morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-04-28
From: Campsite Mile 410

To: Kinkora
Miles today: 8.9

Trail date: 150428045Miles: 8.9Camp: KincoraWeather: SunnyAfter a cold night at the campsite, I finally crawled out of my bag at 0800 and hit the trail to arrive at Kincora hostel at about 11:45. The hostel was empty, but I later learned that I missed Britches, Hoff, Fair-Enough and Sputnik by less than an hour.Eventually, Bob Peoples returned from town and I had the good fortune to have a long conversation with him. Bob is well known along the trail, not only for Kincora, but for his leadership in trail maintenance. We hikers owe Bob, a huge debt of gratitude for ironing out and generally keeping intact large sections of the trail. Kincora, one of the most famous hostels on the trail is and experience to remember all by itself. One of the few left, if not the only one that runs on pure donations, yet offers everything a hiker needs. Shower, laundry, kitchen, bunk. No Wifi, but does a hiker really need that? Walk down the road, to the other hostel. Kincora and it's peers are in decline, in favor of the places that offer more services, but lack the history and experience provided by Kincora. This is the real AT experience. OK, off soap box.Got my laundry done, got a shower just in time for Papa-Al and company to stop by for a visit. Awesome lunch of cheese and ham provided by them. Then I kicked back and waited for the grocery run. Rapunzel and Stash showed up, then TK came in from a 10 mile back slack. Tonight it was just the four of us, along with a house guest of Bob's, who is back to photograph the trail with a real camera.Pretty good Nero day, which will be followed with three zeros. The next three days entries will be minimal as I intend to maximize my time with Beth, who should be arriving by noon on Wednesday (tomorrow).
Date: 2015-05-01
From: Johnson City

To: Johnson City
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Trail date: 150501048Miles: 0Weather: Rain 60sThird zero, last day of wives visiting. Drove to Damascus and caught up with Fair-Enough, Sputnik, Honey Britches and Hoff. Then we located some trail road crossings and did a little trail magic. Back on the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2015-05-02
From: Johnson City

To: Campsite at 426.7
Miles today: 8.1

Trail date: 150502049Miles: 8.1Camp: Campsite at mile 426.7Weather: Sunny 70sA really short day to be followed by two moderately long days. We are on the edge of the bear closure area around Watauga lake. Apparently there are two juvenile male bears habituated to human food in the restricted zone. We will be through it in short order tomorrow morning.The hike today was difficult, mostly because we are coming off a three day stop and saying goodbye to our wives for probably two months. It kinda puts a brick in your pack. Here we have a beautiful day, but it's hard to enjoy it. There were some really nice miles though. We passed by Laurel Fork Falls and hiked along the river, including a ledge walk, which was kinda neat. Layer in the day we saw laurels in bloom, which really adds color to the forest, with vivid pinks and orange blossoms.We saw Crusoe-Fire and Colt45 from Trailjournals, having first met them in the Smokies. We walked the half mile down to the lake for water and visited with them for a while before heading back up to our campsite.It's an early camp day, maybe too early, but we'll make up for it tomorrow.
Date: 2015-05-03
From: Campsite at 426.7

To: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: broken clouds

Trail date: 150503050Miles: 16.9Camp: Iron Mountain Shelter- tentWeather: Partly Sunny warmA 0715 start as usual put us on camp about 4 PM, so either the terrain is getting easier or we are just getting faster. The hike today had a lot of ups and downs, mostly ups it seemed, but we did have nice views of Watauga lake as we climbed up and around it. It was Sunny and warmer today. Probably the warmest day so far.Lots of new faces today. The price of doing multiple zeros. Seem like nice people though. The bunch up begins as we approach Damascus. Two more days of Tennessee.Honestly, the past couple of days have been hard for me. Many contributors, Beth's departure and knowing how much I miss her and the girls. The soreness of my feet at about the 10 mile point each day, missing kayaking and all my paddling friends. I'm running out of good reasons to eat junk food constantly, live in filthy conditions and abuse my feet, ankles and knees everyday.
Date: 2015-05-04
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: North of Abingdon Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: few clouds

