morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-04-15
From: Cody Gap

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: clear sky

In the morning we hiked out and down into the valley towards Fontana. The trail was occasionally rocky but overall easy, dropping into more greenery, before emerging at the highway near Fontana Marina. Another hiker had called, nearly an hour before, for the shuttle and we used the soda machine while waiting. A call back again and the shuttle finally showed up. We all piled in and paid for the ride up to Fontana Village.We were in time for the Post Office and retrieved our resupply boxes here, along with some gift packs from friends and family. Thanks for the Easter stuff! Beth and I each packed up some extra stuff for a bump box and sent it onwards beyond The Smokies. Beth figured she had too much food and also sent some food along.After PO duties we started laundry, then walked down the road to the gas station. This station had beer on tap! At a gas station! We each had a pint, along with a hot dog, and charged our cell phones while reading the letters we'd received. After this break we walked back up and checked out the grocery store. It had a surprisingly decent selection but we were both glad to have sent a full food resupply instead of relying on it.Next we tried to find the rumored shower. The official showers were at the new outdoor pool but it was closed today. There is also a shower at the Fontana Hilton but the hot water was broken. We did find a shower in the restrooms attached to the game-room! It had been the site of an old indoor pool and each restroom had a shower! No towels, but a shower is a shower.We had just enough time to catch a shuttle back to the Fontana Hilton. We claimed a tent pad and made camp, cooking dinner below the shelter. In the morning we will enter the Smokies!
Date: 2010-04-16
From: Fontana Dam

To: Russel Field shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: clear sky

We woke up early and walked down to the dam visitor center to pick up our permit. The center itself was closed. We all walked across Fontana Dam towards the Smokies. It's a huge dam and pretty cool to cross! On one side is a giant drop down the face or spillways, on the other side another drop down to the lake. Impressive way to start the day.On the far side we posed for photos at the sign and were in The Great Smokies National Park. Welcoming us was a 2000 ft climb into the park. It was a lot of gain but consistant grade and not too bad. Our heavy packs were tiring, filled with 5 days of food. Near a ridge we dropped packs and made a side-trip to Shuckstack fire tower. It's in pretty bad shape but sturdy enough that I climbed the stairs all the way up. Beth stopped about halfway. Views from inside were great!We continued on to Mollie's Ridge shelter, meeting Nature's Own here. He stopped for the night here while we pushed on to Russel Field shelter. When we arrived a large group of horse riders were departing. The shelter wasn't full so we couldn't setup our tent. We claimed some space inside and rolled our our sleeping pads. Sharing the shelter were Soul Patch, T-Squared, Stogie, Jersey Dave, Fig, and Gonzo. This was one of the last un-remodeled shelters and still had the chain link fence across the front, supposedly for bear protection. It was sort of like being in a hiker prison. This was the first shelter we slept in and didn't feel that welcome, despite the nice company.
Date: 2010-04-17
From: Russel Field shelter

To: Double-Spring Gap shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up early when others were moving around. I'm always one of the first awake wherever we camp. I slept ok and used my earplugs the night before. Beth was slower to rise and had slept poorly. I took down our food from the bear wires, happy to see it untouched. After breakfast we headed out, one of the last to leave camp. Shortly after we ran into Graybeard the ridge runner.Stopped at Spence Field shelter for a snack. It was a much nicer shelter and not too much further than Russel Field; if I went back I'd stay here instead. The terrain alternated from trees to open fields with great views. Climbing over Thunderhead Mountain was very nice with great views from the top. We dropped on the far side and after many more ups and downs reached Derrick Knob shelter for lunch. So far it had been a harder day than we'd expected.Slow going but we reached Silar's Bald shelter later in the evening, finding T-Squared and Kevin (formerly Stogie) here. They were also caught off guard by the difficulty of today and ran out of gas. We decided to push on the remaining two miles to Double-Spring Gap shelter, joined by Gonzo. Along the way we met Lifeguard, one of Cymbal's friends.We rolled into Double Spring to find Funky Monkey, Jibitz, Lorod, Soul Patch, Tim and Kelly, Jersey Dave, Leonidas, and a few others. The shelter was full so we were able to setup our tent, much to Beth's delight! Mine too since I also sleep better in the tent than a shelter and it gives us some space. The clouds were rolling in and there was a chance of thunderstorms tonight.
Date: 2010-04-18
From: Double-Spring Gap shelter

