morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2006-03-19
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Justus Creek Campsites
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: broken clouds

Did not get to Gooch Gap today. By the time I hit Justus Creek, my body was screaming "STOP!"But once again I was tenting near a flowing stream, with a lot of nice campsites. It is supposed to rain starting tonight, so we'll see how that goes.I'm really tired tonight, so will fix dinner and go to bed.See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-03-20
From: Justus Creek Campsites

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: moderate rain

Today was very cold and windy. It started raining about 2:30 last night, but mostly just spritzed. About 6 we had a fairly hard shower. I watched the water beading up on the outside of my Tarptent and made bets with myself which water drop would roll down the side first. I'm easy to amuse, LOL!When the rain slacked off, I ate some cold breakfast, broke camp and headed out, because I wanted to make Woody Gap tonight, and take a zero in Dahlonega tomorrow. The folks at the Hostel make a daily pickup at Woody Gap at 5.All day was very cold and windy, but at least it only spit a little rain from time to time. Arrived at Woody Gap around 3. By 5 when Paul (Ole Man) came to pick us up, there were five of us, huddled in the shelter of a (locked) restroom. It had been raining hard for over an hour and the weather was steadily getting colder. All of us were really close to hypothermia by the time 5 p.m. rolled around. Unfortunately, the Hostel was full, so Paul took us to a motel. I'll move to the Hostel in the morning, because the motel is more expensive than I want to spend, plus the Hostel is nicer!I have a blister (the one that started on Springer) the size of one of the smaller European countries on my left heel. It had not been bothering me until today. The zero day will do me good...See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-03-26
From: Woody Gap

To: Dahlonega
Miles today: 0.0

Finally I am ready to get back on the trail in the morning. My blister-from-hell is mostly healed, the weather is warming up a little, and I've been itching to hike.In the morning the fine folks from the hostel will drop me off at Woody Gap where I left the trail almost a week ago, and I will hike to Neel's Gap over two days, in hopes that my new boots will be there when I arrive.The stay here at the hostel has been most enjoyable. Josh and Leigh, and their able assistants Paul and Jamie have been wonderful. Not to mention Maggie the dog...The next update will be coming from the trail via pocketmail transcribed by my sister Peggy. Thanks, Sis! And thanks to all who have been following my journal and leaving entries in the guestbook. I appreciate all!For those who are planning on sending items to my maildrops, please note that I am approximately 2 weeks behind the schedule I had posted...See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-03-27
From: Woody Gap

To: Jarrard Gap campsites
Miles today: 5.6

Today was an absolutely glorious day for hiking. It was sunny, cool, with a very light breeze. Saw lots of people on the trail today, all of them faster than me, LOL. I had intended to get to Wood's Hole shelter tonight, but was tired when I got here and it's a lovely campsite. Two of my hiker friends, Weeks and Harley Hogpit, stayed here one cold night last week and got rescued by Josh from the Hiker Hostel the next morning. Luckily,the weather is great today. For those who want to know "Have you seen a bear yet?", the answer is that the largest non-human animal I've seen is a robin...The trail is wonderful, very rugged at times with steep ups and downs. It's very early spring here, with the trees still bare and small wildflowers just starting to bloom. There was even snow in shady places today, but none on the actual trail.See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-03-28
From: Jarrard Gap campsites

