morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-04-01
From: Betty Creek Gap

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: clear sky

Day 124/1/03 Tuesday12.2 Miles on TrailWell here I am in the Haven Hotel, room 17, in bed with Flash. Leanna and Sprout are in the other bed and Last Minute Mark is on the floor. Through a series of weird circumstances we all ended up here. It was a longish hike over some pretty tough terrain today. We went up and over Albert Mountain but did not climb the tower because there was an inch of ice on the stairs from the melted snow. Flash, Mark and I hitched a ride into town. We got a ride in seconds. Leanna and Sprout were suppose to get picked up by one of Leanna's friends who no-showed. While Flash, Mark and I were shopping, getting laundry done and eating, the girls were stranded at the trail head and had a hard time getting a ride. Anyway, we're all here. What a trip. Everybody is either reading or writing, they are all good people.Albert Mountain was not as hard as I expected, but hiking was hard today because my feet hurt. I put some heal lifts in because I was having a problem with blisters and I think that caused the other pain. So tomorrow I try something different. I've resupplied and my pack is way too heavy again. I know that I'm looking forward to Fontana Dam to get rid of some weight and talk to the outfitter there on how to save space. That means I have to carry all of this stuff there. I'm tired and in spite of the strange sleeping circumstances, I think I'll sleep well tonight.
Date: 2003-04-02
From: Franklin

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 3.7
Weather: clear sky

Day 134/2/03 Wednesday3.7 Miles on Trail.5 Miles off TrailToday was one of the 10 best days since humans started walking the earth. It could have not been more beautiful. Ron HAven, the owner of the Haven Motel, brought Last Minute, Flash and me back to the trail. Sprout and Wootang finally connected with their friend. There are about 8 men at the shelter site tonight. I am tenting again. The name of this place is Siler Bald Shelter. It is an absolutely clear night and the stars are awesome. It's gotten chillier since the sun went down so it's hard to stargaze. Time was so compressed in town. There was so much to do and not nearly enough time. Out here I took my time today and really enjoyed the weather, the place and the activity. It's amazing how the ability to do things makes us more busy. Out here it's eat, sleep, walk. In town there is so much more to do and some things can't get done. I wanted to call Tom and Dotti to say hi, but time didn't allow. I wonder how Raz and Tasha are. Tenants were supose to move into my condo today. I wonder how that went?I'm going to brave the chill for another gaze at the stars and then off to dreamland. I've got 12+ miles to walk tomorrow. I hope my new footwear selections put me back on track!!I'm back again. We had another campfire tonight and I met Bat. He lives about 5 minutes from me in Clearwater. A very cool guy. Other folks I met are Mike and Two Speeds. Two Speeds seems to be completely out of his element here. Go figure! I love it out here. See you tomorrow.
Date: 2003-04-03
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

Day 144/3/03 Thursday12.1 Miles on Trail1 Mile off Trail (Siler Bald back to White Blaze)A wonderful day. Siler Bald Shelter campsite was great to wake up to. I ate a hot breakfast and was hiking by 9:15. I backtracked on the Blue Blaze so I wouldn't miss any of the White Blazes (the Blue Blaze loop cuts off a section to get to the shelter). The top of Silver Bald was incredible. 360 degree panorama of mountains. It was totally awesome. The rest of the hike today was good including great views from Wiyah Bald. I was tired and my feet hurt when I got here. Here is Cold Spring Shelter (actually the campsite on the ridge above) but not nearly as bad as a couple of days ago. A couple more days of getting acclimated to the weight / stress and I hope all that will be past tense. This ridge that I am staying on is beautiful. I am here with Bat, Last Minute, Chrysalis and Larry. There are a couple of other folks spaced out along the ridge, but they didn't join us for dinner or conversation around the campfire. This vantage promises a terrific view of the sunrise. I'm gonna get some sleep so I can get up for it and get an early start.Oh yeah, when we were up on Wiyah Bald we saw some kind of major fire or something way in the distance. Wonder what that was?
Date: 2003-04-04
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: A. Rufus Morgan Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 154/4/03 Friday10.7 Miles on Trail   133.3 totalSunrise didn't live up to it's promise, it had gotten overcast by morning so we got a red glow and then slate gray. I walked past many side trails that were probably overlooks because I couldn't see 75 ft. ahead. It threatened rain all day and and rain gear is HOT!!! I lost over3500 feet of net altitude, but there were lots of mean little ups in there and some extra tough downs too. Something is wrong with my pinkie toe on my right foot. I'm going to try padding it tomorrow. It finally did really rain - for the 5 minutes it took to set up my tent. Then it let up so I could cook dinner. But it is drizzling on the tent as I write. Today's terrain was by far the toughest yet. Tomorrow looks like it will be some tough climbing up to Sasafras Gap and if the weather and feet cooperate, on past to Locust Cove Gap Campsite.I met more neat people today. Last Minute Mark and Flash are the only faces that have been consistent for a while. There's Sunrise, a big burly fellow with a red beard, Erin and Amanda traveling together, Blip and Big Red traveling together. Everybody had dinner at the shelter, but you guessed it, I'm in my tent again in spite of the rain. More tomorrow, I hope it stops raining by morning.
Date: 2003-04-05
From: A. Rufus Morgan Shelter

