morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-04-03
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Welcome to the Smokies! It's a chilly night up here in the mountains. We hiked 21.8 miles yesterday from Sassafras Gap Shelter to Fontana Dam Shelter. Today we hiked 15.6 miles from Fontana Dam Shelter to Spence Field Shelter in the Smokies. A few highlights from yesterday:We spent a good portion of the day hiking along a ridgeline that in 1819 served as the demarkation separating Cherokee lands (west) from Euro-American lands (east). I guess that was a short-lived boundary, given the forced removal of the Cherokee shortly thereafter. Although yesterday was a long hike, I caught my first view of Fontana Dam a good 15 miles away. Every mile or so I'd catch a glimpse of it looming in the distance. However, for a few hours I didn't see it at all until I came across a ridge and BAM there it was. That is by far the biggest dam I've ever seen, standing at 480 feet, the largest east of the Rockies. It was constructed by the Tennessee Valley Authority during and after WWII. The Fontana Dam Shelter (AKA the Fontana Hilton) was originally a bunkhouse for TVA workers during the dam's construction. It holds more than 30 hikers, with public restrooms and showers close by. What a treat!Yesterday was the first day I could tell spring is here. Buds are starting to appear on all the trees and bushes, while each day more and more wildflowers line the trail. There was a sweet pine smell in the humid air as we made our way through the forest. Additionally, it was warm as hell last night. I slept with my sleeping bag unzipped it was so toasty!Today was been a far cry from warm though. I was figuring It'd be colder in the Smokies, but today and yesterday are practically night and day. It didn't get too cold until about an hour ago. It was actually nice hiking weather, not to mention simply a good hike. Georgia and NC threw so much up and down at us that the nice rolling ridges of the Smokies are a welcome alternative. Additionally, being up on a ridge is so pleasant, being able to look at a gorgeous panoramic view to either your left OR your right!Tomorrow we'll be pulling another 20 mile day, which will put us 5 miles away from US 441, from where we'll hitch into Gatlinburg, TN for a resupply!178.4 miles down, 1996.6 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-04-06
From: Gatlinburg, TN

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Rerettfully, I haven't written in a few days and a lot has happened. Jetwash, Squarl, Sleeper and I hitched into Gatlinburg, TN from Newfound Gap yesterday (after spending the night at Mt. Collins Shelter). We actually didn't need to hitch because a woman named Karen Demorest was waiting for hikers at the Gap. Not only did she give us a ride into town, she gave us each a bag of candy. Her late husband was a section hiker who had a lethal heart attack on the AT in the Smokies. For that reason, she likes to perform trail magic for hikers in the Smokies - it makes her feel close to him. It was a very touching story and she was a very special woman.The four of us got a room at the Grand Prix Motel and got all you can eat at Shoney's for dinner (oh so good, but oh so painful afterwards!). Gatlinburg is a tourist trap and the airbrush capital of the south. I'm sure you can imagine the possibilities.We didn't head out of town until late afternoon today. We got a ride from a fellow hiker who was down from Nashville for the weekend. His real name escapes me, but his trail name was "The Doctor" because he had no patience (or patients). He wasn't even heading to Newfound Gap, but took us there anyway. Top notch guy!We did a whopping 3 miles from the Gap to Icewater Spring Shelter tonight. We'll be doing over 20 tomorrow though!206.6 miles down, 1968.4 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-04-07
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: clear sky

Long day today! We hiked 20.3 miles from Icewater Spring Shelter to Cosby Knob Shelter. A good portion of the hike was along a narrow ridge with amazing views. More than just a few times the ridge was so thin that if I had stumbled a few feet to either side, It would have been a long way down. It was like walking along a knife's edge! I've given up trying to capture these gorgeous views with my digital camera. The photos never do the vistas justice.Today we passed by a side trail that led to the Qualla Boundary. In the 1830s a few hundred Cherokee avoided the forced removal of their people to Oklahoma by escaping to the Qualla Boundary, where they were officially recognized as a tribe by the US Government after the Civil War. Its 60,000 acres are now home to 6,000 members of the Eastern Band of the Cherokee. It's comforting to know that some Cherokee have remained in the area.We also climbed Mt. Sequoyah today, named after the Cherokee leader who developed their 86 character alphabet, the basis of their written language. From Sequoyah we climbed Mt. Chapman and then began our long descent out of the Smokies. We have about 10 miles left in this National Park. It's been a blast and I'm sad to leave these amazing views behind, but it's an accomplishment by which I'm excited. The downhill took quite a toll on my knees today. It'll be nice to get into town on Monday and soak my body in the hot springs!226.9 miles down, 1948.1 to go!(That means we're 10% done!)Bear Can
Date: 2006-04-09
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter

