morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-03-10
From: Woody Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: few clouds

Hi,Still at the Hiker Hostel, but I'm heading out today. The swelling is down enough that with the velcro/neoprene wrap and the proper mix of stupidity I've decided to get back out there. It's a little too easy and comfy living in these hostels and I know myself well enough to see the career potential.Short entry for today. I smell the coffee down stairs so that's my next stop and then it's out in the cold.Little later the same day...Todays hike was 10.7 miles from Woody Gap to Neels Gap. Starting out there was a light dusting of snow on the trail as yet untouched by the morning sun. A single set of human tracks preceded me north and I recall wondering who it was that travelled before me. This was the day I would encounter Blood Mountain, another of those early challenges that people talk about before getting to the other more serious obstacles ahead. At this point I wasn't focused on the mountain because two mini milestones lay ahead of me and my mind seemed to wander in their direction. The first is that in a little more than a mile into the hike I would have completed one whole percent of the length of the Appalachian Trail. I can't help but wonder if there will be a band, a little beer and, perhaps, a girl jumping out of a cake. The other milestone is that 25% of all hikers attempting the thru hike to Maine do not make it to Neels Gap. By the end of this day my statistical odds of a successful journey will have increased. Of course this has nothing really to do with me; I just entertain myself by playing with numbers as I hike along the trail. I do things like this or I will create imaginary journal entries that I will immediately forget as soon as I encounter either a pen or computer screen.Some suggest that you should stop at every moment of creative inspiration, but that's not possible for me because my mind never stops and I really like to just keep plodding along. Blood Mountain did look imposing from the bottom. Many times you can't get the sense of a mountain when you are directly on its approach because of brush, trees and the bend of the trail. Blood Mountain was easy to view and I recall being both impressed with its size and the rounded dome. The hike to the top was difficult but there will be worse in my future. The hike down the other side was a little trickier because of length, steepness and my ankle...not to mention that I'm essentially a wimp. Timing, however, is everything. The snow covered trail that I experienced on the up hill climb was melted going down. I breathed a sigh of relief not wanting to deal with snow or ice since rocks were quite enough. Down hill always takes longer but eventually I reached the trail head and was walking into Walasi Yi, the only back packing outfitter that is actually on the trail. The day was over and while my ankle did wiggle a couple of times, it held up and I'm here to hike another day. Thanks for caring enough to read...
Date: 2005-03-11
From: Hogpen Gap

To: NEELS GAP
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Today I was a southbound hiker heading to Maine. Sound confused? Let me throw in another term just to confuse you: "Slackpacker". A slackpacker is someone who will hike from A to B, either with or without a backpack, and have someone pick him up at point B, driving him to a nice cozy Hostel and a hot meal. Yesterday, today and tomorrow I am slack packing until I give my ankle a clean bill of health. It's really very addicting, this manner of getting up from a warm bed, eating a breakfast of scrambled eggs, coffee, orange juice, biscuits and gravy (prepared by other hands) and then being delivered to the trail head to hike X miles until, once again, being picked up to repeat this seriously traumatic process. This sort of hell is the life of this particular retiree and I highly recommend it.Anyway, why south to go north? Simple, by starting north at Hogpen Gap and going to Neels Gap I would have a nice warm Outfitting Store to hang out in while awaiting my ride, rather than sitting in the rain by the roadside. Just taking the easier, softer way is all. So, a nice cushy 6.4 mile day and I took a whole 6 hours to do it. An easy hike but the view from Cowrock Mountain was so spectacular that I sat there for over an hour fiddling with my digital camera, learning to adjust my backpack, eating snacks and massaging my ankle. During the hike I stopped to talk with absolutely every hiker I saw, some at length. I may have even paused to talk with some interesting trees. Everyone gave me advice; it's what hikers do, solicited or not. I just listen, nod my head and thank them profusely for their wisdom while inwardly laughing at their 50 plus pound packs, while they inwardly laugh at something equally as stupid of mine. It's just what we do. So, 6 hours after starting this 6.4 mile hike I emerged again at Neels Gap (from a different direction that yesterday) and went into the Outfitters to buy soda pop and candy. All in all a pretty good day above ground.
Date: 2005-03-12
From: Hogpen Gap

