morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-03-31
From: Amicalola Falls state park

To: Springer Mountain
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: light rain

Registered @ Amicalola Falls visitor center. I am thru hiker #736. Pack weight is 44 pounds with 5 days food without water yet. I'm with Steve, Wyatt, Slow & Steady and a young German couple Jan and Melanie.   After a quarter mile walk from visitors center are 600 plus stair steps up, around and across Amicalola falls. Very challenging for first day with full pack. Spectacular views! I meet Danger Dave on the steps. We slowly hike up Springer with Janet (aka Slow n Steady). Overcast cool weather, humid at times. Starts raining 45 minutes from summit. Put on pack cover and rain shell. Stops raining just before summit. Foggy! At summit is mystical looking old barren tree. I photo it along with the metal AT plaque and 1st white blaze marking official start of trail. This is where I will start the trail, this is where all northbounders will start the trail. This is it! I'm starting the Appalachian trail! I am really here! No view looking out from the large rock floor since so foggy. Springer shelter is empty! I set up inside. Aaron, Shad, Chip, Slow Steady, Bryan, Code Walker, Dingo, Diesel, Nick, Clint, Rupp, Danger Dave show up also. First shelter of journey has ladder and small loft. Small steam flow 100 yards away. I get water and return to start making dinner on the counter on the outside wall of the shelter. I stand and start to eat and the counter, Code Walker scoots over, gets others to make room, invites me to sit at picnic table and join the others. First dinner on the AT, I sit at the picnic table talking with people i just met in the last 24 hours. One thing we all have in common is our excitement to be here. After cleaning up, night is moving in, most are starting to crawl into their tents and sleeping bags. In the shelter, I'm in the middle with Chip and Code Walker on one side, Diesel and Dingo on the other. Nick is above in the loft space. 6 hour hike 1933 foot climb, 8.8 miles. Awesome 1St day! Easter Sunday, I find it fitting that my journey starts on a day of rebirth and new beginning.
Date: 2013-04-01
From: Springer Mountain

To: Cooper Gap
Miles today: 12.3

Rupp & I return to summit in the morning to take more photos since the sky is sunny and clear. The view out is amazing. Chip & I descend the narrow trail down Springer and meet Mountain Squid from whiteblaze website at gravel road and parking lot. He records our names & gives some snacks & sugary drinks in plastic barrel. Shad dog joins us . I pass Clint & Nick having lunch @ Hawk Mountain. Later I run way low on water after missing a spring when I misread my map. Luckily Bryan and Code Walker catch me and Code gives me a liter before Sassafras summit push. Long hard climb after long day. Takes me about hour to summit. Knoxville couple is few minutes behind. Cutty is at summit with Russ.   Descent is long and jarring on toes. Russ comes from behind on the descent and sprints past me and is soon out of sight. At Cooper gap camp, Nick Clint, Bryan, Code Walker are there. Bryan informs me there is a water buffalo tank here! I meet Bennet from Connecticut who is already set up. Also trail angel with biblical name that means helper. He is retired army ranger who drives around in an RV with dog who retired after service in Afghanistan. Dog saved many lives & won purple heart. Name is Super Sargent Spencer. Nick makes campfire, we help gather wood. Sit around fire and talk. Gets pretty cold after sun goes down. First time using my tent on the trail. Can see my breath as i lay in tent. Wind rises and falls throughout the night. Exciting challenging day 1.
Date: 2013-04-02
From: Cooper Gap

