morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-04-15
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: snow

The Mexican food didn't sit well with Kimpossible, so she decided to spend another night at the motel in Hiawassee to recover, while Just Kate and I opted to move on. I fully expect Kimpossible, a high school cross country and track star, to reunite with us a few days up the trail. After a huge Georgian breakfast at an AYCE in town, Just Kate and I hitched back to Dicks Creek Gap. Unlike yesterday, we got a ride within minutes from what was surely the nicest man in Georgia. His small terrier, Lightning, had the most unusual trick of chasing cars from within his owner's pick-up. The cat-sized dog would stand on the center console waiting for an approaching vehicle, and then would leap to the back seat, stare down the passing car through the truck's side window before bounding to the rear window to finish the job. Just Kate and I were in hysterics.Having lost a great deal of elevation in descending to the gap yesterday, we would have to make it all up, and then some, today. Thus, we climbed steadily for several hours through the lingering mist of the departing storm before the skies suddenly cleared, the wind began to blow, and the temperature plummeted. Just before Bly Gap, we came to a small wooden sign screwed to a tree that read GA/NC. We had reached our second state! One down, 13 to go. Too bad we're not on the PCT, in which case we'd be one-third of the way there, right?By this time, Puzzle, a traveling nurse from Missouri, had joined us. Back at Tray Mountain Shelter two nights ago, Puzzle had shared with us a stuffing, corn, and chicken concoction that was easily the best food so far on the trail. Puzzle, who is also on trailjournals.com, is raising money on his walk for autism researchOur original plan was to camp at Bly Gap, but the high winds, frigid temperatures, and sloping ground convinced us to move on to Muskrat Creek shelter, three miles ahead and, unfortunately, 700 feet higher. The forecast was for lows in the teens and 20s in the valleys, and much colder higher up. On the way to the shelter, a light snow began falling from the mostly sunny early evening skies. We set up our tents, cooked, ate, and hung our bear bags in record time before retiring to our sleeping bags. I've been hunting and pecking away on my iPhone with both hands inside my 20-degree-rated sleeping bag, which I'd been considering sending home because it's been much too hot. Now I plan on keeping it through the Smokies.
Date: 2014-04-16
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

Yesterday was a day of milestones: first full week on the trail, first state line, highest point reached, coldest night (by far), and first snow. Plus one more. In preparation for the trip, I bought a 22-map set of the entire trail. Each map covers approximately 100 miles and is labeled AT-1 through AT-22. With yesterday's border crossing, I passed from AT-1 to AT-2.Last night I had my best sleep so far on the trail. Prior to that, I'd been sweating each night like I had some tropical disease, due to my sleeping bag's 20-degree rating. Last night, however, I slept like a baby until my alarm clock, AKA my bladder, woke me in the early morning. After ignoring it for as long as possible, I put on my Crocs and stepped outside the tent. The ground had completely frozen overnight and crunched underfoot. Furthermore, water being squeezed out of the earth was growing above ground as strands of ice inches long. By the time I had finished answering the call of nature, I was shivering and happily returned to my bag.Coming down the spur trail from the spectacular summit of Standing Indian Summit, I met a thru-hiker and told him he ought to go up and take a look. He told me he didn't have time, that he had big mileage to make, as he was shooting to finish the AT in 90 days. As he was leaving, I asked him his trail name and he replied over his shoulder, "Numo Thorax." He then added, "because my lung collapsed a month ago." I followed him down the trail for a while, keeping him in sight until we reached a gentler grade, at which point he broke into a jog and quickly disappeared.Another glorious day on the trail: clear, blue sky, temps in the upper 50s, distant views at times in all directions.Eight of us cooked dinner by a camp fire at Carter Gap Shelter and then stood around telling stories until the cold and darkness drove us into our sleeping bags for the night.
Date: 2014-04-17
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stairs Gap
Miles today: 15.9

