morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-04-03
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Plumorchard Gap Shelter
Miles today: 4.3
Weather: clear sky

Ugh, I have the hiker crud. I started feeling icky in the hot tub last night, and by the time I went to bed I felt pretty rotten. That's one good way to get a bed all to yourself, though!! Bumpkin put herself in the running for sainthood by rubbing everyone's feet, so she got a bed alone too, while Mudbutt and Julia shared the remaining bed.We spent the morning doing the rest of our town chores. These included mailing things we don't need to the next town stop, and going to the post office and grocery store. This may not sound like much, but it was 1:00 in the afternoon before we headed back out of town.The Fab4 decided to try our luck at hitching rather than pay the $12 - 20 for a shuttle to get the 11 miles back to the trail. Of course, a town lunch was in order first, and we decided on Subway. The four of us must have been quite a sight marching down the sidewalks of Hiawassee, GA, because we literally stopped traffic.We hadn't gotten more than a few blocks past the post office when a man in a full-sized van (a hiker's dream ride) pulled over and said, "That's some trail you're hiking on!" We laughed and he offered us a ride back to the trail. How could we pass up this great ride, but then, how could we pass up Subway??? Someone said, "Oh, we were going to lunch at Subway first," and I said, "Why don't you let us buy you lunch and then you can take us to the trail?"So into the van we piled, and Tim drove us to Subway, where he wouldn't even eat. We chatted for a while and he drove us on to the trail. What a great trail angel! Tim is an ER doctor from Vero Beach, FL who has a cabin a few miles from the AT. He brings his family up here and they do a good bit of hiking. Thanks for the ride and the great conversation, Tim!NOTE to niece and nephews: hitchhiking is something you should never, ever do, unless you are a long-distance hiker in a trail town and in a group --- and maybe not even then!!! Yeah, yeah, do as I say, not as I do.We hiked on to Plumorchard Gap Shelter, and decided against walking the 0.2 "bonus miles" down the side trail to the shelter. We camped just off the AT instead.   (Only actual Appalachian Trail miles count for a thru hike, so many hikers will go to great extremes to avoid hiking one foot more than they absolutely have to. Like I always say, isn't 2170 miles enough?)4.3 miles is a short day, granted, but I was whipped at the end. I just sat there catatonic while everyone else cooked dinner. I had some cheese and a pear for dinner, since the idea of anything else in my food bag turned my stomach. I sure hope I feel better tomorrow!
Date: 2003-04-04
From: Plumorchard Gap Shelter

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: overcast clouds

WHOOO-HOOOOOO! Our first state line today!!!This morning after we all got up, we danced and sang at the top of our lungs between and during our morning chores. Thank goodness we were camped 0.2 miles from the shelter!The funniest moment must have been when we were singing and dancing the Twist. Sidewinder and Booble had just passed by and were headed up the moutain just above us, and Sidewinder did a great Twist as he hiked, legs and hiking poles going in every direction.We crossed into North Carolina this afternoon. It was so much fun! We took lots of pictures at the state line sign, then walked a little more to a campsite, where we had our first of 13 state line parties.Bumpkin brought a cake soaked in blackberry wine (which I carried from town, and I swear that thing weighed two pounds). I had a pink birthday candle, which we lit on the cake. We then sang a gorgeous rendition of "Happy North Carolina to us," and had our lunch and the cake.Thank goodness I was feeling better today, because NC welcomes you with the steepest climb yet out of Bly Gap. Mudbutt and I hiked most of the day together. I love to hike with her! A la Jan LiteShoe, at each summit we could either cry out, "TELL THE QUEEN... WE HAVE TAKEN THE MOUNTAIN!" or perform the Dance of the Real Woman, or both. Did I mention that we already have a reputation among the hikers?At the end of the day, Hiker-Biker Babe (formerly known as Julia) had once again scoped out a great campsite away from the shelter for us and made a wonderful fire, drizzle or no drizzle. Bumpkin shared her bagels, bagel chips, herbed Feta cheese and Easter egg Whoppers, and Mudbutt and I hung the food bags. We sang a verse of "Climb Every Mountain" (making up in volume what we lacked in beauty) and had dinner, and everyone retired about 8:30 to journal and sleep.Another great day for the Fab4. Life is good!!!Revelation of the day: it's really hard to eat lunch wearing a bug net over your head.
Date: 2003-04-05
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Standing Indian Mountain Summit
Miles today: 6.4