To: Deer Park Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: clear sky

What a beautiful night. I have my tarp pitched on a comfy bed of pine needles at the Deer Park Mountain Shelter. The sky is clear, the moon is bright, and the company is good! We've been hiking with Long Haul and Natty Bo these last few days, and today we caught up with Super Size! Tomorrow we'll all be heading into Hot Springs for a triumphant breakfast!A few tidbits from the last couple days:Two days ago we hiked 17.6 miles from Cosby Knob Shelter to Grounhog Creek Shelter, leaving the Smokies in the dust. Today we did 23 miles from Groundhog to Deer Park, putting us 3.2 miles out of Hot Springs, NC.We had a torrential downpour the night at Cosby Knob, which was interesting since the shelter is being renovated and has a tarp for a roof! Nonetheless, I stayed pretty dry (aside from a few drips).It rained pretty good the next day and I was soaked by the time we got to Groundhog. Thankfully, a group of Boy Scouts had a roaring fire going that dried us AND our gear nicely. There was quite the motley crew of battered thru-hikers around that fire!It was a beautiful day today. That is, it was until I got attacked by two pitbulls. There I was, moseying down the trail, eating some gorp when I heard some growling. I turned around to see two pitbulls bounding at me with the hair on their back riding high. Thank God for my trekking poles! I swang them at the dogs like a mad men, screaming ferociously, which scared them back long enough for their owners to get control. I was so pissed, but to add insult to injury the owners started laughing about the whole thing. What morons!Natty Bo and I walked together for a few hours today and had a great geek conversation. Star Wars, X-Men, Comic Books, random sci-fi - yeah, it was great!I'm looking forward to getting into town tomorrow. Those hot springs will be great for my tired body!267.5 miles down, 1907.5 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-04-11
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Ahh, these zero days (days when we hike 0 miles) are great! We hiked 3.2 miles into Hot Springs, NC yesterday morning and had a hearty breakfast at the Smokey Mountain Diner. This town is so hiker friendly. The AT actually goes right through the center of it on a sidewalk marked with AT stone slabs. Long Haul, Natty Bo, Jetwash and I stayed at the Cody House Hiker Hostel last night, which was incredible. It's basically like renting an apartment for a day because there's no one there who runs it. You come by, claim your bunk, then pay the people down at the backpacking store. You have free reign over the kitchen, bathroom, backyard, everything! Can't beat that for $15! Although Long Haul is moving on today, Natty Bo, Jetwash and I are staying another night!We caught up with Irish yesterday. He's been in town since Sunday night, but he took a zero day yesterday and he's taking another today. He reserved us a spot at the hot springs yesterday. Damn, we jammed 11 guys into that tub and it looked like a can of sardines, but it was worth it! That hot mineral water felt SO good. However, it's a good thing they empty the water and clean out the tubs after every use, because it was looking scummy when we got out! Irish made another reservation for tonight, so I'll be hitting that up again!Today is a lazy day. I'm glad I took care of most my business yesterday, affording myself the ability to truly rest today. We'll be heading out early tomorrow morning, reaching Erwin, TN by Saturday. 270.7 miles down, 1904.3 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-04-12
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: overcast clouds

