morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-03-30
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: scattered clouds

March 30, Friday. I sat up in my tent at 5:15am. We left our tent-site at 6:10am. We hiked in the dark for nearly an hour. We saw RANGER & BIG OLE BOY at the Marina 1.1 mile before the Fontana Hilton Shelter waiting for the Fontanta Village shuttle. RANGER said that MILES McDUFF is a purist & he was walking on to the shelter. We arrived at the Fontana Dam Visitor Center at 10am. I called NANCY HOCH at the Hike Inn, she said it would be around noon before someone could shuttle us. Swampdawg & I had enough time to take a shower & shave. ANDREA, a nice lady who works part-time for JEFF & NANCY picked us up at the Dam at 11:45am. She shuttled us back down the winding road that Mrs. Stinger literally hates with a passion, back to Swampdawg¢s car at The Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega. We got there at 3:15pm. NAVI-GATOR was pulling out of the driveway, she saw us & stopped. ANDREA was glad to meet her. She had heard a lot about NAVI-GATOR & OLE MAN from JEFF & NANCY. OLE MAN & NAVI-GATOR are leaving The Hiker Hostel April 1st for Florida to pick up their RV & heading to Millinocket, Maine to get everything running before the thru hikers show up. They have bought the Appalachian Trail Lodge & Cafe in Millinocket from the COGSWELL, their daughter & son in law will run the Cafe for them. I wish them success in their new venture.Swampdawg & I were caught in Atlanta traffic 3 1/2 hours on the way back home, but we finally made it to my house right at midnight.We really enjoyed meeting all the people on this trip. GOD bless you all.Stinger
Date: 2007-04-04
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

After returning home I remembered something Frank Jones of the Cloud 9 Hostel had told me. I just thought it was so nice that I should tell on him. One Day Frank & Laura went up in the mountains south of Dicks Creek Gap. Laura saw a rock & told Frank "I want that rock". Frank said "You want that rock?, it's yours".The next day, Frank ran up in the mountains where they had seen the rock. Frankdoes a lot of running these days. He found the rock Laura wanted & he put the 30 pound rock on his shoulder. He ran all the way back to Dicks Creek Gap. When he got home, he told Laura "Here's your rock". Laura said "That's not myrock". Frank didn't comment on what he told Laura, but knowing what kind of person he is, I know he was nice to her.Stinger
Date: 2007-05-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