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: clear sky

This was my first significant mileage day respective of testing my ankle. The weather was comfortably cool and sunny with the first 8 miles being gradual ups and downs. Although slackpacking, I carried a full load just in case I needed to spend a night on the trail. I was able to hike fast with confidence (fast being a relative term) and actually ran for short intervals as the smoothness of the trail surface permiutted. I recall a pretty good hike up Cowpen Rock and stopped a bit for a small lunch of a granola bar and water.Typical for me, after stopping for any reason, is for muscles to tighten, making getting back on the trail that much more difficult. GOOD OLD INERTIA -- both physical and mental. That being said, the afternoon was a little more difficult with fairly significant elevation changes during the remainder of the hiking day.One noteworthy event was my attempted salvation at the hands of a group day-hiking Baptists as I descended the last mile or so into Unicoi Gap. Those folks just take that literature with them wherever they go, don't they? Karma, however, was rained down upon righteous people of the word in the form of two bikers who came roaring up on a Harley, dressed in black leather and hell bent for a party. These missionaries for the other side did their level best to teach the Christians the error of their staid conservative lives, extolling quite eloquently on the virtues of wine, women, and song. The lady reminded me, both in appearance and style, of the female lead played by Susan Sarandon in the movie "Bull Durham". As it turned out she was a professor of English Literature and was most eloquent in peppering her arguments with literary quotes, both real or contrived. Most comical, and a special treat to me, was the glazed over, deer-in-headlights look on the collective faces of those who had been so aggressively challenging me just moments before with their own quotes and verses that were now somehow rendered silent. I couldn't help but get the sense that Charlie Daniels and his fiddle should suddenly pop up from the bushes playing his famous "The Devil Went Down To Georgia".As all good things most come to an end, my shuttle arrived and quickly I was stowing my gear and climbing aboard. The last I recall was seeing the male biker, tall in the saddle, and the lady professor, roaring off into the encroaching night with sparks shooting out and flames roaring defiantly from the Harley.The Baptists? I can't say I really noticed what happened to them. I sort of get the sense that they're likely still out there, wandering in the wilderness, waiting for a long haired, bearded biker to lead them out.
Date: 2005-03-13
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: clear sky

Since I'm writing this on the 19th of March, it's a little hard to remember the day. My notes, written with cold fingers after a hard climb, say only "Unicoi Gap to Tray Mt. Shelter. Hard Hike. People Snoring. No more sleeping in shelters." I recall Chino and Diesel were ahead of me into camp, both being much faster hikers than I. They teamed up on day one at Springer Mtn., likely because they each hike at a good pace and know when not to talk. In an environment other than on the trail you'd not think them likely to form any sort of an alliance since Chino is a retired Air Force Lt. Col., and Diesel a tall, slender 19-year-old with long hair. Incidentally, Diesel carries a frying pan, dozen eggs, and a pound of margarine in his pack just so he can have eggs for breakfast every day. I chuckled when I heard of it, but he can definitely carry that big pack for a full day. At 19 all things are possible.I also remember "Creaky Bones", Susan Nixon, a 64-year-old lady from Texas who raised 4 kids by herself. She trudges bravely at about 1 mph, carrying a pack larger than mine. "Creaky" truly has a remarkable spirit and I hope she makes it all the way to Maine and is someday able to hold grandchildren on her knee and tell her story of adventure on the Appalachian Trail.I think that's what I like best about this endeavor -- everyone truly wishes everyone else the best. There's no real competition except the daily challenge of your body and mind against the trail. There is a linear gossip line stretching from those who started northbound on January 1st to those just now heading out from Springer. Few of us have actually met but we know of each other and share a common dream, to climb, scratch, or crawl all the way to Maine.
Date: 2005-03-14
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Another COLD, but invigorating day. The significant climb was Kelly Knob at 4275 feet, made so because it seemed to go on forever, both on the up and downside. All a person can really do in a situation like this is just lower your head and keep climbing. My legs have never been a problem, but periodically I'd stop to catch my breath and then re-engage the battle. It's rewarding to note how quickly my breathing and heart rate return to normal after gaining a summit. In seconds I'm cruising on relatively level ground and preparing for the more challenging descent.At the parking lot there was a stream, picnic table, a bronze plaque and a young hiker named "42". Evidently the name "42" has some literary meaning that escapes me, likely because of age. We chatted for a few minutes and then I stuck out my thumb on US76 for a hitch into Hiawassee, Georgia for resupply, a hot meal, shower, and a clean bed. A very nice man named Bill, formerly a corporate businessman -- presently on a spiritual journey, soon gave me a lift into town dropping me off at the front door of the Hiawassee Inn. For the princely sum of $20 I was able to get a bunk in the hiker's room, shower, dinner, breakfast, and transportation back to the trailhead the next morning. Ron and Fred are excellent hosts and go out of their way to make certain thru-hikers are safe and cared for. Once again I caught up with Chino and Diesel and we told stories into the evening, reviewing one hiking day and planning another. It wasn't long before snores reverberated through the thru-hikers room at the Hiawassee Inn, but it wasn't me, it was _them_.
Date: 2005-03-15
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: light rain

