morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-03-16
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Wolfpen Gap Country Store at Suches
Miles today: 5.3

Tent kept me dry through rain. I slept long and well and woke up refreshed. Figuring out how to Pack in the rain without getting me or gear wet was a time taking process. Succeeded pretty well but did not get on the trail until noon. The tent was wet and would have been a miserable dwelling tonight if I had not been able to dry it out at the hostel.Hike in the rain and sleet was pretty comfortable, but sweat soaked my clothes. Shower, clothes washing & hot meal at hostel were all great.Tomorrow I need to make 11 miles over Blood Mountain in the rain to Walasi-yi Center & hostel because bear canisters are required at the shelters for 5 miles before the hostel
Date: 2014-03-17
From: Wolfpen Gap Country Store at Suches

To: Walasi-yi Center at Neel Gap
Miles today: 10.6

Breakfast & packing in the run took longer than I wanted; so I got a late start for my longest day so far. Drizzled all day so I nibbled snacks and did not stop for lunch. I managed the short climb over Big Cedar Mountain OK, but later in the day any significant uphill required 30 to 50 steps followed by a hiking pole or tree supported rest of 10 to 15 deep breaths. And this was before the climb over Blood Mountain, the highest point on the trail in GA. The climb over Blood exhausted me. The trail down was a wet and muddy rock scramble that was much easier than going up, but precarious on my tired and wobbly legs. The climb for south bound hikers is much more difficult than the north bound route that wore me out.The Walasi-yi Center is as picturesque as the photo books make it look, even in a cold mist. Unfortunately all the hikers that passed me through the day had filled the hostel to capacity. When I hobbled in the door Baltimore Jack, the staff member on duty recognized a tragic case, sat me down and stuck a plate of salad and spaghetti in my hands and explained that cabins were available to rent a short way down the mountain. Blood Mountain Cabin office was closed, but proprietor got up, welcomed me and sent me to check with a couple of other hikers who could not get in the hostel. They were either asleep or out visiting when I found their cabin and knocked; so I ended up renting a lovely cabin alone which I was too tired to appreciate. I will bring May Louise back to the Cabins to properly enjoy the atmosphere.Although I was miserable, rain pants and other gear worked well.
Date: 2014-03-18
From: Walasi-yi Center at Neel Gap

To: Tesnatee Gap & Helen GA
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up rested from night in Blood Mountain Cabin to a beautiful day with clouds-resting-in-the-valley view, but still felt exhausted and had to talk to myself to start walking again even though the day was short and May Louise was waiting for me at the end. Day was misty with a little sleet at the highest exposed ridges, but generally pleasant. I did not use or need rain pants.Calculated that I had been traveling at 45 minutes per mile and needed May Louise to meet me at 4:30 at Tesnatee Gap where the trail touches the road. To my surprised I arrived exactly at 4:30 really looking forward to crawling into a warm car and getting a hot shower. To my dismay May Louise was not in the parking area. Fortunately we had phone service and she answered from the trail-crossing parking area where she was dutifully waiting for me and wanted to know how I managed to go to the wrong location.Another fellow in her parking lot noticed her distress, talked with me to confirm my location, and gave May Louise directions how to find me a mile away.Shortly after a white van pulled up beside me and my pack. An apologetic fellow hopped out and shouted at me to call my wife quick and tell her to turn around. As soon as May Louise pulled away he realized that he had pointed her in the wrong direction.Turns out he was Sir Packs A Lot, an AT guide and trainer. I had watched some of his training videos. He was posting notices for his new hostel on the GA State line. I will plan on staying with him in 5 days.By 5:30 ML got back up the Mountain, found me and took me to a comfortable motel room in picturesque Helen and fed me a delicious German meal at a local restaurant.
Date: 2014-03-19
From: Tesnatee Gap & Helen GA

To: Helen, GA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: mist

Slept well but episodically with wild series of dreams which I made an effort to remember so I could entertain May Louise with them when we woke up.In addition to washing gear, calling boys, and catching up Journal, we returned to Walasi-yi Center to make some gear changes. Their whole store is stocked to serve AT hikers. The staffer talked me out of one intended purchase and confirmed that although he was out of stock the collapsible pee bottle I wanted existed.The recommendations from other hikers on the value of rest days is accurate. When May Louise picked me up I was not sure I had the stamina or enthusiasm for the project to go much further. After a day's rest I was looking forward to getting back to the adventure.
Date: 2014-03-20
From: Tesnatee Gap & Helen GA

