morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-05-05
From: Pride RV Resort

To: Lazy Llama Campground 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I slept in this morning until 7:30am. My body is aching all over. I guess the steep ups with hot weather yesterday took its toll on me. Even my dog is lacking a little pep in her step. Good thing I had already planned for a zero today.  Papa Big Swig spent this morning packing up the camper. Before noon we took off for Lazy Llama Campground in Chuckey, Tennessee. I must confess, I napped most of the way. It¢s not the best campground but very nice people own and operate it. Sometimes lack of amenities can be overlooked when you¢re showered with kindness. That¢s the case here.  Orlando and Big Kahuna were hiking in the Smokies until today. They are not hiking together, but they aren¢t far apart either. Anyway, last night both of them had bear problems. They closed down Orlando¢s shelter due to aggressive bear activity. Looking back, I do think it¢s awesome that I pretty much came face to face with a bear in the wild. However, once in a lifetime is enough for me!  Glad to be out of the Smokies.  I made it to an outfitters in Johnson City this afternoon. They had a compression stuff sack for my Nemo sleeping bag, but no ankle height gators. I¢ll check in Hot Springs tomorrow. That¢s where I originally wanted to go anyway.  The weather here is iffy. Rain and thunderstorms are coming and going in waves. It¢s expected to continue all week long.  I have no choice. if I¢m going to make it to Maine on time, I will be hiking in the rain tomorrow....and all week.  We had Mexican food for supper. It was a restaurant called Amigos recommended to us by the RV park owner. Winner winner chicken dinner! Well winner winner Tamale dinner!  My photo tonight is from Max Patch a few days ago. It¢s of me playing backpack soccer with a soccer ball Big Kahuna found on the side of the mountain. I was really just being goofy. Until Next Time Blue Raccoon (2018)Where¢s your faith?
Date: 2018-05-07
From: Hurricane Gap

To: Pounding Mill Trailhead
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Papa Big Swig dropped me off early this morning at Hurricane Gap. You know the saying ¢the early bird gets the worm¢?  Well the early hiker gets the cobwebs!  I spent the first hour spitting and sputtering. Cobwebs were on my face, in my mouth, and on my clothing.  Yuck!  About an hour in I met a section hiker southbound who said she had been doing the same thing.  We were both happy to know the other had already cleared the trail ahead for each of us.  Speaking of trail, it was almost all up today. It was hot, and I had a tough day physically. I liken it to 8 hours on a stair master with no air conditioner.  Even on the hard days though  I try to make it a point to look for Gods creatures. I saw a very large red headed woodpecker.  I bet that bird was a foot tall, or more!  I saw my second snake.  She was a beauty!  She even stopped to pose for a photo.  I named her Georgia since she seemed to be a SOBO.  I had decided to get on the trail early this morning because it was suppose to storm this afternoon. I planned to hike about 10 miles in to a shelter, stay there while the storm passed,  and move on. The storm never came.  I spent way too much time at the shelter.  I cooked a full meal. It was an odd time of day to eat but I was watching the clouds and hoping for rain.  Eventually the conversation got a little heated.  Not really heated, but touchy. It was late afternoon but I didn¢t want to be in or watch an argument so I decided to leave.  It was still hot when I took off. The first mile was up.  It took me forever to conquer that mile!  In the mean time a couple of hikers who had heard part of that conversation decided to leave too. They caught me before I was all the way up. This heat has zapped me and I knew I did not have enough energy to go 7.3 miles to the next shelter.  I think they were feeling the same.  We picked a place along the trail and set up camp. I¢m in the Cherokee National Forest now and tenting beside the Pounding Mill Trail. I¢m very cognizant of my water intake on days like these, but I still got over heated!  I was actually a little disappointed there was no storm.  It would have cooled things off.   I¢ve got to come up with a good plan for when REAL summer comes.  Camp tonight is with Kaitlin and Taylor.  They are a blast!  We built a campfire and laughed a lot while sitting around it.  Neither of them have a trail name yet. I¢m trying to think of something good!  I¢ll think on that as I fall asleep tonight. Until Next Time Blue Raccoon (2018)Where¢s your faith?
Date: 2018-05-11
From: Lazy Llama Campground 

