morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2005-04-05
From: Campsite, .5 mile past spring

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: few clouds

Up around seven, hiking around eight. Stick left about ten minutes before me, so I was walking by myself for most of the morning, until I caught up to him right before Big Bald. Most of the snow is gone now, just a little bit here and there, but not enough to slow us down. The sky was very clear today, giving us great views from the summit of Big Bald. But it was way too windy to stay up there for lunch, like we had planned. So after a few pictures, we headed for the shelter, where we stopped and waited for Spoonie. We saw the two section hikers from Colorado that we met right outside of Hot Springs. Spoonie soon came and said that she thought we had ditched her since we weren't on top of the bald for lunch, like we had said. Not yet, Spoonie. (Just kidding) After lunch, it started to get really hot. Stopped several times for breaks. Met a dad/son team out for spring break. A lot of tedious ups and downs all the way to Spivey Gap, then it was just up. The trail followed a nice stream all the way up, it was tempting to stop and go for a dip, but it was ice cold. After the initial climb, the trail became practically flat all the way to the shelter. It wound around the ridgeline instead of going up and down over it. Whoever made this section really did a good job by really planning and laying out the route. I made it to the shelter before Stick and Spoonie to find the two guys from Colorado. They informed me that the water source was two-tenths back on the trail so I had to backtrack. When I came back, they were building a nice fire. Our original plan was to keep going after supper so we'd only have a few miles to do into Erwin tomorrow, but our lazy side got the better of us. Three thru hikers that we haven't met also came in tonight: Carissa (Sweet Cheeks), Bill and another that I can't remember his name. A short day in tomorrow, I am really looking forward to eating at Pizza Hut!!
Date: 2005-04-06
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Nolichucky River- Ewrin, TN
Miles today: 6.3

It was still dark when I was awaken by the sounds of Stick packing. It was before six, but I was ready to get to town. Spoonie woke also and all three of us packed as quitely as we could, which was still loud enough to wake everyone in the shelter. We were gone quickly, hiking by headlamp. The sunrise was pretty, for what little part of it I could actually see through the trees. I was quite ready to get into town, so I flew down the trail, soon leaving Stick and Spoonie behind me. Just a quick up, then it was all downhill. There was a ton of blowdowns, they really slow you down. Several required me to take my pack off and drag it behind me. Great views of the river and town from several clearings. Down at the road I waited for Stick and Spoonie, who weren't that far behind me. We walked up to the main road to hitch into town. A car saw us walking up and pulled over, asking us if we needed a ride! So we didn't even have to put out our thumbs, the guy took us right to the post office. We decided to wait to pick up our boxes, since I had several and go get settled at Ms. Janet's house. We found it with ease and made it in time for breakfast. We also found Sci Fi here, who had gone ahead after Hot Springs, but like us, got caught up in the snow storm. Ms. Janet is a very kind lady who opens her home to hikers for a minimal charge. After a great breakfast of french toast, sausage and eggs, Spoonie and I walked back to the post office for our packages. I had three; my maildrop, my new hiking pole and a new pack to replace my ripped one. The remainder of the morning was spent getting clean, repacking, and writing letters. For lunch, a group of us went to Pizza Hut. We missed the lunch buffet, so I had to order a whole pizza. Oh well. It was quite good. One of Stick's friends, Silky from '04 came up to Erwin to look at some property, and is going to slackpack us tomorrow.
Date: 2005-04-07
From: Indian Grave Gap

To: Nolichucky River- Ewrin, TN
Miles today: 8.3

Woke up and first thing went to the post office to send off my old pack and some letters. The clerk was very rude. She never said a single word to me and just gave me a nasty look the whole time. The postal service could use more workers like Humpty Dumpty was. Back at Ms. Janet's, we ate delicious breakfast burritos and all got ready for the slackpack. It was an easy 8.3 miles, it only took us about two and a half hours, with a small break at the shelter. Since we got back to the river so early, we decided to hitch back to Ms. Janet's instead of waiting another hour for our ride. We split up in two groups, since there were so many of us. Kitty Litter and I both got back first, soon followed by everyone else. Silky took Stick, Spoonie, Sci Fi, a guy from Buffalo named Nurse Nick and I to Johnson City to go to the outfitters. We also stopped by Slotzkys Deli and Walmart for some supplies. Back at Ms. Janet's, it was getting quite crowded, so Silky, Sci Fi, Stick, Spoonie and I all went to the Holiday Inn. We are slackpacking again tomorrow, it's going to be a big day, our first twenty.
Date: 2005-04-08
From: Hughes Gap

To: Indian Grave Gap- Ewrin, TN
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light rain

