morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-04-08
From: VA 683 (Relax Inn, Atkins, VA)

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Pop! Goes the Solitude!3:30PM - On the steps of the USFS Mt Rogers Visitor CenterFirst, let me say that the fellow in the Atkins PO, both yesterday and this morning was cheerful and helpful.Coming off the AT into town for town food is always something I look forward to. So yesterday when I came off the Trail and spotted The Barn Restaurant (Home Cooking), I was looking forward to a robust and filling dinner. How disappointed I was after a hike up there to discover that they had equipment problems and were closed for the evening. So I made do with a barbeque meal from DQ, beer from the truck stop next door, and too many sodas from the Relax Inn soda machine.This morning I was happy to find The Barn open, and feeling deprived from last night ordered a bottomless cup of coffee, a huge OJ (the only size they had), and a Big 2 X 4 (2 large pancakes, 2 sausages, 2 eggs, 3 (sic) strips of bacon, with a biscuit and patty of home fries thrown in). It took a little pacing, but in the end I got it all down. My sore stomach, if not my head was happy The Barn had not been open last night as well.Fortunately, because I needed to go to the PO, it was 2 hours later before I started walking, or else I would have felt too full to move. I was told that south of Atkins I would really begin to me NOBOs. And sure enough within 1 mi I met John (who is trying to section hike in 4 years, this year from Damascus to PA, about 650 mi in 5 wks) and Waldo, a thru-hiker. A couple miles later I met Gapper who is hiking from Springer to Harpers Ferry and Wrench.Just before meeting Gapper I was pondering my original plan to hike to Partnership Shelter, because I had gotten away earlier than expected, and was travelling fairly fast. But then Gapper reminded me that Partnership Shelter is the shelter on the Trail where you can order pizza. I couldn't miss such an important AT institution, so decided to stay here for the night. I am now sitting on the Visitor Center (next to shelter) steps waiting for my pizza to be delivered.5PM - Partnership ShelterBy the time I got back to the shelter with my pizza, at least a half dozen NOBOs had arrived. Here now are at least Dan, Hustler, Walk-On, Lu-Lu, Flash, Heald and dog, Waterfall, Pickaxe and son, No Leaves. More may arrive before the day is out, and there will probably be another bunch tomorrow. I hear that 2 groups totalling over 60 people have left Erwin and Hot Springs (a few weeks ahead) in the last few days.Bye bye solitude, at least for the next few weeks.I will be trying to do 16 mile days the next 2 days (my first back-to-back 16 milers). Day after tomorrow I will get to 5000' for the first time, so it will be a tough day, but I will be staying with my college friend that evening, so am willing to push hard.See you on down the Trail
Date: 2004-04-13
From: Damascus (The Place)

To: Damascus (Apple Tree B&B)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Damascus - Zero Day6:30AM, 4/14 - Apple Tree B&BThe party that was the thru-hiker's Damascus had continued after our dinner on the 12th, moving first to the Side Track Cafe, which seems to be the preferred thru-hiker hangout here, then to the common room at The Place.Ever the early riser, I began to stir at first light. I planned to organize my pack by 7, eat the hotcake breakfast at Side Track by 8, register to move to the B&B by 9 (card games til 1, common showers with no soap or towels, are OK in moderation, but I do like just a bit of luxury on my town days), do my business at the outfitter and the grocery store by 11, then spend a few hours catching up on the Internet and my journal before moving and sending off my bounce box and another package home.But the rhythm of the town just didn't fit my plans. The bustle of the night before was completely gone, with only an occasional hiker heading out to the Trail to face a very uncertain weather situation. The sign at Side Track said they would open 'around 7', but even by 7:30 there was nothing stirring there. I was finally their first customer at eight. By that time I had already begun to rearrange my schedule, catching up a bit on my journal, and doing some preliminary packing. The rearranging continued all day, accented by the wild swings in weather from warm sun to torrential downpours. By the end of the day however, I found that everything had gotten done. I think the universe is trying to tell me something again.Now, I am about to partake of the Breakfast of this B&B, and then head off into uncertain weather with a heavy stomach and pack, with a later start than usual, with the goal of doing my longest day of the hike so far.See you on down the Trail
Date: 2004-04-14
From: Damascus (Apple Tree B&B)

To: Double Spring Shelter
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: snow

