morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-04-11
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam Shelter (Fontana Hilton)
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: light rain

Hiked in the rain today down to the Fontana Hilton, where I arrived at about 2 pm. Thought about going on, but felt I shouldn't push my legs too hard. It's hard to stop so early though, because what do you do to fill the time (to save weight I haven't brought a book or proper journal). So I puttered around and more and more hikers arrived till we had about 25. Goat built a campfire, which burned from 3 pm to 10 pm. The weather slowly improved, till we finally caught glimpses of the sun at around 5 pm. To help celebrate (and to give back to the hikers who had helped me), I caught the shuttle into the Fontana Resort General Store and bought a case of beer, some nuts, and Pringles. Brought them back and shared with all. We toasted to the sunshine and the Smoky Mountains!
Date: 2009-04-12
From: Fontana Dam Shelter (Fontana Hilton)

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: clear sky

Woke up to clearing skies, so got up early and started the long hike up into Great Smoky Mountains National Park. On the first mountain top, there was a short side trail up to a fire lookout, so I dropped my pack and went up. On the way I wondered what the odds were that a bear would be nearby and drag away my pack. Not likely, I thought, but nevertheless made the side trip as quick as possible. Got back to my pack in 10 minutes and started down the trail. Right around the corner there were 3 bears (a momma and two cubs) -- when they saw me they took off down the ravine. Turns out these bears hang out on the trail there and several other hikers saw them, but we're not sure what they are up to.Got to my proposed destination (Russell Field Shelter) and it was the ugliest shelter I had ever seen (in a dark hollow, with the front covered with chain link fence to keep out the bears; with bear warning signs everywhere, a dirty inside, and garbage strewn about outside). So I hiked on to Spence Field Shelter. This was perhaps the prettiest shelter I have seen (second only to the Fontana Hilton), even having an indoor fireplace. Also it was located on a bald -- this one was created by a settler clearing the land -- and it looked like a city park up there on the ridge.So did almost 17 miles today with my pack, and my legs feel good. My blisters have almost completely healed.
Date: 2009-04-13
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke to another rainy day -- seems we can't have two good days in a row. It was extremely windy, and the path ahead was over Rocky Top and Thunderhead, two of the most exposed ridges in the Park. I set off, and almost got blown off my feet in several open spots. But the Mountain Rhododendren thickets provide an amazing wind break, so I could always get a rest from the wind there. Got to Silers Bald Shelter at about 3 pm and decided to stay put because it's supposed to clear up tomorrow by noon, and I am hoping for good views from Clingman's Dome.Siler's Bald Shelter was a pretty nice one, but the people inside seemed dejected because of he bad weather. So to pass the time, I spent about an hour looking for dry firewood. A fellow hiker had some fire starter goo, and together we got a roaring fire going, which cheered everybody up, and allowed us to dry our clothes a little.
Date: 2009-04-14
From: Silers Bald Shelter

To: New Found Gap -- Gatlinsburg, Tn
Miles today: 12.5

Woke today and it was still rainy but supposed to clear, so I set off to go up and over Clingman's Dome -- the highest point on the Appalachian Trail, at 6,643 ft. I hiked on, and the clouds got thicker and the rain heavier. So I went over the Dome and slogged on, seeing nothing but fog and the muck in front of me. Soon I was completely soaked, and water was filling the insides of my boots. The trail -- mud puddles and muck up to 6 inches deep -- reminded me of some of my hikes in the Adirondacks with Gren in the old days, when all we had was pinned-up blankets as sleeping bags. So am I getting soft, I thought? and told myself to stop feeling sorry for myself. Slowly the skies cleared and he rain ended, so I stopped for some tortillas and peanut butter, and emptied my boots of water and wrung out my socks. Reached Newfound Gap at about 1 pm and the sun was shining, and lots of tourists ambling about. Went into the rest room to clean myself up, because I planned to hitch hike into Gatlinsburg to resupply and rest. Got out of the restroom and saw the weather had changed again -- now it was 30 mph winds pushing rain sideways and a whiteout. Not ideal for hitching, but I gamely stuck out my thumb. About 1/2 hour and 50 cars later, I was starting to shake uncontrollably. I was thinking about going back into the restroom to warm up and eat some sandwiches that some thoughtful hiker parents had give me, when a New Jersey couple stopped and picked me up. After a nice ride and conversation, they left me off right at my chosen hotel, where I am now happily typing and drying out.
Date: 2009-04-15
From: New Found Gap -- Gatlinsburg, Tn