On April 29, my wife & I left on a 14 12 day, 7500 mile trip out I-80 to Hawthorne, Nevada to see our son Jody, his wife Lynn & their 2 year old son Jonah. When we left Hawthorne we went up to I-5, thru Oregon, stopped to see the Pacific Ocean at Florence, up to I-90, stopped to see Yellowstone, up to I-94 over & down to Madison, Wi., over to Indiana, down I-65 to Alabama & back home. Needless to say, I was worn out & just didn¢t feel like riding to Damascus for Trail Days. I really hated to miss seeing all the hikers but Swampdawg did go & he took many photos. We are uploading some of those photos here. Some are a little blurry, sorry about that.Hello to all our friends from me, GOD Bless you all.Stinger
Date: 2007-10-29
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Oct. 29, 2007 to Nov. 1, 2007 repeat section from Neel¢s Gap to USFS Road 42Monday 10-29-2007Arrived at Dahlonega at 2:30 pm. Swampdawg & I hiked some of the hills around the Hiker Hostel for a workout & also hunting JOSH & LEIGH¢s dog (MAGGIE) She finally showed up at the hostel around 9pm. We watched JOSH & LEIGH sculpturing two pumpkins for Halloween & also talked about their & our old aquaintances.I left Swampdawg up with them & I called it a day, Good Night.Stinger
Date: 2007-10-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Tuesday, 10-30-2007. I woke up to a beautiful sunny day. LEIGH cooked us a great breakfast. JOSH shuttled us to Neel¢s Gap, arrived at 8:30am. Met section hikers BIG ACORN & his son JOHN from New Orleans, La. They were hiking from Springer Mtn. to Dick¢s Creek Gap. We got on the trail at 9:10am, took our first break near the Freeman Trail at 11:30am, great to be hiking again. We saw section hikers BUZZ SAW, friend LEAF KEEPER & WASCALLY WABBIT from Tampa, Fl., hiking NOBO to Unicoi Gap. We stopped hiking at 5:10pm, doing 12.5 miles for the day. We are tenting about a half mile south of Woody Gap. It is Hiker Midnight, 6:51pm. Good Night all.Stinger
Date: 2007-10-31
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Wednesday, 10-31-2007.Woke up at 6:09am. Left camp site at 7:43 am. Several groups of Army Rangers ran up the mountain past us around 8:30am. We appreciate our fine Military. We stopped at Gooch Gap Shelter for a water break at 10:30am, left at 10:50am. We hiked on to Hawk Mtn. Shelter to stay for the night.At the shelter were: friends: PART OF IT & FUMBLES (hiking from up the Approach Trail to Neel¢s Gap), BUSH WHACKER (NOBO thru 2006 & 2007,he got really ill & had to get off trail in 2006, did it all in 2007) his wife MRS. BUSH WHACKER (they were both doing a section now), BOOTS (SOBO thru, from Harper¢s Ferry to Amicalola this year, planning to finish 2008)We hiked 12.5 miles today, it is 8:10pm, going to sleep now. Good Night all.Stinger
Date: 2007-11-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Thursday, 11-01-2007.Sat up in my sleeping bag at 7:30am. It¢s the latest I have gotten up in the 10 years I have been hiking. Swampdawg could hardly believe it. We sat around chatting during breakfast. PART OF IT & FUMBLES left the shelter first, going north to Neel¢s Gap, BUSH WHACKER & MRS. BUSH WHACKER left next, going south to USFS 42. We left BOOTS at the shelter. We caught up with BUSH WHACKER & MRS. BUSH WHACKER around noon, they said they would give us a ride back to the Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega. We arrived at USFS Road 42 parking area at 1:45pm. When we got to the hostel they went in to check it out. They liked the hostel, he said he may see us there next spring. Thank you very much BUSH WHACKER & MRS. BUSH WHACKER. It was great meeting both of you, hope to see you on the trail again. We are staying another night at the Hiker Hostel. I met SCOTT (AT thru) he is helping JOSH & LEIGH. Also staying the night at the hostel were RON CARRIATTA (AT thru about 18 years ago) & his wife KAT, RON¢S friend BEN D. EDWARDS & his son BEN J. EDWARDS. These four were starting their hike tomorrow from USFS Road 42 parking area to Woody Gap.Thanks JOSH & LEIGH for making our trail experience more exciting. The Lord willing, we hope to see you on March 17, 2008 for another northbound section hike. We are heading back home tomorrow. It is 9:13pm, my bedtime. So Good Night all.Stinger
Date: 2007-11-02
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

11-02-2007 at homeLater in the day after I got back home our son called to say our grand son Jonah¢s baby sister Cassie was born. We didn¢t believe him at first since she wasn¢t due for 10 more days. Thank God for grand children. Can¢t wait to spoil them.Stinger
Date: 2007-03-02
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I finished my last walk almost 3 months ago. Time sure does seem to go by quickly. I have wanted to do a cross country bike ride since 2003. It didn't happen that year or any of the following years. I think it didn't happen because things just didn't fall into place and I didn't push it to do an adventure like that, so I went with what did fall into place each year....more walking. :-)))I finished my '06 walk on December 7th and things did start falling into place this year for a cross country bike ride...and they fell into place very easily. I always say that you have to go with the flow.To go for a 6 month walk is easy for me because I have all the gear I need for that, but to ride a bicycle across the country takes a lot of new gear, including a bicycle....and I needed one that was built for a lot of weight. I could never get together with the guy that I kept trying to get to build a bike for me, but I went on the internet after my walk and everything just started happening. I stumbled onto a site for a company that builds bikes to order. They are a tandem bike builder out of Oregon who uses those heavier components for a tandem on their single touring bikes. To shorten the story on this last three months of preparations, I'll just say that I had my bike built and I've been outfitting it and myself for what should be quite an adventure if I can get it all done. It will be quite an adventure even if for some reason I can only do part of what I have planned, but once I make up my mind about something, well....I'll just say that I plan on finishing!!!It's going to take me a while to get to the start of the Trail this year though. :-)))My plan is to leave from the coast of Virginia in early April, travel from Yorktown, Va west to the coast of Oregon on the Trans Am Bike Trail, then head north to Washington state and turn right on the Northern Tier Trail heading back across the United States all the way to the coast of Maine. I'll make my way to Millinocket, Me and park my bike at Ol' Man and Navigator's for the winter. Hopefully I can be there by late August to very early in September, so I can climb Katahdin and start walking south to Springer Mountain in Georgia.That's my general thoughts about this year's adventure. I'll post another entry later and go into a few more specifics....like the surprise riding partner I found three days ago. :-)))
Date: 2007-08-05
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

