morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-03-15
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

So, Dad and I decided to just chill here at Deep Gap yesterday, which was really fun. We didn¢t do anything. Made oatmeal and two cups of coffee in the morning with my new alcohol stove (which is still not working right¢grrr). Memorized six verses of Ephesians. Built a very bad fire, thanks to the drizzling rain the night before, which we kept trying to revive all day, and played way too many hands of cards. It would have been a good day to work on my Century articles, but I forgot about them until after dinner. We met a couple whom stopped by on their way into Hiawassee named Ross and Grace¢he¢s British, she¢s not¢They seem to be moving at about my pace. Maybe five miles a day? We shared bitterness about the eighteen-milers. Plus two others topped for the night: Mountain Man and a girl whose name I forgot.
Date: 2004-03-16
To: Melissa's Dad's journey
Miles today: 0.0

I walked with Melissa for the past week. We started together at Neel's Gap and walked about 35 miles to Dick's Gap. I'm afraid I slowed her down a bit but that was probably good in that she was still having foot and blister problems.We camped the first night at a beautiful overlook but there was no water so we melted snow for our dinner and drinking water. It tasted so smokie that we could hardly drink it.I got into Yogi-ing at a couple of the cross roads that we traveled and was able to get make a phone call on a day hikers cell phone and got a handful of chocolate cookies from some picnicers.It was a great experience and one of the best hikes I've ever taken. It really does help to finally have some boots that don't kill my feet.M's Dad (Yogi)
Date: 2004-03-17
From: Holiday Inn Express, Hiawassee, GA

To: Plum Orchard Gap
Miles today: 4.6

(Journal entry made the morning of 3/18/2004 before setting out for Muskrat Shelter.)Alone again. Missing Mom and Dad. Stayed last night at Plum Orchard Gap. Another short day yesterday, but I picked up the new Salmons and my feet feel positively angelic. We¢ll see how they do today. I¢m still aiming for short mileage today. Thanks to the tallest mountains thus far and the new shoes. Met some great people last night¢a ¢95 thru-hiker named Highpockets; a guy having problems with his knees named Camel; Guru; Footloose; Bogie and Becall; and a couple of other people. It was great to see Mom and Dad¢Mom brought Subways to the trail, which were amazing. We did Mexican for dinner, and the Shoney¢s buffet lived up to my hopes and dreams. Guru helped me with my stove, too¢which is still not quite up to snuff. One problem down, another to go. Still excited about everything, though. It¢ll be a big stretch before I see anyone I know.
Date: 2004-03-18
From: Plum Orchard Gap

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: light rain

Great walk today. My feet feel great. I feel like I could walk forever. Didn¢t work today in the rain, thought. Stopped at the border and hung out with Ross and Grace¢played Connect Four under some rocks while we waited for the rain to stop. It did, but then started gain. Happy to be past my first state line. Still though, it¢s a little sad. I¢ve focused on Georgia for so long! And, it was so beautiful. Only thirteen states to go. The same people from last night are here tonight. Footloose, Guru, Jason, Dogg¢we¢re at the Muskrat Creek Shelter that Mom thought was so beautiful¢I¢m not so impressed. Switching to dry clothes really does help you stay warm. I¢m worried about getting sick of my food. But tonight, it was pretty good. I added some cheese. Still craving sushi. Talking to the people in my shelter about spiritual stuff tonight.
Date: 2004-03-19
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

I broke the twelve-mile barrier today! I swore I wouldn¢t do that until April. I feel great, though. My shoulders are hurting a little. I may need a new pack after all. It was beautiful day today. Came from Muskrat Creek¢tonight we¢re at Carter Gap Shelter. Meandered through the first couple of miles, snacking and sunbathing at the top of Standing Indian Mountain. Ran into Jason.
Date: 2004-03-21
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

Walked from the Carter Gap Shelter past the Big Spring Shelter to the Rock Gap Shelter. I¢m just 0.6 miles away from the road that takes me into Rainbow Springs, where I¢ll turn in my Lekis. Maybe I¢ll get to a buffet? Who knows. Still hanging out with Camel and Footloose-good guys. Yesterday was a gorgeous day my second over twelve miles. My feet feel great¢my back not so much. Heard about a place in Erwin where I can trade in my backpack for some else¢s old one! Cool beans. Met some amazing guys¢Fuman and Bedpan¢who are 100 miles from finishing a winter thru-hike, something only 20 other people have done. They did everything I¢m going to do, but in snow and 20-degree weather. Absolutely insane. I learned a lot from them, though¢-they were so encouraging! Still feel great about the whole trip.
Date: 2004-03-22
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Rainbow Springs Campground
Miles today: 2.7
Weather: scattered clouds

