morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-03-16
From: Franklin

To: Wayah Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

This morning we woke up in Franklin to rain, but hit the trail anyway. It continued to rain lightly throughout the day. Trail conditions weren't too bad considering it has rained four days. Nevertheless, we had to watch our footing continually as things were quite slippery. We were pretty tired when we got into this shelter area. Tonight we are at the Wayah Bald Shelter. It is a foggy wet evening so we set up our tent, got water, made dinner, and are now cozy in our sleeping bags.Also camping here are Cindy and Rachel, Lefty, Smith Machine and Auggie Doggie.Looks like good weather returns the rest of the week. We're two days from NOC - headed to the Smokies in a week!
Date: 2009-03-17
From: Wayah Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC)
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: clear sky

What a difference one day can make. Yesterday was foggy and rainy. Today was an incredibly beautiful day hiking with one outstanding view after the other. We walked the high ridges of the Nantahala Wilderness Forest, sometimes hiking on a narrow (10 feet) spine, with the mountain dropping away on both sides. Our original plan was to hike 10.6 miles to the Wesser Bald Shelter. Once there, however, the lure of hamburgers and beer at NOC took over. We, joined by Cindy and Rachel, pushed on another 5.8 miles - bringing the day's mileage to 16.3 - our longest day so far. Thankfully, still no hot spots, blisters or foot/leg problems - just tired legs. Tagless and I are enjoying a variety of wildlife encounters. Some include wild turkeys, rabbits, and deer on the trail, mice in the shelters, and bear scat on the ground. We hear ruffed grouse frequently. In the spring and a little in the fall, the male beats the air with his wings to make a loud drumming sound. It's such a deep sound that you feel it more than hear it. He does this to show where his territory is and to attract females. To us it sounds like a Harley starting in the distance. One of our very favorite reoccuring experiences is hearing the serenade of owls just about every night.Because we got in a day early, we're going to relax here at NOC tomorrow. Life is great on the trail!
Date: 2009-03-19
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC)

To: Cheoah Bald
Miles today: 8.1

Yesterday we enjoyed a rest day at NOC - doing laundry, organizing the contents of our resupply box, and relaxing near the river in the sun. Many of our favorite hiking friends were either at NOC, or got in during the day.We all enjoyed dinner together at the River's End Restaurant. Joining us were Packadivas (Storm, Rocket, Loon, Grommet, Egghead), Cindy (now Miss Muster), Rachel (now Katch-up), Lefty, John (now Slow Burn), Blue, Smith Machine and Auggie Doggie, and two new hiking friends Pogo and Leadfoot.Today's hike itinerary would be considered difficult by most, as it was our longest continuous vertical climb to date -   We headed up the trail out of NOC - hiking 8.1 miles - ascending from 1735' elevation to 5062'. The effort was well worth it as we are camped this evening on beautiful Cheoah Bald. The views to both the east and west on this mountain top clearing are hard to describe, they are so scenic. As Tag-along and I sit here cooking dinner, we can see eight mountain range layers. We are enjoying great company as Smith Machine, Auggie Doggie, Miss Muster, and Katch-up are here as well. We are enjoying our Tarptent, Big Agnes sleep pads, and Montbell sleeping bags and look forward to getting cozy in our home away from home. Love to all our family, friends, and animals.
Date: 2009-03-20
From: Cheoah Bald

To: Cody Gap
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: clear sky

Last night as we were getting settled for the night in our Tarptent, it rained for about an hour. Temperatures dropped into the twenties during the night and when we woke up our tent was covered with ice! Although that might sound very unpleasant, we stayed warm and comfortable in our 15 degree sleeping bags. Tagless left his water bladder tube outside all night and water in the mouthpiece was frozen solid. He put it under his shirt for about 20 minutes and body heat thawed it out.It turned out to be a stellar day for hiking - cool sunny weather and continuous incredible views. We had our lunch stop today in a picnic area at the Stecoah Gap road crossing and met a wonderful lady - St. Pete Sue. Sue is a 70 year old AT section hiker who has completed all of the trail through New York. She leaves this July hoping to finish it. Way to go St. Pete Sue! We were very appreciative as Sue handed out Snickers Bars (a hiker favorite) and lightened our loads by taking our trash.We're camped this evening in a beautiful mountain gap with Cindy (Miss Muster) and Rachel (Katch-up). Tomorrow we arrive at Fontana Dam, the entrance point to the Great Smoky Mountains. Thru hiking the Smokies comes with some restrictions and special challenges. More about that in our next journal entry.
Date: 2009-03-21
From: Cody Gap

