morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-04-25
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Red Wing:    We woke up to frozen water bags and a chilly 29 degress. Snow and cold weather seem to make everything a little more exciting. The branches along the AT are usually trimmed so that taller hikers like me can get through alright. With almost 6 inches of snow, the trees and bushes were too low for me. I felt like I was going through a car wash. As the day went on, things began to thaw out and the branches started to lift. In the first six miles we saw four sets of bear tracks. It was impressive to see how large the paws were and how frequently bears cross the trail.   This afternoon we hit some snow drifts that were knee deep. It made passing quite difficult. We slipped and slid our way down the mountain, we couldn't help but laugh about it.   Tonight at the shelter we have Birdhouse Bob, Papa Bear, Ray, Preacher, Hot Flash, Ox, Clearwater, Hot 'n' Sweaty, Naked Sun, and Blake. By coincidence, there are two stray dogs who have been following different hikers here tonight. One is named "Yogi" and the other is "Grace". Both are being adopted by hikers here at the shelter. "Yogi" reminds us of the Hopeful's parent's beagle.    Today's big climb was a mountain called "Big Butt".
Date: 2005-04-26
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Red Wing:    We looked at our guidebook today and realized that we had to hike twenty miles if we want to spend time in Erwin. So, out by 7:30 AM, we took off trying to get some miles behind us before the bad weather hit. It was quite cold when we started, which allowed us to hike quickly. The highlight of the day was crossing over "Big Bald". The view was a panoramic 360 degrees, but just as impressive were the high winds. A few times we were almost pushed off our feet by the gusts, along with Clearwater and Papa Bear. We pulled into the shelter just before 5 PM and about 10 minutes later the rain came. A perfect 20 mile day.
Date: 2005-04-27
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Miss Janet's House in Erwin
Miles today: 6.3

Red Wing:    Out here, everything is about pack weight. People are always asking, "How much ya carryin'?", or else proudly stating how little they have in their packs. I'd say the average pack weight is about 40 lbs. with a few as low as 20 lbs., or less. We cut off handles of toothbrushes, burn already read chapters of books, eat our heaviest meals first, and cut straps off packs... all to save weight. Like car lovers talk about milage, and computer lovers talk about RAM and ROM, we backpackers talk about pack weight. Whether trying to drag our gear up the mountain with us or trying to slow it down as gravity pulls us down the other side, our packs are, in a sense, a burden on our bodies. We're hiking wih a guy whose name is Ox, and sometimes I think we can all identify with that name.   In the times of Jesus, the Rabbis and Jewish leaders would strictly adhere to the Jewish law. Over time, certain Rabbis would focus on certain laws, while other Rabbis stressed different laws. Each Rabbi had his "yoke" (or group of laws and teachings) which he would pass on to his followers. Most often, the yoke of a Rabbi would be strict and oppress the adherents. Followers taking on these yokes felt more confined by rules than freed by the benefits of that lifestyle.    Whether due to an overweight backpack, or unnecessary rules, burdens can weigh us down. Many out here view Christianity as an oppressive faith that forces rules on us to rob us of joy. Our experience has been freedom through living out Christ's teaching.    "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:28-30
Date: 2005-04-29
From: Super 8 Motel in Erwin

To: Super 8 Motel in Erwin
Miles today: 0.0

Red Wing:   The plan for today was to hike out of town and get the next 16 miles behind us. But things never go as planned (this is a reoccurring theme on the trail!). Early this morning, I snuck out to get a newspaper and was soaked by heavy rain. We checked out the forecast and found that severe thunderstorms were headed our way and would last throughout the night. As we discussed our options over the Super 8 continental breakfast, Hot 'n' Sweaty joined us and we decided to share a room and spend one more day in town.      So, on our day off, we made dinner plans for us and others staying in our motel. We thought it would be a good idea to treat our fellow hikers to pizza, complements of our home church who gave us money to do things like that once in awhile. And to any church friends reading this, you should know that the hikers all said, "Thank you!". Not knowing what to write about on a zero day, we asked the hikers who ate the pizza dinner with us to share what their trail names are and how they got them, in their own words. So, here they are...   Insanely Grateful: My husband and 2 younger kids came down to Georgia for a week to start me on the trail. Half way through the week he declared that this whole venture was a bit insane. I replied that I was insanely grateful for the opportunity and somehow that stuck as a trail name.   Hot 'n' Sweaty: (From NH) Back home in New Hampshire, when I met people on the trail, and they asked me how I was doing I would (since I sweat a lot) answer, "hot 'n' sweaty". My hiking friends started calling me this and the name stuck.   Vermont: (from Scotland) Given to me as Vermont is my destination.   Spec: (from Chattanooga, TN) One day somebody asked me what I was looking at while I was staring in the creek. "Specs", I replied, which are what we call brook trout in the south. The name stuck.   Lefty: (from Lancaster, PA) Southpaw, but stuck after offhand remark from traveling companion.   Hippy: (from Lancaster, PA) Aside from the tie dyed head band, I'm the last of a dying breed, the great North American long hair.   Blotter: (from Denton, TX) This guy I stated with from Springer Mountain was around when we were talking about trail names. He said he wanted to call me Blotter. I asked why. He asked if I had seen the movie PCU. There is a really good ultimate frisbee team and they have a secret weapon. That weapon is a dog named "Blotter". He said I reminded him of that because I hike fast and my luxury item is a frisbee. Thank you for the pizza.
Date: 2005-04-30
From: Super 8 Motel in Erwin

