morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-03-26
From: Last Minutes...

To: 1.5 Miles up from Neel's Gap
Miles today: 0.0

   Just taking a quick minute at the amazing Neels Gap outfitter where we've spent the afternoon after hiking over from Woods Hole, crossing Blood Mountain, which was my favorite mountain so far. We only did 5 miles today, just enough to get here and do some re-supplying. I can honestly say that this is the most fun I've ever had in my life. Life out here is so simple... Sure, climbing mountains everyday is tough, but it is simple. You wake up and put on your boots, pack your gear, eat a quick breakfast, make sure you have some water to drink and then hit the trail. Everything you need, you carry on your back and that means there's no extra "stuff" to tie you down.    The ride here was looooong and Kevin and I spent the entire trip from Maine in the backseat of a Subaru! We were so glad to get here and start walking. The first day we hiked a mile up Springer, then a mile back down, then 7 miles on to Hawk Mountain where we pitched our tent and hung out with a bunch of last years thru-hiker: Rematch (and Kate), Brave Friend (and Kerry), Dub, Scoot, Dufresne, and several others. It was alot of fun to hear them reminisce about their trip and make us look forward to sharing our memories later. The next day, we decided to strike out on our own, just Kevin, Bailey and I. We walked 8 miles to Gootch Gap which had a beautiful 2-story shelter. We met some great people there and have spent the last few days with them. We don't all have trail names yet, but actual names are Matt, Matt, Andy, Dan and his Chocolate Lab Maximus, and the wonderful Canadian section hikers Paul and Sue. This group is awesome and you can hear us laughing out butts off every night sharing stories and jokes, it really is wonderful!    The weather has been tough, mid to high 80's with no clouds. This is a bit of climate shock to this Maine girl, but I guess I can't complain because I get to be outside hiking every single day, so what is there to complain about? So far we've hiked around 30 miles and we'll be hiking out of the outfitters tonight for a mile and a half climb to some tent sites. We should be in Hiawassee in 4 days where we will again get to take showers and buy anything we need. My shower today felt AMAZING and I couldn't believe how dirty I was! The heat and the dirt and the lack of odern convenienced like running water, indoor plumbing, etc... So my lesson to you is to appreciate electricity, running water, and all those other inventions.   That's all for now because I have to get off the computer, I could only use it for a few minutes. So long for now, I'll tell you more later!   Happy Trail!
Date: 2007-03-30
From: 1.5 Miles up from Neel's Gap

To: Hiawassee Inn, Hiawassee Georgia
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today is our first day in town since last week and it's been an interesting experience! The people here in Georgia have been so hospitable. Yesterday we hiked 9 miles from the Cheese Facotory over to Deep Gap so that this morning we only had an easy 3.3 mile walk to get to the road to hitch into town. What was wonderful was last night, a trail angel named "Tater" and his dog Springer, hiked into our shelter bringing sodas for us tired hikers. He also told us to meet him at the road crossing this morning and he gave us all rides to town in his pickup truck, so no hitch hiking was necessary. Bailey liked Springer but wasn't quite as energetic as she was... she's so happy to be sleeping in a hotel bed chewing on enormous dog bones. The hotel we are staying at, the Hiawassee Inn, is great because of the people who own it. When we got there, the gentleman behind the desk made us breakfast of bagels and cream cheese, hard boiled eggs, fresh coffee and juice, all in his own personal kitchen. He was so nice, inviting us into his home and making us feel like we belonged there, we hadn't even paid for our rooms yet! For a small fee he did our laundry for us, which is awesome and we took showers and actually smell clean. He also brought us epsom salt and water tubs to soak our tired feet in... Then he arranged a shuttle into the gorcery store where we resupplied for the next week. What more can you ask for? I love Georgia!So, to date we have hiked 66.6 miles and are just about done hiking through Georgia. We have about 8.2 miles left to go and then we will be in North Carolina. I can't wait to take a picture of the first state line we cross, that will be an exciting milestone! Still no blisters to report and I am feeling really lucky about that. I ended up buying some insoles for my hiking boots because my feet were aching somethine terrible after a 13 mile day the other day. I still can't believe I am out here and I wish there was a way to make a living hiking the Appalachian Trail, because I would be all over that! The people can't be beat and the scenery gets greener everyday. I need to buy a paper journal so that I can write down some of the everyday things that happen and the characters we've been meeting out here. People truly are interesting and there are all walks of life out here, each one looking for something different and maybe some common similarities. I'll have to sign off for now because we are all headed over to a restaurant for dinner, an all-you-can-eat home cooked buffet... I think they must be very afraid when they see hikers coming. Happy trails, until we meet again!
Date: 2007-04-02
From: From Big Springs Shelter

