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

To: N.O.C.
Miles today: 12.7

16 March 2009 - day 18 once again it was a very wet day. It also seemed foggier. It was too hot to wear any rain gear and I ended up taking off my rain gear.Despite the rain and the fog the hike was enjoyable.there were a lot of places that have the potential for great views, unfortunately it was too foggy to see anything. There was still plenty to see on the trail. My personal favorite was when I caught a woman changing her pants in the middle of the trail. A note to all females reading this: if you decide to strip in the middle of the trail do not be surprised if a guy stumbles upon you when you are partially or fully nude.The last 5 miles to the N. O. C. plus top. The rain today made all the rock slick and more than a ton of slippery mud. I nearly took a few falls while traveling down. I managed to reach the N. O. C. in about two and half hours.
Date: 2009-03-17
From: N.O.C.

To: N.O.C.
Miles today: 0.0

17 March 2009 ¢ day 19 I decided to take a zero day today. I was able to finally try out my tent completely and spray some of waterproofing onto the tent.When I was not working on the tent, the tent project did not take long, I just spent drinking beer at the edge of the Nawtahala River. I watched a few people kayak the river and decided next time I come here I might try a little kayaking.
Date: 2009-03-18
From: N.O.C.

To: Simp Gap
Miles today: 11.5

18 March 2009-- day 20 I was very tempted to make today another zero day. I just did not want to do this long and steep climb to get out of the valley the Nantahala outdoor center was located.I also kept getting told that this was the toughest climbs south of New England which maybe want to skip this section completely.The day was beautiful which made the climb much easier. I was rewarded with a couple of great use on Cheoah Bald which made the long climb up worth doing. The rest of the hike also got easier after I reached this point. There will was a lot of flat sections and down hills that more than made up more of the times I lost on the first half of today's hike.Locust Cove gap would have been where I would have set up camp if there was any room. A group of 25 from college set up a bunch of tents in a small area. Along with this group Andy, Cottontail, Ms. Mosey, Billy hoot, and eventually rancid appletree all had their area in this crowd came. I just ate dinner here it then moved on to find a less populated campsite. I finally found a place just a mile north of Simp Gap. I am currently sharing it with railroad and critter.
Date: 2009-03-19
From: Simp Gap

To: Bee Cove Lead
Miles today: 13.6

19 March 2009 ¢ day 21 another great day. Most of the uphills were thankfully short. There was one that was a tough climb because there were no switchbacks until about 30 feet from the top. The sad thing is that there were no views. The weather was awesome for most of the day. Near the end of the day it got cold and rainy. The rain lasted for only an hour.I found a nice little campsite on Bee Cove lead. Railroad, critter, and mudflap were here along with Quattro and mule. I enjoyed listening to Quattro playing his little guitar which mule tried to play along with his makeshift drum. Preacher man and growler arrived well after dark.
Date: 2009-03-20
From: Bee Cove Lead

To: Fontana Hilton
Miles today: 3.6
Weather: clear sky

20 March 2009 ¢ day 22 I always find it really hard to get up first thing in the morning. I am nice and warm in my sleeping bag and I know the world around is much colder. Luckily, I usually find the strength and the will power to force myself out of bed to pack up and to start hiking.Today's hike was nice and short. Once the sun shone down on my campsite I packed up and started down to my next destination, but Fontana dam. The trail itself went downhill for the most part. The hike into and out of Fontana Village was not too bad either. Both times I managed to hitch a ride.The Fontana held is a very nice shelter. It has room to fit around 24 people, running water, and real bathrooms with showers. It also has a nice view of the Fontana Lake. I met a lot of new people today at the shelter. We got a nice large campfire going and we spent the night just talking about random things.
Date: 2009-03-21
From: Fontana Hilton

