morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-04-03
From: Hot Springs - Elmers Sunnybrook Inn

To: Camping Area near Rich Mountain
Miles today: 8.3

A slow day. Awoke to a quiet country house full of thru hikers. (Elmer¢s Sunnybrook farm). Breakfast at the Smoke Mt. Diner (still not great), grocery shopping, mailing packages, gear shop, then on the trail (we took pictures by the French Broad forest service sign and river sign.) Today was a tough day. All day it was 70-80 degrees and mostly uphill. Great news back at Max Patch and such, but a tough day carrying 6 days¢ of food. The beginning of the hike was nice, along the French Broad River, then up to Covers Leap and more river and hot springs views. But later it was tough. We left around 11 a.m. and hiked around 8 miles, but the last 2 were steep, and we (Wench and I) were pretty beat up by the heat. We also hiked up to the Rich Mtn fire tower (a waster of time), it was chained off, no one allowed to climb it. There was broken glass and garbage. Waste of time. So we camped with Freeman and Jason (?)¢¢rise and shine¢ (he hates getting up early, I think. Relaxed around a fire (bugs were thick, the smoke helped. My hydration unit (platypus-hose) worked well today, I can now drink without stopping and taking off my pack, or asking someone for my bottle. But it was so hot today the water was warm (yuck!) Oh well, it will be that way all summer, so get used to it (warm water and bugs). No more whining here! More (HS) names: I¢m trying to remember: Truck, GI Jane and Cy, Pop-Pop, Jan and Steve (¢no comment¢), rise and shine. Hot Springs is a cool town, especially when you first see it from the mountain on the way in, and you smell the cut grass and see the blooms. Awesome, can¢t wait to get to town! 7 days. More tomorrow.
Date: 2003-04-04
From: Camping Area near Rich Mountain

To: Little Laura Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Well, the pack is still heavy and my feet and legs are still getting fatigued. By the time we get near our stopping point for the day, I am so exhausted, I can barely stumble up the trail (Note¢this refers to uphills¢¦I hate them.) The closer we get to town, the lighter it will get (eating the heavy food first). Today we did 11 miles by 2 p.m. Need to take more food and snack breaks in the future. I¢m beat, I need to take a day or 2 off and let my knees and body recuperate. Maybe in Erwin. I can¢t wait to get to the next AYCE Salad bar!! Yum! Well, our timing is good. I sprinkled off and on after we got to the shelter (little Laurel Shelter) and now (6:45) it is pouring. Not sure what the forecast is for tomorrow, but it doesn¢t matter. We don¢t have enough food to take any days off, only enough (barely) to get to Erwin, TN. So far, only 2 of use (maybe someone doing a 20 mile day out of Hot Springs). Good night for now.
Date: 2003-04-05
From: Little Laura Shelter

