morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-04-01
From: Franklin

To: Franklin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

April 1, Fools in Franklin Happy April Fools Day. I am, again, waking up in Franklin to a wonderful 68.7 degrees. My body is still mad at me from the slackpack yesterday. I need to give it breakfast and more Ibuprofen.Today we will zero, tomorrow we will walk past the NOC. We were planning on crashing on Kay and Gadget's floor tonight but I couldn't bear the thought of not resting in bed all day so I just talked to my friend, David, at the counter and we are all set for another night here. Whew. It's rainy and cool outside, the perfect day for zeroing.I think I officially gave Kay a trail name yesterday - Scribe. She's very big into writing and, after the trail, will be going to school in Arizona for writing. I called her when we got back last night to tell her and she really liked it. We just have to start calling her that now.Okay, I need to figure out how I will eat breakfast....Breakfast was heavenly. We started walking to the Motor Grill and about a minute later, KTR drove up and told us to hop in. We were escorted in the luxury living room on wheels to our breakfast where I enjoyed two pancakes, two eggs, fried potatoes, country ham, bacon, toast, black tea and OJ. Aces!Certain and I just figured out our logistics to Fontana Dam and now we're waiting for our clean clothes at the laundromat. This place has come alive today - lots of folks here to do their weekend chores. This town has all kinds of folks and quite a large hispanic population so, see, I am sitting here in a town along the Appalachian Trail putting my degree in Spanish to work. Eavesdropping, but nonetheless. While we're waiting, I'd like to take a moment to talk about the way the woods smell. I feel at a loss because the only way I know how to describe it is to say it smells like the woods. But, boy does it smell like the woods. So fresh. So clean. So woodsy. I've really noticed it in the past few days out there - maybe it's the spring coming on. But it smells great....Well, it's a sad day. I just got off the phone with Scribe (Kay) and they are getting back on the trail tomorrow at Deep Gap, which is a few days behind where we're getting back on. I know we'll run into each other again but for now it seems so sad that we can't look forward to running into them at any given moment. I wish both Scribe and Gadget the best on the trail and off. Right now, I'm getting ready to watch Forrest Gump. Certain and I were overly excited when we found out it was on tonight. - Sound of "Remember the Titans" on the TeeVee, cars zooming around outside, and my stomach gurgling.
Date: 2007-04-02
From: Tellico Gap

To: A. Rufus Morgan Shelter
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: scattered clouds

April 2, Back on TrackHappy birthday, Belt!I'm sleepy. Right now I'm waiting for a shuttle back to Tellico Gap. It's pretty far from here so it's sort of difficult to get a shuttle. We're hoping it all comes together soon so we can start hiking. It's already 11 a.m....Well, we didn't get to the trail until 1:30 p.m. We were both bummed to get such a late start because we had a bigger day planned. Ron drove us down here and then was going to take Wes to the NOC.I was REALLY slow going today. Town seems to suck the life out of me, make my pack heavier, and generally make hiking out of it feel uncomfortable.We had some great views all day and the trail was alive with new growth. The first excitement of the day came when Certain thought there were three wolves lying across the trail. They looked like wolves to me too. And they were totally in our way. Then another hiker came by and recognized the animals - they were actually dogs with a little wolf in them and he had been hiking with them the day before. Not to worry. We hiked on and the dogs followed us for about a mile to the top of Wesser Bald. Atop the bald, we climbed the firetower. We had amazing views - we could even see Fontana Dam. The day was perfect - warm, sunny, breezy, and cool in the shade.After that, the dogs stopped following us and the rest of the day was uneventful. I fell as I tried to sit on a downed tree limb but that was just par for the course today.The hike into the shelter was mostly downhill, making my already sore knees even more mad. But, it was beautiful. The sun was shining on us the whole way.We are here tonight with Shalom and Shane and some guy that's been in his tent since we arrived.I am really glad to be back out here after our escapades in Franklin. Glad to be in my little green home and in my sleeping bag. - Sound of the PocketMail light buzzing,the stream near the campsite, and an airplane passing over us.
Date: 2007-04-03
From: A. Rufus Morgan Shelter

