morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2004-03-28
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: broken clouds

Nice weather again today. We have been very lucky with the weather so far. The days have been warm and sunny. I guess this weather is unusual for these parts this time of year because I hear rumors that the water is sorely needed. The achilles is still bugging me. Not enough where I can't walk but I do pay attention to how I walk and where I place my foot. Tomorrow I get into NOC [Nantahala Outdoor Center]. I may take a day off there on Tuesday just to give my body a chance to rest. I have yet to take a full zero day [no miles hiked] so we will see. Reached Wayah Bald today. What a view. They had an stone tower you could climb and look all around. There was also a map with the names of the various mountains around it. Way off in the distance was Albert Mtn. which we had just climbed 2 days ago. Trail Magic hit today. I was coming down into Burningtown Gap and lo and behold there is Skeemer. He had a little canopy set up with lawn chairs under it and a little grill going. Grant was already there and Skeemer served up hot dogs, chips, soda, etc. Soon Bluebell, Eagle Eye, Sunshine, and Stumblebum showed up. It was perfectly timed and a very welcome interlude. Thanks again Skeemer! Tonight's shelter is the way a shelter is supposed to be as opposed to yesterday. Right off the trail, with the water supply right in front of it. Perfect ending for the day. Tonight is another first for me. I stayed in the shelter for the first time. There was a large group of Boy Scouts in the camp area and I did not want to mess with tring to find a decent spot to set up my tent. Also at the shelter tonight was Eagle Eye, Bluebell, Grant, Sunshine, and Stumblebum. Signing off for now.
Date: 2004-03-29
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: NOC
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Started the trail this morning knowing I would hit civilization around mid-day. The elevation map I carry showed mostly downly for the day. What they didn't tell you was a billy goat laid out the trail here. Some areas were a little scary. If you weren't using poles the only way you could have gotten down was by sliding on your butt. Arrived at NOC around one and the first persons I see are Krispy Kritter and Brian[now known as Boo Boo]. They were 2 of the ones I started with on the 15th and they were 2 days ahead of me at times. Goes to show you how the ebb and flow of the trail works. Spent a nice afternoon relaxing and resting and catching up on emails and my journal. We got to eat some real food and I bought my first pint of Ben & Jerrys ice cream. I must not have the thru hiker appetite yet because I was not able to finish it in one sitting. I still have not decided if I am going to move on tomorrow or take a zero day. Minor injuries are starting to show in a lot of the people here. Sore knees, ankles, and blisters being the most common. A lot of us are walking around with what is refered to as the "Hiker Hobble". This place is pretty cool. The river runs right through it. Kayaking and whitewater rafting is offered. There is an outfitter, restaurant, cafe and a hostel area. You can get a bunk for $15 a night. I wouldn't mind working in a place like this at all. Signing off for now
Date: 2004-03-30
From: NOC

