morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-04-03
From: Bly Gap

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: clear sky

Rain. Rain. Rain. Woke up around 8 to the sound of rain. Warm in my sleeping bag I briefly considered taking a 0 the stormy forecast considered. So far, it's rained half the time I've been here so I better just get used to it. Was somewhat successful in keeping my tent dry while packing it up.The weather was mid-hi 40s and very windy. The climb up courthouse bald was rough. It seemed like 1,000 ft of straight-up elevation. I had to stop more than any other uphill I've done yet. I think gathering rain in my pack and fighting the wind had something to do with that.Made it 3 miles to the next shelter relatively dry. Stopped there for a second breakfast and ran into the girls from Hiawassee. They decided to 0 there. I considered calling it a day there but decide to press on to try and beat the worst of the weather that was supposed to hit later.The hike to Standing Indian was mild and only took me 1 and a half hours to finish. However, I did not beat the worst of the storm and was completely soaked by the time I got there. Other hikers were not happy about all the wetness I brought into the shelter. Couldn't help it, sorry! More and more people were trying to fit under the shelter awning and no one had set up their tent so I decided to brave the rain and be the first to set up mine.I'm not too well practiced at setting up my tent yet, and with the wind blowing everything around the setup got pretty wet. My whole body was shaking from the cold by the time I was done. After that though, I was able to change into dry clothes and warm up in my sleeping bag, woohoo! Weather will remain cold, but it is rumored that the rain will clear up. I can already tell tomorrow mornings start will be rough putting back on all my wet clothes, but I hope to make good time tomorrow.Yak hiked on today, hope I see him down the trail!
Date: 2017-04-04
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Betty Creek Gap
Miles today: 11.3

Thank goodness for sunshine! the morning started out very cold somewhere in the low 40s and windy. I was loathe to pack away my dry clothes and put on my soaked hiking set. Putting on each piece of clothing felt like jumping in a frozen pond. The constant wind reminded me how wet I was. Got to hiking and was all warmed up in about an hour. The trail was very gradual today. Even though I hit 5.5k ft elevation today, the trail brought you up slowly over a couple miles. No harsh downhills either. I could get used to that!Walked through some very fire-damaged areas. A stark contrast to some of the scenes in GA. The earth is scorched black on either side of the trail and lined with dead trees. Did get my first great view of N.C. however!Betty Creek was a perfect place to stop. Very pretty area. A little jungle like. Squirrels here are not people-shy. Hopefully they will leave me my breakfast tomorrow!
Date: 2017-04-05
From: Betty Creek Gap

To: Rock Gap/Franklin, NC
Miles today: 8.5

Good News: The squirrels left my breakfast alone. Bad News: Severe weather was the forecast for today. Hit the trail around 8 again. Was cloudy with just enough clearing in the east for the sun to poke through. About an hour or so into my hike the rain started. A drizzle; no big deal. If you hike the AT, you're going to hike in the rain. The saying goes: "No Pain, no rain, no Maine."A few miles in I hit Albert Mountain. It's another one of those straight up elevations and one of the tallest points I've hiked so far at 5250 ft. It was full of many bare spots of boulders that sometimes even required climbing with your hands. Naturally as soon as I hit the bottom of Albert Mountain, one of the most dangerous places I could be in a storm, the lightning came. Being as exposed as I was on the mountain I kicked into overdrive and hiked as fast as I could. I survived!Using the momentum from pushing uphill I crushed the rest of my 8.5 mi hike by quarter to 11. Not bad time! The rain continued to come down steadier and steadier and once again I found myself soaked. Rumor was that snow was on the way and that was enough to send me to town. Only once I hit town did I realize the storms were severe. Tornado warnings had been issued all over the place and the weather was to continue into tomorrow. Glad today happened to be a town day! I'm staying at the Sapphire Inn with Backtrack, Gumby, and Blazeberry. I also met the Poo Crew who were staying next door. They were wild. Going to zero out the bad weather tomorrow.
Date: 2017-04-06
From: Rock Gap/Franklin, NC

