morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-03-12
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: broken clouds

Had breakfast at the NOC Cafe. I would be sorry about the bacon later. Heartburn set in later that day. But it was great to get a plate of eggs, etc. I was on the trail by 8:15 and on my way to Fontana Dam, which is a milestone on the trail. It would be a 3000' climb out of the valley in about 6 miles to the top of Cheha Bald. Scout and I stopped at Sassafras Gap shelter for lunch, where we met Corunna and Jay Walker. The register told us that Bluebird and Abandon are now way ahead of us. The registers are a great way to comunicate backwards to people behind you, but it is one way communication only. Still it is good to know what is going on. The rest of the day was some very severe ups and down, as usual. The people who laid out the trail in Georgia and North Carolina had a thing for taking you to the top of the highest peaks and down to the lowest gaps in the ridge line. No one understands better than the thru hiker the words of John the Baptist speaking about Jesus, "Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low, the crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. And all mankind will see God's salvation." Luke 3:5-6 Surely he did make the way smooth for us. Around noon that day we came across a weekend hiker who had broken his ankle. One of his friends was with him and the emergency rescue unit had been sent for. The fact is that you have to watch every step you take, and especially on downhills. We made sure there was nothing left to do for him and left him with his friend. We found out a couple of days later that they got him off the mountain around 4:00. The resuce workers have quite a reputation as real heros in that area and my hats off to them. Tonight I am in the shelter with D-Rock, Caian Steve, Tank, Scout and a new guy, Coconut Monkey. There is a strange bond between hikers that makes them instant friends and yet you may only see them for a short while. The trail names is a handle that seems strange to most. But the hiker leaves everything behind him, even his name. Trail names are great. 7:30 and I am in bed for the night, but it feels good to be off of my feet.
Date: 2006-03-13
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: overcast clouds

am temp a balmy 55 Well D-Rock gets the award so far for the most bizzare and loudest snoring. I lost my earplugs, but I do not believe they would have helped much anyway. Fortunately D-Rock and Caian left at 3:00 am for some night hiking so after 3:00 I was able to sleep better. The weather has been perfect for hiking, with overcast skies and the occasional light shower. The rain has yet to be heavy enough for me to put on my poncho. But I know sooner or later I will have to hike through much rain. The mantra on the trail is "no rain, no pain, no Maine". But for this morning it was fantastic. I was up at the crack of dawn, packed up and on my way by early today. The hike, like most days, was uneventful. Stopped at Cable Gap shelter for lunch with Don Johnson (no trail name yet) and Scout. About 2:00 I arrive at the Dam and called for the shuttle for the Hiker Inn and registered for the Smokies while I was waiting. Soon Jeff picked me up and took me to the Inn. There my wash was done, I showered, and got ready to go to Robbinsville. There I had a large salad and a small pizza. I still do not have my appetite back. Tonight I am pampering myself in preparation for the 70 mile push through the Smokies. Today a phone call to the office sealed the decision that I will have to run home for 3 days to take care of some business. Arrangements were made to meet my wife at the east end of the Smokies on Saturday. That means that I definitely have to get through the park in 5 days, even if there is a blizzard. But for tonight is a soft bed with sheets. I believe that the most important lesson the trail teaches is to fully appreciate even the simplest of pleasures, like sheets and pillows. Or the quiet pleasure of a walk in the woods or the joy of a beautiful vista from the top of a mountain that you just climbed. The real lesson of the trail is the joys of the simple life.
Date: 2006-03-14
From: Fontana Dam

To: Russel Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: clear sky

In 1972, while flying to Germany for duty in the Air Force I flew over the Smokies. I remember saying then that it was so beautiful that I was going to have to visit that place. So today I crossed Fontana Dam and walked into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. There are 70 miles of the AT that cuts through the middle of the park west to east. The Smokies are known on the trail for the high elevations and potentially cold and unpredictable weather. I entered with both eagerness and apprehension because of the uncertainty of the weather and my schedule to be through in 5 days. Many stop in Gatlinburg, but I had no interest. I packed for an early start and was taken to the damn at 7:30. The climb was mostly uphill all morning, but not so extreme that I could not enjoy the walk. Later in the day the usual ups and downs started. I leap frogged with Bluebird and Abandon all day, but saw nothing of Tank or Scout. At noon I lunched with Coconut Monkey at the Mollies Ridge shelter. In the afternoon I saw what was going to be a common sight for the next 5 days, college spring breakers. My hats off to them for going hiking instead of beach bumming. I guess a guy can only take so much of warm tempertures, sandy beaches and pretty girls. So far they have all been great to get along with, and I have actually enjoyed their company. When they see you on the trail and ask you "where are you headed?" they mean which shelter are you going to. But my response is MAINE. They get a kick out of that and turn into cheerleaders. I hiked without seeing any of the thru hikers all afternoon and arrived at the shelter at 3:00. I was tempted to keep going, but a study of the terrain on the map suggested the next shelter 6 miles away might be a stretch and I did not want to be on the trail after dark, so into the shelter it was. A 6:00 arrival in camp is difficult because it is starting to get cold and you have to fix and eat supper, hang your food, and many other tasks that have to be done in the cold. In the shelter I met Zama and Lug for the first time, a couple from Portland, OR. Late in the day Scout arrived for a hasty supper, but for the first time in a long time Tank did not show up. The wind is blowing violently by now and the temperature has dropped to below freezing, so it is off to bed and a much needed night of sleep.
Date: 2006-03-15
From: Russel Field Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: clear sky

