morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-04-13
From: Peck's Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: broken clouds

There were four section hikers that started moving around before 6 a.m. Since everyone was pretty much awake anyway as a result, I decided to get an early start too. I was out of camp just after 6:30. My only two options for the day were 13 miles and 20 miles, since I'm still in the Smokies. I'm not quite up to a 20 mile day, so I settled for 13. I'll be glad to get out of the Smokies and away from the mandatory shelters. By the way, can anyone think of a good reason why the new privies they're putting in here in the Smokies are wheel chair accessible? Personally, I'm stumped. I was surprised how many people were at the shelter last night, considering it's half a mile off the trail. It was a full house though, with people cowboy camping due to the lack of tent space. It was another beautiful blue sky day with many views, but nothing that outshined Charlie's Bunion.I made it to a Cosby Knob a little before 3pm, but my legs weren't up for another steep seven mile descent to the next shelter, so it's kind of a short day. If I weren't in the Smokies, I'd have done a few more miles until I found a spot to pitch my tent. Tomorrow will be a ten mile stretch to Standing Bear Farm, and goodbye to the Smokies (for the second time).
Date: 2014-04-14
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 10.4

Well, I got out of the Smokies today. About 3:30 this morning, several alarms started going off at the shelter. There was a group of hikers that wanted to get up early so they could get to a fire tower and watch the sun rise. I'm a light sleeper, so they woke me up. I didn't figure I would get much more sleep, and the weather forecast was for morning rain, so I went ahead and got up myself. I was on the trail at 4:30, hiking by headlamp. No, I'm not crazy, but I didn't want to have to make the long and difficult descent out of the Smokies in the rain. As it turned out, I needn't have worried. The rain didn't come until a few hours after I got to Standing Bear, and then it was just a short shower. The long descent got my knee hurting again, but at least it was a dry trail. Since my knee is hurting, I made arrangements to slack pack tomorrow from Brown Gap ten miles back to Standing Bear again tomorrow night. I'll only carry a light day pack with food and water. On Wednesday, I'll be shuttled back to Brown Gap and continue my hike. Wednesday is supposed to be sunny, which is good because Max Patch will be on Wednesday. Then in a couple more days I'll be in Hot Springs, which I'm excited about.
Date: 2014-04-15
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 10.0

Today was certainly not boring. I arranged to slack pack 10 miles from Brown Gap back to Standing Bear. I knew it would probably rain, but the ice and snow wasn't supposed to arrive until late afternoon. I hiked with Jersey Girl the first half of the day, since she got sold on the idea of slack packing too. It started raining almost immediately, but it was fairly warm. But then we climbed Snowbird Mtn. By the time we reached the bald on top, it was in the 20's, and blowing sleet. Just over the top of the bald, we meet Apple, a trail angel who was serving hot coffee and honey buns. Jersey Girl stayed behind to chat, but I was freezing so I moved on. Not long after that, it starting pouring ice. I have a serious phobia about cold and wet conditions while hiking, so I was fairly terrified. I knew I wasn't in serious danger, but it's like being afraid of spiders. I know a grass spider is harmless, but it still frightens me. I knew I was hiking back to the hostel where my bunk was waiting, so I just kept telling myself: "Keep moving. Keep moving. You've got a warm bunk waiting." About halfway down the mountain, the ice turned into snow which wasn't so bad. I was still very happy to finally get back to the hostel, particularly since my bunk is right next to the wood stove. Tomorrow, I'll get shuttled back to Brown Gap, and I'll climb Max Patch. It's supposed to be sunny tomorrow, but very cold at night. The rest of the week looks like pretty decent weather so far.
Date: 2014-04-16
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