To: Campsite north of Iron Mountain Gap
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: moderate rain

Red Wing:    We woke up this morning in the comfort of our motel room and set out under heavily overcast skies. Whatever the weather, it was time to move on from Erwin. Through an email from our friend Circuit Rider, we knew that there would be trail magic (a random act of kindness) up the trail. So, we hiked our first 8.3 miles in 2 hours and 45 minutes in order to get to the road crossing in time. Upon our arrival, we were rewarded with pancakes, sausage, scrambled egges, juice and coffee for our effort. It was the best breakfast we've had in a long time! The event was put on by four area churches. We are so thankful for the generosity of people along this trail. We were there with Sam-I-Am, Origami, Phoenix Rising and others.   After staying for an hour, we finally headed out once again. Our first climb after breakfast was to Beaty Spot, which is a mountain bald with incredible views to the south showing where we'd been hiking all morning, and allowing us to see the town of Erwin from above. Next, we climbed Unaka Mountain, which is covered with evergreens. It reminded me of the Green Mountains of Vermont. After 16 miels, we pulled into a shelter, hoping to call it a day. We heard, thought, that there was more trail magic up at the next road crossing, and Circuit Rider and Sherlock had mentioned a great tent site further ahead. So, since it was sunny at the moment, we packed up and moved on further. By the time we reached the road, it had started to rain, and the people doing trail magic had gone home. We hiked on another 1.5 miles to this campsite, and had to cook, set up the tent and go to bed in the cold rain. As weather turns bad, I'm always reminded that I'm a much more of a fair weather hiker. Hopefully the sun will dry us out tomorrow, as predicted.
Date: 2005-05-01
From: Campsite north of Iron Mountain Gap

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: clear sky

Red Wing:   Today was all about building character. We woke up in the rain and the temperature didn't go above the 30's until the sun broke through around 10:30 AM. All day, we were able to see our breath. As for the climbs, they were the toughest yet. This afternoon, we went over Roan Mountain (6,285'), which had a 2,200 ft. climb. It is the last 6,000 footer until we get to New Hampshire, much later in the hike. It was 7:30 PM before we arrived at the shelter. Following yesterday's long day, this is the toughest day that I've had yet.    Once the sun was out I was able to see the good things about the day as well. We took plenty of snacks (probably eating more food than any other day), which helped us break up the day a little better. We find that steep climbs, and being cold, definately burn lots of calories! From Roan Mountain, we had some great views. The whole way up we smelled evergreens around us, and near the top there were icicles hanging off the rocks. All day, we played leap frog with other hikers.    By now, there are very few new faces among the thru-hikers around us. The shelter we're staying in is an old barn with a loft. It overlooks a beautiful valley. There are about 30 people staying here (about 20 thru-hikers), some in tents and many in the barn itself.   To finish off today's character building, all evening hikers have had mice encouters. Usually the little rascals wait until after dark, but not these barn mice! First, Jersey had one run across his cooking area at dinner. Then, Papa Bear had one near his head while in his sleeping bag, and finally, Hot Flash left the shelter when one tried getting into her sleeping bag. Currently, there is one rummaging through my backpack. On my last thru-hike, mice were often this pesky, but it takes a little getting used to all over again. Hopeful had me put the tent up in the barn tonight (there's plenty of space), so at least they won't touch us. It has been a character building day!
Date: 2005-05-03
From: Campsite along a stream