8-5-07Millinocket, MEI haven't had a chance to write my summary of the last half of the bike trip yet.I'm climbing Katahdin tomorrow morning, so I probably won't get to the summary till later.I did however want to write this short entry to say that all those preparation entries are now over. I will get to post some entries about actually walking...but there won't be any phones until I get out of the Wilderness, so even that will be a while coming.I really wanted to climb Katahdin today, but a good friend by the name of Jahn Galt from '03 is climbing it with me tomorrow. It's worth the wait to summit with a friend. :-))It feels strange, but good to be back to only my backpack and a bounce box which I'll mail ahead about 400 trail miles and walk to it each time.The backpack has food for three days and 1 liter of water and is tipping the scale at 18 pounds.I read somewhere that you should limit your backpack weight to no more than 1/4 of you weight. That's crap!! I don't want to carry 55 pounds...I don't think I could even pick up 55 pounds. ;-))I'm back to my Asic's road running shoes to walk in.The plantar fasciitis that I dealt with last year started to improve as soon as I went back to wearing my Asic's road running shoes.Looks like I'll have to carry the backpack up and over Katahdin since I'm pretty sure I'll be climbing it from the Roaring Brook side and coming down the Hunt Trail.I'm ready!! :-))I met 4 nobos that finished their walks today...Autumn Joy, Dirty Blonde, Backbend and Rafiki. I also met Breezeway who just flipped from Harper's Ferry.I was getting ready to take a picture of the Lodge and Bluebearee tried running me over. :-))She had picked up Autumn Joy in her car. Autumn Joy was walking to the store for a bottle of celebratory wine. My name got mentioned as one of the hikers at the Lodge, so Bluebearee came over to say hello.She's another of the good bunch of hikers from '02 and is now the ridge runner at Baxter State Park.OK, I'm going to try and stay upright this year and I'll post some walking entries at the first phone I come to. :-))Time to go for a walk.......:-))
Date: 2007-08-08
From: Rainbow Ledges, ME

To: Nahmakanta Lake, ME
Miles today: 18.0

18.0 miles todayTentingNahmakanta Lake, ME.OK, I've been on the AT for 3 days and 2 of those days have been very wet. It rained most all day today.I woke up at 4:40am to the sound of rain drops on my tent.I finally got up at 5:30 and had a fruit pie that Frogcaller had given me the other day.I was laying on my sleeping bag thinking that a cup of Starbucks would be nice. :-))I packed up and was walking by 6:15am. The rain earlier had stopped, but that didn't last long. It started raining again and rained medium to light the rest of the walking day.The good thing was that the rain kept it cooler out. The bad thing is that everything is wet.I saw the first moose poop I've seen on this walk. ;-))The first thing I heard when I got to Rainbow Lake was a loon.There's not a lot to talk about today. I walked in the rain and my legs a very sore.I still can't believe that bike riding doesn't help with the climbing legs that I need out here.I only met 2 thru hikers today...Dog Father and 3 Hills. I saw 2 guys just about to finish up their section hike of the AT. I saw a group of about 10 teenage girls walking north and I saw a group of about 12 young French hikers.I stopped at Rainbow Stream Lean-to and ate lunch there. I always think of Rainbow Slick when I pass this place because this is where he got his Trail name when he slipped into the stream while he was trying to cross it. :-))I climbed up and over Nestuntabunt Mountain, then stopped at Wadleigh Stream Lean-to for a snack.I walked another 15 minutes and got to the shore of Nahmakanta Lake, set up my tent and walked out in the lake to clean my shoes and rinse my legs off.I'm all set up and in my tent on the sand beach.This is the 3rd day out. Sure hope the ol' legs start feeling better soon. :-))Another great day on the Appalachian Trail. :-))
Date: 2007-08-11
From: 3 miles n. of Cooper Brook Falls lean-to, ME

To: Sidney tappan Campsite, ME
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: scattered clouds

