morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-04-02
From: Big Spring Shelter

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: clear sky

"Its hard to be brave when you're only a very small animal."                  Poohs Little Instruction Book Woke to a cool, windy but sunny morning at Big Spring. Ate a quick breakfast of Carnation Instant and Nescaffe latte - packed up and hit the trail at 8:45 AM. Had a great hike with Strider, Chrysalis and of course Miss Hazel. She is such a good dog! I sort of hope that her owner doesn't want her back. Made the 3 miles to Glassmine Gap in under an hour. Ate lunch at Rock Gap with Strider( formerly Ken), and Chrysalis. She is a nice woman, a fast hiker but was possibly somewhat annoyed by Hazel because her favorite aunts/ name is also Hazel. We talked alot about hiking together in Vermont and New Hampshire when I get up there. She has my e-mail and we'll keep in touch. We all made it to Winding Stair Gap where Chrysalis headed north and Strider, Gray Ghost and I waited for a hitch. Finally, a nice guy, Mike, picked us up and took us directly to the Franklin Motel. Much nicer than Mulls Motel in Hiawassee. After check in, I ran over to Ingles and picked up some sausages and dog food. After unsorting my gear and a hot shower, I made the dreaded phone call to Hazels owner. (Her name was on her collar.) As older man answered and I said "I am Margie, an AT thru hiker and have somebody that you may be missing." He knew instantly that I was talking about Hazel. Thats when I lost it! I am teary eyed even writing this. Charles Pitman lives in Hayesville, NC and said that he would be at the motel in about 1/2 hour. Strider, 2/3, 3/3 went out front and waited for him to arrive. I think Hazel realized that I was sad and stayed by me. As soon as Mr. Pitman arrived and got out of the car, I pointed him out and Hazels' tail began to wag . She ran up to him, barked and rolled onto her back. I was very teary but happy for Hazel and Charles. Hazel took off the day I found her and they were very worried. They even delayed a trip to Germany in order to locate her. Hazel was back with her owner. "Happy ending."
Date: 2003-04-04
From: Franklin, NC

To: Bartram Trail Campsite
Miles today: 15.8

" 20 years from now you'll be more disappointed by the things you didn't do   than the things you did do."   Mark TwainAfter a day and a half in the lovely burg of Franklin, its nice to be back on the trail In town as usual, I ate too much, drank too much and spent too much. The Franklin Motel was good- clean and an excellent hiker box. I got some groceries and beer out of it! Bonus - did alot of walking around town to shop & eat. Had a nice dinner with Strider and 2/3 & 3/3 of the Smith Family. (on Trail Journals) I had chicken fried steak - very down home! Got a shuttle out of town at 9:00 and was back on the trail at 9:45. "Lots of wicked UPS followed by lots of wicked DOWNS and of course followed by more UPS & DOWNS." Crossed Siler Bald and for fun Strider and I climbed the additional 300 ft. to the top. Very steep but worth it. A bald is quite unique. Its a huge meadow at the top of a mountain.There are many theories as to why they are bald. I like the one that says indians cleared them many years ago so animals would graze there. The indians would hide in the woods and then - well you get the idea. Other theories are that they were formed by a natural phenomenon or by fire. Some balds are seeing tree growth now. The summit was in a cloud so the view wasn't good but it looked cool anyway. Tonight Strider and I are stealth camping. We hiked 8 miles - 4 past the shelter. We are joined at Bartram Trail campsite by a guy from Bahama. He has a dalmation named Poola. I miss Hazel. Very quiet here tonight It was a cool rainy day and I am pooped Tomorrow we cross Wayah Bald.
Date: 2003-04-05
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Cold Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: heavy intensity rain

