morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-04-06
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center 
Miles today: 5.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Trail Day 15 - Easy Day.Short hike today into NOC and almost all downhill. The morning was warmer, about 45 degrees at 8 am. My back was better today. I think the strain was caused by overuse of my right arm pushing off with the hiking pole. So today I used the pole only with my left hand and then only on steep downhills. I hope this helps. What I could use now would be a hot tub and massage, but that will have to wait until Hot Springs. There were more Spring flowers along the trail coming down into Wesser. Some trees are showing leaf buds now. There was a great view of the Smokies at the Jumpup. It looks like the snow up there is starting to melt. At NOC I enjoyed a real hamburger and fries at the River's End restaurant. After days of trail mix and Lipton's packets, this was a real treat. Some hikers indulged in pint cartons of ice cream, but I am not that hungry for calories yet. Snickers candy bars will do me just fine. I removed some items from my pack and mailed them home: a windbreaker, a small radio, notepad, shirt, etc. to lighten up. I have decided to press on tomorrow so that I have plenty of time to make it to Fontana before the post office closes on Saturday. I will pick up my first mail drop there. The hike up from Wesser begins with a 6 mile climb. I will take it slow and easy for now.
Date: 2004-04-07
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center 

To: Stecoah Gap
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Trail Day 16 - Hazards along the trail.Got out on the trail at 8 am. Long climb up to Cheoah Bald from 1740 ft. to 5062ft. in 8 miles. Back still sore while climbing but eases up descending. Rhododendren thickets and boulder fields on the way up make the trail moreinteresting. I banged my head on a pointed branch in a thicket while lookingdown at the trail. To remedy that hazard, I hung some of Donna's panty hose fromthe branch. I carry the hose to prefilter water into a bottle. Some ridgewalking on top with views on both sides. I met Archeopteryx at Sassafras Gap shelter. He thruhiked the AT 5 years ago andthen moved to New Zealand, where he managed a rugby team and became integratedinto the Maori community. He says New Zealand is now his home and he will returnthere after his hike. He is originally from New Jersey. I keep meeting newhikers each day. At Wesser Bald shelter, I slept on the floor with Michigoose,Lefty, Joanne, and two others whose names escape me. Joanne is a 72 year oldwoman from Long Beach, CA. She calls herself a "sampler". She is backpackingselected sections of the trail to Maine. She is exactly like the character"Maude" in the 60's movie "Harold & Maude". Exactly! Kind of loud, opinionated,and very independent with a joyful view of life. If you have not seen the movie,go to your video store and check it out and you will see Joanne. It is amazingthat such a little old lady can carry a backpack up & down these mountains.The descent from Cheoah Bald was dry and less interesting than the ascent. Iwalked 5.5 more miles until finding a campsite with water: Stecoah Gap.Unfortunately, this is a tiny postage stamp of a picnic area between a cliff anda busy highway leading to Robbinsville. We were eight tents crowded together.Digit had to set up his hammock between a metal crash barrier and a fence. As heconsidered his position upon retiring, he announced to all,"You know, I'msleeping next to a crash barrier? How precarious is that?" Fortunately all thetrucks stayed on the road this night.
Date: 2004-04-08
From: Stecoah Gap

To: Fontana Village
Miles today: 14.0

Trail Day 17 - A long day rewarded.Another big mileage day, but this day would end in the lap of luxury. I started first but all would pass me: Arheopteryx, Katz-n-Dog, Saltlick, Digit, SunshineMan, Mouth and Lonesome Dove. Saltlick acquired his name because he sweats somuch that salt is visible on his clothing.It was a long day of ups and downs. I considered stopping at a shelter, but theywere small and dirty. Thoughts of a room at the Fontana Village Inn and therestaurant kept me going. The Hike-Inn, a hostel, was reserved full, but thatdid not bother me. I have stayed at Fontana Village with my family before and Iknew I could get a resort lodge room with all kinds of amenities for a verycheap price. The Fontana Inn is slow this time of year so they offer an AT HikerSpecial of $25.99 for a single person in a spacious, air-conditioned room with 2dbl beds. I enjoyed soaking in a hot tub, pigged out on a delicious AYCE buffetfor $9.99, and will rest well tonight without snoring hikers to keep me awake.Tomorrow is my first zero miles day. Time to rest my back and treat my blisters.Then onward into the Smokies.
Date: 2004-04-09
From: Fontana Village

