morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-03-30
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Mountain Mommas
Miles today: 10.4

Cosby Knob Shelter (226.9) to Mountain Mommas (234.9 & 1.3) to Standing Bear Hostel (237.3) 10.4 milesWe did from the last shelter, Tri-Corner to Mountain Mommas for their famous huge cheeseburgers and fries. They were excellent and the two ladies working were very nice. It was great yesterday. It was winter in the Smokeys and today it was winter to early spring to summer in one day. The temperature hit the 80¢s. Wow! It was a tough climb after the ride from Mountain Mommas back to the AT (1.3 miles) and 80 degrees too. Me and Blackbird are together. I saw some violets and trillium and another white flower. We got to Standing Bear Farm about 3:15. Dad¢s Grin, Blackbird and I are together again. We are staying in a bunkhouse tonight. First laundry and shower in 7 days! At Davenport Gap to Mountain Mommas there was very light traffic so Grin and I decided to walk about 1.3 (really at least 2 miles). Blackbird declined and would not walk. Within a minute or two Blackbird caged a ride from a man in a pickup who then picked us up. We got a ride back too. Forever North was at the Mountain Mommas splitting wood and doing other work for room & board. He had skipped the Smokys because no dogs are allowed and he hikes with his dog. He thought that I had gotten off trail because I miss you so much, but that I miss you is no secret from any hiker I have spend time with. They would like to meet you. Stink!!! Sometimes I smell skunk or a privy, but it is actually me!! Soda, cinnamon buns and pizza tonight. Standing Bear is like a 60¢s commune with beer runs (not me). I am planning on an early start tomorrow. I can definitely recommend this place. Very relaxed & mellow.Smokys: 6 nights and 7 days. Trial by cold, snow, ice, wind, freezing rain and streams (aka trails). The final day out: fabulous. I took lots of pictures. Georgia tested us. South Carolina put us in trial. There have been a fair number of hiker dropouts so far.It is so hard not to get injured and end the hike. Every step counts, too fast is bad, high risk. That is what gets a lot of hikers. Too slow and you won¢t be able to do it. After Hike Inn, I had about 1 hour of severe ankle pain and walked it off. I really thought I was in trouble.Going for a nero to zero day in Hot Springs depending on when I get in and what I get done. I will call for sure.Hygiene ¢ it is amazing how quickly it falls apart. You just stink. Washing hands and being careful with water are the two big things. It has been so cold you can¢t wash.Branching out a little with food. I got some stovetop corn bread stuffing and dried beef for a change. I got diarrhea from the beef and buried the left over beef.   I walk and keep warm or have to be in the sleeping bag. It was so cold that cooking needed to be fast. Now that I am out of the cold I can branch out a little with more variety.
Date: 2005-03-31
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Max Patch Campsite
Miles today: 0.0

Standing Bear Farm (237.3)to Max Patch campsite (251.4) 14.1 milesLeft at 7:30 for Snowbird Mountain and FAA tower and got to Max Patch in 8 hours. Both had spectacular views. You cannot take pictures that do the views justice. Lots of climbing (about 5900 feet per Blackbirds calculations). Grin and I stayed and tented at a campsite just past Max Patch. Blackbird moved on. Some younger hikers caught up as we set up camp about 4:30 and they all moved on. Only the grey beards stayed. I am going to try for Deer Park Mountain Shelter tomorrow, 16.1 miles. We will have to be up and out early tomorrow. Snowbird is beautiful. Max Patch is spectacular. Took pictures but could not possibly show the beauty that is here.Back to ¢Dude¢. He was a bartender in Indiana. He got caught in the snow in Virginia and says that he averaged about 3 miles per day in chest deep snow for 10 to 14 days. He took 4 just days off. He went for weeks without seeing anyone and the worst problem was loneliness. Our trials in the Smokey¢s versus his make us look like pansies.I am going to try to drop more pack weight in Boiling Springs. Boots are starting to come apart. The shoe liners are in rough shape. I may go for a low cut mesh hiker for lightness. New Balances for fit if I have to. Lots of people have blisters ¢ none for me yet. Supposedly 1/3 of starters have dropped out, more just yesterday and today. Knees, ankles, blisters, depression and other problems. Even though today was tough, I felt strong most of the day. The last two hours I pooped out. I had run out of water and was dehydrated and should have eaten more. I tried the stove top tonight with chives I had picked on the trail. Good. I added dried beef, not good, salty. I will bury the leftover beef on the trail tomorrow. Rest in Peace. I have bear-bagged and hung the food and cooking equipment. I had two showers at Standing Bear and already stink again. I also had 2 Root beers, a Pepsi, 12 deluxe frozen pizza and 2 Texas Cinnamon rolls (470 calories per roll). I did laundry and slept in the bunkhouse with 12 other hikers. The young guys decided to drink beer outside until late but they were quiet and polite. The owners and the whole setup was very 60ish. We just decided to go for Deer Park Shelter tomorrow. That will be 16.1 miles but we feel good and want to start early. Hope it does not rain tonight. Its questionable. Undoing the camp in the rain would not be good. 251.4 miles on the trail so far plus 8.6 miles on the approach trail, 260 miles!!
Date: 2005-04-01
From: Max Patch Campsite

