morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-04-04
From: fontana inn

To: mollies ridge
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: few clouds

So last night i was feeling anti social i guess, 42 said she is surprised by me sometimes, i get along with everyone so well, but when there is a huge party i leave. I don't know what is wrong i just feel like i have been around so many people, for so long, and i am never alone. I talked to taylor last night and he said i need to find a balance. This would be the section he was coming to hike with me. I felt it today, that i wished he were here. Since he seems like such a huge part of this whole thing, and definately my biggest support out here since he has done this already. So i left many behind today, as tatar and sundance took a zero and i went into the smokies, i hope to see them again, i really like them. When i got to the dam feng shui was there! so great to see here and start off the day with her and "jody foster" who is also really funny!as the day went on i hiked alone. The flowers were everywhere! The big climb everyone talked about was not that bad, another fire tower with amazing views. Got to the shelter for find "slick b" ponch and mo" we played cards, i taught then yaniv, a game i learned traveling. i am grumpy today thoughat sheltergrindscoolhandtec42suncrowsunshine daydreamjody fostershe bearthumbs, gravy, tender, balou (who we have been seeing since trey mountain)
Date: 2006-04-05
From: mollies ridge

To: derrrick knob
Miles today: 11.7

this makes 3 weeks. I thought a lot about home today. I don't know if it is because it was my 2nd day of hiking alone most of the time or what. But i got excited to be in seattle for the summer of music festivals and hiking there. I thought about my kids i work with and wonder how they are, and if the miss me. I can not wait to get to take them to the park and beach everyday. I made it to rocky top and sat the for lunch, and eastern towee joined me too! then cool hand and tec came up singing the rocky top song! it was great. the big group has really split up now, 42 wanted to do a 17 mmile day, ponch, mo, slick, tec, cool hand all did and i was ready to go, when 42 to go to the shelter and said no. so we stayed there with suncrow, sunshine daydream, jody and she bear, and some weekend weekend hikers that slick b now calls weekend nanncies. some of them were really nice though. I got to do a lot of yoga in the sun with 42 and chat about the day. I am having mixed feelings about the trail today, but i still want to keep going, i am sure they will pass.much love Rasta
Date: 2006-04-06
From: derrrick knob

To: ice water spring
Miles today: 21.0

What a day of firsts!!! 42 and I spent the day together again and crazy things were ahead! we just kept going hiking for 12 hours! and showing up to a full shelter of sleeping people at 9pm.. of course my tent broke when i got there, but oh my what a day. I will just list all the things that happened for the first time today. as i am super tired and just want to sleep! i think there are lots of people in the shelter who we want to see and will be surprised we hike 21 miles! and we also passed a lot of people who went into gatlenburg. or a different shelter (single malt, conductor, coolhand, tec, poles, grinds, and tsnake) ok the listlongest mileslongest hours hikinghighest point on the whole AT clingmans dome (over rated)1st fall, slipped on a rock, landed right on my back, it was funnywent over the 200 mile mark1st picture taken by tourists (end of the day tally was 3 people where so interested in our journey i felt a little famous at one point i had 7 people around me watching us cook and asking us questions, we had hiked 18 miles by then with 3 more to go!)1st day of rain, although it was not really that much at all it dried fastmost crazy looking trees1st time hiking through fenced in area of trail1st time i ate a whole candy bar, on the trail, in the middle of the daysaw our 1st ridge runner1st night hike1st time setting up the tent in the darkthe lastest i ever arrived at a shelterand the first day i never saw another thru hiker (other then 42) all day!this was a crazy day! but fun too! i am so happy we did it!
Date: 2006-04-07
From: ice water spring

