morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-05-02
From: Indian Grave Gap

To: Nolichucky River
Miles today: 8.3

Decided to slack pack again. Miss Janet picked us up at the Super 8 and then dropped us off at her house for someone else to take us to the trail head. This morning was chaos. Everybody was going to different trail heads to make a 20-mile day. Michelle, Iron Chief, and myself decided the shorter day would be better. After a long wait, lunch at Sonic, we hit the trail head about 1:40. Hike was easy - lots of roots and rocks. We were getting hassled by some of our friends for slack packing, but we didn't care. The sky was getting dark and we made it to Burley-Maple Gap Shelter before the rain hit. Ended up hiking in the rain for a little while. Saw some fiery salamanders. Slack packing is nice, but you don't feel like you are making much progress because you have to go back into town. Hitched into town, ate at the Burrito Co., set up shop at the Super 8, and then a group of us went into town to catch a movie. Hiking the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2003-05-03
From: Indian Grave Gap

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: light rain

Started at Indian Grave Cap - said goodbye to Miss Janet and headed out for Cherry Gap Shelter. Hiked with Michelle. Met up with Indiana Slim and his friends - ate lunch at the Beauty Spot. The weather turned out to be pretty good so we got a good view from the Beauty Spot. Hiked up Unaka Mountain and it was incredible. The red spruce were in good number so the whole layout fo the top of the mountain was beautiful. Camped out at Cherry Gap Shelter in my tent. Met up with Mr. Magoo, Hepcat, Svenson, Looney, and Lion King.
Date: 2003-05-04
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: campsite
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: clear sky

Day started out normal - the goal was to reach Clyde Smith Shelter. The weather was awesome and we reached the shelter early - so, we decided to head to Roan Mountain Shelter. Roan Mountain was a hard hike. I made it to the top and read some history that there used to be a hotel that straddled the TN/NC border in the 1800s - pretty cool, but it is not there anymore. Roan Mountain was about 6,285 ft. which is the last time will hit this high elevation on the trail. On the way down, I missed the trail to the shelter (so did a lot of people) - then I find myself 2 miles past it because I hit Garver Gap TN/NC 261. The fog and wind were blowing pretty hard so I decided to keep going. I hiked till about 10:00 pm. I got a little worried about reaching a shelter, so I set up a tent next to the trail. Rain poured all night.
Date: 2003-05-05
From: campsite

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 1.9
Weather: light rain

Woke up early after a somewhat scary night. The rain and wind pounded my tent but it held up pretty well with little leakage. Decided to push on to Overmountain Shelter because I knew my friends were there. Passed Stan Murray Shelter and headed into Overmountain. Reached Overmountain Shelter around 9:30 am in the pouring rain. The shelter here is an old red barn that is two stories. It is pretty neat. A bunch of us decided that due to the weather it would be good to hang out at the shelter - plus, weather reports said damaging hail/winds and thatwas enough for us to stay. So we all hung out in the top of the big red barn. Total hikers staying was around 20 people. View from the barn was nice. Watched the clouds hit Hump Mountain and Little Hump Mountain all day.
Date: 2003-05-06
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: campsite near Elk River, TN
Miles today: 14.7

It was tough getting started today with the sky overcast, cloudy, and ready to rain. Little Hump Mountain and Hump Mountain were tough climbs. Both had balds on the top. The scenery was spectacular but you had to make sure you didn't step in cow dookie. Someone said there were longhorn steers on top of the mountain, but I didn't see them. The rain started spitting a little, and once we hit the top of Hump Mountain, the wind was blowing hard. It pushed me several time off the trail. It was a little unnerving standing on the top of the exposed top of the mountain, and the whole time you are thinking 'when is the thunderstorm coming?' Made it over the mountain. Hiked with Mark and Heather today. Stopped by Jones Creek Falls. Sun came out! Found a campsite next to the Elk River. Sweet spot with the sounds of the water, crickets, and birds.
Date: 2003-05-07
From: campsite near Elk River, TN