To: Icewater Spring shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: clear sky

It was cloudy, cool, and foggy in the morning. We set off behind everyone yet again, climbing towards Clingman's Dome. It's the highest point on the AT and the state highpoint for Tennessee. Today there were no views but we were happy at least that the snow had melted. Beth had been here before and said the views were decent but not great.We dropped down the far side on muddy trail and after awhile reached Indian Gap for lunch. Beth was feeling the effects of the trip and lack of calories; she'd left behind too much food from her Fontana box. The trail gives and takes though in weird ways. We moved onwards to Newfound Gap, the road to Gatlinburgh, and found trail magic courtesy of Tim and Kelly's parents! Cookies and sodas, with plenty for each! It recharged both of us and we were soon moving on to Icewater Spring shelter.It was fun to be a tourist attraction here. Lots of people (walking from their cars) asked where we came from and were shocked to hear us say "Georgia". When they asked where we were headed we said "Maine". One woman looked confused and asked, "Y'all have a car!?" She hadn't heard of the AT.The shelter was filled with a mix of dayhikers and thru-hikers. Limited spaces to pitch a tent but we made do. It was already a cold night and this is a pretty high elevation shelter. The day-hikers were very ill equipped and kept a fire stoked all night to stay warm.We had heard the next day it was possible to hike 20+ miles due to a long ridge walk. That was our plan, shortening our travel time. Fig, who is very competitive, heard about this and doubted us. "You didn't make it here until late and you're last out of camp! How will you do 20 miles?" (all of this in a thick New Hampshire accent) Both Cerveza and I being stubborn people, that finalized our decision to try.
Date: 2010-04-19
From: Icewater Spring shelter

