morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-10-20
From: Watuauga Lake Shelter

To: Kincora
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: few clouds

Stayed at Bob and Pat People's Kincora hostel which had been recommended by several people to me. They gave me ride into town to resupply and eat at AYCE chineese buffet which had better food than the Waynesborrow one. Bob is one of the signers the 2000 miler certificates and built the new Mountaineer Shelter. He said that slack packing on the AT is perfectly fine and normal. He is a tireless supporter of the AT. He went over with me where I could find water in the drought conditions in my Wingfoot book. I definitely recommend buying the wingfoot book and not getting any maps.
Date: 2007-10-22
From: Campsite at mile 388.7

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: light rain

Hiked up towards Mt. Roan in huge rain storm with gale force winds wearing running shorts. Could feel Hypothermia setting in so I did a short day and went to this converted barn shelter. Hot Pursuit and Twix were there whom I have met two or three time earlier on the trail. Had to get into sleeping bag right away to heat up my core body temperature from all the cold. I learned that trick on the PCT. It was so drafty in the barn we all set up tents on the inside. The whole barn would sway slightly as huge gusts of wind shook it. This shelter would have had a fantastic view if it wasn't for the storm we were in.
Date: 2007-10-23
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: light rain

Another short day hiking in the rain over Mt. Roan. Couldn't see the great views due to the clouds. Fell a few times going down the steep trail but didn't get hurt. Met Mark from NJ and Dennis from CO at shelter. Mark gave me lots of great info on the AT since he through hiked it last year as CatchUp. I gave him my Dutch house patch since that was one of the highlights of his trip. Dennis's dog had a cut paw so they went back to get a shuttle to their car the next day. I have never seen east coast fall colors before and they don't have anything like this on the west coast. It looked like the mountains were made of bright candy at times the colors were so vivid.
Date: 2007-10-24
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Greasy Creek Friendly Hostel
Miles today: 2.0
Weather: light rain

Taking a Nero here at a Hostel and am typing up my journal entries. A nero is a day were you do only a few miles usually less than four. Ate a whole frozen pizza and Ben & Jerry's. Hot Pursuit and Twix are here too. It is still raining and forcast for rain for two more days. They really need the rain here though so it is fine with me. I am also out of food and I buy just enough to get me one and half days to Erwin, TN.
Date: 2007-10-25
From: Greasy Creek Friendly Hostel

To: Curley Maple Gap Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light rain

Left Hostel by 8am. All the incredible views of the Mt. Roan area were obscured by fog as I hiked over a bald called the Beauty Spot. Made it the 20 miles to Curley Maple Gap Shelter. Another hiker was there doing a hike up to Shenendoa Nat Park. He is a Software Engineer who left his job and is looking at going to Grad School in a year. He recommended I stay at Uncle Johnny's Hostel in Erwin.
Date: 2007-10-26
From: Curley Maple Gap Shelter

To: Uncle Johnny's Hostel, Erwin
Miles today: 4.0

Took a Nero day by only hiking the remaining 4 miles to Erwin. Need to resupply and there wasn't enough time to do the additional 17 miles to the shelter I need to goto next. The closer shelter, No Business Shelter has a bad bear that is going right up to hikers staying there, grabbing a pack and walking off - all the while ignoring all the noise the hikers are making. He then climbs trees and goes after food that is hung. There are stories in the shelter journal about all this. It turns out that many hikers in the past had feed him and now he has no fear of humans like wild bears who run away when they see people. Today in Erwin I ate at the AYCE Pizza Plus then resupplied at the Dollar store and Whites grocery store. Twix and Hot Pursuit are staying here too. I met a new SOBO thru hiker called CONTACT who gave me great long distance Hiking info. Johnny gave me a water report and I met Gereal from Belgium who biked here from Belgium via boats to Scotland, Iceland then Halifax then road south to here then he is taking a bus to Las Vegas then riding from there to Mexico City via the Grand Canyon and Tuscon. I was able to speak with him in my broken French. I am sitting here right now at the computer at Johnny's listening to all the hikers on the front singing songs and playing guitars, a trumpet and harmonica. I wish I was hiking the entire trail but winter is approaching. I am really happy with this AT adventure. I really like the locals I have have been meeting in Tennessee. It's really true about Southern Hospitality.
Date: 2007-10-27
From: Uncle Johnny's Hostel, Erwin

