morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-04-03
From: Newfound Gap, Gatlinburg

To: Pecks Corner shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 28Yippee, I have escaped from Gatlinburg. It couldn't hold me within its evil clutches. If ever there was a place designed specifically to seperate man from his money that was it.   Getting back into the woods is sweet relief.At the trailhead we got a little trail magic from twin 22 year old girls who had thruhiked last year. Once again the place was crawling with people. I decided to put on a "thruhkers are bad-ass hikers" show by hiking as fast as I could and leaping from one rock to another or tight-walking the edge of the trail when passing family groups. Ifigured once I got past the horde I could collapse and rest up. I didn't need to do that though since I stopped to talk to so many people that I didn't get tired. It was fun. In fact, I was really surprised by how happy I am today. It felt wonderful to be back on the trail. And the trail was glorious today. Absolutely majestic. The weather was perfect and we were walking ridgelines above 6000' elevation. Great views all day. I popped into the first shelter, Icewater Springs, to read and sign the register around 2:30 pm and then I was off for Pecks Corner Shelter 7.4 miles away. There was plenty of snow,but today's challenge wasn't the postholing. It was crossing snow covered slopes where one misstep would send you sliding down the slope for a very long time. It was fun. Thank you again creek dancer for the loan of the microspikes. They are awesome. Today I also visited Charlie's Bunion. Its on ashort sidetrail and worth spending some time at. Its a stub of rock jutting out from a cliff face that you can climb up on and be surrounded by mountains and stare straight down into a steep valley. Back on the trail the views just kept on coming, but all too soon I had reached the shelter which is 1/2 a mile off the trail. By the time I had rested up and cooked dinner it was full dark. For the first time out here I crawled into my sleeping bag right after dinner and went straight to sleep. So good night and sweet dreams to all of you out there not living the glorious Appalachian Trail Dream.
Date: 2010-04-04
From: Pecks Corner shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: clear sky

Day 29Happy Easter! The Easter bunny isn't as awesome as I thought he was, there was no Easter basket at the end of my sleeping bag when I woke up. But maybe some bear is having a chocolate overdose right now.Its another beautiful day. We've had so many of those lately. I like it. Shockingly enough I was up and out of the shelter by 10am. I was getting used to those cold mornings where I didn't even get out of the bag by 10. I'd never get to Maine with that schedule so I need to start putting in my 8 hour hiking day.Lots of long uphills today with very few views. Not my favorite type of hiking but I was in a fir forest which are beautiful in their own way, especially in the snow. I was getting tired of all the Christmas trees laying across the snow covered trail. It reminded me of sand dunes after Christmas when the trees are used to rebuild/stabilize the dunes. After 5.5 miles I arrived at Tri-Corner Knob shelter. A very pretty location with a spring and creek falling quickly down a steep slope. Sunny, pretty and a beautiful sound along with 10 other thruhikers. I stayed there for an hour sitting in the Sun before moving on. There was also a privy - yay! I never pass up a privy. I have yet found the need to dig a cathole and make a deposit since I started this journey thanks to that policy.The next 7.5 miles were a lot like the first 5.5 only I got to a mountain that dropped straight down to the Flatland. It was odd to not see any other mountains on that side. The best part of the day was coming across a help pad on a ridge line. The park service had cleared an opening of brush and trees and flattened it out.   Grass and sun and a great view. Expect to be shocked, but I spent an hour lying in the sun. About 200 yards before that spot I passed a couple thrus taking a break in a small opening in the trees. I said I was moving on to find sun. Kashmir also passed them and took a short break in the sun. A little later those two guys and three others who had stopped where they were came up. I bet they wished they had hiked a little further before breaking. But that's how it is out here. You never know what's around the next corner.The trail has turned downhill to take us out of the Smokies. But even downhills have uphills. I arrived at the shelter at 6:30 and cooked my dinner immediately. I didn't really like eating my dinner in the dark last night so I got it out of the way first. Then I found that I had phone and internet service here. Hyway is a happy hiker. There hasn't been much service in the Smokies. So I updated the journal, answered some emails and called the wife. A good night.So good night and sweet dreams to all of you out there not living the helo pad lying in the sun Dream.
Date: 2010-04-06
From: Standing Bear Farm hostel

