morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-05-02
From: Roan High Knob Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 6.5
Weather: light rain

Trail Day 41 - Cloudland with rain.Day started cloudy but rain had stopped. I set off down Roan Mt. at 8:40 am. Before getting 1 mile, the wind and rain resumed. I met Scouts coming over the bald from camping at Overmountain Shelter, and they were headed for their bus. It was very cold and windy up on the bald and they were not happy. Several wore short sleeved shirts. I told them that Philmont is never this bad. Of course, there were no views from the bald. I overtook six adults from Knoxville who were hardy souls out on a wildflower walk. One said he was looking for caddis fly pupae as he turned over rocks in a stream. I met Seeker who was southbound from Harper's Ferry. He said he would flip-flop and go north after reaching Springer. I stopped briefly at Stan Murray shelter but it was in poor condition. I hiked on in the rain to Overmountain shelter, a red barn at the head of a lovely valley. I decided I would stop at this beautiful place even though it was only 1:15. The dayhikers soon joined me and gave me a peanut butter sandwich and some chocolate. One took a photo of me with the valley in the background and said she would email it to me. Another told me that the white flowered trees all over the valley were serviceberry, which is a delicious fruit. There are probably 20 other hikers here tonight. The only one I have met before is Keith. The others were either off the trail and got back on or were behind me and caught up. Oh yes, and the two snorers are here. I will use my earplugs tonight. I am hoping for better weather tomorrow. It is still cold, rainy and cloudy. There once was a hotel on Roan Mt. named Cloudland and that sems very appropriate right now.
Date: 2004-05-03
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Campsite near Walnut Mt. Rd.
Miles today: 18.9

Trail Day 42 - Cloudland again, but no rain.Got out at 8:20. It was so cold my fingers and toes stung. The balds were still in the clouds. I kept moving to warm up. I was thankful there was no wind and rain as I crossed the exposed summits of Little Hump and Hump Mts. It was very quiet up there. I saw fresh deer tracks on the trail. The descent was long and gradual through forest and rock fields. I saw a dead white mouse belly up on the trail. Dropped by an owl last night maybe? The drop down to Apple House shelter was over 2500 ft. Someone had painted "Haunted House" on the shelter. The shelter is close to Hwy 19 which is reputed to be an area unfriendly to hikers. I found an unopened cold Pepsi in a bucket left by the bridge and enjoyed that unexpected treat. Someone there likes hikers.I thought about hitching into Elk Park to use a phone, but it was already after noon and I wanted to do long miles today to get to Kincora Hostel early the next day. I have found that it is wise to arrive early in the day to find a vacant bunk at a hostel.The area across the highway had a fast flowing stream, but the upper ravine was littered with appliances and other junk so it was probably contaminated. The trail passed next to a cemetary on a hilltop and through a Christmas tree farm. I passed through the community quickly and unobserved. I entered an evergreen forest, surprising at this lower elevation. A hound dog barked nearby. There was a shirt and shorts neatly laid out on a log by a stream, but nobody was around. The trail became more isolated again and I relaxed. I took the short side trail to Jones Falls, a very impressive waterfall about 100 ft. high. As I crossed the Elk River, I saw Keith taking a rest break. He said he was going on to find a campsite and asked if I would join him. I readily agreed because there was no shelter within hiking distance and I did not want to camp in the woods alone. We hiked on and talked about fly fishing, which Keith has done a lot. We pressed on until 6 pm and camped near a logging road. We had both done 19 miles that day, a record for me.
Date: 2004-05-04
From: Campsite near Walnut Mt. Rd.

