morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-03-30
From: NC 28

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: moderate rain

We woke up early to check the weather...the weather cleared up so we decided to enter the Smokies. We packed up the rest of our gear and left. We saw Longbow in the lounge and chatted briefly before taking the shuttle to the starting point. We hiked up to the Fontana Hilton from the road crossing and saw some beautiful views of the lake abd the snowy Smokies! The Fontana Hilton was packed with hikers taking a zero day - we saw Peppa, Grizz, All Day, Blondie, and many others. It was a beautiful sunny day so we decided to hike on! It was a beautiful hike over the dam and into the Smokies but as the weather warmed up the trails became a big snowy muddy slushy mess! It was slippery walking up the trail in a similar climb to the one out of the NOC. It proved for some hard hiking.We took a side trail up to Shuckstack Fire Tower - a must see place if you have time to stop by. The views from the tower were great and you can actually get inside the tower! It was a little slippery up to the top but totally worth it! Because of the tough conditions, we arrived at Mollies Ridge later than expected but we pushed on to the next shelter. It was a great idea since there was plenty of room at the shelter. We settled into the shelter and fell asleep early to prepare for the next day of hiking.
Date: 2014-03-31
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: scattered clouds

We had a decent sleep in the shelter and an early start to the day - until the snow started melting again and the trail became a muddy mess.We hiked through the mess all day and enough was enough. We had to slow down our pace and work extra hard not to fall or slip - it was extremely tiring and whipped us both out. We had some great views from Rocky Top - we could see where we came from and where we will be going in the future. The temperature and weather were great - sunny and warm, minus the snow.After unending ups and dangerous downs we finally made it to our destination. We met Mocha and her dad along the trail, as well as following Josh and his friend to the next shelter. We also met up with Gandalf at the shelter - we last saw him in Franklin, NC. Marshmellow rolled into the shelter later that evening and camped outside because it was full.We met Dad from PA - he is a younger guy about my age and he is sponsored to do the hike. We were pretty tired today and extremely ready for our zero day in Gatlinburg tomorrow. This was the toughest day on the trail - physically, mentally, and the first time I just wanted the hiking to stop that day. Rest and recovery will do both of us well.
Date: 2014-04-01
From: Silers Bald Shelter

To: Grand Prix Motel via Newfound Gap
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

Today was the most exciting and satisfying day on the trail - we reached the highest point on the AT, so everything is downhill from here right?With an early start, we pushed up the last big climbs up to Clingmans Dome. The trail firmed up overnight so it was not as messy hiking but still tough going. We had to gain 1000+ feet of elevation from the shelter we stayed at last night.We met a ridgerunner at the shelter before the climb to the dome and he talked about Hot Springs being a great town. We pushed on and Gandalf and Jaymo and another hiker passed on the big up. It took some effort to get to the top, but we were rewarded with great views from the tower! It was a clear day for the Smokies and we saw some of the places we had been (Standing Indian Mountain, Cheoah Bald, Fontana Lake), where we were going (Newfound Gap), and the future climbs on the trail (Mount Guyot, etc). It is amazing to think of all the distance we have covered in 17 days and all the scenery we have seen and the awesome people we have met. After resting near the top, we carefully climbed down to Newfound Gap where we were greeted with trail magic! Beth and Bernie Briden from Florida provided sandwiches, sodas, cookies, and chips and have done that for the past three years. We met Sock Monkey (Randy) whose wife wrote in my trail journal and offered to take us into town if needed. We did not need a ride since Todd and Kelly Gullion were coming down to visit the city and meet up with us.They showed up right on time to pick us up and it was great to see some familiar faces from back at home! We caught up with them on the way down to Gatlinburg and the Grand Prix Motel. This is a very hiker-friendly hotel and is very inexpensive and run by a great guy Steve! We got everything cleaned up and collected our drop boxes.We went to dinner with the Gullions at Big Daddy's Pizzeria - they had good pizza for reasonable prices in a tourist town, so stop by if you can!The start of our zero day in Gatlinburg was great..the full zero tomorrow will get us rested and ready for the trail again!
Date: 2014-04-02
From: Grand Prix Motel

