morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-04-03
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Again I was tempted to sleep in, so I heeded the temptation. Generally, the same group is moving the same distance daily, so there isn¢t a need yet to start at the crack of dawn. With that in mind, I crawled out of my tent around 8:45 a.m. I retrieved my bear bag, ate breakfast, then visited the privy. I passed Morris. He said, ¢Did you hear about CookIN?¢ I said, ¢No.¢ And he replied that Stupid had texted him the night before to say that CookIN had called it quits. I was surprised and heartbroken but, at the same time, understood his possible reasons for stopping. The trail is very challenging, and his feet were definitely blistered and aching. Still, I hoped he might have a change of heart or consider section hiking rather than thruhiking the trail.I broke camp at 9:45 a.m. and started my hike. The terrain was easier today, and I made it to Cold Spring Shelter by 1:00 p.m. There, I met Sick-A-Moar, a hiker attempting a thru in support of breast cancer research. By then the day was warming, so we took a break to shed some layers and filter some H2O from the piped spring. He took off ahead of me, but my afternoon hike was not alone. I met three sobo trail runners and a woman hiking with her big, shaggy dog. At Telico Gap, I met Drew, a guy from NYC who had started on 3/25. He¢s practically running the trail! We talked about the weather and impending rain, and he called a shuttle to the local hostel. I hiked on, knowing that if it rained, I could dry out at the NOC.On my way up to the Wesser Bald tower, I passed Hawaii. I last saw her at Woody Gap, and she seems to be doing a sobo section with periodic flip-flops. The hike up to the tower wasn¢t too bad, thanks to the switchbacks. The tower offered an amazing 360-degree view, and I snapped several pictures.I was in camp by 4:45 p.m., which left plenty of time for chores. There, I met Blue, Walmart, and Bitter Goat. They told me that Morris has been through about an hour earlier but was pushing on to the NOC. The shelter was full so I set up my tent, fully expecting rain. It was a fine group, and most of us enjoyed our dinners around the campfire. Later, RainbowBrite, Mr. Rogers, and Willow showed up. They managed to find spots for their tents among the picked-over tent spots. I was once again tired by the long, strenuous hike and went to bed around 8:00 p.m. By 3:00 a.m., the rain started, and it didn¢t stop for the remainder of the night.
Date: 2013-04-04
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC)
Miles today: 5.9

My gear and my tent site remained dry. I awoke early and packed up in the rain. I joined the group having breakfast in the shelter and ate my bagel. By 9:15, I was on the trail. We were expecting a 3,000-foot descent into the NOC, where I hoped to get a bunk, clean up, and dry off. The terrain was steep in spots, so steep that I had to crawl down backwards to avoid falling. It rained off and on during the hike. At one point, I rounded a corner and beneath me was a wall of swirling clouds attempting to cross a ridge. The clouds rolled up the slope and seemed to fold back over themselves without crossing the mountain. It was an impressive sight (see picture).When I finally reached the bottom, it was 12:15 p.m. Just then, Captain Dan appeared behind me. I was surprised and asked where he had come from. He said he had slack-packed the last few days with the help of the A Hostel. He had started at Telico Gap and was going to bunk at the NOC. He asked where CookIN was, and I said that I¢d heard he quit. He seemed shocked and saddened.At the NOC, my first priority was to get a bunk. I ran into Sick-O-Moar running to the ATM, and he pointed me to the stone house for registration. I bypassed the general store and outfitter to make sure that I got a bunk. Indeed I did, for a mere $19 a night. There were four guys per room, and I was with Sick-O-Moar, Tore, and Ryan #3. We were told we couldn¢t enter the room until 2:00 p.m, so everyone hung out in the community kitchen and made lunch. At 2:00, we dropped our bags in the room and pulled out our dirty clothes. Sick-O-Moar and I agreed to do a communal load of laundry. I headed down to the laundry area at the general store. A little later, S-O-M showed up with a beer, and I promptly followed suit. Sawyer was hanging out in the heated laundry room since it was cold and rainy outside. He offered to sell his PowerBars for $2, but instead, I just gave him $2. He promptly left and returned with a tall Busch Light.After laundry, we returned to our bunkhouse. I then showered and returned to the community kitchen to journal. There I joined Tore, Canadian Bacon, and Zen Master doing the same. While we were there, UV came in to cook dinner. She raved about the burger she had had from the restaurant the night before. She sold it so well that Zen Master, Canadian Bacon, and I decided to head down before the 7:00 p.m. closing time. I grabbed S-O-M. Once seated, I ordered the Tail of the Dragon, a spicy burger with a veggie patty, some fries, and a beer. The food was AMAZING.After dinner, we watched Deliverance, which was also playing in the restaurant, together with about 40 hikers. It started at about 8:30, and I managed to make it to the squealing pig scene before I was too tired to stay up. S-O-M left well before me. I was in bed by 10:00 p.m., which was well past my 8:00 p.m. bedtime.
Date: 2013-04-05
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC)

