morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-04-27
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tri-Corner Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

Good night of sleep. The earplugs are a good investment. I¢m also enjoying the clean feeling of deodorant. The hiking was fantastic. I got to walk with Laffy Taffy for the morning, and then we had a long lunch at a shelter. We made great time and I was able to jog awhile. I listened to my little radio all day long. A lot of southern rock like .38 special, Lynard Skynard, and Alman Brothers. Sometimes, great songs, smooth trails, and great views. The miles went by so quickly the day seemed like a dream. We were at our planned destination by 4:30. Woods and I are in with a different crowd. They smoke and it bothers her. We both miss all of the original crowd. Some are ahead of us and some are behind. It¢s a long trail, and I¢m sure we¢ll see everyone again. I am very surprised that there aren¢t more people dropping off. I¢ve seen people going home, but no one I hiked with. I hear that there wasn¢t that many trying this year. It¢s still pretty crowded here with 12 to 20 people sleeping at a shelter per night. We have a big day planned for tomorrow. I can¢t wait until Hot Springs, NC.
Date: 2003-04-28
From: Tri-Corner Shelter

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

Last night, just as I fell asleep, Reason showed up. He was a real hit since he had a pack of cigarettes, s¢mores, and a liter of bourbon. I was not about to get out of bed. If he had brought a t-shirt stand and funnel cake, he would have brought all of Gatlinburg. Everyone partied it up pretty good. Around 4 am, some guy yelled, ¢Whoa, whoa, whoa!¢ Reason had decided to use him as a pillow in the middle of the night. In the morning, we gave him his trail name ¢ Pillow. He protested, but we told him it¢s better than Spoon. I was the first to leave camp. Actually, almost everyone was still in their sleeping bag. It was a perfect day for hiking. There are tall pine trees that died from some blight, but they remained standing, limbless. They are ghostly white and look like death. There was one that was leaning against a live tree. Every time the live tree would sway in the wind, they would make a groaning sound. It was like it was crying to fall and rot. I got to the shelter by 3:30 and waited with Laffy Taffy until Woods got there. We decided not to press on since there is no hurry. We don¢t have to be in Hot Springs until Friday to meet up with Jessica. My ankle is almost better and I can go much faster now. I got poison oak and it looks a little infected. Reason had some triple antibiotic that should help.
Date: 2003-04-30
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Brown Gap
Miles today: 10.1

It was so nice to sleep in a nice big bed. Woods found a tick in hers. I got up reluctantly and figured out my tab. Lunch, steak dinner, place to sleep, shower, telephone, and internet service for $35. I think that¢s quite a deal. Everything works on the honor system and everything is priced reasonably. Everything is rustic and some of the accommodations like the outhouse would not please everyone. But to a person who has to dig a hole and bury their wastes, an outhouse is a blessing. I hope to go there again and hike the Smokies again. Woods and I left about the same time. Reason said he is going to do either a zero or 5 to 7 miles. My bet is on zero. We had a 5 mile climb back to elevations of about 4,000 feet again. The change in the foliage is dramatic from the valley to the tops of mountains. Just this past week, everything turned from brown to green. There are flowers everywhere. Mountain laurel is starting to bloom. I will be about a week for the rhododendron buds to open. It is really muggy and the bugs are out in full force. If you breathe with your mouth open, you will swallow a few an hour. Woods and I finally got to the top and had to cross a bald. I think the term bald is a little derogatory. Receding tree line would be more accurate. It was like crossing a desert in the heat. There was one grey cloud overhead. Soon it started to rain. This was the first rain that I enjoyed. I covered my pack and continued to walk in my shorts. Soon it became a thunderstorm, and everyone headed to a convenient shelter. Woods and I decided to wait until it slowed down and hike on to a campsite. The rain picked up again, and we wound up setting up in the rain. I had to change in my hammock, and that is quite a chore. Cruiser joined us. We are all hidden in our tents. It is tough to spend 13 hours trapped in a hammock. It will do better in summer when it is hot and never rains. The contour is excellent, and I can elevate my feet easily. I like it as much as a bed. Woods and Cruiser cooked supper, but I chose a cold supper to avoid the rain. I sat candy bars all day long. I think I need more dark chocolate. Milk chocolate just seems like less chocolate. I also need more peanut butter. I have lost about 10 pounds so far and will soon have to reverse that trend. It is just hard to consume so much food. I want to eat, which is much better than having to carry it, but you must eat constantly to get enough calories. If I keep losing this much weight, I will disappear in 1 12 years. Poof, gone. Two more days to Hot Springs. I¢m going to push for a big day tomorrow so I will have a short day on Friday. It will give me a chance to clean up and do chores before Jess comes.
Date: 2003-05-01
From: Brown Gap