To: Riverside Campground 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

My alarm went off early this morning and it was raining cats and dogs.  I asked Papa Big Swig to shut it off. I quickly decided that I would sleep until the rain passed. He sure let me sleep! At 9:45am I came to life.  He was sitting at the table drinking coffee, watching me sleep. My body just needed the break. Today became an unscheduled zero.  Papa Big Swig packed up our camper and we left a day early for our new campground. We¢ll get there tomorrow though because he rented a hotel room for tonight.  He surprised me with a room that has a big jacuzzi tub! He can tell I¢m aching all over. This was an early Mother¢s Day gift, along with a hair cut, a pedicure, and a massage scheduled for tomorrow morning. He¢s a wonderful husband! I don¢t deserve these things, but I¢m so grateful for the gifts!  I had already planned a zero for tomorrow, but now I¢m taking a double zero. Mixed feelings about that.  I know my body needs this break, but my mind is on the trail. Papa Big Swig is only with me for 10 more days, so I¢ll just enjoy our time.  I think today offers a good opportunity to clear a few things up. I have readers who do some research and share their findings. I love it!  So here¢s a little update: The story of the hiker with the coconut oil on his feet is not exactly true. He was bitten, but there was no coconut oil involved. That part is a myth.  The futuristic looking building is actually a Federal Aviation Administration navigation beacon. Designated SNOWBIRD VORTACI plan to take full advantage of that Jacuzzi I¢m looking at, so I¢ll call it quits here.  Until Next Time Blue Raccoon (2018)Where¢s your faith?
Date: 2018-05-12
From: Hotel

To: Riverside Campground 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I woke up in our hotel this morning. Papa Big Swig drove me to my massage appointment. At home I have the greatest massage therapist, so I was skeptical. However, i¢m happy to report, this girl was amazing too! Papa Big Swig hitched up the camper while I was getting my princess treatment, and we left for Abingdon Virginia as soon as I was done.  We¢re at Riverside Campground. It offers a lot of amenities, but it¢s packed! Wall to wall campers and kids. My grands would love it here! We spent the rest of the day setting up our campsite, doing laundry, and going through my hiking gear. These are the usual things I do on a zero day.  Somehow I made a wrong move getting out of our SUV and tweaked my back. Can you believe that? After hubby did everything to make me feel better. I¢ve done this before and it takes 6 weeks to get back to normal. Caution and Advil will be my near future.  Another 10 days or less and I will be completely done with the Tennessee/North Carolina portion. Once I¢m officially in Virginia I can send home my winter gear.  A lighter pack sounds great!  I only have 131 miles until I reach Damascus. I can do this!I¢m still having anxiety about getting to Katahdin on time. As soon as Trail Days is over and Papa Big Swig goes home, I¢ve got to focus on the trail ONLY. I still have a couple of scheduled events I need to come off for in late June. So miles matter!  Here¢s a little statistic for you. Most folks who drop for whatever reason, do it by Hot Springs. I¢m good and past Hot Springs!  That means I¢m officially in the top 50% now. There continues to be hope for me!  Until Next Time Blue Raccoon (2018)
Date: 2018-05-13
From: Spivey Gap

To: Trailhead Parking Area
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: fog

