morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-03-14
From: Muscrat Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Muskrat Shelter (78.2)? Carter Gap Shelter (90.7)I just found out about a thru hikers register at Neels Gap. I did not sign a register there. No one said anything and I was in the store several times. I guess there is also a sign in register at the Fontana Dam. Well, Carolina mud is not as sticky as Georgia mud. In Georgia, every mud patch added about 1 pound to each boot. Carolina mud does not stick much and walks off. There are two counter culture types at this shelter, piercing, clothes, puffs, dreadlocks Mohawk tatoos etc. One is a fast hiker. He and one other person passed me and stayed ahead. I reached the shelter about 2:15. The counter cultures are interesting. They say that they started the trail with $7.00. People are giving them food. They cannot be real thru hikers. It is early but getting cold. I have to see if I can get my watch set again. It does not seem to like the cold. It has reset itself to zero twice now.
Date: 2005-03-15
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: light rain

I set off from Carter Gap Shelter about 7:30 AM. I had planned to stop at Rock Gap Shelter (102.8). Truthfully, I was in the hikers zone and blew right past it to Rock Gap (102.9) at 1:44 and said I am not going back. I had not even seen the shelter sign. Its only about 4 more miles to the Winding Stair Gap (106.6) and a 10 mile hitch to Franklin. I got to the gap about 3:30. I got a shuttle to Franklin.Albert Mountain today was a very tough up. I took a couple of pictures. It was worse than Mount Washington. There were several times I looked ahead and thought ¢how can I get up that¢!! I grabbed roots, trees and rocks and at one point was on hands and feet. Tough ¢ tough ¢ tough. We had 6 people in the shelter last night. Anchorage Greg (Whittee) and a group of 4 guys. One, 2 Bad Knees, was an interesting and talented writer who had quit his job to hike. Then we had the drinking/pierced/dredded/mohawked/ragged/smoking/younger crowd. They slept on a platform under the shelter that maybe had three feet of head room. A few people tented around the shelter. There was a spring and an older shelter 100 yards south on the trail. The clouds (not fog) were so thick that I could not even see the shelter about 100 feet off to the right of the trail. I saw the trail sign and asked 2 girls coming from that direction, It was right there but you could not see it. It was a cold night too. I cranked out some miles today and got passed only once. My next stop will be Fontana Dam. 56 miles in about 5 days. I need about 3 days of dinner food and candy/snacks/crackers and cheese for five days. I am still trying to get better organized and to plan ahead better. I had to reset the watch again. I got it on military time, but that is ok.ROCKSWithout rocks there would be no trail. Tiny rocks, little rocks, bigger rocks, round rocks, sharp rocks, steep rocks, you name it. North Carolina loves them all. Rocks do not love hikers. You have to constantly watch your feet. Once you get past the rocks, then there are sticks, branches, trees and roots ¢¦ and the mud and the water. There are leaves and dirt too, typically, the trail is on ledges or edges with a drop of a few feet to about 200 foot drops on the side. The trail may run 8¢ ¢ 20¢ wide and is frequently worn 6¢ ¢ 18¢ down from the normal ground surface level.
Date: 2005-03-16
From: Franklin, NC

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Franklin, NCTook some photos of my gear. The Katahdin Exstream water purifier is too slow, I need to change it. Also need good matches, 3 or 4 oz. fuel, water bottle holder and maybe ¢library pouch¢ for pack. I am waiting for the shuttle to go to the outfitter. (Three Eagles Outfitter). I bought storm matches and an aquamira filter bottle to replace the katadyn extream purifier bottle.I got a shuttle to a Chinese ayce buffet and grocery store. I broke 100 miles today too 106.6 trail and the 8.8 approach trail. I got off trail at Winding Stair Gap and am staying at Haven Inn in Franklin, WV. The owner drives the hikers all over. He is very accommodating.
Date: 2005-03-17
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Silver Bald Shelter
Miles today: 3.6

