morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-04-19
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Day 7 - Unicoi Gap to Tray Mt.Shelter
Miles today: 5.7

With our town business finished, we took the shuttle back to Unicoi Gap and started a two mile uphill climb at 11:30. I couldn't get going today and struggled with the weight of the pack, the drizzle and the sticky raingear. We had opted for wet over sweat the last storm and it didn't work out, so we kept our jackets on today. Every once in awhile it would clear enough for a view which was nice, but most of the day the mountains were a mass of clouds. We had some trail magic today, the first actually on the trail. The Hiawassee Gang, the Johnson and Hayes family, (sorry I can't remember the third name, all part of the same family though) were set up at Indian Grave Gap. They had hot dogs, hamburgers, cookies, sodas, you name it. What a great treat. A little further on at Tray Gap, Kevin, another Trail Angel, was there with sodas and fruit. He said there were usually others there too. I'm guessing with Easter weekend people are busy at home. We had another long climb to the shelter and I wasn't feeling much better. We had hoped to put in more miles, but the next campsite was five miles away over tough terrain and I didn't want to get there late in the day. We met up with Wayne and Tracy along the way which was nice and we are all camping together again. We are set up where if the weather reports are true, we should have an incredible sunrise. I'm beat, time for bed. Hoping for a big day tomorrow. Goodnight.
Date: 2014-04-20
From: Tray Mt.Shelter

To: Day 8 - Easter Sunday
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: broken clouds

We hiked twelve miles today. There were some rough spots for both of us. I think maybe we hit a bit of a wall. We were having difficulty where we didn't think we should at this point.We made more stops along the way than usual. Partly because of the terrain. There must have been more than a dozen rises over the course of the day. We took snack breaks and water breaks and just plain I'm tired breaks. We still managed the twelve miles in six and half hours. It was warm today, in the 70's. We had to put on sun screen. I think we'll be investing in sunglasses. We got to the campsite at about two. I got a fire going and Mike went the half mile round trip for water. We had a tasty pasta side for dinner, yum.If all goes well we should be in North Carolina tomorrow. I asked Mike if he had anything to add to the blog. He said, "No".
Date: 2014-04-21
From: Dick's Creek to Muskrat Creek

To: Day 9 - Crossing into North Carolina
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: clear sky

Patriot's Day, Boston Marathon, Sox!We had another hiker come into camp last night, Natalie from Nashville via the Washington D.C. area. She had started her hike on 4/5, but had to take a break due to illness and is just getting back on the trail. We hiked out while she was packing up.A lot of P.U.D.' S today (pointless ups and downs: see trail notes) over the course of ten miles. We didn't see many other hikers today, a few section hikers going south and two NOBO's (north bound) outpacing us. I caught up to Mike after climbing one of the many rises and he looked at me and said, "I like pushing it on the inclines, it gives me a bit of a workout." A BIT OF A WORKOUT! Definitely putting rocks in the boy's pack tomorrow.We crossed into N.C. around noontime, took a few pics at the sign and at the old gnarly tree not far from the border. Our plan was to make it to Muskrat Creek Shelter (81.4 miles) and we stuck with it, though we both thought we could have gone further. Easy does it.I'm glad we stayed here. Up a blue blaze trail (a side trail off the AT) there was an airplane crash sight with a lot of wreckage still among the trees. Kind of a spooky place. Beyond that was the most beautiful overlook we had seen yet. Just spectacular! We sat there quite a while soaking it in.Back at the shelter, more people drifted in. Natalie, Eathan, Ginko, Garnet Turtle, Sistah and a couple who are staying at the shelter to promote their line of freeze dried hiker food. I forgot to thank Sassafrass, who was hiking with Sistah until a knee injury forced her off trail. She had given us some watermelon back at Dick's Gap. She's supporting Sistah along the trail at different crossings.We all sat around a fire pit talking about the day and having some laughs about what we thought this hike would be like. Everyone began with their own preconceived notion of how it would be, but it seems each of us underestimated the difficulty and the pleasure of the hike.Well, it's after nine. Time for bed. Bye for now.
Date: 2014-04-22
From: Muskrat to Carter