To: Laurel Fork Lodge
Miles today: 17.0

Milestone: we officially finished (I think) North Carolina. Plus, we passed mile 400.The day started out kind of gloomy with overcast skies and a wet tent on the outside. My tent has done a great job keeping me fairly dry in some pretty good rains since I started the trail. Hiked again with Mark and Heather. The hike was fairly straight forward. Up's here and 2 downs there. Reached a Forest Service road and got some snacks from John who runs a hostel called Laurel Fork Lodge. So we ate Little Debbies and Mountain Dews with Easy Rider and Snowberry. John got us all to sign the outside of his van. We proceeded to Moreland Gap Shelter and the sun finally came out, but once we reached the shelter, the rain started to spit. We ate lunch there with Three-thirds and Easy Rider, and Snowberry. we decided to head into Laurel Fork for some food and a dry place to sleep. We reached the hostel about 6:30 and after showers and laundry, we ate cheeseburgers and baked beans with a handful of other hikers. John gave us a good deal in a small cabin - so Mark, Heather, and I stayed there. It was a nice place. A small stream ran next to the cabins, so it was great to hear at night. Later that evening, Capt. Ben/Auntie Em (Ben and Christy) and Michelle showed up. Mark, Heather, and I decided to take a zero day the next day to let everything dry out and give us a rest. It is a nice feeling knowing that you plan to do nothing the next day. Some hikers had left a cooler full of beer - so we helped ourselves to a couple.
Date: 2003-05-08
From: Laurel Fork Lodge & Hostel

To: Laurel Fork Lodge
Miles today: 0.0

Woke up after a decent night's sleep and went and had breakfast at the Lodge office. Ben/Christy and Michelle had stayed in the Elk Park, NC night before last to see Ben's parents and to dry out. They all decided to slack pack a section that we had already hiked. Turned out to be a typical zero day. Other hikers showed up, so we all hung out. Found out that Three-thirds is leaving the trail tomorrow which stinks but he and his wife are doing other things. Picked up our mail drops at the Kincora hostel down the road and hung out with Bob who owns the place. Nice guy. Went back to Laurel Fork and about 15 ofus ended up ordering pizza and beer - we had a good time. Hepcat, Parkway, Michelle, Mark, Heather and myself talked for awhile then everyone just moved to another area and hung out. Paul, Sharron and Doc showed up earlier that afternoon and decided to stay. Doc informed us that he is leaving the trail after Damascus, VA, which stinks, also. Anyway, we all hung outand enjoyed each other's company. By the way, the weather turned out to be sunny with a cool breeze, so it was a great day.
Date: 2003-05-09
From: Laurel Fork Lodge & Hostel

To: Watauga Lake Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: broken clouds

Got a slow start as usual out of the hostel and started hiking around 10:30-11:00 am. The weather seemed to be holding up with the sun coming in and out. Mark, Heather, and I hiked for a little bit and then took a side trail to a point on Laurel Creek (River?). The air was already humid, but the mountain laurel are starting to bloom. The hike today was a great one. For about 3 miles we got to hike along the water. Since it had rained, the creek (river?) was flowing pretty good. It is nice to get to hike along the river - so we took our time for the first part of the day - plus, the trail was more technical. A lot of climbing over rocks. Part of the trail was bordered by the water and the other side by rock cliffs - so it was a break from the norm. Got to experience Laurel Falls, and they were nice. Bob from the Kincora hostel told us that this section of the trail is maintained primarily by thru-hikers, which is unique pretty much over the whole AT. We ran into Iron Chef of Connecticut hiking with Michelle and Crazytalk. It was good to see him because we had not seen him in 3 or 4 days since Erwin. The hike up to get on top of Pond Flats was hard, really hard. We made it over, reached Watauga Lake and hung out by the lake - took my shoes off, and enjoyed the late afternoon sun. Walked over to the shelter, set my tent up, ate, and I are ready for bed - good day today!!
Date: 2003-05-10
From: Watauga Lake Shelter

To: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: light rain

Today was pretty uneventful. The weather, however, held out for us, so that was a good thing. It was sunny with some breeze. It is starting to get hot, and I feel like I am guzzling water all day. The trail from here on in after we climbed past Watauga Dam was pretty level - some small ups and downs. We are basically running the ridge until we get into Damascus, VA. I decided to keep going after Iron Mountain Shelter, but turned back because I got too tired. I think 14 miles is a good day. I hiked alone most of the day. Caught up with Doc, Paul, Sharron, and Bela (their dog). At the shelter, I set up my tent along with Mark and Heather, Svenson and Looney, Paul, Sharron and Bela, and Doc. Mello Yello, Blink Blink and two others are crashing into the shelter. I am kind of ready to get into Damascus.
Date: 2003-05-11
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: The Place Hostel
Miles today: 26.0
Weather: heavy intensity rain

