morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-03-10
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: clear sky

Another big mileage day so early in the hike, but well worth it. So far, North Carolina has been very green compared to Georgia, with long stretches of rhododendron canopies. The uphills are getting tougher as the elevation gains increase. We hit our highest elevation yet on the trail atop Albert Mt. at 5,220 feet. There was a firetower at the summit and from it you could see for miles - all the mountains that we climbed over the past 9 days and all those that we have ahead of us.Red caught up with us today. She put in some heavy mileage to make up for the day lost at Neels Gap. It¢s nice to have another girl around. We are by far the minority out here.Tonight looks to be pretty chilly. I¢m in a packed shelter again, so maybe the body heat will warm things up, although tents are on average 10 degrees warmer. Now there¢s an idea¢¦ using my tent. Eh, most of the time by the end of the day and early in the morning, you just don¢t want to deal with it. Another milestone today, I finished a whole Lipton meal by myself. Plus, I had a Nutri-Grain bar for dessert. The appetite is back.
Date: 2003-03-11
From: Big Spring Shelter

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: scattered clouds

We crossed the 100-mile mark! Only 2,070 some miles to go! I know it sounds like very little in the grand scheme of things, but still an awesome accomplishment.Stopped to resupply at the Rainbow Springs campground. It was only a mile off the trail and had a nicely stocked store for short resupply. The owner, Phil, was kind enough to shuttle us back to the trail. Before heading back, we (Subman, Flick, Squirts, Red Streak, A-Train and I) all partook in some delish frozen pizza. The best I¢ve ever had! And I finally snagged a can of chocolate milk that I¢ve been craving for the past few days.It¢s funny; I would never eat half the things at home that I eat out here on the trail. For example, Snickers bars dipped in peanut butter or tuna mixed in mac & cheese. So much for healthy eating! It¢s all about packing in the fat for energy. Too bad there isn¢t a type of food that prevents or treats blisters. That sounds lame, but seriously, all of a sudden my feet are getting chewed up. I think it has to do with how fast we¢ve been hiking due to the gradual terrain. Lots of pounding for sure. I¢m looking forward to a zero day soon to rest my weary feet.
Date: 2003-03-12
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: Tellico Gap
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: clear sky

Man, my feet are screaming! We pushed on for 3.6 miles more past the Cold Spring Shelter to Tellico Gap to cover more ground and tent for the night. Holy smokes, though, we descended over 1,000 feet in less than 2 miles. That¢s really rough on the knees and feet. By the time we reached the gap, we (A-Train, Flick, Pile-Up, Subman and I) were hobbling. Saw some awesome views from the Wayah Gap tower: the firetower far in the distance atop Mt. Albert and Siler¢s Bald where we had just come from. It was a great feeling to see how much ground we covered in only two days. Those ups and downs were really put into perspective.A-Train and I were also lucky enough to see three white-tailed deer darting through the trees after being frightened by a large group of hikers. It was our first true wildlife sighting, as all we¢ve seen so far are caterpillars and centipedes. Lots of people keep talking about wanting to see bears. I had a sighting out West in the Tetons, so I¢m good to go. I¢d love to see some moose in the northern section though.A short day tomorrow after such a push today. Into the N.O.C. to pick up my first maildrop!
Date: 2003-03-13
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: N.O.C. Hostel
Miles today: 15.7

A somewhat dreary looking day turned into a partly sunny 70-degree day. A few climbs and downhills led us to the smell of food wafting up from the N.O.C. restaurant. We immediately checked in for our bunks and headed straight to the restaurant to fill our bellies. The notorious Wesser burger was ordered around the table and we set about our task. I tell you though, my stomach was not ready for all that after all the Lipton dinners I¢ve been eating. It did a number on me, but I¢m surviving.I picked up my first mail drop today and it was beautifully decorated by my little sis Sarah. The best looking box there according to the workers at the Outfitter. I found a few surprises tucked away from my mom and dad. It was a very welcome package. Thank you guys, I can¢t wait for the next one.Our hiking group is pretty much all caught up after the Franklin, N.C. split. A few people pulled a 20 miler to make it here today. That¢s huge for so early in our hike. We¢re all going to take it relatively easy tomorrow since we have an eight mile climb to tackle. It will be interesting to see how that goes.It¢s nearly 11:00 p.m. and my bunk is calling my name. It¢s way past my bedtime!
Date: 2003-03-14
From: N.O.C. Hostel

