morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-03-26
From: Neels Gap

To: Wildcat Mountain
Miles today: 5.3

My parents rule!I called them about the top pole to my tent (MSR Fling sucks in high wind without it) and they drove it down to me in Blairsville. It was too late to hit the trail by the time they arrived so I stayed in a motel in Blairsville. The shower was nice but they have no laundry facilities and the only laundromat is closed on Sundays. I'm going to try and hitch back up to Neels Gap, failing that I guess I will walk on the road today, we'll see what happens.--I made it to Neels Gap about 1:00 and hiked as far as Wildcat Mountain. On the way I met another hiker whose partner had gotten way ahead and taken the tent. In addition to no shelter she had also run out of water. She was having a very difficult time with the physical aspects of the climb in addition to the issues with water & her partner. I couldn't leave her stranded so I shared my tent with her and we hung out with some neighboring campers who had a fire.
Date: 2006-03-27
From: Wildcat Mountain

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 5.3
Weather: clear sky

[My new partner] made it about a mile down the trail this morning and at the first road crossing she decided to hitch ahead to Hiawassee and consider her options. She is seriously considering quitting. I spent the rest of the day catching up to her partner to bring the stove, fuel & water filter ahead. I found her at Low Gap Shelter and decided to hang out there the rest of the day.
Date: 2006-03-28
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 15.0

Since I don't have a watch I have decided to start ignoring the date and number of days. Watches and calendars are the same things anyway and neither of them matter, at least not right now.I hate the food I bought in Blairsville (Zatarains meals complete w/ pre-cooked meat) so I have gone into Helen, GA for more food. I plan on visiting a lot of towns along the trail. This was not my original plan but I can't get over how nice people are being to me. Nasty and stinky I am being treated better than I am wearing a suit in a four-star restaurant. Seeing as how my view of people is pretty low I am going to soak up all this niceness while I can. Maybe I can learn to like people better... We'll see.
Date: 2006-03-29
To: Blueberry Patch Hostel 
Miles today: 10.5

It's surprising how people respond to physical discomfort. The most common topic of conversation amongst thru-hikers seems to be physical ailments. They act as if they are surprised their feet/back/legs hurt; acting as if they are experiencing pain for the first time in their lives. It almost makes me want to punch them in the nose so that they have a basis for their whining.
Date: 2006-03-30
From: Blueberry Patch Hostel

To: Bly Gap
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Stayed at the Blueberry Patch Hostel last night. My original intent had been to swing by and get my maildrop and keep hiking but Lennie (the hostess) was so nice I decided to stay the night. Which turned out to be a great idea as they prepared the most wonderful breakfast for me and "Willow", the only other person staying there. Willow was really cool, we hiked together for awhile today. She went on to the next shelter but I stopped at Bly Gap, which also worked out well. I met Tabasco and Trashman and we sat around and talked for quite a while. Tabasco and I knew some of the same people through our past business dealings; I always think it's neat when you meet people like that. Trashman and I stayed up until well after dark chatting, he is a super cool guy. He offered me a ride to Franklin on Thursday. I've already lost enough weight so that my hip belt is too large, I'm going to the outfitter in Franklin to order a new one. On a sidenote, it's been staying in the 40s at night and I am burning alive in my 0* sleeping bag. I've got to do some shopping for a 20 or 30* bag to get once I get into VA. Everyone is just as impressed with my tent (MSR Fling) as I am. I've got so much spare in here and at less than 4 lbs. it's lighter than most one person tents. I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a new tent. Huge thunderstorm last night. Lightning and thunder all night. The thunder was so loud it made the tent vibrate. It was cool.
Date: 2006-03-31
From: Bly Gap

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Went from Bly Gap to Standing Indian Shelter, walked in rain and hail for the whole seven miles. It looked like the weather was going to get worse so I decided to wait it out at the shelter. The weather ended up clearing, but it was too late to go any farther. Willow, Linc, and Jennie were there too so it was fun. Got hit in the head with a piece of hail, it left a good lump and bled a bit.
Date: 2006-04-01
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Betty Creek Gap
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: light rain