To: NOC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

It started raining last night around 2:00 and stopped around 8:00. Still very overcast. Just before breakfast Bear Behind [he has a teddy bear tied to the back of his pack] and Kelly rolled in so twelve of us piled into the restaurant for breakfast and what a great breakfast it was! Pancakes, eggs, sausage, biscuit, and grits with liberal doses of coffee for a very reasonable price. Grant, Eagle Eye, Bluebell, Stumblebum, Krispy Kritter, Boo Boo, Kelly, and AYCE were going to move on after breakfast. Paddler was getting off the trail due to a very swollen foot. I was going to wait till 1:00 or so before making my decision so I am sitting on the bench, by the river typing into my pocketmail and enjoying the in and out sunshine. Around 11 I saw Mule and River Queen pull in. They went in to eat and when they came out they said they had heard a weather forecast. Snow and slush type weather moving in this afternoon and dumping on us tonight. A little rain in the AM and clearing with the temps in the 60's later in the day. When they told me that it sealed my decision. I am going to hang here for another day and give my foot a full days rest. Not that I have anything against snow and slush but if you don't have to deal with it then don't, I say! I have to tell a little story about AYCE. This guy can pack away the food, hence the name. He had a big breakfast and when I got back from clearing out of the room I was in he was sitting on the bench putting down a pint of Ben & Jerrys. We laughed and figured he had already consumed 2000 calories before 10:30 AM. The thing of it is he is as skinny as a rail. He cracks me up. The kind of guy that would put a buffet out of business in one day. I had received a couple of emails from Peak-a-Boo and there is a slight chance she may be able to get back on the trail. I gave her a call today and we talked for a bit. It is difficult because I do not want to say much about the trail because I know how much she wants to be out here. Hopefully things work out and she can get back on. We discussed the possibility of her joining up where I am and then flip flopping back to pick up the sections she missed after we finish. We will see. I forgot to mention yesterday that I also ran into Chef. He was the one that Hopeful was giving the phonics lessons to. He was moving on but I no longer say goodbye to people. It is now "See you up the trail". Sox pulled in this afternoon. I had not seen her since Woody Gap, on day 4. She told me that Roslynn had to get off because of a badly twisted ankle. I had met Roslynn at the GA/NC border. Her accident happened around Standing Indian Mtn., same as Heads Up. 2 people down at that place. Have to be careful because injury seems to take more out than attitude. Going to sign off for now. Next updates to come toward the weekend when I hit Fontana Dam. After that I will entering the Great Smoky Mtn. National Park.
Date: 2004-03-31
From: NOC

To: Sassafrass Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: light rain

First I have to correct an error I made in a previous entry. I had said that Rosslyn had gotten off the trail due to her ankle. It was not Rosslyn, it was Speed Mitten. I got up early this morning and was on the trail at 6:30. The trail was a long uphill, 8 miles, not real steep but constantly up. I was doing my usual uphill hiking, which I have down to a science, walk a little bit, breathe a little bit and swear a little bit. I was about 4 miles into the climb. Remember that snow that convinced me to stay at NOC. Well, they lied. It started at the 4 miles mark. First sleet,then wind, and then snow and it was coming down fast. At first I thought it was pretty cool. I had not seen snow in 5 years and it brought back memories of my time out west. That quickly changed as the trail got slippery and my glasses were getting wet which made visiblity tough. At the 7 mile mark I say a signpost which I had to wipe off in order to read and found that I had reached the Sassafras Gap Shelter. It was a no brainer. I headed down to it. I quickly changed into dry clothes, made myself a cup of coffee and sat and watched the storm from cold but relative comfort. About a half hour later Sox showed up. She and I have been passing one another on and off since Neel's Gap. She was at NOC and left shortly after I did that morning. We both picked a spot in the shelter because we knew we were going no further that day. River Queen and Pennsylvania Mule [Mule from now on to save typing] showed up next and they picked their spots. The shelter was one of the bi-level ones so it slept 12. As the afternoon progressed more and more people showed up. By 6:30 we had 18 people crammed into the shelter. 7 on each level and the Rat Pack [4] on the step up. Skeemer was the only one in a tent because he had the only level spot in the area. It was cold and everyone that pulled changed and piled into the their sleeping bags. We just sat there, staring out into the snow, talking and laughing. Some of the comments were along the lines of; "and we chose to be here", "Tomorrow is April Fool's Day. Looks like the joke is on us". It was fun. I met Josh and Lauren and their dog Root. They are from Pensylvania and they have a fast pace. A lot of people that started after me are catching up. They are usually in their early 20's and fly along the trail like greased lightning. 20 miles a day for them is nothing! Heck, if I tried a 20 now I would be a quivering mass of DNA at the end of the day, if not dead! All in all it was a good day even with the weather.
Date: 2004-04-01
From: Sassafrass Gap Shelter