Winding Stair Gap (106.6) to Silver Bald Shelter (110.3)   3.6 milesI got a shuttle back to Winding Stair Gap. I arrived at 9:30. It is snowing so I wanted to get to a shelter and not tent. I only did 3.6 miles plus .5 miles to the Silver Bald Shelter. That leaves 12.1 miles to Cold Springs Shelter tomorrow then Wesser, NC the next day, an 11.7 miles hike. I expect to take an overnight there. I had an early stop today about 1 PM. A retired Air Force officer was also staying at the shelter. He did his 20 plus years and got out. We got along well. His trail name is ¢Chino¢. His trail journal is on trailjournals.com. We had an early and interesting dinner. Chino knocked over his lit alcohol stove and a pot of hot water. I started 4 small fires and 1 large fire with my stove. The fuel bottle did not seal well and when I let the stove, the bottle lit up too.   I melted one of my gloves (a heavy winter one), plastic pump outlet cap and one plastic bag containing extra matches and extra lighter. I think it did not seal because it is cold/cold again. I did clean every thing up and cooked grits, chicken, cocoa and had a side of dried apricots. It is now 4:01 and I am in my sleeping bag writing. I will have to replace the heavy glove at Wessler. This whole thing is a challenge every day, physically, mentally, emotionally. You have to reach inside and pull out whatever it takes to get through and sometime other things come up too. Andrew from Atlanta just came in. He is taking a semester off from college where he is a history major. My roomie from Neels Gap, Forever North seems to have just made himself a poor reputation as bitter and critical. I got along with him fine. I think about people and things in the past a lot, what was, etc. It¢s all part of the ¢hiker zone.¢
Date: 2005-03-18
From: Silver Bald Shelter

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 12.1

Silver Bald Shelter (110.3) to Cold Spring Shelter (122.4) 12.1 milesI made it to Cold Spring Shelter about 1:40 and decided to stop. Chino and Uncle Bob came in to stay too. The next shelter is 6 miles and then about 11 ¢ 12 miles to Wesser and NOC. I discovered that Chino refilled my bottle but not from the spring but from a stream. So, we shall see¢¦ Giardia? I had already drank straight out of the bottle. I borrowed a purifier tablet and refilled with clean water. The first half of today was in about 1¢ of snow and we gained a lot of altitude. We are at 4920¢ altitude. The last two miles to the shelter was a long steep uphill. I named the hill ¢Heartbreak Hill¢ in the shelter register. I will only be staying overnight in Wesser. I hope to get into a cabin.Today was another kick butt day ¢¦ snow, mud, ups with an altitude gain over 5000 feet. It was 14 degrees at 6:30 this morning. Dinner was three packages of grits, cocoa and a graham cracker fruit bar. There are no overhangs or tables here at the shelter but there is a privy, took full appreciation of that. It¢s about 4:00. We are going to try to start a fire in a pit out front. The ¢croc¢ water sandals are working out as camp shoes. They are actually quite comfortable, at 7 oz. vs. 2 lb 4 oz. for the Tevas. Feet have been cold in bag at night even with the polartec socks and second pair on too. I started putting the tent in the foot of the bag to take up room, last night feet were warmer. Maybe that¢s the answer, less room to need to heat up.
Date: 2005-03-20
From: Wessler, NC

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: broken clouds

NOC, Wesser NC (133.8) to Brown Fork Gap Shelter (149.9) 16.1 milesFigaro and Tofu caught up and visited at the cabin last night at the NOC. I greatly enjoyed their visit. I set off at 7 AM. It is 6.9 miles to the Sassafras Shelter. I arrived at 11:35. The next shelter, Brown Fork, is 9.1 miles with a tough climb the first miles or so from here. Figured it would take 5 hours or longer and decided to stop here. That means a 15.2 mile hike tomorrow to Cable Gap Shelter. Then about 6.6 miles to Fontana. It was a nice sunny day but chilly and a little windy. You need to be in the sun and out of the wind. I have decided to let my imagination loose a bit and have some fun. I asked for three words answers to ¢What is this hike to you?¢We ended up with 5 hikers in Brown Fork Gap Shelter and a couple of tents outside. Did 16 tough miles yesterday. I stopped at Sassafras Shelter for a little over and hour, got bored and left. This was the next shelter 9.1 miles later. The last 2.2 or 2.4 miles was a brutal uphill. When I got here, Uncle Bob was here and amazed that I pulled it off, NOC to Browns Fork. ¢You are the iron man Cracker. I thought you would stay at Sassafras.¢ I got out of Sassafras at 12:45 and arrived here at 5:45. It was just before dark. I am sore. Thinking of a short 6 miler to the next shelter tomorrow. I am still in my bag at 7:30, will see how far later.
Date: 2005-03-21
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

