morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-04-17
From: Hot Springs

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

Day 354.17.0411:50pmSurreal day in Hot Springs. Hikers overran the town. G & G came up around 2:30. Stayed until 6:30, took me out to Paddler¢s Pub. Have had quite a few beers tonight. Not as many as Sweetleaf though. Man, can she toss ¢em back. Went back to the pub around 7. Stayed for several hours, hangin¢ out w/ Sweetleaf & Norma, and their pals Judy & Carol, and Pauline & Caroline. Sweetleaf paid me the highest compliment, saying that she¢d like to hike to Maine w/ me. Don¢t know if it was the alcohol talking or some protective, maternal instinct (that more likely form Norma), but I was quite flattered. I think we¢ll try and at least hike the next few days together. Probably won¢t get out of Hot Springs til the afternoon, if we make it out at all. Considering the mass exodus that will occur tomorrow, there¢s no rush. Estimate at least 50 hikers here, and another 20-25 who hitched in for the festivities. A lot went on today. Got my hair cut by Sara. Entered the duck race, on the French Broad River. #75 did not claim victory, alas. Checked out the craft booths. Had some amazing Thai cuisine. (Amazing b/c I haven¢t had authentic ethnic food in over a month.) (It was tasty, too.) Got drunk, or at least rather tipsy. Caught up w/ lots of hikers. Staying at Elmer¢s tonight. Awesome old Victorian house. Going to the AYCE b-fast at the community center in the morning. Then will see what develops. Yesterday was a mega-long day. 19.8 miles. Haven¢t quite broken the 20 barrier, but close. And, unofficially, I did. Just not all of them AT miles. But, despite the length, yesterday was a good day. Very, very tired by the end. My arches were killing me. But a good day. Stayed at the Alpine Court, b/c it was there, and there was one room left. And it had a hot shower. Got interviewed by a guy doing a documentary on the AT, in order to get funding to do a show on the John Muir trail. Me, in the spotlight, again? I¢ve definitely become more outgoing, more willing to put myself out there, since being out here. It¢s nice, having this increased confidence in myself. I still felt like a fool, on the dance floor in the pub tonight. Some things will never change¢¦ So many familiar faces here in Hot Springs -- Andy & Dennis and their wives (Peter may have to drop out -- scarily low BP and hernia problems. Dennis branded his ribs w/ his Nalgene), Cat (who I haven¢t seen since Stover Creek), Cuppa Joe, Barbara, Laura (Sanguine), Rob (Navigator), Krispy Kritter, Bear Tracks, Boo Boo, Dingle, Skirt, Zack (Poppins), Hitch & Mojo, Andrew, Largo, met Heidi & Holly Hobbit, Walking Stomach, Little Chicken, Smoky Mtn Steve, Pirate, Caroline & Gimpy, Breathless, Two Cents, Subway, Freight Train, Baltimore Jack, Kickstand, Yurtle, Sunset, Jester, Kristin, Ross, Wayne, Snail, Dutch, Little Tree, Stretch.
Date: 2004-04-18
From: Hot Springs

To: Campsite above pond
Miles today: 5.1

Day 364.18.047:40pmOnly 5 miles today, but holy heck, were they tough. Too much beer, I suppose. Note to self -- don¢t drink and hike. Didn¢t get sick, but I must have sweated out several brewskies in the first 2 miles. Was I dripping. I¢ve________________________________________________________________________________ ¢I¢m gonna hike right to Betty Ford¢ -- Vocal ¢04________________________________________________________________________________discovered that I sweat in direct proportion to degree of uphill. You can measure the grade of incline by the increments b/t drops of sweat. Not too steep? Just the occassional rivulet off my forehead. Getting harder? Starts dripping off my nose. Hand over hand climb? My nose is like a leaky faucet. Today was definitely the latter. Not necessarily b/c of the steepness, but the climb combined w/ the heat & humidity did it. Nice campsite here above the dammed pond. Stayed in Hot Springs ¢til 3 o¢clock, having lunch w/ Sweetleaf, Norma, Pauline, and Caroline. Having lunch and beers. Lots and lots of beers. Felt good just to hang out though. Felt normal. Called home today. Mom got a letter from Luba. Sounds like she¢s trying to demand considerably more than previously discussed. And, of course, it will stress mom out completely. Nice to be away from such worries. Here, it¢s a matter of -- where will I stay and what I will have for dinner. Hiked most of the day w/ Skirt. Good to have the company and conversation, as well as the influx of enthusiasm. Reiterated my desires and reasons for being out here. Still having moments of doubt, but today was generally a good day. ¢Course, didn¢t do much trail hiking. But good nonetheless. Probably won¢t push it tomorrow. Try and hang w/ the gang I¢m w/. Just under 60 miles to Erwin. 5 twelve mile days? Gets me there Friday. We¢ll see. One day at a time¢¦
Date: 2004-04-19
From: Campsite above pond

