morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-05-31
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: few clouds

Weather - Clear, warm then thunderstormsI got up when I heard the birds singing. Cooked breakfast and on the trail early. For the first 3 12 miles I crossed more streams than I have crossed since leaving Springer Mountain. When I reached Lemon Gap, an SUV pulled up with 4 ladies and a man from Georgia. They were doing a day hike to Max Patch. I decided to have some fun, so I pulled out the Gee Haw Whimsey Diddle Stick. I had the Georgia ladies yelling at the stick. After the fun, I showed them how it worked.I was feeling good and moving fast, the trail was good, then I had the "living daylights" scared out of me. Part the way down Bluff Mountain, I walked up on a rattlesnake in the trail. I stopped about 6 feet from it and jumped back 3 feet when it rattled its tail at me. It wouldn't move, so I took a ¢short¢ stick (about 7 feet long) and picked up its tail and it slithered about 8 feet off the trail. As I walked by, it rattled at me again. About 14 mile later, I was startled by a black snake on the edge of the trail. Saw a lot of snails on the trail. Also saw two golden eagles. As I hiked over Lamb Knob, I was hit by a thunderstorm¢¦ walking in the rain again. Saw Danger Dave at Deer Park Mountain Shelter, he is going to Hot Springs too. Got a room at Sunnybank Inn, then went to get something to eat. When I walked in the restaurant, there sat Blister Bill, Danger Dave and Arius.
Date: 2006-06-01
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0

Weather - Clear and not too warmDanger Dave, Blister Bill and I are all staying at the Sunnybank Inn. Blister Bill was two days ahead of me, I wasn't sure I would catch up to him. I was surprised to see him in Hot Springs, NC. His blisters are acting up again so he has been laid up here. He said he ate Kelley's brownies on top of Max Patch for supper and they were even better than the last batch she sent. Busy day in town going to Post Office to pick up mail drop, to outfitters for fuel and doing laundry. Kelley sent me some more brownies, they are great for lunch on the trail. Danger Dave has just finished college and got his name before coming on the trail. He does crazy things like going down Class IV rapids using a kiddie pool for a raft. Need I say more!Hot Springs is a nice little town with all the needs for a hiker. There are no stop lights and you can walk from one end of town to the other in less than five minutes. Danger Dave, Blister Bill and I went to the Paddler's Pub for supper and only drank two pitchers of beer. We are acting more responsible.
Date: 2006-06-02
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Weather - Overcast, rain, thunderstormsStopped by the Post Office and the outfitters on the way out of town. Blister Bill, Danger Dave and I walked out of Hot Springs together. Danger Dave is a lot faster so he moved on ahead. Blister Bill and I have different hiking styles, I like to take lunch breaks and he likes to keep moving. We agreed to meet at the shelter. It rained on and off all day long and for the last one and one-half miles, I hiked in a thunderstorm. When I got to the shelter, Blister Bill, Danger Dave and Big X were there. Big X is only 18 years old and thru-hiking. Later Danger Dave was super gluing some pads to his shoe insoles and super-glued his pants to his leg. He had to take his knife and shave his leg to get the glue off. This is a really small shelter. There is only room for one more person.
Date: 2006-06-03
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: few clouds

Weather - Not too cool and overcastDanger Dave left early and was headed for Jerry Cabin Shelter. Blister Bill and I had heard several reports of rattlesnakes at Jerry Cabin Shelter and were thinking about stopping at Little Laurel Shelter. We heard that a woman hiker almost stepped on one going to the privy at night, that two guys were putting up there tent and one was rattling behind them and someone saw one later slithering toward the shelter. I got to Little Laurel Shelter about 1:45 p.m. and was eating lunch when Sea Eagle came in from the north. She is from Florida and doing a section hike. Blister Bill came in a little later, then Pat, another section hiker, showed up. Not too long after he showed up, two guys and two women from near Erwin, TN, came in. We built a good fire and toaster marshmallows. They said they roasted marshmallows with Arius the night before and that it was his first time eating marshmallows. All of us had a good time around the campfire. It was a lot better than spending time looking out for rattlesnakes.
Date: 2006-06-04
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Weather - Cool, overcast then rain.Blister Bill and I hiked together today. We got an early start but the Blackstack Cliffs are a rock scramble that took a lot of time. Ate lunch at Jerry Cabin Shelter, with no rattlesnakes that we saw. Hiked past the Shelton Graves. Three Union soldiers are buried there. They had came home to visit family during the Civil War and were killed.When we were less than two miles from Flint Mountain Shelter, a thunderstorm rolled right over us with heavy rain. Yes, again! This is getting to be the norm. There was a couple, husband and wife, already there. He has retired from the Army. We were able to build a fire when the rain stopped and Bill and I dried out our clothes some. After supper, it rained again. We were the only four in the shelter tonight.
Date: 2006-06-05
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Big Stamp Campsite
Miles today: 17.9