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

Riding out the bad weather and resting up. The weather is the coldest its been while snow and rain continue to hit the trail. Rumors today say that conditions are so bad they are having to do rescue evacs from the mountains.Woke up bright and early to get free pancakes and bacon at a local church. It was very yummy. Found Yak, Peter and Dan there (I met Peter and Dan at Blood Mtn and Neels Gap). A happy reunion! Peter played some Chopin while I ate til it hurt.Took care of some other chores in the morning. Mailed myself some food to pick up down the trail a few days from now as there are not many good resupply points for a while. Stopped in Outdoor 76 which was a pretty cool little outfitter/bar. Lot's of experienced hikers working there. Ate until I felt sick again at Martha's Kitchen lunch buffet. Afterwards, beer at the Lazy Hiker. Caught up with Yak and ran into our new friends the Poo Crew.Spent the rest of the day in bed watching movies: Deadpool and The Big Lebowski. Bad weather is supposed to continue into tomorrow, but get better after the morning. Determined to hit the trail tomorrow, regardless of what the weather is like!
Date: 2017-04-07
From: Franklin, NC

To: Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: light rain

Today was my first day hiking through the snow on the AT. Leftover from the storm the past couple of days. I was warmed up by breakfast at the church again. Backtrack woke us up to an alarm and told us with complete confidence that the time was 7:20 AM. This was terrible news because the bus for the church left at 7:15 AM. That was by far the most stressful moment for me on the trail so far. It was a false alarm though and we made it just fine.Got back to Rock Gap around 9:30. The temp was about 35 degrees, less with the wind chill. About 30 minutes into the hike we hit the snow and it was the for the rest of the day. It was gorgeous!At Silar Bald I decided to hit the summit off trail to see the view. Most decided to pass on the opportunity because it was tough trek out of the way. But it was so worth it and was easily the best view I had on the trail, and one of the best views I have ever had anywhere. It was clear skies with a 360 view. The fresh snow on the mountains and the frost on the trees took my breath away. Picked the perfect day to get back on the trail!Caught up with Gumby and Backtrack who were dropped off further along the trail. We hiked the rest of the way together up Wayah Bald. Wayah Bald was a good long climb up, but wasn't too steep. The snow did get a little deep up there at points making some slightly more difficult hiking. More beautiful views at the top there. Fires reached up here too and destroyed some of the tower. Hit the shelter soon after and changed straightaway into my long underwear and layered up. It will be a cold night, below 30 forecasted. My first night sleeping in a shelter. Here's to hoping mice don't rip up my stuff!Other things:-Tried Ramen and Mac n Cheese. Pretty good!-Talked trail life lessons with Backtrack.-Romors floating around of Trail Thieves. I've met the supposed culprits and hope to avoid them from here on out.-Yak, Backtrack, Gumby, Joey and Santa Claus are all here!
Date: 2017-04-08
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: A. Rufus Morgan Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: clear sky

Today was the great NOC Dive/Jumpoff. Night was very cold. Report was that it hit 21 at its lowest last night. Sleeping pad kept deflating which woke me up every time. Got moving early to keep warm. Still snow on the ground for the first few miles today. Trail Magic at Burningtown Gap from some folks from Franklin. Franklin is the town that keeps on giving! Got fresh water, pb+js, oatmeal cream pies, and a little candy. Can't ask for much more than that!Spent most of the day hiking alone. I did catch up with Gumby at Wesser Bald Watch Tower. The big story of the day was climbing down Wesser Bald. It was 2,500 ft down ot the shelter, some of it very steep and narrow trail. Some points down you could swear that the trail was walking off the edge of the Earth. Made it with my knees still intact though! Here at the shelter with Yak, Backtrack, Gumby, Joey, Peter, Dan and a few others!
Date: 2017-04-09
From: A. Rufus Morgan Shelter

To: Locust Cove Gap
Miles today: 11.4

The saying on the AT goes: "What goes down must come up!" Descended down the mountains another 500 ft or so into the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC otherwise known as No Other Choice) and hit one of the lowest points since starting the trail 1732 ft. From there it was all up. Bumped into Ounces and Two-Speed at the bottom of the NOC buying my pass for the smokies. I'd see them throughout the day.Today all there really is to talk about is the long slog up. Weather is back up in the 70s so I sweated through everything I was wearing the whole way up. About 4 miles in on the trek up at 3800 ft the uphill became very steep. As you can imagine, after already doing 2000 ft of uphill elevation already it was pretty taxing. After a mile of the steep stuff you get a short downhill break to Sassafras Gap Shelter. Ate lunch there and launched back up to Cheoah Bald the highest point of todays climb: 5062 ft. 1732 to 5062; yikes! Cheoah was very beautiful way to end the up hill though.Camped a few miles down at Locust Cove. Here with Ounces, Two-Speed, Stretch, Pokeyman, Peter and Dan. going to try and reach Fontana Dam tomorrow!
Date: 2017-04-10
From: Locust Cove Gap