To: Bald Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

Lots of climbs out of Erwin, TN. Really liked Uncle Johnny's. Stayed at Bald Mt. Shelter - 5100 ft elevation. Very cold at night. Great tasting spring water near by. Turtle was there going north bound. Got lost for a half hour along the way due to lack of blazes. Erwin to to Hot Springs NC has the least amount of blazing I have seen by far. I don't use maps or have a compass - just depend on the blazes. Anyway the AT did a sharp left going up hill but the trail continues straight so I never saw the turnoff. After awhile going up hill the trail completely disappeared. I broke my rule of retracing my steps till I got back to a blaze and hoped by going to the top of the ridge I could find the AT up there and not have to waste energy going all the way back down hill. When I got to the top of the ridge there wasn't any sign of a trail as I hiked around looking. I then made the decision to go back down the way I came but I couldn't find any trace of where I had come up. A thick layer of fall leaves was on the ground and nothing looked familiar. So I looked around for a high point and bushwhacked my way along the ridge line guessing that the AT would have to cross somewhere (not necessarily since the AT sometimes skirts mountain tops then dives back down) any way I was lucky and eventually came across the AT and continued on.
Date: 2007-10-28
From: Bald Mountain Shelter

To: Flint Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 18.8

Long confusing day of poorly blazed or incorrectly blazed trail. Got off trail twice (from the shelter journals this is happening to the other thru hikers also) Made it to Flint mountain shelter and noticed piles of rocks on the sleeping platform. A bear is coming by at about 10:30 pm and grabbing packs and food bags hung in the shelter. I hung my food from a tree and put my pack by my sleeping bag. This bear was probably the one going to No Business shelter a month ago and has moved on. I hardly slept as I waited for the bear to stop by during the night and didn't want him trying to reach over me for my pack. It didn't have any food in it but may have had some residual food smells. No bear came by as far I knew that night. I was the only person in the shelter that night. In the shelter journal HighLife wrote that he had his food bag get a hole bitten out of it by a bear. It's spookey sleeping in the shelters by yourself. I also avoid sleeping in shelters that are a close walk from a road since they have more crime.
Date: 2007-10-29
From: Flint Mtn. Shelter

To: Campsite right before Allen Gap
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: clear sky

Camped out right before Allen gap where trail angels had put out jugs of water. Got a good nights sleep. My tent is warmer and the ground warmer to sleep on than the wood platform in a shelter. I awoke during the night with a coyote growling outside my tent. Locals often call the coyotes "wild dogs" or "wolves". I ignored him since they don't pose a threat to people. I always hang my food when I tent. For food I eat snacks while I walk for breakfast and lunch. For dinner I have noodles - ramen, lipton sides, easy mac. For snacks mostly candy bars, Cheddar Cheese, mixed nuts, Gorp, Cheesit Crackers. I don't have a large pack so I need to carry food that is small and loaded with calories. Eating noodles for dinner also helps re hydrate your body which tends to get dehydrated during the day as you hike.
Date: 2007-10-30
From: Campsite right before Allen Gap

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

Made it into Hot Springs NC at about 3:30pm. Stopped at fire tower along the way for great views - deserted - could have camped up there if I had known. Tried to stay at Elmers but he was sold out. Grey beard Goose and Beaver, other section hikers, cheered me up by buying me two pints of Oktoberfest beer at the Paddlers Pub where I also bought a 1/2 lb. cheese burger and fries. I did find a place to stay at the Duckette B&B in a Hiker Bunk house they had out back for $15.
Date: 2007-10-31
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Deer Park Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: clear sky