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: moderate rain

Only 2 of us and a few mice in the shelter last night. But the mice didn¢t bother us, just made squeaky noises as it rained. Later in the morning, around 5 a.m., it rained harder and started to thunder. We stayed in the shelter until it decided to stop (we were going up on a ridge line, not the place to be with thunder and lightning). We started out at about 8:30, with only a mist and drops falling off the trees. It was a nice cool day for the morning climbs and later the sun came out so we could sit and enjoy the view from Bassett Memorial (a grassy balk area south of Big Butt Mountain). Warm, relaxing and a nice view. We lunched at Jerry Shelter, relaxed every hour during the day. No rush! We¢ll get there! Relax and smell the flowers (well, something other and our hiker stink!) The last steep, long, downhill before the shelter was tough. My knees are still sore from the pounding of the downhill. Tomorrow we go back uphill (some things never change!) Didn¢t see any other thru hikers the past 2 days, until tonight, one guy showed up (name? Patch). He told us Hot Spring is full of hikers that started the week after we did. They should catch us by Erwin. After he told us some war news, we all sat around journaling. We are waiting till 7, so we can sleep. He is waiting for his girlfriend to show up (she is hiking in after work, from a nearby road.) Maybe we can get a few snacks from her. Just got reminded! Tonight is daylight savings time, we need to spring ahead an hour at 2 a.m.! Almost forgot. Well, enough for now, Think I will read for a bit, brush my teeth and hit the sack. Well, that didn¢t last long. His girlfriend showed up and gave him 2 Arby¢s Roast Beef Sandwiches (He gave us 1 to share!) Cool! Thanks, Patches and Scout!!
Date: 2003-04-06
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Well, we got up and started out by 8:30 today. When we got to the NC 212 a treat was waiting for us. A Ziplock with 2 Honeybuns and 4 oatmeal cream cookies!! Yeeha! We sat and ate them all! Thanks, Scout!! J Then we took our time and hiked through a meadow, then up a nice scenic mountain with a great water fall (nice sun, nice views). I felt good today. Better, when we got to the shelter before the rain hit. Now I¢m relaxing in the shelter, journaling. Waiting for dinner time. Yumm. Ramen noodles again. Yumm, they were good. And now there are 9 people in a 6 person shelter, with rain coming all night. Patch will probably be coming later, so I hope we find room. Smoosh. We are currently ass to elbow, everyone will have to turn over at once. Oh Well, only 2.5 days to Erwin and some AYCE food!! Did I mention that 2 beagles followed us 4 miles down the trail to the shelter today? Cute pups, no collars, no food. Maybe they will go home tomorrow. Now there are 10 people and still no ¢Patch¢. #10 gets the dirt floor near the shelter opening. Ok, time to read, pee and sleep. More later.
Date: 2003-04-07
From: Hogback Ridge shelter

To: Bald Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Well the snoring contest was on! 3 full bore snorers going at once, many people in the shelter were wearing earplugs. I pushed Wench, because I thought she was snoring, but it was ¢Sonic¢, blasting away so I smacked her with my hat). Then the domino effect started, ending after 4 of us had gone out to pee (the power of suggestion).In the morning, we lollygagged and didn¢t leave until 9:45 in the fog. The day went pretty well, after the first hills were over. It stayed cool, the climbs were ok at my ¢trudge¢ pace, and the Balds (Big Bald, Bid Stamp) were really cool. Cold wind, fog, snow still on 1 side of Big Balk, and a break in it to snap pictures and get a cool view of the next grassy bald. Bald Mt. Shelter is a cool newer shelter, fits 10 (would fit more if they took the dividers out). Nice to relax and eat. Did I mention that 3 dogs are here, too? Followed people up the trail. 2 ugly ones (look like Jackals) and cute beagle. This is the longest I¢ve been without a shower or resupply (5 days and it will be 7 before we hit Erwin). Pretty stinky and food is a little scarce (rationing). All trail talk is about the Erwin Burrito Company and the all you can eat at the pizza joint. (With a beer or so thrown in). There, I will treat my knees, relax and EAT! Take a zero mile day, relax, plan my next 4 day section (food and shelters). Now, maybe I will just take a nap¢¦or not¢¦who know?
Date: 2003-04-08
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Well, as amazing as it sound, I¢ve hiked 332.8 miles on the A.T. so far. And more amazing, it that I¢ve only had two real spectacular falls so far. Today was the second one. I was walking along a flat stretch, minding my own business (translated: daydreaming and not watching where I was going) when a root jumped out and attached me! Really! My foot started slipping left, my body started slipping right, and pitching forward¢¦All I could say was¢¦Oh! Oh! Crash!! I landed with my right arm and pole under me, face down in the dirt. A grimace on my face, Wench turned around after I landed and saw the grimace on my face. She didn¢t know what to do (She didn¢t want to laugh, until she knew if I was ok)! As I lay there, I thought, hmm. Any pain yet? No? Well, can I move? Yes? Damn, then I¢m not hurt, shat should I do? Answer? Laugh hysterically! Wench saw this and joined in until we both had tears in our eyes. It was a classic fall, registered all ¢10¢s¢ from the judges. All told, not a bad day: a few ups, but mostly easy up and down and level. Got to the shelter early (2 p.m.) and had coffee, relaxed, ate some of my extra food (snacks). Waiting for dinner now so I can eat most of the rest and hike into Erwin hungry for pizza. Well, the whole crew behind us (or so it seemed), just caught up. Looks like there are about 17 people here now. 8 in the shelter and 2 on the shelter floor and others in tents. Looks like a mad house, with everyone cooking at (and spilling food at) the shelter. They mostly did a 20+ mile day. They will soon be past us and we won¢t see them again. But, in the meantime, Erwin may be short of bed space in the hostels. And short of food, too, the way they all eat. They will mostly be gone by 6:30 a.m., to get real food in town. Then, we will leave to get our share of the food (Pizza Hut) and maybe a bed at Mrs. Janet¢s (Wench will be meeting her parents and staying at a hotel). Definitely time to take a 0 mile day, relax and check the weather (there may be snow coming) before we get near Roan Mountain. But that¢s tomorrow, now its time to pee, brush teeth and snooze. I¢ll get back to you later.
Date: 2003-04-09
From: Holiday Inn Express