To: Day 10 - Muskrat to Carter Shelter 93.9 miles
Miles today: 12.5

In and out of the rain all day. I've got to get new rain gear. The Dri Ducks I bought don't cut it. They're super light, but I get wetter from sweat than I would from the rain. They're not durable at all either. I've punched a hole through one knee and the shoulders are wearing out from the pack straps. Live and learn.Our hike to Carter Shelter took us over Standing Indian Mountain which looked formidable in the guide at 5,498', but wasn't a bad climb. There were lots of switchbacks to ease the elevation.We are tenting again tonight with Natalie, Eathan, Ginko, and Garnet Turtle. Two other hikers came in late, Celeste (Acorn) from Bennington Vt., and Dan (Granite) from Nashua, N.H. Eathan is entering medical school and is hiking to Fontana Dam. Ginko, from Pennsylvania, is attempting a thru and is incredibly knowledgeable about plants and animals. All self-taught because they interest him. When talking to Acorn she told us that her grandfather had studied Ginko trees as part of a research project. How coincidental is that?I got a fire going despite the drizzle and we sat out for quite a while talking about anything and everything. The younger members of the group stayed up late watching the embers fade.   We oldsters went to bed. Night all.
Date: 2014-04-23
From: Carter Gap

To: Day 11 - Carter Gap Shelter to Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.1

The morning was quite cool, high 30's to low 40's. We headed out for Rock Gap Shelter 12.1 miles away. The early part of the hike was fairly easy with a great panoramic view along the way. We made quick time, the first four miles in just over an hour. The one tough stretch was over Albert Mt. 5,250'. It required some scrambling and some high stepping. While it was the most "White Mountains" like section of the trail so far, it was of short duration.We stayed at the summit for an hour. There was a fire tower there and more great views. Everyone caught up at the tower and took time to de-shoe and air out their feet. We had Natalie, Ginko, Eathan, Acorn and Granite all share a break with us.I got some cell service at last and was able to coordinate through Amy (Thank you, love) our visit with Sarah in Franklin, N.C. She's coming from Nashville and will bring our Smoky Mountain passes. As of two years ago you have to pay ($20, I think) for a pass to go through the Smokies. That doesn't guarantee you a space at the mandatory shelters. In the park, you have to stay in the shelters, unless they're full and then you have to stay next to them. Bear problems or people problems, I'm not sure which. The pass only allows you to hike through the park. Day hikers get first dibs on the shelters. I guess they want to create class distinctions even out here in nature.Natalie hiked the rest of the way to Rock Gap with us. She's not sure if she'll thru this year or finish her hike with her brother in the future. He's home preparing to be a first time dad. Congrats! Natalie will share space with me, Mike and Sarah in Franklin. We're all trying to save our pennies. We'll all hike to Winding Stair Gap in the a.m. Try and catch a ride into town and zero on Friday.Got another nice fire going, another night of fun chatter, and to bed. Goodnight. SPECIAL*   Heather, Bradley's a terrific young man. He amazes me with his knowledge about nature and has been great company on the trail.                                    John T.
Date: 2014-04-24
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Day 12 - Rock Gap to Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 3.8

Mike and Natalie bugged out early to get to Winding Gap, hitch into Franklin, N.C. and secure a room for four. I finished packing up and headed out shortly after. The hike was short, about four miles. Got to see a beautiful sunrise over the mountains. It was different hiking alone. The only sounds were the bird songs and the wind. Very few trees have leaves on them up here so you can look a long way into the woods. You can see the trail snake it's way out ahead of you. Lots of switchbacks here make the climbs a bit easier.I got to the gap and started to hitch the ten miles to Franklin. A few cars passed when a young man who was packing up his gear in the parking lot came over and offered me a ride to town. Patrick, his friend Jeff, and their dog had done a short section hike and were heading back to Nashville. Thanks for the lift guys.By the time I got to the hotel, Mike and Natalie had the room and had already cleaned up for breakfast. I cleaned up quick and we walked to Miss Lois' for a pretty good meal. Went back to the hotel to wait for Sarah to get in from Nashville. We bumped into Ethan and I finally got a picture of him. He's been the man of mystery, always just out of frame in my pictures. He was going to walk into town for a backpack cover, but we had an extra that was too large for our pack and it fit his. Done deal. Ethan, who started the trail with eleven days of food, has a bear bag the size of a small refrigerator. He has everything in there which led to his trail name, Golden Pantry, Pantry for short.Sarah got in around five-thirty and after introductions and delicious chocolate chip cookies she made us, we went out for dinner. Mulligan's Grille for burgers, pulled pork, chicken and veggies. Oh yeah, and a few beers for me.Back at the hotel it was decided Amy needed a trail name for all the work she's done on the blog. Whenever I referred to getting things arranged at home I'd say I needed to speak to my Administrator so that was it, The Administrator. Thanks, love! (you're welcome, honey! ^^)Sarah says her trail name would be, I Don't Hike. It's nice to have some time with the girl. We'll be shuttling around Franklin on our zero tomorrow getting resupplied for the next few days. Tracy and Wayne are coming into town and we want to catch up with them for some good craic.TTFN.
Date: 2014-04-25
From: Franklin

