morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-04-07
From: Wesser Bald Shelter, NC

To: N.O.C., NC
Miles today: 5.8

Day: 21Date: 4/7/06Start: Wesser Bald Shelter, NCWeather: Today, spring-like, lukewarm breezy, with winter wisps. Tonight, dangerous thunderstormsFinish: N.O.C., NCMiles: 5.8Cumulative A.T. Miles: 133.9Clay: As always, the hiking in this section was superb. The ridge was narrow and, with no leaves on the trees, the views were spectacular. Flowers are starting to bloom. With the ushering in of spring-like weather come the storms. It is as if they announce the coming of the new season.We were really wanting to pick up our mail drop at N.O.C. today and push north towards Fontana. However, they are calling for dangerous thunderstorms tonight. So, like most hikers, we are staying in the bunkhouse at the N.O.C. tonight--bummer.Branch: Coming into the NOC was the strangest thing. We spent the entire morning hiking and only saw 3 other people. The sounds of nature dominated. However, as we walked into the NOC around noon, two things were simultaneously occurring. First, a Greyhound-type bus was unloading about 60-70 high school kids. Second, the train came by, stopped, and a fountain of men, women, and children came pouring out eager to experience nature at the Nantahala River. Needless to say, this was quite a paradigm shift! We spent several long moments overwhelmed by the sights.Even though we are anxious to get some miles done, its been a fun day hanging out with everyone at the NOC. It was nice sitting in the sunshine and laughing with hikers. We met a fun couple named Tattoo and Pigeon and spent most of the afternoon with them.Tonight we a nestled comfortably in a bunkroom awaited the foretold storms. We are happy to be warm, comfortable, and safe.Clay (again): Tattoo has the coolest tattoos I have ever seen. Each one of them is a Christian symbol. On the back of his neck is a form of the historic Trinity triangle. On his chest are the greek words for "truth" (veritas) and "justice". On his arm, he has an anchor (used by sailors to obscure the cross), a rose (another Christ symbol), a rope in a knot (showing the security he has in Christ), and a bloody knife (a symbol displaying Christ's sacrifice). On his leg was part of Isaiah 53 written in Greek (copied from the Greek Septuagint or LXX). It looked awesome. We spent at least 30 minutes talking about the canvas of his flesh and the powerful messages and conversations he has had because of his cool tattoos.
Date: 2006-04-08
From: N.O.C., NC

To: Sassafrass Gap Shelter, NC
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: light rain

Day: 22Date: 4/8/06Start: N.O.C., NCWeather: rain, sunny, thunderstormsFinish: Sassafrass Gap Shelter, NCMiles: 6.9Cumulative A.T. Miles: 140.8Clay: We had heard numerous reports over the years about how difficult the 6.9 mile climb out of the N.O.C. We gained 2600 feet today and we are sleeping at 4300 feet. We left the comforts of the N.O.C. at about 10 A.M. and mozied up the steep trail until we reached the shelter at 2:20 P.M. We heard consistent reports that thunderstorms were heading our way again. So, we did a NERO today.Tattoo and Pigeon got to the shelter about and hour after us. They brighten everyone's day. As they entered, the sun started shining. So, they pressed on. Then, about 20 minutes later, Harley Hogpit and Kit showed up at the shelter. As they walked in the shelter a clap of thunder introduced them! Everyone in the shelter cheered for them because they had beaten the rain but we were also sad that Tattoo and Pigeon were caught in the downpour.For the past few days I have been reading Jeremiah. It is amazing. It says that God will punish those who are merely circumcised in the flesh and not circumcised in the heart (Jer. 9.25; cf. Rom. 2.29). I am very unclean in my physical appearance due to hiking but I have been confessing sins (1 John 1.9), asking to be empowered by God's Spirit (Ephesians 5:18) , and desiring to keep a clean heart while on the trail (Romans 8.4-6).Branch: Today as we were walking in the drizzly rain, I looked down and saw something that looked like the outside of a geode. Of course, it was not, but, as I continued to climb, my mind continued to wander to thoughts about geodes. As a kid they always sparked my imagination and interest. Of the few that I've seen in rock shops, the outside is usually very ordinary looking, even bordering on ugly. Once broken open, one can view the beautiful inside of the rock. Brightly colored crystals cover the inside walls. I always used to imagine myself shrunk down so that I could explore the beautiful "cave" that it creates. You see, what once was a rock that we would have kicked aside really conceals a beautiful surprise that makes it something worth paying attention to. As people, we should be this way as well. So often in normal life, we fuss over our exterior appearances. We want our bodies, our house, our cars, and everything else to look just right. We should, however, fuss over what really counts--the inside. Is our heart something clean, beautiful, and pleasing to God, or have we neglected it in order to look good on the exterior? The more I hike and move away from being able to look at myself in the mirror every day, the more I can focus on truly examining my heart and asking God to make it clean and something beautiful to Him.
Date: 2006-04-10
From: Cable Gap Shelter, NC