To: Cosby Knob shelter
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Today would be our longest mileage day yet. To expedite our trip through the Smokies we planned to hike just over 20 miles, a first for us. We'd heard from Limestone (a previous hiker) that this stretch was possible. So we went for it. Several others in our party had the same plan, including Fig. He gave us a hard time since we're not as early risers as he is.It was very cold overnight and still below freezing in the morning. Our alarms went off and we were the first up and around. The cold kept us moving to stay warm. A quick no-cook breakfast, stuffing everything in our packs, and we're off, first out of camp. We had to stop for water and Fig went sailing past us, a little miffed that we beat him.We stopped at Charlie's Bunion and kept a brisk pace the rest of the way, largely on a ridge top. It was a great walk. Some small climbs along the way but nothing too bad. We reached Tri-Corner Knob for lunch and found T-Squared and Kevin here, on the tin roof trying to stay warm. As we finished our meal, Jersey Dave and Seoul Patch showed up.From here on it was a slow steady climb to a highpoint, then drop to Cosby Knob. We were both feeling the miles but doing well. I was slowing due to some foot pain. We made it to Cosby around 4:30 pm, faster than I'd thought! The shelter was again full so we pitched our tent and relaxed after a long day. Today was a beautiful day on trail and everyday I'm thankful to be on the AT and with Cerveza.
Date: 2010-04-20
From: Cosby Knob shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Slept in a little and were the last out of camp today. After the long day yesterday it was nice to have an easy-ish 10 miles down to Standing Bear. Both of us were also nearly out of food. The trail was very pretty through a lush, green valley after exiting the park. Also someone had left a big pile of Gatorade bottles just beyond the road!The forested trail ended abruptly and the trail crossed over the Pigeon River on a large bridge, then beneath I40. We climbed a small set of stone stairs and started the final mile into Standing Bear, both of us getting hungry and tired. Finally we found the spray painted rock pointed the way up a gravel road and headed to the hostel. On the way we ran into Mike and Laura hiking out! They're another pair of Seattle hikers Beth and I met back home. Nice to see them, even if it was brief.Just a little further up the road we spotted the big bard and walked into Standing Bear. We'd only planned to resupply and shower here, then move on, but with rain in the forecast we decided to stay the night. What a neat place! There is an old farm house and barn, with some converted shacks for hiker bunks. Another little cabin spans a creek with beds. An old shed is converted into a store with anything a thru-hiker could need. Another shed has a table, gas stove, and microwave. Nearly everyone took advantage of the shower and microwaved a frozen cheeseburger, then split a pizza.After this Curtis (the owner) and Hawk (worker) offered the van for a beer run. We rode down the freeway to the nearest gas station and tanked up. Notice a theme for our trip yet? Anyway, we brought back enough booze for an army and sat around the fire drinking it. We were all waiting on Hawk in the van to go home and Curtis got sick of it so he just decided to drive away, saying "fly away home Hawk, hope I see you again." Someone eventually gave him a ride back.Around the fire we had two more trailnames to give and both of mine were accepted! Kevin is now Hot Foot since he kicked a log into the fire in sandals, and he hikes fast. Jersey Dave is now I-40. This one requires more explanation. He doesn't carry a stove and has been eating MREs, and other meals like tortillas full of jerky. Often in the shelter logs his say, "hiking for five days, only pooed twice." Several times he had to walk to the privies to "keep the traffic jam moving". So eventually the traffic cleared up in a hurry and right underneath the pillars of the I-40 overpass. Driving back from the beer run he even had Curtis point out the particular rock. We didn't feel the need to sightsee here.We finished off our sixpacks and played with the various dogs. One named Ivan took to Beth and sat on her lap for hours. Well past hiker-midnight we were tired and turned in for the night. Most went to the bunkhouse but Beth and I tented since it's cheaper. Warm night and good for sleeping.
Date: 2010-04-21
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Plan A was to simply resupply at Standing Bear, then move on. Plan B was to stay the night and move on the next day. Plan C was to stay a second night? Why? Well, there was going to be a party! Depending who one talked to it was either an Earth Day celebration ... or a 4/20 party. Whatever one calls it, it sounded neat. There was going to be a BBQ at the main house, opened up to locals and hikers, as well as a live bluegrass band!In the morning though our first order of business was breakfast. I was up first and found T-Squared, Hot Foot, and Seoul Patch in the dining area. We decided to combine forces and have a real breakfast based on what we could find in the resupply fridge. All of it would be cooked on the small three-burner gas stove and pizza oven. We rounded up bacon, eggs, the few edible potatoes, an onion, sausage, yogurt, and a tube of frozen biscuits. In a matter of time we had an awesome breakfast, the envy of many sleeping hikers I'm sure! All of it dripping in grease too, replacing the lost weight from The Smokies.The shared cabin spanning the creek had emptied so Beth and I bailed on the tent and moved our gear in here to claim it before the crowds rolled in. Sharing the place were T-Squared and Hot Foot in the loft, and Granite Gorilla in the other bed. We spent the rest of the rainy day lounging around, relaxing, and just killing time. As the afternoon wore on many hikers rolled in and soon the bunkhouse was filled. Others setup tents on the lawn, while others still camped at the road where the trail crosses.Later in the evening Curtis (the owner) loaded up the van (aka the "beer bus") for a ride to the gas station a few miles away. They all returned loaded with six packs and extra cans for the next day. Around 5pm the band showed up ("Mountain Edge") and the food was prepared. I-40 worked the grill, cooking up sausages and BBQ chicken. There was also tabouli, baked beans, lentil pies, cake, sweat tea, and all kinds of stuff. Fantastic food and huge quantities! Everyone was stuffed. As we ate the band went on. They were great! I'd never heard live bluegrass before. They did some old stuff, some of their own, and of course "Foggy Mountain Breakdown". Hiker Red-Stick (because he hikes with a red stick) even got up on guitar for a few songs. Great evening.
Date: 2010-04-22
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Max Patch
Miles today: 13.6

