morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-03-10
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

So I figured I wouldn't knock the shelter experience until I tried it. So last night against my better judgement, I eschewed my comfy tent for the confines of the Tray Mountain Shelter. In the shelter with me last night were "Indy Girl", "Mammoth", and "Mosey" plus a couple of section hikers. The shelter is actually in a beautiful location on a bluff at about 4200 feet overlooking the valley. There was a spectacular sunset and an amazing star field to boot. I did not sleep a wink! The snoring from one of the sectioners literally shook the shelter. I believe he even kept some of the nearby tenters awake. As a result, I got a bit of a late start today but still managed to put in my planned miles to Dicks Creek Gap. I met " No Reponsibility" on the way down the mountain. When we reached the Gap, "Missle Man", a 2004 thru hiker, was angeling there. He gave us a lift to the Cloud 9 Hostel about a mile and half down the road. This a great hostel and the owners here have been terrific. The property is also home to the Upper Hightower Trout Farm and a big trout dinner is planned for tonight. It sure beats the hell out of Ramen Noodles! I am particularly jacked because tommorows hike will take me out of Georgia and into North Carolina. One state down and 13 to go. JUKEBOX
Date: 2008-03-11
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I am in my sleeping bag typing with numb fingers. Today was overcast and drizzly until about an hour after I arrived at Muskrat Creek Shelter when the weather blew through and gave us a beautiful sunset. It also dropped the temps a lot and we are feeling it as the shelter is at 4600 feet elevation. I had a great night last night at the Cloud 9 Hostel. A big group was there, maybe 14 hikers. It was a good chance to reload some calories and catch up on some sleep. "Crutch" dropped me off about 9:30 a.m. this morning and I hit the trail full of energy. After about 2 hours an amazing thing happened. I realized that I was hiking and hiking strong and I wasn't in pain. Hallelujah! Seriously, it was the first day I felt really strong despite my sprained ankle, bum knee, and blistery toe. Go figure. The second exciting event today was the completion of my first state. Georgia is officially in the books! So here are the totals---*Number of Zero Days--1; *Number of lbs of gear sent home--4; *Number of lbs. of added gear and food bought--4; *Number of ass over teakettle headers taken--3;*Number of spills with witnesses--2;*Number of nights in shelter--1;*Number of hours of sleep in shelter--2;*Number of trail names handed out--1(Wasabi). Finally, I got on the internet for the first time last night. I really appreciate everyone sending messages to my guest book. Your support and encouragement mean a great deal to me. Thanks! JUKEBOX
Date: 2008-03-12
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Betty Creek Gap
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: clear sky

Wow, really cold night. My water bottles were all frozen and I had most of my clothes on in a 15 degree sleeping bag and I was still cold. I got a little sleep when the sun started to come up. As a result, I got a late start and didn't break camp until 10:30 a.m. It was a good hiking day with a big climb over Standing Indian Mountain(5498 elevation) with a handful of smaller ups and downs in between. When I arrived at the Carter Gap Shelter it was 5:00 p.m. and still absolutely beautiful weather(sunny, no wind,60 degrees)so I kept moving on. I decide that I could not waste such a good weather day. I ended up at a little spot called Betty Creek Gap. The camping spots away from shelter areas have been awesome so far and this was no exception. A nice flat spot at lower elevation so it isn't as cold. Big day today but 12+ miles should put me into Franklin, NC tomorrow for a scheduled zero day and resupply. JUKEBOX
Date: 2008-03-13
From: Betty Creek Gap

