morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-03-22
From: Nolichucky Hostel

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: light snow

The last couple of days have been nice at the hostel, and we got some much needed rest. We hadn't taken a full zero day since Fontana Dam a couple of weeks ago so we were due for one. We left about 8:30 this morning and it was pretty cloudy and chilly, but not raining. The first 4 miles were easy, and we had a quick snack at the first shelter and moved on. It started snowing pretty hard before we went up Unaka Mountain and the trail got pretty hard to find as a result. As the day went on, the snow and wind picked up and the temperature dropped so the last 10 miles or so were not very pleasant. Another hiker we have spent some time with, Sun Dial, was at the shelter finishing up a late lunch when I got here, but he is pushing on 9 miles to the next shelter tonight. The snow isn't showing any sign of letting up and it will probably be after dark when he gets there, so I hope he finds it alright. Jesse was a little behind me for the last couple of miles and didnt get here until about 20 minutes after I did because his achilles tendon that has plagued him the entire trip was flaring up again pretty bad. We will probably have to take it pretty easy tomorrow to make sure he doesn't hurt it any worse.This shelter is pretty old and it is snowing so hard that a lot of snow is drifting into the shelter so we hung the rainflaps to our tent from the roof of the shelter to try and keep some of it out. This is one of the coldest nights we've had in a long time which is a little discouraging considering we are one week away from it being APRIL. I knew we were in trouble this year when the groundhog died on Groundhog Day, but this is getting a little rediculous. Maybe Spring and consistant warmer weather will get here soon, but it's not looking too promising here from my sleeping bag.
Date: 2010-03-23
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Greasy Creek Friendly Hostel
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: light snow

When we woke up this morning the wind was howling even stronger than it was when we went to sleep, and it was every bit as cold still. Jesse's achilles was still hurting pretty bad so we had already decided last night to not push it too hard today and either only go 9 miles to the next shelter or 7 miles to the Greasy Creek hostel. After we woke up and saw how wet our sleeping bags were from the snow blowing in and how bad the conditions still were outside, it was an easy decision to just make it the 7 miles to the hostel and dry ourselves out before tackling Roan Mountain which is at 6,200 feet and probably has even more snow. The hostel here is nice. It is owned and operated by a lady name Connie who is very friendly and has made us feel very comfortable here. Unlike most hostels which are basically built around the bunkhouse, this hostel is an old house and is very homey. There is a great view of the mountains here from the front porch, especially since the weather has greatly improved since we stopped hiking. It has actually turned out to be a decent afternoon and some of the snow has already started melting. It is also supposed to be nice tomorrow so hopefully we will have a good view from Roan Mountain. I'm hoping these last couple of days were the last of the winter weather for the year. However, with the way things have been this year already, I won't put any money on it.
Date: 2010-03-30
To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We are currently in Damascus, VA. They say this is the friendliest town on the trail and so far I have found that to be very true. JB, Kneedeep, and I hiked into town on Sunday evening after about 51 miles in two days. As soon as we walked into "The Place" hostel we were greeted by a couple from a nearby church who brought us a bucket of chicken, and a lot of fruit and drinks to eat. We also met two girls who were hiking a nearby section who paid for our breakfast the next morning. Finally, we have been staying with a former thru-hiker in 2008, Algood, who knows JB's roomate and has taken us in for the last two nights. We have really enjoyed our time here in Damascus and are very thankful for all the tremendous trail magic. Kneedeep hit the trail late this afternoon and JB and I will be jumping back on in the morning after a couple much needed days of rest. My journals are in the mail and the last couple weeks should be updated before long. I can't wait to continue on the very long hike through Virginia in the morning.
Date: 2010-05-12
From: Greenwood Lake, New York