Today I discovered how entertaining it can be to lie in bed, all toasty and dry, and watch the raindrops gather and roll off the tarp above my head. Pretty good rainstorm this morning, complete with lots of thunder rolling around. Somebody upstairs must not have watched the Weather Channel, because it was predicted to be dry until tomorrow, with only a chance of light rain then!Our plan had been to get up around 7 to prepare for a 9:00 departure, but at 9 we were all still holed up in our sleeping bags. In fact, I was the last one to finally roll out at noon! I wake up early as a rule, but it still takes me forever to get packed up and going in the mornings, and that's if I concentrate! Mornings in our campsite are NOT conducive to deep thought, unless you think of a campsite dance party as deep.I walked the first few miles with Mud Butt once I caught her. At 3:00 we came down into Deep Gap to see a big sign that said "FREE LUNCH for Thru-Hikers, courtesy of the Hostel in the Forest!" Ooooooohh! Who says there's no such thing as a free lunch??The hostel's proprietor, Tom, and his two grandsons Hunter and Burton were grilling burgers and hot dogs for the hikers, and giving out sodas and chips. It was really fun, and I think my hiker appetite has kicked in! I ate three hamburgers and two bags of chips, washed down with the most delicious Sprite ever.After we ate, the Fearless 4 entertained all the hikers and trail angels by performing the Dance of the Real Woman (by request). I must say, we were quite the hit.The trek up Standing Indian Mountain brought us above 5000 feet for the first time, but the climb was switchbacked well and hardly hurt at all. When Mud Butt and I arrived at the summit, Bumpkin and Hiker-Biker Babe had set up in a great campsite with Firefeet and were gathering wood for a fire. MB and I quickly set up camp and spread our damp things on the bushes to dry. Then we headed down the steep and slippery slope to the water source. We managed to make it back up and hang our bear lines before it got dark. We all chatted and laughed around the fire for a while (I didn't even cook dinner, I was so full still from the trail magic!!)Except for the late start and the trail magic, this was a pretty typical day for us. Life is very good!
Date: 2003-04-06
From: Standing Indian Mountain Summit

To: Betty Creek Gap
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: broken clouds

A big day for the Fearless 4, at almost 10 miles! The hike today was relatively easy, and we got an early enough start that Mud Butt and I arrived in camp long before dark. As a matter of fact, it's not even dark yet and we're all bundled up in our tents because of the rain. Brrrrrr!We are camped at Betty Creek Gap along with Q and Jonachi, Iron Chef Connecticut, Firefeet and a man we don't know. Yet. Everyone is in their tents and Q has been playing her Irish tin whistle for a while. It is so beautiful, especially haunting in the rain.Tomorrow promises to be a rough day. We have to summit Albert Mountain (one everybody complains about) AND Big Butt Mountain (which, from the topographic map, I think I'll like much better in name than in fact.) But that's tomorrow.I had a great time today. I hiked for a couple of hours with Hiker-Biker Babe, and we got a good chance to chat. After that, I sat in the sun until Mud Butt caught up, writing in my journal and snacking. Mmmmmm, snacks.I got to hike with MB for the rest of the day, which is always a party. We sang themes from the TV shows of childhood --- Gilligan's Island, Green Acres, I Dream of Jeannie --- and laughed a lot.At one point when we were singing the song to Jeannie, a guy walked up behind us and I said to him, "OK, your turn. What theme song do you want to sing?" I think we scared him a little because he seemed to speed up right then.It's only 7:30 new time and I'm tired!!! I'm sure there will be new adventures tomorrow to write about, and we hope to be in town the next day. That's always fun. Mmmmmm, pizza....
Date: 2003-04-10
From: Wine Spring Gap

