morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-04-10
From: Siler Bald Shelter 

To: Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 7.75
Weather: clear sky

The second day with my new shoes, 7.75 miles with a pretty decent climb and a more challenging descent. They seem a little tight in the toes but I think that can be worked out with sock thickness and inserts. But no blisters and no new hot spots.My day was highlighted during a break after an exhaustive climb. I met a Vietnamese man named ¢Half Slow¢. He was section hiking with a couple from Ireland, ¢M&M¢. We met where the trail emptied into a fire service road, I was going north and they south. We hydrated, exchanged names and brief stories. Once I told him my name and explained the origin, he began to recite the poem ¢Trees¢ by Joyce Kilmer. His delivery was very slow and deliberate as kept his eyes closed as he struggled slightly to recall the verse. We all stood quietly as though in prayer. I hiked another half day and thought about how out of the ordinary this was for me and meaningful it was. I think that I shall never seeA poem lovely as a tree.A tree whose hungry mouth is prestAgainst the sweet Earth¢s flowing breast;A tree that looks a God all day And lifts her leafy arms to pray;A tree that may in summer wearA nest of robins in her hair;Upon whose bosom snow has lain;Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like meBut only God can make a tree.
Date: 2018-04-11
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

A big day with my new shoes and I was encouraged! Eleven miles and some pretty serious climbs; if the Mayor¢s knees weren¢t already shot, today¢s descent would have blown them to pieces...1,000 ft in 1.5 miles, and tomorrow is going to be even worse!I ran into the Half Slow again today and chatted for about 10 minutes or so; he granted me permission to share a bit of his story. Again he was heading south, alone this time, while I¢m heading north. Yesterday he was unfamiliar with ¢The Lorax¢ but today he seemed to know more about the story. He recognized me from a distance and shouted out a greeting as soon as I saw him. Everything about him is encouraging, his pace, his energy and especially his conversation. Not just with me, but with others he¢s met on the trail.Half Slow got his name while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail (PCT). It was his first long distance hike and he could only go 5 miles per day for several days, then added another then another and before long was at 10 miles. Someone commented on his progress and he responded that he is so slow. That someone came back with, no, you¢re Half Slow.Half Slow lives in San Fransisco. Small in stature, he is a Vietnam refugee whom along with his brother and sister, came to the US when he was 16 years old in 1975 at the ¢close¢ of the Vietnam war. Sadly, his parents did not survive the war. Half Slow met his wife, another refugee of the war, here in the US and by all indications, has lived a very happy and successful life. His favorite holiday is Thanksgiving and each year he celebrates the kindness of the American people and the opportunities he has been afforded. Half Slow is 65 and has knee and back issues though you wouldn¢t know it by watching him hike. He is ¢section, thru-hiking¢ which means he is dropping his RV off at a Gap and hiking to the next Gap where he has arranged transportation back to his ride. As he hikes with only water and perhaps snacks, he greets and encourages the hikers he passes all the while picking up trash that some of us litter along the way.God bless you Half Slow, I look forward to running into you along the trail many times between here and Maine.
Date: 2018-04-12
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 6.0

Though a short mileage day, it was a 6 mile trek with a descent from 4700 ft to 1700 over some of the rockiest and steepest terrain yet. (I know it¢s going to get worse as I get further north, but wow, for now). The views are spectacular on a day like today, as you stand on a rocky cliff you can see for miles in every direction...except for down, you can only see for hundreds of feet.I landed at the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) somewhere in NC. The NOC has a couple of restaurants, rafting, kayaking and several bunkhouses, one of which is housing me tonight. It was nice to sit in chairs, soak my feet in a river, take a hot and really long shower, do laundry and have a nice meal that I didn¢t cook with newly made friends. Of course there are some that use this contact with civilization to consume as much beer as possible before fading into the darkness of the woods with as much beer as they can carry.I hope to receive a package from home tomorrow with a reload of food and other supplies before heading back onto the trail myself. Hikers out of the NOC will be greeted with a nearly 4000 foot climb over 7 miles to the first official campsite.One more bit on Half Slow. There is a father and son team of hikers that are running in my bubble. The son has yet to take a trail name but the father is known as Backfire, due to his recurring flatulence. Upon hearing the origin of this name, Half Slow imparted what we thought would be ancient Vietnamese wisdom. Half Slow bowed and shook his head saying...¢Everyday we may hurt and nobody sees our tears. Everyday we may feel joy and nobody sees our smile.  But when we fart, everybody knows.
Date: 2018-04-13
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: clear sky