To: Laurel Fork Falls Lodge
Miles today: 14.3

Red Wing:   After spending last night at an incredible campsite along a stream, we once again woke up to cold, cold temperatures. It does not feel like May around here! However, once we got moving, and the day warmed up, we had a perfect day for hiking.    Now that we've been hiking for over 400 miles, our appetites are becoming a nusiance. It seems that no amount of food is satisfying our hunger. Today, my mid morning snack consisted of 980 calories. That was just one snack between meals.    When we reached the road crossing that led us to the cabin that we're staying in tonight, we were thankful to meet a college student named T.W., who heard from another hiker that we needed a ride into town. Hopeful's hands still have a rash/blisters that we're trying to treat and we needed to go to a pharmacy. She has had it over 3 weeks now, and even after seeing a doctor in Erwin, it's sill a bit of a mystery. T.W. was so accommodating that he drove us two towns away so that we could go to a supermarket as well. We enjoyed talking to him and all he wanted in return for the favor was a picture of Hopeful's hands (but we also bought him dinner!). Anyway, T.W. was a true trail angel, as he changed his afternoon around, just to help us out. While we were in town, we restocked our snack supplies, which were already running low just 3 days into this 7 day stretch. T.W., if you're reading, thanks again!   Back at the lodge, Hopeful and I made a dozen scrambled eggs with all the fixin's (ham, green pepper, onion, cheese) and somehow ate it all in one sitting. We've spent the evening with Birdhouse Bob, Snowman & Sparkplug, Papa Bear, Clearwater, Montreal & Kitza, and Free Radical who is with us in our cabin. As we've passed some hikers and others have been passing us, we look forward to Trail Days in Damascus next week. We know that we'll be reunited with most of the hikers we've lost track of in the last month or so.
Date: 2005-05-04
From: Laurel Fork Falls Lodge

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: few clouds

Red Wing:    This morning was one of our best sections of trail yet. We walked by several waterfalls, crossed rivers, and constantly heard rushing water, all while on rock scrambles and cliffs. Because the shelter we're in tonight has its water source .5 miles away, we decided to eat our dinner (which requires lots of water) at a picnic area at Watuga Lake which we passed this afternoon. Then, we ate day snacks for dinner. That's an idea that I'm sure we'll try again. We had a great view and an enjoyable mid day break as well as extra energy all afternoon. We love experimenting with our days like that. As summer goes on, we hope to eat more during mid day heat and hike later in the day. Tonight, the shelter is full and tents have covered every inch of flat ground. Out back, there is a view of Watuga Lake, 1,800 feet below.    ***Here's a little reminder of how to contact us. Thanks to all who have signed our guest book, we love hearing from you! You can also always email us directly at "atredwing@hotmail.com". Or, you can send snail mail to Scott's sister who will put it in our next mail drop. Just email us to ask for the address (we don't want to publish it online!) We love to hear news from old frineds and family at home, as well as the people we've been meeting along the way. Forgive us if we don't write back very quickly, but we do receive the messages and enjoy them.
Date: 2005-05-05
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Red Wing:    The plan for today was to get out early and hike a full day until we eventually camp in our tent. Instead, we got out late (my fault) and got drizzled on all day. Just for reference, "late" is 8:30 or 9 AM. A good day of leaving camp is 7:30 or 8 AM. We're easily awake with the sun at 6 or 6:30 AM. Exactly 14 days ago I mailed my gloves home, thinking the bad weather was over. Since then, the weather has been COLD! I think it's been 65 degrees once, and every morning has been between 20 and 40 degrees.    We heard today's section referred to as the "Tennesse Turnpike" and the description fits. It has been flat (relatively) and straight for 10 miles and from here to Damascus is all a gentle descent. We pulled into the shleter shortly before 3 PM, and, although we could have made more miles, we stopped. We're tired of hiking in the rain. Also, we know that we'll make it to Damascus tomorrow either way, so a restful afternoon sounds wonderful. We're excited to make it to town as Damascus is one of those benchmark towns that is a big goal for hikers.    Tonight, we're sitting in the shelter with Hazy Sonic & FireFly, Free Rad, Lion King and Montreal & Kutza are tenting outside. It's good to have time to read, and Hopeful's been listening to one of the sermons that we recorded on our MP3 player. Hazy Sonic and Lion King are singing and taking turns on the backpacking guitar.
Date: 2005-05-06
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: "The Place" Hostel in Damascus
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: broken clouds

