morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-03-18
From: Dick's Creek Gap and Hiawassee

To: Muskrat Creek
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Called Joyce for a ride from the hotel to Dick's Creek Gap on Tuesday morning, rode with father and son NOBO's Noname and Salty Hat, and Three Thumbs. It was a beautiful blue sky morning with temps in the fortys. As from all Gaps, the trail immediately went up and within twenty minutes I ascended into a wet, cold cloud and remained there for the next six hours of hiking. Met up with Kennedy and Reroute to hike together to the GA/NC border. Maybe an AT first, but all three of us from Charleston, SC and did not know each other before the trek. We got a great picture taken of the three of us at the border tree, but it's on Reroute's camera so I can't post it(message to Reroute: send me the pic!). Thirty minutes to scale the first ridge in NC and out came the beautiful, warm sunshine. What a change! We kept pushing on for another couple of hours to reach Muskrat Creek Shelter where we joined about 15 others to settle in for the night. We all oohed and aahed over the sunset behind the wet GA mountains only to be dismayed by the cold wet misty fog that visibly rolled in immediately afterwards and shrouded us for the remainder of the night.PS. Thanks for the message Arrow. Very sorry to hear you are off trail for now but look forward to seeing you SOBO,best of luck!
Date: 2014-03-19
From: Muskrat Creek

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: scattered clouds

A lovely night, misty, damp, big drops from the trees overhead playing my rain fly like a drum through the night. My tent is great, keeps me dry and I have a bag that has been just warm enough for conditions. The worst part about the wet is striking camp in the morning. Everything is wet and it's cold and everything takes longer. On my way by 9:10, I remained in a cloud until one PM, when the sun finally popped out again. Had some beautiful views from Standing Indian Mountain and much more pleasant hiking for the afternoon. Made the Carter Gap Shelter area by 4. Wingin' It built another great fire and Geared Up, Kennedy, Trooper, Rock Doc and sat around to soak up as much of the heat as possible as the cold moved in for the night.
Date: 2014-03-20
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

Today was a nice day on the AT. So far the grades in NC have been less steep than in GA. The talk around the fire last night focused on the near vertical final ascent of Albert Mountain. I was expecting going hand over hand for the final 300 feet or so, but turned out it was not so bad. It certainly was more vertical than anything yet, but manageable. A firetower sits at the peak and you can climb to just under the locked house for an even more magnificent view. It was a great spot for lunch. 5.9 miles later, mostly down, my stop for the night was Rock Gap Shelter. Same core group of five built a huge fire and were joined by Yogi, a local gal NOBO for the night. I stayed in the shelter for my first time on this trek and can honestly say I prefer my tent! Next morning I have just a 3.8 mile trek to Winding Stair Gap for a shuttle ride to Franklin, NC where I plan further refinement of my gear.
Date: 2014-03-21
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 3.8
Weather: clear sky

After first night in a shelter, had a short pleasant walk to Winding Stair Gap where Manny the Trail Angel had food and a ride for Kennedy and I to downtown Franklin. We were brought to Outdoor 76, a local outfitter specializing in AT thru-hike. Rob and Cory, the owners are foot experts and will spend lots of time with you analyzing foot problems. After lots of thought, I walked away in a new pair of boots with custom molded orthotics. My left lower leg and knee have been getting stiff lately, so I'm taking a zero here to rest them.
Date: 2014-03-23
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

Despite the daylong prediction of rain, back on the trail at Winding Stair Gap by 9:50AM. Overall had a pleasant morning in and out of the clouds and rain. Amazing how much temperature variation there was depending on wind, shadow, and rain. Hiked up to Wayah Bald to a beautiful stone tower that was nearly obscured by icy blowing fog. Numb fingers once again, I rapidly descended to the nearby shelter to get out of the cold. The nasty weather followed me down and when I arrived Malibu was the only other hiker there. With a prediction of overnight temps in the high twenties, I quickly laid out my gear for another night in a shelter. An hour after arriving, Earl Grey and dinner consumed, the sun actually came out and remained so until nightfall. Rock Doc and several others joined us at the site. Due to the cold, I was in my sleeping bag fully dressed, including down jacket by 6PM, Water bottle inside with me to keep it and the Sawyer filter from freezing.
Date: 2014-03-24
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: Tellico Gap
Miles today: 10.5

