morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-11-04
From: The Claytor Lake Cabin

To: VA 611
Miles today: 23.5

Time Pushed Back!!!11/6/2007 6:32pm This cold, enclosed shelter on the top of this mountain with the wind howling outside is a sharp contrast to the heated cabin we stayed in the past 3 nights. I have been doing all I can to heat up my hand for the past 10 minutes and yet I still can hardly grip this pen. I have a lot of catching up to do so I'll start with Sunday, November the 4th. We were confused when we woke as to what time it was. It was light outside but the clocks on our phones said it was much too early. We finally realized that the time had changed but in the confusion we lost an hour when we could have been hiking. Keisha and I hiked 14 miles before mom met us for lunch. For the last 10 miles we did the switch-a-roo where I hiked south and they hiked north. We got back to our cabin at a much better time than the night before. I took a bath, we watched "The Truman Show" and ate enchiladas and then went to bed. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-05
From: VA 611

To: VA 615, Laurel Creek
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: clear sky

Plan C!!!11/6/2007 6:51pm My hand is now almost thawed. This is for Monday, November 5th: We got a slightly better start this day. For the first 9 miles I hiked south as Mom and Keisha went north. We ate and then Keisha and I hiked 7.7 more to where Mom had the car. We were given choices to keep hiking or call it quits for the day. We chose option "C" which was quit for the day. Unfortunately, because we dicided to stop hiking, I left my brand new hiking canes (poles) there. We spent the rest of the afternoon packing, planning, and going over our food situation. We then ate, watched "Ever After" (while I took a bath), and then went to bed. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-06
From: VA 615, Laurel Creek

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: few clouds

Goodbye Cabin!!!11/6/2007 7:07pm The wind outside sounds like a hurricane. Fast Enough just showed up. She is now explaining how she got to Pearisburg before us - yellow blazing. Today we had to pack up and leave the cabin, which took some time. We were able to slackpack the first eight miles and meet Mom for lunch. We had to get our heavy packs back and leave Mom for good. With our packs we hiked another 6 miles including a 900 foot climb up Chestnut Knob to the shelter. The thermometer here says it is 21 degrees. So we ate our corned beef hash and jumped right into our sleeping bags. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-07
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Crawfish Valley
Miles today: 16.7

Frozen Flurries!!!11/7/2007 6:13pm It is just after 6 o'clock and we are already in our sleeping bags ready for bed. This time change thing is really quite ridiculous. This morning I walked out the door to find an extremely light dusting of snow flurries on the leaves on the ground. Within the first hour our little bit of water left in our nalgenes were frozen. But the day did warm up a little and our water did melt. Our bagels thawed by lunchtime and it turned out to be a not-so bad day. Having gone 16.7 miles we are tenting in Crawfish Valley (which is a little warmer than the top of the mountain.) Fast Enough is here and we we're discussing how much we'd have to be paid to eat a pint of ice cream right now. I'd do it for five dollars. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-08
From: Crawfish Valley

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: overcast clouds

One Room School!!!11/8/2007 8:21pm It is late. Way past my bedtime. We ate snacks at the Barn after crossing under Interstate 81. We also passed by an old one-room school house that used to operate in the early 20th century. Teachers then made $30 a month. More than I'm making. We went 17.8 to Partnership Shelter and got in at 6 o'clock, about 20 minutes after dark. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-09
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Troutdale
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: scattered clouds

New Vocabulary: SNOW!!!11/9/2007 9:23pm We went to the Visitors Center (only a hundred yards from our shelter) to get water and get warm before heading out. In the first hour we had snow. This was not like the barely visible tiny specks on Chestnut; this was real snow. The big, white flakes flew for about an hour barely sticking to the ground. When it ceased and I didn't think it was going to start again, so I took off my pack cover. Usually when I do that, it's just like asking for it to start again. We both subconsciously said,"Oh great, now it's going to snow again." So instead of saying "rain", we are now talking "snow". I don't know when that transition happened and am not sure if I really like it. But walking through the snow was actually really neat. The snow was on and off and turned to rain later in the day. The sun came and went and we made it to the road in good time. We (with Fast Enough) got a hitch in the back of a truck to the Trading Post. There we met Jerry who took us to the Baptist Church hostel. We turned up the heat, took showers, and went back to the Trading Post for dinner. After dinner we purchased a half gallon of ice cream, went back to the room and ate it. In our cozy, warm room, away from the cold and rain, we are now ready for bed. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-10
From: Troutdale