Made it to Betty Creek Gap today, about 12 miles. The weather was perfect for hiking and the trail was easy. Since I'm heading into Franklin tomorrow for food and Willow is not it may be the last I see of her. She is a fun person and talking to her from time to time throughout the day has been fun. Beginning to see a lot more thru-hikers. Some of them are already doing 25+ miles a day; doesn't sound like much fun to me. I've got to rethink my food purchases, I've already lost a lot of weight and I'm hungry all the time.
Date: 2006-04-02
From: Betty Creek Gap

To: Winding Stair Gap, Franklin
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Went about 13 miles from Betty Creek to Winding Stair Gap. It only took about five hours to do the walking but I spent about an hour and a half taking pictures. To get to Maine I've got to average about 14 miles per day. It is nice to know I can get that done before lunch. When the terrain levels out I should be able to do 40 mile days in several places.
Date: 2006-04-03
From: Winding Stair Gap, Franklin

To: Franklin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Picked up more food in Franklin. Thus far my only significant planning issue has been my underestimation of the amount of food I would need. I am now carrying 26 lbs of food for five days. Bought a compression bag for my tent so that I could fit all of my food inside the pack. Went to the "Tiki Club" in Franklin last night with Marc & Julia for some whiskey and beer. While I was there I met a past thru-hiker, "Crutch", and we all sat around chatting until the bar closed. NC drink regulations are silly, they can't pour doubles but I had a good time anyway.
Date: 2006-04-04
From: Franklin, TN

To: Wine Spring campsite
Miles today: 8.2

Left Franklin and walked about 8 miles or so to the southern end of the Bartram Trail. There are very nice campsites here and although I still have several hours of daylight left I am going to stay here tonight as I want to photograph the stone tower on Wayah Bald in the morning light.The weather forecast looks fairly terrible for tonight and tomorrow. Severe thunderstorms and lots of rain, I hate walking in the rain, oh well. Another camper has arrived, he is a retired industrial engineer from GM, the broad spectrum of people on the trail amazes me. Far more successful professionals than I anticipated.--Lots of exciting weather last night. Lightning, thunder, very high winds, and lots of rain. Big rain drops, it seemed like I was sleeping in a popcorn machine. Can't tell what time it is as the sun is completely obscured by the low clouds. Very foggy with about 25' visibility. I hope I can see the tower on the bald, in the conditions it is somewhat doubtful.
Date: 2006-04-05
From: Wine Spring campsite

To: Tellico Gap
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

Well, the weather people got it right. The weather has sucked pretty much all day. It rained all morning, most of the afternoon, and a bit more in the evening; just for good measure I suppose. I walked a little over 11 miles to Tellico Gap where I will stay for the night. I want to take some pictures from Wesser Bald and I am hoping this cloud cover will have gone over by morning. I will get to the NOC early tomorrow morning and dry all my stuff out. The crappy Millet pack cover I got for my pack (the pack cover was on sale) somehow got a big hole in it, directly over the top opening on my pack, and everything is soaked. Guess it was on sale for a reason. Hope to repair it tomorrow as well.The temp has dropped well below freezing tonight. Everything I have is pretty much frozen. As a side note, when hydration bladders begin to freeze the expanding water gets pushed through the bite valve and you get a frozen puddle on the floor of your tent.
Date: 2006-04-06
From: Tellico Gap

To: NOC
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: broken clouds

Camped near NOC with some characters. One guy wasn't carrying a stove of any kind, just eating Ramen straight from the pack, taco seasoning, and dry turkey dressing. He has been wandering around eating like that for months. Another guy had a guitar, in his spack, along with a Pepsi can stove and a sleeping bag and a few pounds of noodles, that was it. Met another guy who was eating nothing but Clif bars. He bought over $100 worth at the outfitter. Clif bars are horrid concoctions, I don't nkow how the guy was doing it. (Update: Cookies & Cream Clif bars are pretty good.)No cheap option to fix the hole in my pack cover so I put seam-sealer around the duct tape patch, we'll see how that goes.I tried a smaller hip belt for my pack. I found a piece of closed cell foam. It looks like that is going to have to do.Got a really big climb out of the Nantahala Gorge tomorrow morning, then on to Fontana. My parents are going to bring Caoimbe out to visit me there. I'm excited about that.
Date: 2006-04-07
From: NOC