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: moderate rain

Today was not a good day, although it started out pretty cool. Literally.We woke up to 2 - 3 inches of snow. When I first woke up, couldn't figure out why my tarp was plastered to the sides of my hammock. Then I peeked out and saw snow everywhere! Hiker-biker Babe and I had fun throwing a few snowballs and then started to pack up.I noticed that my sleeping bag had gotten a little wet from the condensation; this happens when there's not enough ventilation in the tent. This is not a good thing with a down bag. Then I got cold packing up, because at this point it was snowing really hard. My mittens, which are not waterproof, got totally iced over.I started getting very nervous because I was so cold and wet, so I packed up willy-nilly and fast, and headed out of camp. It was just above freezing and wet heavy snow was coming down hard, and the trail was all mud under the snow.Because my pack was so badly arranged, I kept slipping and sliding on the mud and fell down four times! Finally at the top of a mountain, I felt warm enough to repack my pack, and then I was much more stable on my feet. However, I was too cold to get out food and water. Not my most brilliant moment.As I hiked on, my hands got colder and redder, and I started feeling more and more sluggish. Duh! This is what happens if you don't eat OR drink!HBB promised me hot tea as soon as I arrived at the shelter, and she headed on while I dragged myself up the mountain. Partway there, Q and Jonachi caught up with me. She was also on the verge of tears, and they eventually passed me too.That 7.6 miles felt like 20! When I finally arrived at the shelter, HBB, Q and Jonachi had me bundle all up and get in my bag. They made me tea and dinner and brought me everything I asked for. Service!! Hmmm, perhaps I should have a crisis more often...I eventually warmed up and the 9 of us (crammed into a 6-person shelter) had fun joking around and fantasizing about food.All's well that ends well, I suppose, but I'll be buying some waterproof gloves at NOC!(note from Pete: Waterproof gloves were bought at NOC. Only Two sizes available Small - which barely fir and X-Large which were like a softball mit).
Date: 2003-04-11
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: NOC
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

The good news is, we had a good hike today. The bad news is, I was in such a hurry to get out of that shelter that I left without my pants and the raincover for my pack! The really scary thing is, this is the second time I've lost my pants: my long underwear bottoms AND my pants disappeared when we hitched a ride in a pickup at Dicks Creek Gap. Pete is wondering if he should worry about my serial pants loss problem.Luckily, Mountain Butterfly carried my stuff all 11 and a half miles to NOC. I didn't even get to see her to say thanks!I was thrilled to arrive at NOC, because Pete met me there for a couple of nights' visit. We stayed in the motel right there at NOC and had a wondeful reunion.Pete was very popular with my friends because he paid for meals for various hikers, and hostel bunks for Q and Jonachi (they did save my butt at the shelter, after all).I'm looking forward to a zero tomorrow to rest my tired bones and spend some quality time with my husband and the NOC restaurant.A Note From Pete - Yes I am somewhat concerned about her losing her pants by "accident" all the time Hmmmmmmmmmmm?
Date: 2003-04-12
From: NOC

To: NOC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Ah, glorious zero day. We had a great time just hanging out, going to town to do errands, and eating a lot. I believe it when I read that thru hikers gain a pound a day in town! Pete would always let the hikers in front of him at the breakfast buffet, saying, hey, I don't want to lose a hand here!It's amazing to me how important food becomes to hikers. We sit in the shelters and fantasize about food for hours, and it's always a topic of conversation when you hike with someone new. "What food do you dream about when you're out?" I'm a little unusual (big surprise there) in that I dream of crunchy yummy juicy salad. Yes, salad. Also sweet tea and ocasionally fresh grilled mountain trout. Mmmmmmmm, mountain trout.I am strangely anxious to get back on the trail, but at the same time I am enjoying the chance to relax, see Pete, dry out my gear and eat as much as possible!
Date: 2003-04-13
From: NOC

