morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-07-06
From: Standing Bear Farm Hostel

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm taking a zero day here to let my body rest up and just relax. It was so peaceful to go to sleep while listening to the creek babbling underneath me. First thing I did when I got here last night was take a much needed shower. It felt sooo good. Then I got my laundry done. By that time it was getting dark so I went to bed. Boy did I sleep good. Today I spent reading by the creek and washing up some more stuff. Very relaxing day. It rained all day and I'm glad I was not hiking in it. If it's raining tomorrow, I may see if I can get some work for stay and sit out the rain again. Sometimes, hikers can do some chores around the hostel in lieu of rent. Curtis has already deducted ten dollars from my stay since I changed and washed the sheets on both beds in the cottage. There is another woman staying in the cottage with me tonight and she has her car here. She's offered to let me drive her car to one point on the trail north of here, and I'll hike southbound from there while she hikes northbound from here. I'll give her the key when we pass each other on the trail. I'm seriously considering it, although it is over 13 miles. As a very wise friend always tells me.....we'll see.
Date: 2005-07-07
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I decided not to take Amoeba up on her offer of taking her car to Max Patch and hiking back here. It was pouring rain still when we got up and didn't let up at all until about 3pm. Amoeba has been doing the AT in a series of day hikes. The logistics of that must be a nightmare. Curtis followed her to a point 13 miles up the trail, where she drops off her car and then he'll bring her back here, where she'll start her hike back to her car. She's doing it in this downpour, which isn't so bad since she'll be ending her day in a warm, dry car. I can't imagine working out that kind of scenerio for all 2100 miles of the trail. If I were to hike today, I'd be ending my day in a wet, muddy shelter. OK, I'm a wimp. By the time the rain had stopped, I had pretty much resigned myself to staying here another night. I'm on no set schedule and it's kinda nice to have the freedom and not be rushed to get somewhere. If it's still pouring tomorrow, I may stay longer. This place is so quiet, much like going on a retreat, only with Internet. I've been doing a lot of reading today, and tomorrow, if I stay, I'll talk to Curtis about working for another night's stay. Some of these buildings could use a good cleaning. Well, I think I'll go contemplate my naval lint awhile before bedtime.
Date: 2005-07-08
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: few clouds

The sky cleared last night and it is a gorgeous day today. I reluctantly left Standing Bear and started a killer climb up Snowbird Mountain. It was straight uphill. Yup, I'm definately in North Carolina, no switchbacks. Snowbird Mountain was a partial Bald, with great views. It was worth the climb. The rest of the hike was all uphill to the shelter. I nearly collapsed when I got here. I was in a daze at first, then slowly I went about my chores before bed. Clean up, water, dinner. I debated setting up my tent but was too tired.
Date: 2005-07-09
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Today I hiked more miles than ever before. I left the shelter and went uphill some more. It seems I go up more than down. I should be at the moon by now. The highlight of the day was hiking up and over Max Patch. A true Bald with 360 degree views. The Bald was covered in wildflowers and was absolutely gorgeous. Queen Anne's Lace, buttercups, purple clover to name a few. It was an amazing sight. I felt much like Julie Andrews in the opening shot of Sound of Music. Words cannot describe the beauty of this place. This is by far my favorite place on the AT. I stopped on top of the hill, with views all around me to have lunch. Some folks were picnicing nearby and we started talking. Next thing I know they're offering me a cold coke and a turkey sandwich. It didn't take me long to accept. SCORE!! This is what hikers call 'yogi-ing', named after Yogi Bear. You set yourself up near people who are eating and usually they'll start asking you about your hike and invariably, they'll offer something out of their picnic basket. It is an art that some hikers have down to a science. The key to yogi-ing food, or anything else for that matter, is that you NEVER, EVER ask for anything. Once you ask, you are no longer yogi-ing, now you are begging, and hikers never beg. The rest of the hike was mostly downhill and the reason I was able to make so many miles. By the time I got to the shelter it was getting dark. I fixed myself a peanut butter sandwich and headed straight for bed. A mouse had climbed on my backpack, which I hang everynight from ropes in the shelters, and refused to get off no matter how hard I shook it. I finally grabbed my hiking pole and batted it off. He hit the ground hard and scurried off. He didn't bother me again all night.
Date: 2005-07-10
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Deer Park Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: overcast clouds