20.4 miles todayTentingSidney Tappan Campsite, ME.I woke up at 5:15am and ate a chocolate nut brownie that I had packed out from White House Landing. I also had 1 of the 3 cans of Coke I packed out. :-)) The Cokes were caffeine supplements till I get used to no coffee.I was packed up and walking at 6am.It was actually nice to get away from the noisy stream I slept by last night. I didn't notice it until I got back into the quiet forest though.The temperature was about 60 degrees. That's the warmest it's been out here in the morning and it's very humid.I stopped by Cooper Brook Falls Lean-to, but didn't stay. There were about 30 teenagers there and they were all busy packing.I climbed Little Boardman Mountain and stopped on the summit for about half an hour to dry out my feet and my shirt.I sat in the sun on the summit and it got pretty warm.While I was decending that mountain, I snacked on a Caribou Coffee Vanilla Latte bar that Lone Wolf had given me. It was good. Thanks Lone Wolf!! :-))I ran into Gimp and Knot Head who flipped from Pen-Mar, PA. They are long distance bicyclists and have rode way more miles than I have. I'm just a beginner bicyclist compared to them. :-))We stood in the Trail for about 40 minutes talking about some of the adventures we've done.They talked about how nice the Southern Tier Bicycle Trail is...hummm?? :-))I ran into Lodido and Slow But Not Sure a while later. They are a father and son who are almost done sectioning the whole AT.Von Moose has been sending word back with the nobos to tell me that he IS going to Georgia. :-))I stopped at East Branch Lean-to and took about a 30 minute nap. I stretched out on the wood floor and fell asleep.I left the lean-to and found a nice spring at the base of White Cap Mountain. I drank about a liter and filled up my water bottle, then climbed to Logan Brook Lean-to.I decided to eat an early dinner there. I had cheese, salami and crackers.I filled both water bottles and finished climbing to the summit of White Cap.I ran into 2 nobos by the names of Lakewood and Michael on that climb. Michael hiked the Trail last year too.I took about a 30 minute break on White Cap. I had thought about sleeping up there, but it was only 4pm, so I walked on.I decended White Cap, then climbed Hay Mountain, decended that one, then climbed West Peak before decending to Sindey Tappan Campsite where I'm tented tonight.I'm not alone here tonight...there's a trail crew set up nearby, so I hear voices in the distance.Darn, there I go hearing voices again. Ha!! ;-))My legs got pretty tired climbing White Cap today, but I pushed them a little in hopes of toughening them up again for walking. :-))I must have drank well over 3 gallons of water today and still feel dehydrated. My clothes were soaked with sweat all day.Another great (but steamy) day on the Appalachian Trail. :-))
Date: 2007-08-28
From: Monson, ME

To: Katahdin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Time for an update.............:-))I have been playing up here in New England for a couple weeks since I decided I am not going to do a thru hike this year. I have too many personal things in my life to tend to, so I decided to end my thru hike almost before it got started.I'll still be in New England playing around the mountains for another 10 days before I get serious and start taking care of the things that took me off the Trail for the rest of the year.I guess sometimes a person needs to do stuff other than walk....or riding a bicycle. :-))I did get to go up the Tuckerman Ravine Trail in the White Mountains yesterday and I climbed Katahdin again today. I went up that mountain from the Roaring Brook side....a side of that mountain I hadn't seen before today. It was a beautiful trail and a beautiful day on Katahdin.I guess this will be my last entry for quite some time. Gotta get busy with that other stuff. :-))Thanks for reading and following along. Even though I have had to cut my walk short, it's still been one of the greatest years of my life. :-))
Date: 2009-10-29
From: Amicalola Falls State Park, GA

To: Amicalola Falls State Park, GA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Okay...this is it!! My last day in Floreeeeda for a while. Exciting times!! I'll be on the road to Amicalola Falls State Park this time tomorrow morning for a Saturday morning walk up to Springer Mtn and points north.It takes me a couple extra days to make all the necessary plans to leave for a walk now than I own a storage unit. There are responsibilities!! :-)Not sure how long I'll be on the AT or how far I'll get on this walk. I feel the need to be out in the woods now and am also testing the foot problem that cut a walk short earlier this year in hopes that it is better, now that I am using custom orthotics.   I am planning on updating this walk on this 2007 journal, which is the journal I'm going to use for any entries on my section hike of the AT.My pack is ready to go. It's got my winter gear, even though it's not that cold out yet, but I'm hoping to walk for a while. I am not taking my stove on this walk. That won't affect what I eat on the Trail, because I prefer to eat cold food out there. It does mean that I won't be enjoying my coffee each morning....and it also means that you won't have to read about me enjoying my coffee out there each morning. ;-)I had internet hooked up in this storage unit, so in my spare time I scanned some of my old hard copy photos from my 2002 and 2003 hikes, then posted them under the photos section of those years on my journal. That brought back some good memories of old friends. The next update will be from the Appalachian Trail!! Yippee!!! :-)Oh yeah...a side note to Amoeba about The Leaf Catching Game. I'll make a decision about the status of The Official 2009 Leaf Catching Game once I get on the Trail. I have numerous certified catches made while riding my bicycle from Roanoke, VA to DC to Pittsburgh, PA last month....just ask Mrs Gorp.
Date: 2009-11-01
From: Near Trailhead to Hawk Mtn Shelter, GA

