morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-03-21
From: Low Gap

To: Campsite on Tray Mountain
Miles today: 14.9

Sun! What a beautiful word, for the sun came out for the first time since Sunday and we had no rain. It was a beautiful day for a hike. It started with gradual inclines and ascents to some very steep ups and downs later in the day.We were woken up last night by what appears to have been 2 owls screeching at the top of their voices. It was a weird noise, one sounded like an owl and one clucked in a strange way like a chicken. It was an interesting way to wake up at 1:00 a.m. I hiked a good bit of the day with "Recycled" until we got to Unicoi Gap where he was picked up by some friends for an overnight stay. Two other hikers I was with went into Helen for the night. I will see most of the hikers I've been traveling with on Sunday as I take a day off and hitchhike into Hiawassee for "R&R" and resupply. After I pick up a mail drop from home Monday morning, I'll be heading north again on the trail. I just looked and it won't be long now before I hike out of Georgia and into North Carolina, it's only 20 miles away. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice too so I'm taking my time to Dicks Gap and will camp overnight not too far away and then go into Hiawassee Sunday morning.That's about it for now. The sun is almost all the way down so I'm going to listen to the radio for a bit before going to sleep. I'll resume tomorrow.
Date: 2003-03-22
From: Campsite on Tray Mountain

To: McClure Gap
Miles today: 8.5

This was another beautiful day for hiking. It was in the mid 30's last night and up to the high 50's during the day but there was sun. A couple of the hikers I tented with last night went to the Blue Berry Patch, a hostel run by ex-through hikers for through hikers, just a few miles west of Dicks Creek Gap, and the others decided to take a leisurely hiking day and probably stopped at Deep Gap shelter for the night. I pushed on to about 2 miles from Dicks Creek Gap where I'll hitch a ride into Hiawassee tomorrow morning and get a motel room. I'm looking forward to a nice hot shower and food that doesn't have noodles in it for a change. I thought todays hike was going to be a little easier then it was. I climbed a couple of my steepest pitches, one was 1,000' in a mile and the other was 1,000' in .9 of a mile-not bad, even by Northwest mountain climbing standards. One of the things that really struck me this morning was when I climbed out of the trees on Tray Mountain and hiked to a rocky overlook, my first thought was "Glory Be!". This was what it was all about, for laid out before me were many of North Georgia's mountains including Blood Mountain. Looking the other way, you could see the Smokies on the horizon, absolutely beautiful.I'm looking forward to a day off the trail to visit Hiawasee and get resupplied and pick up my mail on Monday. It's getting dark, so goodnight for now.
Date: 2003-03-24
From: McClure Gap

To: Muskat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

Sunny and warm. "Marching through Georgia" is a Civil War song but that's what we did today. At about 1:00 p.m. Hatteras and I reached the GA/NC border and are now in North Carolina. One state down! Of course there are 12 more to go. The hike through Georgia was the first adventure. We had 3 1/2 days of solid rain near the beginning and all that were on the trail with me headed for Neels Gap and the Walasi-Yi hostel and store. Some stayed in the bunk house there as I did and some rented cabins down the road. Everyone needed to dry out but, I'll tell you, even with all that rain there was a errie beauty to the fog and wet forest. It has been nice since and I made it to Dicks Creek Gap yesterday morning about 9:00 a.m. I was there for all of about 2 minutes when a section hiker offered me a ride into Hiawassee, my destination. That was just fabulous and he dropped me off at the Holiday Inn Express in town and by 10:00 a.m. I was getting my first shower in 4 days. Because I got there so early they left the continental breakfast open for me and I porked out on everything that was left. I went to the trail famous Daniels Steakhouse for dinner for the A.Y.C.E. (all you can eat) and today, I'm walking it off. I made it up to Muskrat Creek shelter after many steep up and downs today. All in all, about 14 miles. I hiked with Hatteras today. He's a retired state worker from South Carolina.When I was in Hiawassee some of the people I started with came in with injuries. Recycled injured his foot and took an extra day in Hiawassee to see a doctor. Also, Jasper and Nightstalker, 2 hikers I met throughout last week, were both injured with knee problems. I hope all get better soon and rejoin the hike North.Well, that's about it for the night. There is a new adventure and a new state to explore tomorrow and I'm looking forward to every minute of it.
Date: 2003-03-25
From: Muskat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