To: Stecoah Gap
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: clear sky

Hammock Hanger, you are the BOMB!!! HH provided a slackpack for me and Hiker-Biker babe today. This means that she sent us off from NOC carrying only water and snacks for the day (maybe 7 pounds instead of the usual 22 or so), and picked us up in her fancy Jeep at the end of the day. Then we got to spend another night at the NOC hotel. Ahhhh... showers, hot food, running water, soft bed!!!!She also warned us that the climb out of NOC was never-ending, and by golly she was not kidding around!Pete had to leave this morning (hey, somebody has to work for a living, right???), and he hiked straight up the mountain with me for about 20 minutes before he had to turn around and head for the airport. It was a hard thing to keep making my way up the mountain after that!But up and up I went... and up. I was really glad for HH's warning, because at least I was expecting the craziness that ensued. Every time I would think I was at the top of the climb, the trail would turn a corner and head up again. It really wasn't too bad when I was expecting it, though. In fact, when HH picked us up at the trailhead at the end of the day (with a cold beer for each of us!!), I still had good miles left in me.After cleaning up at the NOC hotel, we needed to eat. The restaurant at NOC had run out of food (guess you can tell when a bunch of hikers have been through) so we headed into town. We found a Mexican restaurant that had great food, but the entertainment was even better.The waiters were enthralled with HBB: one of them kept finding any excuse to come to the table and goggle at her. He actually would come to the table, put down a single napkin, leave for a moment, and come back with another single napkin. I think we ended up with about 16 napkins at the table. The show continued until we left a couple of hours later, when they stood outside to stare until we drove out of sight.Another entertaining day on and off the trail...
Date: 2003-04-14
From: Stecoah Gap

To: NC28
Miles today: 14.0

Wow, what a day! Hammock Hanger slacked us again and I made my best time yet... about 2 miles an hour with breaks! I have a feeling I'm going to be very aware of those almost 30 pounds with food in the Smokies!It was an especially gorgeous day today. The sky was a clear light blue and the spring flowers were everywhere. The bright green of budding trees surrounded me as I walked, and waterfalls danced just for me every so often. I AM starting to get a little better at this walking up mountains thing. The most noticeable part of this is that I can make it much farther up the mountain before I have to stop. Also, the reason for stopping has changed; at first I thought my heart was going to explode, and then I'd just have to stop to catch my breath. Now I have to stop because that's the only way my calves will stop screaming at me for a moment! Also, I notice that my foot placement is getting better, so that I don't have to concentrate quite so hard to keep from falling down!Now that the actual hiking requires a little less active thought, I am able to pay much more attention to the eye-popping beauty of spring bursting out all around me. Also, I am finally able to engage in some deeper thought than "I think I can, I thik I can." I'll let you know if I come up with anything profound.Tomorrow, on to the Smokies!
Date: 2003-04-15
From: Fontana Village

To: Birch Spring Gap
Miles today: 7.0

Today totally kicked my butt.I'm so confused! According to my nifty wristwatch thermometer (which I had away from me and out of the sun to get an accurate reading) it reached 84 degrees at one point today, and nearly the whole day was uphill. How can it be that I thought I was going to freeze to death just a few days ago??!?!? It was hot and slow going up the mountain that never ended, and I sure was feeling that extra packweight! I was about willing to swear in court that my pack weighed 85 pounds, especially after slackpacking for two days! Everybody here at the campsite is complaining about carrying a week's worth of food when we usually carry about three days' worth. The winner has to be Play. He's 19 without an ounce of body fat, and is a vegetarian to boot. That means lots of backpacking staples (mmmmmm... Slim Jim) don't work for him. The man is carrying 4 pounds of food for EACH DAY!!! I probably have a little more than a pound a day for me.Hiker-Biker Babe and I had intended to go about 14 miles today, but the heat and the crazy forever uphill just whipped us both. I'm kind of glad we decided to stop when we did, though, because it is packed here!!!The Smokies receive over a million visitors a year, so the regulations here are very heavy. We have backcountry permits that we have to carry at all times (or risk a stiff fine) and can only camp at shelters or designated campsites. The camping area here has sites for 7 tents and a very stern sign that we are not to pitch a tent anywhere else, but there must be 15 people here. Those of us with hammocks are doubling up so a tenter can share our site, and the smaller tents are crammed in two to a space, but some people still had to pitch in the woods. I know the impact from visitors here is tremendous, but 7 campsites is ridiculous!Complicating matters is that the Smokies has a lot of problem bears. Hopefully they'll be intimidated by the crowd here tonight!We did have a great time hanging around Play's campfire tonight. He and I got going and had the rest of the hikers rolling on the dirt laughing. Iron Chef just stopped by my hammock to tell me that Play and I are the campfire Abbot and Costello.We have some big miles to cover tomorrow, and at 9:30 it's way past my bedtime! Being the campfire entertainment wears a girl out (although Play opted to do a full moon hike the 6 miles to the next shelter). More tales of adventure tomorrow...Note from Pete: I am soooooo excited this tail does not end with "and I lost my pants, again!!!!!!!"
Date: 2003-04-16
From: Birch Spring Gap

