morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-03-14
From: Big Spring Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap (Franklin NC)
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: light rain

Got a good night's sleep last night. We only have 9 miles today, so we took our time getting up. Time Traveler, Greg, CJ, Maki, and myself were up and walking by 09:00. I'm getting pretty good at rationing food, so all I had left were a few granola bars to carry today. After all the lightweight gear purchases and packing, a light pack can be utterly destroyed by poor planning. An extra day of food is the equivalent of carrying another sleeping bag. An extra liter of water is like carrying an extra tent. Anyways, our plan to not hike far in the rain worked out quite well. It rained on us the last 4 miles, but no one really cared if they got wet because we were going into town anyway. I really like hiking with other people, especially when my knee hurts. I can let someone else set the pace, and I can kind of mindlessly follow them. The 5 of us are staying at Ron Haven's budget Inn. Ron Haven is a trail legend that is absolutely amazing. He gives hikers awesome rates at his 2 motels, and shuttles everyone around town for free in his yellow mini school bus. He's quite a character too. Thick southern accent with a handlebar mustache. I'll try to get a picture of him tomorrow morning. After we got to town, he drove us to the Outfitter (where I got a pair of Crocs...as camp shoes), the post office, and the supermarket.   We all went to a nice diner place where I got a huge pile of bacon and cheese smothered fries, chicken tenders, salad, bud light, and these awesome rolls with cinamon butter. When we got shuttled around town, I bought 6 extra days of food to send to myself for the Smokey Mountains. The town right before the Smokies (Fontana) doesn't really have a great resupply area, so I will mail myself food tmorrow morning. It's supposed to rain hard and maybe hail tomorrow, so I'm not sure I'll be hiking. If not, then I will update tomorrow, but I'll probably do a half day. By the way, thank you all for reading. Please be patient with updates though. I write down the days events every night, and when I get to town I type them up and upload my pics, but if I don't have time, I mail my scribbles home for my faithful family to type up. So, updates take time."The traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see." - GK Chesterton
Date: 2008-03-15
From: Winding Stair Gap (Franklin NC)

To: Winding Stair Gap (Franklin NC)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Reluctant zero day. CJ, Gregg and Christine pushed on ahead while I sat in my motel room watching TV. I watched a little basketball, and a few movies including Waiting with Dane Cook and Ryan Reynolds. Hilarious movie. I zeroed because of the knee, my feet hurt, and it rained and hailed today.    I bought food for the Smokeys yesterday and I planned to mail it ahead to myself, but I forgot that it was Saturday so the Post Office closed early. Nice. Since the Post Office is closed tomorrow, I needed another solution. I called my faithful parents and asked them to send out some food (that I already bought). I should be there in 4 days or so, so I hope it makes it in time."Not all who wander are lost." J.R.R.Tolkien
Date: 2008-03-16
To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