Trail date: 150504051Miles: 17.0Camp: 1mile N of Abington gap shelter-tentWeather: Sunny warmFull Moon Hootenanny I was still awake at 01:30 when several barred owls began calling in the trees right above the camp. I crawled out of my tent to see the full moon and listen to the owls. It was a beautiful experience. The nearby pack of coyotes was an added bonus.I probably got no more than three half hour sleep periods during the night. Today wound up being another endless trudge. I am finding that the second half of the day just wears me down and contributes to the doldrums I've been in for some days now.There were some bright moments today though. While we were sitting on a log enjoying a soda from a trail magic box, a fellow came by with the trail name Wilson! , which I thought was a hoot. Said his sister Cindy was following Papa-Al and Conductor. We felt like celebrities for the moment. So a shout out to Cindy! Wilson found us! Next there was a beautiful pasture walk, complete with a fruit tree, pear I think, in full bloom buzzing with hundreds of large bumble bees, several of which escorted us away from their tree. That was positively gorgeous. The bees were not threatening, just making sure we kept moving. Kinda funny.
Date: 2015-05-05
To: And so it ends
Miles today: 0.0

The last 50 miles have been difficult for me. I had been struggling to keep things ion an even keel since we departed Dennis Cove, and I watched Beth drive away. Lack of sleep, a personal choice to reduce my dosage of ibuprofen, and all the little things that one could normally shrug off started to pile up. I was in a tail spin and Al knew it the first night out. He made a valiant attempt over the next couple of days to bring me out of it, and on a couple of occasions I could see a flicker of hope. In the end, I realized that I simply was not enjoying this hike. I had lost all desire to continue enduring the pain of sore feet and knees. As we crossed the line into Virginia, I let Papa-Al know that I would not be returning to the trail. By late afternoon, I was headed to the airport; ticket in hand.I'm kinda looking forward to what this summer can become, now that I have broken free of the AT.
Date: 2016-01-03
To: Wrap Up
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I realized as I started a new journal that I never really concluded the 2015 journal.The truth is, once you make that decision to leave the trail, after months or years of planning, and talking it up, it is a very difficult thing to reconcile. I can't really say I had a great time on the trail in 2015, but the fault is all on my shoulders. Met some amazing people, saw a lot of great scenery, didn't get enough sleep or enough rest.As I rode the shuttle to the airport in Bristol TN after leaving my good friend Papa Al in Damascus, there was one of those "Pass it ON!" billboards. You know the type. It was John Wayne saying "Don't much like quitters son." LOL... Someone has a sense of humor, but somehow that's the last memory I hold of my 2015 AT experience.
Date: 2015-03-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Hey all. Planning to start my AT thru hike April 3rd. Here is a list of gear I'm currently planning to take with.Pack: Osprey Aether 85 with rain coverTent: Big Agnes UL Fly Creek 2Sleeping Bag: REI IgneoSleeping Pad: Thermarest NeoairWater Filter: Sawyer gravity filter with Aquamira backupWater Bladder from water filter and 1 Gatorade bottleStove: Homemade alcohol stove with lighter and fire starter for flameCook Pot: Titanium pot 750 ml Utensil: Titanium sporkTrekking Poles: REI shocklightFirst Aid/Hygiene: triple antibiotic, waterproof bandaids, moleskin, tweezers, needle, travel toothbrush and toothpaste, floss, Ibuprofen, ear plugs, biodegradable soap, sun block, bug dope, hand sanitizerKnife: Gerber paraframeDown Jacket: Montebell UL Down JacketFleece: Timberland FleeceShirts: 2 short sleeve synthetic, 1 long sleeve syntheticPants: Convertible pantsThermals: heat core uppers and lowersSocks: 3 pairs plus 2 pair sock linersShorts: 2 pair running shortsRain Gear: Frogg ToggsHat2 bandanasShoes: Altra Lone Peak 2.0 trail runners with super feet insolesCamp Shoes: Locals SlippersGuide: AWOL's AT GuideRite in the rain journal with weather proof penKindlePhoneCameraHead lamp50 feet paracord with carabineer
Date: 2015-04-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Flying out to Atlanta today and going to spend a couple days with my amazing sister before heading out to the trail head on Friday April 3rd. My water filter is running really slow. With a lot of backflushing it is a little better but I still may need to pick up a new one in Atlanta. I'll reevaluate tomorrow. Food and fuel is about all I need to pick up. Excited to get to Georgia.
Date: 2015-04-03
From: Amicalola State Falls Park

