morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-03-22
From: Mt Collins Shelter

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: broken clouds

Didn't sleep at all--not feeling very good. Today was another beautiful day! WE went to Newfound Gap where I felt overwhelmed because so many people were there. I ended up seeing this lady I knew from Troy and she told me that the TSU boys lost. I wish I could have seen them play and been there to cheer them on. Eric's mother came and gave us all food - potato salad, chicken, cornbread, grapes, and cake. It just hit the spot! They had a restroom there. Every time we (the hikers) would go in, someone would comment on our smell. There were lots of people hiking the trail. A volunteer who was working on the trail said that the Smokies are the #1 tourist attraction or most visited national park. About 7-8 miles up at Charles Bunyon there was an amazing view. Oopu and I went camera happy taking a whole roll. I would definitely suggest people hike there. All day long we walked along ridge lines. At times there were only about 5 feet of ridge and drop offs on both sides. Thank goodness the wind wasn't gusty today! We met these two guys who were running a marathon. Trying to run through a 75 mile park in 24 hours. They had started at midnight and had to finish by the next night. We all had reached the point of deliriousness - laughing at everything and being really tired. It felt like we walked forever!I got into this zone. I was still seeing the sights but I was in deep thought. I started thinking about things back home--my family, my friends, my church. An hour and a half went by so fast - I had no pain during that time. [When I snapped back to, I was afraid I was on the wrong trail b/c I hadn't seen anyone for a long time. Eric & Mr. Cranky Pants came up and we soon reached our spot.]At this time, I felt so close to God. How I think that I could be at home doing the same thing that I have been doing my whole life but I'm not. I'm here living in the now - living out a dream.We went 15 miles & actually slept ok until these spring breakers came near midnight making as much noise as possible. They were mad b/c they had reservations for the shelter but there was no room.
Date: 2003-03-23
From: Pecks Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: broken clouds

I absolutely love hiking on Sundays. Thoughts of my church were flying through my head. I sang all the hymns I knew and had the greatest feeling all morning long. I also thought of the smallest things that I miss - like all the faces that I see all the time are now only a memory. As I hear the birds chirping, I think of Easter and how I'm going to miss not being with my family at my grandparents' house. Makes you appreciate special things like that now that you don't have them. We decided as a group to share our testimonies at one point so we could know each other at a deeper level. One of the hardest things for me is to let others help me. God is working with me on that one. It was another beautiful day with great views. We got to Cosby Knob shelter by 3:30 which was nice. We did about 14 miles. The Yellow Submarine group ended up staying there. They are another Christian group.
Date: 2003-03-24
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: .5 mi short of Snowbird Mtn
Miles today: 14.6

This one guy snored so loudly all night long. We did a quick 8 miles of downhill to Mountain Momma's. We heard all along that she was not the nicest lady. We had a big cheeseburger which was great!! We got our 4th mail drop. We stayed there for several hours and then Momma shuttled us back. I talked with her and she wasn't too bad. We talked about the war, which was disturbing.We ended up hiking 6.5 more miles. There were waterfalls and butterflies. We went under our first interstate (I40) which was cool. We had lots of ups. We even took a break walking through the cold water. We made a campsite because we made it out of the Smokies. I was scared of the idea of hiking in the Smokies, but it turned out to be my favorite part of the trail.
Date: 2003-03-25
From: .5 mi short of Snowbird Mtn

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: clear sky

Had the best night of sleep--felt like I was sleeping on a featherbed. I had a bad case of chafing all day long. The stuff we all usually use for it didn't work at all, so I suffered through it. We climbed Max's Patch Orchard, which was beautiful. Couldn't ask for a better day. We could see all the Smokies and then all the mountains we had left to climb.    We ran into Mama D, a trail angel who had oreos, beer, and cookies. One of her dogs peed on Oopu's bag. The climb after that was pretty flat. We had to be careful to watch the white markers, because we got off the trail several times.   Every step I took hurt so bad--to have so much pain on a day that was full of beauty. We made it 16 miles, our longest day--to Walnut Mtn. Shelter. It was about to be dark. The three girls went down to find water, but we were unsuccessful, only finding a big mudhole and lots of briars, so we went without water.    The guys informed us of this huge fire that made the night sky bright. We called 911 to see if it was controlled or a wildfire. Thank goodness, it was controlled. Cire (Eric's new name) and Mr. Cranky Pants left us stuff for samoas. We made them over an alcohol stove. It got windy and cool.
Date: 2003-03-26
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC - The Cody House
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: light rain