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: moderate rain

Day 164/5/03 Saturday7.7 Miles on TrailWell it didn't stop raining by morning, in fact it was thunderstorms. I took the tent down in a heavy rain. It turned out OK. It was only a mile to NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center) so I slogged it in there, got a waterproof bear bag at the outfitter and ate breakfast (AYCE) at a buffet. Wow did I chow. Then I pulled everything out of my pack and dried it out. Then off and up the 3500 feet I lost yesterday. Yesterdays hike was like walking down a dragons tail, today's was almost as bad going up. It wasn't as up and down, but it was a lot of very steep consistent ups. Deceptive because I thought I reached the peak at least a half-a-dozen times. The weather cleared while I was eating breakfast so the views were spectacular. Tomorrows hike is a lot of ups and downs, some very steep, but nothing very prolonged. My little toe did much better in the molepadding I made for it. My heals are doing fine, and if I take off my boots and walk around at lunch, my feet don't hurt at the end of the day. Yee Haw!!Tonights gang is all in the shelter except for me. I'm tenting again. They say it's suppose to rain. I hope not. I really hope not. There isn't a cloud in the sky right now and the stars are dazzling.The only familiar faces tonight were Last Minute and Two Speeds. The new faces were Switchback, Rocky, Wrong Way Brown, Dimple Rock, Ben and a couple of others. We made a fire and roasted marshmallows that Ben brought. The fire took a lot to get going, but it turned out to be quite nice. We all laghed hard and they asked me to play the flute. The flute has really been a big hit. I brought it for me, but everybody seems to like it. It's an early morning, so later.
Date: 2003-04-06
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 174/6/03 Sunday15.2 Miles on Trail   156.2 TotalHere I am again in my tent at Cable Gap Shelter. I can hear the brook from my tent. Its beautiful. The trees in this valley are so tall. Its about 100' to the first branch on many of them.I didn't expect to walk this far today, but it was raining (it just started to rain again) when I got to Cody Gap and the tentsites there were mud pits. So I figured I had time and energy to make it to the shelter and I did make it and I was the 6th person in a shelter that sleeps 6. Soy Nut, who I met on day 1 and hadn't seen since, was one of the 5 and has a bad cold. Then Rocky showed up. Then Wrong Way Brown and Dimple Rocks arrived and a few minutes later Ben and Tyler showed up. Then Sheepstuff arrived. So it was Ben, Tyler, Wrong Way, Dimple Rocks and me that tented. I'm on a slope again and its a trick to not slide down to the foot of my tent. I set my tent up in a hurry just as it was getting dark because of the timing of my decision to tent. I think I missed the rocks, although there is something hard poking me in the hip.Todays walk was ups and downs, with some quite challenging. It was made a lot nicer by a fellow named Ox. Ox set up shop at Stecoah Gap. Two coolers filled with sodas and cookies. Plus doughnuts and Gatorade. The best was the fresh oranges. Ox through-hiked in '97 and does this every weekend in March. Very cool guy. He even had 4 of the cool foldable chairs (blaze orange with Tennesee Volunteers on them) under a pavillion tent so we could rest. Trail Angels are awesome!!I'm going to listen to the brook, the rain and the distant thunder and drift off to sleep. Then tomorrow its a short hike to Fontana Dam and a shower, laundry, mail drop and probably a zero day on Tuesday. We'll see.
Date: 2003-04-07
From: Fontana Inn