The day started out normal - packed our gear ready to move on for the day with the intention of stopping at the next shelter. The rain started early in the morning, so within 2 miles of leaving camp, I already had my rain gear on. The terrain was really not that hard - so I made it to the first shelter, and Mello Yello, Blink Blink and I had lunch. The idea of making it into Damascus (26 miles total) had been thrown around, but now it was becoming a reality. The prize was to make it in time for Sheepstuff's spaghetti dinner at the Methodist Church. By the time I reached the first shelter, I decided it would be a good game to make it the whole way. so I took off and with an average speed of about 3.1 mph, I raced toward Damascus!. Everybody the night before that we camped with (except the foreign guy) had the idea of making this dinner.The day went from a miserable rainy day into a sunny, breezy afternoon. These are the best because you don't get hot enough to be drenched in sweat. Anyway, we made it to Abingdon Shelter which is 10 miles outside Damascus - 16 miles down, 10 to go. So, me, Svenson, Looney, Heather, Mark, Mello Yello, and Blink Blink all decided to push on to town. We gulped down some food and in stages we left the shelter. Long story short: we made it for the dinner (except Mark and Heather, but they ended uphaving pizza). Decided to stay at the hostel called The Place. Mark, Heather, Two Speeds, Pipes, and myself shared a room. We laughed a whole lot. Another reason to make it in was to meet up with Moo and 42. They had been leaving me notes in the journal registers all week to catch up and so I finally made it.YES, I didn't forget to call my mother!
Date: 2003-05-12
From: The Place Hostel

To: campsite
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

After a so-so night's sleep at The Place, Moo, 42, and I, along with Mark and Heather, set out on a very sunny day to get some miles in north of Damascus before Trails Days started. Part of the trail includes the Virginia Creeper Trail which used to be an old railroad that has been converted out to hiking/biking trails. As we were starting, we ran into Dimple Rock, Wrong way, Foxie, and Two Speeds who said goodbye to Moo and 42 because they had been hiking with them for awhile. The hike was okay; it followed a stream for a way which wss nice. It is good to be back with Moo and 42, but I was feeling the effects of walking 26 miles the previous day. We took our time hiking which was nice. I am thinking about hitching back to Damascus. Set up camp and met up with Puffy and ?.
Date: 2003-05-13
From: campsite

To: campsite past Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: few clouds

Got a good night's sleep and woke up to a nice sunny day. I decided not to hitch into Damascus early, but to keep going. Today we hit the Virginia Creeper Trail again. This portion is nice with the old train bridges and tunnels, which now serve as trails. We met up with Parkway, Sidewinder, and Flatlander slacking back to Damascus, and then Radar and Thumper came riding up on bikes. We proceeded on and met up with Windtalker. We all had lunch at Lost Mountain Shelter. Met up with One-Third, Two-Thirds, and Three-Thirds at the intersection of US 58 and the AT. It was good to see Three-Thirds again since he is getting off the trail. We proceeded to Whitetop Mountain where Mark, Heather, Moo + 42, Windtalker and I took a long break to enjoy the sun. Moo got hungry and started his alcohol stove and almost started a small brush fire. I followed behind him with my camel pak(?) trying to pour water on the burn spots. It was hilarious. Buzzard Rock or Whitetop Mountain was incredible. Pipes met up with us after our break was over, so we all enjoyed hiking together. The scenery was incredible. Virginia from what I have seen so far is very pretty. Took some group pictures on top of the balds on Whitetop Mountain - had a great time. The winds were strong, but the day was sunny. Passed Elk Garden and cows in the distance. Hiked around the summit of Mt. Rogers - stopped near Briar Ridge with Mark, Heather, Pipes, Windtalker, Moo and 42, and enjoyed the view of the mountains in a field with horse trails. We reached Thomas Knob Shelter and had dinner. Radar brought stuff for strawberry short cakes, which was a treat. We decided not to stay at the shelter and hiked in the dark guided by moonlight and ran into some cows just loitering. Stopped at a campsite trying to miss "cow patties" with our tents.
Date: 2003-05-14
From: campsite past Thomas Knob Shelter