My pace must be improving. I was able to do ten miles today in eight hours, including an hour break for lunch. I think I'm finally getting what hikers refer to as 'trail legs'. It almost feels like the top of my body is disconnected from the legs, and I'm just being carried along by two pistons.There wasn't much to see today, no vistas, just forest. But oh, is the forest ever beautiful. Hillsides covered in wildflowers or carpeted in ferns. I passed a couple of trail maintainers today. These are remarkable people. They volunteer their time to keep the trail in good condition. These folks were trimming back the weeds that were growing over the trail. Maintainers hike with saws, axes, hedgetrimmers, whatever tools are necessary to saw away a tree that has blocked the trail, or put steps in where the trail is being washed away. These two folks had to be at least in their 70's. She was using the gas powered trimmer on one side of the trail, while he was using a sickle on the other side. Very impressive.AS I was approaching the shelter, I heard thunder behind me. I must have nearly ran the last three miles to beat the rain. Every time I'd stop to catch my breath and wipe my brow, thunder would boom and I'd start off again. IT was as if God was kicking me in the butt every time I stopped. The rain never did come until the middle of the night.When I got to the shelter, which was really small as shelters go, sleepipng only five, I immediately fixed dinner and set up my bed. I was alone, as has been the case since I left the Smokies, and felt a little uneasy. Maybe it was the impending storm, maybe it was the small, dark, dank shelter, or maybe it was both, but I decided to start a fire. This is the first fire I've built on this trip due to the fact that everything has been so wet. I figured the smell of smoke would keep the critters away. Just as it was getting dark, two guys came up and pitched a tent behind the shelter. They finished burning all the wood I'd collected and I fell asleep watching the fire blaze away.
Date: 2005-07-11
From: Deer Park Mountain Shelter

To: Elmer's Sunnybank Inn
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: light rain

Got up at the crack of dawn and headed out by 7:30. I hiked over 3 miles, mostly downhill, to Hot Springs, N.C. I'm staying at a very nice hostel run by an older gentleman named Elmer Hall. Elmer was a Methodist preacher and a professor at Duke University when he went on a thru-hike in 1976. In '77, he quit everything and bought this 160 year old Victorian house on the main street here in Hot Springs and opened it up to hikers. It's a beautiful home and I have a room all to myself, with a second story balcony along the front of the house. There are claw foot tubs in the bathrooms and the whole house is furnished in antiques. I'm in my glory.First priority is, as always, a shower. It's amazing how much you appreciate little things after being in the woods for so long. Sheets, showers, a glass of cold milk is heaven. After the shower, laundry, then food. After getting chores done, I headed back to Elmer's for dinner. Dinner is served at 8pm and consists of gourmet vegetarian meals. There were 12 of us at dinner. We started with soup, carrot ginger, followed by a salad with sesame dressing and then the main course, a shepherd's pie filled with corn, broccoli, squash, zuchini and cheese. It was very, very good.Last night, as I ran to the shelter, I managed to split open a callouse on the ball of my foot. It's cracked right down the middle, to raw skin and is very tender. I may take a zero day tomorrow to let it heal up a little. I spent the rest of the evening relaxing on my balcony reading a book. Elmer has a very extensive library. It was a great close to an incredibly relaxing day.
Date: 2005-07-12
From: Elmer's Sunnybank Inn

To: Elmer's
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I decided to take a zero day at Elmer's to let my feet heal up a little more. It wasn't a hard decision, given the hospitality of this place. It is very relaxing. One of the hikers here is named Slips. He got his trail name when he slipped on a rock and went over a waterfall. Luckily, he didn't get hurt, but the name stuck. He thru-hiked last year, and summitted Mt. Katahdin with a friend of mine, Rain Man, and his daughter, Grass. Small world.Spent most of my day on the upstairs 'veranda', reading a book by Bill Bryson called, "A Walk in the Woods." It supposedly chronicles his time hiking on the Appalachian Trail, but I wonder about it's authenticity when there is a grizzly bear on the cover. To hear Bryson tell it, you'd think the trail was a very dangerous place, and perils lurked at every curve.   HAH! His book is not very popular in the hiker community. It doesn't portray the trail or the trail towns in a very positive light. Rumor has it that Paul Newman and Robert Redford were going to do one last movie together, based on this book. Hope it's more accurate.Dinner was excellent again!! I could easily become a vegetarian if all my meals were this good. Leaving in the morning for my last stretch to Erwin. After the blueberry pancakes, of course.
Date: 2005-07-13
From: Elmer's

