morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-03-30
From: Hot Springs NC

To: Stealth Site at 291
Miles today: 16.8

I got up, showered and left the hostel at 6:45. I walked down the stairs that are The Trail in the dark following Mousetrap.  I was going to The Hillbilly Market (seriously), to get a breakfast sandwich and coffee for breakfast. Mission accomplished.  I walked through town and crossed the bridge over the French Broad River. There were several tents along the shore before The Trail made its ascent to Lover¢s Leap.I hiked along for a couple of hours and came across The Professor. We hiked along for a while swapping stories. We ran into a southbound hiker, Sharkey, who started in PA, is hiking to Springer, then flipping back to PA to hike North and planning to hike to Maine, then turn around and hike south back to Springer, a modified yo-yo. I rested at a shelter at about 1:00 and ran into a group of hikers that were slack packing for the day. They were hiking very fast with no weight on their backs. I met back up with them when their packs were returned to them at about 4:00.  I was tired and decided I would carry water so I could have more flexibility with where I stopped. Good call, as at 5:00, I was still a ways away from the next shelter, and it was all uphill. It was sprinkling off and on too, so I found a nice flat spot in the woods and made camp.  I was able to stay mostly dry while setting up and got to bed early, spent, and wanting to stay warm.  At about 3:30, I heard multiple loud gun shots and waited to see if they¢d continue. It wasn¢t raining anymore, and the moon was full, so I thought about getting up and moving out, but as there was no more action, I went back to sleep. As a day Hiker told me a couple days later, ¢this is eastern Tennessee, so it¢s not surprising¢.
Date: 2018-03-31
From: Stealth Site at 291

To: Stealth Site at 304
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: clear sky

I got going right before sunup. My tent had moisture inside from condensation and just after sunrise the temperature must have dropped because within minutes, everything had ice on it. Very strange.  The climb started immediately. This is why I stopped yesterday afternoon. I got to the next shelter and took a pack off break and then continued.I leapfrogged with a day hiker for a while and eventually started up Big Firescald Mountain. There was a bad weather bypass and an exposed ridge line trail. Guess which one I took? It wasn¢t bad weather. Wow! Awesome climb up rock stairs to a narrow peak with huge views into Greenville TN.  The rock ridge was about a mile long and had some sketchy down steps that took a while to negotiate, but slowly, I made it.I got to Jerry Cabin Shelter at about 3:00 PM and decided I¢d keep going up, I cannot lie, Big Butt mountain.  I carried water as I knew I¢d be stealth camping again.  Before and after the actual Butt, there were these beautiful open fields with a green grass road and what looked like cut brambles. It was such a contrast to the woods and the sun being out, just gorgeous.  I found a spot at mile 304 point something and made camp. So, I¢m over 300 now.  I had time to dry my tent and quilt before I needed to get into the tent, which was welcomed.  I got my bear line wrapped around a neighboring tree branch and went to pull it free and it did the loopy thing. I couldn¢t get it down so had to cut off about 6 feet of line and leave it hanging there with my little bag with a stone in it all wrapped up and stuck there. It got chilly at dusk, so I retreated into the warmth of the tent.
Date: 2018-04-01
From: Stealth Site at 304

To: SamÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Gap
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: clear sky

Easter Sunday 4/1 14.6I left camp at at 8:10.  The Trail was pretty easy for the first few miles. Within .2 miles I stopped at The Shelton Graves, which is the grave site of two union soldiers from NC that were ambushed and killed by confederates in The Civil War. It was a beautiful place.  I ran into Buckeye at the first shelter. He was chilling, biding his time to meet his wife for a week of slack packing.I usually time my breaks to the hour and minute that I start hiking, and at 10:05, I told myself I¢d stop at 10:10 to check my progress, have a snack and a drink. At 10:09, I ran into Moonpie, Lyndsey and Bob and they had a tray of cupcakes! They offered me one and I gratefully accepted. They mentioned that at the next road- about a mile- there was more including eggs, and beer. I said it was dangerous to run with a pack on and thanked them and set off. In about 20 minutes I met Mary who had chairs and a whole lot of food and drinks for trail magic. I got a hard boiled egg, a gogurt, Vienna sausage and a PBR. Nothing like a beer at 11:00AM! Thank you Trail Angels! Happy Easter!I started out again and had a long battle uphill for the next couple of hours.  The Trail was steep up and down and I was set on making Sam¢s Gap and to stay at Nature¢s Inn Hostel for the night to get clean clothes and sleep in a bed. I got Sam¢s Gap at 4:35, called and the owner came to fetch me. I bought some food from his store and ended up with a 3 bedroom cabin to myself for the night.  Clean again and ready for a 9:00 AM return to the trailhead.
Date: 2018-04-02
From: SamÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Gap