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 374.19.047:30pm15 miles today. Felt ¢em too. Pacing myself to get to Erwin sometime Friday. Be good to use up some of this extra food I¢m carrying anyway. A lot of folks on the trail today. Met the ¢non-offensive 5¢ (Zippy, Pokey, Taiwan Jon, Switchback, Indy), most of the Offensive 6 (Vocal, Flippy, County, one other -- have yet to meet Opie & Norway), Gabe & Shadow. Ran into Kat again, headed S. Seems she forgot her walking stick. Had to backtrack 2-3 miles, downhill. Meaning 2-3 miles up on the way back. Also bumped into Jan Liteshoe and Stumpknocker, out for ¢just¢ a 100-mile trip. Just. Me, I¢m hovering on the verge of 300 miles now. Still, I¢m darned impressed w/ how far I¢ve come. Never pictured myself accomplishing even this much in my lifetime. But right now, exhaustion¢s setting in. Don¢t think I¢ll push it tomorrow. About 12 miles to another shelter from here, w/ a giant climb right off the bat. Thought about humping over it tonight, but my legs are jelly. I¢ll be rested for it tomorrow, right?
Date: 2004-04-21
From: Campsite

To: Bald Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 17.8

Day 394.21.044:45pmSittin¢ up here on top of the world, on Big Bald. Whew! What a climb up. And yet, I have a feeling that climbing these peaks is a little like childbirth -- long, strenuous, painful, and, once the endorphins kick in, totally worth every minute. Getting to the top and the ensuing views gives you quite a rush. I¢ve put in quite a few miles today (16.8 so far), and they¢ve been pretty arduous ones, mostly uphill. And still, I¢ve treated myself to more and longer breaks than any other day. Even stopped around 1:30, just before Street Gap, and cooked. Could it be I¢ve finally acquired my hiker legs? I seem to have received my hiker appetite. Gonna have to do a little more planning in terms of trail food, since it appears I¢ll be eating more, and needing more calories. May even switch to food drops. I like the convenience of them. But, right now I¢m being buffeted by gusts of wind. Headin¢ to Bald Mtn Shelter for some din-din. Then, off to find a camping spot. Later.7:40pmHere at Bald Mtn Shelter, all 3 of us tucked in our bags -- me, Sweetleaf, and Stringbean. Met my third SOBO -- ¢Spoon¢. Started Aug. 21. Having hiked 300 miles now, through cold and snowy weather, I can¢t imagine that being the norm. Today was an awesome day for hiking though. Sunny and breezy. Perfect combo. I seem to be over the worst of my funk. The mental impediment has dissipated. To be sure, I still catch myself cursing the steep hills (both up and down), but in a sort of affectionate, wayward sibling sort of way. Trail Fest supplied a huge morale boost, just hanging out w/ so many hikers, all so enthusiastic about being here. And, this is one of the longest stretches out of the trail -- 4 nights so far. Erwin tomorrow, though. And man, am I dreaming about it -- hot showers, cold beers, clean clothes (boy, am I rank right now. Everything I own reeks of hiker funk. And, if you don¢t know what that smells like, be thankful. Very, very thankful.) It¢ll be heavenly. Three more hikers just rolled in. Still not very full. But hopefully it¢ll be quiet. Just need to get an early start tomorrow. Signing off for the night.
Date: 2004-04-22
From: Bald Mtn Shelter

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 16.9

Day 404.22.04Got into Uncle Johnny¢s at 2:30. 17 miles in 7 12 hours. Good time for me. Wasn¢t planning on stopping here, but I heard Miss Janet¢s was full. So, here I am. Pretty tired, too. Long past 2 days.
Date: 2004-04-23
From: Erwin, TN