To: Stover Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: clear sky

Started with the approach trail this morning about 10:00am. Took about 6.5 hours to get to the Stover Creek Shelter. Shelter is packed and tents are everywhere. I anticipate most shelters to be pretty busy for the first bit of the trail. Had first "trail magic" today at Big Stamp Gap. Hiker Mountain Squid was there giving out sugary drinks and snacks. Shoulders and hips are sore from my pack but manageable. Still not feeling too well from food poisoning two days ago. Planning 13 miles tomorrow to Gooch Mountain Shelter.
Date: 2015-04-04
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Thunderstorm rolled in about 10:00pm last night. It was over by morning and I stayed pretty dry. Tent was wet when I packed it but was able to dry it out once I got to Gooch Mountain Shelter. Made it 13 miles in about 6.5 hours. Feet aren't doing too well. Sore and blisters on both big toes. Shoulders and hips still getting used to carrying a pack. Trail magic again today about an hour into my hike. The Georgia Adventure Club had a tent set up with tons of food and beverages. Spent about half hour talking with them before moving on. Met hikers Rue and Jedi at the shelter. Conversation between Rue and I.Rue: Is Adrian your real name or trail name?Me: My real name.Rue: Wasn't that Rocky's name?Me: It was Rocky's wife's name.Rue: Rocky's wife name?Me: Yeah, Rocky's name was Rocky.Rue: OK smart guy.Rue didn't speak to me the rest of my stay at the Gooch Mountain Shelter. I guess I offended her. Sorry Rue.
Date: 2015-04-05
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 15.0

Was only planning 10 miles today to Lance Creek but heard rain was coming in tonight so I decided to make it my longest day at 15 miles to get to Neels Gap and stay at the Hostel there. Hiked for 8.5 hours only to find out the hostel was full and I had to camp anyway. Felt pretty good during the hike. Met Road Runner. This is his 6th attempt at a thru hike. Also met Snart named so "because I snore and fart." I keep seeing a couple from Europe I believe. Haven't talked to them yet but we seem to hiking at about the same pace. Also met Neemore. He is making a video of the trail and nursing a bum IT band. Hoping the rain holds out.
Date: 2015-04-06
From: Neels Gap

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Thankfully the rain held out. I was able to pack up camp and started hiking for about 45 minutes before it started raining. Rained all day and my achilles tendon started popping early in the morning. Made it 11.5 miles. Not the most enjoyable day. Shelter was full as expected so had to set up my tent in the rain. Everything is wet. Met Bookie, her dog Star along with her friend Han. Also ran into Neemore a couple times throughout the day. Didn't even bother cooking dinner. Ate some tortillas and peanut butter. Hoping the rain stops.
Date: 2015-04-07
From: Low Gap

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Rained all night. The inside of my tent was wet when I woke up. My tent sags like crazy and even worse with the rain. May pick up a different one. Achilles feeling better today. Stretched it out a lot yesterday. With everything wet and feeling pretty miserable I started the day planning to hike 10 miles to Unicoi gap then hitch a ride to Hiawassee and slack pack (leave my large pack and just carry a day pack with food and water) the 17 miles between Unicoi Gap and Dick's Creek Gap tomorrow but once I started hiking the rain stopped and my spirits rose. Decided to keep going and had my longest day of 15.4 miles to Tray Mountain Shelter. Felt pretty good but was really glad to get over Tray Mountain. Everything is still wet. Planning to get on the trail by 7:00am tomorrow so I can get to Dick's Creek Gap by noon. I'm staying at hostel there and have a mail drop.
Date: 2015-04-08
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up at 3:15am and couldn't get back to sleep so I decided to get an early start. Was on the trail by about 5:30am. Still dark so had to use my head lamp. Made it to Top of Georgia Hostel at Dick's Creek Gap before 11:00am. Showered and feel much better. They even did my laundry for me. Went to town with another hiker Melissa, she's lives on the trail in Virginia and has hiked about two hundred miles there and wanted to see the rest of the trail. Went to lunch at Daniel's Steak House. The early bird special all you can eat buffet with drink included for $7.48. Loaded up on the salad bar and fresh veggies. My diet is certainly lacking on the trail. Feet are pretty tore up from being constantly wet for the past couple days. Considering taking a zero day tomorrow to let them rest. More rain coming tomorrow and Friday. No rain for the weekend though.
Date: 2015-04-09
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 0.0