To: Spring Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 11.0

It was a very hard climb out of Hot Springs. It's always a hard climb out of a town. Steep hills and full foodbag. The trail followed the French Broad for awhile, then switchbacked up to a place called Lover's Leap. I watched Hot Springs get smaller and smaller all morning. It was a pretty uneventful hike today. Not much to see in the way of vistas. At one point, I couldn't even see the trail. The wildflowers along the trail had grown so tall, that they were over my head. I literally had to bushwhack through the mess to see the trail. It was pouring down rain the whole time, and if I stopped, I was swarmed with all kinds of buzzing and biting bugs. This went on for a good two hours. Boy was I glad to see that shelter. Spent the night alone here, except for a visit from a very large rabbit. It was a long, hard hike today, but I'm feeling strong.
Date: 2005-07-14
From: Spring Mt. Shelter

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: broken clouds

Not feeling quite so strong today. I must have burnt up all that good food from Elmer's yesterday. The trail whipped me today. Started the morning by putting on wet clothes, socks and boots. Had more rain today and my spirits are kinda low. Got in to the shelter and found I had ground hamburger for feet again. Sore, Sore, Sore. There are seven college kids tenting close by tonight. They brought all kinds of fresh food and are cooking it up here by the shelter. It smells great. Time for a little yogi-ing......
Date: 2005-07-15
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Today has been one of those days you just want to forget. And it started last night. I spilled my stove over for the first time since I made it. There is nothing you can do when one tips over except to watch the alcohol burn away and stop it from causing any damage. So I watched it burn off the picnic table, then refilled it and started again. I'm low on fuel as it is, so that didn't help the matter. Shortly after that mess, I ran my hand through my hair only to pull it out with a bee stinger in it. I jumped and hollered and squeezed the life out of my index finger. One of the college kids was kind enough to pull the stinger out for me. My finger is now swollen to twice its size, and very tender. As I got started hiking this morning, I slipped on some mud and twisted my knee. Didn't make for good hiking. On top of that, my feet never dried out and they are like ground meat, again. Walking was painful with every step today. I hobbled into this shelter around 3pm and decided to stay. The sun was shining and I wanted to try to dry out my boots. When I took off my boots and socks is when I found them. Two blisters, one on the ball of each foot, a matching pair! It's 7pm right now and they are still very tender to the touch. I may have to tape them up in the morning. Have I mentioned how much I hate mud? I wouldn't mind the rain so much if there wasn't so much mud to go along with it. I'm filthy, my clothes are filthy, my pack is filthy.... I've got one set of clean clothes and five more days of hiking. I guess I'll stay filthy for awhile. I at least beat the rain today, it started raining about an hour ago. I gathered some wood up earlier, this shelter has a fireplace in it. One other guy just stumbled in. I wonder if any more drowned rats will board ship tonight. Well, time to make the fire.
Date: 2005-07-16
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

To: Flint Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 5.9

Today was a good day. Not even the two hour downpour could put me in a bad mood. It must have been because my feet didn't hurt. YEAH! I bandaged them and wrapped them in duct tape and even with the soaking wet boots and socks that squished with every step, they hung in there. The hike here was relatively easy, mostly downhill. Had to bushwhack again north of Jerry's Cabin. Sam Waddle had been the caretaker of this shelter, and kept it and the trail around it pristine. Sam died last February and it looks like no one has stepped up to the plate to take his place yet. I hiked past the Shelton graves. An uncle and nephew who lived in N.C. but enlisted in the Union Army, were heading home for a family reunion when they were ambushed by Confederates. They were buried where they died. There are many graves and commemorative headstones along the trail. That surprised me. I got to the Flint Mt. shelter around 3pm, and although it was too early to stop, I did. The sun was out and I spent a good amount of time washing me, my clothes and my socks out. The water was black from rinsing my socks. YUCK!A couple of the guys that were at Elmer's with me in Hot Springs arrived just at dusk. They're talking about getting off the trail at Devil's Fork Gap in the morning and hitching to Miss Janet's House in Erwin. I'm thinking about joining them. I'm running short on fuel and food, my feet are a mess, and I'll have guys to hitch with. Sounds like something to sleep on.
Date: 2005-07-17
From: Flint Mtn. Shelter