To: Locust Cove Gap
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: overcast clouds

April 3, NOC, Going Up, and Night HikingAh, what a day. We have been out for over 12 hours today, and most of the day was up.The day started at 7:18 a.m. in my tent. It was 49 degrees. I really liked the campsite near the shelter and slept well.We hit the trail by 9:15 and had a quick, one mile downhill to the Nantahala Outdoor Center. I was very excited to see that place. It was nothing like I had pictured it but being there felt awesome. I had walked there from Georgia. We sat by the river with Shalom and others for a while and then moved on...When I say we moved on, I meant we moved UP. For the next five miles, there was nothing but up. I mean it. First there was friendly up. Then, gradual up. Straight up. Up using your hands. More straight up. Up. Up. Up. So much up that my calves felt like cement by the end. So much up that I tried to put my arms out to try and fly up the mountain.It was a hot and sunny day but I loved every minute of it. That meant I wasn't cold.Did I mention we're still going up?Toward the top, we had some great views and felt like it was our reward.And then we continued up. More up.Finally at the top, we cheered with the little energy we had left. We had about a mile to the shelter - down! Finally!We stopped at Sassafras Gap Shelter to eat some dinner and then the plan was to keep hiking to get to Locust Cove Gap. This meant some night hiking.We started up Cheoah Bald and had no problem getting to the top in a jiffy. At the top, we enjoyed the sunset for a while and then moved on. I enjoyed the hike and stayed warm although it was very windy.We got to camp around 10 p.m. and it's a full house. Night.- Sound of something resembling a pig snorting around outside, the wind, leaves rustling. Post Trail Thoughts:As we climbed away from the NOC, Certain and I grew delirious. There was little we could do after five miles of climbing but laugh. She thought it was a riot when I stuck my arms out in hopes of them carrying me into the air. But it was a great day for views!When we stopped at Sassafras Gap Shelter, Wonder was there and she gave us chocolate and played some music on her teeny tiny speaker. Mmm.
Date: 2007-04-04
From: Locust Cove Gap

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: overcast clouds

April 4, Windy Day I woke up at about 6:45 a.m. today and it was 50 degrees in my tent. I have never woken up more proud of my tent before. Last night, we got a massive thunderstorm and my tent kept me totally dry. No drips, no drops. Just dry. Whew.It took me a long time to get packed up though because I had to wipe down my rain fly and all that jazz. I could tell it was going to be a tough day for me because it was cloudy, cool, and windy to start. The first couple of miles passed fast. Then we heard a rumor of trail magic at Stecoah Gap and they went even faster. The rumors were true and when we got there we found a huge trailor, camp chairs, tents with nothing but beverages, a grill, you name and it was there. The show was being run by Bare Bear and Jellybean from last year. It was the most orderly trail magic I've seen yet. When we got there, Bare Bear told us he was making lunch. We feasted on hamburgers, baked beans, and a plateful of spaghetti. I even got to lay my tent and rain fly in the sun and wind to dry! We spent a bit of time there and then decided we'd better get moving.The next mountain kicked my butt. It was so steep I had to take several breaks. I honestly don't remember much else abut my day other than the wind. It was blowing all day and made it really hard to regulate body temperature. In the sun, it felt fine. In the shade, it was cold. And depending which side of the mountain we were on changed everything.We intended to stay at Cody Gap tonight but when we got there, there was NO shelter from the harsh winds and it just would have been too cold to stay there so we pushed on the 3.3 miles to the shelter. Boy am I glad we did. As I write this, it's 45 degrees in my tent. I can't imagine what it would be like in the wind.Anyway, we got here at 8:20 and set up shop, made dinner and it's just about lights out for me. Tomorrow we hit Fontana Dam and I can't even believe it! I also can't believe that Eric will be here tomorrow! Such an exciting day! I am still dreading the Smokies because of the cold though. Speaking of cold, my hands are cold writing this. I am off to sleep to warm up.- Sound of someone snoring, woodpecker.Post Trail Thoughts:I was SO glad we pushed on that night. The temperature in Cody Gap was so much lower than the shelter and the wind was treacherous and made me very nervous.Certain and I got to the shelter around the time it got dark and we ate a quick dinner and called it a night. That evening, we hiked by the location for the movie, "Nell". Neat.
Date: 2007-04-07
From: Fontana Dam