I spent last night in the hostel at NOC and like other nights I¢ve stayed in a hostel, I didn¢t sleep well. Not sure why that is, but I do like the hostel life.Today¢s hike was straight up hill all the way. Seven miles, 3000 ft. It was the hottest day yet, upper 70¢s with a slight breeze once we got up in elevation. Many were unprepared as far as water goes. I started with 2.5 liters and ended up donating 1/2 liter to one such woman. Fortunately 4 miles in we found a pretty cool source seeping through some rocks. Before long there were a dozen people reloading. This will serve as a good lesson for the future.I received a package from my lovely and talented wife today. A new tent, a resupply of food and several fun little message heart candies to accompany an anniversary card...21 years today and neither one of us know exactly where I am; we just know we¢re not together and I¢m sad about that. Happy anniversary Honey!
Date: 2018-04-14
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 9.0

Two hard days in a row. And that¢s not just me whining about it, it¢s pretty much everybody that I¢ve spoken with who have made the climbs. Even the people that are putting in 15-20 mile days are cutting their daily mileage back some. Today I put in a little over 10 if I were to count the distance to a remote water source, which I¢m not.Today¢s hike included the descent of yesterday¢s mountain that took (me) about 8 hours over two days to climb. And of course once I got down I had to turn right around and climb another one. After the initial 300 incline out of a gap, the trail seemed to flatten out a bit and I thought just maybe the people that laid out the NC portion of the AT were satisfied letting me walk along side, half way up a mountain instead of making climb every single one of them. Nope, up I went, 800 ft in half a mile and finally settled into a cozy little camp ground on the other side. I¢ve chosen to sleep in the shelter tonight as storms are expected over the next few days turning to snow by Monday. The thunder is rolling in the distance now.My goal for tomorrow is Fontana Dam just over 12 miles from here. The dam is the Southern boundary for the Smoky Mountains National Park. Getting there would be nice but I developed a heel blister on my right foot and want to make sure I don¢t lose control of that, so 6 miles up the trail is another shelter I can camp at if I don¢t think I can do 12.Thank you for reading about my adventures, I hope you¢re enjoying them. Please visit My Guest Book and please leave comments whenever you can. I enjoy knowing who¢s following along from home. Also, keep in mind that internet is patchy in the hill country so I can only post when I arrive in civilization, so please be patient.
Date: 2018-04-15
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter 

To: Fontana Marina
Miles today: 11.6

Yesterday I mentioned that the thunder was rolling in and that was around 10pm or so. Well it kept rolling most of the night without any rain until 3am and that was a nice little shower until about 1030/1100 am.  I took off at 930 and made my 6 miles to the next shelter by 1215, I had plenty of daylight left so I had lunch before moving on. By the time I finished lunch it began to rain again but off I went. The shelter where I dined is in a gap, meaning a low spot, between mountains. While climbing the next mountain, it stopped raining as I ascended above and circled around the clouds and shelter. I could see the wind push those clouds up out of that gap and parallel to my trail; eventually over my head so that I was again walking in the rain. Watching the clouds and predicting the precipitation pattern is pretty cool when above and right inside the clouds themselves. Inside the clouds it¢s not really raining it¢s like walking through what seems like a bath of soaking wet air. So the entire afternoon, I was wet. Not only wet but beyond saturated. And the temps were falling rather quickly. I was wearing shorts and my rain coat overs a tee shirt that was drenched from sweat. I completed the last 6 miles at 530pm and finished at the Fontana Marina. A shuttle eventually picked me up and took me to the Fontana Village Resort; this would be home for the next 36 hours.It¢s a shame it rained so much, there were so many things to take photos of. Streams were bursting over rocks and trees, even over the trail in spots and the shades of green on the floor of the forest were wide and brilliant; probably even more so in the bright sunshine.  For now I warm and dry. I had a nice salad and a couple of freshly caught lake trout tacos with people I¢ve met on the trail. Everybody¢s in good spirits preparing for a day off or in some cases, another day off while we wait out the expected snow in the mountains.
Date: 2018-04-16
From: Fontana Marina

