morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-03-19
From: Fontana Dam

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 1.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Never did get my chocolate cake at Fontana Dam Village, which was crazily overpriced. Pebbles and I hung out with Kurly and Swansons after dinner last night, apparently long enough to miss a drunk Snake banging on our door for 20 minutes.The breakfast this morning more than made up for the lack of chocolate cake, though: I had two scrumptious egg biscuits and phenomenal apple cobbler. Dee-licious.Then Bear, Snake, an organized Pebbles (who drew up a beautiful multi-option itinerary through the Smokies that's doable), and I hiked 1.1 miles to the "Fontana Hilton," a huge shelter with running water, outdoor lighting, flush toilets, and trash cans (so the bears can better smell us?), where we hung out with the laggards of the Saved by the Bell group (Dud, Monk, Ajax, and Train) and Kurly and Swansons, as well as some new hikers--Smoky, the Bandit, and Mitch; Guinness, her dog, and Granite; Overflow; Lowkey; and certainly more. Many girls out tonight--we might be approaching gender parity.And s'mores! Very good times.
Date: 2006-03-20
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: snow

Because I've been such a diligent journaler, and Bear's barely cracked his composition book since Springer, we decided to write each other's entries for a while. Pebbles helped out, too:"Today, for some strange reason, I left the Fontana Hilton to travel into the abyss of hell called the Smokies." --Bear's entry for me"We passed under the Smoky Curtain [as opposed to the Iron Curtain]." --Pebbles's entry for meNeedless to say, I spent a good portion of today wishing I'd started yesterday or taken another zero. I also spent some time giddy and thoroughly impressed with myself. If I weren't so cold and tired, with the memories of wet still in my head (it rained ALL DAY), I'd write a better entry. As it is, this will have to suffice.
Date: 2006-03-21
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

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

I woke up and yesterday's rain had turned to ice: beautiful, but not so thrilling to hike in. My bear bag is now completely soaked, inside and out. My sesame sticks are ruined, which is irksome, because now in addition to being inedible, they are heavier in my pack.So that plan to hike 17 miles and get into Gatlinburg tomorrow...that died on the vine. Instead, I barely made 11, managing to fall flat-out twice after trying to hurry. I've gotten really fast at doing the first five or six miles, but then I just peter out.Another full shelter, which might be for the best, because it could get down to 15 tonight. Yikes!
Date: 2006-03-22
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

8:45pm and still awake after getting to the shelter less than an hour ago. A swirl of emotions. 1) Early on in the hike, I was going so slowly and was so demoralized I wanted to--or was afraid I would--quit. I felt No Motivation at all. Why am I hiking? Who am I hiking for? What do I hope to achieve?Then I had an energy bar with Bear and all my strength came back and I powered on to the 7.2-mile meeting place, ready to hike to the next shelter (i.e. over Clingman's Dome!) for an easy 4.5 miles into Gatlinburg. I made it, but Bear and I couldn't convince Pebbles and Snake to go into town with us.Finally, I'm enchanted with the Smokies. They are really quite beautiful. I think that's what rejuvenated me and made me keep hiking, just seeing how diverse and breathtaking the terrain is. It's floored me.I also need to thank Bear profusely for SAVING MY LIFE! My god, how many times did I think I'd slip on the ice coming down off Clingman's Dome and impale myself on one of the sharp jutting rocks? Not to mention that we were night-hiking it! Yikes!
Date: 2006-03-24
From: Gatlinburg

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

So it looks like I'm taking two zero days in Gatlinburg. What started as a gluttony/laziness stop for pizza and a bed turned into a smart choice: a park ranger and the Weather Channel are predicting four to six inches of snow tonight. As usual, I'm worried about Pebbles and Snake.Bear and I had a long talk over dinner (pretty poor lasagna, but excellent chocolate cake) about who will finish. He said I won't make it if I keep getting down on myself, but I think I have a better chance than most. He thinks (and remember, this is just his guess) that my problem will be morale. I think I agree. So, more town stops to come!Bear's entry for me today:"Today I awoke to watching the amazing SpongeBob SquarePants and I learned how he got his job at Crabby Patty. After this great show I went to the Log Cabin Pancake House with the amazing and graceful 'Da Bear.' After that we moved into another cheaper, but creepier hotel. Once checked in we went exploring and 'Da Bear' bought a pirate happy figure for a mascot for the trail. We then went for lunch and I had pizza, which I could barely eat because I have eaten so many desserts. We explored this wonderful blue collar town, where everything is expensive and tacky. I found a movie theater, but it was too far away to go to, so we just walked around and looked at everything. For dinner a bunch of us hikers went to a buffet and we all ate like pigs. When I got back to the room I realized it was after eleven--5 hours past my bedtime.
Date: 2006-03-26
From: Gatlinburg