I hiked with Jersey Girl again today. Curtis from Standing Bear dropped us off at Brown Gap about 8 a.m. By the time we got to the gap, there was quite a bit of snow on the ground, due to the higher altitude. Three miles in was Max Patch, which was covered in snow. The view was of snow covered mountains in all directions. The wind was blowing too hard to stay for long though. I took pictures and video, of course. We stopped for lunch at the next shelter. My knee has been hurting a lot, so Jersey Girl (whose knees are also hurting) and I decided to aim for Walnut Mountain Shelter, ten miles in. We started the day in snow, but were hiking in short sleeves by afternoon. We reached the shelter after a last long climb. It's an old shelter on a ridge, with the water source down a steep side trail. There were several people tenting at the bottom of the hill by the water, to try to stay out of the wind, but Jersey Girl and I are too tired to mess around with our tents, so we're staying in the shelter.
Date: 2014-04-17
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Deer Park Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: broken clouds

Nearly froze last night. The wind blowing over the ridge only intensified as the night went on. Wind chills must have been in the teens, but as usual we got through the night. The day started with a medium down, a medium up, and then another really big down. My knee hurt all day. I started the day hiking with Jersey Girl, but she insisted I move ahead since I'm faster on ups. We both were aiming for Deer Park Mountain Shelter, 10 miles in again. I had to take many breaks for my knee, but at least the weather was dry and pleasant with blue skies. I spent much of the afternoon waking in evergreen forests, with tunnels of rhododendron. Most hikers chose to tent rather than stay in the tiny shelter. I was happy to use my tent again. I haven't used it since before the Smokies. Tomorrow will be a short hike into Hot Springs. I'll be staying in town for a few days to try to heal up my knee. I'd also like to see a doctor, but most likely that will be at least Monday. I don't want to leave there though still hiking in pain. I've been in minor to medium pain for 200 miles.
Date: 2014-04-18
From: Deer Park Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I got lucky last night and had a perfectly flat tent spot. There was no threat of rain, so it was ideal. I made the mistake once of tenting on a flat spot and got flooded out. I hiked the 3.2 miles into town in moderate pain. I checked into the Laughing Heart Hostel, then immediately went to the Smoky Mountain Diner for breakfast. Wonderful. As I type this, I'm back at the diner having the 12 oz. hiker burger for dinner. Also wonderful. I met Jersey Girl at the outfitter and we agreed to meet for breakfast here tomorrow.I'm going to take several days off here to try to get my leg rested and healed. I bought a dual action knee strap at the outfitter, which immediately made a measurable difference. Having said that, even walking the half mile to the outfitter on level ground and with no pack was painful. I can't hit the trail again with this level of pain. The plan for the next couple of days is to relax and try to keep the knee iced and elevated, and to wear the knee strap whenever I'm on my feet.
Date: 2014-04-19
From: Hot Springs, NC

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

This morning I slept in a bit until it was time to meet Jersey Girl for breakfast at the diner. That place makes a great breakfast. She's heading out tomorrow, so I probably won't see her again. I've heard that there are about 150 hikers in town right now. It must be about the height of the season. My knee has much less pain today. I've been icing it and generally staying off it as much as possible. Tomorrow will be much the same. On Monday, I'll move down to Elmer s Sunnybank Inn, another famous hostel. I'll be there for two days. On Wednesday, if my knee feels good, I'll head back to the trail. Also on Monday, I'm going to go to the clinic here and see if I can get my knee checked out. I really do think it will be okay after a few day's rest. I'm also going to go to the spa and take one of their hour long mineral baths. I took one when I was here in 2011 and it was great. It really helps with the aches and soreness. I added another YouTube video with clips from Newfound Gap to Hot Springs. You can find it in the sidebar on the right.
Date: 2014-04-20
From: Hot Springs, NC

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

This morning, several of the hikers decided to buy breakfast fixings and cook for everyone. And then the local hiker ministry sponsored a barbeque lunch for the hikers. True trail magic today. My knee continues to have less pain. Tomorrow I'm going to check in at Elmer s Sunnybank Inn for a couple of days. I'm also going to go to the local clinic and see if i can get a doctor look at my knee. Elmer s doesn't have Wi-Fi, so I won't be able to post my journal for a couple of days, unless i walk back the hill here to the Laughing Heart Hostel. In any case, I'm hoping a couple more days will fix my knee. If I need more time, though, I'll take it I've been walking in pain to some extent for 200 miles, and I'd really like it if I didn't have to do anymore. If it takes a week, then so be it. Hot Springs is a great place to rest. It's a small town set on a small flood plain surrounded by mountains. Aside from the great diner, there's several other small restaurants, as well as a Dollar General for cheaper meals. A bed at the hostel is $20, so it's not breaking my budget. I WILL be back on the trail as soon as my knee gets better, though.
Date: 2014-04-21
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0