To: Smoky Mountains southern trail head 
Miles today: 3.5

Though today was to be a zero, meaning no hiking, I decided to head off to the trail head leading into the Smoky Mountains and hike 3.5 miles back to the Fontana Marina where I got off the Trail yesterday. (This is called a Nero, near zero) This way I¢ll only need to do 10 miles tomorrow rather than 14.One of my hiking friends, The Punisher and I headed off to do this short hike which should have taken 1-1.5 hours, but we got caught up with the function and history of the Fontana Dam, the effect on the local economies and how the waterways service the entire Smoky Mountain region as well as the Ohio Valley and all along the Mississippi River from one end to the other.Overall, it was a relaxing day. My feet are feeling pretty good though my legs seem to have fatigue issues as my days progress...but not today.
Date: 2018-04-17
From: Smoky Mountains southern trail head 

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter 
Miles today: 10.25

Today My hike begins entering the Smoky Mountains and It seems as though everyday is the hardest climb yet. Starting at Fontana Dam today I had a steady climb 3000 ft over 10.25 miles. After a mile or so I hit the snow line with just over 1.5¢ of snow on the ground. The hiked traffic on the new snow plus all the rain we got the day before, made for very sloppy conditions on the trail; mud 5¢ deep in some places, but plenty of mud everywhere else.Three miles up was the Shuckstack fire tower, quite a view in all directions. The tower is about 70¢ tall, built in the 1930¢s and did nothing to block out the 40 mph winds. Ice was melting and blowing off the metal frame in chunks. My wife would never have made it to the top of this thing, I was uncomfortable!I settled in for the night at Mollie¢s Ridge Shelter for the night, along with 50 other campers and 15 people sleeping in the stone shelter. I¢m now officially in the Smoky Mountains and it required that we sleep in the shelter because of bear activity. If the shelter is full, we may camp. I camped.
Date: 2018-04-18
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter 

To: Spence Field Shelter 
Miles today: 6.25

Today was a pretty good day to hike. The weather was mild and breezy but it was better than yesterday or this last weekend. Plus I got to hike with some people that I¢ve been with for sometime now but in the end, they were more energetic than I, so they moved on and I settled for 6.25 miles.In staying here I¢ve met a new group of people, though mostly kids. Seven, got her name because she¢s on her 7th pair of shoes. Polar Bear, got his name because he cowboy camped (under the stars without a tent) and woke up in 2¢ of snow. Teflon, has had several Trail names but none have stuck and Dirty Money, whom I may have mentioned before. Dirty Money got his name because he thought the privy¢s were supplied with toilet paper; they¢re not and he ended up using a dollar bill. These ¢kids¢ have the ability to move fast but for some reason they don¢t. And that¢s ok, I enjoy their company and apparently they enjoy mine.The trail was all uphill which is the primary reason I made it a short day. But there are plenty of views to take in along the way.The shelters in the Smoky Mountains National Park are still three sided but all have a fireplace and if dry wood can be found, are oh so welcome though not completely efficient. The photo above shows a tarp hanging along the open side of the shelter, this does little but keep out the elements of rain and snow...wind and cold can still get in. In the park, it is required that hikers stay inside the shelter due to bear activity. Only after the shelters are full (usually 12-14 people) can one pitch a tent or hammock and then the site selections are rare.
Date: 2018-04-19
From: Spencer Field Shelter 