To: Fontana Village, NC
Miles today: 5.5

Day: 24Date: 4/10/06Start: Cable Gap Shelter, NCWeather: Blue skies, morning frost on ground, fantastic afternoonFinish: NC 28; Fontana Village ResortMiles: 5.5Cumulative A.T. Miles: 161.5Clay: Today we were awakened by turkey calls and gun fire. Hunters had taken the opportunity of the good weather to find the food of the pilgrims this morning. Not wanting to be mistaken for a game animal, we got up and did our morning NERO to NC 28. We are going to Fontana Village today!As we crested our morning climb out of the shelter, we got our first glimpse of the majestic Smoky Mountains! Wow! We are going to take a zero and conquer the Smoky Mountains the day after tomorrow. I can't wait!Branch: Here's my deep thought for the morning: Yesterday I listened to a talk about the different steps that a skeptic goes through before he or she decides to trust in Jesus as Savior. The speaker talked about how the typical college student now days is too concerned with the here and now of the journey of life and does not consider his or her destination in life. That is, we all will die at some point and need to consider what will happen when that occurs. This talk made me think of the trail as an analogy for life. While hiking the trail, we have to both be end-goal minded and try to make the most out of each day. If we only think about the end-goal, then we will quickly become discouraged with our progress and give up. If we only think about the journey in it self, we would become distracted and never make it to Katahdin. Similarly, I believe that in life we need to both think about where our life will end up (what happens when we die?) and we need to consider how we live each day (Are we living the abundant life that Jesus talks about in John 10:10?)When we got to Fontana Village, we immediately got a hotel room {which is really nice} and went to the post office and general store for medicine and food. Clay and I downed an 8-pack of hotdogs and went to pick up our packages at the post office. Unfortunately, one of the packages did not show up--we'll have to figure out what happened with it tonight.Honestly, I feel really sick and I know that I need the rest today and tomorrow. I am thankful that we got here and that I am not on the trail in this condition.
Date: 2006-04-11
From: Fontana Village, NC

To: Fontana Village, NC
Miles today: 0.0

Day: 25Date: 4/11/06Start: NC 28/Fontana Village, NCWeather: Blue skiesFinish: NC 28/Fontana Village, NCMiles: 0Cumulative A.T. Miles: 161.5Branch: The purpose of today has been to rest and to try to get better. That's exactly what we've done. That, however, makes for a boring journal. Today, any exertion has exhausted me, but I feel better than I did yesterday.A highlight of today has been hanging out with the people that we've been hiking with since the NOC. One Foot, Walker, Harley Hogpit, and Kit always make me smile. This morning we were surprised to see Smile and her husband! Clay met Smile last year just north of Trey Mountain in GA while hiking with a friend. She was training for her thru-hike. We met her again last January at the Southern Ruck. She has been off the trail for a while with bad blisters and is starting the Smokeys today. We hope that God puts her into our path again soon!
Date: 2006-04-12
From: Fontana Village, NC