To: Erwin TN, Miss Janet's Hostel
Miles today: 6.3

Started about 8:45 and headed in to Erwin. Misty, drippy kind of day. Just pushing to get to town. Saw some nice mountain top views of town on the way in. Long freight trains pulling thru town. Pretty cool¢¦As we got to town I saw Miss Janet dropping off hikers, so I yelled and we got an instant ride to her place to drop off packs, then to the Pizza Hut lunch buffet. Boy, we ate a lot, I know I had 7 plates of food. Came back to the hostel, then relaxed. Went to Chiles in Johnson City for dinner with Mama and Papa Wench, Wench, Sonic, and Iguana. Yummm¢¦chips, salsa, queso, Guinness. Yummm. Then back to Mrs. Janet¢s to watch movies and sleep. A long day. Tomorrow, I need to run errands and shop for food and relax (plan my next section). I hear there was 3¢ of snow up the trail from here, at one of the shelters. I will play it by ear on when I leave.
Date: 2003-04-10
From: Erwin TN, Miss Janet's Hostel

To: Erwin TN, Miss Janet's Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Slept on a top bunk (crazy, hard to get up and down, it¢s home made), woke up about 8:30. Still waiting for breakfast, but I hear, it¢s good. Going shopping at Super WalMart later, then CUS, post office, etc¢¦I better figure out how many days I am going to hike, to plan my food. (Looks like 5 days.) Went to Outback Steakhouse to eat (Mama and Papa Wench, Wench, Sonic, Iguana and Lite Shoe). Got a 20 ounce porterhouse steak! Yummm. Went to WalMart to shop for food and knee brace and mineral ice. Lots of rain in Erwin, and snow still in the mountains. (We¢ll hike out Saturday morning.) Checked into the Holiday Inn Express. Basically, I¢m just taking 2 zero days to avoid snow and help my knees.
Date: 2003-04-11
From: Holiday Inn Express

To: Holiday Inn Express
Miles today: 0.0

Well, More snow here in the mountains Near Erwin, TN.I am taking a couple of zero mile days & waiting for more than a foot of snow to melt in the mountains (I don't feel the need to slog thru deep snow again...). This gives my knees a needed rest, and a few beers & good food don't hurt either.I'll probably get back on the trail Saturday, maybe. 335 miles hiked so far. Y'all enjoy life! Life is good. Hotdog
Date: 2003-04-11
From: Holiday Inn Express

To: Holiday Inn Express
Miles today: 0.0

Another zero day. Holiday Inn Express in Erwin, TN is a very hiker friendly place. Great people, good rates, nice hotel. I had a suite all to myself for 2 days. It was great. I had my gear all over half of it and I had the other half. I stayed up late both nights and watched T.V. (because I could). Today, I ate a pinto Ben and jerry¢s Cherry Garcia ice cream, then had some left over porterhouse steak, then candy bars and a coke, then a hot dog and a fish fillet, then peanut butter bard and another coke. What a bellyache! Can¢t wait to leave town so I eat more normal. Did I mention the 4-pound burrito I had for lunch? (At the Erwin Burrito Company¢¦Great Burritos.)
Date: 2003-04-12
From: Erwin TN, Miss Janet's Hostel

