morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-10-19
From: Davenport Gap

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: clear sky

Susan and I were being joined by another friend, Linda, on this section hike through the Great Smoky Mountains.   Linda and I drove from Conyers, GA to Susan's home in Cashiers, NC to spend the night.  In the morning, Susan's husband Mike drove us to Davenport Gap to begin hiking through the Smokies. This was a shorter section hike than our last section, only 72 miles, and we had decided it would be less difficult to hike southbound into Fontana Dam, rather than northbound. There are a lot of rules for hiking in the Smokies. First, we had to get a permit. We are not allowed to tent. We had to register for a specific shelter each night. On the plus side, I could leave my tent at home and that made my pack 3 pounds lighter; my beginning pack weight for the hike, with food and water, was only 27.6 pounds. Also, every shelter we were scheduled for had a privy.   We started at Davenport Gap at 11:00. We had a short mileage day of only 7.7 miles. The first 4.8 were pretty much all uphill, then about 2.1 downhill, then another .8 uphill stretch to the shelter.   There were many people on the trail: section hikers, day hikers, SOBOs, a ridge runner, even six on horseback!! With all their rules for hikers, I never expected horseback riding to be allowed! It was beautiful weather for hiking...during the day.But...at bedtime, I forgot to take ibuprofen and sleep-aid. I also forgot to brush my teeth. There were eight of us in the shelter. Two snored all night. Everyone but me got up to pee at least once in the night, maybe twice for some. I did not sleep much. Plus, it was cold. I was warm enough except for my feet.  I forgot to change socks at bedtime, and the socks I wore all day were a little sweaty and damp and made my feet cold.
Date: 2014-10-20
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: clear sky

We hiked 7.7 miles from Tri-Corner Knob Shelter to Cosby Knob Shelter. It was a beautiful fall day. After beginning with another uphill stretch, we leveled out on a ridge for most of the day. We passed some volunteers doing trail maintenance in the afternoon; I am so thankful for all those who volunteer their time and effort to keep the trail usable. We also passed a section where we could see plane wreckage from a military exercise gone wrong, right off the trail. It was windy, but sunny. We got to our shelter by 3:30 and enjoyed getting water, having dinner, and hanging bear bags leisurely. We were glad to be in a spacious shelter when the rain began. Patrick from TN was the only other hiker with us and he tried to get a fire going in the fireplace. The temperature was dropping and it would be another long cold night.
Date: 2014-10-21
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Icewater Springs Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

This day was mostly ridge walking, no big ups or downs. We were exposed to the wind much of the day though, and it was getting even colder. When we were on the sunny side of the ridge, all was fine; when we were not, it was much cooler. There were gorgeous views today, Eagle Rocks, Bradley View, and others.Linda started having back pain and also pain in her feet due to her plantar fasciitis. She had to take it very slowly.We were passed by several SOBOs finishing their thru-hikes. They had been on the AT for 5+ months already and were in great shape, moving fast, and looking forward to finishing at Springer in just a couple of weeks. I looked forward to hearing their stories at the shelter at night.Susan hiked ahead of us, intending to take the side trail to Charles Bunion and meet back up with us. When Linda and I finally made it to the trail turn-off, we found Susan's note that she had already been there, did the side trail, and left for the shelter. Linda and I stopped for water at a nice spring right before the shelter and it was after dark when we made it the rest of the way up to Icewater Springs Shelter. A fire had already been started in the fireplace of the shelter which was a real blessing. We ate in the dark and crawled into our sleeping bags for the night. It got below freezing during the night again. I hwas been wearing every stitch of clothing I had and was still not really warm enough. It made sleeping almost impossible. I had dreadfully underestimated how much colder it gets in the mountains in October.
Date: 2014-10-22
From: Icewater Springs Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Th night was miserably cold. I was not prepared for the freezing temps. Linda was in pain with every step, in her feet and her lower back. We decided that we would end our hike at Newfound Gap. Susan's husband Mike was planning to come to Newfound Gap to meet us with our resupply boxes. We went home with him from there. Brave Susan continued hiking and she finished the Smokies alone. I was disappointed that I would not be finishing this section at the time, but I had to admit my limitations for the moment.
Date: 2015-06-06
From: Davenport Gap

