morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-11-28
From: State Line Branch Creek, TN

To: Peck's Corner Shelter, NC
Miles today: 22.2

I did not sleep well due to my concern about what I'd face in the Smokys. I was worried about the wind, the snow, and the cold. I started packing up just before 3 a.m. On the trail at 3:51. It wasn't too cold but I could hear the wind up on the ridges. Within 10 minutes I was too hot and removed my long sleeve shirt. I reached the boundary of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park at 4:30. A metal square box there read "AT thru hikers deposit permits here" so I did. Then I thought that makes no sense. I'll be in the park with no permit. I concluded the box is for north bound through hikers.and it should say so. Fortunately the box was pretty full and I was able to fish my permit out with mild difficulty. The trail climbs 3,000' in five miles. I was prepared for a slow long climb. At Davenport Gap Shelter I had to take my rain jacket off because I was too warm. When I reached the top I had to put the rain jacket back on due to the wind and cold. But I arrived earlier than I expected so I was happy with that. There was 1-2 inches of snow on the trail. I was happy there wasn't more. The winds were brutal when I hit them head on but the trail seemed to stay out of the winds most of the day. Just after sunrise I got a good picture of the stonework along the trail. From near the place I reached the top of the mountain all the way to Newfound Gap it is a wide graded trail constructed by the CCC in the 1930s. At Tri-Corner Knob Shelter I took a break. I arrived earlier than expected. I tried to treat a liter of water I got from the spring but the AquaMira froze within five minutes. It was so cold. I later kept the water inside my rain jacket but it got slushy even in there. The privy was one of those with the sides just halfway up. I guess its so you can wave at friends or moon them. But being in a national park the inside was handicap accessible. It had railing all around to hold onto and to help get seated on the throne. They had to follow the rules when building it in a national park. I could see the tracks of three people coming out from Tri-Corner Knob Shelter. I'm sure they belonged to Sammertime, Fluffy and Woody. The trail was beautiful as well as the views. My camera was too cold to take some pictures. I felt warm most of the day as long as I kept moving. At 5:02 I reached the side trail to Peck's Corner Shelter and headed the .4 down the trail. I didn't expect to reach the shelter until 7. But good trail and lack of snow helped me cruise in. I am relieved it was not a brutal windy day and that there wasn't much snow. However I'm in for a very cold night. I saw no humans at all today. Critterwise I only saw two small birds. A surprisingly beautiful and safe day.
Date: 2018-11-30
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter, NC

To: Mollie's Ridge Shelter, TN
Miles today: 19.5

Rain overnight and into the morning. I heated up coffee and noticed my thermometer in the tent hit 90! That indicated to me it wasn't terribly cold out. I put on my wet rain jacket, wet rain pants, wet socks and wet shoes. I could hear the rain on and off hitting the steel roof hard. I threw the poncho successfully over my head and backpack. I headed out into the rain at 5:20 a.m. It wasn't too cold and I warmed up to a comfortable level. Into the dark foggy morning about 20 minutes I started to worry because I had not seen any white blazes. I debated about turning around then I finally saw one and was very relieved. I stopped at Derrick Knob Shelter for coffee and a shave. I got the water down steep steps out of an old pipe at the spring. I made coffee then heated water for the shave. I figured I would not feel like shaving tonight or tomorrow morning. The rain was pounding on the steel roof as I got ready to head out. I would see no humans the entire day. I did see two turkeys, or three, if you count me. I flushed out a grouse but only heard it fly through the fog. I could see plenty of severely torn up soil from the wild hogs in the park.The day was boring and wet. It was foggy so no views. I kept my mind busy by daydreaming about next two weeks. Though I wasn't thrilled with the rain I was happy it was not snow. It rained so much today if it had been snow it would be several feet deep. Going up over Rocky Top and Thunderhead Mountains offered some change in scenery. The trail was whitewater going up and coming down. Lots of small cascades. On top of Rocky Top it was open and at 5,441' it was windy and chilly. An obstacle besides the rain was that the trail was terribly eroded. That slowed my paced considerably. Then, at about 3 p.m., the trail was great. I started cruising. Several miles of newer graded trail. I did slide once in the mud landing on my left side. No damage reported. I climbed the last hill on switchbacks hoping to get to Mollies Ridge Shelter before dark and be able to find the water source. I arrived, in the rain of course, at about 5:45. No one there. I found the water source then returned to the shelter. Since it is a bit warmer I decided to just sleep in the upper bunk area. Though my outer rain gear and shoes, etc., were soaked, my inner clothes and my gear in my backpack were dry. Tomorrow just around 13 miles. I need to go into Fontana Village for a resupply. The resort is two miles off the trail. If raining I'll return to the Fontana Dam Shelter and stay there. The shelter has showers and electricity. It is called the Fontana "Hilton" by hikers. Right beside me I heard a noise but couldn't figure out what it was. Then I saw it: a mouse was licking my peanut butter jar. I chased it away twice. This is one reason I like to stay in a tent. The rain is heavy and loud on the steel roof. I should sleep well.
Date: 2018-12-02
From: The Fontana Dam "Hilton" Shelter