I got up early, so I wouldn't miss another great Holiday Inn breakfast. Silky drove all four of us, plus Kitty Litter to Hughes Gap to start our slackpack. Once we were at the gap, the weather didn't look promising at all. It was very gray and gloomy. So we made haste and kicked it into high gear. We are slacking southbound today, so maybe we will see some hikers that had passed us. I stopped at the shelter after an hour for a short break. The weather started to clear up a bit and the sun came out and made for some pleasant hiking. I walked most of the day with Stick. Conversation made the miles go by a lot faster. Right past Iron Mtn. Gap, we ran into Gravity and Danger, going north. They informed us that the terrain isn't getting easier south of here. It was a rough morning to begin with, so this wasn't welcome news. There wasn't anything we could do about it, so we pressed on. We stopped at Cherry Gap shelter for a late lunch and found Ranger there. This is Ranger's fifth thru hike attempt. Things never turned out right for him, sure hopes he makes it this time. After leaving the shelter, we started the climb up Unaka Mountain. Suddenly, it started to pour. So we donned our raingear and continued trudging up the mountain. We were almost to the top when we met Odeyssa. The top of Unaka Mountain is covered with pine trees. It would have been quite a pleasant walk if it had not of been for the lightning. So after a quick chat with Odeyssa, we hurried over the summit and continued onward. By the time we had reached Beauty Spot, the rain had stopped and the skies cleared a bit, giving us some good views from the open summit. By this time, we had done about 18 miles, one of our biggest days through crummy weather. We were completely drained with still 2 miles to go. This is when Stick and I came up with what we call, "Suck-up hour". This is when you are so tired you can't think you can go any further and you just have to suck it up and put one foot in front of the other. This is easier said than done, but we made it to Indian Grave Gap and Silky's waiting truck only 40 minutes late. Sci Fi had beat us by almost an hour and we had to wait another 45 minutes for Kitty Litter and Spoonie.After we had all made it back in one piece, we dropped Kitty Litter off at Ms. Janet's and went back to the hotel. Stick and I ordered some more Pizza Hut and it was delicious. We spent the rest of the evening resting, because we are going back to the trail tomorrow. Silky has paid for the hotel room for all of us, so a big Thank You to Silky!!
Date: 2005-04-11
From: Campsite past Walnut Mt. Road

To: Laurel Fork Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: few clouds

Only 13.4 miles separated us from Kincora Hiker Hostle, where hot showers, laundry and a trip to town awaited us. So we left camp in high gear, which didn't last for too long, because of all of the PUDS. I don't remember if I ever explained those, but PUDS stands for "pointless ups and downs". It was a very humid morning, so that slowed us even further. We still made decent time though.We took our mid-morning break by a stream, and it was then that I came to an important realization. For as long as I can remember, Snickers has been my favorite candy bar. As I was sitting by the creek, I thought, "This is the only candy bar I have been eating everyday for 400 miles," and I couldn't eat another bite. To this day, I haven't eaten another Snickers. Today was one of those days where you just pull out the mp3 player. It seems like listening to music is the only way to get through some of these days. Luckily, I had motivations listed previously to help me keep going.After getting beat down by the sun most of the morning and early afternoon, we reached Dennis Cove Road and walked the .2 mile to the hostle. Kincora Hiker Hostle is very basic, but everything a hiker could need. Laundry, hot shower, kitchen, bunks and enough books to practicaly fill a library. We took showers, did laundry, and called home to let everyone know that I am still alive and well. Bob Peoples came in a little later. I had never met him before, but always heard stories from everyone else about how great he is. And they were all right. Bob is one of the few people in the trail community that really stands out. Only a few other hikers here right now, including Bill, Chestnut, Whitee, Steak 'n' Eggs, Method Man and Rza. I went though my maildrop and discovered that I had way too much stuff. At least I will still be eating really good. A section hiker came in later and gave us all a ride to town. First stop was Arby's, where I loaded up on Beef and Cheddar sandwiches, curly fries and pop. It was absoulutely delicious. We also went to walmart for everyone to get supplies. Stick and I also picked up some extra provisions. Back at the hostle, it was getting dark and we found out that it was a dry hostle, so we had to take our "provisions" to the shelter. It was only about 2 miles, but it was in the dark, so out came the headlamps. At the shelter, we found Steak 'n' Eggs there, so we shared our 6 pack with him. He was very suprised. It was a long day, and after a drink, I was out like a light.
Date: 2005-04-13
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Abington Gap Shelter
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: light rain

