morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-05-18
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: overcast clouds

First out of the shelter again, but not before daylight. I'd set my alarm for 5:00 & tried to waken Hatchet & Pretzel, as they'd requested. Not very successful, but I tried again about 6:00 & then left. It was mostly downhill at first, during which I met an older couple, whom I saw off & on all day. We had lunch together at Spring Mtn. Shelter; then from Rich Mtn. they took a side trail back to their car. I saw them later in town.For a little bit before Rich Mtn. & for much of the way between there & Hot Springs, there was evidence of the forest fire several weeks ago. By the time I got to the ridge overlooking the town, I could see that the fire must have been particularly hot there. Rather than just burning out the leaves on the forest floor & damaging woody vegetation, but leaving the big trees, in this area the fire actually burned full-grown trees & destroyed Trail structures like log water-bars & timbers along the sides of the trail. It must have been quite spectacular to view such a big fire just across the river from the town!Just past Tanyard Gap [where the fire must have crossed 4-lane U.S. Rt.25], I saw some tents in a grassy area. A woman was all excited to see such an old-looking hiker because her husband, over 70, wanted to do a thru-hike. I gave her info to contact me. A little later, I met the husband, skinny-dipping in the pond [She had said he was out looking for water].Hikers met on the Trail today: Polar Bear, Woodstock, Rabbit, Monte Cristo, Mohican, Giggles, Snow-white, Panama Jake, Right Lane, Pooch, Monkey-legs, Jem, Tron, Cumjoe, "Clarity, the Movie Star" & her son, Exterminator, Colt 45, Dawdler, Gravy, Turtle-goat, Grits, Pad-foot, Wild-Man.I had made a reservation for Elmer's hostel for tomorrow night; so I camped along the river. But first I went into town [just across the river] & had supper at a restaurant.
Date: 2016-05-19
From: Hot Springs

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I camped near a spot along the river where a recent, multi-trunked, oak blow-down was blocking the trail. That way, I could work on it without even packing up my tent first. I got everything cleared in 3/4 hour except the biggest trunk [which could be walked over easily] & headed into town to have breakfast at the Smoky Mtn. Diner. Met a couple of thru-hikers there. Going across the street to Elmer's Sunnybank Inn, I learned I was too early to check in, but I could leave my pack there.The rest of the day was spent at the library, the laundromat, & buying a few items of food to supplement the big packages I picked up from the post office. It's a small town, but very convenient to hikers, since the AT goes right thru the middle, with markers in the sidewalks. After getting checked in to the hostel, I was able to find someone who was willing to pay me a reasonable price for my slightly-used [4-1/2 days] Hyperlite backpack. Now I can revert to the Z-Pak that I've gotten used to. That's a relief! It was a nice pack, about the same weight as mine; but the side pockets are harder to get into with the pack on, I didn't like the pack fabric being directly on my back [like my old Go-Lite Gust], the slick fabric is hard to grab ahold of, & there aren't as many straps or points to tie things on the outside. At least I had sufficient time to compare them.I was disappointed that there was no supper at the hostel, but another dinner at the Iron Nugget wasn't bad. Then I returned to finish up my sorting ¢ lots of stuff to send on or send home, while taking enough to get me thru the Smokies. I'm beginning to realize that I'm getting toward the end of my hike. Only a couple more weeks, which I'm sure will go fast. I'm both ready to be done & regretting the ending.
Date: 2016-05-20
From: Hot Springs