To: Tenting on top of Big Cedar Mtn, GA
Miles today: 13.3

Happy November! Wow...it's hard to believe that I¢ve been on this Trail since way back in October already! :-) It stopped raining sometime in the middle of the night. I slept till 6am, and then just laid there till about 7am enjoying a cool, windy, wet morning from the warmth of my sleeping bag. I made two peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for breakfast, then had my coffee substitute...two pieces of Jolt gum. It's just not the same without a pot of good Strong coffee. I thought I might see some sun this morning, but it looks like it's going to be windy and foggy for a while. I got all packed up, and then started walking at 8am. I walked down Hawk Mtn to Hightower Gap. I stopped there and took my jacket off. I knew the climb would warm me up. The sun started cutting through the fog and before long it was a gorgeous sunny day. I finished climbing the next hill, and then walked down to Horse Gap. I ran into a couple at Horse Gap and stopped to talk a minute. I asked their names and they said they haven't decided yet. He wanted to be Governor Sanford and she wanted to be the Argentine girlfriend, but those names had already been taken. :-) I climbed Sassafras Mtn and ran into a southbound hiker by the name of Rabbit that was finishing his thru hike today. I congratulated him and walked on. I walked down to Cooper Gap next, and then climbed the next mountain. I ran into another Sobo thru hiker by the name of Castle who is also finishing Sher hike today. I took her picture and congratulated her. It's fun running into these Sobos that are just about done...they are soooo excited! I ran into two guys that had just found each other. They got separated yesterday. The one guy seemed very happy to be back with his hiking partner. They said they are walking to Neel Gap together. I walked on to Gooch Mtn Shelter where I laid my wet tent out in the sun. I ate lunch while my tent dried. I signed the register and used a smiley face sticker. I am using some smiley face stickers that eArThworm sent me....thanks! Good luck to eArThworm on Friday...she's getting a couple stents in her heart. I decided I would try and get to Big Cedar Mtn and tent tonight, so I rolled up my dry tent and walked on. Gooch Gap was next then another climb. I started running into day hikers when I got within two miles of Woody Gap. I probably saw at least twelve people all together, and then when I got to Woody Gap, there were cars and motorcycles everywhere! I sat down on a rock for a few minutes and was ¢people watching¢, then made the climb up Big Cedar. I found a flat spot and set up my tent for the night. I have some thoughts on The Leaf Catching Game and those of you trying to out-do the ¢champion¢, but I'll reveal my thoughts another day. These are my first two days on the Trail and my winter pack weighs 30 pounds, so I'm too tired to set guidelines. Did I say I was tired? Good night from the top of Big Cedar Mtn. Another great day on the Appalachian Trail! :-)
Date: 2007-10-21
From: Springer Mt, GA

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well, I never heard about this place until after I started so I had already started writing on a separate website. For all those who are interested in paging back through history and reading my entries, here you are:www.geocities.com/smashignitionstOr just post a comment on one of the more recent entries (or this Trailjournal right here) and let me know if you want to get in touch. Especially if you are one of the 23 October 17th'ers - Sudoku
Date: 2007-10-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

It has been nice reading some other Journal Entries on here. I would put more in-depth information on here, but I started my hike entering posts on my main website, which is:www.geocites.com/smashignitionstI have also been posting on whiteblaze.net under the name Sudoku, and on AT facebook groups so maybe you can find me there if you want to know more. I know these aren't the most entertaining journal entries, but just follow the link if you want to read the good ones!
Date: 2007-10-25
From: Springer Mt, GA

To: Mt. Katahdin
Miles today: 2174.0
Weather: broken clouds

This is just a dummy-entry for getting my trip miles on for the site - I know they like to keep track of how many miles their constituents have hiked.My website where my posts have been going is: www.geocities.com/smashignitionstI joined onto Trail Journals so that people could find me and find where I have been putting my posts, it would just take too long to transfer each and every post onto this forum from the other. Happy reading!