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

Day 414.23.0411amDebating what to do today, which means I¢ll likely zero. Last night I was really feeling psyched about getting back on today. First time I really didn¢t want to hang around town, be a bum. But, when I took the first steps this morning, my heels cried out. And my left knee is a little stiff. I locked it up yesterday, stumbling over a log. Just need to give it a little rest, I hope. Thinking about staying at Uncle Johnny¢s again (Don¢t know why the bad rep), but I¢m craving privacy. May head to a hotel. Heard from Breathless & Speed that the Super 8 is super cool. Actually, think I¢ll do it right now. Who am I kidding. There¢s no debate. I¢m staying put.
Date: 2004-04-24
From: Erwin, TN

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: broken clouds

Day 424.24.043:45pmEscaped the clutches of town at 10:45 this morning. Should have started earlier -- I was swimming in sweat w/in 20 minutes. Sitting up here at Beauty Spot, aptly named. Overlooks Erwin, way down there in the distance. Amazing how much changes in only 10 miles. I almost feel like I have a different persona in town. It¢s definitely a different world on the trail. Only planning on going to Deep Gap tonight, just another 1.5 miles, so no need to rush. Think Little Tree and Walking Stomach will be there tonight too. If I¢d started early, I would¢ve pushed on to the next shelter (6 miles), but the first day out is always tough -- always up. A lot of it. ¢Course, there¢s a whopping big climb out of Deep Gap too. Inescapable, I suppose. There will always be ups, and there will always be downs. C¢est la vie.5:30pmTorrential downpours began 15 minutes ago. Fortunately, I¢d made it to camp and had my tent up before it started. Was getting water. Me, in my foresightful and infinite wisdom, actually remembered to close my fly before leaving for aqua. So, nothing¢s too wet, other than me. The sun¢s actually trying to peak out from the clouds, from what I can tell in my itty-bitty windows. A few thunderous claps, but didn¢t see any lightning. Well, wha¢d¢ya know? Rain¢s letting up. May get to cook dinner after all. I¢m just glad I chose not to push on. Slow Walker¢s here w/ me, and WS and LT. Camped along a FS road, but I have company. And I¢m not drenched.6:15Well, I squeezed my dinner b/t downpours. Really going full guns now. Sounds like a hammer on my tent. Getting quite a stream right along my vestibule, slowly encroaching toward me. Brought everything in except the stuff that¢s already sopping wet (sandals, rain jacket, water filter) and my stove, which was still burning when the rain started up again. Had to eat the last half of dinner in my tent. I know. Bad form, leaving food scent and residue in the tent. Course, I¢ve got my whole bloody food bag in the tent right now, so what¢s a little Spanish rice odor gonna do to harm anything? I just realized I¢m really, really tired. As in, I could fall asleep tired. Could I finally get 8 hours of sleep while on the trail? Would be a miracle. And speaking of miracles, it¢s miraculous to be out right now. Everything is so alive and vibrant. Wildflowers everywhere you look (and I¢m beginning to be able to ID them. Well, some of them¢¦) Hiking today, these little white petals (dogwood?) showered down on me from above, like snow falling. There¢s beauty in such small things. A day hiker pointed out the Lower (Lesser?) Rattlesnake plant to me. Beautiful white design on the leaves. Saw my first snake two days ago, just before No Business Knob shelter. A single slithering serpetine specimen. Not certain of the species. Brownish-green w/ light markings. A truck just drove by. Surreal, to be out in the ¢wilderness¢ and have traffic.
Date: 2004-04-25
From: Deep Gap

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: light rain

Day 434.25.046:30pmEveryday is a new surprise. Changing elevation so drastically really lets you observe the changes in vegetation. In some places, you can almost draw a line, where the brown leaves end and the green plants begin. Another semi-short day of hiking -- 13 miles. Pushing over Roan to Over Mountain Shelter, which I¢ve heard is spectacular -- a converted barn. So, it¢ll be only 12 or so miles. But, w/ a 2200-ft climb over Roan. Should be exciting to see Carver¢s Gap again. Hope my handiwork is still there, after 4 years and several thousand hikers. I don¢t know why I¢ve been feeling so tired the past 2 days. It¢s been a struggle going over some of these humps. Don¢t know how it¢ll be tomorrow over Roan. Just one day at a time, right? I have all day, as long as the rain doesn¢t chase me. Ran into Grizzly Dave around 2pm, heading south! Seems he got turned around about 2 miles before Clyde Smith. Only redoubled about 2 miles of trail, but he was pretty steamed. He¢s calmed down now (at CS), but really concerned about his average mileage. You can¢t get too caught up in logistics and scheduling. It ruins the experience, so that you don¢t appreciate what¢s out here. I know I¢ve said this time and again, but you can¢t reiterate it enough. We¢re out here to have fun. If you ain¢t having fun, it¢s time to go home. I still have my moments of missing home (especially the smell of fresh cut grass), but it¢s mostly the first day back, coming out of town. OK, enough philosophizing. Time for some reading and sleep.
Date: 2004-04-26
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Carver's Gap
Miles today: 7.9