We left quickly this morning trying to get to Hot Springs because we were meeting Speck and Slick Rock's mother there. We went the first two miles uphill with no water. It was overcast today and started raining close to noon. We thought we were going down all day but ended up going uphill more. We did 14 miles by 2:30 and made it to Hot Springs. Pretty good seeing the town. Walked right into it. We found out that the 5 of us, along with Mrs. Capes and her father, had the entire Cody House hostel to ourselves. How cool was that? It was an ugly day--rainy and overcast. Mrs. Capes brought us food and linens. It was good seeing her. We found out that as Dimples was doing laundry someone stole her clothes and food. All the hikers ended up pitching in some money and helping her out--also gave her extra clothes. It feels like we are a huge family--always there for each other. We took our first bath in 8 days. It felt great!   That night we went to the pub. There were about 25 hikers there--like a family reunion. We saw A-Train, Dimples, Poptart, Grunt, Crumbsnatcher, Subman, JourneyMan, Early Riser, Denmark, Cire, Mr. Cranky Pants, and many more. It was Brennon's last night here. He had to head back home to work. It's so sad when someone has to get off the trail. We had a lot of fun hanging out. Our house was nice. I slept on the top bunk and slept so well.
Date: 2003-03-27
From: Hot Springs, NC - The Cody House

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Hey! I am actually writing this email in Hot Springs. I have not been able to get on for a while because my sister has been in Spain for a week and i am about to send her a lot of journals to keep you guys up to date. Sorry for taking so long and thanks to all who have signed my guest book. Yes, we still need your prayers. God has still been blessing us daily. I love you all and i'm thinking of you! Take care and have a great spring break! We are still going strong!Frigid Air
Date: 2003-03-27
From: Hot Springs

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

A wonderful 0 day here!!! Had bagels for breakfast and did laundry--much needed. We took shifts watching our clothes. I ended up buying some new boots so maybe my toes will no longer be numb. They have a great outfitter here. I also weighed and have lost 10 pounds--wow! And I eat like a cow!!   We ate Sloppy Does (venison meat), a 5 layer dip and chips, potato salad, and beans. Cire and Mr. Cranky Pants joined us. Sun was out--nice day! From 2:00 to 3:00 we relaxed and enjoyed the natural hot tub, fed by the spring. It was 102 degrees. The French Broad River ran right beside it, which was nice.   I got to check my e-mail and ate a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream. Hot Springs was a very nice place during the day. Oopu and I went to Elmer's hostel which was very nice. There was a music room. I sat down and played the piano, which made my day. The Victorian house was beautiful. It was set up as old-timey. Books were all along the walls and nice, old-timey big couches. I felt like getting a book and curling up on one of those couches. There was an upstairs porch that we sat down on and watched people and the cars going down Main Street.   We ate supper at the pub, waiting 2 hours for the food. This place gets scary at night.
Date: 2003-03-28
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

We drove into Newport and went to a Shoney's. It was the best Shoney's I've ever been to. Grampa (their granddad) bought breakfast for us. We stopped at CVS and Food Mart and then headed back to the Cody House. We packed up and got some odd & ends and headed off close to 1:30. The first part of the trail was really nice. It went right by the French Broad River.    We pushed really hard today. It was warm. We went to the firetower, which was closed, but the sunset was pretty! We decided to hike 4 miles to the shelter. We got out our headlamps & rain jackets and headed off. It wasn't so bad at first--kind of exciting. The wind picked up and it got foggy. Once it got dark, it got kind of scary. At times, I thought I'd gotten off the trail. Speck and I walked together. We finally ran into the shelter and decided to stay in our tents. The wind was real gusty. It was the quickest night--putting up my tent and getting in it.
Date: 2003-03-29
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: light rain