I woke up in our camper this morning. We were out the door early. Seylor was ready to go too. She is such a great hiking partner! So much so that I bought a bigger tent and tomorrow night she¢ll try her first overnight with me.  I¢m super excited for that!  Less than one mile in this morning another thru-hiker came up from behind and mentioned that his dog might be on the trail later too. Not 100 yards further up his wife and dog were coming in from a side trail. He seemed uncomfortable having my dog around his, so Seylor and I scooted on up the trail.  We came upon Everywhere. She¢s also a thru-hiker. Everywhere and Seylor became quick friends so we hiked together the next 4 miles. She¢s a massage therapist but has been a bit of a nomad lately picking up odd jobs, funding her way through this hike.  The trail was great today! It was wide and soft with fallen pine needles. It felt like I was walking on cushy carpet. Happy knees! Happy hips!  Happy back!  Before I knew it I was 5 miles in!  There was a shelter at the 5 mile point. I had planned in advance to stop there. I went ahead and fed Seylor. It was a little early for her to eat but I knew this would be the only shelter on our hike today. Just as she finished eating the other doggie showed up. Her family stayed far away sitting on a log. I felt bad they didn¢t even come use the shelter or picnic table. I watered Seylor quickly and we moved on. We did not see the other doggie again. The rest of my day was more of the same. Great terrain with a nice pine scent. There was one big up. It gave me a great view of the Nolichuckey river.  Then the descent into Erwin TN began. I could very clearly see Erwin for what felt like an hour. Down and around, there¢s Erwin, down and around, there¢s Erwin, down and around, there¢s Erwin, and so on. There were a few rocky areas, but not bad at all.  I came out of the woods at Uncle Johnny¢s Hostel. It¢s a well known hostel on the trail. I didn¢t stop in, but it looks nice enough from the outside.  I hiked on down the road a bit and went back into the woods for another mile or so. Papa Big Swig met me at a parking area there.  I had a great Mother¢s Day! I heard from all the kids. My youngest son just called again to let me know his grades are in for this semester...all B¢s and above! Good work Kyle! His college years are cruising by too fast.  Until Next Time Blue Raccoon (2018) Where¢s your faith?
Date: 2018-05-14
From: Parking Lot Mile Marker 345.2

To: Tent Site Mile Marker 353.9
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: scattered clouds

I was up early and ready to go.  I had my big backpack loaded up.  Seylor¢s pack was ready to go too. Soon we were off for Seylor¢s first overnight with me on the A.T. I had some confusion at the start today.  I had taken a little blue blaze to get to my pick-up point yesterday.  For the life of me I couldn¢t seem to get back on the trail.  I kept going in a loop.  Thank goodness I have Guthook on my phone!  I had to use the GPS, but I found it! Early on I met up with a couple of hikers.  They are retired. One lives in Colorado and the other lives in New York.  They are Nick(real name) and Not Yet(trail name).  Nick knows nearly every plant on the trail!  I learned a lot!  I also saw my first rhododendron bloom!  It¢s my featured photo.  My plan was to hike 11 miles today, but it turns out that tentsite has no water source.  Today was really hot. Keeping myself and Seylor hydrated was a job!  So we stopped at a closer tentsite with a piped spring water source.  This was a good decision. I filled my liter bag 3 times before our thirst was quenched.  We only drank about 2.5 liters so there¢s some left to sip on tonight. Today was mostly up. I don¢t know the high temperature, but I would guess upper 80¢s to low 90¢s.  I sweat so much that my eyes were burning most of the day. Next visit to town I will be getting a sweat rag of some kind.  Wearing a backpack makes it impossible to use my shirt.  All I did today was climb, but my tallest climb was Beauty Spot.  She¢s another bald at 4436ft elevation.  I didn¢t stay there as long I would have liked because of the heat, but the views were great!  I got my new tent set up without a problem. I upgraded from a Big Agnes Flycreek 1 to a Big Agnes Copper Spur II.  There¢s plenty of room for Seylor now.  Plus as the weather is getting warmer I feel a little claustrophobic in my little tent.  It¢s a great tent though, just small.  I recommend Big Agnes anything.  They make quality equipment.  This tentsite is very close to a mountain road.  Every time a vehicle goes by( which is not often) Seylor whines a little bit.  This could be a long night.   Until Next Time Blue Raccoon (2018)Where¢s your faith?
Date: 2018-05-15
From: Tent Site Mile Marker 353.9

