morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-10-28
From: Spiveys's Gap

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

October 28 BK- Kurtis and LB are hiking alone now. Brandy and Bob left them to jump to Hot Springs and meet up with friends. LB was jealous as the two left them hiking on in the rain. They may meet again in Hot Springs later.There is 3 days of snow in the forecast. The wind will be between 30-40 miles per hour. Temperatures will be in the 20's at night. It won't be a good time to be on a mountain. Evan is on call if there is a problem and they need to come out.Today they will pass Shelton Graves. This is a spot where two Union soldiers were returning home and were ambushed by Confederate forces. Most folks forget that this part of the South was very anti-slavery and anti-secesionest. Families from the same towns fought each other on both sides. Murder and retribution tore the area apart. No person could be nuetral.
Date: 2012-10-29
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Johnson City, TN
Miles today: 0.0

October 29 BK- I¢m sure that folks from the East Coast would have traded their hurricane forecast for the rain/snow plus high winds that Kurtis and LB ran into. A message I left on their phone warned them about the impending weather. Just as they got the call the weather turned bad. Soaking wet they backtracked to a road. Hypothermia is a scary killer that lurks in the hills waiting for the combination of wet, cold and high winds.Kurtis¢s brother Evan was on the spot to pick up his brother, sister in law and another hiker who had hurt her leg. Evan and Laura opened their home to the three who will sit out the worst of the storm. They will rejoin the trail as soon as they can. With my father in surgery and my older brother hunkered down in a hurricane I¢m glad I have one thing less to worry about.
Date: 2012-10-30
From: Johnson City, TN

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Kurtis & LB HERE--We don't get a chance to look at the Trail Journals often; however, today we have had a lot of time to look at every guestbook entry, the entire photo album, and every trail journal BK has posted. We are at Evan & Laura's waiting the bad weather to pass through. Evan & Laura picked us up yesterday, and are so happy that they dropped everything to pick us up immediately. We wanted to say thank you to everyone's words of encouragement on the guestbook! It helps us tremendously. It brings big smiles to our faces, and gives us strength to finish this journey. We'll be home soon!!!Love Always,Kurtis & LB
Date: 2012-10-31
To: Allen Gap NC 208/TN 70
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

10-31 Kurtis & LB Here: The days & nights at Evan & Laura's house have been wonderful! We feel recharged & ready to face whatever the trail has to offer. We are having Evan drop us off at Allen Gap, NC 208/TN 70 either tonight or tomorrow morning depending on his work schedule. We feel like the last 300 miles of the trail may prove to be the hardest with heavy winter packs & cold weather affecting our hike. Nonetheless, we are looking forward to more great views, and interesting folks to meet along the way. The news we received this morning regarding Poppop (Kurtis' Grandfather) have greatly bolstered our spirits as well! We love him, and look forward to his homecoming soon. Thanks for all the support we've received. Let's bring it on home for the BIG WIN!xoxoxoKEK & LBK
Date: 2012-11-01
From: Allen Gap NC 208/TN 70

To: Hot Springs?
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

11/1 BK- Got a call from Kurtis and LB. Snow getting deeper and lots of trees down. Tough going as the snow gets deeper. According to Kurtis there was only coyote tracks on the AT. Not sure if they will make it to Hot Springs. LB struggling with the snow.
Date: 2012-11-02
From: Hot Springs?

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 36.0
Weather: scattered clouds

11/2 BK- Two very tired and cold hikers stumbled into Hot Springs, NC on Thursday. This on its own is not a big deal in Hot Springs which is a Trail Town usually full of hikers. The trail actually goes through the middle of town. What is so unusual is that the town hadn¢t seen an AT hiker in three days due to the storm. There was no information to be had on the trail through the Smokey Mountain National Park.Kurtis and LB fought their way through the knee high snow in shorts and sneakers. The crust on the snow was especially tough on LB because she couldn¢t punch through it well being so light. They saw three bears and some coyotes, but no other hikers nor any human tracks in the 15 miles they hiked. Downed trees littered the trail from the high windsThey have 36 miles to the entrance to the National Park at Davenport Gap. Let¢s hope the warm temps will melt the snow and Park officials let them through. They will need a permit to enter. There was 32 inches of snow on Mount LeConte. Losing three days to the storm has pushed their arrival past Thanksgiving. Waiting for the park to open could really push them back. 274 miles to go.
Date: 2012-11-03
From: Hot Springs