Last night was the worst for sleeping. The wind howled and shook the shelter. I layed in bed hoping it was not snowing, but afraid to look. The wind blew very hard through the shelter and it was cooooold. It is hard to get out of the sack today. But at 6:30 like clockwork it was out of the sack and ready for another day. The resupply at Fontana Dam has my pack heavy again and today I had to go over Rocky Top, Tenessee. The temperature on my thermometer read 19 deg in a 30 mile an hour wind when I topped the mountain. Burrr. Part of my body was painfully frozen and another part was sweating. All day the wind played havoc on my ability to regulate my body temperature. When out of the wind and in the sun I would get hot and take off clothing, and soon the trail took me in the shade and the wind and I would have to stop and put clothing on. Lunch was with Applesause, Salsa, Cruz, and Scout at Derricks Knob. We seem to have lost Tank for now. I assume the super heavy pack he is carrying finally got the best of him. I am in the shelter with Zama, Lug, Scout, and several spring breakers from Wisconsin and Minnesota. The miles were done early today and they seem to be coming easier. I may be ready for a +20 day soon. For now the rules on shelters hamper our ability to get to that point. You can not stealth camp in the Smokies.
Date: 2006-03-16
From: Double Spring Gap

To: Icy Spring Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Out of the sack early. Did not get a good night sleep because the college boys wanted to talk all night. So when Scout asked me if she should use her stove outside (it sounds like a 747 taking off) I told her to please light it up in here. Zama and Lugg were off at 5:00 so they could meet her parents so Scout and I walked the three miles up to Clingman's Dome, which is the highest point in Tenessee. There is an old observation deck at the summit of Clingman's Dome with a long ramp up to the top. Actually the trail closely follows the NC/Ten border from Fontanna Dam to a point near Roan Mountain, nearly 200 miles. So at times I am literally walking with my left foot in Tenessee and my right foot in North Carolina. I could not see much, but tried to take some pictures and got the heck off of the mountain as quick as I could. It was cold and windy and a storm was coming in. I have been told that you can only see something from Clingman's Dome an average of 46 times out of a year. The trail off of Clingman's Dome was like a frozen creek bed and it started to snow. My big concern was to get off of the mountain and to lower elevation before snow covered the ice and it would be even worse traveling. Scout and I scampered down the mountain as quick as we could safely travel under the circumstances. Once we were at a lower elevation the sun came out and it was a beautiful day. We stopped and had lunch with four kids from Indiana who were on spring break. At Newfound Gap there is a parking lot. Newfound Gap is a low spot on the ridge where the major highway passes North and South through the park. It is a major tourist stopping point and there were lots of people there. The thru-hikers are a bit of a curiosity to many of the tourist so I had some interesting conversations with some of them there. I believe that is what drives some of the trail angels, who have a lot of questions for them. On up the trail to the last three miles we came to Icy Spring shelter. Zama and Lug made it, as did Firefly. There was a father and son and two others. The son was having a ball camping with his dad. Then came in a group of 6 pear shaped "hikers" from Mississippi with all new gear, inflatable matresses that you would see in a pool. I wondered if they had an air compressor to blow them up. One of the hikers had a pillow from home with a paisley pillow cover strapped to his back. They were having a fit because there were so many people there and they had reservations. They through such a fit that Zama and Lug volunteered to pitch a tent outside. The Mississippi 6, as I refer to them, were on the hike to get away from home because their yards were still covered from debris from the hurricane and the government had not done anything about it in all these months. In Michigan we clean up our own yards, not wait for FEMA to do it. These men did not represent Mississippi very well. It was a very interesting night.
Date: 2006-03-17
From: Icy Spring Shelter