To: Locust Cove Gap
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: clear sky

Somewhere near Grassy Gap, north of the NOC, I stopped for a break and shortly thereafter I was surrounded by countless yellow and black butterflies. They were absolutely everywhere. I know they are nasty little crap-eating bugs but they are still pretty.Walked about 10 miles to Locust Cove Gap. The climb out of NOC was pretty good; not nearly as bad as everyone made it out to be.The map is halfway incorrect about Locust Cove Gap. The topo shows water but the elevation profile shows no water here. There is water at Locust Cove. I hate errors like that as they discredit the rest of the elevation profiles.
Date: 2006-04-09
From: Locust Cove Gap

To: Bluff Mountain
Miles today: 115.6

Been going very fast and have been too worn out to write in my journal. Did 20 miles from Standing Bear Farm (which rules) to Bluff Mountain. May take zero day as the weather is pretty bad.Started storming about sundown and hasn't really let up since. Lots of thunder, lightning, rain and more hail. The thunder echoes off the hills for such a loong time, it's great.It is about 10:00am or so (estimate) and it is so dark I have to use my headlamp to write.I will be going into Hot Springs for awhile for the Festival, everyone recommends it highly, I look forward to it.
Date: 2006-04-11
From: Bluff Mountain

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: clear sky

Walked 13 miles down to Hot Springs. It rained most of the day which sucked but I did get to spend some time inside a big storm on the mountain, pretty wild. The ground shook with the thunder and the lightning lit up everything 360* around. Kind of like a really big dance club.
Date: 2006-04-12
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Still raining. Not much to do in Hot Springs. The hiker fest doesn't have a lot of fest so far, just hikers. Miss Janet showed up last night with a camp and now there are about 30 of us camped out on the egde of town. Internet access has been limited for a few weeks, I dread seeing how many e-mails have piled up. I sort of envy the people who don't have/deal with e-mail on the trail. I guess I could do the same but I'm not sure I'm ready to do that. E-mail being the only prt of my "real life" left. So far I've taken about 3000 pictures. I can't wait to see them, especially the wild flowers and plants. I have high expectations for many of them. Sent home my thermals as I haven't used them in two weeks and I was tired of carrying them. Hope that wasn't a mistake.
Date: 2006-05-12
To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 99.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Finished the climb up Roan Mountain today, in the rain and sleet. By the time I reached the shelter it had become dangerously wet and cold. Some people I had met previously were there waiting out the weather as well. By 11:00am the temp had dropped to below freezing and we decided to begin preventive first-aid by drinking the bottle of wild turkey one of them was carrying.As the temp continued to drop and BAC levels rose we decided the safest course was to wait for the weather to clear. Waiting was sort of a mixed blessing as the weather drove everyone in the area into the shelter, even those who had already passed the shelter. Really bad weather.
Date: 2006-05-14
From: Roan High Knob Shelter

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

The Roan Highlands are my favorite part of the hike so far. Easy hiking combined with clear weather made for another short day. Perfectly OK as it would be a shame to go too fast through the area. The winds were rough but didn¢t detract from the area.A big surprise were the gigantic cattle, Watusi cattle I believe, laying directly on the trail. Just north of Hump Mountain. The cattle had enormous horns, at least three feet on each side, and didn¢t seem to mind blocking the trail at all. I couldn¢t help wondering if they were good to eat. One of those cows could have provided BBQ for a lot of hikers.
Date: 2006-05-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I have identified the perfect trail food. Those giant Little Debbie ¢Fudge Brownies¢ can¢t be beat. Only 25¢ each and 310 calories, 110 from fat, and only 2.5 oz in weight. For less then $3 a day you can stay full. I bet if you studied the Little Debbie selection a bit more you could do the entire trail on nothing else¢¦
Date: 2006-05-17
To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 78.7
Weather: light rain