Am sitting here at Bluff Mountain Outfitters in Hot Springs, NC typing my trailjournals entries on their internet access PC for hikers. Will take a Nero and just hike 4 miles at the end of today to the next shelter. There is a 3000 ft climb going south out of Hot Springs. Ate huge breakfast (hiker skillet b-fast) at Blue Mountain diner across from Elmers. This is a great place for hikers to eat. Very nice people. I am reading Earl Shaffer's book Following Spring about the first thru hike of the AT in the late forties. Now I am told that next year they are tacking on about 420 miles to the southern end of the AT as an optional extension trail (not official AT trail) almost taking it to Birmingham AL. Got my permit from the local USFS office for Smokey Mountain National Park. Stayed last night at a hiker bunkhouse in the yard of the Duckette House B&B. Bought large Sea to Summit Ultra Sil dry bag to replace my old dry bag that leaked ( this was my food bag that I hung outside at night so it got rained on a lot). Did my laundry, wrote and mailed six postcards, updated trailjournals. Met Contact again ( fist saw him at Uncle Johnnies) and told him about where I stayed last night since Elmers was full and there are hardly any affordable places to stay in Hot Springs for people on a low hiker budget. Hot Springs lodgings businesses (other than Elmers) want wealthier tourists who spend more whereas Troutville and Damascus are geared for hikers with the $4 a night church hostels. I suggested that Contact change his name to Mardi Gras since he wears this fedora and sunglasses and carries this real trumpet with him all the time. At around 3 pm I decided to head south out of town to the next shelter that was only four miles away. My pack probably weighed 37 pounds even though it is a granite gear vapor trail that holds about 30 pounds. Due to the next section being dry I took off with three liters of water - also the section was over a hundered miles long to the NOC so I had a huge amount of food to carry. I tend to like taking nero days instead of zero days - it helps keep your momentum going on the trail - trail towns have a way of sucking you in and keeping you there if you are not careful. With winter weather just getting colder and wetter I felt in my case it would be best to keep good daily mileage happening. If I had been going through during the regular season I would have taken more zeros in towns.
Date: 2007-11-01
From: Deer Park Mtn Shelter

To: Campsite below Max Patch Mountain
Miles today: 16.0

Was going to stay at Roaring camp shelter but after reading the shelter journal there decided to press on and camp out below Max Patch Mountain. The older section hiker Caveman had written that a bear had come during the night and swiped his food bag hanging on one of the ropes with a can on it that hang from the front of the shelter. He had to go over a day without food making his way to Hot Springs north bound. Max Patch is a very picturesque Bald and would be a good place to camp if it isn't rainy. Had a nice campsite lower down in the trees but my tent was soaking from all the dew in the morning ( so this translates to a heavier pack since i have to roll up a wet tent). On the trail I met Foxtrot who looks to be about 28 years old. He took up long distance hiking nine years ago and had hiked 25,000 miles since (including the triple crown, Alaskan Brooks Range and Europe). He recommended the GR10 and GR11 trails in Europe - GR means Grand Randonee - (also Great South west trail in England)He gave me his email address to help me plan my CDT trip. He felt that the CDT was the least interesting trail of the triple crown and said it was mostly dirt roads.
Date: 2007-11-02
From: Campsite below Max Patch Mountain

To: Campsite 
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: clear sky

Met many weekend backpackers along this trail. Stopped at Standing Bear Hostel to buy some more food. Purchased, Knorr Soup Mix, Lipton Sides + Veggies, two hot cocoa packets, three ramens, pickle , coca cola. You pay for the groceries there on the honor system. Met Curtis there who owns the place and Botch who had just finished his two part section hike of the entire AT. Botch made up a big pot of spaghetti for me as trail magic. I always seem to run into Trail Magic when I least expected it. Botch went and did some backpacking off the AT in the Smokeys which has lots of trails other than the AT. Botch just recently got out of the Navy and is re locating to Seattle. I told him of the huge outdoor club that they have in Seattle since he doesn't know anyone there.
Date: 2007-11-03
From: Campsite 