Weather - Real cool and windyBlister Bill and I had agreed to go to Hogback Ridge Shelter. He left before me but I caught up to him. It was like the movie "Groundhog Day" as we went up and down these little knobs that looked the same every time. I was hiking faster than Bill so he told me to go ahead. Oops! I missed the shelter sign. By the time I realized it, I had hiked four miles past it. So I had a decision to make - go back four miles or go forward six miles. I made another mistake - I went forward. I figured I would see Bill tomorrow or in Erwin.The climb up Big Bald was real hard and I stopped to eat something at 7:30 p.m. The sun was setting as I crossed Big Bald and it was getting colder so I put on my rain jacket. Then it got so dark I had to get out my head lamp. I had hiked into the woods and thought I had missed the Bald Mountain Shelter sign so I turned around and hiked back up the mountain. Still no sign. It was getting late, about 10:30 p.m. It was time to put up my tent, couldn't find the shelter and it was getting colder. It was 11:15 p.m. by the time I crawled into my sleeping bag and another half hour before my feet thawed out. This is probably the worst day I had had on the trail.
Date: 2006-06-06
From: Big Stamp Campsite

To: Nolichucky River to Erwin, TN
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: few clouds

Weather - Nice and clearI was worried about what Blister Bill must be thinking had happened to me, I had just disappeared. I was late getting up because I had a bad night last night. When I headed down the mountain I came across the sign to Bald Mountain Shelter. I had stopped almost 200 feet from it last night, if I had gone a little further I could have stayed in a shelter. I needed water since I was out. At the shelter, I met Jason from PA, he was hiking south, so I stold him my story to pass to Blister Bill.About one-half hour later as I left the shelter, I ran into Blister Bill. Jason had met him on the trail. He understood because he did something similar climbing Blood Mountain. But he was worried about me so he got up at 5:00 a.m. and was on the trail at 6:00 a.m. trying to find me. He was feeling real good and wanted to hike into Erwin, TN. A 27 mile day for him, his best so far. By about 8:00 p.m., we were at the Nolichucky River where we ran into Danger Dave. He too had done a 27 mile day the day before. Blister Bill and I hiked another mile to the Holiday Inn Express for some hot food, hot shower and another real bed. The perfect end to a good day for both of us.
Date: 2006-06-07
From: Nolichucky River to Erwin, TN

To: Miss Janet's in Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Weather - Nice and clearBlister Bill and I decided to go to Miss Janet's Hostel so we called her from the Holiday Inn Express and she came and picked us up. She said someone had been looking for us. When we got to her place, there was Skinny B and Postal, they had been there for several days. It was a good reunion for Blister Bill since he wasn't sure he would get to see them again. Had a great time just hanging out there. It got sad later on, Postal was leaving the trail, he had decided to go back home where a job was waiting for him. I think he had several reasons for leaving. You have to do what you know is the right thing for you. The trail is only a path thru the woods, it doesn't have to answers to life. You have to find those by yourself.
Date: 2006-06-08
From: Rest Day

To: Rest Day
Miles today: 0.0

Weather - Rain in morning, clear in p.m.I had left my boots outside by accident last night and of course it had to rain. It still looked like rain so we decided to take another rest day. Miss Janet drove Blister Bill, Skinny B and me to Johnson City to the Wal-Mart to re-supply. Then back to her place. It felt good to sit around and just do nothing for a little while. I don't get a chance to do that often out here. Of course, the sun came out so I was hanging out all my stuff to dry out. But this time I got it all in before the sun went down. Spent the night at Miss Janet's Hostel again.
Date: 2006-06-09
From: Indian Grove Gap