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

The road to Newfound Gap reopened today, but instead of hiking, I took a cab with Bear, Train, Ajax, Roadrunner, and Jazzy Pants to see "V for Vendetta" again. (I saw it with Mom yesterday.) It's such a rich movie. Yesterday I thought "Phantom of the Opera," "Beauty and the Beast," "The Usual Suspects," but today I thought it was more like "Fight Club."It's kind of like hiking the trail--it's about how young people now, how life now is so comfortable that you have to impose suffering on yourself to gain inner strength, to learn life lessons. That's why I need to finish hiking this trail. I need to prove to myself I can do it and gain strength from that.Tomorrow, I hike.
Date: 2006-03-27
From: Gatlinburg

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

My one-month anniversary! I finally got out of Gatlinburg via a shuttle from James of the Grand Prix Motel. My first day back after 3 zeroes I managed to do 10 miles in 18 inches of snow!!I became grateful for the Gatlinburg zeroes, because hiking in this winter wonderland was breathtaking and awesome in the truest sense. Since it was mostly ridgerunning, I had a full day of gorgeous views and stopped countless times for pictures. There was one view in particular that was just so beautiful it made me want to die right then. This is what hiking the AT is all about.
Date: 2006-03-28
From: Pecks Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I really dragged the first part of the day, but after convincing myself at the first shelter that the additional 7 miles would get me out of the Smokies--and to Mountain Mama's--a day sooner, I cruised the rest of the way. Of course also motivating wear Bear and the occasional place markers.The snow is melting into a gross mixture of mud and water, and the rocks are getting exposed, which reminds me of danger and makes the hiking slower going.I just need to keep setting milestones and I'll be okay.
Date: 2006-03-29
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Painter Branch
Miles today: 12.7

Today I finally left the Smokies, a milestone that feels smaller than it should. Maybe because I only stopped for a few hours at Mountain Moma's for a burger ("best on the AT"...which I doubt), I didn't feel the full not-hiking experience. At any rate, it's measurably warmer and especially cool hiking down to the point in the mountains where it had never snowed.My moral has increased immensely over these past few days, to the point where I can think clearly about my doubts in Gatlinburg. What excites me most is getting to--and hiking through--Virginia. When I'm done with that, I'll come up with a new milestone.Hot Springs by Saturday!
Date: 2006-03-30
From: Painter Branch

To: Max Patch summit
Miles today: 11.3

Had a great day of hiking that only got better as it passed into night. I started by knocking out 5 miles, much of it uphill, in less than two and a half hours, to get to the first shelter. Bugs and C-Ram from the campsite last night were there--as was a bizarre note from Sir Hawk--so I had a nice chat with them. Bear popped in and we had a most delightful lunch.Then on to Max Patch, and some of the best views yet--including the end of the Smokies. At this point, enough people had passed us that we knew the shelter would be full, so I was dragging a little.But just when that was getting me down, we dropped off the bald and into the perfect campsite! Since my tent was damp when I took it down this morning, I knew I'd have to set it up or at least pull it out, so I was happy to do so. We pitched it the best yet, and at dinner were met by Dud and Monk, who decided to join us.Then we darted up the bald to see the sunset and saw a lone hiker silhouetted against the sky. Who could it be? Mountain Goat! So he camped with us, too.It just feels like this is what hiking the AT is all about.
Date: 2006-03-31
From: Max Patch summit