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

Well, we started with breakfast at the hotel then hit the trail by 9 a.m. Lots of mud and water to start the day. Most water we could step over on logs or rocks, one we had to just suck it up and ford. (We got our feet wet.) It was a sunny, beautiful day, maybe in the 50¢s. Great day to hike. The streams looked like Niagara Falls, tons of water running down the mountain. The higher we got, the more snow we saw, but it never really covered the trail and the trail was mainly mush and water from the hikers before us, the snow on the trail had melted. After 12.1 miles, we stopped at Deep Gap Camp (nice spot, but right next to the road¢¦not so nice¢¦) Tomorrow we climb a steep mountain. First thing in the morning. Not looking forward to it, but the rest of the day will be better. High point of the day: I had left over porterhouse steak on flour tortillas for dinner (tender and delicious).
Date: 2003-04-13
From: Deep Gap

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: clear sky

Nice full moon last night. Felt good sleeping in a tent again. Today was a nice sunny, beautiful day. The hike up Unaka Mountain was not bad at all, nice switchbacks. But!! The PUD¢s on the other side of the Unaka Mt. Kinda sucked. No views just hike up a mountain and then back down the side. Oh well, the 2nd half of the day was better (even through my knees were sore and my spirits were sagging). Didn¢t see many people on the trail today, but lots of people showed up at the shelter. Crusty, the Smith Brothers, the whole group from No Business Knob Shelter (Kool aide Luke and his friends), F-8, Hotdog and Wench. We got a good look at Roan Mt. Today, all decorated in snow (a white top.) Tomorrow should be fun! Note: Wench has finally perfected the 4 part pratfall. All while standing in 1 place. She is the only person, that I have ever seen slip four times on the same spot, before finally giving in to gravity. It was a wonder to behold. General attitude: Not as positive as it used to be. The steep hills, snow and rain get to me more than they used to, but a single good day/event still blots the bad days out. So far, so good. I can¢t believe it: we crossed the 350 mile mark today!!! Very cool! Total miles to far 363.9. Life is good!! Tomorrow Roan Mountain, crossing over our last 6,000 foot plus mountain for a while (in the snow). Should be fun (6,285¢ high). I better get to sleep now and rest up for it.
Date: 2003-04-14
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: clear sky

Well, it figures. My last climb over 6, 000 foot snowy mountains is today and I woke up sick. Sore throat, thick mucus, cough. And my medicines were all forwarded to Damascus. Should be an interesting day. Well, it was interesting. I felt like crap and the first climb of the day kicked my ass (and it wasn¢t terrible). The climb up Roan Mountain was like a bear, but some parts sucked more than others. Since I was sick, they all drained me, but my attitude stayed intact (mostly). The climb up from Hughes Gap (4, 000 feet) to Ash Gap (5,500 feet) was steep but very pretty at first. Lots of greens and side trail, but it turned into crappy rock climbs in mud and snow (always another climb around a corner of each false top). We ate lunch at the Ash Gap, to recover for the next climb up to Roan high bluff. This climb was steep and muddy and snowy and wet, but much nicer than the previous climb. This climb had more level areas, and was shady (It was sunny and 65-70° today). Thru pine groves. I actually enjoyed this section, and then suddenly, I was on top in a grassy area where a hotel used to be. Then we hiked to Roan High Knob Shelter to check it out (it has 2 levels, holds about 40 people, has 4 walls, 3 windows, and a door!) Very cool. We spent the next hour sloshing thru snow and water and mud as we hiked down the mountain. As we approach the road at Carver Gap, we heard music and voices, as we reached road level we saw thru hikers sitting around a van in chairs, drinking beer, and soda, and eating snacks. Of course we headed over to check it out. It was trail magic, being given by Sling Blade and Lucky Dawg, 2 thru hikers from 2000. Very cool guys, really made our afternoon!! Thanks, guys! We sat around and drank Coke, ate snack cakes and Cheese Puffs and got fresh water. Later, at Over Mountain Shelter, we ate hotdogs that they gave us. Excellent! All in all, a good day. The pain of Roan Mountain, all but forgotten. The memories at trail magic and the cool over mountain shelter (a big barn) etched in my memory. But, I¢m still sick. Sore throat, achy, thick yucky, tasting mucus. Yuck! Need to get to town for better vitamins (¢C¢) and drugs. Hard to sleep now, the smoke from the campfire is drafting up to the top of the barn where I¢m sleeping. Well, we¢ll see how I feel tomorrow. Better, I hope. Wench has a cold and stuffy nose; others here have colds, too. Better than the stomach flue that was going around. Oh well, good night all. Note: This was the first time I hiked until 7 p.m.. It was cool.
Date: 2003-04-16
From: Route 19E, Roan Mountain

