morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-03-08
From: Campsite on Cowrock Mtn

To: Blue Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I decided to attempt Blue Mtn Shelter again. I stayed there on my last thru-hike attempt and it was the coldest night of my life. Thankfully, I was with my friend Eric who was willing to spoon with me for survival. It turned out to not be bad. I pitched the tarp against the wind and low to the ground. Freckles is really getting the hang of this sleeping thing. I am still worried about his feet. I am going to try wrapping them in the morning. I think we're heading to Deep Gap tomorrow and then on to Hiawassee. We've heard of some bad weather rolling in. I don't mind hiking in a storm if I must, but I think Freckles would rather not.
Date: 2006-03-09
From: Blue Mtn Shelter

To: Hiawassee,ga
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

What a day! We ended up pushing on to Hiawassee to avoid the weather. I have had a shower and buffet. I found a Holiday Inn with internet so I could post some journals. My ride is waiting in the parking lot so i need to make this short. I am sore and tired but otherwise happy. Freckles feet are getting bad. I need to call the vet in the morning for advice. But for now, i gotta go.
Date: 2006-03-10
From: Hiawassee,ga

To: Bly Gap
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: clear sky

It was a lonely hike out of Hiawassee today. Sarah came down from Knoxville to take freckles home. His pads were not looking good. He slept all night long, refusing to eat or drink until the morning. She arrived around noon and we had Subway before they dropped me off at Dick's Creek and departed. I was close to tears for the first few miles. I was so used to seeing his wagging tail ahead of me. But he'll be back soon I'm sure.About halfway to NC i ran into Little Brother and his posse. he and i had a good literary and philosophical discussion which passed the time. We were at Bly Gap before we knew it. It was a nice clear night and we had a good fire going. There was some commotion from a weekend hiker when I accidentally tripped over his tents guy line. In my defense, it was about seven feet long and four feet from the fire circle. But that was the first person i met who has pissed me off so far, which is way better than real life where it happens once an hour.I would like to be in Franklin by Sunday, so I'm going to have to pull back to back 15 mile days. My feet feel really good, so I'm optimistic.
Date: 2006-03-11
From: Bly Gap

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

Beautiful terrain today. Well at least aftr that first climb out of Bly Gap. But the next 14 miles or so were a breeze. It did rain a little, which was the first bad weather I've had. But it had to happen eventually, so it might as well start now. I was glad I didn't have to deal with a wet canine, and while I'm on the subject, I don't miss the extra ten pounds of gear either. But I'd gladly carry twenty more to have Freckles back. Both of the shelters were full when we got there. I ended up slepping on the gravel pad. Treefingers and Ramble On finally got to listen to their radio program. They are big fans of whoever was on Prairie Home Companion tonight and they've been talking about the performance for days. I was kind of a party pooper. I went to bed early and discussed education with some retired teachers at the shelter. I am actually running into a lot of educators out here. I guess the scedule allows time for trips like this which of course is a real plus for me. Though I'm not really expecting much free time for a few years. After the show, the guys decided to night hike for a bit. I was very tempted, but I was so snuggled up, I had to pass. I'll try to catch up with them tomorrow so we can go into Franklin together.
Date: 2006-03-12
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Ah, sweet luxury. I got up around 6 this morning. The snoring symphony in the shelter convinced me to hit the trail. I hiked in the dark for about half an hour before the sunrise. After about 2 miles, I found Treefingers and Ramble On tarping in a rhododendron thicket. Treefingers tarp was pitched in quite a ghetto manner. They woke up just as I was getting there, so they packed quickly and we hit the trail. It was a very leisurely hike except for Albert Mountain. Even that wasn't as bad as i remembered. I view from the firetower was spectacular, and we took as nice long rest. We decided to eat all our food early so we would have room for a Chinese buffet that night. It ended up being a double edge sword. We did have plenty of room for the buffet, but we were so drained of energy that we almost didn't make it there. We gradually zoned out and kind of shuffle-tripped our way along. Thankfully, we found some trail magic at Rock Gap. There was soda, sandwiches, fruit, and rides into town. We had been planning on going three more miles to Winding Stair Gap, but it didn't take much cajoling for us to leave the trail there.We got a ride down to the Sapphire Inn. It's nicer than the last place. There's actually a phone in the room. I made my phone calls and took a shower. I think I'll wait to do laundry until I get to Knoxville. I don't feel like walking to the laundromat. I'll just stink, which is par for the course out here. We hitched a ride to our buffet which was quite satisfying. After lunch/dinner, we did some shopping for groceries and then hitched back to the room. I went back out to get my maildrop and do my internetting. The guys want me to bring back some beer, but those of you who know me know that's not going to happen. I think we're going to try to do 12 or 15 tomorrow. There's talk of snow on Tuesday, so I'd like to be in a position to make it to the NOC in Wesser if that's the case.
Date: 2006-03-13
From: Franklin, NC