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: clear sky

I got an early start this morning after a restful night. I have not been sleeping all that well on the trail. It has gotten a little better each day and last night was about as good as it gets. I think I got in about 7 solid hours of sleep. One of the problems has been my tent. I have been carrying the weight of a small two person tent. The advantage has been that although a bit heavier than one man tents, I can get all my gear and pack inside during bad weather and still have some room. The problem is that it is single wall tent of sil-nylon material(very light and efficient) but when temps are cool and humidity high, condensation forms on the inside of the tent mostly caused by my breath. The result is that it can "rain" inside your tent on normal non-rainy days. This has begun to happen to me. I think I have to look at some other tent options in Franklin. Tough hike today. Went over Albert Mountain this morning. This was pretty much hand over hand climbing to the summit but the payoff was spectacular( a 360 degree view with unlimited visibility including my first view of the Smokies). Physically, it was a very tough day. I was worn down after yesterdays long day and was hurting when I reach Winding Stair Gap. Fortunately there were some nice folks providing trail magic and Ron Haven and his shuttle were on the way. Ron is a trail legend and I was looking forward to meeting him. He owns several motels in Franklin and really goes out of his way to help hikers meet their needs while in town. He regularly shuttles hikers to grocery stores, outfitters, pharmacies and restaurants as well as to and from the trail. It was great to meet him and be in Franklin. I also caught up with Wasabi and crew today at the Budget Motel. They are headed out tomorrow. I am zeroing tomorrow and will be behind them a bit. Bad weather coming in tomorrow with heavy rain and lightning predicted. Good time to take a break and rest my legs. JUKEBOX
Date: 2008-03-14
From: Franklin, NC

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

I am spending a zero day today at the Budget Inn in Franklin, NC. Not zero in the sense of what needs to get done here. Besides catching up on some sleep and loading up on calories, there numerous errands to run here. Resupplying needs to done at the grocery, pahrmacy and outfitter. I also need to get to the post office to pick up and drop off my bounce box which has chargers, extra batteries and supplies. Fortunately, Ron Haven runs a free shuttle from the hotel around town and makes it easy to get everything done. I have replaced my tent with a double walled version to eliminate the interior moisture problem. I bought an MSR hubba. I saved a little weight and got a free standing tent with a removable rain fly for good weather nights. I sacrifice some space but I think it will work better for me. Michelle is coming up from Roswell tomorrow and I am going to take a second zero day and spend it with her over at Highlands, NC. The primary reason for this is the weather forecast for Saturday is for extremely strong storms with hail, high winds and lightning. There is one shelter 4 miles out of Winding Stair Gap but the next is 16 miles away. If I went out tomorrow I would likely spend most of the day in a shelter or sitting in Franklin. It is good time to be off the mountain and I can use a little R&R. JUKEBOX
Date: 2008-03-16
From: Highland, NC

To: Campsite past Copper Ridge Bald
Miles today: 18.0

After an unplanned zero day to sit out some bad weather, Michelle dropped me off at Winding Stair Gap at 8:30 a.m. It really is a double edeged sword having your spouse so close to the start of your journey. On the one hand when the timing is right, we can get together when I come off the trail periodically. We can get caught up and Michelle and I can even spend some time exploring the area. The downside is that you have to say goodbye everytime. It makes it tougher to hit the trail but hit it I did. It was a perfect weather day today and I felt totally recharged after the time off. I was pain free and energetic. Around 11:00 a.m., "Dynamite" and "Greg" caught up with me and I hiked most of the rest of the day with Greg. He is young(20) but he is having some of the same knee problems I am having. The difference is he is not taking ibuprofen(these kids these days). I had to get him squared away on the wonders of modern pharmacology and also gave him a few of my 800mg Vitamin pills. He was skipping along in short order. I had planned a good day of 15 miles or so. When I arrived at Cold Spring Shelter, it was crap with no good tenting spots. It was still early and I felt good so I hiked on. After about 3 miles I ran into "Time Traveler" and another thru hiker beside a spring just off the trail so I set up with them. A long day and my biggest miles yet. Tomorrow is into the Nantahala Outdoor Center which should be pretty cool. JUKEBOX ********NOTE FROM TRAIL SUPPORT COORDINATOR(Jeff's Dad): For those of you concerned when Jeff does not post trail journal updates for several days. Jeff is using a pocketmail device to type in his experiences each day on the trail. He can only transmit these messages to me(usually in shorthand and trail code)when he reaches a town for a landline phone connection. I translate them to readable english and post them. This usually occurs every 3-5 days. So when you do not see an update for several days, it does not mean Jeff has been eaten by a bear or he has fallen off a mountain, just that is he is still on some wilderness peak somewhere. TSC
Date: 2008-03-17
From: Campsite past Copper Ridge Bald