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Got into Hot Springs a day early!The goal was to hike 16 miles to Deer Park Mountain Shelter for an easy 3.2 into Hot Springs--and the post office--Saturday morning. I was hurting all day; I felt lonely, confused, demoralized, and slow. Getting to the shelter was agony and I spent the last hour making up songs about my blisters. Then, when I got to the shelter, Bear offered to pay for my stay if we went into town that night. (Unsurprisingly, many of the day's entries in the register mentioned heading to the pub for Mountain Goat's birthday.) So an agonizing 16-miler became an excruciating--but well worth it--19+ mile day.We chanced upon Dud while looking for the hotel, and he let us stay with him at the Cody House, a family-sized cabin rented to hikers during the off-season for $15 per person. It was great.Dinner at the pub was fair at best, but included Bags, Eric, Matt, Bandit, Granite, Dud, Monk, and Booger. I was really too tired to have fun, but it was amusing watching Bags and Eric slaver over Bear's pizza crusts.
Date: 2006-04-01
From: Hot Springs

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

I could this as a "near-o" day, as I hiked maybe .2 up the sidewalk that is the AT from the Cody House to Elmer's, where I had probably the best stay of the trip. The hostel (officially the Sunnybank Inn) was a gorgeous mansion built in the 1800s with sitting and music rooms, a huge kitchen for Elmer to prepare his gourmet vegetarian (and home-grown organic!) meals. And the beds! I stayed in a room with Bugs and had my own double bed heaped high with blankets, a down comforter, and a beautiful quilt. Beyond amazing. There was also an ample selection of books and a great array of liberal/vegetarian bumper stickers on a fridge out back. Maybe the best was "A rind is a terrible thing to waste. Compost." The only down was the two cats that hung around outside were unacceptably unfriendly.Rented a hot tub with Bear, Mountain Goat, Uber-Dude, Bugs, and Underground.
Date: 2006-04-03
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: light rain

I got up a little late to miss the rain and was planning a 16 to Jerry Cabin, but fate called me to a private home 300 yards from the trail and a stone's throw from Tennessee for an overwhelming display of trail magic.The owners of the house were '99 thru-hikers so moved by the experience they bought their "last home" close to the trail. Hercules and FAL (Free At Last) were their trail names. They made me a three-course meal of a pecan Belgian waffle, pork stew with homemade bread, and a brownie sundae (my first on the trail!) I spent two hours there, effectively killing my chances of making it the 16 miles, but it rejuvenated me so much getting the last of 11 that I was singing when I got back on.I was thinking of writing a book when I'm done called "The Tortoise's Guide to Happy, Healthy Hiking for Humans" and have each chapter start with a haiku tip that reveals a lesson I learned on the journey and the stories surrounding it. One could be:You're going too fastWhen you don't have time to stopFor some trail magic.My thesis for the trip:Appreciate every easy stepand tolerate every hard one--each gets you closer to Katahdin.
Date: 2006-04-04
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: broken clouds

I felt great for most of the 12 miles I did today, but then that blister on my pinky toe started accting up again, so I took a break to re-pop it. Also climbed Big Butt and Big Firescald Bald for spectacular views.A big group caught up to me at the shelter: Bear, Low Key, 4-Today, Sarsparilla, Crumbs, and Uber-Dude. An extra full shelter.
Date: 2006-04-05
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Hippie Farm at Sams Gap
Miles today: 11.2

Finally reunited with Bear! We hiked together the whole day--in the morning, we discovered random "M"s listed in the data book and asked some trail maintainers what restaurants they might be. Then, at the first shelter (our lunch break), we reunited with the big group from yesterday, who wanted us to hike past Low Gap, our 15-mile camp spot, to stay with them at a shelter that would've been 19 miles! But then two hippies appeared with a carefully lettered cardboard sign advertising their commune, the "Smokey Bowl Family Farm." So a 15-mile day became an 11-mile day.
Date: 2006-04-06
From: Hippie Farm at Sams Gap

To: Campsite before Spivey Gap
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: overcast clouds

The day started off well with at big breakfast at the Little Creek Cafe, about 2 1/2 miles from the Smokey Bowl (Gleen drove us both ways). Think pancakes the size of a medium pizza, three for $3.65, and you'll understand our elation.We trooped over Big Bald in the rain and to a gorgeous shelter on top of the mountain. Bear and Shanae complimented me on my pace, which made me realize how steady and mellow it was.We cooked dinner at the shelter before doing five more to a campsite halfway to the shelter we'd been planning on. My pack felt so light and comfortable that I was afraid at first that I'd left something back at the shelter. I hadn't! I need to figure out what I did to feel that good--I was flying down hills and felt no need to take off my pack or take a break. It was awesome, and it only increased my anticipation for Damascus and Virginia's rolling hills. I've finally gotten my hiking legs! Here's hoping I keep them.
Date: 2006-04-07
From: Campsite before Spivey Gap

