morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-03-30
From: Franklin Sapphire Inn

To: Franklin Sapphire Inn
Miles today: 0.0

Limo, ladies, and liquor o myI made it out of bed for the 7am breakfast run and ate with crutch, wonder, ktr, fishin fred, and about 8 other people. After breakfast I went back to bed for a few hours.When I woke up I went and spent an hour at Hobnobrs Internet cafe uploading photos onto my journal then got a Killer lunch at cafe rel then went back to the gourmet beer store for round two. I restocked my fridge and began the days festivities.We all ate a killer dinner of fried chicken, pulled pork, hot dogs and burgers, and tons of other tasty sides. The band started playing around 5 and did mostly old timey bluegrass selections. At one point they had 5 bearded men, including myself, get up and sing the chorus to a song. I was singing with the lead singer when I knew the words and dancing and having a good ole' time. After the band was done playing, all the hiker musicians picked up instruments and started an impromptu jam session. I grabbed a mini djembe and provided a beat. The night went on and I eventually got handed a mason jar of moonshine. I took a sip and was pleasantly surprised at how smooth it was. It's official...I'm in the south.Here is where the night got a little crazy. Kate the stretch limo driver from Fontana, who is super hiker friendly, showed up to the party with two of her friends. I got talking to the two ladies and they invited me out to a bar in a neighboring town. I gladly accepted, under the condition that I change out of my kilt so I put my town shorts on, grabbed some beers, and hopped into the limo with the two ladies. I tried getting some other hikers to come but couldn't find any takers. I never thought I would find myself riding in a limo on this hike!So we got to the bar which i believe was called the rusty lizard and it turned it was a western Carolina college bar so it was filed with all people about my age. I had a lot of fun there talking to people about my hike and eventually got introduced to Nathalie. She is a super cool girl and we spent the rest of the night talking. Last call rolled around and my ride was leaving so Nat and I exchanged info and I went on my merry way back to he motel.I had an awesome time at the festy and I can't wait until tomorrow! If every town stop is as fun as this one I don't know what I'll do with myself.Today's StatsStarting Point:Fanklin Sapphire InnEnding Point:Fanklin Sapphire InnMileage:0Elevation Gain:0ftElevation Loss:0ftHiking Time:0Weather:High 60'sPain Factor:1
Date: 2007-03-31
From: Franklin Sapphire Inn

To: Franklin Sapphire Inn
Miles today: 10.1

Zero from my zeroWoke up hurtin a little from last night so I decided to do some slack packing. Ron drove us up to wayah Bald giving us the local tour along the way and we hiked south to winding stair gap. Slackpacking is sooooo awesome! I carried my pack with just food and water and some essentials. It took me to about mile 8 to shake my hangover. I almost lost my cookies on the way up to siler bald, but I managed to keep it down. The bald was beautiful and grassy. The first I've seen on this trip. We made it to winding stair gap around 430 and got picked up by fishin fred for a ride back to franklin.There were about 50 more people at the festival today vs friday. I shook baltimore jacks hand and he slapped a freshly cooked pork chop onto my plate. I also met greyblazer, fat chap, sgt rock, and many other people. The festy scene was pretty much the same as Friday. There were a couple more musicians that were semi pro and could really play so there was excellent music for the entire night. My limo friend never showed up so I stayed put at the motel which was probably a good thing since I am hiking out tomorrow. Hikers know how to party and everyone is so nice and by the end of the night I met every single person there.At least I didn't totally zero today and got some miles in. I need to get back to the trail...Today's StatsStarting Point:Fanklin Sapphire InnEnding Point:Fanklin Sapphire InnMileage:10.1Elevation Gain:1430ftElevation Loss:2910ftHiking Time:4:31Weather:60's beautifulPain Factor:1
Date: 2007-04-01
From: Franklin Sapphire Inn

