morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-03-13
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Tray Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: broken clouds

Hot Damn! I did 15 miles today!I woke up at 6:00 after I heard Steve rustling around and started to pack up myself. Craftsman was up soon after that and chatted a bit but it was too early to be talking so I just nodded mostly.I hit the trail at 7:00 before sunrise again. I was the first out of the shelter as well, seems to be a trend. Made it to Blue Mtn Shelter around 10:30 and headed on. Coming down off Blue Mtn was very very rocky and wet. I slipped once and lost my footing, banged my left knee. Doesn't hurt though. Lots of mist and fog again this morning. At one point the trail took a nose dive then went straight back up. I just stood there and cursed out loud. But it had to be climbed. So standing at the bottom I started humming the intro to Eye of the Tiger. The sun decided to poke out just then and I charged up the hill. I made it up in no time and felt wonderful and proud of myself. The rest of the day I kept singing Eye of the Tiger and The Bare Necessities from the Jungle Book. Climbed up and over Rocy Mtn and kept going on past the Cheese Factory site. Made it up Tray Mtn to the shelter around 4:30. I'm super proud of myself today. Coming down into Unicoi Gap was hard on my knees, feet, and legs but it was pretty and green. While a few of us were there people would ask us if we knew where a certain gap was and the best we could do would be to point to the trail and tell them to walk that way. We have no concept of roads while we're hiking unless it is a road into a town we want to go in to.My feet are aching and my knees are a bit sore and my shoulders are tired, but I am a hiker and that's how we feel. I'll take all this soreness over a day stuck inside at a desk. Including the flies, which seem to have come out in full force today due to the warmer weather.The shelter was pretty much empty when I arrived and there ended up being only four of us in it. Nomad, Goober, and another gentleman who I can't remember his name. Blue, Bogey, Pheonix, and August didn't show up and I heard they had only gone to Blue Mtn Shelter. I guess I am a day ahead of them now. But it is nice to see new faces and nice to have a full day of hiking in me.Tomorrow I am aiming for 11 miles into Dicks Creek Gap and then hitching into Hiawassee. OH! I also passed the 50 mile mark today! That's crazy.
Date: 2012-03-14
From: Tray Mtn Shelter

To: Hiawassee, GA
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: few clouds

Phew! Made it to Hiawassee and am staying at the Budget Inn. I'm sharing a room with Maine-iac, formerly Emma. I'm super excited for a real bed. I'm surprised that I caught up with Maine-iac and Paul, now Bootstraps. Also here is Undetermined, a section hiker who is headed home tomorrow, and Machine Gun-Bad Ass, another sectioner. I managed the 11 miles to Dick's Creek Gap this morning but the downhill was brutal on the knees. I tried hitching a ride with Camel, Cecia, and another young guy who I can't remember his name. We were picked up in about 10 minutes by Andrew, a young guy who runs a bunch of Old Folks homes and who was on his way back from South Carolina. How lucky was that? He dropped Camel off at the Blueberry Patch Hostel (which is closed, but still taking mail drops) and drop us three off at the Inn. The other two grabbed subway, resupplied and hit the trail again. I am staying here for a shower and some food. It was hot today and the bugs were out in full force. If they're already out now I don't want to know how bad they will be later. I called home to update the parents and then the group here ordered pizza which I devoured. It was so good! After I walked to the grocery store to resupply. Too much food. I'm going to need to eat a lot over the course of the  next few days.I forgot to grab quarters to do laundry so I'm going to have to hand wash the clothes in the sink. Oh well, at least thy will smell minty from the Dr. Bronners.Oh, so the trail name:My trail name is Froot Loop, so named for the dendrology lesson I was giving Blue, Bogey, and Phoenix about sassafras trees and how they smell like Froot Loops. A few people have also said it is fitting because of the many colors I have on my pack. Red pack, orange Crocs, green shirt, blue and purple bandanas, and a yellow sleeping pad. I like it and more importantly I answer to it. So it's stuck. Bogey came up with it.
Date: 2012-03-15
From: Hiawassee, GA

