morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-03-11
From: Springer Mountain

To: Horse Gap
Miles today: 10.0

Tater and Diane drove us to the trail at about 9:30 this morning. They both hiked south to Springer with us and then back to the parking area .9 mile north. We then put our packs on and headed north. At the next forest service road there they were again to hand out cokes and fruit to hikers. Actually, Tater was hiking in to meet us on the trail and Diane was back at the trailhead listening to the sounds of the bubbling stream that was flowing by. Again we said our goodbyes until we see them on Friday when they will meet us at the trailhead near their cabin and then we'll be headed off to eat. Another hiker that was just starting the trail, Mississippi Mule, recognized Tater from when Tater picked him up and took him to Hiawassee one other time when he was hiking. Tater loves the hiker community.We hiked for 10 miles before stopping so we could be ahead a bit for the next day's hike. Mike's knee had been bothering him on the downhills and as soon as we passed the Hawk Mountain Shelter and started downhill my left knee started bothering me. On the uphills our knees felt OK. Mike's boots felt good and he had no problems with his feet. My boots felt OK but I did have some "hot" spots on the ousides of my big toes and on the balls of my feet down from the big toes. Hopefully my feet will feel better tomorrow.I forgot how hard the trail really is. My legs do feel stronger this time but they are still weak. Two years ago when we hiked it felt like at times all the blood had left the legs, but so far they have felt good except for just getting tired. When we set up camp Mike took on the job of cooking and hanging the food bag. He seems to have more energy than me at the end of the day. My job was to blow the sleeping pads up and put everything in the tent and clean up the cook pot. Mike enjoys a hot meal but I could care less about the hot food we have on the trail. I eat a little to satisfy him. Our lunch of peanut butter on wraps tasted the best to me. Since we did not stay at the shelter we did not talk to a lot of the hikers except in passing. I'm sure we'll meet more and get to know more as the days go on. So that's about it for today.      It is good to be out again and we are both looking forward to meeting people that will be friends for a lifetime.
Date: 2007-03-12
From: Horse Gap

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: broken clouds

We slept great last night in the tent. It was not too cold when we first crawled in our bags but about 4:30 when I woke up it was quite a bit cooler, yet not freezing. We got up at daybreak and started packing up. We were low on water and so just had a pop tart. Mike later boiled some water for coffee when we stopped for a break after climbing a mountain. There were ups and downs all day. It seemed that as soon as the ups ended the downs started. Our knees did not hurt at all today and Mike's feet still feel good. My feet still have "hot" spots in the same places but they don't feel as bad. I took my shoes off when we stopped for lunch (which was the hot meal for today) and put moleskin on those spots. They felt better for a bit after we started hiking.Whe we stopped for lunch at Gooch Gap Shelter for lunch we met a couple named John and Johanna (no trail names yet) and a young man from Yorkshire in England named Dave. We had filtered our water at Justis Creek a mile or so before the shelter so our packs were heavy again. Before that our packs were feeling pretty light. Later up the trail we ran into John and Johanna again and we decided to meet at Woody Gap and camp there somewhere if there was a place. when we got there they had found a wonderful place so we set up our tent in the same area. Near a road like this it is best to have several people nearby. As soon as we came out of the woods there was a couple here that talked to us and asked questions about the trail and how we get our food. Before they left they asked if there was anything they could get us from the store down the road and Mike said Cokes would be nice. They asked if we wanted 12 and Mike said 4 would be plenty.   So, soon they came back with 4 Cokes, 4 packages of cheese crackers, and 4 packs of M&M's. We shared with our hiker friends and we certainly enjoyed the delicious treats.Mike built a campfire in the fire ring and sat and talked with John for quite a while. It has been a great day and we are hoping to get to Neel's Gap tomorrow. The weather has been incredible! High 70's, bright sunshine, short sleeve weather! Tomorrow the high is to be 79! We will enjoy it now, for we know that sooner or later it will get nasty!!Life is Great!
Date: 2007-03-14
From: Neel's Gap