To: tri corner
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: clear sky

I did not sleep at all last night. i was pretty stiff and in the dark set up my tent on some roots. This morning when we woke up people were really shoked to see us. ultrachic badass! there was no shelter log to document our big day! oh well. So the morning was tough for me, 42 passed me and made me stop, take motrin and drink something other then water, thanks to her i was feeling better soon and hiking better, i had been dragging for sure! I decided i don't like spending the whole day hiking alone, i feel like there needs to be a little time with someone throughout the day to break it up, and make it go by a little faster.. when we got to the shelter "slick b, ponch, and mo" where hear! they were super surprised to see us, since they left the shelter before we woke up this morning and did not hear of our big day. I really like hanging out with them so i was glad they were there, also "andy D" and his friend were there too. Cohiba and otter now join us and i think they have trail journals too. they seem nice they have known eachother on and off for 40 years and are hiking the trail together. good guys. I still tremendously enjoy this thru hiking life style, although i feel like my home life is easier then this, and most other people think this is a break or vacation. guess i am lucky that i love my job/life so much!
Date: 2006-04-08
From: tri corner

To: davenport shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

Huge rain today!!! all day! And i hiked alone and liked it! i am weird. I guess i can not tell what i like out here, so much depends on what your mind space is that day. 42 was with me for a bit and we had a nice coversation about managment and leadership (what she went to school for) For a minute it cleared and we thought it was over we even dried off a bit, then it fell in buckets! we were screaming and hiking through mud and a river that seemed to flow along the trail. It was so much fun. I thought how much the kids would love to be splashing in these puddles with me! I am amazed that a 15 mile day feels like nothing after that big one!I feel great, and also hungry, that whole hiker hunger thing might finally be coming.some things i have learned so far1) no matter what i put on my feet to stop, cover, or prevent blisters does not work, i have had them since day 2 and the continue to appear in new and odd places!2) i will hike the amount of miles per day i tell myself i am be it 7 or 21 and when i reach that point i feel done for the day3) once your feet get wet they can not get wetter so it is easier and more fun to just walk in the puddles and mud!4) i am getting really good at identifying birds with my book, and seeing them in a tree and then finding it with my monocular. i now know dark eyed junkos, downy and hairy woodpeckers, eastern towee, and a few more. its great! 5) my rountine for morning, night, and town. It seem like less of a chore now and takes less time6) sometimes hiking alone is not as boring as i thought. thats all the thoughts i have for the day
Date: 2006-04-09
From: davenport shelter

To: standing bear
Miles today: 3.7
Weather: clear sky

this was a day i felt like i could hike to maine if it were like this all the time. I went in to the hostel with slick, ponch and mo. we forged a few streams and hiked up some steep stairs, after being on the road for a bit.I really cute place with a creek, butterflies, and a cherry tree that reminded me of seattle. Life is good on a sunny afternoon in Tenn. We got in trouble when we went to the market instead of just the gas station for food, it was everyone elses idea, and i was nervous about it since i am a big good two shoes and don't like to get people mad, no one else thought it would be a big deal. but when we got back i got yelled at of course! and when everyone else went to say sorry he was like oh its no big deal i was just worried. he said he was over it and it was fine, but then a few days later we found out he was still mad and talking about 42 and i like were some bad eggs or something! Whatever! i was going to give his place a good report, but then i heard that and got upset. We put gas in the tank and i even got a collection from other poeple who came later for dinner for more gas, we bought him beer, smokes, and TP. It was a place that cost 15$ for not real beds, and an outhouse compared the the place i am staying in hotsprings for the same price it can not compare. If he was not over it he should have not pretended to be fine and then talk about us after we left. Very unprofessional! While we were there mo.ponch, 42,andy, slick b and i got to stay in the "couples" cabin. it was far more comfortable then the other bunk house and had real beds. i finall slept well! and we all went out for dinner at a bluegrass mexican place! Slick went up on stage for an open mike and played guitar and sang "i've been all around the world" "dire wolf" a dead tune and then we all sang along with him for "the wieght" by the band. We had a blast. I was the driver again! since i don't drink and everyone was calling me mom as i drove them around in a big white van like i drove when i worked at the childrens psych hospital! i guess nothing changes much! everyone got wasted, and i made sure everyone got home safe and sound. there was a fire going when we got back, so more singing the pink floyd tune "one of my turns" was a hit for slick and ponch. "tsnake" popped in and we heard grinds, coolhand, tec, and poles are not far behind. i am going to hang out until the afternoon tomorrow to see who comes in. what a fantastic day!Rastaout for dinnercohibaotter42andy dslick bponch mobloomerconductor
Date: 2006-04-10
From: standing bear