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Today we enter the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As Tag-Along and I move through the next 72 miles, we will ascend to the highest elevation on the AT as we pass over Clingman's Dome (6643'). Thru hikers in the Smoky Mountains National Park must comply with regulations mandating where to camp. We are expected to stay only at shelter areas, and must sleep in a shelter if space is available. The first four shelter spaces are reserved for thru hikers. Priority for all remaining shelter space is then given to "other hikers" (tourists) with reservations - regardless of when the "other hikers" show up. Here is a possible scenerio. We are the fifth and sixth thru hikers to arrive. There are still two spaces available, so we set ourselves up to sleep in the shelter. At 8:30 pm we are asleep, and two "other hikers" with reservations roll into camp. We will be expected to vacate our shelter space. That may mean having to set up our Tarptent in the dark and/or the rain.We much prefer to sleep in our Tarptent, as opposed to any shelter - avoiding mice and loud snorers. Hopefully shelters will fill up so that we can legally set up our tent. It's highly possible we'll be getting into camp late some days, if you catch our drift.When signing our Guestbook, Jason asked how we are able to update our journal from the trail. Jason, we are using a Blackberry with Internet connectivity. We create each journal entry in "Memopad", copy it, and then go online into Trail Journals and paste it in. Pictures are uploaded when we stay when we arrive in a town, using a small lightweight memory card reader. The Blackberry also allows us to get and send email, phone family and friends, and check real time weather info. Here's a helpful tip - take the Blackberry off "broadcast" mode (so it doesn't continually try to ping cell towers) to save battery life. We carry two extra batteries (just .5 oz. each).Last night we stayed at The Hiker Inn near the edge of the Smoky Mountains National Park. Shuttle to and from the trail, laundry and a dinner/shopping run are included with the room. Mississippi Mule, Auggie Doggy, and Smith Machine are here as well. Yesterday Smith Machine turned an ankle and fell several feet down a bank. She will need to stay off it for a day or two. It was only fitting that on the second day of Spring (yesterday) trillians started to bloom!
Date: 2009-03-22
From: Fontana Dam

To: Birch Spring Gap
Miles today: 7.0

Today we hiked seven miles, from the Fontana 28 AT crossing to the Birch Spring Gap tent site area. This is the only stand alone tenting area in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and we wanted to take advantage of it - avoiding one evening in a shelter. Although this wasn't one of our longer hiking days, it was still quite physical in that we ascended 2000 feet The ridge runner (someone hired by the ATC to hike a certain section of the AT to monitor and support hikers) Greybeard, told us that this tenting area was closed last summer and fall due to bear activity. He advised that we cook in a common cooking area away from our tent. We'll heed his advise. We always hang our food high up from a tree at night with bears and other critters in mind.Before leaving the Fondana Dam area, we walked to the Fontana Dam Shelter (known as the Fontana Hilton) to check it out. It lived up to it's reputation as one of the nicest shelters on the trail.Miss Muster, Katch-up, Egghead, General. and Alone on the Summit were there as well. We also met Hatchet and saw Blue while hiking today. During our lunch stop., Tagless, Hatchet, and Blue walked up a side trail to climb the Shuckstack Mountain fire tower. The 360 degree panoramic view of the Smoky Mountains was incredible from the top of the tower.It looks like Smith Machine may need a couple of days to give her ankle some rest. It was still discolored this morning. She's a strong and very determined person and we fully expect her to be back on the trail soon.Our tent site is level, Tagless is going to make chicken and stuffing for dinner, and life is good.
Date: 2009-03-23
From: Birch Spring Gap