To: Lance creek camp
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Knoxville couple calls 911 for some drunk sick dude in sleeping bag at Gooch shelter, heard he's been there a couple days already. Army trainees hide at ridge top, watching as I hike path below. Army Rangers and paramedics pass me on the trail going opposite direction, they are en route to the Gooch shelter. I meet Russell at water supply stream at Gooch gap, this is his second thru attempt, last year he said he had to stop early on. He rolled off the side of Justus mountain last night and was luckily not injured. Army rangers picked him up at the road and brought to the gap. Later I meet Solo, Misery, & Sticks atop Big Cedar Mountain. They inform me there is only one Croc hanging from the back of my pack, they saw the other one down past the road a ways back. Strap must have broke. No time to turn around to get it, must move on. Down to Lance Creek Campsite. Everyone from last night is here along with a few more. Tonight is first night I use rope to hang my bear bag from a tree. Nick again makes a fire after dinner, we sit around it and warm up on logs near the fire pit. Roadside appears at campfire with Icehouse and Land Shark beers. He tells story of how he was robbed at knife point on the trail near Franklin then was able to continue on and finish his thru hike in spite of it (Corrected 10/25 - thanks Roadside for clarification, thanks for the beers too!! Congrats on thru-hiking!!!) Here he is visiting Green Blaze who I have not yet met as he has been up the hill in his tent since i arrived.Nice weather all day, met a few more cool hikers, getting acclimated, having fun, so far so good.
Date: 2013-04-03
From: Lance creek camp

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 7.4

Only a couple days in and my new MSR pump breaks this morning. Luckily Hawkeye lets me borrow his at the stream. Climb up Blood mountain not as rough or long as I was made to believe from all the hype. I hiked up with Intrepid Indian and his 2 sons. Explored the old shelter at the summit and enjoyed the view from the rock at the very top, highest point in Georgia. Took in the sunshine at the top with Hawkeye, Brian, Nick and Clint before heading down. Large exposed rock faces on the way down along with some steep spots, loose dirt slides and rock piles. Downhill more of a challenge than up for sure with all of the changes in directions, exposed rock faces, different than what i've seen up to this point.I pass Nick and Clint at the balancing rock garden, then continue on down to the road, you can here the passing cars from a distance, takes a while before you reach it though, then it parallels road for some time before descending to it. I cross the street, here it is, the famous Neels Gap, 1st major road crossing since the start. This is where lots of hikers decide to leave the trail and go home for different reason: being under-prepared, feeling sick, sore, or injured, or simply changed their mind after getting a taste. Not me, I'll stay on the trail and keep going. Lunch time, lots of people here. Set my pack down, go inside the store, do a quick look around before ordering a hot dog and a Coke, sit on the stone rail outside with the others, can see some more familiar faces trickle in as I eat. Topic of conversation is the coming storm front, the hostel here is pretty much filled up at this point. Me and guys from last night decide to get a cabin a quarter mile down the road.
Date: 2013-04-04
From: Neels Gap

To: Neels gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Zero in Neels gap cabin, first zero day, first cabin of the journey. Me, Hawkeye, Russ, Rupp, Brian share a small cabin, common area with tv, simple kitchen, bathroom loft bed, 1 bedroom, small balcony. Last night was cold and rainy, near freezing, glad we were able to stop here for the night. Decided to let the storm pass today and continue on tomorrow. Went to general store at the gap today, mailed home some items to cut down on weight, bought a lighter squeeze filter to replace my broken one. Multiple time thru-hiker Baltimore Jack was there working the register. Cooked frozen pizzas from the camp store last night. Drinking Cheerwine soda and eating canned ravioli inside while rain and ice storm outside. Bryan had some issues with his shoes and pains in his achilles from it which he has been frequently talking about. Rupp and Russ had the idea of naming him Achilles after his constant complaining, we laughed and thought it was a good idea, proposed it to Brian and he agreed. My first time being involved in naming a fellow hiker. Found it difficult to be hanging around the cabin today and not hiking. So early and already a zero. Due to the weather and trail conditions it is a good strategic decision, just feeling restless knowing the whole trail lays ahead I guess. Sister Act and Cowboys vs Aliens plays on TV. Play some card games and sat around talking before going to bed.
Date: 2013-04-05
From: Neels Gap

