morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-04-19
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter, TN

To: Green Corner Road/Standing Bear Farm, TN
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Day: 33Date: 4/19/06Start: Tricorner Knob ShelterWeather: Morning--thunderstorms, major wind, hail, rain. Afternoon--hot, sunny.Finish: Green Corner Road/Standing Bear FarmMiles: 18.1Cumulative A.T. Miles: 237.3Clay: Last night a hail storm rolled in while we were sleeping in the shelter. With our faces just a few feet from the exposed tin roof, it was like being on an amusement park ride.This morning lightening was still in the air but there was no rain. We were the first persons out of the shelter at 7:30. Within 15 minutes of our start we heard the storms rolling in. The next shelter was 8 miles away and it sounded like the storms were about 15 miles away. It did not sound like they were moving very fast. However, within an hour the storms were on top of us. We had to climb in order to get to the next shelter. Climbing into the clouds was the last place I wanted to be during thunderstorms. I shouted to Branch, "I believe we might be in trouble! If the weather gets worse, we'll get in the brush and under our tyvek". I felt as faithless as the disciples during the storm in the boat. The storm did not get worse and the thunder was much higher So, we quickened our pace. As a bit of irony, we made it to the shelter just as the storm subsided--in 3 hours.Branch: So much has happened today that I don't even know where to start journaling. After the torrential rain and the near sprint to the shelter this morning, the rain subsided and the sun came shining through the clouds. As we hiked on top of a ridge, we had the most beautiful views thus far. We were looking down on clouds in the distance and could see spring beginning to crawl up the mountain in patches of bright green. It was incredible and the song "This is the Day that the Lord has made" played in a continuous loop in my mind.When we got to Davenport Gap (the end of the Smokies), we were super excited about getting at Cheeseburger at Mountain Mamas. Not wanting to get too behind schedule, we prayed that if God wanted us to go then, he would give us a ride within 10 minutes. Otherwise, we'd hike the remaining 3.5 miles cheeseburgerless. God has the coolest sense of humor. At exactly 10 minutes, I started to cross the road and head up the trail, as I crossed a car pulled up and stopped at Craig's stuck out thumb! Needless to say, we thoroughly our enjoyed our cheeseburgers. Even better though, was the company we found ourselves in. Harley Hogpit, whom we thought we'd never see again, and Gus were there finishing their dinner. So we joined them. Harley says that we are only about half a day behind Kutsa, a friend of ours from last year. I hope that we can catch her soon!We are now at Standing Bear Hostel. Several people here have guitars and harmonicas, so we are surrounded by harmonious music. Its nice to hear. I feel like I'm in the set of one of the A.T. movies we've watched so many times. Its about 10:30--super late for me and they are still going strong, so I'll have good tunes sleep by.
Date: 2006-04-20
From: Green Corner Road/Standing Bear Farm, TN

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter, NC
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Day: 34Date: 4/20/06Start: Green Corner Road/Standing Bear Farm, NCWeather: Overcast, sporadic rain and thunderFinish: Groundhog Creek Shelter, NCMiles: 7.2Cumulative A.T. Miles: 244.5Clay: Not wanting to do 36 miles in 2 days to get to the Hot Springs Post Office and Trail Fest by Saturday morning (We just did 30 miles in 2 days), we waited at the hippie hiker hostel until 9 AM to call the USPS and have them forward our packages to Erwin, TN. Harley Hogpit, Weeks/Kit, Speghettio, Gus, and Half-step are taking a $60 shuttle to Hot Springs. They are staying there for three days! Not us. Despite the threat of thunderstorms each day and night, we are pressing on. We truly desire to put in some miles despite the bad weather.We were the first people to set up camp today at this first shelter in the Cherokee National Forest. As we crossed a semi-bald today, we could hear the thunder in the distance. So, we scurried for two miles to get to the shelter due to the threat. There will be no going over Max Patch (a very tall, exposed bald) today. We were soon joined by Lincoln (At '86) and Genie. They are amazing camp cooks! They cooked for 3 hours. Whole wheat noodles with tomato paste, onion, and some kind of green season and red spice. They even baked fresh, sour dough bread on a rock over the fire! After the food show, Model T, Ranger Dawg and their friends, and few other hikers showed up. Rip, Holly, and Jenn dropped in and they want to do 20+ miles today and tomorrow in order to get a free spaghetti dinner in Hot Springs. More power to them as they brave thunder and rain for pasta. Last night they walked an extra 5 non-A.T. miles for a burger! They are a hungry crew.Nearly everyone here at the shelter is tenting tonight despite the rain. It is nice to have the freedom to do so. In the Smoky Mountains, we were forced to stay in the shelters.
Date: 2006-04-22
From: Roaring Fork Shelter, NC