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: overcast clouds

6-6-15, our 34th wedding anniversary. John and I had CFA for breakfast in Conyers at 6:30 and then drove to Waynesville, NC to meet Sue and her husband. I said goodbye to John there. Susan's husband drove us to Davenport Gap, where we got on the trail about noon.A couple hours later we had lunch and soaked our feet at a nice creek near Standing Bear Hostel. Then we hit a long 5 mile uphill stretch. We crossed paths during the day with a scout group from Columbus Ohio; first three 12 year old boys, an hour later a 12 year old girl, a half-hour later three generations of guys, and finally a mom and special needs teen boy and the scoutmaster. We passed several other SOBOs (southbounders) too. We finally topped Snowbird Mountain, then had 2.5 miles downhill to Groundhog Creek Shelter. We got there at dusk. Alyssa and Carrie, a mother/daughter duo from Naples,FL, were in their sleeping bags already and we didn't actually meet them until the next morning.   Another girl, Thundercat, was tending a fire. It was a ladies only night at this shelter, which was unusual because women hikers are definitely outnumbered by male AT hikers.  We fixed dinner and set up for the night by campfire light and headlamp. I had lots of cramps in my thighs while hiking, inner and outer muscles, but it was good to be back on the trail again. One of the downsides of section hiking is having to get back in shape all over again each time. i hoped i would hit my stride quickly.
Date: 2015-06-07
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I enjoyed talking with the ladies while we ate, packed, and got on the trail by 9:00. Last year, we did not meet very many other females on the trail. Carrie and Alyssa left before us, but we caught up with them at Brown Gap. They had received some bad news and were waiting for a shuttle to take them off the trail. We prayed with them and then parted. We had a couple steep sections in the morning, but we took our time and rested frequently for snacks and water. Just before Max Patch, it began raining. We took our time getting water, eating lunch, and resting in the cover of the woods until it seemed the rain had passed. About half-way up Max Patch, the rain returned with a vengeance. We got our ponchos out quickly. There were a couple bolts of lightning way too close for comfort on the exposed bald; we couldn't get down from there fast enough. The views were still great in spite of the rain but we didn't slow down to take pictures. Later, we heard that recently a young man had planned to propose to his girlfriend after climbing Max Patch but lightning struck them and she was killed there. How tragic! It stopped raining a while later and the sun tried to come out, but the trail was mushy and full of puddles. We got to Roaring Fork Shelter early in the afternoon and enjoyed a leisurely supper. This shelter was donated by the Mountain Marching Mamas in 1989, but was replaced in 2005 for some reason. I'll be interested in researching that to find out why. We hung our wet clothes and wet backpacks to dry and chatted with Cracker Jack from Springfield MA (a middle aged male section hiker who only has two small sections left to be finished with the whole AT) and Sandy from PA (who section hikes 300-400 miles each year). We were joined later by Pink (pink dyed hair) and Stink from Texas and Utah who both just graduated from Emory in Atlanta and later by another young make hiker, all of whom will be pushing the 18 miles into Hot Springs tomorrow while Susan and I break that trek into two days. It was a relaxing afternoon and we were in bed by 8:00 when it started raining again. Thankful to be in a shelter instead of the tent. Thankfully there was no cramping in my legs today. Hopefully the sleep aid will kick in soon and keep me out all night. Last year we averaged just over 11 miles a day. I am working back up to that.
Date: 2015-06-08
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Deer Park Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Cracker Jack, Sandy from PA, and the other single guy all left before we did this morning. Susan was eating breakfast when I left about 7:30. I made it 3.5 miles to Lemon Gap all easy downhill by about 8:45 where Sandy from PA was taking a break before heading the 1.3 uphill stretch to Walnut Mountain Shelter. I had told Susan I would wait for her at that shelter if she hadn't already caught up to me, but she caught me about halfway up Walnut Mountain.It was a tiny shelter, but it had a picnic table, so even though it wasn't 11:00 yet, we sat and ate. There was a privy there, so it seemed a shame not to use. It had no door; that was a first for me. Stink and Pink caught up with us there and we leapfrogged with them and Sandy from PA the rest of the day. It rained once enough for us to stop and put on our ponchos, and again once after we took them off; the second time not so long thankfully. Rain does cool things off, but getting soaked then makes you too cold. We crossed many lovely streams today. It is soothing to hear the waer flowing and they are vital sources of drinking water for us. We made it over a no-name mountain and into Deer Park Mountain Shelter before 6:00. We were joined by SOBOs Rick and his son Rick from Cleveland OH on the first day of their first ever backpacking adventure. They had lots of questions about hiking, gear, etc. We thought our tiny shelter would be crowded when Bahalla-na (Guinea for whatever may come) joined us, but he quickly set up his tent. It began raining around seven and we had to retreat to the cover of the tiny shelter. We finished eating, stringing up bear bags, talking, watching the rain, and finally turned in about 8:30. A few minutes later Thundercat strolled in. Some friends had offered to slack pack her and she still had to hike 3 more miles by headlamp in the pouring rain into Hot Springs. After a quick cigarette and chat with us to catch up, she took off. As I listened to the rain and thunder, I prayed for her safety as I was falling asleep - safe, dry, and warm.(Slack packing is when someone transports your 30 pound backpack from point A to point B so that you only have to carry snacks and water for that one day.)
Date: 2015-06-09
From: Deer Park Mountain Shelter