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: clear sky

After a long day yesterday, I had a noneventful hike into Nantahala Outdoor Center. My campsite last night was pretty lame. The ground was really uneven and when I slept it was on an incline; not very comfortable. The upside is one of the other two people in camp last night was a guy who looks just like my friend Bob Zehner. So we got to talking and he says he just received his doctorate in Chemistry from Florida State. What a coincidence! He also is a bigger guy and has been losing a lot of weight on the trail. The clincher though was last night when he started snoring, I thought there was a bear in our camp. His snore sounded like the mating call of a male black bear(if I had to imagine such a thing). When we were breaking camp in the morning, I told him he was lucky it was not mating season. If it were he would have attracted every sow within ten miles. In that moment, he earned his trail name--Bear Trap. It is my third assigned trail name and I am quite proud of that. I arrived at NOC about 1:30 p.m. The group of us(Time Traveler, Bear Trap and others) got some lunch and checked into the hostel. For $15 you get a bunk so I am not complaining. It was a pretty quiet night as most people are trying to get rested for the next few days(the Smokies are looming). I think I will as well. JUKEBOX
Date: 2008-03-18
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: overcast clouds

What a crazy day. I wanted to get an early start out of NOC after getting a good rest in the bunkhouse. I shared a bunkroom with "Wolf", Scout", "Sam" and a fellow named "Jack" who was hiking the Bartram Trail. I had breakfast this morning with "Little Mac", a thru hiker who arrived at NOC last night. The trail out of NOC was a 3600 foot climb over about 4 miles. It was a really tough climb and sucked a lot of energy out of me. To top it off, when I was about 3/4 the way to the top, the weather took a dramatic turn. When I left NOC it was 45 and overcast with a little breeze. In a period of about 10 minutes the temperature dropped 10 degrees, the wind kicked up to about 35 mph and fog and rain rolled in. I was in shorts and a tee shirt and wet from sweat(instant discomfort). I bundled up and managed to get to the first shelter to get some hot food and dry clothes. It was already 1:30 pm and 9.1 miles to the next shelter. I really did not want to tent in the bad weather. So discretion being the better part of valor, I opted to stay. I had planned on 16 miles today but it just was not going to happen. I was not the only one with this idea. In the shelter with me tonight are Little Mac, Popeye, Baker, Hammerdown and Captain Jack plus a Southbounder thru hiker named Skipper. The weather forecast for tomorrow is looking tough. Could be winds up to 60 mph and thunder storms. We have some balds and ridges to cross before the next shelter and there is a good deal of talk about waiting out the weather tomorrow. I have a good supply of food so whatever decision I make I am in good shape. JUKEBOX
Date: 2008-03-19
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Stecoah Gap
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: moderate rain

The group of us staying at the shelter had discussions last night on our options for today. We had some 5000 foot elevations to cover and severe weather with high winds moving quickly into the area. High winds can be very dangerous because of the possibility of tree blowdowns. You see enough trees on the trail to know that trees come down everyday. With 50+ mph gusts, one is liable to get clunked on the head by a branch if you are not careful. One choice would be to hunker down in the shelter where we were and wait out the weather. Another choice would be make a dash to Stecoah Gap( a hike of about 7 miles to where there is good road access), hoping to get there before the worst of the weather hits. The final option was to hit the trail early, hope the weather blows over and go for the shelter at Fontana Dam about 19 miles away. In the morning, the rain had not started and four of us(Little Mac, Popeye, Captain Jack, and myself), hit the trail. By the time we reached Stecoah Gap, the rain was pouring down and the wind was picking up. As we stood there trying to determine whether to go on or not, Jim Owen, the trail maintainer for this section of trail pulled up. He offered a ride to Robbinsville to the four wet rats standing there. We readily accepted. So here we are in a motel in Robbinsville, NC holed up for the night. The weather is supposed to break overnight and we are now expecting to do the 15+ miles to Fontana Dam tomorrow. Then it's on to the Smokies! JUKEBOX
Date: 2008-03-20
From: Stecoah Gap

