morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-03-03
To: pre-trail jitters!
Miles today: 0.0

ith t-minus 14 days until i head to the southern terminus of the appalachian trail, i'm a bit frazzled to say the least. my days are spent dehydrating meals, refining my packing list, hunting for cardboard boxes, and conditioning my body for the exigencies of the trail. amy has been a godsend. because she has electricity included in her rent, she's allowing me to use my dehydrator there. that means that her house smelled like green peppers three nights ago, boca burgers two nights ago, and currently smells pungently of onion! she's a saint! tonight we leave for our romantic getaway. and what does that entail? first we go to the sabres vs. mapleleafs game where the #16 will rise into the rafters (long live pat lafontaine). then off to clifton hill for two nights, where we'll play video games, do up some haunted houses, go swimming in the hotel pool, and other such fun stuff. yeah, we're quite romantic, huh? haha! i digress...anyway, my appalachian trail trip is shaping up nicely. with two weeks to get everything ready, i am a bit frazzled, but i know i can do it. my only true fear is that my knees aren't up to the challenge of walking an average of 17mi. a day, 6 days a week, for 4.5 months. only time will tell.wish me luck!dan
Date: 2006-03-15
To: And off they go!
Miles today: 0.0

Friday I'll be leaving Buffalo to meet up with Chris (my hiking partner) in Asheville, NC. From there Chris' friend will shuttle us to the trailhead in Georgia and we'll start hiking Monday morning!Everyone I talk to asks me if I'm excited. I'm sure I'd be able to detect excitement in my mood if I wasn't so stressed trying to get everything done before Friday! However, with every little thing I cross off my to do list I feel a bit less stressed and a bit more eager to hit the trail. It's hard to imagine this time next week I'll be working my way north on foot. (Did I mention I have the pre-trail jitters?) Wish me luck!Dan
Date: 2006-03-19
From: Asheville, NC

To: Springer Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: broken clouds

Crazy first day! Stayed at Chris' friend Scott's house in Asheville last night and the plan was for him to drop us at Amicalola State Park this morning. It was a 3 hr. drive, so we started pretty early, but his car began sputtering and died about an hour and 1/2 in!Chris and I ended up hitching to Amicalola from there, which put us at a 2:30pm trail start time. Fortunately, it was a fairly easy day - rather encouraging since it's supposed to be one of the hardest we encounter at the start. We're camping at Springer Mountain Shelter with all kinds of folks - there's a bit of a tent city! We'll probably all migrate to Hawk Mountain Shelter (7.6 mi.) tomorrow!I feel good having finished my first day. However, tomorrow's our real start since Springer is the official southern terminus of the AT. It was nice seeing the Springer Mountain plaque and the first white blaze (the trail is marked with white 2"x6" 'blazes' on trees and stones). We'll be seeing plenty more of those!Dan
Date: 2006-03-21
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Good last two days! Yesterday was our first actual day on the AT and it was a bit of a trial. The hike wasn't so bad, but the sky was overcast all day and it began raining shortly after we got to camp (Hawk Mountain Shelter). And it was a COLD rain! Since it was a short day, we all got into camp early and just sat around the shelter shivering for about 6 hours before going to bed. There was some good conversation during those hours though. I think I received my trail name last night. I'm the only one out here with a bear canister instead of a bear bag, so Rush Hour thought "Bear Can" would be a good name for me. It hasn't caught on just yet, but people seem to dig it.So that was last night. We all sat around and shivered until we hit the sack, where most of us shivered again for another 8 hours or so. To make matters worse, a thick fog rolled in and dampened all our gear in the shelter, forcing us all to pack a few extra pounds of water weight this morning!Today was a much nicer day. First of all, the fog was so thick that you could only see the biggest trees in the forest. I felt like I was hiking through the forests of Endor at dawn. I was waiting for some furry little bears to drop rocks on AT-STs from their animal hide hang gliders. Anyway, as we came out of the mountains and down into Gooch Gap, we escaped the fog and encountered a bit of warmth. We got to Gooch Shelter by 12:20 (8 mi. day) and within an hour of our arrival the sun came out we were able to dry our sleeping bags and clothing. Quite a good day.All the usual suspects have rolled into camp since I started writing, so we'll probably have some more good conversation tonight!16 miles down, 2159 to go.Bear CanPS - Yesterday Chris and I visited an old cemetery from the early 1900s. It was just a short jaunt off the trail and well worth the side hike. Unlike most old cemeteries I've encountered, the headstones were simply dug-up rocks without inscriptions - they just marked where a body lie. There were a few ornamented headstones, probably those of well-to-do citizens of the now extinct "Flats" community. The neatest thing is that every August the families of those buried at the site come out to maintain the cemetery.
Date: 2006-03-22
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Slaughter Creek Campsites
Miles today: 12.0