To: Walnut Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Didn't get out till 11:15.   It's not easy to get an early start if you get Elmer's breakfast!Next I did some more sorting & packing for the post office, & did a little more work at the library. I wasn't doing much on Trailjournals; mostly, I was trying to figure out problems with my phone.New insoles & clean socks felt good on the feet on the long slow uphill out of town. Just a few miles to Deer Park Mtn. Shelter, a nice place where I had lunch. Then the big climb of the day was Bluff Mtn., up 2000 feet in 3 miles.Quite shady now with the leaves out on all the trees. Soon I'll probably start hoping that the wind finds its way down to trail level. Actually, there was a lot of wind coming up out of Hot Springs, but that decreased as the day went on. It seemed like very easy Trail, and both legs were feeling really good.Just a few sprinkles where I'd been, but further South there must have been more rain [meeting people with pack covers on].Pack feels good ¢ I'm back to my Z-pack and got rid of a few things; so it looks like it's about 35 pounds on the scale at the hostel, which showed me to be 158, which is more than some of the scales have shown.I bought some extra padding for the shoulder steps and waist belt at trail days. Trying that out today ¢ I guess it feels good, although probably the main change is pack weight.The rain started for me around 5:00. At one point I slipped on a root & landed in vegetation beside the trail. I was thankful it wasn't poison ivy; however, it turned out there were some stinging nettles in there. Oh well, that doesn't last as long as poison ivy. Met on Trail: Bullet [11 days out of Springer!!!], Spudnik, No name, Joe, D.C., Goddess, Boss, some section-hikers, Mahi, Miles, Tao, Ballou, 5 more section-hikers, Tin-man, Newman, McQueen, another 5 section-hikers (it's Friday!), Mtn Goat, Stillwater, No name, Malverna,  4 more section-hikers. With the rain continuing, many of them warned me about the next shelter I was heading toward: Walnut Mtn Shelter. They said it faced right into the weather & it might be better to camp behind or somewhere before or after it.
Date: 2016-05-21
From: Walnut Mtn Shelter

To: Green Corner Road
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm posting these notes in rough form before the phone deletes them. Walnut Mtn. is not a very nice shelter. There's little chinking between the logs; so the wind comes right through, even in the part that is partially enclosed & should offer some protection. There are slats missing from the floorboard so the wind comes up thru the floor as well.I probably should have set up my tent in the shelter (even tho it was wet already), since I was the only one there. Everybody else had rejected the shelter in favor of tenting somewhere down the hill, even in the rain. There was rain off and on most of the night. Lots of dripping on the metal roof, of course, and the rain started up again just as I was getting ready to leave at 7:00. It continued for maybe a half hour, then dripped some more.Quarter hour trail work this morning; about the same yesterday; 34 hour the day before; and 12 hour the day before that. That's about all for Carolina Mountain Club territory. They do a good job, except that the blazing on top of Max Patch leaves a lot to be desired. Met on the trail: 2 section hikers, Nor'easter, Moose, Shade, Xena, 6 or 8 day-hikers along the way (It's Sat.) Merlin, Pippin, Elba, Broken Arrow, 3 older section-hikers, Granite-Stater, Stitch (on his third thru-hike). I switched back to the Sawyer filter for this part of the trip to save weight, but it does take more time to do all that squeezing. None of my phone chargers seem to be working today overnight with either cord. I thought I had gotten past that problem somehow, Wonder if it's some kind of software problem.Felt really good walking in the late afternoon, both up & down Snowbird Mtn. I did 2.5 miles uphill in 1.5 hours, then 4.1 the rest of the way in 2 hours, to finish out a 20-mile day at about 9:30.I decided to stay at Standing Bear Hostel, partly to get my phone charged up & partly to avoid carrying a wet tent into the National Park. The cabin cost $5.00 more than the bunk room, but I had the place to myself. Off to the Smokies!            9/10 done!
Date: 2016-05-22
From: Green Corner Road

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: light rain

Starting up from the highway, I met: Works-Hard, Moon, passed by 3 young women just starting a section, Shanks, 3 who passed while I was on the phone, plus four Section hikers, Flash, Broken-Gear, Monkey-Foot, Started on Trail at 1:50, after spending all morning getting to church in Newport. Attended the latest service in town by the time I got there. Passed Presbyterian, Episcopal, and Lutheran churches with services in progress. It would have been nice to have gone to Holy Trinity Lutheran on Trinity Sunday, but the service was half over or more. It was a Confirmation service at the Methodist Church, and then Paul      took me all the way back to the trail and kindly bought me lunch on the way.Once I got up high enough to get reception, I made some phone calls. Then I made tremendous time going up the rest of the mountain! Yesterday, I thought it was record time to go that fast DOWNhill. Today, I went UPhill at most 2 mph. Am I finally getting my "Trail Legs" after more than 1900 miles! We'll see. I stopped at Cosby Knob Shelter as intended. I was too late to get a space in the shelter, so I tented a bit down the hill. I got a pretty level spot, but some who came in after me had more trouble finding one. Actually, the shelters don't seem very desirable. I'm usually fine with shelters, but in the Smokies they hang heavy tarps over the front. I can't help thinking the dank, dark air inside transmits a lot of diseases. I was told they don't remove the tarps for another week.
Date: 2016-05-23
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Icewater Springs Shelter
Miles today: 19.8