To: View Entry
Miles today: 1100.0

To anyone that was following my journal, I'm very sorry I have not been able to find the time to update in so long. I have almost a months worth of journal entries written out by hand, but it might be a while before I can get them up to date on this website. I will try to give a brief overview of our journey over the last month now.Jesse and I have adopted the names "Reckless" and "Boomerang" and are known by many as simply "The Georgia Boys." After we left Damascus we have been absolutely flying and making great time. We have now traveled over 900 miles since Damascus without taking a "zero day."We made it through Virginia in three and a half weeks and have been making great time. The Shenandoahs were probably my favorite part of Virginia and is where we saw our first and only bear so far. There were some amazing views in central VA such as McAfee Knob and The Priest. A guy named John Wyrick who we got in touch with through Jesse's dad offered to take us into his home in northern Virginia and treated us extremely well for an evening. His hospitality is appreciated more than we could express. We have been treated to an enormous amount of additional trail magic along the way as well and I will certainly mention all of those people in my journals daily journals when I have the opportunity to post them online. My parents also came up for a visit in Bland, Virginia and treated us to a night in a very nice bed and breakfast that was quite a treat. They also got me a trail guitar that has been really nice to have. It's a great comfort to be able to pick up a guitar anywhere I feel like it and play for a while. Harper's Ferry was a very cool town to stop in and it was great to be at the "psychological" half-way point finally. For the most part, Jesse and I have been hiking with just each other. However we finally ran into another thru-hiker right on the Maryland/Pennsylvania line named Uncle Frank. We have been following him in the register since we left, but we just now caught up to him and we have all been hiking together ever since. Soon after we also ran into "Muffin Mittens" who hiked with us all for a little over a week before he slowed down to hike with his sister for a week. It has been great finding some other people our age to hike with for a while and it has been an enjoyable last several weeks. It is exciting to be all the way in New York. We are now counting down the mile to Katahdin instead of counting up. Thanks to everyone who has helped us out so far!
Date: 2010-06-16
From: Monson, Me

To: Mt. Katahdin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Dave and JB (the Georgia Boys) entered the "100-Mile Wilderness" today. They expect to climb Mt. Katahdin Monday, June 21st. They will fly home the next day. They left Springer Mt. on February 7th. With the exception of 1 week off due to bad weather, they have been on the trail contentiously. It has been a great adventure for both of them, but I think they will be glad to get back to Georgia. Look for their journals to be updated soon.
Date: 2009-03-14
To: Moab
Miles today: 0.0

My plan to hike the AT for a couple of months has been slowly coming into focus as I think about gear and make arrangements to suspend my current life for the duration. As an old-time hiker (I'll be using my 40-year old Kelty pack for this hike), all the new light weight gear is foreign to me. So I'm gathering a mixture of old and new gear together, but haven't tested it at all.I did visit Arches National Park for a few days with my sweetie, Francoise, and tested my new hiking boots on a few short hikes (Fiery Furnace, Delicate Arch). So at least that part of my gear appears to be working.
Date: 2009-03-24
To: Tampa
Miles today: 0.0

I'm in Tampa, Florida at my brother Dan's house relaxing and finishing preparations for my hike. We had a short intense rainstorm so I got to try out my raingear and waterproof boots, which seemed to perform well. Sorting gear into go and no-go bags, while enjoying the terrific hospitality of Dan and his wife Terry, continuing to eat lots of good food as part of my plan to prepare for my hike by putting on body weight so I won't need so much food on the hike :<). Made a windscreen out of aluminum flashing for my Kovea stove - we'll see how this untested design works.
Date: 2009-03-27
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mt
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: moderate rain

