morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-04-08
From: Stecoah Gap

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: clear sky

Woke up to a breakfast of pancakes and a great cup of coffee and then Trapper Lee and Ed took me back to Stecoah Gap. Spoonman and his dog Dagny were just getting out of a shuttle from NOC when I got there. He slack packed from here south to NOC yesterday and now he was continuing his hike north.Today the skies are clear & blue. I actually was warm hiking through the snow. The trail alternated from snow covered, to clear path, to deep shoe-sucking mud, to slush covering mud. The slush covering mud was treacherous on the downhills. It was a nice hike today, even though this left foot still hurts. I wonder if that pain will ever ease up? I hope so.Ended my hike today at 4pm at Cable Gap Shelter. I was the first to arrive, then came in Donut and Tanglefoot. More hikers came into Cable Gap after awhile, they started a fire in the fire ring - nice & cozy. Well, it's 7:45 - past my bedtime! Looking forward to getting to Fontana Dam tomorrow!
Date: 2009-04-09
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke to a clear cool morning. Most of the snow that had been on the slope facing the shelter melted during the night. Only small scattered patches remained. What started as a cool morning quickly turned warm, and I was hiking through snow fields on the ridges without a jacket. The temp continued to rise as I descended down the mountain. It was really slow going today. My left foot is hurting more than it has in the past few days. I will have to re-evaluate this foot later today after I get to the Hike Inn.I got to Fontana Dam at 2pm and called the Hike Inn for a shuttle to their motel. While I was waiting I waled aroung the area next to the dam. The visitor center was closed and there were only a few families walking around the area. I have never been this close to a dam before and again I was kind of freaked out. To think that I will have to walk along the road at the top of the dam to cross over to the Smokies seems daunting. The concrete dam is huge. At 480 ft it is noted to be the highest dam in the eastern US.Soon Andrea (a friend of the owners of the Hike Inn) showed up to take me to the motel. I shared the ride throught the winding mountain road with her dog Charlie. Nancy Hoch, co-owner of the Hike Inn, met me when I arrived. My room has a wonderful double bed, bathroom, TV and coffee maker. On my bed was my drop box, an envelope from Irene & Armie, a package from Laura Timberman, and a postcard from Felix. Irene & Armie apparently think it's funny for me to carry more weight, lugging "Stick Santa" up and down the mountains! I sure hope he has a good time hanging onto my pack. Sure hope he doesn't crack up.Laura and Dave sent me a box of granola bars. Yummy!First a shwoer, then a big cup of coffee. Excellent! Then unpacked, sat on the bed and rested. Unfortunately there are no phones in the room and I can't get a cell anywhere on the property. I will have to wait until I get a shuttle to town later to call Ron & Irene.I was the only hiker Nancy was shuttling to town tonight and she waited while I had dinner at a Mexican Restaurant (no cell signal) then on to the Drugstore & Ingalls. Had cell signal here so I called Ron while I shopped in both stores. I hate when people do this, but it was my only option, as Nancy was waiting to take me back to the motel. This was my only chance to talk to Ron.I decided to take another zero day tomorrow to rest this foot. I've taken too many zero days and it's frustrating, but it is all I can do at this point in time.
Date: 2009-04-10
From: Fontana Dam

