morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-04-20
From: tri corner knob shelter

To: davenport gap shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

Last night it rained during the night and temps dipped to almost freezing. I slept warm in my bag, thanks to my new bag liner. What a difference that makes. It adds 14 degrees and for the first time in a month I'm sleeping warm. We got up and out by 8am this morning, looking forward to a beautiful day. We saw frost on the trees early in the day and it was very chilly, but we were very comfortable by 10 or so. Today was almost all down hill- heading out of the smokies. Of course downhill never really means downhill and we had two pesky ups, one of them two miles. Today was a day of glorious mountain flowers. They were everywhere! Trillium in full bloom at the lower elevations and a dozen other flowers that I wish I could identify. Shoulda woulda coulda learned about the mountain flowers before I took this trip. It would be fun to identify them. Birds sang to us all day as well. A stretch of the trail was extremely goopy with thick mud and C.Shell and I slipped and laughed and swore through it and decided it could be worse. It could be quicksand. We chewed up and spit out mile after mile, flying downhill. At least that's how we felt, but everybody passed us. We are slow but mighty! Lunch was an entire bag of organic beef jerky and a handful of peanut m&ms. What a wacky diet I eat out here. The views were crystal today, and we passed the wreckage of a 1970 something plane wreck. It was a very interesting and fun day. At the shelter, Harry Potter made a fantastic fire which is currently drying my socks. We are enjoying the company of Seneca, Mooselwgs, and Harry Potter again tonight, as well as a few other folk. One of the visitors told us that farting is a sign of good digestive health, according to Dr.Oz and immediately demonstrated his own excellent health. I am warm in my dry sleep clothes enjoying the warmth of the fire. I am missing my family a lot these past few days and can't wait to see them hopefully in June.Www.bigbigwalk,com
Date: 2015-04-21
From: davenport gap shelter

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: scattered clouds

We woke up this morning coughing big black loogies from the insane fire last night in the shelter fireplace. We got up and out early, and within 30 minutes I exited the Great Smokies National Park. 7 days of hiking plus the 30 minutes. One and a half days in the sunshine, the rest in the rain. It was truly challenging, but I am really happy with the hike. This might be my AT war story....or fish story, you never know! The Smokies were absolutely brilliant, even in the rain. Soon into the hike this morning, the trail started paralleling a beautiful creek. It twisted and flowed, the sound of it was lyrical and rich. It fed into a couple of beautiful tiered waterfalls and looked so inviting. On a hot summer day, I would definitely be sitting under one of those crystal clear cascades of mountain water, but it was a bit chilly today. I saw even more flowers today that I had not seen before and again I was frustrated that I had not learned the names of flowers I might see. My mom always says "If you don't should on me, I won't should on you" , however, if you plan to hike the AT, you really should learn about the wild mountain flowers. I think it would enhance the experience. Rocks and birds too, if you are feeling ambitious. There are such a variety of them.The trail exited the woods and followed a road, and then over a bridge that crossed the Pigeon River- a gigantic flowing brown and hungry beast of a river. It was obviously swollen and looked scary to me. Eventually the trail led back to the woods, and to a gravel road that led to Standing Bear Hostel. This is the coolest place in the world. Wish we had been able to stay a night. I did, however, enjoy a wonderful steaming shower, washed my clothes on a washboard, and had a Budweiser and a pizza for breakfast. Lumpy was the caretaker and he graciously gave every person who arrived a tour of the quirky rustic paradise. Saw many hikers I knew and we all relaxed and enjoyed the atmosphere. We hiked out after noon and had a huge long 5 mile up. It was so hard today! At the top was another fantastic bald- I'm always surprised by them- and a view of the smokies, now occupying space in my memory. I stared at the massive mountain range and marveled that I actually did it. 2 and a half miles down to the shelter, I pitched my tent, happy to be back in it. Ate dinner, yacked around the fire, and now I am cozy in my sleeping bag, listening to the rain and to the bubbling brook that I hope does not flood into my tent tonight.
Date: 2015-04-23
From: kate Gap Campsite