I walked into Rainbow Springs Campground yesterday for some R&R, and to return my Lekis. Also took a side trip to see Wasilisk Poplar, the second largest poplar in the world. It was really cool, very spiritual feeling, really, as if it had been there for centuries and had seen so much more that I had seen so much more than I had. It had been there for centuries. I kept imagining Indians worshipping it or being swallowed by it like in the Fellowship of the Ring. I took some pictures with my pack set up at the base to get the scale, but I¢m not sure I was successful. The cool part was that it was an optional side trail, so I felt proud of myself for taking that route. There¢s a mile road walk into the campground, which was weird. No one picked me up, and I don¢t know if I would have wanted them to. But it didn¢t change anything. Chinese buffet last night¢no sushi.
Date: 2004-03-23
From: Rainbow Springs Campground

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 6.8
Weather: clear sky

Started off the day yesterday with a Jimmy Dean sausage biscuit at Rainbow Springs¢not as goo as the Shoney¢s breakfast buffet, but still pretty good. Caught the shuttle from Rainbow Springs into Wallace Gap, then hiked the 6.8 miles up to the nearest shelter mainly with Ross (now Cheers), Grace, and Camel. We decided to bed down here because it was supposed to be excruciatingly cold. And, it was. It may have been into single digits. There were five of us in the shelter (Ross, Grace, and Camel tented it, thinking it would be warmer), and we smooshed together for body heat and rigged up tarps all the way around the sleeping platform. It was really cold, but our efforts helped. As did a huge fire we built. A twelve mile day today and I¢m getting a really late start¢we¢ll see if I make it. Loving hiking without the poles¢my back feels much better.
Date: 2004-03-24
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: few clouds

(miles + .5 off trail)In a shelter that sleeps six with eight tonight. I¢m at the foot, unfortunately, thanks to my late start. Booked it the last couple of miles and saw an amazing sunset. Actually, had a kind of rough day. Not physically, but emotionally. It struck me how alone I am out here and how long it¢s going to be before I see any of my friends. I miss my friends. Maybe I¢ll take a zero day after I get to the NOC tomorrow, or maybe one at Fontana Dam. I need to talk to people. Have some serious conversations. I kept thinking about God today, too. Does he really want me out here? Should I be out here? Did I make the wrong decision? Am I doing this out of love or hate? Maybe it¢s too serious to be thinking about. But, they are important questions, and no one¢s talking about them. I may also have lost my Swiss army knife, which is seriously depressing.
Date: 2004-03-30
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: Fontana Inn, Fontana Dam, NC
Miles today: 40.9
Weather: light rain

It¢s been a while since I¢ve journalized¢I¢ve fallen out of the habit. I¢ve been in towns twice this week¢once when I came into the NOC, the day after my last entry. I hitched into Bryson City with Sundance and Syracuse, split a motel and got suckered into yet another zero day. On the plus side, and the sushi watch, I did get to have sushi at the AYCE Chinese buffet on Friday night, which was worth every second of it. On the minus side, I¢m beginning to hate town time. I hate everything about it¢I mean, the food is good, and I like being clean, but I¢m out here to be in the woods, and I hate how towns are so expensive and pull you in all those different directions. I¢m less and less equipped to deal with civilization, and wasn¢t all that well equipped to start out with.I ran into Cheers and Grace at the NOC, and they convinced me to spend another night at the hostel with them and grab a burger. It was great to run into people I know¢one of the worst things about the trail and completely unexpected is losing people you like. Especially going as slow as I am, even though that¢s my goal, it sucks. But now I¢m ahead of them again, even thought it took me longer than expected to get to Fontana.I camped one night with a group of seven people: Apple Pie, Blue Eyes, Mouth, Roobi, Swampass, and Tarzan¢used my tent for the first time, which worked great. Yeah, REI! Felt like the circus, though with seven tents. At the next shelter met Slow Walker, whose trail name is Irish Slainte and is of Irish descent, and Tom and Israeli.
Date: 2004-03-31
From: Fontana Inn, Fontana Dam, NC