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

11/3 BK- Kurtis and LB spent a frustrating day trying to find the best way to finish their hike. I knew they were in trouble when I called the Great Smokey Mountain National Park office and asked if they are allowing people in to the park to hike. The Ranger¢s answer was that he couldn¢t stop them but he had at least 10 people that they had to rescue that day from the trails. The snow was 3¢ in places, blown down trees blocked the trail, and what snow had melted only refroze at night leaving a treacherous path. He suggested crampons and ice axes as necessary equipment. This is the kind of thing you hear on the Pacific Crest Trail or the CDT out west, but not on the AT in North Carolina. Information was coming in from many sources in Hot Springs and phone calls to hostels on the AT. Kurtis heard that a large group of well equipped SOBOS left Hot Springs Friday to make the 36 mile trek over Max Patch to I-40. They made it 8 miles and had to turn back. Another group quit after a few miles, walked out via a Forest Service Road and called for a shuttle. One of their fellow SOBOs that they had passed several times, SOLO had to be extracted by helicopter. Read story at http://www.newsobserver.com/2012/11/02/2457235/appalachian-trail-hiker-trapped.htmlAll of this left us with the realization that even though temperatures were going to warm up to the 60¢s at the lower altitudes, slow melting snow and ice would still be there at the 5,000 foot heights of the trail. It would be dangerous, they would have to buy some better boots, and the going would be slow. A decision was made to bypass the GSMP and pick the trail up at Fontana Dam. They would hike to the Southern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain GA, then catch a ride back up to the GSMP and finish the last 80 miles. Better to make good time on good trail than to struggle for days on dangerous trails or wait out the snowmelt. The clock is ticking.A good friend from our church, Doug Miller, had forwarded the name of his brother in law who lives in Greenville, TN just in case the kids needed anything while in the area. An email to Ned Sanders got the ball rolling for a shuttle to Fontana Dam. Ned is the president of the Greenville Hiking Club. He is a veteran long distance hiker. The Club does lots of service work in the area and helps out hikers all the time. He offered to pick up Kurtis and LB on Saturday morning and haul them to Fontana Dam. He is also carrying Bob and Brandy who reunited with Kurtis and LB while in Hot Springs. The kindness of strangers never ceases to amaze me. Thanks to Ned for this help. At the end of their hike the kids have little money and planned to hitch hike. But anyone who knows the area could tell you it would have taken days.
Date: 2012-11-04
From: Fontana Dam

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

11/4 BK- Well after hearing all the reports from the Trail I guess the kids made the right decision. The problem now is that the end of the trail will not be at Springer Mountain. This happens to folks on the Trail all the time. Last year Irene tore up the trail in Vermont and NH so the late NOBOs had to return after the snow melted. We had great visions of sitting with a bottle of champagne and toasting the completion of this great journey. Now I will have to take them back to Fontana Village for the last 108 miles back to Hot Springs. The Trail will be finished but not in the traditional sense. They were Flip-floppers anyway. Now they are Flip-flop-flip hikers. I¢m guessing December 8th for the final day?Ned Sanders dropped the kids off around 11:00 at Fontana Dam. Thanks again Ned. None of us realized what a long trip it was for you. At the Dam they met up with trail angels Diane and Lamar (Hopeful) who were waiting for thru hikers with a home cooked meal. NOBODY was coming out of GSMP. The kids made use of the hospitality of the good folks who cooked for them and headed south. They should be back to the same place in two weeks.As the kids left out they looked to the Smokey Mountains one more time. Even though it was 65 degrees and they were in shirt sleeves with shorts, the Smokies were white as far as they could see. Lets hope there is some melting while they are gone.
Date: 2012-11-05
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: scattered clouds