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: clear sky

Last night the wind continued to howl. We were fortunately protected in our little campsite. Mooselegs and Cheese Steak had stayed at the shelter about a mile back and when we saw them on the trail they told us it was very cold! Wind came in the shelter from all sides and the bottom.We got passed today by one of the hiker families out here. I'm trying to not let it bruise my ego, but when a kid wearing a backpack that is bigger than he is skips past you like you are standing still, it's a blow! The hike today was relatively easy, mostly down but not steep. Switchbacks made it an pleasant hike. As we got lower in elevation, the trillium just exploded! Where before I had seen a few here and there, now there were thousands of them. Mostly white with a sprinkling of red and pink. They covered the forest floor. The red ones seem to be shy and bloom away from the trail. There are always a handful of flowers that line the edges of the trails and today I saw some that had been stepped on. I live in Florida and for years I lived really close to the ocean. I wondered if trail front property was like ocean front. The flowers got to live close to the action but an occasional hurricane hiker could flatten them. No risk, no reward. About two miles from Hot Springs, I passed people for the first time. I felt happy as I approached and was excited to be the one in the fast lane. They were a lovely couple in their late seventies out for a day stroll with their dog . I'll take it. Their dog got sideways in front of me and wouldn't let me pass until I had scratched behind his ears to his satisfaction. Soon after, I could see the town of Hot Springs. It is always exciting to see the destination from up high, especially a trail town. At the trailhead, Onesimus was there, the trail angel from yesterday who lives in his camper. Laughing Heart Hostel is situated right there, and Baltimore Jack was hanging out as well. Harry Potter was eating a pizza, and the owner,Tie, I think was there as well. She went for a hike, I got a tour of the hostel, and Baltimore Jack gave me a beer. He showed off pictures of his many thru hikes, including pictures of rattlesnakes climbing trees, bloody face from a face plant, and half a dozen or so summit pictures at Katadhin. The hostel was clean, comfortable, and extremely welcoming. If we were not being picked up I would have loved to stay there.Soon, Rick pulled up. He drove us to their home in Asheville. My beautiful friend Sue met us at the door with glasses of wine and sent us to our showers. Hot and luxurious, a shower feels so good when you have not hd one in a few days. Rick grilled chicken and cheeseburgers and they spoiled us rotten. Drank too much wine. We will zero here tomorrow and visit REI.
Date: 2015-04-24
From: Hot Springs

To: Asheville
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Rick and Sue spoiled us bad. Rick cooked up an amazing breakfast of pancakes, eggs, bacon, then they drove us to REI and Black Diamond for some gear tweaks. Stopped by Claying Around, a collegue'a pottery studio. Unfortunately, she was closed, but I peeked in the window at her great shop. I want to paint some pottery! It's my favorite way to relax and hang out with friends and family. Next opportunity- Glazed Bisque-It in Roanoke. Next up- Walmart for an inexpensive re supply for the 5 days to Erwin. Then off to the Thirsty Monk for a great beer. Tonight was Kayla's prom night, she is the daughter of Rick and Sue, and I have known them since she was in 6th grade. It was fun watching her put her makeup on her already flawless and beautiful face. While doing that, I googled orange crocs. Someone on the trail told me that my orange crocs were prison issue, so I googled out of curiosity. Yep. I got them at Goodwill and sure enough, they are distributed to jails. Good. I want to look dangerouse! Don't mess with me or I'll shank ya! Later that eventing, we took prom pics of Kayla and her handsome date, then we all went out to downtown Asheville for dinner. A lovely weekend spent with lovely people. Now we are in Hot Springs ready to hike. House stops are dangerous to my motivation. I wanted Rick to drop me off at The airport instead of the trailhead. It made me miss my bed and family. Wish I could have seen Courntey, Kaylas twin sister, but she was off at a horse jumping event. Rick and Sue- thank you for an amazing weekend! Love you guys!
Date: 2015-04-25
From: Hot Springs

To: campsite by Rich Mountain Lookout Tower
Miles today: 8.3

Rick dropped us off at Laughing Heart Hostel around 9:15. We were ready(ish) to get back on the trail after a wonderful day off. Baltimore Jack and Onesimus were there, and they tried to convince us to shuttle back to Trail Days, even if we passed Damascus. Tempting...but I am already behind schedule and have miles to make up when I get to VA. Cheese Steak was there too, waiting for a mail drop.We started walking through Hot Springs, a very small and cute country town. We were lured into a restaurant by smells of bacon and pancakes. The Mooners, a honeymoon couple we have seen occasionally since NOC, were on the porch, and inside were many hikers, including Pockets (the marshmallow chick guy),Pippi , and Wayward. Soon Castaway came in too. I wondered what had happened to him. Last I saw him was the horrendous rainy day in the smokies where he was shooting off one liners about how awful the rainy trail was. He had come in to Hot Springs after a 24 mile hike, part of it dark , and was now recovering from a hangover. Castaway constantly loses gear on the trail, big stuff like tents, and was now telling us he lost his phone. I think his name should be Lost Boy. He is a funny guy, hope he makes it to Maine!Seneca joined us for breakfast, which took and excruciatingly long time but was delicious, and THEN we were ready to hit the trail. Somehow, we found ourselves in a pub having a beer. Hot Springs did not want to let us go. On the way out of the pub, we bumped into Airlock. She had to wait a day for her bounce box, so she should be flying past us in a day or two.Getting to the trailhead involved passing one more pub (that was hard to walk past) walking across a bridge the went over the French Broad River, then down a path that went next to the river a while then up up up- a gnarly but beautiful climb. Soon Hot Springs was a view like you would see from an airplane window. I gazed at the town and wished I had stopped in the second pub. The sky was over cast and spitting intermittently. Our original plan was a 12 mile day to the first shelter, but because of the late start, the long steep climb, and the impending rain, we made it to a campsite on the summit. We pitched out tents and dove in just as the skies opened. Seneca and Fancy Pants (a guy) were already there and the rain put out the fire Fancy Pants started. D.No and C.Shell ate cold stuff, but I broke the bear rules and cooked a delicious Thai Curry Rice in my tents vestibule. Seneca hung my bear bag, that was a nice surprise! It got very cold and my tent was pitched on a slope- so sleeping was hard. Plus I have a persistent cough, don't know if it is from that campfire with all the soot or if I have a cold. Time will tell. Getting back on the trail wa hard after such a nice home stay.
Date: 2015-04-26
From: campsite by Rich Mountain Lookout Tower