To: Fontana Hilton
Miles today: 18.2

My longest day yet! This morning was what's called Jacob's Ladder. A super steep uphill climb. Essentially a half mile of hiking at a 60 degree angle. After that though the terrain was mild so I burned some trail up. Nice hot day.Early Afternoon took a second dive down to reach Fontana Dam. It was much less steep than the drop to the NOC. Spring has sprung down here and there is finally lot's of green to see. Wildflowers cover the forest floor in any direction. Trees are sprouting just enough leaves to let through light giving them the appearance of m80s bursting in freeze frame.Fontana is amazing! I slack-packed a mile to pick up a package from the lodge there. I looked pretty silly walking through the forest carrying only a USPS package. I made it to the shelter around 3 PM and it was already well packed with hikers. Caught up with Yak, Backtrack, Gumby, and Captain there. I ate the most delicious burger and pizza at the restaurant there. Won't talk about the bill for that however. Was treated to a hitch in the back of a pickup through the rolling hills. Took a shower and had a great night!Other things:-Tom and Kari were the ones nice enough to bring my pack to camp!-Miss Janet showed up with some hotdogs!-Crossed the dam looking for the restaurant only to learn it was the complete wrong way. That extra mile doesn't show up in my count, haha.-Ounces and Two-Speed showed up real late into camp around 9:30.
Date: 2017-04-11
From: Fontana Hilton

To: Russel Field Shelter
Miles today: 14.5

Today I entered the Great Smokey Mountains. Woke up to a brilliant sunrise over Fontana Lake and was on my way. The theme here repeats. My long hike down yesterday was contrasted with a long hike up into the Smokies. Pretty much all uphill today. Mostly walking today but there were a few memorable moments.A fire tower that terrifyingly had no rails on its perimeter offered an amazing 360 view of the smokies early on. From Doe Knob to the shelter the ground was completely covered in little white-violet flowers called spring beauties. There were so many you could easily mistake the ground for being covered in snow. It was something you feel like you can only see in the movies. Met a whole family who are thru-hiking together. They were really great people and I wish them the best.Here in camp with Tom, Kari, Captain, Ounces, Two-Speed and Backdraft. In other news I think I crossed into TN at some point today? Either way I still have a lot of time in NC. About to turn in early!
Date: 2017-04-12
From: Russel Field Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Two lessons I learned today. One: Earplugs are an essential part of a thru-hikers kit. Two: The elevation maps in the guidebook can be cruelly deceiving.Last night was definitely my worst nights sleep on the AT. Before the hike I might have guessed bears and mice would be the ones keeping me awake. No. It's the snoring hikers. Last night I heard the most ungodly sounds coming from my fellow hikers. The worst two sounded like a velociraptor and the other reminded me of a whoopie cushion going off every 5 seconds. I did not sleep for more than an hour at a time. Considered packing up and hiking through the night instead of laying through that torture. Next time I probably will. Ryan gave me earplugs this morning so hopefully tonight will go better.Had lunch at Derrick Knob Shelter. Expected the hike to be easier especially relative to yesterday. Instead, though the elevation doesn't change drastically, there were some tough ups and downs. Was pretty tired after only 9 miles, but decided to push on. Thankfully, the second half of my day was much easier. The flowers from yesterday continue onto seeming infinity. Today there seemed to be much more of a fragrance coming from them. Last mile to the shelter seemed really long as it was the only challenging trail since lunch. Did hit some pockets of conifers that smelled of home. Lots of new faces at the shelter. Maybe some new hiking buddies. Here with Captian, Two-Speed, Ounces, Tom+Kari. Going to wake up early to see the sunrise from Clingman's Dome. Weather has been clear and great views. Could be spectacular!
Date: 2017-04-13
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Newfound Gap/Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 10.4