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 5.5
Weather: light rain

Day 184/7/03 Monday5.5 Miles on TrailThis time I'm writing from a bed in the Fontana Inn. I plan on staying here tomorrow night too. It was very cool coming down off the mountain again today. It went from winter to spring just like that. The dogwoods and flowers are blooming down her and you can feel them about to explode up above.I'm sharing a room with Charity and Rocky, Ben and Tyler are right next door, and Dimple Rock and Wrongway Brown are across the hall. Last Minute Mark is down the hall. Some of the gang is outside chatting. I'm tired and wanted to get something on paper to keep the routine going.Today I had what was for me at the time a profound thought, "when it rains, things get wet". It rained last night, hard at times. It alternated from waking me up to lulling me to sleep to waking me up. Fortunately, it stopped by morning. I ate and packed up and noticed that even though I didn't get wet in my tent, everything was damp. Then, when I rolled up my tent, wow was it wet.My feet were sore today probably as a result of such a long day yesterday. A day of recovery should work wonders.More tomorrow.
Date: 2003-04-08
From: Fontana Dam

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 194/8/03 Tuesday0 miles on TrailSpent the day at Fontana Inn doing laundry, eating and organizing / drying gear. It rained most of the day. It looks like rain or snow when we set out tomorrow. We either leave at 5:30 a.m. or 9:00 a.m. We've chosen 5:30 a.m., so its an early night.
Date: 2003-04-09
From: Fontana Dam

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 204/9/03 Wednesday14.9 Miles on TrailIt's tough to leave a warm cozy room at 5:30 in the morning to go hiking in the rain. My two roomies stayed in bed, but I couldn't get back to sleep and went on and left. It rained most of the day. Fontana Dam is quite a place. The Fontana Hilton is a nice big shelter and the showers at the visitor's center were pretty cool. I probably could have zeroed there, but the Fontana Inn was a good deal and fun too.The walk today was up and down and muddy. I was on a slip and slide all day. I found four four-leaf-clovers between the dam and when the trail went back into the woods. I'm at a place called Russell Field Shelter and there are lots of people here. Only 2 that I have seen before. Mike and Soy Nut are here. Other names are: Scotland Llama, Jim, Clover, Thirsty, Granite and a couple of others I don't know. It's quite cold and the folks that made it to the shelter are the folks that move a little faster since it was a longer haul from Fontana than Mollies Ridge Shelter.Tomorrow is either a 9 or 15 mile day. A lot of that is going to depend on the weather. My hands are cold so I'll stop now.First night in a shelter!
Date: 2003-04-10
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: snow

Day 214/10/03 Thursday9.2 Miles on TrailWell, the first night in a shelter wasn't too bad, but waking up to snow wasn't great. Also, I met the first guy I really disliked today. As Soy Nut said "vulgar just to be vulgar and unkind to boot".Walked on and past one shelter and by the time I reached the second shelter my clothes were soaked in sweat. The shelter was way overfull, but we've got 18 of us in here. It snowed sideways all day. At times I couldn't see the trail or the footsteps of the person in front of me. So far the Smokies have been harsh. The snow was beautiful, but because of the conditions my focus was on getting to the shelter. My gloves were so wet I could wring them out. Fortunately my boots and feet stayed dry. The weather will dictate what I do tomorrow. Staying here warm and dry might be my best option. Hopefully the snow will stop soon and the expected warm front will get here before morning.I forgot to mention how hungry you get on a forced march in the cold. WOW.
Date: 2003-04-11
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 224/11/03 Friday0 Miles on TrailToday we didn't stray further than peeing distance from Derrick Knob Shelter. It was wet all day. Misting, raining, snowing. We stayed in the shelter and played word games. Some folks did move on. A lot of people came in. We are in a very crowded shelter. We are pad to pad. There are 20 of us sleeping in this shelter. There is some danger of hypothermia if we move on. Tomorrow we will hopefully have better weather and move on past Clingmans Dome and figure out if I have enough food to move on or if I have to stop at Gattlinburg.Cold and wet is no fun.
Date: 2003-04-12
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