Awesome day! Ron Haven gave a bunch of us a ride back to the trail in a yellow bus. I felt great all day. It was 60 degrees and sunny. Wayah Bald was the highlight of the day. I got there around lunchtime. So, I spent a half-hour at 5200', leaning back against a stone tower with Greg, Jukebox, Sam and 2 girls from Maine & NH named Burples and Toots. We talked about the trail, and what Jukebox calls "brain worms", which are things you get stuck in your head while hiking. For example, a few days ago, I got the free creditreport.com song stuck in my head, "F-R-E-E that spells free, creditreport.com baby!" I couldn't get it out of my head all day.   My knee felt great except for about 2 miles, so this was one of my favorite days so far. At mile 15, I see a HUGE tent with signs pointing toward TRAIL MAGIC! My first one! For those who don't know, trail magic is an unexpected dose of good will given to hikers by others. Apple has set up his huge tent for the last few week, inviting every hiker who comes by in for cold/hot drinks, hot dogs, cookies and conversation. Awesome. Jukebox, Greg, Sam, Strides and me all met up there and chatted. Very cool. Thanks Apple!   Good company in the shelter tonight. We've got 4 kids my age (including me). Strides goes to Colby College for environmental studies. Sam is from Georgia Tech as a civil engineer. Greg is talking about being an Outward Bound instructor. Strides and Sam did a 19 mile day and seem to be very strong hikers. Anyways, NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center) tomorrow and Fontana in a few days!"You can outdistance that which is running after you, but not what is running inside you." Rwandan Proverb
Date: 2008-03-17
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! My only green clothing I carry is my rain jacket, but alas, it did not rain today. Today I had 12 miles to Nantahala Outdoor Center and then I evaluated from there. The 12 miles into town were essentially ALL downhill which was interesting. My knee hurts on the midday uphills but I was scared that 12 miles of downhill would not be kind to it. My knee did great! It hurt a few times here and there, but I am very pleased with its performance. Speaking of that, I'd like to give a shoutout to my left leg for putting up with the crap of my right. It has picked up a lot of the slack. So, thank you left leg. The NOC was pretty cool. It's an outdoor center with an outfitter, a few restaurants, and a whitewater rafting program that shuttles you up river with wetsuits, etc. I grabbed a nice meal, which included a salad, ice cream brownie dessert, and a "Nantahala Gorge" which is a triple decker sandwich. Quite good. Greg and Time Traveler ate with me and invited me to drink until 20:00 (8 pm) and then do 2.5 miles of drunk night hiking up to a campsite with water. I declined to live it up for Saint Patrick's Day, but instead resisted the lure of town and pushed on until 15:30. I started going up all the downhill I did before lunch. I felt great. No knee pain (or Vitamin I take to mask it), full of energy, and "in the zone". "In the zone" refers to probably my favorite part of hiking. It happens when I am hiking alone, and I basically lose track of time and my mind runs free. I think about friends, family, philosophy, or pretty much anything. I did 7 more miles ALL uphill to Sassafras Gap Shelter. That makes this my biggest mileage day yet...and included a stop for lunch at the NOC! My overall pacing plan seems to be working out nicely. I planned to average about 10 miles per day up until the Smokies, book it through the Smokies, slow down a bit for the rest of NC/TEN, and then turn up the heat when I get to VA. Everyone is super jealous of my awesome guidebook. It's the best. I get asked to see it for the elevation profile several times a day. Everyone also thinks I'm a freak for eating my dinner out of a ziploc bag every night. The way I cook dinner is I use my stove to boil a cup of water, and pour it into a gallon ziploc bag along with 2 packets of ramen and all the flavor packets. The boiling water is absorbed into the noodles as I shake the bag, (and warms my hands), and it comes out perfectly every time. That also means no cleaning at all, which is a big plus for anyone who has seen me prepare food. It feels so good to be out here. It is such a paradox. It is by no means an easy life, but I am loving every day. I don't mind working hard if it is something WORTH doing. I am actually fulfilling a dream! Goodnight, might rain tomorrow."The past is our definition. We may strive with good reason to escape it, or to escape what is bad in it, but we will escape it only by adding something better to it." -- Wendell Berry
Date: 2008-03-18
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Good Day today. My first climb of the day was Checoah Bald. It was cloudy all day so I couldnt see anything and it was a brutal climb. I started with my rain gear on, only to find that tough climbing sucks wearing less than fully breathable clothing. I shed my rain pants immediately because they just bake my legs if I am climbing. I think people underestimate the power of breathability. Waterproofing is nice, but it will only help you (sometimes not even) on rainy days. Breathability works all the time and in my opinion provides more overall utility.              North Carolina is a much tougher state than GA. Steeper climbs, more of them, and many more rocky sections that remind me of the Whites. I caught up to Snake (who gave me a ride into Hiawassee) and his friend Whitehorse. Everytime I see them they are smoking weed and coughing their lungs out. I think its amazing that they can smoke every night (and sometimes mornings), and put up the mileage that they do.        Along with Snake and Whitehorse, there are 4 spring break GA Tech kids at the shelter who were awesome to talk to. 3 engineers and 1 architect. I wonder why so many engineers are attracted to the wilderness. At Cornell, I did a 4 day hiking trip before my freshman year that was 6/7 engineers. My Cornell Adirondack trip last March was 75% engineers too. I would think that I would see more hippee types out for spring break. I like to think of myself as more of an outdoor adventurer, but in the end, labels are just that: labels. It is what you consider yourself to be that really matters.        It's supposed to rain tonight, so I've got the tent all staked out, ready for a good night's sleep. The first few nights I had a hard time sleeping, but now I zonk out pretty fast."If people were meant to pop out of bed, we'd all sleep in toasters." - Jim Davis
Date: 2008-03-19
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam (The Hike Inn)
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: moderate rain