To: Deer Park Mountain Shelter, NC
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: moderate rain

Day: 36Date: 4/22/06Start: Roaring Fork Shelter, NCWeather: rainy in the morning, nice, sunny afternoonFinish: Deer Park Mountain Shelter, NCMiles: 14.8Cumulative A.T. Miles: 267.5Branch: Today was a nice, eventless hiking day. We started off this morning in the rain and saw no one until about 10:30 or so when we passed a huge group of boyscouts heading North. At about 11:30 we passed an even bigger group of boyscouts from the same troup. So needless to say, tonight we are surrounded on all sides by energetic, excited boyscouts very happy to be in the woods where they can use their outside voices, throw things, and jump around like the 11-year-olds that they are. There is a small contingent of thru-hikers hunkered down here tonight as well. Cabernet, Chardonet, Skeetch, and Blazer have joined us behind the shelter as the boyscouts have filled it to the brim.We were super excited today, though, to see the return of our dear friend, the sunshine. This afternoon, it made its appearance through the clouds and we have finally been able to dry out our gear! Tomorrow, we are going to attempt something that we have yet to do on this trip thus far. We are going to go through Hot Springs, NC, resupply, wash our clothes, and eat a hot meal, without staying overnight. So far, whenever we've gotten into town, I've had some ailment--either my hip was injured or I was sick. Now, God has healed all of those ailments, and, barring any injury in the first 3 miles, we both feel great and are ready to push through to Erwin, TN next week.
Date: 2006-04-23
From: Deer Park Mountain Shelter, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Day: 37Date: 4/23/06Start:Deer Park Mountain ShelterWeather: Sunny morning, cloudy afternoonFinish: Hot Springs, NCMiles: 3.2Cumulative A.T. Miles: 270.7Branch: Okay, last night I wrote that we were going to charge right through Hot Springs--people would only see a flash as we resupplied and ran back out of town. As you can see from our stats, that did not exactly happen. We woke up and quickly walked the 3.2 easy miles in (we sang praise songs, Wizard of Oz, and 'Time to Change' by the Brady Bunch) having heard that there was an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast for only $3. After gorging on some delicious pancakes and hanging out for a while, we decided that since it is Sunday and there is a church nearby, it might be nice if we went to church this morning. I was anxious to be able to sing God's praises alongside other believers. After church, we attempted to make quick work of the town chores. We went to the outfitter, then went to do our laundry. This is when the plan began to change. As we prepared to do the laundry, huge, black, ominous clouds began to roll over the town of Hot Springs.Clay: Two guys said that the rain was scheduled to pour on us in the afternoon. Being tired of rain, thunder, wet gear and clothes, we opted to stay in town. We split up our town chores so that we could finish them faster. Branch shopped at the outfitter and Dollar Store for food while I washed clothes.While doing laundry, I was able to hang out with Marley and No Falls. I had a great time talking with Marley about his children and it was fun kidding around with No Falls.As I was doing laundry I saw Davey Do walk into the Alpine Hotel. I am amazed. Four nights ago he was hacking with a cough similar to the one Branch had. Two nights ago, he walked 15 miles to the shelter and announced his hernia had popped out. Later that night he loudly vomited the burger he ate at Mountain Moma's. He said that he was leaving the trail. He slept in the shelter until around noon and walked for five miles. Now he is in Hot Springs. What a strong guy!Staying in the hotel set us another half-day behind but we will get a better nights rest here. Church did not feed me enough to fill my hearty spiritual appetite. So, we watched D. James Kennedy speak about "The Da Vinci Code". He argued that Brown's book utilized the writings of the Second-century Gnostics. So, the research about Jesus in Brown's book is not sound.Tomorrow we will eat breakfast in town and do a difficult 11 mile day. So long...farewell...
Date: 2006-04-24
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Spring Mountain Shelter (TN side)
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: few clouds