What a day! We hiked 12 miles from Gooch Mountain Shelter to the Slaughter Creek Campsites and damn was it beautiful! Here's a few highlights:Everyone froze last night! We had that 2 floor shelter packed, yet we still all shivered through the hours. As people started getting up around 6am someone checked their thermometer to find it 27 degrees! I can only imagine what it would have said in the deep of night. Prior to heading out of camp, I went to fill up my water and found ice in my water bladder!The first few miles out of camp we skirted a ridgeline heading north and there was a furious wind ripping across the mountains, chilling us to the bone. It was amazing to hear the way that wind howled! However, I was glad when the trail took us a bit below the ridge and into a "wind shadow."As we lost some elevation on our approach to Woody Gap, we noticed that some of the mountains up ahead were frosted with snow at their tops. It was a really neat sight we were able to experience up close when we got to the summit of Big Cedar Mountain. We noticed what appeared to be tiny snowflakes falling upon us. In reality the temperature was rising, causing the snow-tipped branches of the trees to shed "snowflakes" down upon us.The view atop Big Cedar Mountain was gorgeous, but somewhat eerie. The mountains to the west were the final home of the Cherokee people before the US government forced them from their land once and for all. In 1838, the US military rounded them up and made them march to "Indian Territory" in Oklahoma along what is now known as the Trail of Tears. All that pain and suffering has left a heavy silence in these mountains.By the time we left Big Cedar the sun was out in full force and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It made for a warm hike to the Slaughter Creek Campsites. The camp isn't that well established that it attracts the masses. There's no privy, bear cable or shelter, so most opt to stay at Woods Hole Shelter a 1/2 mile back. There's only 3 of us here - Chris, Snickers (a Desert Storm Vet from the area) and me - a far cry from the 15-20 that have been at the last 3 sites. It's nice and quiet, which is a nice change (there's no incessant chatter!).This is the maiden voyage of my tarp and damn does it look good. I can't wait to sleep in there tonight; hopefully the weather will stay dry and the night will be a bit warmer than the last! Well, time to make some supper.27 miles down, 2148 to go!Bear Can(Edit: Shortly after writing this entry, all the usual suspects rolled in, raising the population of our 3 person campsite to 15-20. So much for a quiet night!)
Date: 2006-03-23
From: Slaughter Creek Campsites