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: broken clouds

21 March 2009 ¢ Day 23 another good morning, I finally made it to Tennessee. Once again I had to do another long hike to. But once I got to the top of shuckstack Mountain the hike was much easier.There were a lot of great views today. There was this old (falling apart) fire tower that offered a great view all around if you were willing to risk all or part of the tower to collapse. A few other spots offered some good views but not as good as the fire tower.I took my first bill today halfway between Molly's bridge shelter and Russell Field shelter. I slipped on some mud, I fell backwards in the pack one to my left side and pulled me forward. My back was in a lot of pain, but I continued on to the Russell Field. Because my back was in so much pain this 1 mile hike was the toughest hike I ever did. Once I got to the camp I threw down my back and laid on the shelter. This caused my whole back the clock back into place and took away most of the pain.After going into the shelter for the final time with my I heard coyotes howling near us. It was cool to listen to, but they never got close enough to see. Maybe next time they will show themselves. (Jason ¢ be careful what you wish for)
Date: 2009-03-22
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: clear sky

22 March 2009 ¢ day 24 well my back may be usable but boy does it hurt. It started getting real bed 2 miles away from my current shelter. I can crack it every once in a while but it only brings temporary relief. My Motrin is helping but I fear I might run out prior to reaching Hot Springs. Today's hike was a tough one. They had very few good views because of all the rhododendrons growing around one trail. The hills were also very steep and slippery. I nearly took another spill just like the one I did yesterday. But heat did not help.
Date: 2009-03-23
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Mt. Collins shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: broken clouds

23 March 2009 ¢ day 25 today's hike was a great one. Despite my back giving me problems I was able to cover around 14 miles I also reached the highest point on the Appalachian Trail, Clingsmans Dome at 6645 feet.Lots of animals were around the shelters. There was a deer at the first shelter. The second shelter had a turkey that was begging for food. I ended up giving it a few cashews and I had to defend my granola bar because it continuously would try to steal it.
Date: 2009-03-24
From: Mt. Collins shelter

To: pecks corner shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: broken clouds

24 March 2009 ¢ day 26 today was another great day. The hike itself was very long 15+ miles, and I finished sometime after sundown. Most of the trail had some sort of view. The last 2 miles is nothing at views. Unfortunately most of the trail was narrow and had a steep drop on at least one side. Sometimes both.There was a lot of people out today. They were mainly people just visiting newfound gap for the view. I had one guy give me two bottles of water other people kept asking ¢when did you start¢ and ¢how far are you going?¢ While I ate lunch.The trail from newfound gap to Charles Bunyan was full of day hikers. They also asked me a lot of questions and one group even called me a professional hiker.
Date: 2009-03-25
From: pecks corner shelter

To: Tri Corner knob Shelter
Miles today: 5.2
Weather: light rain

25 March 2009 ¢ day 27 the weather sucked today. It was rainy and windy. The fog ruined any chance of getting a good view. Half the time I was hiking in a stream.When I got to tri-corners knob shelter I originally intended on just eating lunch. I decided to stay the night. I hope the weather will be a little better but if it's still bad I will just have to go as far as I can as quickly as possible.I spent two hours in my sleeping bag watching at least four of the seven college kids try starting a fire. The wood they were using was completely soaked and they barely have enough tender (also soaked). After a while I reluctantly crawled out of my sleeping bag and walked over to the fireplace with joy, some flint, and my stove fuel. Most of them did not seem the sprinkle some of the fuel onto the pile of wood I made. The kids that didn't see me use the fuel were amazed when I got a huge fireball by striking joy against the Flint. One of them admitted that he thought I was doing some kind of voodoo when they found out what I did.
Date: 2009-03-26
From: Tri Corner knob Shelter

To: Davenport gap shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: moderate rain

26 March 2009 ¢ day 28 It was another wet and cold day. I woke up a couple of times because of how hard the rain was falling or the wind was blowing. I did not want to leave my sleeping bag but I wanted to get to town sooner rather than later. I nearly got blown off the ridge a couple of time.Around noon the weather started to calm down. I was able to take off my jacket at Socks. The rest of the hike was easier. My dad did give me some trouble but I had enough Motrin (thanks mudflap) to get me through the day.All I can think about is getting to hot springs. I am planning on taking 1 zero to give my back time to heal. Unfortunately I am still a long way away from that point but I think I could make it fair and two or three days.
Date: 2009-03-27
From: Davenprot Gap Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farms
Miles today: 3.3
Weather: moderate rain