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: light rain

Everyone was up early today. Some were going to try to push the 21 miles into Fontana. Others were going to try for the 15 miles to Cable Gap Shelter. That was my plan. There was probably 2 inches on the ground with 4 to 5 at the top of the mountain. The weather was still iffy. Some sleet, some snow but not like yesterday. The one thing that was constant was the trail. It was slippery and dangerous in spots. I took my first spill today. A root buried by snow and a boot sliding down it makes CuppaJoe go down. It was more comical than painful. Imagine a turtle trying to get back up when he is on his back. There was one moment during the day when I had a potential hike ender. I was crossing a boulder strewn section of the trail near Cheoah Bald. I placed my left foot next to a flat boulder that was lying at a 45 degree angle. I planted my right pole past the rock and made my first step with my right foot. My foot caught the edge of the rock which shortened my step. As it hit the rock, which was slick from the snow, it started sliding down the 45 degree rock. What followed seemed to go in slow motion for me but it happened in just a second or two. I started doing the splits as my right foot kept sliding down. My left foot could do nothing because of the position it was in. The first thought was, "Here comes a groin muscle pull that would put me out of action". The second thought was, " If I don't stop sliding soon I could easily break my left ankle because it was trapped". My third thought was, "My hike is going to be over". My foot stopped sliding. I had hit the bottom of the rock. Talk about an adrenaline rush. Goes to show you just how fast someone can be knocked out of commission! I made it to Stecoah Gap where I was going to have lunch but the wind was blowing hard and it was cold. Kept going and that was another eye opener. An uphill that went straight up. An unnamed hill that went straight up! I had seen it on the elevation map but the map did it no justice. What a tough climb. Shortly after the reaching the top I got to Brown Fork Gap Shelter. My achilles hurt and I was tired. I decided to stop there for the day. A couple of people were there eating and they were going to push on. I laughed and said,"Maine isn't going anywhere and neither am I". Sox pulled in a little while later and eventually we had 9 people there. Uneventful evening. No snow. Seems a little warmer than last night. On to Fontana in the AM. Hike looks pretty easy as far as elevations go. More downs than ups.Sidenote - Forgot to mention that Yertle and Kickstand had made it to NOC the night before I left there. Trail news has it they were pulling a double zero to avoid the snow.
Date: 2004-04-02
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: light rain

It wasn't as cold last night as the night before. Several big gusts of wind but not to bad. Got an early start knowing that I was going to hit civilization today and knowing that today's hike was going to be relatively easy. I made good time to Cable Gap Shelter and started on the only real uphill of the day. Of course, that is when the weather decided to do its thing again. The wind picked up, the sleet began, and then the snow. I had a double layer of clothing on and my movement was keeping me warm until I hit the ridgetop. Wind loves gaps and ridgetops. It comes roaring up one side and down the other. I knew that I would get colder if I stopped to take off the pack and put on my windbreaker so I just pushed on. Finally got onto the side of the mountain and the wind died down. The rest of the journey was downhill and as I went from 3700 feet to 1800 feet the weather got better. When I reached the Fontana Dam marina I used the courtesy phone for the shuttle to the Fontana Inn. This whole area is pretty amazing and incredibled priced. 26.00 for a room and it isn't some rat trap. Very nice!First thing I did was take a very long hot shower and then I went to do laundry. Wanted to get the little things out of the way so I didn't have to worry about it later. There are a lot of hikers here. It seems there are two large groups waiting out the weather. The group here and the group at NOC. At least 25 are here and dinnertime was fun. AYCE buffet which wasn't too bad. Some of those here tonight are:River Queen, Mule, Sweet Leaf, Sox, Laureen and Josh, Krispy Kritter, Boo Boo, Skeemer, Bear Behind, Dingle, Fire Marshall[formerly Grant], Kelly and Courtney [she is getting back on the trail], Keith, Pele, The Rat Pack [I know 2 names of that crew now, Bigfoot and Dart] and about 6 others that I can't remember the names on. Quite the group! A bunch were going to leave on Saturday but there some of us were taking a zero till Sunday. The snow is 7 to 12 inches deep at the first shelter in the Smokies but the weather is supposed to be good for the next few days so it should melt. It's amazing how much you enjoy the creature comforts when you don't get then all the time.
Date: 2004-04-03
From: Fontana