Day 444.26.043pmToo cold, wet, and miserable to write. Only managed 8 miles, all of it in rain, except when it tried to snow, and sleet, and hail. Wet thru and thru. Spending the night in Spruce Pine, way the heck away from the trail. Will worry about getting home tomorrow. Am basking in the joy of warmth right now.
Date: 2004-04-29
From: Dennis Cove Road (Kincora)

To: Kincora
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 474.29.041:15pmStaying the day at Kincora. Bob and Pat truly are the salt of the earth. Sitting here outside the Winn Dixie, replenishing some of the stores from the hostel that I¢ve consumed. Kincora -- ¢Kinship of the heart¢. Name of the fort of Brian Born, who attempted to unite Ireland c. AD 500.3pmGonna be another full house tonight. Let¢s see -- people who showed up this morning: Sanguine, Crash!Bang!, Little Tree, Walking Stomach, Zach, Luka (Palooka -- Navajo for Butterfly), Willy Wallace, Mr. Cotton. And the departures were Krispy Kritter, Jester, Sox, Chris & Elly. Eric and Jessie showed up briefly before heading out. My decision to zero here was determined by the fact that if I left today I¢d hit Damascus Sat afternoon. After the post office closed for the day. So, the choice was really out of my hands. Truly.5pmWow. Full house was an understatement. Crazy full now. Zippy, Indy, Switchback, Taiwan Jon, Pokey, Mouse, Sauerkraut all arrived. Tents going up out back. Gonna be a rowdy house tonight. Hope I manage some sleep. Only planning on 10 miles tomorrow, but w/ the number of hikers here, it will be crowded on the trail. And there will be a traffic jam into Damascus. I¢m actually accustomed to the solitude, and really enjoy it. But, it¢s nice to run into all these folks too. Two sides to every coin.
Date: 2004-04-30
From: Kincora

To: Watauga Lake Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: light rain

Day 484.30.045:40pmEarly dinner tonight. I escaped the pull of Kincora, making my departure around 10:30. Just a short 10.5 miles today, getting me into the Watauga Lake Shelter around 3. I stopped at the picnic area for 45 minutes, made myself some peanut butter and cheese tortillas, and read while the Canada geese paraded around in front of me. Small shelter, only housing six. I expected Sanguine to roll in behind me, so I¢ve got my tent up. The others here are LT & WS, Dave Muler, C!B!, and Mouse. A fair number of folks slacked SOBO from the dam. Some people seem to consider that cheating. Not necessarily the pack-less nature, but the idea of hiking south. Contradicts the foundation of a NOBO hike. Whatever. It¢s a personal, individual hike for each of us. Ya gotta do your own thang. Hey. Sanguine just arrived! It will be a full shelter. Well, the plan for tomorrow is to get to Double Springs, over 21 miles. I¢ve heard the terrain gets easier though. Ascending Pond Flats today was rough. Not a long climb, but really steep near the summit. I can¢t figure out my legs. Some days I have ¢em, some days they¢re just plain gone. Today, they were noticeably elsewhere. I hope they kick in tomorrow though, or else I won¢t be going 21 miles. I¢ll just have to see how it goes. One big climb past the dam, then it¢s supposed to be the ¢Tennessee Turnpike¢, a straight shot to Damascus. Saw my first Lady¢s Slipper today. Little Tree pointed in out just before the shelter. Also Flaming (Burning) Azalea.
Date: 2004-05-01
From: Watauga Lake Shelter

