morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2021-01-14
From: Stealth campsite near Hightower Gap 

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: clear sky

The forecast for the morning proved to be accurate: Continued crisp and clear. Ahhhh. It was just cold enough to periodically freeze my fingers as I broke camp. I had to keep taking a break to warm them back up. But the anticipation of a really beautiful day in the woods is a powerful thing. I packed up with a big grin on my face.Today's section of trail was only a shade more difficult than yesterday's. North Georgia has a reputation for being a physically difficult place to hike. I don't disagree with that, but the first twenty miles of the AT north of Springer Mountain cover terrain that is actually comparatively easy. The tough stuff will get here soon enough, so I enjoyed today's stroll immensely. And, happily for me inasmuch as I had left my microspikes at home, there were no icy stretches of trail today. Whew.Today was a gorgeous day, and it should have been a tremendously fun day on the trail. Unfortunately, sometimes you encounter people on the trail who take away some of the enjoyment. That happened to me today. That's not a huge deal; it's just the way it is. The trail calls to all kinds of folks, for all kinds of different reasons. There's plenty of room for everyone out here.  Some of the folks whom the trail calls to are hell-bent upon regulating the hikes of the rest of us. Others are equally driven to give unsolicited advice to every other hiker they encounter. I've gotta admit my bias here: These are among my least favorite people on the planet. I view our magnificent hiking trails -- especially this one -- as places where hardworking, taxpaying citizens can go to breathe freely for a moment, without the burden of oppressive intrusion and supervision which they willingly shoulder in their daily lives back home. I see hikers all the time who are working themselves to death and are nearly overwhelmed with stress. They come to the trail to find a tiny ration of peaceful, quiet freedom to reconnect with nature and their own souls. Do we have to take that from them, too? Why can't we agree that they've earned a moment's respite, and just let them be?In 2014 as I was passing through this way for the first time I encountered so many folks gleefully offering up regulatory information and unsolicited advice that I coined the term "North Georgia Advice Givers Association". This is my third time through here, and on only my second day of this hike I can confirm that NGAGA remains quite alive and well. Actually, it appears to be thriving. Ugh.
Date: 2021-01-19
From: Woody Gap

To: Bull Gap
Miles today: 11.8

Nancy (yep, that Nancy!) dropped me off bright and early at Woody Gap and I was off for another short segment of trail. What a beautiful morning, albeit a mite windy. I was eager to get up to Preacher's Rock before the inevitable throng arrived, and it worked. I had the place to myself. This was almost too good to be true. It's a magnificent spot, only a mile from the road, with a mighty fine view to the south. I may never get to pass this way again, so I took my time and tried to absorb as much of it as I could.  I smiled as I passed by Lance Creek and Jarrard Gap, remembering the good and heady times I had while hiking through here in 2014 with my brand new friends. It never fails to amaze me how salient my memories of those days are. If you might perhaps be planning or dreaming of your first thru-hike of this or another of our phenomenal long trails, I wish you the absolute best. Go for it, my friend. Give it your all. I know you can do it.It's fitting that just about that time I came upon Just a Farmer, the first 2021 AT thru-hiker I have met on the trail. What a great guy! He's a farmer from Ohio, a place where I spent a lot of years. He'll hike until April 1 or so, then head home to get his crops planted, and then head back to the trail and try to finish before harvest time. It was such a pleasure to talk to him and experience his effusive enthusiasm for his hike! At this point I am moving a little faster than he is, so I told him where I planned to camp and we said that maybe we'd see each other there.After that it was up and more up to the summit of Blood Mountain, a magnificent beast of a hill. This time of year there are views from all along the ridgetops, so for quite a few miles now I have been looking at the familiar and near-dominant profile of Blood Mountain slowly inching closer. Shortly before the summit the trail became icy and I had to strap on my microspikes -- which, this time, I remembered to bring with me! Then, as I arrived at the top, I saw two other hikers administering first aid to a trail runner who had fallen face-first and gashed her head in two places. She had sprung a couple of leaks but didn't appear to be badly hurt. The others had things well in hand so I wished them all well, took a few pictures, and headed down. It was slick and steep and slow going for the first mile or so, but it was smooth sailing once I got below the snow line and took off my spikes.I'm camped at a spot I don't remember from my prior hikes -- Bull Gap. It's a congenial spot, with plenty of flat area for tenting. It's windy, but then everywhere out here is windy tonight. Just a Farmer hasn't arrived yet, so I hope that I'll get to see him tomorrow. Goodnight you Princes of Maine, you Kings of New England.
Date: 2021-01-20
From: Bull Gap