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: broken clouds

Another eventful day on the AT. We got up this morning at 5:30am. The maiden voyage of my tarp was a huge success. It kept me nice and toasty last night, even though it was a pretty cold one.Apparently, the night at Blood Mountain was a bit worse. We came up Blood at roughly 7:30am to find a dusting of snow on the ground and several shivering thru-hikers in the shelter!To continue the Cherokee topic I touched upon yesterday, there's a few theories behind the names Blood Mountain and Slaughter Creek. One theory is that as Europeans pushed the natives further west in the 1600s, the Cherokee and Creek found themselves warring for territory, causing the mountains and gaps to run red with blood. Another theory is that as the Cherokee were forced westward in the years leading up to the Revolutionary War, they retaliated against the settlers, destroying farmlands and slaughtering entire families. At this time, Gen. Griffith Rutherford was waging a punitive expedition against Native American tribes to deter them from siding with the British in the war. Because of the unrest in this region, Col. Andrew Williamson led his company through these mountains, torching native villages, while slaughtering the inhabitants. Hence the names Blood Mountain and Slaughter Creek. A third theory, which doesn't explain the name Slaughter Creek, claims that the name Blood Mountain is derived from the reddish lichens that cover its slopes. However, that's a much less historically-intriguing theory!To switch tops a bit, today we encountered our first bit of "trail magic." Trail magic is an AT phenomenon: people who live along the trail wait at shelters and trail crossings with food and other goodies to bestow upon the lucky hikers passing by. Today as we came down into Tesnatee Gap, there was a couple - Chris and Lisa - with crates of snacks, pop, first aid materials and a host of other treats. We had just eaten, but couldn't pass up the opportunity, so I chugged a Dr. Pepper and Chris chomped on some Doritos. What a treat!Today was a 14 mile day and I'm feeling pretty tired. We're staying at Low Gap Shelter and will be hiking into Helen, GA tomorrow for our first resupply - WOO HOO! We need to make it there first though. It snowing here at the shelter and who knows how much will accumulate by morning. I hope we won't have to hike through too much of it! Well, off to sleep.41 miles down, 2134 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-03-25
From: Helen, GA

To: Cheese Factory Campsite
Miles today: 4.0

Helen, GAWe made it through our first week on the AT! We hiked to Unicoi Gap yesterday from Low Gap Shelter and were planning on hitching into Helen. However, at the gap we met "Naps-A-Lot", a retired Army Ranger and Vietnam Vet from Alabama who started the trail today. He had nothing to do yesterday, so drove to the trail crossing to give hikers a ride into town. What a saint!Helen is weird! It's supposed to be an Alpine Village, but has more of a Disney-does-Bavaria feel to it. Chris and I shacked up at the Alpenhof Motel and I took the best shower of my life! Last night we went out to eat at La Caba±a, an authentic Mexican restaurant (go figure, Alpine Village with authentic Mexican food) with a live Mariachi band. In spanish, I asked the band to play a love song for Chris, which they all got a kick out of. Chris didn't know what was going on at first, but once he figured it out he turned a few shades redder. Well, time to return to the trail. We're hitching back to Unicoi Gap today and will hike in a few miles to the Cheese Factory Campsite. Bear Can
Date: 2006-03-26
From: Cheese Factory Campsite

To: Little Bald Knob Campsite
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: few clouds

Last night and this morning were a trial. It was by far the coldest night, probably in the teens, and I could feel the cold coming right through my bag. I slept fine until I woke up at 12:30am to go to the bathroom. From then on I couldn't fall asleep for more than 30 minutes at a time, so shivered through the hours. When I got up at 5:30am my water bladder was frozen and I couldn't get any water out. I broke camp and started hiking with Chris around 7am, hoping the temperature would rise as the sun came up. For three hours I did battle with my bladder hose before the day warmed up and melted the water. By this time, we had walked several miles and climbed quite a bit of elevation. Needless to say, I was quite parched and my morale wasn't riding so high.Around noon it started to get pretty warm and I started feeling a bit better. By the time we rolled into camp (Little Bald Knob) my morale was back up and I had learned a few lessons:1) After a resupply I need to mentally prepare myself for returning to the trail. I really enjoyed our time in Helen: catching up with Amy and my parents, taking a shower, getting a nice cooked meal, sleeping in a warm bed. It wasn't until we got dropped off at Unicoi Gap and started marching up our 1000 foot ascent that my mind returned to the trail. Because I hadn't prepped myself mentally for that ascent and return, it jarred me a bit, allowing the freezing night to take a pot shot at my morale.2) I shouldn't sacrifice warmth for a light pack. My sleeping gear was inadequate last night and probably will be again before spring truly comes. When we get to Franklin I need to either buy a fleece liner or have Jim mail me my 15 degree bag.3)This isn't a competition. I don't have to be the fastest. I don't have to have the best morale all the time. My only concern should be thru-hiking this trail while enjoying myself as much as possible.I need to keep these things in mind as I continue with this adventure.This is a really neat campsite. We hiked here from the Cheese Factory Campsite (13.5 miles) and we have the place to ourselves. The guidebook calls this a mountain spur; it's like a mountain peninsula. I pitched my tarp out as far back as you can go, so there's nothing but steep banks on 3 sides.I'm hoping it'll be warmer tonight. I pitched my tarp lower to the ground than last night and put some fallen pine boughs by the opening to block any renegade wind, so hopefully I'll stay warmer than last night. Hopefully, it won't get as cold, but you never know. The Weather Channel said North Georgia is getting uncharacteristically cold weather this year. We'll find out!67.9 miles down, 2107.1 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-03-27
From: Little Bald Knob Campsite