As Keith and I were preparing to leave for Springer Mountain this morning, we watched the Weather Channel, and the newscaster was calling this storm passing through the southeast the "Epic Storm". It is forcast to rain for the next two days, on top of the two days that it already has rained. An ominous start to this hike!Keith drove me up 15 miles of gravel road to the Springer Mountain trailhead, and it is good that he had his new Forester, because the road was getting soft in places. But we made it OK at about 1 pm, and Keith and I and his dog Lucy hiked south the one mile up to Springer Mountain (the official southern terminus of the AT). On top we ran into 4 other thru-hikers, in spite of the bad weather.Back at the trailhead, I said my goodbyes, and headed north. It rained all day. My waterproof boots were dry for most of the day but eventually succumbed to the mucky trail (like hiking through a shallow bowl of mushy Wheaties). My raingear also couldn't breathe enough for the Georgia humidity, so all my clothes got wet. Made it about 8 miles to the Hawk Mt. shelter, to find it full. So I hung out with the hikers till about 6 pm, when lo and behold the rain stopped. So I hurried out and set up my tent and got all warm and snug inside, and spent a comfortable night.
Date: 2009-03-28
From: Hawk Mt

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: moderate rain

Woke up and started hiking. It started raining almost immediately, and kept on raining throughout the day. By the time I got to Gooch Mt. shelter my clothes were wet (my second set), so I decided to continue on to Woody Gap (13.2 miles total) to stay at the Hiker's Hostel. I couldn't call them in advance because apparently T-Mobile doesn't have coverage in these southern mountains. So I won't be able to keep in touch as easily as I had hoped.Caught the regular 5 pm Hiker's Hostel shuttle and was told the Hostel was full, but the owner was kind enough to bring me to the nearest motel, where I am now. All my gear is spread out in my room drying. Tomorrow morning I should be ready to go and hit the trail again at 9 am. The forecast is for good weather until Wednesday, so maybe I will finally see blue sky and the sun.I've met about 20 thru hikers already, and for the most part they are under 30 or over 50, ie people with free time. Most seem to know what they are doing and are in good shape. All of the thru hikers have trail names already, which they all have bestowed upon themselves (contrary to an older tradition of being given a name by your fellow hikers). So I am trying to think of a name for me; the leading candidate currently is Dharma Crumb, ie I am a crumb of the vast Dharma, which Jack Kerouac celebrated in his book "Dharma Bums". I'll think on it another day or two, and have a name by the time I get back to the internet, probably in a couple of days.
Date: 2009-03-29
From: Woody Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: broken clouds

Grey skies today. Hiked with Jim, Gail, and MoFoMan. Went 10 miles up and over Blood Mt (2nd highest mountain in Georgia, named after a bloody Indian battle). No view from the top. I'll be staying at the hiker's hostel today -- I'm babying myself until I learn what my limits are.
Date: 2009-03-30
From: Neals Gap

To: Blue Mt Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: broken clouds

Went for a long day today as I was well rested after a night at the Mountain Crossings hostel. The staff at Mountain Crossings were great, especially Pirate who was our hostel host and who cooked up a very good dinner and breakfast. He also gave me a nightcap in the form of a tall glass of whiskey on ice. Pirate has done the AT many times!
Date: 2009-03-31
From: Blue Mt Shelter

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Did another long day today on a cool and cloudy day with some rain. Today included maybe 4000 ft of elevation gain, with many MUDs (meaningless ups and downs). As Thumbkin says, this trail doesn't have any level places! There was one space left in the shelter when I dragged in about one-half hour before dark, a space in the loft under the eaves with a head clearance of about 1 ft. But it was warm and dry and for that I was thankful. So far the shelters have all been full, usually with about 10 tents also surrounding them. Guess it will be this way while people are all bunched up at the beginning of the trek.
Date: 2009-04-01
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Dicks Creek Gap -- Hiawassee, GA
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: overcast clouds