"Take time to deliberate, but when the time comes for action arrives - stop thinking and just go.!"      Andrew Jackson It was a very wet rainy night. I didn't want to get out of the bag. Peeing in the woods is one thing - but peeing in the woods in a downpour is a whole other thing. Strider came over to my tent at 7AM and suggested we roll at 9AM. His tent got wet inside and his down bag was soaked. 9AM is the normal time to be on the trail but this morning it was pouring - big thunder & lightning too! I got packed inside my tent and was set to strike & pack the tent but it was still pouring - a real deluge. I expected to see animals walking 2 X 2 towards a big boat. As soon as I packed the wet tent, it stopped raining and the sun came out. It was actually a gorgeous day. Bright blue sky, nice breeze and warm enough for bugs to come out also. We hiked over Wayah Bald. Neat old stone tower offered excellent views of Siler bald, Mt. Albert and Standing Indian. Looking back at those mountains so far away, I couldn't believe that I walked through and over them. We hiked to Cold Spring Shelter and Strider and I are tenting. 3 guys are in the shelter. Its a very old shelter and likely full of mice. I pitched my tent on an incline. Head is high & feet are low - sort of like a craft matic adjustable. Ate a monster pot of cous cous with chicken, hot tang (yum) and then built a kick ass fire. Good day!! Tomorrow Wesser Bald.
Date: 2003-04-06
From: Cold Spring Gap Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

"I got a room at the top of the world tonight, and I ain't coming down."            Room at the Top - Tom Petty Short day today from Cold Spring to Wesser Bald Shelter. Just 5.9 miles but I was hauling ass. Left at 9 and got here at 12:50. I did 3.5 miles in an hour and a half. Stopped at Tellico Gap for a long lunch, then hiked up to Wesser Bald (4,639 Ft) Went to the top of the fire tower for excellent views of the Nantahala River & the Outdoor Center where I will come off trail next. Clouds & wind were picking up and Strider was waiting so off I went down a wicked steep hill - 8/10 of a mile in 15 minutes - really moving! Excellent group at the shelter tonight plus a group of high school kids in tents up on the hill, Strider, Homer, Papa Bear, Straw Hat and his mom Peppermint Pattie. We just found out that its daylight savings time. I thought it was 6:30 but its 7:30. No wonder I'm pooped. Shelter is full - 7 in a 6 man. Rain came down in buckets again and more expected. No wet tent in the morning - yeah!Composed a song about Hazel sung to the tune of Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer: Hazel the hiking hound dog had a very busy nose. Whenever she would sniff it, into the woods she goes. All of the other hound dogs had a place they called home. Hazel the hiking hound dog, on the AT she'd roam. Then one chilly friday night, Molasses came to say. Hazel with your eyes so brown, stick with me I'll get you down Then when they got to Franklin, Molasses called her family. Hazel the hiking hound dog, reunited happily.
Date: 2003-04-07
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Nantahala River
Miles today: 6.0

" Stumbl'in - Bumbl'in.: Chris Berman - ESPN   We must have gotten 3 inches of rain last night which of course left the trail quite muddy. Todays hike into NOC was only 6 miles - most of it down hill - but the 1st few miles were up & down every knob possible but leading to a beautiful overlook called Jumpup. Excellent views from 4000 ft. As I appoached Jumpup, I noticed Peeps sitting there eating uncooked ramen - yuk! The next thing I know - I'm on my ass! Fell instantly - one minute I'm walking - the next I'm sitting in a mud puddle. Very squishy! Peeps asked if I was OK. I was fine, just a bruised ego. I chatted with Peeps & commented on his lunch and started onward. Suddenly I'm on my ass again. This time it was more dramatic and much less graceful. So now I can say that I've fallen. I can't believe that it has taken this long. I've had hundreds of near misses, almost headers and many contorted saves - but up till now, no falls. Thankfully I did not break anything. Today a bunch of us are in Nantahala, home of excellent white water rafting and kayaking. Quite a special place and a beautiful river. Strider and I are sharing a room - it has one full size bed, so tonight he's on the floor and I'm in the bed - tomorrow night we switch. Not the best accomodations but it was the last room in the place. $60 per night - trail robbery! I did eat one of the best cheeseburgers this afternoon. Tonight maybe another.
Date: 2003-04-07
From: Nantahala River