To: Gatlinsburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Had a zero day today in Gatlinsburg. Hiking in water-logged shoes is hard on your feet and I was sore, so I decided to continue to rest. Gatlinsburg is in a scenic location with a beautiful stream flowing through it. This is hilly country, so most of the town is aligned in the narrow flat areas along the river bottoms; the town meanders through several connected valleys. Main street is a glitzy collection of over 50 attractions, including about 15 run by Ripley's-Believe-It-Or-Not. There is a gondola, a chairlift, an aquarium, a ski-resort, and many wedding chapels, since the town is a prominent place to get married. There are many hotels and their property lines run hard up against the river, which is a shame because it allows no public greenway along the river. The motel where I am staying (the Grand Prix) is a hiker-oriented place, and so has hiker rates, a hiker box, a hiker shuttle, and laundry facilities. An Indian couple runs the place, and they are quite laid back and solicitous of the hikers.
Date: 2009-04-16
From: New Found Gap -- Gatlinsburg, Tn

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: clear sky

Felt good after my rest in Gatlinsburg (days off are great for recovering, ie the Power of Zero), and hiked with Tom up into the northern part of Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Had beautiful weather, and sweated hard for the first time. The trail in the park is beautiful -- well-graded, and wide, so horses can use it. This is a little controversial among hikers, because horses are allowed in the park, but dogs are not, so hikers with dogs have to skip this section or else have their dogs kenneled while they walk. Shared the shelter with Gail, Turtle and Jazzman, Mud and Giddyup, Huckleberry Finnigan, Sneaks, and Bear. There also was a volunteer trail maintainence man there who was working on trail improvements -- he camps out for several days at a time and manually fixes water barriers, etc. I'm very appreciative of those people who do this work. He mentioned that the Smokies are a rain forest, getting over 80 inches of rain a year, so the trails need continual maintainence.
Date: 2009-04-17
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: clear sky

Another beautiful sunny day and still feeling good, so I did another 18 miles today. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a beautiful forest, primarily because it is such a large tract of preserved land, maybe 40 miles wide by 80 miles long, so the wild ecosystems can find equilibrium. It is not a pristine place, having been logged and otherwise used, and there are few well-known specific natural attractions, but taken as a whole it is a place to get away from the developed world and slow down. The Park is having it's 75th (?) anniversary this year, and it is believed that President Obama will visit Newfound Gap where Roosevelt first dedicated the park. Perhaps he will announce a program similar to the Civilian Conservation Corps, the 1930's group that built many of the trails and facilities in the park.
Date: 2009-04-18
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Max Patch
Miles today: 13.6

The evening at Standing Bear Farm was great! This is a 'restored 1920s backwoods homestead' that has been converted into a hiker's hostel, and is currently run by Rockhound and Curtis. There is a bunkhouse, a store, a laundry room/internet room, a game room, a kitchen, and a fire circle. Everything is on the honour system; you get an envelope and keep track of what you buy, total it up, and put the money in the envelope and leave it in the money box when you leave. A creek runs through the place and adjacent to the fire circle, and there is a small pool only steps away, which serves as a natural beer cooler. Beer is bought by the hikers on a run to town; any that is not consumed is just left in the pool for the next day's hikers to consume. Another georgeous day today (the third in a row!), so I hiked up, up, up to Max Patch, a place that many consider one of the most beautiful mountain tops on the AT. Max Patch is a 'bald' which is an open area at the top of a mountain. Most of the balds in the southeast are caused by farmers having cleared them, or from being used as grazing spots in earlier years. Once the farming/grazing stops, the balds revert back to brushy land, unless they are kept clear. Max Patch is a large bald covered with green grass, with a 360-degree view of all the mountains round-about. There is a road up to about 300 feet of the top, so day-users can easily enjoy the bald, so there is a mix of hikers and tourists on top. When I arrived on Max Patch, there were about 20 hiker acquaintances gathered there who planned to camp out on top to enjoy the sunrise/sunset, so I joined them.
Date: 2009-04-19
From: Max Patch