I was one of the first awake, but others started moving soon. The Ridge-runner was up ¢ she's from some place I have a connexion with, but now I don't remember her name. In fact, I seem to have lost all names from this morning. My phone used up more battery making phone calls yesterday than I knew, & now my chargers aren't working again.In the afternoon I met Barefootn, Sparrow, Raven, Cowboy, 3 section-hikers, CiCi, Fixture, Fathers-Day, Otter, Guru, Highlander, Tinder, Marisa.I had my first lunch at Tri-Corner Knob Shelter & my second at Bradley's View, a major view-point, later in the afternoon. I put out my tent to dry at the shelter, & then 3 section-hikers arrived [I later discovered that I had lost most of my tent-pegs there]. I didn't stop at Pecks Corner Shelter because it's 12 mile off the Trail. In late afternoon, I visited Charley's Bunion, & shortly after I thought I saw a small & a larger bear digging in the ground a bit down the slope. I couldn't get a picture, & a few minutes later a hiker I met thought it was more likely wild hogs. I don't know. They both dig things up this time of year. Lots of ups downs all afternoon, leading up to a corner of Mt. Kephart, where Icewater Spring Shelter is.I arrived just at dusk, & there was one space left for me. I got set up & then cooked some Ramen noodles as darkness fell. This shelter was nearly full, but didn't have a tarp.
Date: 2016-05-24
From: Ice Water Springs Shelter

To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I thought I was one of the first awake in the shelter, but by the time I returned from the privy it appeared that almost everyone was up to get pictures of the sunrise. This is certainly one of the best shelters on the Trail for that. I WAS the first out on the Trail, initially downhill 3 miles to Newfound Gap. On the way down, I met Achilles, BASA, 2 section-hikers, 8 day-hikers, & 6-7 headed for Mt LeConte, a very popular, short, backpack trail in the Park. At the gap, there are restrooms without sinks, drinking fountains, or electrical outlets [which I needed]. There were a lot of cars in the parking lot. There's also the monument to the Anna Rockefeller Foundation, which donated $5 Million of the $10-12 Million needed in the mid-1930s to get the land bought for the National Park [trying to get it before ALL the trees were logged!].The AT from the Gap to Clingman's Dome is probably the most rugged in the Park. Steep at times, alternately rocky & muddy, with lots of trail structures designed to help. That went fairly slowly, & the day got quite hot by the time I reached the top. Part-way up, I was told there was Trail Magic at the place where the AT came out to the road to Clingman's, but when I got there, there was nothing. On the way up, I met 3 section-hikers, Magenta, Kool-Aid [Cols], Train, Mike & Dick, Shadow, plus several groups of day-hikers. At the top, I met a group of thru-hikers, including Bites, Blazes, Sass, Cowboy, Lightning. The last one was from Austria, as were 3 others I met later in the day: 3-Coins, Pixie, Turtle.I'd never gone to the visitors center before, so I took the 12-mile jaunt down a paved trail. I thought maybe they had a snack-bar, but they didn't have much besides information about the Park. I was able to charge my phone somewhat, & then begin the much harder trek back up the steep grade, in the hot sun, amongst crowds of tourists.Well, I couldn't leave without going up the observation tower & taking some pictures. They do have boards that tell what features you are looking at in each direction. I was surprised to find out that Fontana Lake is less than 10 miles as the crow flies [ 33 via AT!], & Shuckstack, the last Mtn. in the Smokies, is 16 [28 via AT].One good thing about Clingman's Dome being the highest point on the AT is the it's largely downhill from there ¢ at least most of this afternoon! Just a little up-tick for Silers Bald (which isn't so bald any more). I only met one day hiker on this segment, plus the 3 Austrians. AT Doublespring Gap Shelter [it has a spring in each direction off the ridge]. I stopped to cook supper & met 4-5 thru-hikers, whose names I seem to have forgotten. Then it was less than 2 miles to Silers Bald Shelter. I was able to get a space in the Shelter, but tenting might have been better ¢ my air matress seems to be leaking.
Date: 2016-05-25
From: Silers Bald Shelter