To: Fontana Village
Miles today: 0.0

Trail Day 18 - First zero day.Another beautiful spring day and down here in the valley trees are bursting with bloom: white and pink dogwood, redbud, and others I can't name. Lots of birds feeding on the grounds of this old resort made new. Originally the cabins were inhabited by families of men building Fontana Dam. I vacationed here with my family about 10 years ago and many new buildings have been added since then. There are recreational activities for everyone in the family and it is landscaped like a park. The place is almost empty of tourists now. Just a few hikers inhabit the grounds and restaurant. I feel like I've died and gone to Heaven but found that nobody else got in. Tomorrow promises a grueling climb from Fontana Dam to Shuckstack (from 1700 ft. to 4000 ft.) followed by a couple more ascents and descents before reaching the shelter at 4570 feet in 10.6 miles. Park regulations say you can only camp near a shelter, so you have to go all the way. My back is still tender, so I will just have pace myself and take breaks about every hour. In four days I will take a break in Gatlinburg. Wish me luck!
Date: 2004-04-10
From: Fontana Village

To: Mollies Ridge shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Trail Day 19 - A Good Day in the SmokiesGot a late start waiting for the shuttle back to the trail. Detoured to check out the Fontana Dam shelter, which is known as the Fontana Hilton because it has access to a bathroom with hot showers. Crossed the dam at 10:30. There were swallows displaying a purple irridescent color on their wings as they gracefully swooped below the dam. They must have nests on the dam. They flew too fast for a photo. On the other side,I met 15 teenage girls from a school in South Carolina. I answered their questions (Can I ask, what is that white thing hanging from your pack? Ans: It's a trowel for digging catholes in the woods.) and I moved on up the trail to Shuckstack at 11:30. The climb to Shuckstack fire tower was switchbacked, so it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. The view from the tower was magnificent: mountains all around as far as you can see. On the ridge I met a Ridgerunner, Greybeard from a 1999 thru hike. He recorded my name, trail name & home state on a pad. Rain was threatening all afternoon, but it only drizzled. I passed through miles of woodlands carpeted with small white tubular flowers. There were dog type stools on the trail which must be from coyotes since dogs are not allowed in the Park. I saw robins and towhees flying about. In the shelter tonight were Lonesome Dove, Saltlick, TreeFrog, Homer, Palm Tree, and Katz less Dog. Katz had to send her dog home while transiting the Park. Lonesome Dove and TreeFrog also post to trailjournals.com.TreeFrog says he will post a photo of all of us having dinner at the Cookie Jar in Blairsville when we were staying at Walasi-Yi Hostel at Neel's Gap. This shelter has a fireplace in which I built a fire. The sky has cleared and the stars are out at dusk with no artificial light to obscure them. It was a good day in the Smokies.
Date: 2004-04-11
From: Mollies Ridge shelter

To: Derrick's Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: light rain

Trail Day 20 - Treacherous Terrain.The day began with cloudy skies and drizzling rain. I was the last out of the shelter at 9 am. There were two more shelters within six miles. I stopped for lunch at the second one, Spence Field shelter. It is sited on a large grassy bald above Cades Cove and there is a side trail leading down to the Cove. Today there were no views as clouds and rain obscured the valleys. A deer crossed the trail no more than 20 ft. in front of me, walking slowly and showing no fear. I smelled its strong animal odor before I noticed it.Digit and Homer were comfortably established at Spence Field shelter, Digit tending a fire in the fireplace and Homer in his bag. They were going no farther today. Digit explained that the next six miles is the roughest stretch in the Park and he was not inclined to do it in the rain. He said the climbs up Rocky Top and Thunderhead mountains were steep and rocky. It was only 1:00 pm and I could not justify stopping so early. I considered that tomorrow's weather might be even worse. The topo lines on my map did not look too bad, a couple of miles of ascent and then mostly ridge walk. The rain had slacked off. It would be only 6.2 miles to the next shelter, so I set off. The climb up Rocky Top was steep but the path was earthen, not rocky, and it was lined with grass. The rain resumed in earnest before I gained the summit and the trail down was muddy and slippery. The air cooled and I speeded up to keep warm. The next mountain presented an obstacle course of rocks and boulders. Some offered only toeholds and once I slipped and fell on all fours, but no harm was done. The six miles to the next shelter was a very long, dismal hike in the clouds and I thought I would never reach it. I smelled musky animal smells most of the way, perhaps due to he humidity. I saw nobody in 3 hours on the trail, but there were hikers in the shelter when I arrived. I later learned that Homer left the AT to return home to Memphis by hiking down a side trail to the Cove. He said he just did not have the energy to continue.
Date: 2004-04-12
From: Derrick's Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: moderate rain