To: Nolichucky River
Miles today: 8.3

Miles from Springer - 347.0Weather - Nice and clearWe had breakfast at Miss Janet's. Blister Bill, Skinny B and I decided to have Miss Janet take us to Standing Indian Grove Gap so we could slack-pack for a day and spend another night at her place. Miss Janet¢s dog, Fabian, hiked with us. Before we left, Big X showed up, he is going to stay for a few days. We started our hike around noon and were finished by about 4:30 p.m. I caught a ride to Food Lion to do some final re-supply when Miss Janet was taking some thru-hikers to the trail head. I walked back into the downtown section of Erwin just to look around. Skinny B made some spaghetti sauce for supper that was really good. Before the night was over, Big X had changed his name to Big Easy. This makes sense since he is from New Orleans.
Date: 2006-06-10
From: Erwin, TN

To: Rest Day
Miles today: 0.0

Weather - Nice and clearBlister Bill wasn't feeling good last night and this morning he wasn't feeling much better. I decided to take another rest day and catch up on writing my pictures down and catching up on my journal. You're not in the mood to write when you have walked in the rain for a couple of hours or it gets dark on you. All you want to do is cook supper and climb in your sleeping bag. So you catch up on your writing when you can. So here I am sitting in a rocking chair on Miss Janet's porch just relaxing and catching up. There! I am done for now.
Date: 2006-06-11
From: Indian Grove Gap

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: few clouds

Weather - a.m. Sunny and nice. p.m. Rain and cool.Seven of us piled into Miss Janet's van and headed to the Huddle House for breakfast. After shuttling several hikers around, Miss Janet took Blister Bill, Skinny B and me to Indian Grove Gap and dropped us off so we could slack pack over Beauty Spot Mountain where we picked up our packs and headed over Unaka Mountain that has a unique forest. We reached Cherry Gap Shelter just before a thunderstorm hit. We were the first ones there. Then the other hikers started coming in. There was Rick who lives most of the time in Guatamala. Lucia and Scott. Lucia's trail name is Monkey, she is originally from Switzerland. Scott's trail name is Butterfly and he is from Michigan. There was Laura from Canada, Ben Berry, Clambone and several other hikers. The shelter was full and several camped out. Just before another thunderstorm came thru, a group of ten from Wright University, Ohio, came hiking in with headlamps. They got there tents set up before the storm hit.
Date: 2006-06-12
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: light rain

Weather - Cool and rainyA storm came thru early in the morning. There was a light rain when I left the shelter but it didn't last long. I saw a lot of red spotted newts today on the trail. They are only about 2 inches long and look like orange gummy bear critters. But don't eat them because they are poisonous if you do. It was a wet, cool, damp day. I met Blister Bill and Skinny B at Clyde Smith Shelter. Several of the hikers at the last shelter were there too.
Date: 2006-06-13
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Weather - Slightly overcast then sunnyBlister Bill, Skinny B and I left the shelter together and when we got to the road at Hughes Gap there was a van with a table set up. Two trail angels, Slower Walker and Miss Day Hiker, gave us some coffee then they offered us a slack pack over Roam Mountain since they had to vehicles and were going to slack pack it themselves. There is no way we would turn down an offer like this.Going down Roam Mountain south I ran into the Wright University group again. They appeared to be a fun group to be with. We saw Monkey and Butterfly at the Roam High Knob Shelter. They had a rough time climbing Roam Mountain the day before. When we got back to Hughes Gap, Slower Walker and Miss Day Hiker took us back to Carvers Gap. They are real trail angels. The hike over Round Bald and Jane Bald was one of the most scenic sections of the AT so far. It was like standing on the mountain in the movie, 'The Sound of Music.'The Overmountain Shelter is a red barn that sleeps about 20 people in the loft and there is a good view of the valley. The shelter was almost full.
Date: 2006-06-14
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Moutaineer Falls Shelter
Miles today: 17.2

Weather - Cool, fog and rainIt was real foggy when I left the shelter. About a couple of miles up the trail, I caught up with two ladies from Indiana who had spent the night at Overmountain Shelter. I found out that they knew Indiana Jean who wrote "There Are Mountains Out There to Climb." I was hiking by myself and meeting Blister Bill and Skinny B at the next shelter. I crossed several Balds in the fog, that was disappointing because the views would have been great. I was startled to see these huge animals standing and laying on both sides of the trail. They were longhorn steer and their horns looked about 5 feet across. A little scary!Later in the day it cleared up some and when I got to Jones Falls the sun was out and I got some good pictures. There were several hikers already at the shelter, Mountaineer Fall Shelter, which is really nice and sleeps 14. There were 5 ladies called Chic with Sticks, Patches, Hammer, Navigator and Susan. When Blister Bill, Skinny B, Monkey and Butterfly showed up we had a full shelter.
Date: 2006-06-15
From: Moutaineer Falls Shelter