No rain last night. But we did get some awesome wind. It was dead quiet until about 2100, then we get these huge gusts of wind that blow piles of leaves up against my tent. Since we were down in a gap (kinda like a valley), the wind funnels right through. I had staked down the tent expecting rain, but it worked out well for the wind. I was warm and unhindered by the gusts. Good thing I didn't have my tarp!        Ken Anderson and I did the 5 miles to Fontana Village and got a room for the night at the Hike Inn. I got my first maildrop (thanks Mom and Dad) and supplemented it with a few other things from the supermarket. We are resting up before the big climb into the Smokeys tomorrow. Right now I am sitting in my room writing my journal by headlamp and eating Ben & Jerry's ice cream because the power went out up the road. It started raining about 30 min before we got into town, and there have been thunderstorms and tornado warnings all day. Except for my first day (downpour), I have been timing my days perfectly with respect to rain and storms. Everytime it is supposed to rain, I am in position to get out of it without sacrificing too many miles. I was only planning 5 miles today anyway, and it rains at the very end! Tomorrow is looking great weatherwise, so that's cool.        On a random sidenote, military time is awesome. Ever since working at Tyco (where there are 3 shifts and military time is necessary), I don't really see the purpose in AM & PM. Military time is so much easier. It's the same thing with the metric system. We just need to take the time to convert.        My pack is the heaviest it will ever be! 6 days of food, winter gear, and 2 liters of water. Speaking of weight, I really want to find a scale to weigh myself. I have no idea if I've gained or lost weight. Oh well.        "Some National Parks have long waiting lists for camping reservations. When you have to wait a year to sleep next to a tree, something is wrong." - George Carlin
Date: 2008-03-20
From: Fontana Dam (The Hike Inn)

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: few clouds

Smokeys...day 1. I was up at 0700 this morning. My alarm on my $7 Walmart watch woke Ken and me up since the power went out. We got shuttled back to where we got picked up yesterday, so Ken and I had a mile to do before Fontana Dam.        Fontana Dam was gorgeous! We were there an hour after sunrise, so we got the sun reflecting off the water which was cool. The water table is still pretty low in the south, and it was very visible. This year they are doing renovations on the dam, so there was a chance we would have to do a really tough 2 mile reroute around the dam. Luckily, we were there early enough so that construction guys weren't there to tell us we couldn't cross.        The hiking today was all up. We started at 1700' and I'm sleeping tonight at 4900'. Speedwise, uphills are my strength right now. I take my time on the downhills (knees), and pretty much everyone goes fast on the flats, but I've found that I can book it up hills. I felt very strong today. It was warm enough to not hike in thermals, windy enough to not really sweat too much...and the trails here are very well maintained, so I can keep my head up to look at views rather than worry about tripping over things. Speaking of that, I'm pretty sure I have strong ankles. I don't believe any jinx crap so I'm not worried about that. Sometimes I have a few missteps, and my ankle rolls, but I kind of let it roll and half fall, and catch myself with my trekking pole. I think if I immediately try to correct the roll by trying to get it upright, I will sprain something. So far so good. I did 17.8 today by 1530, and contemplated going another 6.2 to the next shelter. But I didn't.        Sam caught up to me today which is cool, because he is a really cool kid. Since we got to the shelter early, we made a fire and chilled. I'm here with Sam, Bigfoot, John, a few Section hikers, and The 4 Sisters. It might get cold tonight. I've been lugging 4 handwarmers since Springer, which is pretty much the only thing in my pack that I haven't used yet. I plan to put them in a sock for some extra sleeping heat in the Smokeys if needed. So far I'm liking the Smokeys! I've got a few more days of good weather, so I think pushing while I feel good seems prudent. Stay tuned."Absence diminishes commonplace passions & increases great ones, as the wind extingushes candles and kindles fire." -Duc de la Rochefoucauld
Date: 2008-03-21
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: scattered clouds