To: Fontana Dam(NC 28)
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

What a difference a day makes! I make no apologies, I am an unrepentant fair weather hiker. I love nothing better than putting up big miles in nice weather. Great views, no soggy shoes. You get the picture. I have the hardest time hiking long distances when I am wet and cold and miserable. I have done my share of miles like this already and it kinda sucks. No rain, no pain, no Maine they say! After drying out in Robbinsville last night, we got a 7:15 am shuttle to the top of Stecoah Gap. Lil Mak, Popeye, Captain Jack and I hit the trail just before sunrise, About two miles in I stopped by the Brown Fork Gap shelter and found Baker and Hammerdown. It was about 25 degrees and there was a dusting of snow on the ground. I don't envy the cold wet night they had. To top it off, a mouse had invaded Hammerdown's bag and shredded all of his toilet paper. What a mess. Also at the shelter was my boy Bear Trap. He did 16 miles in the crud yesterday and slipped right by me. Popeye, Lil Mak, Bear Trap and I went off together and made great time getting to Fontana Dam by 3:00 pm. Lil Mak headed to the Hiker Inn Hostel and Popeye and I went to the Fontana Village Inn and got rooms. It is a resort hotel(now in off-season) built out of dormitories originally constructed for the builders of Fontana Dam. We are splitting a couple of rooms with Baker, Captain Jack and Hammerdown. Some others are supposed to straggle in as well tonight. It ends up being pretty cheap. Bear Trap's dad is coming in and he plans on taking a zero day tomorrow and it is probably a good idea. He has not taken any zero days since Neels Gap until he reached NOC. Now he thinks he may have shin splints. That can be really bad as it can easily go from shin splints to stress fractures. Then you are off the trail for several weeks at best. Physically, I am doing great. I am really getting my trail legs and much of the pain in my knees early on has dissipated as well. Well, it is mostly gone. I am dealing with it much better and I am taking less Vitamin I. Finding a good group to hike with has also really helped a lot. I had been getting homesick spending so much time by myself. This group of hikers has lifted my spirits. We hit the Smokies tomorrow. It is a tough climb the first day up from the dam area and everyone's pack will be heavy with food. I am going to hook up with the Trail Support Coordinator(otherwise known as Dad) in couple of days when I cross New Found Gap. I will likely take a zero day in Gatlinburg. While not the chicest town, it will be a good time to change out some gear and resupply. JUKEBOX
Date: 2008-03-21
From: Fontana Dam

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: few clouds

We got into Fontana early enough yesterday that I was able to catch the 2nd half of the Duke game. It would have really capped off a great day if they lost, but alas, I had to be satisfied with watching them sweat it out. Trying to get things sorted out at breakfast and it was a little crazy. Captain Jack and Popeye were trying to get their mail sorted out and Baker and Bear Trap are zeroing because of shin splints so that left me to hit the trail alone. I finally got out at about 9:30 am. I had a serious breakfast at Fontana Village though; "hillbilly benedict" which was a biscuit covered with a sausage patty and an egg and then slathered with sausage gravy. It was spectacular and I was totally fueled for a big day. I had a 2 mile walk to Fontana Dam and then into the Smoky Mountains. The climb up was tough; 3 miles and 2,000 feet to the top of Shuckstack Mountain. I caught up with Lil Mak at Mollies Ridge Shelter. It was still early, about 3:30 pm so we got some food and kept making miles to take advantage of the day. We ultimately ended up at Spence Field Shelter at about 6:30 pm. It was a long day but I made my stretch goal for the day. Tomorrow should be an easier day; 12 miles to Silers Bald Shelter. The views are also supposed to be great so I want to take my time. I am on schedule to meet the TSC on Sunday. JUKEBOX** Update, I have posted new pictures **
Date: 2008-03-22
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Double Spring Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

After an 18 mile day yesterday, I was dragging a little this morning and didn't get started until after 9:30 am. The weather was great but the hiking was really difficult with many steep ascents and descents. Much of the trail in Great Smoky Mountain National Park runs on the ridgeline so you are not making huge descents into the valley. Because it is on a sharp ridgeline and at very high elevations [for the AT], there is very little room for "switchbacks", consequently the trail goes straight up and down. I thought my destination was the newly rebuilt Silers Bald Shelter. When I got there, my crew had pushed on and I figured I would also keep hiking while the weather was good. I pulled in late to the Double Spring Gap Shelter. At 5500 feet elevation it is one of the highest on the trail and the temps are dropping quickly. It should be a chilly night. I am in the shelter with Time Traveler and Lil Mak. We are all anxious to make Gatlinburg tomorrow. None of us has taken a break since Franklin and we are all pretty tired. JUKEBOX
Date: 2008-03-23
From: Double Spring Shelter