To: Garenflo Gap
Miles today: 16.7

I got a little wet last night. I think rain bounce off my backpack and splashed the bottom of my hammock. Really, everything is a little damp. Cruiser, Woods, and I plan to walk up to the top of Max Patch Bald. Max Patch Bald is the biggest bald by far. It was sunny and just perfect to pull everything out of my pack to dry while I ate lunch. Joining us is Mr. Pumpy, Very Small Animal, Spit Fire, and Reason. After lunch, we made our way to a shelter just in time for a passing thunderstorm. As soon as it passed, we walked another 2 miles where there was another thunderstorm and a well-planned shelter. Woods and I decide to cook supper and wait out the storm. After about an hour and some potato soup, we were off again. Since we ate, we could hike until dark. Yet another thunderstorm came through, and with this one we got rained on. We kept hiking though it. It is better to hike in the rain than to try to set up camp. Setting up and tearing down in the rain is what makes your stuff the wettest. About 8:40 we found a perfect place on a rock outcrop between two water falls. It was a shame it was too dark to appreciate it. The sky stopped raining just long enough to let us get safely to bed. Whenever I try to sleep and I close my eyes, I keep seeing the same visions. It is scallops the size of baby raccoons sitting in a pool of butter. Pushed in the top of the scallops is jumbo lump crab meat arranged like a flower with a dab of hollandaise sauce. They are sitting right beside about a dozen large shrimp wrapped in bacon and a nice fillet of salmon. How can anyone get any sleep with visions like these?NOTES: Dutch has asked me to let you know a few things. First of all, he has his Pocketmail back! Feel free to e-mail him at Dutch2003@pocketmail.com. I just got his first roll of film developed ¢ check out the photos section. Anyone interested in meeting up with him, he¢ll be in Damascus, VA 5/17 & 5/18 for Trail Days. Finally, he¢s looking for song lyrics. E-mail him at his pocketmail address. Thanks!! Jess (aka. Sugar Mama)
Date: 2003-05-02
From: Garenflo Gap

To: Hot Springs (Alpine Motel)
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: broken clouds

I woke up hungry so I got my food bag down from where it was hanging. It is the last day before I get a mail drop, so I can eat everything in it. My Hershey kisses seem to be missing. I figured I ate them and forgot about it, and ate almost everything else. I packed up as fast as I could to get to Hot Springs early and get cleaned up. I noticed the campsite was littered with pieces if litter. For the most part, people keep the trail and surrounding areas very clean. Sometimes near roads you'll find places that get trashed from kids and partiers. Upon closer inspection, I noted the litter was silver and red. Some of it had a word on it. Hershey. Oh no, something got into my food bag and ate all my Hershey kisses. Actually, it chewed through my food bag, took one bite out of a Power Bar, and moved on to all my kisses. It took 20 minutes to clean up the mess. I finally hit the trail and after about 15 minutes of jogging downhill, Woods comes flying by me. I don't know what has gotten into her. She is like an unstoppable force lately. At about 11 am I got to town. The trail goes right through Hot Springs on Main Street. First stop was Smokey Mt. Diner for a salad, cheeseburger, and fries. Immediately, I start seeing other thru-hikers. Pretty soon it is a small reunion, and everyone is getting caught up. Laffy-Taffy has been waiting here two days. She is so fast, but then stops for days at towns. I washed my clothes and sleeping bag. This is the first time I washed the bag and it really needed it. Stuffing damp down in a nylon bag everyday has taken its toll, but about 2 hours of washing redeemed it. Everyone knows that Jess is coming and stops to ask when she's getting here. Around 7 she came pulling up. It is so great to see her after a month. We got caught up and headed out to the Pub for some grub. There were many hikers there already and it was nice to have such a pretty lady on my arm. Everyone knows very well about her. There were a couple hikers that that picked up some of the musicians¢ instruments and started jamming some bluegrass. I ate another burger and we went back to the motel until later when everyone was at the Pub. I have to admit it was a little strange seeing Jess at the same time as all my hiking friends. Jess was a big hit of course, and Reason can't help finding a spotlight. All in all it was a great night, but I can't wait until tomorrow when I get a full day of just Jess and me.      Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-05-03
From: Hot Springs (Alpine Motel)

