morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-05-18
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Beech Gap
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I got an early start because camp was noisy this morning with all the people. When I checked my planned itinerary I realized that I was way ahead of schedule and would get to the town of Franklin too early. (I'm meeting son Adam there and he will hike with me over the long weekend.) I decided to take short days and arrive just in time. After about 5 miles, I got to a stream and walked down to get water. I found the two 'steak' guys from last night! We chatted awhile (they told me they had cooked bacon and eggs for breakfast) (yeah, I had a poptart) , then they headed out because they still had a dozen miles to go. I stopped at my planned shelter, but it was only 11AM! I couldn't stop yet! My legs wanted to go. Besides, I hadn't talked to Chrissy in two days because I had no signal. I decided to head up the next mountain because there was a campsite at the top. Walking felt GREAT today! I felt like I could just go and go and go. So I did. When I got to the top of Standing Indian Mountain, there still was no signal and it felt chilly up there. I decided not to spend the night because it might be too cold. I started down. I could hear thunder in the distance and it got closer and closer. It started to sprinkle, then rain, then it started pouring. I got to Beech Gap and pitched my tent inside a grove of rhododendron trees. Still no phone signal. I hope Chrissy knows that God is taking great care of me. Later I was joined by two ladies from Kentucky. Soon after we got acquainted, it started pouring rain again with lightning and thunder. It went on for a long time. Being confined to your little tent isn't fun but tonight I find myself praying for my hiking buddies. Several are a few miles ahead of me, some are miles behind me, and some are just five feet from my tent. But I also pray for those that have had to leave the trail because of injury. Lord, just put your arms around all of us in this storm and keep us safe.
Date: 2015-05-19
From: Beech Gap

To: Long Branch Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: scattered clouds

My neighbor ladies woke me up at 6 even though it stormed most of the night, so I got up, packed up (everything wet), and headed out. My pack felt about 5 pounds heavier because of all the water and mud. In 3 miles I got to Carter Gap Shelter. It's a tradition to sign the shelter log with a short note even if you're not staying, so I signed, "Just passing through. Still looking for a signal to call hubby. -Largo"The morning started out sunny. I mostly walked through tunnels of rhododendrons, but it would occasionally open up for a view. And again, early afternoon meant rain showers, of course.I started climbing Albert Mountain. Why didn't anyone warn me about this?!? First, the trail climbed up and up like any other mountain, then it opened out to some really nice views. That was nice, I thought. Then I turned the corner. Huge rocks were everywhere and the white blazes went up. I had to put my hiking poles away and climb with my hands. Just when I would think it was finished, there would be another big pile of rocks, and this went on and on and on. When I DID get to the top, I found a huge tower belonging to Coneeta Hydrologic Laboratory. Of course I had to climb the tower and look out in all directions. Gorgeous!! And I saw a storm moving in. A mile later, I heard my phone ping. I FINALLY had a signal! I immediately called Chrissy because I knew I could lose it at any time. It was great to finally hear his voice, but it seems that there had been a ruckus over my being missing. In my defense, I had left a detailed itinerary about where I would be at all times and it's not my fault AT&T has lousy coverage. However in my quest for a signal, I had pushed the miles to the point where I am actually two days ahead of schedule. I LOVE trail legs! I can go and go and not get tired.
Date: 2015-05-20
From: Long Branch Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 7.9

Wow! Keeping this journal is the only way I can keep track of what day it is!Long Branch Shelter is beautiful. It was just built two years ago and is made of gorgeous timber. It's by a roaring stream that is ice cold and great for soaking your feet after a long day of hiking. It's near the top of Albert mountain so the high elevation makes it very chilly at night. I had on every piece of clothing I have with me and still shivered most of the night. But as usual, I was off to an early start and said goodbye to last night's shelter buddies. (Ted and Angry Larry were especially memorable. Ted is the duplicate of my friend Mike Hoppe.)Today's hike was unusual because it started down instead of up. That soon changed when I got to Wallace Gap and it started up again. Okay, here is what I think. North Carolina makes most of their trails go straight up the mountain instead of using switchbacks that make the trail longer but much easier. And I think they have hidden cameras and they sit and watch us struggle up the steep hills. And they probably pipe it into gambling establishments where people can place bets on how long it takes someone to get up the hill based on their appearance and the size of their backpack. Yep, that's what I think. It's a conspiracy.Not far from Winding Stair Gap I met a lovely non-hiker couple from Florida, Mark and Deborah, that were out to see the AT and had some questions for hikers. I really liked them. I told them I was going into Franklin to get my resupply box and they offered to drive me! Yay!So right now I'm at a seedy hiker hotel, I have my resupply box, I've showered, and I'm sitting in the sun waiting for my clothes to dry after being washed. My legs are itching to get out of here....(The rumors are true. Hiker stench does not come out of your clothes even when you wash them.)
Date: 2015-05-21
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Franklin
Miles today: 0.0