To: Sassafras Gap, NC
Miles today: 21.9

I didn't mention yesterday that when I crossed the Fontana Dam I was out of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Also Hash, who I first met near the Massachusetts/Connecticut border and saw him recently in Damascus, Virginia, is off the trail after getting frostbite a few days ago. He will finish the trail in the spring. Today I woke up before 3 a.m. and I was halfway out of my sleeping bag. The reason was because it was so warm. I decided to pack up. Most of my gear had dried after hanging all night but my socks and shoes were still wet. The waning crescent moon looked like a smiley face and its brightness reflected off the lake. I was on the trail at 4:25. After an hour hiking in the dark and gaining elevation I could see the lit up slanted face of Fontana Dan. The white lights on the crest of the dam looked like a row of white Christmas lights. Below the dam was the operations center with its bright lights. I'd see the lights of the dam until daybreak as the trail switchbacked up the mountain. Even in the dark it was warm enough that I was hiking in shorts and a sleeveless top. When the sun came up the day was warm and beautiful. I enjoyed the warmth of the sun on me. The trail was a gentle climb all day with a few descents. From the marina at 1,170' to Cheoah Bald at 5,062' the trail was mostly well graded. At the first shelter I met a young couple hiking the AT in a 15 year plan going north. Today they will have completed the trail from Springer Mountain to Fontana Dam. Her name was Redbull and his name was Mark (he didn't have a trail name yet). The day was simply a warm beautiful day following very good trail. I stopped at Stecoah Gap after crossing a highway and saw picnic tables. My socks had dried hanging on my backpack so I exchanged one pair with the wet pair I had on. (I think it was last night in the shelter I thought I smelled something dead then realized it was my wet socks). Going up towards Cheoah Bald I was thinking I hadn't seen a thru hiker for eight days. The last I saw was Fluffy. Not long after that a woman comes up behind me and she was a thru hiker. She said there was a bubble of 12 more coming. Then came Fluffy. After that came Toots. I hadn't seen him since Gorham, New Hampshire. While I was battling the cold and rain in the Smoky's this group was warm and dry at the Fontana Village Resort. Life isn't fair. I arrived at the top of Cheoah Bald at 5 p.m. What a great view of the mountains I'll be in tomorrow. I continued onward as I did not want to hike into the dark tonight. The wind was blowing pretty well at this elevation. I arrived at Sassafras Gap Shelter at 5:40. At the shelter was Toots and three older guys out for the night. We talked until after dark. I got water then went up the hill to set up my tent. I made my destination for the day. Tomorrow I need to do around the same mileage then that is it for long days. After that it will be less than 14 mile days until I finish. Only 10 daze to go and only 143.6 miles.
Date: 2018-12-05
From: Franklin, NC