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

"Reach out and touch someone." AT&T    So alot of people have been asking me what I need? I really don't need much of anything! Now if you ask me what I would like, that's another story. I would love to receive cards and letters from you all. I have quite a bit of free time in town and would love to hear how things are with friends and relatives about everyday life. Photos would be a great bonus.   I will be in Fontana Dam, NC on friday or saturday the 11th or 12th (April) I definitely will go to the post office and pick up stuff. I may have missed a few packages because I did not know they were coming. If you send them Priority Mail, you can bounce them to another PO one time for free - cool!Other than that, I'm thankful to be healthy, showered and fed. I'm thankful that you are reading this also. (I can't believe that over 13,000 people have clicked onto my journal.) Thank you for your interest and support! It means so much !!!!
Date: 2003-04-08
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

"I do not ask to walk smooth paths nor bear an easy load. I pray for strength and fortitude to climb the rock strewn road. Give me such courage and I can scale the highest peaks alone and transform stumbling blocks into stepping stones."         Gale Brook BurketStarted out to be a bit of a downer day - feeling a little depressed - more rain and missing loved ones. Unable to control my situation. It took Strider and I an hour to hitch a ride into Bryson City - 15 miles in the rain. Finally a nice lady picked us up and took us to the drug store. Got stuff there but then had to walk half a mile, in the rain, before two young guys in a Trooper took us to the grocery store. I conceded that it would be a long wet trek back to Nantahala, but then Honest Abe came by and took us all the way back. I got to ride in the back of a pickup again but this time it had a cap. He even bought us cokes at McDonalds. Nice off the trail Trail Magic. Honest Abe kept calling me "the minister" and I didn't know what he meant. I think he may have thought that I was Striders' wife as she is a minister. HA!Ate another large cheeseburger and went back to the cabin to check my pocket e-mail. Many great messages from folks. Thanks everyone!! The most touching came from my sisters' friend Karon. Her message really lifted my spirits. Thanks Karon - your words helped alot. Later while doing laundry I hung out with Joe from Kentucky. He's here with his son for fishing and kayaking. He had a bottle of Wild Turkey and we put a dent in it with some ginger ale. Thanks Joe - I think that I'm going to get a platypus bottle to take some with me. Would be good to have a nip before crawling into the sleeping bag each night. Tomorrow its' back on the trail for another day of adventure and going up from 1750 ft. to 4700 ft. Yeah - I love to climb.
Date: 2003-04-09
From: Nantahala River

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: overcast clouds

"Snakes, why does it always have to be snakes.?"         Harrison Ford, Raiders of the Lost Ark.   8:00 AM Slept like a rock at NOC, thanks to Joes' Wild Turkey! Picked up a new backpack cover and poncho at the trail outfitter because of all this !@#%^&* rain we've had. Of course now the sun is peeking through the clouds. Ate a big breakfast of eggs, sausage, biscuits, taters and many cups of coffee. Packing up the beast of a pack and heading UP!!   8;00 PM When I spend my time in pergatory, I know what I will be doing. It will be hiking up Swim Bald. The thing seemed to never end. I knew that today was going to be a big climb, but I didn't realize how big. It was all UP and very strenuous. Saw my first snake today - nearly wet my pants. I startled it and it slithered right out in front of me. I looked at its head - it was'n t triangular - so not poisonous. It was 3 feet long, yellow with black stripes - a garter snake. I also saw a cool bug - looked like a big bright orange ant. Half way out today, I passed a monument to a forrest ranger who died fighting a fire here in 1968. His name was Wade Sutton. This section of the forrest still looked a little thin from the blaze. Tonight at Sassafras Gap, the shelter is full - 16 hikers on 2 levels. I'm on the top level so I hope I don't have to go out to pee at 3 AM. Tomorrow is another day of major elevation changes. Going up to 5600 ft. - down to 3500 and back up again - and it's supposed to rain some more. The forecast was for snow but has been changed to rain. Oh well, no pain, no gain, no Maine.
Date: 2003-04-10
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Stecoah Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: moderate rain