Today was a "You had to be there" kind of day. Here's the cliffnotes version:-Captain, Pigpen, Shutterbug and I trailblaze at 5 AM. Lots of spiderwebs, no bears.-15 or so hikers gather at clingmans dome for the sunrise. The most beautiful sunrise I've ever seen.-Perfectly timed trail magic at Indian Gap.-Gatlinburg is the strangest place on the planet.-Pigpen shuttles everyone around once in town. Will not accept any kind of payment. Thanks Pigpen (and Shutterbug)!-Rooming with Ounces and Two-Speed.-Back on the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2017-04-14
From: Newfound Gap/Gatlinburg, TN

To: Ice Spring Shelter
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Neroed my way out of Gatlinburg. It was pretty wild; 24 hours was enough of all that. Pigpen and Shutterbug drove me around some more. Dropped a pound of gear (sleeping pad and tripod) and added another pound of food.Got to Newfound Gap around 3PM and hung out for an hour or so there. Got some trail magic beer there and had a fun time trying to sneak a drink in front of a few hundred tourists. Hiked a quick 3 miles uphill to the shelter.Not much else to report! Here with Pigpen, Shutterbug, Tom and Kari also known as Team Packs with Legs. A great bunch . Hoping for a day of big mileage tomorrow!
Date: 2017-04-15
From: Ice Spring Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: broken clouds

So close to my first 20! next shelter was 7.5 miles away so I decided to put it off for another day.Started the day around 5 AM today to catch the sunrise. Shutterbug, Pigpen, Tom + Kari, who all planned on doing the sunrise too, ditched me and decided to sleep some more. Jokes on them! It was cloudy but the sun shone through the mist and brought a beautiful violet hue to the mountains at Charlie's Bunion. This section of the trail offered more beautiful views than I've seen yet on the AT. The Smokies did live up to their name today with mist and clouds above and below the horizon and I loved it!Despite the fact that it's Saturday I did not see many hikers today, thru or otherwise. I enjoyed that very much! The terrain was pretty easy which is why I went for big miles today. Sadly, I think I've left Team Packs with Legs + Family behind. They were a fun group and I will miss them! The shelter is full here and will probably be packed by the end of the night. Lots of new faces will have to make some new friends!
Date: 2017-04-15
From: Ice Spring Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Lo and behold Tom, Kari, Pigpen, and Shutterbug all showed up to the shelter despite sounding sure they weren't going to do big miles today. I even left them a goodbye note at the last shelter. It was a nice surprise! Pigpen, Tom and Kari all showed up around 7 PM. Shutterbug walked until about 10 PM to get there. She's crazy. A few other hikers showed up past 10 and I helped them find a spot since it was pitch dark and there was hardly anywhere to sleep tenting or otherwise. It was a little chaotic, but a memorable night for sure!
Date: 2017-04-16
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Painter Branch
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: broken clouds

Today was wild. Here's the summary:-Lots of angry hikers with last nights commotion. Angry notes were left. We tried to be respectful I promise!-Tons of new plant life at the bottom of the Rockies. Really neat! (Also one giant spider)-Today I left the Smokies. They were amazing!-Hung out at Standing Bear Hostel. Spent too much money, but had a good time and some very refreshing drinks!-Met Toe who gave me some awesome Trail magic. He had a Spotted Cow that he gave to me. Didn't think I would see any of those on the trail. He also gave me some moonshine. Great guy!-Toe got the name toe because he literally carries one of his toes on a necklace he wears. wild.-It was goodbye for real this time with Team PWL as they are planning on taking it slow. Wish them all the best!-Made it to camp pretty late. Moonshine made my bearbagging attempts pretty comical. What a day!
Date: 2017-04-17
From: Painter Branch