Decided to take a zero day today. Last night shared bunk room with Nicky Ticky, Jabberwalki, and Excaliber. Didn't talk to Nicky Ticky at all. Jabberwalki is from Nashville finishing up a 200 mile section he didn't do during his 2014 thru hike. I didn't talk much to Excaliber either but the caliber of his snoring was at times quite mighty. Bookie her dog Star, Han, and Jabberwalki all slack packed today from Unicoi gap to Dick's Creek Gap. Went to town again and had a great salad bar from the grocer here. Also mailed over three pounds of clothes/gear/food home. Rain is coming sometime tonight and suppose to continue until tomorrow night. I may hang out here at the hostel most of the day then camp at the trail head for the evening to avoid a full day hiking in the rain. Depends how hard it is raining. Feet feeling much better today. Ready to finish up Georgia and get to North Carolina.
Date: 2015-04-10
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: moderate rain

Neemore showed up at the hostel last night. Nice to see him again. Bunked with Neemore, Jabberwalki, and Peacock. Started raining once I got to the trailhead at 8:30am. Rained most of the day. I stopped at Plum Orchard Shelter about 5 miles from Dick's Creek for lunch. Snart and Cheney were there packing up from staying the night before. I saw Melissa as I was leaving. She was planning to stay the night there. She's been going shelter to shelter. Not sure if I'll see her again. I had some sun dried tomatoes she gave me yesterday and continued on. Stopped at Muskrat Creek Shelter for a snack and ran into Thunder and Kimberly the Pink Power Ranger. They have this weird blue circus looking tent with a giant pole in the center of their tent sticking way out the top. Thunder got his name from his major snoring. I stayed at Tray Mountain with them and even being 50 yards away it sounded like his snoring was right in my ear. I decided to move on for more restful sleep. Crossed into North Carolina shortly before 1:00pm. Still raining. The climb into NC was pretty brutal and my legs are smoked. Finally made it to Standing Indian Shelter to have it start pouring once I set my tent up. I ducked into the shelter until it let up a bit then cooked dinner and crashed. No bear cables here so I had to bear bag in a tree.
Date: 2015-04-11
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Rock Creek Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: broken clouds

Today was the first climb over 5000 feet. It was so gradual that it was actually one of the easiest climbs so far. Wasn't much. New from Standing Indian Mountain so I kept moving. I wanted to get as close to Winding Stair Gap as I could for resupply tomorrow. Totaled 19.7 miles. Longest so far, but felt pretty good. Nice hiking weather. Only a couple camp spots by the shelter and no bear cables but worked out fine. Less than 5 miles to resupply tomorrow. There is a 9:00am shuttle I hope to catch so I will be hitting the trail early.
Date: 2015-04-12
From: Rock Creek Shelter

To: Franklin
Miles today: 3.8
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up early and was on the trail by 6:30am with my headlamp determined to make the 9:00am shuttle. Made it to Winding Stair Gap by 8:00am. There was a handful of hikers there already trying to hitch a ride the 10 miles to Franklin. No one stopped and we all waited the hour for the shuttle. I originally planned to take the shuttle in to town, resupply and take the 11:00am shuttle back to the trail but decided to stay the night at Haven's Budget Inn. The place was kind of a dump but good location. Walked to the grocer for food and stuffed myself with mega stuffed golden oreos and new vanilla frosting combos. I then ordered a pizza and some boneless wings from Dominoes. Though I gorged myself on junk food I also bought a pound of baby carrots and two apples. Balance is important. Also found a couple geocaches while in town. My first NC caches.
Date: 2015-04-13
From: Franklin

To: Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

After my nearo day yesterday I was eager to get back on the trail. I took the 9:00am shuttle to the trailhead. It started raining on the drive there and continued all day. I hiked 11 miles to the shelter and decided to stay there instead of going to the next one. There was a big group that left after I got there on their way to the next shelter. I figured since there was room here and more rain forecasted I'd stay my first night in a shelter and stay dry. Well, at least keep my tent dry. I was pretty soaked from hiking in the rain. Silence from Israel was there. I met him at the Top of Georgia Hostel. Rambo, whom I met earlier in day was there as well. Apparently Rambo used to carry a big survival knife on her hip so she got the name Rambo. Rambo's from Rhode Island and hiked the PCT last year. She also hiked 700 miles of the AT a few years ago. Mallory (Stealth Bomber) and John showed up later. They are a married couple from New York. John's birthday is tomorrow. Some guy from Hawaii showed up late. I didn't get his name.
Date: 2015-04-14
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: A. Rufus Morgan Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: light rain