To: Camping area before Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Well, attitude is everything and mine sucked today. I felt like crap. No energy, congested, scratchy throat¢¦all day. Some nice trail, but I didn¢t appreciate it. Except for Jones Falls¢¦Awesome! A 100-200 foot cascade of water. Very cool. Met Bo Peoples and a trail work crew (some thru hikers we knew were on the crew), finishing up their work and heading back to Kincora Hostel. Bob is a great guy and offered to take us to the trail in the morning. But we decided to gush on and get to the Hostel tomorrow. Jan is at the hostel now, he will tell her where we are. She is slackpacking sections until her heel is better. Did I mention how hot it was today? I was overheated as well as sick (still sick now). And it seems that some trail planners in TN like going straight up mountains¢¦They can have their trails, I like switchbacks. Lots of locals like using land along the trail in TN as dumpsites, too. Too bad. It¢s an eye sore. Anyway, the day is done and hopefully I will have better medicine to take tomorrow for my throat and chest. They are calling for rain too so maybe it will be cooler. Not much else to say today. I just wasn¢t into the hike today. Maybe tomorrow will be better. Note: I forgot to mention the nice trail section today along the river. Night, night.
Date: 2003-04-17
From: Camping area before Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 9.7

 Started the day feeling a bit better, but my throat got worse as the day wore on. All I wanted to do was get to Kincora, so the day was a blur. Nice weather, lots of ups and downs (again¢¦straight up and down courtesy of old Tennessee trail planners), profile inaccurate. Once we got to Dennis Cove, we hiked 2 tenths of a mile to Kincora and saw Smoothie, Fly, Sonic, ¢Guana, and Bob Peoples (the owner) talking in the driveway. We said hi, threw our clothes in the washer and went to town to eat and shop, quick trip, so I forgot Vitamins C and went back to town later. Now I have Chloraseptic, ¢Tussin DM, Sucrets, Advil and Tylenol. I¢m taking them all but still feel like crap. Maybe in a day or so, I¢ll feel better. For now, I will sleep late and decide what to do about tomorrow after I wake up. Could be a zero day, a slack pack day or a short day. Who knows? A good night¢s sleep is what I need. More tomorrow when my throat doesn¢t feel like it¢s getting ripped out.
Date: 2003-04-18
From: Kincora Hostel

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

 Well, I was awake every hour or so during the night taking more meds. So much for sleep. Everyone else woke up early to go slackpack, after eating a big breakfast. The smell of food cooking and the noise of thru hikers getting packed and yelling over breakfast (at 6:30) didn¢t help me reach my goal of sleeping late. There must be a rule, those who wake up first have to make enough noise to wake the dead, or any hikers trying to get extra sleep because they are sick. It seems to happen in shelters too (but not always, some people really are quiet), Oh well, when I¢m not sick I don¢t mind. The rain continues, it rained all last night and most of this morning. We still haven¢t left the hostel, we are debating taking a 0 mile day to recuperate, or maybe hike a short day. Time will tell.Sat around all morning, went to a medical clinic in the afternoon. Bronchitis and sinusitis. I got Allegra (made my throat worse) and biaxin (antibiotic) I should feel better in 1-2 days. So far I feel worse, now my throat hurts all the time, nothing makes it feel better, oh well, I¢m grumpy, too. I need to get out this hostel. Too many dust and cooking smells, it irritates my throat. Maybe hiking will make me feel better, it can¢t hurt. I cough if I lay down, I can¢t sleep if I sit up, so it¢s gonna be a long night. Kincora is a nice hostel, Bob and Pat Peoples are great people very good to hikers (good price, free laundry, showers, shuttles to town, etc.). But I¢m tired of hostels. I can¢t wait to tent again. Tomorrow we hit the trail until I collapse, moving on northward (we are over 400 miles into the hike so far¢¦very cool). Later¢¦