Fourteen hours in a mummy bag, fully dressed including down jacket and gloves, I awoke at 8AM, thermometer showing 18 degrees at Wayah Bald Shelter. I was packed up and away by 8:45, feeling great and climbing well. I did neglect to drink or eat in my haste to get warmed up, and about an hour and a half into the day started feeling not so good. Slight tummy ache, slight dizziness, slight weakness, I hoped I was not coming down with something. I forced a power bar and a Pay Day (my favorite candy bar) down with a little water and struggled on, happy that I had reserved a bed at Aquone Hostel and a pick-up at Tellico Gap that afternoon. Forecast had an Arctic Zephyr on the way with snow and lows in the teens, so I was keen to get off the trail before it hit. Wiggy, a former thru-hiker and Maggie run the Aquone Hiker Hostel. They are English in origin and run their immaculate lodge just like one I visited in Mendenhall while Space A'ing through Europe many moons ago. Maggie's a great cook and I enjoyed a big dinner and breakfast while there. Steve(Wiggy) is the logistics part of the equation and spends much time shuttling hikers back an forth from various spots on the trail. My AT insomnia continued, keeping me up until one AM or so. I sleep better in my tent!
Date: 2014-03-25
From: Tellico Gap

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 7.5

Feeling better, well-fed and anxious to get some miles done, I decided to go for it. The landscape was lined with a two inch blanket of snow, but skies were clearing. Wiggy dropped me off at Tellico and I was off up the first climb by 9:50. Hiking in a few inches of fresh powder is hard to beat. The temps hovered around freezing until mid day, and most of the time the winds were calm. I had about 800 feet to climb at the start, then up and down for a few miles, then a big long downhill into Nantahala. Wesser Bald is the highest point, and thankfully the skies cleared for a magnificent view. I took some pix and videos after climbing the observation tower and will add same when I figure out how to post videos here. Next came the long, sometimes treacherous downhill. The powder was 4-5 inches deep at altitude, so the three times I ended up on my butt were reasonably tolerated, even though I freely communicated my dismay to the Cherokee Spirits of the forest. Wet snow fell for my last hour descending to Nantahala. I was glad to finally see my destination below.For those unfamiliar with the Nantahala Outdoor Center, like I was before hiking in, it is a fabulous place. It is centered around a river with rapids and kayaking and river rafting are its forte. I was told they send as many as 2000 down the river in the peak summer months. While I was there, I met a former gold medalist, Joe Jacoby and watched he and his daughter negotiate a rapid filled gated course while in driving snow from the warmth of the riverside restaurant. Man, was I glad I had made it in before the snow got heavy!
Date: 2014-03-26
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Stecoah Gap
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: few clouds

Sat down to breakfast with Raven, a former thru-hiker back for another 1000 miles, Salty Hat and the Quiet Man(trail name I gave Noname, not sure if it will stick). Got started for the 3000 foot climb out of the gulch at 9:30. It was a beautiful morning on the AT with temps hovering around freezing and up to the high forties in the afternoon. The hike up to the highest point, Cheoah Bald, went well and upon arriving was rewarded with a beautiful view. I was in and out of snow through the day, with drifts as much as a foot deep in the highest elevations. Legs felt strong and climbing was slow and steady. Later in the afternoon, the snow melt made the trail muddy and very slippery, leading to another miserable descent with rarely a secure foothold on the severe slopes and narrow ridge trail. Originally planning to stop at Locust Cove Gap, there were too many tents already setup and because of the prediction of adverse weather, decided to push on to Stecoah Gap, putting me within reach of Fontana. Hiked on and off with the aforementioned father and son team, SH and QM, with similar plans to mine. After a very difficult sliding and slipping descent and the prospect of a severe climb to reach the next shelter, we decided to stop at the Gap. I found a hostel online(had cell coverage) called and got a ride to an overpriced "cabin" that was very bare, but was warm and dry.
Date: 2014-03-27
From: Stecoah Gap

