morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-05-03
From: Hiawassee

To: Beech Gap
Miles today: 20.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Ron from the Hiawasee Inn shuttled us back to the trail this morning. Sawbuck is staying in town today to let is leg rest more and to meet up with the Warren Expedition in a day. He was part of the 2000 expedition and he his helping the woman who is doing the driving so that she can get out hike some too. So it was just Magic Touch (Alan/BeMe)and myself setting out up the mountains.My pack is significantly heavier now leaving town than it was before. It is definatly slowingme down but I gues that it will just make me tougher. Magic Touch's bag is a lot lighter than mine. Maybe he will catch up to the Texans (the travelling Alans) now. Personally I tink that he is a pink blazer. We also have different hiking styles. During the day I would prefer to hike on my own, in silence with only thesounds of nature and my thoughts.Comming up the hill from the GA/NC state line the trail goes through a tunnel of rhododendrons. Itis really neat. None of the other leaves are out yet so being in the little green tunnel seems a bit magical. Every once and a while you could get a glimpse of the valley down below.I also saw my first bear on this trip. It was comming down into Beech Gap. I could hear something thrashing around ina path of rhododendrons off the trail. I looked over and saw a one year old black bear crash out of the grove of trees. It was headed in the other direction but I tapped my poles together and kept going. At the campsite I found the perfect tree to hang my food from. I think for the first time ever zI actually have my food bag 12 feet up and 6 feet from the tree trunk. But honestly if the bear wants it he can have uit, just as long as he dosen't bother me. As another precaution I hung my pack and equipment up in a tree a short distance from my tent just in case anything had some smell that would be of interest to a wild animal.Lastly, today makes my first 20 mile day. It wasn't that bad. I took lots of breaks and only got this far because I walked until 8:00pm. After a long day at the office is is time for a rest.
Date: 2005-05-04
From: Beech Gap

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

Albert Mountain had a fantastic view. There is some sort of environmental tower on the top and if you climb up as far as possible the view is phenominal. As if to compensate for the great view the trail approaching from the south was the steepest to date.When I got to the summet Godwill was just finishing his lunch. He is hoping to make it to Winding Stair Gap tonight to make a resuply run into Franklin. He is quite conserned that he will run out of food, and honestlyif his trail name wasn't already Goodwill I would name him [i]Worrywort[/i].At the summet there were also two older gentlemen with some sort of radios that looked like walkie-talkies but I assume that they had a longer range since the one seemed to be talking to his house. A bit before I was going to leave two section hikers came up the hill. Stumblefoot and Joy were both on the last day of a section hike from Deep Gap. They have done a fair bit of the trail so far.I stayed at the shelter with Pappy, Goodwill and TBone. Goodwill has finally made up his mind to go into town tommorrow. His plan is to go in and out and then stay at the next shelter.
Date: 2005-05-05
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Campsite
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Just after leaving the shelter I took a blue blaze down to see the Wasilik poplar. It is suposed to be the second largest poplar tree in the United States. The poplar is dead now and is missing all its small branches. Still it is very impresive in size. I found it amusing that it had a fence around it in the middle of the woods.For most of the day it was either misty or light rain. This translates to no beutiful views. I never really got wet. It was quite cool though, I don't think that it got above 50F/10C today. It wasn't anything this northern girl couldn't handle though. A section hiker named Sketch, who I met at Siler Bald Shelter told me that it is supposed to clear up over night and been nice tommorrow. Apparently Wesser Bald has an observation tower on it, hopefully I will be able to see something other than white. It dosen't really matter much to me though, I am going to get to NOC tommorrow. It is suprising how excited you get at reaching these small goals. After that it is the Fontana Dam shelter for Sunday night so I can pick up my maildrop first thing Monday morning.I will fall asleep tonight to the sound of rain on my tent fly.
Date: 2005-05-06
From: Campsite