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

I woke up this morning to what I thought was trucks traveling on the road outside the motel, but actually it was thunder rolling into the area. Shortly thereafter the rain came pouring down. It rained a good part of the morning, stopped for the afternoon, and now (6pm) there is a fierce thunderstorm with high winds, and the area is under a tornado watch! Am I glad I took a zero day or what! The wind is whipping the trees around outside, and the rain is falling so hard you can only see for a short distance.Earlier today Nancy came over to my room with ice for my foot and asked if I would like to go out for lunch with an elderly neighbor of hers. Of course I said yes, Herb picked me up at 2pm in his SUV. He reminded me so much of Uncle Kelly, right down to the suspenders. He took me to the Stecoah Cafe, a small restaurant run by two sisters. Everyone inside knew Herb. We enjoyed lunch together and he insisted on paying the bill. He said that he likes to feed hungry hikers. Very sweet!Then when I got back to the motel, the man in the room next to me, Dillon, asked if I wanted a ride into town for dinner tonight. Of course, I agreed to that too! Dillon is waiting out the rain today, tomorrow he plans on running the trail, southbound, from Newfound Gap in the Smokies, to Fontana Dam. I will get the particulars of that adventure at dinner tonight.Dinner at Lynn's Restaurant was good and I found that Dillon's run tomorrow will start at 8am and he should finish at midnight! I have a hard time hiking this trail, I can't imagine running on it! Dillon is a 51 yr. old attorney from Miami. Talked to Ron tonight. I'm afraid that I won't be able to do a lot of miles each day because of this painful foot, so I expect to see him at Newfound Gap at about noon on Thursday. Can't wait!Off to the Smokies tomorrow. But first I have to walk across that scary Fontana Dam.
Date: 2009-04-11
From: Fontana Dam

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

I left The Hike Inn at Fontana Dam under cloudy skies, and hiked the entire day in a big drippy cloud. Visability was never more than 40 feet, and was actually less than that for most of the day. The temps dropped during the day, as the winds increased. The trail started out as switch-backs, but that didn't last too long before I was back to trails going straight up and down the mountains. The trail surface deteriorated into that black, deep, shoe-sucking mud again. That makes for some tough hiking!It's a good thing that Mollies Ridge Shelter was located right on the trail, because the cloud was so thick, you could not see the shelter until you were right next to it. All hikers were greated by Carl (Gray Beard), the ridgerunner who was staying at this shelter tonight. He was very knowledgeable about the trail, and it was great to have him with us this evening. Another cold, damp night, so I was in my sleeping bag early this evening.
Date: 2009-04-12
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 5.4
Weather: clear sky

Happy Easter to everyone! For some reason(s), today was an especially rough day for me. The weather was beautiful, and yes, there were ups and downs, but I didn't think they were excessive. I just had a hard time with the climbs, not much stamina today. I went into the hike today knowing that I was going only as far as Spence Field Shelter, because the next shelter after that is Derrick Knob, which is an additional 6.5 miles. I really didn't think I could do an 11.7 mile day after climbing out of Fontana Dam..I got to the bald by the shelter at 1:30, and found Two-Pack, Martha and Paul having a picnic lunch on the grass. This is the first I met Martha and Paul. They are a mother-son team from Wisconsin. They were moving on to Derrick Knob Shelter after finishing lunch.I had a quick lunch, and lay in the sun for about 45 minutes. Then I went down to the shelter, which was very nice, and took a nap!A few more people came into the shelter as the evening progressed, and two men, who were from N.C, and doing a section hike, started a fire in the shelter's fireplace. Very nice.Dillon, an endurance runner, who started running the trail from Newfound Gap this morning came into the shelter at about 9:30 pm. He was beat, and had to spend the night before continuing on to Fontana Dam in the morning.
Date: 2009-04-13
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 6.5
Weather: overcast clouds

The weather during the night was WILD! Ferocious winds and rain. The N.C. men said that the winds were gusting to at least 50 mph, and could have been as high as 60 mph. Thank goodness that this was a very sturdy stone shelter! I was as snug as a bug in a rug, and acutally had to unzip my sleeping bag to ventilate a few times during the night.It was a slow start this morning, mainly due to the weather. The rain has stopped, but the wind is howling, with gusts up to 25-30 mph. I left the shelter at 9:30, with the goal of getting to Derrick Knob Shelter, 6.5 miles north. I felt better today than I had yester, and that's a good thing, as the ferocity of the wind was buffeting me all across the bakd, and nearly knocked me down a number of times. I was also in cloud again all day. Another day of no views, and limited visability! Going over the summit of Rocky Top was quite an adventure. I had to crunch down beside a huge rock, and wait for the winds to decrease a bit, before I tentatively stood up, and inched my way across the rocky summit of Rocky Top. I don't know where I would have wound up if I flew off the top of that mountain, because all I could see was cloud! Needless to say, I made it further down the mountain, into the relative security of the rhododendron bushes and trees. Now... everyone at home has been worried about my safety because of bear on the trail. No one ever thought to worry, or warn me, about the wild boar! Yes, that's right, there are swine up here!!! As I walked pass a thicket of rhododendron later in the morning, a wild pig squealed at me. The pig could not have been more than 10 feet away from me! I would not even turn to look into the bushes. With a very confident (I think) tone, I said "Just leave me alone pig, I don't even want to see you". And I continued walking, waiting to get gored. Thank goodness the pig did not follow me, but he (or she), did give me a good scare!Finally got to Derrick Knob Shelter, and found that a good number of people had taken a zero day, and stayed put, because of the weather. Two-Pack was there, and had a roaring blaze going in the fireplace. Nice!
Date: 2009-04-14
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: moderate rain