In the morning it cleared up and we ate a breakfast of microwaved croissant sandwiches, yogurt, and coffee, then hit the trail. Skies were overcast but it was dry. There were rumors of a party on Max-Patch but we just trucked on, carrying no beer. Crossing over Snowbird mountain the skies were solidly socked in. Beyond this the clouds began to clear though! Hope yet for a view from Max Patch. I was especially slow today with a sore toe.At the base of Max Patch we loaded up on water. Skies were blue but with some threatening clouds and wind. The mountain itself is almost entirely covered in a huge grassy field! Great views in all directions. We were set to pass over the top and down to the shelter but found T-squared, Hot Foot, and Seoul Patch on top pitching tents. We joined in of course and they shared their precious beer with us. We then strung up a very elaborate bear-bag system due to a warning of a problem bear in the area.Back at Standing Bear we'd met a hiker named Superman. He's thru-hiked in the past but now just bounces around having fun. He's impossible to miss with a long bleach-blonde mullet, red shorts and gray leggings, and an iPod always on speaker. He'd said he planned to hitch-hike through four towns, retrieve his Jeep, get drinks, and meet us all on Max Patch. We dismissed this, but later in the evening here he comes strolling over the top dramatically with something strapped to his back. We all wondered and eventually found it was a "shot-ski". A ski with four holes drilled in it for shot glasses. This was later passed around with whiskey for all to share. I didn't do a shot myself, not being much of a drinker, and regret passing the experience by. He also had a bag full of beer, even more rolled up in his sleeping pad, which I enjoyed.The final group ended up being Beth and myself, Seoul Patch, T-Squared, Hot Foot, Tour Guide, I-40, Superman, and the three girls from Montana who haven't picked up trail names. The skies cleared up and we all sat around the bonfire for far too long. Lots of fun with good (and bad and dirty) jokes told. Eventually everyone retired for the night to their tents. It was a cold night but an awesome sunrise. Another unique day on trail.
Date: 2010-04-23
From: Max Patch

To: Deer Park Shelter
Miles today: 16.8

In the morning we packed up reasonably early and pushed on to Deer Park shelter, 3 miles from Hot Springs. It was an uneventful hiking day. At the shelter some chose to go into town but we opted to stay here and save some money. It was a nice evening but overnight it rained. We stayed comfortably dry in the tent but had to pack up wet gear.
Date: 2010-04-24
From: Deer Park Shelter

To: Rich Mountain
Miles today: 11.4

Rising early we all hiked into Hot Springs for breakfast at the Smokey Mountain Diner. The Montana girls got a jump on us, leaving camp early, and beat us there. But waiting on the stoop were hikers Rider, Barley, and Babalu! They'd hiked down in the dark and camped underneath a bridge. We all seated ourselves out back on the porch for a great breakfast of omelets and biscuits. Babalu couldn't finish his huge breakfast skillet and was forced to do manual labor per the fine print on the menu. Afterwards we all parted ways to do our errands.Some were staying at the motel or in the hostel but everything was full due to Trails-fest so Beth and I just ran errands and decided to hike up the trail for the night. Sadly this also meant skipping a shower. We first stopped in the outfitters so Beth could get a new rain coat and myself a new hat. She also picked up a rain-wrap like mine. We then hit the Dollar General for food and snacks, then the Hillbilly Market for the rest. After packing up our food we walked down to the Rock Bottom for drinks and food. On the porch were Leonidas, Rock and Roll, the Montana girls, and later Gonzo, Jibbitz, and Lorod. We had some fun but had to move on.Around 3pm we finally were underway, climbing steeply out of the town over Lovers Leap. It was 80 degrees and humid with a chance of thunderstorms. The combo of this, my sore toe, and heavy pack fried me. Still we pushed on and made it 8 more miles, setting up camp near Rich Mountain fire tower. Beth was her usual amazing self and gathered the water and threw the bear line since I wasn't feeling well. I'm so lucky, she's the best. Camp setup, I walked up to the tower. The tower itself wasn't glassed in so we setup our tent a ways down trail. Had the weather been nicer we would have stayed inside.
Date: 2010-04-25
From: Rich Mountain