To: Zero Day 01: Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

After 17 days of hiking, it was a crazy feeling to wake up and not have to pack up and hike any miles! We both slept in some and went to a breakfast bar at Bennett's Bar-B-Que. They had good breakfast items and great fruit and it filled us up. After that we walked down to the Ripley Aquarium and picked up the blue trolley to the library and Food City. I uploaded pictures on the computer while Big Dawg picked up supplies. As we left the library we got to pet a cat that was sleeping on the counter! Never seen a cat in a library...kinda unique!We were picked up by Todd and Kelly and went to Pigeon Forge to eat lunch. We went to Bennett's and had some great barbecue for a good price! The meal was very filling and the restaurant service was great.We went to the Sugarlands Park Center to get a Clingmans Dome hat pin, and then we went to the Grand Prix Motel and sat outside enjoying the weather. The Gullions left for home at 4 pm. We were glad they got the chance to come down and visit us!A lot of hikers came off the trail today to resupply and rest. The trail angels Beth and Bernie also provided a great chili dinner with hot dogs, brownies, and sodas for all the thru hikers at the hotel. We met up with Gandalf, RP, Mio, Marshall, Pyro, Franz, Dad, Sweet Pea, Jaymo, and many others at the dinner! All the thru-hikers sat around outside and chatted for several hours before turning in to get ready for tomorrow.Well rested and ready to go tomorrow...rain or shine!
Date: 2014-04-03
From: Newfound Gap

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: overcast clouds

After a great nights sleep, we packed up our gear and rode to Newfound Gap with Beth and Bernie. They were also taking Mio, RP, and Mambo (formerly Marshall) up to the top of the dome so they could slackpack down to the gap and then continue hiking. We will look for them later on the trail when they catch up to us.The day started out a little cloudy and crappy but it turned out to be a great sunny day later on! We had many awesome views of the mountains and valleys in the Smokies - the few pictures I took cannot capture or sufficiently explain the awesome beauty of the Smoky Mountains and hiking fully immersed in the middle of nature. You will enjoy the Smokies when you get here (as long as the snow melt doesn't muck up the trail!)Today we passed Charlies Bunion on the trail - a rock formation named because the discoverers decided it looked like a bunion on Charlies foot. There were some great views of Mt. LeConte and of the trail from Charlies Bunion, so it was well worth the short side trail to reach it.The hiking felt great today after the well deserved rest in Gatlinburg - the hiking was easy and the sunshine made everything better. We did not see too many people on the trail today, although we did see Peppa before we reached the shelter. When we got to the shelter, Grey Ghost and Wet Dog were there and it was great to chat with them and catch up. Rob took a zero day in Fontana Dam, so he is probably a day behind us on the trail. Later on, Jaymo, Gandalf, Sparky, Marshmellow, and Kamikaze showed up along with some other people we met at Fontana Dam.Since the shelter was getting full, we set up the hammocks and prepared for the rain that is coming tomorrow. Hopefully we can pack up before the rain hits - we have a long 18+ mile day to Standing Bear Farm Hostel - our first 18 mile day on the trail!At the shelter, we also met a fellow named Squirrel who hiked the trail SOBO last year - one of the few people we have met who has accomplished this feat! He was section hiking with a friend on the trail.Ready for tomorrow - hike on!
Date: 2014-04-04
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm Hostel via Green Corner Road
Miles today: 18.4