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: light rain

Max Patch campsite (251.4) to Hot Springs (270.7) 19.3 milesHad two big ups. The first was about 2 miles, the second about 1.5 miles. About 4 hours of the hike was in rain clouds. It was wet & cold. I probably should have stopped and put on rain gear but I did not want to stop. I already put on my pack cover every day. I just hiked in boots, socks, jogging shorts, cheapo nylon pants and t-shirt. I did hike harder & faster to keep up body heat.   I got to Deer Park Mountain shelter at 2:08. The weather had improved. A sign at the shelter said it was 3.2 miles to Boiling Springs so I went for it. More up at first, then a long tough down hill. It was very tough on the knees. The 3.2 miles took a little under 2 hours. I got one of the last two rooms at the Alpine Motel. Dads Grin & I shared the room. Grin had sent word ahead to include him. Blackbird got the last room. These seemed to be the last 2 rooms in town. We ran into several other hikers looking for places to stay. Several ended up tenting by the river. Grin was taking a long time to show up so I went looking for him. Found him at the Smokey Mountain Diner. He had stopped to eat as soon as he got in town. My feet are sore. The soles of my feet hurt. Too hard? Too fast? The boot liners are starting to come apart. Boots also not looking too great. But then, I did bring well broken in boots. I had expected another couple of hundred miles out of them though. There is an outfitter in town with a ATM. They seem to be well stocked and knowledgeable. The owner has through hiked the AT several times. Blackbird, Dads Grin & I went to dinner at the Smokey Mountain Diner. It was pretty good but not great. I had hiked with Porter for a while today. I gave him advice about is poison oak rash and my RIICE routine about sprains & strains. He helped me adjust my pack better. It rides better now, but I have lost enough weight that the hip belt is adjusted as far down as it will go. Will check with outfitter in Hot Springs tomorrow.
Date: 2005-04-02
From: Hot Springs

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

Hot Springs (270.7)0 milesGot up at 8:45 AM. No TV reception in motel. Zero day. It is a cold, rainy, nasty day. The closest pay phone to call you is right under the roof overhang of a convenience store nearby. The roof drains on you as you use the phone. I picked up breakfast while I was there: OJ, potato chips and cinnamon bun. Soul food at its finest. Junk food at least. I saw one hiker headed out for the trail dressed for this nasty weather. Grin, Old Yeller and I had lunch at the Smoky Mountain Diner. Grin & I had diner at the Italian restaurant. Dinner was good but could have been hotter. Figaro & Tofu showed up at the Italian place just as we were finishing. Group hug, then we stayed & visited til their dinners came. Then we went to the Paddlers Pub but there was nobody there that we knew so Grin wanted to leave. I wanted a frozen strawberry margarita. We left. Figaro and Tofu got caught on Max Patch by a snow storm the day after we were there. They had knee deep snow, 40 MPH winds and very poor visibility. They could not follow the trail which was poorly marked. They went back down the way they came by following their tracks and hitched a ride into Hot Springs. They had been borderline hypothermic. They are going to get a ride back when the weather clears so that they do not skip any trail. I spent some time at the out fitters. Baltimore Jack is an owner and a multiple time AT through hiker. (8 times, I heard) My boot liners are coming apart and the boots well worn. I had figured on replacing the boots in about 200 more miles, but got Technica light weights now. I also got a new tent. It is the one man MSR Hubba and is about 2 lbs lighter than the Clip Flashlight. Instead of a new hip belt for the Forester, I got a Granite Gear Ozone back pack. It is about 2 lbs lighter. With 5 days of food and full fuel and water, my pack weight is about 32 lbs. Dads Grin is carrying 38-42 lbs depending on food & water. Grin by the way was an ultra-marathoner. He ran 50 and 100 mile races. Grin & I are planning on leaving tomorrow morning. We are planning at least 10-11 miles to the first shelter. We do not want to push hard every day so it will depend on how we feel and the weather.
Date: 2005-04-03
From: Hot Springs