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: broken clouds

We made it to North Carolina! Maine-iac and I woke up at 7:30 and played tetris with our packs. As she put it "it's a game of tetris you can't lose." I somehow managed to fit all that food in my pack. We took the 9:00 shuttle back to Dick's Creek Gap. I saw Steve at the gap and he said August and them were two days behind so I won't see them for a while. All day was an uphill climb, literally. But when we arrived at the first shelter we were surprised at how quickly we had hikes there. A dew other hikers showed up after us and expressed the same surprise. At least it was a pleasant surprise. I played leap frog with Fireweed, a 64 year old woman from Alaska. She's carrying an umbrella from the dollar store to help with the sun. I wish I had an umbrella today, it was hot. Maine-iac and I made it to the border around 2:00 in the afternoon and had lunch. Some older gentlemen had given her some mini-Snickers to share with me so we celebrated by eating them. Hooray! Crossing the border had me on such a high I felt invincible.Oh, I also figured out what side of the trail the sign was on from past hikers' pictures assuming that the trail was heading generally north when it crosses the border and given which side of the sign the NC/GA was on. It's on the right side I also jumped back and forth across the border a few times before deciding which state to eat lunch in. I could choose a state! But I did one better, I sat with one butt cheek in Georgia and one cheek in North Carolina. :DI saw the gnarly tree at Bly Gap and took a picture. It is really really cool to see in person all the sights that past hikers have taken pictures of. The novelty of it hasn't worn off at all. Climbing out of Bly Gap the clouds rolled in and the thunder soon followed. I was up on top of the mountain with thunder booming over head. Talk about an adrenaline rush. I never saw lightening so I wasn't too worried about the storm though it did still cause some anxiety. It started I rain on me just before I made it to Muskrat Creek Shelter. Today is also the first day I am using my tent so of course it would be raining. I waited for a bit and the rain stopped so I could set up my tent and keep it dry. How lucky was that? Ate ramen for dinner... Yum. Ramen is really not an exciting dinner at all but if you add seasonings like chili powder, oregano, and pepper it helps. There is a really cool group of hikers here. Otto, who is kind of a trail guru, Sap who plays this really cool violin, her husband Vice Grip who can play the guitar, Goat who whittles animals out of sticks, Perch, and Hicker. Otto has been talking about how people need to slow down and enjoy the hike because the big miles will come and I agree. I'm going to try and slow down a bit.Privy Quote of the Day:Had a bad day? Poop the pain away!
Date: 2012-03-16
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Beech Gap
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: light rain

Today was not a day of hiking, it was a day of trudging. I trudged around rocks, over roots, through mud, up hills, and across streams. I had no energy this morning. None. I just didn't want to hike. But that was't an option I was going to allow myself so I packed up my wet tent and laced up my boots and set out.Last night we had our first real thunderstorm and it was crazy. We could hear the thunder coming in and see the flashes of lightening. Lucky it wasn't a windy storm but it did rain a bunch. After storm sounded like it was moving on I hunkered down and started to go back to sleep when there was a bright flash, one you know hot close, and the louder crack and boom of thunder I have ever heard. It shook the ground, literally shook the ground! I've ever experienced anything like that before. Apparently Otto was cursing at the storm the whole time, my tent was just out of earshot but I would have loved to have heard it. I eventually motivated myself to pack up. I used my pack towel that I picked up out of the Hiker's Box in Neels Gap to dry off my fly. It's a lot easier to dry a pack towel than it is to hang up a tent fly to dry. My mood improved a bit over the course of the day. We crossed over Standing Indian Mountain which was really cool, though there was a bunch of bear scat at the top. That makes sense though since I passed a sign on a tree that read "WILDLIFE: BEAR SANCTUARY" I won't be camping anywhere near that area. Walked down the mountain at a snail's pace but still managed to pass a few people. When I made it to Beech Gap I walked the 300 yards to the water source and found Papa Hicks there. After he left I made an early dinner of Knorr Spanish Rice Side and ate in solitude until Sap showed up. We chatted for a while and I felt better afterwards. It's amazing how much a friendly conversation can improve your mood. After she left a few others showed up to get water and I eventually walked back to tent with everyone. A while later while we were all sitting by the fire a cloud blew in, the temperature dropped about 10 degrees and a few seconds later it started to rain. I've never seen hikers move so fast in my life. We all grabbed our gear and scattered to our tents. The rain only lasted a few minutes and we all crept back out and had a laugh. Sap played some music on her violin and the Swiss couple sang a melody for us. It was lovely.
Date: 2012-03-17
From: Beech Gap

