morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-04-27
From: Little Laurel 

To: Flint Mountain
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: light rain

Today started cool and overcast with a 1,000¢ climb up to Camp Creek Bald. Then I hit the rocks at Blackstack Cliffs. The hike then became a bouldering exercise at 4,700¢. The big up steps and down steps went on for an hour. Then a descent to a shelter where I had lunch and then a climb up Big Butt Mountain then a 1,000¢ drop to Flint Mountain Shelter. About an hour before arriving at the shelter, the rain started. I put on my pack cover and rain coat and stayed dry except for my pants. The rain wasn¢t cold, so I was okay. I arrived at the shelter a little before 3:00 and found two occupants, but the crowd started arriving until it was full. We hope the rain will stop by tomorrow. The temperatures are expected to drop tomorrow.
Date: 2008-04-28
From: Flint Mountain

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Today started out miserably. It rained all night and into the day until afternoon. The trail descended from 3,570¢ to 2,960¢. My right knee had become sore yesterday, and with the descent today became positively painful. It felt better climbing, which the trail then did back to the 4,000¢s. I stopped at Hogback Ridge Shelter to give my knee a rest and stretch it. I stayed there about 2 hours and then decided to move on to the Low Gap campground. My knee felt a little better, and the trail was almost all upgrade. I got to the gap about 6:30. My friend Duncan was here and later two more came in. The rain continued in the morning until I reached 4,000¢, when it turned into a cold fog. I hiked through a forest filled with a cloud. Everything was eerily quiet, but beautiful. I suddenly came upon a stunning waterfall, coming from high into the fog and descending out of site in the fog. As I climbed, the fog went away and the sun came out. The air was much colder than it had been. Tonight I will be nursing my knee, hoping that it gets better soon. Another climb tomorrow and then a short day to Erwin (I hope). The rest in Erwin will be good.
Date: 2008-04-29
From: Low Gap

To: NoBusiness Knob
Miles today: 14.6

The news today was the weather. Last night I was awakened by a terrible wind and the sound of sleet on my tent. The air was cold inside my tent ¢ I had to put my head inside my sleeping bag to keep warm. In the morning, I lay in my tent waiting for the wind to die down. When I heard Duncan packing up his things I decided I¢d better make my move too. I stuck my head outside and saw about a quarter of an inch of sleet on the ground. I had to move fast, packing up to keep from freezing. My fingers refused to work. After I got moving, I finally had to stow my hiking poles and put my hands in my pockets. The trail ascended up Big Bald Mountain to an altitude of 5,516¢. The wind was ferocious, but the view was outstanding. The bald was covered with snow and there was a 360 degree view. As I hiked on, the clouds cleared and the weather warmed. The day turned out to be perfect for hiking. My knee was still sore, though seemed to be getting better. The trail descended and then climbed over High Rocks, which is very descriptive of the nature of the mountain ¢ a big pile of rocks at 4,100¢. After that, the trail become a soft path of pine needles with gentle slopes, mostly. At NoBusiness, I¢m sharing the shelter with only two others. Nice not to be crowded.
Date: 2008-04-30
From: NoBusiness Knob

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: clear sky

The color of the trail today was up then down . . . down. But only once. I started out this morning with a late start, knowing that I had only 6 miles to walk. The shelter and the trail in this area is surrounded by the ashes of a controlled burn to prevent the spread of forest fires. The area would be beautiful if not for these scars. The surrounding flora are the rhododendrons and the magnolia trees. The trail into town is occasionally rocky, but mostly soft and pine needle covered. The weather was perfect for hiking and, if not for my knee pain, would have been really enjoyable. As it was I limped into Erwin and stopped at Uncle Johnnies Hostel. I got a room and spread the contents of my pack out in the sunshine to dry out. We were shuttled into town for all you can eat pizza buffet lunch. After returning I showered, did laundry and laid around resting my knee. For dinner we went Mexican and after did some shopping for food and incidentals. Tonight I¢m laying in a real bed, in a warm room, watching TV. So ordinary, yet so unusual for me and my new friends. Tomorrow is . . . nothing, rest and eat. And hope my knee recovers from the descent from 4,000¢ to 1,700¢ today. The trip out will be the reverse. But that¢s another day.
Date: 2008-05-01
From: Erwin, TN