To: Miss Janet's House, Erwin, Tn.
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: light rain

Opted to cut 30 miles off the trail and call it a trip. I'm at Miss Janet's House in Erwin, Tn. and glad to be here. I called Mick from here and he is on his way to come and get me. Restless is here as well. I met him at Neel's Gap on my section hike over spring break. He's cooking caramel pie right now and should be ready by the time Mick gets here. Yummmm. Miss Janet is fantastic, and she and I are already making plans for next spring break. She'll slack pack me around Erwin and I'll help her with the hikers. Slackpacking is doing part of the trail as day hikes, with just a small pack for water and snacks. She'll drop me off at one end, and pick me up at the next road crossing. I'd spend the nights at her house, helping with cooking or cleaning. Sounds like a plan. Until then, there is school to get ready for, and all this hiking stuff will go on the back burner for a few months......maybe.
Date: 2005-04-06
To: 1 mile north of Neel's Gap
Miles today: 0.0

It's starting to rain outside my tent. This will be the first rain I have had since being out. There was snow on the top of Springer Mountain when Trent and I arrived at 8:30pm last Saturday. I stepped out of the car and in two minutes had every piece of clothing I owned on. the wind was ridiculous. My parents pulled away and I thought twice about what I was doing. But the next 4 days were absolutely perfect. They far exceeded the expectations I had or the thoughts about the people I would meet.On the morning of the 3rd, our 2nd day out, we hiked with Jude, Nick, and Nate. Jude is a cool kid from Tampa Bay, FL. He worked in ticketing and sales or the Tampa Bay Lightning. Nick and Nate are from upstate New York.
Date: 2005-04-09
From: Helen, GA

To: Tray Mountain
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Slept in a real bed last night, plus we got free danishes & coffee in the morning. It ended up being a great day. This morning we woke up around 6:45 so we could catch the shuttle. Ate 4 danishes and drank 3 cups of coffee. Left the hotel around 8:10. Said goodbye to Blotter and walked through Helen, GA to the shuttle pick-up at Betty's Country Store. Helen is a wierd tourist trap type of place but it has a certain amount of Beauty to it. It looks like a German village somewhere in the Alps. Trent and I decided not to take the shuttle ($5) and thumb it ($free) instead. Everyone else set up before us and consequently were picked up first. We got a ride 15 minutes later from a lady in a little Escort. She was super nice. We got to the Gap and started a really tough hiking day. Hiked 1000 feet up in 1 mile. Ate on top of Tray Mountain (4500 ft) and hiked to the Mythzcal keg party at Addis Gap. Needless to say there was no party but there were some really cool tent sites down by the water source and it was supposed to be clear. We all ate at about 8:30. A man wearing fly fishing gear approaches via the same road he had just passed us on in this jeep about 2 hours prior. He said he was going up to Deep Gap to cook for the hikers. But his Jeep broke down so he figured the Lord meant for him to cook for us. Sure enough, he started frying up potatoes, onions and fresh rainbow trout that he had caught down stream of the very creek we were camped by. While he cooked he started talking about his beliefs and Christ. Before long he asked where we were from. When he got to our new friend Tal, from Israel, he got real excited. But everything remained civil. The fish was great. We walked up to the top of the hill later and turned around his jeep. He rode the thing all the way back down to the Gap. He gave a "YIPEE" when he passed our site. Thank you Ray Chester.
Date: 2005-04-10
From: Tray Mountain

