morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-04-15
From: Haiwassi Inn, GA

To: Muscrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: few clouds

Left the Haiwassi Inn at 7:20 a.m. Couldn't stay any longer or I wouldn't have left. Karma, who has been a hiking partner since the first night, has joined up with Bluto to hike faster, as he must get to Franklin, NC by noon on Saturday to reach the Post Office. Neither Moonlight nor I can hike that fast, so we will go at our own pace. Karma is a great young man, and has gently taught us some basice camping lessons that have made the trip much easire. Crossed into NC at 1:00 pm!!! I had my doubts that I could do this, particulary in the snow and during the hail storm. One state down, 13 to go! Unfortunately, right after crossing the state line, we met a hike 1,000 ft. straight up, with no switchbacks, followed by 500 ft. straight down, and another 500 ft. straight up. I suspect it was the NC Appalachian trail club sending the message that NC ain't no namby-pamby state like Georgia. But that's a message I wasn't ready to receive. I found myself praying on the uphill hike. Not sure whether it works, but it takes my mind off how tiring the up is. Just hope God doesn't notice that it's been 30 years since I paryed the Rosary.The tribe that hikes at my general pace includes Moonlight, AT73, Windmill, Charlie the Chef, and Larry. Faster but going the same distances are Bluto, Karma, Vodoo, Turtle, Old Soul. Queen Becky pops in and out. And now there is a young British guy, Scree Freak, who is just out of college and hiking 3 months. He is carrying 60-70 lbs of gear, which all agree is insane, but he keeps up. For dinner I ate a Lipton side dish, which I thickened with a handful of powdered mashed potatos. Wouldn't recommend it, but it filled me up.
Date: 2009-04-16
From: Muscrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: few clouds

Left Muscrat Shelter at 8:15, to a very long uphill. Hiked with Vodoo, Chef, Moonlight. We were passed very early by Bluto and Karma. I was a couple warblers. One was yellow and could have been any of a half dozen species. A secon one was blue and black, and could have been a cereulian warbler or a blue and black warbler. Saw a rabbit, which is about as much wildlife as I have come across. A special treat for lunch was pita bread, topped with sausage and string cheese. Very nice change from trail mix. Reached the shelter at 4:30. I'm hiking much stronger now, and this is my second double digit day in a row!
Date: 2009-04-18
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 3.6
Weather: clear sky

Very short day today. Heading for town because we smell, we're outta food, because our feet hurt, and just because.Moonlight and I were up and packed out by 7:45. We made the 3 1/2 mile hike, with one mountain and a long downhill in just under 1 1/2 hours. While it may not sound like much, this is flying. We managed to catch the early shuttle at 9:30. We were able to get hot chocolate and a moonpie from a church group providing trail magic. It was duly appreciated.Checked into the Budget Inn, sharing a room with Moonlite at the hiker rate ($35 for the 2 of us). Showered and shaved. (A quick note about shaving. Almost all make hikers, and some female hikers, do not shave while hiking. For the young guys, they tend to look interesting and ok in an untamed, rugged sort of way. For me, a five day growth of stubble makes me look like a wino that's soiled himself and sleeps in a back ally. My desire is not to incite contempt or scare little children, so I try to shave every third day or so.) Then we went on a supply run to get food and a few essentials.I actually went to Mass this afternoon. Over the past few days, during the driving snow, the sleet, the flash flood, and the hailstorm, God's name came up a few times. I figured I'd better go show up and make sure there were no hard feelings. Also, he's been a lotta help on some of the nasty up-hills, so I needed to voice my appreciation. I just came from an excellent dinner at Cody's. 1/2 slab of ribs, a baked potato, all the salad I could eat, and iced tea. I am now officially content. And yet I still loose weight. Is this a great country or what?
Date: 2009-04-20
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: light rain