To: Stealth Site at 333
Miles today: 14.3

I got Dropped off back at Sam¢s Gap at 9:15.  It was sunny, windy and then partly cloudy, followed by mostly cloudy and then misty once I got to Big Bald.  On the way up the mountain I ran into some hikers that I had met in The Smokies, and we all got to the summit at about the same time. Everyone put their rain jackets and pack covers on as the forecast seemed to be coming true for rain and potentially thunderstorms.  Big Bald was really something; although many of the long range views were clouded over, it was beautiful nonetheless. A high grassy mountain top with posts marked with white blazes for as far as you could see, then as The Trail meandered past the second top, a big boulder strewn field before re-entering the forest and downhill to the next shelter.  I noticed that the forest had a lot of trees that looked decrepit; half broken, rotten and just tired.  The shelter was only about a mile after The Bald, and a group of about 10 hikers congregated there, having lunch and deciding where they¢d get to next.  I knew I coulldn¢t make No Business Knob Shelter as that would be about 20 miles for the day so figured I¢d find a place to camp. About 4:00 PM I started looking for a spot, thought about a place near Spivey Gap, except it was near the road and good safety practice is to be a mile away from a road. (Sorry, think Eastern, TN!) I crossed the road and of course The Trail immediately went up a stream gulch for about an hour.It was like the ¢Come play with us Danny...¢ scene from The Shinning, it seemed as though The Trail just kept going up and getting longer. I had music on and Ted Nugent (Stranglehold) was telling me to ¢come on come on up¢, a welcome motivator.As soon as the elevation topped out I found an awesome stealth spot. I got set up and got ready to cook, but it seemed my presence attracted flies and when I got bit, I started a small campfire to smoke them away while I made my dinner. I watched a pretty sunset through the trees from my tent, planning to make the 10 miles to Erwin in the morning.
Date: 2018-04-03
From: Stealth Site at 333

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 10.2

I got up right before first light, packed, made coffee and was hiking by 7:45. Today was mostly down to Erwin. About 10 miles. My plan was to get to Uncle Johnny¢s Hostel and assess the lodging there, look at the weather and decide whether to zero in Erwin based on those factors.  I ran into Mongrel, a hiker who is raising money to support dog adoption and we chatted and hiked for about an hour down the final hill to Uncle Johnny¢s.  All that were left were bunk room bunks, not my preference, so I bought a Gatorade and was lucky enough to ride their shuttle to Pizza Plus.  I called the Hiker Shuttle and they gave me a ride to The Super 8, where I got a roomI showered, did some laundry and headed to Food Lion. I stopped at McDonald¢s on the way. I normally don¢t eat McDonalds but I made an exception. It was as about a 30 minute walk to Food Lion. I took my time shopping trying to be cautious of the pack weight penalty (failed).  I walked about 3 blocks to where the road turns to go over a bridge and stuck my thumb out. The second car that came by stopped and drove me back to the front door of the hotel. Thanks guys! Their reaction to how far I¢ve walked was pretty funny.  All set with food for the next section, I caught up with my wife, watched some TV and stayed up past my bed time.
Date: 2018-04-04
From: Erwin, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I made a same day decision to zero due to high winds and low temps predicted for the night.  With my chores done the previous afternoon, I walked into town and had an early barbecue lunch and lazed the rest of the afternoon.  Caught up with three of the kids and watched some news.
Date: 2018-04-05
From: Erwin, TN