Snow6:30PM, 4/15 - Vandeventer ShelterJust when everyone said that the snow was finished, we got today. I started out of Damascus in a steady light drizzle. But by the time I was a mile out of town it was snowing and starting to stick. By the time it was over snow was 4" or 5" deep, with some drifts well over a foot. All through March, in areas north of here the most I saw was less than 2". Nevertheless, I did my longest distance of the hike, mostly because I hiked my latest, 6:30.One surprising aspect of the snow was a foretaste of summer. The woods I have been hiking in are almost devoid of leaves, except for the rhododendron groves. So while walking I have a very open feeling, and can see a long way. As a consequence I can see animals (especially deer) a long way off, and when I am going up hill I can usually judge pretty well how much of a climb I have left.During today's walk, I felt much more closed in. Since it was a fine snow and the temperature was just below freezing, it piled up on all the branches, even the skinniest ones, giving the impression of a white foliage throughout the woods. This white foliage restricted the view to only 100' or so in each direction. So I didn't see any wildlife (but I did see some emu (sic) droppings), and when I was going up hill there was nothing to do except put my head down and keep walking until I got to the top, which is what I normally do in foul weather anyway.Hikers met:Moonshine, doing a flip-flop for 1000 mi, then working 2 mos and hiking south from K; Kea and Kakapo' from NZ, named after native birds; a father and daughter out for a few days; 2 ladies from NH out for a day hike; Pez, David & Miranda, hoofing to get to Damascus before the day was over; Happy Feet, Boo's Goose and Bear Bag Hanger thru-hikers. I stayed at the shelter with Condor, NoBo thru-hiker and Jason, Liz & dog Annie who just started a flip-flop (Damascus to Springer, Katahdin to Damascus) on Tuesday.3 Milestones Today:Tennessee - 3 miles out of Damascus I finally got to my second state after 430 miles in VA (I'm not counting the few miles I walked along the VA/WV border north of Pearisburg since the Trail never goes frankly into WV, and I was not aware I was on the border anyway.).20% of the hike was completed today at about the 435 mi mark.I passed the halfway point to Springer at about 443 mi. That means I have hiked farther on this hike than Condor, and any other thru-hikers I meet hereafter (unless of course they are hiking the Int'l Appalachian Trail, or other anomalies).See you on down the Trail
Date: 2004-04-15
From: Double Spring Shelter

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

Crowd[For the next week or so this journal will probably be concerned with the hikers I meet, since I spend so much time talking with them on the trail and at night, there is hardly time to reflect on the day, much less write about it.]Today's hike started out with 4" of snow on the trail, with a like amount of mud underneath. By the end of the day the snow was gone almost everywhere, and the ground was pleasingly firm underfoot. The sun was out full all day, and the winds were mere breezes. From the shelter there was an awesome view of Watauga Lake, where I will hike tomorrow.Hikers Met Today (a record number):Dances With Scarves and Nails; Lead Dog and Mountain Man; a group of 5 people calling themselves the Tree Huggers, who started a flip-flop in Hampton, TN; Skyline & Sundance; Mo; Camel; brothers Michael & Patrick; Dead Man Walking & Love Bug, a couple who started in Key West (on the Int'l Appalachian Trail); Camera 1 & husband Camera 2, who along with Nuffy (whom I knew from the Internet before the hike) formed the Camera Crew; Scuba and Tinder; Leki-Less and Grass. In addition there was a church group of about 8 people, and a group from a boarding school in Asheville with about a dozen people in it. Finally there were two people who passed while I was talking to someone else, and someone taking a nap at an overlook while drying his sleeping bag to whom I did not speak.At the shelter there were:Bramble; Country; Ramblin' Man; Uncle Ben; M C (or Emcee); Willow; Sweet Cheeks; and Sweaty Pig.See you on down the Trail
Date: 2004-04-17
From: Dennis Cove Road (Kincora Hostel)

