morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-04-13
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Happy Birthday Aggie!A very lazy day. Hung out most of the morning doing nothing. Set up our next couple mail drops and worked out a tentative hiking schedule until Damascus. Talked to our families and friends on the phone. Re-supplied our food at the Outfitter. Sunbeam stopped by and brought me a hand-made card from her and Busdriver and also snickers and a fancy recorder so that I can play music on the trail! Awesome! (Or maybe not, depending on how I sound) The three of us went to the Hot Springs Spa and sat in a hot-tub. We're pretty sure that the water is hot spring water pumped in from the river. Wherever it comes from, it is divine! It was so nice to sit and relax. We stayed in for an hour and got all wrinkly. It was great!Brad gave me a t-shirt with a beautiful tree on it and the words "advice from a tree: stand tall and proud, sink your roots into the earth, be content with your natural beauty, go out on a limb, drink plenty of water, remember your roots, enjoy the view". How appropriate. We went out to dinner at the Bridge Street Cafe with Busdriver and Sunbeam. I finally had fresh salmon which I had been dreaming about! Busdriver gave me candy (wrapped in toilet paper covered with stickers: the hiker's wrapping paper). It was so much fun! It was a gift alone to be alive and well turning 26. But to be out here on the Appalachian Trail, with Brad and with new friends, laughing and smiling and making new memories, that made my birthday absolutely perfect.
Date: 2008-04-14
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

So we took another zero day. Partly so Brad could rest his ankle more. Partly because the weather was kinda crappy. But mostly so that we could update our trailjournals! True story, too.Seriously, it took sooo long to do (all day)! I hope we never get that far behind again! We still haven't been able to post photos, but we have a photograph picked out for each and every day, so when we are able, we will give you visuals.Thank you to everyone for your continued support. And thanks for signing the guest book. I usually cry when I read it; it makes my heart smile!Our plan is to head out in the morning. We should be in Erwin, TN in about 6 days. Talk to you then!!!
Date: 2008-04-15
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We started our day off with breakfast at the Diner with our friends Sunkist and Kyanite. We then hit the trail. I was so happy to be leaving town; I hate that we get sucked in. We hiked along French Broad River for a bit, then climbed Lover's Leap Rock and had great views of the River and the little town of Hot Springs. This is also where we realized we had forgotten our two blocks of cabott extra sharp cheese in the mini-fridge in our room. This is a terrible tragedy. We hiked on in silence for quite a while. It is going to be a long week without cheese...It's hard getting in the swing of hiking again after having nearly three days off. My knees and ankles feel swollen and weak, and my legs are struggling to move me forward. I feel like I'm moving in slow motion. And slowly, we make our way forward. The terrain isn't too bad. The weather is sunny and warm. There are tiny purple iris along the trail. They are a only about six inches tall, tops. I've never seen them so small. We take a short detour to Rich Mountain fire tower to check out the views. Pretty, but nothing to really write home about. We've seen better.It's been a dry day, nearly every stream we have crossed has been dry. We didn't leave with much water this morning, so we were parched all day. The last 1.7 miles to the shelter felt more like 5, they just wouldn't end. We get there, it is full, so we set up the tent.I really dig the new platypus water bag we got. It's huge and that means only one trip to the water source! We have dinner with Sunkist and Kyanite and hang out talking. Forecast is calling for a cold night, in the 20's. Hope we stay warm!
Date: 2008-04-16
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: clear sky