To: Peck's Corner Shelter
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: clear sky

Big climb today to get to Peck's Corner Shelter in Smokey Mountains National Park. Had to climb up and over Mt. Guyot that is about 6,200' elev. The Shelter had one place left for me which I took. This was the only full shelter I encountered on the trail. I would recommend thru hikers time there days so they stay in National Parks on Weekdays (Sun - Thurs) if they want to stay in a shelter. People who showed up later tented out around the shelter even though tenting isn't allowed - but there was nothing else one could do. This was the coldest night on the trail for me - probably got down to 18 F. The people who tented all had ice covered tents in the morning. I don't have an air mattress ( I have a ridgecrest foam pad that is totally inadequate for below freezing temps) so I kept waking up all night due to the cold and two loud snorers. I would recommend people buy the Big Agnes REM air mattress if they want to hike the trail in below freezing temps. I made the rest of the trip with my foam pad but it cost me a lot of sleep.
Date: 2007-11-04
From: Peck's Corner Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

Did less miles than yesterdays big day. Met Stormin Norm and Jennifer on the trail. They gave me valuable water info for the rest of the Smokies. When I got to Mt. Collins Shelter it took me awhile to find the water that was far away but plentiful. I wasn't filtering or treating water that I would boil for cooking. Before getting to the shelter I climbed up the Clingmans dome observation tower. The climb up Clingmans Dome is much easier South Bound. I could see Mt. Mitchell the tallest mountain in the Appalachians seventy miles away. this shelter had a fireplace and stone walls like most of the shelters in the Smokeys. I built a fire and then a local backpacker named Carver arrived from a parking lot a mile away. I was surprised to see him pull a twelve pack of Yuenglings beer out of his pack. We had great conversations around the campfire for hours and drank beer - more trail magic! He has the best info on backpacking gear than anyone I have ever met. I got his email for future gear questions that I might have. He also had a big agnes air mattress. It was another very cold night with not much sleep. Even though I have a 15 degree down bag a poor sleeping pad left me cold. The cyclone fencing in the front of the shelter is to keep bears out which are a problem in the Smokies.
Date: 2007-11-05
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

Another low mileage day for the Smokey's. I didn't have high energy for hiking a lot of miles today - maybe it was the beer last night. It was really cold all day while I was hiking. The trees have all lost there leaves at this elevation. Contact showed up at the shelter later. I haven't seen him since Hot Springs. He has a Big Agnes air mattress but only a 35 degree synthetic bag so he has been cold at night too. My food bag the next morning was covered in ice.
Date: 2007-11-06
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Birch Spring Tent site
Miles today: 17.0

Did a more respectable mileage day today. I had planned to stay at Mollies Ridge Shelter but when I got there is was so cold I just wanted to get to a lower elevation. I searched my wingfoot book and there wasn't another shelter within hiking distance but there was a campsite so I decided to go there. This was a legal Park Service campsite which surprised me since I was under the mis perception that no camping was allowed along the AT through the Smokeys. As I hiked after Mollies Ridge Shelter I went off the trail to allow some horse back riders to pass and they said I had ice sickles in my beard. I felt my beard and sure enough I had five ice sickles which I pulled off - this was at 1pm during the day too. There was no snow anywhere. Later I thought it was snowing even though the sky was cloudless. I looked up and the bare branches of the trees had fine ice crystals on them and the wind was blowing them off. Got to the campsite area which had no water (there was a 23 mile waterless stretch in this part of the Smokeys. Another really cold night and my campsite was at an uncomfortable angle too. I only get snatches of about 30 minutes of sleep off and on when it is freezing cold. On the trail there was a sign that Black Bears had injured and killed people in the area and another that said to only to eat in one campfire area and not eat near your tent and hang your food.
Date: 2007-11-07
From: Birch Spring Tent site