To: Sapphire Inn, Franklin, North Carolina
Miles today: 0.0

Today finds us in Franklin, North Carolina. We hiked a 15 mile day yesterday through pretty easy terrain. The only tough part was the last 3 miles or so at the end where we climbed a steep route up Mount Albert. At the top there was a cool tower you could climb but the observatory was closed. Today we climbed 9 miles and were greeted by "trail angels" from the Macon Baptist Association who brought us snacks and cold drinks. It never ceases to amaze me the generosity that people show us thru hikers. The south has certainly been wlecoming. Today and yesterday were much better days than Sunday... Sunday brought us torrential downpours all day long. We arrived at the Standing Indian Shelter to find 15 other people seeking refuge from the storm. Needless to say it was crowded and wet, wet, wet. We were able to pitch out tent between the worst of the showers and it made us really appreciate our MSR rain fly. We stayed pretty dry throughout the night, but Bailey's leg got really stiff. Today she's limping pretty bad and we are a bit worried. Hopefully it's just a sore muscle, like the ones Kevin and I also have. We're going to try to find a veterinarian in town tomorrow and take a zero mile day to give her a rest, plus it's supposed to be rainy again tomorrow. I'll try to write more and upload my latest photos a bit later... the internet is hard to find and there are always time limits :0( Miss you everyone, Happy trails until next time!
Date: 2007-04-14
From: Gatlinburg, Tennessee

To: Peck's Corner
Miles today: 0.0

Today we hitched in from Gatlinburg with a 2-time former thru-hiker who was so kind to give us a ride in the terrible weather. We had taken a zero-mileage day in town in hopes of avoiding the nasty weather forcast, but we were off on our timing. We got out of the truck at Newfound Gap and were greeted by fierce winds and chilling cold... I had my concerns and wondered if we were doing the right thing or if we should just ride back to town. Our adventurous spirits prevaled and we tucked out heads in and started hiking. The first few miles actually turned out to be great because the mountains seemed to block the most of the wind and the trail was graded to a nice degree... not too steep. Yesterdays rain created some issues and turned the trail into a downward rushing stream that we had to trudge through. We hiked some cool ridgelines in the higher elevations but there were absolutely no views, which was disappointing. When we looked out to our sides, milky whiteness shrouded the scenery. The trees 25 to 50 feet down the mountainsides to our left or right could be seen, but nothing beyond that was visible except the clouds that we walked in. By the time we were a few miles from the shelter, the wind and rain turned to ice and snow and it quickly began to accumulate. Blowing in from the west, our left sides were frozen and my eyelashes on my left eye froze. It felt like jack frost was pelting us with frozen shards of ice. We were happy to see the shelter and so were the other people who continued to arrive throughout the day. By nightfall, 25 people were crammed into this shelter suited for 12. It looked insane inside like an outfitter had exploded and left packs, sleeping bags, stuff sacks, soggy frozen boots and wool socks everywhere. One poor guy, Mike, had to sleep perpendicular to my feet and I barely slept for fear of kicking him in the head during the night. It was a long night! We'll see what tomorrow brings... I think we'll shoot for the shelter that is 12 miles away because the trails will be slick and hard to negotiate.
Date: 2007-04-15
From: Peck's Corner