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter, TN
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Day: 26Date: 4/12/06Start: NC 28Weather: Blue skies with puffy cloudsFinish: Mollies Ridge Shelter, TNMiles: 12.4Cumulative A.T. Miles: 173.9Clay: Jeremiah 11.25: "I know, O Lord, that a man's life is not his own; it is not for man to direct his steps." Today we entered the Smoky Mountain National Park. The terrain is graded for pack stock. So, the grade was not too steep as we climbed into the park towards the ridgeline. The national park boasts 400-600 bears along the 70 miles of trail. While I realize that God gave humans dominion over the animals, I have a healthy respect for this particular animal.Tonight we are staying at the Mollies Ridge shelter with Walker, Trooper (who gave me some gaiters today!), Why Not, two Aussies, Gus and Bob, and two section hiker women. What a fun crew.God was the first Leave No Trace person (Deuteronomy 23.12-13) and the first conservationist. In Jeremiah 12:4, the sins of the people are said to be the cause of the land being parched and the animals dying. The verse says, "How long will the land lie parched and the grass withered? Because those who live in it are wicked, the animals and birds have perished. Moreover, the people are saying, 'He will not see what happens to us.'" This verse reminds me of the sins we commit today that cause the birds to die and the land to be parched. Humanism says that humankind can fix any environmental problem. Pantheists rightly focuses on the a cure for the problem but they believe that the earth is God. True Biblical stewardship distinguishes God from the creation. This view rightly seeks a right relationship with the creator and it desires to responsibly maintain the earth that has been entrusted to us.Well, it is late here in the shelter and two coyotes are about 40 feet away from us howling at the full moon. It must be time for bed.Branch: I am very glad that today's miles were not that difficult because I still feel very drained from having been sick for the last few days. Every so often, I would go into a coughing fit that would rack my lungs and make my entire body feel tired. Other than that, today was a beautiful hiking day. At Doe Knob we said hello to our 3rd state: Tennessee. Unlike the difficult greeting we received in North Carolina (i.e. Sharp Top and Courthouse Bald), Tennessee greeted us with a smile. As we turned the corner to Doe Knob, the trail was lined with thousands upon thousands of flowers called "Spring Beauties". These extended at least 100 yards off the trail on both sides and for at least 2 miles! Clay called this section Plato's "perfect form of hiking trail". That is, it was the ideal hiking situation. The sun was shining. The trail was flat and soft underfoot. The flowers were the icing on the cake.The shelter tonight is my favorite so far. It is a stone shelter with an actual working fireplace (Walker and Trooper have even built a fire) and a tarp making a fourth wall. Outside there is a beautiful grassy yard covering the top of the hill surrounding the shelter. I could easily spend days here.
Date: 2006-04-13
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter, TN

To: Derrick Knob Shelter, TN
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Day: 27Date: 4/13/06Start: Mollies Ridge Shelter, TNWeather: Mostly sunny with patchy cloudsFinish: Derrick Knob Shelter, TNMiles: 11.7Cumulative A.T. Miles: 185.6Branch: Today has probably been the toughest hiking day that we've had so far. The culmination of our both being a little sick, tough (but beautiful) terrain, and not being mentally prepared for such a difficult day made today's 11.7 miles seem to last forever. After I took a short nap about 6 miles in, we spent the afternoon leap frogging Walker and Why Not. It is so much fun hanging out with these two! They are both very caring people. Tiredness has killed my capacity for deep thought and my ability to string together cognitive sentences, so I will bid you goodnight.Clay: It was a tough day indeed. I must have kissed Branch because she passed her lung butter funk to me. What's worse is that we ran out of medicine today because we did not expect me to be sick and I used the resources. I don't want to spread this lung funk. So, as I passed people today, I made sure to say "Unclean...unclean...!" like a leper (just kidding). We have quarantined ourselves in our tent tonight. There are actually a number of people hacking today. God, please cure our illnesses.Our original plan was to conquer the Smoky Mountains in 5.5 days (70 miles). However, our illness and possibly wisdom is dictating that we take a day to get medicine and rest in Gatlinburg, TN. We are tired of going into town but we don't want this to turn into something possibly much worse. Thus far we have spent about 7 days in town due to illness.We have not mentioned two things: (1) We are hiking a "purist" hike. This means that we intend to hike past ever white blaze with our pack on. This is because we want to be blameless in our hike. Some people hike without their pack or take shortcuts (e.g. blue blaze, yellow blaze, aqua blaze). Even out here there are rules and we want to follow them. In 1 Corinthians 8, Paul talks about not eating meat sacrificed to idols if it will cause others to sin in their mind and stumble in their faith. Similarly, we hike a purist hike so that we will be above reproach and do not cause others to stumble.Second, a tradition on the trail is to take a pebble from Springer Mountain, carry it the full length of the trail, and place it on Mount Katahdin. Instead of taking a pebble, we are carrying flecks of gold from Dahlonega, GA--Branch's hometown. We believe this represents purity, it is something of value, and it is personal. To us, this also speaks of Christ's life. Christ was sinless and pure (Hebrew 4.15; even the Koran speaks of this), His sacrifice was of everlasting value (John 3.16), and He desires to be personal with each one of us (Revelation 3.20). This is why we are carrying gold.
Date: 2006-04-14
From: Derrick Knob Shelter, TN