"Well Stanley, this is a fine mess you/ve gotten us into."                  Oliver HardyWhen hikers decide to thru hike from Georgia to Maine, they know there is always the risk of foul weather, encounters with wild animals and most frightening - severe injury. Today one of those fears came true. We all, 16 of us, woke to heavy snow at Sassafras Gap. Most folks headed out of the shelter before 9AM. Strider, myself, Mountain Dancer, John E. Smoke and Viking were last to leave. The 1st mile up to the top of Cheoah Bald, (5000 ft) was very tough. At the top of the overlook we met Scamp who was taking a break, he's an older guy, mid 50s, and was in the shelter with us last night. Scamp headed on and the 5 of us hung a minute or two, smoked & chatted in the fog and snow. We knew that we had a 9 mile hike to the next shelter which would probably be full requiring us to tent out in the snowstorm. Shortly after we crossed Cheoah Bald we heard (3) blasts on a whistle. Then we heard it again. Not good - (3) whistle blasts means someone is in trouble. We quickly hiked another quarter mile and came upon Scamp sitting on the ground in a rhododendrum grove. He had fallen and broken his ankle. Very bad! The closest road off the trail was 6 miles ahead. We made Scamp comfortable and hauled ass to Stecoah Gap in swirling snow and high winds. It was 3 hours till we made it to the gap. Mountain Dancer flagged down a car and used a cell phone. Within 10 minutes an emergency responder showed up. He took Mountain Dancer to town and promised that a car would pick the rest of us up later. On the way into town we heard the emergency crew say that they would take a 4 wheeler up the access road to the top of the bald. We were drenched and freezing. The forecast was now calling for over a foot of snow above 4000 ft. We then decided to hole up at a motel in town. Phillips Motel in Robinsville, NC. The rooms are costing us only $12/night We are now in our warm room drying out our very wet gear. It smells like a wet dog in here however. We will shower, go eat and try to find out what happened to Scamp.
Date: 2003-04-10
From: Robbinsville, NC Phillips Motel

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

"Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. The fearful are caught as often as the bold."         Helen Keller We just got word from Scamp. The emergency responders arrived at his location on the trail at about 3:30 PM. He got down from the mountain at 6:30 PM and was taken to Swaim County Medical Center. Therefore he was on the trail for over 6 hours with the broken ankle. X Rays were read while we were on the phone with him. His ankle is broken in 3 places. He will require surgery and have pins and screws put in place to help healing, The worst part is that this is his second time trying to thru-hike the AT. Last year at almost the same place, he sprained the same ankle. Today was his second day on the trail. He started at Tellico Gap 2 days ago. We told him to skip this part of the trail next year. Glad to hear that he will be OK. Its' a bummer though. Life on the AT is very hard.It's important to enjoy every second on and off the trail no matter how rough - because life can be short.
Date: 2003-04-11
From: Robbinsville, NC