To: Hurricane Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: broken clouds

Games!!!11/10/2007 9:00pm "Sometimes in life you need to break the regular routine with games. Today was an example of one of those days" - a quote by Justin. We ate breakfast at Jerry's. Justin (our brother) and Kelly (a long time friend) found us there. We went back to the church hostel and packed up our stuff. After a quick game of horseshoes we drove to the trail. We ate and then started hiking. Played a quick game of "camouflage" and hiked some more. Got to the shelter and it was freezing. We played cards in our sleeping bags till it was time to eat. Course #1: potatoes. Course #2: cheesy pepperoni quesadillas. Course #3: chocolate pudding. Course #4: peanut-butter-scotch. After dinner we played "the question game", "the spelling game", and "the picnic game". We are now just talking to pass the time till we are tired enough to sleep. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-11
From: Hurricane Mountain Shelter

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: overcast clouds

500 miles left!!!11/11/2007 9:02pm It is a good thing we brought oatmeal cause the pancakes were unsuccessful. After some extra rest, we did manage to leave the shelter. In a couple miles we were at Kelly's car. We then had to get the other car, pick up some food at Jerry's, drive to the end point, make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and eat while we drove back to the trail. Kelly had to leave us at this point and we said good-bye before continuing hiking. We started by climbing a mountain which I didn't think was too bad but Justin wasn't very fond of it. The open balds provided good views but unfortunately we never saw any ponies. We cooked a good dinner, played "the picnic game" and then a round of triple Yahtzee. It is bed-time and Justin's already snoring. He goes to sleep so quickly. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-12
From: Wise Shelter

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Attack of the Pony!!!11/12/2007 6:29pm So much for the snow. Last night was much warmer and wetter than the past couple days. This trend continued into the day. The wind combined with the rain at the beginning of the hike was terrible, but it subsided as we continued. Our first pony sighting was when we saw 4 pretty close to the trail. Justin put his hand out pretending to have food and they came right up to him. We were able to pet them and take pictures with them. Right before we left, one of them came right up to me and bit my leg. I think they were mad there was no food. Keisha and Justin thought this was rather funny. We saw over 25 ponies total, the rest being just from a distance. We arrived at the car in time for lunch after 9.3 miles. We ate and packed what we needed for this next section. Justin, who was completely sore and worn out at this point, drove home while Keisha and I continued another 8 miles to the shelter. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-13
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

The Place, Damascus!!!11/13/2007 10:40pm It is hard to believe. We are in Damascus, Virginia. Tomorrow brings Tennessee. Today I saw places I've seen before; walked places I've walked. Home is so close; the end, so near. We (being Keisha, I, Von Moose, and Fast Enough) set out from Lost Mountain to Damascus. I talked to Von Moose for a good portion of the hike. He is the only person since the beginning of Maine who started after us (he submitted August 8th) and has caught us. We hiked a couple times along the Virginia Creeper Trail, which I had biked along a couple years ago. In Damascus we visited the outfitter and all ate at Subway. We then went to The Place, a church-run hostel house with bunks to accommodate over 30 people, which is our home for the night. Setting our stuff there, we visited the outfitter where we talked to Jeff for a while. Then, after a quick stop at Dollar General, we went to the library for internet. Next was Sicily's Pizza for dinner before heading back to our "home." After taking turns taking showers it was too late for anything else. So now I am going to bed approximately 5 hours after my bedtime. OK, Bye
Date: 2007-11-14
From: Damascus, VA

