morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-04-04
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Spring/Campsite 5200 ft
Miles today: 10.5

Transcribed by Matt -- smithm55@gmail.c0m"Can You Believe Those Gators!!!!!"I was able to watch the NCAA finals with my dad and that was a treat! I am able to go to all the UF home basketball games because my friend Don has two season tickets, and for about the last 5 or 6 years he has let me use one, so consequently I have become a "Refined Rowdy Reptile". Besides Don and me there is Tim and Phil and we rarely miss a regular season home game. My Uncle Ron drove me back to the trail and I waved goodbye at 9:00 AM. It was a great day for hiking, a bit on the breezy side, but clear and dry. I hiked off and on with "Why Not" and "Walker", two guys I had met early in my hike. We have a good campfire going and it is supposed to be in the low thirties again tonight. Goodnight Don and Jodi Wayne - Headin' North
Date: 2006-04-05
From: Spring/Campsite 5200 ft

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: clear sky

Transcribed by Matt -- smithm55@gmail.c0m"Sunshine and Wind"Going up the mountain it was easy to work up a sweat, so off came the jacket. Going down the mountain was not so strenuous and with the wind blowing it was necessary to stop and put the jacket back on. I must have done this a half a dozen times before noon. Most of the day I hiked alone, until about 2:30 PM, when I came upon three retired school teachers from Kansas City, Missouri. They are section hiking from Wallace Gap to NOC. It was nice to have some company, especially going my pace, slow. Tomorrow I will be at NOC, where I will get a shower and wash my clothes. I'm getting tired. Goodnight Barb and Joe Wayne - Headin' North'Scriber's Note: NOC = Nantahala Outdoor Center, click here to visit their website.
Date: 2006-04-06
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: US 19; Wesser, NC - NOC
Miles today: 5.6
Weather: broken clouds

Transcribed by Matt -- smithm55@gmail.c0m"Trail Magic and Trail Angels Everywhere"Today is our wedding anniversary! Happy Anniversary Jean. I was able to talk with her, but our connection was not the best. I told her that I would call her later tonight, but the pay phone is not working here and I am not sure how I am going to transmit these last three journal entries. I must say that the 5 and 1/2 miles I hiked today (mostly downhill) were extremely difficult. The trail was wet and there were a lot of 3 and 4 foot drops, it was slippery. I arrived here at about 11:45, just in time to go to lunch with "Why Me" and "Walker" a couple of "old guys" like me and to my surprise, "Walker" insisted on picking up the tab and wished Jean and me a happy anniversary. Hold on there journal reader, that's not all! This evening "Trooper" picked up the tab for dinner wishing us "happy anniversary and many more to come". This family atmosphere just continues to amaze me. The local fire department just did a controlled burn of an old warehouse, and that was the biggest bonfire we have had on the trail. Tomorrow is only a 7 mile day, but with an elevation gain of 3,322 feet. Goodnight Jean Wayne - Headin' North
Date: 2006-04-07
From: NOC

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: clear sky

Transcribed by Matt -- smithm55@gmail.c0m"Hiking Alone is Good"I know that's not a lot of miles after a night in a hostel, but they were quality miles and all up hill. I left NOC at 10:30, the latest start so far. I spent an hour trying to send Matt my journal entries and all to no avail, as every phone I tried would not accept a call to an 800 number. I will now have to wait until I get to Fontana. I arrived at the shelter at 4:30 PM and I am very tired. There are 12 in the shelter and "Butterfly Momma" and "Numbers" are tenting. The weather report calls for strong winds and thundershowers. Hey Abby, you should see the beautiful little flowers that are popping up along the trail. They are so pretty and they would make a nice bouquet for your mother. Emily, you would go bananas out here! There are lots and lots of rocks on the trail. Great big rocks, as big as your house and little rocks that you could put in your pocket. There are rocks that would really look neat in your rock garden, too. It truly is beautiful and peaceful out here. It is, however very difficult to enjoy the beauty while hiking, as most of the time you have to concentrate on your hiking boots and where you are putting them. It's nearly dark and time for bed.Goodnight Pat and BarbaraWayne - Headin' North
Date: 2006-04-08
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Stecoah Gap
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: light rain