Trail Day 21 - A Miserable Day in the Smokies.Awoke to another cloudy day with wind and rain. Waited for the rain to let up before heading out and left the shelter at 9:45. The rain abated but it was replaced by high winds and hail, blowing steady at about 40 mph. The trail was squishy, muddy, puddly, and very slippery. My left boot seam opened a 2 inch gash to the sock between upper and sole. I had already tried duct tape around the boot to keep the seam closed, but the tape just tore away on the rocks. I stopped for lunch at Siler's Bald shelter after 5.5 miles and found a pack strap with a buckle that I fastened around the boot. These boots will have to be trashed in Gatlinburg. They have served me well with two trips to Philmont Scout Ranch and it is fitting that they should fall apart on a trail. I will buy some lightweight boots in Gatlinburg to last me until Hot Springs, where I have sturdier boots waiting at the post office. At Siler's Bald I boiled water for soup & tea to warm my insides and I stayed there for two hours, waiting for the weather to improve. It did not, so when TreeFrog and Joanne joined me at the shelter, we all headed out for Double Spring shelter, only 1.7 miles away. The rain fell harder and the wind still blew, but I was warm in my rainsuit and happy to be enduring the rain and wind. As a bonus, Double Spring Gap shelter has a dry privy, a rarity in the Smokies. Tomorrow's weather is supposed to be the same as today's. Too bad, because Clingman's Dome, the highest peak on the AT is only two miles away and there will not be a view. I will have to come back and rehike this section on clearer days, as all I have seen on either side of the trail for the past two days is clouds.
Date: 2004-04-13
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Clingman's Dome and Gatlinburg
Miles today: 2.9
Weather: light rain

Trail Day 22 - And it's a hard rain's a gonna fall.Double Spring Gap shelter is a stone-walled 3-sided hut with a wire fence in front to keep out bears. We would not need protection from bears this night, but the plastic sheeting that covered the fence proved to be most helpful. At midnight, thunder and lightening signaled the onset of a furious storm that continued all night. Rain beat hard on our tin roof and slapped the sheeting around as I lay awake listening, but our little haven held fast and kept us dry. A tent would most certainly have collapsed and been flooded by the torrents of wind and water swirling outside. I was so grateful for this shelter.In the morning, we all stayed in our bags later than usual, waiting for the rain to stop before emerging. Hiking up to Clingman's Dome was more like stream walking than trail walking. On some sections, water spilled down the mountain in waterfalls onto the trail. With my torn boot, I skipped from rock to rock to avoid stream and puddles. Once I slipped on a fallen timber but caught myself with one hand on the ground.The parking lot at Clingman's Dome was cold, foggy and nearly empty. I shivered by side of the road for 20 minutes before a tourist stopped to pick me up. It would take three hitches to get to Gatlinburg, where I found a motel room, washed all my wet & muddy clothes, bought new boots, and enjoyed a big meal at a BBQ restaurant. Tonight there is a snow advisory warning for the Smokies with a snowfall of 1-3 inches expected. I am glad to be in a bed with sheets in a warm room. Tomorrow I will resupply with food and hitch back up to Clingman's Dome to resume my journey through the northern half of the Park. I am hoping for some clear skies.
Date: 2004-04-14
From: Clingman's Dome and Gatlinburg