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: light snow

So it snowed today. Really snowed. It was a great day otherwise. The hike into the Smokies was great, not too steep. I feel like my trail legs may finally be filling in. It rained all day, and I felt brave and hardcore leaving my cozy room at the Fontana Village and heading out bravely, and alone, in the spitting rain across the dam. That¢s what it¢s all about. Saw a groundhog or something, going into its hole right below the dam. As I made my way off the mountain, the rain turned to snow¢it was beautiful, as the leftover golden leaves and green lichen were slowly covered with snow. Beautiful at first, but snow is not fun to hike in. I¢m freezing in my sleeping bag right now, hoping I get some sleep. I was happy to get into Mollies Ridge Shelter let me tell you. Thrilled. We have a fire, late possibly the best mac and cheese of my life, and there¢s a good crew here.
Date: 2004-04-01
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 2.5
Weather: light rain

Woke up this morning to a shelter full of people that were not moving. I stayed in my bag for a really long time too¢everyone other than just wandering stayed there and took a zero. In our defense, it was sleeting and freezing cold. There¢s about a foot of snow on the ground. Snow hiking has its charms¢it¢s beautiful, the Smokies are exquisite¢but wet shoes and socks are not among them. I¢m in the shelter tonight with Wandering, Pooner, Slainte, and Tom. Good group. We have a big fire blazing (that I started) and it set up so all five can sit in front. It should be warm tonight. I¢m a little disappointed. My low mileage (again), and I¢ll probably do less than ten again tomorrow. I¢m only a day behind Sundance, and he¢s stopping in Gatlinburg, so I might catch up after all. I¢m allowed to do thirteen miles now, since it¢s April, but I probably won¢t until Saturday.
Date: 2004-04-02
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: snow

This has been the worst day of the hike so far. My spirits are still up, but one begins to see how this trail does people in. Not to be anthropomorphic, but the Smokies seem out to get us. I fee like the Fellowship of the Ring climbing Calahron. I really wanted to do 13.5 tomorrow, my first thirteen, but I may or left at 7.2. It was miserable out there really. I was warm as long as I kept moving, but to stop really felt like risking death. It continues to be beautiful. The balds are breath taking. The trees coated with inches of crystals. The valleys filled with untouched three-foot drifts. But, it stops being beautiful after about two miles and just starts being painful. The wind whips the snow into your face and just doesn¢t stop.
Date: 2004-04-03
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: broken clouds

I¢m feeling pretty frustrated today. I¢m sick and tired of all my friends being ahead and being completely unable to pull more than ten-mile days. I really wanted to do thirteen over Clingman¢s today. I feel like I keep running into really bad circumstances¢I was so ready to pull big miles in the Smokies, but this snow is killing me. It¢s like walking in a slushy machine. My shoes and socks are constantly soaked. It¢s completely psychologically draining. The scenery continues to be beautiful. I¢m taking lots of pictures. I¢m using completely new muscles, and walking in the slush really does make every mile feel like two. I have to do my first thirteen tomorrow, even if it is over the highest mountain on the AT. I just hope the slush isn¢t as bad.
Date: 2004-04-04
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Icewater Springs Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: clear sky

My first thirteen mile day! It was over the highest peak in the Smokies, and in killer snow. According to the register in tonight¢s shelter (Icewater Springs) a ranger said there are 8¢ on the trail and 18¢ drifts. So you all must believe me when I talk about three-foot drifts. It wasn¢t so bad¢the wind is unstoppable. It¢s mentally draining to walk in the snow, but by the end of the day when the wind had died down. St. Rick and Selma stopped at Gatlinburg, and I resisted the temptation. Very proud of myself. I ran into Sundance and Syracuse again! Very happy. Feel like I am making progress, finally. They took zero days in Gatlinburg. It¢s 28.3 ¢til we get out of the Smokies. I can¢t wait. I¢m feeling a little bad because I¢m not fully appreciating the beauty of the Smokies. I can¢t even look up from my footsteps. I bashed my head into a tree yesterday.
Date: 2004-04-05
From: Icewater Springs Shelter