It was a great morning today, however I just did not want to get out of my bag. The original plan I had for today was to get up early and do another 12-15 mile day so I can get to Hot Springs as quickly as possible. Thanks to Mudflap I had enough motrin to get my there.After a few miles of hiking I noticed a sign for Standing Bear Farm. For days I have been hearing about this place so I decided to check it out. When I got there I saw a bunch of old building that looked ready to fall apart. A closer look at the place proved that there was more to this place than meets the eye. It did not take much to convince me to stay the night. The place was nicely spread out and each building had its own purpose. There was a bunkroom with a wood stove, a cabin that had a stream flowing under it, an indoor and outdoor shower (the outdoor shower was great), a kitchen, and a little store.At the end of the day everyone gathered around the firepit to tell stories, drink beers, and attempt to play various instruments. I enjoyed my time here but I need to leave tomorrow so I can get to Hot Springs
Date: 2009-03-28
From: Standing Bear Farms

To: Standing Bear Farms
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

   Took a zero today because the weather was suppose to be horrible. Instead it rained just a little bit then was sunny in the afternoon. I went to the movies with Billy hoot, Miss Moosy, Lil' Dipper, Mississippi, Rockhound, and Simba. We saw Last house on the Left. It was a horrible movie, do not waste your time or money. After the movie we had All-You-Can-Eat steak and shrimp at Ryan's Steakhouse.
Date: 2009-03-29
From: Standing Bear Farms

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: broken clouds

29 March 2009 ¢ day 31 I found out that I do not like leaving civilization be. I always find something else to do that would delay my departure time. I also tend to move slower and take more breaks. I managed to pull myself out of standing bear from around 10:45 AM.The hike itself was not too bad it was a steep climb up Snowbird Mountain. The thing that sucked was the weather started getting bad after lunch. At first I thought that the storm that was supposed to it yesterday and was going to hit today instead because I was actually hiking. I realized that it was something else when the temperature dropped the wind started picking up. The fog up on Snowbird was very fit. I had a hard time seeing more than 10 feet in front of me. The snow didn't start falling until I got close to groundhog Creek shelter.I decided to stay at the shelter because it was protected from the land and warmer due to its low elevation. I was supposed to go to May Patch to hang with lil'dipper, billy hoot, and miss moosey but I can always catch up to the. All I can do now is sleep in this mouse infested shelter and hope are better weather tomorrow
Date: 2009-03-30
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter

To: Walnut mtn shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: scattered clouds

30 March 2009 ¢ day 32 I am so glad I stopped when I did. It got extremely cold during the night. This morning started off cold but I knew this was going to be a great day. There was not a cloud in the sky until noonish.Max patch was one of the most scenic spots I have ever seen. I got a great 360° view without having to climb up the tower of some sort to get the view.Well I am going to be in Hot Springs tomorrow. I'm looking forward to soaking in the hot springs and getting a massage. This will be my first scheduled zero and hopefully my back will be greatly healed when I do leave.
Date: 2009-03-31
From: walnut mountain shelter

To: hot springs
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: overcast clouds

   It was cold and windy when I got up this morning. Luckly the other person in the shelter got a nice fire started earlier this morning. I was able to pack everything I had out and cook breakfast before I took off.   Today's goal was to get to Hot Springs as quickly as possible. I knew it was going to rain at some point today and I was hoping that I could beat the rain. I managed to get to town about 3pm.   This town is tiny. The biggist problem I ran into was that the hostel and the cheap hotels took cash only and I am currently having problem getting my new card to work at the atm. Luckly for me Billy Hoot, Miss Moosey, Lil' Dipper, and Mississippi helped me out(Thanks a bunch guys).
Date: 2009-04-01
From: hot springs