Today was a little momentous because it meant leaving Georgia and entering North Carolina. Evidently there are 14 states to be negotiated and having just one out of the way provides a sense of exhilaration despite the fact that there are 13 to go. Still, though, progress is progress.What I remember most about this day is being passed by a young lady with blazing red hair and blue plastic eyewear. As I recall she was singing something bright, upbeat and bubbly. Her trailname is Red Rover.I have tried unsuccessfully to re-name her "Trail Bubbles", but she resists, probably wise to the potential for other meanings in such a name. In any event, she quickly left me in her wake striding boldly forward singing of the inspirational challenges provided by the mountains of Georgia. I felt a little ill, but as her voice faded in the distance my sense of health and vitality returned as did I to the task at hand -- continuing to push that damned boulder up the mountain only to have it roll down again and have to start over.In a couple of miles I spotted a backpack on one side of the trail. On the other side, carving off a hunk of cheese and leaning against a tree was Red Rover, cheering me on with "Hurry, hurry, you're almost in North Carolina". I did NOT hurry and got there anyway. We stopped for a bit, took pictures of each other leaning against the border sign and then, as before, youth left old age wheezing in the dust. Just the way it's supposed to be.
Date: 2005-03-16
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: light snow

Red Rover and I camped together at Muskrat Creek Shelter. We had a nice evening trying to establish for our own individual senses of security that we were each fairly unlikely to murder the other. I mentioned nothing of what might transpire should she again commence singing, and she didn't sing so it was really a non-issue.She did, however, rise up out of her sleeping bag in the morning with a song bursting from her soul, and I, the silent sufferer, (raised Catholic, right?) rolled my eyes toward heaven and asked "Just what in the hell am I supposed to learn from this?"We exchanged pleasantries (feigned on my part) loaded our packs and were quickly on our mutual journeys.I will have to give God credit for one thing, htough. The day was long and fairly hard for me and despite the miles and the hours Carter Gap Shelter just never seemed to get there. Eventually of course, it did, and it was the most dismal-looking edifice I'd yet to see on the trail. The floor sagged, holes in the walls and the roof was patched with duct tape. The beauty is that no one was there. What an absolute castle! The interesting thing is that God, knowing of my need for solitude, had steered me to the old, beat-up shelter on the left side of the trail rather than the new spiffy one 400 yards further up on the right. This is where Red Rover spent the night with some other hapless old fart who as yet hasn't come out of the woods. I know he's alive because I met him later the next day -- wild-eyed and babbling, sitting by a tree eating cookies. No one's seen him since.
Date: 2005-03-17
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: light snow

Trail Magic at Bear Pen TrailThis was the second or third consecutive day of snow and/or rain. While not the ideal hiking conditions, with the proper gear it's not all that bad save for the increased odds of slipping and sliding on a bum ankle. I will take it over the heat of the summer yet to come. Technically, it's still winter, but even in the colder mountains the daffodils are abloom and signs of spring are coming into play.No longer being much of a drinker I seldom think of St. Patrick's Day. For some reason I awoke with the thought of this most sacred of holidays, followed by "Where's my green beer?" I have no idea why, but it made me laugh.Six miles into the day's walk I heard voices and chainsaws in the woods. Believing it to be forest workers, I just continued on my way with no further thought. Soon I spotted a camper, beat upuold truck and a tarp string over some rhododendrons in a small clearing. There was a campfire with scruffy, suspicious-looking characters gathered 'round it. I began to remember the movie "Deliverance" and lines like "squeal like a pig". Then I heard my name called out "Hey Nimblefoot, come on over -- there's trail magic." It was Red Rover and at that point I began to pray for deliverance, but alas...too late. They had chili burritos and a chair by the warm campfire. I made myself at home, occasionally interrupting my food binge by introducing myself and expressing my gratitude with genuine sincerity. In about 15 minutes Red Rover donned her pack and headed north thru the ice-encrusted rhododendrons to the shocking climb up Albert Mtn. to the firetower. I followed soon thereafter.Once again, Red Rover and I were partners, she spritely moving along and me trudging life's road to destiny, each hiking our own hike in our own way. We met at camp that night, Rock Gap Shelter, where I also met a young man named Trace, who shot by me earlier on the trail. Everyone was tired, but we managed to talk a bit about St. Paddy's Day, green beer and the day's trail magic. Red Rover discovered a food bag hanging down from the bear cable -- more trail magic accompanied with a hand-written religious inspirational message that was quickly discarded as we gorged outselves on delicious, high-calorie "sticky buns". It was great! We were soon joined by another young man who had pulled a 19-miler from Standing Indian Shelter to Rock Gap. I apologize for not remembering his name, but I'm sure we'll meet again.
Date: 2005-03-18
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 3.8
Weather: clear sky