To: Cosby Know Shelter
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Breakfast on the run again. Today the M-6 were much easier to get along with. It was scary during the night though. One of them who was absolutely huge laid next to me and I thought I would be crushed if he rolled over on me. He snored loudly and constantly, and I noticed this morning he was wearing a breathright strip. It does not say much for that product. The dilemma for thru hikers is that you carry what you think you will need. In my case I do not carry enough clothes to just hang around camp and be comfortable in cold and windy weather. So you are either in your sleeping bag or walking to keep warm. So in the evenings and mornings not a lot of time is spent around camp because of the cold. That will change as it warms up. So it is that in the evenings when it starts to get cold it is time to get in the sack and off of your tired feet. And in the morning I like to get out of the sack, pack up and grab a quick, cold breakfast. Once on the trail you generate plenty of body heat. But today was very difficult. When I was on the north side of the ridge the wind was strong and I was in the shade, and when I was on the south side I was out of the wind and in the sun. So several times I had to stop and put on or take off clothing. The one thing that is critical is not to sweat in your clothes to the point that they get wet. Keeping your clothes dry in this extreme weather is critical. Today I was out ahead of Scout and Firefly from the beginning and hiked without seeing them all morning. The terrain was easy and I logged a lot of miles. Later in the morning I met up with Firefly and Scout and we laid out plans at Tricorners shelter to move on and attempt a 20+ day. We were all ready for it and so it was that we were going on to Cosby Knob shelter. We wolfed down a quick lunch and were off. I trailed the others and lost sight of them. When I came to a sign that said "Cosby Knob Campground" that pointed to the left I made a left and followed the sign. I did not know that there was a shelter and a campground. So it was that I got off of the trail. I walked down a steep hill for almost an hour. After a while I had not noticed any white blazes and realized that I had made a mistake. It took me an hour to climb back up the trail and study the sign further. So it was that on my 20+ day that I did 23+. I drug into camp with only minuites of daylight left and hungry and tired. Quick supper and I was off to bed tired but glad to be in camp before night. In camp I met the nicest family of a mother and 3 daughters and a very interesting person named "Wolf"
Date: 2006-03-18
From: Cosby Know Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: broken clouds

I have not mentioned much about the mixed emotions of being in the Smokies. Most of us thru hikers have some apprehension about the weather in the park. It is totally unpredictable. When I was half way through the park at Newfound Gap I asked a state worker what he new about the weather. He gave me about a dozen disclaimers, but never did tell me what the forecast was. I finally just walked away. I tried to find out from others and no one seemed to know or care, and finally decided I would find out the hard way. I resolved not to let it worry me and resolved that I would just get through the park as quickly as I could. In the final analysis the weather was miserable, but it could have been much worse. People have been caught in blizzards in April there. But there were fleeting moments when I was able to see the beauty of the park and it was beautiful. And today, with just 8 miles to go it was gorgeous weather. Scout, Firefly and I walked out together. For some reason we all walked together, which is unusual, maybe to savor the moment together. WE HAD SURVIVED THE SMOKIES. We also got some beautiful views, stopped and took some pictures, and then celebrated at the end of the park. I wondered where Tank was and how he was doing. After leaving the park the three of us headed to Standing Bear Farm, a shower, and some town food. We had Jeff take us to a place to eat. And for me a much bigger treat. My wife was coming down from Michigan to pick me up and we were going to travel home so I can take care of some business. It is going to be great to see my wife. We have not been apart so long in 33 years of marriage and she has been very supportive of my endeavor. So tonight I shall take her out to dinner. Three or four days off the trail means I will say goodby to Scout and Firefly. I may never see them again because they will be moving on and staying ahead of me when I return to the trail. But then I met and walked with many good people to whom I did not get a chance to say goodby. You never know when the last time is you see them. So it is with the trail and so it is with life. There may be a lesson there.
Date: 2006-03-22
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Roaring Fork shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

It was great to see my family. I have just returned to the trail from 3 days of business in Michigan. I was itching to get back to the trail because I feel that I am getting stronger and do not want to loose that edge. Curtis and Jeff from Standing Bear Farm picked me up at the Knoxville Airport and took me back. I am walking blind until I get to Hot Springs because my map is in my bounce box at the post office. A bounce box is a box that I keep items in and send it ahead to myself. I keep such things as battery charger, vitamins, and other things that I do not want to carry but need occasionally. I met a person on the trail named Hateras Jack and walked with him till we met up with Homebrew. I had not seen Homebrew since March 2. They clued me in on what was ahead and I decided I was going to the old Roaring Fork shelter, which was a 17 mile day. So I was off on my own in a big hurry because of the late start. Most of the day was the stardard climb up a mountain-climb down a mountain. However, none of it was extremely steep. The itinerary was in part decided on because I wanted to be in position to get to Hot Springs in time to pick up my mail. I would still need to walk another 15 miles by 4:00 the following day and I was also concerned about getting a space at Elmer's. In mid-afternoon I was running low on water and was getting concerned when I found trail magic at a forest road crossing. Some trail angel had left cans of orange soda on the ground and I sucked one down, which got me fixed up until I could find water.About 4:30 I reached the summit of Max Patch, which was the highpoint of my day in more ways than one. This is a 4600' mountain that has an area of about 1000 acres of grassy bald. I was traveling alone so I had to take pictures of the beautiful scenery with no one in them, but it was too cold and windy to wait for anyone. Besides, I still had 5 miles to go to the shelter. I turned on the hustle and on the downhill push. What I do not want to do is hike at night if I could avoid it and fortunately the trail was easy and I arrived by 6:45. I met some great guys from the military who quickly made room for me in the small shelter, shared some of their food with me, swapped lies and military stories, and had some great discussion. I fixed my supper and was off to bed late tonight (8:30) and feeling pretty good about the last 24 hours.
Date: 2006-03-23
From: Roaring Fork shelter