My Birhtday morning weather: Rain! Big Surprise! Everyone at the shelter wished me a "Happy Birthday", and I was on my way. The precipitation vacillated between gentle showers, steady rain, and then just plain drippiness!Stopped for lunch at Silers Bald Shelter, and a dad and his son had a fire going in the fireplace. That sure felt good, and I was soaking wet, and cold. The skies brightened a bit as I left the shelter, and the sun actually came out for about 15 minutes. I took a few pictures of the Smokies while I had a chance.I met a ridgerunner who said that the trail is in worse shape, from Clingmans Dome to Newfound Gap, than what we have been experiencing. The mud is ankle high, and higher in some spots. That news helped me decide to have Ron meet me at Clingmans Dome rather than at Newfound Gap. I will call him as soon as I can get a cell.Well, my Trac phone has absolutely no reception in the Smokies, however a man who is from Holland, and hiking with his two brothers does have reception, and I was able to leave a voice mail for Ron, and then I called Darrell and asked him to make sure that Dad got the message. Darrell found it very funny that my phone had no reception, but the man from Holland did! What can I say?At 6:30 Two-Pack, and Ziggy arrived at the shelter, and got everyone in a festive mood, and suddenly they all started singing "Happy Birthday to Jersey Girl". My plan was to be on the trail for my 60th birthday, and I made it. I have had a great time thus far, but I am certain that I have to get medical attention for this left foot once I get into town. Darn it!
Date: 2009-04-15
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Clingmans Dome
Miles today: 2.6

Woke up to frigid conditions today. The cloud ended about 20 feet over our heads, and everything above that was covered with ice. My bear bag was frozen when I got it down from the bear cables!The hike from the shelter to Clingmans Dome was great, the cloud cover slowly lifted to expose a winter wonderland of tree tops. The skies actually cleared, and I began to have views of the Smokies. I took a wrong turn on the trail when I was approaching Clingmans Dome, and wound up on a bypass trail, so it took me a bit longer to get to my destination. When I exited from the trail I saw Ron walking down the path from the top of Clingmans Dome. What a great site. It was so good to see him!Of course, I still had to hike to the top of Clingmans Dome, so Ron turned around and hiked back up to the top with me! Two-Pack and Ziggy were just emerging from the correct trail when we got to the top!After the requisite pictures at the top of the fire tower, we went back down to the parking lot, and set off for Gatlinburg, a motel, a shower, a bed with sheets, and a dinner at a restaurant!! Life is good!
Date: 2009-04-20
From: Clingmans Dome

To: Foot is being evaluated
Miles today: 0.0

I know it has been a few days since my last entry... this is what has been happening. I went to the Emergency Room at Fort Sanders Sevier Medical Center, in Sevierville, TN, for evaluation of my foot. Let me just say, that this hospital which is located right outside of Pigeon Forge, TN, was wonderful! All the staff were friendly, efficient, and very professional. The X-Ray of my foot did not show any fracture, but the Physician's Assistant said that there could be a stress fracture that is not showing on the X-Ray, or I could have sprained the foot. They want me off my foot for at least two weeks, with follow-up if it doesn't get better.So....... Ron has brought me back to Milmay, I saw my physician today, and we are waiting for a precertification for a CAT scan of my foot. Hopefully I will get this procedure done within the next few days if all goes well with the insurance company. So for now, I am trying (very hard),to be patient, and wait for the CAT scan, then the results, and then the course of treatment. I am hoping that this problem will be resolved very soon, so that I can get back on the trail ASAP.One thing that I will be doing while I am waiting for this foot to heal is to re-evaluate my meals. I need to add more nutritionally dense calories to my meals. I have lost 15 lbs. in the four weeks I have been on the trail, and that is too much weight loss. So as I sit, with my foot elevated, I will be planning how to supplement each of the meals that I have prepared. Please send healing thoughts to my foot!!
Date: 2009-04-23
To: Foot needs additional diagnostic test
Miles today: 0.0

