morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-02-27
To: Georgia on My Mind
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

In two days, I will be on a midnight plane to Georgia, Atlanta specifically. I've booked a shuttle ride to the Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega, where I have a bunk reserved for me. I pity my prospective roommates, for rumor has it I can make the walls rattle with staccato bursts of thunderous snorts. The next morning I will start the hike from Amicalola Falls, taking the approach trail to Springer Mt., where the AT officially starts for north bounders. To ascend the Falls the approach trail has 604 steps. That's over 30 flights of stairs. The difficulty level is considered strenuous. And I'll be carrying 35 pounds on my back. (I'm thinking it's not too late to book a return flight.) I expect it to take me the full day to reach Springer, a distance of almost 9 miles. What's a measly 9 miles when you're hoping to walk 2200? Besides, the Falls are the tallest in Georgia. Wouldn't want to miss that, especially since I'll be in the neighborhood!
Date: 2017-03-01
To: Planes, trains, and automobiles
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

A travel day today. After an early morning flight from Logan -- thanks Diane for the 4:30 a.m. ride to the airport, I know how much you love early mornings -- a train ride on MARTA to North Springs Station, and a shuttle ride to Dahlonega, I am now chilling out in the Hiker Hostel living room. It's pouring buckets and thundering. Sure am glad I am not walking the trail at the moment. When weather like this pops up, the phone at the hostel starts ringing incessantly, hikers caught in the storm looking for a ride back to a warm, dry, well lighted place. Well, my turn will come tomorrow. The forecast is for sunnier climes. Met three young hikers in the shuttle. Their combined ages barely exceeded my own. Though we are all starting from Amicalola Falls tomorrow morn, chances are the last I will see of them will be the backs of their packs as they speed off into the distance. All are looking for fellow hikers to give them trail names. I hope our fellow hikers will be kind.
Date: 2017-03-02
From: Amicalola Falls

To: Springer Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: scattered clouds

A seasoned AT hiker who shared my room at the Hiker Hostel tried his hardest to persuade me not to take the approach trail, which brings you from Amicalola Falls to the top of Springer Mountain. It is a grueling way to start the journey, he said. You'll kill yourself before the hike even officially starts; it's very steep. But I had my heart set on it. I'm glad I did not listen to him. He was right, the trail was grueling and steep, but the Falls were magnificent. And completing the climb boosted my confidence. Scotty, a humorous man from the UK, about to celebrate his 50th birthday next month on the trail, and Cody, a youngster of 23 from Indiana, accompanied me. Both felt the extra effort was worth it.Setting up camp in the cold was a new and fumbling experience, as was hanging my food bag on a cable to keep it out of reach of bears. Cooking dinner on a small stove was also novel and awkward. And sleep did not come easy. A screech owl cried out in the middle of the night. It's screeching went on for about twenty minutes. It was eerie. What else lurked out there in the darkness? So far, so good. Sore, but having a blast.
Date: 2017-03-03
From: Springer Mountain Shelter

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: clear sky

The body put up mild resistance this a.m., but after a hot bowl of oatmeal with dried cranberries and walnuts, I was fueled and ready. My camping skills are rusty, very rusty, and it seemed like ages for me to break down camp and repack the rucksack. I was last one out of the shelter. Scotty graciously waited for me and we hiked the distance to Hawk Shelter together. A bit chilly when the wind blew, but the weather was clear and sunny, and the terrain only mildly strenuous. The trail is rapidly filling with hikers. Another 40 plus came out today. Over 100 are expected to join this weekend. We will be racing each other for spots at the shelters. The chatter around the fireplace tonight is boisterous. I'm being anti-social, tucked into my sleeping bag, warm, comfortable, and quite exhausted. I find myself going into the tent before dark because it takes me so long to slip into my camp pjs and arrange my pack's contents within the tent. I have to take care not to have any packets of food, even empty wrappers, lest I attract the pesky and destructive mouse. Looking forward to see what tomorrow will bring.
Date: 2017-03-04
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Gooch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: broken clouds