We were really warm last night despite the cold. The trick is to not wear too many layers to bed, cause then you just sweat. Then the sweat just makes you colder. Less is more.The weather was great, sunny and warm. The terrain was really calm: one big downhill a few minor climbs and lots of relatively flat. We came to Allen Gap and decided to take lunch in a grassy area just off the Trail. Just then, a guy pulled up in a truck, let out a hiker, and invited us to his place for some trail magic. So Brad and I, Sunkist and Kyanite climbed into the back of the truck. We were brought to the Nelson's home; Fal and Hercules, who had thru-hiked in 1998. First we had to take our boots off before we were allowed in the house. Then, we were sent to the bathroom to wash our hands. At the table they had us choose a beverage from a whole list of choices. We went with Hawaiin punch. They served us hot, fresh out of the pan, belgian waffles. Soooo yummy. Then the served us pork stew, or in my case, veggie chili. Both with home-made bread. Then, we got to choose from four different desserts. I went with the brownie sundae, Brad had a monstrous banana split. It was fabulous and our bellies were near the point of bursting. Then, to top it all off they end with a little religous talk, pass around some books, praise Jesus, and let us know we can all be saved. Interesting is all I'm gonna say...It is so hard to move with full bellies. We hike about an hour then flop, literally, alongside the Trail and just sit for about an hour. Walking is too much at this point, so we all just sit and talk. Mostly about the situation we were just in (hehe).We eventually drag ourselves to the shelter, set up our tents, and believe it or not, actually eat dinner! We have a campfire and hang out and vow to hike further tomorrow.
Date: 2008-04-17
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Random Campsite Along Trail
Miles today: 13.7

We started our day with a 1,000 foot climb. I still haven't decided if I like to start the day with the climb, or wait until I'm a little more warmed up. I guess it doesn't matter though, I have no say in where they are.Brad's ankle has been feeling much better since the rest in Hot Springs, and he's moving more like his old self. In other words, I no longer get to lead all day!We took the short detours to White Rock Cliffs and Blackstack Cliffs to check out the views, but they weren't all that great. They seemed to be overgrown a bit. We hiked along a totally exposed ridgeline today which was really cool. Before hand, they actually have a trail that goes around it that you are supposed to use during bad weather. I wouldn't want to be up there during a storm, there is nothing to protect you and it's jagged, uneven rocks you climb over. It was a lot of climbing up and down today. In nice weather, like we had, it's really neat to see the landscape on both sides of you. We hit the 300 mile mark atop Big Butt. Woo-hoo! We hung out in the sunshine for a bit, and again I got too much of it. We also hiked through some beautiful mountain laurel tunnels. We are camping with Sunkist and Kyanite and their two beagles. Had a nice fire again. I sure do love campfires. Brad needs to be reminded sometimes though that it's a campfire, not a bonfire!
Date: 2008-04-18
From: Random Campsite Along Trail

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: clear sky

We got up about a 1/2 hour earlier than usual, but didn't manage to get out of camp any earlier. Mmmm? When we went outside our tent there were three beagles hanging around. They had orange collars and some sort of radio transmitter on them. We figured out they were hunting dogs and later learned that their owners let them out to practice tracking and tree-ing bears. It's not the season yet, but they are getting them trained. They hung around us while we packed up, then took off following the first person that passed.We walked a quick 1.8 miles to Devils Fork Gap and were met with some trail magic! It was the infamous Miss Janet, who had a hiker hostel in Erwin a long time, and unfortunately just shut down this year. She made us fried egg sandwiches and had orange juice, coffee and soda. We hung around so long (that's just what we do when we find something this good) that she made us lunch too! Trail magic is an incredible thing!We had a hellavu climb out of there, and we don't do well on full bellies, so shortly after we started we took a long break at a beautiful waterfall. It was much needed as it was sunny and hot, hot, hot.We make it to Hogback Ridge Shelter where we eat lunch (yes, we eat again). We decide to take off our boots, relax, and let some of the sun and heat pass. We start hiking again around 5pm when it's much cooler and there is a bit of a breeze. I finally remembered to put on sunblock today! We push on to Low Gap where we set up camp. Another fun-filled day with Sunkist and Kyanite. If only we could catch up with Sunbeam and Busdriver we'd have the whole gang!I haven't had blisters in a long time but today I got a little one. I think it's cause I was being lazy and wore the same nasty socks too many days in a row. My own fault, but dang! I had been doing so well...Brad and I have rearranged our packs a bit and switched some gear around. He now carries the food and I carry the tent and cookware. The food was just WAY to big, in volume, to fit comfortably in my pack; Brad's pack is bigger, so it's easier. We'll see how it goes. We're on day three of this little experiment and so far, so good.
Date: 2008-04-19
From: Low Gap