To: Locust Cove Gap
Miles today: 10.3

Check out from the NOC was 10:00, so it was easy to sleep in. I visited the outfitter soon after they opened at 8:00 to buy additional fuel. I then returned to my room to pack up and move out. I said good-bye to S-O-M and headed to the store. There I bought some Ibuprofen and a soda.I started up at around 10:00 a.m., along with Wales, Whole Bean, UV, Canadian Bacon, and Zen Master. We had a steep, nearly all-day climb ahead of us. I took my time, slow and steady, and it wasn¢t too bad. By 1:00, I had reached the Nantahala River Gorge overlook. It was a sight to behold. Soon after, I stopped for a quick break. By the top, the trees started dripping. It was a strange phenomenon, and at first, I was perplexed. After a few minutes, it became apparent that there had been an ice storm at this elevation apparently the night or day before, and the sun had started melting the ice on the trees. Periodically ice would crash to the forest floor. The trees have yet to bud out, so we¢re still hiking in a nude, winter-like landscape, although I haven¢t seen snow since before Franklin. I considered briefly what it must have been like for the hikers who had slept or hiked through the ice storm. Periodically limbs would crash down to the forest floor and the trail and surrounding hills were littered with freshly felled tree parts. Ice was so thick in areas that it literally blanketed the forest floor.By 2:25 p.m., I was at Sassafras Gap Shelter. This had been my minimum hike for the day, and I took a break with Walmart, Bitter Goat, Canadian Bacon, Steph, Patriot, Zen Master, Willow, and others. I decided to hike on and soon reached Cheoah Bald. I had cell service so took a moment to read email. It was then that I read CookIN¢s email confirming his departure from the trail. He was a good hiking partner and he¢ll be missed.I decided to make Locust Cove Gap my destination upon advice from CB and 2M about its reliable H2O source. I was in camp by 5:30 and went through the normal routines. It was a small site, but we managed to squeeze about ten tents in, all literally side by side. Popeye, Gumby, Ryan, Not Frodo, CB, 2M, Willow, Lushes (?), UV, Wales, Whole Bean, and others spent the night.Other items of note: the bugs are starting to come out. I¢ve seen gnats, house flies, and other flying insects.
Date: 2013-04-06
From: Locust Cove Gap

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: clear sky

The weather has been superb, and we¢re expected to have a rare window of clear skies for the next few days. I packed my dry tent and hit the trail by 9:00 a.m. It was mostly downhill into Stecoah Gap, but the afternoon had a steep limb up Jacob¢s Ladder, but thankfully it had many switchbacks. I didn¢t think it was horrible, but others complained that it kicked them. By 12:15, I made it to the top and took a break at Brown Fork Gap. While there, CB and 2M caught up.After the lunch break, the temps heated up. It was by far our hottest day yet, and my H2O consumption skyrocketed. I had been getting by on four liters per day, but I had to stop at Cody Gap to get more water from its spring. While there, I read an email from Sprite that my friends Mel and Joe had their baby. Welcome, Johan! It was very exciting to read the good news, and I texted my congratulations to the new parents.I made it to the Cable Gap Shelter by 4:45 and decided to call it home. Soon Nova showed up, as did Wales, UV, Whole Bean, and Popeye. I slept in the shelter, and the stars were clear and bright.Items of note: I saw my first wildflowers of the season--trilliums. Spring is coming!
Date: 2013-04-08
From: Fontana Lodge