Blah day. Woke up to cold wind. I didn't want to get up. It began to rain and it didn't stop. This day was miserable! It was cold, wet, and raining. No sunshine, only rain. We hit the rocks soon, killing my feet. It hailed on us some. We made it to Jerry Cabin Shelter - 15.3 miles - before dark. By now, it was almost freezing! We got out of our wet clothes & quickly tried to get in our sleeping bags. It's supposed to snow the next 2 days. How I wish I could be at Hot Springs in the spa. IT'S COLD!!!
Date: 2003-03-30
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

To: Boone Cove Road
Miles today: 9.1

Woke up to about 2 feet of snow. Yea, so those snow flurries turned out to be like a downpour of snow. I was so thrilled. My clothes bag and everything else I owned were either covered in snow or frozen. The wind blew the snow into the 3 sided shelter--woke up with snow covering our sleeping bags as well. The hardest part was getting out of my sleeping bag.   The day just got better and better. Our bear bag got frozen to the tree...meaning no food until we somehow got it down. All our water was frozen, so we spent over an hour and lots of fuel boiling snow. My pan kept on burning, so we had the delicious flavored taste of burnt water. We finally got the bear bag down--thanks to the frustrated Oopu.   The 5 of us, along with Early Riser, Denmark, and Slow Jeremiah, all headed north. Snow was still falling and apparently I was, too. I couldn't make it up one switchback because it was slippery. No help from Slick Rock and Early Riser because they were on the ground laughing at me. Then, I lost one of my hiking poles in the snow--had to dig it out. Then, I got to hike in snow up to my knees. The day did bring some fun. We got to sit down and slide on our butts down the steeper hills.   I had another beautiful fall where I ended up sliding down the mountain on my back and wasn't able to get up. I just decided to lie there for awhile and taste the snow. This was wearing me out. All the rhododendrons were weighted down from the snow, covering the white blazes--yeah, everything was white. At one point, we came to a fork in the trail and got lost. That's a great feeling! The sun came out and the woods looked like a postcard. That didn't last long. The snow came again and so did the falling.   We found a random road that was on the NC/Tennessee state line. Oopu tried to run down cars but I think ended up scaring them all away. We did a little over 9 miles and got this family to take us into Erwin in 3 cars. We stayed at a Holiday Inn Express. All our stuff was soaked. We had lots of pizza and watched "Miss Congeniality". So happy to be inside and warm.    We talked to Miss Janet who runs a hostel in Erwin and decided to slackpack tomorrow because, guess what, more snow. Yea!! We did laundry and showered. I feel so close to the people in our group--Early Riser, Denmark, Cire, and Mr. Cranky Pants. Each one of them is like a friendly neighbor, a good friend, a helping hand. They make me feel safe, needed, and loved.
Date: 2003-03-31
From: Rector Laurel Road

To: Sam Gap
Miles today: 9.0

We waited for a ride from Mrs. Janet today. 13 of us fit into her van - it was quite a squeeze. We all were "freedom" hiking - only carrying water and food in our packs. We got dropped off at Devils Fork Gap close to 2:00 p.m. There was snow covering the ground. By this time it was not snowing and the sun was out. We all hiked close together - having conversations about God and asking questions. Speck shared some of her testimony. I feel closer and closer to the other 4 every day. We walked mostly on the ridge line. At times the snow came up past my knees. We played in it some and took several more falls. The sunset was a beautiful one - different though. It reflected off the snow causing it to look like thousands of little crystals. Personally, I really don't like hiking in the snow. You can never see hidden rocks and roots, plus you get so cold when you stop. Yes, it was pretty and fun at times but I prefer much warmer weather. We did 8 miles and made it to US 23 where we tried to hitchhike but were unsuccessful. Miss Janet happened to come right at 7:00 so we were gratefully happy! She took us back to Erwin. We went by her house, then to the Erwin burrito. The whole group of hikers (Dimples, A Train, Poptart, Chaos, Canole, Crumbsnatcher, Spacemonkey, Hot Poles, and Java) were already there. I had a chicken quesadilla which was so good! We talked and laughed. We got back to the Holiday Inn Express where I talked with Brian Delp, a really cool guy who works there. I want to give a shout out to all his students at Happy Valley Middle School. That night Oopu got really sick, followed by Denmark, then Speck. Therefore I didn't sleep very well.
Date: 2003-04-01
From: Sam's Gap