To: Iron Mountain Gap
Miles today: 10.0

Seylor and I slept well last night. She was a good girl! I really like this group of hikers I¢ve fallen in with. They¢re all around my age with the exception of one young man. His trail name is Freight Train. Conversations are great and relevant to me. Even Freight Train joins in with the more mature folk conversations sometimes! Freight Train is the only black person I have met on the trail to date. He¢s from the D.C. area,and I am very impressed by his character.  I hope more of the young black community follow his lead.  Speaking of young black community, I¢m trying hard to get my sister of the heart out here for a little nature hike...ahem...Obi Oki! It¢s so peaceful and there¢s an indescribable spirituality about it.  Back to hiking: This day started up with Unaka Mountain at 5183ft elevation. Whew!!! I was a sweaty mess. It was nice to get it done early before it got too hot though. The bugs are out by the droves right now. Little tiny sweat bees, stinging black gnats, and other unidentifiable winged nuisances! I swallowed 3 of them before I remembered Papa Big Swig had bought me an insect hood to wear. That thing was a life saver!  Approaching the top of Unaka Mountain the forest became a pine forest. I love the pine forests! Their soft carpet of fallen pine needles is a gift to my body! Not long after I entered the pine forest I came upon a special tree decorated with Christmas ornaments as a memorial to a young man named  Max. The tree brought a smile to my face and warmth to my heart, as I¢m sure his family would want. Max¢s tree is my featured photo today. I summited Unaka shortly after that.  It was mostly down from there. My new group was ahead of me but I caught up with them at a shelter for lunch. We had more great conversation, and it¢s fun watching everyone try to win Seylor¢s affections. She¢s extremely cautious with strangers.  From lunch I only had 3 miles to hike until my pick-up destination.  I didn¢t realize that¢s all I had left while I was eating. I would not have eaten the king sized Zero bar after my peanut butter crackers. I like a sugar boost to get me over the next big section. Happy taste buds, but wasted calories.  About 10 min before Papa Big Swig arrived, dark clouds rolled in and thunder started booming overhead. Soon enough the heavens opened up and let loose the rain.  Seylor was less than pleased. I on the other hand welcomed a refreshing rain without my rain gear. Hopefully it cooled things off enough that my fellow hikers can sleep comfortably tonight. It was too warm in our tents the night before.  I¢m lucky enough to sleep in our camper tonight.  I had a tossed salad, BBQ beef brisket sandwich and potato salad for supper.  Fresh cantaloupe for dessert. That zero bar did not ruin dinner! Until Next Time Blue Raccoon (2018) Where¢s your faith?
Date: 2018-05-19
From: Shadrack Campground 

To: Damascus VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Trail Days is a hikers event in Damascus, Virginia. There are activities all week, but the big fun is during the weekend. Today was my day for some fun! I have been looking forward to seeing hikers that I haven¢t seen in weeks. I was not disappointed. Orlando was first. Her husband Dennis was there with their two Greyhounds Syria & Bobo. She looks great! There¢s a little story about Orlando that I¢ve never told, but with her permission I¢m going to tell it now. Orlando is a 50 something year old journalist who basically quit her job to hike the A.T. It¢s not quite that simple but that¢s what she did. She¢s been a long distance runner for years, and recently has taken up swimming. She¢s a picture of perfect health right? No, she¢s a poster child for type 1 diabetes. She¢s been on an insulin pump since her late 20¢s. Insulin pumps were a new thing at that time. She told me she decided right then that diabetes was not going to rule her life. She gave it a big fat single finger salute and never looked back! She faces her challenges and figures it out. Orlando is a real ROCK star!  After a great visit with Orlando & Dennis, we headed over for the parade. I didn¢t know I was suppose to be in the parade.  It was the coolest thing!  Thru-hikers walked in the parade with their class.  Classes went all the way back to the 1970¢s. Seylor and I took our place with the 2018 hopefuls. I was fortunate enough to shower this morning, but mostly we were a big group of really smelly hikers! This is why the towns folk spray us with water as we march down Main Street. I guess that¢s a long time tradition.  Papa Big Swig saw several hiker friends from the sidelines. He took great photos for me.  I saw Metric, Half Slow, Wilderness, and Medicine Man. I finally met Ghost. Who I¢ve heard so much about. Freight Train stopped by to say hello, and we gave Kaitlin and Taylor(now Firepink) a ride back to the trail as we left.  I bought myself some better rain gear, ate some good food, and I even won an auction bid. I also watched a little hiker talent show. We¢ve got some truly talented hikers! A really good day huh?...it gets better!  We got back to our campsite and within minutes there was Big Kahuna and Hugs!  Yay! Hugs is recovered for the most part, and Big Kahuna looks great! He brought me a T-shirt with Max Patch info on it and some Sam Adams straight from Boston! I¢m so happy to have our little Tramily together again!  The four of us had ribs and potato salad for supper, with some Werther¢s caramel corn for dessert. Dinner was followed by a serious partial game of Hearts. Only partial because the rain rolled in fast and hard! We had to pack up and get to our campsites ASAP.  Big Kahuna drove us to our camper. Half of the tent-room was down from the rain. Not sure how that happened, but both Papa Big Swig and Big Kahuna are now drenched! Love those guys! I¢m planning to hike tomorrow. I hope the rain lets up, but if not I¢ve got some fancy new rain gear! Until Next Time Blue Raccoon (2018)Where¢s your faith?
Date: 2018-05-22
From: Shadrack Campground 