To: Fontana Hilton
Miles today: 1.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Checkout was 11:00 a.m., and none of us were in a hurry to rise. I was the first to rise around 9:00. I made my way to the lodge and used their internet for about 30 minutes or so. Then I went to the restaurant, and to my surprise, I found Mr. Rogers and RainbowBrite. I joined them at their table, and soon Willow and Lushes showed up.After breakfast, we returned to the room to pack. We were out a little after 11:00 a.m. and then made our way to the post office for their 11:45 a.m. opening. There were many hikers waiting there. When the window opened, the Warrior Hikers went first. Unfortunately, the postal worker couldn¢t find their nine boxes of mail drops, so I believe they were forced to take another zero to sort it out. I picked up three packages and shared my bounty. I gave away all of the beef jerky, chicken pouches, and Spam, since my drop had been prepared prior to my decision to go vegetarian. I also shared the surprise Girl Scout cookies, which were very popular. Thanks, Mom and Dad!RainbowBrite was waiting for her drop to be delivered to the lodge, so we hung around the general store for a couple of hours. Eventually, it became clear that our mileage for the day would be short, so we decided the Fontana Hilton (20-person shelter with showers) would be our destination. With the charcoal that Mr. Rogers had inherited from Willow and Lushes, we decided to buy food for a cookout at the Hilton. Wales and I bought cheese and tortillas for quesadillas, and the others bought hot dogs.I spent the remaining hours journaling on the porch. Most days, I¢m so exhausted it¢s hard to find the 30 to 60 minutes to journal. As a result, I needed to catch up on several days¢ worth of journaling. At one point, Underpants, a section hiker, offered to drive the masses of hikers on the porch to the trail. I took him up on his offer and left before the rest of the group, knowing they¢d catch up.The trail from NC28 to the Fontana Hilton was short and easy, just 1.2 miles, a nearo day. Once at the Hilton, I claimed a spot in the shelter and took a shower. Later the gang showed up, as did dozens of other hikers, and a lot of people went swimming in the cold, cold lake.For dinner, we grabbed a grill and made the magic happen. Boomis, now Long Island, showed up, and we caught up on his adventures. He reported that Stupid and Morris are back together and at Cable Gap Shelter. He thought his group, including Paul Bunyan and now Connor, were just ahead, and he is hoping to catch them.After dinner, we all settled into bed quickly. It¢s now just 8:30, and most hikers are in bed. Tomorrow we¢ll enter the Smokies, which we¢re supposed to pass in seven days according to the rules of our backcountry permits. We¢ve all got HEAVY packs, and the climb tomorrow should be fun!
Date: 2013-04-10
From: Mollie's Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: clear sky