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: broken clouds

Woke at the usual time to lots of rain. Rolled over and slept until it had passed. By the time we got up and packed we were on the trail at 11am! We hadn't gone very far when I spotted a large tupperware container up ahead. I ran up to it, really excited. I felt like a dog: You know when they get all excited and start wagging their tails and you know in their little brains they are thinking (in a silly voice) "What's in the box? What's in the box? Oh boy! Oh boy! I hope it's something good!" Well that was me. Seriously. I was running up to the box thinking and hoping their were treats. And there were!!! There were yellow cupcakes with chocolate frosting and sprinkles!!! And hot coffee. It was so exciting. This has been a week of trail magic for us. We hit the jackpot! (Crap, I hope I didn't just jinx us...)We hiked on to Big Bald which is along the same lines as Max Patch, only not nearly as cool. It was still nice though. It is a huge open field and you can see were the trail goes for quite a ways. It is pretty neat to see little white blazes on posts far, far into a field. It makes for a very neat photo.We had a long, lazy lunch at Bald Mountain Shelter and Brad made pancakes. Brad, myself, Sunkist, Kyanite, i-trod, and Hi-Lo joked about trail gossip, as there is quite a bit flying around. As the Trail turns, it is called. Gossip is apparently a human quality so engrained that even in the middle of the woods it persists. Comical.We left the shelter and cranked out some miles as the sky was getting gray and ugly. There was more trail magic. A chair in the middle of the woods so that you could rest your feet. Here the rain caught up with us, so we put on our rain gear adn decided to do the 10 miles to the shelter. Rain and cold are great motivators. I didn't really notice the big climbs anymore, it was all about one foot in front of the other, that's it. We hiked along a great stream that had lots of waterfalls and cool hang out spots, all of which were neglected do to the rain. We also missed out on High Rocks. Not sure what exactly it was, but it sounded cool. Again the rain and fog deterred us. It rained steady, but not downpouring. The new jackets are great and we both stayed dry!At one point, Allie, one of Sunkist's and Kyanite's dogs, who is a beagle, got the scent of some animal on the trail. She went NUTS! She was sniffing and howling and barking and wanting to take off after it. It scared the crap out of me, and all I could think was, "she smells a bear! A bear is hunting us down!" So, I walked faster, away from them and the phantom bear. Eventually she lost the scent and relaxed. So did I.We finally make it to No Business Knob Shelter and Sunbeam is there! Yipee! Now we just have to find Busdriver somewhere in Erwin. Of all the folks we could be hiking with, I am grateful we have met up with the group we have. Our days are filled with lots of laughter. Life is good.
Date: 2008-04-20
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Uncle Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: light rain

Up and packed and ready to go early. That's what town day means! We hike the 6.3 miles into town making really good time. The climb up Temple Mountain wasn't bad, we had the prize in sight! And the downhill into Erwin wasn't nearly as bad as town descents in the past. Uncle Johnny's was a two second walk off the Trail. I love it when places are on our actual path. It has a great feel to it, very relaxing and welcoming. The store that he has there is little, but pretty well stocked with food, fuel, gear and odds and ends. There is a bunk house, with just that, lots of bunk beds. It also has a computer. There are then a bunch of little cabins. I'm not sure of the bed set-up in all of them as they vary. Our cabin has a double bed, couch, tv, table and full kitchen. The bathrooms and showers are housed in a separate cabin. Two showers, two toilets for men and women. They provide the soap and shampoo and it's really clean. There are washers and dryers, too. There is also the option to tent in the large yard. There are picnic tables all over the yard. We arrived and got our cabin, the got on the shuttle to go to an all you can eat pizza buffet. The shuttle vehicle is an old school, jacked up, suburban with huge tires. It is a bit creaky and sounds dangerous, but we took several trips in it and we remained safe. We took showers, did laundry and hung out on the picnic tables. Busdriver was found! We then went out to Mexican for dinner. Yummy. Early to bed to watch some of the boob-tube and relax.
Date: 2008-04-21
From: Uncle Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel

To: Random Campsite Along Trail
Miles today: 1.4

Didn't sleep that well last night cause the bed was a crappy one inch thick futon mattress. And the train went by, what sounded like right beside our bed, all night long. We had powdered eggs for breakfast. We decided that we are not going to do that anymore while we're on the Trail. They're not that good, they take way too long to cook, and they use too much fuel. Oh well, lesson learned.We discovered we had way too much food so we sent a box ahead to Damascus. Brad realized the boots he had sent from home don't fit him anymore, probably because his feet have swelled so much over the hike. Wicked bummer. He did get a brand new pack today. It's a Go-Lite Odyssey that weighs only 3 pounds. That's a big difference from his old Osprey that was nearly 8 pounds. I'm a bit jealous, even though I do love my pack, it would be nice to drop 5 pounds of pack weight.Sunbeam and I hop on Huffy bikes provided by Uncle Johnnie and ride to the library. The bikes are NOT high quality or in good working condition. Timmo, you would be appalled! The tires are a bit soft, the wheels wobble and the brakes squeek. It is a dangerous trip to say the least. Every time a car passes Sunbeam yells at the top of her lungs "CAAAAAAR!", which nearly sends me into the woods anyways...We are quite the sight. We stop at Walgreens to pick up some needed supplies:PB&J, wheat thins, toothpaste. I wait for Sunbeam to develop photos and get to talk to Cheryl, Mom, Dad, and Lucy. Then off to the library to update trail journals! We are there for hours. Meanwhile Brad hits the post office and mails home his old pack and boots.We get back to Uncle Johnnie's and the crew hangs out debating what to do. It's a very ho-hum evening. We eventually hit the trail at 6:25pm! This is a record late start. We hike just over a mile in on the Trail and set up camp with a bunch of others. There is an enormous fire pit and because the stream is dried up they took the old bridges and used them as seats. The usual suspects are here: Sunbeam, Busdriver, Sunkist, Kyanite. New faces include: Long Burn, Rambo, Wind-Up, Wildflower and Malmut. We decide to order pizza (yes you just read that correctly!) Because there is a rafting company only several hundred yards from our campsite, they will deliver right there. Then, a couple folks walk down to pick it up. So, we have pizza and soda and feast around the fire. And, most importantly, we laugh and laugh and laugh.The laughter is typical of our hike. The pizza, soda and 1.4 miles a day is not.
Date: 2008-04-22
From: Random Campsite Along Trail

To: Unaka Mountain Summit
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Slept great on the pine needle covered forest floor. Woke up to pee and saw a big deer barrel through the campsite. It was really moving and it was loud; stopped me mid-stream!We had a mellow up-hill walk along the river to Curly Maple Gap Shelter. After a night of pizza and soda, I was sad to learn that there was no privy there! Grrr! You know what that means... Along the way we saw a large black snake, that's actually the official name, black snake. I'm told it's not poisonous, but either way, I stay away from it. We stop at Indian Grave Gap and have lunch then it's another gradual climb to Beauty Spot. We take a nice break here and enjoy the views as it really is quite beautiful. The hike up Unaka Mountain is tough, but it doesn't really wipe me out. The summit is all wooded with pine trees so it's really dark and the temperature drops significantly. The moss on the trees and ground is this vibrant, bright, green color. It was a really neat place and we decide to stay the night here. The gals go to get the water, which ends up being a 1/2 mile away! We have a big fire and talk about coordinating snacks so we have a tasty variety all week long. Our gang is big into snacks and candy. We now refer to ourselves as the snack-packers.As I'm falling asleep in the tent I hear Busdriver across the way singing "Just The Two Of Us" followed by "Every Rose Has It's Thorn". It's a lovely way to drift into dream-land...
Date: 2008-04-23
From: Unaka Mountain Summit