11/5 Kurtis and LB hiked the 15 miles over Stecoah Gap and Cheoah Bald to Sassafras Gap Shelter. The mountains felt a little tougher. Kurtis had a stomach bug and now LB has picked it up too. There is nothing worse than being sick while camping out. Both are recovering but its hard to put in long mileage when you don¢t feel good. Could have been the water they pulled from the French Broad River?The kids also figured out that others had skipped the Smokey Mountain National Park. Kurtis and LB have tried to catch up with the Lion Killers for weeks. It was re-assuring that they too had skipped the Park and were ahead of them still.
Date: 2012-11-06
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

11/6 BK- I got a text from the kids while they were at the Nantahala Outdoor Center in Wesser. They made a phone call to Kurtis¢s grandfather who is still recovering in Charlotte. This put a big smile on Pop Pop¢s face.The Nantahala Outdoor Center is where there is a huge rafting operation by the US Forest Service on the Nantahala River. Thousands of people from Florida come up to ride rafts on the controlled flow from the Nantahala Lake. Kurtis had rode the rafts many times there as a scout and as part of the family. Their plan was to hike 2500¢ out of the Nantahala Gorge to Wesser Shelter near Wesser Bald. On the way they will stop off at Jump-up Lookout. They will pass Wesser Bald Lookout Tower Tuesday.132 miles to Springer Mountain, GA. 240 miles total to go. The beauty part of 6 months on the trail is that they have missed ALL of the election advertising and hype.
Date: 2012-11-07
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

11/7 BK Bob and Brandy left Kurtis and LB again. The kids will miss them Its gotten cold and snowy. At noon there was 2¢ of snow on the ground. Feet were getting cold. K&LB wear only trail hiker sneaker boots. They are no match for snow. There was discussion about making gators out of trash bags. They key is staying dry. Everything is packed into a dry bag before putting in a pack. Gloves were a little wet from falling down but most stuff was dry. There is a chance of a little more snow mixed with rain on Wednesday.Kurtis and LB will stop in at Franklin, NC today for resupply. Not sure how far they plan to go. Kurtis is planning on arriving at Springer Mountain on November 16.
Date: 2012-11-08
From: Stealth site short of Siler Bald Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

11/8 BK- Another snow storm has added to the misery some. It was a wet snow that forced the kids into their wet tent short of Siler Bald Shelter. Feet are wet and cold and the cold rain/snow mix brought on a chill that was hard to get rid of without a campfire.They could hear the wet snow start again on Tuesday night.The kids hitch hiked into Franklin, NC from Winding Stair Gap on US 64. Kurtis bought a new set of long johns for the rest of the trip. His old ones had too many holes from climbing over boulders. They were right behind the Lion Killers again. It would be good to catch up with more people.Because the kids wear ¢Lite Hiker¢ type shoes they have little waterproofing on their feet. They now put their feet in sandwich bags inside their wet shoes. Wet socks will be hung around their necks to dry like my father did in Europe during World War II. The kids are ready to end this hike. It will be 6 months to the day when they hit Springer Mountain next week. The toughest part will be the ride back up to Great Smokey Mountain Park to finish the last 108 miles.
Date: 2012-11-09
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Beech Gap
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

11/9 BK- Today the kids will cross into what was supposed to be their last state, Georgia. Due to the Halloween snowstorm they will have to double back to Smokey Mountain National Park later. But for now they have 90 miles to go to Springer Mountain.Both Kurtis and LB were very happy in the warm weather. They were making good mileage in the Standing Indian area of North Carolina. Views were good and the snow was gone. They will push hard to reach Springer on November 17th. Balancing re-supply stops with needs are like pit stops on NASCAR. You don¢t want to take to many pit stops that will slow you down but you don¢t want to run out of gas either.
Date: 2012-11-10
From: Beech Gap