To: Uncle Johnny's at Erwin
Miles today: 0.0

Spent the day resting my sore knee. The hostel provides three shuttles a day into town for food/resupply, so everyone is well fed when they leave. I got a cabin to myself, which is still pretty Spartan, but provides a welcome change to the shelter life. Besides the normal resupply, I purchased two knee supports in an attempt to provide my knees with more lateral stability on uneven terrain. The zero day was spent mostly trying to stay off my feet.
Date: 2008-05-02
From: Uncle Johnny's at Erwin

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I took the opportunity for one more breakfast in town and finally left the hostel at about 12:30. I wasn¢t too enthusiastic about getting back on the trail with a sore knee, but it was time to move on. The climb out of town didn¢t really begin until about two hours into the hike. From then it was relentlessly up. The grade was never really steep, but there weren¢t many downs. That was good for my knee. The trail alternated being rocky and smooth. The main attraction was going over Beauty Spot, a mountain bald with a 360 degree view. The trail up and the bald were marred by the sight and smell of the controlled burns alongside the trail and over the entire bald. After thinking about it some, I¢ve convinced myself that the burns are an attempt by the parks service to protect AT hikers from being caught in a forest fire. They seem to burn only the areas adjacent to the trail. The burned strips would provide a fire break for safe passage along the trail in the event of a forest fire in the area. I arrived at the Deep Gap camping area around 7:00 and found all the good camping spots taken, so I¢m camped on a slope that I¢m sure will result in me rolling to one side of the tent as I sleep. My first impression is that the knee brace helped. Although my knee is aching now, it didn¢t give me a lot of trouble on the trail. I can only hope that the support will provide enough relief so that the injury can heal faster then I reinjure it by hiking. Today¢s hike took me up over 4,000¢. Tomorrow I¢ll revisit 5,000¢.
Date: 2008-05-03
From: Deep Gap

To: Clyde Smith
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was tough, both mentally and physically. Physically, because there were at least four or five steep climbs that wore me out. The first was right at the start climbing Unaka Mountain. This is a long, steady climb up and an equally long, steady descent. Then a series of lesser ups and downs that seemed hard, if not actually hard. The mental part was probably just a result of negative thinking. For me, this seems to be the phase of the trip after the initial enthusiastic phase. When a little voice tells you that, despite what you¢ve been told, the trail is never going to get easier, and that all the aches and pains you¢ve accumulated since Springer aren¢t going away. Instead of day dreaming about food, I dream of sitting in an easy chair in my living room, drinking a beer and watching something interesting on TV; and definitely not walking. It¢s a strange that this is now the fantasy, and walking the trail is the reality. I¢m sure that this mental funk will pass, but it sucks while it¢s here. Tomorrow is another day. Tomorrow goes up Roan Mountain.
Date: 2008-05-04
From: Clyde Smith

To: Over Mountain
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: clear sky

The climbs today were tough, but the body responded better than yesterday. The first climb was up Little Rock Knob. Then a descent before the initial approach to Roan. About 60% up, the trail gave a little downhill breather before the final assault on the peak. The ascent was a total of 3.3 miles to gain 2,200¢. This was my toughest climb of my hike. The rest of the day was down hill interspersed with sharp climbs to several balds. There was no view from Roan, but the balds provided impressive vistas. The culmination of the day was the typical steep climb to the shelter. The shelter in this case is a converted barn in the middle of a pasture. This amazing feature is the view from the shelter. The view is the surrounding mountains and the valley far below. There are 10 people here and two tents. The shelter is 4,682¢, so the air is chilly, but very little wind.
Date: 2008-05-05
From: Over Mountain