To: Jones Meadow
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: clear sky

Last night was so cold! Even with layers and bag liner I could not seem to get warm. Also , I coughed all night so I'm sure I annoyed everyone around me. When I finally managed to force myself out of my bag and tent, I saw my food bag sitting there. Seneca had put everyone's food bag in front of their tent. That was a great treat. Second treat was the view of the hill in front of the tent site, the early morning sun shining light on it like a spotlight, like a hand somewhere directed the light so as to say- look at this awesome hill. I looked at it and gave it some mental applause for being so lovely. D.No, C.Shell, Seneca and I all started out together. Started down, but soon it was up. It's so weird, some days I think my trail legs have come in and other days I huff and puff and struggle. It's as though I change bodies everyday. We passed lots of people camping at different sweet little spots. I chatted with Seneca on and off during the day. He is a retired pastor, and a very smart guy. He know something about a lot of different subjects. The thing I love most about him though is how his face lights up when he talks about his wife. That's a beautiful thing. The trail weaved in and out of woods and grassy areas. We stopped to eat some snackerals and when I bit in to my zone bar, a filling came out. i noticed a dark color in the bar after a bite but just went on eating. Felt something hard so I just swallowed. I now have a filling in my stomach. It doesn't hurt, but now he tooth is sharp and my toungue he keeps exploring it. Guess I'll spend my birthday in Erwin getting my tooth fixed. Woo-Hoo!At mile 290.7, we started a long climb- it was 4.4 miles up, and the last couple of miles were shades of Jacobs ladder. For me, very tough. I whined in my head most of the way, but as soon as it was done it was done. The trail serpentined down the mountain, pleasant and not too steep, until we came to Jones Meadow campsite. Lots of tents were there already and I found a flat-ish spot. A dog named Lola was wrapped up in a blanket and growled anytime anyone came near or looked at her. She looked like she weighed about 10 pounds. I happen to have a little territorial yorkie at home, so I knew to give her her space. Campfire was fun and the person sitting next to me was a...wait for it..... A Denyal Hygenist! She told me to have a dentist in Erwin just file of the rough edges around my lost filling tooth if it wasn't hurting. Went to bed when it started getting cold.
Date: 2015-04-29
From: devils Fork Gap

To: bald mountain shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: light rain