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: scattered clouds

I was up at 4 a.m. to pack up. At 6:30 I went out for the breakfast and I was the first one. Needless to say but I made a mess of the waffle maker. At 7:15 Jim's Shuttle picked me up then Jim went to a hostel to pick up two other hikers. Jim is a retired AT&T engineer. At the hostel the other hikers were Toot and S.O.S. I didn't expect to see them again. Jim took us up US 64 to Winding Stairs Gap. He dropped us off and we thanked him. He only takes donations so I gave him $11.It was cold up on the mountain! In town it was to be high 30's so it had to be way below that up there. Toot and S.O.S. headed out. I had eight days of food so I knew I'd be slow. Looked like a cold but sunny day. Not too far up the trail Highlights came by. I just met her a few days ago going up Cheoah Bald. A short time later Fluffy went by. He is finishing on the 11th now so I probably won't see him again. A few miles on two young couples I heard about passed me. Am I slow today or what?! Most of the hikers that went by are stopping in Hiawassee up ahead to sit out the pending storm. The trail was great right up until Albert Mountain. The mountain is at 5,250'. I didn't climb the fire tower but I did not need to because the views from the base were great. A bit steep going down the mountain then great trail afterwards. The trail was well graded and hiking was like walking on a narrow gauge railroad bed. The wind picked up in the afternoon. As I went up Ridgepole Mountain I had to put on my rain jacket to keep me warm. I arrived at Carter Gap Shelter at 4:40. No one else was there. I got water then found a place out of the wind. It was cold. Temperature in the tent is 25. Can't be any worse than my first day in the Smoky's one week ago today.
Date: 2018-12-06
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Blue Ridge Gap, GA
Miles today: 18.7

Around 12:30 this morning the wind was blowing hard. It fortunately was going over me for the most part. It was cold. Colder than last week, the first day in the Smoky's. and I thought that was cold. Not as much wind before dawn. A breeze seemed to keep the heat from my stove from heating my tent. It was cold! One water bottle I had in my shoe in the tent was frozen. The other one I put in my pack was fine. If both were frozen and I couldn't make coffee I'd be one grumpy hiker all day. I got on the trail at 6:32. An hour later I saw one of the couples who passed me by yesterday. Her name was Lost and Found and his name was Search and Rescue. They were packing up their gear. The other couple had already left. It wasn't long before they flew by me. After two hours of hiking I warmed up enough to take off my rain jacket and my long sleeve shirt under my regular jacket. I was starting to sweat. While changing I made coffee on a moss covered log. The day was beautiful. The sun was shining and it should warm up some. I began the climb up Standing Indian Mountain. It was a long but nicely graded trail all the way up. Mantis came down and a short time later Just Dave. They were slack packing this section. Standing Indian Mountain is one of my favorite spots along the trail. The view at its flat summit is looking south at the beautiful mountains of North Carolina and Georgia. At 5,498' this is the last mountain above 5,000' for Sobos. Every spring old fashion fluffy yellow daffodils bloom on top of the mountain that someone planted there ages ago. After hiking over Standing Indian Mountain in 2008 as I was thru hiking north I stopped in Franklin for a few days. As I walked down one of the streets downtown I saw a painting in a gift shop of old fluffy yellow daffodils against some rocks. I inquired about the painting and was told the local artist paints scenes from the mountains nearby. She said it could be from up on Standing Indian Mountain. That was good enough for me so I bought the painting. Whenever I see it I think of the old daffodils up on Standing Indian Mountain. The trail dropped off the mountain on old roads, then wound through the rhododendron mountain tops all afternoon. I was warm enough to take my restrictive rain pants off and hike in shorts but I kept my fleece jacket on. At 3:53 I left North Carolina and entered Georgia! Only 77.9 miles to go from the border. (Yesterday I went below the 100 miles mark near Albert Mountain). I continued a few more miles wanting to get as low in elevation as possible to hopefully be warmer. I stopped at Blue Ridge Gap at 5:30. Last night I camped at 4,540' and tonight I'm at 3,020', a little better and it is indeed warmer outside. Looks like tomorrow will be a good hiking day. But Saturday I may have to hunker down in a shelter due to heavy rain. With less than a week to go I am not excited or emotional due to the cold and the pending storm. Once the storm is over Sunday around noon I can think of that finish line on Springer Mountain. From this camping spot it is 74.8 miles.
Date: 2018-12-07
From: Blue Ridge Gap, GA

