morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-04-27
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter

To: Old Road before Garenflo Gap
Miles today: 18.7

4/27/15 Day 25 - It was a cold morning and I had to put on my wet clothes from the day before, but the skies were blue and it was going to be a beautiful day, so it was worth it. Jingle Butt and I got on the trail and thought about going for a long day, but decided to make that call at Walnut Mountain Shelter, about 13 miles into the day. We stopped at Roaring Fork shelter, which is one of the best maintained I've seen in a while. Outside of the Smokies, most shelters that I've seen have been built and maintained by hiking clubs and donations. You can see the hard work and dedication in a lot of them and I'm thankful for it.We made it to Walnut Creek shelter around 2:40. We met My Best Friend, Pocket Spider and Soggy Dirt while we're there taking a break and getting water at the stream. We also saw Nick who received his trail name, Mac Daddy. Wizard showed up about the time we were leaving. Everyone had decided to go a little further, the draw of Hot Springs too strong to resist. We hiked another 5 plus miles for a total of 18.6, our longest day yet. We stopped at a makeshift campsite at an old road junction where Campfire and Young Guns were taking a break. It was a good spot, so we decided to spend the night. Campfire made a campfire and I collected some wood after I set up my tent. We had some nice conversation and a nice evening talking past bedtime, which is usually 8ish for me. Young Guns and Campfire are from Toronto, Canada and will be attending university in Nova Scotia this fall. They were south-bounders last year but had to get off trail in Mass, completing about 700 miles of the trail. They hope to finish the rest of it by going NoBo before school starts. They're young, I think 19ish, and good hikers, so I think they'll make it. I hope so, they're good people.
Date: 2015-04-28
From: Garenflo Gap

To: Host Springs Resort - French Broad River
Miles today: 7.9

4/28/15 Day 26 - Another beautiful day to hike, and boy were we ready to get into Hot Springs to take a zero. We make reservations at the Hot Springs Resort for a cabin, and from the description given on the phone, it sounded like a cabin like Blood Mountain Cabins. It wasn't. I don't like to complain, but for the money, I would recomend anywhere else but these cabins. It was very small, no towels for the shower, and while it was advertised in the AT Guide as having laundry, we had to go to the town laundromat to do our wash. It was, however, a dry place to sleep and had a bathroom with shower facilities in the building next door. The town of Hot Springs is a nice little town and caters to hikers. This was a zero day for me and Jingle Butt as well as a dozen other hikers, at least. We congregated at the local tavern and ate a ton of food and had a few beers. Good company and a nice evening. Most people are getting their hiker hunger and need to consume a lot of food. It's been etimated at this point in the trail that hikers need 5000 or more calories per day but are probably only consuming about 3500 while on the trail. Eating a lot of food in town is not only pleasurable, it's necessary to catch up. I have to go eat some more food and do some grocery shopping.
Date: 2015-04-30
From: Host Springs Resort

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: scattered clouds

4/30/15 Day 28 - Jingle Butt and I left the cabin at 7 and went down to the convenience store, which also had a little take out place for some home style cooking. I ordered the breakfast bowl which had biscuits and gravy, eggs over easy and strips of bacon laid right on top of everything. It was so good, I can't describe. We hit the trail a little before 8 and made it to the first shelter, 11 miles away and our goal for the day, at 12:30 pm. Way too early to stop, but it just started to rain. We decided to try for at least the next hostel, 4 miles away, or maybe the next shelter 8.6 miles away. The rain stopped just a few minutes after we started hiking again. We got to the road that led to the hostel by 3:40 pm, so we decided to go for the next shelter. We were hit by a short thunderstorm about 2 miles from the shelter. We met Babooshka about a mile from shelter. Got to the shelter and got a couple of spots. Met Shades, Camel and Peaches at the shelter, as well as a couple of other hikers. Biggest miles hiked yet today, 19.2 miles!
Date: 2015-05-01
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: overcast clouds