To: Tennessee camp site
Miles today: 15.5

Tennessee!!!11/14/2007 6:33pm To look at a map and see how far we have come compared to how far we have to go is truly amazing. We started the day with Keisha going to the laundry mat and to use the phone while I went to the post office and the Dollar General. We met back at The Place and before we left we each got ourselves a milkshake. We hiked out of Damascus at around 11:00 and 3 and a half miles later we hit Tennessee. So after 535 miles and one month and five days of being in Virginia, we made it out. Our eleventh and longest state is now behind us. Virginia was a good, long state with lots of variety. Virginia: Various Inviting Regions Give Individuals Newly Invested Appreciation. We hiked about 12 more miles to get to a place with water and where we could set up our tent. It is raining now as I am sitting in the tent. The weather has been considerably warmer lately, but I think that's about to change. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-15
From: Tennessee camp site

To: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: broken clouds

Flooded!!!11/15/2007 6:46pm It is snowing on me right now. I am inside of the shelter and yet am still getting snowed on. The snow has lasted for several hours and white is covering the ground outside. The continuous, heavy rain never ceased or let up the entire night. I woke up in the tent to find my guidebook, my phone, and my hat completely submerged in water. I didn't know that our mattress pad also works as a flotation device. We packed all our dripping wet stuff and left right away. As soon as we woke, the temperature got colder; sleet began to fall. As we walked we noticed that at the higher elevations the snow was sticking to the ground. We stopped at the next shelter to eat breakfast and decided to continue to the next one. After walking through snow we reached our shelter and began to collect wood for a fire. Despite the steady snowfall, we managed a rather successful fire. I roasted my book and hat over it and almost burnt a hole through my sleeping bag trying to dry it. Everything that got wet last night is now frozen solid. There is no way to get anything dry. Our packs weigh 10 pounds extra due to all the water weight. As Keisha says, "Why would anyone do this?" I have no idea. The snow is really nice and pretty. It reminds me of the deer woods but without the big tent or wood stove. We'll have to see if we aren't frozen solid in the morning and whether or not we can make it to a heated hostel. I hate this drought and global warming. They sure aren't impressing me too much. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-16
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: Kincora Hostel/Hampton, Tenn
Miles today: 15.4

Kincora!!!11/17/2007 7:23pm Why am I writing now in this cold, wet tent when last night I was sitting on a couch next to a wood stove? Good question. For yesterday, November the 16th: I have good reason to believe it was below 20 degrees when we woke. We hiked till 3:30pm when we hit the road to Hampton. A guy in a van made room for us and drove us to the grocery store. After we finished shopping, we called the Kinora Hostel and they came and picked us up. We were able to do laundry, take showers, cook dinner, and talk with the two other guys staying there till quite late that night. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-17
From: Kincora Hostel/Hampton, Tenn

To: Abby's Place Hostel/tenting
Miles today: 21.0

Nobody Home!!!11/17/2007 7:37pm Bob drove us to where we last hiked and dropped us off with just day packs. We hiked the 9 miles back to the hostel without our packs. We saw Laurel Falls during this stretch. After reaching the hostel, we finished packing, grabbed our stuff, and kept going. Twelve miles later finds us in the dark following a side trail to Abby's Place Hostel. We find a house with no lights on; no one is home. We end up setting up our tent outside of this empty house. Our tent never really dried out, neither did my book, which ought to be an ice cube by morning. It was a late night last night and now I am very tired. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-18
From: Abby's Place Hostel/tenting

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Hump Mountain, North Carolina!!!11/18/2007 6:47pm I'm just sitting in an old barn waiting for some beef stew to cook. I made it home today. Well, technically not home, but at least the right state. We hiked 3.5 and ate breakfast at Mountaineer Shelter. After hitting US 19E, we climbed up 2,500 feet to the top of Hump Mountain. The whole area is a bald and offered spectacular views in all directions. We made it to our barn-converted-to-shelter just before dark. Keisha says it's time to eat. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-19
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Room High!!!11/19/2007 8:18pm The rain kept us in our sleeping bags for longer than usual this morning. When the rain let up and we couldn't afford to wait around any longer, we started the climb. We went over some balds which, due to the heavy fog, did not offer very good views. Then we climbed up to Roan High Knob Shelter which was only the second time we've been over 6,000 feet this trip. Not wanting to stay at such high elevation, we climbed down 2000 ft, up 900 ft, and then back down 500 feet to get to the shelter where we are now. All in all it was a thirteen mile day. Keisha just got done beating me in speed soduko. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-20
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Curley Maple Gap Shelter
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: clear sky