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: snow

Woke up this morning surrounded by 25 people... 12 of us squished into the lower level of the shelter, 8 on top, and 4 people sleeping on the floor. Needless to say it was difficult for everyone to gather their gear and depart for the day. Kevin phrased it well when he said "It's like walking around in Calcutta!" People everywhere! I woke up sore and didn't get much sleep at all. We hiked 12.5 miles to get to Cosby Knob Shelter and were seriously considering hiking the next 7 miles or so to the next shelter. However, hiking in slick melting snow and frost covered logs made for sore joints and we thought we might as well get some rest. The hiking started a bit rough as tornadoes had ripped through parts of the park last night and turned parts of the trail into obstacle courses, hundred year old trees sent sailing and left lying across our path. One section of the trail was wiped away in a mini landslide. We ran into a trail maintainer during the day who was out to survey the damage. A few shelters back a hiker got into trouble with hypothermia and had to be evacuated. Our first sight of the trail in the morning was a bit bleak. The snow piled up all night and we had to trudge through it in Smoky Mountain elevations all day. The terrain wasn't too difficult, but the sun came out in the afternoon. Once it decided to shine, the trail became a mud-slicked, slippery, sloshing mess. My feet were soaked within a mile, even though they hadn't completely dried from yesterday. On the up side, we did see some beautiful sights and a side of the Smoky Mountains that most people don't see as early spring collided with remaining winter. The sunshine looked beautiful, fresh and new on the snow and trickling between the rhododendron leaves. We shared a wonderful evening and warm toasty fire in a less crowded shelter with our little group of friends, Uncle Tom, Strider, the Texas boys, and a day hiker. Tomorrow calls for 10 miles out of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. We'll hike in to Standing Bear Farm (hostel) where Bailey and Maximus will rejoin us at last and then we'll be in Hot Springs, North Carolina to resupply. Until then, Happy Hiking (or Reading... whichever the case may be!)
Date: 2007-04-22
From: Hot Springs

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

We hiked 11 miles out of Hot Springs on terrain that didn't seem as tough as the maps intially led us to believe, despite all of the uphills. The weather was really hot and temperatures climbed into the 80s, which proved to be very hot with no leaves on the trees yet to provide any shade. We had lunch at a pond where Bailey and Maximus got to jump in and beat the heat for a little while. After an hour and a half, we pulled ourselves away from the nice little spot and continued on. I felt a little sick from the heat in the afternoon and I realized I have to try and drink a lot more water in the heat. The lemonade mix Irene sent was just what I needed, thanks a million! At the end of the day, just before climbing into my tent, I noticed something that made me laugh. We hiked all day and it felt like we were back out in the middle of nowhere. However, when I looked into the valleys around us, I could see city lights to my left and right. It's strange to feel like you're alone and isolated and then to suddenly realize you aren't at all alone. I guess it just goes to show that the Appalachian Trail isn't always the wilderness experience I imagined it to be. Wild places aren't as abundant as I'd like them to be and cities are right on the doorstep. This is sad and I hope the few protected places we have left can remain preserved for future generations to enjoy first-hand and not only in books or on tv. Just a few of my thoughts...
Date: 2007-04-23
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Awoke this morning with high aspirations for a 21 mile day... this all changed after hiking 3 miles and spotting a sign posted for trail magic. We walked 300 yards down a paved road then up a concrete driveway to the home of John and Jodi Foster, former thru hikers by the trail names of Hercules and Fal. Hercules met us at the door with a warm greeting of "Welcome Home" and invited us into their beautiful log home. There, we were treated like family and fed a delicious 3 course meal of home made Belgian pecan waffles with real maple syrup, then hearty pork stew, then a choice of amazing desserts, I chose the brownie sundae and was not disappointed. Needless to say, our 21 mile day didn't turn out as planned and we struggled with full bellies to hike the next 5 miles and then relaxed for a while to avoid hiking in the heat of the afternoon. Bailey was pretty hot and panting profusely, so we needed a break! Later, we hiked over a ridgeline accurately named "the Dragon's Teeth" which boasted incredible views and rock scrambling. The climbing was fun at first, but then my feet began to protest being chewed on by dragon's teeth and I was happy to arrive at the shelter. The weather in the late afternoon was perfect with cool breezes and the sun casting long shadows. Another great day on the trail and more encounters with incredibly generous people. Happy hiking all!
Date: 2007-04-25
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Spivey Gap
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