To: Hogpen Gap
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: scattered clouds

I awoke during the night and was surprised to hear raindrops on my tent. Hmmm. Rain? Wasn't expecting that to happen. Boy, it's got to be so tough to get the forecast right in these mountains. I sure wouldn't want to be a meteorologist around here. People would get pretty cranky at you. But it wasn't raining hard, and I needed to relieve myself, so out I went. Whoa! My headlamp lit up nothing more than one foot from my head -- but it sure did light up that tiny bit! I couldn't see anything but bright white light for one foot, then nothing at all past that. The fog was incredibly dense. From a distance I must have looked like I had a halo. I stood dumbfounded for a moment, as unsure as a deer in headlights. Finally, remembering my purpose, I inched away from my tent, took care of business and then inched back. What a bizarre turn of events.The next time I woke up it was morning. The rain had stopped and the fog was gone. But both had been replaced by a considerable wind. So considerable that my flapping tent was now almost dry. But immediately I could tell that it sure was chilly out there. I emerged from my tent to assess just how cold it had gotten -- and I was immediately greeted by a cheerful "High Loon!" from Just a Farmer! He was camped nearby. All right!! He had stopped off at Mountain Crossings for a pack shakedown, and he arrived at Bull Gap after I had dozed off. It was good to see him again. But it was darn cold. So we spoke for awhile then admitted that we both needed to pack up and get moving before we froze to death. I had planned only a short day today, so it seems unlikely that we'll see each other again. But you never know. Meanwhile -- all the best to you, Just a Farmer. Be safe and hike strong.There were great views all along the ridge today, especially at Wolf Laurel Top and the gorgeous ledges of Cowrock Mountain. But it was brisk up there, to say the least, so I snapped a few quick shots here and there and kept moving. It was good to come down into Hogpen Gap where Nancy was waiting for me with snacks and a big drink and an even bigger smile. Ahhhhh.
Date: 2021-01-23
From: Hogpen Gap

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 14.3

The forecast looked good for today -- but only for today -- so I quickly morphed into slackpacker mode. Get to the trail, get your miles done, get inside for the night. In my view, having this as an option is one of the tremendous benefits of living close to the trail. If that sounds wonderful to you, well, I think so too. These days I live in Fontana Dam, NC, happily nestled among the Southern Appalachians. It's a dream come true for me.Nancy and I dropped off a vehicle at Unicoi Gap, then she ferried me back to Hogpen Gap and I started walking. It was just a shade windy at Hogpen, but the chilly breeze soon gave way to gloriously calm sunshine and warmth. No balaclava today! Yippee!! It was a pretty much perfect day for a walk in the woods. Ahhhhh.Boy, not to sound like a badass -- because if anything, I'm a pure cupcake -- but the miles today were just plain not very difficult. For the AT, this is a mighty congenial stretch of trail. For starters, Hogpen Gap sits pretty far up there at 3461', so there wasn't much climbing to be done. Plus, after I reached Low Gap, the next five miles of trail were situated on an abandoned forest service road -- which always means that the grade of the climbs and descents is modest. If an overladen logging truck can get up or down it, so can I! Okay, after Chattahoochee Gap the trail was back to normal -- roots, rocks, roots, rocks, steep descent into Unicoi Gap -- but by that point I was almost done for the day.The near-constant highlight of the day was the impressive profile of Brasstown Bald off in the distance to the north. It's the highest mountain in Georgia, it was plainly visible all day through the slumbering winter forest, and it sat there beckoning me like a siren. I couldn't quit turning my head to check it out. Ah, maybe someday. I sure hope so.When I got back to Unicoi Gap there were fully thirty cars in the trailhead parking lot. Thirty! Oh my. I hadn't seen anywhere near enough hikers to fill thirty cars. I guess they must have all hiked NOBO, up to Rocky Mountain or Tray Mountain. Boy, the hits just keep on coming, don't they? No wonder we all love this trail so much.
Date: 2021-01-29
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Addis Gap
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