To: Hot springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

   I am taking a zero today. This is the first schedualed zero I had on my trip so I am not falling further behind. Today I got lots of summer sausage, cheese, and a few spices to supplument all the pastas I got from my mail drop.   The Hot springs was nothing like I expected it to be. There was a bunch of hot tubs that were filled by the hot springs. It was still very relaxing and soothing and it was worth the 12$ for an hour soak. I also got a deep tissue massage, it was awesome. Unfortunetly it did not get rid of the pain in my back, although it did lessen it. The person giving the massage told me that the right side fo my back was spasming badly whenever he tried to massage it. He also told me that it might take 2 weeks for my back to completely heal if I continue my hike.   Tomorrow I will see how my back feels, if it is still bad I might take another zero.
Date: 2009-04-02
From: Hot springs

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It's another day in Hot Springs. My back was killing me so I thought it would be a good idea to give it one more day off.I really didn't do much today. Once again I soaked in the hot springs. I also got to try some blackberry moonshine. Today was a rather uneventful day.
Date: 2009-04-07
From: Hogback Mountain shelter

To: Erwin
Miles today: 2.4
Weather: light rain

About 3ish inches of snow fell last night. Unfortunetly the snow was still falling when I woke up. I decided early to go to Sam's Gap then hitchhike into Erwin.For the first time ever I was the first to leave the shelter. Because I was the first to leave, I had to stomp through the fresh snow. The snow banks on the trail got up to a foot deep.Once we got down to Sam's Gap we had to find a way into town. Redbear and I were not able to reach a shuttle service. It took us 30 minutes to get a ride but it was also from the first car we saw.Once I got to town and secured a place to sleep for the night, I decided to make my round of phone calls to tell my family that I was all right. My phone decided that it did not want to do anything except auto-adjust the ringtone volume. While I fiddled with it I dropped it causing the top to pop off.
Date: 2009-04-09
From: Erwin

To: Erwin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

This morning I was feeling alot better. I was able to keep down the light breakfast I had. My stomach was still upset but it calmed down enough to allow me to do a few errands. My biggest errand was to get to Johnson City so I can replace my phone. The biggest was about 20 miles and I did not have a car. I decided to hitchhike.My hitchhiking adventure was interesting. First attempt I got a car to pull over, unfortunatly it was a cop(damn unmarked cars). He did admit that hitchhiking was not illegal he made a point to say that it was frowned upon and that he did not want to see me do it again. This did not stop me, unfortunatly I only managed to get a few short rides there and back. Luckly I got my phone replaced and I was able to cash my last paycheck from Dunkin' Donuts.
Date: 2009-04-10
From: Erwin

To: Erwin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

My original plan was to leave today. When I woke up this morning and looked outside I saw a very nasty looking thunderstorm. I tuned into the weather channel only to see that the stormy conditions were only going to get worse. There was large a hail warning the area and they were predicting the hail to be nickle to golfball size. There was also tornado warnings all over the state of tennessee.I decided to stay, however everything in my area cleared up right around noon. While the weather channel did not stop talking about the storms, I was upset to miss some good hiking. I spent the day going to town to pick up my maildrop. The storm did eventually come back, however there was no hail or tornadoes in my area.
Date: 2009-04-22
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

One thing I did not expect to see when I woke up this morning was snow on the ground. Luckly it was only enough snow to make the ground white and it melted away by about noon. It was still a cold day and I even had some snow fall while hiking.I am still not sure why I decided to hike to town today. I was able to hike the 26 miles into town but it took me untli 10pm. By the time I got to town everything was closed. The trail was also not as flat as people kept telling me.I am glad I finally made it to town. I have heard alot about Damascus and I hope it lives up to its reputation. I am currently staying at a hostel called "the place" for 4$ a night. I am planning on taking a zero here to rest my body from the long hike.
Date: 2009-03-05
To: Training
Miles today: 0.0