To: Neel's Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Well, this has been a relaxing day off. We went to the Blairsville Historic Diner which is the same Hole-In-The-Wall restaurant but under new ownership and with some renovations. Same great breakfasts with good prices. We walked to Radio Shack to buy some batteries for the camera and then to the drug store to pick up some bug spray, towelette wipes, chocolate, etc. Toto got caught up with his journaling while sitting out on the deck of the motel and I played around with the camera and did laundry. We touched base with people at home, did some e-mailing, got a start on getting our bags packed, and are now ready to relax, watch a little TV and get another good night's sleep. The area on my foot that was red yesterday has now diffused into a larger tannish bruise. I walked in my boots this morning to go shopping but had to loosen the boot around the top of the foot and ankle area so I was more comfortable. With the Crocs it does not hurt at all. But we are planning to hike out tomorrow. We are being picked up at 7:30am and after picking up another fuel cannister at Neel's Gap we'll be on the trail. We will need to be especially careful that we drink plenty of water. Yesterday we each started out with 3 liters of water but ran out before we got to Neel's gap. I think that is why I was dragging more yesterday--that and my sore foot. We had thought it might rain today but no sign of it at all. There were clouds but the sun still shone through and it was warm. Tomorrow there may be some showers but we're hoping it won't be too bad.Blairsville is a great place to take a day off. The Seasons Inn is clean with good rates and there is just about any kind of shopping that a hiker needs within walking distance.Good night to all.
Date: 2007-03-15
To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Another great day to hike. Cloudy most of the day with intermittent sun. It was supposed to rain and we wanted to get as far as possible before it started. I think we were less than a mile from the shelter when it started and I put my pack cover on. Toto had put his on a little sooner and had even put his rain gear on. There are a lot of camp sites around but Toto wanted to sleep in the shelter because of the rain that so far has only fallen lightly. The shelter holds 7 and there are 6 hikers and a dog so far. Most of the hikers here are tenting or using a hammock. The trail was not too bad today. The ups were mostly fairly gradual but some were pretty long. Some ridge walking with some trail that was pretty clear of rocks and roots. My foot that has the bruise was still hurting, especially on the downhills. I had put moleskin on the hot spots on my feet and they did not start burning until later in the day. The stiffness in the tops of my feet, ankles, and shins felt much better today, so overall my feet were better. We met more hikers today with trail names. A young girl out with her father (we had met them the other day)-- but today they had trail names--Diamond and Blackjack. The father is leaving the trail this weekend and Diamond will be on her own. The father said that he thought he was a pretty nice guy until he met some people in the short time he has been out here that makes him look not so nice. We assured him that Diamond would do fine because of the trail family. At the shelter is Bag Lady, Megan, Daniel, Clint (who is getting the name of Honey) and Tim (from England who it seems is going to be called England). A hiker that is barefoot and has a straggley beard has the name of Dirtnap. An older man just came in and his name is Pilot. Not sure how he got his name. He got on a wrong trail this morning out of Neel's Gap and so lost a lot of time once he figured out his mistake. He came into the shelter tired, cold, and hungry. Going the wrong way on the trail is an easy thing to do and so disheartening, especially if it puts you 2 hours behind. There is a stream here in front of the shelter that is flowing nicely. Easy to fill our platypus and take to the picnic table at the shelter for filtering. There is a privy here although the Thru-hiker Companion book says there isn't. It is new and I got a picture of it. It lacks a roof but it looks as though they may be planning to add one. We have been taking pictures of the privies. A lot of people are interested in seeing the different ones along the trail.   Well, it still has not really rained but it may rain during the night. A cold front is coming through so tonight will be a cooler one than we've had yet. Tomorrow we have just under 10 miles to Unicoi Gap. Looking forward to a good meal in a restaurant somewhere with Tater and Diane.          Life is Great!
Date: 2007-03-17
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: clear sky