The weather was nasty when we got up this morning, drizzling, foggy, and cold. So we put on our raingear and off we went. It soon became too hot for me so I stopped to take it off and Stick left me in the dust. So I pretty much walked by myself until I reached iron Mtn. Shelter. The water source was .2 of a mile south on the trail and neither of us really felt like going backward so we just made due with what we had. We really didn't take that long of a break, because we were getting cold.The next eight miles to Double Springs Shelter were downright miserable. Stick and I thought the weather might break, but we were way wrong. Luckily the terrain wasn't bad at all, just a rolling ridgewalk most of the way. It started to rain steadily and it seemed to get colder and colder. By the time we reached the shelter at 1:30, we realized that our hope of making the 32 miles to Damascus tonight was simply out of the question. A nice long break to get warm and dry was in order. We put on our dry clothes, hung out the wet ones and cooked a hot lunch of lipton, soup, and hot chocolate. Whitee showed up a bit later, so we had some company.Around 3, we decided to keep going. I kind of wanted to stay here, since I was dry, warm and my stomach was full. But Stick kindly pointed out that staying here would mean an 18 mile day tomorrow instead of just 10. So we packed up, put back on our wet clothes (brrr!) and were on our way. By this time, the temperature had warmed up some and the sun was trying to poke through. The walking would have been really pleasant had it not been for my poor feet. This was my longest day to date and I was feeling it, especially since it was through bad weather. By the time we had passed the summit of McQueen's Knob and started down to the shelter, it took everything we had left to make it there. There, we found Sean and Mike, the North Carolina Brothers and plenty of room for us. In the guidebook, it says water is 800 feet behind the shelter downhill. What it doesn't say is that it is also about 800 feet in elevation loss!! And it was my turn to get the water. What a bummer. Today was really hard on my body, and I am also worn down mentally. I am looking forward to a short day into Damascus and a zero after that.
Date: 2005-04-15
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

It was nice to be able to sleep in this morning, although we didn't get to sleep that much extra. The windows have no curtains, so the sun woke us up around 8. Neither of us sleep that well anyway. The first order of business today was going back to the post office. My mail drop had come in, and that was the only thing worrying me. I took it back to the place and went through it and found several letters from family and friends. I spent most of the morning doing nothing at all. After lunch, Stick and I went to the library, where he talked me into starting a trailjournals account. When our time was up on the computers, we walked around town looking at the different stores. There definately isn't much to do around here. For supper, I had Subway again and brought it back to the place and enjoyed the company of Stick, the NC brothers, Loki, Iceman, whom we just met today, and some random local. A few old guys came by and talked to us for a bit. The random local says that these guys just stop here between bar hopping to use the bathroom. It's funny because there are only two bars on the oppisite sides of town, and The Place in the middle. How convenient. Spoonie and the rest of the gang didn't make it into town today, so we are probably going to get a late start tomorrow in hopes of seeing them, because if we don't see them tomorrow, chances are we won't see them again. Stick and I wrote out a very ambitious plan to make it to Waynesboro in just three weeks. But knowing us, we'll have to throw that plan out the window within the next few days!
Date: 2005-04-16
From: Damascus, VA

To: Luther Hessinger Memorial Bridge, VCT
Miles today: 13.9

After a rough night's sleep, both Stick and I made a pathetic attempt at packing up and leaving. We both realized that we weren't going to get out of here at a reasonable hour, so we accepted this fact and just bummed around for a bit, hoping that we might run into the gang before we left. I decided to do a few extra town chores before we left, so I went down to the library to write a few emails. I didn't get much time though, the library is only open until 12 today and there was quite a line of hikers waiting for the computer. I went to the post office to mail home my camera and finally we decided to head out around noon. There was one last thing I had to do before we left, and that was to get a picture of me in front of the wooden sign welcoming the hikers into Damascus. I didn't get it on my way in the other day because Stick beat me to town. It was a long walk back to the sign, but we had nothing better to do. Down at the sign, Stick took my picture as I triumphantly raised my hiking poles in celebration of making it this far. The initial excitement of reaching Damascus had already worn off after a day and a half, but you can't tell the difference in the picture. As we turn to leave for the trail, Gravity, Danger and Spoonie come down out of the woods! Talk about good timing. Sci Fi is not with them, they tell us that he will be here tomorrow, but he is going home at this point. I am sorry to hear this, Sci Fi was a lot of fun to hike with. Since we are probably not going to see these guys again, Stick and I decided to hang out a bit before we headed off. After they all checked in, Spoonie, Stick and I went to Subway (the third time in two days for me) for lunch. We hung around the hostle talking for a while and around 2:30, we decided it was time to go if we were going to make it to the shelter before dark. It was a very pleasant afternoon for walking, sunny, but not too hot. The trail parallels the Virginia Creeper Trail for a few miles at this point. The Virginia Creeper Trail is a bike path about sixty miles long that sits on an old railroad bed. We saw a lot of people at the points where the trail crossed the VCT. Stick and I both decided that our next big adventure will have to include bikes. Sure beats walking if you ask me!The hike was very uneventful, but we didn't quite make it to the shelter tonight. We came up about two miles short. There is a state park recreational parking lot of some sort for the VCT underneath a huge bridge that the trail passes over. We are camped in the grass next to the parking lot. A few cars still here, so they must be overnighters. Hopefully no one will bother us tonight.
Date: 2005-04-17
From: Luther Hessinger Memorial Bridge, VCT