To: NOC
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: broken clouds

Today I saw an amazing transformation. High up in the mountains only the rhododendron have leaves, the oak and maple only have tight little buds for leaves. As I walked down the moutain towards the river the forest got greener, the leaves got larger and the temperature got warmer. I would swear that it is summer down here by the Natalahala River.The NOC (pronounced 'N-O-C', not 'knock' how I thought) is really nothing what I thought it would be. This place is really a whole series of buildings scattered around the river and up the hill. I emered out of the forest at 3:30 in the afternoon to ahubof activity. There were kayakers in the river, on the shore, rafting trips returning, buses all over, montain bikers all around and vehicles from all over the US. I learnt that Tennesse is the volunteer state and that Nevada is the silver state. Provinces in Canada don't have 'little slogans' like that.They have a Paddlers Pub where you have to BYOB. They have a so called 'Brown Bag rule', which to my great suprise really means that you carry your beer around in a paper bag. Another first for me.I met Hammock Hanger today, which was very cool. Hearing her stories of hiking adventures makes me excited to get the chance to have my own advetures.
Date: 2005-05-07
From: NOC

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

Good-bye NOC, hello Smokies! Of course, not quite, but they are there off in the distance, looming above the 'normal' sized mountains, half wayup tothe sky. I should enter GSMNP monday after picking up mymail drop in Fontana Vilage. Not that I planned it this way, but I think that going through the Smokies mostlyduring the week will be less crowded. There could be lots of people onholiday though. The trmperatures here are certainly summer-like, at least from my perspective. Hikers from Florida on the other hand, are finding that it is still a bit cool.T-Bone and Steady On set out early from NOC, Magic Touch, Pappy and I had breakfast in the restaurant over looking the river. We were the first people there inthe morning and had the chance to se the water level of the river rise in preparation for a day of recreation on the river. The water level rises quite quickly. I headed up to Basecamp to pack my bag while the other two stopped into the outfitter. Pappy should be on the trail behind me; Magic Touch was taking a zero and was going to rent a kayak.I met a thru-hiker on the trail today named Stuey/RP (he hasn't quite decided yet) doing a section southbound with two friends from college.
Date: 2005-05-08
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: clear sky

Fontana Dam village is not exactly what I would call a vilage. I don't know exactly how I would describe it but it is unlike any where I have ever been before.T-Bone, Steady On and I took the village shuttle from the dam into town. The whole ride in we were talking about how we were going to eat ice cream chips and candy bars when we were there. The driver drops us of in front of the hotel; we asked him were the ice cream shop was and he told us that it was closing up then. Disapointment number one.We went into the restaurant to get directions to the general store. T-Bone went into the restaurant and there was no one there. Finally someone came out of the kitchen. He called the general store to see if it was still open, the individual confirmed that it was and that we would have time to walk there. So we walked down to the store, only to find it closed and not a sole around. Disapointment number two.We had almost walked from one side of the 'village' to the othernd hardly seen anybody. It honestly felt like we were in a horror movie, at some sort of far-off moutain resort where everyone had disapeared and we were stuck there. If it was winter I would swear that I was in the Shinning.We walked down the road to the gas station. Turns out that it was closed too. Disapointment number three. All that we could buy was pop. I thought that I would have a Sprite, but the Coke machine wouldn't take dollar bills. The feed slot wouldn't suck the money in quite right and kept spitting it out. So I was forced to get a Mountain Dew out of the Pepsi machine. My 2.75 pop sure taked good. Pretty much any refrigerated drink tastes good after you have been out in the woods for a while.We caught the shuttle back to the dam. It turns out that the shuttle driver is also first responder. He has a bag of stuff between the front seats. Mental note - don't get hurt iFontana, for that matter, dont't get hurt in the US; wait until I get back to Canada.Back to the 'village' tommorrow for my mail drop!
Date: 2005-05-09
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Mollie's Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: broken clouds