To: Tanyard Gap
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: light rain

It rained all through the night and I was glad we were in the shelter, especially when I heard a large branch come crashing down. Others had mentioned in the shelter's register about black snakes living under the shelter and also about encountering skunks while camping there, but thankfully we saw neither.Rick and Rick (the father and son) left before 8:00 to go back into Hot Springs to an outfitter and change some of their gear after realizing how much weight they were carrying compared to the rest of us. A creepy guy showed up walking with a beautiful Weimaraner. He asked way too many questions about our plans for hiking, and we were deliberately vague. We started the 3.2 mile downhill trek into Hot Springs and never saw him again thankfully. On the way we met SOBOs, Turbo and Turtle, a couple of 70-ish section hikers from Peachtree Corners GA coming up the trail. They said they would be 92 by the time they completed the trail. Gotta love hiking to do that!We got our resupply boxes from the post office in Hot Springs and sat in rocking chairs on the porch of Hiker Ridge Ministries Resource Center repacking our packs, watching hikers and town folk pass by, just like Mayberry. I was glad to see Thundercat walking down the street in freshly washed clothes. I was relieved to know that she made it safely to town through the night's storm. Susan and I both still had food left in our packs and were packing our new food from our resupply boxes, so we shared some with her, rather than carrying the extra weight.We had lunch at Spring Creek Tavern outside on their deck overlooking the creek. It was a restful spot and the best bacon cheeseburger I have ever had. The fries and spring mix, carrot, and cucumber salad were also a welcome change from camp food. Our waitress brought our own pitcher of water to our table and still had to refill it twice for us. After a long, leisurely lunch and three trips to the restroom, Sue's friend Janet joined us there to hike with us for the next two days. The hike out of town was steep as usual, and our packs were full from our resupply, but we had nice views of the town and the French Broad River from several spots. Along the way we enjoyed talking with some SOBO German day hikers with interesting accents on our way uphill. There was a wonderful strategically placed bench by an old mill pond by Pump Gap Loop Trail. The water there smelled and tasted of sulphur but it was a nice place to rest and enjoy the serenity of the view. We tented in Tanyard Gap close to the U.S. 25/70 overpass where Janet's car was parked so we left our packs in her car for the night instead of having to rig our own bear bags in the trees. We only completed 9.1 miles today because we spent 3-4 hours in town.
Date: 2015-06-10
From: Tanyard Gap