To: Deer Park Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: light rain

Had a good night last night at Max Patch. There was a reunion party going on of about 10 hikers who had thru-hiked last year, including Bigglesworth, Weatherman, Johnny Thunder, TwoMile, Freckles, Easy Does It, Slow Train, and Cheeseburger. They had driven up and were having a barbeque to which they invited all current hikers. So there was beer, hamburgers, hotdogs, venison, cantelope, pineapple, and various other delights, along with alot of interesting conversation about adventures and characters on the AT. As always, talk eventually came around to food, with favorite concoctions being described. One favorite was the 'Jericho Bomb', which is a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich dipped in pancake batter and then deep fried. Another hiker custom was mentioned, the Chilly Willy, which is a snorted capful of whiskey -- not for the faint of heart. Woke up to cloudy skies, and after one-hour on the trail, it started to rain, and it rained all day. But we're all used to that now. I hiked most of the day with Rick and Mike. We ended up at this shelter at about 3 pm, and Rick and I decided to stay, even though it sometimes is a challenge to fill the hours (5 hours in this case) before nightfall. We are only 3 miles from Hot Springs, but we can blast into town tomorrow for a town breakfast, and then stay at a hostel and rest up. I decided to spend my hours finding dry wood to start a fire -- after a day of rain, this usually takes about an hour or two of wandering the woods. The best dry kindling can be found inside or under a dead tree that has become partially hollowed out. Success!! Got a roaring fire going, which as I found on previous days, makes a world of difference in attitude after a day hiking in the rain. Deer Park Mt Shelter is an old-type small shelter that only sleeps 4 or 5 (considering the missing floorboards), so 4 of us were quite tightly packed. This brings up a sensitive issue for me -- I snore, quite loudly. Sometimes I warn people about this, but otherwise I figure after 3 weeks on the trail, people have learned how to deal with snorers. Either it bothers them (and they pitch a tent), or they have earplugs, or else they sleep so soundly that they don't hear all of the racket. I feel bad about inconveniencing people, so from now on I will probably pitch my tent near the shelter (at least when the weather is good). Also I joke that I should hike with a box hanging around my neck, soliciting money ($5,000 total), so that I someday may have the operation to stop snoring. It's a good thing I got named Denver Dave early on, or else my trailname might have ended up being Snores.
Date: 2009-04-20
From: Deer Park Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: light rain

Walked an early morning short day and got into Hot Springs about 9 am with the sun shining, and spring breaking out all over. I stayed at Elmer's Sunnybank Inn, which is an old Victorian house bed and breakfast, but which caters primarily to hikers during the season (March - June). Elmer is a former restaurant owner and thru-hiker who settled down here to pursue his interest in healthy food and living. He has established the Sunnybrook Retreat Association which hosts various holistic seminars throughout the year at the Inn. He also was a Peace Corps worker in China. His staff cooked a great dinner last night (soup, salad, vegetarian lasagna, and coconut cream pie), and all 20 hikers and staff sat around two big tables in the dining room enjoying the food and each other.Many people in this Southern Appalachian region feel deep connections to the area and this mountain biozone. There are the culture, food, music, and mountains which all bring them together. I think perhaps people feel stronger roots to this area than exist anywhere else in the country. Reminds me though of Gary Snyder and his strong feelings about the Northwest biozone, and his theories about how important it is to feel connected to the natural world.Supposed to get 5 (!!!) days in a row of good weather and I hear that the mountains ahead are very beautiful, so it should be good. Have been hearing alot of stories about bears at shelters in this area, so that always adds a little spice to the mountain living!
Date: 2009-04-21
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: light rain