To: Kincora Hostel, Dennis Cove, Hampton TN
Miles today: 13.2

Trail Day 43 - Trek to KincoraThis morning was very cold. I learned later it was 23 degrees. There was ice on the inside of my tent ceiling and on my sleeping bag from condensation as we were camped in a meadow. I had to pack my bag and tent wet. We set out at 8:20. There were many stream crossings in the morning. By noon we reached the next shelter and rested. We were both tired after yesterday's long miles and anxious to get to the hostel to snag a bunk before a crowd of faster hikers overtook us. The guidebook showed one more climb of 400 ft. after the shelter, but of course there were more climbs than that. It seems that there is always another peak to climb when you think you have reached the top and are going to descend. My big toe blister really yelled in protest on the downhill to the road, but it still has not popped.Only one hiker passed us all day and we got the last two bunks available in the hostel. Bob Peoples, the owner, took a truckload of hikers to town for dinner a a Chinese buffet restaurant. It was delicious, much better than the usual Chinese buffet restaurant, more variety and freshly prepared. To my dismay, I have discovered an humongous external hemorrhoid. This is supposed to afflict truck drivers not hikers. Probably more information than the gentle reader desired, but it is very uncomfortable and is a concern when you already have a hygiene problem with dumping in a hole in the woods. I considered looking for a doctor to remove it with an office procedure, but decided that would be hard to find out here and the search would just delay my hike. I will just cope with it.
Date: 2004-05-05
From: Kincora Hostel, Dennis Cove, Hampton TN

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Trail Day 44 - Zero day at KincoraIt was good to sleep in a bed in a warm room again after 6 days on the trail. The hostel is 2.5 miles up a winding mountain road from Hampton, TN. Too far away to walk, epecially since the town is strung out along the highway. I rode with the owner, Bob, as he shuttled two hikers to Iron Mt. and I picked up my food drops at the post office. The rest of the day was spent repacking and mailing, shopping, etc. Bob talked about the elderly farmers along the trail and how hikers can relate to their mountain ways. Once he organized hikers to harvest a farmer's crop of sorghum before it was ruined by rain. He said that the next generation has forsaken the farm to buy toys like computers and cell phones. There is a lot of farm land along the trail for sale. ATC can help make connections with realtors under a land acquisition program. There is a shortage of hostels in Vermont and New Hampshire. Bob is a displaced Vermonter himself. He says the hostel is his hobby. He does not put people up after the March to May thruhiker season. He is Scotch-Irish and flies the flags of Scotland and Ireland in his yard. He is a tireless maintainer of the AT.I talked with Smoky Mt. Steve about Horace Kephart, who originated the idea of a Smoky Mt. National Park. He wrote a book, Our Southern Highlanders, with stories of the settlers who lived here. He is buried near Fontana Lake and a plaque memorializes him along the Hazel Creek Trail. Steve and Dan Gore, a friend related to the Gores of Tennessee, hike up there to listen for his spirit. Dan Gore has a band that plays music in the vein of Appalachian folk. His web page is elephantrock.com.
Date: 2004-05-06
From: Kincora Hostel

To: Spring at Mile 425
Miles today: 15.8

Trail Day 45 - Magic Trail & Trail MagicLazed around awhile at the hostel in the morning. Showered, shaved and read Yogi's Pacific Crest Trail Handbook. Got out on the AT at 9:20. Walked along a stream to Laurel Falls, a very pretty waterfall and stream in a narrow high gorge. A scenic and cool trail section. I passed a man and woman fishing with lures in the stream.I climbed steeply up to Pond Mt. Flats, a gain of 1800 ft. elevation, and almost ran out of water but refilled my filter bottle from a spring on top. Then I descended to the highway and Watauga Lake on a winding pine straw path. While sitting on the grass in front of a swimming beach on the lake, I met a couple of guys in a fancy Monte Carlo who stopped and asked about my hike. They were Gary Autrey and Roy Ellis of Merritt Island, Florida. They offered to help me out with whatever I needed. I did not need anything, so I took just took their photo and they drove off. I headed for the shelter and ran into some local folks jumping into the lake on a rope swing. They were very friendly and gave me a much appreciated cold beer. They were the Carter County gang from the Southern Cafe in Elizabethton, TN. As they left they presented me with a Pepsi to take to the shelter. They asked what I thought my chances were of going all the way to Maine and I replied, "100% - I've gone over 400 miles. I don't see any reason why I would stop now." I caught up with Smoky Mt. Steve at Watauga Lake shelter. He was hiking another 5 miles to a spring before camping. I decided to hike on with him even though it was already 5:30 so that I could do the next climb, including some asphalt road walk, in the cool evening hours rather than the heat of the day. Steve knows the mountain flora and he identified several plants for me: firepink, princess tree, hemlock and locust. The next five miles were very long and hard: we did not arrive at the spring until 8:30 pm. Steve slept out cowboy style under the stars. I set up my tent. My total elevation gain today was 4500 ft. The air was fresh and cool on the ridge and I slept very well.
Date: 2004-05-07
From: Spring at Mile 425