What a lucky day! We hiked 19.6 miles out of Hot Springs to Little Laurel Shelter. Jetwash was a bit bummed as we headed out this morning because we didn't get a chance to meet up with Scott, his buddy from Asheville (1/2 hr. from Hot Springs). However, we got about 5.5 miles in and who should come waltzing down the trail toward us? None other than Scott, bearing biscuits, gravy and apples...mmm! Since we had a big day ahead of us, we didn't hang out too long, but the break broke up our day nicely. We did lunch 11 miles into our day at Spring Mountain Shelter. Like a lot of the shelters we've seen, this one was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (1938), although this one had not been kept up very well, so was in shambles.While there, two section hikers from Maryland arrived and informed us that there was some top notch trail magic 3.7 miles up the trail at Allen Gap. We flew out of there like the wind and upon arriving saw a sign that told us to go up the road to this large cabinesque home. This place was like a free restaurant run by the home's owners, "FAL" and "Hercules" who thru-hiked in '99. They had a whole host of entrees and desserts for us, of which I had the stuffed pepper, bean salad, jello and a brownie sundae! I haven't had food that good in quite some time! I'd definitely recommend that all thru-hikers stop by. BUT BEWARE: if the sign isn't up at Allen Gap, they aren't serving at that time.I didn't head out of Allen Gap until 5:30pm. Fortunately, it was only 5 miles to the shelter and I arrived with plenty of daylight to spare.Tomorrow will be a 22 mile day, so I should stop writing and get to bed!290.3 miles down, 1884.7 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-04-13
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Quite the long and arduous day! We hiked 21.5 miles from Little Laurel Shelter to Hogback Ridge Shelter. We've pulled mileage like this before, but today's hike beat me up. My body wanted to give up during the last 3 miles. BUT, I got here and that means 21.5 miles less to Katahdin!I hiked over the ridge of Big Firescald Knob this morning. It was rocky hand-over-hand climbing on a narrow ridge - exciting and beautiful all at once.A few miles before lunch I came across the grave site of two soldiers killed during the Civil War. David and Williamson Shelton (uncle and nephew) were among a good number of North Carolinan mountain farmers that enlisted in the Union Army. These two were ambushed and killed by Confederates when they came home to rendezvous with their family. It's interesting that so many mountain residents partook in the Union cause. My guess would be that, like West Virginians, North Carolina's Appalachian residents had little use for slaves. Furthermore, slave labor probably gave plantations a competitive advantage that rubbed Appalachian farmers the wrong way. I'll have to research the issue when I get home.After lunch I passed another pair of headstones on the trail. However, these two were from the 1960s! I ran across these just before running across a bunch of log cabin ruins. These cabins were mud-chinked and the logs were very old, but at the same time one of them had a 1950s style oven and they all had sheet metal roofing. This suggests that the cabins had been around for several generations and renovated along the way. The close proximity of the ruins to the gravestones made me wonder if these two had lived in the woods along this section of trail. I wondered if they had lived together (they had different last names), what their lives were like, and above all, if they had enjoyed their life. Life in the Appalachian backcountry is reportedly VERY tough. I can't even begin to imagine what living cradle to grave in these woods actually entails.It'll be a grueling next few weeks. I won't be taking another zero day until Bland, VA when Amy will be visiting. I can't wait! It'll be so nice to hold her in my arms for a few days! I don't want to think about it too much though or else these next two weeks will drag!311.8 miles down, 1863.2 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-04-19
From: Apple House Shelter