To: VA603
Miles today: 12.1

Today started out great again. The weather was great, sunny. We hiked along Wilburn Ridge, which consists mostly of balds. This area was amazing - we hit Fake Fat Man's and Fat Man's Squeeze. You could see a lot of good scenery. Plus the Grayson Highlands were coming up so we all made sure to have enough gorp? to feed the ponies. There is a herd of wild ponies on the Grayson Highlands that you can feed, so we all had our turn at feeding and petting the ponies. Ran into Play, T-Bird, Nemo, and others after the highlands. We proceeded to make it to VA 603 to hitchhike back into Damascus for Trail Days. It took us a while to find a ride. Pipes and Windtalker called the outfitter in Damascus for a shuttle as Moo, 42, Mark, Heather, myself, and Rif-Raff played Zoogle. So we made it back to Damascus for Trail Days. Set up our tents in a campground about 3/4 miles outside of town. Ran into Smokey, Flatlander, and had a couple of adult beverages prior to dinner. Went to town for dinner - ate at Sicily's Italian Restaurant and then went to the Sidetrack Cafe for more adult beverages. A guy named Loser played guitar and we tried to sing along with him. We left Sidetrack Cafe and headed back to the campground. Farmer, Peanut, Cornbread, Sidewinder, Parkway and ourselves hung out at the S.P. Palace which is the name of the tarp they had set up for all of us to hang out.
Date: 2003-05-15
From: VA603

To: Damascus, VA (Trail Days)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

For those that don't know, Trail Days is a festival per say that is held in Damascus, VA, that celebrates the AT. It has music, vendors, outdoor company booths, and a lot of other things going. There is a parade in which all the current and past hikers march in while the town people try to get you wet with water. Anyway, today started out good - Moo, 42, and I went to the Post Office and general store for supplies. At the general store, we picked up lounge chairs, lawn ornaments, wind socks, snacks, and a yard game set to make our camping area more homely. Moo, 42, and I set out to do laundry at Lorna's Laundromat. It pretty much rained all day, so we hung out at the laundry for a long time. There was a jukebox, and for all my Thrasher Elementary friends, I played "Jeremiah was a Bullfrog" in honor of our music teacher, Mrs. Miles. Of course, I sung loud for my friends to hear me. Next, we hitched a ride back to the campground, and checked out some of the outdoor equipment reps that were set up near our tents. I got to meet Wayne Gregory who started the company that makes the backpack that I am using for this trip. He was cool, so I got my picture with him. So later that night, we hit the Old Mill for dinner, but left because the prices were too high. Went back over to Sicily's for more Italian. Stopped by the Sidetrack Cafe again and hung out. Some hikers named Jana Chi and Q played folk music for everyone. Then we headed back to the campground and hung out with Parkway, Farmer, Peanut, and others at the S.P. Palace. It was a good day.
Date: 2003-05-16
From: Damascus, VA (Trail Days)

To: Damascus, VA (Trail Days)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Today, I tried to take it easy. That may sound funny but what happens when you take a day off is that you end up walking all over the place doing errands, etc. So what was supposed to be a day to rest ends in your feet feeling the same as a day hiking. Anyway, today I just checked out the vendors and outdoor equipment again. Ate lunch, hung out listening to music at the festival. Sarah's birthday is coming up, so I picked up 50 items for her to send in the mail. Decided to go to a boot clinic put on by Phil Oren and others. Later on hung out at Sidetrack Cafe and the Old Mill with some of my hiking buddies. As usual, we ended up at the campground with everyone else. Two of our friends were trying to make money by selling grilled cheeses to those who were hungry for a dollar. Farmer needed to make money in order to get back to Florida and Peanut needed extra money.
Date: 2003-05-17
From: Damascus, VA (Trail Days)

To: Damascus, VA (Trail Days)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Moo and I had an appointment to have our feet fitted for customized insoles. Turned out I bought a new pair of boots. It took a long time to go through the process, but I made it. Hopefully, this will help out my feet and knees. Same as yesterday, checked out the festival vendors. Then around 2:30, the hiker parade started. I didn't start with everyone else because I wanted to get a picture of everyone coming down the street - I then jumped in the parade. Basically, the parade turns into a big water fight between hikers and town people, so you just try to stay dry. Later, Moo, 42, and I tried to eat at Sicily's but got no service - our meal ended up taking around 2 hours. I was tired, so I went to bed early.
Date: 2003-05-18
From: Damascus, VA (Trail Days)