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: broken clouds

After a 17 mile day I had trouble rolling out today. Finally got up and had a quick couple of breakfast bars and was off by 7:45. I hiked all day by myself at a hard pace. Hot Springs was on my mind because I had a package in the Post Office and I had an itch for a burger. I usually stop around noon to have some peanut butter and Ritz, but today I decided to just get to town and eat some town food.Along the way I met Sidewinder who passed me and was off in a hurry to get the Pub. Because I was off for three days most of the people I have been seeing are new to me. The downhill was rough into Hot Springs. It was steep and had a lot of large roots across the trail, which are a real hazard. After picking up my box and shopping for supplies, I checked into Elmer's hostel. This hostel is a very intriguing place. It is an old victorian house with many antique decorations. What I liked about it was the old-fashioned bed that I slept in. It had sheets and pillow and blankets. Usually when you stay in a hostel you have to use your sleeping bag. The room was a little cool, but that is the way I like to sleep. Not freezing cold mind you, like the shelters, but cool. The food they serve at Elmer's is vegetarian. They use organically grown food. I opted for a room only and no food. I eat no meat on the trail and the carnivore in me was ready for a big burger. For $15.00 I got a room, shower, and laundry. That is a pretty good deal, even by hostel standards. Having registered and unpacked, I was off to the diner across the street, where I ran into D-Rock and ate with him.At the hostel, I shared a room with Hateras Jack, who had finnally caught up with me. I also met Sourdough, the father of Sidewinder, who I had met on the trail earlier that day. They are waiting for their dogs to be delivered. The Smoky Mountain Park does not allow dogs in the park so they had a kennel service pick them up at the West end of the park and they were going to deliver the dogs once they were through the park. There were many others there, but I was suffering from exhaustion so I went to bed earlier, knowing that tommorow was going to be a rough day. What I did not know was just how hard the next day was going to be. The weather forecast was calling for one day of snow. Little did I know what was ahead for me. But I went to sleep in ignorant bliss.
Date: 2006-03-24
From: Hot Springs

To: Little Laurel shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light snow

I have never read anywhere the definition of a blizzard. But if you ask any hiker caught in the mountains today they would be glad to give their version. As far as I was concerned, I was in a blizzard today. Last night in Hot Springs it started to rain and there was talk of snow in the valley. When they are talking of snow in the valley you can bet there is going to be snow in the mountains. I must say that I cannot complain about the weather so far on this adventure. I had checked with the outfitter the day before and he told me the forecast was for one day of rain or snow followed by warm and clear weather. So I left Hot Springs with the understanding that there was going to be some rough weather. I have a habit of walking in where angels fear to tread, and today was par for the course. As I walked out of town the trail followed the river and then up a steep rockface with switchbacks cut in it. About a mile into the trail the rain turned to snow. No big deal, a little snow would make for some great pictures. As the morning progressed, the snow fell harder and there was considerable accumulation. At noon, I arrived at Big Spring shelter, which was at almost 4000'. There were four men from Kentucky staying there. They had shuttled to Allen gap, walked up from there 3.7 miles and huddled up there for the night. To stay warm they were all cuddled up in their sleeping bags. They were going to stay the night there and walk down to Hot Springs. I visited with them for a while as I ate lunch and then was off.I thought it a little strange that 4 guys would drive 200 miles, hire a shuttle, and walk 3.7 miles to a shelter and spend the rest of the day curled up in a sleeping bag trying to keep warm for the rest of the day and that night, and then get up in the moring and walk to Hot Srings. But after I thougth about it a while I decided that I was the strange one. I have left a sweet and beautiful wife, 4 neat kids, a warm house and my little buddy Elijah to walk 2176.6 miles of mountains. Maybe they were the normal ones. I pressed on all afternoon because I wanted to make the Little Laurel Shelter. By the time I arrived at the shelter, it was 4:30 and the snow had accumulated to 6". The last hour had been uphill in deep snow and my boots were soaked inside and out. I did my usual supper, dishes, dental care, and was in the sack to keep warm and watch the blizzard rage on. The only one in the shelter with me was a guy named Ron who I had never met before. I was looking forward to the warming weather that had been predicted for tommorow. I was going to be sorely disappointed.