The day started rainy, so I hung around Hot Springs and did some last minute errands. Then at 11 am the skies cleared so I headed out, starting with crossing the French Broad River on the highway bridge. Probably the biggest and prettiest river on the trail so far. Passed four gravesites today, one for Rex Pulford, a thru-hiker who died of a heart attack on the trail in 1983. After only 9 miles got to Spring Mountain Shelter where already about 20 hikers were gathered, so I decided to stop and enjoy their company. Had a nice campfire complete with quite a bit of shared whiskey, it being the first day out of town when heavy items can be carried short distances.
Date: 2009-04-22
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Got an early start as usual, and after about 3 miles reached the road crossing of highway 208. There was a sign there that said trail magic was available 350 yards down the road, so I walked down to a beautiful log cabin set in the woods. There I was greeted by Fal and Hercules, thru-hikers in '99 who now live in this cabin close to the trail. They sat me down and offered me coffee, followed by a Belgian waffle, followed by chicken stew, followed by a 3-scoup ice cream and brownie sundae! No problem putting away all this food at 8 am. Soon more hikers showed up and we had about 7 around the table. Fal and Hercules have been feeding hikers this way every day during the season (except Sundays) for several years; they have had over 300 hikers this year already, and have a photo alblum with a picture of each hiker.Near the end of my meal, one hiker asked Fal and Hercules why they did this. Fal said they just love hikers. Hercules then responded with a riddle. He said you are given three conditions: 1) Law of Absolute Truths; 2) Law of Non-Contadictory outcomes; and 3) Freedom of individual preferences. Given these rules, what happens to you when you die? Well I think the answer that he was looking for was that no matter what you would like to believe, there is only one Truth, and it is the truth of Christianity. Hercules then brought out some Christian literature which he offered for us to take.This soft sell bothered some hikers, but I was OK with it, and I found Fal and Hercules to be generous and giving hosts. After the heavy meal, I had lots of energy, and hiked a long day. Several hikers planned to camp on top of Big Butt Mountain, where we would attain the 300-mile mark, but when I got there I couldn't figure out where the summit was (on a multi-summit ridge), so I just continued on. The trail was a wide smooth downhill logging road so I kept on till dark.
Date: 2009-04-23
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Big Bald Mt campsite
Miles today: 19.3

Today, another sunny one, was up and over Big Bald Mountain. Not to mention all the other named and un-named mountains we traverse. A typical day sees about 3000 ft of elevation gain and loss, and I have been told that we have hiked more than 50,000 ft of elevation gain so far.Big Bald was a bit of a disappointment for me. When I first saw it from 6 miles away, I could see that condominium and second home development had happened all along the ridge leading to Big Bald. This is the first time that I have seen such major development so close to a big mountain on the trail. And when I got to the top there was a big black Chevy Suburban parked there, for there was a rough 4-wheel drive road to the top. The top looked somewhat trashed out to me.The ridge going north from Big Bald was pretty, but when I got to my anticipated stop, Bald Mountain Shelter, it also was fairly trashed out. Some shelters just seem to give out bad vibes, and hikers don't stay there. I continued on 0.8 miles to a small campsite where I camped with Sneaks and his father and uncle.
Date: 2009-04-24
From: Big Bald Mt campsite

To: Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel -- Erwin, TN
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: clear sky