To: Mountain Harbour
Miles today: 8.7

There were two obstacles on the trail today. Little Hump and Hump Mountains, both at about 5,500¢. The trail went straight up without switch backs. There were no trees on these mountains, so you could see directly up to the peaks, which always seemed an impossible distance away. But the views going up and down were outstanding. The air was clear and cool, the weather cloudless.
Date: 2008-05-06
From: Mountain Harbour

To: Mountaineer
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: clear sky

The big effort today was getting myself dislodged from the hostel. The facilities were the best I¢ve experienced, and the breakfast was awesome. The hostess was very personable, and the site was idyllic. We were shuttled to resupply and to the local diner for dinner. I finally got off today about noon. The trail was pleasant, with only moderate in climbs and descents. There were only short stretches of rocks and long stretches of wide, soft trail. I took it slow, and my knee felt only slightly sore. I stopped frequently for snacks. The day was quite pleasant and unrushed. Tomorrow, however, is another story. It¢s 17 miles to Kencora hostel, and I want to get there before 5:30(the shuttle run). I will have to get an early start and not take many breaks to make that schedule. Fortunately the trail is fairly flat. Hope for no rocks. As a side note, the area around Roan Mountain is known among the AT community as being unfriendly to hikers. The source of the tensions, as explained by our hostel hostess, was the eminent domain acquisition of the land for the trail by the government. In the community, around Roan, a family¢s worth is gauged largely by the land it owns. Most of the land has been in families for generations and is definitely not for sale. So when the government forced the sale, it was an affront to the owners and the whole community. As a result, some people went to the extremes of burning shelters and vandalizing cars. Lines loaded with fish hooks were strung across the trail, and trail mountaineers were escorted off the trail at gun point. In the years since the land acquisition, things have settled down, but hikers are still wary about hiking through this stretch. P.S. As I was getting back on the trail I had to wade thru garbage that someone had thrown on the trail from the road.
Date: 2008-05-07
From: Mountaineer

To: Kencora
Miles today: 15.6

Today I crossed the 400 mile mark on the trail and am completely out of NC(the trail has been crossing from TN to NC and back since the Smokies). The climbs today were not severe but were made difficult by the heat. The trail started at about 3,500¢, went up to about 4,500¢ with lots of undulations and back down to 2,500¢ at Dennis Cove, the site of Kencora Hostel. The highlight of the day was the dinner at the hostel cooked by Baltimore Jack, a legendary hiker who has 6 or 7 thrus to his credit and is an encyclopedia of trail knowledge and love. We had spaghetti, salad and garlic bread. Dessert was brownies, cheese cake, and ice cream. Needless to say, I¢m stuffed. Tomorrow morning, Bone Lady is cooking breakfast. It¢s like Thanksgiving at the home of a very large family. The hike today went well ¢ my knee pain has subsided to the normal level, so now it is just one of the aches and pains associated with long distance hiking. Tomorrow looks like two major climbs. Hope the weather cools off.
Date: 2008-05-08
From: Kencora

To: Watauga Lake
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: scattered clouds

The day started with breakfast at Kencora. Bone Lady cooked eggs, sausage, bacon, biscuits, and potatoes. I stuffed myself again and waddled out to the trail. The first of the two climbs I had planned proved to be tougher than I had anticipated, so I didn¢t attempt the second. The trail dives quickly down to Laurel Fork Falls and back up. The falls are impressive and the mountain laurel just beginning to bloom, are a perfect backdrop. The area around the falls is a boulder obstacle course, some squeeze around rocks made even more difficult with a pack. Hiking poles become an impediment rather than a help. The trail went up Pond Mountain, rising from 1,900¢ to 3,780¢ in about 3 miles. But the descent back to 1,900¢ was gradual and quite pleasant. The trail then proceeds around Watauga Lake, which is quite a pretty place. I spent some time sitting by the lake before heading for the shelter. Two other hikers opted to go further to camp by the dam. It looked like rain to me, so I stayed at the shelter. It is raining now, as I write. I¢m here alone so far, so this may be my first shelter solo. I kind of like it ¢ no sounds but the rain.
Date: 2008-05-09
From: Watauga