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Trail Day 23 - Forced Zero Day!Slept in at the motel until 8 am. Day is cloudy. Heard that there was 6 inches of snowfall in the mountains last night. Bought stove fuel and a water filter bottle from the outfitter. Spent $28 on food at the market and repackaged into plastic bags in my room. Checked out with my pack on at 11 am all ready to go, but found that the road to Newfound Gap was closed to traffic due to snow. All dressed up and nowhere to go. Walked to a motel nearby and rented a nicer room at a cheaper rate. Ate a big breakfast at a pancake place. Skies turned blue later in the day, but it was too late to hitch up and hike the 10 miles to the shelter and I had already paid for a room. Can't wait to get back out there, and clear skies are forecast for the next 5 days! I watched television news. I have not missed much in being out of touch with the world for 3 weeks. Not much has changed, just more of the same bad news.
Date: 2004-04-15
From: Gatlinburg & Clingman's Dome

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: clear sky

Trail Day 24 - Injured!Stood by the highway 45 minutes before a car stopped to pick me up at the Park entrance. Mike, a general contractor from South Florida, took me to Newfound Gap. He told me about his dog, Boots, a Border Collie mix who he rescued from an abusive neighbor. Boots is devoted to him. Then got a ride with a family from Wisconsin to Clingman's Dome. They were on vacation for Spring break. Snow covered the tops of all the mountains and the view was spectacular, but it was very cold and windy at the observation tower. Snow on the AT was about 3 inches deep. At first it was powdery and crunchy, but it turned to slush and mud very quickly with the warm sun out. My feet were thoroughly wet by the time I reached Newfound Gap. On the way, I fell down twice, both times on slick wood. The first time, I landed on my knees in the slush with no injury. The second time was more serious. I stepped up on a log and slipped back, hitting my right shin on the log. I hiked on but noticed a pulling on my knee as if it were weighed down. I inspected the knee and found some tender areas above and on the inside of the knee and a contusion on the shin. The back of my knee is swollen a bit and my leg is stiff, especially after sitting down for awhile. If it does not get any worse tomorrow, I will be able to hike. I am taking Ibuprofen and hoping for the best. In the shelter tonight are Sarge, Lil Engine, Dreamer, and 4 men from South Carolina who are doing a section hike. These guys are carrying chairs, a coffee press, wine and scotch. They tell tales about their minister who was fired basically for being a jerk around women. They are just hiking from Newfound Gap to Davenport Gap and they are having a great time of it.
Date: 2004-04-16
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tricorner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Trail Day 25 - Outlook improves.My leg was still stiff when I got up this morning, but it was not any worse. Before I was 50 ft. from the shelter, I slipped on a rock and fell flat on my back. A reminder that I need to watch where I step. Charlie's Bunion was just a mile away. I sat on top of the Bunion for while enjoying the view. Most of the hike today was along a sheer cliff with rock outcroppings inviting stops for spectacular vistas. The rest was ridge walk through evergreen forest smelling like a Christmas tree farm. There was a long climb up to the shelter at the end of a long day that was tiring. My leg has improved with walking. I have an egg shaped bruise on my shin and some tender places around the knee, but the tightness is mostly gone. A close call that serves as a reminder of how easily an injury can occur. When I say I slipped and fell, it is not the kind of fall that one sees coming and teeters on the brink. One second I am walking and the next I am on the ground. I am wondering if maybe the lightweight boots I bought in Gatlinburg just don't grip very well. My backpack has slipped down on my hips again. I need a smaller size hipbelt, which I will order when I reach Standing Bear hostel a few miles outside the Park. Tomorrow I will cut off a section of my Z-rest and rig it to the hipbelt for a temporary fix as it is very uncomfortable on my back. I think I will stop at Cosby Knob shelter tomorrow for a short day.
Date: 2004-04-17
From: Tricorner Knob Shelter