5/1/2015 Day 29 - I really didn't want to get out of my sleeping bag, the temperature was in the low 40s. I planned my exit and strategically positioned my warm clothes for a quick transition. I got up, made some coffee with my alcohol stove and ate a pop tart. The fog was thick and there was a mist in the air that added to the cold. Jingle Butt and I hit the trail around 8 and reached Bear Wallow Gap 3.5 mile later. You have a choice of taking the white blazed ridge line route, which is described as "rocky and strenuous" in the AT Guide, or the blue blaze trail which is easier and intended for bad weather. We took the white blaze trail and I have to agree with the AT Guide. We walked on a little further after that section and discovered a big number "300" in the middle of the trail. We reached our 300 mile mark! Less than a mile away we reached Jerry Cabin Shelter where I watched a blond bearded young man running up and down the trail trying to keep warm because he hiked in shorts and the temperature had actually dropped since the morning. It was cold, someone said in the 30s.We hike on for 5.9 miles to the Flint Mountain Shelter, during which time the fog burned off and it became a bit warmer. 13.2 miles for the day. There were quite a few people at the shelter already and a fair sized group was settling in by supper time. People were still a little cold and not being very sociable, so I built a fire. It always amazes me how a fire can bring people together and warm spirits as well as bodies. I met a few new people today to include Flash and Miles. Miles just got her name today because she puts in so many miles in a day. She's hiked over 300 miles in just 15 day. She's a nice young lady with blonde dreadlocks and a really light pack. She's also a Vegan. She and Flash seem to hit it off and I left them at the fire and hit the sack. A little rough this morning but the day ended real nice.
Date: 2015-05-02
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 14.9

5/2/2015 Day 30 - Woke up to clear skies and warmer weather than the day before. We headed out faster than usual, but I was feeling pretty good so I went with it. By the time we made it to HogBack Ridge Shelter, 8.8 mile into the day, I was pretty tired. After I had some water and had a lunch of Triscuits, salami, cheese, and potato chips I got my second wind. We hiked another couple of miles and to Sam's Gap and sat down in the grass by the parking lot and took a nice long break. We hiked another few miles and decided to camp in Low Gap where there was a good water source and some good sites for tents. A total of 14.9 miles today. I made another fire and am enjoying it with other hikers as I write this. I'm pretty tired and will be going to bed soon. It's already hiker midnight (8 pm).
Date: 2015-05-03
From: Low Gap

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

5/3/2015 Day 31 - About 2.8 miles into our hike this morning, after a pretty good climb, we found ourselves on top of Big Bald. It's a hilltop with a 360 view of the area and the weather was good so we could see for miles. We ate lunch at a place called Big Rock, which was a huge rock structure on top of a hill. I should have taken a picture. We hiked on and came to a nice wide stream with a small waterfall. Jingle Butt wanted to soak her feet in it, so we shucked our shoes and went wading in the freezing cold water. It felt good on my sore feet and brightened both of our day. We continued on to No Business Shelter. We set or tents up nearby because the snoring in the shelters has been a bit loud lately. Everyone is talking about going into Erwin, TN tomorrow for food, both restaurant eating and resupply. After dinner I had a packet of Pop Tarts, a Snickers bar, a handful of nuts and some instant coffee in my food bag. Just enough to get me to Uncle Johnny's Hostel in the morning, 6.2 miles away. We hiked 14.6 miles today with a couple of decent hills to climb. Not too bad.
Date: 2015-05-04
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Uncle Johnny's Hostel
Miles today: 6.2

5/4/2015 Day 32 - Jingle Butt and I got an early start and made it to Uncle Johnny's Hostel by 10 am. It was a 6.2 mile hike today. Check in wasn't until 11, but they were good enough to give us towels to take showers while we waited. It's a nice hostel with cabins, private rooms and tenting on their lawn. I got a private room that had a double bed, some very antique furniture with an excess of patina, and a 13 inch TV with a built in VCR player. We got shuttled into town and were dropped off by a pizza parlor that serve all you can eat pizza and salad for $6.99 plus tax. I ate more than I thought I could and then went shopping next door at the Dollar General for my food resupply. While you can get the necessities there, you don't have a big variety.After lunch I went back to the hostel, did some laundry and made a call to the hostel in Hampton to try and find a ride to the airport on the 11th to catch my flight back to Phoenix for Eric's graduation. We caught a shuttle to a Mexican restaurant at 5:30 pm and had 20 people in the 15 passenger van. Had some good food and a very large beer before running over to Walmart for a few extra provisions. We have a lot of uphills tomorrow with heaving packs bulging with 4 1/2 days of food. Our goal is a shelter 17 miles away. My left foot has been bothering me again, but the pain in my arch comes and goes. I'm hoping it'll fade away, but I suspect I need to get some new shoes.   Still enjoying the trail, but concerned how I'm getting to and from Tri-Cities Airport when the time comes. I'm thinking the Hostel in Hampton will be able to help out. They said they could probably find someone to get me there for about $75. I'm hitting the sack in a few. Gonna sleep in sheets tonight!
Date: 2015-05-05
From: Uncle Johnny's Hostel