To: Iron Mountain
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: broken clouds

The rain went on all night with periods of very heavy rain and high winds. The trees were groaning all around the shelter with periodic snaps of limbs. Of course, hearing snaps, I think bear. So all through the night I¢m turning on my head lamp, peering out into the trees, looking for movement. Needless to say, I didn¢t sleep well. Out of the shelter, the trail goes around the lake and across the dam. Then it climbs quickly up from 2,000¢ to 3,500¢ and continues around the lake. The views down to the lake and dam are beautiful. The trail then becomes a wash board with ups and downs in succession with each up higher than the last. We end up at over 4,000¢ at the shelter. The shelter is small and full, even though one group moved on to the next shelter in order to get to Damascus tomorrow.
Date: 2008-05-10
From: Iron Mountain

To: Abingdon Gap
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: clear sky

I awoke to a cool, foggy morning. The trail started off down and then up for the only extended climb of the day. After going down again, the trail followed the ridge for the rest of the day. The elevation varied between 3,500¢ and 4,000¢ in roller coaster fashion. The fog burned off and the sun came out. The day threatened to turn hot, but the breeze cooled me off. There were a few views, but the day was mostly staring at the trail ahead of me. I got to the shelter about 3:30. The trip to the spring was about 300 yards and 170¢ below the shelter ¢ quite a workout after hiking all day. Tomorrow is a 10 mile hike into Damascus ¢ one of the most holy cities of the hiking religion. I plan to zero the next day to check out the town, pickup and send mail, and resupply.
Date: 2008-05-11
From: Abingdon Gap

To: Damascus
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Abingdon Gap to Damascus10The hike today was a close to the ¢walk in the woods¢ that everyone conceives of as an ideal AT hike. We were rained on at the shelter last night, but the rain stopped before the hike began. A front was coming in and the wind was ferociously pushing it. Finally the clouds cleared and the sun came out. I walked into Damascus about 11:00 to the sound of church bells ¢ reminded me of the Kris Kristofferson song ¢Sunday Morning Coming Down¢. After looking around, I settled on The Old Mill for a place to crash. It¢s a picturesque place on the river and I got an excellent deal as a thru-hiker. I ate lunch at the restaurant at the hotel along with all the Mothers Day groups ¢ they in their church clothes and I in my shorts and T-shirt. Next I went by the Outfitters and picked up my package with my summer bag and rain gear. After returning to my room, the rain started. I don¢t feel like going out into the rain for dinner, so I¢ll just stay in. Suddenly I feel very tired and probably won¢t stay awake long.
Date: 2008-05-12
From: Damascus

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

The activities of the day were laundry, shopping for resupply, a visit to the Outfitter for a few items, and a trip to the post office to mail back some winter clothes (which I hope I don't regret later). A couple of trips for lunch and dinner completed the day. Walking without a pack seems strange (and nice). The rest of the time I watched old Katherine Hepburn movies on TCM. My major mental activity today was considering why people thru-hike. If one wants to enjoy nature to the maximum, then a day or weekend hike without a heavy pack, go as slow as you need to be able to observe carefully. I think a thru is a more of an athletic event in stage format. Part of the attraction is the trail towns along the way. Each has its own character, and the cultures gradually change as you get further north. Once one decides to do a thru, once started, the inevitability of each day hike keeps you going. Under the pain or exhaustion of each day¢s hike becomes unbearable, it is easier to keep hiking then to get off the trail. Then, after a while, it becomes a way of life, much like going to work each day used to be. Hiking is what you do and the woods are home. The mental aspect is something else. To hike all day, one has to be able to live in one¢s head. The natural environment is hardly a constant source of mental stimulation. Your thoughts, in smooth terrain, have completely free reign, much like free associations must be in psychoanalysis. In rough terrain, just the physical exertion of climbing or negotiating rocks keeps your mind focused. Toward the end of the day, exhaustion and joint pain can control your mind. Then, the relief of reaching the shelter is the greatest reward one can imagine. I can¢t imagine that anyone chooses a thru-hike for these everyday experiences. If you want a spiritual experience, you do what Thorrow did, you go Into the woods and meditate, not hike with a heavy pack on your back. Maybe for the young, a thru-hike is a rite of passage, in transition to adult responsibilities. For the old, maybe it¢s an attempt to recapture youth or to finally do something outrageously unconventional but socially acceptable. I have a hunch that the lasting impact of a thru-hike is entirely unexpected. Maybe profound, maybe not. But it¢s undoubtedly different for the young, who breeze thru each day plugged into the IPod, and the old, who struggle thru each day and fall asleep before the sun goes down. Finally, I think the reasons for beginning a thru-hike are as varied as the hikers. The reasons for continuing the hike is the daily feeling of accomplishment of getting further up the trail whether it¢s a few miles or many. The goal of Katadihn looms, over everyone equally. After awhile, the goal becomes the reason for the hike. After it¢s done, the reason for the hike is overshadowed by the glow of the accomplishments. Like climbing Everest, we do it because it¢s there.
Date: 2008-05-13
From: Damascus