Great hiking weather, not too chilly, not too warm, nothing but blue skies. Georgia is surprisingly mountainous. The trees are still bare and cast long shadows in the woods. The only color is the green from the occasional pine, abundant rhododendron, and holly. Hiked most of the day with Scotty and caught up later to Cody. Shortly after Cody fell to one knee and badly bruised it. His hobbling earned him the trail name Wounded Knee. Coincidently, the youngster has spent time at Wounded Knee and is a font of information regarding Native Americans. The trail name appears to be sticking.I saw my first wildlife - a grey squirrel. Could have seen one of these from the comfort of my living room recliner, but then I would have had to listen to Archer bark madly at it.Still getting used to making and breaking camp. I'm getting the reputation for being rather pokey at this. It's just that there are so many loose odds and ends that go in this bag or that one that I haven't quite established an efficient system. I still have 2174 miles to figure it out, but who's counting?
Date: 2017-03-05
From: Gooch Gap Shelter

To: Lance Creek Campsite
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: clear sky

The first comfortable night for sleeping - I did not see my breath within the tent - and yet sleep eluded me. Even the slightest slope causes the sleeping bag and it's restless contents to slide to the lowest point. I got about six hours of sleep in 20 minute segments, despite being in the tent for almost 11 hours. Hiker midnight comes early for these weary bones.Today's hike was the best thus far. Could not have asked for better weather. I hiked in a shirt sleeve, a rather gamey one, the full day. Again I set off with Scotty, and within the first few miles we experienced out first trail magic. A young man who had thru hiked in 2015, trail name McGiver, presently living in Atlanta, stood behind a table having the most delicious food. He fed us breakfast of scrambled eggs, cheese, sausage, English muffins, and pastries. I sampled every item and returned for seconds on the eggs. I even had my first Coca Cola before noon. Must be developing an appetite. At Woody Gap we caught up with Wounded Knee and Wind Walker, we're joined by Fireweed, and had lunch at a picnic table, the five of us. The laughter around the table was contagious, much of it at the expense of a supposed thru hiker who has been begging food from every one he meets. The trail name we've given him is Sponge Bob. It was one of those memorable moments.The view from atop Big Cedar Mtn was another highlight. We spent 15 to 20 minutes taking every permutation of photo, with the outstanding view of the mountains as the backdrop. If only every day was like today!
Date: 2017-03-06
From: Lance Creek Campsite

To: Neel Gap
Miles today: 7.2

Rain fell for the first time on my thru hike. Packing a wet tent is low on the list of pleasant activities. Again, I dawdle while breaking camp. I did not want to set out without my bowl of instant oatmeal and cup of Folger coffee. Wounded Knee, Wind Walker, and Scotty eventually went off, while I finished my fine dining.Hiking solo is a spiritual experience. I find myself communing with nature and talking aloud to God, not worried I'm going to be overheard and considered off my rocker. The ascent of Blood Mtn was the big task of the day. It stands at 4457 feet. It stood between me a Neel Gap, where a reserved cabin awaited. I was to share the cabin with Scotty, Wounded Knee, and Wind Walker. The hiking conditions were fickle. When the ridge passed along the East side of ascent, the wind blew cold and I had to don my wool hat and gloves. But when the trail moved to the West and the wind did not reach me, I needed to remove them. The climb entered a thick, chilly fog. When I reached the shelter at the peak, visibility was poor. Too bad, because the view from Blood Mountain is apparently outstanding. Guess I'll have to catch this view next time.I somehow managed to catch up to the troupe on the descent. We entered Neel Gap together, hiked the .3 mi to our cabin, washed 4 plus days of grime off ourselves, had our laundry done, and fed our faces until we could eat no more. Then we took a .3 mi hike back to the outfitters at the top of the hill, where I paid a king's ransom for an inflatable sleeping pad. The foam pad I was using wasn't working for me. I felt every pebble under my sleeping bag. Looking forward to a good night's sleep tonight in a comfy bed and on a comfy pad here on out. Fortunately, Fireweed was at Neel Gap with her puck up truck and shuttled us back to the cabin.Btw: rain coming tomorrow. Uggh.
Date: 2017-03-07
From: Neel Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: few clouds