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 14.0

Called for a ride to Stecoah Gap for the start from a local man, Gene S, and 86 y/o who said he had been the hiker's friend and transport for 15 years. After asking about a place to eat, he offered and took me to a small convenience store/diner where I got a big cup of joe and a grilled egg, bacon and cheese sandwich(yum). Then I was off to climb what is called Jacob's Ladder, a 6-800 foot climb that is rather steep, but with adequate fuel in the furnace, no problem. It was the start to my highest mileage day yet, 14 miles, and no easy fourteen miles at that. I finished in 7.5 hours which is decent and getting close to the standard 2 miles/hour rate. It also marked the end of a 54.9 five day run and time for a zero day! I hiked through the day with Salty Hat and Quiet Man, Raven, and Genghis. It was a long day, and anything after 7 hours at this point is difficult, but very satisfying from the standpoint of my trail conditioning. Nearing the end of the descent into the valley, my heart soared in seeing the first new growth on the trail since starting the trek. Trillium was sprouting alongside the trail in many spots, often in the walking stick tracks. Maybe Spring really is here!!! My zero day at the Fontana Lodge will be spent resting legs and resupplying for the Smokies, which might be quite the challenge. Two lows on the way in promise rain for a couple of days, but after the forecast is for comparatively balmy weather, which would be a real advantage for the Smokies crossing.
Date: 2014-03-29
From: Fontana Dam

To: Southern boundary GSMNP
Miles today: 2.5

Another day at a very nice lodge gave my legs a bit more time to recover and the bad weather time to pass by. After a fine breakfast of eggs, bacon, toast and lots of coffee with Quiet Man, Salty Hat, and Maximal Trail Angel Jimmy Spillman, I packed up, foulies on and headed back to the Marina where I had left the trail two days ago, to resume the hike to the Southern boundary of the GSMNP. It was what on the trail is termed a Nero, meaning a near zero day, just to get a little further down the trail before ascending into the Smokies, where I'll be for about seven days straight. The 2.5 miles will reduce the first day in GSMNP to 9.9 miles, and since it starts with a near 3000 foot climb, will be of great benefit. GSMNP is the most heavily visited NP in the U.S., so rules for hikers are some of the most restrictive I'll face on the AT, all done in order to preserve the natural beauty of the park. One must camp in or alongside a shelter, with specific rules about order of arrival and section versus thru hikers priority. The 2.5 miles went by in a jiffy and I felt great! I walked back across the dam where Jimmy picked me up for a ride back to the lodge.
Date: 2014-03-30
From: Southern boundary GSMNP

To: Mollie's Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: moderate rain

Trail angel Jimmy gave me, Salty Hat and Noname (QM) a lift to the starting point for the AT at the Southern terminus of the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP). We reached the snow level after a few hundred feet of climbing. The snow had fallen the day before and was decent to walk in that morning, with a few tracks from other hikers to follow. Temps started out in the upper 30's and made it to the mid-forties by early afternoon. By one PM, the trail had begun to thaw and get just a little bit mushy in areas, but overall was a nice walking surface. The day was mostly up, with around 3500ft. to climb for the day. We reached the shelter around 4:30PM and quickly claimed spots for the night as others were sure to be on the way. There were 3 section hikers, Squirrel, Fox, and Bear who had already arrived and had priority for spots in the shelters. Soon after I arrived, a group of six hikers marched in together, and the space began to get crowded. We ended up with enough room for everyone, and had a cold, but reasonable night.
Date: 2014-03-31
From: Mollie's Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