To: Beartree Gap
Miles today: 11.7

The hike out of Damascus began about 10:30. Before leaving I visited a very nice elderly lady who paints commemorative bricks to be laid in the sidewalk going down the main street of town. I had noticed the bricks earlier and wanted to get one made for Justus. After completing the deal, I walked north. The first part of the hike was through a verdant forest of conifers and deciduous trees. The trees were dense enough so that the sunlight came through in speckles. The trail was pleasant and my legs felt good. Then the trail turned rocky but the grades were mild. With two miles to go to the shelter and 1,000¢ in altitude to gain, I knew that a climb was coming. Sure enough, the climb came, but in the form of switch-backs that made the climb not too bad. Where I got to the side trail to the shelter, I decided to go on another couple of miles to a campsite. After setting up my tent, other hikers began to show up. At the end of the evening, there were seven tents in the area and a roaring fire. My energy level today was quite good, which was unusual for the first day after a zero. I hope the feeling continues for the next few days at least.
Date: 2008-05-14
From: Beartree Gap

To: Thomas Knob
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: overcast clouds

The trail started out this morning tracking parallel to the Virginia Creeper Trail, a converted railroad bed bike trail. The AT ran along the mountain ridge above the bike trail and a beautiful river of rapids, one of the three flowing into Damascus. The trail was easy until it crossed a road where it began to climb Whitetop Mountain. From there it rose 1,500¢ in 2.5 miles, at times rocky, at times a soft path of fir needles. I went through a couple of pastures, to the amusement of the resident cattle. The trial then dipped 500¢ to a road, only to begin another 1,000; climb up Mt. Rogers. At the top, I was greeted by four or five wild horses, which were not the least intimidated by my presence. I got the distinct impression that I was expected to offer food as toll for passage across their territory. I just patted a nose and moved on. With threatening rain and high winds, the shelter on top was my goal. Upon reaching the shelter, however, I found it full and had to move on to a camping area shielded from the wind by fir trees. Here I am camped for the night, waiting on the rain to begin.
Date: 2008-05-15
From: Thomas Knob

To: Fox Creek
Miles today: 11.7

The rain came late last night and by morning we were in a blanket of fog. As I hiked off the crest of Mt. Rogers, the wild ponies were there to see me off. The trail soon turned into a rock scramble going down and remained rocky for most of the day. The back side of the mountain was covered with springs seeping out of the ground. The trail was often a flowing stream with a black, muddy bottom. The surface was either large rocks or muddy bog. The weather was cool but humid, threatening rain all day. By midmorning the fog had burned off and the views coming down the mountain were magnificent. There was a rush today to the road at the bottom where many hikers were being picked up for a shuttle back to Damascus for Trail Days that yearly mad celebration of trail life as the bulk of the north bounders are in the area. Some of us are just continuing north, not interrupting our journeys for the festivities. We are the ones who value solitude over the noisy social congestion. Tomorrow will include a trip into Troutdale for resupply and an overnight stay in a hostel or motel.