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: overcast clouds

My biggest miles yet, and boy, am I beat!Yesterday, I didn't much like the Smokies. What a difference a good night's sleep makes!This morning, I watched the sun rise over the mountains as I hiked north. In many places, the ground was carpeted with spring flowers; elsewhere, I saw bright green grass and ferns and other plants. The birds sang a symphony, the hiking was easy, all was right with the world.It is amazing to think how many people have hiked these trails over the years. In many places, the trail is worn so deep that the ground on both sides comes up well over my knees! The channel is also verynarrow where it's deep, so the footing can be a little tricky.Hiker-Biker Babe and I had decided that, since she is the faster hiker, I would wake up early and get started. That way she would catch me in the afternoon. Well, I got started hiking at 7, and she never did catch me. Like I said, the hiking was easy in the morning!I stopped for a loooong break in the heat of the day at Spence Field Shelter, which would have made for a 10.8 mile day.   I heard through the hikers passing north as I loafed on the grassy bald that HBB was taking her loooong break at the previous shelter! Oh well.Since I had covered that almost 11 miles in such good time, I decided to head on after doing absolutely nothing for two hours. Since we had a short day yesterday I wanted to make up some miles. The next shelter was another 6 miles or so. I hoped that HBB was up for a 17 mile day!Well, I hadn't gotten a half mile beyond the shelter when the hiking sudenly got much harder. Aaaargh! The trail was steep in sections and very rocky. Let's not forget I hike in sandals! Watching out for my delicate (and filthy) tootsies made for some slow hiking. I finally made it to the shelter at 8, exhausted, and just had time to set up my hammock before dark. HBB arrived soon after.HBB and I split a package of four cheese mashed potatoes ("serves 4") and ate everything else we could reach in our food bags before collapsing to bed. We're going to have to make miles if our food is going to last us through the Smokies!
Date: 2003-04-17
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: broken clouds

The siren song of almost-empty Double Spring Shelter proved too much for us this afternoon. It hailed and rained on us much of the day, and the wind was almost enough to blow us over at times. We stopped for a break and to decide whether to press on another 6 miles to the next shelter.We're starting to worry about our food supply, so we have to make some miles. However, we'd really like to experience Clingman's Dome (the highest point on the Appalachian Trail at 6643') in clear weather. Also, I was feeling a little lazy after the big day yesterday.When we arrived at the shelter, the Blues Brothers were the only other people here. It's now not quite 6 pm and we have at least 16. The shelter is built for 12, I think, but there's a saying: the shelter's not full until the last thru-hiker pulls in. We're packed in like sardines, though, so if anyone else shows up they may be on the wet dirt floor. (The roofs leak in all the shelters here in the Smokies.)We had fun getting to know the Blues Brothers, Cornbread and Sleepy Floyd, among others. I hope the weather dries up soon so I can go back to my hammock, though. I'm spoiled by how comfortable it is, especially compared to a wooden sleeping platform. Also, the snoring in the shelters can be intense! However, I'll take it in stormy weather any day!Tomorrow, on to Clingman's Dome!