Transcribed by Matt -- smithm55@gmail.c0m"What Goes Up Must Come Down"Yesterday I climbed up, up, and more up. Today it was a little up and a lot down. I don't do downs very well and lately it has been even more difficult and quite painful. I'm not sure what I have done to it, but I cannot put my whole foot down when descending the mountains, I can only walk on my tip toes and it's only my left foot. The sensation is like tendons tearing loose from my toes and only when I put my heel down first. If anyone knows of what I speak, please send Matt a note so that he can relay it to me. I have talked to one medical student who suggested that I at least should rest it a couple of days and that's what I am doing. I am so very fortunate to have family in this area and I wonder what other hikers would have done. Anyway I'm soaking my foot in Epsom salts and Monday I will decide if I need to go to a doctor.Goodnight Bill and Ginger Wayne - Headin' North'Scriber's Note: Feel free to e-mail me at smithm55@gmail.c0m if you have any medical advice. Note that I always type a zero in "c0m" in my e-mail address -- that helps throw off programs that scour web pages looking for addresses to spam. Just change the zero to a letter o, and you're in business. Please understand that I'll only forward messages with any specific medical content. Feel free to use the "Sign" link in the left margin instead if you wish to pass along any words of encouragement, etc. via his Guest Book -- I can assure you he checks there anytime he's at a computer with Internet access along the way.
Date: 2006-04-09
From: Franklin, North Carolina

To: Franklin, North Carolina
Miles today: 0.0

Transcribed by Matt -- smithm55@gmail.c0m"Mending and Very Optimistic"The clue came from my sister-in-law, she is a nurse and suggested that my problem sounded like tendonitis. I went to the web (who doesn't) and it described my symptoms perfectly. It also suggested what I should do and I am truly optimistic that with treatment and rest I will be back on the trail before the end of the week. The weather is nearly perfect here and Spring is in evidence everywhere. It's a good time to be in the forest and I hope to return soon. Goodnight Phyllis Wayne - Headin' North
Date: 2006-04-10
From: Franklin, North Carolina

To: Franklin, North Carolina
Miles today: 0.0

Transcribed by Matt -- smithm55@gmail.c0m"A Visit to Fontana Dam"Mom and I drove over to Fontana, NC today, where I had a scheduled mail drop. I saw "Walker", "Why Not" and "Wonderfoot", who said she had mostly yellow blazed (hitchhiked) from Hiawassee, but was planning to hike to Hot Springs. What a day, nearly perfect. I am back on my meds and have been soaking my foot and then massaging it with Mineral Ice. There is no pain now and another day or two should do the trick. I am getting further and further behind"The Alaskans" and it looks like I may never see them again, unless someday I get a "special invitation" to visit them. Goodnight HeidiWayne - Headin' North
Date: 2006-04-11
From: Franklin, North Carolina

To: Franklin, North Carolina
Miles today: 0.0

Transcribed by Matt -- smithm55@gmail.c0m"Return to the Trail"I hiked up and down local hills for about 4.5 miles this afternoon and the foot seems to be much better. Tomorrow morning my Uncle Ron will return me to the trail, and the following day I will enter the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. I have hiked the park before, but from the North to the South. This time I will hike from the South to the North. If all goes well this will be my last entry until around the 18th or 19th. I want to thank all who have signed my guest book. It is nearly impossible for me to respond now, but I promise that when I end my 2006 hike I will write each and every one of you. Thanks for your thoughts and your prayers, please continue. Goodnight to everyone Wayne - Headin' North
Date: 2006-04-12
From: Stecoah Gap

To: Stream/Campsite
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Transcribed by Matt -- smithm55@gmail.c0m"A Good Day, Long But Good"After a couple of hours of hiking, especially downhill, the toes seem to go numb. The pain is minimal and I just have to take it a little slower. It'll get better. Goodnight Ranger Bob Wayne - Headin' North
Date: 2006-04-13
From: Stream/Campsite