I saw the orthopedic doc today....the CAT scan results were inconclusive, which means I don't know anything yet. A bone scan is scheduled for Monday, with the follow-up orthopedic appointment on Thursday. So, it will be another week before I have any more information. The foot is feeling somewhat improved, but I am resting it most of the day. Hopefully the bone scan will tell the tale.Stay tuned!Thanks for all your well-wishes and your telephone calls. I can't wait to get back on the trail!!
Date: 2009-04-30
To: Doctor says ....... Resume Hike!
Miles today: 0.0

The doctor said I can resume the hike whenever I would like. It seems that I have a huge area of arthritis in my foot, and it became very irritated hiking up and down all those mountains. Well, Arthur-itis, Advil, and I will be heading back to the trail within the next few days.Ron and I are heading to REI today (a store that sells outdoor gear for all sorts of sports). I need a few things, and their huge sale starts today. I want to be in Damascus, Virginia for Trail Days (I want to get there by May 13th), so I will resume the hike somewhere in Tennessee, south of Damascus, and continue north."Thank You" to everyone who called, sent cards, signed my guestbook, etc. Your support and encouragement certainly help me hike the trail, and I cherish each of you.I am one very happy, lucky hiker!!
Date: 2009-05-04
From: Preparing to re-start

To: Preparing to re-start
Miles today: 0.0

Tomorrow is the day I finally get back on the trail! I am a very happy hiker.Let me back up a few days... Ron & I drove down on Sunday, went into Damascus on Monday and spent the better part of the day at Mt. Rogers Outfitters. I was having an issue with the metal stays rubbing on the bottom of my backpack. Come to find out that the hip belt was not put on properly so the stays were putting pressure on the bottom of the bag. Anyway, Jeff at Mt. Rogers Outfitters worked for hours on the pack. Ron and I stayed three for quite some time, then went out for lunch.While we were at the outfitters a bunch of my friends came in. Spoon Man and his dog Dagny, Infinity, Pirate, Teigan & Bonnie.After the backpack was fixed we stopped at the ice cream stand for milkshakes and then off we went to Kincorra Hostel to drop off my next mail drop. Some surprises awaited me at Kincorra. The biggest one.. Miss Janet was there! I was so happy to see her, give her an update on my foot, and introduce her to Ron. Additionally, Laughing Owl and One Step were there. Bob Peoples was not there, as he was shuttling people around the trail, but Baltimore Jack was holding down the fort. Ron and I then went for a ride down Rt 19E and found where the AT crossed the road, so we would know exactly wehre to go tomorrow morning. Then off to Elizabethton for dinner at Lone Star Steakhouse and a room at the motel. Off to the trail tomorrow!
Date: 2009-05-05
From: 19E

To: Mountaineer Shelter
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: light rain

Finally getting back on the trail today. As we got to the trail crossing, who should I see entering the trail - Two Pack! He has grown a beard and looks great. He was hiking fast and strong. Hope to see him further along the trail.Kissed Ron goodbye again and he headed back to New Jersey, while I headed back on the trail. The day started a bit overcast with a few raindrops, but then cleared a bit with blue skies and puffy white clouds. The first 2 miles of the trail was a constant up. I did have some views, which was very nice. The trail was very pretty today. In many areas the trail meandered through thick stands of pine trees. The trail surface was a thick bed of pine needles, sprinkled with white petals falling off dogwood trees. Thick masses of wood violets grew alongside the trail. Then there were areas of huge rhododendrons which arched over the trail createing "rhodo tunnels".Everything was going well until about 11:00. It began to drizzle, then rain and then downpour. It pretty much continued to pour the rest of the day. I got to Mountaineer shelter at 2pm and shortly after that the skies really opened and it was like a deluge. Sure glad I was in the shelter when that happened.It was a lazy afternoon at the shelter as hikers came, had something to eat, and then moved on. Flatlander, Pineapple and Otter left after eating lunch. I had just met them on the hike this morning.Yellowstone and Jim Dandy came in for dinner and stayed the evening. Yellowstone section hikes each year and is from Montana. Jim Dandy is a thru hiker from Kansas City. I was in my sleeping bag, ready to sleep at 8:30.
Date: 2009-05-06
From: Mountaineer Shelter