To: Iron Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 8.5

Trail Day 46 - Iron Mt. heat Drank some of Steve's coffee (he uses a coffee press and makes great coffee) and got out at 9:20. The trail continued along the crest of the ridge above Watauga Lake all day. The lake is very long and has marinas and houseboats strung along it. This part of East Tennessee looks like a good place for outdoor recreation, and it would be a cheaper area to live in than western North Carolina. I stopped to eat lunch at Vandeventer shelter. In back of the shelter there are large boulders that offer a sweeping view of the lake. The day became oppressively hot, with the heat occasionally relieved by a cool wind. I came upon Iron Mt. shelter at 2:00. It was too hot to continue hiking, so I cooked an early dinner and talked with Pete, Joe, Joanne, and Steve for the rest of the day. Tomorrow I would hike 16 miles to Abingdon Gap shelter and, on the following day, 10 miles to the town of Damascus, Virginia.
Date: 2004-05-08
From: Iron Mt. Shelter

To: Abingon Shelter
Miles today: 16.3

Trail Day 47 - Southwalker & Log JumperI was up at 6 and out by 8. There was more ridge walk in the morning. A father and son pair had already left to do the Damascus marathon: 26 miles from the shelter to Damascus in one day. This is a tradition leading up to Trail Days. Trail Days is a week long celebration in Damascus for thruhikers and town people. Gear reps and trail organizations set up booths and there is a carnival atmosphere capped by a parade and talent show. It all starts on Monday. Attendance is expected to reach 10,000. The afternoon was hot with little wind. Five hikers passed me doing the marathon. I stopped to nap on a log in mid-afternoon and then passed a quaint 2-person shelter hikers call the Holiday Inn or the Honeymoon Suite. I set up my tent at Abingdon Gap shelter. Southwalker and Log Jumper were there on a section hike. They have been friends since completing a southbound thruhike in 1999. Southwalker is a cattle rancher from northeast Alabama who resembles Ernest Hemingway. I had a very pleasant time talking with him. He said that walking south on the AT is very different from walking north because there are few hikers. He spent at least 40 nights alone in shelters. The outhbounder has to deal with clouds of biting blackflies and steep rocky trails without switchbacks in Maine as well as isolation and lack of moral support. In spite of this, he would start from Maine again rather than Georgia because he would have trouble dealing with people occupying the shelters. I do not have a problem with this because I prefer to tent anyway and I enjoy meeting people. I find plenty of solitude while hiking. As the sun set, a thunderstorm boomed above and lightening flashed and crackled all around us. The rain spattered my little tent but I was secure and dry inside. I felt like I was back in Florida.
Date: 2004-05-09
From: Abingon Shelter

To:  Damascus, VA
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: few clouds