Day: 38Date: 4/24/06Start: Hot Springs, NCWeather: Sunny, hot (85 degrees)Finish: Spring Mountain Shelter (TN side)Miles: 11Cumulative A.T. Miles: 281.7Branch: We woke up slowly in the comfortable, phoneless hotel room this morning, savoring the luxuries of the indoors. By 8:30, our packs were packed and we were headed to the diner for one, final hot meal in town--it was great! After that we had to stop in the outfitters to replace my Platypus water bladder (which we got for free because of the life-time warranty). So after moseying around town, it ended up being around 10:20 or so before we finally made the great exit.The sun and the heavy pack made the hiking really tough today. It is on days like today that I absolutely love having my MP3 player. When its hot and I'm cranky and the hill seems never ending, listening to a scholar talk about things related to the Bible takes my mind away from the hiking and places my thoughts where they need to be--on Jesus. Today I listened to Hugh Ross talk about how the cosmos points not only to a Creator, but the God of the Bible. It was incredible to hear about how improbable it is for a universe to support life with out it being divinely designed by God. In fact, I liked this talk so much I listened to it twice so that I could better grasp all of the small details given.Clay: My $5 Wal-Mart foam mat has been making my hip and hind quarters go to sleep better than the remainder of my body. So, in order that I may sleep better and that my hips won't be in pain, we bought a Thermarest (Prolite 4, short) for me.We have not received a cell phone signal since Franklin, NC--none. We have not seen a computer since then either.We saw Davey Do today at breakfast. He is staying on the trail! His popularity is up now since he was sick. So, he may run for Trail Governor (ha ha). We also saw Livin' again. He has been yellow blazing so much that Miss Janet put a yellow blaze on the back of his jacket. He and Nokia have been having a great time except for one event. Livin's pack was stolen a few days ago, he found it in the dumpster and only two items were missing--his boots and socks! Livin' was puzzled why anyone would want his size 12 shoes.As Branch said, hiking out of Hot Springs was tough today. For a while, we hiked with Pro, Granite, and Double Zip. At one juncture after a small dam, we became lost briefly due to some bad blazing. This escapade took about 10 minutes to resolve. Pro and Granite planned to push on past camp on the possible promise of trail magic 4 miles ahead. We saw two grave sites today along the trail. One site was occupied by the former owner of the Walassi Yi (i.e. Mountain Crossings)Tonight we are camping with Model T and Ranger Dawg, Double Zip and others. We also met Donkey today. We are going to try to do 70 miles in 5 days in order to get to Erwin, TN. We have 16 miles to do tomorrow--probably in the rain. Branch is so tired she fell asleep with her headlamp on. I had better turn it off and go to sleep as well.Clay & Branch
Date: 2006-04-26
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter, NC

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter, NC
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: light rain