Another beautiful day. It was sunny, clear, and warm, around 70, but we have a cold front coming through tonight so we'll see what tomorrow brings.It was a cold moring and Hatteras took off first and I hiked the day with a hiker I met last night at Muskrat Shelter named Beekpr. Tonight we're tenting together at the old Carter Gap Shelter. There is a new one just 100 yards up the trail but the tent sites are better here. There is also a Boy Scout troop from Alabama staying in the old shelter tonight and they seem to be having fun. About 30 yards from us is a group of Florida teachers camping for the night. It seems that many states in the South are having their spring break now so we'll probably see hikers all week. Setting up camp is pretty routine. First you find a level spot for your tent or a place with the least amount of angle and set up your tent. Then throw everything inside and get water to cook dinner and get you through the night. The fun or frustrating part at times is hanging your food bag to keep from the bears. Just finding a suitable branch to throw your line over can be a chore and sometimes just getting that line over the branch to haul your food up can take some time and many throws. It is amusing at times to watch hikers throw again and again and get their lines tangled, but then, I'm one of those hiders too and I've had my share of misses (hope nobody was watching).
Date: 2003-03-26
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: light rain

The day started with a beautiful, gentle up and down hike as the trail winded around the mountains. Then we arrived at Albert Mountain and a strenuous climb up to the summit where there is still a firetower. There was a section of the climb that you couldn't use your trekking poles anymore because of the steepness and basically had to haul yourself up over the rocks using trees, limbs, roots or other rocks for hand holds, but the summit was worth every bit of the work. There were mountains and forests in every direction and many pictures were taken. Counting myself, 6 thru hikers made it to the top at about the same time. I hiked today with Beekpr which made the time and distance go by fast. We were noticing the steepness of the terrain that the thin trail was traversing. A missed placed step would certainly be diasterous. There are many places on the trail that traverse these steep angled slopes so watching where your foot is stepping is essential. We arrived at Rock Gap Shelter at 1:30 p.m., our destination, but since it was so early, Bee Keeper and I decided to push on to Winding Stair Gap (about 3.8 miles away) and spend the night in Franklin, NC. We arrived at the Gap at 3:15 p.m. and it took us about 10 minutes to hitch a ride into town in the back of a pick up truck. We're staying in the Microtel Motel tonight and hit the A.Y.C.E. at Shonny's. We had to walk about a mile to the closest laundromat, but once there, met a nice local woman named Haley doing wash also. She was intrigued with our tales of the trail and was nice enough to give us a ride back to the motel. We'll head for breakfast in the morning and then to the Post Office (about a mile away). After that, a quick stop at the outfitters store for fuel and some other small items and then to the Winn Dixie for resupply. I figure we'll be hitchhiking back to the gap around noon and we'll hike until 4:00 - 4:30 p.m., a short day.Sure feels great to be clean but we know that won't last long. Next scheduled stop will be Fontana Dam, about a week away. Looking forward to getting back on the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2003-03-27
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: USFS Road 69
Miles today: 7.7

To say we had some luck today would be an understatment. We got up and went back to Shoney's for an A.Y.C.E. breakfast and then headed for the Post Office which we thought was maybe a mile away but turned out to be more like 3. A customer at the Post Office took pity on us and drove us back to the motel saving us alot of off the trail sweat. We then got packed up and as I was signing us out of the hotel, Bee Keeper went outside and ran into another thru hiker and his injured wife. She hurt her knee and was seeing a doctor later that day. Since they had to wait a couple of hours, her husband took us back to the trail head-what luck!! That saved us about a mile of trekking back to the highway to thumb a ride. Then to top the day off, after hiking in about 8 miles, we crossed a Forest Service Road and into a clearing where 2 large tents were set up. They belonged to "Apple" who is a volunteer for the A.T.C. He's also a "trail angel". He had sodas, hot dogs, and hot drinks when we arrived and later that night Bee Keeper, myself and 3 other lucky hikers (Gambler, Brodie and Dredd) were invited into a second tent heated with a woodstove and we popped some pop corn and had a great time talking. "Apple" takes a couple of weeks vacation every year and does this for the hikers. It was really an unexpected heaven. We all slept in the other big tent for the night. You just never know what you'll find hiking the A.T. It was the perfect end to a perfect day-Thanks Apple!!
Date: 2003-03-28
From: USFS Road 69