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We left Franklin later than I would have liked. The weather forecast was calling for hail so I was anxious to get a move on. After a quick trip to the post office, we were loaded on the hiker bus and headed up the mountain. Before we strated the day, we decided to take a quick one mile side trip to see the Wasilik poplar. It is a gigantic old-growth tree that is the last remnants of pre-colonial NC forest. Evidently, there was one even bigger, but when they cut it down and tried to cart it out, it killed on of the oxen. They decided to leave the other one alone and now it stands as a monument to the nature that used to be. Unfortunately, it has been dead for some time and there is talk of removing it for safety. I hope if they do, they at least turn it into something special. It would make a great shelter for 5-6 people. Maybe they could mold a giant mushroom cap to it for that extra smurfy touch.We managed to beat the weather to the shelter. On the way we passed Ironwolf, who wasn't moving all that well. He told us his body is virtually devoid of cartilage, but he's still making good time. I certainly wouldn't want to mess with him. Once we got to the shelter, the productive part of our day was over. We kept talking about pushing on the the stome tower on Wayah Bald, but we didn't know when the hail was going to start and we weren't excited about the prospect of getting caught in it. We ended up sleeping for virtually eighteen hours. Treefingers bought way to much food in town and was trying to eat up the extra weight. He awoke several times to find himself covered in crumbs, surrounded by food, and looking like a Jenny Craig member fallen off the wagon. The boys also used this opportunity to smoke up some more of their stash. They seem to enjoy asking me if I want some. I think it amuses them that I keep saying no, though they are totally respectful of my wishes and my space. I am really enjoying hiking with them so far. Hopefully, we can night hike a little farther later, but it is looking increasingly unlikely. Probably, we are tucked in until morning.
Date: 2006-03-14
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: clear sky

We tried something new today. We have started splitting or day into thirds, and it really seems to be working. I had read about it in ray Jardine's beyond backpacking and we decided to try it out. We had covered the first six miles before we knew it, and the second six went even faster. At the top of Wayah Bald, we found the stone tower full of water, so it turns out it was a good idea not to push on there last night. There was no sign of the Snake, Bear, or the others. We figured they had probably called Ron for a ride into town and yet another hotel stay in Franklin. Just as we were about to start the 12th mile we saw a posterboard sign that can only mean one thing. Trail Magic! At the road there was a huge tent set up with hot dogs, sodas, candy, etc. We took our brak a little early and scarfed down some food. The Trail Angel asked us if we had seen Pebbles, and said that Compass was waiting for her at the next shelter. That means that they definitely didn't saty at Wayah Bald. A few minutes later Snake arrived and confirmed that they had indeed bailed out last night. Soon we were all sitting around relaxing. My group hit the trail again and headed up to look for Compass. We found a note from him that he had waited as long as he could, but was pressing on to the NOC. We only missed him by an hour. After a quick stop for water, we headed on and arrived at the shelter around 4:30. On the way, we climbed the Wesser Bald fire tower. It was a beautiful panoramic with our first view of Fontana lake to the north. We ought to be there in a couple of days.At the shelter we found a note from Compass to "Pebbles and the Gang." I found it amusing, but "the Gang" were clearly not happy to be lumped in as an afterthought. There was talk out developing a handshake or gang sign so they could identify each other in the future. We soon settled in for the night. I ended up moving to the gravel floor. The wind was coming up throught the slats in the floor, and since I use a quilt not a bag, that wasn't quite working for me. It ended up being nearly as bad on the ground, because there was no shelter at all from the wind. But as you might expect, I made it through the night.
Date: 2006-03-15
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: NOC and beyond
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