Mission accomplished! We hiked over 18 miles today to clear the bottom part of the Smokies and reach Standing Bear Farm Hostel for the evening.We had an early start to the day and we avoided packing our stuff up in the rain - an added bonus to the day! We had a couple of big climbs on the day before the mostly downhill hike out of the Smokies. After the first big climb, it was some nice hiking even though it was blowing wind pretty hard. As we were going up the second big climb, the sky opened up and unleashed a heavy rain on us - we were not quite to the next shelter yet, so we got soaked before we stopped for lunch. The rain did not last that long though, so we finished up lunch and moved on. It did not rain for the rest of the day.The weather cleared up nicely after the rain, so we had some great hiking to the bottom. We passed the Low Gap Trail where it intersects the AT - we hiked up to that same spot with Troop 103 many years ago! It was great to see that spot and get a picture by the signpost at the gap - brought back some good memories.As we were climbing up the last big hill, Big Dawg's hip strap broke and we had to rig up his belt to help take some of the weight off his shoulders. It caused for some tough hiking on him, but we did not have any real alternatives at the time. We were able to fix it at the hostel.Through all the downhill and the last push up (we had a section of the AT follow the road under I-40 - somewhat unique!), we arrived at Standing Bear Farm Hostel! The hostel was full but we were able to set up our hammocks on site for the evening. The hostel is a great little place with laundry, resupply, a kitchen, beer, showers - everything you need for an evening "off" the trail! If you can stop by here while hiking, do it - the staff is friendly and entertaining, and it is a great little place to stay!After showering and getting some food, I played cards with some friends from the trail. I met Sole Power, Mocha, and Owlbear while watching them play a game called Yaniv (more on that later), and then I played Euchre with Kamikaze, Peppa, and Sole Power. Peppa and Sole Power won with an epic comeback from being down 7-2 to win 9-10. I am still winless in Euchre on the trail - my bad slump of Euchre dates back to the Fall 2013 semester at school, so I need to fix this on the trail!
Date: 2014-04-07
From: Hostel of the Laughing Heart

To: Zero Day 02: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Decided to take a zero in Hot Springs because of heavy rains forecasted for the day. We woke up to some rain when we walked to Elmer's for breakfast. Great meal and conversation with Peppa, Sole Power, Marshmellow, Reroute, Elmer, and Styx - Elmer had us introduce ourselves and asked us some thought-provoking questions about technology and the future. Deep conversations about the future and where technology would get us - nourishing the body and mind at breakfast!After eating we went to the post office to pick up our bounce box. We gathered the items we needed from the bounce box and then packed two new boxes - the next bounce box and a box of stuff to go home. We stopped for lunch at the Great Smoky Mountain Diner and had an inexpensive delicious meal - eat here for a good meal!We took the packages to the post office and got them mailed out. We then went to the library so we could update the trail journals, the photos, and the meal plan as needed. We spent a good portion of time at the library, and then we resupplied at the local store When we left many thru hikers were coming into town. We saw RP, Mio, and Mambo at the laundromat and chatted with them for a while. They are zeroing tomorrow so we will see them later at Erwin. We saw Rob at the same hostel we are staying at - he is taking a couple of days to recover. We caught up with everyone over dinner at the Spring Creek Tavern - Grey Ghost, Marshmellow, Thomas, Silvia, Rob, Grey Ghost, and Reroute were all at the same table with a xouple of new people. RP, Mio, Mambo, Josh, and Montreal showed up later, while Sparky, Jaymo, and Owlbear made an appearance throughout the evening. Jaymo's birthday was yesterday, so he was out celebrating that. Left Turn was in for dinner early with Red Dog, and Outback and Mocha came and are leaving the trail for two weeks before returning.Overall it was an nice relaxing day to catch up on items that needed to be done as well as catching up with our thru-hiker friends. We even watched the basketball game at the tavern in town! Ready to get back at it with a nice day for hiking tomorrow.
Date: 2014-04-08
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hemlock Hollow Inn via Log Cabin Drive
Miles today: 16.3