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

It's Gon RainI slept horribly on a friends hotel room floor. I need to get back in the hammock. I had breakfat with all the hikers at the party last night and said goodbye to everyone getting on the early shuttle. I had to wait until 11am to get a shuttle back since we slack packed and were not going to the normal drop off point. I used the time to write journal enties for the party and stare at some fickering computer pixels for a while. I checked the weather and saw that it was raining pretty heavily in the mtns. I also saw that a cold front is coming in on friday thru the weekend and guess where I'll be...The Smokies. The highest elevation of the entire trail. I figured this would happen since it was so nice the firt 2 weeks. I know I'll be able to handle the cold. I've dealt with some pretty harsh freezing conditions in the past. Crutch drove us up to Wayah Bald and at about 4500 ft we hit the clouds. Visibiity was about 10 yards and the wind was howling and rain coming down in buckets. We got there and Crutch kicked us out of the van and we waved godbye as it disapeared into the clouds. It was chilly with the wind so I had to start walking to keep warm. I got enough heat going and took off my rain jacket since I was starting to sweat. I was singing and splashing in the puddles, it felt so good to be back on the trail, rain or not. For about 2m after licklog gap there had been a forest fire. You could smell the burnt wood and the ground on both sides of the trail was black. The trail glowed, set against a black background, from the wet green grass on its edge that somehow managed to survive the fire. The rain had let up a bit, but started comng down harder than before once I got to Tellico Gap. I made the climb up to Cold spring sheler and ate a tomato and avacado for lunch. Step and a half, jeanie, JP, and north star were staying out of the rain for the day in the comfort of the shelter. I don't mind the rain so I walked to Wesser Bald shelter. I passed some "would be awesome" view points, but all you could see today was white. I got to the shelter and set up my tarp and hammock because I needed my hammock fix. Sleeping beauty, Couch, dash, mangrove, young and dumb, pete, and two other people were in the shelter. Earthquake was in his tent. We all ate dinner and stayed up talking for a half hour past hiker midnight or 930. The rain keeps everyone close together and makes for a better bonding experience. I weathered our first rain storm well. The hardest part of rain is getting wet. After that it's enjoyable. Dare I say I'm getting my hiking legs? The mountains seem easier to climb and the pack seems lighter every day. Tomorrow we roll down hill to the NOC where we might rent a canoe and spend some time on the Nantahala river. We'll be in Fontana on Wed and the smokies on thurs. WooHoo! Today's StatsStarting Point:Franklin Sapphire Inn Ending Point:Wesser Bald ShelterMileage:11.5Elevation Gain:2440ftElevation Loss:3600ftHiking Time:5:33Weather:Rain and 50'sPain Factor:1
Date: 2007-04-02
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Tyre Top Campsite
Miles today: 8.0

Nantahala Outdoor CenterLast night it rained pretty hard, but I stayed dry under my tarp. I packed up and started the walk along the ridge to "the jump off". The view from there rendered me speachless. Sleeping Beauty and I were in the middle of a conversation when the vista opened up before us, I couldn't say another word. You could see for miles to the Smokey mountain ridge and there was a dense fog lining the valleys that the sun hadn't dried up yet. Truly a work of art. We climbed the 2500ft down to the NOC. It was pretty amazing how spring had sprung under 3000ft. The entire trail was lined with purple, white, and blue flowers. There were dogwoods blooming, tons of song birds singing, and smaller trees starting to leaf out. Above 3000 ft winter has not given way to spring. We strolled into the NOC with the SM Railroad blairing it's horn on the otherside of the Nantahala river. We resupplied in the outfitter and were pleased to find liter cartons of organic wine that could be resealed. SB, Couch, and I each bought one to pack into the woods. After we got our packs situated for the next leg of the trip we inquired about river rafting. Turned out we were just in time for the last shuttle up the river. Earthquake and I got single duckies (inflatable canoe type things) and SB and Couch got a double. They also hooked us up with wet suits, booties, dry shirts, paddles, and a pfd, all for $25. The 4 of us rode the class I and II rapids for over 2 hours and finished with a class III. Along the way we jumped in and swam a bit, floated lazily along the slow parts, and enjoyed using some different muscles for a change. I saw 3 kingfishers flying upstream! We had Sooo much fun and I hope we have more rafting experiences along the way.We got back and caught $1 showers then hit up the restaurant on the river. They had the local highlands brew and I had the IPA and the Mocha Stout. I chowed on the infamous double chilli chesburger which was heavenly. Around 730 we saddled up and hit the trail as the sun set. The miles went easily and the full moon rose as a whipoorwill was calling close by. We had enough water for the night so we dry camped around 2 miles in. We set up camp right on the trail and made a fire in an existing fire pit. That whipoorwill was callng the entire time and might go until sunrise. That bird keeps some people awake, but it is a lullabye to me. The four of us sat around the fire talking for way past hiker midnight. Life is good on the AT! Today's StatsStarting Point:Wesser Bald Shelter Ending Point:Tyre Top CampsiteMileage:8.0Elevation Gain:2120ftElevation Loss:3030ftHiking Time:4:30Weather:Cool clearing then hotPain Factor:1
Date: 2007-04-03
From: Tyre Top Campsite

