morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-04-05
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Green Corner Road
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: clear sky

Today was a HUGE mile day! Personal record of 18.4 miles because I was so motivated to get the heck out of the Smokies. It was a very icy and cold start (again...) and that spurred me on to hike even faster.Gotta hike through that ridge... Once to the lower elevations, it was much warmer!! I even got trail magic after leaving the park (with Frisbee) and I fairly flew the last few miles across Pigeon River and to Standing Bear Farm. I'm so pleased that my body was able to accomplish a big mile day and that I'm finally OUT OF THE SMOKY MTN NATL PARK! No more crazy rules!!Strange trail!
Date: 2016-04-06
From: Green Corner Road

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: clear sky

It's supposed to rain tonight (because OF COURSE IT IS) so as usual I'm already stopped and sheltering from the storm. I also have a stomach ache from eating too much candy and trying to lighten my pack! The constant windy weather is getting on my nerves and the empty forest creeped me out a bit while I hiked. Very much looking forward to Hot Springs in a few days!Balds are weird...ALIENS!??Strange weather day
Date: 2016-04-07
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter

To: Catpen Gap
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: moderate rain

Finally back in my beloved tent after far too long in shelters. Of course, it's going to rain, but I'm warm and comfortable!I'm trying to get ahead of the big hiker bubble right behind me. Too many people at shelters makes me feel weird. I'm happy to be camping with just a few folks in this little gap tonight.Went over Max Patch today and was nearly blown off the top by the crazy strong wind!! I could barely even get a photo (but trust me, it was beautiful despite the hurricane)Came across some trail magic at the end of the day and enjoyed a bit. Another hiker took way more than a fair share and I felt awkward about it, but didn't say anything. Maybe I'll speak up next time. Share the love!!
Date: 2016-04-08
From: Catpen Gap

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: overcast clouds

It didn't rain last night!!! It SNOWED. Oh well! Hiker life.It's my Day #27 out on the trail and I've finished over 270 miles, so I'm staying ahead of my current goal of an average 10mi/day. I'm starting to feel lazy if I don't make at least 14 miles per day and my feet and muscles feel great, so I'll happily kick everything up a few notches on my departure from Hot Springs.My hiker teammate is taking the weekend off and I'm pretty glad that I'll possibly catch up with him before too long. Its nice to have someone you know nearby and I've missed our "elle!!!" "shue!!!" exchanges.Saw this today (notice the Katahdin miles):Staying at Creekside Court tonight in a very cute motel room. Happy to be showered and full of lunch food and planning on a late dinner with some hiker friends - Matt and AJ and 'Fat Girl' (who is a very hilarious guy with long hair who I met in GA!). It's supposed to be very cold this weekend so I might be taking another zero and waiting for the nicer temperatures of Sunday to get back on the trail.However, this definitely rings true for me:
Date: 2016-04-09
From: Hot Springs

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Zeroed in Hot Springs to catch up with some of my hiker friends, eat lots of food, resupply and laze around.Fat Girl quit the trail I'm very sad. I've heard often that Hot Springs is a vortex town that sucks in hikers and doesn't release them. I guess lots of people stay for many days and/or quit the trail after the comfort and hospitality of Hot Springs. It's taking me two days to escape so I definitely understand the sentiment. I also scored a book for 25 cents! It's Stranger in a Strange Land by Heinlein... I've read it 3 times but I still adore it.
Date: 2016-04-10
From: Hot Springs

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

Escaped the Hot Springs vortex - 11 miles to the shelter on a ridge. Happy to be in my tent and in the new bubble that I've discovered. I also met Moondog again - I met him on the very first AT day at my first shelter and he is still on the trail! So glad to be seeing great people again.Unexpected pond view:Burn area, very weird and slightly creepy...
Date: 2016-04-11
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Passed the 300 mile mark!!! Happy do to more than 15 miles today - looking to keep up that pace most days from here on out.I slept very poorly last night. So much wind and a bit of rain last night that I could barely stay asleep for more than 40 minutes. Usually I have so much energy in the morning and fly through the miles, then drag a bit I'm the afternoon, but I dragged all day.It was weird hiking terrain, too. Lots of up and down and an exposed ridgeline at the end of the day for a "fun" added challenge. Glad to be snug in my tent but not looking forward to the rain tonight. Oh well.
Date: 2016-04-12
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