To: Sassafrass Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Loafed around the N.O.C. until 1:00 or so. Felt good to just hang out on the benches outside the outfitter & relax. No big deal starting out late with such a short hike. Seven miles uphill is quite a hike though. Had a great morning before taking off from the N.O.C. Ate breakfast in the community building & met Jim Lowe, father of the great climber & mountaineer Alex Lowe, who died in a climbing accident several years ago. Jim came up & introduced himself, eager to meet us thru-hikers. He maintains a portion of the N.C. trails & was working with a group of college students on an alternative spring break trip. How awesome it was to meet him. Seriously, what are the chances of him being there? Well, actually, since he lives in N.C., probably high. Anyway, it was pretty cool.We have a sweet shelter tonight with two levels for sleeping. We¢re pretty full & it¢s a good thing it¢s so large b/c it¢s raining out & cold. It would suck to be sleeping outside tonight.
Date: 2003-03-15
From: Sassafrass Gap Shelter

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: light rain

Woke up to more rain & fog this morning. The trail was slick & I took my second fall on a smooth wet rock. Now the bum on my shorts is nice & dirty, but not to worry, we¢re cruising into Fontana tomorrow for a night & possibly a zero day, so I¢ll be able to clean up.The views through the fog were awesome with the clouds hanging in the mountains. Cheoah Bald was supposed to have great views, but as you can see from the pic, I could only see about 15 feet in front of me.Hit camp early, around lunchtime, b/c of the short hike. Good company here tonight in the shelter w/Space Monkey, Red, A-Train, Dean, Sugar Daddy, Hot Poles, Journeyman & Alex. Journeyman looked somewhat like a homeless person in his sleeping bag w/his hat on, so Sugar Daddy doctored him up & we made him pose. See what fun we have out here? Between that & recalling old school songs & movies, it¢s a frickin¢ party! We have to figure out something to do when we hit camp early.Experienced some trail magic from Optimus Prime, an ¢01 south bounder on a short hiking trip w/his dad & friends. Me, A-Train, & Space Monkey stopped for lunch & they pulled up in a van. Trail magic is always nice to experience. Thanks guys!I¢d like to say happy 21st birthday to my little bro, Matt! Have a beer for me, Macho Duck!
Date: 2003-03-16
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Finally got some trail magic from Ox today! Not to sound greedy, but we¢ve been hearing about his trail magic since the get-go, but have always been a bit ahead of it. Coming down into Yellow Creek Gap, we spotted a bag with Cokes, oranges, & a little note from Ox congratulating us on our first major milestone of making it into Fontana, after ascending & descending all these extremely rough mountains. Thanks Ox!Met up with a group of about 15 to stay at the Fontana Village Resort. Not much is open due to the early season & since there¢s no town within walking distance, we¢re stuck. We were all excited about the dinner buffet, which ended up being extremely sparse. By the time I got over there, there was no more lettuce for the salad & the only available food was biscuits, veggies, some rice dish, & cobbler. We had to wait 40 minutes for some sub par meatloaf. All in all, not a very good buffet. The after dinner entertainment made up for it though. We ran into two guys out to the Smokies for spring break, Yonni & Etan, who had brought along with them a bongo, acoustic guitar, & flute. We ended up listening to them jam for most of the night. A-Train actually grew up with one of the guys in the Brooklyn.Considering a zero day tomorrow before the Smokies. Could definitely use the rest after all the hard work I put in over the last couple weeks.
Date: 2003-03-17
From: Fontana Dam