The trail passes through the doorway of the Neel Gap outfitters. The day started drizzily and got progressively worse. Most of the morning hike cut through a dense fog, where I could not see more than 20 yards ahead of me. Trees became tall ghostly sentinels lining the path. Silouettes of birds, flushed by my presence, darted about in the woods. A cold wet wind caused me to pull my hood tight about my face. My view of the world had become myopic. I saw only the path at my feet. I could also hear nothing except the rush of the wind and my panting. If someone had come up from behind and touched me, I would have jumped out of my skin.Scotty, Wounded Knee, and I reached the shelter about 4 p.m., with the rain falling steadily. Thoroughly exhausted, I now had before me the novel chore of setting up my tent in the rain. It was another fumbling affair, but somehow I managed to limit the amount of water that fell into the tent. I was not as successful keeping out the mud. I realize now that I must get used to living in squalor. Presently it's 6 p.m., I am cozy and warm in my bag, and it's still coming down hard out there. But I still have to hang my bear bag. Maybe I'll just use it as a pillow tonight. What bear in it's right mind would go out foraging on a night like this?
Date: 2017-03-08
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: clear sky

Mercifully, today brought sunshine and no rain. Not sure how well I would have coped with two soaking days in a row at this stage of my hike. As it was, last night's rain induced me to make two bonehead mistakes.The first was going to bed without dinner. I simply did not want to leave the protection of my tent to stand in a cold rain while my pasta cooked, especially since I had gone through great pains to warm up. Besides, I wasn't hungry. I figured I would double down on the instant oatmeal in the morning. However the extra servings of oatmeal did not give me enough energy. After two miles I bonked, my legs felt like lead. I plied myself with gorp and energy bars, but I never felt myself for the rest of the hike.The second brilliant maneuver was to put the foot of my sleeping bag into a trash bag, thinking it would keep it dry. My concern was that the foot of the bag might touch the end of the tent and wick in some of the rain. My preventive action had the opposite effect. The sleeping bag is designed to breathe, but the trash bag held in all the moisture. This morning the foot of the sleeping bag was soaking wet. But mercifully it was a sunny day, and I was able to dry it in the sun.Tomorrow Scotty, Wounded Knee, Wind Walker, and I are going to hitch to the town of Helen. We're hitchhiking in pairs. None of us are familiar with the practice. Admittedly, the idea has me a tad anxious. It's hard to imagine anyone stopping for an old homeless looking man.It's all part of the adventure!
Date: 2017-03-09
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 2.4
Weather: few clouds

After clearing the peak of Blue Mt (4025 ft), the troupe consisting of Scotty, Wounded Knee, Wind Walker, and I reached Unicoi Gap in good time, less than 75 minutes. At Unicoi Gap, Wounded Knee found at a trail kiosk a business card for John's shuttle. We quickly abandoned the uncertainty of hitchhiking in favor of the more sure shuttle service. He arrived in a mere matter of minutes. We were in the town of Helen within half an hour.We checked in at the Helendorf Hotel, which offers special hiker rates. The friendly gal behind the counter also extended the hours of continental breakfast and invited us to help ourselves to the buffet. Our worn faces and emaciated frames must have elicited her charity.Helen is a beautiful town with one main street running through the center and crossing over a clear fast moving stream. It's shops, restaurants, hotels follow an Alpine motif (German, Swiss?), with red tile roofs and pointed eaves. Many of the shops have flowerbeds at the storefront, signs that Spring has already come here in the South. Tonight I am sharing a hotel room with Scotty, who has rummaged through his pack in search of earplugs. I,too, will be using earplugs so I don't wake myself up.Tomorrow we will back on the trail. Betty's Grocery Shop runs a free shuttle back to Unicoi Gap. It leaves at 10:30 a.m. Can't beat that price; we'll be there.
Date: 2017-03-10
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Tray Mt. Shelter 
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: overcast clouds