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: clear sky

Another good mileage day for this terrain. Hiked down to Fontana Dam where the trees still had all their leaves in Fall Color. So hiked from winter conditions up in the Smokeys to fall at Fontana dam. Fontana Dam was much more scenic and remote than I had imagined. I wasn't expecting much. I had a much needed free shower at the visitor center that was closed for the season. I looked in the window of the closed gift shop and saw that they did sell ice cream in season. The long hot shower took all the cold out of me. I could tell I was headed down the hypo thermia path again as you feel your core body temp drop. The maintenance person there gave me soap too. Another friendly person of Tennessee showing a stranger hospitality. I kept walking and came to the marina where they had a phone you could call for a $2 ride to Fontana village where they had a hotel, restaurant and store. I was strongly temped to do this but realized I didn't need to resupply till the upcoming NOC center and it would be poor for the hiking budget. I kept going towards the next shelter. When I arrived there , Contact was already there. He had gone into Fontana Village to pick up a mail drop resupply - he was getting mountain house freeze dried food mailed to him for his trip. I resupplied my whole trip without any mail drops - just bought food along the way. I feel this helps the local economies along the trail and is good PR for hikers. Contact had read the Earl Shaffer book after me and had bought some of the same food that he ate during that hike. He cooked up a pound of bacon and gave me a lot it that night. He then made pancakes too which I had several. I'm sure glad I gave him that book! Later that night a section hiker pulled in. He drove a Big Rig for UPS and lived in Jacksonville FL. He was finishing up his section hike and gave both Contact and me bags of Beef Jerky. The three of us talked till ten at night about all sorts of topics.
Date: 2007-11-08
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: few clouds

This was the toughest hiking day of my trip with about 5k of total vertical. Stopped and resupplied at very limited and expensive market at the NOC (Nantahalla Outdoor Center) which is the biggest rafting concession I have ever seen. Yellowbird, Dutch, Salty Dog and young Caveman showed up. I ate two Ben & Jerrys ice cream bars and two free powerades and bought candy bars, liptons, ramen, three bags of fritos corn chips . (I think corn chips are good hiking food - loads of calories and corn meal is good for you although the salt may dehydrate you) I wanted to stay and eat at the restaurant(AYCE buffet) but to set up the following hiking days I needed to head back up hill and do a three hour night hike to Wesser Bald Shelter. It was cold, misty and dark and I just blindly followed the white blazes ( now I know why they are white - they show up best at night when you use a headlamp ). I had no idea what direction I was going - fortunately I bought new batteries for my headlamp at the NOC. After what seemed like ages I got to the turnoff sign for the shelter and headed down. Contact who can hike 3 mph even up steep mountains was already there along with a section hiker called peak bagger/thought crime. Spent another cold night there. Someone had left a big heavy conventional sleeping bag by Remmington there so Contact put his sleeping bag inside of that one and even carried it to the next shelter too. Contact had said his parents were picking him up at Springer mountain and could give me a ride to the Atlanta Mass Transit train so I could get to the airport. This would be for November 16th which was about five days earlier than I had planned. It is difficult to get a ride at Springer so I called and changed my plan ticket from a phone at the NOC. Since I had a mileage ticket I wasn't charged for changing dates or times on it.
Date: 2007-11-09
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: clear sky

Got up an hour earlier than Contact since I need more time to cover the same amount of miles as he does. Got on the trail by 7:30 am - takes me about 45 minutes to get ready before heading out. Met three bear hunters on the trail with about nine hounds. They asked me if I had seen any bears but I hadn't. An hour further down the trail I met greybeard Goose and Beaver again. They were hiking a section northbound to meet up with their wifes/girlfriends. They have been so positive and supportive of all the long distance hikers on the trail including me. They bought me two pints of Oktoberfest beer in Hot Springs at the Paddlers Club. They gave me good water info for the trail up ahead. Got great tasting water along the way at Cold Spring Shelter. Climbed up to look at the view from Wesser bald fire tower. Contact and I just determine what shelter we will meet at at the end of each day since we hike at different rates. Contact continued cooking up pancakes for several days until the mix ran out. He used Aunt Jemina Complete pancake mix - just add water and cooked it in parkay squeeze bottle margarine.