To: Davenport Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

Trail Day 26 - Long Day.Last thruhiker out at 8:45 am. Trail to Cosby Knob shelter was ridge walk at high elevation. Cruised in the morning. Pack sat a little higher with the Z-rest tied to my hipbelt. I stopped at Cosby Knob shelter at 12:30 for a long lunch. I debated whether to stop here for the day or go on. The four guys section hiking from South Carolina would stop there and I knew that would be a good time. It was a beautiful little glen with a good spring next to the shelter and had an enclosed privy. I was the only one there. But I just could not bring myself to stop so early in the day. I pressed on for Davenport Gap. I met a Boy Scout troop from Knoxville taking a break at Low Gap after coming back down from the Mt. Cammerer fire tower. There was a mile climb to Mt. Cammerer. I developed a heel blister on the way up and stopped to bandage it. Must be the new boots. I took the side trail to the fire tower and the view made it worthwhile. The rest of the route to the shelter was downhill, but it was 4 miles long. I did not get in until 6:15. Davenport Gap shelter is small and the sweet smell of horse dung wafts in from the trail. There is no privy and the spring looks suspect. However, I am glad I went on as a late arrival told me there were 20 hikers at Cosby Knob, including 2 with horses. Tomorrow is Sunday and I will rest at Standing Bear Hostel.
Date: 2004-04-18
From: Davenport Gap Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 3.3
Weather: clear sky

Trail Day 27 - Easy Day.Last night at the shelter I talked with Hot Rock and Manzooka. Hot Rock had also stayed at the previous shelter with me. I asked him why he was hiking the AT when he told me he had very little hiking experience. He said his because his Dad hiked half of the trail 3 years ago and stopped due to an injury. Later I asked if he thought his Dad would try it again. He replied, "No, my Dad passed away two years ago. I'm finishing it for him." He has a powerful reason for his thruhike.Manzooka is a young guy from North Carolina. He has hiked a lot with his Dad. He completed the 70 miles from Fontana to Davenport Gap in three days by doing 20+ mile days. He did this because his Dad was meeting him at 9 am at the Gap. He told me that reading Jack Kerouac inspired him to do a thruhike. He thinks he needs a balance between city life and solitude in nature, as Kerouac sought when he stayed in a fire tower in the High Sierras.I took lots of photos in the short miles today. There was a pretty stream with waterfalls alongside the trail and lots of pretty flowers. I am at Standing Bear Farm, which is a rustic bit of paradise in the valley. There are quite a few hikers here, but most are not staying the night. I love it here. There is a stream through the farm and many large trees. It would be a hot 7.2 miles of climb to the next shelter. I will enjoy it much more in the cool of the morning.
Date: 2004-04-19
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Trail Day 28 - Synchronicity.Did not leave Standing Bear Farm until 11:15 as I waited for film to be brought from town by a hiker with a car. Read the first few chapters of Bill Bryson's book on the AT while waiting. Long climb of 2500 ft. up Snowbird Mountain in 4.7 miles. Stopped for lunch at Painter Branch, just a candy bar. Hot day and not much shade. Snowbird Mt. is a bald with a white FAA tower on top looking like something out of X-Files. Followed Sarge's advice and lay down on a log for a mid-afternoon nap. Sarge is a 72 year old ex-Marine who has hiked the trail for 6 years. He is a black guy, unusual on the AT, and is from New Orleans, but lives with his brother in Houston when not hiking. He hikes only to the next shelter, short mileage when possible. His advice to me was "take naps". Got into the shelter at 3:30 and found Pirate there. Pirate has a long salt & pepper beard, wears a red bandana and looks like a pirate. He is a trail nomad. He has hiked the AT for 12 years and lives in the Florida Everglades when not hiking. He is a Blueblazer, a group that hikes as a lifestyle. He told me that to be a Blueblazer one has to do a thruhike and dumpster dive. You never know for sure when Pirate is joking or serious. He always has a twinkle in his eyes. He does not hike as a thruhiker now, just goes where he wants up and down the trail. The Blueblazers arer cooking and feeding hikers for three days this week at the next gap. Doc, Tank, Diesal, and Underground were in the shelter this night. Doc is an Internist from Boston. He is on TrailJournals.com as DrChris. Tank and Diesal are from Ohio. I have been wearing a hat that says Westerville, Ohio on front and that turns out to be Diesal's home town. What are the odds of that happening? Synchronicity happens a lot on the trail. According to some hikers, Manzooka is Warren Doyle's son. Warren Doyle is well known in the hiker community as one who has thruhiked the AT many times.