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: few clouds

In spite or our intentions I still did not get out of the car and back on the trail until 11:00 am. Spent some time after breakfast unsuccessfully trying to post pictures to this Journal. Longest day's hike so far, but other than a steep mile climb at the beginning was a relatively easy section. For a number of miles the trail followed a gently climbing old roadbed with carefully laid stonework at sharp bends.The number of hikers passing me on the trail has thinned out, but still the only people I pass are southbound hikers and an occasional person who has stopped on the trail.On sections without a steep climb or rock scrambles I am moving at 30 minutes per mile.The trail profile made the last two miles of the day appear to be a gentle downhill slope. Instead it is a rugged downhill rock scramble that was somewhat precarious on my tired and wobbly legs.I envisioned hiking the trail as an opportunity for reflection. On these sections there is no opportunity for reflection Your eyes are on the ground and you are focused on where you put your foot for the next step so you don't fall and break your neck. I have not suffered any falls yet, but my day is coming.Focusing on your feet can cause you to miss the view around you. Day was beautiful with vistas to distant mountains along much of the trail.Trail guide said I would pass a spring and arrive at the shelter in 0.1 mile. After the spring I came to a group of campers and their tents. They told me the shelter was full and invited me to join them.Got my tent up and supper started before dark, but had to finish eating and hang my first bear bag in the dark.The shelters have bear cables where you release a catch and lower the cable through a suspended pulley to attach your food bag. In the woods you have to throw a line over a tree. Given my inexperience, poor throwing skills, and the dark, no self respecting bear would have been deterred by my flimsy bear bag hang, but happily no self respecting bear came by to try.Night felt cold, but I stayed relatively comfortable.
Date: 2014-03-21
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Unicoi Gap, GA 75 & Hiawassee, GA
Miles today: 2.9

Woke to another beautiful clear day.Was the last camper to clear camp.Since I was not at the shelter with a privy, I had my first experience playing bear in the woods. Managed not to embarrass myself.Found that I was about a half mile from the Blue Mountain Shelter instead of just below it as I had thought. I realized my error after hiking a while without seeing the shelter then passing a second spring. I had phone service so was able to tell May Louise I would be a half hour late meeting her at the road crossing.Finally passed a hiker. Terry & Travis are a father & son team. The son is though hiking. Terry explained that his goal is to hike 100 pounds off his body and then decide whether to continue walking or to become his son's sag wagon.Trail magic coke at the highway from a young fellow who used his through hike to change his career from forensic accounting to nursing.May Louise took me to the top of Brasstown Bald where I could see the peaks of the mountains I had hiked. Vista was beautiful and I was impressed. We will want to come back and take our time looking. Since I had organizing work to do, she forwent her plans for us to visit some ancient rock wall carvings she had learned about. Yesterday she and a good visit to the Campbell Folk School where she had spent time while I was in Vietnam.Got schedule laid out and food drop boxes for May Louise to leave at my next two stops.I am apprehensive about her leaving and a scheduled section two days from now of 4 days hiking without access to a bail-out road if I get cold, wet or exhausted.
Date: 2014-03-22
From: Unicoi Gap, GA 75 & Hiawassee, GA

To: Swag of the Blue Ridge
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: overcast clouds