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: light rain

We tented only about 100 yards up the trail from the gap last night so there was highway noise all night. Another car parked next to Janet's car about 2:30 am and the doors were opened and shut multiple times. I assumed there were multiple  people.We slept in until about 8:30. In the morning we saw a fairly large tent in the hollow right below us, again assuming there were several campers in it. We ate our breakfast in the gravel parking area and we're surprised to meet the lone camper, ChewHawk, when he came out to his car. He is driving his car along the trail and slack packing himself up the trail and then back to his car for the night each day. Then the next day he moves his car to another spot farther up the trail and does the same thing. Since he isn't carrying it on his back all day, he enjoys the luxury of the large tent.Janet left her tent and sleeping bag in her car and graciously offered to carry some of our food in her own pack for the day since Susan and I had such full packs. We hiked up to Rich Mountain Lookout Tower and had a long leisurely lunch there, with gentle breezes and gorgeous views. ChewHawk drove into Hot Springs for breakfast and back to Tanyard Gap and still caught up with us at the tower. We learned that he recently graduated from college with a degree in photography. He took pictures of the three of us on top of the tower. Sandy from PA joined us too. The tower would have been a fun place to camp.At Hurricane Gap we had to take our food bags back from Janet so she could hike back to her car to go home. We continued to Spring Mountain Shelter and met Sandy and ChewHawk there again. She hiked on north and he left to return south to his car again. Since we got a late start and took a long break at the tower, this was a short day for us. Since it was earlier than we normally stop, I had time to gather wood and coax a campfire into life. I always enjoy a campfire.We were joined by Len, his grandson Haven, and granddaughter Jessica (a UK student) from TN and then Jolly and Roger, a young couple from Boston doing big daily miles. Pink and Stink also arrived about 8:00. Haven showed me his hammock and how it worked. It is much lighter than a tent so it was interesting to see it . Sue and I were in our sleeping bags as the two young couples ate and talked well after dark.
Date: 2015-06-11
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: light rain

We woke up before 6:00 and tried to pack up as quietly as possible and got on the trail by 6:30. We stopped after an easy downhill stretch for breakfast. We never saw a water source and were empty when we got to Log Cabin Drive. There is a hostel west .6 mile, but there was a private home just 200 yards east. Luckily for us the pleasant homeowners were out in their driveway. They had just recently bought the old place and were remodeling before moving in. Peggy graciously shared filtered water with us. Thank you Peggy!It was a 3.3 uphill climb to Little Laurel Shelter and we crossed paths with several SOBOs. We ate lunch in the shade in the grass by the shelter with Sandy from PA and Pink and Stink. We still had 1.3 uphill before 5.8 more or less downhill to Chestnut Log Gap and Jerry Cabin Shelter. Along the way we had great views from Whiterock Cliff. It poured on us a couple times in the afternoon so I chose to take the bad weather bypass trail around the rocky and strenuous Firescald Knob. Everyone else enjoyed the views from Firescald Knob but I made the right decision for me. It was a lonely afternoon hike for me since everyone else was on the other trail.We all got to the shelter wet and tired. Then it rained some more. Jolly and Roger, Pink and Stink, and Sandy from PA are all here. SOBOs Redbeard and a friend also joined us. Another young couple is tenting also. After dark the Pirates' friend Mom came in. We were surprised to learn that "Mom" was a man! It was already dark and we were all in our sleeping bags for the night. He ate and then slept right on the picnic table since the 6-person shelter was already packed.  At least he was out of the rain.15.4 miles today
Date: 2015-06-12
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: overcast clouds