A quick hike down to the road today, and caught a shuttle to the Hiawassee Inn, where the proprieters (Ron and Sam) treat hikers well. They gave me a warm cup of coffee, are doing my laundry, recommended places to eat, and loaned me clothes and a day pack for my errands around town; tomorrow they will shuttle me back to the trailhead.Man do I ache! I'm hoping that doing lots of miles followed by a rest day will be a good conditioning routine.Hiawassee is a lovely small town, in the rolling hills of north Georgia, with woods and green fields, occasional old historic buildings, and with Spring in full bloom. They call the AT a "Social Trail" because you meet so many people on the trail, stay at shelters (or in hostels) every night, and are never far from civilization, with road crossings about every 5 miles. So this is a quite difference experience than my long hikes in the Cascades with Gren, where you saw almost no-one, were 15 miles or more from roads, and where, after a week or so, you were glad to feel the vestiges of civilization fading away. This, and the grandeur of the rocky peaks, glaciers, and mountain meadows, led you (you hoped) to a Zen-like meditative state. I've already asked a few people why they hike the AT, and one, Arky, told me it was to find answers. So there probably is a spritual component for most people that hike the AT. The woods here are old and have survived many human impacts (lots of logging many years ago), but they still have their inscrutable now-ness. You look at the woods as if they were a mirror, and the reflection that comes back is of eternal being.Other people say the trail gets in your blood. I have met many repeat thru-hikers, including Pirate and Baltimore Jack, who have hiked all or parts of the trail 20 or more times (they are on the trail now, having left Mountain Crossings the day I did). Someone said one of them got out of the military, started hiking, and has never stopped.So on the AT you are never far from civilization. In town, you can turn on the TV if you want, but most hikers are primarily interested in the Weather Channel. I'm at the public library in Hiawassee right now, using their computer to check my email, and I'm surrounded by 6 other hikers doing the same thing. Just checked into my Credit Union bank account, and my first retirement check arrived -- it works, they really are paying me to do nothing!!!
Date: 2009-04-02
From: Dicks Creek Gap -- Hiawassee, GA

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

Left Hiawassee in the rain, and it continued to rain all day, so I pushed on in my grey tunnel till Standing Indian Shelter, which was full when I dragged in at dusk. So I pitched my new tent, and it got it's first real test, since it rained all night and the wind blew hard. I kept dry, but Thumbkin, who was in a tarp-covered hammock, and Goat, who slept under a tarp, both had wet sleeping bags in the morning. But they are experienced and know how to get through these conditions. In the afternoon, at mile 76.4 I passed from Georgia to North Carolina. They say if you can get out of Georgia, you can make the entire trail. I don't think this is a reference to Deliverence, but rather indicates that if you can find your equilibrium on the first 75 miles then you should be good to go.
Date: 2009-04-03
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: overcast clouds

The weatherman had promised good weather today, but it was overcast and drizzly all day. This was quite disappointing. So I pushed on again, over several mountains, notably Albert Mountain, down to Rock Gap Shelter. A full crew was there, so I joined the tent city, and passed a reasonably comfortable night (no rain!).
Date: 2009-04-04
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap -- Franklin, NC
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: clear sky

Awoke this morning to --- clear blue skies! Had a short day down to Winding Stair Gap. Trail Angels were set up there. This is the term for local folk (often church or civic groups) who set up at road crossings and provide support and succor to hikers. This group, from the local Baptist Church, had coffee and doughnuts, candy bars, and lots of other goodies. Bless their hearts! Another local took myself and Spider and YoYo into Franklin, NC where I am at the Saphire Inn, and where there is a hiker bash happening. Saw Allegheny today. He has decided to end his hike. He had quadruple bypass surgery a year and a half ago and just started feeling some unusual pains in his chest the last few days. So he decided to call it quits and do some car-touring instead. It was great getting to know him, and I will miss him as a trail companion.
Date: 2009-04-05
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

Woke up in my room in Franklin and took the bus to the hiker's breakfast at the local Baptist Church. They serve a free breakfast (bacon, pancakes, coffee, orange juice) to about 30 famished hikers every day! Then took the hiker shuttle bus up to Winding Stair Gap to continue my hike. Saw my first snake of the trip, but haven't identified it yet.
Date: 2009-04-07
From: Rufus Morgan Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 0.8
Weather: light rain