To: Hiker Paradise Hostel
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I was 100% set on doing another 15 mile day today, but when I realized that I was close to the brand new Hiker Paradise Hostel, I knew I had to change plans and shorten my day. My BFF from Maine will be so happy - she's been keeping me updated about future hostel and town opportunities by reading other journals. Thanks Suzanne!!So, I trudged out of camp around 9am, lugging a very wet tent and a raincover-wrapped pack through the mucky wet morning. It rained all night last night, though I slept very well! It continued to rain all morning. I laughed a bit as I summitted Big Butt Mountain (named for me, I'm sure) but the first hours of hiking were otherwise just muddy and slow. By noon it was clearing up a bit but the temperature didn't rise at all and my hands were freezing. After a short break at a road crossing, Lady Catherine and I both decided to stay at this hostel rather than attack the upcoming mountain. I know I would have completed the last 5 miles without too much difficulty, but I really wanted to stay at the hostel that I'd heard so much about. So here I am! I plan to skip Erwin (the next town) to make up for my change of plan and stay on schedule.Odd sign... but it's for realImmediately enjoying a cold drinkParadise, for a hiker.
Date: 2016-04-13
From: Hiker Paradise Hostel

To: Bald Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: clear sky

Well folks, today is my one month "trail anniversary" - I started the AT on 3/13. Today was cold to start, opened up to some nice views, and contained a LOT of uphill. Long slow mountains are my nemeses... 3+ miles of slogging toward a peak is really draining. At least my morning was honestly gorgeous:After a very steep climb, I came upon a pretty meadow with a view of pretty mountains in the distance. I was happily appreciating the scene until I realized that the huge peak in the center has a large bald grassy summit... And my guidebook shows "Bald Mountain" in between me and my goal for the day."Dang it. I think I'm going to have to climb that..."5 hours later..."Yep. Had to climb it"(See the small grassy area on the middle slope in the distance? That's the meadow from the other photo.)Balds (mountains with meadows as summits) are neat and make awesome views.The last mile to Bald Mountain Shelter was very strange. The afternoon light combined with the mossy, white-spotted trees and grassy carpet made me feel like Alice in Wonderland. I don't think I would have been surprised if Tweedle Dee had popped out from behind a stump and started singing to me. And now, dinner and a bit of chatting with Shoe, Firecracker, Conductor, Little Red, Buff, and the other folks here. And then: BED!
Date: 2016-04-14
From: Bald Mountain Shelter

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I didn't plan to stop in Erwin (Tennessee) at all, but since I pushed through some decently big miles lately I arrived sooner than planned - and so I'm tenting in Uncle Johnny's hostel yard!Not much to report other than today had lots of downhill. The descent into Erwin is really frustrating because you can see the Nolichucky River and town of Erwin for hours as you clamber down dozens of switchbacks. It never really seems to get any closer!! But the Nolichucky is a good looking river and the Mexican restaurant that we tried for dinner served excellent margaritas!
Date: 2016-04-15
From: Erwin, TN

To: Curley Maple Gap Shelter
Miles today: 4.3
Weather: broken clouds

Nearo-ed out of town today to the shelter 5 miles north. Climbs out of towns are always slow and difficult and this one wasn't any different, except my allergies were in full swing due to a cat and dog both nearby (as in, at my feet) before I left Uncle Johnny's. On the bright side, the weather is getting warmer and I barely hike with my jacket on anymore, even in the mornings. Perhaps the icy cold is behind me!!Only took one photo today. It's just of the shelter:Also, I finally emptied the fuel canister that I started back in Franklin! These Jetboils are super efficient!!
Date: 2016-04-16
From: Curley Maple Gap Shelter