Trail Day 48 - Red Wolf rules!The trail into Damascus was easy compared to the usual, mostly downhill, but I was bothered by pain at the front of my hips caused by a poorly fitting hipbelt. I feel like Goldilocks because my first belt was too large and this one is too small. Hopefully in Damascus I will find one that is just right. I have to keep pulling on my shoulder straps to take pressure off my hips, but this causes pain in my upper & mid-back.I crossed the border into Virginia before noon. I know I was the first person down the trail into town today because I was breaking cobwebs all the way. Damascus calls itself the friendliest town on the AT. The trail enters town looking down on the backyards of houses. A man sitting on his porch tending a grill waved a friendly greeting to me. A banner above the street read "Welcome to Trail Days". The town is compact and landscaped with parks and grassy areas. A stream runs through the middle. I really do feel welcome here. Damascus looks like an ideal peaceful little town in the mountains. A great place for retirement.I proceeded directly to Mt. Rogers Outfitters and talked with Jeff about my hipbelt problem. He looked at my pack and agreed that the belt did not fit me. It was Sunday so he could not reach a manufacturer's sales rep. but he called one the next day and ordered the correct belt. I am very grateful for his assistance. I met Red Wolf at the hostel. He has hiked extensively since 1975, especially in the Smokies, and is very familiar with trails there. Unfortunately a few years ago he suffered sudden liver failure and fell into a coma. He has had two liver transplants since then and now hikes again although he must use two canes and can go only short distances. Last year he climbed down Mt. Washington. He is so happy that he can still get out on a mountain trail and does not fret about his limitations. What a great attitude for coping with a disability!
Date: 2004-05-10
From:  Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Trail Day 49 - Zero day in DamascusSlept well in my own room in the hostel. Had an AYCE breakfast at Side Track Cafe with Pete, Brandon & Stands with a Fist. Picked up my food bounce box at the post office. Took out what I wanted to carry and bounced the rest to Pearisburg. Shopped for more food for next 6 days. Packed up and weighed my pack at 37 lbs. Shipped some winter clothes and film home. Got with Jeff about the hipbelt. Took an afternoon nap and waited out a real gullywasher rainstorm. Called my wife and son from a pay phone when it stopped. Had a second spaghetti dinner at the Italian restaurant. Quest came in for dinner and I talked with him while he ate. We are both purists on our hikes. A lot of hikers arrange shuttles north and hike south to town to go downhill rather than up. Some slackpack, i.e., they hike without a backpack by just taking a few things in a small pack and doing a day hike. A purist hikes the trail (all of it) in one direction and carries his backpack. That is my definition. Some would say you can be a purist and shuttle or slackpack as long as you do the entire AT. But I have never done anything the easy way and this hike is too important to me to dilute the challenge by hiring shuttles to make it easier. I don't care how anybody else does their hike. As they say, hike your own hike. That is just me.
Date: 2004-05-11
From: Damascus, VA

To: Saunders shelter 
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: light rain

Trail Day 50 - Onward North!I waited around for the FedEx truck to deliver my hipbelt. It was here by noon and my pack was refitted by 1:00. Stopped at Subway on the outskirts of town for lunch. Hiked out the AT/Virginia Creeper Trail. Missed the AT cutoff and had to double back 1/2 mile, so I did not get on the AT until 3:00. The AT turns left to climb a hill perpendicular to the highway while the Creeper Trail, used by bicyclists, continues straight. I was glad to be on the AT rather than the Creeper, which is really a gravel road, as the AT was much cooler and crossed several small streams. Although it is a strenuous climb, it is a trail in a forest, not a road.I met Diego, who was hiking south to Damascus after being dropped off at Elk Garden 24 miles north. Diego showed me his profile map and told me I would have a tough climb ahead. I responded that it was not any worse than other climbs I had already done. He agreed and went on to town. I would meet other northbound thruhikers hiking south to Damascus after shuttling north over the next two days.I reached Saunders shelter about 7 pm. There were only 4 hikers sleeping in the shelter so I found space on the floor rather than put up my tent due to my late arrival. I did not know anyone there.The new hipbelt had performed well. No more hip pain. I have 6 days food in the pack so it weighs more than usual, about 40 lbs. I also packed a book of essays by Edward Abbey, Beyond the Wall, that Smoky Mt. Steve loaned me. It looks like a great read. The first essay recounts a desert hike. I don't know how he recalls so much detail in his hike. He certainly knows desert plants and animals well.
Date: 2004-05-12
From: Saunders shelter 