Day 234/12/03 Saturday13.5 Miles on TrailWell, I crossed the highest point on the trail today, Clingman's Dome. To say that the trail was slushy would be an understatement. Let me back up a little. I got up and out early today. The sun was shining, it was a beautiful sight. No clouds in the sky. The trail was a river of slush and mud. It was so bad that mt Gore-Tex boots gave it up and were totally soaked. The walk was absolutely beautiful, great vistas. The shelter I'm in tonight is called Mt. Collins Shelter. It's in a hemlock forrest and if it wasn't muddy it would be fabulous. During the snows I went over the famed Rocky Top. Couldn't see more than 100'. It was a tough climb. Since then the trail has been relatively easy. Tomorrow looks like a 15 miler.I've eaten, I'm warm and dry. Now it's time to get some rest.
Date: 2003-04-13
From: Mount Collins Shelter

To: Peck's Corner Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: clear sky

Day 244/13/03 Sunday14.9 Miles on Trail1.2 Miles off TrailToday was a crystal clear day in the Smokies, which means that the sky was total blue but the mountains were in a haze. Some of the haze has an orange-green tint of smog. The trail was good in places and sloppy in others. I ended the day with wet feet.I walked today with Wanderer, Baby Steps, and Pippi. The trail was partially a ridge walk and partially a cliff walk. It offered the best and most beautiful vistas yet. It also offered the most treacherous conditions. There were several fresh blowdowns which made passage tough. At a couple of places the footpath was barely wider than my foot. Careful walking was the order of the day.I'm staying at Pecks Corner Shelter tonight. It's PACKED! Some weekday hikers / section hikers who had reservations showed up late and Baby Steps moved out to her tent (you are not allowed to tent in the Smokies unless the shelter is full). Lucky girl. The 3/4 moon is magnificant. I would rather be in my tent. There is a loud snorer here. He's been at it for hours and it is bad. It's a nice shelter though and there's a good fire. 13 miles plus tomorrow.
Date: 2003-04-14
From: Peck's Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: clear sky

Day 254/14/03 Monday12.9 Miles on Trail.5 Miles off TrailToday was another perfect weather day. The trail had many complications today. At times it was a stony stream. At times it was still snow. At times it was ankle deep slush, then ankle deep mud. And yes, there were some stretches that were relatively dry, but they were brief.I forgot to mention Charlies Bunion yesterday. It's a rock outcropping / cliff that offers spectacular views. Unfortunately since it was such a long day and there were a lot of people who day-hiked there for lunch, I didn't get any photo's.Today's walk was spectacular. Not quite as many vistas as yesterday and not nearly as many shear drop-offs. A ridgerunner had come by and cut up most of the blowdowns. Hooray for those guys!The shelter site, Cosby Knob Shelter, is beautiful. It's also full, which is great because it allows me to be in my tent, which is in an ideal spot. It's a very green, lush valley and my tent is behind some rhododendrons.. Quite beautiful.Today was the kind of day you dream about. Sunshine. No hurry. A sit down beside the trail and eat, relax and let your feet dry kind of day. Because you know that you can easily do the miles and its so darn gorgeous.Something pretty cool happened today. I was sitting playing my bamboo flute after lunch. A fellow came by and introduced himself as Highlander. I told him my name was Gazer. He said he'd figured as much because of the flute. Apparently it's a welcome sound at the campsites. I was even asked to play before I went to sleep. So I will.Tomorrow is a cheeseburger stop at Mountain Mommas and a short term re-supply. Hope the weather holds.
Date: 2003-04-15
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Painter Branch
Miles today: 12.7

Day 264/15/03 Tuesday12.7 Miles on TrailAnother great weather day. Not as many views, but a couple of great ones. Hope the pictures turn out.Well, the Smoky Mountains were beautiful, but I'm glad to be out of the park (too many restrictions at the shelters with regard to tenting). We made a stop today at Mountain Mommas for a cheeseburger and ice cream. That set us back a couple of hours, but it was good to have a change in food. Then I did a re-supply at Standing Bear Farm. Curtis, who runs the place, must be the most laid back person on the planet. Ever. It looked nice and Scubaman and Pippi stayed. Wanderer, Baby Steps, Bag, Snot Rocket, Dingleberry, Nothing Decent and Switcher and I are camping at the Mountain Painter Branch Campsite. What a climb after eating all of that food in the valley. Plus the food bag was light all morning for the decent, but heavy for the way up to camp. It was an in and out of spring day too. The blooming stuff is catching up though. Perhaps that means more SNOW.I've developed a great big blister on my right little toe and a medium one on my left little toe to balance it out. You haven't lived 'till you've compared blisters with other thru-hikers. Some folks really have it bad.I made a fire and we all sat around and chatted for a while. It's late, after 10:00, which is very unusual. Blame Mountain Mommas.I'll figure tomorrows agenda when the birds wake me.
Date: 2003-04-16
From: Painter Branch