To: Plum Orchard Gap
Miles today: 16.0

11/10 BK ¢ Kurtis and LB hiked into Georgia today. It¢s always a good thing to get a state past them. They have officially crossed the 2,000 mile mark. Weather was good, the trail was good and they were pushing hard. They passed Chunky Gal Mountain Trail. Kurtis and I hiked this trail when he was a kid. The mountain is named after an Indian princess that ran off with a warrior from another tribe. Today they will re-supply at Hiawassee, GA. This town is on the TVA owned Lake Chatuge. Kurtis spent allot of time there too as a kid water skiing and swimming.They have moved up their arrival date at Springer Mountain to Friday night. We will spend the night at Springer and then head back into North Carolina to Fontana Dam. 74 miles to go to Springer Mountain. 110 miles to go altogether.
Date: 2012-11-11
From: Plum Orchard Gap

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: overcast clouds

11/11 BK- The kids are making good time. I am scheduled to pick them up on Friday the 16th. The good weather and better trails have given them some miles in the bank. They will resupply in Helen, GA on Sunday. Only some rain on Monday and Tuesday could slow them down.A resident and former thru-hiker, Tater, offered them a ride down the mountain and a night in his cabin. Kurtis and LB declined the kind offer to make better time towards Springer Mountain. Finishing the trail has taken priority.
Date: 2012-11-12
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Helen GA
Miles today: 8.0

11/12 BK- Kurtis and LB called from Helen GA. They got a room at a motel for the night after 8 miles. They spent time buying food one more time for the push south. There was a Civil War reenactment in town as well as other events. People had a parrot contest. Dogs walked around with parrots on their back. Houses had a Bavarian look of gingerbread houses. In all it was a fun little tourist trap.Although they will come to the end of the AT at Springer Mountain this week their minds are on the 108 miles of trail they missed in the Smokey Mountain National Park and TN. Kurtis and LB have been hiking with one of the few thru hikers (if not the only one) who made it through the Smokies named Anchor. He spoke of the deep snow with 4¢ drifts and lost trails. A warm week has passed since they left there and there is great hope that most of the snow will have melted. There will always be some snow left at 5,000¢ and the trail goes for at least 20 miles above this altitude.
Date: 2012-11-13
From: Helen GA

To: Low Gap Shelter?
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

11/13 BK- I did not hear from the kids on Monday. I suspect them to be somewhere around Low Gap Shelter or Whitley Gap Shelter. The weather is rainy but will clear up and get close to 60 degrees. They have around 48 miles to Springer Mountain and about 150 miles of trail left.
Date: 2012-11-14
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Whitley Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

11/14 BK- I heard from the kids around 11:30. They had spent the night at Blue Mountain Shelter on Monday after a very short hike of 3 miles. They planned on hiking 16 miles on Tuesday to Whitley Gap Shelter. They will pass Hogpen Gap. The kids are putting in ¢relaxing¢ miles. They plan on crossing into Springer Mountain around noon on Friday. By putting in around 15 miles per day they will have only 8 miles to make on Friday. This will be a bittersweet victory party with the last 108 miles left in the Smokies. Reports from LeConte Lodge and webcams from GSMNP show little or no snow left after the warm temps and rain. Ice is the problem in shady spots.A quick survey of journals by others was very interesting this morning. A report from Scout said the Lion Killers had finished on Tuesday. Kurtis and LB enjoyed the few times they caught up with them. They had two Philmont hikers in the crew. The hiker SOLO from Washington NC who was rescued from the Smokies will start where he left off today and continue on his journey south. Kurtis and LB will pass him again as they again head north. Caboose reported that there were 171 SOBOs checked into Harpers Ferry yesterday. There are many folks still hiking on.
Date: 2012-11-15
From: Whitley Gap Shelter

To: Lance Creek Campsite
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

11/15 BK- I got a couple of texts from LB that they were camped at Lance Creek with Starfish and Sherpa. These are the two Philmont hikers. There were also many other SOBOs at the shelter including, Ken doll, Misery and Snikets. I will probably get to meet most of them on Friday.Blood Mountain was not bad to cross over. After all they have been through the mountains of GA seem small. There¢s a little rain for today but warm weather is expected throughout the week.The MSR stove has died again. Sounds like this time it¢s for good. I will trade out mine for theirs when I see them. No need to eat cold food in the Smoky Mountains. I will also bring more warm clothes.
Date: 2012-11-16
From: Lance Creek Campsite