To: Whitetop Mt. 
Miles today: 11.9

Trail Day 51 - Whitetop Mt.Last one out of the shelter at 8:45. The trail was ridge walk for awhile and then dipped down to parallel the Creeper Trail, actually joining it for a bit before ascending the next mountain to Lost Mt. shelter.I met Paco and his wife, section hikers. He told me he did not understand thruhikers - that you are like some kind of strange cult. My response to that is: I don't care what anybody says. I'm not going to be beamed up to the mothership when I reach Mt. Katahdin. He said his idea of adventure was lying in a hammock on a beach in Mexico. That sounds pretty good to me too.I stopped at the Lost Mt. shelter for lunch and met No Name and Whiskey, a young couple hiking south to Damascus. They were waiting for Sunshine to catch up. They decided to go on to Saunders shelter and asked me to tell Sunshine they would await him there. I met him a mile north and gave him the message. This is how communication works along the AT. If some article is left behind at a shelter, it is passed from hiker to hiker until it catches up with the owner. It is amazing how quickly this works. I have had items returned to me before I knew I lost them. This is a community that cares for one another.I felt a bit depressed this morning and decided that walking would be the cure, so I headed for Whitetop Mt. I met several cheerful hikers who greeted me on the way, which cheered me greatly. The trail up Whitetop was 3 miles long but it was gradual and beautiful with a carpet of flowers on both sides. The elevation gain was over 2000 ft. I met Brandon and Trail Dog on the summit going toward Damascus. The view up there was spectacular but gray clouds threatened rain. There was a piped spring gushing clear cold water at the top. It was 5 pm so I stopped to pitch my tent on top with Hiking Bear and Speak Up. It rained lightly while I cooked and ate dinner. I returned to the spring to fill up for breakfast and met Speed and Breathless setting up a tent. They are a couple from Raleigh who started in GA on 3/21 but took days off to allow her shin splint to recover. They are lightweight, carrying about 20 lbs. each. Their tent is homemade, a single-wall two pole classic tent design. It takes some ingenuity to hike lightweight. She is Breathless because she has asthma, which you can hear sometimes when she breathes. She is doing well to be hiking out here. All the hikers shuttling north and hiking south are doing that so they can be in Damascus for Trail Days. I have decided to skip this celebration for thruhikers because I would rather be on the trail than caught up in a crowd of people in town. Maybe next year I will go when I can drive up in my car to a B&B reserved well in advance. This year I would rather hike.
Date: 2004-05-13
From: Whitetop Mt. 

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Trail Day 52 - Mt. Rogers & Grayson HighlandsI got up at 6:00 to take photos of the sunrise on Whitetop Mt. While fixing breakfast, I talked with Speak Up about his youth program of the same name. He is a teacher from Michigan doing a fundraiser with his hike. Speak Up Youth is a nonprofit leadership training program for 8th graders. It was named Speak Up after a famous quote by Martin Niemuller, the Protestant clergyman who spoke up for the Jews during WW II in Germany. I hiked down to Elk Garden and found Hiking Bear waiting for a ride to Damascus. There was no traffic on the road so it was not an easy hitch. I met a Ridgerunner there whose name was Dave. He was hiking south to check on the shelters. I continued on over the next bald and into the forest, climbing 1300 ft. up Mt. Rogers to Thomas Knob shelter. There is a stand of blue spruce trees at the top. I discovered why they are called blue spruce when I noticed a branch turned upside down on the trail. The trees are a dark green color, but the underside of the needles are bluish green. I stopped for lunch at the shelter and Smoky Mt. Steve walked in from the north. He was going to Damascus for Trail Days. He asked me to send him an email when I reach Katahdin. I may not run into him again as he is not doing a thruhike, but I can find him at whiteblaze.net. He is an interesting guy living his life on the trail, but his home is in Atlanta. He has an 18 year old son who is working at a resort near Denali in Alaska. His son hiked with him until he received the job offer. I have learned much from Steve and will miss his company. Soon after leaving the shelter, I passed a group of wild ponies grazing and took a photo. This area looks a lot like parts of Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. It is high meadow country with boulders, buttes, and rock outcroppings thrown about the landscape. A sudden rainstorm began and I found Speak Up in a boulder crevice staying dry and reading a book. I joined him there for awhile. He had just fed carrots to the ponies. When the rain eased up I headed out again and met two prior year thruhikers, Salty and Flying Bare. They had driven all night from Tampa and were hiking up Mt. Rogers for an overnight before driving on to Trail Days. I really felt I was back at Philmont here. I came upon more ponies and fed them carrots that Speak Up gave me. It began pouring again. Speak Up and I talked about samurai movies as we hurried to the shelter. He has bicycled and taught English in Japan. We got soaked, but we dried out at Wise shelter and got into our bags. A very interesting day. I would like to come back to Mt. Rogers and Greyson Highlands again.