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

Brown Fork Shelter (149.9) to Fontana Dam (162.6) 12.7 miles I got to Cable Gap Shelter about 11:20 (6.1 miles). Dosed up with Advil. Still hurting from all the climbing yesterday. I had left from Brown Fork at 8 AM. I decided to go for Fontana Dam. It is suppose to be easy 6.6 miles, wrong ¢ very difficult. I can see Fontana Dam about 2 hours before getting there and got there about 4 PM. I overdid the last two days. A 16 mile days and a 14 mile day over what I now learn is some of the toughest trail in North Carolina. My right ankle is sore. I should have taken three days. I got to the visitors center and used the phone to call the Hike Inn for a pickup. I had called for reservations from NOC. It is run by Jeff and Nancy Hoch. They shuttled me to town for dinner (Mexican), grocery and pharmacy for an ankle brace. The Mexican place was excellent. Good food. Inexpensive. Excellent service. I am taking a zero day tomorrow. There is a TV but no phone in the room, the TV gets one channel.. They are a lot of fun and I am having a great time. No other hiker is here. I had left my crocks in the shelter and Traction brought them over and gave them to me. The camera chip someone had found was not mine. I found my extra camera chip. It somehow ended up in the bottom of my food bag. I am laying here in bed with the leg elevated and an ice bag on the ankle. Advil, Advil, Advil. There are good kayaking rivers here.Heading into Fontana Dam, I ran into 3 kids about 16 years old. One gave me a chocolate and cream pastry. Well appreciated. I am not a chocolate fan but it tasted good anyways. Three trail angels. I need to reduce the pack weight some more. I am going to try to knock off 1 to 2 pounds more.
Date: 2005-03-22
From: Fontana Dam

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Hike Inn (0 miles)Blackbird came in to the Hike Inn. We split 2 frozen pizzas for lunch that were graciously heated by Nancy. There is another older hiker here but I did not catch his name but I have run into him before. (Dads Grin) Traction and friend stayed at Fontana Hilton Shelter. They were resupplied by family and continued on today. My ankle is somewhat better today, but I have decided on a second zero day tomorrow. It can only help. Have to hike smarter and listen to my body more. I am sending home sunglasses, reading glasses case, pot scrubber, water bag, can opener and maybe more ¢ still deciding. Glad to be off the trail today due to violent thunder storms forecast. The road the Hike Inn is on is a ¢crotch rocket¢ motorcycle heaven, something like 99 hairpin curves in 10 miles. I just hear some thunder, and again. Going to town again about 5:30 today for dinner etc. I just heard about 20 seconds of continuous thunder. I will be taking a few more pictures here and think I will ship you the camera chip.I went to the barbecue tonight and got pork loin, salad, texas toast, fried okra, and root beer. Mine was good, but the other two hikers said theirs was not as good. I will take one more zero day here. The ankle is better but not best. I am considering reducing the equipment more. Short of a new tent or pack or going to an alcohol stove, there is not much more I can do. Will try to weigh me and the pack tomorrow.   I will report the weights.RE: SmokiesI will not go past Mollies Ridge Shelter the first day (11 miles). Plan on stopping at the Derrick Knob Shelter next but may end up stopping at the Spencer Field Shelter if the ankle is acting up. We shall see. I will try to ¢baby¢ the ankle. It is not a race or competition; it is a journey, not the miles. I must remember my kayak rules: 1. Every one has fun and 2. Nobody gets hurt. I need to apply them here.PS: I hike therefore I stink,      I stink therefore I am,      I am therefore I hike.
Date: 2005-03-23
From: Fontana Dam