To: Fontana
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

A day of R&R. My achilles still bugs me so it is good to rest it when I can. To tell the truth, I think I will be dealing with this for quite awhile. I figure as long as I pay attention to what it tells me and don't push it I can keep rolling. I got my food drop today so I spent time repackaging and getting ready for the trek through the Smokies. Thank goodness I didn't plan on many food drops. I looked at this one and thought; "Oh boy, more of the same old stuff for the next 6 days". I plan on pushing through in one shot, taking about 6 days to do it. Several people are pulling into Gatlinburg on day 3 to resupply but I do not want to stop in every town along the way. NOC and Fontana were no problem because they are basically on the trail. We had dinner again tonight, spaghetti and other goodies. There are only a few of us here tonight. Yertle, Tor, and Kickstand showed up and a couple of others I did not meet. They are taking a zero tomorrow so there are only six or so of us heading out tomorrow. We talked to a trailrunner and he said there was still snow at Molies Ridge Shelter but it was melting fast. The temps during the days are supposed to be nice but cold at night.Signing off for now. See you after the Smokies.
Date: 2004-04-04
From: Fontana

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: few clouds

At 9:00 we caught the shuttle back to the dam and started the days walk. It was going to be a fairly tough day because we were going to go uphill pretty much all day. The crew that started then consisted of River Queen, Mule, Sox, Mumbles, and Scholar. It wasn't a bad day for hiking. The sun was out and the views were good. Then I hit the 4000 foot level and all of a sudden it was snow. Not snowing but snow on the ground. It wasn't too bad to hike in, a little slippery, but not bad. Finally got to the shelter around 5:30. From all reports we heard it was supposed to get pretty cold tonight so everyone got settled in early. The wind was blowing which made it colder. As a matter of fact the wind seems to have been blowing a lot over the last 3 weeks. I can count on one hand the number of days the wind has not blown.Trail Tidbits1] Rhodedendrum[sp?] trees do not drop their leaves. When it gets cold they fold themselves over for protection.2] The trail is amazingly clean. You see very little trash. Everyone packs their trash out and what little you do see is picked up.3] Do not burn Rhodedendrum wood. Something in the wood is toxic and it could kill you.4] The use of trekking poles has aerated[sp?] the soil on the sides of the trail. It has allowed, what we call, monkey grass to grow on the sides of the trail. It looks pretty cool when you are on a straight stretch and you see these tufts of grass lining the trail.5]Horses are allowed on sections of the trail in the Smokies. You can really tell what sections because the trail is very eroded where they are allowed. Normally the trail is about 18 to 20 inches wide. Where the horses are allowed 2 people can almost walk side by side.
Date: 2004-04-06
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Yesterday's ice sliding and snow slipping took its toll. Usually, in the mornings, my foot feels pretty good. It is later in the day that I start feeling it. This morning I could feel it from the get go. The goal was to reach Mt. Collins Shelter,a 14 mile day. Scholar was out of camp first and I never saw her again that day. She can make tracks. I was next. Sox,Sweetleaf, and Skirt were going to take a short day and do 7 miles. It was a great day to hike..warm, no wind..perfect. Part of the days journey would take me over Clingmans Dome. The highest point on the AT at 6600 feet. As I walked the foot got progressively worse. I could not stop because starting again created great pain. It was only on my heel, no shooting pain up the leg. Almost like I bruised it. Mumbles passed me and said he was going to eat lunch at Double Spring Gap Shelter. I got there and he was still there. I sat down and ate. Today's lunch consisted of packaged ham and some spoonfuls of peanut butter. Both are high in protein and that is what we need. As we were eating a deer came out of the woods, not more than 10 feet away. I always try to have my camera handy and I was able to get some good pictures. I finally saw something bigger than a squirrel! I finally made it to Clingmans and there I had to make a decision. Walk the 4 miles to the shelter or try to grab a ride from someone visiting Clingmans Dome. It has an observation tower that draws a lot of visitors and there were a lot of people around. As I was standing there a couple came toward me and asked if I had started from Georgia. I said yes and told them my story and they offered me a ride. Thank you Sue and Terry. It was much appreciated! I did have to laugh to myself at all the looks I was getting. I must have been a sight..a bedraggled, dirty, limping creature coming out of the woods. I did get a chance to talk with a nice family as I was walking to the parking lot. I literally hobbled into the motel area and the crew was all there; Mule,River Queen,The Rat Pack,Krispy Kritter,BooBoo,Bear Behind,Fire Marshall,Pegasus,Kelly and Courtney.We caught up a bit as I told them my story and who was coming behind me. I got cleaned up and River Queen brought me a bag of ice so I could get some ice on the heel. After a bit we all went to dinner at the local micro brewery. The food was good and there was a lot of it. Not to mention a couple of beers that hit me like a ton of bricks. 3 weeks on the trail and this was my first beer since I started. It did ease the pain a bit! The night was a lot of fun. I plan on taking tomorrow off and if I have to the next day and if I really have to, Friday. This is not a hike ending injury. Just a time eater. As I told the crew I might have to wait a couple of days but they are going to have to cut my legs off before I get off for good. Well, off to bed.
Date: 2004-04-07
From: Gatlinburg