After night in Hiawassee, May Louise returned me to Unicoi Gap to continue the hike   She will visit our son Nathan in Asheville then continue on to Baltimore to sit with a friend's husband while she undergoes cancer surgery. Her departure was emotional both because I will not see her for a few weeks and because I am losing the comfort of having her nearby to bail me out if I got in trouble.I got a call through to her from the trail. She had made it to Asheville after visiting Hinton Rural Life Center where she worked the year I was in Vietnam. Nathan has been involved in some more outdoors heroics. While he and his friend Michelle Trudeau were rock climbing, she took a fall and injured herself pretty severely. Nathan got her off the cliff and to the hospital.I was apprehensive about today's hike. Rain was predicted for this afternoon/evening and tomorrow. I wanted to get as far as possible today to shorten my hike in the rain tomorrow. The goal was the Deep Gap Shelter 13.1 miles from my start at Unicoi Gap. The day started with 5 miles of almost continuous climbing over Rocky Mountain & Tray Mountain. I reached the summit of Tray with Green Lantern, a recent High School graduate from Illinois who is doing a through hike to decide what to do next with his life. The day was clear & beautiful. We took pictures of each other with the vista in the background. Met and thanked proud trail maintenance volunteers on the way up who assured me that the new stone steps down the backside of Rocky Mountain would "knock my socks off". I repaid them with the engineer misdirected to hell story. This afternoon met another pair of maintenance volunteers cutting a tree blown down across the trail with a two-man crosscut saw.   They explained they had to do the work the old fashioned way because power tools are not allowed in the National Forest Wilderness Area. I bet the fellow who made that rule has not spent much time on an end of a crosscut saw.I did not make my goal, and even if I had pressed on the shelter probably would be filled with hikers who passed me. My knee started hurting on down slopes, so I stopped at 5:30 to have 2 hours of daylight to set camp & cook supper. I did not come to a campsite; so I am trying my first night of bush whacking. I thought I was about 10.5 miles from Unicoi Gap; so I would have a short hike of less than 6 miles tomorrow to the new hostile. The next morning I discovered that I had stopped just a few hundred yards from The Swag of the Blue Ridge and had only hiked 9.3 miles.
Date: 2014-03-23
From: Swag of the Blue Ridge

To: Dick's Creek Gap & Top of Georgia Hostel
Miles today: 7.4

Lucked out and got through the night without rain. Got up before sunrise, ate breakfast, and packed up while everything was still dry. Morning was too misty for a sunrise, but early light through the mist was still pretty. Climbs through the morning were steeper than I had anticipated. Until the rain started I had some nice vistas with clouds sleeping in the valleys.Rain was cold, but not heavy. My rain gear kept me comfortable. It is easy to lose critical gear on the trail. After a rest stop at Addis Gap I got a way up the climb out of the gap before I noticed my hands were getting cold & wet. I had left my waterproof over mittens on the log I sat on for a snack break and had to backtrack to recover them.On the downhills from Kelly Knob to Dicks Creek Gap my left knee stared hurting. It had bothered me a little at the end of the day the previous two days, but today I walked final two hours of downhill with a clumsy stiff-legged gait to favor it. Reached Top of Georgia Hostel about 2:30. By then the sky's had cleared and the rest of the day was beautiful. As always getting out of cold sweaty clothes and taking a hot shower felt wonderful. On the final downhill stretch talked with an experienced hiker with 1000+ miles completed who was abandoning his through hike because of knee pain.I decided that the only prudent option is to take a couple of days off to rest my knee. May Louise rearranged her schedule to pick me back up and take me to Nathan's in Asheville. The break may let me miss a projected cold spell and will let me have a potential dental problem fixed. Last night I noticed that hot food and pressure caused a tooth to hurt. Bob "Sir Packs a Lot" Gabrielsen's Top of Georgia Hostel is a great new hikers resource just 12 mile west from the trail's crossing of US 76 at Dick's Creek Gap. Bob provided a restful afternoon in a beautiful setting, a delicious meal, some experienced counsel, and a restful night's sleep.
Date: 2014-03-24
From: Dick's Creek Gap & Top of Georgia Hostel