Overcast, and cooler today, in the low 40s, and dipped to 30 degrees last night. Given my miserable night last night, it took me longer to get going this morning. I boiled water to make hot lemonade for breakfast. Out at 8:45. We hiked for 7 straight hours, almost all in the cool, cool rain. At Burningtown Gap Moonlight and I received trail magic from a trail maintainer named "Apple". Apple used to work in Raleigh, but retired to Texas. Still, he loves the trail so much every March and April he comes back and provides cokes and orange juice. A coke was much appreciated. A hot cup of coffee might have been even more appreciated. But he was pleasant conversation and quite supportive.Reached camp at 4:00. No views and continued rain. Arriving so early, Moonlight and I almost considered moving on to the next shelter 5 miles down the road. We did not, which was a good decision as I will explain in tomorrow's journal. A couple of section hikers came in an hour later, and were interested in eschanging views, but I was dead tired, and did not pretend to be interested in anything but sleeping. I was in bed at 6:30, attempted to read a chapter of Moby Dick, but failed and was asleep quickly.
Date: 2009-04-22
From: Nantahala

To: Sassafrass Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: few clouds

Wonderful, wonderful way to wake up at Moonlight's friends, the Porters. Baked eggs, sausage, muffin fruit, and real coffee. After, we rode to Sylva to pick up a prescription I'd forgotten to get the day before. Off the Nantahala to restart that hike.At Nantahala we saw much of the tribe. There is unhappiness because Windmill and AT73 are getting off. Windmill has bonespurs and can barely hobble around. I understand Tim the Turtle and Larry from Cinci are also thinking of getting off. This is disturbing because it would leave Moonlight and I as the elder statesmen in our tribe. Windmill and AT73 sat apart from the rest of the group, looking so forlorne, and there is nothing one can say to cheer them up. For Windmill, it is the end of his dream, and he will not have another chance.Leaving Karma, Bluto, Chef, Voodoo, et al, Moonlight and I began the hike up some of the nastiest mountains we have yet encountered. Up 4,000 feet in 7 miles, with only some 900 ft down. Arrived at Sassafrass Gap shelter at 6:00. It was cold, wet, and basically an unpleasant end of the day. Stayed in the shelter tonight, not yet ready to test my tent in this rain. There were three young guys from South Carolina (2 from USC, one from Clemson) who were much stronger hikers, but also mouse killers. They carried mouse-traps, and successfully knocked off a mouse overnight.
Date: 2009-04-23
From: Sassafrass Shelter

To: Cody Gap Campsite
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: clear sky

Clear day, somewhat warmer. Up at 6:30 and out before 8:00. We began by going up 1,000 ft to Cheoah Bald. Great Views from the top, and some nice pictures. There then was a long hike down to Stecoah Gap and a major highway. During the hike down we saw the Chicago Bear, a very, very eccentric hiker we'd camped with several days before. He was headed in the other direction, and not sure why, but he was pleasant enough.From Stecoah Gap there was an unremttingly painful uphill climb up Brown Mtn. I now belive in the angry, Old Testament God who rains down plagues of gnats and terribly tall mountains to the evil and innocent alike. This was by far the worst climb of my hike. Three time in the 2 mile uphill, Moonlight and I literally colapse face first onto the trail in motionless exhaustion, not evein trying to find a log to sit on. But, just as the biblican locusts, this plague too passed, and soon we reached Brown Fork Gap Shelter. 2Bob was there, as was a young woman named Wendy Girl. As it was only 4:00, and we want to get to Fontana Dam early tomorrow, Moonlight and I decided to hike on another 3 miles to Cody Gap. It was a good decision, hiking was not too bad, and the site had good water and was protected from the wind. We were joined by a young female grad student named Bridey, who was pleasant company if we had had enough energy to talk. I have created a meal that will become my staple: you take 3 tablespoons of dehydrated, freeze-dried beef stroganoff, place it on a tortilla, add a piece of string cheese that has been sliced in half, and you have a great dish. Four or five of those make a meal. In bed at 7:45, reading chapter 3 of Mobey Dick. During the night I heard many owls, and in the early moring I heard turkeys. Getting up at 2:30 to visit the facilities (ok, just a nearby tree), I looked up and saw more stars than I've seen since I was very, very young. At 7:30 p.m. it started raining, but only for an hour, and my tent held up fine, thankfully.
Date: 2009-04-24
From: Cody Gap Campsite