To: Walnut Mtn Road
Miles today: 13.4

Slack PackingDate: April 17Start: Dennis Cove Road (Kincora Hostel)Destination: Walnut Mtn RoadMileage: 13.4Hike Mileage: 490.49PM - KincoraToday I participated in the practice of 'slack packing', walking along the AT without a full pack and not necessarily in the same direction you are walking the Trail. The practice of slack packing is not looked on kindly by 'purist' AT thru-hikers. But most thru-hikers follow a HYOH, Hike Your Own Hike, philosophy, respecting the standards each hiker sets for himself. The official standard of the ATC for awarding '2000 Miler' status is that the hiker has hiked by every white blaze, or corresponding blue blazes in foul weather, without regard to the pack worn, if any, the direction hiked or what support resources are used while not hiking.Pat Peoples drove me out to the spot where the AT crosses Walnut Mtn Rd, and I walked back to Kincora from there. I had on a daypack with 2 liters of water, the food I normally have for lunch, and my PocketMail device. It was a pleasant, but slghtly too warm day. But I found that the uphills were almost as difficult as with a full pack, but the levels and downhills were definitely easier. What surprised me though is that my total walk took almost as long as it would have with full pack. But my feet felt much less tired at the end of the day, and I suspect that I could walk longer days without getting so tired if I slack packed. I look forward to slack packing again tomorrow, and probably some more out of Erwin.Today's trail was mostly on a relocated section with some but not a lot of up and down sections, and consequently very few views.People met on the Trail:Aussie (sounds like 'Ozzie' to Northeast US ears) John, who is saying at Kincora tonight; Four Pots, who hiked Springer to Del Water Gap last year, but missed between Erwin and Damascus.People met in hostel:Tarzan; Shot; Honey Pie; Sevi; The Mule.See you on down the Trail
Date: 2004-04-19
From: Rt 19E

To: Stan Murray Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Humps3PM - Overmountain ShelterAs always when leaving town it is a shock to put on the pack again, with its full food bag and full load of water. This morning it was especially so, since the contrast with the light day pack I have used for the last two days was marked. That I was indeed back to backpacking was emphasized by the 2700' elevation gain in the first 5 miles. It was a gradual, but constant climb, so when I got to the top of Hump Mtn I was rewarded not only with spectacular views, but with a solid feeling of accomplishment.One reason the view from Hump Mtn is so good is that the south side is almost bare of trees and affords an open view to the higher mountains to the south. After going over Hump, the Trail goes over Little Hump, a half-bald slightly lower, then descends into a gap containing one of the more distinctive shelters on the Trail. Overmountain Shelter is a renovated barn, and is named for a Revolutionary War battle that used this gap to get troops over the mountains. I have stopped here to fix my big meal for the day and relax a bit before going on to the next shelter to sleep. I had wanted to get to the shelter after that today, but it is a climb up a 6000' mountain that I don't think I could finish before dark, so I decided to save the climb for the first thing in the morning.Hikers met so far today:SoCo (Southern Comfort); Bandit; Gangbusters with sons Gump & Lush; Rambler; Out and About; Bunnie & husband Holger; (two hikers whose name I forget); St Rick; Slantia; Mr Clean; No Dog & No Beard; Dragonfly; John with dog Casey; Energy Miser; Vapor Trail & wife Pilot; Trunks; Timber; Tumbleweed; Koi & Goldfish6PM - Stan Murray ShelterJust an hour walk from the last shelter to here. Since I have already cooked my big meal for the day, there is nothing to do here except do my journal, watch the sunset, and talk to any hiker who come by. Most will probably push on to Overmountain Shelter, since it is bigger and has a gorgeous sunrise. I like this place OK, even if no one has stopped here for the night yet (it could use a broom tough. Most shelters have brooms in them and the first thing I usually do is sweep the shelter out.).Hikers met since Overmountain:Boxcar; Stretch; Hey! Bob; Quiet Guy; Syracuse; SundanceSee you on down the Trail
Date: 2004-04-23
From: Spivey Gap (Erwin, Miss Janet's)