To: Hot Springs (Alpine Hotel)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I got to spend the whole day with Jess. I'm realizing that saying goodbye will be just like the last time. At least I get to call often. She brought music and I'm trying to memorize as many songs as possible. It is now time to get a move on. There is a celebration called Trail Days that will be held the 11th to the 18th. I'm going to try to get there on the 18th. Everyone will be there. Everyone adjusts their speed to hit it so the trail gets real crowded going in. I will have to hike 186.4 miles in 14 days. If I can't do it I'll have to hitchhike there. I'm going to pull out all the stops to get there. I can take no more zero days, and I will have to hike a few big days so I have time to re-supply. I hope to get to see Loser, Martha Graham (MG for short - formerly Cathleen), Twigs, and Nuts. Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-05-04
From: Hot Springs (Alpine Hotel)

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: few clouds

Got a real good night of sleep last night. Spending time with Jess has been great. I also get the benefit of showing her off to my hiking friends. Her coming down all the way to N. Carolina just to see me makes me feel very special. You can tell she loves me as much as a person can. Reason will be taking another zero day again. Cruiser was undecided but I think she will also stay another day. I think they may be becoming a couple. As I'm sure you all did too, I thought for sure Reason was gay. Nobody straight whines that much or knows that many show tunes. Well, maybe he's just gay on paper. I hope they can get caught up. Reason has been a laugh a minute. As for Cruiser, I have really enjoyed hiking with her. She is fun and funny, just a shear pleasure to be around. I almost never hike right with anyone with Cruiser being the only exception. Looks like it is just Woods and I again. The hiking was great today. About a mile from a shelter, I passed a guy really panting hard. He had one backpack strapped to the back of another. He asked how far to the shelter and I told him. I cooked supper at the shelter, but planned to move on. As people came in, I asked about him. He seemed to have some health problem, like he was a stroke victim or had Parkinson disease. He looked the same way in town, so it wasn't recent. Woods came in said he needed water so I ran a liter back to him. I went back a half mile. He was dragging an 8-pound sleeping bag a little way up the hill, and then went back to drag each of his packs one at a time. I gave him the water and told him I would carry one of his packs and his sleeping bag. His 1930s pack was more of a torture device. I will never complain about my gear again. After I got him to the shelter, I tried to get a few more miles in the last hour of daylight left. I set up my hammock around some other campers. I'm really hoping it doesn't rain, since my rain fly is very loose. Well, better get some sleep. 13 days and 174 miles to Trail Days.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-05-05
From: Deep Gap