Unaka Beauty!!!11/20/2007 7:47pm We had to hike 2 miles before finding water to cook breakfast. The hike today was the typical up and then back down hiking we've grown accustomed to. The Red Spruce forest completely covering the top of Unaka Mountain was so awesome, I think it might be my favorite mountain of the trip. Beauty Spot, a grassy hill top, gave us real good views of Unaka Mountain as well as the surrounding countryside. After hiking 21 miles we got to the shelter just after dark. It is now nearly impossible to go over 20 miles in the daylight. We had a good meal of rice, tortilla dessert, and smore/hot cocoa/ pudding. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-21
From: Curley Maple Gap Shelter

To: Uncle Johnny's Hostel/Erwin TN
Miles today: 4.2

Uncle Johnny's !!!11/22/2007 7:43am We just woke up from our little house and can't decide what to do today. Yesterday we went 4 miles to get into Erwin and Uncle Johnny's Hostel. He gave us a cabin room with a bunk, couch, microwave, fridge and tv for the same price as the bunkhouse because the person in the bunkroom snores really bad. We took showers and then got brought to the post office, the pizza place, and the Dollar General Store. We watched movies for the rest of the day. It is Thanksgiving Day today. The closest shelter has a resident bear, the second is 18 miles away, and it is raining. What to do? OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-22
From: Uncle Johnny's Hostel/Erwin TN

To: Uncle Johnny's Hostel/ 2nd night
Miles today: 0.0

Thanksgiving!!!11/22/2007 8:51pm We still are in our cabin. We never left. I don't really know why. Laziness, I guess. It was another day of watching movies and laying around. At 2 o'clock this afternoon we went over to another cabin where we were fed a delicious thanksgiving dinner. Johnny's wife made the dinner and everyone working or staying here did their best to eat it all. It was amazing. But unfortunately all that food convinced us that we shouldn't try and hike any today. So after dinner we sat around some more and watched a movie and then football. We are now watching CSI and then are going to bed. Hopefully we can hike tomorrow. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-23
From: Uncle Johnny's Hostel/ 2nd night

To: Bald Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: overcast clouds

White Friday!!!11/23/2007 5:41pm So while the rest of America was standing in never-ending lines waiting to checkout their recently-acquired merchandise on Black Friday, we were heading back to the trail to continue our hike. After a short while it started to snow. It continued most of the day providing a nice coating of snow on the ground. When we hit a certain elevation it seemed like the whole world changed. Not only was the entire ground white, but the trees were covered with ice, making it quite a spectacular sight. We ended up going 16.9 miles and up 3,500 feet. This shelter, at 5,100 feet, is the highest we've stayed in. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-24
From: Bald Mountain Shelter

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: clear sky

Slow Start-up!!!11/24/2007 8:08pm I'm not sure exactly how cold it got last night. Yesterday afternoon we ran into a guy who said on top of Big Bald (which is close to the shelter) it was 17 degrees. And that was in the middle of the afternoon. I wouldn't be surprised to find it had dropped to single digits during the night. After a rough night's sleep we found it difficult to do anything in the morning. The bitter cold brought pain when we were exposed for just a minute. Little by little we made progress but it wasn't till after 10 when we finally left. Big Bald was amazing. The way the snow covered the trees and grass made that open mountaintop one of the prettiest sights I've seen. The sun was out in full force and, especially as we dropped in elevation, the snow began to disappear. Due to the late start, we had to walk the last 3 of the 19 miles in the dark. We ate spaghetti and had some leftover Thanksgiving sweet potatoes from last night. Last night we had our rather delicious back country Thanksgiving dinner which included ham, stuffing, sweet potatoes, pumpkin pudding, and apple pies. I think it was the best dinner we have been able to make out here. It is a lot warmer tonight seeing that we're 1,700 feet lower than last night. Maybe I'll be able to sleep. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-25
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: overcast clouds