To: Tri Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: clear sky

I¢m lying on the floor of a shelter right now¢Tricorner Shelter is packed with people. I hope I manage to stay war. I did 12.6 today¢the last mile of which was excruciating. The pressure of all these people is one I didn¢t expect. It was beautiful today¢the Smokies are breathtaking, but two days of more than ten miles in this snow is more than I can take. It¢s like walking in sand. I feel like there are a couple of good things about it, though¢it¢s strengthening our knees and ankles, and our balance, and it¢s going to make walking under normal conditions excruciatingly easy. Got a late start this morning and saw the sunset as I was coming into camp. I do understand the fuss over the mountains.
Date: 2004-04-06
From: Tri Corner Knob Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: broken clouds

Took it easy today after two twelve-plus miles in the snow. Feeling great. Walking on dry ground is going to be so easy after this snow. It is beautiful up here, especially in the sun. Stopped twice on this very short day to take off clothes and rest in the sun. Had a moment of perfect contentment while eating an apple a spring breaker gave me. Life is really good, and the trail is better. I¢m so happy to be doing this. I¢m thinking about the PCT next year. Who knows? I have a lot of time to think out there. Sundance and Syracuse went on ahead to the fifteen-mile shelter today¢I¢ll probably catch up with the in Hot Springs when they zero. I¢m with another great group tonight. Just Do It, Pooner, Tom¢that I¢ll probably lose tomorrow. Oh, well.
Date: 2004-04-07
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm Hostel
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Had a fantastic day today. A perfect day. The trail just gets better and better. It¢s like a person¢and it puts you through the wringer only to reward you on the other side. Today and yesterday were payback for all the horrible stuff in the Smokies. And, it was horrible¢there were literally days that I feared for my life, and I walked through them all, and I¢m stronger for it, and no one¢s even going to believe that that¢s literally true. Unless you were out there, you don¢t understand it. But now having come through it, it was all worth it. And, you¢re rewarded for having survived. And even when it was horrible, even when I wondered why I was out there, it wasn¢t horrible at its core because I knew why I was out there, and that I wanted to be out there. I¢ve never for a moment questioned my desire. I have no desire to leave.
Date: 2004-04-08
From: Standing Bear Farm Hostel

To: Max Patch Mountain Campsite
Miles today: 13.6

I¢m camping alone for the first time tonight, at the base of Max Patch near the forest service road. I¢m hoping the cars passing can¢t see me (I¢m in a hollow), that it won¢t rain, that a bear won¢t get my very inadequately hung food (or me), and that I get out of here alive. I stayed last night at Standing Bear Farm, a hostel that every ¢05 should visit. It was everything the AT should be about, a genuine community. Which makes me even lonelier tonight. I¢ve become accustomed to the camaraderie and civilization created by a shelter. Creating my own is more difficult. This will be difficult emotionally past Harper¢s Ferry, when it really becomes a solo. I just didn¢t want to stop today.
Date: 2004-04-09
From: Max Patch Mountain Campsite

To: Big Rock Spring Campsite
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: clear sky

Today was the first day of the trip that actually felt entirely like vacation¢I survived the night, made myself breakfast packed up my tent, climbed Max Patch again¢what a gorgeous mountain, especially in the early morning. Climbed all day, past two shelters meeting only section hikers, and now I¢m camping alone again, at the top of this gorgeous rock surrounded on all sides by a spring. The walk was so easy today. I felt completely relaxed the whole time, like I could have gone ten more miles. I even found a campsite with relative ease. It¢s difficult in a different way when I just feel like I¢m passing the time¢if this isn¢t a challenge, then why am I out here? It¢s also lovely. I¢ve spoken maybe ten words today.
Date: 2004-04-10
From: Big Rock Spring Campsite

To: Hot Springs NC
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Camped list night at this beautiful waterfall-¢on a rock jutting out between the spring. My second night camping alone. My tent was a little slanty, but I very comfortable. The biggest news is that this morning my food bag rolled off the cliff! I spent the first few minutes of the morning clambering down the cliff and retrieving my mail-drop heavy food bag. Just Wandering is right¢-at the end of this am I going to be able to do anything. And I can't see anything since I lost a contact. Hopefully I¢ll get one sent to me in my next maildrop. Hiked the miles in to town fast this morning ate lunch at the diner with Goldfish and Koi (pattymelt with mac and cheese) and Hey Bob, Jason, and Dogg are letting me crash at their cabin on the floor. Free place to sleep--yeah! Went to the outfitters to pick up some Gatorade and use the Internet¢-never enough time for everything.
Date: 2004-04-11
To: Melissa's Easter greeting
Miles today: 0.0