We woke up to a lot of movement in the hostel, so we packed up early and checked out. We started the trail around 9 am and saw Mio and RP before crossing the French Broad River. They were zeroing, so we will see them later on. After the river, we had a big climb out of Hot Springs and passed Lovers Leap - no one jumped, and we had a great view of the town and the river! We saw Thomas and Silvia and passed each other throughout the day. The hiking was relatively nice after the climb. The weather was OK - not great, but not bad either. Throughout the day we saw some unique things on the trail. We passed a little man-made lake near Mill Ridge (presumably for irrigation), meadows on the ridges, and someone even left a tent in the woods that had blown over on its side - kinda strange but funny.We stopped at Rich Mountain Fire Tower for lunch. We had some great views from the tower but it was a little cold! We kept moving and reached our intended stopping point at Spring Mountain Shelter. It was a little rinky dink shelter that was already packed with people, so we pushed on looking for some camping spots. The windy weather and threat of AM rain convinced us to go to Hemlock Hollow Inn near the trail.Since we were feeling good, the hiking did not take too long. We reached Log Cabin Drive and walked 0.7 miles to the hostel. Along the way we met Reroute who was also looking for the hostel - she was a little lost. We all walked to the hostel and checked in. While I set up, Dad got a lift to a nearby gas station for some supplies - it was nice that the owner did that (small fee, of course).The hostel was a neat little place in the Cherokee Forest - it had a hostel, cabins, resupply, and a caf© all in one central location. The showers work ok but you have to be careful not to use all the hot water - 5 minute shower time, 20 minutes between showers. The housing was nice and the staff was friendly (albeit a bit understaffed at times).We met Gator (NOBO '12) who was doing a work-for-stay at the hostel and doing some hiking in the region. He was a great guy to talk to about the trail since he hammocked it as well. He got a nice fire started outside and we chilled around the fire for a couple of hours. We got ready for bed and are hoping for clear skies in the morning!
Date: 2014-04-09
From: Log Cabin Drive

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: light rain

Woke up to no rain but it was cloudy, cold, and misty outside - a dreary start to the day! We checked out and got a lift back to the trail.Another huge climb from the gap up to the mountain with the fire tower. Luckily it was broken up into two sections, but it was still tough climbing. The cold weather made the hiking less enjoyable, but it we had to push on! Near the top the weather started to break and we had glimpses of the sun! It motivated us to keep moving until lunch at White Rocks Cliffs. We had some sun and great views from the cliffs of the landscape and the fire tower we did not climb (weather was preventing good views when we reached that point, so we kept moving).After a great lunch, we hiked in the sun on to Jerry Cabin Shelter. The hiking included an exposed ridge hike on Big Firescald Knob - it was some tough rocky climbing (New Hampshire-esque) but the openness gave us great views to the west (where the mountains ended and became flatland) and the east (mountains and valleys)! As a side note, we left the AT to hike the ERT (Exposed Ridge Trail) - that is just a joke, the signpost before that section called it that although it was still the AT.After a lot of time hiking alone, we finally saw Thomas and Silvia at the Jerry Cabin Shelter. We decided to press on to the next shelter since the weather was so nice!It was nice hiking in the sun, through meadows, on an old road, past several grave sites - interesting how some people want to be buried on the trail!We arrived at Flint Mountain Shelter and got the hammock set up and enjoyed a great dinner. Later on Gandalf, Kamikaze, Buffalo, and the G.O.A.T showed up with Drifter and some others after doing a 21+ mile day - they are planning to be in Erwin in two days as compared to our three day arrival. We also met Finn who is on his third attempt of the trail. He was planning on doing 30 miles to No Business Knob Shelter! A long day but his pack is really light.We went to bed ready for nicer weather and great hiking the next few days!
Date: 2014-04-10
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Low Gap (Camping)
Miles today: 14.9

After a great sleep (gotta love hammock camping!), we hit the trail shooting for Low Gap where we could camp away from any shelters or people.The hiking today was excellent! Clear skies, sunny weather, not too hot temperatures - the kind you dream about for hiking. We had a tough climb out of Devil's Fork Gap (the tough part was NOT the first stile!), but we were rewarded with some cool cascades and a waterfall on the way up.The hiking felt great today - our hiking pace was pretty brisk and we reached a shelter for lunch. It was another day of hiking alone until Gandalf, Kamikaze, Thomas, Silvia, Buffalo, and the G.O.A.T showed up at or around the shelter for lunch. There was a sign promoting trail magic at the next gap" so we pushed 2.4 miles in 50 minutes to reach Sam's Gap before 2:45. Our effort was not unrewarded! Paul from Asheville was serving homemade hash browns and scrambled eggs to hungry thru-hikers, and it was the best hash browns I have had in a long time! He comes out 10 days every year after he hiked the AT both directions (NOBO '07, SOBO '09). If you get the chance to meet him on your hike, he is great. Note that he will be on the Tennessee side, not the North Carolina side - we accidentally passed him and went a little too far.The great food, sunshine, and conversation helped us rest before pushing on to the camping area. We found it after I caused some confusion - 0.4 is not the same as 1.4, so we were looking for the site in the wrong place until a local guy helped set us straight. We found the site and got set up early enough to gather a lot of firewood. The camping area was in a secluded area with a piped spring - nice place if you want some solitude and it accommodates hammocks and tents.Big Dawg set up the hammocks while I pumped water. Several guys (Kamikaze, Buffalo, Gandalf, and the G.O.A.T) went on to the next shelter. Thomas and Silvia camped with us and it turned out to be a great evening of old style camping with a roaring fire and some music. Even though I wanted to move with the group, I am glad we stopped there!
Date: 2014-04-11
From: Low Gap