I remembered disliking the downhill into Wesser from me 2002 attempt. It was as unpleasant as I recalled. That was what really messed up my knees last time, and I was thankful to have my poles with me this time. Treefingers and I got seperated from Ramble On. He was lagging due (surprise) to a knee injury. We waited for him to catch up at the final shelter before town. The three of us rolled into the NOC around 9:30. Ramble headed for the bathroom and Tree and I hit the outfitter for a Coke. We decide to shower first and eat second. Paying for our towels was easy, but getting to the shower, not so much. You have to croos the road, cross a bridge, cross a parking lot, cross the railroad tracks, walk farther north on the AT, climb a steep side trail, and make your way to the Hiker Basecamp. It was totally absurd. By the time we finished and retraced our steps, I needed another shower. We decided not to waste money on laundry, but I did wash my shorts in the shower and used the hand dryer to dry them.The restaurant wasn't serving lunch yet, so we got a breakfast appetizer then hung around for a hamburger. The great thing about hiking is that you can eat anything and everything you want. While we ate, we watched the new class of river guides practice their rescue rope techniques. Let me say this, I wouldn't feel comfortable rafting with any of them. We found Compass and he sat down with us for a bit. After about an hour, we say Snake crossing the bridge, which meant Pebbles wasn't far behind. Compass took of like lightening without even saying goodbye. That poor guy has got it bad. After lunch, we made our phone calls, and Ramble On picked up a smaller, lighter pack. I thought we were ready to go, but it turned out we had to wait for the Brohams. Evidently, Treefingers was wanting to broker a small transaction to keep him going until Fontana. Eventually, we hit the trail for our 8 miles straight up to the ridge. I t really wasn't that bad, and we made it to the first shelter for dinner in only a few hours. After dinner, we convinced Orangatang and Stinky to push on with us to the next campsite. On the way, we watched the sun set atop a bald. The guys made fun of me for trying to hurry them. Sometimes in my efforts to keep to my schedule, I forget to enjoy the sights. I need to be reminded by my stoner friends to be more chill and enjoy. After what seemed like an eternity of less than safe night hiking, we found our campsite. The stars were out and we decided to cowboy camp by the fire. I enjoyed it at first, but when I woke up in the night to see clouds, I wussed out and pitched my tarp. Better safe than sorry. (I am definitely the "old man" of the group.)
Date: 2006-03-16
From: NOC and beyond

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: overcast clouds

As always, i was up bright and early at 6. I have gotten into a routine with the guys, whereby I wake up and start packing, and they begin a half-hour runnig dialog about why it is too early to be awake. Then after I'm finished, I sit and stare at them until they get up. It seems to be an enjoyable process for all. It was a long uneventful hike. We did have a great conversation about organized religion, which I am always up for. I guess it was because we had no town stop today, but for whatever reason, I was much more tired. The final approach to the dam was as painful as I recalled. It is as though the trail is taunting you. You can see your destination for miles ahead of time. It seems close enough to touch, yet the trail won't take you there. I think maybe the maintaining clubs get funded according to how many miles of trail they maintain. That's the only reason I can come up with.My stepfather, Nick, was waiting for us at the dam. He was kind enough to shuttle the Shenandoah boys to the Hike Inn before we headed back to Knoxville. On the way back down, we found Stinky and Orangatang hitching, so we shuttled them up as well. After an hour and a half of riding the Dragon (Highway 129) we made it to my folks house. After a quick shower I was goos as new, and off to Sarah's place for the night.
Date: 2006-03-17
From: Home in Knoxville