To: Wood's Hole Shelter
Miles today: 1.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Obviously today was a very short day! Not quite as short as it sounds, because the shelter is 0.4 miles off the Trail. You pass the spring about half way there, and I had to go back for water (though without my pack). It rained a little during the night, and this morning was cold, damp, and foggy. I needed to stop in at Wood¢s Hole anyway to resupply with water, so decided to stay here in the shelter in hopes of having a clear day tomorrow to do Blood Mountain, the highest mountain on the Trail so far, supposedly with great views.Fixed a nice hot lunch (Mountain House Lasagna) then crawled into my sleeping bag to warm up. Read for a bit, napped a little. Late in the afternoon a young man named Patrick came in. Patrick is a third year medical student in Atlanta, out hiking on spring break. He hopes to become a surgeon. I told him he was much too nice a guy to be a surgeon, LOL!!Then just at dusk a hiker (name missing from notes) came in. He¢s a really interesting guy by the trail name of Dirtnap who looks a lot like the popular depictions of Jesus, with long brown hair and beard, carrying a long wooden staff, and dressed in loose-fitting white shirt and pants that in the twilight from a distance, looks like robes. He has hiked much of the Trail, though not the northern section. Says he prefers the southern Appalachians. For my friends at work, he says he was a 32 week preemie!So tonight it¢s just the three of us here. Time to get the food hung from the bear cables, and crawl into the sleeping bag because it is just about ¢hiker midnight¢ or the time it gets dark. We sleep very long hours out here, but are up at first light, fixing breakfast, packing up and hiking.See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-03-29
From: Wood's Hole Shelter

To: NeelÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Gap Hostel
Miles today: 3.7

Had another fabulous day today. Clear, sunny, quite warm. I was even able to remove a couple of layers of clothes. Would have removed more, but couldn¢t figure out where to put them if I wasn¢t wearing them. I¢ll have to work on that. . .Blood Mountain was almost everything I had heard about it. The climb up to the top was not too bad, the views from the top were wonderful. They say that you can see Springer from here but since it didn¢t have a big sign on the top, I have no idea which one it was! I stopped on the rocky summit and rested in the sunshine for almost an hour, and talked with a couple who had done a thru-hike twenty some years ago when they were young marrieds with no kids. Their kids are out of the house now, so they are hiking more again. Wish I had gotten their names. . .The climb down was interesting. Very steep in places, with some walking on slickrock (which is not slick) and some rock scrambles where using hands to pull up, or sitting down on the rock and easing down were my main ways of going. Is this what is called ¢hiking by the seat of your pants¢?By the time I got to Walasi-Yi at Neels Gap, my feet were sore, I was ready to take off my boots, put on my camp shoes, get a shower, and do my laundry. While my laundry was in the machines I picked up my new hiking boots from the outfitters here. They fit great; we¢ll see how they do on the trail! It¢s nice to have shoes that were actually designed for female feet!I¢m zero'ing here tomorrow then setting out again. My next update will be from Hiawassee. They say 25% of hikers who start a thru-hike at Springer have dropped out by this point on the Trail, so I¢m glad to still be here and still be having fun.See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-03-30
From: NeelÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Gap Hostel

To: Neel's Gap Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Lazy day today. I am taking a zero in Neels Gap at the Walasi-Yi hostel (taking a zero means no trail miles hiked, but lots of running around if in town). Here there is no town to run around in, so all I've been doing is talking to people and wandering up to the outfitters now and then to drool over gear. The Walasi-Yi center is a historical monument and the only place that the AT goes through a building.We (meaning all of us who stayed in the hostel)didn't get a lot of sleep last night because Dirtnap was sick and vomiting all night. He moved to some cabins that are near here today. Sure hope he feels better soon.Met an interesting older couple from South Africa, Spindleshanks and Slowcoach, who are over here to do a thru-hike. They have hiked extensively all over the world since he retired from his medical practice 9 years ago.Back on the trail in the morning, heading toward Unicoi Gap and Hiawassee. See you on the trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-03-31
From: NeelÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Gap Hostel