I slept warm and deeply last night and woke up feeling better than I had in days. We all packed up then went into the store for breakfast. Mark makes a breakfast sandwich called The Mountaineer. He says he tested different combinations of stuff and came up with this; eggs, cheese, sausage, a hash brown, and a slice of tomato on a hamburger bun. We all ordered that. We were happily devouring the gigantic breakfast sandwich and he came out of the kitchen and asked how we liked it. We all glanced at his gun and proclaimed it the best breakfast sandwich we ever had. ! Which it truly was, and only $4.50- a hot smokin deal in any state.At 8am, a truck pulled up, driven by the same guy and two little boys from yesterday. The older boy talked about cliffs and hiking and hunting while little bro nodded. They got in the cab and we all piled in the back. It was a short but cold ride back to the trail. I waved goodbye to my little friends in the cab of the truck and they both stuck their tongues out at me. I laughed and did the same and waved. They waved back. So so cute.Everyone climbed over the ladder on the fence and I stood on the side of the road fidgeting with my hat. HVAC and Lorax asked if I was planning to yellow blaze. ( that means hitchhike to the next town) I said Hell no! And I climbed over the fence. Lots of people have yellow blazes hard parts of the trai, or skipped portions due to inclement weather that they plan to come back and do at a later date. That's cool, but I want to go from south to north and pass every white blaze. I'm not a purist, whatever that means, but I do want to follow the trail in order, in its entirety.I thought today would be an easy day, but again, more up than I thought and lots of Rocky trail. Some portions of the woods today were enchanted, like in the fairy tales. Tall gnarly tees with branches curling and reaching, moss covered floor and then those little flowers- spring beauties everywhere. I always feel like they are cheering me on when I pass by them. The day passed quickly and I was in a pleasant mood. The last part of the day was of course, a long climb. I ended up on top of a large spectacular bald, with 360 views of the mountains around me. It wa scold and the wind was high, but I stared back at the mountains I had climbed. I did that- I really did that. I hauled my middle aged fat ass up and over those mountains. And my ass is not as fat as it was. I hiked another mile or so to Little Bald Shelter and realized I just hiked my longest day so far. Tomorrow is my birthday and I hope to make it to Erwin for a cheeseburger and a beer.
Date: 2015-05-01
To: Laundromat
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a town day. I wanted to see the dentist about my tooth. D.No and C.Shell showed up around 10:30 and bunked up with me. After they took showers, we headed out to McDonalds and the Laundromat. This was no ordinary Laundromat. The painted windows advertised laundy and tanning. Hmm, that's interesting we thought. We walked in and were greeted cheerfully by a pretty lady sitting behind a desk. Plants and posters and arcade games decorated the large laundry area, and to my astonishment, a Korean War Vet was crooning karaoke songs. The pretty lady behind the desk made change for us and sold us little boxes of Tide. I chose a machine close to the singing war vet. He told me that the next tune was for his wife of 57 years. He sang Marty Robbins My Woman, My Woman, My Wife. Turns out the wife was sitting there too, in the chairs waiting for her laundry. I sat next to her and asked if they met in High School. Oh no she said. We met after the war. I didn't go to school, my Dad was always on the run from the law. Then she told me a story about her last school experience, third grade she thought. Every Monday, the teacher would ask the kids who wanted to buy a milk and pastry for the next Monday. The cost was one penny. Now she never had that penny, but on this day she did. When the teacher asked the question, her little hand shot right up in the air. Then the teacher asked her-much to her delight and amazement- Do you want chocolate or white milk? Chocolate milk! What a dream! She chose chocolate, she had never tasted chocolate milk. "Oh that next week just sailed by" she told me, eyes sparkling. She couldn't wait for Monday. Then, sunday night, the night before her big treat, her Dad rushed the whole family in the car- her, her 3 sisters, one brother and her Mother- and said we gotta go! And on the run they went, and she never got her chocolate milk. I asked if she liked to drink it now. No! "I wouldn't drink it if it had pure gold in it" Why not? I asked. Because I'm thick. If I couldn't have it that day I so badly wanted it I decided to never have it, and I haven't. I told her that it was good that her Dad never ran off and left them. She got a dreamy happy look on her face and said-Oh, he was a very good man.This is a reason to hike. Slow down..LISTEN. People have stories to tell. I listened to hers, riveted, and never once checked my phone even though I have a signal. I'm getting there.Dentist was out for the day, got some stuff at Walgreens to fill the hole in my tooth,, ordered pizza and watched an incredibly dumb Keano Reeves movie. Slept all night without waking. Trail time!
Date: 2015-05-07
From: campsite

To: Black Bear Resort
Miles today: 10.0

I slept really well last night even though it was raining and there was a lot of snoring going on. I could hear it clearly since our tents were packed like sardines. I woke up early and went to get water, but the stream was barely moving and I only got half a bottle. I packed up early and headed out before C.Shell and D.No. Our plan was to meet at Black Bear Resort/ Hostel for a re supply. It was an easy hike, but there were lots of ups and downs, called PUDs (pointless ups and downs) and I guess they would be pointless...if the point wasn't to climb mountains. They can be tiring and the rocks can be hard on your feet. All in all, a very easy day though. I made it to the hostel at around 12:30. I popped a pizza in the pizza oven and popped a beer while I waited for my friends. Black Bear Resort is really the coolest place. They have little cabins, plus a bunk room with mattresses, a treat. They have a little store with plenty of re supply options as well and a room with a tv and DVDs, games, and books. It is situated on a little creek that is very picturesque. D.No and C.Shell got in about 45 minutes after I did and we are the pizza together and talked about the day. We decided to make it a short day and rest, relax, and enjoy the Black Bear. We think D.No has a broken bone in his foot, but he won't visit the Dr because he does not want to hear the words "you have to get off the trail". He makes a little wrap every day out of duct tape to keep his foot supported. I hopped a shuttle ride into town later and picked us all up Big Macs. I have had 3 Big Macs in a week- more than I have had in the last 10 years. They are so good! After we ate, D.No sat on the creek and put his feet in the ice cold water. We all migrated to the tv room and watched K-pAX, a Kevin Spacey movie about an alien/crazy person with an unsatisfying ending. I put this in the category of the Keano Reeves alien movie, very sedate aliens. Hopefully when they come they really are like this and not the kind that want to eat us or make pets of us.