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: scattered clouds

5/5/2015 Day 33 - Jingle Butt and I left at around 7:40 this morning with a goal of 17 miles and some pretty serious uphill climbs. We stopped on top of a ridge with the sun shining at around 11 am for lunch and it was one of those places that seems perfect for such an occasion. Boomer, Tuwanda, and Faster Dad got there right as we were finishing up and had lunch there as well. We hiked at a steady pace through some nice forest that changed from all deciduous trees to conifers at around 5000 feet. I really like walking through the pine trees covered in moss. We reached Cherry Gap Shelter around 4:30 pm where we saw 2 other hikers resting. Turns out they were just getting their second wind and shortly left after we arrived. We grabbed a couple of spots in the shelter because we felt a few rain drops and expected a little rain for the night. We were joined a little later by a group of 5 hikers who we met the night before Erwin. Their trail names are Corky, Low and Slow, Pom Poms, Big Sky, and one more I can't remember. A very nice group who I enjoy being around. We hiked 17.1 miles today.
Date: 2015-05-06
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: broken clouds

5/6/2015 Day 34 - The group of 5, to include Corky and Low and Slow, left before Jingle Butt and I. We left shortly after and bumped into them on the trail several time during the day. We all stopped by the Clyde Smith Shelter for lunch where a couple of people decided to nap in the shelter. It was warm and sunny, a good time for a nap. A hiker who was slack packing south, Red Pepper, stopped by the shelter and said there was trail magic at Hughes gap, just a few miles away. He also handed out some candy, the licorice treats were good.We hiked on and ran into the trail magic where Pepper said it would be. Myoshi(?) and Becky put on quite the spread. I had some lemonade, a turkey and cheese sandwich, a bag of chips and a piece of fudge. It was all delicious and perfect fuel for the 3000 foot climb we had to make to Roan High Knob Shelter. It took us about 3 hours to make the climb, and again, the change in vegetation was nice. Beautiful evergreens and moss. We met a few section hikers at the shelter to include Beans, Right On, and Beaver Tail. Oriole, from Baltimore showed up around 7:30. He's a thru-hiker. We hiked 17.5 today, 5 of it up a pretty serious mountain, and we both feel pretty good. Roan High Knob shelter is a pretty cool place. It is the highest shelter at about 6200 feet and is actually and old Forest Warden's cabin with 4 walls, a door and a loft. Really Good day.
Date: 2015-05-07
From: Roan High Knob Shelter

To: Mountain Harbor Hostel 
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: few clouds

5/7/2015 Day 35 - I figured today would be pretty easy since we were starting at 6200 feet. We started out good enough with our descent into Carver's Gap. The trail was a little rocky, but it was all down hill. We walked over Round Bald and Jane's Bald which were beautiful in the morning sun. Huge grass covered hills with patches of Rhododendrons here and there to make it interesting. We moved on to Overmountain Shelter for lunch. It's an old barn converted into shelter. The name is a tribute to the local Georgia, North Carolina, and Tennessee men who came together in 1780 to fight off a British force. Apparently it was quite the battle with the Overmountain men winning the bloody battle. After lunch we climbed Little Hump and Hump mountain then made the big descent to Elk Park and the hostel we would stay at for the night. Mountain Harbor hostel was booked solid with the exception of tenting spots and the use of hostel facilities for cooking and showers. Well worth the 10 bucks she charged. Ran into a lot of people we've already met on the trail, and a few new ones. The down hills were pretty hard on the knees, especially with the rocky condition of the trail, but still a good day. 16.3 miles today.
Date: 2015-05-08
From: Mountain Harbor Hostel 