To: Greasy Creek Gap
Miles today: 9.6

Started our day with a campfire which was a first. It was nice, but is set a very lazy tone for the day. It was a downhill trek off of Unaka Mountain (obviously!) to Cherry Gap Shelter. We had only gone a couple miles but we stopped anyways and had a snack, relaxed, and hung out. Out break lasted nearly two hours. The day is warm but the sun comes and goes. I did remember sunblock! The terrain is now a lot of climbing, not anything really big, but still a good workout. We stop at Iron Mountain Gap along the road and have lunch. I insist upon giving the air horn signal (you know, putting your bent arm in the air and pulling it down as if pulling a cord) to every trucker that goes by and every single one returns with a big honk! It's silly how entertaining this activity is! We all sit there and do it, then hoot and holler and laugh like 5 year olds when we get a honk! We are a odd sight.We hike to Greasy Creek Gap and decide to set up our tents. There is a hostel advertisement hanging on a tree. They say they have snacks, and they're only 0.7 miles away. Of course we get sucked in! I go to get water, Brad and Kyanite build a fire, and Sunbeam, Sunkist and Busdriver go get snacks. The snack-packers arrive back with Snickers ice cream bars which we devour instantly. Next is a pint of Ben & Jerry's. We all grab our spoons and it gets passed around until it's gone, which doesn't take long. Next is Doritos and Sprite. Then, we eat our planned meal.Another night of friendship and fun around the fire. It's a bright, starry night. Busdriver sings us to sleep with a song by Hank Williams about family traditions.
Date: 2008-04-24
From: Greasy Creek Gap

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: broken clouds

Again a fire in the morning but even before that it was lazy, slow going for me. The tent had lots of condensation on it so I waited for it to dry in the sunshine. We had said that we wouldn't stop at the first shelter as it was only 2 miles into our day and we'd just get sucked into a long break. Well, we didn't stop at the shelter. Instead, we stopped at the sign pointing to the shelter! Not much better, but we did only stop for a 1/2 hour. It was a day full of climbing. It really felt like that was all we did. To the first shelter alone was a quick 400 foot climb. Then another 500 to Little Rock Knob. Another 700 out of Hughes Gap. We made it to Ash Gap and headed for the much dreaded Roan High Bluff. I put on sunblock in preparation and what do you know, it got cloudy! This is such a blessing because the last 900 over Roan was a doozie and would have been even worse in the blistering sun. As it was, sweat poured off of me. We had been planning all day to get to the top and relax in the sun for hours. We get to the top, it's breezy, our sweat dries and we're freezing. So, we check out the foundation, the only thing remaining of an old hotel that used to be there in the 1800's. Further down the Trail we see the chimney. It's actually beautiful up there and would be a great place to hang out, just not today.We go to Roan High Knob Shelter, the highest shelter on the AT at 6,285 feet. It's cold eating lunch here. It's a great feeling to look at the profile map for the day and see a climb you are sure is gonna kill you. Then, you conquer it and think that it wasn't so bad after all!We head down to Carver's Gap then hike up to Round Bald and Jane Bald and have some gorgeous views. This group of old men out hiking takes a bunch of photos for us. They also tell us that the beginning clips of the movie Last of the Mohigans was filmed here. Kind of neat.We haul on to Stan Murray Shelter and decide we have to go on to Overmountain Shelter which is an old red barn. We crank it out like pros. The barn is really neat and big and could probably sleep over 40 people. There is sleeping space on the bottom, a platform that looks out into the field. Then there is an enormous loft. I stay in the loft cause I really want the barn experience, and Brad stays in the tent out in the field. He is NOT a shelter fan. I actually prefer the tent too, with just a small campsite, a fire, and our peeps. But hey, it's good to mix it up every once in a while.