To: Standing Bear Farm hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 31I am a sucker for the siren song of a soft bed when it calls to me on an 87 degree day. My plan to tackle the big uphill during the cool of the afternoon lost its appedl when said afternoon cool never appeared. There are only two real beds here so when someone checked out, I checked in. Its so nice. I can roll 3 complete turns before I fall out of bed. And its so nice to sleep spread eagle like Davinchi's "Man".I've enjoyed the new entries in my journal guestbook. Someone asked what am I eating out here. Today I am eating Dijorno oven baked pizzas microwavable breakfast burrtoes and rib sandwiches. On the trail I've been eating mountain house trail meals. Just boil water and pour it in Breakfast is usuasly precooked Bacon or iced honeybuns author SN energy bar. I don't really eat lunch. I just graze all day on gorp Snickers honey jolly ranchers cliff bars summer sausage or pepperonis. Many people do real cooking with individual ingredients, but I did all the cooking at home so I don't really want to do it out here. I imagine as time passes I will start packing hotdogs or something like that. Just keep it simple.I'm hearing out early in the morning (9ish whichypu have to admit is practically the crack of dawn compared to the schedule I've been keeping lately). Got get up that hill before the sun melts me or turns my son sparkly colorsSo good night and sweet dreams to everyone out there not living the standing bear farm spread eagle dream.
Date: 2010-04-08
From: Max Patch Bald

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: moderate rain

Day 33What a surreal sunrise today. I never saw the sun but the colors would have fit well in a Rembrandt painting. The clouds rolled in during the night and gobbled up the stars so I put my rainfly on to block some of the wind. I had set up my tent so the vestibule side was facing the sunrise and I rolled up the fly on that side to leave the view open. Watching the sunrise from your sleeping bag is something special.The tent flap was flapping pretty loud in the stiff breeze so I popped in my ear buds and listened to colorful sunrise tunes for an hour. I lay there and ate breakfast in bed and enjoyed the show. Afterwards I packed up quickly and had another surprise when I discovered that the next few miles of trail were designed by decent human beings unlike the previous trail designers who were some twisted, sick mother fu... well, nevermind. Lets just say this trail was well graded and loved the valleys and streams and rhododendron tunnels and didn't feel the need to go up to every ridgeline and knob within 10 miles like those crazy sons of bi... sorry. I am sure most trail designers are the sweetest people you'll ever meet. Anyway today was great hiking through nice country and it was only 1.8 miles to the privy at the first shelter.That's when the rain came. I wrapped things up and dashed back to the shelter. It was coming down hard so I put my pack on the sleeping platform to save my space in case I decided that 1.8 miles was good enough for the day. Dufus was there contemplating the same the same thought. Then Hightower and tintin came in soaked from the rain and headed right back out. I was almost shamed into motion. Almost being the key word. Soon the rain stopped and the sky lightened up so I decided to head to the next shelter 4.9 miles away and weigh my options there. It started raining just as I arrived. Option 1, its 1:30 pm and its raining frogs, I am under cover in a shelter and the next one is 9.9 miles away. I chose it. To hell with all other options.So all in all its been a great day of hiking what little bit I did. I stayed dry, there's good company here and we have a small fire. Its 13 miles to hot springs and the weather looks fine tomorrow. Perhaps I'll get an early start and be there for lunch, but I wouldn't bet the ranch on it. I'll be happy to be there by 4.Goodnight and sweet dreams to everyone out there not living the Dodge the raindrops Dream.
Date: 2010-04-09
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Deer Park Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: few clouds