After several days of keeping promises, it's finally time to hike again. Yippee! Early this morning Nancy (yep, that one) ferried me down to Unicoi Gap and off I went. It was a chilly morning, but there was a bounce in my step and I stayed plenty warm.First up was Rocky Mountain which was a fairly long, steep climb. I huffed and puffed aplenty. I descended into Indian Grave Gap then immediately began to climb Tray Mountain. This phenomenon is the epitome of Georgia hiking on the AT -- gap, summit, gap, summit, gap, etc. ad infinitum. Always up or down! Very little flat walking.Tray Mountain is a 4400' monster. That climb, a shade less steep than Rocky Mountain, just kept going! But the feeling and views at the top were good stuff indeed. And then, after coming down from Tray, there was a nice stretch of gently sloped trail called the Swag of the Blue Ridge. Ahhhh. Oh how I love the gently sloped stretches. I'm now myself gently sloped and stretched out in my tent in Addis Gap. It's still broad daylight -- the daylight is definitely beginning to last a tad longer these days -- but I'm bushed. It'll be cold tonight, but there will be a big huge moon and I'll be right here in the middle of the North Georgia woods. It's a good place to be.
Date: 2021-01-30
From: Addis Gap

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 5.5
Weather: clear sky

Oh my. Addis Gap is a fantastic place to spend the night. It would be that way any night of the year, but toss in a full moon and the clear, crisp air of late January and it's just about perfect. Such stillness and quiet. I humbly suggest bringing along a very close companion, though -- it got dang chilly up there all by myself! I slept in three shirts, two pairs of tights, two pairs of socks, gloves, a balaclava and a puffy jacket. And I still woke up twice, feeling cold.    This morning I packed up quickly and started the steep climb up Kelly Knob in order to generate some body heat. It wasn't much of a morning, weather-wise. The clear, crisp air had been replaced by gloomy, dreary gray skies which promised precipitation later in the day. I had only a short distance to hike today, which was a good thing, but I still felt like hurrying so that I could just get it done. Every time I slowed down even a little bit I got chilled. Well, I told you I'm a cupcake. See? There were only six vehicles in the trailhead parking lot at Dick's Creek Gap on this Saturday morning, including that of the bestest shuttle driver and innkeeper ever, Ms. Nancy. These days, six vehicles on a Saturday is an astonishingly low number. That made me feel strangely better -- I guess cupcakes love company. But really my focus was all about getting in the car and turning up the heat full blast. And a short time later, a hot shower at home was just about the most luxuriously simple pleasure I can imagine.
Date: 2021-02-04
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: White Oak Stamp
Miles today: 12.6

For the last several days I've been twiddling my thumbs in Fontana Dam, waiting and hoping for a three-day decent weather window to appear on the forecast. Deep Gap Road is closed in the wintertime, and the USFS road to Mooney Gap and Albert Mountain can be a bit treacherous this time of year. So to keep things simple for Nancy and to avoid lots of bonus road walking miles for me, it's best that I keep moving up the trail until at least Rock Gap. There Nancy can reach me by driving solely on paved and reliably snow-free roads.Yesterday, that window opened. So this morning we drove down to Dick's Creek Gap, where I started walking. In fairly short order I passed Blue Ridge Gap, closing in on the state line. And then, before too much longer, there it was: The long-anticipated GA/NC sign. At last!! It made me feel like dancing. (Well, okay, not really. It was cold and windy, I was burdened by a very full pack of winter gear, and there was no suitable dance partner for miles and miles. But you get the idea.) It feels like I've been in North Georgia for a long time. And now, suddenly, I'm not. Progress, even modest progress, is good.If you've ever hiked the AT NOBO into North Carolina, you'll remember that you were rather rudely greeted with a succession of steep climbs. Well, I can report that as of today that is still the case! I guess erosion, among other things, is fickle. Somehow, in North Carolina the hills are bigger, and the elevations are higher, than those in Georgia. In fact, the trail reaches 4000' soon after Bly Gap and it doesn't dip below 4000' again until just before Rock Gap -- about twenty-five miles trail north.I'm camping tonight at White Oak Stamp, at 4567'. I found a snow-free spot to pitch my tent -- no easy feat! The forecast is for cold rain overnight but clearing tomorrow. I'm looking at this section of trail as a bit of a three-day dash, dodging as much adverse weather as possible. That will take a bit of good fortune.
Date: 2021-02-05
From: White Oak Stamp