To: ground hog shelter
Miles today: 7.2

What a great sleep, and even stayed in bed, stretching, chatting and listening to music. I got to see feng shiu and chat for a bit and finally left after 12. i have some blisters now and will take is slow since my tent is not working, i called and need to send it back to neels gap for a refund. they have been having trouble with this tent! It was hot today with some uphill to start, met slick ponch mo and 42 on top for this lookout that was just beautiful, we sat in the sun for a while and then onto the shelter, for a hotdog roast! I can not believe i am eating hotdogs, or even more so i can not believe how good they taste after hiking! I had to resupply in town so this is the first time i have to eat lipton sides, and poptarts. I am not sure if i miss my food, it is way way healthier... but sometimes cheesey rice and snickers bars is all i want! I am getting excited for hot springs! i will get a message there and eat more veggies and take a zero day! yahooo! And you really need to check out slick b's web site www.trailjournals.com/mandohe reads us his entries and they are great! oh the good times keep on rolling!
Date: 2006-04-12
From: camp all alone

To: sunnybank
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I am alive! nothing ate me! hope i didn't scare anyone, i was scared but now reading the entry it made me laugh so i put it in there. i hiked into town with slick b who had hiked the 23 to the shelter, he passed me when i was sleeping, i wore my crocs due to the pain of my 3 new blisters! silly me, no more big miles until i figure out how to now get blisters! i also now know how arch support is important since my calf muscles killed me! We got here and oh my! what a place a huge house, with antique furniture! a iget a double bed with down blankets and two pillows! slick was going to go camp i talked him into staying, mo and ponch were also going to camp and stayed too. poles did a 26 mile day and caught up again, grinds, coolhand, squarl, tec, sleepy the arab are all here too! oh what fun. Good food at a little dinner across the way. And my cotton town cloths! i love not wearing hiking gear all the time! i booked myself a massage for tomorrow it will be great. I have no cell service again, so can not make any calls as i had planned. Met a few new people marco solo who is super nice, and a couple railroad and critter who started a week before us, they will go into the peace corp when they finish the trail. we all went to the bar then to the camp site for a fire and some beers. I played some glow in the dark frisbee with tec and coolhand, then realized my blisters did not like that at all and i went back to sitting again. We stayed up to the real midnight! (not hiker midnight that is 9pm) It was so much fun. We also like to say there is a web site www.trailrumors.com that all the info about everyone is on, because it seems so easy to hear about everyone and know where everyone is up and down the trail. it is so funny. some people believed there really was one. it is more of a joke that slick started, and has now taken off. funny stuff..ok i am off to sleep!
Date: 2006-04-13
From: sunnybank

To: sunny bank
Miles today: 0.0

so i just spent over 2 hours doing these journals! and all morning packing, restocking, and getting organized, my massage is in 45 minutes so i have to run!Feng shui, jody foster, and she bear where there when i left. And conductor showed up. 42 just came into the library and told me singlemalt, 2much and enuff are here! they are all staying with us and having dinner that the hostel cooks there will be 21 people the most they can hold! this is going to be so much fun i can not wait to go see them! i leave tomorrow and will be in erwin in 5 1/2 days! at miss janets!220 north elm aveerwin TN 37650much love to you all!
Date: 2006-04-14
From: sunny bank

To: sunnybank
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

ok ok i took another zero day! i had the most amazing massage yesterday was feeling so wonderful, but never really had time to just chill, i was packing, emailing, mailing and so on. So the today as i was finishing up i saw tater and sundance, fluer and buford! i was so excited to see them and they really wanted me to hang out. i debated a long time since that would mean i would loose 42 and slick b. I knew i would catch up with mo and ponch since they would be stopping for a few days soon. Then i put my boots on and my blisters hurt. i flipped a coin it sad i should hike, i was sad, so i knew i should stay! So i had the best day, napping, reading, eating another amazing meal at sunnybank and laughing with the fantastic staff! Brian, matt and sadie are great and the best cooks ever! you do not want to stay anywhere else while in hotsprings! trust me! I felt like i was home there and slept through the night for the 1st time in over a month! I bought new socks with seperate toes, i am hoping it will do the trick for my blisters. taking another day off was so worth it. I also got to see the ozzy girls, danger zone, tender, balou,thumbs,gravy,hawk eye,erock, and knock knock.i feel great!
Date: 2006-04-15
From: sunnybank