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

April 7, Record Low TemperaturesToday has been really uneventful so far and it's been really nice. Eric and I headed into Robbinsville for lunch. We ate at Sweetwater BBQ, a little hole in the wall with some good food, cheesy wall murals, and a not-so-bright server (Customer: Do you know the soup of the day? Server: No, I don't.). Since then, we've just been laying around enjoying the heat in the hotel and getting more and more nervous for our departure into the Smokies. I think we are leaving tomorrow. It will still be very cold but there's a storm moving in on Wednesday that we're hoping to get out of in time so we probably need to leave tomorrow to do that.I still wish I could skip the Smokies but I suppose that's not an option. I also suppose if they don't kill me, they'll help make me stronger. Let's pray for the latter. And at least Eric is here to help me get through!Fontana Village has been a great escape. It's warm, nice, and has everything a hiker needs. The restaurant here even plays good music! Actually, I think they have a CD on repeat and it keeps playing "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" which I think is funny because I keep referencing "Wizard of Oz" out here. So many things in the woods remind me of that movie. Every now and again, I'll see a tree that looks like the talking trees from the movie or the trail will feel like an adventure of that nature. Quite fun. Well, I better rest up for the trauma that is about to ensue. Can you tell I've been spoiled with the weather on this hike so far?Oh, I added a mail drop in Erwin, TN on my mail drop page, for those that have asked.Happy Trails.- Sound of the shower, the TeeVee in the room next door.
Date: 2007-04-08
From: Fontana Dam

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: scattered clouds

April 8, More Record ColdHappy birthday, Chrystopha!Let me just be clear. I hate being cold. We decided to leave Fontana today even though it's supposed to be in the high teens tonight. Ew.The hike today was not too bad but my left knee was not 100 percent and my feet hurt pretty bad. I was ready to get to the shelter when we did.Eric and I are sharing a tent tonight so hopefully that helps keep things warmer. It's pretty cool, it's the same tent I have but it's made for two people. I feel right at home. The hike itself was not so bad. The frustrating part of hiking on such cold days is taking on and off your warm clothes thirteen dozen times. And the fact that it's too cold to stop. We stopped for lunch basically in the middle of the trail because we found a place where there was little wind and lots of sun.Since today is Easter, I treated myself to a carrot cake Clif Bar. So appropriate. I also was treated to peanut butter and Nutella tortillas...mmmm!I was dreading the hike today (I've been dreading the Smokies for a while because of the cold) but I suppose it wasn't too bad.We had a hot meal to get us warmed up before bed and now we're just in the tent waiting for a reasonable hour to go to sleep.Too cold to say more. Night.- Sound of cold (I swear you can hear it).Post Trail Thoughts:We ran into a ridgerunner that day and talked to him about our itinerary through the park. He was nice to us and we had no problems. Eric did really well that day too.
Date: 2007-04-09
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: overcast clouds