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

"He who limps is still walking."                        Stanislaw J. Lec   A zero day at the Phillips Motel in Robinsville, NC. Threatening weather and the post office hours have left the 5 of us with a zero day. The weather looked terrible so instead of another wet, cold miserable day and the timing of our arrival at Fontanna Dam on saturday afternoon when the post office would be closed, we decided another day here would be best. Reba, the owner of the motel very genorously said that I could borrow her car to do errands, etc. I was dumbfounded when she handed me keys to a new Mercedes E320. Strider and I decided to drive to Fontana Dam and the post office. I got my 17 lb. bounce box, drop box from Mom & Dad, and a surprise from cousins Kathy & Woode & daughters Kristin & Kaitlyn. Inside their box was a box of Little Debbies, peanut butter M&Ms and some neat drawings from the girls. I plan to carry them with me through out the hike. I love to get mail!! Hint, hint. Next mail drop is Hot Springs, NC. We have just finished dinner at the motel. We went to Ingles and got hamburger, cheese, rolls, chips, salad and lit up the barbie. We raided Wendys for lettuce/tomato/onions forks & napkins. Dinner of double cheeseburgers cost us each $4 bucks. Spoke to Scamp earlier. He was recovering from surgery and will be able to hike again in 8 to 10 weeks. He called his mother in New Jersey but she can't get down to pick him up. He plans to take a bus back. We also found out that 2/3 & 3/3 are holed up in Hot Springs for 3 to 4 weeks. 2/3s recovered from her bronchitis after 5 days in Franklin. They then jumped ahead to the Smokies but 3/3 caught pneumonia and they will have to lay low in a motel. Their house is rented through October so I guess they are stuck until they can start to hike again. We will look them up when we get to Hot Springs. Tomorrow the emergency responders will take us back up to Stecoah Gap and we'll be hiking north again. Finally back to the trail.
Date: 2003-04-12
From: Stecoah Gap

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

"Experience is a good teacher - but she sends terrific bills."                  Minna Antrim We got dropped off at Stecoah Gap by a member of the Sherrifs dept. and we were hiking by 10 AM. Finally a sunny warm day. Not a cloud in the sky and about 70 degrees. Excellent hiking weather. A wicked 800 ft. straight up greeted us - then excellent gentle hiking the rest of the afternoon. We rolled into Cable Gap shelter around 4:00. Took 2 (30) minute breaks along the way. My knees are starting to really feel it coming down hills. I have to remember to slow down coming down - otherwise my pace is good. I move very well once my pace kicks in. I'm starting to fly uphills and not realize it. We (still Strider, John E. Smoke, Viking, Mountain Dancer and I) were the first to arrive here at the shelter and now at 9PM there are at least 25 people here!.I am tenting under a big old Hemlock tree right near a creek (water source). Its very peaceful on this star filled moonlit night.
Date: 2003-04-13
From: Cable Gap Shelter

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

" To different minds, the same world is a hell or a heaven."                     Ralph Waldo Emerson   The hike out of Cable gap was pretty much straight up for 2 1/2 miles. Immediately I began to feel serious pain in both knees, shins and calves. I need to do better stretching before starting out. I also have continued pain under my left kneecap going downhill. Mountain Dancers' knee is also bothering her so we took up the rear. We got to Fontana Dam around quarter to one and waited 40 minutes for a shuttle to Fontana Village. Not much going on in this resort area but I did manage to get some ice cream. I've been craving it since we left Robinsville. I also picked up some new inserts for my boots - we'll see how they work. Jeff from the Hike Inn picked Strider and I up around 3:00 and I hopped in the shower immediately. Amazing how bad I smelled after 2 days - I should be deadly by August. Jeff and Nancy, of the Hike Inn, did our laundry and took us to Bryson City, (40 miles) for dinner. Chinese buffet! They had coconut chicken and BEER!! I ate a mountain of food, 2 beers and more ice cream. Scamp is supposed to be coming here tonight! It'll be great seeing him. His brother drove down from New Jersey to pick him up so he won't have to take the bus back home with his broken ankle. Thanks to Jim who signed my guest book concerning his where abouts! Well chores to be done - the Smokies begin tomorrow! I hear that there is still 6 to 8 inches of snow up there in some places. Yikes! The 5 of us, still the same 5, plan to hike together to Gatlinburg, TN. - home of Dolly Parton & Dollywood. For kicks I might hang my panties from the sign and pose for a picture! Just like Graceland! Just kidding folks! I really appreciate the interest and support from all the friends, cousins, aunts & uncles who have been following my trek on Trail Journsls. Thanks!!!(Note from Margies' dad - she had an operation on her right knee a few years ago when she tore the anterior cruciate ligament playing in a touch football league. )