To: Tray Mountain Shelter, GA
Miles today: 16.8

It certainly was not as cold as yesterday this morning. I packed up with little concern for the cold. I did put my rain gear on just in case. I left at 6:36 starting with a climb. It wasn't long before my rain jacket and long sleeve shirt were off. I just wore my fleece jacket over my vest and other shirt. A little sunrise to my left but clouds covered it up eventually. I took a break and just then it started to sleet. I put my rain jacket back on but the sleet didn't last long. The sky looked as if it would rain or snow at any minute. A northbound girl went by with an enormous backpack and we exchanged hellos. A short time later two guys were just off the trail with backpacks. Then just around the corner three people came by asking if I saw the two guys backpacking. I told them the guys were just ahead. They said they are trying to catch them but didn't say why. After crossing US 76 it was a somewhat steep climb with a lot of log steps spread out. Going down the other side a young guy was trekking up the hill. After greeting each other he asked if I was coming from Maine. I said yes and asked where he was heading to. He said "Maine." I replied "Cool." I should have said "Cold" or "Do you know what month it is??!!" I've known of people starting in January and February. In 2012 while hiking the ECT I hit the AT the middle of March. December is a little early to start but it's his hike. The trail went up a mountain then down into a gap repeatedly. The sun almost looked like it would make an appearance at 3 p.m. but was shy. It seemed warmer and I even took off my vest for a bit. I saw a moth take flight off the ground. That was the only wildlife I'd see all day. At 4 p.m. it looked like rain but it would hold off all evening. Nearing the shelter I filled my two water bottles from water coming down a small cliff. A half hour later I got to the side trail to the Tray Mountain Shelter. It was 5:40. On the way back to the shelter I saw two guys camping out. I wondered why they didn't use the shelter since it's to rain later. I found the answer quickly. The shelter was full. Seven guys were at the shelter and it only sleeps seven. There was no room with them and all their gear. My heart sank. I haven't seen hardly any one and the shelters have been empty. Now the night of rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow in the forecast, the shelter is full. I set up about 50 feet in front of the shelter. I just wanted a spot that would drain well. Just after I got in my tent one of the guys invited me to stand by the fire but I declined. I wanted to get warm in my tent. The guys were friendly telling me where the water source was and asked about my Hubba NX tent. I was warm in the tent but wondered how much snow or freezing rain the frame would hold. I can only hope and pray for the best and remember in five days I'll be finished at Springer Mountain.
Date: 2018-12-08
From: Tray Mountain Shelter, GA