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Happy St. Patrick' Day!I hiked over Albert Mountain and hit the 100 mile mark. 100 miles! It's so awesome to say that. I woke up this morning an dried my tent off again since it rained last night. I was feeling a lot better this morning, my energy had returned. It could have been that I was going to hit another big milestone or maybe the two candy bars that I ate just before bed.  Oh the diet of a hiker.The section of trail between Mooney Gap and Bearpen Gap was very pretty and the trail was really interesting. What I mean by that was the trail was more than just hard packed dirt with bare trees around. There was green, streams, roots, and rocks around. The climb up Albert Mountain was hard. I had to abandon the hiking poles a few times to use my hands. It a little unnerving to climb up large rocks with a 30 pound pack strapped to your back. But when I made up to the top it was gorgeous. The tower offered a 360 degree view of the mountains. A father and his three sons were at the top and had handed out some snacks to the hikers. I missed the bulk of it but Doc shared half of his oatmeal cream pie with me, I was thankful. Fireweed was also at the top, it was nice to see her again. Bootstraps, Maine-iac, Hot Feet, Otto, Goat, Perch, Vice Grip, Sap, and the Swiss couple all showed up after me. I have been convince to head into Franklin for a resupply. I have enough Ramen and food to make it to the NOC but just barely. I don't know if I'm comfortable walking into a town with nothing yet so I will pick up a dinner and some snacks in Franklin. Just to make sure I won't have to ration my ramen. We (Otto, Sap, Perch, Goat, Vice Grip, Hicker, Maine-iac, and I) are going to wake up at 4:00 am to hit the trail by 5:00 and hopefully make 9 miles to catch the 11:00 free hiker shuttle. It's about time I do some night hiking.
Date: 2012-03-19
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: Wayah Shelter
Miles today: 6.8
Weather: clear sky

It's Monday? I have lost track of days and it feels wonderful.I woke up around 7:30, not really sleeping in, and started to make breakfast. Animal and Maine-iac were up soon after and we started talking about wildlife, edible plants, and geology. Animal started telling us about  panning for gold then offered to teach Maine-iac and I how to do it. It was such an awesome experience, I never thought I would get to do that. That is one of the cool things about the trail, if you leave yourself open to it you can experience so many new things.I didn't set foot onto the trail until noon and was feeling really lazy. I came across Siler's Bald but didn't walk up it, just snapped a photo and moved on. Starting later meant I was hiking in the heat of the day which was a little miserable and I was a bit dehydrated when I rolled into camp so I was not in the best mood. But I drank a few liters and my mood improved. I came across some trail magic left by Hover and Bear Bag who hiked re trail last year. That soda was delicious.The section of forest before Wayah Bald all seemed to be in poor health which made hiking in the area not as pleasant. But Wayah Bald was really nice and the weather was amazing. I met Maine-iac, Hover, and Bear Bag at the top. At the shelter I had a good dinner and we all  shared some good laughs around the fire while telling privy horror stories. I'm tenting tonight so I hope it doesn't storm.
Date: 2012-03-20
From: Wayah Shelter