Rain and snow are forecast, and my feet are hurting (blisters on both heels, shin splints on my left leg, and an aching tendon on the right leg). What with the weather and my aches and pains, I don't know if I can go on, so I will rest for a few days at the NOC, wait for good weather, and see if things improve.The NOC is quite a facility, located on a beautiful river, and with maybe 20 busses to haul rafters around to their trips. It's pretty quiet now though, because of the weather and the early season. They have a restaurant, with every seat having a front-row view of the river, an outfitters store, the rafting facility, and assorted bunkhouses and rooms. The bunkhouses are way up the hill though! You see lots of hikers (including me) walking like old men up the hill cause their feet hurt.There also is a tourist historic railway which stops here, and I happened to see Allegheny on it. He then met me and MoFoMan and T-Square and Pocahantas for dinner.
Date: 2009-04-08
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Today is a Zero Day because my legs still are healing. It is partly sunny and the snow (they had 6 inches, with some thigh-deep drifts) in the mountains is starting to melt. I am icing my legs and elevating them, and treating my blisters by first applying "new skin", and then moleskin around the blister, and then duct tape over the whole thing.Meeting interesting hikers here, including three Dutchmen (Larry, Curly, and Moe), and Wrath, who says he is from the planet Jupiter.Decided to buy hiking poles here, because all of the old pros advised me to, saying they will take some weight off of my legs, and also help prevent future injuries. Also bought new camp shoes, which are the shoes you put on in camp (and use in town) so you can take off your heavy boots. I had been using my huge old down booties, but they made me look like an escapee from a lunatic asylym (especially when walking around town). I couldn't see buying $75 sandals, so ended up with dark black river shoes, which kind of look like ballet slippers. So now I have a new image... Decided today to officially make Denver Dave my trail name. It was given to me by Allegheny, and so in the tradition of the trail, I will accept my given name.
Date: 2009-04-09
To: Stecoah Gap
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I decided to test my newly-healed legs by doing a flip-flop slackpack. That is, I found a guy to ferry me to a road crossing 14 miles north of here, and then hiked with an almost empty pack back to the NOC; thus flip-flop (hiking in he opposite direction), and slackpack (hiking without a full pack). It was a beautiful sunny day, and most of the snow of the last couple of days was melted. My legs held up well!
Date: 2009-04-10
From: Stecoah Gap

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: light rain

Woke up today and it was pouring cats and dogs. Hung out at the NOC trying to find a ride back to Stecoah Gap. Finally ran into Thumbkin, who had retrieved her car and transformed herself from a hiker into a kayaker. She graciously agreed to give me a lift. By the time I got to the trailhead (around noon) the rain had slacked off, so I started on. Hiked in the drizzle all day to this shelter. Have to put in a GIS (Geographic Information Systems) note, since this was a big part of my now-forgotten professional life). The AT is three dimensional. You have M (the measure of what mile number you are on), Z (the elevation of your location -- all those ups and downs), and T (time -- how long is it taking you, and will you make your destination before dark). There is very little X and Y -- that is, the actual coordinates of where you are. All I know is that I follow the white blazes, and I don't know the exact direction I am going in (other than North in general, I hope), or how the topography connects, or what is off of the trail on eiher side. I did lose the trail briefly today. Somehow I unknowingly got off on a herd trail slightly off to the side of the main trail, and after maybe 200 yards got to a junction with white blazes in both directions. Uh Oh, how did this happen, and what direction is north? I took my best guess and held my breath until about 20 minutes later I reached a trail sign that told me I was going in the right direction. So now, according to a purist, I am no longer a white blazer, because I missed the white blazes for about 200 yards. There also are blue blazers (those that follow side paths that divert from the main trail), and yellow blazers (those that hitch hike or get rides thereby bypassing sections of the trail. I have come to really depend on the white blazes. Often I will be hiking for many minutes with my vision focused only on the mud in front of me, and suddenly come to my senses and think that the trail looks less used, or seems to be going in a strange direction, and then I will be very nervous until I see the next white blaze. They are usually spaced about 100 yards apart. The White Blaze is everything.