To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I tried to take good breaks and enjoy the hike rather than rushing to my planned destination. It worked pretty well.In fact, the day started with some early morning trail magic thanks to Brother Tom.Then I ran into Dr. Kool-Aid, Kodak, and Earl Grey, who convinced me to take a luxuriously long snack break by offering coffee. We all tackled Unaka Mountain together (which, I learned, is pronounced 'you-nay-kah', which sorta sounds like 'you naked?', which I find hilarious). It's a beautiful mountain covered in a dense spruce forest and it reminded me of home. I even took another long break at the top to enjoy it!!   I pulled into the next shelter around 5, but still had energy and wanted to keep going, so Shoe and I decided to push on and stealth camp a few miles down the trail. Firecracker eventually joined us and hiker midnight/sunset came on fast. Unlike me, those two aren't afraid of the dark so they are staying up a bit later (and seemingly having a tough time hanging their food bags, from the sounds of it!!!)
Date: 2016-04-17
From: Stealth Camp

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: clear sky

Guts issues galore!! I think I ate too much jerky with dinner last night or too many Snickers this morning but something got me all twisted. I stopped at Greasy Creek Friendly - as opposed to 'hostel/hostile'! Ha! - for a quick resupply and to wait on my guts to calm down. Decided to finish a few more miles and make camp at the next shelter.
Date: 2016-04-18
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: clear sky

My anxiety about today existed on many levels. I heard scary things about Roan Mountain, which was my morning challenge, and I knew I had two steep balds and a long way to hike in the afternoon, too.Turns out, Roan ain't that bad. Day began with this neat view (and no gastrointestinal distress!!):And then I attacked Roan with energy and got this morning scene halfway up:Found a cool tree:And a chimney:I spent a few minutes at the highest shelter on the AT (Roan High Knob Shelter) and dug a sweet cathole with the giant shovel.And then I quickly tackled the descent from Roan and the two balds. I hiked the last two miles of my day with High Life and we ran into a turkey hunter sitting near the trail. I didn't know it was turkey season, but there ya go. He was in full camo and said he startled the hiker ahead of me, so he made sure to bird-whistle as I approached so I wouldn't be frightened. Aw, thanks.High Life and I eventually strolled in to Overmountain Shelter area and talked to a few people already there who had also seen the random hunter. Due to his perfectly-scruffed appearance and general handsomeness, we quickly dubbed him "GQ Hunter Guy". I guess not all the great views on the trail are of mountains!!Okay, okay, back to reality... Overmountain Shelter is famous because it's a converted barn that can hold a gazillion people.But I much preferred to pitch my tent and enjoy the amazing view from the meadow!!I'm really looking forward to the sunrise in the morning and a challenging day to Mountaineer Shelter tomorrow.
Date: 2016-04-19
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Mountaineer Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: light rain

Each quarter of today felt like a totally different hike. At first it was a normal, though steep, climb up and down a few bumps with some views of wooded hills.And then BAM!! Crazy balds!!I wish I had taken some pictures of the platforms we had to use to climb over the tall wooden fences in the bald meadows. They were like booster benches - step on one side, throw a leg over the top wooden rail, balance on the other side of the narrow platform, and kick the trailing leg over. Try not to fall.Part 3 of the day was walking through 'town woods' - I felt really close to civilization the whole time.And crossing into TN from NC for the last time!!The last quarter of the day was all about waterfalls and a river. And I was too exhausted and focused on hiking to even take any pictures. Just... use your imagination. It was pretty.Aaaaand (drumroll!!!) I passed the 400 mile mark! Hooray!! I did manage to get a picture of that, of course.Mountaineer Shelter is at the top of Mountaineer Falls, which is a disappointingly small waterfall in the middle of bug-laden woods. The shelter area has terrible tent sites (as in, barely any sites at all) but I managed to find a decent one. Heading into a hostel tomorrow night and looking forward to resupply and a shower!
Date: 2016-04-20
From: Mountaineer Shelter

To: Dennis Cove Rd.
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: clear sky