I came within .2 miles of a milestone triefecta today. In one day, I hit the 200 mile mark, climbed to the highest point on the AT, and came within .2 miles of hitting my first 20 mile day. Not too bad.        I was the first one out hiking this morning, which was gorgeous. I climbed several balds with panoramic views of the Smokeys. A good panoramic lense on a decent camera would have been great today. I struggled the first 6 miles, and I'm not sure why. The terrain was tough, but I was still a bit off my game. Pretty soon, Sam, Bigfoot, and John came up behind me, which was enough to pick up the pace. I know the AT isn't a race, but having some speedy hikers ahead or behind you keeps you moving. I like to call it drafting. By letting someone else set a pace, all I have to do is keep up.        I was above 5500' for much of the day which was sweet. It was almost too hot! Clingman's Dome, the highest point on the AT (6643') was pretty cool. The views don't have the raw beauty of the Whites, but it was hard to complain about the visibility because we could see Mt. Mitchell (the highest point on the east coast which is 72 miles away). The Smokies have lost 80% of their visibility during summer within the last 50 years (due to pollution from the Detroit area).        Sam, Bigfoot, John, 3 high school spring break section hikers, and myself built a monster fire and chatted about the trail, school, and food while drinking hot chocolate that Sam scored off a section hiker last night. Planning another big day tomorrow while the weather holds."My way of joking is to tell the truth, it's the funniest joke in the world." -George Bernard Shaw
Date: 2008-03-22
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: clear sky

Tough day today. As usual, I was up and about around 0800. The morning felt pretty good. I hit the 4 miles to Newfound Gap, where the trail is full of Easter weekend tourists and also where the trail begins to follow the NC/TN border. I saw several families hiking until the icy trail section, where several of them turned around. I can't blame them. I ALMOST fell twice, but it doesn't count since I caught myself with my hands.        The second 10 miles kicked my ass. My knees were fine, but my feet were starting to rebel after the Smokey onslaught. Lots of PUDS, and the last 5 miles took me longer than usual. The bright spot of today is I hit my first 20 milers today! Also, I set myself up for a hostel stay tmoorrow night after 18 miles essentially all downhill. This hard work in the SMokies is paying off though. A sectioner tonight said that it is supposed to rain tomorrow night and Monday too.        I've adapted a new eating strategy that I like to call flex feeding. I packed 6 days worth of food, planned for 5 days, and am going to make it through in 4. I planned out this ambitious schedule yesterday, and have been increasing rations so I will come out of the Smokeys tomorrow with essentially 0 food left. If anyone is wondering what exactly a thruhiker eats, the answer is pretty much anything. Several people cook oatmeal or Grits in the morning, but I prefer to pack up quickly, hike for 15 minutes to warm up, and then have a sleeve or 2 of poptarts or Clif Bars. During the day I munch on granola bars and Snickers. For lunch I stop, make a tortilla filled with with foiled tuna, peanut butter, cheese, mayo, and other stuff if I'm flex feeding. For dinner I've been cooking 2 packets of Ramen or instant mashed potatoes. I'm sure my menu will change, but I like it right now."Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! Live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler." - Thoreau
Date: 2008-03-23
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: I-40 (Bigfoot's House in Newport TN)
Miles today: 17.6