To: A Rufus Morgan Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: clear sky

It didn't rain last night, thankfully. I woke up around 6:15, packed up camp, and was on the trail by 7:30. The weather this morning was nice which made for quick hiking. I was planning. 15.5 mile day for an easy nero into the NOC the next day. I made 6 miles to the first shelter by 10:00 where Snorting Ox, Maine-iac, and a few others showed up. There was a spring right outside of the shelter so the flies were horrible. I took a short break, had a snack, and headed on. Coming down into Telico Gap I saw a white van and heard some voices. I didn't want to allow myself to get my hopes up but I was really in the mood for some trail magic. Sure enough, there is was. Some thru-hikers from last year had Gatorade and granola bars for us. I forgot all of their names but it was greatly appreciated. The climb up to Wesser Bald was hot but not bad. I was drenched in sweat by the time I reached the top. The views were awesome though, I took some amazing panoramic photos that I need to post sometime. We could see Fontana Lake and the ridge line Of re Smokies. I'm so excited to get there.From the bald I hiked the next 5 or so miles to the shelter. At one point on the ridge I heard a loud plane. Two military planes flew directly over us at a very low altitude. I wish I could have had my camera out in time to record it. I also saw a lizard on the way down that had a bright blue under belly. Today was my second 15 mile day so I'm exhausted but happy to be at the shelter. It's an easy 0.8 to the NOC in the morning.
Date: 2012-03-21
From: A Rufus Morgan Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 0.8
Weather: clear sky

I'm really tired. I woke up this morning at 7:00 after not sleeping well. At some point in the night pretty early on, a military plane flew low over the mountain and it was exceptionally loud. It startled me out of my sleep.I headed out of the shelter with Maine-iac around 8:00 and made it down the mountain to the NOC in less than 30 minutes. We both got a bunk then headed to the restaurant for some delicious breakfast. Food is always a good motivator to get to town. After breakfast we did laundry and showered.We went back to the restaurant for lunch where we ordered a large cheese pizza that we couldn't finish. In the afternoon we ran into Blue and Phoenix! I was surprised to see that they caught up. Bogey seems to be a day negus though. I got Maine-iac to try her first Coke in her lifetime and she loved it. I also dared her to go all the way under in the river and she did. Bootstraps, not wanting to be shown up by a girl, bathed in the river. That water was cold too! Crazy Mainers.I went to dinner with Steve, August, Blue, Maine-iac, Phoenix, and Bootstraps. They all went to Steve's cabin to socialize after dinner but I was too tired so I went back to the room. We're sharing the room with two kayakers who are here for a competition. They are also Olympic hopefuls. How awesome is that?
Date: 2012-03-22
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: broken clouds

So I woke up early this morning but decided to stay and have breakfast with everyone. I had to try out these sweet potato pancakes everyone was talking about. They were totally worth it! If you find yourself at the NOC, get the full stack of sweet potato pancakes, they are amazing. We all ended up taking two pancakes with is in a plastic baggie to eat as a snack on the trail. I hit the trail around 9:00 and made it to Swim Bald where I had lunch. It was a decent uphill climb out of the NOC, definitely don't have my trail legs yet. After lunch I hiked the last mile to Sassafras Gap Shelter. Blue and Phoenix showed up a bit after me. My calves aren't doing great. I either need to give them a break or stretch and roll them out. I was tired and my legs were pretty dead when I arrived at the shelter so the idea of hiking another 1.2 miles uphill then another 2 miles to the campsite after that was not appealing in the least. The girls moved on and I pulled out my sleeping bag and took a nice long nap. I slept about 4 hours until 6:00 when I got up and made dinner. One of the guys here called me "Tootie Frootie" instead of Froot Loop. Close enough and it made me laugh. Tomorrow I'll hike 15 miles to catch up with the other girls.
Date: 2012-03-23
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: light rain