To: Allen Gap
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: overcast clouds

So i had to get out early to make sure i did not get stuck again! i took my time, went to a fire tower, it was great. i waited for a few hours hoping feng shui, jody foster and she bear would catch me so we could all camp together, since i was afraid to camp alone. they were not coming, i called taylor to ask if he thinks i will get eaten since there was a bear attack in Tenn, the day before! As i was heading out of allen camp i saw slick b and mo! oh my! what are you doing! They went to this trail magic house in allen gap and ended up doing a 20 mile south bound slackpack. oh now i will never catch them. They said i should come to the house and go to easter mass the next day and then yellow blaze the next day. I could not do it, that would mean skipping a section of the trail. I said i would go but not yellow balze, then jody and fengshui came too! We went and met fal and hercules they fed us amazing food, and desserts, did our laundy, we go to shower, they all knew taylors friend lizzy who hiked with them in 99. Such a small world. i am so glad i am not camping alone, worried about being eaten by a bear. What luck, what timing, the life on the trail works in magic ways!
Date: 2006-04-16
From: Allen Gap

To: stealth camp
Miles today: 11.0

Wow.. going to a souther baptist church, and bible study. What a difference from what i am used to. But i got cell service and had a few minutes to call my family, wish my grammy a happy b-day, and we went to chinsese all you can eat. Happy Easter!!! We did not start hiking til 3pm, it was a hard hot day out of that gap, and way behind so many of my favorite hiking pals. But jody foster was with me and we wanted to push into the night. we watched the sunset from these amazing cliffs, and then another cliff with thumbs, gravy, and tender.(we call them the pool boys, a jody joke she is really funny!) It got dark and found ourselves on these huge rock cliffs, it was crazy, hard, a little scary but funny at the same time, seeing the lights of a city and stars everywhere! we stopped tonight thinking the shelter is less then a mile or so away but we are done! we hung the worst bear bags ever, with no choice, but jody has bear spray i feel safe. I called my girls in seattle to with carrie a happy birthday, it made me miss them, and seattle. All for another day on the appalachian trail, with biting trees, perilous holes, and menacing sticks.
Date: 2006-04-17
From: stealth camp

To: anoter random campsite
Miles today: 20.0

we found our food safe and sound yippeee.. we found the shelter was 25 minutes after our site, the pool boys wondered where we were and were worried. Single malt and danger zone were there it was nice to see them again. We made it to the next shelter for lunch and dark clouds were moving in. We said we would walk until it rained and then take our planned siesta. We did just that, just in time as the rain came down i crawled into my tent for a 2 hour nap during the rain. We got to the next shelter at 9pm but feeling well rested we wanted to keep going. There were some roads coming and dangerzone warned us that most bad things on the trail happen within 2 miles of the roads. Jody knowing her stats said we had the same chance of getting eaten by a croc. we hiked well passed the road crossing, until 12am, and here we are camped again. Siesta's and night hiking are our new favorite way to hike. My blisters are healing and life is good!
Date: 2006-04-18
From: anoter random campsite