Red Wing:    Woo hoo! We're in Virginia! I feel like we're finally getting into a rhythm as well. After spending 13 hours in our sleeping bags, we were well rested this morning and got out early. Our goal was to get to Post Office by closing this afternoon, which 4:30 PM. We actually made our goal with 2 hours to spare. This morning was also a great time of praying together. We tend to pray better on the days that are less steep. Go figure! Part of getting into our hiking rhythm is that we've learned when and where to take our snack breaks, how much water we'll need, how many miles to realistically plan each day, when to take a day off, and what pace to set for each day's plan. We're even getting to know not only our own limits, but also the limits of one another. We're deinately beginning to feel more comfortable and natural on the trail.    Tonight, we're at "The Place", which is a hostel owned by the United Methodist Church in Damascus. There are 20-30 of us staying here and a lot of other hikers around town. Damascus is known as the "friendliest town on the trail" and for good reason. We feel like the local poeple here are really glad to host us. It's nice to be in a place where we see hikers in every building and on every street corner, to have a town eager to have us all here. Twice already, people have stopped their cars, just to let us cross the street. Thank you to all the people in Damascus for making us feel so welcome. We walked around tonight to do laundry, have dinner at a really good restaurant called the "Baja Cafe", and to visit Ginny at the Lazy Fox Bed and Breakfast where I stayed 6 years ago when I passed through Damascus. She is a wonderful older woman who welcomed me then, and welcomed us again, although she's booked up with guests this time so we only said hello.    We picked up our package at the post office and THANK YOU Mom Matchett for the INCREDIBLE cookies! We shared them a little, and ate a lot. They always taste incredible, especially out here. And Mom Wheaton, THANK YOU for your faithful notes in each box, and the way you help us to treat ourselves to dinner each time we get to town. We appreciate your support and your love SO much!!!
Date: 2005-05-07
From: "The Place" in Damascus

To: Campsite at Straight & Feathercamp Branch
Miles today: 5.6

Red Wing: Along with sharing what we're up to this week, we have a seven day stretch that seemed like a perfect opportunity for us to do something we hoped to do at some point along the trail. We want to focus each day on one of the seven days of creation, as told in the book of Genesis. The entries will reflect our thoughts and connections to this theme, and it's been special for us during this whole week to really take note of specific aspects of the beautiful world around us. We woke up this morning a little later than usual. Typically, the day begins for us at first light. Today, the sun had to find its way through a window to our bunk at the hostel before it could get us to wake up. All day, we were trying to figure out whether to hike out tonight or not. All day, the sun switched from beating down on us to hiding behind clouds. In between these times, we saw rays of light cast through holes in the sky. After hours of phone calls, emails, letter writing, and eating, we were convinced that the brightness would prevail against the best efforts of the clouds. As we hiked out, we saw the effects of late day shadows. We could see silhouettes of hikers camping on the ridge above us, and as we looked across the valley, ridges became more defined through the angles of evening light. We had carried two foot long subs from Subway out of town, and had dinner along the banks of a stream by the campsite. Soon, it became dark. We set up camp and are now enjoying the sounds of the rushing stream only feet from our tent. We can hear Firefly and Hazy Sonic setting up camp too, they joined us at the site after we were zipped in for the night! "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light. God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light 'day' and the darkness he called 'night'. And there was evening, and there was morning--the first day." Genesis 1:1-5
Date: 2005-05-08
From: Campsite at Straight & Feathercamp Branch

To: Campsite North of Va. 601
Miles today: 12.7

After writing yesterday evening, rain showers came and went all night, forcing us to zip the tent all the way shut. We breathed far too much for the remaining vents to handle and woke up wet from condensation. If you can imagine breathing into a ziplock bag all night, that was our experience. Enought about that! We woke up to clear skies and the sun working its way over the ridge. We've discovered that things are different this year, spring has been called off and winter will pass right into summer! The switch took place today and with it came warm temperatures and high humidity. Though no clouds were seen, a haze in the air kept distant mountains hidden and nearby ridges vague. We noticed the sky as we walked up high, and also as we walked along a low flat stretch where the AT joins the Virginia Creeper bike trail. As we sip our coffee (Red Wing) and tea (Hopeful) this evening, the haze is clearing and the deep rich blue has returned to the sky. For the first time in our 40 days of hiking, we are tenting alone. We found a great spot, with a spring and a view for the sunset, alongside a huge rock where we crawled up to eat dinner. We had a good laugh (as we always do) as I attempted to hang our food for the night. The most common method is to tie a rope around a rock or stick and then throw it over a branch. As I did this with a rock, the rock (with rope attached) swung back and wrapped around another branch, making a really good knot about 15 feet above me. I tried to pull the branch down and ended up breaking the rope. Basically, I hung a rack for safe keeping from bears and racoons. I hate to just leave it, but we can't get it back down. Maybe others will have a good laugh when they discover it. "And God said, 'Let there be an expanse between the waters to spearate water from water.' So God made the expanse and separated the water under the expanse from the water above it. And it was so. God called the expanse 'sky'. And there was evening, and there was morning--the second day." Genesis 1:6-8