Today did NOT go as expected. It started well enough; I got up early and headed out from the stinky Mountaineer Shelter 'tenting area' and caught up with Shoe around 9am. He had been celebrating his birthday with hostel pizza - so jealous!It being 4/20, Shoe and I made some jokes about "blaze it!" and people hiding in the woods to smoke. A few minutes later, we encountered this:That is the AT, blocked off to hikers because of a raging forest fire. "Blaze it" indeed...We had to take a 7.5 mile reroute down a dirt road (which was SO BORING! What us it about road walking that makes it so terrible now?) and it was mostly uphill and hot and awful. The only thing making it better was that we were actually pink blazing down the trail. Hehe.After a few hours we reached the field that reconnected up with the trail, but it was also blocked off by 7 white trucks and a bunch of firefighters. Evidently the wildfire had jumped their fire line and was crawling towards this part of the AT, making it too dangerous for us to continue. It seemed like we'd only be waiting a short while for them to control the fire again, so we settled down in the meadow. A few more hikers arrived, then a few more, and eventually there were almost 20 of us in this random field! After six hours in this random field, the awesome fire crew offered to escort us through the fire zone and around the active burn area to get back on the AT and make it to the hostels that many of us had reserved for the night.Turns out, 'escorting around the active burn area' actually means 'run through fire in full backpacking gear'. See, by the time we had climbed to the ridge above the AT (intending to reconnect with the trail on the north side) the fire line had advanced and was right in our path!! Our front escort, realizing this, simply said "okay, let's boogie" and took off running. It was CRAZY and I have no pictures due to the literal running uphill through fire.But! Eventually we made it to a safe part of the trail and Black Bear Resort 4 miles later. Black Bear is awesome and I highly recommend it, the folks who run it were extrmely understanding of our situation and stayed open late so we could resupply and check in. Thanks Black Bear!!
Date: 2016-04-21
From: Dennis Cove Rd.

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Yesterday I ran a fire gauntlet. Today, I ran a 'crazy bear' gauntlet!It started innocently enough with a pretty waterfall and riverside hike (Laurel Fork), culminating in climbing up and over the fairly steep Pond Mountain.My afternoon challenge was the Watauga Lake area - there is a shelter there but it's now closed due to a bear that is extremely active and will steal/destroy hiker gear and food. The whole area is closed to anyone except thru-hikers and we are specifically instructed to hike straight through, no stopping, until we reach the 'safe boundary' on the other side. I'm not usually afraid of the wilderness but this extreme warning made me nervous and I hurried through.On Watauga Dam - almost to safety!In fact, I hurried so much that I never stopped to collect water. And it was a very very hot day and the north edge of the bear area had no water sources. I was getting dangerously close to dehydration and though I wanted to stop I had to push on to a spring about 3 miles away - but it was basically dry!!! I have Nalgenes and a SteriPEN, so I can't really pump water out of a small pool... So I pushed on a few more miles, while dehydrated and fairly miserable, to Vandeventer Shelter. It has a water source, but it's a crappy tiny pipe and it's 0.3 miles away down a steep slope!!! A third of a mile might not sound like much unless you're a hiker, but trust me... It's ridiculously far for water.The day ended happily though. I drank a bunch of my hard-won water and got a spot in the shelter to hide from the impending rain. I'm glad that this day is over!!!
Date: 2016-04-22
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was crap.It rained last night and was still raining this morning when I left the shelter. Walking in the rain isn't too awful but I hate camping in the rain.Morning shelter view:I slowly dragged my tired muscles the 6.8 miles to the next shelter and promptly threw myself a giant pity party while hiding from the pouring rain. I was exhausted and my long dehydrated hike yesterday was hitting me hard emotionally and physically today.I called the Elle Support Team (a.k.a. Flamingo and Water Buffalo Incorporated, combined support experience: 56 years!!) and unloaded my frustration in between bouts of crying. Yes, I cried. This happens sometimes when I exceed emotional capacity. I'm not proud. They encouraged me to do whatever felt best - stop and take the day to rest in the shelter if I needed to. I decided to stay.After a while, I started feeling better and the rain started to clear out. Annoyed at my recent un-badass display of weakness, I packed up my gear and powered through the 8 miles to Double Spring Shelter. I was rewarded with fresh trail magic:And a walk through a neat active livestock field, though I didn't see any animalsArrived at the shelter and found it nearly empty. A few hiker friends are here and we are going to stay in the shelter because its supposed to rain again tonight and nobody likes a wet tent. Probably going to try to make it to Damascus tomorrow!
Date: 2016-04-23
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: light rain