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 21.7
Weather: light rain

Day 495.1.046:45pmI did it! I finally broke the 20-mile barrier. A whopping 21.7! I hope Sanguine makes it, after I convinced her to do it. I last saw her 8 miles back, at the Iron Mtn Shelter. She seemed pretty upbeat about doing it. I¢m pretty dang proud of myself, I must say. Even though the trail was about as nice as it could be. Rolling hills. Easy grades. Shallow inclines. If it stays the same all the way to Damascus, tomorrow should be a great day for hiking. Rained a bit today. Started just as I reached Vandaventer shelter. I hung out for about an hour. Decided to head out, and I geared up in full rain attire. Naturally, w/in 10 minutes, the rain had slowed to a drizzle and I was swimming in sweat. So, I stopped and de-geared. And, amazingly, the rain held off. Whew. I¢m tired. Not even physically, really. I could probably do another 5 miles, especially in this terrain. Just plain tired. Craving sleep tired. Didn¢t sleep all that well at Kincora, tho I loved it there. Set my tent up tonight down by the spring. Four guys here tonight -- Bo and Oz, headed S to the Smokies, Wanderer (Joe), just goin¢ where his legs take him, and Sam I Am, the section hiker. I could easily squeeze in, even if Sanguine arrives, but I prefer my solitude at night. Well, dinner awaits¢¦8:30pmWildlife out in full force today. Love is in the air for the birds. Saw a pair of goldfinches, the male a bright yellow, the female a drab brownish yellow. The trees have all leafed out, at least at these elevations, so there¢s a wonderful canopy. Keeps the sun and the rain out. Hiked through a lush field of grass and dandelions, old dilapidated barns in the distance. Sanguine startled a pair of deer a few miles back, and there were reports of bear sightings in the last shelter register.
Date: 2004-05-02
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: light rain

Day 505.2.045:30pmA momentous day. Not only the 50th day of my journey, but I made it to Damascus! It¢s been sort of the goal I¢ve been shooting for, ever since I started. And, back on Springer, it seemed so far away and unattainable. Yet, now I¢m here. Pretty awesome. Now, Harper¢s Ferry will become the new long term goal. 600 miles away. But who¢s counting? Despite putting in some serious, hard core miles in the past two days, there don¢t appear to be any significant physical side-effects. My muscles are sore as heck, but that¢s only to be expected, I suppose. My left calf has been cramping up on me, but I¢m hoping that¢s just an exhaustion/over-used thing, not an indicator of worse things to come. Well, I¢ve been productive since arriving in town. Showered, laundered, e-mailed, phoned home.
Date: 2004-05-04
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 525.4.045pmLife is good. Sittin¢ here at the Side Track Caf© in Damascus, drinkin¢ a beer. Yeah, I¢m zeroing. Again. Couldn¢t pull myself away. Stuck in a quagmire, and I have absolutely no interest in struggling to pull myself out. The plan is now tomorrow, and some long days to get myself to Pearisburg by next Friday, in order to come back (!) for Trail Days. Which means I¢ll get to go through this whole battle again in 10 days. ¢Course, that¢s better than the hikers I¢ve met who are planning on staying put ¢til Trail Days. Talk about zeroing. Growing roots is more like it. But hey, HYOH. That¢s what individuality is all about. Still no sign of the folks I¢ve been waiting for, but I¢ve run into a bunch I only met once in passing. Katie (now maybe Felicity?), who got picked up by the car that dropped me off in Erwin, arranged for a movie shuttle tonight. Nothing really great is playing, but just the idea of splurging on pop-culture is tempting. Took about 10 minutes to round up a van¢s worth of fellow hikers. We all miss cheap American culture. The Place really emptied out today. No one in a hurry, but everyone¢s been straggling out, one or two at a time, from 10 til now. Luke just left, and he may be the final departure for the day. I¢m pretty sure my dream of a full moon hike received the final nail in its coffin when the movie shuttle concept arose. I¢m actually really, really tired. Haven¢t slept well in, well, a long time. Beatbox came up to the bunks last night at 3am. Had to unfurl all his sleeping gear. Needless to say, I woke up. (I guess it¢s a good sign that I woke up, meaning I was asleep in the first place.) I¢m still waiting for my first truly restful night¢s sleep, apart from the luxurious hotel rooms. It will come. It has to. At some point, I¢ll simply collapse from exhaustion. Hope I make it through the movie w/o succumbing to blissful slumber.