To: Cherry Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I got a ride back to Uncle Johnny¢s at 7:15, Gumby and Nilla, two other hikers staying at The Super 8 arranged a shuttle and I went with them.  The first, about 4, miles were pretty flat and went pretty quickly.  Naturally, this couldn¢t last and I started climbing. I ran into Twofer, another Trailjournaler who was slack packing southbound. We chatted for a few minutes and then I kept going north.  There was Trail magic at Indian Grave Gap, by a local church ministry, so I stopped and had a nice cup of coffee and a brownie. Thank you!Beauty Spot was next and lived up to its name. I got a clear day with long distance views and I used my Peak Finder App and could see the mountains and ridge line I hiked over the last week or so.  After Beauty Spot there was a long steep climb up Unaka Mountain. Near the top there is a tree decorated with ornaments and mementos. It sticks out in the forest!At the top of Unaka I was rewarded with a really pretty spruce forest, the ground was green with moss with a few big boulders scattered amongst the trees. I got to Cherry Gap Shelter at about 3:30 and decided I¢d stay as I¢d hiked 17 miles. It was a rather tame day in terms of overall effort. As the day went on, a lot more hikers came in, the shelter filled up and many tents and hammocks were set up nearby.
Date: 2018-04-06
From: Cherry Gap Shelter 

To: Roan High Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: light rain

I got up and left at 6:45 by headlamp. My goal was to beat weather that was coming and included rain, wind and snow.  I made good time for the first several hours and at 12:30, after about 14 miles I started up Roan Mountain.  It was 2200 feet up and I think my nutrition was faulty as I struggled mightily for 3 + hours to get to the top.  The Roan High Knob Shelter is the highest shelter on The Trail at 6250 feet. It¢s known to be cold because of the elevation and there was this weather coming in, but I could go no further at 4:15. The shelter has 4 walls and a door. I made my bunk up and had dinner early. It started raining at 5:45 and other hikers showed up. It rained hard and the wind blew overnight making me quite happy I wasn¢t in a tent somewhere in this weather. I was warm and dry.
Date: 2018-04-07
From: Roan High Knob Shelter 

To: Roan Mountain TN
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: light snow

Sat 4/7 16.3 3-4-58:20The rain overnight was epic. Heavy winds and the rain pounded most of the night. Thankfully the shelter was warm with 4 walls and a door. I got hiking at 8:10. The snow that was forecast for the morning didn¢t show and it wasn¢t bad walking for the first few hours even in the wet and muddy trails. There was a moment in the fur forest where the sun tried to come out and it as beautiful.A short hike got me to a road crossing and then I started through the grasslands of the Roan Highlands. It was basically in a cloud and I couldn¢t see very far, but it was gorgeous nevertheless. Past the Highlands, the trail started down a series of ancient rock slides and much of that was covered in neon green moss that lit up the damp space.  I slipped on a root and face planted without injury, as when I was falling I kind of went limp and didn¢t fall hard. I had to lift twice to get myself up as my pack weight was holding me down the first time. I literally said out loud ¢that will slow you down¢ and BANG, I slipped on a rock and fell again. Jeesh.I came around a corner and there was this massive rock wall about 100 feet high and 300 feet long. Very impressive earth!It started snowing at one point and I kept going, deciding that if I could get a place indoors it would be a good idea. I called the Roan Mountain B & B and they said they could take me and to call from the trailhead.  As I approached the road to the trailhead, I smelled wood smoke and looked up and around and bamo, I fell again. This time I tore my rain pants and skinned my knee.  So that was fall 5 and 3 for the day.Anne from the B &B came and fetched me at 4:30 and by 5:00, I was showered and in semi clean clothes to go get barbecue, shop for a few days goods and head back to laundry and get rested. Anne and her husband Steve were fantastic hosts.
Date: 2018-04-08
From: Roan Mountain TN

To: Moreland Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I got up and got squared away before Anne made breakfast at 8:30. It was fabulous to have eggs, ham, pancakes and fresh fruit. I was hiking at 9:40, and the trail was relatively easy, so I put in a long day to get to Moreland Gap Shelter and claimed a spot in the shelter as it was again forecast to rain overnight and snow in the morning.I got trail magic at about 10:45 at a road crossing from Pigpen and Pollenmoon. Thank you!Today I passed the 400 mile mark, saw Jones waterfall and had a beautiful walk along the Jones branch of the Elk river.A group of hikers arrived at the shelter at 8:30. I had met them a couple of weeks ago, Not Dead Yet, Mama Kish and Silver.
Date: 2018-04-09
From: Moreland Gap Shelter 

To: Black Bear Hostel 
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: overcast clouds