Today dawned cool and somewhat overcast, so I got an early start and enjoyed the cool weather. By noon it was hot and sunny. I decided to push on all the way to town. On the long, almost 3000 ft descent into the Nolichucky River valley the ecozones varied from cool Mountain Rhododendren thickets, to warmer oak forests, to hot pine forests. I think these changes depend on slope/aspect but I haven't quite figured it out. In the pine forests, I walked on a path of pine needles, and felt an intense nostalgia for previous walks in the western pine high country of Colorado and California, where I associate the cool dry air and scent of pines with rocky alpine scenery and cool mountain lakes.It was a steep thirsty descent down to Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel just adjacent to the river, where I found picnic tables full of hikers drinking beers. The hostel rooms were taken, so I am tenting out on the lawn for $8, which gets me use of all of the facilities. Talking with the hikers, I heard for the first time about the June 21st tradition of thru-hikers hiking naked. Too bad I will miss it.Since I have been hiking at a faster pace than usual, I am catching up to a whole group of hikers that I haven't met before, including Yuki from Tokyo, Papa Kiwi from New Zealand, and Ancient Ruin from Australia. Also Floater from New Orleans, who, at 66, is the oldest hiker I have encountered. Floater has never backpacked before this trip. He went to an outfitter and bought $2000 of new gear, but didn't test it before the hike. On his second day out, he pitched his tent incorrectly, and in a low spot. It rained hard which caused a small stream to form and float away his tent -- hence his trail name of Floater. I've found that there is a certain rivalry between the residents of the southeastern States, with the North Carolinians making jokes about the Tennesseans, for example: "No crimes are solved in Erwin, TN -- the DNA is all the same, and there aren't any dental records".
Date: 2009-04-25
From: Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel -- Erwin, TN

To: Beauty Spot
Miles today: 10.6

This morning I took Johnny's shuttle into town for breakfast. Twenty ravenous hikers decended upon the local gas station - diner - restaurant, but the single cook gamely took all of our orders and slowly got them out. Most hikers ordered 2 or three breakfasts all at once. Got back to Johnny's, packed up, and hit the trail at about 3:30 pm. I had heard that an open area on the ridge, called Beauty Spot, was a good place to camp and watch the sunset, so I headed that way, but misjudged the distance and got there after sunset -- too late too cook, so I skipped dinner. The local hiking club happened to be hosting a party there (you can drive up), so there was beer and hotdogs for all. I turned in after two beers, but some hikers kept the fire going and beer flowing all night. The party started quieting down around 2 am, but two young women hikers arrived by car about then, a box of Sangria was opened, and the male hikers got their second wind. At some point a lawn chair was tossed into the fire. The noise kept me up most of the night, so I only got a few hours sleep.
Date: 2009-04-26
From: Beauty Spot

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: clear sky

Woke up feeling tired, which, combined with the lack of dinner, had me feeling lethargic and sore all day. Some days you have it, and some days you don't, and this day I definitely didn't have it. Nothing to do but push on though and I made it 15 miles to Clyde Smith Shelter, where Quaid, Pigpen, Ryan, Rael, NoGo (not his real hiking name), and myself stayed for the night. Interesting combination of characters, I thought. Quaid is a steel-construction contractor from Florida, very knowlegeable, skillful, and thoughtful, hiking with his friends Pigpen and Ryan; Rael is a 4-time thru-hiker from Boston; and NoGo is a chain-smoking substance-abuser who nevertheless is a strong hiker. The first words out of NoGo's mouth when he arrived at the shelter were "Anybody got any pot -- I'll pay primo prices". Which brings me to the topic of trail vices. It is amazing how many people on the trail smoke cigarettes -- about 20 percent, I'd say. Alot of them say they only smoke in the woods; it's nice to have that small reward at the end of a hard day. A similar percentage of hikers smoke pot, some quite regularly. Hiking stoned seems strange to me, since one of the purposes of hiking is to connect with nature, and being stoned alters your processing of sensory input. Because this is Appalachian country, moonshine is a valued substance on the trail, as much for its folklore and reputation as for its effect. Whiskey around the campfire is welcome, and the important properties of alcohol are that it be strong, cheap, and available in lightweight, unbreakable plastic flasks. My favorite is Yukon Jack, which I would never drink in civilization.The final trail vice might be sex (not that sex is a vice), but there is not much of that on the trail. There are 3 times as many men as women on the trail, and it's not easy to conduct a courtship when everyone travels at a different rate, people are shoulder-to-shoulder in a shelter, and everybody is sweaty, smelly, and tired. I do have to admire the women who are hiking on their own on the trail, because they have to deal with the added factor of constant male attention.