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: clear sky

What a beautiful day! It was exactly what I needed to solidify good morale. Last night there was no wind and I stayed nice and toasty. Slept in this morning and had the sunrise shed some gorgeous red light into my tarp. We hiked out of Little Bald Knob to Muskrat Creek Shelter today (10.5 miles) crossing the GA/NC border in the process! Passing by that sign made me realize we're making some real progress here!North Carolina welcomed us with two grueling ascents right off the bat - Sharp Top and Courthouse Bald - but it was smooth sailing into camp from there. The sun has been out all day; it's been by far the warmest day yet. It's supposed to rain tonight/tomorrow morning, so we'll see if the warm temperature lasts.78.4 miles down, 2096.6 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-03-28
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: overcast clouds

What a big day! We hiked 19.3 miles from Muskrat Creek Shelter to Big Spring Shelter, our longest day yet.I got going at 6:30 this morning, just before the sun came up. The trail went through this patch of rhododendron that created a tunnel. It was a bit eerie walking along that stretch in that dim light; I felt like I was in the Wizard of Oz and trees were going to start throwing apples at me!Standing Indian Mountain was a good 5 or 6 miles of my day. The ascent was 2 miles long, but gradual as hell. The descent was even more gradual and longer. I kept forgetting I was climbing a mountain!The name Standing Indian Mountain comes from Cherokee folklore. The legend holds that a bolt of lightning killed a group of monsters atop the mountain, leaving the summit bald. At the time the lightning struck, a Cherokee was standing watch nearby and was turned to stone, hence the name Standing Indian. I looked for a large upright stone near the top, but my search was to no avail. Maybe he got tired and decided to lay down!I hit some nice trail magic today. I got to Mooney Gap and had just 2 more miles to the shelter. However, those were to be the most arduous miles of the day, culminating in Albert Mountain, the steepest climb we've encountered yet. I was pretty fatigued by this point, but sucked it up and kept trucking. I got about 1/2 mile in and heard a generator running. I came around the corner and saw a sign that read "TRAIL MAGIC" next to a side trail. I took the trail about ten yards to a clearing where an RV was camped out with some folks hanging about. Right away they told me to put my pack down and grab a pop from the cooler. Then the woman, "Flatbread", made me a quesadilla that was phenomenal! The three of them - "Gatorade", "Fishin' Fred", and "Flatbread" - aren't even from the area, but they've been camped out for nearly a month, treating thru-hikers as they come by. That break gave me the mental energy to get over Albert and down into camp!The view from Albert was gorgeous. There was a fire tower up there, which I climbed. I could see so far it was unbelievable. Unfortunately, my camera batteries are dead, so the view will have to live in my memory.It should be an easy 9.1 miles to Winding Stair Gap tomorrow, then into Franklin for a resupply - WOO HOO! Well, time to make some dinner.97.7 miles down, 2077.3 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-03-31
From: Winding Stair Gap (Franklin, NC)