I naturally woke up at 6:00 a.m., and it was still dark outside. Around 6:30, the rest of the shelter started to stir, so I got up too. I wanted to get an early start to beat the heat! By 7:15, I broke camp and started down the trail. It was very cool and windy and made for pleasant hiking. I made it to the first shelter, 2.8 miles down the trail, by 9:00 a.m. Long Island (formerly Boomis) was breaking camp and reported that the shelter was practically empty. That was in contrast to ours, which was packed, and he theorized that most people made it to either the first shelter, 11 miles from Fontana Dam, or the third shelter at 16.7 miles from Fontana Dam. I left the shelter with Scout, and we had a pleasant conversation about cities she is considering relocating to after the hike. She is from Maine but like me, is tired of winter. She wants to be in a progressive city near the coast and thought Charleston, SC, might be the place. We also both liked NYC but agreed it was expensive. We made good time together because we both wanted to beat the heat, but soon I let her pull ahead.About 5 miles into the hike, my inner thigh muscle started to ache, a lot! I practically limped into Spence Field Shelter. One of the Warrior Hikers was there, and I told him I had a leg cramp. He suggested it might be a sodium/potassium deficiency, so I decided to make some Ramen since they're salty. I took a 45-minute break, and in doing so, many of my campmates caught up. My leg felt better, but it certainly wasn't 100%, so I took the drug of choice on the trail, Ibuprofen. I had considered stopping at the shelter but wanted to push on the 6.3 miles to the next shelter. I departed at 11:15 a.m., and it was still cool. By noon, the heat was on, and my leg wasn't any better. I was using my right (strong) leg for any uphills and descents. It was like I was moving at half speed, and many hikers passed me. The view, though, from Rocky Top was incredible. Someone with a themometer in their pack said it read 80 degrees. And we hiked on. At the afternoon water stop, Nails advised I may have pulled a muscle. She said Ibuprofen would help with the swelling. The Patriot and Steph also invited me to Dollywood in Pigeon Forge, and I was so very, very tempted. I told them I'd think about it and took Steph's number.I took it easy and took many afternoon breaks. Around 3:00 p.m., I decided to take a long break under a fir tree to cool down. Since I had time to spare, I pulled out my mirror and multi-tool and decided to trim my mustache. Yup, I live in the woods! I finally made it to camp around 6:00 p.m. I grabbed water, set up my tent, and made Ramen at the shelter. I was tired and exhausted and managed to journal for 30 minutes before passing out around 8:00 p.m. Around 9:00 p.m., it was dark, but one final Warrior Hiker trudged into camp. He was frustrated and let the campground know it, but like us, he was glad to be there. In the middle of the night, I got up to use the privy and could see the city glow of Knoxville in the background.
Date: 2013-04-12
From: Clingmans Dome

To: Dollywood
Miles today: 0.0

I didn¢t get enough sleep but still managed to wake up just before 8:00 a.m. to make my breakfast date with Nails and Dirtdog. We wanted to go to The Pancake Pantry but decided it was too far to walk. I suggested Bennett¢s, based on Violet¢s recommendation, and off we went. We passed Mother Theresa at the Grand Prix, and she decided to join us.After breakfast, Wales texted me to say he was going to Dollywood with The Patriot, Steph, and me! They all decided to leave their packs in my room. They packed up and made their way to the Motel 6. As we were walking through the parking lot to the trolley, Mr. Rogers saw us. He had a last-minute change of heart and decided to go too. We walked through downtown Gatlinburg to the pink trolley and made it to Dollywood just after noon.Our first priority was roller coasters, so we hit them up. They were, as they say, thrilling! We made the park circuit and thankfully the lines were short. In the mid afternoon, they went to the bird show, but I rode more water rides. After the show, we met back up at the buffet for a late lunch. Our stomachs full, we went to another show, Cirque Shanghai. It was entertaining and we all munched on popcorn. After the show, we hit the coasters again until the park closed at 7:00 p.m.When we were back at the motel, Wales got a text from Whole Bean warning of norovirus on the trail. As a precaution, I made a trip to Walgreens to buy more hand sanitizer--and postcards. One my walk back, I stopped at the Smokey Mountain Distillery and, after several samples, made the poor decision to buy a (heavy!) jar of moonshine. My intention was to carry it on the trail and share it at the first shelter.Back at the motel, Steph, Wales, and I stayed up past midnight just shooting the breeze.
Date: 2013-04-13
From: Clingmans Dome

