Tubbs rolled in late, with a guy named Krispy Kreme, after doing two 25-mile days, so I gave him beer and bread. There was still plenty left over for breakfast. It was a wonderful, lazy, lovely, perfect Trail afternoon.Then snuggled up in the warm attic. Wrote some journals and then passed out late.