To: Stecoah Gap Campsite
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Cheoah BaldOur first 6 miles were all up hill in the morning. Nothing like starting your walk up hill. We slowly climbed out of the Nantahala river valley watching the river we rafted get smaller and smaller. We got to Sasafrass Gap shelter around noon and ate lunch and drank from the excellent spring there. After we chowed down on hiker food we finished our morning climb up to Cheoah Bald.The top was "bald" on one side with lots of high grass. The other side was rocky with views in the other direction. I laid down and took a nap then the crew caught up and we chilled on that mountain for an hour. You could see the Smoky ridge in the distance and man those mountains look big. We eventually managed to break away from that view and start the long descent. Evenually we got down to Stecoah Gap and saw two camper trailers and knew it was on. We were greeted by Jellybean and Bare Bear, both 06 hikers, with some Awesome magic. They had already been at the gap for a week and were planning on being there another week. Jellybean cooked us baked potatoes as we ate a huge salad. I loaded the baked potatoe with baked beans, bacos, sour cream, and butter. I ate two of em they were so good. We decied to call it a day and camp at the magic. With us was osoito, shalom, sb, couch, quake, jay, hiking pole, and 4 guys I don't know. The promise of pancakes in the morning helped us make the decision. That cold front is forecast to roll through tonight so I battened down the tarp and hammock hatches. Once camp was set up we all went back to the rv's and drank and ate and chilled.My feet were starting to feel like hamburgers today. I felt the onset of some blisters, but nothing yet. I will try and air out my stanky feet out as often possible to keep em dry. As I'm typing this, bare bear turned on the noaa radio and they are calling for teens to single digits in the smokys...bring it on baby!Today's StatsStarting Point:Tyre Top Campsite Ending Point:Stecoah Gap CampsiteMileage:11.3Elevation Gain:4150ftElevation Loss:3650ftHiking Time:9:17Weather:70's and sunnyPain Factor:2
Date: 2007-04-05
From: Fontana Campsite

To: Fontana Shelter
Miles today: 3.6
Weather: scattered clouds

FontanaLast night the temp dropped down to 28, the coldest so far on this trip. Of the 10 people at our campsite no one got out of their sleeping bags until 9am. I packed up and started my way down the hill to Fontana. I made it to the marina and other hikers there had already called the shuttle to bring us into the village. We had the driver drop us off at the restaurant which was also the hotel. driftwood, osoito, earthquake and myself got an awesome lunch complete with draught beers, which were our first since the mexican restaurant on the first night in dalonega. I had a cheesesteak which couldn't hold a candle to a philly cheesteak, but was still delicious. After lunch we found out that the hike inn people had left our bounce boxes at the front desk since we couldn't stay with them. Earthquake and I threw down in the lobby and I recharged all my batteries and replenished other supplies. Once we were done there we packed up and headed down to the general store and post office and outfitters. I got food for 5 days on the trail since I am going through the smokys wihout stopping in a town. My parents hooked me up with a SWEET surprise mail drop with quality cheese, jerky, and choclate. A perfect amount to get me through the smokys. At the general store I ran into mala, tucker dog, and wonder who convinced me to stay at the fontana shelter tonight instead of heading into the smokys. I figured a nero was in order so I could rest for the section ahead. I picked up a 12 pack of bud (pickins were slim) and mala slacked us the mile to the shelter. He let me take tucker dog for that mile which was awesome, but made me miss halley, my dog.The shelter in fontana is known as the fontana hilton. there is running water, bathrooms, and room for 24 hikers. Oso made a sweet fire in the biggest fire pit i've ever seen. At the shelter was oso, quake, wonder, mala, stepnahalf, jeanie, driftwood, the 3 pa boys, jay and pole, and a southbounder named superstar. I hooked superstar up with 2 beers and gave a bunch other out. We all ate and chilled by the fire then oso and I took a starlit stroll down to the dam.Tomorrow I hit the smokys and I can't wait. I am on track to watch the sunrise on Clingmans dome on easter sunday. Life is good, but my food sack is the heaviest it's ever been!Today's StatsStarting Point:Fontana Campsite Ending Point:Fontana ShelterMileage:3.6Elevation Gain:390ftElevation Loss:1860ftHiking Time:1:32Weather:Cool windyPain Factor:1
Date: 2007-04-06
From: Fontana Shelter