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Transcribed by Matt -- smithm55@gmail.c0m"Day One in the Great Smoky Mountain National Park"This has been my longest day so far. The weather was just perfect. I hiked in shorts and a short-sleeved shirt and drank 2 liters of water. Tomorrow will be a shorter day, just to give my body a chance to catch up. I still have a little pain in my foot, especially if I don't plant it just right on the downhills, but overall it is better. I met and hiked with a local ridgerunner today and he had some interesting stories to tell. It was good to have someone to talk to. It is very late (8:20 PM) and I am very tired. Goodnight Frank and Marilyn Wayne - Headin' North'Scriber's Note: What's a "ridgerunner"? I'm so glad you asked. Here's a description fromappalachiantrail.org:ATC ridgerunners and caretakers hike sections of the A.T., meet and greet hikers, provide Trail brochures and literature to inform visitors about the A.T. and its intended primitive experience, its location, regulations, and traditions. They take steps to encourage the best behavior on the part of hikers, to facilitate a positive Trail experience (particularly for those who are poorly prepared), and to elicit the support of Trail neighbors and those who live nearby, but who may not understand or use the Trail properly. Ridgerunners and caretakers, by their presence, discourage and mitigate misuse of the Appalachian Trail and its environs by performing educational and public relations functions.
Date: 2006-04-14
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: clear sky

Transcribed by Matt -- smithm55@gmail.c0m"Horses, Hikers and Ridgerunners"Today is Good Friday! I passed a large horse caravan today, seventeen horses and riders. About half of the trail in the park is open to horses and they don't step aside for the hiker. I will probably have a shorter day tomorrow. My foot is not doing well and now it is starting to affect my left knee as well. No wonder I'm not having any fun out here. I have met a lot of really nice people -- most of them young, in their early twenties. I have still not found anyone who hikes my speed, slow. It is getting dark and I am tired. Goodnight Tom and Becky Wayne - Headin' North
Date: 2006-04-15
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Clingmans Dome
Miles today: 10.1

Transcribed by Matt -- smithm55@gmail.c0m"Stealth Tenting"I am probably not supposed to tent here, but there are no signs saying not to. Tomorrow is Easter Sunday and I thought it would be neat to see the sunrise from the dome, 6,643 feet high. I don't think I could walk another mile, and the next shelter is 3.4 miles. It is 7:30 PM and in another 30 minutes it will be dark, so here I am. I had not planned to go into Gatlinburg, but I have to get off this foot. It is now starting to affect my left knee, also. I'd rather be painting! Goodnight Dave and Sally Wayne - Headin' North
Date: 2006-04-16
From: Clingmans Dome

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: broken clouds

Transcribed by Matt -- smithm55@gmail.c0m"Easter Sunday"I was awake at 5:00 AM and had all my gear packed in 30 minutes. I took my camera to the top of the tower so that I could get a picture of the sunrise. It was spectacular and as I was facing the sun I shouted, "CHRIST THE LORD HAS RISEN," and in my mind and heart I heard my friend Lori say, quite confidently, "Christ has risen, indeed."HAPPY EASTER, EVERYBODY!Goodnight LoriWayne - Headin' North
Date: 2006-04-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Transcribed by Matt -- smithm55@gmail.c0m"Off the Trail"After over 200 miles I have come to the realization that I will not become a thru-hiker. I must admit it is not only physical, but spiritual as well. It has become too difficult and too painful to tip toe down the mountains and it is no longer just my foot, but now the knee is starting to hurt. I am having trouble with leg cramps during the night, probably from walking on my toes for long periods of time. It really hit me hard the other day when I suddenly realized that I wasn't having any fun. I have hiked well over 500 miles of the Appalachian Trail and this was the first time I had ever felt like this. It was time to go home! Monday morning, April 17th I had a nice long visit with "THE CARETAKER" and "THREE DOLLAR", they are the New England twins of the Alaskans and just as encouraging. They too have insisted that I stay in touch with them and I will. The two of them met while working at the "Huts" in New Hampshire. "THE CARETAKER" is section hiking to Hot Springs and will return to the huts for the summer. Be sure and look for her, "ORK" and "BEAN". Well that's it. I know that I have disappointed a few guys who either were going to hike with me or just thought I would make it. If you feel bad for me, don't, I will continue to hike the "Trail" from time to time and will join the growing ranks of Section Hikers. I will write everyone who signed my journal and left an address. Goodnight......... Wayne'Scriber's note: It's been a pleasure and a privilege to keep you all updated along Wayne's journey. I know you'll join me in congratulating him on 200+ miles this trip. Some new photos have also been added -- remember to use the "Photos" link in the left margin if you wish to view them.
Date: 2006-02-21
To: Blairsville, Ga
Miles today: 0.0