Wed May 17th, made it to Damascus, VA, the fourth of many more states. My parents met me here today, to celebrate my birthday, which is tomorrow the 18th. They have to be the best parents anywhere. They brought me cake and got me a new sleeping bag, a 32* Mont-Bell. It only weighs 1.3 lbs and compresses to about the size of a Nalgene bottle. I lost about 4 lbs of pack weight and gained about 2/3 more space in my pack. I¢m excited about it. My brother got me an MSR Pocket Rocket which was a total surprise. I had mentioned getting one to replace my heavy Whisperlite and he decided to hook me up. Those things combined with the new sandals and pack cover a past hiker/current friend recently got me make it seem like Christmas & birthday all rolled into one convenient spring holiday. Thanks everybody!!!
Date: 2006-05-20
From: Campsite south of Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Rhododendron Gap
Miles today: 13.8

A fairly easy 13+ mile day to Rhododendron Gap where I found a fantastic campsite overlooking just about everything around. The sunrise/set was finally nice too. Early in the morning I heard a noise and looked out to find a pony munching on grass nearby. Shortly afterward a whole bunch of them showed up. I got some great pictures and tried to ride one but it wasn¢t interested. While I was trying to ride the pony another one took my cigarettes! I got them back before they were all destroyed but it still sucked. The signs said the ponies were ¢feral¢ but they were more domesticated than many farm ponies. They were fun though.
Date: 2006-05-21
From: Rhododendron Gap

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 24.4
Weather: clear sky

Long day today. From Rhodo Gap to Trimpi Shelter, about 25 miles. The walk wasn¢t so bad but I hated blasting through the Grayson Highlands. The area had to be one of the prettiest on the trial. I will certainly be revisiting the area after the walk. It looks like the only real issue I am going to have with finishing the trail is going to be eating enough. I have lost a lot of weight already and I don¢t really know what to do about it. I¢m going to do some experimenting at the grocery store in Atkins. I¢ve got to figure something out as I can¢t lose any more weight.
Date: 2006-05-22
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Atkins, VA
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: clear sky

11 or so miles from Trimpi to Atkins, VA for resupply. The trail keeps getting easier but the temperature and humidity are creating challenges of their own. It has rained all afternoon which should make the humidity fairly horrible tomorrow. Went to Wal-Mart for resupply and bought a ton of food, a pencil sharpener (mostly for Emily¢s benefit), and a new knife to replace the one I lost along the way. I really hate that I lost my knife, with a short exception I had carried that knife everywhere for over five years. Since Wal-Mart does not carry cutlery remotely comparable to what I lost I opted for a $10 baby knife. Done some ciphering today and I reckon I gotta walk about 12 miles every day for the next three months to get to Maine by the end of September. Should be easy enough.
Date: 2006-05-23
From: Atkins, VA

To: Davis Path Shelter
Miles today: 2.7

Today didn¢t go as planned. One of the girls I am hiking with got really sick so we decided to stop at the shelter which is about two miles from where we were last night. Since everyone else felt fine and it was early in the day we played rock-paper-scissors to determine who would go back to town for her. I lost. It was a nice day for a walk though and it was easy; even with a case of beer and a six-pack of Coke.
Date: 2006-05-24
From: Davis Path Shelter

To: Davis Path Shelter
Miles today: 0.0

Zero day. Still waiting at Davis Path Shelter for our companion to get better. Lots of puking. I didn¢t lose at rock-paper-scissors today so I didn¢t have to make the beer run. We used a lot of the cans to create elaborate new food hangers for the shelter. Most of the existing food hangers were broken and the color contrast between the Bud Light and Budweiser cans added a much needed decorative element to the shelter.
Date: 2006-05-25
From: Davis Path Shelter

To: Knot Maul Branch Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: clear sky

About 11 miles from Davis Path Shelter to Knot Maul Shelter. It was an easy day but we got a late start so the mileage was short. There was a bit of rain late in the afternoon but the cloud cover provoked a nice break from the sun.
Date: 2006-05-26
From: Knot Maul Branch Shelter

To: Davis Farm Campsite
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: broken clouds