To: New Found Gap
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: broken clouds

Brrrr! At 5500 feet elevation, I awoke at 6:30 am to temps outside the shelter of about 15 degrees. The three of us staying in the shelter, Lil Mak, Time Traveler and myself were all going into Gatlinburg and all that stood between us and a big burger and a few cold beers was 10.8 miles and Clingman's Dome, the highest point on the trail. The trail support coordinator (Dad) was meeting me at Newfound Gap, the only place to get off the trail in the Smokies this time of year. We were giving Lil Mak and Time Traveler a lift into Gatlinburg so we wanted to stay reasonably close during the day. The hike over Clingman's was awesome; fantastic views and no one around. For the first time we heard cursing from Lil Mak as she had taken the wrong side trail to the top (the very long way around). None of us want to hike those extra steps that are off the main AT if we can help it. All of the hiking in the Smokies is pretty challenging and today was no exception; lots of steep climbs and descents and a trail that is very icy in many places. We finally got to New Found Gap at about 1:45 pm. TSC was there waiting and we headed straight for some lunch in Gatlinburg--burgers and beers at the Great Smoky Mountain Brewery! We got Lil Mak and Time Traveler shuttled to the Microtel in town. They had also decided to zero tomorrow as well. Dad and I headed to our hotel to get me cleaned up. I plan to zero tomorrow and run some errands and get some rest. Snow is in the forecast, we'll see how it goes. JUKEBOX------------------------------
Date: 2008-03-24
From: New Found Gap

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

My record of taking timely zero days to avoid nasty weather continues as today was pretty nasty in the Smokies. I had a few errands to run in the morning including laundry, the post office and the grocery store for resupply. I also had to get to the outfitter to get some new skivvies and shorts as mine have become too baggy with my trail weight loss. The intent was for TSC and I to get a bunch of food and beverages and head up to Newfound Gap and give a little trail magic and maybe some rides to fellow hikers coming through the gap. Snow had begun to move in throughout the morning and while we at the Outfitter they told us that the road to the gap was closed because of snow and ice. The road opened late in the afternoon and we decided to venture up. When left Gatlinburg, the temperature was 38 degrees and it was partly sunny. When we got to the gap it was snowing very hard, it was very windy and the temperature was 21 degrees! I was really glad I wasn't hiking on the mountain today. The lows are supposed to be in the single digits tonight! I hope everyone who stayed out on the trail has found a shelter and has hunkered down. The road to the gap closed again about 5:00 pm but I expect that it will open sometime later tomorrow morning. I had hoped to do a big day tomorrow but the start may be late due to the road being closed and the trail conditions could be dicey!
Date: 2008-03-25
From: Gatlinburg

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: few clouds

The crew from Sunday had breakfast at one of the several dozen pancake houses in Gatlinburg this morning. The thing about Gatlinburg is that if you are looking for pancakes, mini golf or old time photos, you are pretty much covered. We were almost duty bound to eat some pancakes. We knew that the road to the gap was closed by snow but the sun was shining brightly so we headed to the visitor center at the park and hoped for the best. We were in luck as the good people of the park service had the road opened by 9:30. We said our goodbyes at the gap; it was great fun hanging out with my dad for the day and I know Lil Mak and Time Traveler were happy to get into town for their zeros as well. It was a postcard beautiful day in the Smokies. The sun was shining and everything was snow covered. The trail today also consistently offered the best vistas of the trip so far. As the snow started to melt, it made the hiking pretty taxing and all of us were beat by the time we got to the Tri-Corner Knob Shelter. This shelter, at 5920 feet elevation, is one of the highest on the AT. It will be wicked cold tonight so we are all bundled up. In the shelter with me are a number of thrus including Lil Mak, Time Traveler, Sinker, Burro, Viewfinder and Thorny. JUKEBOX