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Elected to take a zero in Fontana, but decided to leave Fontana Village for the Hike Inn, which offers a better deal in the long run. Future hikers¢¦ this is the place to go if stopping in Fontana. For $25 you get a shuttle to the motel & city of Robbinsville, laundry cleaned, & fuel topped off. Jeff & Nancy, the owners/operators, are extremely helpful & friendly. A definite must!The city of Robbinsville was a little odd; a small southern city. The grocery store & people reminded me of the movie, ¢The Good Girl,¢ with Jennifer Aniston, if you¢re familiar. It was rather bizarre. We¢re talking guys sitting outside the grocery store selling bootleg liquor b/c it¢s a dry county. Very different from back home.Another birthday today. Happy 24th Bethie! No luck finding a green beer to celebrate your b-day & St. Patty¢s Day on account of it being a dry county. Hope your day was faboo!Oh yes, I almost forgot to add that I bought a sweet watchband today that I¢m very excited about & a 50 cent book from the Robbinsville library to allow me reason to stay up later in the night. Both pluses! I also ate a small chocolate/vanilla twist ice cream cone & pizza. It¢s the little pleasures that count out here.
Date: 2003-03-18
From: Fontana Dam

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Check it out! We hit the Smokies today & are now under 2,000 miles from Katahdin! Yee-haw! The hike today out of Fontana was rough for me. I always end up eating way too much food in town & then paying for it later on, so my stomach was really acting up today. However, on the bright side, my blisters have healed up extremely well & my feet are happy.My pace was so slow today that A-Train forged ahead & I hiked a good portion of the trail alone. I didn¢t mind a bit. It¢s always nice to be alone in the woods. I¢ll admit though that the day did seem much longer without having a hiking buddy to chat with. The pack we were traveling with over the past week went in different directions, so trail company was sparse. I keep running into more & more spring break hikers & day hikers though. They seem to be coming out in throngs.Heald is sheltering here tonight. It¢s great to see him again. I met him around Neels Gap where he took a bit of time off the trail to work at the outfitter there. He¢s back on again for a flip-flop. He¢s already thru-hiked around five times. A really interesting guy & good company.The wind is whipping outside this shelter tonight. Trail crew threw up some plastic over the fence making it a bit warmer for us, which is great, especially since our fire burned down.Tomorrow¢s forecast calls for storms/rains. Looking forward to some sunshine. Haven¢t really seen any since the N.O.C. Oh yea, I forgot to add that Fontana Dam was open to foot traffic. With the impending war, they have closed it to vehicular traffic b/c of the threat to its power structures (can¢t think of a better word). They already have a re-route for the A.T. in place when war is officially declared. We may be the last hikers to cross it for quite some time.
Date: 2003-03-19
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: broken clouds

What a hike today! It¢s amazing how quickly the climate changed after entering the Smokies. We were literally hiking in the clouds & the wind gusts were so powerful that they blew me off the trail. For the second half of the day my poles were perpetually stuck in the ground at a 30-degree angle to my left. I¢m not sure if that¢s the actual degree measurement, but you get the idea.Reaching Rocky Top was absolutely awesome! Sugar Daddy & I stayed up there for a few minutes letting the 30-40 mph winds blow by us. The force of the winds was exciting!The day¢s hike ended with a packed shelter. There are 22 people crammed in with more tenting outside. We even have guys sleeping on the dirt floor. Extremely cozy in here with all the peeps & the fire keeping us warm.
Date: 2003-03-20
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: light rain