To: Derrick Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 6.25

I visited the privy this morning at 650am, before everybody got up and started moving around. The sky was clear and indicated a beautiful sunrise within the next several minutes. When I came out a couple of minutes later, the entire campsite was enveloped in fog; thick, dense fog. My immediate thought was, ¢how long was I in there?¢ But as I approached the shelter from the south, two good size white tail deer approached on the same trail from the north. They were strolling as though they do this everyday. Not concerned with me in the lease, they headed off toward what will soon be the sun rise.By the time I hit the trail at 9, the sun was out and it was shaping up to be a good day to hike. I was hoping to do 12 miles and catch up with my trail family (tramily). As I circled around a ridge to the east, it started to get cloudy and the wind began to kick up. I dress such that I can remove layers if I get too warm. Today was long pants, tee shirt, long underwater top and rain jacket. I was warm and beginning to work up a sweat but the temperature was dropping and the winds continued to increase in velocity. The wind and clouds blowing over the trail ridges were eventually quite fridged. At one high point on the trail I looked behind me to find the treetops along the trail I had just walked were covered in frost.I only went 6.26 miles today. Though it didn¢t rain, I was soaked with persperation and the driving winds made my day absolutely miserable. When I got to the shelter there was room for one more person, ME! I somehow changed into my dry camp clothes but could not warm up; I even climbed into my sleeping bag for half an hour and that helped a bit. For dinner I managed only some ramen noodles, it was just too cold to stand outside and cook but the warm soup sure felt good.It¢s supposed to be below freezing tonight with strong winds all night. The shelters in NC have fireplaces built into them and someone managed to build a fire that warmed us up some but once we go to bed and the fires dies, I¢m certain I¢ll get chilled again and trying to sleep while cold is nearly impossible.I¢m getting tired of being constantly wet and perpetually cold. It¢s downright miserable and any enjoyment I might find in doing this is squelched.
Date: 2018-04-20
From: Derrick Knob Shelter 

To: Double Spring Gap
Miles today: 7.5

This morning at 230 while it was cold and quite, one of the women sleeping in the shelter began screaming ¢no, no, no, help, help...¢ several times before being awoken by the person sleeping next to her. It woke all of us up and scared the day lights out of me and certainly the person on either side of me. There was no explanation and we were left to wonder what was happening. Of course I then needed to go outside to relieve myself...in the cold, in the wind and with the mystery of whatever might have attacked her might still be outside. When I came back around the corner of the building to re-enter, there were three other people outside that had to do exactly what I was doing and talking about what the heck just happened?! The screaming event repeated itself an hour later.Everybody slept poorly last night and nobody really knows what happened.Today was an absolute perfect day to hike, temps were in the low fifties and the winds were calm. I wish it were like this yesterday. I did 7.5 miles today and passed up some young people with whom I¢ve been hiking with the last few days and stayed at a shelter further up the trail. Ideally, it would have been nice to get to Clingman¢s Dome today (the highest elevation on the AT at 6658 ft) but the three mile approach trail to this summit is steep and pretty challenging. I knew many of the hikers at the final shelter before the approach, so I settled in with them for the night.
Date: 2018-04-21
From: Double Spring Gap