About 14 miles and we decided to camp on the side of Garden Mtn. Nice campsite out of sight from the trail with a great sunset and (hopefully) a nice sunrise. My camera has been malfunctioning for a week or so and it gave up the ghost today. I hope to send it for repair in Bland, VA.
Date: 2006-05-27
From: Davis Farm Campsite

To: Bland, VA
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: overcast clouds

About 16 miles today to the road where we hitched into Bland, VA to resupply. The unscheduled stop due to illness means I didn¢t have enough food to get to Pearisburg.Bland is a very aptly named village of about 500 residents, most of whom appear above the age of 60. They do have a Subway and a Dairy Queen however. Both of which I visited. I ate five cheeseburgers then a footlong meatball sub. I think meat is my most sorely missed thing on the trail. I just feel irritable and lethargic without it.I have been hiking in my sandals which has earned lots of comments from other hikers. A few think it¢s cool but must comment on how the sandals don¢t provide ankle support.On the surface the lack of support seems to be a valid argument but I experience has shown this is not the case. They are so light that I can move my feet much faster, should an unstable situation occur plus at the end of the day I don¢t stumble about on the trail due to my legs being exhausted from picking up heavy boots all day. Overall I think the sandals are a safer option than boots, plus they are much more comfortable. More experience with them will let me make a better assessment.
Date: 2006-05-28
From: Bland, VA

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 42.4
Weather: broken clouds

Fairly easy trip to Pearisburg, VA for resupply. The terrain continues to become easier but the tradeoff is that the climbs seem rather different. It is easy to forget that a few months ago I was going over much larger mountains on a far more frequent basis.I¢ve gotten my total pack weight, with 2L water and five days food, down to 39 pounds and I¢m fairly happy with that. To lower the weight any farther would mean buying things like a new pack and tent, neither of which I care to replace as the cost/benefit isn¢t practical. My food/eating situation has improved and I have actually gained a few pounds. In my search for trail foods I have discovered a wonderful item called a ¢bagel¢. I had heard mention of their existence but until my last resupply I had never eaten one. I feel somewhat cheated by the lack of bagels in my past and now I must make up for it by consuming them in large quantities. I am now in search of the freshly baked ¢everything bagel¢ which I am told is delicious with salmon and capers.
Date: 2004-03-02
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

(THIS IS MY FIRST ORIGINAL ENTRY FOR MINE & KTR'S 1ST THRU-HIKE)April 9th (2004) is the day my twin brother and I realize a dream that began 16 years ago. We have been planning this hike for seven years now, off and on. And it's like my big sister told me . . . "until we go do this hike, it will always be in our system". How right she is . . . My trail name is "solace" and my twin is "kick the rocks"We currently live in upstate New York, although New Hampshire is home (the greatest state!) We plan a April 9th - early September through hike of the Appalation Trail.Sure.. we hear it all the time.. "what, are you nuts! no toilets out there, no beds.. no ESPN!"I work for espn radio and in sports, so for me, it's a welcome break. My Twin, "kick the rocks" is a pioneering expert, and is only "home" when he is in the woods.So many ask . . . "WHY ARE YOU HIKING THE AT?"My answer . . . simple . . . "I'll tell you when i've finished".There are several reasons . . . the lure of the magic of just being out there, dealing with the loss of my parents and some friends from years ago . . .spending five months with my best friend, my twin . . . and more than anything i know .. is that this "walk in the woods" has been calling to me since i was 15 years old.Now . . . our dream finally realized.We cannot wait to meet so many of you out there . . . and look more forward to this perhaps life altering experience more than anything else ever done.This hike is for my mom, my "dad" Jay, for those i have lost, and for those i have gained in 31 years . . but most of all, finally . . . for me.My trail name of "solace" reflects my life since i graduated from FZS high school in '92 . . . since then i have lived in more places (10 States, 27 towns!), worked more jobs, and met more people than 95% of anyone you know . . . catch me on the trail for a chat.. you'll be amazed! GO BRUINS! GO WILDCATS! GO CARDINALS! GO TIDE! GO UNION! After 12 years of "my journey", i begin the greatest one . . My Journey North . . . my "JOURNEY HOME"                          "solace" GA-ME 2004