To: Grayson Highlands State Park
Miles today: 16.4

It was freezing when I woke up. Packing up was a real chore this morning. My tent was pretty wet from the condensation, so I'd stuff my tent in the sack until my fingers were frozen, warm them up, stuff some more, warm my fingers up again, and repeated this process several times. For some reason, Stick found this very amusing. By the time we made the two miles to the shelter, it had warmed up nicely. There was a nice breeze blowing, hopefully it will stay nice for the climb up Mount Rogers. We only stopped long enough to sign the register and were off again. Right before the road, we ran into Gravity, Danger and Spoonie slackpacking south today. They said there was pop in the stream by the road just up ahead. Sure enough, there was Pepsi and Dr. Pepper chilling in the stream, just calling our names. The drink was so good, but it really slowed us down on our way up Buzzard Rock and Whitetop Mountain. The acsent for me was painfully slow. These new trailrunners are tearing up my heals. Stick says they are just breaking in, but I never had a pair hurt this bad. Ever. At the top, we decided to stop for lunch. There was the nicest, cleanest, coldest piped spring I have ever drank from. I must of drank at least three liters of that good water. This is the stuff people pay two bucks a bottle for and I have as much as I can drink for free!   For lunch, I had a bagel and a pack of Nutella that Spoonie gave me that I have been carrying since Fontana Dam. Now I now why Spoonie is nuts about that stuff- it is really good! After lunch and all our stuff had dried out, we continued on. The decent down to Elk Garden was pretty easy. The climb up Rogers wasn't as bad as I had expected, even with busted feet, although it seemed to take forever. Right before Thomas Knob Shelter, we saw three wild ponies. I had forgotten that we are getting close to Grayson Highlands State Park. In this park, there are many wild ponies that are used for grazing. It's said that they will come right up to you looking for a handout. The scenery is something else too. We decided to stop at the shelter for supper, and continue on to the next. We met a guy there who works for the USGS. He was looking for benchmarks on Mount Rogers. Quite the character if I might say. The scenery over the next few miles was some of the best I had seen on the whole trip. I almost fell several times, because I wasn't watching where I was going. I was trying to take in as much of the view as I could. The sun was setting over the fields, creating a view that words just can't describe. Once Stick and I reached the park entrance, it was getting too dark to keep going and the shelter was still another three miles away. There were several tents by, so we called it a day. It didn't look like rain and we didn't feel like putting up our tents, so we cowboy camped. Stick was worried about a pony stepping on him during the night, so he stuck his poles in the ground by his head. Like his Lekis are really going to stop a 400 pound pony from stepping on his head. But just as a precaution, I did the same.
Date: 2005-04-18
From: Grayson Highlands State Park

To: About 1 mile past Hurrican Mt. Shelter
Miles today: 13.6

Wow, what a day! Luckily, our sturdy Leki Poles held off the ponies throughout the night. We woke to find a pony licking Stick's thermarest. Packing up was quite a chore, a pony kept trying to get into my pack, I suppose he smelled food inside. The section hikers weren't helping any, they were feeding them. We wanted to get up early and walk through the park during sunrise, but we overslept. Again. It got hot real quick. The park was great, lots of views. We only stopped briefly at the first shelter to sign the register and continue on. There was a lot of walking through open fields this morning, it was very nice. We stopped for lunch at Old Orchard Shelter and ran into Shadow and Sassy. We were getting ready to break 500 miles. I talked Stick into hitching into town with me to go get a celebratory pepsi. That would turn out to be one of my biggest mistakes on the entire trip. We had no problem getting a hitch into town. Well, I wouldn't go as far as calling Troutdale a town. It was a crossroads with a trading post. The entire town's population probably worked there. We ran into Doc and found out he was staying here for the night at the hostle the local church ran. After calling home to talk to Mom, we started to hitch to get back to the trail. We had absolutely no luck. Long story short, we had to walk the entire four miles back to the trail. By this time, it is close to 3:00 and my feet are absolutely killing me. These trail runners are going to have to go! After a most painful 2.2 miles, we reached the new Hurricane Mountain Shelter, where I stopped to cook dinner and Stick continued on. I was going to stay here for the night, but something told me to push on a little further. I ended up cowboy camping about a mile past the shelter, by a stream. Also here with me tonight is Packrat and Shirt of '94. So all in all, I walked close to 18 miles today, although only 13 of them counted. I can honestly say that I have learned my lesson: Always pack an extra pepsi for the road!