I just returned home from walking the last of my Florida Trail walk. I got to walk with a great group of hikers for the last 200+ miles of that trail...LWOP, Hammock Hanger and Short Cut. That walk ended up turning into a section hike of the Florida Trail, but I am done with the entire trail as of 2-17-06, so now I can get ready for my next walk....a nobo AT hike. It is the 21st of February and my plan is to take this week and get my taxes done and take care of a few more things that I never seem to get around to when I'm walking. I should have everything done in time to start my walk on the 1st of March after a planned fried chicken dinner at the Smith House in Dahlonaga, Ga on the last day of February with some trail friends.If all goes according to plan, I'll start walking with Chief and Xmas, but they are planning on a 1 1/2 month tour of the Georgia trail to NC and back, so I doubt I'll walk with them much more than 3 1/2 minutes. ;-))) It's been a long day today. I was in Florida this morning finishing up helping Hammock Hanger and Short Cut with a part of their hike. I headed for Blairsville after breakfast and got home around 2pm, then spent the afternoon going through mail, email and uploading the last photos for my Florida Trail hike.It's now 10pm and I'm wearing down fast, so this is just a short entry to help get my 2006 journal off to a start.Oh yeah, my plans for this year's walk is to start on Springer Mountain in Georgia on March 1st and walk north (yep, me walking north) to the north shore of Newfoundland which I hope to finish in time to attend The Gathering in WV in October.I feel like the luckiest person on earth to be able to do this walk. :-)))
Date: 2006-02-25
From: Blairsville, Ga

To: Blairsville, Ga
Miles today: 0.0

I went up to Springer Mountain yesterday to see a good friend off on her thru hike. Mrs Gorp and her husband, Larry, helped me out each time I walked through Vermont, so I really wanted to help her out to get started on her walk.I drove up to the Springer trailhead and walked up to the summit carrying my full backpack with some goodies for her. In the side of my pack was a full thermos of hot chocolate. I passed two nobo's by the names of Cash and Snowman who were just starting on their adventure. They looked at my pack with a huge thermos kind of funny, but they were good and didn't make any comments. :-)))I got up to the summit and was happy to run into Many Sleeps who I hadn't seen in a couple years. It was great seeing him again.He'll be on Springer for the next few months because he's the new caretaker/ridgerunner for that area.I talked to him for about 1 1/2 hours while I waited on Mrs Gorp to walk up from Amicalola Falls for the start of her adventure.There was an '02 thru hiker by the name of Loggerhead up there on a day hike with his dog. He had started a month after me that year, so I never ran into him, but he remembered seeing my register entries.Mrs Gorp showed up just before 2pm on an absolutely beautiful February day for the official start of her '06 thru hike.It was her birthday, so I brought a party hat just so she would look rediculous and some triple chocolate chip cookies that I baked for her before I left home this morning. Happy Birthday Mrs Gorp!!! What a way to celebrate your birthday....start a walk on the AT!!We took some pictures and as I was getting ready to leave, she mentioned that it sure would be nice to have me slack her a little, so I took her pack and met her at Three Forks.It was VERY hard for me not to start walking north today. I'm done with everything that needs to be done at home and now I'm just waiting on Chief and company to show up on the 28th for a send off fried chicken dinner at the Smith House.Chief always complains that I take too long to do anything, but he's the one that's holding me up from walking now. I'm not sure how many of you read what he called me in my guestbook when I was walking in Florida, but I just want to clear up the confusion in his head right here where my friends will see it. He called me Motel Boy, but I remember very well when he started walking in '04, he never slept in the woods for the first ten days of his hike!! Yep, ten days in motels and he called me "Motel Boy". Ha!!!I think he should buy my dinner since I could have started walking yesterday on such a beautiful day. I would have slept in the woods too. :-)))OK, I can do this....just three more full days after today before I walk north off Springer Mountain. Tick, tick, tick, tick.....................
Date: 2006-02-28
From: Blairsville, Ga