Planning, training, researching, studying, are one of the most fun things when getting ready for an adventure like this one. I have enclosed my Gear List on this website, so feel free to check it out! A lot of work has gone into selecting the most useful, lightest weight, and durable gear. I am sure that my gear will change considerably along the trail. My training consists of running as much as possible. I am currently studying for my CPA exams, so I do not have a lot of free time to go on long hikes; therefore I am trying to go the same distance only faster. I joined a local track club, "Macon Tracks", and have had the best time running with these guys! Feel free to check out there website. http://www.macontracks.org/Seize this very minute; what you can do, or dream you can, begin it; Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it. - Johan Wolfgang Von Goethe
Date: 2009-03-05
To: Why?
Miles today: 0.0

Why is always a good question. And like all good questions it is not easy to answer. My typical response is to respond with the question, "why not?¢ which is equally as good of a question, the only problem is it does not answer the first question. After Sir Edmond Hillary climbed Mount Everest, maybe people asked him why? And his response was because it was there. Now I am by no means comparing my self to one of the greatest climbers to have ever lived, ha. However, I do share his since of exploration. To venture out into the unknown. To step out of your comfort zone, because it is in these places, that you can truly experience life, and thus learn more about yourself.I am fairly nervous about this trip, more so than ever before. Not because I am scared of bears, lightening, crazy Appalachian folk, parasites, diseases, mice, hypothermia. I don¢t know why, but I don¢t get scared that easy. I have always been under the notion that I could just as easily get hit by a car on my way home from work, then to come across an axe murderer in the middle of the wilderness. What I am nervous about is not finishing. This is a hard trail! Fewer than 20 percent of the people that set out to thru-hike the trail actually make it. Now these are people who did not decide to go out and do it on a whim. These are people that have spent months planning. Have quit their job, have dedicated the next six months of there life for one goal, to make it to Maine. So let¢s just say that they (hopefully) did not quit lightly. What would everybody back home say if I did not make it? I have done other long trips, but they were just physical. I can handle physical. This trip is going to be more of a mental challenge for me, and that is what I am nervous about. What if I get bored, walking all day everyday? What if I get bored of eating the same food all day, every day? What if I get lonely? I like to hike, but how much do I like to hike? Will I like hiking 2,000 miles later, 8 million steps later, and 120 days later? Plus I am going to be wet all the time. The trail is known for being cold, wet, and miserable. So at this point if you think that I am trying to talk myself out of this amazing adventure, you are wrong. I am only trying to mentally prepare myself. I am so ready to go. If I did not have my fourth CPA exam to take in April, I would be out the door right now! So Maine here I come. I am looking forward to seeing this eastern United States of America at 3 miles an hour! "I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived." - Henry David Thoreau
Date: 2009-03-09
To: What is the AT?
Miles today: 0.0

The Appalachian Trail (A.T.) is more than 2,175-mile long footpath stretching through 14 eastern states from Maine to Georgia. Conceived in 1921 and first completed in 1937, it traverses the wild, scenic, wooded, pastoral, and culturally significant lands of the Appalachian Mountains.Check out: www.appalachiantrail.orghttp://www.nps.gov/appa/"The purpose of a wilderness journey is not to get from one end of the [trail] to the other, but to enjoy the landscape, and adapt to its ever-changing moods." -Bill Mason
Date: 2009-03-09
To: Who hikes the AT?
Miles today: 0.0

The A.T. is a hiking trail, enjoyed by an estimated 4 million people each year. It is within a days drive of 2/3rds of the U.S. population. People of all ages and abilities enjoy short walks, day hikes, and long-distance backpacking journeys. It offers a variety of opportunities for viewing spectacular scenery, for exploring, for adventure, for exercise, for nature study, and for renewal.Check out:www.appalachiantrail.orghttp://www.nps.gov/appa/"It is better to wear out one's shoes than one's sheets." - Genoese Proverb