To: Camp near Whitley Gap
Miles today: 6.7

Had a lovely day of hiking today, nice weather today, growing cloudy in the late afternoon, but by the time I stopped I was more than ready to stop. The Whitley Gap shelter is 1.2 miles off the Trail,and a surprising number of people were headed there, so when I found a nice campsite I stopped and set up my tent and cooked dinner. Doubt that I will stay up very late tonight!Received trail magic twice today! First time I met three women in my age range who were day-hiking, and they invited me to share their lunch, so got cheese and fresh fruit, and European chocolate. Then later in the day, there were 2 couples, one with a 10 year old daughter, and both with dogs, who were having picnic on Cowrock Mtn. We spoke when I passed their picnic site, then they passed me coming down into Tesnatee Gap. Their cars were parked in the gap parking area, and they treated me to more fresh fruit, other snacks, and also gave me a bottle of water. They were very interested in my journey, one of the women had a video camera on me for quite a while, and both women tried on my pack and were amazed that I was hiking carrying all that weight.I also took my first fall of the hike, while I was standing there talking to them. I "did a turtle", falling over backwards onto my pack. Visualize a turtle flipped onto its back... The only thing hurt was my pride!It's starting to sprinkle a little bit, so I'll stop for now.See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-04-01
From: Camp near Whitley Gap

To: Low Gap shelter
Miles today: 4.4
Weather: light rain

Just one word for last night -- WET! The weather forecast was for scattered showers, but it absolutely poured for about 6 hours. I thought about going into town to dry out, but the weather cleared towards morning and by the time I broke camp, the sun was shining and it was beautiful, so I took a short day to the next shelter, where I hung my sleeping bag from the bear cables, spread my tent out to dry, and hung other damp stuff from various trees and bushes. So everything is dry now and I'm staying in the shelter tonight.People met today include the Mudboggers, two brothers who are hiking the trail together. They look like twins, but one is older by 7 years. They had an interesting disagreement about toilet paper that I eavesdropped on. It seems that one of the guys uses it a sheet at a time, and the other likes to use whole handfuls of the stuff. TP is more precious than gold out here on the trail...It's getting dark and time for bed...See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-04-02
From: Low Gap shelter

To: Blue Mountain shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: broken clouds

Today was the first day I actually walked in rain,but the weather was so warm I didn't even put on my rain gear, but instead just got wet. I did put my pack cover on though, so everything else would stay dry. When it is warm, you get just as wet if you put on rain clothes, because they make you sweat so much.The Trail the first part of the day was lovely: smooth and relatively rock-free, with only gentle ups and downs. The rain started around noon, but it was still pleasant walking. It is early spring here in the mountains, and the trees are just beginning to bud, and there are violets blooming, and a pretty white flower with a yellow center that gives a cheerful greeting as you pass.About two miles before the shelter, the trail changed. It became very rocky, in places just a rock scramble. Remember, it's still raining. When it rains, rocks get slick... I had my low point (not talking altitude here) about then. I came across a rock scramble that just seemed impossible. Visualize me whimpering to myself "I don't think I can do it." Luckily, another hiker, Girl Hobo, came along to encourage me, and it wasn't as bad as I had feared. Funny about that, a lot of fears are mostly in your imagination.Finally got to the shelter, and by some miracle there was still room in the shelter. Usually when the weather is bad or even iffy, the shelters fill up. Girl Hobo is here, as are the Mudboggers, and quite a few others. Tomorrow I get to Unicoi Gap, and I am going in to the Blueberry Patch Hostel and maybe taking a zero day there.See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-04-03
From: Blue Mountain shelter

To: Unicoi Gap (Hiawassee)
Miles today: 2.2
Weather: light rain

It was a nice hike today down to Unicoi Gap. I was really glad to be in the shelter last night, because a thunderstorm blew in about 5 this morning, with wind and driving rain. A lot of people who tented last night were really wet this morning. The problem with a level campsite is that when it rains, it becomes a lake...The hike down the mountain was pleasant,because I waited until the sunshine had time to dry the Trail a little since I knew I was only going to Unicoi Gap. A nice couple whose daughter is hiking gave me a ride to Hiawassee, where I found that the Blueberry Patch hostel is full.So I am at the Hiawassee Inn, a motel that caters to thru-hikers. They give shuttles to the Trail and dinner, plus it has easy access to the supermarket, the drug store, and the library, where I went online and checked my guestbook. The motel owners, Ron and Sam, give you something to wear while you do laundry, offer you a beer or soda on arrival, and in general are wonderful gracious hosts.To answer a question I was asked about mailing me stuff: Look at the left side of the screen under "maildrops". It tells where I will be picking up mail and the approximate dates I will be doing so. I did update it as I am pretty far behind my original schedule. So mail out those chocolate chip cookies and brownies (sorry, Darcy, I'll pass on the stun gun, LOL!).I have now completed,albeit slowly, 50.5 miles of the Trail. Only 2,124.1 miles to go!See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-04-04
From: Unicoi Gap (Hiawassee)