To: Allen Gap
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: clear sky

Hot Springs (270.7 to Allen Gap (285.4) 14.7 miles We had a difficult time following the trail out of Hot Springs. We missed a double blaze indicating a trail direction change just over the bridge out of town. We went back & forth looking for the trail. The trail change went over a guard rail & down a slope. Even when we finally saw the double blaze the trail was not readily noticeable. Much climbing today. Dads Grin & I together. We ran into our first trail angels today. We got to Allen Gap and saw a sign on a post for food, water, & hospitality only 300 yards up the road. The sigh said ¢you won¢t be disappointed¢. We went and we were not disappointed. The trail angels were a retired SW airline pilot and his wife who became trail angels several times a year. They fed us Santitas & salsa, sloppy joes, apple pie & ice cream, and Coke. A very nice couple who had thru hiked the AT a few years earlier. We all shared our trail experiences as Grin & I ate. As I mentioned before, I had lost my glasses. This trail angel GAVE ME HIS READING GLASSES to replace mine!!! What a wonderful TRAIL ANGEL!!! We had planned on hiking 1.4 miles further to cabins on Log Cabin Rd. but tented just past the Allen Gap road crossing. While we were setting up camp, Steady Step & Old Yeller hiked by.There has been a lot of climbing so far. So far, the whole hike has had lots of switchbacks and narrow trail with drop offs just inches away. If you ever slipped off, you might never be found. The steepest section so far was Albert Mountain (96.9). It was a 500 foot gain in .3 miles and was a boulder climb. There were times that I just looked at that climb and asked myself how I could get even the next few feet up and still carry an over 30lb pack. The view from the fire tower on tap was great though.
Date: 2005-04-04
From: Allen Gap

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Allen Gap (285.4) to Flint Mountain Shelter (303.0) 17.6 milesWe had a 10.5 hour hiking day today. We took only a couple of short breaks. It had a new and very tough section today that took 1.5 hours extra. I thought it was only suitable for mountain goats. All for a view that you saw later on the trail anyway. The local trail group had put a lot of work into the section but I thought it was wasted effort. Again it was cold. We ate quickly & got in our sleeping bags to get warm. There are 5 of us in the shelter and Blackbird is here too. Typically most of us go to sleep about dark or even sometimes before.
Date: 2005-04-05
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: broken clouds