To: Sam's Gap (Erwin, Miss Janet's)
Miles today: 13.3

Big Bald6:30AM, 4/24 - Miss Janet's front porch(This entry is going to be a short one. This is my last day in Erwin, i have many things to do to get ready to hike out, and the chaos that is Miss Janet's beakfast is about to begin.)As usual, the day at Miss Janet's started with the big breakfast produced by (nearly) everyone that is her trademark. This morning's question was not nearly as evocative of my emotions, but I did reveal the long-kept secret that my hiking pace (two steps) is exactly 5.28' long, which makes it very convenient for measuring how far I have to go when the trail sign says that the shelter is 0.3 mi off the Trail :-).The hike today, as in most recent days, featured the hikers I met. The main attraction of the hike was Big Bald Mtn (with its nearby nearly identical twin, Stamp Mtn), which may be the first true bald I have crossed. The true balds remains naturally grassy (unlike the Hump which is both mowed and grazed) by a process that is apparently not completely understood (though I have not talked with any experts in whatever field would determine such a cause).From the top you get a 360* view of the surrounding mountains, including where you have been and where you are going. The thru-hikers coming up from the south have passed over many balds, and seem to enjoy camping on them, or just hanging out there for hours. There were three section hikers hanging out there when I arrived, and at least three thru-hikers planning to camp there. Since I had to meet Miss Janet at the trailhead at a prescribed time, I was only able to enjoy a quick lunch there before moving on. The bald that a lot of hikers have mentioned is Max Patch, somewhere south of Hot Springs. I will try to allow a bit more time to spend there, but it will be interesting to see how my expectations interact with my appreciation of it.Hikers met today:Kat Dog; Hawk; Lonesome Dove; Archeopteryx; Stargazer & dog White Sox 80; LL Fuzzy; Katie; Digit; 2 day-hikers; section-hikers Robert, Bruce & Thomas; Gabe & Shadow; Stairmaster; Rooster; Pearson; Wizard; (one whose name eludes me); Nut Flush; Willie Wallace; Zack. Back at Miss Janet's: Dutch; Chef-Ra; Van Gogh; Indiana Jane and a cast of dozens whose names I haven't retained.See you on down the Trail
Date: 2004-04-25
From: Flint Mtn Shelter

To: Deep Gap (Tenting)
Miles today: 19.6

RocksThe major feature of today's hike was a boulder scramble along a ridge, much like the one in VA where I took a turtle, a little before Wind Rock. This scramble is on a new part of the Trail (a relocation), just south of an area called Blackstack Cliffs. It is so new that it is not yet mentioned in the standard guides like Wingfoot's Handbook or the ATC's Data Book.Otherwise, the Trail consisted mostly of long UPs and DOWNs that were not too steep, except for the very last two miles up to where I am camping from Allen Gap, which was quite steep.Hikers met today:Jack & Roberta; Turtle Don (70 yrs old); Dead Lung (we didn't talk); Homeboy; Hightrailer; Day-hikers Kevin and Brooks who spend their lunch hours like I used to, reading trailjournals.com; Milo; Batch; Rick; Walked A Lot; Woolly; Hobbes; Joe Flamingo; Sue; Mountain Doo; Chef; Jo-Anne The Sampler, who is sampling the AT as she goes north; Tabasco T; Diego Dave (trying to catch Rick, his father); Little Chicken; Smokie Mountain Steve; Allright; Nobody.In the morning I ran into a biology class from East Tennessee State. Their teacher (Kat ?) identified the alpine flowers I saw on Roan the other day as Mountain (or maybe it was Forest) Beauties, but I immediately forgot part of the name. She also confirmed that the flowering trees covering the mountainside were wild cherries, not pears, and not dogwoods. I also saw lots of tiny (6" tall) irises along the Trail, as well as my first poison ivy spotted this year (Booooo!!). It is all around the campsite across the Trail from me.Milestone: Passed 600 mi today.See you on down the Trail
Date: 2004-04-26
From: Deep Gap (Tenting)

To: Hot Springs (Elmer's Sunnybank Hostel)
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: moderate rain

Rain into Hot Springs11PM - Elmer'sRain started soon after I got into my tent last night, and continued until after I got into town today. This is the first time I have had to pack up my tent in the rain (for the other big rain days, I stayed in shelters). It was an exercise in seeing how much I could put into my pack before getting out of the tent. Almost everything got damp to some extent, and is drying around my room. Tomorrow I will dry my tent in Elmer's back yard, if the weather clears.Since it was raining, I didn't see much scenery. I walked right by a fire tower without even thinking about going up, since visibility was almost zero. I would have liked a picture of the French Broad River as I was coming into town, because it was wide and rushing with lots of places where canoeing would be fun. But my camera was in the pack (on most days I carry it in my pocket) under a rain cover, and when you're headed for town, scenery doesn't seem as important.Elmer is a retired professor who is known on the Trail for his gourmet vegetarian cooking. His dinner tonight, featuring a lentil curry over cous cous, and a cheddar apple pie was delicious. I can't wait for tomorrow's breakfast. I am in a private room (no bath), tastefully furnished with antiques and reproductions. Not what I would normally expect for $15/night plus meals.People I met on the Trail today:Hawkeye; Mushroom; Sarge; Dreamer; The Friar; Spider Web; Sierra Marmot; Beater & wife Wife; 2 ornithologists (doing research); Half Moon; Rising Sun; M; Nancy; The General; High Octane; Bucket; Sleepy The Arab; I Need A Hug (she didn't get one, I was too shy); Scarecrow; Big Tree; Spot; White Patch; Mouse Bait; Map Maker; Machine; and Water Bo.See you on down the Trail
Date: 2004-04-27
From: Hot Springs (Elmer's Sunnybank Hostel)