We got up about 5:45am. It had stopped raining but everything was wet. We put on our wet clothes and shoes, spread our ponchos out on the ground by the bear cables away from the shelter, and carried our things there to pack up away from the sleeping 20-somethings in the shelter. We were able to leave camp by 6:30. We hiked through Bald Ridge (chest high wild grasses wet from the rain) and up Big Butt Mountain and finally found a spot off the trail to stop for breakfast right by a large split rock formation (the Big Butt??). We bypassed the Shelton Gravesites that were too far off the trail but heard the story later about two brothers buried there who had fought for the Union and were ambushed and killed by local Confederates when they returned home for a family reunion.We climbed over a stile and ate lunch in a cow pasture with Jolly and Roger and Pink and Stink at Devil Fork Gap by NC212 and saw ChewHawk's car there. Then we began a tough 2 1/2 mile uphill stretch. After topping Lick Rock I really felt licked!Susan stopped to make phone calls, and I shuffled ahead downhill. After an hour or so, I realized I was getting lightheaded and woozy and started looking for a suitable resting spot. Finally I just sat down in the middle of the trail. I drank a liter then ate 3 fun size snickers and 2 cheese sticks. I was shivering in my wet clothes when Susan caught up with me there and stuck with me until we finally arrived at Hogback Ridge Shelter around 7:30. I was exhausted. Pink and Stink were already there, along with Woofie and Wooly Booly, a 72 year old couple. He is retired military and was in Japan around the same time my family was stationed there when I was a little kid. She has had two knee replacements and has one leg shorter than the other due to childhood polio. Their kids think they are crazy but they are enjoying backpacking on the AT. What an inspiration!Sue got our water while I changed into dry clothes as quickly as possible. I didn't feel up to heating a dehydrated meal for dinner so I ate tuna packets with extra mayo, peanut butter crackers, and dried fruit. I began feeling better once I was warm and full. Like most shelters, this one has a privy, but it is only three sided. There is no door; at least it is facing away from the shelter! I guess the builders wanted us to be able to enjoy the views while we used it? It was so full that Sue even took a stick and tried to knock down the tower. Yuk!We were asleep by 9:00.
Date: 2015-06-13
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Bald Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: clear sky

We took our time getting ready this morning. Pink and Stink left before us, and then Woofie and Wooly Booly left before us too. Sandy from PA had camped nearby and came through while we were still at the shelter. We passed a couple of girls hiking southbound early, Coyote and Haiku. I am still surprised at how many females we are seeing this year on the trail compared to last year. We leapfrogged with Sandy from PA and Woofie and Wooly Booly. It's always fun to see familiar faces on the trail.   Right before Sam's Gap I stopped to read a large stone monument from Atlanta's Moye family who had previously owned this tract of land. There were Bible verses by each family member's name. I think I should try to track them down once I am back home near Atlanta and thank them for their part in my AT adventure.We got to Sam's Gap at I-26 about 10:30. I was looking forward to throwing my trash away there and was disappointed not finding trashcans there as AWOL had noted in his guide. Thankfully the parking lot was full and I saw a young couple getting into their truck. I asked them if they could do me a big favor. They graciously took my gallon Ziploc bag full of four days of food wrappers. They were thankful that I had not asked them for a ride, and I was thankful my pack was a pound or so lighter.Some areas of rock scrambling made the already steep uphills even tougher, but we were rewarded with beautiful wildflowers and 360 degree views from Big Bald at 5516 feet above sea level. Big Stamp was pretty too. There was cell service there too, so I got to talk to my husband for a few minutes. I haven't had service as often on this stretch as I had in North Georgia last year.Sandy from PA was the only other one at the shelter with us this evening, just "we three wives who left our husbands at home to come backpacking". After we had settled in and had our dinner, a father and his 12 year old son stumbled in. They were tenting so we still had the shelter to ourselves.There was a paperback Bible in this shelter, so Sandy from PA looked up her favorite backpacking verse and shared it with us.   Deuteronomy 23:13 gives the Israelites instructions for relieving themselves outside the camp while they were wandering through the wilderness. Sandy likes to share it with other hikers who do not follow the protocol of digging proper catholes. Gotta love trail talk. We were really excited about being in town the next night. Showers, shampoo, beds, town food, and flush toilets are just of a few of the things that I miss while on the trail.