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Hike Inn (162.6) (Fontana Dam) 0 milesBlackbird left the Hike Inn for the Smokies today. Dads Grin (age 60) is still here doing a zero day. Terapin called the inn from the dam and asked for a shuttle to a larger city. He has injured his right ankle and his left knee. Jeff picked him up then they stopped at the inn and I had a chance to talk to Terapin. He had slipped in some leaves plus the stress of the ups and downs, etc. I don¢t think that he will be back, too bad. He is an experienced hiker. The little things can stop your hike. It is not failure I guess. It was just not his time. The Hi-Tec Altitude boots are working well. They have a good grip and support with no blisters. Two or three toes on the left foot will go numb and cramp up on the long ups but it goes away after awhile. The poles have been a good thing. They help on the steep ups and give stability on the downs and difficult areas. They help with the balance on the rocks and stream crossings. They have saved me from falling a multitude of times and lessened the fall the two times when I did fall. I do find that I am faster without them on good trai,l when it is level or only a moderate grade. One of the hardest things is that the trail has been very difficult and you have to reach down inside to pull up the ability to proceed. It is such a physical strain that it leaves your emotions open and raw. There is a sense of vulnerability that is difficult to deal with. On the good side, I am dealing with a lot of things fairly well. As a total novice, there is a learning curve in addition to the hike. I¢ve had a multiple of incidents as I have mentioned but I get more competent and more organized every day. I learn from my mistakes and try to learn from more experienced hikers as well. Terapin among others supplied knowledge and advice that has been helpful. Figaro and Tofu came in a little before the dinner shuttle. They, Grin and I went to the Chinese Buffet then the grocery store. Jeff and Nancy here at the Hiker Inn have been great. They are very decent people.
Date: 2005-03-24
From: Fontana Dam

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Hiker Inn (162.6) (Fontana Dam) to Russell Field Shelter (176.4) 13.8 miles Great Smoky National ParkI registered for the Smokys at the Hike Inn last night. I am packing 7 days of food and should get to Mountain Mamas on the eighth day. I got to Mollies Ridge Shelter (no bear cage, but a very nice shelter) about 3:30. A ridge runner I met suggested the next shelter instead which is the Russell Field Shelter. My ankle felt good, so Grin and I did it. It is a bear caged front shelter. I had mixed feelings about moving on to Russell Field today. It was not as eay a hike as the ridge runner had indicated.
Date: 2005-03-25
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

Russell Field Shelter (176.4) to Derrick Knob Shelter (185.6) 11.2 miles The hike to Derrick Knob shelter was so tough that I¢m glad it was only 11.2 miles.   There were some nice views and I took some pictures of course. The peak in one picture is Clingmans Dome.I weighted myself at the Hike Inn. At home, I was 162 dressed so I am down about five pounds. I weighted with the pack on at 198. This is with full fuel, full water and 7 days of food, a 36 pound (pack weight) differance .Grin just got to the shelter. It is 2:45 and so far there are 7 of us. The shelter should hold 12 ¢ 14 people with no problem. So far the water in the smokys is suggested by signs to be not drinkable unless it is boiled or filtered. I boiled water last night, enough for dinner and 48 ounces for today. I came into the shelter with less than 1 ounce left. The next goal from Derrick is Double Springs Gap and possibly Mount Collins but that is not likely. Three hikers have left the shelter and we are down to four.
Date: 2005-03-26
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Mount Collins Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: broken clouds

Derrick Knob Shelter (185.6) to Mount Collins Shelter (199.1) 13.5 milesI stayed at Derrick Knob shelter. I planned on Double Spring Gap shelter, but Figaro and Tofu came in and said the weather going to be bad the next day and we really did not want to do Clingmans Dome in bad weather. Dad¢s Grin and I took off about 1 pm. The trail was tough on the uphill and we almost got to the top with snow, ice and puddles. Figaro and I checked out the AT. Conditions were nasty and treacherous. We opted off the AT and went to the viewing tower on the top. The view was awesome. The trail from Derrick Know to Double Spring Gap was tough but had fantastic views. The AT down from Clingmans Dome was ice, snow and puddles.   We opted for the closed approach road for about two miles, then got back on the AT at a close point and went to Mount Collins Shelter. It was a dirty mud hole and had a .1 mile hike to water, but it did have a bear cage front. The hike was icy, snowy and wet ¢ awful hike. Treacherous, nasty but we could not make it to the next shelter.
Date: 2005-03-27
From: Mount Collins Shelter