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: overcast clouds

This was a really enjoyable day of hiking with mild weather and easy rolling terrain. Tonight we are sleeping in the Spence Field Shelter. Tomorrow we plan to do a 13.5 miler, so that we can more easily get into Gatlinburg the following day.Veto asked in our guestbook how we are avoiding blisters. Here are several precautions we observe.Shoes - Take time to find the right shoes. Tag-Along and I wear trail shoes, specifically Montrail Hardrocks. We went to REI and tried at least ten different shoe on before settling in on Hardrocks. These have the characteristics important for hiking - a tight heel cup and a big toe box. Most important - we trained in these shoes to be sure they would work for us. Each of us has two more pair of Hardrocks back at home already broke in. Socks - We've experimented with several brands of hiking socks and found that some are better than others, as far as blister prevention is concerned. Patagonia is one brand that works very well for us.Hot spots - Probably the best tip we can offer is cover any hot spot the second any problem is noticed. We carry tape and moleskin. It's tempting to put off taking action until the next break or until finding a more convenient place to sit down. Big mistake! After learning the hard way during section hikes, we take care to cover even the slightest foot irritation immediately.Gators - Tagless was a slow convert to gators, but he is a believer now. They keep debris out of shoes and dust off socks. Even a small piece of leaf that works its way into hiking shoes can rub and cause irritation. Let your feet breath - We remove our shoes and socks in the middle of the day to let them air out and dry. Very helpful!Hydropel - Tagless uses the blister prevention foot lube. In normal weather a light coating every other day is all you need. Maybe everyday in rain and wet trail conditions.We are going to sleep with a great fire in the shelter fireplace. Maybe it will keep the mice and bears away.
Date: 2009-03-24
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: broken clouds

The day began with a climb up Thunderhead Mountain. Once on top, the views were absolutely spectacular in all directions Our friend Mawee recommended the shelter we are at - Double Spring Gap Shelter. You didn't let us down Mawee, this is a beautiful mountaintop setting. We are sharing this shelter with seven girls on spring break. It sounds like a slumber party, lots of chatter. There are also six other thru hikers here, including General and Jaybird. We've really grown to like General. He's a rather quiet well mannered young man that recently graduated from Citidel, a military college, with a degree in civil engineering. Once you get to know General, it becomes clear that he is very bright and has a great sense of humor.Everyone that we hiked with agreed that this was a physically challenging day - 13.5 miles with continuous elevation changes. It's amazing how much we and other thru hikers recover overnight. Each day we walk into camp exhausted - leg muscles extremely tired and feet usually sore. After a good nights sleep (typically 10-11 hours) we always get up feeling good -ready to hike again. Tomorrow we ascend another 1100 feet and pass over Clingman's Dome - the highest elevation on the AT. From there we will descend into Newfound Gap where we hope to catch a ride into Gatlinburg. Hopefully we can upload new pictures while there..High cirrus clouds tell us that rain is on the way.
Date: 2009-03-25
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: light rain

"This is fun. What an adventure," Tag-along shared this morning. That's a typical comment most days on the trail, but this was not a typical day. High winds and pelting rain began in the middle of the night as we slept in the Double Spring Gap Shelter. The open wall on this shelter was covered with a large tarp that popped and flapped loudly through the night. No one seemed to mind, as it was providing some protection from the intense weather building outside.Tag-along and I got up about 7:00 am, as we had to knock out 10.8 miles in order to get to the Newfound Gap US 441 intersection where we might get a ride to Gatlinburg.After quickly getting our packs organized, we donned our rain gear and set out, initially with Jaybird. The rain wasn't a big concern, but with high winds gusting so strongly, we thought it smart to add a third party.   We approached Clingman's Dome along very narrow ridge tops, just 5-8 feet wide. The wind was gusting to 40 mph plus, so we moved forward very cautiously, using our trekking poles to maintain good footing. At times the wind was so loud it sounded like an airliner on final approach.   It continued to rain and the trail became somewhat flooded. We were glad to have our Sealskinz waterproof socks on.As we were coming down from Clingmans Dome to Newfound Gap we encountered a trail of downed massive trees with enourmous uprooted root bases. It was a profound stretch of trail. We wonder if a specific weather event caused this.Our spontaneous trail angels today were Shawn and Amanda from Ohio. They interrupted their day to give a ride to two wet strangers needing to get into Gatlinburg.Thank you!   We completed our second hundred miles today! Yea!
Date: 2009-03-27
From: Newfound Gap