After consuming about 8000 calories of steak, baked potato with sour cream, butter and bacon bits, potato chips, homefries, eggs, bananas, bagels with cream cheese, coffee, juice, and Gatorade, I was adequately fueled to face today's two four thousand footers. Our gang of four got a free shuttle ride to Unicoi Gap. In the parking lot a church group had stoked up a barbeque, but we were full from our second breakfast and anxious to be on our way. So we started our ascent of Rocky Mountain, Wind Walker in the lead, followed by Scotty, Wounded Knee, and myself at the rear. Some might say I'm in this last position because I am the slowest, but truth be told I walk at the end in order to collect all the items dropped by my compatriots walking ahead of me. It's that important a role.We plodded up Rocky Mountain, down the other side, up Tray Mountain, and down the other side to the shelter. Our mileage for the day was light, but the hike was strenuous. I'll be taking some vitamin I before bed tonight.The best adventure of the day was our free shuttle to Unicoi. The four of us expected a van to pick us up in front of Betty's Country Store. Instead we were surprised to find a Dodge pickup truck was our means of transportation. The driver apologized, saying he had no room in the cab, and asked if we minded sitting in the flatbed. Our course we didn't mind, right? Scotty and Wounded Knee jumped in first with their loaded packs and found choice seats behind the cab. In next went Wind Walker. I jumped in last and noticed immediately my limited options for settling my carcass. At my left side was a hairy, moist, huge cat turd. In front of me was a sizable puddle of water, I hope. And to my right was the tailgate which closed with a faint weak click. Wind Walker, sitting directly across from me, held the door closed with his left hand and warned me not to lean on it. He did not have to tell me twice. Once we settled down, the driver sped off, and I sat there wondering how is this legal and hoping that I would not die.The drive to Unicoi is windy, with many a hairpin turn. Each time the truck banked right the puddle flowed closer to my buttocks. I sacrificed my bandana to save my pants. Also, a truck moving at 35 mph creates quite a windchill for those who cannot hunker behind the cab. The tip of my nose was frostbitten, or so it seemed. It was the longest 9 miles of my life. No such thing as a free shuttle ride.
Date: 2017-03-11
From: Tray Mt. Shelter 