To: Hiawasee
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was a short one because we needed to stop at Hiawasee, but the Post Office wasn't opened, so we are camping at Dick's Creek. We hitched into Hiawasee for food and then back out. We are going in again tomorrow for the packages and then hiking to try to meet Blotter in Franklin on Wednesday. Should be a tough one. While in Hiawasee we picked up some hot dogs and two litres of soda. We roasted them back at Dick's Creek. Tasty Stuff!!
Date: 2005-04-11
From: Hiawaseg

To: Muskrat Creek
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Woke up at about 7:00 a.m. and packed up. Got a ride into Hiawasee with an injured kiker named Turtle. He is running the shuttle for the folks at the Hiawaseg Inn. While in town for the 2nd time I hit up the library and updated my journals and charged my Ipod. We grabbed some Subway and some Dairy Queen. Spend at while trying to get a ride. Finally a super nice gentleman waved to us from the front of the auto shop. He was not the kind of guy you might expect a ride from. He was the type of guy that probably was on his way back to a 6 figure job but the generosity of the people out here is amazing!! We got back on the trail around 1:00. Did 12 miles to Muskrat Creek by 7:00. Great day. We crossed into North Carolina today. Finally some progress. We camped at 4000 feet. The view to the west was amazing and I spent a while watching the lights of the cities turn on and dance. Tucked in now and ready for a big rainy day tomorrow.
Date: 2005-04-12
From: Muskrat Creek

To: Carter Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I'm sitting in the shelter at Carter Gap. There are 2 shelters here. We are in the first one. It is the oldest one as well and anytime anyone stops by we simply note that there is a much nicer shelter around the corner. everyone takes the bait so we have the place to ourselves. We are all dry and reclining. Tea is brewing up and Willie Nelson is on the speakers. Life is good even in the rain. Icebreak just stopped by. He is a hiker that injured himself in Virginia last year. He restarted his hike this year. Seems like a really nice guy. He is going to stay in the shelter with us.
Date: 2005-04-13
From: Carter Gap

To: Franklin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Today we look to dry gear thanks to the shelter. The morning started fairly nice but soon gave way to rain. We were hiking off the first deluge when from around the corner I spotted a large tent looming in the Mountain Laurel. There was a sign that read Trail Magic. As you passed between 2 hedges one found himself in a huge tent. A second later and I had a hot cup of coffee in my hand and a huge helping of beans and rice topped with fresh onions and salsa. Fred, Gatorade and Barry have been camped hear for nearly a month. Barry used to run a hiker hostel known as Rainbow Springs. It has since fallen under new management and been shutdown. Kinda a bummer of a story and those people just keep on keepin' on. Also climbed Albert Mnt. in a hailstorm. After 16 miles we reach the road to Franklin. A gentleman named George, a member of Nantahala Hiking Club, pulled up and offered 5 stinky, soaking and muddy hikers a ride. Thank you. Franklin was great. Split a $45 room 5 ways. 2 large pizzas. Pabst. Movies. Hot showers. Smokin' hot girls at the Outfitters. Jamaica bought some fragrance so the shelters don't stink so bad.
Date: 2005-04-14
From: Franklin

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Woke up and talked to Mom and Dad on the phone while I wolfed down some English Muffins and coffee. We packed up and went back to the Outfitters because Trent didn't process his memory card. We ended up waiting there for the mailman until 3:00. We still had to do 12 miles on top of that in order to meet up with some of our hiking buddies. We left the Outfitters by 3:15. Walked to the overpass and climbed the wall to get down to the highway. We saw someone walking toward us from the end of the ramp. Sure enough he had seen us and pulled over on the on ramp and was now maneuvering down the way to ask us if we needed a lift to the Trail. Yes sir. Cuppa Joe was a hiker from '04. He is a raft guide as well. Livin' the dream sw we got hiking at 4:00. Pristine weather...cool, clear and sunny. Climbed our first bald. Siler Bald. It was an incredible 360 degree view of the mountains, sun and blue skies at 5,100 ft. Amazing. Had lunch up there. Got into camp right before dark We were flying. Everyone at camp was pumped that we made it. At camp was Tal, Indi, Bach, Boose, Trent and I. I met a new guy named B-Man. He seems like a pretty righteous dude. Supposed to be cold and clear tonight. Goin' 16 miles into the NOC tomorrow. Good sleepin'.