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

11/16 BK- Got a few texts about how we will meet up at Springer Mountain. Then I got this picture of them with 20 Army Rangers. I¢d like to know how they talked these guys into posing for a picture while on maneuvers. I have the celebratory champagne and beer for the final pose at Springer Mountain. Too bad they have to go back to the Smoky Mountain Park. Hope I can hike some miles with them. On my way
Date: 2012-11-17
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Springer Mountain
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: clear sky

Picked up two happy hikers at 12:30. They had just hiked from Hawk Mountain. we ate some cheese burgers and then we hiked the 1 mile to the top of Springer Mountain. the kids felt very cheated did that they were not finishing that day and had to go back to Smokey Mountain Park. to quote Joe Garagiola it was like kissing your sister. A few other hikers finished that day, including cold beer and another fella wearing sandals. we've got a motel room in Murphy and will hike into the Smokies today
Date: 2012-11-18
From: Fontana Dam

To: Birch Gap
Miles today: 5.0

11/18 BK- On Saturday I hiked in with the kids only 5 miles. That is five miles straight up. We climbed 2,800¢ to Birch Gap campsite. The kids were very gentle with the old man who was trying to keep up with them. I made a lot of stops on the way. It was evident that these two could have left me in the dust. After 2,080 miles they are pro¢s. We passed SOLO along the way. He had re-started the trail after being extracted by a helicopter only a few weeks ago in the deep snow with frozen feet. You got to hand it to a guy who gets back on the trail after such a tough go. Here he is in his 50¢s and setting out again. This was quite an inspiration to an old guy like me. We had a momma bear with two cubs cross the trail ahead of us. I¢m glad they were running away from us. LB said that was bear number 16 for them. A coyote also crossed right in front of us. The deer just would look at you while you walked past. The place was full of the sound of woodpeckers, Owls and squirrels.At the top of a mountain was an old fire tower so the kids just had to climb up in. The old man stayed on terra firma below. You could see much of Fontana Lake and most of the Smoky Mountain Park. When we reached the campsite we settled into supper with a campfire. I was amazed at how the two worked together setting up camp. Little was said as each performed the tasks assigned long ago. They have had 6 months of practice. While LB set up the tent, Kurtis cooked us the same supper he¢s been preparing for most of the time, Pasta Sides with butter. He taught me some tricks with his MSR stove to make it heat faster. They had been using regular gas but when we used the Coleman fuel I brought the thing was like a rocket. . Many stories of the trail and the apprehension of returning home to jobs filled the air. The kids stayed up late,¢¦.till 9:00. During the night we were again visited by bears and deer. The bears disturbed nothing but left a good pile of scat on the trail between the tents. I got so mad at all the racket outside my tent I grabbed my flashlight to confront the offenders. It was only deer. In a National Park backpackers are a pretty easy source of food. Not for Kurtis and LB though because they hung their packs on the bear cables high in the air. The young people who camped nearby left before dawn. Not sure if it was because of the bears that they left early.On Sunday morning we arose and were back on the trail by 8:00. I headed south and watched them walk north. One week and 103 miles to go.
Date: 2012-11-19
From: Derrik Knob Shelter

To: Mount Collins Shelter
Miles today: 55.0
Weather: overcast clouds

11/20 BK The kids made 14 miles up steep mountains on Monday. Please forgive the mileage on the page. I had to reset the counter. They climbed the highest mountain on the AT, Clingmans Dome, at 6,643¢ to Mt. Collins Shelter. They spent the night at a very crowded Derrick Knob Shelter. The shelter had 15 people crammed in so they moved to a tent. The rules for the very well used national park are that only thru-hikers can use the tent sites when the shelters are full.LB said the trails are good with only patches of snow and ice. We are glad that they waited to return after the snow had retreated to hike this very high and cold part of the mountains later. Plans were made for final pick up on Sunday at Hot Springs. They will go to Gatlinburg Tuesday for their last re-supply. They hope one of the trail angles in their AWOL book will be able to pick them up for the long 20 mile trip into town.