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up to a somewhat eventful morning. My tent neighbor, Stillwater, had a mouse chew through his tent. yikes. I'm glad it wasn't me. I was a little forgetful after last nights festivities and though I left my camera 3 miles back at Standing Bear. After 30 minutes of panic and preparing myself to walk back down the mountain to look for it, I found it. I had hidden it in my TP bag in last nights haze. Bad Primo, Bad! Today was forecast for rain, but the morning and afternoon only had slight sprinkles. Hiked to Max Patch and was lucky enough to have seen some blue sky before they became completely overcast. Beautiful 360 view on the grassy bald. Loved it! There was even a little trail magic at the top. Can't ask for more than that. Glad to be out of the Rockies today as it looked like it was getting hit good with rain.At Spring Gap the bad weather was looking to catch up with me as thunder started rolling through the skies. Hoofed it up the mountain and beat the rain by about 30 min. Close one; there was a lot of it! Laying in my tent right now getting ready for bed to wait out the rain. Tons of people here tonight. Met someone who studied at UWSP, how about that? Her name is Raid. Someone is either singing or dying in the tent next to me, not exactly sure which it is. But even my jelly earplugs can't block out the sound. Send help.
Date: 2017-04-18
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Boxed Spring Campsite
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: few clouds

A resupply and nearly 18 miles all in one day. Nice! I'm getting pretty good at this hiking thing.It rained on and off through the night. Actually got some decent sleep once the next door singer stopped. Hit the trail around 6 AM so I could spend some time in Hot Springs without actually having to stay there. The trail sent me way down in elevation, but by 11:30 I had done 13 miles or so.Hot Springs is a nice little hiking town. Everything you need is on one street and that street happens to be part of the AT. Wish that happened more often! Stopped at Smokey Mountain Diner for a huge delicious burger. It comes recommended. Went to the dollar general for a real cheap resupply. Bought a new Sawyer and fuel at the outfitter. Updated my journal here and finished up my time in town with a stop at the tavern. And I never really left the trail - neat!Was hiking again around 6PM. Only planned on doing a few more miles to get the big uphill out of town over and done with. Ran into some teenagers who were really underprepared for the difficult hike up. Gave them some water and made sure they were all right. They were doing fine and started to head back down into town. Some were really excited to learn I was a thru-hiker. I sensed some future thru-hikers in the group.Camping alone for the first time and I haven't seen anyone else for miles. I'll admit it's a little creepy. Doesn't help that I've heard some very large branches snapping around me. I think a bear or two have got their eyes on me. The pond I'm next to is very pretty and filled with Spring Peepers. First time I've heard them this year and they are out in force. Looking forward to tomorrow!
Date: 2017-04-19
From: Boxed Spring Campsite

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was all about crazy weather. Slept in til 7 hoping the rain from last night would stop. After waiting awhile I gave up and took down camp wet. First few miles were tough. Lots of uphill with rain and wind against me. After a few hours of hiking the rain stopped, but the wind picked up and temperature plummeted from the 60's into the 40's.Stopped for lunch were Jean-Marc or Froggy, who I first met at Standing Bear, caught up with me. Been seeing him a lot lately. He's a cool cat. Told me the real spots to visit in France. I hope I get to some day. After hiking in the afternoon the weather changed dramatically once again. The skies cleared and the sun came out with the snap of a finger. Temperature hit almost 80, right as I started more uphill of course.Now at the shelter and after being here an hour it switched back to rain and thunder. Been a really quiet day. Have seen much less hikers than usual. I'm the only one staying in the shelter so far. A few people are tenting nearby. It might have something to do with the fact that there has been a rattlesnake spotted underneath the floorboards recently and bears attacking the food cables last night as well. I did find some bear droppings nearby. They don't seem to shy around the shelter. Might be an interesting night!
Date: 2017-04-20
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 22.8
Weather: overcast clouds

My first 1%er! 21.9 miles makes up 1% of the AT and I did that with a little change leftover. Feels good! Once again I was deceived by the elevation profiles in my guidebook. Thought I was in for an easier hike because there were no dramatic uphills or downhills, but the terrain itself was very tough. I was essentially bouldering for a couple of miles early in the morning. It did get much easier after that though and made for some nice lazy hiking. More the same weather as the past few days. On and off again sun then rain. Staying at the shelter was fine last night so I decided to stay in the Hogback shelter as well. I'm becoming one with the shelter mice. We understand each other. New crowd here. Lots of cool people, but for the first time some of the hikers (well people who are actually hikers and not posing as hikers) giving me some uncomfortable vibes. Probably will try not to stick around this bubble too long haha. Was hanging out with Murphy, Kinda, Pterodactyl, Grey Eagle, Eddie, and Rocketman.