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: light rain

Well, it rained last night. The wind was blowing like crazy. My rain fly was really loose because the trees I picked were not far enough apart. I didn't get wet but the rain fly flapping kept me awake half the night. I was up and packed before anyone got out of their tents. Since I set up after they were inside their tents, they never saw me. It¢s 7:10am and I'm off without my ankle brace for the first time. It was just too much of a pain because it was raining. Around noon I hit the first shelter. It was full of people who didn't want to leave in the rain. I ate some lunch and headed off to the next shelter. It is a good thing I'm waterproof, because my shoes and raingear sure aren't. Everyone I talked to is wet, so I don't know if there is a solution. The second shelter is really full. Laffy Taffy was there which was quite a surprise. It was only 4:30, so I figured I'd try to go another 6 miles to the next shelter. Even if there was no room, at least I would be 6 miles closer. Not only that, who wants to spend 15 hours in a hammock. The rain hasn't let up all day and it is expected to continue off and on all week. I lucked out and there was space for one more at the shelter. I did 19.7 miles. Wow, that's a record for me. I felt like running up the trail a little ways so I could have my first 20. My ankle feels really good. I think the brace gave it support, but it also limited its motion. Everything I had on is very wet and I don't think it will be dry by tomorrow. 154 miles and 12 days until Trail Days. Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-05-06
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Bald Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: moderate rain

My clock's battery took a crap yesterday. Now when I wake up in the middle of the night, I have no idea what time it is or how long since my last vitamin I. When they say the darkest hour is just before the dawn, they are wrong. It wasn't raining at daybreak, so I got up and ready right away. I ate some breakfast and checked out my supplies. Where did all my food go? I am eating all the time now. I bought some bagels, cheese, and summer sausage at Hot Springs. It helped stretch my supplies, but my appetite is huge now. I put on my still wet hiking clothes and finished packing. As soon as I started hiking it began to rain again. I put on my raingear, but the pants are giving me trouble. There is a place in the crotch that has a reinforcing patch. It rubs my thighs to the point of chaffing. This will never do. My pants were already wet plus the rain pants don't really keep water out anyhow, so today I will go without. It wasn't too bad and I wasn't cold. The rain kept coming down harder and harder. Soon frogs started drowning. I found the first shelter empty so I figured a hot lunch would do Dutch some good. As soon as I got started, people came pouring in. Everyone was wet and complaining. I was wet when the day started and the rain keeps the bugs and heat away. As soon as I could, I got out of there. Everyone else decided to stay. After about 15 minutes the wind really picked up again, but soon it all blew through and the sun came out. I found a bald and laid out everything to dry. About 45 minutes and I was all refreshed. It is hard to believe this was the same day as an hour ago. I had to cross Big Bald Mountain. It is really steep and humbled me as I thought I was getting invincible. About a mile past the mountain was the shelter. There is room for me and Psyco Pat who just came in. Everyone is asleep and snoring. 135 miles and 11 days until Trail Days. I kicked some butt this week!Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-05-07
From: Bald Mountain Shelter

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I have not had a good night of sleep since Hot Springs. Trying to sleep in shelters is impossible. My light weight z-rest mattress is light, but that's because it is so thin. It is ok for my hammock as insulation, but to sleep on it on a wood floor hurts. After about an hour, I wake up and have to turn. Thunderstorms at night aren't helping, nor is all the snoring. I would sleep in my hammock but it doesn't do well in such strong winds. If my sleeping bag gets wet I will have to stop for a day to dry it out. Soon none of this will be a problem. The weather will improve, and the crowds will thin out. Everyone is adjusting their speed to hit Trail Days at the same time, so there is a wave of hikers moving north. I have been pushing hard to stay ahead of a huge pack. There has been a group of about 25 people trying to cram into shelters at night. They race so they get there first. Anyone a little slow has to tent. I am trying to leave the rat race behind.   I love my hammock, but it isn't good in this weather. There have been other reasons for me pushing hard this last week. I want to catch Twigs, Nuts, and Loser. Also, I want to get to Trail Days, and I have to average 14 miles a day. I have to re-supply twice and it always makes for a low mileage day when I have to stop in a town. The biggest reason is my ankle is better and I want to test it out. It¢s still swollen and lets me know it is there in the morning, but I can hike on it and I did about 55 miles in the last three days. Today¢s hike was difficult for me. There are trees blown down all over the trail. You can tell which one fell most recently because the hikers are still kicking under them. Sometimes the blow-downs completely block the trail. It is hard to limbo with a pack on. I have not been eating, drinking, or sleeping enough. I tried to eat and drink more today but I still feel low on energy. I used to tell how far I've hiked by looking at my watch. Now my watch is dead, so I tell what time it is by looking at how may miles I went. I can do slightly less then 2 mph these days. With my new speed, I have regrettably left Woods behind. She hitched into town and we will be hiking less together. It is just too hard to adjust the other person¢s speed and meet up. I'm sure we will be hiking together again. I feel much more free this way. As I started to hike the 2 miles to town a guy asked if I needed a ride. Things just naturally go my way. I got a ride to McDonalds and gorged myself. There was no room at the hostel so I sprung for a hotel. A good night of sleep will really help me. My feet are a mess. Walking in sloshing wet socks for 3 days have caused several blisters. Tomorrow I will re-supply and hike out of here. 10 days and 118 miles to Trail Days.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-05-09
From: Indian Grave Gap