To: no buisness shelter
Miles today: 16.9

It was raining when we woke up, i slept great. So we stayed in our tents, i read and waited for the rain to stop. We started hiking at 10am. It was super foggy and the trees looked amazing coming over a few more balds. Teh journals that people write in along the trail (at each shelter) help you keep track of people and know who is in front of you and where they are. People are getting creative now, so jody wrote a funny note to danger zone saying i was eaten by a croc while getting water. We laugh a lot during the day for sure. jody is always behind me eating something or smoking. She is a little lady from texas, and we have some interesting conversations, or just walk. I like knowing someone is around. When we got to the next shelter i wrote another entry that i was alive and jody was being modest, the real story is that she saw the gleam int the crocs eye and jumped into action doing a dance move on a pole-like tree she sprayed him with bear spray and saved me. (people know what she did before the trail a modern burlesque dancer as she puts it) People where getting a kick out of it. The pool boys showed up late and we all hing out for a bit. Only 6 miles to erwin in the morning yahoo! miss janets a place on the trail not to miss!
Date: 2006-04-19
From: no buisness shelter

To: miss janets in erwin
Miles today: 6.0

So as the real world works so is the trail, plans never work out. At about 5 am the thunder started, then rain, hail, and lightening. We stayed in our tents until almost 12, because jody said we would get struck by lightening! I trust her. So we hung out, and then hiked the 6 miles in just over 2 hours amazing. As soon as we got on the road a car stopped. It to give us a ride. It turned out to be greyfox, a hiker that my friend poles knew and was trying to catch. What a small hiking world. I called miss janets to see if there was room and this guy answered to phone, i asked if there was room, he said if this is rasta legs you are banded from this house, no just kidding i will personaly kick someone out of the bed for you to stay here. I said is this baltimore jack? (he should be way behind me!) No this is not jack the man said he is banded from the house too, he is in hotsprings somewhere, but he said you were hot so you should come here. I could hear marcosolo laughing and i knew it was jack! When we got here, andy, 42,tsnake, marco solo, slick b, sleepy the arab and jukebox where all here. Also some other guys that i had been reading entries in the logs from. (bud, conivor,and mule) I got to read all my emails thank you so much for them! I wish i could write back to everyone, i do not have time, but loved reading all of them! The sun is out my tent is dry, i am showered and she has a bunch of cloths you can wear while here. I found some jeans 2 sizes smaller then when i left and they fit!!! yippeee this hiking 10-20 miles a day is working. My bounce box did not get here before me, so my phone is dead, even though it is the first town with service! so no charger, no extra things that i like to have in town. oh well. We planned on a big 420 party tomorrow. there is a big shelter 4.2 miles out of town, but of course bjack said this would be great slackpackoramathon chance. So we changed our plans, tomorrow now we will slack pack back to hear again. I now type this while drinking a white russian (thinking of you taylor!!!) and listening to jonny cash! I don't think getting off this trail will be very easy at all! I am having so much fun, the hiking part of it seems like a small part. At the end i will remember the people, the laughs, the times like this, the people in town, amazing hostel owners, trail magic, and of course all the views!lovin life!RASTAp.s. i can not add photos here so in damascus i will add them all you will have to come back to these days to get the whole picture.
Date: 2006-04-20
From: miss janets in erwin

To: miss janets again
Miles today: 9.8

ok so i am not sure how far i went today, but all i know is that i love slack packing! i love miss janet, and i love the AT! We had the best day ever, jody foster and the pool boyz spent the day south bound. we must have missed 42 and slick b, too bad because 42 forgot stuff here, again, and i had them. But we saw tec and coolhand, so i passed her things to them thinking they would catch her before i would. Dinner last night was amazing thanks to baltimore jack. and breakfast was fun too. The wild turkey boys, carnivor,mule,and bud were suppose to leave today, but where still here when we got back. so we talked carnivor and mule into coming out withus tonight! we are going to a hawky tank dance club/bar. we will look for the best mullet, country line dance and miss janet said they throw in crazy old school songs too. It should be fun! late night means less miles tomorrow. My new moto is its about the smiles not the miles! and we are having fun here. It is great to hike all day, and then be able to take a shower after. The weather down here is kinda nuts, and thunder storms come and go quick. I will be stopping at a great hostel in 5 days, but will have no internet, and i am not sure about a phone. Va will be 50 miles from there and my forth state. Ok i need to go get organized before we head out.much loverastaoh other people with trail journals in case you want more reading...twomuch and enuffpolesslick bconductorall have journals and i have hiked with them. i know i am in a couple photos on 2much and enoughs site..