Day 34It was very cold this morning. My policy is if I can see my breath the rest of me stays in the sleeping bag. Between the rain and the cold i spent so much time at the shelter it was practically a zero day. 22 hours between 1:30 yesterday and 11:30 today. But I finally got my butt into gear and hiked the uneventful miles to Deer Park Shelter. Tomorrow morning I'll hike the remaining 3 miles into Hot Springs and grab a bed at Elmer's Sunnysomething or other motel. I'd love to go in tonight but I only want to stay one night and I don't want to rush a nice town day.The only person I know at the shelter tonight is Croft. Kashmir went on into Hot Springs. The others are pretty cool, though. They are already in their sleeping bags and its only 6:30. I'll be in mine soon, its pretty chilly and this wind cuts right through me. I'm tenting again because the shelter is a tiny box and my snoring will echo like inside a kettle drum. OK. My fingers are going numb, so its time to put this away. Goodnight and sweetdreams to all of you out there not living the Salivating over Hot Springs Dream.
Date: 2010-04-10
From: Deer Park Mountain Shelter 

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: clear sky

Day 35OK, so perhaps I do spend to much time in town. Lying in this big comfortable bed in a very cool bed & breakfast even I can see that. In my defence, its not my fault the trail goes right through the middle of town right by the front door of Elmer's Sunnybank Inn who has the bestest rooms for the lowest prices. $20 a night for a single room for thruhikers. I cant be blamed for this one, its those nasty trail designers fault.My day started as usual with me waking up at daybreak but refusing to get out of my sleeping bag. The only difference was I was in a tent rather than a shelter. The only sound was the muffled voices of twisted thruhikers who like to hike very early in the morning. Its amazing how much noise is created by stuffing sleeping bags into compression sacks then stuffing said sacks into backpacks. But I hung tough and resisted the call to action. Eventually I did pack up and left camp around 8:15 arriving in hot springs at 9:15. 3.2 miles is nothing when going downhill to a breakfast joint. Arriving at this particular joint I found the early risers just finishing there breakfast. Figuring they went there first I shot up to Elmer's to reserve a spot before the herd arrived. Good thing because they were booked up by the time trinket went there after his breakfast at 11.Town days are great because you get to visit with so many other thruhikers, some behind you and others ahead. Qtip trinket holysmoke cotton brisket dufus tintin Croft tornado are all here plus a whole bunch of folks I've met in the last week. Friar Tuck and Tango who are a few days behind were in town reoutfitting Tuck after a bear stole his backpack in the smokies. So basically today was spent getting showered, doing laundry, grocery shopping and visiting with friends. Elmer put out a nice vegetarian spread for dinner and the conversation was great. Not once did anyone talk about gear or the weather which are never far from our minds. Afterwards I sorted out my food and gear to get ready to leave tomorrow. I may regret this but I am also sending home some of my cold weather clothing. I have way to much and I need the space in my pack to carry 6 days of food which is how long it should take to get to Erwin, TN.Its been a very calm town stop. I just finished watching a Chinese movie starring Jackie Chan's son called "The Drummer". Chinese gangsters and Zen drummers. Strange mix but interesting. Now I am curled up in bed.Good night and sweet dreams to everyone out there not living the Elmer's Sunnybank Inn Dream.
Date: 2010-04-13
From: Little Laurel Shelter