To: Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: moderate rain

The morning dawned cloudy, but no rain. That all changed at about 11am. Precipitation started as sprinkles, then rain, and then a downpouor. The temperature was fairly warm, so I hiked without my rain jacket. I do wear my rainpants each day though, they are long enough that they are like gaiters and my socks and feet never get wet.Anyhow, back to the main topic of conversation on the trail - the rain. When the downpour deteriorated to rain that was coming down so hard it was like a white out I decided to wait it out under a thick stand of rhododendrons. After a few minutes I thought to myself (actually I spoke this question out loud) - Why am I standing here? I am already soaking wet, what difference does it make if I stand here, or continue hiking? The only difference is if I just stand here I will nver get to the next shelter. So, off I went. You must hike in the rain to get to Maine. I just didn't know it was going to be so much rain, for so many days!Got to Moreland Gap Shelter at about 4pm. This shelter was built in 1960, and is in desperate condition. It looks leaky and the walls had some holes. Not someplace I wanted to spend the night so I set my tent up a short distance from the shelter. It was quite a difficult task as the winds were fierce, coming over the rise in the gap. Eventually my domicile was in place. Then down 0.2 miles to the hollow (that right, I actually went down into a hollow, first time in my life). Anyhow, that was the steepest descent yet to get to a water source. And of course, it started to rain again. So there I was, slip sliding my way throught the mud, into the hollow to get water, and then I had to turn around and slip slide my way back up the steep incline, out of the hollow. There are some days I really miss indoor plumbing!Climbed into my tent early and was asleep by 8pm.
Date: 2009-05-07
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 6.0

What a night last night. Fierce lightening and thunderstorms ripped through the campsite, along with drenching rain. My tent was snug and dry and I slept well, except when the lightening and thunder were at their height. At that point I was questioning the safety of being in my tent during such a storm, but there was no way I was leaving the tent for that nasty shelter. There were a few times I woke during the night and heard a cacophany of snoring, coming from the shelter. I was so glad that I chose to sleep in my cozy, quiet tent!Today dawned cloudy, but not raining. That was very exciting. It was a bit of a climb out of camp. There were 2 fair climbs between Moreland Gap and Kincora, but the trail was pretty. Oh, by the way, the rain started at 11am today. Surprise, surprise.The last 2 miles of the hike were quite interesting, as I descended into Dennis Cove. The rain had stopped, however the trail had become a stream! This continued for quite some time. When the trail stream joined with the actual stream things got really interesting. Any rocks that could be used as stepping stones were completely submerged with swiftly running water. Dicey stream crossings at times. Water water everywhere, and oh the boards did leak, Water Water everywhere (the Ancient Mariner).It was great to finally get to Dennis Cove Rd, for the 0.2 mile, uphill hike to Kincora, in the blazing sun. Baltimore Jack greeted me on the porch of Kincora Hostel and immediately handed me a bowl of the best salad I had ever eaten. A huge variety of veggies, baby spinach, feta cheese and sour cream on the top - yummy!After eating I took a wonderful shower and did a load of very stinky laundry. Then I went upstairs to my bed and just lay there for some time with my legs elevated on my drop box - felt divine!Miss Janet showed up with her dog and Indy Girl just as we were getting ready to eat a feast prepared by Baltimore Jack.I was in bed by 9pm. Had a great nights sleep. Nobody in our room of 12 snored. Heaven!