April 9, Long DayBrr. I woke up at 7:14 a.m. to 21 degrees in our tent. Luckily, by 8:21, it had warmed to 37. Not that 37 is warm.Anyway, the day started leisurely with lots of flat and downhill. Then we got about halfway through the day and it started getting intreresting. Ups and downs. The scenery was great - the trail looked very different too. We went throgh fields and over pretty bald mountains. We went over rocky hills and through parts of the trail that were so narrow you could barely shift your feet. There was snow at time, others not. It was nice that the trail looked a little different today.It was a little warmer than yesterday but not by much so our breaks were pretty quick too. Luckily, the sun was shining on us hard.I got really scared today because Eric could not catch his breath. With every breath, he was panting. I wasn't sure what was going on so I kept trying to make sure he wasn't getting too cold but that really was not it. I don't know if it was the elevation or something else but it was scary. He was really tired near the end of the day and we still had quite a way to go. I just kept praying the time would pass quickly. And I kept apologizing to him that we had to do so many miles. At one point he told me he was going to tell my parents to ground me for doing this. At another point, when the mountain never seemed to stop he said, "If I walk any farther, I'll be in heaven. Open the doors!"Anyway, we made it to camp in one piece and Certain graciously got us water and boiled some extra with her dinner so Eric could have some hot chocolate as we set up camp.This was the first day I didn't hike with Certain and it was odd not having someone around who understands what the day's hike means with respect to all of the other days before.It was a really long day and I was just happy to get to camp and get warm and be safe.It's cold again tonight.I'm just thankful to be here in my bag.- No real sounds to speak of. Post Trail Thoughts:I was SO worried about Eric that day. To this day, I'm still not sure what that was all about. I think I actually kept lying to him and saying we had less miles to go than we actually did. I didn't like that situation one bit. I wasn't sure he understood the goal of not getting wet with sweat and I was concerned he might be getting hypothermic. As soon as we got to camp, I asked Certain if she minded making him a hot drink. I still don't think that was the problem but I never did figure out what was. I'm glad the ending turned out okay. It was a really nice day on the trail before that though. I enjoyed hiking with Eric, it was nice to have him along.
Date: 2007-04-10
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: light rain

Woke up today around 7:15 a.m. and it was 30 degrees so I quickly cinched my sleeping bag back up to try and wait out the cold. I ended up getting up an hour later to actually get after the day.It's hard getting going with two people when we're sharing equipment. But that's okay, we were in no rush today.It warmed up pretty good and the sun was shining all day. I even hiked in just my long-sleeved shirt for most of the day.The hike was pretty easy today. Mostly gradual in the morning and then a few hills after lunch. We had a great view hiking up Silers Bald and the rest of the way was all short ups and downs. It got really windy as we were nearing the shelter and I got a little worried that we wouldn't be able to get out of it. Luckily, when we got here, we were able to find a space for our tent beyond most of the wind but, boy, is it howling out there.There are lots of people here tonight, including many boy scouts and Y Not. I wish those boy scouts would do what they are supposed to do and build a fire already. They're just sitting there. That's not allowed, is it?Eric and I got in the tent around 6:30 p.m. to get out of the cold and we're just going to hang out in here for a while before bed. I have to say that I definitely owe Eric for coming out here to hike with me in this. It's cold. It's windy. The days are long. The miles are hard. He must have a lot of heart.I can't wait to start walking tomorrow...every step I take will bring me one step closer to warmth. We are headed to Gatlinburg! I never in my life thought I'd look so forward to that junky little town. I figure we'll grab a couple of meals, check out the Jesus wax museum and maybe even go to Dollywood. HeHeHe.Okay, time to warm my hands back up. It's 47.8 degrees and getting colder.- Sound of the wind (actually sounds like the ocean), boy scout chatter, Certain's footsteps, Eric yelling "It's cold, I wanna go home!".Post Trail Thoughts:This was a nice day of hiking. I remember enjoying just walking and talking to Eric and being glad he was there.
Date: 2007-04-12
From: Cherokee