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Mount Collins Shelter (199.1) to Icewater Spring Shelter (206.6) 7.5 milesFigaro and Tofu left the shelter before us and did a zero day in Gatlinburg. Dads Grin and I got off the AT as soon as possible and yellow blazed down the Clingmans Dome access road to Newfound gap (US441). The trail was just too icy, wet, slippery and nasty to stay on. We would like to white blaze, but not if it puts us at risk. No one says that you have to be stupid. At the gap, we went back on the AT and Grin and I pushed on to Icewater Spring Shelter. It was a solid, difficult, icy (in areas) hike. We left about 7:45 and got here (8 miles) a little after noon. Actually, we are now in the clouds. There is no bear cage front to this shelter. What do you call a Smokey Mountains shelter without a bear cage?An all you can eat buffet for bears!We are going to try a long day tomorrow, about 12 miles with a 7 am start. That will give us options for the last day in the Smokeys. It is cold. I want in my sleeping bag.I need to be in the sleeping bag.
Date: 2005-03-28
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tri-Corner Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: light snow

Icewater Spring Shelter (206.6)to Tri-corner Shelter (219.2) 12.6 milesWe hiked in falling snow. I crawled under one downed tree. Grin and I had to take our packs off and help each other crawl over another tree. The trail was mostly a stream today. Would this be called a strail or tream? I keep having the song ¢I¢m singing in the rain¢ running through my mind. Of course, different words come to mind. I just love cold, wet boots and feet. After a while, waterproof boots just get wet and seem to stay wet.The waterproof boots are soaked and I am using a single-use hand warmer to try to dry them. It was so cold when I got here that I set out the Thermarest pad and sleeping bag, took off my wet clothes and got into the bag for two hours. It took that long to warm up. Cold ¢ Cold ¢ Cold. I had skipped lunch as usual and just ate candy, crackers, and dried fruit on the trail and kept moving. I am only warm if I am moving at a good pace or am in my sleeping bag. Tonight, I will wear most of my clothes in the bag as well. We may try to get out of the park with just one more night, then on to Mountain Mammas for one of their famous cheese burgers and to buy food, then on to Green Corner Road (Standing Bear Hostel) for a overnight stay. I am having trouble writing. I lost my glasses about three days ago. Reading and writing have become a problem.A ridge runner came in and stayed the night. He was very interesting. The area around the shelter had been severely damaged by people. He lectured a young man about eating in the shelter. The man was eating an apple. It attracts mice, bears, and other animals. I had just taken the last bite of a king size Snickers when the ridge runner came in. No, I did not confess. I hid the wrapper in my hand. About 5:30 a hiker came in ahead of two other hikers. The ridge runner asked him for their permits. They had none. The hiker left the shelter and got the others and headed back down the trail. It was late in the day to go back. The trail was icy and it was getting dark. The ridge runner was going to allow them to stay the night and then have them hike out the next day.
Date: 2005-03-29
From: Tri-Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: clear sky

Tri-corner Shelter (219.2) to Cosby Knob Shelter (226.9) 7.7 milesI left Tri-Corner Shelter about 8:15 and arrived at Crosby Knob Shelter at 12:15, 7.7 miles. Dads Grin got in 45 minutes later. We opted for a short day after a long, hard day yesterday. For the last three days it was cold, ice, snow, and water. We left winter at the last shelter descending to early sunny spring here. We have our clothes and gear spread out and hung to dry and air out the stink ¢ and do we stink ¢ 6 days in Smokeys with no cleaning. I had washed my hands and brushed my teeth. That was it. It was too cold and wet to do much else. Hygiene and cleanliness just go out the window when it is this cold and difficult. Several times I thought that I smelled poop or skunk. I thought it might be me some of those times, probably was. We have heard owls and coyotes at night. I have seen one mouse and one wild turkey but no bears, and I am not complaining. I am not looking for a close encounter of the bear kind.Blackbird arrived about 1:30 and we decided to do a short day tomorrow and go to Mountain Mommas for lunch and resupply then stay in a hostel (Standing Bear) a little further down the trail. We hope for Boiling Springs in 2 12 days from the hostel. I will probably take a zero day at Boiling Springs.It is almost 3:00 pm and starting to get cold (cold breeze). I may eat early and get in the sleeping bag. It is warm and the shelter is good. If there only was room service. I keep wanting a frozen strawberry margarita. I don¢t really drink, but I keep craving one.