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: overcast clouds

We had nice surprise when we woke up in Apple's camp-he had cinnamon rolls, coffee and hot chocolate for us before we left to resume the hike. What a treat! The weather was iffy all day. It started out cold and foggy and several times it appeared that it was going to rain but never did. There were many ups and downs today and toward the end of our hiking day the weather cleared a bit for some great views, especially when we got to Wesser Bald and got the views from the fire tower on top-pretty spectacular. We're presently at Wesser Bald Shelter after a pretty tough 13 mile day. The weather report for the weekend is calling for possible snow-I hope the weather report is wrong-wouldn't be the first time. You never really know what the weather will do in the mountains. One day it's 70 and the next snow is threatening. If it comes, we're ready. Most hikers are carrying plenty of winter gear just in case. We'll have a better idea tomorrow.I ran into a hiker that emailed me before I left home. His name is Hamlet and had just retired 1 day before he began the hike. He's staying in the shelter tonight while I'm tenting.Well, time to turn in. It's 8:00 p.m., the time most of us on the trail are ready to jump into our sleeping bags. I'm heading for the Village of Wesser tomorrow. I hear they make some great burgers there-I'll let you know.
Date: 2003-03-29
To: N.O.C. (Nantahala Outdoor Center)
Miles today: 6.5
Weather: light rain

The hike began this morning in good fashion since the expected cold front hadn't hit us yet. We had a 6 mile hike to the N.O.C. and about 2 miles from our destination the skies opened up and we came in wet. Beekeeper and I arrived at 10:30 a.m. to see the Center was having its "Spring Splash Bash" going on and the place was full of kayakers and vendor tents. We must have looked like wet vagabonds coming out of the woods. We decided, once we arrived, to stay for the night since snow is predicted over night in the higher elevations. We had a great burger at the center and will be going back for dinner in about an hour from now. The plan now is to leave in the morning after breakfast and push as far as we can and hope we don't get snowed on, but if we do, so be it. I'm looking forward to getting to the Smokies and the hike through the park. One thing that has struck me about the trail since we left Springer is the many instances that the trail is flanked on both sides by rhododendrons that are 10 feet and higher. Those parts of the trail will be beautiful with the blooms in about a month or so. With any luck, we'll still have them on the trail when it's time for them to bloom. I surely would enjoy seeing that. Hopefully the weather gods will see fit to give us some good hiking conditions tomorrow.
Date: 2003-03-30
From: N.O.C. (Nantahala Outdoor Center)

To: N.O.C. (Nantahala Outdoor Center)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