Another 15 mile day under my belt!I woke up around 6:20 this morning after getting 14 hours of sleep in total. When I set off this morning I heard barred owls, so cool. The climb up Cheoah Bald was hard. My calves were giving me a lot of grief.  After 10 uphill steps they would start to burn and then another 10 and they would cramp up and I would have to stop. I was getting extremely frustrated with my body and it was looking like I might not be able to so a 15 mile day. At the top of the bald I tried rolling my legs out on a log and it seemed to help, my calves felt a lot better afterwards. I made it the 3 miles to where Blue, Phoenix, and Maine-iac had camped and they were sitting around, unmotivated to pack up wet tents from the rain last night. (Staying at the shelter was such a good idea). At Stecoah Gap there was trail magic! I had two banana pudding creme pies and a pepsi. It really helped to fuel me up the hill out of the gap.I passed Snorting Ox at the top of the hill and made it to the shelter a little after noon. I made it in to the shelter jut before the rain hit. Phoenix was not so lucky, she came running down the hill in the pouring rain but she had a smile on her face.The past few shelters have either not had a log or it has been full. Lame. How am I supposed to keep up on all the trail gossip?I moved on to the next shelter and a bunch of people showed up. We played an intense game of spoons using tent stakes (the pointy objects just made it more exciting) then went to bed. Tomorrow we're heading to Fontana Dam where I get to pick up my maildrop and girl scout cookies!
Date: 2012-03-24
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: broken clouds

Today seems like such a long day, but in a good way. We went into "town" -the Fontana Village Resort- to resupply and hit the trail again. It stormed hard last night, I was super glad to be in the shelter. There were three people tenting in front of the shelter and each of them turned their headlamps on at sone point to make sure their tent was holding up. It was kind of amusing from inside the dry shelter. Though, we did get some spray from the rain but that doesn't compare to a drenched tent. I did have to deal with Maine-iac stealing my sleeping pad last night.I finally packed up and rolled out of the shelter at 8:00. I hikes slow up the hills, my legs are still cramping up. I need to grab a multivitamin in Gatlinburg and see if that helps any. I made it down to the road crossing and bought a soda out of the vending machine. It was refreshing. Maine-iac and I waited for Blue and Phoenix to make it down the hill before we tried to hitch into town instead of taking the $3/person shuttle. In 30 minutes only 2 cars passes us going in the correct direction and neither stopped. We watched the shuttle pass a few times but we really wanted to save some money. Eventually the shuttle stopped by us and asked I we wanted a ride. We managed to smooth talk our way into taking the shuttle for $4 in total. Or maybe we just looked pathetic enough. Either way we got a heap ride into town.Once at the resort we did laundry, ate pizza (that's becoming a tradition), and went to pick up our mail drops. My mail drop was huge! There was so much yummy food inside and my parents added to it which was awesome. Maine-iac's maildrop wasn't at the lodge so she had to resupply at the over priced general store. Trying to it all that food in my pack was ridiculous, I would have bounced some forward but the post office was closed. I think my pack was pushing 50 lbs mostly from food. Okay, that is an exaggeration but it was still really heavy. Maine-iac helped by carrying the sugar wafers for me and we later demolished them at the shelter.We all hiked an easy 1.1 miles to the shelter, the "Fontana Hilton". It was full too which is impress since it holds a ton of people. There was a bathroom with showers and automatic flub toilets. The auto flush startled me a couple times. At the shelter we stuffed ourselves with yummy cookies and wafers and had a dinner that we weren't that hungry for. I'm sleeping on the top level of the shelter which means I am going to have a difficult time getting out early in the morning. But it is my first time sleeping on the top.Tomorrow we cross he dam and enter into the Smokies. It's supposed to be a difficult climb but I know I can do it, I have to do it, I don't have a choice. I hope there is as much trillium in the Smokies as there was coming down the mountain today. It's all starting to bloom and it is beautiful.