For the first time on the trip, I did not feel like hiking this morning. For some reason I was exhausted all morning and struggled to get over even the smallest climbs. We stopped and ate some snacks in the morning and eventually I began to feel a bit better. One thing that cheered me up was a mountain side meadow where a horse and a donkey lived. We climbed up over a rise and were met on the other side by a horse and a donkey who were just hanging out eating grass. There were no fences, so it was really neat to see them just standing there in the trail. Kevin took my picture with the donkey and had to keep Bailey at a distance because the donkey didn't seem to be fond of dogs. You never know what you'll see or who you'll meet out here, it's amazing! At one turn in the trail we found that some trail angel had left us hot coffee in a thermos with cream and sugar. It was crazy how much a tiny cup of coffee meant to all of us who sat around slowly savoring every last drop.   Today brought another bald mountain, this one named Big Bald. It was a great climb and I felt much stronger going up it than I had felt in the morning. On top, a group of senior ladies were eating lunch. I loved seeing this ladies up there, wearing their Smoky Mountain Sunshine Hikers Club tee-shirts and enjoying a day in the mountains. Apparently the three of them are sisters and the eldest must be in her 70s with the others not far behind. These ladies were incredible and it made me smile to see them out here. We continued on and had lunch at the Big Bald Shelter with a gentleman named Grin who looks remarkably like my uncle Lloyd, so much so that I felt a bit homesick! Little Bald Mountain was our after lunch dessert, but it wasn't too bad because of the small white wildflowers blooming everywhere. They smelled a bit like clover but I'm not sure what they were. At the end of the day we pitched out tent at Spivy Gap and I heated some water for a bandana bath of sorts. I was feeling pretty hot and dirty and it was nice to get at least a bit clean before crawling into my sleeping bag for the night. Unfortunately, we were awoken at 2 am by a sherrif. Yesterday a Blue Tick Hound started following us and it had been reported stolen. The police came to ask us questions about Yogi, the boy who was taking care of it and who had tried to take it into town. Long story short, the dog ended up with its owners and Yogi was not held to blame, we think the dog just slipped it's collar and ran off with some hikers. I wasn't terribly happy to be awoken at 2 in the morning by a stranger with a flashlight, but I guess it's good that they take dogs so seriously down here :0) Like I said, you never know what's going to happen out here! Tomorrow will bring us 11 miles into Erwin, Tennessee where we will resupply and get clean before heading back out on the trail.
Date: 2007-04-27
From: Erwin, Tennessee

To: Curley Maple Gap Shelter
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We ended up leaving town late today, after 5 pm by the time we got our laundry done and our resupply taken care of. The hostels in Erwin were full so we couldn't stay at Miss Janets or Uncle Johnny's, both highly acclaimed by thru hikers. We ended up splitting rooms at the Holiday Inn and having to scrounge rides here and there to get into town (which was very spread out) and run errands. The ever legendary Miss Janet helped us with rides on several occasions, which was appreciated by us! The Texas Franchise Boys came up with the excellent idea of ordering Chinese food and we stuffed ourselves and then hung out in our hotel room watching movies, it was great! Fish Bowl's girlfriend Gail came to visit and it was neat having another girl around, it's usually just me since Sue left. I don't mind being the only girl in this rag tag convoy though, these guys I travel with have become like family to me and I wouldn't trade them for anything. After all the running around in town, we were very happy to get back on the trail. The hiking was easy and followed a stream for several miles with lots of wooden foot bridges and thick rhododendrons. We met some section hikers with a dog at the shelter and had a relaxing, peaceful night.
Date: 2007-04-28
From: Curley Maple Gap Shelter