To: Fontana Dam NC
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

Up at 6:30, sunny and decidely warmer as it neared 60 degrees early on. Brighty headed out of camp at 7:30, and Moonlight and I followed about 7:50. We sped the first 3 1/2 miles in 1 1/2 hourst, reaching the next shelter by 9:20. 2Bob and Wendy Girl passed us just as we reached that shelther, having walked 6+ miles by 9:20...Amazing. The next 6 miles were less generous. Up, up, and up, with some very sharp downs. The downs jar my knees and hips, and slamming your feet down uneven distances several thousand times a day really takes a toll. But we persevered on and arrived at Fontana Dam about 1:30. 10 miles in less than 6 hours!!!20 minutes after we got to the Dam, we were jointed by Karma, who had been racing to catch up with us. But it is not a joyful reunion. He has torn a calf muscle, and is getting off the trail at Fontana. He's a very unhappy guy. Karma, who is in his mid-to-late 20s, has been a great hiking partner, and gave Moonlight and I much needed advice during the first difficult week. I'm sorry he is getting off. Karma, Moonlight and I got a ride to the Fontana Resort, where we have done laundry, resupplied, eaten ice cream and cokes, and submitted a notional itinerary to park officials as we prepare to enter the Smokey Mountain National Park. Karma has arranged for a ride to Asheville, NC in the morning. This evening, the plan is to take Karma out and feed him lots of alcohol.
Date: 2009-04-25
From: Fontana Dam NC

To: Mollie's Ridge
Miles today: 11.3

We are now in the Smokey's proper! It was a clear and sunny morning, and we were up at 6:15 to say goodbye to Karma. Karma has a ride to Wadesboro, where he then intends to get a ride to Asheville NC and either fly or rent a car to his home Palm Beach. His intention is to repair a broken tooth and let his torn calf muscle heal, and hopefully rejoin Moonlight and I at a later date. I hope so, for leaving the trail hurt is a lousy way to go and he is a good hiking companion. Most of the gang is a day or so behind Moonlight and I. We really did not want to tarry, first because there's not much to do at Fontana, ans second because the whole point of being here is to hike. So we were off at 7:50. Interestingly, I had argued for a leisurely departure at around 10:00, but Moonlight was adamant that an early departure would save us from the afternoon sun. Turns out, he was right, but we still got blasted by some nasty sun.Fontana Dam, not surprisingly, lies in a very low valley. The hike out from the dam, up Shuckstack Ridge, was 2,200 feet straight up for four continuous miles. This liked to killed Moonlight and I, and it was maddening the speed at which some young hikers blew past us. One of those who went by was 2-Bob, one of the few of the original tribe that is keeping our pace. At the top of Shuckstack, 2-Bob saw a family of bears, a mother and a couple yearlings. We missed these by an hour or so, which seems to be my lot in life. A few more miles before lunch, then a couple miles down and another couple very hard miles up. We arrived at Mollie's Ridge Shelter at 5:30, sunburned and eaten alive by the bugs that had suddenly appeared. Mollie's Ridge is apparently named for an Indian maiden who went in search of her missing lover during a terrible snowstorm. The lover eventually returned, but Mollie was never seen again. We are required to sleep in shelters, first for our protection from bears, and second to minimize damage to the local environment. That's fine, as I was in no mood to put up a tent. Also stayed with Wolfhound, a 60-something retiree from Alabama who thru-hiked in 1998 and is hiking to Trail Days in Damascus VA on May 15-16; and also Phoenix, a young guy who bubbles over with enthusiasm and ideas, and is looking for the best way to direct his energies.In bed at 7:30 and out like a light.
Date: 2009-04-26
From: Mollie's Ridge