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Left the Fontana Hilton around 8 and hiked down to the dam. I just packed up and ran for my life down the trail it was so cold. Not literally ran, but you get the idea. Once the sleping bag gets put away, I need to be walking within 20 min or I get too cold. Oso and I got to the dam and took full advantage of the free hot showers at the visitor center. I don't really know why I bothered since I had to put the same nasty clothes on and I went back to stinking as soon as I started hiking. After the shower I ate breakfast and walked over Fontana Dam. This thing was imense, a true engineering marvel. I wanted a tour, but it doesn't open until may for visitors. After the dam we officialy entered the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Quake, Oso, and I had trip take our photo in a silly pose. We started the climb up onto the ridge and boy what a climb! Our first cool stop was the Shuckstack firetower. You could see the entire smoky ridge and fontana lake from the 360 view on top of the tower. The climb up the tower was a little scary, but worth it. Later in the day we met Gandolf, a cool dude from so cali with a white beard down to his belly. We all hiked together for the rest of the afternoon keeping each other entertained. The temps with the wind were way colder than at the dam. It was def below freezing all day because you could see icicles and old snow along the trail. We couldn't really stop moving for more than 20 min. The four of us pushed on to Russell field shelter. It still had the bear fence up over the front of the shelter which was weird. We are the caged animals with the bears and other critters looking in at us. First thing I did at camp was put on every piece of warm clothing that I had. Temps were def in the 20's around 8. Tonight might get below 20. I am prepared, I boiled a liter of water and have that in my sleeping bag keeping me warm. I also have all my hiking clotes and batteries in the bag with me to keep them from frezing. It started to lightly snow around 9pm. When that wind blows into the shelter, woooo boy, it makes you feel alive. My sleeping bag is my best friend!Today we finished the "chump change". The first 174 miles! only 2000 more to go woo hoo! I also had my biggest elevation gain day. 5500 feet in 13 miles WITH 5 days of food. I am exhausted and passing out......now!Today's StatsStarting Point:Fontana Shelter Ending Point:Russell Field ShelterMileage:13.8Elevation Gain:5720ft!!Elevation Loss:2920ftHiking Time:9:02Weather:COLD prob low 30's Pain Factor:2
Date: 2007-04-07
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Winter er Spring WonderlandTemps got down to 16 in the shelter last night and it was def colder outsde. We woke up to snow in the shelter. There was about 4 inches outside and still snowing with a dusting on the shelter floor. My entire head area and all around me were covered in snow, but it all blew off pretty easily. Oso was already out of his bag and had a fire going in the shelter. I was next awake and I got as much done while still in my bag as possible. I changed into my hiking clothes and got all my stuff sacks ready to go into the bag. Next I jumped out into the cold, packed my stuff and was the first one walking out of the shelter at 9am. The snow on the trail was amazing. Every blade of grass, tree limb, and shrub had an inch thick coating of the fluffy white stuff. It looked like a giant white coral reef! The storm was still dumping some snow and my beard had frozen solid and white. Oso and I booked it 3 miles in an hour to the next shelter and warmed up pretty quickly. There were 6 people in Spence Field shelter all of whom were getting off the mountain since it was too cold for them. They were a little shocked to see us barge in and got a kick out of my frozen beard. Oso and I had a snack then hiked up to a frozen rocky top mountain. When we got to the top the storm was starting to let up and we had a partial view of the white crusted mountains below. Oso and I sang as many versus of "rocky top" as we could remember. The next 6 miles were tough. Going up and down snow covered mountains made the walking very slippery. Some of the snow drifts were up to our knees.We eventually made it to Derrick Knob shelter where there were about 10 guys already set up. Most all of them had taken zeros in there and were surprised that we had just come 9m. I just said that I am used to hiking in the snow. Oso and I ate lunch super fast and hiked the 5.5 to Silers Bald Shelter. At Silers were young n dum, birch, tom b, and thrid times a charm that had also taken zeros. Randall, me, earthquake, osoito, and gandolf all had hiked from russell field. Tonight is predicted to be the coldest night ever recorded in April in the park! I took the same steps as last night to stay warm. Except this time I have my hammock underquilt wrapped around my sleeping bag. I'll be toasty warm. I was originally planning on hiking to clingmans to watch the sunrise, but I don't think that would be wise givin the extreme cold weather. Today's StatsStarting Point:Russell Field ShelterEnding Point:Silers Bald ShelterMileage:14.7Elevation Gain:5360ftElevation Loss:4340ftHiking Time:8:18Weather:COLD snow windy then clearingPain Factor:1 (too numb to feel pain)
Date: 2007-04-08
From: Silers Bald Shelter