300!!!11/25/2007 7:49pm One month till Christmas; less than 300 miles 'til Springer. Today was not a fun day. It started out warm and stayed that way getting into the 50's and maybe even hitting 60. It was a beautiful day starting out, but that quickly changed. A cloud moved in and we were in it the rest of the day. It was windy and wet climbing over rocks on an exposed ridge line. That is about all we did. A lot of climbing with no views. We went 21.3 miles today. During the last 3 the fog grew very heavy, the wind picked up, and it was getting dark. Luckily we kept on the trail despite not being able to see through the fog and we didn't have to do a whole lot of night hiking. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-26
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Deer Park Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: moderate rain

Hot Springs!!!11/26/2007 6:40pm We hiked up a little and then down a lot to get into the city of Hot Springs. First stop was the outfitter. Then the Post Office, hardware store, the Welcome center, and then back to the outfitter for our Smokey Mountain permits. We then went to the Dollar General and the Hillbilly's groceries in search of chocolate milk. We had to settle with splitting a quart of egg nog which made Keisha sick when we climbed out of the city. This is the first time in a long time we've had to share a shelter. It is time for bed now. I hope I don't wake up with Keisha screaming my name like I did this morning. She had lit the alcohol stove and some how it knocked over spilling flaming alcohol over the shelter floor. I then had to blow it out before it caught the whole shelter on fire. Quite an adventure. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-27
From: Deer Park Mountain Shelter

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: broken clouds

Bluff Mountain!!!11/27/2007 5:44pm We went 14.8 miles today which included a climb over Bluff Mountain. We got in to Roaring Fork Shelter with plenty of daylight to spare and were able to eat and get ready for bed before dark. On to Green Corner tomorrow. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-28
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: clear sky

Standing Bear!!!11/28/2007 8:23pm It feels good to be sitting next to a loaded roaring wood stove. Today started with Max Patch. From the top of the grassy summit we could see the Smokies and I correctly predicted which mountains we would go over before getting there. We went down to Deep Gap before climbing back up Snowbird Mountain which offered a better view of the Smokies including Clingman's Dome. We got to Green Corner road around 3 and from there we went to Standing Bear Farm Hiker Hostel. It has a bunk house with wood stove, kitchen, laundry, phone, internet, and hot showers. So with warm bodies, full stomachs, clean clothes, and clean bodies; we are now just relaxing in our warm bunkhouse wondering how we are ever going to leave this place when morning comes. It sure beats being out in the cold. OK, bye
Date: 2007-11-29
From: Standing Bear Farm Hiker Hostel

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 23.3
Weather: clear sky

Up, Up, and More Up!!!11/29/2007 8:05pm I don't know whether it was the Cheerwines or the peanut butter and pretzels, but something made us feel good and be full of energy today. We are in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. We passed the only section of the trail I had hiked prior to this trip as well as the only shelter I had ever stayed in. We went as low as 1400 feet before getting as high as over 6400 feet; a difference of 5000 feet and by far our biggest single day elevation change. Despite opting out of staying at Tri-corner Knob Shelter, we are still spending the night at 5,280 feet, the highest we'll stay at all trip. Elevation makes a huge difference in the temperature. All you have to do is look at the names of of some of the places in North Carolina and it is easy to see this is the case: Hot Springs: elevation 1,326 feetSpring Mountain Shelter: elevation 3,300 feetCold Spring Shelter: elevation 4,920 feetIcewater Spring Shelter: elevation 5,920 feetWho needs any more proof that temperature and elevation are inversely proportionate? We went 23.3 miles today plus the .5 to get to the shelter. The mice are bad. OK, bye