Elmer s is an interesting place, the house is 160 years old and is a great place to stay for someone with an interest in history. I enjoy sitting on the balcony in a rocking chair looking out on the yard below. As hostels go, though, I think the Laughing Heart is more my speed. I'm not saying either one is better than the other, but I feel more comfortable there.I'll see the doctor on Wednesday, and if necessary, stay another day or two. I bought a knee brace at the outfitter, but I'm not sure is the right kind for the injury I have. The doctor should be able to tell me, and maybe give me a brace more suitable. I met another hiker at breakfast who has a similar knee problem. He got lucky and got to see the doctor yesterday because a patient cancelled while he was filling out his paperwork. The gave him a prescription for (Tramadol?), and a sleeve type knee brace. My brace is the double Velcro strap type, which may not help me. Another hiker that I hiked with for a few days is going home due to knee pain. That just makes me more determined to get my knee healed and continue on. I called the Hemlock Hollow Inn/Hostel at Mile 290, and was happy to hear they offer many slack packing options. That's a great way to take some of the strain off an aching leg. Depending on the doctor's recommendation, I may rest my leg here a few more days, but I'm definitely getting back on the trail. Incidentally, Michael posted an entry in my guest book about a hiker named Blueberry Bear who was in town that I might like to meet. It's a strange coincidence, because we shared a room at Elmer s last night.
Date: 2014-04-22
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

My knee hurts less today. I see the doctor tomorrow, but unless he strongly advises against it, I'm going to hike out on Thursday. I'll do two relatively short eight mile days to start. That will get me to Hemlock Hollow Inn at mile 190. I called them and was glad to hear that they have several slack packing options, which will help me take it easy on my knee until I'm confident it will be okay. I had dinner tonight at the Still Mountain Restaurant with Dr. Phil and Antique. They've been hiking together since Blood Mountain. Coincidentally, Dr. Phil and I are apparently somewhat distant cousins. We both have family in the Lake Charles, Louisiana area with many of the same surnames. We obviously have some common relatives at some point up the family tree. Hot Springs is a cool town, but I've been here long enough. I'm ready to get back on the trail. I just hope my knee is.
Date: 2014-04-23
From: Hot Springs

To: Tanyard Gap
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: clear sky

I saw the doctor today about my knee. He said I have tendonitis, and cautioned against hiking long miles and carrying heavy pack weights for a while, but didn't seem to think any medication, other than common anti-inflammatories, was necessary.I decided, as a test, to have Chuck Norris, the hostel manager, drive me to the trail crossing at Tanyard Gap. I hiked the six miles back to the hostel with no pack, just a bottle of water in my pocket. Conditions were perfect with dry trail and moderate ups and downs. I was also coming off of four zero days. Even so, by the time I got back, I could barely walk because of the pain. Tomorrow, I will make another doctor appointment to see about a cortisone shot or stronger meds, but it's possible I'll have to take some time off the trail to heal, since four zeroes didn't help.Even so, I don't intend to let this end my hike. If necessary, I will take a month off and skip ahead to Harper's Ferry. That will leave me four months to hike the last 1200 miles of the trail.Then in another year or two, I can hike the 600 odd remaining miles to Harper's Ferry to officially finish the trail.
Date: 2014-04-24
From: Tanyard Gap