There's nothing much to write about today. I blew it by getting to Franklin two days early so I'm pacing back and forth while I wait for son Adam to arrive tomorrow. My two week adrenaline rush has come to a screeching halt. I have a really odd feeling that is hard to describe. I'm extremely restless. I either want to get back on the trail, or I want to go home to Chrissy. The last thing I want to do is walk around this town doing nothing but eating.   When on the trail, I miss Chrissy. When I get home with Chrissy, I'm sure I'll miss my trail buddies. But today, I miss both and it's a very empty feeling. Depressing.I talked to Chrissy on the phone and he has big plans for the weekend, so he won't be home anyway. That's one of the reasons I planned this hike now.Adam gets here tomorrow and I'm sure I'll be fine again, especially when we get back on the trail. I'm looking forward to spending a few quality days with him, then getting to see my grandkids.
Date: 2015-05-22
From: Franklin

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

Adam arrived at 10AM, we packed up and drove to the trailhead. I dumped out the city water and filled up with fresh spring water. Yum!We hiked about 4 miles and decided to take a side trip to Siler Bald. We hiked up, then up, then up some more. Did I mention that we hiked up? But it was totally worth it because the views were fantastic in all directions. After taking a ton of pictures we decided to head for the shelter. So we hiked down ....   After setting up the tent on the one and only relatively flat spot, we decided to take our food back up to the Bald, fix dinner, watch the sunset, then night hike back down to our tent.   Well, we hiked up as planned, talked awhile, ate dinner, talked some more, then decided we were getting sunburns and shouldn't wait for the sun to set. Bad planning on our part. Maybe we will be able to see the sun set tomorrow night. So instead of an easy 4.1 mile day, we hiked a strenuous 10.4 mile day. We had a blast!   There were some crazy people at the shelter doing Fear Factor for food. If you ate meal worms, you got a taco. Yeah, no.
Date: 2015-05-23
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: few clouds

I had a horrible night last night. We were at a high altitude and it was so cold I nearly went into hypothermia. I had all of my clothes on, jacket, and my rain poncho over my sleeping bag. I was still an icicle. As a result, I was pretty grumpy today. A man at camp the next day said it had gotten down to 26 degree at the summit. I believe it. We started out early while eating our nutritious breakfast of poptarts. About three miles in, we noticed bright yellow blazes instead of white. Rut roh. At the same time, the trail seemed poorly maintained with tall grass obscuring the trail. I thought for sure that we had somehow gotten on the wrong trail. I pulled up my Guthook AT app on my phone and the GPS said that we were ok. It still didn't seem right. Yellow blazes? No maintenance? We finally found a white blaze, but there seemed to be five yellow blazes for every white one. And I checked Guthook's app about every five minutes just to make sure. It turns out that a yellow blaze local trail overlaps the AT through that section, but that still doesn't explain why no one is maintaining it. And it is very poorly marked. We arrived at Wayah Bald where the view was gorgeous and there was a large stone tower. We climbed up the tower, then sat and ate our lunch there.When we arrived at Wayah Bald Shelter (our destination), we decided that it was too early and we should continue on to the next shelter - a mere five miles more. That was a mistake. There were some wicked 'ups' that totally wiped us out. We drug ourselves into the area then realized that there were no flat tent sites. Too bad. I'm exhausted. I can sleep at a slant. We did the usual chores - filtering water, setting up camp, fixing and eating dinner, hanging the food bag, socializing with the other hikers, etc.We should have an easy day tomorrow.I hope!
Date: 2015-05-24
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: NOC
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