To: Tray Mountain Shelter, GA
Miles today: 0.0

Around 12:30 a.m. this morning I heard rain. I pulled items away from the sides of the tent as a precaution. If the sides of the tent touch the rain fly the tent gets wet. At 2:30 a.m. I heard a lot of talking at the shelter along with beams of headlamps going everywhere. I slowly unzipped my tent to look over. It looked like the guys were packing up. I looked over every few minutes and they were packing up. I started putting everything I could into my backpack because as soon as they were gone I was moving. They put on their packs to leave after 3 a.m. One guy had a string of blue lights wrapped around his pack. But as I watched only four left. I considered still moving over but I didn't want to disturb the other three guys. I heard one snoring. Plus I was toasty and dry in my tent. Back to sleep. At 8 a.m. I heard talking at the shelter. I got out and walked over. They said the four others left and told me to bring my gear over plus they were leaving too. They are all one group but the four that left at 3 wanted to get to the next shelter north before the heavy rains hit. I grabbed my already packed backpack out of my tent then placed it in the shelter. After pulling the six stakes out of the ground I just lifted my whole tent up and slid it into the shelter. It wasn't long before I was back inside the tent getting toasty again. The group is from Birmingham, Alabama. William is section hiking the AT and this was the only weekend the seven could get together to go with him. I got to tell them about Fireflo from Birmingham also. She sent me my new Mountainsmith Pack in 2012 after finishing the ECT. The two other guys with William were Dave and Adam. Adam gave me homemade beef jerky and some Jack Link's beef sticks. One of the other guys gave me a packet of chicken flavored ramen noodles. They finished packing and I thanked them. I told them that in 2012 hiking the ECT I rated Alabama as the friendliest state and it still is. They left around 10 a.m. At noon I no longer heard rain on the shelter's roof. I thought it was good timing for the Alabama group to be hiking when the rain slacked up. But I was wrong. When I looked out everything was white. The rain had changed to snow. I debated about going to the next shelter. I decided against that in case the snow changed back to the heavy rain forecast for today. Plus the winds picked up. I want to stay warm and dry one more night. I went for water twice. Once in the earlier rain and then in the afternoon in the snow. It was a quarter mile round trip each time. Other than that I napped. Today was a much needed rest for my body. As of 5 p.m. it is still snowing and the wind blowing. Tomorrow there is a winter storm warning for northern Georgia calling for snow, sleet and ice. If it continues to snow this dry snow at this elevation I think I'll be fine as long as it isn't too deep. Tomorrow I have 15.4 miles to go to Low Gap Shelter. Lord willing, I'll be finished hiking the AT in less than 100 hours.
Date: 2018-12-10
From: Low Gap Shelter, GA

To: Woods Hole Shelter, GA
Miles today: 15.2

Snow over night but less than an inch. Since it seemed the snow was getting less and less yesterday I was hoping for a good day today. But I was very wrong. On the trail at 7:55. It was a long steady climb up Poor Mountain. The wet snow from yesterday had frozen overnight and hiking was tough. Going up the mountain it was 3-4 inches of snow. There were several miles of trees and branches on the trail due to the ice. I had to detour many times. At Hogpen Gap the highway was not plowed. A bulletin board there had a map. I thought if this road went to Neel Gap I'd follow it. But it did not. The shortest way was the trail. Just up the next hill was a side trail 1.2 miles to Whitley Gap Shelter. The dual hiker tracks I followed since Unicoi Gap yesterday went to the shelter but did not come out. They must be getting a late start as it was 11:30. The trail had more trees down at first but then it was decent. My tracks now were the only ones. At Tesnatee Gap I saw tracks going south. Some hikers must have slacked packed from there. Not too bad a hike up the hill but somehow I got turned around in a maze of icy Witch Hazel bushes and returned all the way back down to Tesnatee Gap wasting half an hour. I even saw my own tracks. I thought they looked like Merrells treads. When it occurred to me they were mine I was almost at the gap. On the way back up a few pieces of ice hit me on the head and I said "Maybe that will knock some sense into you." All the 5.5 miles to Neel Gap was ups and downs but nothing difficult. At 2 p.m. it started to snow. I was soaked from all the melting ice and snow dripping off the trees all day. I passed a day hiker going north testing out his new equipment. Due to my mistake earlier today I thought I'd reach Neel Gap about 5 p.m. but was surprised and glad I got there at 4:07. I didn't stop at the outfitters there because I wanted to get to the next shelter before dark. The outfitters was decorated for Christmas and looked nice in the falling snow. I crossed the highway and headed up Blood Mountain. It started to get breezy. Most of the day the wind was calm. I came to the side trail to the shelter about 6. Then it was .4 back down the side trail to the shelter. No one was there. I got my tent up and hung up my wet gear. Despite having rain gear practically everything was wet except my sleeping bag, tent and clothes under my jacket. I was cold. Only 23.9 miles to go. Tomorrow is supposed to be warmer and some sun. Hope I can warm up, pack up, then hit the trail early.