Day: 40Date: 4/26/06Start: Jerry Cabin Shelter, NCWeather: rain, rain, clouds, rainFinish: Hogback Ridge Shelter, NCMiles: 14.7Cumulative A.T. Miles: 311.8Branch: Today was one of the few days that we actually spent most of the day hiking with people. Usually, we hike alone for the most part and then hang out when we get to camp. We spent the first 6 miles hiking with the Mudbogger Brothers, and then spent the rest of the day flip flopping with them, Ranger Dog, Misfit 1, and Blazer. It was a great time being able to talk with people during the day as well.I guess the main thing on everyone's mind today was the weather. For most of the day, it either rained, sprinkled, or threatened to do either one of those. While wet gear and filthy hikers are an unfortunate side effect of such weather, I found myself praising God for it for much of the day. The rain has brought cooler temperatures, we haven't needed to drink as much, and I did not spend my day sighing and wiping tons of sweat from my face at all. After yesterday's time of squeeking out the miles and straining for every step, today's rain helped me to conquer the hills and the miles.Clay: Today was one of my favorite hiking days. We started out hiking for a few hours with the Mudbogger brothers. For the most part we did a big downhill on an old logging road until we reached a shelter for lunch. The rain was pouring.For every big downhill, it seems that there is a big uphill. Todays uphill was a 6-mile climb up Frozen Knob. Branch was hoofing out some miles today! I was proud of her. As we ascended, we passed through some of the prettiest Spring flowers and greenery that we have seen thus far on the trip. The rain only magnified the beauty of the green plants and the smells that permeated the dewy sweet fresh air. The mountains look like a quilt of lush green plant life accented with purple, yellow, white, and red flowers. The crystal-clear waterfalls slaked our visual thirst as they gushed from the soft rain today.There was little socializing in camp. The rain put a damper on that. Our tent was already soaked from the rain from the previous night. The sil-nylon tent had reached a critical saturation point. So, when the rain hit the top of our tent with any force, our face, our sleeping bag, or our backpack. We knew we'd be soaked by the morning.
Date: 2006-04-29
From: Erwin, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day: 43Date: 4/29/06Start: Erwin, TNWeather: Partly cloudyFinish: Erwin, TNMiles: 0 trail / about 5 walking in townCumulative A.T. Miles: 338.7Clay: After a fairly restful night, our "zero" day started at 6:15 AM. By 7:20 AM we were out the door. Today we have to go to the supermarket, CVS, Cingular, laundromat, USPS, Miss Janet's (for fuel). The problem is that some of these places are over a mile from each other. In a car, that is not a problem. On foot, it takes a while.By 8 AM, Branch was shopping for food and I was troubleshooting our phone problems at a Cingular store abut 3/4 of a mile away. By 9 AM I had walked back to meet Branch. Branch then went to CVS to burn picture CDs (to go along with our web journals) and I got on a pay phone to call Cingular Technical Support. Suzy's job took two hours because of a slow machine and slower personnel! So, having the phone fixed now, I started returning missed calls to our support team and others.By 11 AM, we were heading to the Post Office--about a mile or so away. We received no less than 5 packages today from folks! After writing 'thank you's, we were out of the USPS by noon. We were the penultimate customer.After noon we started walking to Miss Janet's Hiker Hostel for fuel and fellowship (about .3 mile from the USPS). The place was packed with hikers--most of which we knew. After saying hello to our hiking buddies, we greating by our friend Nokia. We have seen him in nearly every town or gathering since Neel's Gap in Georgia. He is working at Miss Janet's today and he was so very kind to us. We needed fuel and he gave us his own fuel for free. We tried to pay him for the fuel but he would not accept the payment. So, we gave him a bag of my mother's cookies that she had sent to us today. The cookies were made with a special ingredient--a smattering of extra love. So, I thought that Nokia would like this. Nokia and I had a good, but short, conversation about Christianity and Buddhism today. Our exchange was warm, honest, and respectful in tone and I felt honored to talk with this fine fellow about such an important topic. I can't wait to discuss difficult matters with him in Damascus. He is a funny, fun-loving, deep fellow.By 2 PM, we were up the road a mile doing laundry (thank you Miss Janet for the lift!). While doing the laundry we were writing letters, reading the Bible, and making calls.By 3:30, we started walking back to the hotel (1.5 miles away). We said hello to some hikers and we made a pit stop to get some pie and ice cream. By 4:30, we were back at the hotel. At the hotel we were not finished working. Branch prepared meals for the next 5 days and I journaled and wrote e-mails. It is now 5:30 and we are taking a break. Today was tougher than a day on the trail. We walked about 5 miles today and did our chores.We plan to be in Damascus, VA in about 10 days. We are excited about cresting Roan Mountain, visiting Elizabethton, Hampton, and Shady Valley, TN.
Date: 2006-04-30
From: Erwin, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day: 44Date: 4/30/06Start: Erwin, TNWeather: Rain, overcastFinish: Erwin, TNMiles: 0Cumulative A.T. Miles:We stopped working at 7 PM last night. By 7:30 we had finished dinner. Branch was asleep by 7:50 PM for the duration of the night. We were exhausted. It was not a restful zero day.This morning we went to Huddle House and had a good breakfast. We are taking another zero for a few reasons. We have more work that we need to do and we need to rest. We will be on the trail for 9 days straight--until we get to Damascus, VA.
Date: 2006-05-01
From: Erwin, TN