Flint Mountain Shelter (303.0) to Hogback Ridge Shelter (311.8) 8.8 milesGot up at 7:10 AM and was hiking by 8AM.   We had a long hard climb to the shelter after a day of long hard climbs. It was a day of snow, ice, cold, mud, and walking in trail streams. I am looking forward to more days of cold, wet feet. So far, I have averaged a little over 10 miles per day including nero and zero days. Baltimore Jack at the outfitter in Hot Springs had told us that that was about the rate we wanted at this point, not too slow and not too fast. We are planning on Bald Mountain Shelter tomorrow, Business Knob Shelter the next night, then on to Erwin TN the next day. We think we could do it quicker but plan on a safer, saner hike. Steady Step and Old Yeller stopped to visit for a few minutes but went on. The Brits came in and stayed. A 21 year old hike came in and moved on. He started 3-14-05. We said good bye. We will never see him again. Way too fast for us. This close to getting easier, no one wants to get hurt by hiking too fast.My entry in the shelter register: Should I reduce my digital camera picture taking in order not to fill the camera chip and therefore reduce pack weight? This was a Dilbert pointy haired boss question. Blackbird answered that people should not ask stupid, insane questions like that. It filled up hiker minds uselessly and increased their total carried weight and therefore should be kept to ones self.Well as usual, it is cold and windy. It is all of 6 PM and the sleeping bag waits. Warm is good. We are thinking of a 2.9 mile hitch from Sams Gap to a restaurant tomorrow. We will see. Two beagle hounds followed a hiker into Hog Back. One hound was still a puppy. The hounds hung around. They needed food, water, attention & help getting home.
Date: 2005-04-06
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Bald Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Hog Back Ridge Shelter (311.8) to Bald Mountain Shelter (321.8) 10 milesTwo hikers (Buttah & Leviathan) took the 2 beagles to the RT 26 road crossing today. They found the dogs home about a half mile down the road.I discovered my first blister today. Dads Grin & I lanced it & duct taped it at the RT 26 road crossing. Wet feet and long days surely did not help. Waterproof boots¢¦BS & more BS. They just take longer to dry. The new light weight boots may be a factor too. They definitely do not protect the bottoms of my feet as well as the Hi-Tecs. I did pick up some powder to use in my boots. Wingfoots Handbook said that there was a restaurant 2.9 miles down RT 26. DG & I had hoped to hitch there for a good meal. We got up and out early to get to the road. In 20 minutes of waiting, there was one highway worker pickup truck. Evidently traffic there was very light. That was backed up by further accounts later as well as word that the restaurant had closed. Anyhow, no restaurant breakfast. Bald Mountain is a nice shelter but the area around it is nasty and abused and littered. I found a small knife on the ground. It is supposed to have an active mouse population. It is posted as shelter use only but some hikers are tenting anyway. Red Rover came in. I have seen at shelters before. The latest time was at Standing Bear Farm. Some of the privys are good. Others are nasty. Most have roofs. A Few have had only one wall. They all smell but are easier to use than a cat hole. I now have a toilet zip-loc containing toilet paper, baby wipes, and Camp Suds. I also bring a water bottle. Toilet paper followed by baby wipes (absolutely necessary) followed by hand washing. Hygiene and social acceptability (less stink) are a big plus. Well, it is cold and windy again so my sleeping bag calls.
Date: 2005-04-07
From: Bald Mountain Shelter

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: light rain

Bald Mountain Shelter (321.8) to Erwin, TN (338.7) 16.9 milesI left BM shelter at 7:40 and reached No Business Knob shelter at 12:18 (10.6 miles). I filtered water, grabbed a snack, took off some clothes and pushed un at 12:34. I caught Blackbird about 2PM. He is a faster hiker than I but was hurt. His right lower leg is red and swollen a great deal. It might be shin splints or a stress fracture. I stayed with BB and we slowly hiked to the Nolichucky River. We reached the river about 3:15. I offered to pack some of his gear but he kept it all. We got lucky and got a ride into Erwin in about 10 minutes. We are staying at the Motel 8. We both got rooms, showered and then went do dinner at the Irwin Burrito Company. It was quite good with an excellent salad. We went to CVS and the Food Lion Market after. It was about 1 mile each way. We got back to the motel and Dads Grin had come in. He had tried to stay at Miss Janets Hostel but it was full. I shared my room with him. I have now been accused of ¢green blazing¢¢¦.leaving a trail of green backs behind me. I guess that it might be true. I stay in hotels or motels if I can. I bought new boots, new pack, new tent, and have replaced other gear as well. Well. If it makes my hike easier and more enjoyable, it is money well spent.DG & I are planning a zero day tomorrow to do laundry, resupply, etc. DG & I have talked about upping our daily mileage and doing more nero days and fewer zero days. BB is planning a couple of days off to see if his leg gets better. If it does not, then a week off and see a MD. BB is realizing that he needs to pace himself better. He doses about the same miles as I but does them faster. When he is hiking hard, the sweat literally runs off him.
Date: 2005-04-08
From: Erwin, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Erwin, TN (338.7) 0 milesWe did a zero day today and went to the bank ATM, post office, hardware store (tarp), shoe repair store (boot liners) and had nap. We met Blackbirds friend Vivian. She is here to take him home to rest his leg and possibly see a doctor. BB hopes to be back in the AT in 7-30 days depending on how things work out. She took us on a car tour of the town. We went to the Erwin Burrito Co for dinner again (quesadia & salad). We saw the 4 Brits today. They are staying at a very crowded Miss Janets and were using borrowed bikes to get around. Porter is in town too. We visited with BB & Vivian this evening. His leg looks serious to me and I gave him my best medical advice.
Date: 2005-04-09
From: Erwin, TN