To: Home in Knoxville
Miles today: 0.0

My first zero day. I am walking around Knoxville running errands. I desperately need a haircut and I ahve already shaved off my beard. I know I am supposed to be a mountain man, but all that hair is getting too hot. I also need to do some banking and check on the dog later.I am typing this journal at my old employer's computer. The place is still standing without me, but they did have to hire 4 people to replace me. I don't think I'll get back up to the trail until Sunday, but that's ok. I am feeling great and I've lost about ten pounds already. 160 miles down, 2000 to go.
Date: 2006-03-18
From: Home in Knoxville

To: Home in Knoxville
Miles today: 0.0

Another zero day. I am enjoying hanging out with Sarah before I head through the Smokies. We checked in on Freckles last night and he seems completely recovered. I picked up some pad wax for him. It is supposed to protect his feet, who knows if it will work or not. We went to see "V for Vendetta" last night. I really eliked it, but unfortunately my movie viewing was interrupted by an intestinal malfunction. Even though I have read warnings about eating to many high fat foods when you are resting in town, I still pigged out on ice cream, chips and dip, cheese, and I can't remember what else. I won't go into the details. Let me just say it caught up with me in a very real, very sudden way. I missed the end of the movie. I guess I'll have to rent it sometime.I am thinking of going to my local science museum and picking up some Astronaut Ice Cream. I'll bet it would make a great high cal, light-weight snack for the trail. Hey, there's nothing better than freeze-dried Neopolitan in the morning.I head back to Fontana tomorrow morning. The weather forecast is calling for showers, so I guess I'll be getting wet. Hopefully, I will see some people I know when I get there. I think I was far enough ahead on Thursday to allow some of my former hiking partners to catch me.
Date: 2006-03-19
From: Home in Knoxville

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: overcast clouds

(Due to a computer glitch, this is the second time I am typing this entry, and I am pretty pissed about it. I know it will pale in comparison to the brilliant peice of writing that was the first attempt. You'll just have to trust in it's brilliance. I'm sorry it will never see the light of day.)It is great to be back on the trail. Don't get me wrong, I loved being home. I love hanging with friends and family. I love spending more time with Sarah. I love relaxing on the couch watching cable TV. I love eating out at restaurants without having to worry about whose olfactory senses I am offending. But I also love hiking, and you can't do that in civilization.Back at the dam, I ran into No Worries and Little Brother. I was surprised that Little Brother actually recognized me. See, while in town I got a haircut and shaved off my beard. I know that is contrary to thr AT fashions, but all that hair was geeting irritating. A mile or so up the trail, I caught up with Elizabeth, who I hadn't seen since Bly Gap. She is Treegirl now, evidently to her predilection for lounging amidst low hanging dendritic brachiations. We hiked together to the first shelter. The ridgerunner stationed there suggested we push on to the Russell Field shelter, so that we might be in a better position to hike over Thunderhead. Having hiked this section many times before, I was dreading that climb, and decided to take his advice. I cooked a quick instant potatoe dinner and headed on. At the shelter, I saw Treefrog and Show-me. Treefrog is a science teacher and had given me some advice in Hiawassee. The rest of the night was uneventful. I slept on the dirt floor for added warmth. Tomorrow is the first day of Spring, so you can count on it being miserably, mind-numbingly cold.
Date: 2006-03-20
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: snow