To: Asheville
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

ML picked me up Monday morning at Top of Georgia Hostel. In addition to visiting with Nathan and her before she went back home, my agenda was to rest my left knee and to get a sensitive tooth checked.   May Louise had had a great couple of days visiting with Nathan and Dylan and visiting places around Hinton Rural Life Center where she worked with Harold McSwain while I was in Vietnam.   Her visits included the Highlander Folk School where we discovered Dylan Babb and her dad had taught. We had lunch with ML's Hinton workmates Gladys Campbell & Judy Matheny. They have retired to Lake Junaluska and took us to a delightful seafood restaurant. Judy, who is so reserved that it is difficult to get to know her has recently finished a 25 year project of section hiking the whole appalachian trail and shared a few of her wonderful collection of stories about her adventure.We went to REI in Asheville for a few critical pieces of equipment while we waited for Nathan to get off work. Most important was a collapsible pee bottle so the old man does not have to crawl out of the tent or shelter multiple times on a cold night.Nathan was tired. He is putting in extra hours because his school is up for an accreditation visit next week and all the staff is feeling the pressure, but he took time to tell in detail the story Nathan of Michelle Truday's rock climbing fall last weekend and his rescue work getting her off the cliff and to the hospital. Michele was above him and he was manning the safety ropes from a shelf on the cliff below and to the side of her. As she was attaching a safety retainer, a "microwave size" piece of rock broke off causing her to fall and dangle below him. The safety attachment held and she did not hit anything as she fell, but as the rock passed her it half severed one of the two ropes holding her and took a serious gash out of her leg. Michele had the training and presence of mind to tie a compress around her leg to stop the bleeding. He got her lowered to the ground and Bomber helped her hobble down the Mountain back toward the car while Nathan climbed to retrieve the car keys and got himself off the cliff. The story of the accident and rescue is dramatic, but I found gut wrenching the fact that the first thing Nathan heard Michele say after she screamed, fell, and saw her exposed shinbone shining through the blood was "I don't have insurance." At the hospital the friend Nathan rescued a few years ago with a broken collar bone after a similar rock climbing fall was on duty as an anesthesiology technician and helped with Michelle's treatment.
Date: 2014-03-25
From: Asheville

To: Asheville
Miles today: 0.0

Woke up to vistas of beautiful snow covered mountains. Very happy to be seeing them from inside the car.Gladys Campbell had arranged an appointment for me with her dentist, Dr. Read L. Patten in Lake Juneluska. Dr. Patten was considerate, thorough, and took the time to visit with me at length. Instead of the cavity I expected him to find he said that uneven wear of old caps was putting pressure on one tooth. The resulting bruising below the tooth raises it making it subject to more pressure. He ground the high point down, recommended I get the rest of my teeth cleaned when I get off the trail and explained that the old caps where the enamel top layer had worn down to the second layer will need to be monitored.May Louise and had lunch again with Gladys & Judy. Judy's stories included starting back the wrong way after a night's rest and having a butterfly reassure her and her hiking partner that an intimidating river crossing was safe to try.We spent part of the afternoon at Asheville's wonderful Malaprops bookstore where I bought a gift copy of "Why Read Moby Dick" for Dylan.After supper downtown with Nathan we went back to his house where he & Dylan Showed us videos and pictures of his canoeing adventure in Mexico and his visit to the archaeology museum in Mexico City and their vacation adventure in Guatemala.
Date: 2014-03-26
From: Asheville

To: Asheville
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

After a delicious breakfast at the West Asheville Bakery, May Louise dropped me off at Nathan's and headed North.I spent the day making up new food bags and re-packing my pack preparing to return to the trail. After some Internet research I purchases a drugstore knee brace to see if it will help control end-of-the-day downhill knee pain. Had a delightful call from Jeff Fleming in Kingsport who has decided to apply to succeed John Campbell as City Manager. I am looking forward to a reference call so I can endorse him. Jeff will be a wonderful choice for the City.Nathan got home tired and late, so we did not get to do the pack review I wanted with him.
Date: 2014-03-27
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Plumorchard Shelter
Miles today: 4.5