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: broken clouds

Erwin, TN (338.7) to Cherry Gap shelter (355.1) 16.4 milesWe had arranged a shuttle back to the trail for 8AM but did not really get out until 9AM. In a short distance, we had to cross railroad tracks. A freight train was almost at the crossing so we waited for it to pass. The engineer actually stopped the train so we could walk around the front of it. Very nice. It was a long train too. We could have been waiting a long time. We got to Deep Gap (350.8) about 4:15 and took a break. Then I went on to Cherry Gap shelter, arriving at 7:08. I later found out that Dads Grin stopped and camped about a mile before Cherry Gap. I was determined to reach the shelter. There were about 12 other hikers at the shelter but I was the only one who stayed in the shelter. It was another cold and wind night.Unika Mountain (352.4) was a very wet area. The ground was a green wet sponge. No one could camp possible camp there. Their tent would have sunk and become a bathtub.
Date: 2005-04-10
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Ash Gap
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: few clouds

Cherry Gap shelter (355.1) to Ash Gap (368.8) 13.7 milesStarted at 7:30 & arrived 5:45. There were lots of steep and rocky ups again. I had left messages in shelters registers for Grin but did not see him again. I took a long hot lunch break today at Clyde Smith shelter 363.9) from 12:45 to 2:00. Several experienced hikes told us that the trail gets easier after Erwin. So far, that is not true.The spring down the road at Hughes gap was a filthy, disgusting mud hole and looked like it collected road run off in the pool. I would not use it, even filteredTomorrow starts a long hard climb to Roan High Bluff and the shelter just beyond. It will be a 945 ft climb in about 1.5 miles. Two of us are camping here. The other hiker does not have a trail name so I call him Alabama Bob. Obviously, he is Bob from Alabama. He is a good person and a strong hiker.
Date: 2005-04-11
From: Ash Gap

To: Mountain Harbour Bed & Breakfast
Miles today: 16.7

Ash Gap (368.8) to US 19E (385.5) to Mountain Harbour Bed & Breakfast (hostel)I Got to Apple house shelter about 5PM. I looked at the handbook and decided to go on to the US19E road crossing only .5 mile away and go to Mountain Harbour Bed & breakfast .3 miles down the road. There was an aggressive dog at the house just before the B & B. The B & B was great. It was the second floor of a barn with animals, but was clean and very nice and not expensive. Dinner, breakfast, Ben & Jerrys, and laundry service was available for extra. I took advantage of all and it was well worth it. Dinner was a choice of chili and cornbread or pulled pork sandwich, coleslaw, tater tots and baked beans.   Both were very good and were in large quantities. There were 4 of us there: Ranger, Miles McDuff, Alabama Bob, and myself. The youngest is 58 and I am the oldest by 1 month. Everyone is very nice. Miles McDuff is a retired mail worker and definitely lives on high-test. He is a motor mouth and great fun. I love it here. Warren Doyle came in and visited for about 2 hours. He signed my Wingfoot Handbook. He was very nice and talked with us a lot. He is planning another thru-hike this year. I had to cut another large blister open again.
Date: 2005-04-12
From: Mountain Harbour Bed & Breakfast

To: Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: light rain

RT19E (385.5) to Moreland Gap Shelter (403.2) 17.7 milesI actually think it was more miles than the handbook said. It is hard to tell though. There was a major trail relocation that was supposed to have added about 3.5 miles, so It could have been 21.2 miles. It was a long hard, wet, rainy day. I saw Buckwheat today hiking back to his campsite from yesterday. He had left his hammock tent and did not realize it until Moreland Gap Shelter. He was flying. He got back to Moreland about 9PM and had to have done over 24 miles today.