We woke up today with every intention of heading back into the mountains but were surprised with snow at our low elevation of 1,750 feet. Our plans were to climb to about 5,000 feet but the reports of a half foot of snow made most of the thru hikers rethink the dangers and decided to take a zero mileage day instead and give the worst of the cold front a chance to pass. The plans now are to start as soon as daylight dawns and see how far we can make it into the mountains so, hopefully, our luck will be better tomorrow. There isn't very much going on today so everyone is catching up on writing home, laundry and the things we usually don't have time for. I was very happy to hear that Slow Walker made it down from the mountains today. We passed him a couple of days ago at Cold Springs shelter with a sore knee and he was going to stay there overnight to see if it felt better and continue hiking down to the N.O.C. Then the weather turned yesterday and we were worried about his getting down. Sure was glad to see him, but his knee is no better. He'll be taking the next few days off to mend.Well, we're keeping our fingers crossed for decent weather and an early start.
Date: 2003-03-31
From: N.O.C. (Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Stecoah Gap
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I finally headed out of the N.O.C. this morning at 8:00 a.m. with Bee Keeper. When we started there was only a dusting of snow on the ground at 1,750 feet but as we climbed toward the 5,000 foot elevation there was a good half foot of snow on the ground and some drifts up to my knees-and, did I mention, COLD/!!! It was a cold hike with some trecherous footing but some awesome views of the surrounding mountains, especially on Cheoah Bold, our high point today at 5,062 feet. We reached Sassafras Gap shelter at noon so we decided to push on and try to get to a lower elevation before setting up camp to maybe get out of the snow. We made it to Stecoah Gap at 3,100 feet by 4:00 p.m. and decided this was far enough for the day, about 14 miles. There were no campsites at the Gap but there was water and a gated forest service road. We headed down the forest service road about 200 yards away from the view of the highway and camped on the shoulder of the service road. There were 6 other hikers that thought our idea was a good one also and joined us.Tomorrow we'll head to within about 2 miles of Fontana Dam and then go in on Wednesday. I've got a food drop to pick up for the hike through the Smokies starting on Thursday. As I lay here in my tent all bundled up and getting warm, I have thoughts of my family and how much I miss them. I'm very thankful of the support my wife and son have given me to make the dream of this hike a reality.It's funny, I've heard the words mobile community used to describe thru hikers and I reckon that is what we are. A group of people from all walks of life that form friendships and bonds with each other. Even though we don't see each other every day, we seem to run back into each other at different parts of the trail. Anyway, it's nothing like I have ever experienced before and I have to say it's pretty cool. Looking forward to warmer weather tomorrow-so says the weather station. Well, anyway, I hope so!
Date: 2003-04-01
From: Stecoah Gap

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: clear sky

What a difference a day makes. Yesterday we were tromping through snow and fighting the cold and today it's beautiful and in the 60's. The weather, as we are all aware now, is very fickle in the mountains. I'll be keeping my winter gear for some time yet just in case, especially since I'll be in the Smokies on Thursday.Bee Keeper and I hiked from Stecoah Gap to Fontana Dam "Hilton" shelter, a little over 15 miles. We both drug our sorry butts into the shelter area around 4:00 p.m. and decided to tent since there were quite a few hikers in the shelter already. There were a lot of steep ups and downs today and it took a toll on both of us, but after getting some dinner in us we felt good enough to walk down to the dam, about 1/2 mile away, and see the sunset over the lake. It was stunning to see the lake with the Smokies as a backdrop.We're gonna take a zero day tomorrow and resupply, do laundry, etc. We're heading for the Smokies Thursday morning. It's hard to believe we're here and about to climb into them.Before I forget, I ran into Recycled again on the trail today and it was great seeing him. His foot is ok and he is hiking again.I'm looking forward to taking a day off after a couple of long hiking days. Fontana Village tomorrow and some real food.
Date: 2003-04-02
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Fontana Inn
Miles today: 0.0

We took a zero day today and spent it at Fontana Village and stayed at the Fontana Inn. I have to say, this place is so beautiful and the weather was perfect-no clouds and about 75. There weren't too many people staying at the Inn except thru hikers. We checked in (Bee Keeper and I) around 9:45 a.m. and made it to the breakfast buffet just before it was closing and litterly gorged ourselves. After taking showers, which we needed badly, we headed for the laundromat where we ran into about a dozen familiar hikers trying to get their wash done also. We spent a good bit of the late morning talking and swapping stories while we did our clothes. Hatteras arrived at the Inn about 2 hours after we arrived and we all plan on hiking together through the Smokies. I had dinner at the restaurant here at the Inn with Bee Keeper, Hatteras, Nuke and Milo and we kept each other in stitches laughing. I'm heading for some sack time now and looking forward to the challenge of the Smokies tomorrow.
Date: 2003-04-03
From: Fontana Inn