To: Cherry Gap Shelter, TN
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: broken clouds

Day: 45Date:5/1/06Start: Erwin, TNWeather: sunny, blue skies, mild tempsFinish: Cherry Gap Shelter, TNMiles: 16.4Cumulative A.T. Miles: 355.1Branch: The first day out of town is always a tough one for me. My pack is laden heavy with food, so far there has always been a pretty significant climb associated with leaving a town, and the law of inertia is in effect with my body (that is a body at rest will stay at rest--and that's exactly what I want to do). Today was no different for me. In fact, I think it was probably the toughest so far. The skies were blue, the birds were singing, and Spring was in the air, but, sadly, my mood was not at all cheery. Poor Clay tried to no avail to lift my spirits. Imagine my surprise when we got to our planned destination for the day, and Clay suggests that we climb another 1500 feet and hike another 5 miles. Imagine my even bigger surprise when I found myself actually doing it! As I climbed up the unplanned monster of a hill (Unaka Mountain, 5180') I found my mood actually lifting. By the time we got to the top, I was enjoying myself for the first time of the day. God truly caused me to be thankful for my wise and patient husband today. I am so blessed to have him as my hiking partner.Clay: When we got to Cherry Gap Shelter (4400'), we knew no one. Our food bags are the heaviest they have ever been. The portions are getting larger-- very exciting.Tonight it was neat to see Zoomer reading C.S. Lewis' _The Problem of Pain_. We asked her a number of questions about the book. The group was fun around the camp fire tonight.Tomorrow we may summit Roan Mountain (6275'). We'll see how the terrain goes. Good night and God Bless.
Date: 2006-05-02
From: Cherry Gap Shelter, TN

To: Clyde Smith Shelter, TN
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Day: 46Date: 5/2/06Start: Cherry Gap Shelter, TNWeather: Very odd--super cloudy then sunny, very windy. Hot then cold...hot then cold. No rainFinish: Clyde Smith Shelter, TNMiles: 8.8Cumulative A.T. Miles: 363.9Branch: We woke up leisurely this morning and took until 8:30 AM to get out of the shelter. We had planned to do a 13 or 15 mile day to get up Roan Mountain. However, when we got to the shelter at 1:30 PM, there were several factors that helped us change our plan. First, Clay heard on the radio that there is a pretty good chance of thunderstorms tonight. Second, I felt like finishing the last 5 miles of a 15 mile day by climbing Roan would be a bit too much of a stretch for me. Last, the thought of laying around, napping, and reading a while was way too tempting. Five hikers napped! These reasons actually kept another 5 hikers here tonight as well. So, we hung around all afternoon, took a much needed nap, and read a few pages of Ravi Zacharias's _Jesus Among Other Gods_. It was great! I'm sure I'll hike better tomorrow having rested today. Tonight we enjoyed a huge fire and some nice company.Clay: A certain family tradition in Jeremiah 35.7 said, "You must never build houses, sow seed or plant vineyards...you must always live in tents."The above verse was a family tradition. The particular family followed it without failing. Later in the chapter, God uses this tradition to show that people will follow lesser rules. So, why not follow His higher rules?In the Bible, the wilderness is not where people wanted to be. The once captive Jews were led out of slavery and into the wilderness. Many of these people never experienced the Promised Land because of sin.As a metaphor, the wilderness is where we are taught a lesson, where we are tempted, or where we are tested. As I am writing you while laying in a dark, windy shelter tonight the same holds true in the wilderness of the Appalachian Trail. People come out here and their virtues are tested. They are tempted by a myriad of things, events, and people. Hopefully, these people in the wilderness will learn lessons while out here. The wilderness is a rough and tough place. We are not meant to reside here.