To: Mt. Collins Shelter 
Miles today: 6.75

Today was another great day to hike! Slightly warmer than yesterday and a little stronger breeze.  The approach trail to Clingman¢s Dome was three miles as I mentioned, it was steep but the views were worth it. I eventually moved into an area that is dominated with spruce evergreen trees, both dead and alive. The smells were intoxicating and the colors against the clear blue sky or the glow of the green moss on the fallen trees in the shadows of the living were unreal. The clearings were breathtaking and I couldn¢t wait to get up top and take it all in from the observation deck. Once on deck, I rejoined a couple I¢ve camped with off and on over the last several days, Moon Pie and Train Wreck. The skies were so clear we could see all the way back to Springer Mountain, the point at which we began one month ago. It was rather funny and sad at the same time to watch tourists struggle to climb the ramp to the top of the observation deck; a lot of panting and sweating. This was the easiest walk of my month.We walked .5 miles on a paved walk way to the visitors center to purchase some water and on the return, several tourists were lined up on the side of the walk way taking pictures of a black bear moving about in the bushes down below. So I saw a bear!After lunch and the bear siting we returned to the trail for an additional 5 miles to tonight¢s shelter. There are probably 50 people here with tents scattered throughout the spruce forest; the different color tents add an interesting usual dimension.By the way, I crossed the 200 mile mark today, see the above photo.
Date: 2018-04-22
From: Mt. Collins Shelter 

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 5.0

Normally bear stay away from the camp/shelter areas due to so many people on site. Hopefully these people take proper care in the handling of trash and the hanging of food bags. Last night I pitched my tent on the perfect flat spot but was within 50 feet of the bear cables; I¢ve seen people camp closer than that before. At 2am I was aroused by some scratching and snorting under the cables and the sound came within a few feet of my tent. This made me a bit nervous and the ¢moving on¢ of the source of that sound became my prayer. That noise continued to move around the area for a good hour. Every time I thought my prayer was answered, I heard the noise again moving my way. I¢m thinking bear, raccoon and hoping for a deer. Finally at 310am, I heard a zipper from a nearby tent followed by the squeaking of the pully from the bear cables and the source of my fear disappeared.  In the morning without causing alarm, I spoke with a number of people about the sound. Those that heard it couldn¢t identify it either. So I guess I¢ll never know. I do know that camping near a bear cable is not a good idea.I, along with Moon Pie and Train Wreck, left camp at 830 this morning heading for Newfound Gap, 6 miles away. This is where Cathy and I first put foot on the AT while on vacation in 2016 and it¢s how I got the brilliant idea to make this hike. We reached the gap in plenty of time to meet a Trail angel that Moon Pie knew through an Women¢s AT hiking organization. We were greeted with fruit, homemade cookies and muffins and given a 15 mile ride into the heartbeat of AT cities, Gatlinburg, TN. We¢ll use the time in town to shower, launder, resupply and relax a bit before returning to the trail on Tuesday morning. Good timing too...cold temps, heavy rains and winds gusting to 60 mph in the mountains are expected.Good news on the feet front, they¢re feeling pretty good these days. My new shoes now have 100 miles on them and I¢ve no real problems other than slightly irritated heels. I should have better awareness of that within the next week as I work my way through the remainder of the Smoky¢s.
Date: 2018-04-23
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I mentioned Clingman¢s Dome as being the highest point along the AT, fortunately I had a clear day and when I climbed the tourist platform, I could see for miles! It was incredible in every direction and an app that I purchased called ¢ Peak Finder¢ could identify the mountaintops as far as I could see. Springer Mountain, looked and felt a long way away but was only 75 miles...so why did I walk 200 miles to get there?As I approached Clingman¢s Dome, the vegetation in the forest began to change. The hardwood trees were becoming fewer and the Spruce and Frazier Fur evergreens were becoming more abundant. My senses came alive at the sudden change in color, brightness, quiet and smells of the forest; I was reminded of walking the needle covered trails of northern Michigan and it seemed to motivate me more to make this climb. This type of forest lasted for several days/miles. It¢s reported that due to high winds and very low temperatures in this part of the park, the evergreen is really the only tree that can survive. And they grow impressively tall, straight and wide. Some of the root systems of fallen trees are greater than 20¢ across and the moss is so thick and plush, it feels like a damp carpet. Very little light gets in but plenty of fog does. That, along with the glowing moss and the dead silence, creates a very eerie setting. But quite beautiful at the same time.