I had one of my best hikes today & it was through the worst weather we¢ve had yet. I spent a good portion of the day hiking alone through the fog & intermittent rain. The foliage here in the Smokies is breathtaking. Everything is so green, even this early in the year, b/c of the large amount of rainfall. According to Wingfoot¢s guidebook, ¢¢¦ there are more varieties of trees and shrubs within the park than can be found in all of Europe, a truly magnificent forest environment that is protected from logging and other commercial uses forever.¢A bit more about the Smokies ¢ It¢s the most visited national park in the U.S. & as a result, its trails are overused & the area suffers from neglect in the form of litter & trampled trails. The rule, ¢pack it in, pack it out¢ is unfortunately not always heeded. It¢s funny, there¢s quite a bit of white quartz in the Smokies & whenever I see it, for some reason, I think it¢s toilet paper! I mean, there are designated ¢toilet areas¢ with t.p. strewn everywhere. Granted, you don¢t have to carry out your t.p., but it¢s a good example of overuse.Anywho, even though visibility was extremely low today, cutting out potentially magnificent views, the mountains were still beautiful. We hit Clingman¢s Dome after a steep climb, making it to the highest point on the A.T. Another great accomplishment.I¢m not quite sure if today or tomorrow is the first day of Spring, but it¢s kind of ironic that we saw snow on the trail for the first time. I even fell on my arse on a bit of snowy ice. Four falls & counting!
Date: 2003-03-21
From: Collins Shelter

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Spring rang in bright & sunny today. How wonderful it is to wake up to the sun rising, especially after all the cloudy, wet weather we've had for the past week. The views of the Smokies sprang out in splendor.A-Train, Heald, Hot Poles, Space Monkey, Sugar Daddy and I hot-footed a mere five miles to Newfound Gap to hitch into Gatlinburg for a resupply. I busted off the trail at Newfound to find everyone hanging around a Subaru packed with good foods & drink for us thru-hikers. Janice & Mary Jane (a 75-year-old whose nickname is Marijuana) set-up a delicious picnic of chili, deviled eggs, fruit, chocolate milk, lemon cake, candy bars,... The list goes on & on. Such a wonderful surprise & such lovely ladies. Many thanks to both of you! And Janice, I hope you're able to do that thru-hike!On to Gatlinburg, where we all went to grab some food & beer at the Smoky Mt. Brewery & refill our food bags at the market. After a few hours, we had all had enough of the tourist-infested Gatlinburg & headed down the road for a hitch. After a small scrapple with a po-po, a kindly couple in a pick-up gave us all a lift back to the trail. A short three miles later & we hit the shelter just as the sun was setting.A cold night is ahead of us, but a beautiful sunrise over the mountains awaits.
Date: 2003-03-22
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: broken clouds

Missed a sunrise as the clouds rolled in overnight. Charlie's Bunion was covered in white. The sun began to peep out early afternoon & soon the views opened up to us. There was so much sun that I was even able to do my laundry at the shelter & actually have it dry. Not an easy feat in the Smokies.For some reason, I had a voracious appetite today, which is surprising after yesterday's trail magic & brewery stop. Seriously, the stuff I eat out here I would never eat at home. Well, a bit of it I would, but definitely not in such large quantity. Here's a run down of today's menu:Breakfast: 2 poptarts,Nutri-grain bar,handful of dried cranberriesSnack (10 a.m.): Flour tortilla,Yogurt covered raisinsSnack (11 a.m.): Snickers barLunch (1 p.m.): 2 flour tortillas w/ 13 pepperoni & 2-3 piecesof cheese each,Handful of gorp,a few dried apricots,Clif BarHave yet to fix my dinner, but I'm planning on a box of mac & cheese & a cup of hot cocoa. Not sure if I can down all that mac & cheese, but I'm gonna give it a try.With this amount of food, I'm pretty sure it's a safe bet to say that I won't lose any weight. Don't have much to lose! Or so everyone tells me. However, most people are surprised at my weight when I tell them. But that's neither here nor there.It's nearly 5 p.m. I better get to fixin' my load of mac & cheese. Bon apetit!Ok, I'm back for a bit before hitting the sack. The box of mac & cheese & hot cocoa was a success. I also added in a bit of an oatmeal cream pie & a few M&M's. The dried clothing, however, was not as successful. I placed a pair of underwear on the shelter roof to dry, since it's metal & the sun heats it up. Unfortunately, by the time I fetched it it had frozen into a frickin' frisbee! Everybody got a good laugh at it plus some pics. Eh, I'll stick it in my sleeping bag & hope it dries by morning.
Date: 2003-03-23
From: Tri Corner Knob Shelter