To: Undesignate campsite
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

5/8/2015 Day 36 - What a good day to be on the AT! We first started out with breakfast at the Mountain Harbor B&B/Hiker Hostel that was simply amazing. I took a picture and hope to include it later. It's a spread you would expect on a cruise liner or maybe a resort hotel. No, better, it was that good. After I stuffed myself with hillbilly eggs, French toast cakes topped with honey and pecans, ham slices, an asparagus pastry, an egg dish that had pierogi in it, and half a dozen other scrumptious dishes I couldn't begin to describe, I finished it off with a slice of moist chocolate cake with fresh raspberries.Jingle Butt and I hit the trail with full bellies. The sun was shining and the trail was easy walking with just a few moderate ups and downs. We came close to a wide and calm flowing river, so we waded in it and soaked our feet. We ate lunch there as well and pulled out our tent to dry which were still wet from the night before.We crossed the 400 mile point on the AT right after lunch! Only 1800 more to go.We talked to a couple on the trail that we had seen before but never spoke with, HVAC and Lorax, they're thru-hiking as well and started at Springer on March 31st. They're a nice couple.It got a little warm hiking in the afternoon, but we came across a small but beautiful waterfall right on the trail called Mountaineer Falls. We both filtered water from it and soaked our heads a little in it to cool off.   We've been going pretty hard the last few day, pulling 16-17 mile days over fairly rough and mountainous terrain so we decided to cut it short and stopped at an undesignated campsite at mile 407.8. We hiked right at 14 miles today. What a good day.
Date: 2015-05-09
From: Undesignate campsite

To: Pond Flats Campsite
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

5/9/2015 Day 37 - Woke up to another beautiful day on the trail. I say that in a good number of my entries, but it's true. I watched the sun rise from a small hilltop while drinking a cup of coffee-mocha and eating a pop tart. Does it get any better than that? We were making some good time on a fairly nice trail this morning when a stone I was stepping on slipped downhill and took me with it. I hit my left knee pretty hard, and scraped my arm up pretty good, but no major injuries. I gave that stone a piece of my mind though, using some pretty colorful language. We hiked a little over 10 miles by lunch and were considering visiting the Kincora Hostel and eating it there. However, we hit Dennis Cove Road, the turn off for the hostel, and saw a sign that said, "if you're a hungry hiker, go to the brown cabin. We have a remedy for that." Of course we went and were greeted by trail angels putting on a hiker feast with hamburgers, hot dogs, chili, and all the trimmings. The Greek salad and fruit were much appreciated as well. We stayed there for a while, but eventually had to hit the trail again. Laurel Falls was just over a mile away and was a nice sight to see. There's a warning not to swim there because a couple of hikers drown there a few years ago. Something about a whirlpool effect dragging them under. The falls, river, and small canyon drew in a lot of day hikers who looked at us a little funny. A couple asked us questions and were curious about our thru hike, which we answered. It's kind of flattering.After the fall and a stretch of river, we tackled an 1800 foot climb over a 2.9 mile stretch and ended up at the Pond Flats Campsite at mile 423.7. I have no idea why they call it that, it's on top of a little mountain and has a very small spring going for it, but no pond. The spring provided good drinking water, lucky for me, because I was nearly out after that hard climb. We hike 15.9 miles today.
Date: 2015-05-17
From: U.S. 321/Watauga Lake

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: overcast clouds

5/17/15 Day 45 - It's been a week since I've done any hiking, but it's been a very good week. On 5/11 I flew home to attend Eric's Graduation from ASU on the 13th. I'm so proud of him. I was able to attend Sue's graduation as well, which was on the 12. It's wonderful to see both of them achieve such an important milestone. Jared is doing good at work as well, picking up additional responsibilities. I'm lucky to have two excellent sons.I caught a flight to Tri-cities, TN on the 14th, and then a ride from the airport to Damascus with Gypsy Dave's shuttle service. Just in time for Trail Days!Jingle Butt reserved a tent spot for me at Woodchuck's Hostel, which is a good place to stay. Good hospitality and a decent breakfast included. Jingle Butt and I went to to a few talks from former Thru-hikers to include Jennifer Pharr-Davis, the fastest supported thru hiker, and Gene Espy, the 2nd person to hike the AT. He did it in 1951. We listened to some good bluegrass bands, ate good food and drank some good craft beer. On Saturday there was a hiker parade with thousands of hikers from past years and this year. The locals, and others, stood on the side of the street and shot us with water guns while we paraded down the street. It was a blast. Jingle Butt continued on North this morning and I caught a shuttle back to Watauga Lake, the trail head at US 321. I started at 1:45 pm and hike 9.1 miles to Vandeventer shelter. Met quite a few new hikers and enjoyed good conversation before bed. I think I'll try for 20 miles tomorrow. I'm feeling pretty good and there's no big mountains to climb, at least according to the guide. It's good to be back on the trail.
Date: 2015-05-18
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Abingdon Gap Shelter
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: overcast clouds