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

SICK DAY Yep, our group along with Early Riser and Denmark were exposed to the stomach bug-24 hours. We decided that we all would take a "0" day because we figured that we all might end up with it. This guy named Lewis Thornberry came and picked us up from the Holiday Inn Express and took us to the Best Southern Motel because it was much cheaper. Early Riser decided to hike what we hiked yesterday. The Best Southern Motel was nice! Tabitha, the lady who works there and lives there was extremely nice. Lewis took us to the post office and we walked to Sonic and I enjoyed a delicious lemon berry slush. We walked about 2 miles back to the motel. There were flowers blooming and it was a beautiful day. Tabitha took Oopu and me to Uncle Johnny's hostel to pick up our boxes. We had a milkshake from the Dairy Ace. There the waitresses had more of a southern accent than me. Slick Rock by this time was the next victim of the unwanted stomach flu. That afternoon I felt really sick and ended up sleeping most of the rest of the day. I enjoyed spending time with Early Riser and Denmark - incredible people who make me laugh! We watched Conspiracy Fire which I absolutely loved! Glad we took today off and hopefully we'll all feel better tomorrow!
Date: 2003-04-02
From: Sams Gap

To: 2 mi past Big Bald Shelter
Miles today: 10.0

Got another late start. Hit the trail close to 12:30. Another beautiful day in the 70's. I felt so weak and tired today. Everyone pretty much felt the same. We took the day slowly, stopping every 30 minutes. We had to climb close to 2000 feet in about 5 1/2 miles. We finally made it to Big Bald which was beautiful. Mountains in all directions. We played around doing handstands and taking pictures. There was still some snow and a lot of mud covering the trail. We decided to go as far as we could before it got dark. It is now windy and cold. There is a sqeaking tree right above us. Glad to be back out here.
Date: 2003-04-03
From: 2 mi past Big Bald Shelter

To: Nolichucky River
Miles today: 14.5

A creaky tree kept me up most of the night. Woke up feeling tired. The snow was melted today. We were all tired and tried to push into Erwin before the post office closed. Oopu had to pick up some poles he overnighted because he lost his other ones in the snow.We had another beautiful sunny day. There was this smell that kept coming up. The smell is a mystery--now knowing what it is--but it reminded me of Kamp Kiwanis--a Girl Scout camp I used to go to.We made it into Erwin, TN finally. It feels like we have been in Erwin forever...we have actually been here since Sunday, but we are officially now in Erwin--338.8 miles. We decided to return to the Best Southern Motel and relax and get in a good meal and get some sleep.
Date: 2003-04-04
From: Indian Gap