To: Dahlonega, Ga
Miles today: 0.0

OK, I know I said that the next entry would be from the trail, but I had to write this short one to clear up something. I got an entry in my guestbook that said my little smiley face at the end of each entry was doing different things when some people would read my journal. Mrs Gorp was here, so I asked her if she ever noticed anything different about my smiley faces when she would look at the journal and she said that it came through with party hats at Near Year's Eve and would come through as a blue smiley face other times. I've never changed my smiley face from the nice little yellow smiley that I originally posted for the end of each journal entry.The only thing I can figure out is that the webpage that I got the URL from, changes the Smiley sometimes and that change shows up on my journal.....sooooooo, until I find a smiley that doesn't shoot birds or wear party hats, I'm taking my smiley face off my journal. If anyone has a link to a nice, yellow smiley face that doesn't do anything but sit there and look cute, please email it to me and I'll post it on my journal. Until then, I'll just do my little :-))) faces like this. :-))) Oh yeah, I'm leaving my home in about two hours to meet some friends for a fried chicken dinner for the send-off celebration of my walk that starts right after a breakfast buffet tomorrow morning at the Lodge at Amicalola Falls. Now my next entry really will come from the trail. :-))) Time to start packing for a walk in the woods.......Yahoooooo!!!!!!!!!!The photo on this page is what my breakfast will be for the next 7 months. :-))Two of those nice little 400 calorie fruit pies each morning!!! Those and Starbuck's every morning....no wonder I like walking. :-)))
Date: 2006-03-22
From: Blairsville, Ga

To: Blairsville, Ga
Miles today: 0.0

This is another update of the small interruption of my '06 walk north to Newfoundland on the AT. :-))) It's been 15 days since the smell of grilling hamburgers caused the lapse of attention to what I was doing and I fell and broke my left arm. I went back to the Orthopedic Surgeon last week and after another xray, he found another fracture, but it was just a vertical fracture from where my bone was already broken, so he said it won't cause any problems. It will heal right along with the main break. Shortcut and I left for the FTA Conference right after the doctor's appointment. The FTA Conference is Florida's equivalent of The Gathering for the AT. I got to meet lots of friends and even made some new ones. It's always fun to go to hiker gatherings. I started actually being able to lay down in bed and sleeping 3 days ago. That makes it really nice because I had been sleeping in a recliner. My arm feels a little better each day, although it still has a ways to go before I can actually start using it again. It's still really bruised, but I'm walking around without the sling...it just feels better to let it dangle than to have it in the sling all day. I've started planning my escape back to my walk on the AT. I'm going to do a couple day hikes that will take me from NOC to Fontana. That should tell me how I'm feeling on the trail. If all goes well with that, I'll backpack through the Smokies about a week later. If that goes well, I'm hoping to restart my walk from Davenport Gap on about April 9th. My plans are still to walk to the north shore of Newfoundland this year. I still want to be done the first week of October and although I haven't done tha math...I think I can do it. :-))) I knew when I started my walk that I had about a month to play with and still make it to Newfoundland, so it looks like I'll have used that month of playtime up on mending a broken arm. I still want to walk to Newfoundland...I am really looking forward to that!! I'm heading up to Unicoi Gap on Sunday, the 26th with Smokestack, Mother Nature and Shortcut to do some trail magic for the day. We'll be grilling hotdogs and have a bunch of other goodies for the Class of '06 nobo's walking through there. We're going early so we can catch the hikers coming from Blue Mountain Shelter in the morning and we plan on staying all day. Should be alot of fun. :-))) My next post will be when I actually do those two day hikes of about 30 miles which will count as part of my hike because I'm leaving from NOC where I fell. Can't wait to sleep in the woods again and wake up to some fruit pies and Starbuck's!!! :-)))