After a wonderful breakfast that Tater prepared Diane took us to the trail. For the record we started at Dicks Creek Gap and ended at Unicoi Gap. We felt that if we hiked from north to south we would see more hikers that we had already met and maybe more we hadn't. The hike was easier to do this time then 2 years ago when we hiked this same section. The last time we were hiking off the mountain in the dark. We were slack-packing--in other words, not carrying tent, sleeping bag, sleep pad, clothes, several days' worth of food, stove, etc., just water, a snack, lunch, and gloves. The wind was strong and VERY cold. I had on 2 tops, a fleece jacket, and my rain jacket to break the wind. I had a pair of glove liners on but I was afraid my fingers were getting frost bitten. Finally I had Toto pull my other gloves out of the pack and I put them over the liners. One side of the mountain was windy and cold and the other side was sunny and warmer without most of the wind. I only got hot when I was climbing a couple of really long climbs but once they were over I would get cold again. Mike never did wear his rain jacket--just his fleece. But he kept taking his fleece hat off and putting it on again. The water in our water tubes was freezing up a bit but not too much. Hikers that had spent the night out in the shelters or were camping had their water freeze in their bottles or water bladders. Ice formed over rocks, and ribbons of ice crystals were all along the trail where when the water in the ground froze the water came up in those crystals that look like ribbons.   The day was spectacular for views. What a difference a day can make.We met Bag Lady along the trail and Tater asked her to come to the cabin tonight. She was going toward the direction we had started from so he told her he would pick her up at Dicks Creek Gap at 6pm. We made it to Unicoi Gap from Dicks Creek by about 5:30. After getting back to the cabin we showered, started the laundry, ate a delicious meal of steaks, baked potatoes, baked beans, bread, and blackberry cobbler and ice cream. Then later, Diane made brownies. We certainly were fed well.Tomorrow we want to get 11 miles up the trail--we want to be in NC by the end of the day but it all depends on what time we get to the trail. At any rate we should be able to make better time than we did 2 years ago. We'll just have to see. Well, it has been a great day of hiking and an evening of fun with our friends that have treated us so well. Life is Great!
Date: 2007-03-18
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: clear sky

We had planned to hike just into NC today and camp at Bly Gap but wanted to push on ahead and get those climbs over with that greeted us as we came into NC. They were horrific ones--2 of them. The 3rd one was a more gradual one to the shelter and not bad at all. The first part of the hike out of Dicks Creek wasn't too bad either. Much of that trail was relatively easy---climbs, yes, but not straight up. The trail today was not so cluttered with rocks and roots as it was yesterday, so that was a nice change. Everyone here at the shelter talked about the not so wonderful way NC greeted us with those steep ups. Anyway, we made it. Another older couple, Nancy and Charles, that passed us way back on the trail were here when we got here and had been here for about 2 hours. They just whizzed by us on an uphill and were out of sight in no time.Pilot, that we shared Low Gap Shelter with a few nights ago is here and it was good to see him again. We had passed him going north yesterday as we were going south. He is also an older hiker. Bucket, I think, stayed at Bly Gap last night. When we passed by there it looked like her tent was there but we did not see her. Bag Lady was going into Hiawassee to a motel for a zero day. The day was beautiful with clear blue skies. Once in a while a cool breeze but while hiking it was great. I wore my glove liners all day but other than a long-sleeved top and long hiking pants did not need to wear any other piece of clothing to keep warm. Toto didn't wear gloves but wore his fleece jacket. It is cold this evening, though. A fire was built in the fire ring and everyone was around it trying to keep warm. Most of us are tenting and only 1 or 2 stayed in the shelter. We thought the tent would be warmer. Diane and Tater fixed a wonderful breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast, waffles with strawberries and whipped cream, coffee, and juice this morning. Wow!! They loved doing it, too!! We were at the trail head at 9:30am and said our goodbyes. We have to come back and visit them because Toto left a stick here he has to come back for.After Toto cooked dinner and hung the food bag and I set up the tent and put our sleep pads and sleeping bags in it and fellowshipped a bit around the campfire it was time to turn in and do some journaling. A another good day. Tomorrow we will try for Carter Shelter and then the next day for Winding Stair Gap where we will go into Franklin, NC to one of the hiker motels.      Life is Great!
Date: 2007-03-24
From: Nantahala River