It was chilly last night but not as cold as the night before. We got up, packed up and started out. There was a very heavy fog over the mountain. As we hiked we saw the foggy clouds moving in front of us. We stopped at all the traditional mountain views but all we saw was fog. Even so, Adam posed for pictures.We took a side trip and climbed up Rocky Bald. It was foggy at first, but then the fog started to clear in the valley below and we began to see mountains. We watched the fog swirling around and we even took some videos of it. It was really cool to watch. God does awesome stuff like that all the time and usually no one sees it. I loved being a witness. Once again we reached our destination before noon, and we decided it was too early to stop. We moved on!We only had 6 miles left and according to the map it was mostly down, but we soon found that it was almost straight down. There were rocks, logs, and tree roots all along the path. Our feet were hot from friction and painful. I wanted to stop and put my feet in a cool stream, but there were none. We also ran out of water. It was hard on our knees and our thighs were aching. Around 4 o'clock we stumbled out of the woods. At the last minute I felt a swell of emotion that was totally unexpected. I had to swallow hard to keep from crying - and if you know me, you know I'm not the emotional type. This had been my goal for so long and I had worked on the details for months. It was over. Good grief, I'm starting to tear up as I write this. The moment didn't last long though. We had walked into the culture shock of a tourist area - NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center). We shuffled around in a daze, watching all the people that were there for white water rafting on the Nantahala River. Of course, we got our share of stares because we were dirty stinky hikers with huge backpacks. We had called for a shuttle and were picked up by a delightful woman named Beverly who drove us over an hour back to our car at Winding Stair Gap. I didn't realize that we were so close to the Smoky Mountains until we got out on the roads! At the parking lot, we met a guy named Colin that owns Gooder Grove guesthouse - a hiker hostel. After a meal at a Mexican food restaurant we went to Gooder Grove to spend the night before heading to Adam's house.
Date: 2015-04-02
From: ?

To: Long Branch/Franklin
Miles today: 0.0

Kyle is in Franklin, NC, resupplying and seeing the sights with his friends, Chuck and Susan! Chuck has through-hiked the AT and has shuttled us before. Looks like he might make it to Fontana Dam in about 6-7 days, pending weather. I'll get to see him and hike some with him then. :-)--Susan
Date: 2015-04-03
From: Rock Gap

To: ?
Miles today: 0.0

Made it to Rock Gap yesterday. Hometown's wife Susan picked us up and shuttled us around Franklin to resupply and get something to eat. Spent the night at the Sapphire Inn. Going to take it easy today and only do a few miles torward the NOC. Should be there in about three days. This has been a total blast! If I don't make it another step I have had a wonderful experience!
Date: 2015-04-07
From: NOC

To: NOC
Miles today: 0.0

Kyle has been at the NOC last 2 nights due to weather. There's going to be a short break in the weather, so I am going up today to meet him there. We'll probably stay in Bryson City tonight, run the car up to Fontana Dam, then catch a shuttle back to NOC. I plan to hike with him the next 3 days up to the dam and come back Saturday. He's had no internet access at NOC, so you may not hear from either of us until I come home. Toodles!--Susan
Date: 2015-04-10
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Hked out to Fontana Dam Friday. Rain and all downhill; kinda like a "slip 'n slide." Staying in Bryson City again. Tomorrow, jumping past the Smokies (we hiked that last summer), and dropping Kyle off at the Pigeon River Bridge/Davenport Gap.
Date: 2015-04-13
From: Deer something shelter

To: Hot Springs NC!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Short jaunt into Hot Springs this morning. Think I am aroud the 250 mile mark so far. Less than 2000 to Katahdin! Staying in Sunnybrook Hostel tonight. Good to get cleaned up and be able to sip down some good craft beer. They didn't have PBR. Who's running this joint!? Was great having Susan join me for a couple of days. Sorry about that first hill by the way. Hope everybody is doing well back home. Come and see me sometime before I get too far away.Take Care, Shortbus
Date: 2015-04-17
From: Hemlock Hollow 

To: Shelton Gravesite
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Kyle called me from Devil Fork Gap a little while ago. He hiked a little past Jerry Cabin Shelter to stay at Shelton Gravesite last night. Moving on toward Hogback Ridge Shelter and wll probably stop for the night somewhere beyond that. --Susan
Date: 2015-04-18
To: Spivey Gap
Miles today: 0.0

Kyle called to let me know he made it to Spivey Gap today. He's staying at Miss Janette's Hostel in Erwin tonight, possbly Sunday night, too. If so, he will catch a ride and slackpack Sunday.Should reach Carver's Gap/Roan Mtn, area Tuesday or Wednesday.--Susan
Date: 2015-04-19
From: Spivey Gap