To: low gap shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: few clouds

Checked out of the cabin this morning and stopped by the general store at the gap for some quick food before walking through the stone gateway to the trail. Still cold this morning, need to wear my winter hat and gloves. Light cold rain and fog all morning. Walked through mostly barren forest of trees without leaves, covered in light green lichens. Around lunch time I catch up with German Thomas, Rupp, Brian and Rollin Russ who are seated on a bare rock face at Cow Rock Mountain with a nice open view of grayish brown hills to the horizon. In the afternoon the sky clears up a bit, descend Sheep Rock Top to Low Gap Shelter where we stop and make camp. Hawkeye is here already, been here for a while since he was 1st to leave the cabin, hiked at a fast pace without stopping until he reached here. Shelter is already full, many tents close to the shelter already set up, so we grab a spot closer to the trail with a fire pit and a fallen tree to sit on. I walk down past the bear cables to the shelter, I see Solo inside and ask where the shelter register is, he points to a PVC pipe on the side wall with a lid on it. He introduces me to Green Blaze who he is sitting next to, we talk for a while about where we're from, our trail names etc. A stream runs downhill next to the shelter then joins another stream below. I walk down to the junction to collect water. Its a nice spot, so after bagging up some water, I sit at the junction and start writing in my moleskine journal. Sound of running water so relaxing at the end of the day. Late afternoon sun finds its way through the trees and shines on my right side. Once the sun falls behind the hill I walk up past 3 different fires, ours is the 4th. Shad and Sophie join us around the fire as does Melissa, Doc, Nick, Rupp and Russ. Night falls, can hear pack of coyotes howling all night, first at a distance to my left, then closer in the direction of my feet, then way after midnight they are again far away to the right.
Date: 2013-04-06
From: low gap

To: Trey mountain shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

Early start. Run into Gbaby, Pappy Gaspin and Rocket. Further down get passed by Solo and Green Blaze. Nice and cool early on then gets warmer as the sun rises and the trail takes us around to the east side of the hill and into the sun. Pretty flat and fast, Drop down to Unicoi gap around noon. I grab a seat on the grass near the road next to Cisco Kid, Eric, and dreadlock girl (later I learn her trail name is Dorothy) who is doing yoga stretches. German Thomas shows up. Rocket and pappy eating lunch on grass near street. Gbaby trying to hitch ride to Helen to watch his Alma mater Michigan play. We watch the road as a group of the same bikers on Suzuki rockets speed by from left to right, then right to left every few minutes. A pack of cyclists arrive from the hill on the right and pull into the parking lot with loud cheering, hand waving and high fives, apparently route they did was hilly, long and challenging, this must be their destination after long climb. After hour long lunch, slow climb up Rocky Mountain, really pretty cascading wide stream on the way up, then down to Indian grave gap. Trail magic! My first trail magic! As I hiked closer, a very nice local couple waved me over and invited me to sit on the lawn chairs set up next to a pickup with coolers in the back. They are frequent section hikers and understand/appreciate what us thru-hikers are attempting. Cokes, chips and chocolates! Long climb up Trey Mountain . Pretty view from summit. Achilles shows up as I take pictures of the view. A day hiker offers us some tangerines which we gladly accept and enjoy on the spot before continuing on. Down to shelter for dinner & rest. Plenty of section hikers and boy scout troupes at the shelter. Need to set up tents back to back to fit everyone in the limited space. Achilles' hammock hangs along side of my tent. Hawkeye offers me his beef stroganoff Mountain House which he didnt want. In return I offer up some chocolate given to me as I left the gap. The bear bag cables are jam packed with food bags after dinner. After the sun goes down, wind picks way up, blows strong all night, then finally dies down a bit around sunrise.
Date: 2013-04-07
From: Trey mountain shelter