To: Mount Collins Shelter, TN
Miles today: 13.5

Day: 28Date: 4-14-06Start: Derrick Knob Shelter, TNWeather: Blue skies, unseasonably hotFinish: Mount Collins Shelter, TNMiles: 13.5Cumulative A.T. Miles:Clay: Today we reached a milestone by crossing the 6600' Clingman's Dome--the highest point on the entire A.T. About 50 percent of the would-be thru-hikers will have dropped out by this point. So, we are pleased at our current progress.There are well over 30 people at and around the shelter tonight. It is Friday night. So, there are a number of day and section hikers here. You can tell who the thru-hikers are. They are typically quiet or already in bed by 9 P.M.We are really desiring to have relationships with other thru-hikers. It seems that in the southern states, conversation between thru-hikers is sort of surfacey. That's understandable. We hike all day and run into people. I guess people are guarded. I have asked a number of hikers what they plan to do after they complete their hike. Most of them do not know. Sometimes we help with vocational options.Tomorrow we are going into Gatlinburg to get some rest. Branch is sick. She is asleep next to me amidst all the ruckus around the shelter tonight. The section hikers have tons of energy!A thru-hiker named Phoenix died in his sleep at this shelter two weeks ago. We are dedicating this entry to him.Branch: These past two days have been unseasonably hot. Since we have been hiking on exposed ridges in the heat, the sun has definitely been taking its toll on us. Both today and yesterday Clay and I drank 8 liters of water between the two of us!
Date: 2006-04-15
From: Mount Collins Shelter, TN

To: Newfound Gap, TN/Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Day: 29Date:4/15/06Start: Mount Collins ShelterWeather: hot, sunnyFinish: Newfound Gap, US 441Miles:4.5Cumulative A.T. Miles: 203.6Branch: Today we hiked the 4.5 miles to Newfound Gap where we spent a full 1 hour and 10 minutes trying to hitch into Gatlinburg! It seemed that God was waiting for just the right person to take us in. Well, we were happy to wait that time, because after waiting for quite a long time, up came Angela, a wonderfully Godly school teacher, and two students that she had taken camping the night before. We were so glad that God led her to pick us up. We had so much fun hanging out with her and the two young ladies on the way to Gatlinburg! Angela, a chorus teacher, knew a lot about hard core Christian music. I thought that Craig was going to cry with joy when she said that she knew about Cornerstone, a music festival that features only the hardest of Christian music groups. Thank you so much, Angela, for the ride, the encouragement, and for being such a wonderful Christian witness to the teenagers that you impact daily! It was such awesome gift from God to meet you.After Angela dropped us off in Gatlinburg, the first thing on our agenda was food. Not just any food, though. For the past two days we have literally been dreaming about and discussing our great desire for IHOP food: pancakes, bacon, eggs, and, most importantly, endless coffee. While we found no IHOP, there is a pancake house on almost every corner of this town! As we discussed which pancake house to choose, it was as if we had entered into a different world. As we walked by Ripley's, a gigantic mechanical dinosaur growled at us and lunged toward us. Then, a "live" skeleton taunted us as we past by. Every where we went, tons of people hurried by. This was definitely different from walking through the woods! However, we soon found an inviting pancake place and parked ourselves to gorge on pancakes, eggs, bacon, and coffee. It was so nice to sit still, eat a meal, and just talk.Next on our to-do list was procuring a hotel room for the night. After shopping around for a while, We found the Family Inn to be cheapest. We were surprised by how nice the room is. There is a microwave, refrigerater, and best of all--a Jacuzzi tub! My muscles will thank me tonight! Its always amazing to me how God provides for us. I feel a bit guilty for living this comfortably, but I know that rest is just what my sick body needs.
Date: 2006-04-17
From: Newfound Gap, TN/Gatlinburg, TN

To: Icewater Spring Shelter, TN
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: light rain