To: Nolichucky River
Miles today: 16.3

Yeah, we're still here in Erwin waiting to get a ride to Johnson City to pick up the poles at the post office. The question is, "Will we ever get out of this place?" We slept in until 7:30 and went to breakfast at the Dairy Ace. I really like that place. All the same older guys were there and a pastor at one of the churches paid for some of our food.We kept on joking saying that we weren't going to Maine after all. We were destined for Erwin, TN. Then Miss Janet talked us into slackpacking 9 miles and staying the night at her place. So we ate lunch at Sonic. I enjoyed my look--rain pants up to my knees, showing off my hairy scabby legs with just my boots on. The great thing is that I didn't care that I looked that way.So, we all put on our Amish hats, packed Ben & Jerry's ice cream into our backpacks and headed south. The terrain wasn't too bad. At times, Oopu and I just ran. It felt so good with no weight. We became trail angels, giving the ice cream to Cire and Mr. Cranky Pants at the shelter. They were really surprised and happy.Miss Janet's dog went with us, along with Redneck. Denmark and I hiked the last 4 miles together. She is so much like me, in the fact that she enjoys looking and taking time looking at the sights and soaking up everything. We crossed footbridges, logs, and used rocks as stepping stones. It was one of those days that makes me realize how much I love the outdoors and God. Denmark entertained me with her outbursts of dancing. I only wish that Early Riser was here--she decided that she wanted to travel and hike when she wanted to. She went home last night leaving us all sad but happy that she made the decision that made her happy. At one point after we crossed the railroad, I had a very special moment. Standing in the pouring rain, lightning filling the sky with the echos of thunder, a train approaching, I felt fear, excitement, happiness, carefree, and secure all at the same time. This day I laughed a laugh from deep down, a smile that filled my whole face. Feeling happy and feeling a peace within, knowing that this life couldn't be any better.We finally made it to Miss Janet's van. We grocery shopped, all helped in cooking spaghetti, garlic bread, and salad. We showered--actually using smell good shampoo and conditioner. Miss Janet is truly amazing in all that she does, not only for us but for so many other hikers.Diesel played again with Speck singing, each word melting me more and more, feeling like I'm lost in a wonderful dream. How lucky I am to be here right now. Thank you so much, God!!
Date: 2003-04-05
From: Indian Gap

To: 1 mi past Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: moderate rain

I woke up after 8:00, able to sleep in a little longer. Last night I read some of Nicholas Sparks' book - The Notebook. One of the things I miss doing so much is reading. Miss Janet didn't feel too well so we all cooked--all 12 of us. It was fun and felt like a Home Alone moment--don't know why, just did. We made eggs and bacon and Redneck made the biggest pancakes I've ever seen. They were great! We got to the trail close to 12:00. We had lots of climbs. I really enjoy the balds. The views up there are pretty amazing. We had this climb where at the top I felt like I should've been in the movie Robin Hood. It looked like the Sherwood Forest--different sights which I really liked.Paul, Slickrock's boyfriend, met us at Cherry Gap Shelter and we hiked on about a mile. Another cold night. I got to sleep in Speck's tent which is a mansion compared to my small one.
Date: 2003-04-06
From: 1 mi from Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Roan Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: scattered clouds

A MOUNTAIN FULL OF SURPRISESI woke up preparing myself for the beast - Roan Mountain. We had heard horror stories about this mountain. Since Paul had his car and Denmark wanted to skip Roan, we decided to slackpack. I was going to take full advantage of this, so I gave up everything except my sleeping pad, extra shoes, pot, and the food I needed for the day. I enjoyed the first part of the hike...not having a heavy pack. It was in the upper 60's--a beautiful day!We did a big climb before Roan. At the top, this man showed me all the mountains we hiked and the shelters we passed. Then came the beast. Right when we started it, it began to rain. We had over 2,000 feet to climb. It was going to be the last 6,000 ft mountain until New England.Then the temperature began to drop and as we climbed the 6,000 ft plus mountain a thunderstorm decided to hit us. Yeah, it was scary! Then Diesel began to feel sick. Since I slackpacked, I forgot to bring my pack cover, so it was getting drenched, along with myself. Then it began to sleet, then it started hailing. Totally not expecting any of this. I think the weather made me go faster, not wanting to stop because it was so cold.We were supposed to meet Denmark at the top at the shelter. Once we finally reached the top, she wasn't there. We walked north, looking for her just in case she, by some miracle, was waiting, but she wasn't. I was so cold by now. Had no dry clothes, only a Snicker bar to eat. Thank goodness the shelter was closed in. It was even cold on the inside. I was just in a state of shock. I was worried about Denmark and Paul, about how I would stay warm, and what we were going to eat.God is good in so many ways. Mr. Cranky Pants, Cire, Jady, and Mule were there. Jady and Mule let me borrow a fleece and a long sleeve shirt. Oopu let me sleep in his sleeping bag because I got so cold. Cire gave us some warm cheese soup and hot chocolate. I was miserably cold. Oopu slept in 3 liners. I don't know what tomorrow will bring.