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We are trying to keep our mileage a bit lower to let Newt and Bluegrass catch us and it turned out to be a really nice, laid back kind of day as a result. Today's hike began really gradual and made for great walking. The weather was a bit cooler than the past few days and it rained with chilly winds for several miles. This cut our lunch break a bit short and hurried us along to climb Unaka Mountain. I found myself surprised at how beautiful it was.After packing up lunch things, my hands were freezing and I was feeling cold and wet from the weather and wanted to hurry up the mountain to get warmer. I stuck my fingers in the loops of my trekking poles and quickly started the climb. Before I really realized it, I was at the top and when I looked around, I was standing in a misty pine grove that took my breath away. The forest was layered in a foggy carpet of moss and scattered pine needles and it smelled of damp earth and cleansing rain. The drops falling off the trees and my hood set a rhythm for my feet and I felt completely at home, almost like being in Maine again. Tiny saplings stood like little soldiers along the trail wearing the most vibrant shade of green while the ferns graceful bent under the weight of raindrops. Continuing on, I startled a quail that took flight right in front of me. When I arrived at the shelter the sun came out and the mood was great, lots of good friends around and we stayed up late chatting around the camp fire and telling stories. The tent sites were abundant and flat, what more could we ask for? I still can't believe this is my everyday life... incredible!
Date: 2007-04-29
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: broken clouds

Today was a long day with lots of climbs and lots of sunshine. We hiked 9 miles before lunch and made friends with a section hiker named Kimo (which means Jim in Hawaiian and Happy in Inuit) and two thru hikers, Cheeks and Step Small. Kimo showed me how to find ramps, plants that you can dig up that have a small, smooth white vegetable at the bottom and taste like a combination between an onion and garlic. I picked a bunch to add to dinner. After lunch we hiked Roan Mountain, which proved to be the toughest climb yet. Luckily the weather was in the 70's with blue skies and puffy white clouds. The climb steadily went up, up, up through a narrow trail of roots, rocks, and dense Balsam Fir. The pungent scent of fir trees was a welcoming reminder of home and I found myself with my eyes closed just breathing it in on more than one occasion. The climb was deceiving as everytime I thought we were near the top we were only at a false peak, so Mattlanta and I kept trudging upwards through the dense tangle of rocks and trees. It was rewarding to get to the top and sleep in the old ranger building, the only downfall being that there wasn't any view. The shelter was really cool with two floors, four walls and glassed in windows. We appreciated these extra comforts because this shelter is the highest one on the AT, meaning the elevation brings cold winds and lower temperatures. I boiled a water bottle and tucked it into my sleeping bag to stay extra toasty and Bailey curled up between Kevin and I, so it was a great night. We enjoyed the company of Cheeks, Step Small, General Tso, Jungle Jim, Dirty, Magic Horse and our little convoy.
Date: 2007-04-30
From: Roan High Knob Shelter

To: Doll Flats
Miles today: 12.5

Another awesome day! Today was the kind of day I used to daydream about before coming out here. The weather was beautiful with warm sunshine and clear blue skies. There were lots of day hikers out enjoying the weather. In the morning we saw a baby timber rattler on the trail and realized that it's now time to start looking out for snakes now that the weather is warm. We hiked the first 5 1/2 miles really quickly and then pushed on to lunch at the Overmountain Shelter which is an old red barn. Overmountain was an amazing place to have lunch because the barn is placed on the side of a valley with incredible views of the entire valley. Needless to say, it was a really hard place to leave and we could have spent an entire day there! I picked enough ramps around the barn to add flavor to our dinner of tuna, noodles, and lentils. It was delicious! The afternoon's climbs were tougher than the morning, but nothing too difficult. We climbed 2 more balds, Hump Mountain and Little Hump, and got more amazing views from the summits. Our campsite for the night was Doll Flats and provided another great photo opportunity. When we climbed down off Big Hump, the fields of Doll Flats spread out below us and were fringed with old gnarly trees and fences surrounded by mountains. Another camp fire with friends (our group, Cheeks, Step Small, General Tso, Jungle Jim, Dirty, JD, Beast, and Life Traveler) and the realization that this is actually what I get to do every day... still find it hard to believe! It was a beautiful place to spend the night and the nearly full moon made it all the more breathtaking. I took a minute (or 30) before bed to stand out in the middle of the fields under the full moon to try and soak it all in and found myself completely entranced.