To: Greasy Creek Gap
Miles today: 14.9

Man, did I sleep last night. I woke briefly to see lightning, but it didn't rain. I ate my orange, which really made a mess. I washed with a little of my drinking water. When I brushed my teeth, I discovered my liquid soap is leaking, yuck! I used some more of my water to wash my hygiene kit. At 8 am I started hiking, but I had very little water left. It took 6 miles until I finally found water. I was really thirsty and I am trying to drink more water, so I got 3 liters. The weather is just perfect. It was a little warm in the afternoon but I am not complaining. I didn't see another person until 3pm when a Southbounder came by. Shortly after that, I met another thru-hiker, but that was all the human contact I had. Sometimes there were thousands of baby grasshoppers jumping frantically as I walked by. Something should eat some of these. Then it hit me. I could be that something. I again am very tired and have trouble keeping my pace up. I made a big dinner, drank a gallon of water, and hopefully will get a good night of sleep. That will cure this lethargic feeling I hope.8 days and 95 miles to Trail Days.Peace,Dutch
Date: 2003-05-10
From: Greasy Creek Gap

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: light rain

I am in pretty bad shape right now. My energy level is down for some reason I can't figure out. My feet get a new blister every day. I miscalculated my food needs and may have to stop for more. I am almost out of Aqua Mira and will wind up drinking untreated water. My shoes have long since disintegrated and are just messing up my feet. I have left behind all my beloved friends for this pursuit of Trail Days. I'm not sure any of this is worth the risks and pain I'm going through right now.I awoke with another really good night of sleep. Again, there was no rain and it was a warm night. I tried to forego my sleeping bag but it got too cold. I wanted to get out early so I wouldn't have to go up Roan Mountain in the heat of the day. Since getting off early didn't happen I tried to jog, but that wasn't going to happen either. Man, what is up with my energy level. Roan Mountain is big, but I've crossed 6,000+ foot mountains before. I spent the morning psyching myself up. Then I saw it. It is a huge gray mass. It's not so much that it is high as it's the mountains around it are so low. I got at the bottom at 11am, just in time to climb it in the hottest part of the day. Right away it got steep, so steep that I could reach out and touch the trail in front of me. I walked slowly up taking rest stops often. I ate some lunch. What keeps happening to my food? Finally I got to the top where there was a road and plenty of people out for day hikes.One couple asked where I started. When I explained what I was doing they pointed out that I have a long way to go. Gee, thanks. I made my way down the other side where there were some public bathrooms. Three college girls asked if I was hiking the entire trail. They gave me tea and an orange. One asked why I was doing this and I thought about climbing Roan Mountain. I didn't have an answer at all. I was just wondering that exact question. "It was on my list of things to do" is all I could come up with. I wish I could say "spiritual enlightenment" or "to get the horror of war out of my head". I think I better work on an answer for this because I think the question will pop up again. I then proceeded up on a series of balds where I took a wrong turn and had to backtrack about 3/4 of a mile. I made it the 4 miles to the shelter where more trail magic awaited. A day hiker brought cheeseburgers and cokes. Wow, what a treat, and it my help stretch my food supply. I know about half the hikers here. This is a real nice shelter that was a barn that was converted to a shelter. I'm really tired and will be sleeping in the shelter tonight. 80 miles and 7 days to Damascus.Peace,Dutch