Had only planned about 10 miles today but was feeling pretty good so decided to push on another 5 miles to A. Rufus Morgan Shelter 1 mile from the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). Pretty good day of hiking. Rained most of the day but not too heavy. Rain stopped the last hour of hiking. I need to stop at the NOC for some food and gear in the morning. One of the batteries in my head lamp leaked acid and ruined it so I'm currently without light. The NOC opens at eight so planning to get there when they open and continue on pretty quickly. Silence was here when I got here. He decided to camp instead of staying in the shelter. It looks like it is supposed to rain so I'm going to stay in the shelter to keep dry. Rambo, Stealth Bomber and John showed up as well. This is the first time I've been at a shelter when it isn't overfilled. Saw a deer, wolf and some lizards today. My knee was feeling better this morning but bothering me a bit since I stopped. Hopefully Ibuprofen will kick in soon.
Date: 2015-04-15
To: Cody Gap
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: light rain

Rain started again last night. Rained all night and day today. Thank goodness! Yesterday we had nearly 6 hours without rain. I think the stream beds and water sources were starting to dry up. Woke up early today before the sun and saw Silence packing up his tent in the rain. I wonder if he regrets not staying in the shelter. The Hawaii guy showed up later last night. Found out his name is Kellen. I was first to leave the shelter this morning and as I was leaving I heard Rambo say "Adrian wait." I turned and looked back and heard Rambo say "Give 'em hell." Thanks Rambo. See you at the NOC. The mile down to the NOC took less than 20 minutes and I got there right at eight only to find out they don't open until nine. I had a snack even though I ate breakfast before leaving the shelter and dumped all my trash. Rambo showed up after about 10 minutes and we decided to go to the restaurant and have another breakfast. Kellen, Stealth Bomber and John joined us soon after. I also met Captain Green Kilt whom I saw at the Atlanta airport on April 1st when I flew in. I immediately knew he was a hiker and wondered if I would run into him on the trail. I also found out he goes by Piper....I prefer Captain Kilt. Rambo suggested, and I agree, that it is a ploy by the NOC to tell the guide books they open at eight instead of nine so hikers get there at eight and with nothing better to do go to the restaurant and spend money. Worked on us. Once nine came I picked up a new headlamp and some fuel at the outfitter and found out the general store doesn't open until ten. I could have used more food but didn't want to wait around another hour so set out hiking.The climb after the NOC was pretty rough and the descent was even worse. The trail is just a wet, muddy , slippery, sloppy sometimes ankle deep soupy mess. I fell once on the downhill which makes four total falls so far. It would be about 400 if I didn't have my trekking poles. I'm getting pretty sick of trudging through mud. Passed a bunch of slack packers doing this section south bound so they didn't have the big climb. I can't imagine going down it being too much fun with all the rain and mud. I finally made it the 16.8 miles to my planned shelter to find a family of 15 staying there. Shelter was full and camping sites were scarce. After an awkward chat with the father I was getting a not welcome vibe so I decided to keep going. The thought of setting up my tent in the pouring rain didn't do much for me either. I hiked another 3 miles to Cody Gap and decided that was far enough. It was still raining but getting dark. Just wanted to get dry. I should make it to Fontana Dam tomorrow for laundry and shower. Today was the worst day so far.
Date: 2015-04-16
From: Cody Gap

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up in better spirits. Amazing what a warm night in a sleeping bag can do. Rained most of the night but stopped this morning. Saw Silence hike by as I was packing up my tent. Made it to Fontana Dam about 11:00am and caught a shuttle to the lodge there. It started raining once I got in the shuttle. Fortunately they had an open room so I'm staying the night here. Silence is in the room next door. My mail drop isn't here yet. Hopefully it will be here tomorrow. The front desk said I can check at the post office at 11:45am when they open instead of waiting until 4:00pm when they get mail delivered. I wasn't planning on spending the day here but my legs could probably use the rest. Did my laundry, printed my smokies permit and had dinner with Silence at the restaurant. I also picked up some local beer. Shiva IPA from Asheville, NC is definitely the worst IPA I've had in a long time. I will not be picking up any more.