An easy hike in for resupply. We all looked forward to the short hike knowing we would still be fresh enough to enjoy the day. Walking quickly with renewed spring in my step, I soon arrived at the Winding Stair Gap parking lot and the waiting free shuttle to Franklin. Along the way, negotiations ensued, and I would be rooming with Red Rover and Trace, an interesting mix to say the least.Parents of hikers tend to read the journals of other hikers and with that in mind, I'd like to compliment Red Rover's mother and father. While I have joked about your daughter in my journal, it's just that: a joke. I'm only continuing to tease her. She is a fine, bright young lady and you can be justifiably proud of the child you raised. Equally so with Trace -- bright, articulate, soft-spoken with a good sense of humor. This is generally true of the all the young people I've met on the trail though they all seem to share one common and grievous fault -- a complete and total unwillingness to carry my backpack. Other than that I can only say it is my privilege to hike a little with each of them and get a little glimpse into their lives. I remain both impressed and grateful for the opportunity.
Date: 2005-03-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

This is not an actual guest entry. I was merely trying to write a little note about how and where I am. Currently I'm in Franklin, N.C., about 106 miles north of my starting point. Ankle is doing well and I'm still heading north. Today I snail mailed handwritten journal entries to my transcriptionist, Bitpusher. I want to thank everyone for caring enough to visit my journal and for your personal notes about my well being. Sorry about not being able to respond to any emails, but there's just not time. Leaving town in the a.m. No since on wasting anymore time here, it's a dry county.Peace/outNimblefoot
Date: 2005-03-19
From: Franklin, NC

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I've taken a zero day because my journal is so far behind. I've been so tired when hitting camp that my notes have been brief and inadequate to jar my memory. Also, I have to get used to thinking with pen in hand rather than the much more quickly responsive keyboard. Hopefully, as my stamina develops, it will be easier to write in the evening -- or I'll pull off the trail and write as the mood hits.So far I've taken very few pictures and that will change. I'd like to find a way to have pictures uploaded that are specific to the narrative soon after the journal entry is posted. However, there's a line between hiking and writing about it. I want to share my experience with all who care to look in, but not to the point of completely thwarting my adventure. I'm back on the trail in the morning with a heavier food-laden pack. This time out I'm trying to minimize cooking so there's lots of summer sausage, cheese, peanuts, and M&M's. I so much appreciate everyone's concern and support expressed both through email and signing my guest log. It's not possible to respond to anyone at this time so please know from this now much it means to me....I'm having lots and lots of fun!
Date: 2005-03-20
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Spring campsite
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: broken clouds

Back on the trail -- new hiking partners - Chubby Knuckles and three others I've got to get the names of. First climb was up Siler Bald at 4940' and then Wayah Bald at 5340' -- good day's work. Plenty of rocks and roots -- tough on feet. Thus far it's only the aching feet that are a problem. If they'd toughen up I could really go -- or at least hike longer.The night was so dry that there was zero condensation on the tent, inside and out. It's much nicer to stuff your tent in its sack if it's not wet and freezing cold. Breakfast was coffee, m&m's, and peanuts. No oatmeal; I lost my spoon.
Date: 2005-03-21
From: Spring campsite

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: broken clouds

Six percent of the way to Mt. Katahdin. After about 9 miles I stopped at Tellico Gap for gorp, water, and to massage my feet. Excellent view from Wesser Bald Fire Tower, and I took a few pictures.My feet are still the only thing that hurt and then only from mid-afternoon on. I could have continued another 2-3 miles, but am trying to let the endurance come to me rather than force it.
Date: 2005-03-22
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Spring campsite
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I hiked 5.6 miles into Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC), got a bite to eat, replaced my lost watch and spoon, and continued another 2.6 to (another) spring campsite. Along the way I lost my new watch. The early stop was due to rain. I was soaking wet in the warm rain upon arrival, so I threw the tent up, tossed my wet pack inside and climbed in behind. Opening the pack, I next blew up the mattress pad, unrolled the sleeping bag, and got out of my wet clothing. My next step was to erect the solar blanket given to me by my transcriptionist, bitpusher (thanks bitpusher) over the sleeping bag in a tent like fashion. Following all of this I crawled into the bag and commenced eating m&m's and peanuts while planning tomorrow's hike.I don't believe I was in danger of hypothermia, so why did I go to all the extra effort? Mostly because I wanted a "dry run" (pun intended) to fine tune procedures for such an occurance. I'm trying to drill myself so my response will be appropriate and automatic if needed. No doubt I'll get rained on a lot and I want to be ready.