To: Hiawassee
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Zero day in Hiawassee.While actually I hiked no trail miles today, I did do some walking around, to the grocery store, the library, etc.Then this afternoon I had to go see an optometrist. Several days ago I lost one of the lens out of my glasses. Don't know where I lost it; just know I pulled into a shelter and when I tried to read the register, I had trouble focusing. That's when I noticed the lens was missing. I had hoped to get Georgia Eye (where I got my last glasses prescription) to just send me a new pair. But since my prescription was more than a year old they would not refill it. So I got shuttled to the eye docter about 5 miles up the road and got new glasses. At least they put them in the old frames and I got same-day service!Ron and Sam have a hiker helping them out with shuttles and so forth during their busy season. His trail name is Hong Kong, because that's where he lives when he isn't hiking the AT.Back on the Trail in the morning.See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-04-05
From: Unicoi Gap (Hiawassee)

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 5.5
Weather: broken clouds

Today was a day of major climbs and descents. We started at 2,950 feet at Unicoi Gap, then climbed to Rocky Mountain at 3,810 feet, then dropped back down to 3,115 feet at Indian Grave Gap, then climbed to 4,950 feet at Tray Mountain, then down to the Tray Mountain shelter at 4,200 feet. And that doesn't count all the "little" ups and downs.In spite of that, it was a very good day of hiking, and when I got to the shelter, I felt like I could have gone on, but not the four miles further that some trail friends were planning to do, so I am staying at and in the shelter. It is a lovely evening, and most of the folks opted to tent, so there are only 2 of us sleeping in the shelter.See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-04-06
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Deep Gap shelter
Miles today: 7.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a lot harder than yesterday, but I think is was mostly in my head. It started with a long down off of Tray Mountain. then easy ups and downs. When I came upon a campsite with a sign indicating a water source, I decided I must be at Sassafras Gap, 4 miles into the day, and the first water source after the shelter listed in my guidebook. This in spite of the fact that meant I was moving at about twice my usual speed. Hope springs eternal, LOL!It was another hour or so before I knew for certain that it wasn't Sassafras Gap back there, and that I was still traveling at my usual 1 mph pace...The hking day ended with a steep and rugged climb up Kelly Knob at 4,275 feet from Addis Gap at 3,310 feet, and then a descent to 3,550 feet at the Deep Gap shelter. Needless to say, I was pooped when arrived at the shelter.But there was still room to stay in the shelter, and a great surprise. Preacher Dude, an evangelical minister from Savannah was set up there doing trail magic. He fixed a seafood stew for supper, plus had cold sodas, potato chips, fresh fruit, blueberry bagels with cream cheese, etc. for us to chow down on. He is also fixing breakfast in the morning!This is a beautiful, fairly new shelter with a loft, sleeping 12, more in a pinch. There are 12 in the shelter tonight, and we aren't crowded.And this morning as I was packing up, getting ready to leave Tray Mountain, a young woman came into the shelter area, and we talked. Turned out that she is a trail personality that I knew from other journals, Hippie Longstockings. A delightful young woman in her early 30's.Tomorrow I go into Hiawassee again, this time from Dick's Creek Gap.See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-04-07
From: Deep Gap shelter

To: Dick's Creek Gap (Hiawassee)
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: clear sky