As was forecast, it was very cold and I didn¢t get going too fast in favor of staying under my quilt for a bit.  It was snowing as I got ready to go. A group of us discussed stopping in 6 miles at The Black Bear Resort for lunch so off we went. I hiked with Not Dead, Mama Kish and Rainbow to Black Bear which is about a half mile up the road from the trail. We all got microwave food and drinks.We decided we¢d stay there and split a cabin, but it was too early in the day, so we decided to slack pack 13 miles northbound to past Watauga Lake and the Dam (closed for bear activity to lingering or staying in the shelter or camping). I just carried snacks, water and my filter.  We went past Laurel falls, and a section of the trail that is on a narrow rock ledge around the river. After that the trail went up Pond Flats (Not!) which is a climb of about 1800 feet in about a mile. I was in a full aerobic workout, and thankful that I didn¢t have my pack at this pace.  We got to the lake and then the Dam, and called for our ride back to the hostel. We got to the road crossing at about 6:00, with 19 plus miles under the belt for the day.  We got to stop at McDonalds ( this is becoming a bad habit) and then got back for a shower and we all hung out and watch Mel Brooks¢ History of The World before turning in.
Date: 2018-04-10
From: Black Bear Hostel 

To: Stealth Spot at 448
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: clear sky

Another cold morning. I got breakfast and the shuttle back to where we got picked up the prior evening at 9:40. Today was mostly just hiking a ridge line. That meant a climb up and then hiking the saw tooth up and down the hills. There was great views of the lake and the valley above the lake from up there.Damascus is in sight, the weather was cool, but clear and sunny and the terrain mostly not hard. Just a lot of up and downs.  Rainbow, Kish, Not Dead and I found a true stealth spot in a forest off an abandoned road and made a camp spot with a fire ring. We even found a hunter¢s folding chair and had the luxury of a seat to share.  We all made our dinners and got to rest by sundown.
Date: 2018-04-11
From: Stealth Spot at 448

To: Stealth spot at 467
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: clear sky

It was cold when I got up but I put shorts on, anticipating a nice day. Good call!I hiked about a mile to TN 91 and then The Trail took me through a working farm field. It was a gorgeous morning and as the temps warmed I shed my rain coat. It was clear and sunny but not hot. Today was more Ridge walking, so up and down the mountains but nothing too big in terms of elevation gain or loss. Late in the day I got to the VA/TN border, so finished the third state.  Kish and I leapfrogged a bunch and it turned out the camp spot we were looking for was mislabeled in the guidebook and was actually a mile further than we thought. That just means less distance tomorrow into Damascus!At the camp site, Hopalong, a section hiking guy from Georgia was already set up. I found a mostly flat spot and got my tent up and my kit set. Not Dead and then The Professor came in within a half hour.  We made a campfire and cooked and ate our dinners before everyone turned in with plans to hike the short mileage into town in the morning for a real breakfast!
Date: 2018-04-12
From: Stealth spot at 467

To: Woodchucks Hostel 
Miles today: 3.3
Weather: clear sky

All got up and we hiked together starting at 8:30. We walked into town at about 9:30.  I can¢t explain the thrill of walking into Damascus. It¢s such a trail town and caters to hikers, and it is just a mental win to get here.  We stopped at Woodchucks Hostel where I was staying and we all dropped our packs and the others left some devices charging. Off to breakfast at Mojo¢s. I got a peach/strawberry smoothie, a mocha iced coffee, eggs, home fries, pancakes and bacon. Boy was that good. It didn¢t stand a chance either!We moseyed back to the hostel and stopped at the three outfitters in town to see what we needed.  Back to Woodchucks and I opened the box my wife ( Thank you!) shipped me and to assess my food needs. I got that figured out, and went through my pack to get rid of some stuff I just don¢t need to carry. I went to the post office and Dollar General to round out my bulging food bag and then to the town park to review our tax returns.  After that I talked with Mrs Detail and then went back to the hostel to burn the paperwork in their fire pit.Shower, laundry, out for pizza and back to organize my stuff for an early departure. I was going to take a day off, but decided to take off to get over the Grayson Highlands in clear (non lightning) weather. The Grayson Highlands is known for its wild ponies and I don¢t want to do that in the rain.
Date: 2018-04-13
From: Woodchucks Hostel 

To: Stealth spot at 488
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: broken clouds