I'm finally in Virginia!! State #4! Almost 19 miles in today and I'm rewarded with the Tennessee/Virginia state line and a stay in Damascus, the famous trail town and location of the upcoming trail days!! Not much else to report, I'm staying with Mishap and Blacksmith, an awesome hiker pair who happened to graduate from the same nerdy tech university that I did!! They graciously offered a bed in their accommodations and I couldn't thank them enough! It's the weekend so everything is booked...Some photos!!Amazing breakfast trail magic!!:Creepy decrepit unused shelter in the fog:Little friend (I almost peed on him, sorry buddy):MADE IT!!! 550 miles to state #5:Definitely a trail town. Lots of hikers with awkward limps devouring food and beer here:Taking the afternoon to relax and maybe hitting the outfitter tomorrow (and taking a nearo or zero) to see about switching to trail runners. My poor boots are getting a bit worn out and my foot pain is slowly returning, so I'm thinking it's time for a change!
Date: 2016-04-24
To: elle
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I updated!! click here for the first entry of this update set, on 4/13. Or click 'previous'! AboveSorry about the huge delay - I was hiking a lot and ran out of roaming data so there was no way for me to upload any photos or entries. Grr, Sprint.I have much better service here in Virginia so I should be more regular in my posts. Thanks for sticking with me! Make sure to click "previous" all the way to 4/13 (Bald Mountain Shelter) to read my slew of new updates. Hooray Damascus!
Date: 2016-04-24
From: Damascus, VA

To: Campsite
Miles today: 5.5
Weather: clear sky

I had hoped to get out of Damascus early and get in nearly a full day of hiking. No such luck... it's Sunday and almost nothing is open until noon, especially the outfitters. I really needed to figure out what to do about my foot pain so I didn't have much of a choice other than to wait.Luckily, I got to wait in this awesome trailer with my hiker friends (Hiker Inn in Damascus rents it out, as well as runs a hostel):Finally, though it cost me half an arm and almost all of my day, the Mt. Rogers Outfitter shoe guy and I figured out what's wrong with my feet and chose new kicks. This is what was happening to my feet - the ligaments and muscle were being pulled apart and causing extreme pain and this ugly injury to the balls of my feet:And after two hours and lots of discussion, he noticed that my insoles sported strange, dime-sized deformations exactly where my foot pain was located:And it corresponds to a HOLE in the inner sole of my boots!!What the heck, Merrell!?? Has anyone ever seen this before!? It really messed up my feet and thankfully I'm in a new pair of Oboz now and haven't had any new pain, just lingering (and hopefully healing) aches from my old boots. I'm very content with hiking 5.5 miles today, in brand new shoes, after a very frustrating day.I think this is on purpose... making it as hard a possible to actually leave town!And my new kicks!
Date: 2016-04-25
From: Campsite

To: Campsite
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: clear sky

Today was a long day. Long, slow, annoying climbs (my favorite!! not.) and the Virginia Creeper Trail taunting me as I struggled up and down the hills. The beautiful and smooth Creeper Trail is a crushed gravel path, used as a bicycle recreation route, that used to be a railroad if I understand properly. I daydreamed about how nice it would be to walk on a nice, gently sloping, manicured gravel trail all the way to Maine... But then I was rewarded with this view after a ridiculously long climb, and I remembered how much I love mountains:In other news, I had the marinara with penne from Good to Go for dinner, thinking it would be a treat. It was awful. I will never eat it again. Tasteless and cardboard textured, it was a struggle to finish. Ew.I don't recomment this:
Date: 2016-04-26
From: Campsite

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: few clouds

Today was Grayson Highlands! If you've followed any other thru-hikers, you know that means wild ponies!!!I had expected a cute open meadow with herds ponies roaming around, not the rocky and mountainous highlands that actually exist, but the ponies were cute and it was a pretty day.I also managed to successfully identify ramps for the first time! Ramps are a variety of wild onion that are native to the Appalachians. The leaves are edible and taste like a cross between garlic, chive, and onion. I was told that the bulbs aren't ready to eat yet, so I picked a bunch of leaves to add to my dinner!One full ramp that I picked to make sure it was the right plant:Ramp-tatoes!I also passed the 500 mile mark and soon after, saw a deer!My feet are still healing from the injuries caused by my Merrells and I'm breaking in these new shoes, so everything is a bit slower and more painful than it should be. Hoping things will improve soon.