To: Laurel Fork Shelter
Miles today: 26.2
Weather: light rain

I'm hanging out at the Laurel Fork Lodge and Hostel. Jetwash and I came here to pick up some food to last us until we get to Damascus on Saturday. I'm currently waiting to use the payphone so I can call my one and only. It's pretty nice here, right next to the river and all. The people who run the operation are pretty nice, not to mention their kids are adorable!We've hiked 24.3 miles so far today, with 1.9 to go until we get to Laurel Fork Shelter for a grand total of 26.2 - my second marathon day! I did the first 13 miles in a downpour and oddly enough really enjoyed it! I don't know why, but it was really cathartic hightailing it in the rain. It stopped raining around noon and I was able to dry all my stuff at Moreland Gap Shelter when I stopped for lunch.The sky had cleared up quite a bit by the time Jetwash and I left Moreland, so we were able to see some great views of all the mountains we've climbed over the last few days - quite spectacular!The views today were nothing compared to the views we enjoyed atop Hump Mountain yesterday. Hump is a bald that affords an extraordinary 360o view. We actually did lunch atop its little brother, Little Hump Mountain, which was quite relaxing. (We did 14.7 miles yesterday from Roan High Knob Shelter to Apple House Shelter.)Yesterday we also walked through Yellow Mountain Gap, where during the Revolutionary War a thousand frontiersman from Sycamore Shoals (Elizabethton, TN) gathered and set out to defeat a militia of Loyalists in Kings Mountain, NC. Their victory was key because it kept busy the remnants of the British Army stationed in the south, making them unable to move north against General Washington's army. The neat thing is that while at Yellow Mountain Gap, a number of the frontiersman camped out in a barn that has been renovated as an AT shelter.Well, I should get packed up so I can leave right after getting off the phone. 411.2 miles down, 1763.8 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-04-22
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Damascus, VA! They call this the psychological quarter way point. Although 25% would be roughly 544 miles and Damascus is only 460.2 miles in, by this point we've left Georgia and walked clear across TN and NC - now that's an accomplishment!We did 75.2 miles in our last three hiking days! Our hike to Laurel Fork Shelter was 26.2 miles; from Laurel Fork to Iron Mountain Shelter was 23.1 miles; and from Iron Mountain to Damascus was 25.9 miles.I've been learning quite a bit about my body, especially since we began increasing our daily mileage. I've learned that although my lungs may be able to stomach a 4mph pace, my knees can't. It might feel all right at first, but 10 miles later I'll be sorry. 2.5-3mph is much more realistic. I've also come to know when my body needs more food or water before I feel hungry or thirsty. Based on how I feel energy-wise, I know to take a few sips of water or a few handfuls of gorp. I've learned that 4,000 calories are adequate when walking a 15 mile day, but when we're pushing 20+ I need more. Additionally, my body was fighting off a cold this week and I found I needed almost 5,000 calories/day to both walk big miles and get better. I'm sure this learning process will continue.Although our hike to Iron Mountain Shelter was the shortest of our last 3 hiking days, it was by far the hardest. First thing in the morning we climbed Pond Mountain (named that because a depression up top at times fills with water), which was a 2 mile climb with 2,000' elevation gain. The rest of the day's terrain wasn't too bad, but Pond sucked out a good deal of my energy. We did lunch on Watauga Dam, an earthen dam the trail crosses. It was the strangest dam I've ever seen because there was no stream coming out the other side; the water must drain elsewhere.Our hike into Damascus yesterday was over some of the easiest terrain we've yet encountered. It rained most of the day, but I didn't mind. Actually, I'm finding that I can make better miles in the rain because my body doesn't need to expend energy keeping me cool. We went past a hermit's grave and through some cool farmland, but I don't have time to write about them because the library is closing! More next time.460.2 miles down, 1714.8 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-04-25
From: Old Orchard Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 24.7
Weather: clear sky

Who ever heard of ordering pizza from a shelter?!?! We hiked 24.7 miles from Old Orchard Shelter (like my parents' house) to Partnership Shelter, motivated the whole way by a rumor that you could oder pizza from here. Well, the rumor was true and 6 of us devoured 3 pizzas in record time! I must put out a word of thanks to the couple we stayed with last night at Old Orchard Shelter because they gave us $20 to put towards the pizza (not to mention they were just nice folks in general!). True trail angels! Well, I'm exhausted so I'll cut this entry short. 523.2 miles down, 1651.8 to go! Bear Can (As typed by the lovely Amy Viola)
Date: 2006-05-01
From: 3 miles south of Jenkins Shelter

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 26.7
Weather: overcast clouds