To: Locust Cove Campsite
Miles today: 10.5

After a filling breakfast at the the N.O.C. we got on the trail. We really could not remember that the trail was bad even though it was 6 miles of climbing before there were any downs. We were wrong! There were some straight up the mountain climbs, many of them, and we did not like them. There were some ugly gray rocks that were along the trail in several places and we had to step on and over them. When we got to the shelter at 7 miles it was dirty and not the nice shelter we remembered. Two years makes a big difference! Even though we were ready to call it a day we decided we could hike another 3.6 miles to this campsite. Toto was having a tough day because of the straight ups and he kept getting too warm. But after eating a bagel with peanut butter and a candy bar he thought we could do it. We filtered some water and went on. It was a long 3.6 miles. We had started in the morning at 1740 feet at the river and climbed to 4710 feet before we got to the shelter which was down to 4330. When we decided to hike on another 3.6 miles we climbed to Cheoah Bald, which is just over 5000 feet before coming down to 3690 feet. The climb was straight up and worse than the ones this morning and the drop down was long and tiring for our feet. When we got here we found a group of 30--mostly young teenagers with a few adults and there was not a level place to set up the tent. So we are sliding feet first downhill. It was either that or I would be rolling down onto Toto all night long. Our tent spot is right on the trail to the water source and it has been like a major highway with loud teens going to and from the water. It is 8:15 and it seems to have quieted down a little. We hope to get up early in the morning and get on up the trail. If we can do 11 miles tomorrow we will only have about 6 into Fontana Dam the next day. We saw a couple more flowers today. One was a small cluster of pale pink flowers that smell somewhat like a lilac when close enough to them. The other was a frilly little lavender aster like flower. So every day there are more and more flowers popping up. Yesterday we heard for the first time a grouse. No animals seen today.We are tired and ready for sleep. I hope we don't slide through the end of the tent.
Date: 2007-03-26
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam Visitor Center 
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Neither of us slept very well last night. Toto said he tossed and turned all night. I slept well the first part because of the Benadryl, but after around 2am I was awake a lot and from 5 to 6am I listened to the mice running around the shelter everywhere. As far as I know they did not come near me. At 6 I started packing up with my headlamp on for light. Toto then got up and by 7 we were packed and on the trail. We used our headlamps for about 15 minutes until it was light enough to see the rocks and roots on the trail. The first thing we had to do was climb up a long section. Then we walked a section of a ridge that had smaller ups and downs--some of it with a bunch of rocks to find our way over. By the time we had hiked to the road 1.1 miles from the dam we met up with 2 hikers (No Problem and Mr. Easy) that were getting back on the trail after spending a day off here at the village. A young lady had brought them to the trail and offered to take us from the dam to the village when we finished hiking the next 1.1 mile. Her name was Chocolate Bandito. She hiked some in 2 different years and knew a lot of the hikers from 2005 that we hiked with because of trail magic she provided to them on the trail. The village here is nice--much nicer than we had expected. The lodge has cable TV, a very nice restaurant (the only one open at this time of year), an oufitter, a small general store, a laundromat, and a post office. We have taken care of all our chores and are about to have dinner. A restful evening and a good night's sleep and we will be ready for the Smokys tomorrow. We had thought there might be rain but it sounds like it will be a nice week.Lots of wildflowers have started to emerge. At the lower elevations we saw bloodroot, Rue Anemone, beautiful Trilliums, and others that we could not identify. We have pictures though and will seek their identity.
Date: 2007-03-27
From: Fontana Dam Visitor Center 