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: few clouds

Early rise & start. Very windy last night, dies down once sun rises. Downhill to Deep Gap, Hawkeye, German Thomas, Achilles & I meet up there before doing steep descent 3.6 miles to Dick's Creek Gap. Free shuttle to Hiawassee is jam packed. Jenn aka Dorothy is sitting on wheel indent, 5 or so on the floor where bench is missing. Up down twisty ride, driver is a fan of Monster energy drink. Me, Hawkeye, Achilles and German Thomas get a room at Hiawasse Budget Inn and get cleaned up. Room is very small as is the bathroom, no frills but good enough, very economical so I cant complain. Nick is there also. We walk to Daniels southern country buffet. Excellent fried chicken, okra, potatoes & gravy, banana creme pie and sweet tea. Lovin' the southern cooking! Dingo & Diesel, Jan & Melanie, Pappy & rocket, Knoxville are all there.  Servers were super friendly, surprised at the quality of food and the bargain price.  Ate till full, then resupply at Ingles, laundry, sleep.
Date: 2013-04-08
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: plum orchard campsite 2
Miles today: 6.7

Today is later start/nero day. Got breakfast sandwiches at Ingles with German Thomas. Nick and Achilles went to Hardees. On the way back to the inn we pass some thru-hikers sitting out front of the post office, emptying food drop box and loading contents into their packs. I stop by the small Nantahala outfitter shop and get a pair of Crocs to replace the single Croc. Onto the shuttle and back to the trail head just before noon. There we see the Knoxville couple, who bought footlong Subway sandwiches in town and strapped them onto the exterior of their pack for lunch later, what a good idea, wish i would've done the same, will have to remember that for next time. Shuttle driver told us if we stood on the picnic table just above, you can get cell reception there, otherwise none available. Sunny pleasant weather as we climb. I meet Sly Fox & Spice on the trail, later I meet Brother Bear who wears an old fashion exterior frame canvas large pack. He told me story of how he already hiked the PCT and CDT with that pack and how his grandfather and father each hiked the AT with that same pack and now he is continuing on the family tradition. Short rest at Plum Orchard Shelter, good water source nearby. Hikers in the shelter say they were hoping there would be plums to pick here, but no such luck. . Press onwards uphill to campsite on the side of the ridge, really nice orange sunset behind nearby mountain range. Nick makes the fire, we help gather wood as usual. Hard to find ideal bear bag hanging trees, most are too small or else have horizontal limbs way too high up there. I go way up the steep hill on the other side of the trail and find a tree that is good enough. When I go down to my tent, others have hung their bags on the smaller trees near by, very easy to get to. After a week, starting to get some routines down now, such as the order in which to load my pack, putting lunch food in separate bag in the morning for easy access during the day, peeing before sleeping to avoid getting out of tent overnight, putting granola bars in pack hip pocket, rolling tent into footprint for faster removal and setup etc. I'm sure will learn more optimal habits as i go. One topic of conversation is "trail legs", conditioning of the muscles and cardio for faster, more comfortable and efficient hiking. they say it takes 10 days to 2 weeks for it to kick in. not quite there yet, been feeling normal wear at the end of days so far, still getting used to carrying the weight, going up and down mountains. Sooner I get my trail legs the better.
Date: 2013-04-09
From: spring to west campsite