To: Hemlock Hollow
Miles today: 8.1

The forecast looked nasty but we stayed thankfully dry overnight. Even better the skies cleared in the morning! We packed up early and hiked onwards looking for a dry cabin to ride out the promised rain and thunderstorms. About 9 miles down we left the trail for Log Cabin road and Hemlock Hollow Farm. The rains held off until after we'd arrived.We checked in and received the "Bear's Den" cabin. One other cabin was occupied but aside from that there were no other guests in the hostel. There was a separate bath house, with restrooms and a shower, for guests. We inquired about a laundry facility and she replied, smiling, "We've got a washboard and bucket!". Second time with manual laundry. We each took turns and brought the washboard into the shower and combined cleaning ourselves and clothes.The hostel write-up in the guidebook mentions a restaurant opening, hopefully in 2010. Sadly it was closed, though it looks like it is being built. The dining fare was similar to Standing Bear: frozen fare from Costco which she would microwave for us or we could take back to our room. We weren't picky, being hungry thru-hikers, and brought frozen cheeseburgers back to our room.Later in the evening the rain started and came down hard, making a real racket on the tin roof of our home for the night. Only one thunderclap was heard. After cards, microwave popcorn, and watching a movie on my tiny phone screen, lying on a feathery soft bed, we ran out of things to do and went to sleep. Overnight it rained on and off while Beth's wet laundry spun attached to the overhead fan, trying to dry.
Date: 2010-04-26
From: Hemlock Hollow

To: Shelton Grave site
Miles today: 13.6

In the morning Hattie (the hostel owner) told us the storm had blown through and we would have good weather! We were happy to hear this and celebrated with microwave croissants and one last shower. Just as we packed up to leave in came Leonidas and Jibitz in search of coffee. We said hi and walked the road back to the trail, while they waited for a shuttle.It was a steep climb out of Allen Gap and the bugs were really out, doubling the effort! We took a side trip to the radio towers hoping to find a breezy area to cool off and escape the bugs while eating lunch. We stayed awhile, finding minor bug relief, but pushed on to find our campsite for the evening. The trail gained the ridge here and offered spectacular views. It was much rockier than we expected, slowing our pace. We were offered a choice of a blue-blazed safe route (marked for poor weather) or the ridge itself. We stayed on the ridge, negotiating some rocky sections. Stepping down from one area Beth took a bad fall but somehow managed to avoid injury. The shelter, Jerry's Cabin, was dingy looking and we had extra time so we moved on, grabbed some water from a spring, and ended up making camp near Shelton grave-site. Two Tennessee natives enlisted in the Union army during the Civil War and were killed here. Spooky campsite. Overnight it rained slightly.
Date: 2010-04-27
From: Shelton Grave site

To: Hogback Ridge shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: moderate rain

The next morning the sky was overcast but not bad. We made it a few more miles toward the next shelter before having to don rain gear. Beth was happy to have a good jacket and rain-wrap to replace her leaky REI jacket. The rain was a steady drizzle at first and not too bad. We took a long brunch at the next shelter with Funky Monkey and Lorod before setting off again into the wet. The rain never stopped the rest of the day.It was a very long 10 miles to the next shelter and soggy. Happily to brighten our day hiker Bodacious left a cooler down hill near the road! Inside were sodas, apples, and cookies. A nice boost. From there we climbed up a very green hillside over the next mountain. Spring! I've never seen so many trillium in one place. The whole hillside was glowing. At the top of the mountain the wind was going strong and we quickly crossed over.Finally we reached Hogback Shelter, finding Hot Foot inside. A check of the forecast from my phone showed we were in store for a windy night. Rather than push on we opted to stay here. We knew others were coming so we took one for the team and pitched our tent in the pouring rain. Soon Seoul Patch rolled in, totally soaked. We moved our stuff into the tent and tried to dry out. The vestibules were filled with wet, muddy gear. As we stayed in our small dry space, happy to have a larger tent than most, Funky Monkey, Lorod, and Gonzo rolled in, followed by Rock and Roll. Full shelter. We played cards for awhile and I talked to my parents for the first time on the trip. Warm and sort-of dry in the tent with Cerveza as the rain fell everything felt good.