Today it was up, up, up into the Smokies. Steady On and I called the shuttle first thing in the morning to head into the village to go to the post office. I am happy to report that there were some signs of life at 9:30. Not too many though. We picked up our mail drops and both went to the outfitters. I also went into the general store to get some additional food. Some interesting things were chicken chunks in a foil pouch and cinnamon flavoured granola bars. We don't have either of those in Canada. It has been less than a year since I first saw tuna in foil pouches in the grocery stores at home. We got back to the dam at 11:00. Holden and Brahams were at the post office as well but I think that they were planning on taking a zero day.At the bottom of the hill I met the ridgerunner for the area. He was very friendly, I found out that only T-Bone, Old School and Steady On wereahead of me. I met Old School at the Fontana "Hilton" last night, he is thru-hiking the trail in mocassins.Today was very hot. I ran out of water part way up the trail. I was getting really dehydrated. I decided to walk until 5:30 and then stop and lie down in the middle of the trail. With 15 seconds before 5:30 I saw the shelter. What a relief. First thing that I did was get water, then drink a liter of gatorade. I made dinner and was starting to think that I was going to be alone in the shelter tonight. Butbefore bed Mouse, her dad, Pappy, Stuey (that I met going southbound a few days ago), Old School, as well as Dude and Uncle Kodak who are the first two SOBO that I have met. Full house tonight!
Date: 2005-05-10
From: Mollie's Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: moderate rain

Another no view day. The hills don't seem to be a problem to me, rain on the other hand is an enemy that is hard to beat. They say that hiking the AT is 10% physical and 90% mental; I am really strting to beleive it. It started out not too hard, sprinkling on and off, but about a mile before I got to the shelter it started to absolutely pour. Not only that there was a cold wind out of the vally. I got to the shelter. Put on a tno of cloths ate a ton of food then had a nap in my sleeping bag. My original plan was to hike on to the next helter or the one after, but I really didn't want to get all wet again.Tonight in the shelter we have Mike from England, Lawrence from NY, a couple frmo Germany, Pappy, Goodwill, Rocket and Old Boy. Everyone else except Mike didn't get more than an on and of sprinkle. If that was all that I had gotten I would be at the Double Spring Shelter. Oh well, there is always tommorrow. Papy keeps telling me "no rain, no pain, no Maine".I hope that it clears up tommorrow. It would be pretty disapointing to get to the top of Clingmans Dome and see no view.
Date: 2005-05-11
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Ice Spring Water Shelter
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was an interesting day. In the begining I was walking through beech forests with wildflowers all over the ground. The 5-pedled white flowers cover the forest floor so completely so that it looks like there is a light dusting of snow.As I got closer to Clingman's Dome, and higher up in altitude, spruce trees appeared in the mix. Spruce and balsam firs took over from the hardwoods and brown needles covered the ground. Closer to Clingman's Dome there were lots of large dead spruce trees, old, weathered and silver. Even on the summit of Clingman's Dome the trees were dying. South of the Dome the forrest was kind of swampy, with everything covered in moss. All the trees were spruce and balsam fir.Clingman's Dome was an interesting experience after being in the woods for a while. There is a road that goes up almost to the summit and there is a parking lot there. The tourists have to walk about half a mile up to the "tower". It seemed that there were a lot a out of shape Americans there, half of them were out of shape from walking up from the parking lot. The tower on the top is not exactly a tower either. It is more like a giant spiral ramp that architects in the 70s would have thought was cutting-edge. There is also a funny-looking cell phone tower at the top.I got to Icewater Spring Shelter tonight. Stewie, the Rum Sisters and four section hikers who are hiking south and will be hiking off on some other trails tommorrow. Yeah to second 20 mile day.
Date: 2005-05-12
From: Ice Spring Water Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: overcast clouds