To: Erwin
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: clear sky

We were pretty blessed, because about ten minutes into our race to Erwin, Bear and I ran into Redneck, who shared his plan to call Miss Janet's at the road and get a hungry hiker to pick him up for a burrito. He then waited for us at a couple of the gaps, finally leaving a note at the road that he'd be back for us "(P.S.: Call Uber-Dude immediately for pizza buffet.)" We waited and when he picked us up, he drove us straight to Pizza Hut for that unquenched hunger for AYCE pizza.Back at Miss Janet's, we played Pictionary and ate dinner at a Mexican restaurant where Miss Janet shared stories of the Smokey Bowl (last year infested with meth addicts, naked infants, and fightings dogs) and past thru-hikers and came up with the brilliant idea of having the six ladies (me, Sarsparilla & Crumbs, Lowkey & 4-Today, and her) split one of each of the six desserts on the menu. Pure genius.
Date: 2006-04-08
From: Erwin

To: Erwin
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: light rain

First slackpack! Did almost 18 miles south from Iron Mountain Gap, running and loving hiking without a pack. Bear didn't fare so well: his constant need to stop to relieve himself set him back a ways, and he ended up hiking all the way into Erwin in the dark, sick and admitting to the diarrhea. I felt guilty for not waiting for him at the last shelter as I'd promised, but knew he'd find a way to get back (I even alerted Miss Janet, who dispatched a search party armed with his mascot, Pirate).
Date: 2006-04-09
From: Erwin

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: clear sky

Breakfast at Miss Janet's was maybe the best so far on the trail. She made walnut pancakes with bananas, cinnamon, ice cream, and whipped cream on top. I knew they were awesome when I didn't need to put syrup on them. YUM! Plus I gulped them down quickly so I could sample the equally delectable scrambled eggs. I finished that off with some bacon and orange slices.
Date: 2006-04-10
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: clear sky

Soo cold. And the hiking was horrible. Mostly agonizing ups (especially hard with my overstuffed food bag) that didn't end, with downs full of roots and jagged rocks and pebbles. It was tiring and demoralizing.But to the barn! We got there after 7:00 to a beautiful magic hour scene. The bottom floor bunks looked out at the ridge, positioned for a sunrise view, so that's where everyone stayed.I miss Bear.
Date: 2006-04-11
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Campsite
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: clear sky

So last night ber-Dude said how great it was hiking was me and going slow and I said something mean back (was he trying to insult me or compliment me?) about how it wasn't going to be a regular thing. Still, I know the reason it was such a bad day was because of the hills, the roots, and my damn pack.At the first shelter (lunch), we learned the girls had gone to the road to hitch to a burger place 1 mile east. We ate lunch, determined to hike on and not join them, but then decided to give it a go anyway. When we got to the road, the plan was to try to hitch for five minutes and then press on, but then we saw them coming back, which made me determined not to miss these burgers. Hunger mixed with competition can be a dangerous thing, because it took us 20 minutes to get a ride in the other direction: to Bob's Dairyland. I got a Sprite, mozzarella sticks, and a corn dog, followed by a hot fudge sundae with chocolate ice cream that was so good that I ordered another...which was $1 more and came with cake. Bizarre.Pleasant hiking to a riverside campsite took us past a beautiful waterfall and included much more inappropriate conversation. Fun.
Date: 2006-04-12
From: Campsite

To: Kincora
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I hiked with Sarsparilla, Crumbs, ber-Dude, and Bandit the first 11 horrible miles of a long day to Kincora hostel. We actually made really good time, but the ups were continuous and grating and we rarely knew where we were. I've never been so surprised to see a shelter, either: I thought it was after a big up, but it was really after a big down.Our group got the last two spots in the hostel, forcing some section hikers to get a hotel room in town. Then Bob, the super nice hostel owner (who used to be a political speechwriter), drove us to Arby's and Little Caesar's. Yum. So tired. Time to sleep and prepare for another hard day tomorrow.
Date: 2006-04-13
From: Kincora