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Clingmans DomeLast night was cold, but not as cold as the night before since we had a tarp over the shelter. The hardest part of getting going was putting on frozen solid socks and frozen solid shoes. I had to stomp my feet into my shoes to get them on. The climb up to Clingmans Dome (the highest point on the AT 6643ft) was magical. We entered the spruce-fir forest and all the evergreens were weighed down with snow from the day before. You could barley see more than 5 ft off the trail this forest was so dense. Fittingly for easter a huge bunny hopped onto the trail, paused long enough for me to get a pic, then ran back into the woods. I hadn't considered how popular Clingmans would be on Easter Sunday. There were hundreds of tourists that had driven up there making the moment quite anticlimatic. I shared the observation tower with about 15 other people complete with babies crying, people on phones, and people complaining about the cold. I took a video and some pics and hung out for a bit. The crowds threw me off, but I could appreciate everyone wanting to see such an awesome sight on Easter morning.The evergreen forest continued for miles. I took a break in a sunny spot and dried out my shoes and socks a bit when gandolf and quake caught up. We hiked down to newfound gap and got hooked up with some kind trail magic. Restless wind, leprechan, cotton joe, and their friend gave us brownies and sodas and chips and we talked for a bit.The 2.9 miles to the shelter floated by as the sun was setting over the mountains. I paused frequently to watch the colorful sunset as I hiked up hill. The orange and red rays were reflecting off the white snow. We made it to icewater spring shelter and there was just enough room for quake and I. We cooked and climbed into our bags. Today was so awesome! I talked to a ranger who said the recorded temp last night was 3 and the night before was 1 on mt le conte, so where I was was def single digits. I think it is amazing how just a week ago we were walking in record highs and yesterday record lows. Whats up with this weather?Today's StatsStarting Point:Siler Bald Shelter Ending Point:Icewater Spring ShelterMileage:15.5Elevation Gain:5110ftElevation Loss:4670ftHiking Time:11:25Weather:COLD Pain Factor:1
Date: 2007-04-09
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tricorner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Charlies BunionMy boots wern't as frozen this morning which was enjoybale. I was the first up and out of the shelter and walked the mile to Charlies Bunion, which is a giant rock outcropping into the middle of the valley with huge ridges forming a bowl all around. I ate breakfast and chilled for about an hour. There were some friendly juncos around that I got to take food out of my hand. I even got it on video. The hike after the bunion was amazing, possibly the best all trip. The trail followed a ridge with sweeping views thouands of feet down on both sides. The Spruce Fir forrest continued as well which made me feel like I was hiking out west. Earthquake and I took our sweet time and everyone that hid from the cold in Gatlinburg had caught up to us. The shelter was going to be super full so I made sure I was one of the last ones to arrive. If the shelter is full then you are allowed to pitch a tent or in my case, hang my hammock. My plan worked and the shelter was full. I found a sweet hammock spot under a huge birch and spruce tree and set up camp. I cooked and climbed into the hammock.Today's StatsStarting Point:Icewater Spring Shelter Ending Point:Tricorner Knob ShelterMileage:12.6Elevation Gain:3200ftElevation Loss:3230ftHiking Time:8:54Weather:Overcast morning, warming afternoonPain Factor:1