To: Erwin
Miles today: 0.0

Kyle had a layover day at the hostel in Erwin, due to the weather. He's catching a shuttle back to Spivey Gap and plans to hike back to the hostel in Erwin, then go north from there tomorrow. Should place him getting to Carver's Gap/Roan Mtn. Thursday. --Susan
Date: 2015-04-23
From: Ash Gap

To: ?
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: light rain

In town for the night. Susan is joining me for the next strecth from highway 19E to highway 91 in TN! About 50 miles. Out of NC for good now. Close to VA and Damascus! Having a great time! Roan highlands yesterday. Very windy and cold. Frozen water bottles last night. Big shout out to Miss Janet in Erwin, TN. Most accomodating people you will ever meet. Spring is starting to burst out at the lower elevations. Little white flowers coating the landscape at times. Looks like snow at times.So far so good!Kyle/Shortbus
Date: 2015-04-26
From: Hwy 19E

To: small waterfall
Miles today: 13.2

Met Kyle at 19E and stayed in Elizabethton, TN, for couple nights to wait out weather, but still rained when we headed out Sunday morning from Mountan Harbor in Roan Mtn. Very muddy!Camped next to small waterfall. Picturesque place (pics coming soon). This day Kyle passed the 400-mile mark!--Susan
Date: 2015-04-29
From: Just before Vandeventer Shelter

To: Hwy 91
Miles today: 0.0

Hiked to Hwy 91 where my car was parked. Additional little hike on road to get car left at campground. Drove to Damascus, VA, to stay at Woodchuck Hostel. Excellent place. Highly recommend. Ate tacos at Hey Joe's. Good food! Also highly recommend. --Susan
Date: 2015-04-30
From: Hwy 91

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 21.0

Today I dropped Kyle off at Hwy 91 to continue his journey while I returned home. He "slackpacked" (hiked without backpack) back to Woodchuck Hostel where we stayed last night. He called; got his new tent in the mail and seems to like it a lot (Marmot EOS 1). Very fast to set up, which is good, because it was raining when he got there. --Susan
Date: 2015-05-01
From: Damascus, VA

To: ?
Miles today: 0.0

In Damascus VA! 470 miles in! 3 states down,11 to go! Cold and wet outside so waiting until this afternoon or tomorrow to get back on trail. All still going well. I've lost about 16 pounds but still feeling strong. Miss everybody back home but enjoy reading the posts on in my guest book. Thanks for all the support.Later, Shortbus.
Date: 2015-05-04
From: ?

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Kyle called. Has not had cell service since leaving Damascus. He passed the 500-mile mark this morning! Spent last night at Wise Shelter. Not sure where he'll end up tonight, but averaging 12-15 miles/day now. Said Grayson Highlands area was beautiful, as always. Feeling good and strong. --Susan
Date: 2015-05-07
From: Chatfield Shelter

To: Crawfish Trail
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: few clouds

Kyle has pitched his tent near Chestnut Knob Shelter for tonight, about 16 miles for today. This puts him at about 565 miles.Yesterday, he hiked from Chatfield Shelter to somewhere near Crawfish trail (about 11 miles).He has officially passed the 1/4 way mark, somewhere around Atkins, VA.I estimate he's about 65 miles from Pearisburg, VA, and 140 miles from the closest road into Roanoake (Catawba Valley Dr.). --Susan
Date: 2015-05-09
From: Trail Boss Trail

To: Wherver I am at 6:00
Miles today: 0.0

Caught a ride into Bland VA for computer access/phone charge/lunch this morning. Bland is not bland. Beautiful little town. Was told there are no stoplights in the entire county. There is a road named Bluegrass Trail. Will camp tonight somewhere near Jenny Knob Shelter. Weather has been fantastic! Still feeling strong. Thanks again to Susan for all of the help and support. She's got everything delightful! She's got everything I need! Chocolate covered Spam, MMMMM!
Date: 2015-05-14
From: ?

To: Keffer Oak
Miles today: 0.0

Heard from Kyle...Hasn't had cell reception since last weekend.He is camping at Keffer Oak tonight (the largest oak tree on the AT in the south, measuring 18'in circumference and more than 300 years old). In my book, he is at 672.8 miles. Will be outside Roanoake, VA, by Sunday.--Susan
Date: 2015-05-17
From: Hwy 311

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Kyle called me from McAfee Knob to let me know he made it to Hwy 311 in VA yesterday, passing 700 miles! He stayed at Four Pines hostel last night. Today he is slackpacking to Daleville, VA (mile 724), where he will meet his parents for a visit. They are driving up from Charleston to meet him. He plans to take tomorrow off to spend some time with them. --Susan
Date: 2015-05-20
From: Daleville, VA

To: Past Taylors Mountain Overlook
Miles today: 0.0

Kyle texted me yesterday when he passed Taylors Mountain Overlook, but it is unclear whether he actually stopped there for the night or kept going. He thoroughly enjoyed his visit and R&R day with his parents, and he got back onto the trail yesterday morning (5/19).--Susan
Date: 2015-05-25
From: ?