To: Dennis Cove, Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 15.3

Weather - Sunny and not too warmToday was a good day for hiking. The weather was perfect. Stopped at Moreland Gap Shelter with Bill and Skinny B. While we were eating, Monkey and Butterfly showed up. Hiked for quite a while beside a small river, that was pleasant for a change. At Dennis Cove, I hiked up the road to Kinkora Hikers Hostel run by Bob and Pat Peoples. Got a bunk and shower. There were a lot of hikers there and more were coming. Some of us piled into his truck and he took us into Hampton for supper an groceries. The group from Wright University came into the hostel along with another ten of their group that hiked another section of the trail. Before the night was over, there were 37 hikers there with some camped out behind the hostel. They ordered pizza from town and everyone had a great time laughing and telling stories about things that had happened on the trail!
Date: 2006-06-16
From: Kincora Hostel

To: Rest Day
Miles today: 0.0

Not much to say about today except I took the day off to read and do laundry. Blister Bill did the same. Bob Peoples gave Skinny B, Lil' Red, Hanna and Coco a slack pack where they hiked from US 321 over Pond Flats and pass Laurel Falls. Bob Peoples got all dressed up in a tux to walk in a parade with the Knights of Columbus. Now that was a sight to see, Bob in a tux. He and Pat took a bunch of us into town with them. There was Blister Bill, Freebird, Laura from Canada, Clambone, two guys that look like brothers but aren't, myself and several others. Freebird was a professional windsurfer who lived in Hawaii for 17 years and hiked in sandals with about a 18 lb. pack fully loaded.
Date: 2006-06-17
From: US 321

To: Dennis Cove, Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 8.9

Weather - Warm and clearI decided to slack pack today. Bob gave me and Download a ride over to US-321 and dropped us off and we would hike back to the hostel. Download told me to go ahead since I hiked faster. Coming down Pond Flats I ran into Monkey and Butterfly going north. Also I ran into Patches, Hummer and Navigator again. Pond Flats is not flat, it had a great trail going up, southbound and a real, real steep trail going down. Laurel Falls is on the trail and it is the most beautiful waterfall I have seen so far.Got some bad news when I got back to Kincora Hostel. Blister Bill was leaving the trail. He didn't want to leave but got some news from Texas that would cause him to leave. He was gone by 6:00 p.m. I had learned a lot from Bill while we hiked together. The one thing I learned the most was that is you need a friend, Bill is a great one to have. We had shared a lot of experiences and good times together in just a short time. I wish him the best!
Date: 2006-06-18
From: US 321

To: Vanderventer Shelter
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: broken clouds

Weather - Warm and clearBob Peoples gave Skinny B, Lil' Red, Hanna and Coco and myself a ride back to US 321 where we started heading north. Since we all hike at different speeds, we got separated pretty quick. I hiked along beside Watauga Lake, which was beautiful, then across Watauga Dam which is a huge earth dam. It was a slow climb uphill most of the day and you see Watauga Lake most of the time. There was a couple in their early 70's already at Vandeventer Shelter when I got there at 4:00 p.m. I ate supper sitting on a huge rock behind the shelter that overlooked Watauga Lake. What a view!It was almost dark when the Kentucky Boys (Moss Foot and Tree Cat) came in. They camped behind the shelter. Third Degree, a southbounder, showed up earlier. As the sun set, Hanna and Coco arrived, and Lil' Red hiked in by headlamp in the dark about a half hour later. They looked really tired. Lil' Red didn't eat anything, she just went to bed. The shelter was full and everyone was safe, except there was no Skinny B.
Date: 2006-06-19
From: Vanderventer Shelter