Hello everyone!>> I'm writing from Hot Springs, NC, the first trail town where the AT goes right down Main Street. It's a fun town with a great diner (great patty melts!) and naturally-occurring hot springs that I probably won't have a chance to experience before I leave. I have exactly 12 minutes left of internet access at the outfitter here, so I thought I'd zap a message to everyone before I left.>I'm doing great--the feet are wonderful in my trail shoes. My biggest source of discomfort right now is my pack, which is eight years old and not the best fit for me. I've just had the outfitter here look at it, so it may fit me better now. The last couple of weeks have been very eventful--I experienced about a foot of snow in the Smokies! Many people bailed into Gatlinburg (including one acquaintance who claimed his "grandpa" had frostbite on his fingers) but I managed to trek through about seven days of sleet, snow, and slush. It was not very fun. But experiencing that made me more convinced that I can do this thing.>Also camped alone for the first time the last two nights in the woods, which was really fun, but slightly lonely. I ran into another thruhiker who hiked in 01, and he said that it's commmon after Harpers Ferry, the halfway point, for there to be days before you meet another thruhiker. So loneliness will be a factor out here eventually. Camped the last night on a big rock out in the middle of a waterfall, which was beautiful, with the spring running all night. Then, the next morning, my food bag fell over the cliff! I had to run down first thing in the morning to retrieve it.>So Happy Easter to everyone--hope you have a wonderful day, and as always, I welcome care packages!! (Hint, hint.)>> Melissa>
Date: 2004-04-11
From: Hot Spring's NC

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: moderate rain

Spent last night in Hot Springs¢woke up, wen to breakfast with Goldfish, Koi, and hey Bob¢had eggs, sausage, and grits. Yum. Managed to escape town before lunch despite hot tube temptation from Sundance whose parents were in town and had a cabin. Also had the outfitter look at my pack and adjust it, and he said that it was the right size, but a ¢bad pack.¢ I have no idea what that means. If a pack is adjusted correctly, what makes it bad? If I can¢t trade out at Kincorra Hostel, I¢m going to have to buy a new one, which sucks. But if it makes my back pains go away, it¢ll be worth it. Walked out with Selma and St. Rick today¢also finally caught up with Close call and Carter in town! Feel great about that. It rained today¢better than snow in the Smokies, but I¢m still cold and wet and the shelter is packed sleeping on the floor.
Date: 2004-04-12
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: moderate rain

Woke up this morning to fog, rain, and wind, still better than snow. Decided just to come to the next shelter and grab a space rather than tent in the rain, so another low mileage day. I can¢t let it bother me. I was ready to be in my sleeping bag, warm, out of the wind. I¢m here with Hey Bob, Close Call, Carter, Pilot, Vapor Trails, and two other fast-moving guys. I haven¢t met before. It¢s nice to take the afternoon off. I had a great walk today despite the rain. I found a trash can at a road crossing and it made my day. I spent the last six miles just thinking¢I stop a lot less when the weather¢s bad. I made couscous with soy chili for diner. Just hanging out in my sleeping bag listening to Hey Bob tell stories, he thru-hiked in 2000. He¢s a crazy guy, but fun. People I know are still up ahead, and I miss them.
Date: 2004-04-13
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Past Rector Laurel Road Campsite
Miles today: 16.0

Wow! Well, I totally blew all my careful calculations off course today. I woke p to bad rain and took my time getting up and about. By the time I left camp, it had cleared, and I swore that if it was raining when I got to the next shelter at 6.7 miles I¢d stop. It started drizzling when I got there, but I didn¢t really want to stop, so I booked it to the next shelter. Praying there would be a space, of course, there wasn¢t. Two groups of people were already pitching tents. And I was just so sick of it¢sick of the shelter politics, sick of being crammed together with all these other people, sick of being nice that I just kept going till dark. I was going to keep going further, but I found a slightly slanty spot and stopped.