To: Harpers Creek Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Kyle called from the top of Spy Rock. 360-degree views and beautiful, he said. He should be camping near or at Harpers Creek Shelter tonight. Tomorrow he plans to make it a short day and go to Devils Backbone Brewpub. The place serves, of course, BEER, but also breakfast for hikers, and lunch/dinner. The brewpub offers free on-site camping for hikers, and shuttle back to the trailhead. --Susan
Date: 2015-06-03
From: Thornton Gap

To: ?
Miles today: 0.0

Beautiful, rain, wings, beer, shower! Drink up y'all! Shenandoahs are nice. Flatter compared to the rest of trail so far, but some decent climbs. Saw 2 bears day before yesterday at Big Meadows. All is well. Taking a 0-day today in Luray. Cold and drizzly. Passed the 900-mile mark and at 941 now. Plan to get back onto the trail tomorrow at Thornton Gap. Going to check out the Luray Caverns today and go by the local outfitter to get some more fuel. Susan has her trail name now: Sugar Magnolia. Somebody play this song while I'm gone. Verizon has poor service up here. Spotty at best.On to Front Royal...
Date: 2015-06-07
From: Front Royal, VA

To: Maine
Miles today: 18.0

Potomac Appalachian Trail Club sponsored some trail magic yesterday: hamburgers and hot dogs! Yum! Out of the Shenandoahs yesterday. Stayed in Front Royal last night. Headed up toward Sky Meadows State Park today. Should get there tomorrow. Good to have Sugar Magnolia along. She will get off the trail at the park and head home.On to Harpers Ferry...
Date: 2015-06-10
From: Rockfish Gap

Miles today: 0.0

Kyle asked me to summarize our SNP trip together:5/27 - Met Kyle at Rockfish Gap, and we drove to his friends' house nearby (Don and Kathy Fender). Went to Blue Mtn. Brewery for dinner.5/28 - Started at Rockfish Gap (south entrance to park). Hiked to Turk Mtn. Gap. Caught ride to Loft Campground. Stayed at campground.5/29 - Slackpacked back to Turk Mtn. Gap. Caught ride back to campground.5/30 - Hiked to Hightop Hut. 5/31 - Hiked to Hwy 33 and caught ride into Elkton, where we resupplied and ate lunch (burger and fried chicken). Hiked on to Lewis Mtn. Campground. Got a shower there.6/1 - Hiked to Big Meadows Campground for lunch and one of their famous blackberry milkshakes. Saw 2 bears while hiking through that area. Stopped about 2 miles short of Skyland Resort and camped trailside. 6/2 - Hiked to Hwy 211 and caught ride into Luray for the night. 6/3 - Took a day off and visited the town and Luray Caverns. Went to local outfitters. 6/4 - Rain set in so stayed in Luray a second day. 6/5 - Caught ride back to trail and hiked ot Gravel Springs Hut (last shelter in the park).6/6 - Hiked to Hwy 522. Patomic Appalachian Trail Club was hosting some trail magic for National Trails Day - grilled burgers, hot dogs, along with many other goodies. Late enough in the day that we caught a ride with some other hikers into Front Royal for the night. Went to Pave Mint pub and had wonderful Thai food. 6/7 - Caught ride back to trail and Hiked to Manassas Gap Shelter.6/8 - Hiked to Sky Meadows State Park, where Kyle's friend, Don, picked us up. He took Kyle up to the hostel and gave me a ride back to their house for the night. I came home next day.--Susan
Date: 2015-06-16
From: Toms Run Shelter

To: Maine
Miles today: 5.0

Kyle successfully completed the ice cream challenge yesterday when he got to Pine Grove Furnace State Park. He ate 1/2 gallon of "playdough" ice cream. He said it tasted a little like sugar cookie dough and was bright yellow!Due to heavy rain, he stayed at Pine Grove last night. Hoping for better weather today.--Susan