To: Mollie Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: clear sky

We crossed Fontana Dam this morning and are now in the Smokies. About 1 1/2 weeks ago you could just make them out on the horizon from a tall mountain and now I'm hiking in them. The day was beautiful, sunny and hot, which made it a hard day for hiking since it was almost all up today to get back into the higher elevation. Tomorrow we should make much better distance since it seems we will be doing a lot of ridge running between mountains, but of course with plenty of ups and downs.We arrived at the shelter around 4:00 p.m. and there was plenty of room so we'll stay in there tonight. I was surprised to see they still have the bear fence up in front of the shelter since we heard they have been taking them off. It will seem a little strange tonight being locked into a shelter but I reckon it's a good defense against hungry bears. I was happy to see that the Park Service put up the cable hauls for our bear bags. This saves us time since we usually have to search for trac links to hang our food.One thing I've noticed in the Smokies is the different vegetation and flowers along the trail. Some places look like rock gardens, they are quite beautiful.Well, I'm sitting outside writing this at 6:45 p.m. and with the sun going down it's starting to get rather chilly so I'm going to sign off and go inside to get warm.
Date: 2003-04-04
From: Mollie Ridge Shelter

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

We got up early today and got started around 7:30 a.m. The weather turned overnight and looked like rain was on the way and much cooler. We put on our rain gear but, after the first climb and no rain we put it or most of it, away where we could easily grab it. This was another day of steep ups and downs and 11 miles seemed to be enough for at least the 12 of us at the shelter. It was quite windy and we were walking in a cloud or just under one all day. We crossed over Rocky Top(5,441 feet) and Thunderhead(5,527 feet). There would have been some great Kodak moments but all we could see was gray with visibility at about 30 yards.Today the trail condition was the worst I've seen so far which is surprising since I assumed it was being maintained by the Park Service. There were many areas that looked washed out and with blow downs that hadn't been taken care of yet. It makes me wonder if this is because of the Park Service funds being cut over the years??The shelter tonight is full. We have a reporter here with us from the Knoxville News Sentinal doing a story on thru hikers. All the regulars are here tonight. Beekpr, Hatteras, Milo, Two Step, Dred, Nuke, Soul Train and Glider.We're making for Mt. Collins Shelter tomorrow after a stop at Clingmans Dome which is the highest point on the A.T. at 6,643 feet. Hope the weather breaks for some good pictures.
Date: 2003-04-05
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

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

This was one interesting day, to say the least. Mother Nature gave us our wake up call at 6:00 a.m. with a terrific thunder and lightning storm. It hailed for a good 20 minutes turning the ground white and then poured until about 7:30 a.m. We all thought that this would be a nasty hiking day, especially with the climb up to Clingmans Dome. We left the shelter decked out in our rain gear which will protect you from the rain but also makes you sweat like crazy when you're climbing. At about 10:30 a.m. the sun came out and, where we thought we would have no vistas to look at, the views were nothing less than stunning. I really can't put into words just how beautiful the scenery was, especially Clingmans Dome. Beekpr, Hatteras and Milo hung together as we put in a good 13+ mile day. With the snow melt and the morning down pour the trail, especially after Clingmans Dome, looked more like a creek than a trail. We were deciding whether or not to stay at the last shelter (Mt. Collins) or hike out and resupply in Gatlinburg. But, since it was 4:30 p.m. and it was 4 miles to Newfound Gap, we decided on the shelter. What a surprise we had in store for us when we arrived. We heard the shelter was full and we planned to tent but when we got there we were greeted by "trail angels" Bert Emmerson, his wife and a group of their friends. It was just fabulous, after a rather gruling day, to be fed and waited on. They roasted pork loins, potatoes and onions and had a chopped salad. They even made ice cream! I'll tell you, this trail never ceases to amaze me with they way local people support the thru hikers. Nothing could be appreciated more and be more unexpected. Tomorrow we're hiking down to the gap and will spend the day in Gatlinburg to resupply for the rest of the trip through the Smokies. Hopefully our journey will find more good people like the ones we encountered this evening at the shelter. Everday is a new adventure and I find myself looking forward to each one, rain, snow or shine.