To: Cherokee
Miles today: 0.0

April 12, One Month on the TrailWell, we've been on the trail for one month today! A friend of mine, Shannon, asked me to rate the experience on a scale of 1-10 so far. I said 10. We have been blessed with some pretty great weather - only like three days of rain and three days of freezing temperatures. I have been lucky with staying healthy - no huge blisters, pulls, strains or anything like that. We have had some great trail magic, met some great people, seen a few little southern towns, and built some good fires. I've already learned a lot. Eric has come to visit. I've enjoyed the hiking and I'm not sick of my trail food yet. So, my first month gets a ten. ...It's nice having a car in town. Eric took us to breakfast, the laundromat, the grocery store, an auto supply store for fuel and I have to just hit the post office. I got a message from my dad yesterday saying he needs me to send him a copy of my birth certificate, social security card, and drivers license. He must think I carry these on my back at all times and have access to a copy machine too! Oh, my dad. But, not to worry, Eric is helping me solve the case! Today has been pretty restful and I like that. I'm hoping the weather stays a little warmer like it is today but that's not what weather.com says is going to happen. I hope they're wrong. I guess I've learned that I can deal with the cold and I can deal with the rain but it's the cold AND rain together that creep me out. Tomorrow, we will hit our 200th mile! Can't wait for that celebration. I hope it's not too cold so we can actually stop and enjoy it. I need to find a treat of some sort for the party!Well, Eric and I are just waiting for Scribe and Gadget to call and we're going to pick them up in Franklin so they can start with Certain and I tomorrow. Wahoo!- Sound of hotel room heater.Post Trail Thoughts:Eric and I went to fetch Scribe and Gadget later that evening from Franklin. It was a nice drive and Scribe had some pictures from home for us to look at on the way. When we got back, we grabbed a pizza and called it a night.
Date: 2007-04-14
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: TriCorner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

April 14, Thunderstorm and a Trail FirstI woke up at 7 a.m. today and it was not the sunny 70 degrees I was hoping for. It was 38 degrees...but that was sort of a heat wave anyway. I didn't have to put my gloves on all morning!We left camp by 9 a.m. and we felt good. We got to Charlie's Bunion and spent a little time there enjoying the view - it was awesome! I even got to sit next to a little bird for quite a while (MaryD, if you're reading this, I thought of you).Back on the trail, it sprinkled on and off a few times but for the most part the day was warmer (40s) and bearable. It was pretty windy all day though.The trail was not too tough - a lot of ridge walking and bumps but only two or three significant hills. The only thing lacking for quite a while were signs. We had no clue how far we had been and it was a little frustrating.After the first seven or so miles we were feeling tired but since the weather was so good, we wanted to try and knock out some more miles (neither of us want to prolong our departure from the Smokies). So, onward.After about two miles, we heard thunder. After about three miles, it started raining. And raining. And lightening. Thunder. More rain. We were getting pretty wet so we kicked it into high gear. I was practically running. We had one mountain to get over before the shelter.I didn't mention...we had no water. Wingfoot had told us there was a water source a mile past the first shelter. There wasn't. So, I pretty much hiked the last five miles without water. Thankfully, Certain gave me half of her like four ounces of water. It wasn't fun hiking in the thunderstorm but I was very thankful that today was a bit warmer than the past few.I am staying in a shelter for the first time tonight. It was pouring when we got here so we both decided we would try out the whole shelter scene. There's a fire going in here and a tarp across the front but it's pretty windy and I'm not totally convinced yet that I'll be as warm as I am in my tent. Let's hope! Let's also hope the little mice critters stay away!I can't wait to get out of the Smokies. Because I'm sure it'll magcally be warm, sunny and dry all of the time the moment we exit the park.-Sound of two guys talking about Hot Springs, the fire crackling, the wind blowing, WineOh and Turtle Foot talking, Certain laughing, the tarp blowing in the wind, a zipper, the shuffling of gear, rain on the tin roof. Post Trail Thoughts:My first time in a shelter and it's funny to think about. There is so much I didn't know yet about shelter etiquette. When we got there and I was soaked, there was nowhere to change so we just had to change in the middle of everyone and hope they didn't peek. It was cold and wet and totally uncomfortable. I didn't know where people put their packs or shoes. It was a mess.We all took turns in front of the fire which was the nicest thing that could have happened that night. Met some new folks there too. Think Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner were the other couple's names.