To: Shadrack Campground 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Today became a zero day as I began to realize the things I needed to get organized before Papa Big Swig leaves tomorrow. I begged for one more day, but his schedule just won¢t let it happen. No more slack packing for me. My princess days are over for a good while this time.  I will be on my own for about 6 weeks. I say on my own, but my little tramily is starting out with me. We¢ll look out for each other as we make every day an adventure. Planning 6 weeks in one backpack takes some thought. I¢m working on that now. Do I wear my new boots and also carry Trail Runners? Do I just wear boots and have Papa Big Swig ship trail runners when or if I need them? Decisions decisions. I¢m worried about new boots and new blisters!  Side note: I can¢t believe I¢ve already worn out my first pair of boots!  There was a bunch of craziness today doing laundry, resupplying, and getting my backpack right. But Big Kahuna took care of dinner for us. That was a nice relief and scrumptious too! We cleaned up while our bellies were full, then played a couple games of Scrabble.  I guess I¢m as ready as I¢m going to get.  Before I call it a night, I want to wish my grandson Gavin a very happy 6th birthday! I¢m so proud of you buddy and I love you to the moon!  Until Next Time Blue Raccoon (2018)Where¢s your faith?
Date: 2018-05-23
From: Wilbur Damn

To: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: overcast clouds

It was noon before we got on the trail today.  Everybody had loose ends to tie up before starting out on this extended trek.  Papa Big Swig saw a beautiful turtle in the middle of the road while driving. We had to stop for him too.  After a few photos I moved the little guy to safety. I may not be on duty right now, but I¢m still saving lives!  The late start wasn¢t too worrisome.  We had planned only a 10 mile hike today.Today¢s terrain started out UP.  Not a horrible UP. It was a slow steady incline over several miles.  Other than heat and sweat the climb was comfortable.  In many areas foliage has grown into the path making the trail significantly more narrow. Oftentimes I felt grass and shrubs rubbing against my legs or shoulders on both sides.  This,  in combination with excessive sweating, left me with itchy skin today.  Itchy or not, I really do enjoy seeing all of the green!  Today was exceptionally beautiful as many times there were  sections with bright pink rhododendron blooms or pretty peach colored flowers.  I thought those flowers might be Honeysuckle, but one taste, and I knew it wasn¢t!  Big Kahuna told me later that they are Azaleas.   About 2 hours into the hike we all stopped at a water source for a break.  It was there where we met Snorax and Deadfall.  They are a father-in-law/Son-in-law duo out for some section hiking. They played tag with us the rest of the day  Because this is Hugs¢ first day with a full pack after her fractured foot. I took the lead.  She needs to go slow for a while.  During our second break we realized our math was wrong. Today¢s hike was actually more than 10 miles. Still no big deal. Sunset is after 8pm now. I met a hiker pooch named Whiskey Girl. She greeted me with tail wags and came right up for a rub behind her ears. It made me think of Seylor Jo. She went home today with Papa Big Swig and our little cock-a-poo Gypsy Rose. I miss all of them already.  Since I was in the lead, I arrived at Iron Mountain Shelter first.  I was pleasantly surprised to see Lorax sitting there! Soon Freight Train showed up, then Deadfall, Big Kahuna, Hugs, and Snorax. It felt like a big old Tramily Reunion! I made myself instant mashed potatoes for supper.  I threw in some chicken chunks and a cheese stick Big Kahuna gave me.  It was Mmm mmm good!  Dessert was a freeze dried ice cream sandwich.  They are really tasty!   It¢s well past hikers midnight now. My Big Agnes is keeping the bugs away.  Until Next Time Blue Raccoon (2018)Where¢s your faith?