To: Molly's Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm meeting more hikers without trail names [too early in their hike, I suppose, or not in with a group that insists on it], 3 of them early in the day, Shuckstack (helped with blowdown), Whiskey Priest, Chipotle, Maxiped (SOBO from Ger), Jingle Bells & 19, Mississippi Tom, No-Way & Skittles (Guat), 2-Day, Treebeard. I stopped at Derrick Knob Shelter to eat & get water & met another couple without names. After my Trail work but before Spence Field, I met a hiker from England & couple of day-hikers on Rockytop. At Molly's Ridge were many hikers, including Taxi (Ger), Bean, Chuckles & Tagalong, Purple Heart. I had met Purple Heart in Virginia ¢ she's hiking in memory of military comrades who didn't survive. I met Chuckles at "the Barn" in Maine last Summer. Now she's hiking with her mother, at least for a while.Spence Field is a shelter where a bear attacked someone in his tent a couple of weeks ago. The tent is still there, but they now have the area surrounded by an electric fence in case someone wants to stay there. Someone was there, but I didn't meet him. Russell Field Shelter simply says not to stay there except in emergency. Both of those areas, as the names imply, used to be farmed fields ¢ there's still a lot of grass among the trees. It's really nice trail & slightly downhill between Spence Field and Russell Field, the closed shelter, Spence Field being the one with electric fence. I'd like to know where the electricity comes from, but I didn't investigate. 2.9 miles in just about 1 hour ¢ that's the fastest I've gone this whole hike let's see how fast I can do the remaining 2.5 miles, which does involve a substantial climb after some level stuff. It turned out to be 3.3 miles (inconsistent signs) in 80 minutes, or 2.5 mph. I do get some of my best speeds late in the day, at least if I've had enough to eat during early afternoon. About 112 hours of trail work today, a little bit this morning and then 2 good-sized blow-downs right together about a mile South of Derrick Knob Shelter. I had a little help on one from Whiskey Priest and then we had a very interesting theological/political discussion. Of course that made me a bit late for the afternoon walk, especially when I figured out that the last 10 miles was actually going to be 12.I'm tenting because of my air mattress leak. Quite a large group in & around the Shelter. I still haven't seen any bears.
Date: 2016-05-27
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Stecoah Gap
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: few clouds

1/2 hour Trail work in first mile (otherwise, that first mile is nice new Trail).Up at 6:00; out by 7:10. This is an easy shelter to get going in because it has benches outside you can sit on and have breakfast and arrange your pack without disturbing others. 4 hikers from Athens Georgia had come in just before midnight & were amongst the first to leave. I suppose they got off after work and drove up here, because they just came barreling down from the parking lot. They weren't unusually noisy, but they really didn't know how to be quiet either. I was already getting up so they didn't bother me much. I guess there were about 12 people in the shelter including a doctor & his wife who had been sitting around for a few days waiting for his leg issue to resolve. With that many people, there was lots of snoring, none of it terribly loud ¢ in fact, the loudest one, Boston, was much quieter after a few hours. I've noticed that snorers tend to be loudest when they're first going to sleep and can quiet down considerably (if not entirely) before morning.It was not a good night's sleep. I was unable to get my hips comfortable all night, but they don't hurt this morning -- it's my ribs that do. I had tried using my tent for cushioning but it has so many clips and pieces of webbing and zippers that it's not very soft Going up the first big hill, I noticed there are a lot fewer views of the lake & the dam compared to early April when I came thru before. Hikers need to get through the Smokies by the middle of April -- then you'll have views all the way up to Shenandoah National Park. Southbound is more iffy because the first few hundred miles in the North are primarily evergreens. Also, when I was coming down this long set of switch backs 3 years ago, there were lots and lots of wildflowers in early April, increasing as I went down the mountain; but they are all gone now. 3 hours to go and first four and a half miles out to the first top of the Mountain. That's not too bad and that's after deducting for Trail work. Elevation gained about 2500 feet I think.Met on Trail: 2 overnighters`\, Princess Peach, Spruce Lee, NN (Toledo), Sunshine & DB, Snack-pack. Sideways and Wrong-Way, Twinkle Toes, Born-with-snakes, Paul and Paul, Tie-Dye & Wild Mane, 3 section hikers, Archer, we can, Goat-Wilder, Neck-Bone, Kemo-Sabi. At the first Shelter: 3 recent U Tenn grads, At the second Shelter: Hoot the Incredible, The Unbreakable Kelly  Those last 2 have me a number for Lonnie, who rents rooms to hikers. I obviously wasn't going to make it to Cheaoh bald; so that's where I ended up for the night.
Date: 2016-05-28
From: Stecoah Gap