To: Day 13 - Zero in Franklin
Miles today: 0.0

Sarah, Mike, Natalie and I shared a room at the Sapphire Inn. Not the best place I've ever stayed. It was short money, but I don't recommend it even on the cheap. We did get a chance to clean up and do laundry. I also had the opportunity to give the foot a rest.We got breakfast at Miss Lois' for the second time. It was good and the prices were reasonable. We also made a second visit to Mulligan's because Wayne, Tracy and some other hikers were going there. It was great to catch up with them again.We met Mike Byrd, who knew Wayne through a Google Plus site about the AT. Mike's a writer and has an interest for the AT and thru hiking. He lives in the area and tries to catch up with hikers as they pass through Franklin.Got a chance to Skype with Amy on Sarah's iPad. She's been working on the blog and making this effort easy for me. All I have to do is walk and write; she takes care of the hard part. We picked up our resupply and are anxious to get back on the trail. We needed the break, but maybe not such a long one. We'll try for Wayah Bald Shelter tomorrow. Goodnight all.
Date: 2014-04-26
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Day 14 - Winding Stair Gap to Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.0

I couldn't wait to get back out on the trail. We had some packing to do and a little more shopping, which had to wait until ten when the stores opened. Sarah got us back out to Winding Stair Gap at eleven and after Thank you's and goodbyes we headed up the first of many rises today.It was warm and the leafless trees let the sun beat down on us unchallenged. We had only snacked for breakfast and didn't stop except for water, which was scarce, straight through till four when we reached Wayah Bald.At the stone fire tower, we met a couple from Wisconsin who just couldn't believe we had hiked from Georgia and were flabbergasted to learn we were heading to Maine. Of course, I suggested they read our blog and they said they sure would. We also met Handlebar, who had been at Mulligan's with Wayne, Tracy and Mike B. He was headed to the shelter as well. He said Tracy and Wayne weren't far behind and they did catch up to us at the shelter.We finished the hike late for us, at six. After getting water, setting up tents, eating and cleaning up it was almost eight and getting dark. That's when we realized we needed to hang our bear bags. There weren't many suitable trees to hang the bags. We tried tying a line between trees with Mike, then Natalie climbing onto my shoulders to get the line set and hanging from that, but our resupply made the bags too heavy. Finally we found a tree that would work and Mike made a good throw with our headlamps blazing.I'm in my sleeping bag now contemplating a fifteen mile day tomorrow. We'll see. Bye for now.
Date: 2014-04-27
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: Day 15 -Wayah Bald to A. Rufus Morgan Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Two weeks in and we're feeling more confident about what we can accomplish. We decided to hike the fifteen and a half miles to A. Rufus Morgan Shelter. We actually had breakfast before we left, which is unusual for us, figuring we'd need the calories.The weather looked good for the day, though hot. We headed out at a good clip and made it to Cold Spring Shelter in good time. It's well named; the water there was freezing and delicious. I went out ahead of Mike and Natalie toward Wesser Bald. It's nice that we all hike at our own pace and get the opportunity to hike alone for a while. You see things in a different perspective when you're by yourself. When we hike together we're usually gabbing so you can miss things that you notice when you're alone. I got to Wesser Bald before they caught up, and climbed the observation tower. There was a group of people there from Nashville, and I answered their questions about the trail so far. Natalie and Mike showed up and collapsed under the tower. It had been a pretty difficult climb from Tellico Gap. The Nashvillians asked if I could take their pictures and offered to take ours. Then M&N climbed up the tower and we swapped pics.The hike from Wesser seemed to take forever. Natalie led the way and never lost pace. On the map it looked like a nice downhill run, but things are never what they seem. It was a series of ups and downs, many rock strewn, and lots of twists and turns. We made it into camp about five and immediately took off our shoes and stood in the cool creek water. Ahhh! We ate, hung our bear bags and now we'll gab till bedtime. Tomorrow the NOC and a long climb out of the gap. BBFN.
Date: 2014-04-28
From: A. Rufus Morgan Shelter