To: Hot Springs (Elmer's Sunnybank Hostel)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Hot Springs ZeroToday was what a zero day was meant to be. A little bit of re-supply, a little bit of drying things out, a little bit of getting on the Internet, a little bit of lazing around, and a lot of town food, including Elmer's deservedly famous breakfast. The only thing I didn't accomplish was to have a generous sundae at the ice cream shop, which was unexpectedly closed today.I met many hikers in town today, but only retained a few names:Freight Train; No Worry; Poppinz; Aswah; Day Tripper and Esoteric Ninja.Tomorrow I hike out again, and hope to be at the entrance to the Smokies by the next evening.See you on down the TrailPS - I haven't gotten any responses to my puzzles, either in my guest book or by e-mail. Christine? I will do my best to put up the answers by the time I get to Fontana.
Date: 2004-04-29
From: Max Patch

To: Green Corner Road (Standing Bear Hostel)
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: broken clouds

Standing Bear4:30PM - Standing Bear HostelBesides giving me the satisfaction of setting a goal and attaining it, staying on Max Patch last night also resulted in two astronomical bonuses.The first came right after I signed off last night I went out to look at the stars. As I was looking up at Venus, my favorite lady of the night (Whenever I look at Venus high in the sky, morning or evening, I feel that everything is right with the world, despite the headlines), a meteor passed by just below her. I have seen many meteors, but each one is special.After that I fell fast asleep until around midnight. A strong wind had come up, and with no trees for protection I was concerned for my tent fly. It survived fine, but I didn't sleep well the rest of the night. When I read my watch as 6:15, I got up and went outside because I didn't want to miss sunrise. It turned out that I had misread my watch and it was really 5:10. There was just barely a hint of light in the east. Looking up I thought it was clouding up, since there was a hazy patch stretching nearly across the sky, from Cassiopeia(sp?) in the north, through Cygnus overhead, all the way through Scorpio in the south. Then I realized that I was seeing the Milky Way, more distinctly than I remember seeing it in my wole adult life. That was special too.I started down from the summit about 15 minutes after sunrise. I don't know if it is inborn or comes from watching Sound of Music so many times (Maybe both. Hollywood doesn't miss a trick), but there is something very moving about walking across a grassy mountain top with nothing but high mountains in front of you.I got so engrossed in the view that I missed the white blazes that showed where the Trail went down from the mountain. I followed another track down but ended up a long way from the Trail, and it took nearly an hour before I was back where I belonged. I missed a number of white blazes along the way, a cardinal sin for a thru-hiker. But I wasn't going back up to the top of the mountain, and justified my decision by telling myself that the trail I had taken down was just as hard as the AT, and besides I had walked farther than the actual Trail.It took me a long time to write this, and now a campfire is being made here at the hostel. But first, here are the people I met on the Trail today:Rocket; Loon; Loon's friend (whose name completely went out of my head because I was having an interesting conversation with Loon); Clayton; On It; Doc; Kip; Travis; Dutch (different from the Dutch who organized a lasagna dinner at Miss Janet's); Grits; Mike; Wayne; Fred; Goosebump; Timex; Bear Bait; Sabra; Indy; Dog Sherpa & Wilderness Superhero & dogs; Ladybug; Radio Flyer; Bear; Bill; Julie; Cliff Dancer; Bear Bait (a different one); John; Danny; Wilson. Hikers met at the hostel:Hugs; Badges; Gabby; Quilter; Grandma Lala; DaybreakSee you on down the Trail