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night at the Tray Mt. Shelter was our coldest yet. Temperatures in the 20s and a steady wind made it uncomfortable outside the tent and barely tolerable within. Sleeping came fitfully. We broke camp with the break of morning. We ate breakfast on the move, a snickers bar, fig bar, and gorp, because we had a long Hike ahead of us. I wore four top layers at the start and never wore less than three. It was cold all day.Today's main challenge was Kelly Knob, another 4 thousand footer. It was a mile of steep inclines to reach the top. No switchbacks. I climbed at a snail's pace. I've come to appreciate that Georgia can be hard.Descending has it's own set of challenges. Knees and heels and toes get quite sore, and you must carefully watch your every step. After a brief eternity, we arrived at the parking lot of Dicks Creek Gap, where we found, to our delight, trail magic. Members of the Baptist Church cooked us hamburgers and hotdogs, and a father-son team made an outstanding stew. The son thru-hiked in 2016, and remembers Santa and Northstar well. His trail name is Goose.Getting to Hiawassee presented another challenge. We were 9 miles from town, and our shuttle arrangement had fallen through. Just as we were scratching our heads and getting used to the thought that we would need to hitch hike, an enormous extended van pulled into the parking lot. Emboldened by the cold and the prospect of standing on the side of the road for who knows how long, I walked to driver side window and waited for it to roll down. "Do you give shuttle rides to Hiawassee," I asked. "I suppose I can," the woman driver replied. "Isn't that why you're here," I asked. "No, I just came into the lot to turn around," she said. "But this always happens when I pull into a lot, the zombies come to the van. How many are you?" "Five""OK. Pile in."Two more zombies appeared, and all seven of us piled in, packs and all, that's how big the van was. I was the last one in, and the only remaining seat was the floor of the front passenger seat - there was no seat. I could not see above the dashboard. Another denizen of the van was a small French Bulldog that took a liking to me. He was a crazy licker. It crawled onto my lap and gave my forehead a thorough cleaning. We bid adieu at the Holiday Inn, where we plan to wash up and recharge our batteries. Tomorrow will be a zero day. Good timing, too, because snow is in the forecast for Sunday. Not sure I'm ready to set up camp in the snow.
Date: 2017-03-12
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Winter is not done here in Georgia, though everywhere I see flowering trees and the brilliant yellow of blooming forsythia bushes. This morning a dusting of snow covered the treetops and the hoods of automobiles in the hotel parking lot. We (Scotty, Wounded Knee, Wind Walker, and I) timed our day off from hiking - referred to in AT vernacular as a zero - just right. No camping in the snow for us last night. A warm and comfortable bed at the Holiday Inn Express gave me the best night of sleep since the hike began. I'm certain being utterly wiped out also had something to do with it.Though we had a few chores to do, such as laundry and grocery shopping, the day was spent stuffing our faces and relaxing. We availed ourselves of the heated pool and hot tub on multiple occasions. Since I did not think to pack a bathing suit, I had to discretely slip into the water in my scivvies -- clean ones, I assure you.We're back on the trail tomorrow, scheduling a shuttle to pick us at 9:30 a.m. and bring us back to Dicks Creek Gap. If all goes well we'll be in North Carolina by evening tomorrow. But rain and snow are forecast, so the going may be slower than expected.Still having fun!Lastly for tonight, I want to give a shout out to all of you who have been posting encouraging messages. They inspire me to keep on going, more than you may know. THANK YOU.
Date: 2017-03-13
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Muskrat Creek shelter 
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: clear sky

Today we crossed the North Carolina border. Georgia ended as it started, uphill. By far the tougest state we've faced, until NC that is. No sooner did we cross the border than we ran into a steep rise, with no switchbacks to ease the pain. Only one mile across the border and I was longing for the good old days of Georgia. Our group is down to three. Wind Walker was called home to Austin, Texas, to deal with family matters. He seemed resigned to having to leave the trail so early, keeping his emotions bottled up, but I can't help believe he was terribly disappointed. He sent us a farewell text, saying goodbye y'all, and nice hiking with y'all. Apparently he types with an accent.My wildlife count is up to 3 gray squirrels. At Muskrat Creek Shelter I was bragging about my squirrel sightings to a group of diners - we all cook and eat under cover of the shelter building- when the man sitting across from me at the picnic table described how he saw wild pigs cross the path in front of him and disappear down the side of the mountain. He lost count, guessing there were as many as 25 in the herd (or is it a pack, gaggle, flock, or pride of pigs). I was stunned; no one likes a braggart.
Date: 2017-03-14
From: Muskrat Creek shelter 

To: Carter Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: light rain

I awoke to find my tent and surroundings covered in 2-3 inches of snow. Now I don't expect to hear any boohoos from folks in NY and MA, but I had to sleep in it. That's got to be worth a little sympathy.We bid adieu to Wounded Knee today. He was getting off the trail and heading for Franklin. The cold temperatures were getting to him. Then again, he was hiking in shorts and had no gloves, having accidentally left them behind at Holiday Inn. He said he'd meet us in town.The cold temperatures are also getting to Scotty and me. Temperatures at Carter were in the teens, and the wind was blowing steady. Everything is more difficult to do when your fingers are painfully frozen. It's all but impossible to tie and untie knots. Water filters freeze. Gas stoves ignite with difficulty and don't burn efficiently. And sitting on a ice cold seat in the privy - words can't adequately describe. I crawled into my sleeping bag at 7 p.m. to escape the cold, and as I laid there waiting for darkness to come, I had the not so fleeting thought, "This is not fun." Where o where has the spring weather gone, where o where can it be?