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 4 of our 5 day stretch between major stops - a little smelly, but only 5.8 miles to Erwin!The camping spot was great last night - quiet, sheltered, and not too cold! With an early start, we quickly reached Big Bald and had an amazing 360 degree of the surrounding area and a perfect shot of Big Butt - an exposed treeless ridge right below Big Bald. Funny name for a natural feature...but dat pass!We hiked the exposed field for several miles and then re-entered the woods. It was almost an ideal day for hiking - perfect views, great weather, solitude, and sunny skies!The hike was pretty good (excluding one steep surprise - the AT Special!). We stopped and ate lunch around 11:30 and as we were leaving Thomas and Silvia stopped for lunch. We took a quick side trip to High Rocks (a tough climb but nice views!) and we reached Spivey Gap. There we met Frank and his son Christian, who are friends of Gray Ghost. They were going to hike two days with him to Indian Grave Gap and Gray Ghost was about one hour behind us. So we prepared to see him at the next shelter! We hiked until we reached the No Business Knob Shelter - and it was definitely not open for business! The shelter was a pretty run down concrete shelter full of trash! We decided to set up the hammocks, so Big Dawg set up the hammocks while I pumped water (nearest water is 0.2 miles away). We gathered a lot of firewood for the evening and Thomas and Silvia showed up.Later on Mission and Youngster (older couple from New Hampshire) arrived and set up their tent. Gray Ghost, Frank, and Christian made it up the hill - even though Frank and Christian were lugging 50 lbs! Sole Power and Peppa stopped by to eat dinner before night-hiking to Erwin - with the moonlight so bright the hiking should not be that bad! Red Dog also pushed on to Erwin. Late that night Dirty Harry and Fran showed up after a 20+ mile day and apparently he is a renowned cook off the trail! A great night around the campfire! Good conversation, great friends, and good times! Next stop - Erwin, TN!
Date: 2014-04-12
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Uncle Johnny's - Erwin, TN
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: clear sky

Great little hike into Erwin this morning! On the way down we had some great views of the town and of the Nolichucky River...and the sun shining made it all the better! We quickly arrived in town and relaxed at Uncle Johnny's while we waited for our cabin to open up. We chatted with Gandalf while he waited for Kamikaze to return from town. He, Peppa, Sole Power, Kamikaze, Drifter, Cletus, Illinois (mining engineer from Southern Illinois, triathlon guy) and Finn rolled out to Beauty Spot Gap for some trail magic!Thomas and Silvia resupplied and moved on while Mission and Youngster stayed at the hostel with Dirty Harry and Fran. Uncle Johnny is an interesting character and the place is great to stay at. Hot showers, well-priced resupply, and a great atmosphere around the facility and on the porch. We settled into the cabin and then took two bikes and pedaled the long way into Erwin. Be prepared for a tough go if you ride all way to the Azteca area. There is a closer section 2.5 miles away on Jackson Love Highway and the bikes are a little rough to ride.After eating lunch and resupplying, we stopped at a gas station and saw Gray Ghost, Frank, and Christian. They had a car here, so we rode with them back to Uncle Johnny's. We got some laundry done (and Mission folded it for us - nice guy!) and then Christian picked us up for dinner. We ate the main meal at Azteca (great Mexican food) and dessert at Dari Ace (great little diner with excellent sweet treats!). We returned to Johnny's and chilled on the porch with thru-hikers. Great day at a great place!