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: moderate rain

Tag-along and I woke up in Gatlinburg to a rainy weather forecast. We're guessing that a good number of hikers in town may stay in town and wait out the weather. We decided to press on. As we say on the trail - no rain, no pain, no Maine.Today was a cold and windy day with continuous rain. We wore our Montbell Peak Rain Shell Jackets and ULA Rain Skirts, both of which we are very happy with. Because of the rain and wind, lunch was a quick affair - not our usual picnic stop. We quickly ingested chunks of cheese and turkey sausage like trail savages. If we stood too long we would start to get cold. The trail was often turned into a stream and footing was tricky. There were no spectacular views today, just fog and steep drop off on both sides of the trail. Tomorrow looks like another day of rain and possible thunderstorms. We are ready to don our rain apparel and head out again.With 200 miles behind us, It won't surprise other thru hikers to hear the we have become very discriminating about every single item in our packs. Yesterday, while zeroing in Gatlinburg, we went did a pack shake down and ended up shipping 2-3 pounds of unneeded stuff home. For example, up until now, we've been carrying too much food. When we hiked out of Newfound Gap this morning with a six day resupply, we took exactly what we will need - no more or no less.   Rachel (Katchup) and Cindy (Ms. Muster) are in our thoughts today. Katchup received word last night that her grandmother is seriously ill. They remained in Gatlinburg to await further news.There is a possibility of severe weather tomorrow. It will be interesting to see what mother nature has in store for us.
Date: 2009-03-28
From: Pecks Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: light rain

This was another day of extreme weather. Because we wanted to complete 13 miles, we got up shortly after daybreak, pressing on through rain/sleet and very gusty high winds. There were some moments on ridge lines that we leaned into wind gusts to maintain balance. Trekking poles help a lot. Once again today, there was a lot of water running down the trail. Considering that, and the thousands of rocks we had to step on or around, we were constantly watching our footing to avoid falling.As miserable as all of that might sound, we stayed warm and dry in our rain gear. Our decision to take waterproof Sealskinz socks is working out very well. One less pleasant aspect of hiking is having to put on wet shoes first thing in the morning. It isn't a concern when wearing Sealskinz. Even though we walked through mud and puddles all day, our feet stayed dry.   The shelter we are at tonight is full. This is our third night sleeping in a Smokies shelter. We'll share more about our shelter experiences soon in an upcoming journal.Tomorrow we leave the Smokies - heading toward Hot Springs!
Date: 2009-03-29
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm Hostel
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: light rain

We are officially through the Smoky Mountains National Park - staying this evening at the Standing Bear Farm Hostel.Standing Bear, which has been open for nine years, has a tremendous amount of rustic character - providing everything any hiker might need. There a small "store" building that stocks a functional inventory of hiker food and other supplies. A perfectably functional wash board and wringer are available in the laundry room. The shower provides an endless supply of hot water. Payment is handled through the honor system. Guests are provided an envelope and asked to write down what they buy, include payment, and drop it in a box before leaving.We are staying tonight in the Cabin by the Stream, as suggested by our friend Mawee. While in the Smokies, we slept in shelters four nights. This wasn't a bad experience at all, and we appreciated sleeping under cover when it rained hard three of the four nights. We didn't have to deal with any real loud snorers and the resident mice didn't bother us. That wasn't the case for everyone, however. We had a "full house" (12) in the Cosby Knob Shelter last night. Two of our shelter mates became "mouse magnets" - diverting those pesky rodents from the rest of us. It's looking like we're in for a great week of weather! Tagless and I really look forward to having the freedom to camp where ever we like.Still no blisters or leg problems!Life continues to be great on the trail.
Date: 2009-03-30
From: Standing Bear Farm Hostel