Day: 31Date: 4/17/06Start: Newfound GapWeather: cloudy, sunny, threats of rain, windyFinish: Icewater Spring Shelter, TNMiles: 3.0Cumulative A.T. Miles: 206.6Branch: Our original plan for today included an early start (about 7:30) and about 15 miles of hiking. That did not even come close to happening. When we received our wake up call at 5:30 this morning, it was all I could do to pick up the receiver, drop it back down, turn over and fall back asleep. At 7:30 Clay woke up and fell asleep as well. By 8:30, we rolled out of bed with little to no energy and even less motivation to hike. We slowly packed up our packs, ate some breakfast, and tried to get motivated. By 9:30 we were back in bed, our early start ruined and considering another nights stay in comfort. At 10:45, we peeled ourselves out of bed again and by 11:00 we were headed down the road to hitch to the trail. As we passed by a KFC, we followed our noses inside for an early lunch. After the early lunch, we were finally ready for our 'early' start. By 12:00 a super nice couple named Chris and Sylve picked up and took us to the trail.It only took us about an hour and fifteen minutes to do the easy 3-mile climb to the first shelter. When we got here, there was such an inviting fire in the fireplace and ominous clouds in the sky that we needed little prodding to stake claim for the night. Hopefully, we'll do better tomorrow.Tonight, once again, we are in a shelter full of friendly faces. There are several section hikers, Model T, Ranger Dog, Frisbee, No Fall, and two brothers whose names I didn't catch. This is certainly a nice crew full of great stories and pleasant conversation.Clay: Many people were smoking dope when we got to the shelter. As you can surmise, this hindered a lot of conversation for me. I was both sad and a little grouchy. So, I went to bed early.
Date: 2006-04-18
From: Icewater Spring Shelter, TN

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter, TN
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: light rain

Day: 32Date: 4/18/06Start: Icewater Spring Shelter, TNWeather: foggy morning, sunny afternoonFinish: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter, TNMiles: 12.6Cumulative A.T. Miles: 219.2Branch: Today was both an easy day physically and a tough day mentally. I'm not sure why really, but I was completely depressed for much of the morning. Clay was really missing spiritual conversation and I began questioning our purpose out here. So, I spent many hours in prayer as we hiked the easy miles. I prayed for encouragement and for a renewed sense of God's purpose for our lives out here. By the afternoon, my spirits were higher.We got to the shelter by 2:15 and decided not to push 8 more miles to the next one. Soon, Model T, Ranger Dog, Frisbee, Hey There, and several others were milling about the shelter as well. The conversations tonight have been much more entertaining and substantial. It's been fun talking with Model T and Ranger Dog about Bill Irwin (www.billirwin.com), and hearing stories from their military days. It has been the encouragement that we've needed. Tomorrow we plan to do about 18 miles, a pretty big day for the two of us.Clay: It is true. At this stage of the hike, conversation is somewhat shallow but at least it is nice getting to know these nice people. Model T (AT '90, '94, '98, '06), who hiked with Bill Irwin in '90, said that in the first part of the A.T. people don't really want to get to know each other on a deep level. Instead, people are mere acquaintances. He then went on to say that in the northern states life-long, meaningful friendships are made. What a long time to wait but well worth it.Although I truly believe we could have easily pulled our first 20-mile day today, in hindsight, I'm glad we did not. Talking with Model T was inspirational. He told Bill Irwin's story beautifully. It was also amazing to talk with Reststep here at the shelter. He is a Holland-born, retired physician that has hiked up to 27,000 feet of Everest, and he has summited McKinley (USA, AK), Ranier (USA, WA), Kilamanjaro (Africa), and some 23,000 foot mountain in South America. It was also fun discussing, as a group, possible employment opportunities for the 27-year-old, former marine.Today I listened to church historian and theologian, N.T. Wright. He is an excellent scholar. He spoke about the historical Jesus. He said that there were about 15 people that claimed to be the Messiah within a few hundred years range from Jesus' life. He also talked about how the Jews believed in the general, bodily resurrection of believers (2 Maccabees 7). However, he said that the concept of an individual's bodily resurrection was a foreign concept to the Jews and the apostles. He said that the apostles (and Jews) expected a political Messiah--one that would take over Rome. Instead, he appeared to be a failed Messiah because the Romans killed Jesus. So, it was a surprise to the apostles when they had to adjust their paradigm after Christ's resurrection. Everything, Wright said, centers around Christ's resurrection for the apostles.