My hiking buddies and I planned a 12 miler for the second day, but the trail conditions deteriorated rapidly after the morning thaw. I took off early to take advantage of the frozen ground (mud and slush) because it is much better to walk on than the melt. By midday, the melt was on, and the trail became much more difficult to navigate. Each step was an uncertain one, with unseen slopes, slippery mud and slush. I fell three times (seems to be a pattern there), but luckily had no major damage. Many broken arms occur on the AT each year, and I can attest that it would be an easy thing to do. As usual, the hiking in the morning went pretty well, then became progressively more difficult as the hours wore on. By 3PM, I still had a few miles to go, and the conditions were awful. I thought it would never end, as I struggled to remain upright in the final hours. Not only does the trail get worse with the melt every afternoon, but you are also fatigued, and don't catch yourself as easily as you slip and slide down the trail. A long nasty descent led to the shelter for the night and I was very thankful when I at last reached Derrick's Knob. I awaited my two hiking partners that evening, but they never came down the last hill. Due to the awful conditions, they had decided to stop at the shelter before this one. We had a real crowd that night, with 18 people crammed in, elbow to elbow in the two-decker. The shelters in the Smokies are better than most on the AT, with two wooden platforms, a fireplace, and a plastic tarp covering the open side. With earplugs, I got some sleep, but not much.
Date: 2014-04-01
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I caught up with the Swiss, Tomas and Sylvia at the shelter overnight, as well as with the aforementioned section hikers, and all planned to do a long one today, including the highest point on the AT, Clingman's Dome. I didn't like the alternative, hiking only 7.5 miles or so, so I decided to give it a try as well. It was a long and tiring day with lots of climbing (as usual) and an increasingly sloppy trail to deal with. I made the Dome at 4PM, and climbed the observation tower with many tourists. It was the first day the road to Clingman's was open and we all found it amazing that many tourists made the drive that day. The parking area is 1/2 mile down the hill, so they all had to walk that far for the view. I had 3.4 miles to go to get to Mt. Collins shelter, so I did not tarry long for the magnificent view. A young couple with two young children had walked a few feet onto the AT, and greeted me as I reentered the trail. I then immediately stepped on an icy patch and nearly fell down while they were watching. Like a cat, I landed on my feet and kept on walking like nothing happened. It turned out, on that extra-long day, with lots of climbing, that the 3.4 miles the shelter had remained shaded by the Dome and was one of the most icy and treacherous sections of the trail. Just what I needed at the end of an exhausting day. We had another crowded shelter night, and were joined by a section hiker, Sting from Atlanta, Blue Jay, from Knoxville, and father-daughter team Outback and Mocha from Chicago.
Date: 2014-04-02
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Peck's Corner Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: light rain

With a steady group of ten hikers, all planning to make a really big day, 14.9 miles, I joined in, hoping to only have to spend 5 nights in shelters and get out of the Smokies and the awful trail conditions one day early. Another early start and a long walk, but with less up and down made a nice day. Views were great and lots of the trail is a ridge like a knife edge that is the border between North Carolina and Tennessee. For the third day in a row, my feet remained wet, and the trail was no better. I hiked for 9.5 hours with just a few short breaks. The picture from Newfound Gap was taken by a tourist who offered to help me as I was struggling to do a selfie that showed both me and the sign with the first notice of my goal, Mt. Katahdin. I look pretty good there, as I had just benefited from some major trail magic from Beth and Bernie in the parking lot at the gap. They are serial Trail Angels from Florida, who use their vacation time to come up the the same place each year for a week and provide special magic for thru-hikers. We were treated to sandwiches, chocolate milk, potato chips, soft drinks, candy, fresh fruit and a big delicious Brownie I saved in my potato chip bag and ate 2 days later! They had big plastic bins with just about anything a hiker could want and freely gave it away. NICE PEOPLE!!!   Once again it was a long day, and I ended at Peck's corner Shelter with the same group of hikers, including Owlbear, and Chris and Jimmy from Kentucky.
Date: 2014-04-03
From: Peck's Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: overcast clouds