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I am glad to say I made the right decision by coming into town last night. I woke up this morning and could barely nd then catch a ride from there. This is really wierd. Once I can start putting pressure on the heel I can limp along just fine. It just takes time to knock some sense into those nerve endings! I made it downstairs [only rooms they had left were on the second floor] and part of the group was heading out. Most were leaving today. Bear Behind was staying. As I was doing laundry Scholar rolled in. After laundry I spent the day resting my foot and watcing TV. Between CNBC and the Deep Space Nine marathon I kept occupied. OK, I admit it, I have always liked the Star Trek shows. Around 5:30 I hobbled down to get a soda. Bear Behind and Scholar were sitting there. I joined them and soon Sweetleaf,Yertle, and Kickstand showed up. Mumbles had also checked in earlier in the day. Sox,Skirt and Dingle will be coming in tomorrow. Sweetleaf and Mumbles are staying tomorrow also. If I do have to stay on after tomorrow I will still be hiking with part of the group. That is good to know. These people have become part of an extended family and everyone watches everyone elses back. That does not mean the people that started after I did are any different. I just have not met any of them
Date: 2004-04-11
From: Gatlinburg

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Weather: moderate rain

I decided to give it a go. I knew I was going to take it slow and Could have waited till noon or so to leave but I was antsy and wanted to get back out there. I left at 9:30, mailed a couple of letters and dropped some stuff into the hiker box. Can't remember if I have explained hiker boxes but they are boxes placed by a motels,outfitters, etc; where hikers dump stuff they do not want to carry. Good way to pick up an extra meal,fuel and just about anything you may need if someone doesn't want it. I got to the road leading out of town and I'll just say it is a little more difficult getting a ride back than it is in. It was overcast and drizzling but the forecast called for rain and I didn't want to be trying to catch a ride in the rain. So, I tried something different. I took two five dollar bills and put them in my thumbing hand so passerbys would see them. Amazing how many people turn down the chance of money! A small truck finally stopped; wouldn't you know it, hikers, Bluefoot and Mom. They took me all the way to Clingmans and would not take any money. All they asked was I send them a postcard when I reach the end. Another example of a oouple of fine trail angels. It was foggy and raining lightly when I started. Things went well and I made sure of my foot placements so I wouldn't put undo stress on the heel and achilles. Made it to the shelter in pretty good order and the foot felt pretty good, not perfect but I think doable for tomorrow. We will see. Just as I reached the shelter it started pouring. Good timing there! More people started to filter in as the afternoon progressed. I am constantly amazed at who you run into. Brian and Kate were the first 2 in. They started when I did and we had never bumped into each other till now. The Honeymooners also pulled in. this was a couple whom I had heard about but not met. They started the trail shortly after they got married. Then Sarge and Little Engine arrived. These were 2 more I had heard of and finally got to meet. To top everything off Vagrant pulled in. If you remember he was the one we met back on Blood Mountain and last saw at Neel's Gap. He got off at Neels for 5 days because of equipment failure. He is going to catch up to Dingle and Skirt before I do so I am going have him pass a message on for me .... I am on my way .... I am still going to take it slow so my mileage for tomorrow won't be much over 7 unless a miracle occurs and I can push on. Not likely though and the forecast is for more rain. This will be the first time most of us have had to hike in rain. We've done everthing else but rain. Sidenote - Also in shelter tonight was Kristen,John, and Wayne