To: Stealth Campsite mm 93.4
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: light snow

The forecast was for rain overnight last night, and rain it did. Lots. But about 7:00am it stopped. So I packed up a soggy tent, headed out into the chilly fog, and planned my day around finding a useful spot to take a dry-out-my-tent break. No way I could show up at camp tonight -- forecasted to be very cold -- with a still-wet tent. No way.Man, the trail heading down into and then up out of Deep Gap is a heck of a lot rockier than I remember! This morning, all the rocks were covered with a glaze of wet ice. Hoo boy. I strapped on my spikes and tiptoed my way through. It took forever! I won't forget about this stretch of rocks anytime soon. Yessir, ice will change your attitude.The good news is that as I was laboriously picking my way along, the sun was beginning to come out. All right! So I stopped off at Standing Indian Shelter and spread out my tent over a handy rhododendron bush to dry. It was a bit breezy and chilly, so I didn't tarry too long before packing back up and heading up Standing Indian, a truly majestic 5499' behemoth of a hill. I was warm again in no time.   It was snowy and drop-dead gorgeous at the summit of Standing Indian. But cold. So I snapped a few shots and quickly headed down. Mine were the only footprints heading up the 0.1 mile side trail to the summit. So many long-distance hikers routinely skip by the very best parts of this journey, focusing on mileage above all else. I get it. I used to do that too. But I don't anymore. I feel lucky about that.I'm camped tonight at a splendid stealth campsite along a ridge 0.1 mile short of the Carter Cap Shelter. It will be cold and windy up here, but worth it. From my tent I can see miles and miles to the south, and to the north I can see Albert Mountain with its gleaming fire tower shining in the setting sun and beckoning me onward. And so, it is good.
Date: 2021-02-06
From: Stealth Campsite mm 93.4

To: Rock Gap
Miles today: 12.4

Yup, it was cold, all right. I expect this is how Three Dog Night got started. I wouldn't have minded one or two dogs myself, provided that they were of a respectable size and not the Frou-Frou kind. Instead, I slept in two pairs of socks, two pairs of tights, four shirts, gloves, a balaclava and two puffy jackets. I must have looked like the Michelin Man.  I slept with my phone and water filter inside my bag with me, and I drank almost all of my water before conking out, feeling certain that anything left in the bottle would freeze solid overnight. It did. This morning the ground was so frozen I had to fight to convince it to release my tent stakes. The ground finally relented. I felt victorious.Alas, it was a short-lived victory. Because here's the thing: Until this very morning I had no idea that personal wipes would freeze into a solid cube, pasted together, rendering them entirely unfit for their intended purpose. Well folks, I can report that they most certainly do. Entirely unfit! Ah, the things you learn out here.It began to cloud up just before I reached Albert Mountain. But no matter. Albert never disappoints. The short scramble up the rocky but sunny southern face was free of snow and ice, for which I was grateful. And the fire tower seems to have been placed there by a forest service full of knowing poets and artists. That the USFS continues to maintain it for our use and benefit is magic to me. What pure joy it is to take in and contemplate this grandeur we get to inhabit! From the tower you can see Brasstown Bald to the south, Clingmans Dome to the north, and the entire Blue Ridge in between. Ahhhhh.The skies foretold of changing weather so I hustled down to Rock Gap where Nancy (yep, I told you, the bestest) swooped me up and took me home to Fontana Dam to ride the storm out. Be back soon. Until then, peace to all.
Date: 2021-02-08
From: Rock Gap