The first half of the hiking for today was along the border ridge, with beautiful views, sometimes on both sides. Parts of the trail had finally begun to dry up and harden, making the walking much more pleasant. We finally began a steady descent from an altitude of 6330ft to the Cosby Knob Shelter at 4791ft. The same group of hikers had now been together for three days or so and were becoming more and more comfortable together. Even though the mileage for the day was reasonably high, due to the better trail conditions, we all made it in by the mid-afternoon, and enjoyed the sunlight and warmth for a change. Everyone got their boots and socks fairly dry that evening for the first time in days.
Date: 2014-04-04
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Davenport Gap-Newport, TN
Miles today: 8.0

No more nights in Smokies shelters for me! As most of my hiking partners were heading on to Standing Indian Hostel, 10 miles away, everybody tried to get an early start. I was planning to stop for an zero in Newport, and only needed to get to Davenport Gap where I could call for a shuttle into town. The day started with a 950ft climb, rather steep in places to the top of Mt. Cammerer, then a 3000ft descent to the gap. My left knee had been bothering me and was a bit swollen, so I was not looking forward the the trip down. I attacked the climb, realizing it was the last mountain in the Smokies for me (YAY!). The rains came about 1/3 the way down, giving me 2 hours of deluge for a departure gift. I pulled out my rain top, but did not want to put on the pants, so I ended up getting soaked from the waist down. The descent went fast, and I made it to the gap by 11:40. While waiting for my ride, I began to chill and the air was cold that morning. A van drove up with lost people in it, and as I explained I had no idea how to get to the interstate as I had just come off the trail, they offered Trail Magic! A bottle of water, and apple and a pack of gum later, I let them know they were Trail Angels. People are basically good!
Date: 2014-04-08
From: Davenport Gap-Newport, TN

To: Brown Gap
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: broken clouds

I took some time off in Newport, TN after the Smokies, primarily to dry out my gear and give my left knee some time to recover. The 3000ft descent out of the Smokies in the rain was a bit much for it, and it had swollen significantly. The picture shows my hiking friends Noname and Salty Hat, who happened to take time off in Newport as well, with Wife and Mom Nancy. Really nice people and I'm lucky to have met them and be able to hike with them some. We had a nice 12.5 mile hike to Brown Gap, after crossing the fast-flowing Pigeon River and going under I-40. Camping sites were scarce at Brown Gap, but we managed to find a few flat places on and old logging road. Temps got to the 30's and it rained steadily from about 0530-0730, so decamping once again included lots of wet gear. My tent is great, but you can't help but get it somewhat wet when you take it down. The ground cloth and fly of course are very wet. We awoke also to heavy fog, with visibility at about 100ft. On the trail by 0830, we had 3.9 miles to get to Max Patch and hoped the fog would be gone by the time we got there. Unfortunately, the fog was thicker, with a temp of 39 degrees and wind blowing 20-25. It's apparently a beautiful place to view the surrounding countryside and a great place to fly a kite under the right conditions. I tried to stop, to wait for the fog to clear, but had to move on to avoid freezing! I hope to make a trip back to Max Patch in the future during the summer with a picnic lunch, kite, and bottle of wine.
Date: 2014-04-09
From: Brown Gap

To: Old Road
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: scattered clouds

I guess I spoke about the early part of this day on yesterday's blog, so I'll start after Max Patch. This turned out to be a magnificent day for hiking, although the packs were a bit heavy with wet gear. The temps reached the high 50's and the skies cleared off and on, with high clouds predominating. This was a high mileage day for the three of us at 15.8, but all felt good at the end, and made the camp site by 5PM. The camping area was labeled "old road" in Awol's guide, and that's what it was. We camped on the road itself, that was heavy gravel lightly covered by soil and grass, meaning tent stakes did not work very well. We were protected from the wind however, so stakes barely in worked well enough. We had hiked the extra distance in order to be a shorter distance from Hot Springs, as we all planned to have a rest day there and enjoy what they call "Trail Days".