To: Cold Springs Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: broken clouds

Yesterday was a much enjoyed zero day in Franklin, NC. Ron Haven, of the Haven Budget Inn and the Sapphire Inn, is throwing a Hiker Fest and last night was the kickoff. All you could eat for $5 - can't beat that! Plus he ran shuttles from various places up and down the trail, so lots of thru-hikers I hadn't seen in a bit were there. Good times!I caught a 5:30am taxi to the trailhead this morning with "Silverback", a man in his sixties with still quite a bit of spunk - he pulls 17 mile days like it's his job! Chris (from here on out known as "Jetwash" due to his bodily functions) had left town the day before, so I had to catch up. It didn't end up being too hard due to the fact that I start at 5:30am that morning and he had camped only 5 miles up the trail the night before.I hiked 15.9 miles today from Winding Stair Gap to Cold Springs Shelter. This shelter was built in 1933 by the Civilian Conservation Corps - now that's an old shelter! Still in pretty good shape too.We climbed up Wayah Bald today, where a tower built by the CCC stands. Upon its completion in 1937, it was a fire tower much taller than the building that remains. The Forest Service refurbished it a few decades back, hacking off the upper two levels. There's still a pretty good view from the tower though. Supposedly on a clear day you can see the Smokies, but it was way too overcast today.We came through Burningtown Gap about a mile before reaching camp. The gap was the former site of the Cherokee village Tikaleyasuni. The name Burningtown was coined because the village was put to the torch by Col. Andrew Williamson's troops in 1776, during the same punitive expedition I mentioned a few entries back. Although this gap appeared no different than the many others we've traversed, knowing its story caused me to feel a bit lonely as we passed through. I'm getting into the groove with this whole AT thing. I'm growing accustomed to the mileage, my muscles are getting stronger, my feet are callousing over and I'm developing a daily routine. The real challenge in the upcoming months will be battling the boredom when every vista and forest starts to look the same! It hasn't hit me yet, but I hear it usually happens in Virginia ("The Virginia Blues"). We'll see!122.6 miles down, 2052.4 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-04-01
From: Cold Springs Shelter

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: light rain

April Fools Day! And what a day it was. We hiked 18.4 miles from Cold Springs Shelter to Sassafras Gap Shelter, descending one side of the Nantahala gorge, crossing the river, then ascending the other side. That was the toughest hike we've had yet! The downhill was a relentless 5 miles, but the uphill was an even worse 7 (climbing 3,500' in the process). To aggravate the situation, this mountain was playing an April Fools Day prank of its own, offering false summit after false summit, until I was cursing Hallmark for creating this damn day!They say that's the hardest climb on the AT south of the Whites in New Hampshire, but it wasn't too bad. The hike was rough, but Dix in the Adirondacks puts it to shame. No contest. Furthermore, the weather today was amazing; it was my first day in t-shirt and shorts!The days/nights are definitely getting warmer. The last few nights I haven't had to use the hood on my mummy bag. Hopefully this will last!Where the AT crosses the Nantahala River lies the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). When Jetwash and I passed through we saw all kinds of mayhem: people running around with kayaks, canoes, whitewater rafts, mountain bikes. It was crazy! Amidst such chaos, they had a nice store where I was able to pick up a quite delicious ice cream sandwich! They also had a payphone from which I was able to call my better half! And to top it off, I ran into "Long Haul", a thru-hiker from Philly, and we shot it for a while, complaining about how bad both the Sabres and Fliers have been doing and making rough plans to meet up if our teams face off in the playoffs. It may have been 7 grueling miles from the NOC to here, but it was worth it. This a top notch shelter with two floors and windows. Let's just hope that mouse I saw running around earlier doesn't decide to walk across my face tonight!141 miles down, 2034 to go!Bear Can