To: Wayah Gap
Miles today: 9.5

Saturday night's storm ended up dropping only about 1.5" of snow in Fontana Dam, all of which quickly melted off on Super Bowl Sunday. I took the day off, hung around home, and enjoyed taking it easy. This morning Nancy and I deposited a vehicle at Wayah Gap, which had received noticeably more snow than we had -- perhaps 5-6". Then Nancy dropped me off down at Rock Gap and I happily began making tracks. I felt rested and well fed. It was a gorgeously sunny morning. And, I do love walking in snowy mountains.I noticed a car parked at Winding Stair Gap and figured that I would run into someone up on Siler Bald. Siler is one of my very favorite places on the entire trail. It affords a stunning The Sound of Music panoramic view every bit as fine as, say, Max Patch -- but because you have to take a 0.2 mile uphill side trail to get there it gets bypassed an awful lot. Including not once but twice by yours truly, before Nancy talked me into heading up there one time when we were out on a day hike. Yeah, I know, I know -- it's only 0.2. Geesh, what was I thinking? I can be an exceedingly slow learner, but thanks to Nancy I sure won't ever bypass Siler Bald again!This morning when I got to the top I met Victor and Janie, who are up from Florida and visiting this neck of the woods for the first time ever. In fact, today was their very first day in Western North Carolina, having arrived just last evening. Yep, Siler Bald on their first day! I'd call that a grand slam. They looked just like kids on Christmas. But then, I bet I did as well. Thanks to Nancy.
Date: 2021-02-09
From: Wayah Gap

To: Tellico Gap
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: overcast clouds

"Eventual clearing", said the forecast. Gee, whaddaya know? Morning fog, mist and rain are not exactly odd phenomena around here. This area the Cherokee call Nantahala, which translates as "Land of the Noonday Sun". It's a wet place, a temperate rain forest. My first year here, it rained so much that I swore Nantahala must actually mean "Land of the Every-Other-Tuesday Sun". Since then I've gotten used to it, sort of. So long as you're not out there hiking, the soggy mornings are truly gorgeous. Today, um . . . I would be out there hiking.Nancy and I dropped off a vehicle in the fog at Tellico Gap, then Nancy dropped me off in the fog at Wayah Gap. I immediately realized that I had left my trekking poles at home. What a dunce!! But, it wasn't too cold out -- it seemed that it would be a day of snow-walking and then slush-walking, rather than ice-walking. No ice-walking is the key. Plus, I knew that -- luckily for me -- today's trail tread wouldn't be scary or dangerous. So, off I went.I climbed up to the stone lookout on Wayah Bald not expecting to have any views: Nope, just more fog. On my way down to Burningtown Gap, sure enough, I slipped in the slush and landed squarely on my tuchis. Plenty of padding there, but I foolishly attempted to break my fall with my right arm -- causing a bit of a painful jolt to my right shoulder. Ouch. But, ahem, it's just a flesh wound. Nothing a day or two's ration of Vitamin I won't fix.After that, of course, I watched every step like a hawk. Or, perhaps more accurately, like a dunce. But while doing so I noticed the coolest little tiny fairy house built into a tree trunk. Right there along the trail, smack in the middle of nowhere! For no reason at all other than because it's fun. Ha! I think it is great fun. Really great. To whoever created that fairy house: Thank you!! You thoroughly made my day!!Well, the fog eventually cleared and I eventually reached Rocky Bald just as a smidgen of pretty blue sky was beginning to assert itself. I paused, watching the sky and the clouds and the shadows they cast on the ground. I thought about a place where Nancy and I could create a little tiny fairy house back at the Hike Inn. Oh, she's gonna love that!
Date: 2021-02-10
From: Tellico Gap

To: NOC
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: overcast clouds

From Tellico Gap the trail climbs up to Wesser Bald, where a fire tower affords a wonderful 360 degree panoramic view. It's gorgeous. Most days, that would be the top highlight of the day. It's certainly worthy.But my favorite part of today's hike is a stretch north of there, along an ever-narrowing ridge with deep valleys on either side. It's rocky and fun to hike, and as the ridge narrows it becomes like a fin, with expansive views to your left and right and then suddenly, straight ahead.There's a huge drop-off in three directions. You're on a peninsula that has just come to an abrupt end. This spot is called the "Jump-off", and it's mind-blowing. You can see Cheoah Bald to the west, Fontana Lake to the northwest and the entire length of the ridge of the Great Smoky Mountains stretching for miles to the north and northeast.The trail makes almost a complete u-turn and drops precipitously. I really admire the folks who built this particular stretch of trail. It sure took some serious effort. What I like the most is that they surely could have chosen to place the trail elsewhere, nearby, and none of us would ever have known what we missed. The trail through here would still have been wonderful.But they wanted us to get to experience the Jump-off for ourselves. So they located the trail in the hardest to reach, most laborious to build, place. Wow. And thanks, people. You were amazing.