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: clear sky

I went to breakfast with Lonnie at the nearby restaurant, & then he took me back to the Trail at Stecoah Gap (leaving a bag of bananas as trail magic).Meeting fewer hikers now (& more poison ivy). Didn't expect to see anyone early, since there are no campsites nearby; but then I met Windy, who had hammocked (They can set up in all kinds of odd places). Then 2 section-hikers, Rxer, 4 more sectioners, Wounded Knee & IPA, 2 with no names, McRea, Caleb, Blood. At Cheoah Knob, 4 week-enders plus 2 day-hikers. Coming down, Bearanoid & her two "cubs", Hazmat, 5 more weekenders, Mary Poppins,then 8 more heading for that same shelter then 4 thru-hikers: Hazmat (another one), Kangaroo, 2 Without names, Mama Bear (Can), son Limp, Bearbait, Vulture, & at bunkhouse, Puck, Kog. Halfway down the long hill (referred to as "Jacob's Ladder"), I was passed by SOBO Maxipede [He stayed a bit at Fontana Lodge]. Trail work: 1/2 hour coming up north side of the Cheoah Bald ¢ mostly a dead Rhododendron encroaching on the trail. They really need to get somebody up here trimming. They've done a lot of nice work to restore some parts of the trail, but if the vegetation keeps pushing people off to the edge there's going to be a lot more to do. A rainy day like yesterday would have been a good day to do it because then you can see what hangs over the trail when it's wet.Coming down from the knob felt like a lot of downhill getting to the Sassafras Gap shelter, six tenths of a mile, then it went up again. I wasn't expecting that. I didn't remember that Swim Bald, where I'd camped 3 years ago, is a bit higher than the shelter. I didn't realize then that I was only 30 or 40 minutes from the shelter. However, that had been a long afternoon on a hot, 80 degree day in April with no shade. Today, we at least had shade, a little breeze, & I was going downhill. Mostly, the Trail was more rugged [rocky ups and downs] than I remembered.After some hesitation & getting a good supper, I checked in to the bunkroom at Nantahala Outdoor Center. They've done a lot of rehab of bunks & showers; so it's actually quite nice. The outfitters were very helpful with trying to help patch my air mattress, but they didn't have the package Susan had sent here. I'll have to check on that in the morning.
Date: 2016-05-29
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 5.9
Weather: scattered clouds

I got up early, packed up, & went down the hill to the outfitters. On the way, I dipped my air mattress in the river again & verified that it continues to leak around the various patches. They had no more suggestions on that, but I did get to go into their storeroom to find my package [filed under Handerson, not Anderson]. I took it with me to the restaurant to sort out what to keep & what to send on ahead. Only then did I discover that a mouse had gotten into the box & chewed on a package of trail mix and an energy bar. That wouldn't have been surprising if I had noticed the big hole chewed in one corner! They gave me a couple of free energy bars as compensation.After eating, I left my pack at the outfitters & set out to hitchhike the 20 miles to St. Andrew's Lutheran Church in Andrews, NC. That's where I had gone for Easter services 3 years ago. I knew that Pastor Simmons had retired in the meantime, but I still wanted to return, & it's a straight shot up the highway that goes thru NOC [It was much more complicated to get there from Neal Gap last time]. My first ride was only about 5 miles to a major fishing spot, but it didn't take long to get another ride. They were heading to Kentucky but had grown up in this area & talked about who had lived in various houses along the way. They were willing to take me all the way to the church, commenting on how much downtown Andrews had improved since they last were there. I was early for the service, so I got to talk to the organist. For many years, he's been commuting 70 miles each way to play here every Sunday. He told me that the current interim pastor [who also commutes a long way] really liked liturgy, & that the church had even been able to add a couple of ranks of pipes to the organ in the last year or two. People were very friendly, the service was uplifting, & the pastor & her husband took me out to dinner at the Japanese restaurant before driving me back to the Trail. They always drive thru Nantahala Gorge on their way home.After re-packing & mailing the stuff I didn't need, I got on the Trail a little after 4:00. The first shelter was much too soon [3/4 mile] ¢ I went on to the second. It was a long uphill on which I didn't meet many hikers. There are some good views back at the gorge. There were several people at Wesser Bald Shelter, but there was still room for me, so I had supper & settled in.