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: clear sky

A nice sunny day. Out on the trail at 7:50, and knocked off the first 6 miles like they were nothing. We blew past the Devil's Tater Patch, blasted up Rocky Top (yeah, "Good ol' Rocky Top, Rocky Top Tenessee....), scampered up Thunderhead Mountain. About that time Moonlight and I ran out of gas, and it took the next four hours to hike the final five miles.I'm finding the Smokey's frustrating because I bought fairly detailed maps of the first couple hundred miles, maps which previously had provided decent elevation charts. But the map of the Smokey's is frustratingly inaccurate, to the point of being worse than useless. The map is so inaccurate it is counterproductive, and I find it preferable not to know what lies ahead than to be misinformed. Today is my 57th birthday. Moonlight was aware of it because he has a son who has the same birthday (Happy birthday, Alex!). Anyway, I got 1/2 a Dove chocolate bar and a Mountain House Pasta dinner as a present, neither of which I declined. I tried calling home on Moonlight's phone, but could get no connection. Oh well.
Date: 2009-04-27
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was the longest, and most demanding day of my this thus far. Moonlight and I were scheduled to go to Double Spring Shelter, a modest 8 mile hike. Thisould have given us a chance to recover a bit from a couple very difficult hiking days. However, we knocked off those 8 miles by 1:00 pm, and after a half hour rest and meal, we decided to move on. Moving on meant another 7 miles, which was the next shelter site (in the Smokies, hikers are required to stay in shelters.) This also meant climbing Clingman's Dome, which at 6,650 is the tallest peak on the entire Appalachian Trail and the 2nd highest peak east of the Mississippi. We made it there by 4:00, but were completely done in. Also hiking with us of the past few miles has been a young guy named Nate. Nate apparently ate something bad and has been retching and having dry heaves all day. Moonlight and I kept him between us, making sure he did not stop and just curl up in a ball. At Clingman's, which is also a tourist spot, Nate caught a ride into Gatlingburg, and, after photo's, Moonlight and I headed on for the final 4 1/2 miles. These took forever. I mean they took foreverrrrr. The ups were not high, but they were unforgiving. Finally, around 7:00, we got to the shelter. But we were both out of water and the water source was quarter mile away. I had no energy to go that far, begged a quart of water for dinner (Knorr dehydrated beef stroganoff, with some mashed potatoes and somewhat slimy cheese thrown in.) I curled up, read a couple chapters of Mobey Dick, and passed out. About midnight I desperately needed water, which one of the fellow shelter-mates graciously supplied. In retrospect, I need to be more careful about water supply. Although I'm drinking 6 lts or so of water a day, dehydration is a no kidding killer. Two days ago a young woman on the trail got too much sun, got somewhat dehydrated, and passed out a quarter mile before the shelter she was aiming for. She spent most of the next day at the shelter trying to recover, and I count her luck in that respect.Moonlight and I also experience another interesting phenomena today: HIKER PORN. Hiker Porn has nothing to do with sex, and everything to do with FOOD. All afternoon I could not stop thinking about a 4-egg cheese-and-ham omlett, pancakes, sausage, orange juice, muffin, and coffee....and I am most decidedly not a breakfast person. But I could not get it out of my mind. And tomorrow we get off the trail and get some down time to resupply. This will be my opportunity to eat with abandon.This brings up another point. Perhaps for the first time in my adult life, I'm worried about losing weight too fast. I've shed pounds and inches, but I know I need to get more fats, proteins, and minerals into my diet or I'll start to break down. Interesting dilemma, I need more fats, but it's nowhere to be found.
Date: 2009-04-28
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: scattered clouds