To: Off the Trail
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

I saw the doctor again today. It was actually a different doctor this time, which was good because this doctor seemed to know a lot more about these types of injuries than the first guy. I was fairly expecting it given the amount of pain I was in after my slack pack, so I wasn't really surprised when she overruled the first doctor and said I was going to have to take a month off. She said the only way my knee will heal is to rest it, ice it at least twice a day, and take a strong anti-inflammatory, for which she gave me a 30 day prescription. I had Chuck Norris drive me to the Greyhound bus station in Asheville. From here I take a bus to Charlotte, NC, and then I fly to Las Vegas. I'll spend a month with my brother. Then, if all is well with my knee, I will fly to Washington DC and take a train to Harper's Ferry. It really sucks that I ended up hurting my knee. In 2011, I had no injuries, aside from a bruise i got when I fell hanging a bear bag. I hiked huge miles (1400 just last year) letat the Turkey Mountain Urban Wilderness Area, near my home in Tulsa, OK with no injuries, although that was just day hiking with a light pack. But still, I wasn't expecting any knee problems. I guess I'm going to have to get used to the fact that I'm getting older. At least when I return to the trail, I'll have my summer pack, which will save five or six pounds. There should be fewer people on the trail as well. Part of the cause of my injury was that I was pushing too hard, feeling like I had to rush to each day's destination, because of the large number of hikers on the trail, and the limited shelter and tenting spaces available. Particularly when bad weather was involved. On the way to Ashville, Chuck Norris was talking about the ATC's concerns with the large number of hikers in the area. He says the trail is not designed to handle so many hikers. The hostels and hotels are full, and hikers continue to pour in. He says the might have to start limiting the number of thruhikers that start the trail each year.But that not my concern now. My job now is to get this knee healed up so I can spend June, July, August and September hiking the A.T.
Date: 2014-05-01
From: Off the Trail

To: Off the Trail
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

My apologies for not providing a more recent update. I've been in Las Vegas at my brother's house, resting my knee. So far, I've been staying off of it as much as possible, which is driving me crazy. I want to be hiking. The knee feels better each day, but I don't want to do something stupid and re-injure it.This weekend, I'm going to start taking some easy walks to test it. If that goes well, I'll start doing some short, gentle hikes. My brother lives on the southwest edge of Las Vegas, right next to a lot of undeveloped scrub and desert. There are many hiking trails just a couple of miles from my front door that interlace the area, including a 400 foot climb to the top of a nearby hill.I don't want to do too much too soon, so I'll start with very short distances and go from there. I honestly don't know how my knee will respond. I'll post again in a few days when I know more.When I leave Las Vegas, I'll fly first to Oklahoma to pick up my summer gear and spend a day or two visiting family.I'll fly to DC from there and take a train to Harper's Ferry, where I'll get back on the trail.I hope and plan plan to be back on the A.T. by the first week of June.
Date: 2014-05-06
From: Off the Trail

To: Off the Trail
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I was asked for another update on my knee, since it's been a few days. Two days ago, I did a gentle 4.5 mile hike near my brother's house. Nothing strenuous, but I was surprised and a little concerned that the tendon in my left knee was somewhat sore and tender afterwards. I can't say there was any real pain. Maybe a 3 out of a possible 10. Certainly not anything like I felt after I did the 6 mile slack pack back to Hot Springs. My knee is definitely healing, but slower than I'd like. What I don't want is to get back on the trail with a tendon that isn't completely healed and end up aggravating it again. I can't hike with the kind of pain I was in hiking into Hot Springs.My brother and I are planning a camping/hiking trip to Zion National Park in Utah the weekend of the 17th- 18th. I'm going to stay off the knee as much as possible until then and try let this thing heal up. If all goes well, the following week I'll leave Las Vegas and fly to Richmond, VA. I've changed my plans somewhat in that I plan to get back on the trail at Waynesboro, VA at mile 857 instead of Harpers Ferry. It's easier to get to than Harpers, and I'd like to do the Shenandoahs. I'll post another update on a few more days, but I won't really know until after our Zion trip how the knee is going to respond. I intend to give it a good test there. Wish me luck.
Date: 2014-05-12
From: Off the Trail