5/18/2015 Day 46 - Today was my longest day so far. I hiked from Vandeventer Shelter to Abingdon Gap Shelter, 22.7 miles. I'm a little tired so I'm going to keep this one short. The trails today were very nice, with no drastic or overly long uphills or downhills. This morning I came across blooming rhododendrons, and they were quite beautiful. I took a picture and will include it later. I also came across a metal box on the trail that a local Baptist ministry filled with sodas, Little Debbie's, and other goodies. Gotta love them. My favorite moment of the day, though, was walking thru a pasture where dairy cows were grazing. I don't know why, but it was calming. I got hit with a little rain the last hour of hiking for the day, but it stopped the moment I got to the shelter.
Date: 2015-05-19
From: Abingdon Gap Shelter

To: Woodchuck's Hostel, Damascus
Miles today: 10.4

5/19/15 Day 47 - I was pretty wore out this morning as I walked the last 10 miles or so to Damascus. That 22+ stretch yesterday took it out of me. I went back to Woodchuck Hostel and got a tenting spot in the back yard. After a shower and laundry, I felt a lot better. I went shopping at Food Lion and was surprised at the $61 bill for 4 days of supplies. I might stick to the Dollar General if there's one around. I had a burger and shake at a local new restaurant that was pretty good. I heard from Jingle Butt who said she's heading into Marion tomorrow. I've got some serious catching up to do if I want to hike with her again. I'll be heading out again in the morning to tackle Virginia! I'm looking forward to it. I talked to a fellow hiker yesterday who said there's good switchbacks and nice privies in this state. Both pluses in my book.
Date: 2015-05-20
From: Woodchuck's Hostel, Damascus

To: White Top Campsite
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: overcast clouds

5/20/2015 Day 48 - A long day today. I had a good breakfast of eggs, waffles and coffee at the hostel before I left at around 7:30 am. The great thing about true trail towns is that the trail run right through them. I hiked to the first shelter outside of town and met a German thru-hiker named Traveller. He's from Stuttgart and knew about Panzer Kaserne where I was stationed years ago. After lunch I passed by a river where a good dozen hikers were swimming and soaking their feet. I spent a good half hour soaking my feet. It's amazing how much it helps. I decided to go for long miles today and hiked all the way to White Top, a good 21+ miles for the day.
Date: 2015-05-21
From: White Top Campsite

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: light rain

5/21/2015 Day 49 - Today started pretty miserable but turned out pretty amazing. It started out raining shortly after my departure from White Top. The temperature dropped as well, so my spirits weren't exactly high. I was also dragging because of the big miles I did yesterday. I stopped at Thomas Knob Shelter for lunch which consisted of salami, cheese, and pita chips. There were quite a few people waiting out the rain in the shelter, but I decided to move on. The rain turned to a cold mist but it was tolerable with my rain jacket and pack cover. I saw a couple of the famous wild ponies of Grayson Highlands right after the shelter, and then several miles later saw a few more, to include a nursing foal. After 1 pm the sun came out and dried my clothes and shoes. The Highlands were beautiful, but rocky and difficult to walk on. I hiked on to Old Orchard Shelter and someone had already started a campfire.   After I set up my tent and ate dinner, I made a visit to the Privy and discovered a bird's nest with four small blue eggs in it. The following morning, when I made another visit, a Robin flew out of the nest and returned after I finished my business. No day is the same on the trail, with new people and places keeping things interesting, and sometimes exciting.