To: Max Patch Summit
Miles today: 11.3

Day 274/16/03 Wednesday11.3 Miles on Trail.5 Miles off TrailWOW! I'm lying in my tent, the full moon is shining in through the mesh of the door and I just got to see the most magnificant sunset. It was absolutely the perfect day to be here and doing this! Here is Max Patch Summit. There are about 18 of camped here. Wanderer, Baby Steps, Jack of the Mountain, Scubaman, 1/3, One Foot Forward, Luke and a few others I don't know. Max Patch is an artificial Bald. They mow it and do controlled burns so it stays treeless and grassy. It offers 360 degrees of view. Today was clear, so it was 360 degrees of awesome! The rest of today was nice up and downs, some of it steep, but when I got here I really got to live up to my trail-name "Gazer". The night is clear so I probably won't have to close my tent fly and will be able to see the sun come up over the mountains from my sleeping bag. I am so grateful to be able to experience this.
Date: 2003-04-17
From: Max Patch Summit

To: Deer Park Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 284/17/03 Thursday16.6 Miles on TrailWell, tonight I'm writing by what's left of daylight on the last piece of paper I have. Good thing tomorrow is a town and/or a mail drop. Last night the wind on the top of Max Patch was pretty strong and kept most of us awake. It was well worth it though because we were rewarded with a magnificent Moonset / Sunrise. 360 degree view with the shadows opposite were incredible.It was a big day, so I didn't hang around. Got moving. There weren't any spectacular views after I left Max Patch Summit. Today was an up and down day, no real predominance of one or the other. My right pinky toe bothered me in the a.m., but not in the p.m.. What's going on with that? All the blisters are healing nicely and no new ones. It was clouding up pretty well by noon and it rained lightly until after I got my tent set up. Now its off and on, light and heavy. Tomorrow is a short walk into Hot Springs. I'm thinking about a zero day on Saturday, but I'm already 8 days behind schedule. I have to keep reminding myself that the schedule was just a rough outline. My body and spirit have to keep me going. Right now, aside from the aforementioned "stuff", I'm having the time of my life. Well the daylight is gone and so is the paper. Looking forward to mail tomorrow.
Date: 2003-04-18
From: Deer Park Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 294/18/03 Friday3.2 Miles on TrailWalked into Hot Springs today, a relatively easy walk. Got some laundry done, made some phone calls and ate a lot of food. Hot Springs is a neat little town. The AT runs right through it. All of the services are right on the "Trail" and very close together. The outfitter is really good. The replaced my platypus water bladder for return postage. They have a good selection of quality equipment and hiker food. The grocery leaves a lot to be desired. No fresh fruit. There's a lot to do and plan. The hostel is nice and I can get well spread out and get everything dry and organized. Five of us here have been traveling together for a while and there is a sixth we just met. He's kind of drunk and loud. Oh well, these guys are few and far between. I'm very sleepy. I'll talk to you later.
Date: 2003-04-19
From: Hot Springs

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 304/19/03 Saturday0 Miles on TrailZero day in Hot Springs. Got lots of stuff done. Repairs, cleaning, drying, re-waterproofing the boots and writing post cards. Met up with lots of the folks I've met since I started. Last Minute Mark just showed up at the last minute. Skip, Trip, Bingo, Trukin' showed up. There was Rocky, Charity, a boy named Sue, Scubaman, Soy Nut, Nothin' Decent, Pippi, Papa Bear, Big Red, Snot Rocket and Dingleberry. Then there were the people we all missed, like Two Speeds. Anyway, it was a gorgeously beautiful spring day. But, I'm really looking forward to being on the trail tomorrow.