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

Day 38Whew, my dogs are barking. Or in other words, my feet hurt. I left the shelter around 11am and have been hiking with tntin and Fredo all day.   They set a blistering pace. I kept up for most of the day, but 11 mile mark my body gave up and nearly crawled the remaining 2 miles to the shelter. I got water, ate, threw wood on the fire and crawled into my sleeping bag. No internet service here so I can't update tonight.Today I went past the 300 mile mark on Big Butt Mountain. It was a bit anticlimactic. No dancing girls or bells or whistles. There was some really nice ridge walking today with great views and lots of rock hopping. It was a lot of fun. I really like hiking with tintin and fredo. They are fun and tintns humor is a lot like mine. I'm just not sure I can keep up with them. We'll see what we'll see. Maybe so maybe not. I hope so though.The gnats are starting to get pretty nasty vdurng the day. At every stop they descend and surround your head. Holding a hat or my dorag a foot or two above my head attractscsome of them higher but not all. And as it gets warmer I may stop using the privies. The last one was surrounded by flies. Nasty. OK so that's all for today. I am beat.Goodnight and sweetdreams to all of you out there nit living the Walk Yourself into the Ground Dream.
Date: 2010-04-15
From: Lowe Gap Campsite

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: clear sky

Day 40I probably shouldn't journal tonight and just let this day go. But that wouldn't be in the spirit of what I want for this journal.Today was the single worst day since I started. It was OK when we started even though I didn't sleep much the night before. Then we went over a beautiful bald with great views. My problem started when I got to the first shelter and turned my phone on. I had two distraught sounding messages waiting for me from Mrs Hyway.   I had failed to complete some paperwork before I had left and we were in jeapordy of loosing some funding our son needs for his therapy sessions. I called Trish immediately and she sounded as if she was at wits end. She was ready to wash her hands of the whole thing instead of starting the process all over again. She was pretty frazzled. I said I would come Home and handle it myself if that was necessary. She told me to do whatever I needed to do.After the phone call I had no desire to walk, but walk I must do. So I walked very slowly and pondered things. Like, what made me believe that I could just step out of my life for 6 months. And about my responsibility as a husband, a father and as a provider.   I thought about how I am spending more than I budgeted. Unexpected bills at home and other budget items that weren't going as planned. I also knew there was a highway crossing two miles down the trail. I pondered all of these things and decided the right thing for me to do was get off the trail and go home and be a man. I chewed it over for another mile and thought about the logistics of getting home. I was sad and a bit depressed and did not feel like walking at all. Walking was torture. All of a sudden everything hurt on me. I stopped to call Trish to tell her my plan and discovered she had nearly taken care of the problem and all was well. She said there was no need for me to stop hiking.Only all wasn't well. I had planted a seed of withdrawal and it was growing a vine of discontent in the back of my mind. I had just convinced myself to get off the trail, but now I had to convince myself to stay on the trail. The reasons aren't that many - because its there and I want to hike it sounds lame compared to the other side of the talley sheet. Because I enjoy the trail community seems selfish. I kept walking towards the highway in foot dragging misery. When I got there I still didn't know what to do. Go Home, hike on to the next shelter or hitch into Erwin for a zero day and time to think. After 30 minutes not a single car had passed in either direction. So I got up, shouldered my pack and walked the 4.7 miles to this shelter. Tomorrow I hike 6.6 miles to Erwin and rethink things there. Lying here horizontal in my sleeping bag, not walking, and surrounded by other thrus I am pretty sure the decision will be to keep hiking. But things may feel differently when I am back on the trail tomorrow. Goodnight and sweedreams to everyone out there not living the Emotional Rollercoaster Dream.
Date: 2010-04-16
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Erwin, Tn / uncle johnies hostel
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: few clouds