Ahhh, Spring. It's sweet snowy arms wrap me in a develishly damp embrace. As predicted, the day began with sleet, and alternated betwixt snow, hail, and all manner of unpleasant wintry precipitation. It was cold. Damn cold. The hike to Spence Field went quickly. It is relatatively flat and I was trying to generate body heat. The climb up Rocky Top (where the ground IS too rocky by far) wasn't as bad as I remember. Even Thunderhead went by pretty fast. If not for the weather, it might have been an enjoyable hike. But there WAS the weather, and it WAS NOT a nice hike. By rain gear protected me for a while, but eventually the power of nature overwhelmed the power of synthetic chemistry. By the time I stumbled into Derricks Knob Shelter for lunch, I was already quite wet. Thankfully, some weekenders from Florida had a fire going in the hearth. I warmed up a bit and had a quick lunch. Before long, Casino rolled in and with a quick turn-around headed north with me in tow. It seems like everytime he and I hike together, we have inclement weather. Anyway, we got to our destination around 2 and in seconds, were in our sleeping bags. I put on the only dry clothes I had and hung up the rest. I soon decided that my clothes would freeze solid before they dried, so I pulled them all inside my bag in the hopes that body heat would dry them. It is a damp, smeely process, but it does work. Three ill-prepared Spring Breakers appeared shorlty after, all experiencing early stage hypothermia. Some of the other hikers provided them with warm fluids and dry gear. We talked to them to keep them awake and lucid. Though if you don't know someone, it can be hard to tell how lucid you should expect them to be even under normal conditions. I didn't sleep much, but I was warm, so that's good. I plan to make it to Newfound Gap tomorrow. I'll be a day early, but I don't think Sarah will mind.
Date: 2006-03-22
From: Newfound Gap/Gatlinburg

To: Gatlinburg Day's Inn
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

So far, I have done laundry, eaten at IHOP, and caught up on email. We are headed back up to Gatlinburg in another couple of hours. I will probably see some familiar faces up there. I'll bet a lot of people decided to ride out the storm there. I am really looking forward to some quality time with Sarah, since I don't know when I'll see her again for a while. If the hotel has internet, I will try to write another entry later. If not, I'll have to wait for Hot Springs.
Date: 2006-03-23
From: Gatlinburg/Newfound Gap

To: Tricorner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: broken clouds

It was hard to hit the trail today after my relaxing visit with Sarah. She reserved us a room at the Days Inn in Gatlinburg. It was a nice room, but if you ever stay there be advised, the continental breakfast leaves much to be desired. We spent most of the night going back and forth with ¢What do you want to do,¢ ¢I don¢t know, what do you want to do?¢ What we ended up doing was aimlessly flipping through channels on the Sevierville cable network, which incidentally, provides fewer options than the BBC with far less quality programming. All in all it was a terribly boring time, but we spent it together so it was wonderful. We took at quick spin by the Happy Hiker this morning to have my picture made for the Thruhiker Wall. I was there last night, but I was in town clothes and didn¢t quite have ¢the look.¢ After that, we drove up to Newfound Gap. Just before the gap, we saw a black shepherd mix dog in the middle of 441. I knew that Sarah would try to rescue him after she dropped me off. She may have a new pet the next time I talk to her.The first few miles out of the gap were icy and slow going. I made it unscathed to the Icewater Spring shelter. The two guys there told me that someone had ripped off the privy door and laid it by the firepit to burn, and that the ridgerunner was not happy about it. I had a quick lunch and pushed on. Just past the shelter, there was a large rolling patch of ice which was impossible to avoid. I stood in deep contemplation for some time, trying to work out exactly how I would negotiate it. Fortunately, life is not without a sense of humor. Just as I had established the appropriate course of action I slipped, landed on my posterior, and slid uncontrollably into the woods twenty feet away. After dusting myself off, I continued walking. I reached the turn for the Pecks Corner shelter around 3pm, where I seriously considered stopping despite the early time. Seconds later, Beef came zipping along and convinced me to push to Tricorner Knob. Let me tell you, that kid can fly. He set a pace that took us the remaining 5.5 miles in an hour and forty-five minutes. At the shelter, I met up with Treefrog and Show-me. They are the only guys near my age, and we have a lot in common, so I was glad to see them. There wasn¢t much to do after dinner, and my feet were cold, so I turned in early. I don¢t think I ever really slept though. Between the late night conversation and the incessant snoring, I pretty much just watched the seconds tick by.