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: light rain

We got the shuttle to the dam at 9 this morning. Before we checked out of the lodge we went to the restaurant as soon as it opened at 8 and asked them to fix 2 bacon, cheese, and egg biscuit sandwiches to go. We also picked up a cup of coffee. We left the visitor center at 9:15 and started once again north. This time we entered the Great Smoky Mountains. The first climb was not too steep but it was long. After 4 miles we came to Shuckstack, a mountain with a fire tower on top. We climbed to near the top and had our lunch. About half way to Shuckstack Toto came upon a rattlesnake. He said he almost stepped on it when he heard it rattle. It was stretched out with its tail in the trail. He threw a heavy stick at it to try to get it to move out of the trail but all it did was curl up, rattle its rattler again and look straight our way. Soon there were 6 of us hikers trying to figure out how to get by. Finally Toto stepped to the other side of the trail as far as he could and cautiously walked by. Soon the rest of us were by it also. It was a huge snake--probably 3-4 feet long and very fat. We wondered if it had just eaten something to make it so big. Later, 2 other hikers said it was still there when they hiked by. That was the excitement of the day. The day was tough because it was warm and there were lots of bugs that swarmed around us. Going uphill was worse because we couldn't go fast enough to keep them away. And there were a lot of ups.We pushed on past the first shelter to the second one, which was only 2.5 miles further. I told Toto to go ahead and after about an hour and a half I thought I should be getting to the shelte,r but I just kept getting more ups. I began to wonder if I had missed the shelter sign somewhere and was getting worried when I finally saw it. Toto said he had only gotten here about 10 minutes before I arrived.We have eaten, changed out of our sweaty clothes and are now in our sleeping bags. Here in the Smokys we have to sleep in the shelter unless it is full and then we can use our tents. This shelter had the cage on the front still to keep the bears out. There are cables for hanging our food away from the reach of bears. These shelters do not have privies so it is an inconvenience to say the least!We want to get out of this park as soon as possible but are limited by how far we can go by the distance between shelters. Toto is anxious to see trail that is new to him.
Date: 2007-03-28
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: light rain

This has been a very tough day for both of us. We had intended to go another 1.7 miles to the next shelter, Double Spring Gap Shelter, but there were just so many climbs today that we decided to stop here--it was a good decision. We started at 4360 feet and steadily climbed to 5527 feet, going up to Rocky Top and then to Thunderhead Mountain. Then we started going down a little and up a little more until we reached this shelter at 5460 feet. We started into the clouds just before the shelter and the air was getting pretty cool. We both decided we were too tired to go on and we didn't know if it might rain or if we would be able to see very well. It was around 6 when we stopped and we were the first ones here. We immediately changed out of our sweaty clothes, got out our sleeping bags, pads, etc. and Mike went to get water from the water source. We cooked our hot meal earlier in the day so we wouldn't have to do it this evening. For our evening meal we had some leftover bagels and pita bread with cheese. Toto fixed hot chocolate and it really was good because it is pretty chilly tonight. If what it looks like tonight is any indication of what the view will be like from Clingmans's Dome, then we will not have one. Maybe the heavy clouds will blow away overnight.There are 9 other hikers that have shown up. Zubie, Goldster, Mingus Khan, and Billy the Kid, Tintin, and his brother, Joseph Stalin are thru-hikers and then 3 section hikers came in from the north. The shelter holds 14 so we are full.I hope that the mice are not bad tonight. Last night I had a mouse crawl over my head at 3am. I would have had my fleece hat on if it had not been so warm. Tonight it is cold so my fleece hat is on. A tough day but a good one since we stopped here instead of going on. We would like to make it past Newfound Gap tomorrow and get past the road to Gatlinburg.