To: Max Patch Summit
Miles today: 13.6

The cold rain/sleet, gusty high winds, and wet muddy trail that we contended with the past week was a fading memory when we woke up to sunny skies at the Standing Bear Farm Hostel. The day got off to a wonderful start as we joined some of our new hiker friends for breakfast. This included Ducky (a music teacher), Anna and Tom (who just completed service in the Peace Corps), and Simba. Tom and Tagless collaborated their efforts to prepared the meal and Tag-along helped with KP.When we hit the trail about 9:30, which is late for us, we immediately tackled a 2700 foot climb. Our plan was to hike 10.6 miles and camp. This seemed like a reasonable distance, as we had over 4000 feet to ascend along the way. After getting to a rather mediocre campsite, we decided to press on about four more miles to Max Patch Bald. That's where are camping tonight along with Anna and Tom. It was so worth the added effort. We have a 360 degree panoramic view and perfect weather to spend a night on the bald.It's Tag-along's birthday today. Today, at 55, she ascended over 4000 feet, descended about the same amount, and walked close to 14 miles on rugged trails. She's incredible!
Date: 2009-03-31
From: Max Patch Summit

To: Hot Springs (Elmers)
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: overcast clouds

When we awoke to windy conditions on Max Patch Bald this morning, we had no idea this would be a 20 mile day.Our plan was hike up the trail two shelters and access the situation. The second shelter, Walnut Mountain Shelter was only 6.7 miles away - not enough mileage to make for a decent hiking day. Besides, we knew we wanted to get as close to Hot Springs as possible so that we could get in early to complete some town chores. There was one little complication - our guidebook didn't indicate any tent camping area between the Walnut Mountain Shelter and Hot Springs. We knew from experience this was not a likely problem. Frequently we notice places to camp that aren't listed in the guidebook.   While having lunch at the second shelter, an aggressive plan for completing the day emerged. What if we hiked the entire 13.3 miles into Hot Springs? The lure of an unplanned zero day, restaurant food and cold beer took hold once again! We rolled into town about 7:15 and checked into Elmer's Sunnybrook Inn - an old historic house that provides rooms to hikers. Other hiking friends also in town include General, Smiley, Spielberg, Leadfoot, Jaybird, and Glow Worm.Tag-along and I must be getting our trail legs. After 20 miles, our feet are a little tender and our legs a little tired, but we are no worse for the wear. We'll be ready to set out toward Erwin on April 2. We are really excited to meet up with Holly, Hayne, Trey, and Campbell there.We got a nice package of home made muffins from our mom, GG. They will be our morning snack for the next week. Thanks GG.Tag-along says thank you for all the birthday wishes. She is getting her birthday massage at 3:00 this afternoon.
Date: 2009-04-02
From: Hot Springs

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Yesterday we enjoyed a zero day in Hot Springs, reunioning with a number of our past hiking friends and making new friends. It was great to see Ms. Muster, Ketchup, General, Nice Lenses, and Jaybird again. Last night we enjoyed dinner at the Iron Horse with Nice Lenses, Anna, and Tom. Anna and Tom make a great couple. We've really enjoyed getting to know them!After having breakfast this morning with Ms. Muster, Katchup, and Nice Lenses we hit the trail. As usual after a town stop, our packs were heavy with a 6-day resupply. It made for a slow hiking day. All of our town departures so far involved long climbs. Hot Springs was no exception.This afternoon the weather took a turn for the worse, so we're crammed in a 5 person shelter with Turn Around, Carolina, and Jaybird. It's us against the mice (AM Note: (The mice won).We are hoping to knock out a couple of long hiking days, getting us into Erwin in five days.,
Date: 2009-04-03
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Jerry's Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: light rain

The day's hike started with a 1200 foot climb. Based on our Appalachian Pages profile map, we expected easy rolling terrain the last eight miles. Nothing could be further from the truth. The trail was a continuous maze of rocks, wet tree roots, and slippery leaves. We walked very carefully to avoid slipping and possible injury.When we came to the sign that warned us about "exposed ridges", things got really interesting. For the next couple of hours we climbed up and down one ridge top rock jumble after the other. It literally took us hours to move two miles, the trail was so challenging.We eventually made it through and arrived at the Jerry's Cabin Shelter where we are comfortable in our Tarptent. Also here are Railroad and Critter, Mudflap, Carolina, Turn Around, John (from Australia), and Jaybird.Tagless pulled a tendon on the back of his leg while climbing today - making it a little painful finishing the day. We're hoping to see some improvement tomorrow. Stay tuned.