Nathan's wonderful girl friend Dylan Babb lent me her old car to return to Dicks Creek Gap. They plan to join me for a day's hike Sunday and to pick up the car. I got back to the Gap later than I had planned. I left my hiking poles at Nathan's and had to return for then and then without a GPS missed a turn and extended my two hour drive through the mountains to three. As a result I cut my planned hike to just 4.4 miles. Although the change put me off schedule, it meant that I could spend the night in a shelter and avoid the challenge of packing a wet tent if the rain starts tonight as predicted.On the drive I composed a generic prayer for civic occasions and for personal commitment: "Father, thank you for the wonder of my life. Guide me to be attentive and to be grateful so that I will share the joy that I observe and so that I will share the blessings I have received with the fellow travelers I meet along the way."The day was beautiful and the short hike did not tire me. I had purchases a cheap knee brace at a drugstore in Asheville and tried it on the last mile of the hike which was a fairly steep downhill stretch. I had no problems with my knee and I think the brace may have made a difference. Next zero day I will take measurements and order better quality braces.I learned a neat story on the trail this afternoon. The fellow with the salt and pepper beard in the picture I will upload is a Georgian originally from Two Egg, Florida in the Panhandle. He is standing with his son-in-law and hiking with a larger family group. The Florida town got its name during the depression when two eggs became the unit of currency in the town's General Store. The practice endured until the 1950's. Two Egg told me "A couple of years ago my dad turned 80 and called to say he wanted to talk to me. I went over with some apprehension, but when we sat down he told me he wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail through Georgia. Well we got him out for some practice walks and over the next year he completed all of Georgia. Shortly after he completed his goal he was diagnosed with cancer. Before he died he told me: 'I really wanted to hike the whole Appalachian Trail, but I started too late.' So now my family and I are working on plans to hike the whole trail in memory of dad,"Plumorchard Gap shelter is a nice new structure. Shared with only two other campers, Spice & Buzz, two through hikers working on building their own stories.
Date: 2014-03-28
From: Plumorchard Shelter

To: Muskrat Creek Shlter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: light rain

The predicted rain started and it drizzled all day. Although my rain gear worked fine, by the end of the day my base layer and shirt were drenched in sweat.Big event of the day was hiking out of GA. If it had been dry I would have looked up the Civil War tune "Marching Through Georgia". It is just as well I did not. I think the tune was the marching song for Sherman's Army and I may have upset some natives. Thankfully I was the last hiker to get a space in the shelter. Setting up my tent in the cold rain as the later arrivals had to do would have been miserable. I hung my wet clothes under the eve of the shelter where I hoped they would dry, but through the night the blowing rain just made them wetter.
Date: 2014-03-29
From: Muskrat Creek Shlter

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 4.9
Weather: light rain

Since the weather prediction was 50% chance of rain and rain possibly ending mid day, I took a chance and put on my dry base layer instead of ringing out the cold and dripping wet one.   It was a poor choice. Again the rain continued all day. I arrived at Standing Indian Shelter in time to get the last slot in the shelter. Later arrivals who did not put up wet tents slept on the ground under the shelter's roofline and table. The night was bitter cold even with the row of hikers laid next to each other like matches. I have quickly learned to sleep with much less wiggling than I normally do. My feet felt like blocks of ice through the first half of the night until I got up and put a chemical heater in each sock.My shelter mates for the last two nights include a middle aged couple from Memphis through hiking for their honeymoon. She is helping her new husband fulfill a lifelong dream. I advised her to think long and hard about what payback she asks for. We awoke to a snow covered landscape, blown snow dusting throughout the shelter, and frozen boots, gloves and wet clothes.
Date: 2014-03-30
From: Sstanding Indian Shelter

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Awakening to snow & frozen boots, gloves and water line with wet clothes,I was not at all confident about my ability to proceed. Although my AT&T phone could not get a signal, a fellow occupant of the shelter had a Verizon phone that did and I was able to reach Nathan who was driving up with Dylan to recover her car and to spend the day hiking with me. I arrange a bailout meeting point on Forest Service Road 71 that dead ends at Deep Gap 0.9 mile back south on the trail 0.9 miles from Standing Indian Shelter. Unfortunately the road was gated 6 miles from the Gap, so we had a 6.9 mile hike out. Happily the day turned nice and the road hike was easy. Nathan, Dylan & a gleeful Bomber walked up and met us half way down the road.There were three other refugees with me, Ing from Vermont & German couple. Nathan & Dylan took all of us to the Sapphire Inn in Franklin where May Louise had left my food resupply box and then we had a delicious Lunch with Nathan, Dylan & Ing.Dylan honored me by wearing a Moby Dick shirt.   Nathan had time to do a quick pack inspection and give some advice before they headed back to Asheville.