To: HARDCORE TRAIL MAINTENANCE
Miles today: 0.0

Previously, I signed up to do trail maintenance to help out the Tennessee Eastman Hiking Club (TEHC). We all met up with Bob Peoples (who runs the Kincora Hostel) in Damascus at the Post Office in the morning. We piled into Eastman vans and went out to a portion of the trail north of Erwin, TN. There was a large group of us (about 40 thru-hikers) who helped. So we lined up and started rerouting the trail moving this material known as "DUFF". Moo, 42, Trucker, Bingo, Romeo, and myself worked an area. It was hard work! We picked up this big pile of duff and made a stick figure (properly naming him? Duff). He was the main attraction for the day. Trail maintenance is very hard, and I have a new respect for those who work on these trails. After we worked, they fed us BBQ at Watauga Lake. Monster, Slick, Toro, MooseMush, the dealer, Jason, Sarah, and myself stayed in Hampton, TN at a hostel called "The Castle".
Date: 2003-05-19
From: HARDCORE TRAIL MAINTENANCE

To: HARDCORE TRAIL MAINTENANCE
Miles today: 0.0

The portion of trail we're rerouting should have been about 1/2 mile long, but we didn't get it all finished. It was fun to work on the trail and break some of the day-in/day-out hiking. I also got to meet a lot of other hikers, such as Blip, Karma, Granite, Ladybug, Boogie, Flying Scotsmen, and others. After working all day, we ended up at Kincora for a lasagna dinner, salad, and desserts. I managed to secure a bed in the hostel, and I slept very well that night. Tomorrow they will shuttle us to where we got off the trail prior to Trail Days to start our thru-hike again.
Date: 2003-05-20
From: VA603

To: Raccoon Branch Shelter
Miles today: 10.0

Started back on the trail and it was good to be hiking again. After dropping off Trucker, Bingo, and Granite at Atkins, VA, Gary from TEHC dropped Moo, 42, Pipes, and myself at VA 603. As we were getting our packs ready, I said hello to a fellow hiker named Paco Bear. Some older gentlemen with the Forest Service pulled up and I noticed one of them had an interesting hat. I asked him about the hat and he asked me if I was a thru-hiker? I said yes, and then he asked me "are you going to Maine?" I said that was the plan - then he just gave me the hat. It was awesome. So thanks, Mr. Wagoner. I'll try to make it so your hat makes it to Maine. The hike was nothing special; we met a brother and sister named Erika and Butter. Hung out later at the shelter - I set up my tent and had a decent night's sleep.
Date: 2003-05-21
From: Raccoon Branch Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: light rain

The hike today was okay. I passed over the South Fork Holston River which was nice. Today I am excited to get to the next shelter because you can order pizza from the ranger station near the shelter. The day, however, turned out to be a nasty rainy day. It poured! I made it to Partnership and it was awesome. Set up my stuff upstairs with a bunch of others and took a hot shower at the shelter. Adriana (Michelle and Josh's aunt) showed up - it was good to see her again. We ordered pizza and sodas. Later we listened to another hiker play guitar at the ranger station. We all hung out at the station and had a good night.
Date: 2003-05-22
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Atkins, VA
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

Headed out in the morning after a terrible night's sleep in the shelter. I miss my thermarest. It is coming to me in a mail drop in Atkins, so I am stoked. The morning started out wet, so it was hard to get motivated. I am staying the night in Atkins to dry out. The hike was nothing spectacular. There was a neat settler's museum near VA 729. Today's hike took me thru meadows which had a decent amount of flowers. Reached Atkins around 2:30, and I am crashing at the Relax Inn for some rest.
Date: 2003-05-23
From: Atkins, VA

To: Knot Maul Branch Shelter
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Today started out funny. I intended on leaving early or getting an early start, and so I ate breakfast in the room. Then a group of people I am hiking with decided to eat breakfast at the local restaurant. We were about to leave when we saw more friends at the Dairy Queen, so I had to get a blizzard in order to get ready to hike. We finally got moving - it was I, Moo, 42, Moxy, Crazytalk, Pipes, Windtalker, Superman, Torch, and Adrianna. Oh, Adrianna is in town to visit Moxy and Crazytalk. At the DQ we met up with Dimple Rock, Wrongway, and Foxie. Adrianna took our food bags to lighten our load and we headed off. We hiked to a local pavilion right as the rain started. We celebrated Pipes' birthday and decide to eat dinner at the pavilion. It was fun. We then headed in the dark to the next shelter. As we started, it started to pour, so we all walked like pack mules with headlamps in the rain to the shelter 2 miles away. Set up my tent right of the AT and had a good night's sleep.