To: Day 16 - A. Rufus Morgan to Sassafras Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: light rain

After feeling so confident yesterday, today reminded me that this won't be easy. I thought that after two weeks I was finally getting my hiking legs, but the climb we made today put things into perspective. We woke up to wet tents from the rain the night before and packed up quickly to head to the N.O.C. (Nantahala Outdoor Center, a sports center with rafting, horseback riding, zip lines etc.) where Natalie had a mail drop. We grabbed some food while we waited for the store to open. We bumped into Dean, aka Duct Tape, from Knoxville, who we hadn't seen since before Lance Creek a week ago. He decided to hike out with us.When the store opened, Natalie sorted through her fifty pound care package from home and we began the 6.7 mile climb up to the Sassafrass Shelter. It was almost entirely vertical and neither Natalie's guide nor mine showed any water along the way. About two hours in we took a break and a solo hiker, John from Pennsylvania, sat down with us. The five of us were talking about how little wildlife we'd seen. Duct Tape and I had seen rabbits, everyone else only birds and squirrels. John headed out before us and we followed soon after. About a mile later a spring was bubbling out of some rocks on the side of the trail. Trail Magic! John was there and had already filled his water bottle so he headed out. He had only gone a couple hundred yards when he called out, "Rattlesnake!"We hurriedly finished filtering our water and raced up the trail. There it was on the side of the path rattling away. Natalie wanted to get a close look, but used good judgment by keeping well back. It was maybe three feet long and as thick as my wrist. We all got some pictures and then stepped carefully past it.We finally made the shelter around four. Like most shelters in N.C. so far, the tent sites are sloped. We found some flatter ground above the shelter and set up there. We ate our supper, toasted marshmallows over the fire, and rested our very weary bodies.I got a call through to Amy, wrote this and now to bed. After all, it's almost 9 p.m. Goodnight.
Date: 2014-04-30
From: Stecoah Gap

To:  Day 18 - Stecoah Gap to Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 15.1

Donna from the Cabin in the Woods drove us out to the gap to resume our hike. We had everything dried out and a new appreciation for the weather in the mountains. Cassidy, a young woman from New Jersey, started out with us, but was going slowly to get through an injury.A mile in we began to climb "Jacob's Ladder," a steep climb over a short distance. I had added more protein to my diet and it seemed to help; I had a lot more stamina on the rises. The wind was still blowing through the mountains and it looked like it would rain. The sky was a washed grey tight against the tree tops.We made good time after the ladder and passed a few hikers on the trail, but no one we knew. The cool, wet day meant we weren't worried too much about finding water. We didn't stop until noon at Cody Gap. Natalie and Mike were eating and I went down a side trail to get water. The way to the creek was a staired path among jumbled stones. I kept my head down and eyes to the ground to avoid tripping. About a hundred yards in I stopped and turned to call back to Mike and Nat and saw that I was surrounded by thousands of white flowers. The wind was rocking them back and forth making them look like butterflies between the trees. I got the water and went back to show the kids what I had found. Natalie was as taken as I was. Mike said, "Oh."We hiked the next nine miles in good time and got to Fontana Dam Information Center around five p.m. It was raining pretty heavily now and the views were limited. We headed out for the last 1.3 miles to the Fontana Hilton, a 20 person shelter on the lake formed by the dam. It filled up pretty quickly with hikers and some were camping nearby. It's called the Hilton because there are showers and flush toilets just up the road.We had supper late and sat around talking to the other hikers. Natalie and Mike will go for resupply in the morning and we'll head into the Smokey Mountains. Bye for now.
Date: 2014-05-01
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Day 19 - Fontana Hilton to Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: few clouds