This morning I hiked out of camp with the Rum Sisters. They yelled 'see you later Canada Girl" as I went ahead. I stopped for lunch in the woods on a giant log. There were so many flies all over me and all my stuff I felt like one of those starving children in Ethiopia or Somalia. I caught up with Stewie at Tricorner Knob shelter. He had taken a two hour lunch break and juat wokrn up from a 45-minute nap. A couple from Conneticut came into the shelter on a section hike. They are AT trail maintainers and take care of a tent site in the middle of Conneticut.Stewie and I hiked together from ther to Cosbie Knob shelter. Once we got there he told me that he was really hungry from not taking any breaks over the 8-miles. I was honestly tinking the samething, I usualy take breaks when I am hiking but thoug tha he didn't take breaks.At the shelter there were four guys who had come in on horseback. I can't believe the amount of stuff that you have to bring with you to take care of the horses. They said that they had over 150 pounds of feed for the four horses for 4 days. They looked like real cowboys; with white Stensons, boots and little spurs. They brought an axe with them and chopped a giant log in half and tried to make a fire.All and all another good day at the office.
Date: 2005-05-13
From: Cosby Know Shelter

To: Old Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 29.4
Weather: few clouds

Friday the 13th! and what a day it was. First of all the stupid amount of miles, due to the pain of having a bounce box and not wanting to have to wait around in town for it.For those of you who are less knowledgeable about the goings on of the trail, a bounce box is a box of stuff that you mail to yourself from one point on the trail to a point further up the trail. I thought that it would be a good idea to have one so that I could keep all the random stuff in it while I was fine-tunning what I was carrying and not hav to throw away a lot of stuff or mail one hundred and one packages back to Canada throught customs and such. Anyhow I have to make it to Hot Springs by 10:30am tommorrow morning or else I will have to wait until thepost office opens on Monday. Stewy is eager to put some miles in so he walked with me today and will tommorrow too, unless it is rainning. He figures that he need to leave at 4am to walk the 15 miles. Hopefully there aren't a lot of killer climbs between here and there.For lunch today we stopped at Standing Bear Farm. It is a fantastic place and I would recommend it to everyone else. They have frozen pizzas that you cook yourself in a pizza cooker as well as an assortment of cold beverages, fruit and the usual assortment of high-fat, high-sugar "goodies" that hikers tend to eat. (I personally had the opportunty to experience Moon pies, Honey Buns and Peanut Nutter Bars for the first time.)   All and all I thought that the prices were very reasonable and everyone very friendly. Most importantly it is only 200yds off the trail.Today I think that I learnt that this many miles is a bit too much. So far I have thought that the 20s were okas long as you start at a decent time in the morning. I can't say that my body feels good right now, but I have definatly felt worse.It is funny that a few days ago I thought that Uncle Kodak and Dude were totally crazy from being on the trail for so long, but comming into the shelter tonight and entertaining everyone with our stories I am starting to think that I am turning so called crazy too. I guess it is another thing to ponder as I am walking. One thing that I do know is that I smell a whole lot worse than the section hikers. I don't really otie it out on the trail, but when I smell them and then I smell myself, I defintly notice a smell. I had a shower at the Fontana Dam visitor centre (free hot showers for hikers, just bring your own drying apperatus) Monday, but I don't think that Stewy has had one in a bit longer.Well, off to bed now and on to cleansing showers tommorrow!
Date: 2005-05-15
From: Hot Springs

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: light rain

This morning had an amazing breakfast at Elmer's. I wouldn't be suprised if this ends up being the best fod on the trail. After breakfast it was time to head out of town and back up into the mountains. It was raining this morning so the views of Hot Springs and area on the way up were not all they could have been. The rain was warm, and eventhough I was pretty wet from the rain I was very warm. T-Bone was staying in town as his ankle was a bit swollen.Heading out of town we met a number of section hikers all decked out in rain gear. I also met Grey Ghost when we stopped for a break. He had stayed at Cody House in Hot Springs ans said that he had a great time.By mid-afternoon the wind had let up and the cloths that I was wearing were able to dryout. At Allen Gap Stewie and I walked down the street a bit to see if we coud get ice cream at a gas station. It turns out that the gas station was closed, so we took our pictures taken with the "Welcome to North Carolina" sign. At the shelter we meet Courtney, Texas Dreamer, KG and others. I think that there were more women at the shelter tonight than men. A first!It may seem like nothing much happened today, but it was actually a fantastic day. I felt good hiking, the weather was great, and I had the chance to talk with a lot of great people.
Date: 2005-05-16
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Sam's Gap
Miles today: 23.9