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: light rain

Weather - a.m. nice and clear / p.m. overcast then rainSkinny B never did show up last night. Where are you Skinny? Hanna and Lil' Red said they thought he had stopped at Watauga Lake Shelter around lunch and never left. Hiking by myself, the morning was pleasant. In the afternoon, I passed Uncle Nick Gindstaff's Monument. The monument read, "He lived alone, he suffered alone, and he died alone." I assume he lived on the mountain where he is buried.As I crossed Tenn 91, they were bailing hay and the trail ran through the hay fields. I was about 2 miles from Double Spring Shelter when it starts to rain. No surprise, it happens a lot. Patches, Hummer and Navigator were at the shelter when I got there. It is always good to have someone to talk to at the shelters.
Date: 2006-06-20
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Weather - Warm and clearLeft at 10:15 a.m. thinking that I was only going to Abingdon Gap Shelter 8.3 miles away. At Low Gap, there was a picnic table and I had lunch with Patches, Hummer and Navigator. Good spring there for getting water. When I got to Double Spring Shelter, it smelled like there was a dead animal under the shelter. No way I was staying there. I had water and it was only 3:30 p.m. with 10 miles to go to Damascus. VA. I decided to go for it.About 6:20 p.m. I reached the VA/TN border, I am home! I'm in Virginia. As I walked into town I was greeted by three locals who walked me into town and showed me around. It is the friendliest town I have been in so far. Got a bunk in The Place Hostel, a shower and walked to Dot's Place to get something to eat. When I walked in, there was Ross, Moss Foot and Tree Cat, joined them for a couple of beers and a cheeseburger with fires. I decided to go stay at the Lazy Fox tomorrow where I would have my own room with a bed that has a mattress.
Date: 2006-06-21
From: Damascus, VA

To: Rest Day
Miles today: 0.0

Weather - Warm, clear then overcastOn the way to the laundromat I saw Susan, Butterfly and Monkey hiking out of town. After washing my clothes, I walked over to the Post Office to pick up my mail drop when I ran into the Kentucky Boys (Moss Foot and Tree Cat). They told me they were signed up for a bicycle ride on the Virginia Creeper Trail leaving at 11:30 a.m. and wanted to know if I wanted to go. So I rushed over to the Post Office and picked up my mail drop to get my new shoes and was off to the top of White Top Mountain. It was a beautiful bike ride following the river and crossing 30+ bridges back to Damascus. We stopped at the Creeper Trail Caf© for a BBQ and big slice of chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream. Along the way we saw a Christmas tree farm, beaver hut and trout in the river. When I went by Dave's Place< there was Skinny B, Hanna, Lil' Red and Coco. Reflections about TN and NC - The Smokies were beautiful but harsh. Roan Mountain and The Balds near there were awesome. The mountains were harder than GA.
Date: 2006-06-22
From: Damascus, VA

To: Rest Day
Miles today: 0.0

Weather - Real warm and clearGinny makes one fantastic breakfast. I got an early start to the Laundromat again to wash some clothes and my sleeping bag before mailing them home. Skinny B, Hanna and Lil' Red were there too. I took my sleeping mat that was slowly leaking to Sun Dog Outfitters and they called the manufacturer and exchanged it for me. Now I would not have to wake up in the middle of the night to blow it up again.In the afternoon, I went to Mount Rogers Outfitters and bought a tarp so I can mail my tent that was a reduction of about 1 1/2 pounds. Went back to the Lazy Fox so I could seal the seam on the tarp and worked on re-packing my pack. Skinny B and Hanna rode bikes over and invited me over to Dave's Place where they were cooking steaks and potatoes, followed with strawberries dipped in chocolate. I even got a chance to play rummy with some other hikers.
Date: 2006-06-23
From: Damascus, VA

To: Rest Day
Miles today: 0.0

Weather - Warm and slightly overcast, then rain in afternoonGinny cooked another great breakfast at the Lazy Fox. There was a full crowd at the table. After breakfast, I took my 35o sleeping bag and old boots, tent and some clothes to the Post Office to mail home. Went back to the Lazy Fox and sat on the porch in a rocking chair and worked on my journal. Later I went over to Dave's Place and Skinny B and Hanna went with me to The Italian Restaurant for lunch. Later that afternoon, I took my pack over to Mount Rogers Outfitters to weigh it. Base weight was 25 lbs, and 38 lbs with 5 days of food, fuel and water. I was hoping it would be lighter. While at MRO, two guys were filming a documentary and interviewed me and filmed the gee-haw whimsy diddle stick in action.