A quick day, the hike was deceptively easy on the map, with a 1,500 drop to Newfound Gap. What the map didn't mention was the 400 ft hike up a ridge about 3 1/2 miles into a 5 mile walk. Not knowing about that climb was really not appreciated. Still dehydrated after yesterday's hike, I went the extra quarter mile to get another ltr of water just before leaving. Today it was not necessary, but I need to keep thinking about water, particularly as it heats up.We got to Newfound Gap around 10:40 (I had predicted 10:15, Moonlite had peredicted 10:45....I would have won if had not bween for that @#$!# mountain that was not mentioned in the map. Newfound Gap is the road between Gatlinburg, TN and Cherokee, NC. I've driven through Gatlingburg before, and wanted to avoid the place. Turns out that 2-Bob, who had arrived a half-hour before us, had called the Starlite Motel in Cherokee, and had arranged a limosine to come pick us up. While waiting, the three of us must have had 20 people come and ask about our hike. It's getting easier to admit that we are attempting a thru-hike, now that we are officially over 200 miles. That said, I'd like to have another couple hundred miles under my belt before bragging about it.When the limo arrived, it was a long, white stretch deal with cokes and ice water in the back. We were by far the dirtiest, smelliest, most disreputable looking trash at the Thoroughfare Gap overlook, but we had the limo. And when it pulled up, who should jump out but Queen Becky, a hiker we met on the first day. Becky has stayed the previous two nights at the Starlight Motel, and was temporarily working for the owner (Ms.B) as a limo driver during prom week. Becky is just plain fun. She's a hiker, but makes no apology for not being a thru-hiker, and is just having fun. It now seems like Queen Becky and Ms. B, the hotel owner, are kindred spirits.Anyway, Queen Becky and Ms. B, the owner of the Motel, picked us up and drove us the 20 miles to Cherokee. We stopped at a grocery store and a McDonalds. I got a lot of liquid to drink, then got 2 double quarter pounder meals at McDonalds. (It was already past noon, so my fantasy breakfast would have to wait.) The Starlite Motel is a trip. We were shown the Elvis Room, replete with black velvet paintings, large pictures, and a huge elevated jacuzzi tub. While tempting, there was only one bed. Instead, the 3 of us decided to share a much larger bed with 2 beds and a cot. Laundry, more laundry, and equipment maintenance. Dinner tonight is homemade beef stew, which will be difficult to eat after the 2 burgers for lunch.      I took three showers this afternoon. Each time, another layer of dirt came off. I now feel clean for the first time in a while.I do hope the Starlite can make a go of it accommodating hikers. Ms. B is a bundle of energy, and wants to help in any way possible. It's a bit off the path, but is so open and real, and a pleasure to be here. And, it's less than $50 bucks for the three of us!
Date: 2009-04-30
From: Newfound Gap

To: Peck's Corner Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: overcast clouds

The day started wonderfully, at the Don and Tammy Porter hostel for Moonlight and friends of Moonlight. Moonlight, 2-Bob and I had coffee on the porch listening to the birds wake up. About 9:30, we loaded up and started the trec back to the AT. First, however, we stopped at Peter's Pancake House in Cherokee. I had pancakes as big as a plate, several pancakes. We stopped at a Native American store that sold high end products handcrafted by the locals. In particular, there were Cherokee native masks made of wood, and reminiscent of South Sea island masks. Impressive stuff, but it needs the right setting over a mantle of something. We also stopped by the Smokey Mtn visitor's center, and looked at a huge sand table map of the Smokey's. But we couldn't linger, and finally got to Newfound Gap just before noon. Saying goodbye and a sincere thank you to Don for all his kindness and friendship, off we went. As if to rub it in, as we started, there was a sign saying "Mt. Kahtadin, ME: 1978 Miles". The initial climb out of the gap was 1,200 ft up, but fueled by pancakes and a good night's sleep, we moved quickly. Got to Charlie's Bunion, a strange outcropping so named in honor of the strangely shaped foot of someone on the original surveying team over a century ago. Saw a Canada warbler and some rufus-sided towhees in the hike up.The weather was threatening rain all day, but it never rained. Instead, it cast a strange, almost etherial light over the mountains. It reminded me of the 19th Century Hudson Valley School paintings of absurdly surreal and improbable landscapes, with light casting different shadows on different parts of the horizon. We stayed above 6,000 ft for much of the day. There were places where the path followed a ridgeline that was only 2-3 feet wide, with very sharp drops in both directions. We came across young Nate, the fella who was puking and having the dry heaves a few days ago. We left him off at Clingman's Dome, and he got a ride to town, where he rested and seems to have recovered. He's had a tough couple days, and I'm pleased he's back on the trail.