To: beech gap shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Georgia North Carolina border! On the right side of the trail is a simple wood sign with "GA/NC" carved into it. Nothing big or extravagant, easy to miss if not looking for it. I snap some photos on GA side before crossing into NC. first thing I do on NC side is to kiss the nearest tree in this new state I arrived in. This is a sign of my happiness & excitement to have arrived here safely and a show of respect to the people who live here. I did this atop springer and will continue to do this for each new state. Pope John Paul II would kiss the ground upon arriving at a country he was visiting as symbol of reverence and appreciation to the hosting country's people. This is what inspired my idea of kissing trees in each new state. Achilles was there at the border snapping photos also and saw me do this. I gave him this same explanation so hopefully it wouldn't seem as strange. Vegan Eric and Dorothy fly by without realizing it is the border until I yell it out as they are already well past. Just past the border crossing up the next hill is an iconic looking old tree in the center of the trail, many thick limbs grow horizontally then twist and curl around all directions. Later on stop for lunch at Muskrat Creek Shelter which has a picnic table under its roof. Back on the trail, sunny and nice, pass thru several spots where the rhododendrons on the left and right of the path grow up and over the path forming a shaded tunnel where the tree base spreads to form side walls, the top branches and green leaves about 10 feet up from a curved ceiling, blocking out all direct sunlight for almost 100 yards. At one point someone strung up a colorful Nepalese prayer flags to the side of the trail. Original plan is to climb partly up and stay at Standing Indian Shelter, however we arrive there so early in day and the privy stink inspire Thomas and I to go to the top where Nick and Hawkeye are. Nice view at the top, can see the layers of mountains get lighter in color the further away they are. At the top, we dont see Hawkeye or Nick so Thomas and I run down the mountain, reaching Beech Gap tent area in an hour. Setup tents here, water is a spring that is wide, shallow, flat and slow moving, hard to bag it up. Later, Rolling R (from Bavaria, name from how they pronounce R's sound in that region) and another German hiker show up. Then Jan and Melanie arrive around dinner time and join the camp fire. I eat as my fellow hikers speak in German back and forth, though i dont understand what i hear, but the smiles and laughter are easy to comprehend. During the night, can hear leaves rustling as things move around the forest floor. I get a case of bear-anoia, get out of my tent late at night, walk over to where my bear bag hangs, shine my light and verify it is still there. Food is safe, so I return to tent and soon enough fall back asleep.
Date: 2013-04-10
From: beech gap shelter

To: Rock gap shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Albert mountain, 1000 foot climb from Betty gap. Last 0.75 miles to summit was the most vertical climb we've had so far, over and around car sized boulders. At times it was necessary to place boot at waist level and jump off the back leg while pushing up with poles. Steep climb plus noon sun on my back made climb exhausting. Happy to reach summit, Cisco, Story, and Bubble head were up there on fire tower. Spectacular view of mountain range and small Towns in valley. Down around the side of mountain to Rock gap shelter with Jenn, Eric, Nick, Achilles, Sandy, Jan & Melanie. I'm first to arrive so I secure a spot inside a shelter for 2ND time. Shelter has a covered picnic table under a roof and long bench around it. We all gather around and crack wise as we eat dinner with the orange sky and setting sun to the west. Water trickles out of a pvc pipe near by, I fill up my bag for use tomorrow. Lots of tents setup around the shelter. A hammock now hangs under the side roof. Someone is even in their sleeping bag on top of the picnic table. Long day, great views, thinking about everything I did and saw today as I lay on my back inside the shelter before falling asleep in the refreshing night air.
Date: 2013-04-11
From: Rock gap shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 3.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Today will be a nero day. Achilles, Hawkeye, Nick and I decided to wake up really early to get to Winding Stair Gap for the 9am shuttle to Franklin. Aware of the other hikers behind us wanting to go to town, we wanted to ensure getting a room before they filled up. Achilles led the way in the cool dark, on the way up the climb we could see the small orange lights of homes spread out throughout the mountains at a distance. We take a short break to shed the layers as we are well warmed up by the uphill climb. Slowly gets lighter as we go along, cloudy overcast skies. Terrain is not bad at all, we move much faster than anticipated. Reach the gap around 8am and grab a seat on the grass and watch as slower semis pull over in the lot where we they allow faster cars and trucks to pass. Increased winds, sweaty shirts and sitting still in open gap make it feel cold again so the layers and hats go back on. 9am rolls around, we call the hotel that runs shuttle, were told that it leaves hotel at 9am and makes several stops before getting to winding stair gap. Finally arrives just after 10am. Had we known, could've gotten 2 more hours of sleep. Guess we were all over anxious to get to town.Driver of the shuttle is Ron Haven, owner of the inn we stayed at in Hiawasse as well as a few more here in Franklin. He tells anecdotes, local history, jokes etc. over the speakers in the small bus as he drives us into town. Four of us share a room at Haven's Saphire Inn, get cleaned up then head off to the Country Buffet. The place is packed with other hikers, food here is excellent also.