We got off hiking this morning at 8:00 and said so long to Texas Dreamer, Miles Away and Courtney. A few miles down the trail I met a group of trail maintainers who were out to clear blow downs. They told me that there was a beutiful ridge walk up ahead and that it had taken 5 years to complete that section of the trail. It certainly had gorgeous views and after walking it I can understand why it took so long to complete. I cannot imagine all the effort that has gone into the trail.Stewie and I got to the shelter a bit before 7. Dinner was a good break and we head down the trail a few miles to Sam's Gap. We headed down the road to a family farm that had a sign up in the shelter about getting sme food.The sign in the shelter said that the farm was half a mile down the road. When we got to Sam's Gap there was a sign that said that it was a mile down hill. We went down the hill along the road towards the fourth house on the right. We were expecting some sort of Christian Family that would be sitting around the TV watching Jepordy on the farm.When we got there a giant, crazy dog almost ate Stewie, the guy at the house said that he was friendly but I am not so sure. The man offered us a milkshake and a hamberger. We sat around for a while and talked to them. There were running the place to offer food to hikers on a donation basis. It was getting late so they offered to let us camp out in a cabin down the hill behind the house. It turns out that the 'cabin' was down a hill that is, no joke, on a 70 degree angle. I went down the hill first but fell and slide down half the hill. At first I thought that it might be nice to slide down the whole hill, but then I saw that it was coverd in broken glass and sharp rocks. I ended up scrapping the side of my leg up; fortunatly none of the cuts were too deep. Stewie made it down the hill without falling and we found the 'cabin'. It was really a floor with a roof over it. It sounds ok but there was a hole in the floor and there were loose nails all over. We thought ! about leaving and hiking back to the trail, but I didn't really feel up to climbing back up the hill in the dark (now called the hill-o-death, so we settled down and went to sleep.
Date: 2005-05-17
From: Sam's Gap

To: Erwin
Miles today: 24.5
Weather: broken clouds

Neither Stewie nor I felt like hanging around untill after 9 to get breakfast so we headed back up the road to the trail. When we got back up there and saw the advertising sign, we realized that the place was called the Smokey Bowl Family Farm. Definate emphasis on the Smokey Bowl rather than Family Farm.We headed down the trail and met up with some older gentleman who were out on a section hike. Eventually we climbed up to the top of a bald were we stopped for a break. We met a group of thru hikers including Fishin Game who has been leaving post cards of the earth from space in the registers.The southern balds are very beutiful and unique places. There are a few hypotheses on their creating including that indians cleared them for religious ceremonies or that they were created by aliens. How ever they were created they are very relaxing spots to sit and enjoy the 360 degree view.Once we got to Erwin we hitched into town with Seiko, who has hiked the AT something like 15 times. He dropped us off at Miss Janet's house in town. Miss Janet wasn't there went we got here but Baltimore Jack was and explained to us how things worked. He was busy prepairing a big dinner for everyone. Stewie and I went to the Erwin Burrito to eat as the dinner would not be until 9:00 or later. The Burritos there were really good and filling.The dinner that Baltimore Jack prepared was absolutely amazing. There was Roast Beef, potatoes, peas, corn, brocalli, and cake for desert. During dinner I met a whole wack-load of other hikers who were staying at Mis Janet's. There was Bramble, Booboo, Hobo Joe, Bear Killer, Carnivor, Helen Keller and Goof with others.After diner I checked out my e-mail and Canadian news on-line before heading off to bed.