Quick entry to say that the crisis is over. The restoritive powers of a hot bath, a cold beer, a meal someone else cooked and the happy noises of thruhikers and a guitar on a hostel porch is an amazing thing. plus my wife sent me a very nice email summarizing her day and her trevails and that she has verything well in hand. Sorry for the drama. yesterday was my 9th day of hiking without a zero day and i had been pushing myself harder than usual.The 6.6 miles into town this morning went pretty fast after i hit a ridgeline with internet service that allowed me to read my wife's email and to upload my journal entry from last night. after a few more miles you could see the town we had been hearing. With less than a 1/2 mile to go on a gently graded downhill i started jogging. i haven't run in a while and here i was with a backpack on chugging down the trail chanting 'town' 'town' with every step.tomorrow i am taking a zero then its off to Damascus. Tonight a bunch of us are heading to the cinema to see Clash of the Titans. yahooooo.Goodnight and sweetdreams to all of you not living the Town Days Dream.
Date: 2010-04-20
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Day 44Overmountain Shelter has snared me in its web. Like my Idol, Wildbill, I have zeroed here today. I had planned to just read a little in the sun this morning and then hit the trail around 11. It was a gorgeous morning. The valley below was bathed in brilliant sunlight and the ridges were crisp in the still air. A fire crackled at my feet and a handful of thrus played cards in the background. Other than that and a few birds chirping it was very quiet. I read peacefully until the last page was turned. It was after 11 and I hadn't packed up anything. I made a lame attempt to talk myself into at least hiking into town 8.7 miles away, but this place is just too beautiful. And I can't spend any money zeroing in the woods. I have almost no food left but I will survive. Lunch today was a handful of beef jerky and some jolly ranchers. Dinner tonight was a knorr rice packet and some ramps I picked in the woods. Ramps are yummy. They are a wild onion that tastes like scallion and garlic. They were so good toasted over the fire. Bredkfast will be jolly ranchers and honey and I have one Ramen pack left that I will eat dry after a couple miles on the trail. Then I will hit town and destroy the first buffet I find.Too make up for my slackitude today I will try to do the 35 miles to Kinkora in two days. We'll see how that works out. It depends on how long it will take me to get in and out of town. Time for bed its getting very cold.Goodnight and sweet dreams to all of you out there not living the Rampalicious Dream.
Date: 2010-04-22
From: US 19/ Roan mountain, tn

To: Dennis Cove
Miles today: 24.4

Day 46What a great day to hike 24 miles. The afternoon showers never materialized, it wasn't too hot and it wasn't too cold. Like goldylocks and the three bears, it was just right. Only I don't have golden curls, there were no bears, and no porridge. But I did go for a walk in the woods and it was just right so I am sticking with the analogy. I can't believe I walked 24 miles in just over 10 hours. Granted, my pack only had food and water in it, but I am still pretty impressed with myself.Another good part of the day was thatI got to see Tintin again. I thought he was long gone like Fredo. Fredo is on his way to Damascus to spend time with a friend and isn't slowing down for anything. Apparently though, Tintin zeroed at the hostel in Roan Mountain yesterday and slackpacked the same 24 miles I am. There are 6 of them from the hostel slacking today, including Kashmir. He told me he was going to zero at the hostel to let his heels heal up. But you know how plans go. No plan ever survives contact with the trail. Tintin didn't seem too surprised to see me ahead of him. He said he wrote in his journal that he didn't think he'd seen the last of Hyway. I replied that I was like a bad penny and would keep turning up everywhere. I'm also glad to see Kashmir at the same milepost I am tonight. He's the last of the people that started the same day I did that is still in the same general area I am. I only see a few names in the shelter registers of people ahead of me and I have no word where anyone behind me is. Cotton and Slackimus didn't start with me but I did hike with them awhile. The last I saw of them they were in Erwin. I wonder how many have gotten off the trail. I never hear much talk about that.The trail today wasn't nearly as 'flat' as the elevation map suggested and the last downhill wasn't even remotely close to the gradual decline it looks on the map. AWOL (the guy who wrote the trail guide I am using) may want to spend some time fine tuning that section before his next printing. Unless he actually likes having colorful epitaphs attached to his name Still there weren't any killer hills on the route and there were several waterfalls and cascades. Not a great hike for views but an excellent section to hike fast and far without worrying about missing something. A couple highlights of the day before I end this. Jones Falls was a nice 100' drop waterfall to est first breakfast next to. A road crossing 12 miles in where Moonshine was waiting with a pizza and some mountain dews. Awesome. And the end of the trail where I could get off my feet LOL.Goodnight and sweet dreams to all of you out there not living the Nearly A Marathon Dream.