I slept pretty well in the room with 2 other hikers. I used my earplugs so didn¢t hear anything. I got up at 6:15 and got most everything organized as breakfast was going to be at 6:45. I ate and left the hostel at 7:30.I walked back to Mojos on The Creeper Trail just for fun since I already walked The AT through town.  The Trails converged for a while and then The AT goes into the woods and up and over a few hills/knolls/mountains until the two trails meet and The Creeper ends about 6 miles out.  It was a warm but dry day, and I focused on staying hydrated, which is important. I got to Lost Mountain Shelter at about 3:15, and took a boots-off rest for a few minutes. No one else was there and I laid on the shelter floor with my feet up on my pack and took a power nap. I decided to keep hiking so I would get a jump on the mileage the next day to Grayson Highlands. I found water and a mile further a camp spot in a pine forest. It was slightly sloped, but I found a pretty flat spot, got set up, made dinner and a small insect- chasing camp fire and got settled by 8:30.  I¢m confident that my trail legs are kicking in finally as my pace is definitely improving and the long uphills are requiring fewer stops to gasp for air!It was nice to be in warmer weather!
Date: 2018-04-14
From: Stealth spot at 488

To: Wise Shelter 
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I was up, packed and on the trail by 7:20. It was cool and just a little breezy.  I had to finish the climb I had started last night up Whitetop mountain, which challenged me. As I reached the final stair up onto the broad open grassy bald, the view expanded to wide open. I turned around to see Buzzard Rock and was struck with just how beautiful the view was. I stood there and marveled at my fortune for a few minutes. The effort to get there was forgotten by the soul quenching of the view, the breeze and the stellar day.I hiked onward with Grayson in mind.  I started seeing pony poop a ways before I got to Thomas Knob Shelter, and when I got there, there were 5 ¢wild¢ ponies there. They were licking the rocks in front of the shelter. I took my pack off and sat at the picnic table and one of them came right over to investigate. Without hesitation, he licked my leg and if I didn¢t shoe him off would have continued. I guess they like the salt.  After a few minutes another one came over to try his luck. After a few pictures and patting them I moved on. I saw a few more in groups over the next couple of miles and a foal in a group that was headed in the opposite direction,  unfortunately I didn¢t get a picture.I hit the 500 mile mark and then ¢Fat Man¢s Squeeze¢ a narrow passage through large rocks.  Much of the trail today was on Mt Rogers (named for the founder of MIT) and was rocky. It was slower going as a result, but I was floating from the hike today. Such a beautiful day, seeing these wild ponies, hitting 500...trifecta!!I got to the Wise shelter where I planned to stay at about 3:30. I posted up on the wall side and chugged a drink, looked at my Awol¢s guide and looked at the weather. Rain forecast overnight with potential for thunderstorms tomorrow and cold and snow the following day. Nasty. Decided to take my zero and made a reservation at Sufi Lodge for tomorrow night. That meant 16 miles to get there.  Mama Kish, Not Dead and Silver came in about 5:00 and Culligan, Fun Facts and Nubbs came in about 7:00, so the shelter got full. We had a small campfire with a few hikers that were tenting near the shelter.  Everyone settled in by 8:45 for the night with the same sentiment that today was a great day.
Date: 2018-04-15
From: Wise Shelter 

To: Dickey Gap
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Everyone was up and out of the shelter at 8:00 into a windy mist. I started with my rain coat on and within a half hour, shed it in favor of being cooler. I put it back on at The Scales, an area that was used to trade cattle back in the day.  At the next shelter there were some guys making coffee, so I got in the shelter and had a cup. Thank you guys! I put my rain pants on before I took off as the rain really started to flow.It was a relatively tame day elevation wise, but it rained like the dickens; Sideways, cats and dogs, wind blown, deluge, buckets, like a garden hose, absolutely epic. Probably 2 inches in 4 hours. Then there was the wind, and in the early afternoon, lightning and thunder. Fabulous.I called the Lodge as instructed at Hurricane (coincidence ?) Shelter and told them I¢d be at the road by 4:00. I got there at 3:15 and James, the owner was there to fetch me. Thank you!I was soaked.  I got into the lodge and stripped and got a hot shower, hung my wet coat and rain pants on a rack by their wood stove and had a cup of hot tea.  Awesome! Suzanne, the other owner, made a fantastic dinner of meat pie on homemade organic pita bread, falafel, salad and tabuleh.  Fantastic. I played with their lab-Australian Shepard mix 9 month old puppy, Lucy, for a while in front of the wood stove and went to bed at 9:30 with plans to zero tomorrow. It was raining most of the night and I was so very happy I made the call to go under a roof. I was very comfortable.