Left the shelter this morning after a breakfast of oatmeal, bacon, polish sausage, scrambled eggs with cheese, coffee and fresh fruit. Only problem was, it started way too early! Preacher Dude, for whatever reason, started fixing breakfast at 5AM. Most hikers start their day when it gets light, and that was about 90 minutes too early. But we certainly enjoyed the breakfast and got an earlier start than usual on our hiking day.By 11 AM I was to Dick's Creek Gap. We got a ride to Hiawassee from the woman from Cloud 9, a new hostel here, although neither of us she gave rides to were staying there.I'm back at the Hiawassee Inn, and there are 30 hikers staying here tonight, a new record for them. The weather is supposed to be very bad tonight, with rain, wind, and damaging hail, so the lot of us are very glad to be inside.I plan on taking another zero tomorrow, and hitting the Trail to Franklin the next day.See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-04-08
From: Dick's Creek Gap (Hiawassee)

To: Hiawassee
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Zero day in Hiawassee.Just taking it easy today. About half the people who were here hiked back out this morning, and the rest decided to wait another day. The weather tomorrow is supposed to be clear, but quite a bit cooler than it has been.Today, Hong Kong was shuttling a hiker (Mister Blister) up to NOC, so three of us went along for the ride. I'm so glad I did. I ran into Stumpknocker, who I met at the SORUCK, and who this year is hiking the International Appalachian Trail, which starts in Key West and ends at the tip of the Gaspe Peninsula in Canada. He was off the trail for about 4 weeks after he broke his left upper arm in a fall, but is now hiking again, though not using that arm much yet. I highly recommend any of his trail journals for a great entertaining read.Then I ran into Kiwi, who I met at the hostel in Dahlonega. He is a New Zealander who started with a 74 pound pack, and came off the trail at Woody Gap to lighten up.There were several other hikers I knew there, but I am so terrible with names...Most surprisingly, I ran into a friend and co-worker, Jean. She and her hubby were camping with their motorcycles, and just came to NOC for lunch. It was wonderful to see her! What are the chances?Tomorrow I'll be back on the Trail, and by this time day after tomorrow I'll be in North Carolina, my first new state. Next update in about a week from Franklin.See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-04-09
From: Dick's Creek Gap (Hiawassee)

To: Plumorchard shelter
Miles today: 4.3
Weather: clear sky

What a perfect day for hiking! This morning was pretty cold; HongKong had to scrape frost off the shuttle van this morning. But it warmed up nicely. The only problem when the day starts off cold and then warms up is that you need several layers of clothes to start, then need to start taking layers off. To remove a layer of clothes, you need to remove your pack, so that means I need to be at either a large log or rock so that I can get the pack back on. Then you have to figure out where to put the piece of clothing you removed. That can be a challenge!The shelter here is beautiful. It is triple level and could easily sleep over 20 people. There are 11 people here right now, but it isn't quite 6 PM yet, so more may be coming in yet.Still have seen no wildlife, but I have hopes that we'll see some soon.Tomorrow I get to North Carolina!See you on the Trail!granny franny
Date: 2006-04-10
From: Plumorchard shelter

To: Muskrat Creek shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: clear sky

Welcome to North Carolina!North Carolina provided a brutal welcome with a couple of very steep ups, so everyone was dragging into the shelter area. Almost all the register entries mentioned the difficulty of the trail so far in North Carolina. Maybe it will get easier. But it felt like quite an accomplishment to get Georgia finished and a new state started. Only 12 more states to go!The word of the day is ITCH. I had some smoked oysters on crackers yesterday (life on the trail is just full of deprivations, LOL), and I don't know if I've suddenly become allergic to oysters, or if there was a preservative used that I reacted to, but about an hour after I ate I broke out in hives. The itching is ferocious, and scratching just makes it worse, but you can't help but scratch. There is a couple camping here, she is a chiropractor. She gave me some sort of naturopathic antihistamine and did a acupressure treatment, I've been popping Benadryl, someone else gave me some Benadryl topical gel, and still I itch. Sure hope it's better tomorrow!There were some lovely views today, and there is a oddly gnarled oak tree right about at the state line. Everyone, and I am no exception, takes a picture of the tree. I bet there are thousands of gnarled tree pictures out there!See you on the Trail!granny franny