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Today is my birthday, but I didn't exactly get what I wanted.My brother and I were hiking in Red Rock Canyon (in the area pictured) here in Las Vegas. We weren't doing much, just a couple of miles of easy day hiking. Somehow, I stepped down wrong and aggravated the injury in my knee. It's not too bad, but it sort of confirms what I've been feeling for the last ten days or so. My knee is healing, but it's not healing very quickly. I had hoped to be back on the trail by the end of the month, but it's not going to happen. It's already been more than three weeks, but the knee still needs another month or more. I've decided not to try to return to the trail this year. I'm not going to return to Oklahoma, though. I'm staying in Las Vegas. The good thing about being here is that one my knee finally does heal, I've got pretty much unlimited opportunities for hiking in the area. I'm not done with the AT yet, but next time I'll start from Erwin, TN, where I left off in 2011, and do however long a section I can depending on how much time I have. I may even decide to do a section of the PCT, since it's less than a day's drive from here.So this ends my second thruhike attempt. I avoided the trail drama this year, but couldn't avoid the knee injury.
Date: 2013-07-05
To: Hikes in MA and NH
Miles today: 0.0

I've had 4 days home so far this year. At last I leave frigid Saskatchewan for almost 2 weeks at home, away from the 24-7 job responsibilities. Time to break in some gear, and this reluctant physique. My schedule only allows day hikes but it's exciting just to play the cards dealt.First hike, weighted pack on, is the shortest trail up the local Mt Wachusett. Reality check. I huff and puff and the first layer of sweat works its way into my pack. Massachusetts is hot and humid in late June. Or I should say Mosquitochusetts. I'm atoning for the sins of 5 years being the boss, sitting on my ass instead of climbing all over the work like I used to. It's no surprise. I'm just glad to get started.Over the next several days I climb Mt Wachusett some more. And then Mt Watatic, Mt Monadnock, Pac Monadnock, and Mt Cardigan. I huff and puff and soak myself and my gear in sweat but the effort is paying off. I feel the change starting. When I sat on top of Mt Cardigan I realized how grateful I was for the spell of the AT motivating me to climb these splendid granite monadnocks. In the distance I could see the Whites on the horizon. This is the beginning of a transformation. Adventure lies ahead.Before I flew back to the flats of Saskatchewan I wanted to put in a few miles on the AT. So the last hike started just under 6 miles from the summit of Mt Greylock. The round trip was going to be almost twice the distance of any previous hike. It was hot as the hubs of hell and the lowland leaves hung wilted in the humidity. It was so exciting to pass the white blazes. I'm on the AT! Up and up and up. The pack really is riding well. Sweat saturates the bill of my cap and the rim is dripping in front of my face. For a while I debated turning around. I know I can make the summit, but can I make it back down? 2 miles from the summit my liter of water is empty. As the war memorial came into view I'm playing a movie, staring a ruined old man washed up on a deserted shore...crawling out of the surf.I know where the water tap is on Mt Greylock. And it tastes as good as the best ever. It was a long trek back down the mountain perhaps but I made it. I wasn't the same questionable hiker who first trudged up Wachusett. I can do this. I haven't a choice anyway. Baby steps it will be. There's muscle memory in this old body that will thrive on the AT. When I next cross Mt Greylock I'll be NOBO on a thru and it will be fun to remember the drama of this day in early July.
Date: 2013-08-31
To: Oh Mama, can this really be the end?...
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

...I'm stuck inside of Saskatchewan with the AT blues again."No power in the 'verse...you can't stop the signal Mal." It's another Saturday and I'm still on the job site. 12 hours so far. It's Labor Day long weekend and I'll be working tomorrow, Sunday, too.I'm not whining. Well, not much. The job allowed me to shelve my new Nemo Obi 2p tent and spend even more money on a Zpacks Hexamid Plus. We're talking a savings of 2 pounds plus. Duh.My Cree rod busters are outside the trailer window tying rebar. I wouldn't miss this Canadian experience for anything. Only, I NEED it to be March. You in the know...know what I mean.I'm reading Isis and jackrabbit for the third time. I troll trailjournals.com.I pull out AT profile maps and gaze into some middle distance. I've got it bad and there's only one cure.