To: Spring Campsite
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: scattered clouds

The last day in the Smokies & what a beauty of a day! Views galore made me sad to pass by the northern terminus of the park. Anybody that has missed this treat of a park needs to make a visit. There's a reason why this park is the most visited national park.The trail was fast today with only a few long, gradual climbs within the first nine miles & then downhill from there. We pushed on outside the park to put on some miles & treated ourselves to spectacular cheeseburgers at Mountain Momma's. Mmmmm, it really hit the spot. We hiked on about 3/4 of a mile to a great campsite along a stream, but, man, we were moving slow because of our full bellies.Sleeping under the stars next to a warm campfire in only my sleeping bag, first time w/o any kind of shelter around me. I'm hoping that nothing crawls on me!!!
Date: 2003-03-24
From: Spring Campsite

To: Max Patch
Miles today: 14.8

I didn't notice anything crawling on me last night & had a good nights sleep out in the open. The only mishaps were a burnt sock that got too close to the fire & a wet sleeping bag from condensation.After packing up camp, we all rendezvoused at Standing Bear Campground & hostel to resupply for the next couple days. The place was so cool, we ended up staying there & hanging out for three hours. All of the buildings were set-up to be open to the outdoors in such a way that it reminded me of the Swiss Family Robinson treehouse, but not in the trees. We ended up leaving around noon, still having a 13+ mile day to complete. I wanted to make it up to Max Patch for a great sunset & convinced the others to follow suit. It was a tough hike after yesterday's 17 miles, but we made it. And, man, was it well worth it. We made it just in time for a spectacular sunset. We pitched our tents on the top of the bald & got a 360 view of the mountain range with the setting sun tinting the ridges. A truly spectacular view. Max Patch is phenonmenal; a bald with views galore. I can't wait to see the sunrise.Another treat today was coming across a small snake on the trail. It scared me a bit, but also excited me as I've seen little wildlife, yet.
Date: 2003-03-25
From: Max Patch

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: clear sky

A-Train & I pulled our first 20 miler today. Actually, we were short two-tenths of a mile, but when you add in the distance to & from the shelters, we probably did more than twenty. Surprisingly, I wasn't very tired when I hit town & my feet weren't very achy. We were all motivated by good food & a shower. I hadn't showered in nine days! The shampoo pretty much ran right off my hair because of all the grease. Yech!The night on Max Patch was tremendous! I rolled over in my sleeping bag with my eyes half open at 5:45 a.m. to see the sun begin to rise. Such a beautiful sunrise! I ate my poptart breakfast snuggled inside my sleeping bag & tent while watching the horizon change beautiful colors of pink, orange, blue & green.I was packed & ready to hit the trail by 7:30 a.m. My earliest start yet & a great way to go to get in big miles. Plus, morning hikes are quite peaceful. I kept seeing little purple moths along the trail. They looked like little floating flowers.After taking a short break at Deer Park Shelter, we (A-Train, Heald, Hot Poles, Space Monkey, Sugar Daddy, & I) hiked in the last 3 miles to Hot Springs. Ended up at the motel, as Elmer's B&B was full. We caught up to all our old crew that left us when we took a zero day in Fontana. So good to see Subman, Flick, Grunt, Pop Tart, & all the others. We all hung out at Elmer's for the night & had a good 'ol time. I'm hoping to get a room there tomorrow. Word is they make great vegetarian meals & the old farmhouse is extremely inviting.