It was definitely a lot harder leaving Amy this time. We had non-stop fun the whole time she was here. Yesterday when she dropped me off and I forced myself to walk up the trail it felt as though half of me was ripped from the bone. Fueled by my emotional uproar, I throttled up the hill and in a matter of minutes met Die Hard, who told me Long Haul was a few days ahead. Although I was feeling pretty melancholy, the prospect of catching Long Haul cheered me up a bit. With this goal in mind, I set my sights on Jenkins Shelter, 21.1 miles north. Since I got a late start (2:40pm), I knew I wouldn't get in until 10:30 or 11pm, but I did my best. I traveled roughly 18 miles by 9:15pm, when I could no longer make out the trail (even with my headlamp). I decided to find a flat spot and plop down for the night. Being out by myself in the middle of no where was definitely lonely.This morning I set out, motivated once again by the prospect of catching Long Haul. I pulled into Jenkins Shelter a little after 9am to check the shelter log and learned that Long Haul had been there the night before. If I'd made it those last 3 miles, I would have caught him! But on the bright side, I figured I'd catch him today. However, I think I overshot him. I did 26.7 miles to reach Jenny Knob Shelter only to find it empty. I thought for sure Long Haul would have pushed past the last shelter (10 miles back) to come here, but I guess not. Argh! Dinner was a lonely affair at this empty shelter, but then Fast Lane, a thru-hiker from Western Massachusetts showed up. Thank God because my mood was spiraling down into the dumps. He's been good company the last few hours.Well, tomorrow is Game 6 in the Sabres vs. Flyers series. It'd be great to hook up with Long Haul and catch the game on his radio, but I'll have to find him first!591.3 miles down, 1583.7 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-05-02
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Wapiti Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: light rain

I'm feeling much better today than yesterday. The same downtrodden mood tried to grab hold of me, but I forced myself to think positive. I decided to take it easy, doing only 14.1 miles from Jenny Knob to Wapiti Shelter (another empty shelter), in hopes that Long Haul would catch up. I've since learned from others that he stopped off this AM to resupply in a nearby town and no one knew whether he was planning on spending the night there. Well, if he doesn't show up in the next few hours, I'll assume he did as I would have: stayed in town to watch the hockey game! Because I only had 14.1 miles to hike today, I took it easy and worked on boosting my morale. I spent some time chilling out by the Dismal Creek Waterfalls, which would have been great for swimming/jumping (much like Zoar Valley). The terrain today was relatively flat, which also helped me lift my spirits. All in all, It was a good day. I'll be getting to bed early, so I can get up at the crack of dawn and put in 24 miles tomorrow. Yee hah!A quick story about the name of this shelter. "Wapiti" is a Native American word for what we've come to call "elk". However, "elk" was the European name for moose and in that case the Native American name stuck, so Europeans decided to call wapiti "elk". Oh how I love semantics!605.4 miles down, 1569.6 to go!Bear Can
Date: 2006-05-03
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Rice Field Shelter
Miles today: 23.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm back in the groove! I hiked 23.4 miles today from Wapiti Shelter to Rice Field Shelter. Since Long Haul didn't show last night, I gave up my search and pressed forward.Because the trail skirted the edge of Pearisburg, my plan was to get some supplies in town, then hike back out. Sounds simple enough, but the 3 miles down and 3 miles back up made it a bit daunting.On my way down, just when I thought my legs couldn't go another step, I was given some comic relief. A farmer was heading up the trail with his Jack Russell dog. This dog was bouncing around, jumping straight up in the air like it was on speed! After reassuring me his dog wouldn't hurt me (duh), he asked if I'd seen any calves. I was about to offer mine for inspection when I realized he was talking about baby cows (bad joke). He was missing two, so I guess he assumed they took to the trail?! This was a good 1.5 miles of straight up trail. I could be wrong, but it doesn't seem like the most likely route for runaway calves! I wished him well in his search and went on my way.Pearisburg was a mess! The trail followed a winding labyrinth of back roads, overpasses, underpasses, then more back roads. The whole scene was aggravated by this horrible stench emanating from a few factories on the river. I could not wait to get out of there.However, I was thankful for the opportunity to give Amy a call, albeit a day late (sorry to make you worry!). I've been missing her like crazy and it was comforting just to hear her voice. It was also nice to learn the Sabres beat out the Flyers in their series! WOO HOO!!!I've been told that Pearisburg marks where the AT heads over to the easternmost range of the Appalachian Mountains, hence the 3 miles down and 3 miles back up. I don't know if there's any truth to that, but was I ever glad to get up on this ridge. The view is absolutely gorgeous. Our shelter is right on a meadow up here and all you can see is ridge after ridge in the distance. It almost looks like a green velvet carpet all bunched up, stretching off as far as the eye can see.Well, I have another big day tomorrow, so I better hit the sack.628.8 miles down, 1546.2 to go!Bear Can