Sitting by a fire, five past nine at night, a long, hard, beautiful day of hiking. We began a bit late, 11 a.m., because of resupply logistics. I stayed at the Hilton while the duo went to town for food. I had the chance to talk to John from north of Toronto, a former school principal doing a section hike, Isaac (whom we met before) is zeroing to take care of a foot injury, and Unsure, a young man trying to thru, but fighting shin splints. Talking to the people on the trail is the best part of the trail. When M & N got back we packed up and headed out. We crossed the Fontana Dam and entered the Great Smokey National Park where we deposited our permits in a drop box. Our only question starting the day was about water. We had gotten water at Fontana Dam, but city water tasted too much like chemicals. I think we're becoming water snobs. Nothing is as sweet as cold spring water. The climb up from the dam is a longer, less vertical climb than coming out of the N.O.C. It's about ten miles of steady rise. The weather was great. Clear blue skies and a cool breeze to keep the sun at bay. At the entrance we met I'm Lost, (Nick from Vt.) and (as he spells it) Duck Tape. We hiked with them all day and they were great company. Lost was in the lead and after about an hour he shushed us and motioned us forward to see a doe not ten feet away. She was eating as if we weren't even there.We got to the Shuckshack Fire Tower, a very shaky, very high tower with beautiful views and a floor that felt like you could push your finger through it. A tad scary. We took some pics, climbed down and noticed that the footing for the stairs was supported by crumbling stones. Yikes! We had lunch, then took off for Mollies Ridge. Along the way Mike noticed an odd looking stick on the trail that suddenly moved towards him. We all stood still as the snake slithered it's way past us and into the brush.The water at the shelter was listed as questionable in our guide book so we stopped at a creek about 1.3 miles before the shelter to camel up. I said I was taking my time so I'd carry the water and the others could go ahead and get us a place at the shelter. They all took off and I took it nice and easy going up the rise. Every once in a while I noticed that Lost, the quickest hiker of the bunch, was up ahead of me just looking back for a bit. I realized that he was just checking on the old guy and it made me feel great knowing that I was being watched out for. Thanks Nick. Of course, when we got to the shelter there was plenty of good water up there. Nick decided to move on to the next shelter and the rest of us are sleeping in. Goodnight.
Date: 2014-05-02
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Day 20 - Mollies Ridge to Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 17.5

We slept in the shelter on the top shelf of a two tier set up and listened to the ghost that haunts the shelter tip toe across the roof all night. It seems an indian maid had been haunting this ridge for many years. Thanks for the wonderful dreams.We decided to make it a long day and headed out for Silers Bald, about 17.5 miles away. After breakfast. I was grumpy, maybe the ghost got me, so I angry-walked the first part of the day. I thought I had powered way ahead, but the younguns caught me in an hour looking as fresh as spring flowers.Duck Tape was with us all day, and once again he proved to be great company. He's hiked this section before and made a great guide letting us know what to expect along the trail. He had been telling us about the views from Rocky Top for some time and when we reached it, we found that his descriptions had been accurate; absolutely beautiful. No Pants, a photographer, who accidentally left his pants hanging at a shelter, (they were returned with wallet intact by a fellow hiker who hiked an extra long day to catch up to him) was with us, as well as Blue Ribbon, an older thru who started April 1st. We all enjoyed lunch together as well as the views.We continued over Thunderhead Mountain and on to Derrick Knob Shelter. We got there about four and filtered water, chatted with a Ridge Runner (people who cover a section of trail helping out hikers with info and tips about the trail) and moved out again towards Silers Bald. The last part of the hike was grueling. Not so much because of the terrain as the extra mileage we had done. We got in at 6:30, made sandwiches and set up the tent. Hooray! The shelter was full so we could tent out. We'd all much rather tent than try to sleep through a shelter snore barrage. Night all.