Last day in the Smokeys. Today was probably the coldest I've been while hiking. We dropped from 6400' down to 1400' in one day. It made for some fast, easy hiking, but one must always be careful with the knees on that much consecutive downhill. I got into Davenport Gap, the northern boundary of the Smokeys, around 1400 with Sam, John & Bigfoot. Bigfoot, who lives 20 minutes from here, borrowed my cell and had his mom pick us up for some Easter leftovers. After chilling on the side of the road (and being offered multiple rides by passing pickup trucks), Bigfoot's mom (Robbin) came and we crammed in and headed to Newport TN. It was wonderful to be in a house. After 4 days of big mileage, we were all starving. We devoured the remaining ham, potatoes, carrots, egg something, cheesecake, and chatted with Robbin about trail life and life.        The rest of the day was spent showering, laundry, TJ's, web surfing, resupplying in town, calling the parents, and boozing in the hot tub....in that order. It gives a sense of my priorities. Food comes first. Shower second. Everything else can wait.         Bigfoot & John had already planned to take a few days off (they live here) but Sam and I decided to zero here tomorrow. We are more than welcome to stay here, we have some minor injuries (blisters) that would benefit from a zero day, and Sam hasn't taken a zero yet. Oh yeah, it's also supposed to snow tonight and rain all day tomorrow.        While I didn't know an extended forecast going into the Smokeys, the weather (and the 3 others wanting to move along) is exactly why we put in our big days. If the forecast is cold and snow/rain in Newport TN, that means the Smokeys will get even more precipitation and nights in the teens. I'm VERY pleased to be out of the Smokey's. I did enjoy them thoroughly but it is a relief to have them behind me. That was my first major milestone besides getting to Springer.        Oh yeah, at Bigfoot's house I weighed myself. 156 pounds. That is also a big relief. While I did weigh myself after Easter dinner, I am really glad to have not lost weight. If I lose weight, it basically means I'm burning muscle, which is not good. Bigfoot, Sam, and John all lost at least 5 lbs. It shows that I'm getting enough calories.        Since Sam and I are sleeping on the couches in the TV room, we are celebrating our zero tomorrow by staying up till 0200 to watch the new episode of South Park. Stay tuned for more exciting scenes from a zero."Thank heaven, the sun has gone in, and I don't have to go out and enjoy it." - Logan Pearsall Smith
Date: 2008-03-24
From: I-40 (Bigfoot's House in Newport TN)

To: I-40 (Bigfoot's House in Newport TN)
Miles today: 0.0

Zero day. Not much happened. We slept in, watched TV. Watched "No Country for Old Men" (which I was disappointed in), watched more TV, ate another amazing Mrs. Bigfoot dinner, and finished our grueling day in the hot tub drinking Jaeger Bombs. I ordered new Vasque Velocity hiking shoes that will be delivered to Damascus. That is the same model that I have right now. I don't want to change what has been working.
Date: 2008-03-25
From: I-40 (Bigfoot's House in Newport TN)

To: Walnut Mountatin Shelter
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: few clouds

After a wonderful day at Bigfoot's, it was time to hit the trail again. Since Bigfoot's car had a dead battery & a flat tire, his brother Kyle drove Sam and I back to the trail at 09:00. We had a few miles of uphill, but our legs felt good after packing in some serious calories the last 2 days. At mile 15, we hit Max Patch. I had known about this jewel of the AT from my countless hours of looking at TJ (Trailjournals.com) photos, but I was still excited. Max Patch is a huge bald that is perfectly maintained. Locals aren't exactly sure why balds exist, but they think either the Native Americans cleared them, cattle overgrazed them, fire, or aliens. I find it ironic that Max Patch is "maintained" to keep it in its "natural" state. Would it be natural to let it grow in? It is hard to complain though. Max Patch easily takes first prize so far in the best views and coolest mountain contest. Since it is always important to ask the whys, I thought all afternoon about why balds (and Max Patch) fascinate me so much. I think it has a lot to do with potential. These balds represent a clean slate. Infinite potential. They feel pure, untouched, and allow for unimpeded 360 views. There was so much room up there. They could make several soccer fields up there & make kids hike up to the game.    We did the 15 (miles) to Max Patch by 14:30, so we decided to push another 6.7 miles to Walnut Mtn. shelter. It was the easiest 6.7 miles of travel so far. They could have put in a moving sidewalk and I might not have noticed. That gives us a few more hours in Hot Springs tomorrow. .. Good night.