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: scattered clouds

I left my rain jacket at Bob's Dairyland in Roan Mountain, but Bob at Kincora agreed to go pick it up this morning. Unfortunately, he wouldn't be back with it until 11am, but he suggested I slackpack 13 miles from Watauga Dam. Great idea!Sarsparilla and Crumbs, Lowkey and 4-Today, and Bushwhacker all decided to come, too. The plan was to slackpack back to the hostel, eat dinner, and then get a ride back to the dam to hike the last 4.Now 4-Today and Crumbs were obsessed with the idea of taking a dip in a secluded "Skinnydipping Hole" Lowkey had heard about from Bob, so we spent a good part of the day looking for it. We also ran into ber-Dude and Bandit; NSOM; Rosie and Dr. Jones; and Bear, C-Ram, and Shanae, two of whom had gone swimming in the river. The hiking was surprisingly hard for a slackpack, and I couldn't run the downs because I was with such a big group. It was fun, though.When we finally found it, Lowkey, Sarsparilla, and I had fun laughing at the other two, but we all took a turn in the water. It was COLD!!!Back at the hostel, we made pancakes. I was so hungry when I got in that I didn't even want to go upstairs to get a snack from my food bag, but instead rummaged through the hiker box for some quick calories. Two '04 NOBOers came in with cookies, fresh strawberries, and Coke. One said she'd gained 15 pounds in 10 days after finishing the trail!After all that (I also called Mom to set up our meeting in Damascus and request a dozen Cinnabons), we went back to the trail for an easy 4-mile night hike to the shelter. I hastily set up my tent between two trees, without enough room to properly lay out the floor, but didn't care. I fell asleep almost instantly.
Date: 2006-04-14
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Campsite
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Sarsparilla and Crumbs were to meet their Aunt Jan for slackpacking and trail magic and Lowkey and 4-Today were meeting Lowkey's mother and stepfather for a leisurely overnight hike into Damascus, so it was just me and ber-Dude. More typical ber-Dude conversations, my feet hurt (blisters had come off my toes, so open sores...yuck), but we camped out three miles after Double Spring Shelter.He was a sweetheart, encouraging me when my motivation was flagging, setting up a groundcloth and ThermaRest for dinner and Blisters, hanging the bear bags without a headlamp. There's something about the trail that really turns men into providers.The night was incredibly windy, but warm, so I slept quite well. I'm starting to develop a very positive relationship with my tent.
Date: 2006-04-15
From: Campsite

To: Damascus
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: few clouds

The last 16 miles into Damascus--and Virginia!! They were far more painful than I expected, I think due to the combination of uncertainty (6.5 miles from the last shelter to the state line) and heat (it must've been 90 degrees), plus the fact that the "gradual downhill into Damascus" where "most hikers do their first 20" was anything but.When we finally go to the state line, it pissed me off even more because it was just this ratty old sign that welcomed us to Mt. Rogers National Forest, with a handwritten "TN/VA" on one of the legs. I was sweaty, tired, and angry (though it was nice to take my last pee break in Tennessee). I thought I'd be ecstatic to get to Virginia! What was this? Did it bode ill?Fortunately, soon after that was our last water source, and the last part I just flew because I could see the town. It's amazing the pattern of towns--how you can see the town from a mile or so up and it keeps getting closer as you speed down the switchbacks, getting every angle and walking the town's length. That's probably the easiest hiking for me because the reward is so big and palpable. At that point, I usually have a clear idea of the first meal I'm going to have, and am just so glad to be done with another section of trail. Plus, this meant my 16-mile hell was over, that I'd soon get to see Mom, and that I was really, finally, in Virginia.Mom and I had lunch with ber-Dude and Bandit, and afterwards she gushed over how cute they were. She wanted to take their picture and show it to my sisters, thinking it would convince them to hike the trail, too. Good luck with that.Then she and I went to the overly frilly Victorian Inn, where we were set up in the Rose Room. I took a shower and looked at the map: I'd hiked 459.5 miles!! I told Mom some fun hiking stories, then we went back out for dinner.