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: broken clouds

Steph's alarm went off at 7:30 a.m., but no one moved. We were all awake but didn't get up until 8 a.m. Steph and the Patriot needed to do laundry before heading out.We all took turns showering and I went last. When I came out, the Patriot's friend was there. He lives nearby and came to visit and run them around town. My plan was to catch the trail angel shuttles from the Grand Prix. I was told they'd be there between 9:00 and noon. I was ready by 9:15 a.m. and walked down to check it out. Unfortunately, I had bad information because they had come and gone. I went back to give Wales the news since we had planned to shuttle together. By then, Steph had left, and the Patriot was on his way out.That left Wales and me. He asked if I wanted to grab breakfast and I said sure. We started towards Bennett's and then decided to swing by the NOC to inquire on their shuttle. There were a lot of hikers waiting outside, but they weren't yet open, so we decided to continue with our breakfast plans.Once at Bennett's, we ran in to...drumroll...Steph, The Patriot, and friend. We sat adjacent them and enjoyed our breakfast.Afterwards we went back to the NOC but were told the shuttle had left. Defeated, we went back to the hotel to check out and grab our packs. We then went back to the NOC since there were hikers still waiting for the second shuttle. We asked again and were told to ask the driver. We then plopped down outside next to Scout, Knee Pads, and others. After waiting and chilling for about 30 minutes, a section hiker showed up and offered rides. It turned out to be Goober, whom I last saw at Rock Gap Shelter. Wales, me, and two others piled in to his rented Jeep Cherokee and up to Clingmans we went. Along the way, Goober updated me on the progress of Roadrunner, CBW, Monk, and others.Once at Clingmans, I opened my jar of moonshine and offered a swig to all the passengers. We all partook and I gave the jar to Goober as a thank you, and I was thankful not to carry the heavy jar!Wales and I started up the steep trail to Clingmans Dome. I skipped the tower since it had good weather and great views the other day. Wales went up the tower, and I hiked.I ran into multiple groups of trail maintainers from Clingmans to Newfound Gap. They were trimming branches and cleaning drainage troughs.I plodded on but was tired with low energy, probably from too little sleep. I made it past Newfound Gap and up to Icewater Spring Shelter. There was no room in the shelter, so I set up my tent. I ran into Captain Dan, Tie Dye, and Tom and was in bed by sunset.
Date: 2013-04-14
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I awoke cold and didn¢t want to get out of bed. Tom came over around 7:45 to see if I was awake. I told him I was cold and didn¢t want to get up, and he scoffed. He said they¢d be leaving soon, and I said I was fine since we were all going to the same place. I finally crawled out of my tent and indeed it wasn¢t that cold. I packed up and broke camp by 9:00 a.m.The day was full of views since we walked a ridgeline for miles. The first view was Charlie¢s Bunion (see picture) and I took the side trail to the view. After reconnecting with the AT, I backtracked the 0.1 miles to make sure I connected footprints on the official trail.By 1:00 p.m., I hit the 7.4-mile mark and the turnoff to Pecks Corner Shelter. Alfalfa, Camel, Tie Dye, Captain Dan, Tom and a few others were stopped for lunch. I stopped to rest too. We had 5.2 miles to go with three climbs.By 4:30 p.m., I was in camp and grabbed one of the last spots in the shelter. Soon after, it started to lightly rain. I hadn¢t expected rain at all, so I was glad to be in camp. Most hikers quickly prepared dinner, then spent the remainder of the evening journaling until the sun set.
Date: 2013-04-16
From: Davenport Gap Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 3.6

I wasn¢t in a hurry to break camp because I only had 3.6 miles to hike. Everyone beat me except for Steph and the Patriot, since they had even fewer miles to I40 for their scheduled pickup. It was all downhill until NC 284. Just before that road, we officially left GSMNP. Most folks were glad to leave because there are fewer restrictions on where you can camp. In the Smokies, you had to camp at the shelters. Then the trail went up slightly and soon followed a picturesque stream down to the Pigeon River. Adjacent to that was a seldom-used I40 exit. The only vehicle I saw while going under the overpass was a TN state trooper, probably exiting to go back to TN, since we¢re on the NC/TN state line. Then I climbed up 300 feet over 0.8 miles to the Standing Bear Farm Hostel. It¢s a simple place with a bunkhouse, washboard for laundry, moldering privy, hot showers, and a small resupply pantry. It has a lot of charm, in my opinion, and feels a bit like a hippie commune. I arrived by 10:00 a.m., quickly showered, and then did laundry. I spent the afternoon journaling about four days¢ worth of activity and enjoying chips, PBRs, and BBQ rib sandwiches. Most folks gathered around the open-air kitchen and campfire ring to socialize all afternoon and evening. After journaling, I made a pizza and joined in the hiker fun.