The temperatures dropped below freezing again last night at Carter Gap Shelter, which I had all to myself, while several dozen hikers tented in the vicinity. I think it may have been the warning scrawled on the shelter about rodent infestation. But I was looking to get out early to cover the 16 miles to Winding Stair Gap in order to have time to resupply in Franklin, NC. As far as I know, no mice or rats visited me during the night.I left Carter Gap at 7:45 with numb fingers from packing up in the cold. The only one stirring in camp was the celebrity Rocky, who had come out of his tent for an early-morning smoke.An hour or two up the trail, I caught up with Ash and Rob, two good ol' boys from South Carolina, whom I'd first met on top of Blood Mountain back in Georgia. Ash and Rob are section hiking from Springer to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, just short of the Smokies, and we'd arranged to resupply in Franklin together.Late in the morning we arrived at base of Albert Mountain, at which point the trail turned straight up and climbed over Rocky ledges to the summit, much like the Old Bridle Path does up Mt Lafayette in New Hampshire.We arrived at Winding Stair Gap by mid afternoon to find Roger and Jim, a father/son thru-hiking pair from New Hampshire, who'd ordered a shuttle for the 10-mile ride down to the Budget Inn in Franklin. Hikers continued to spill out of the woods, so that by the time the shuttle actually arrived, 20 minutes later, a total of 9 hikers were eagerly awaiting a ride into town. So we all piled into the Suburban, one woman from Germany sitting on the center console facing backwards, and three in the way back behind a wall of nine backpacks. The road down the mountain was steep and had several runaway truck ramps, and the overloaded Suburban listed like a ship in heavy seas. I was praying this ride down the mountain wouldn't put an end to my AT adventure.
Date: 2014-04-18
From: Winding Stairs Gap

To: Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I have a confession to make: I'm not actually a thru-hiker. And neither are most of the others I've been hiking along with the past 10 days. You see, a thru-hiker is someone who has hiked the entire length of the trail in a single calendar year, not someone who is attempting to do so. Right now, I'm merely a prospective thru-hiker. If I'm fortunate enough to step on top of Katahdin later this year having covered the entire distance by foot, I'll suddenly become a bona fide thru-hiker.But screw it, in this journal I'll continue to use the term loosely, and let me show you why by demonstrating a typical attempt at the word "prospective" with my sausage-sized fingers on this iPhone keypad: p-t-delete-r-o-a-delete-s-p-e-space-delete-c-t-i-v-r-delete-e. Phew. So when you read "thru-hiker," just think "prospective thru-hiker" and everyone will be happy. Except perhaps the blog police.It sure is nice to sleep in a real bed with real sheets every once in a while, including last night at the Budget Inn in Franklin. Much of the younger thru-hiking crowd didn't take much advantage of this, partying late into the night in the motel's parking lot. Did I mention the Wallmart where we resupplied yesterday sells beer?We missed the 9:00 am shuttle back to Winding Stair Gap and were forced to wait for the next one at 11:00. To kill the two hours, we walked to the town center for a coffee. The shop happened to be across the street from an outfitter, so I decided to take a look for trail runners, essentially ruggedized running shoes. I was tired of the blisters on my heals that had been plaguing me for the last seven days. I walked out wearing a new pair of Brooks and had a blissful day on the trail today. If the new shoes pass their probation period, I'll send the old boots, now strapped to my backpack, home from Fontana Dam early next week before entering the Smokies.Sometimes I think hiking the AT is just an excuse to meet some really awesome people, and today was a perfect example. Near the top of Siler Bald, we came across two Vietnam veterans, Phil and Dave, who share the Trail name, Two Old Rangers. You don't have to be around them long to realize they have as strong a bond as most brothers. The pair, who are section hiking to the Smokies in Tennessee, average about eight miles a day and have the motto, "nobody gets passed by us." From their spirited banter and bellowing laughs, it's clear nobody enjoys the trail as much as them either.
Date: 2014-04-19
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: light rain

Cellphone battery life is a real issue out here on the trail. I'm finding I get about three days on a charge when I'm really careful, keeping it in airplane mode except to read email or post to my journal, and powering it down completely at night. I've run across two people so far who have portable chargers, essentially rechargeable battery packs that can be used to recharge cell phones in the woods. So yesterday I ordered a RAVPower off Amazon, which I'm having sent to me at Fontana Dam, where I'll pick it up early next week. Some of you may be asking, "who does this guy think he is? Last week he's asking how to take his iPhone out of selfie mode, and now he has the audacity to be commenting on iPhone accessories." You learn a lot from your fellow hikers.I'm lying in my sleeping bad, listening to the rain fall on my tent, and wondering what it will be like to break camp in really wet conditions. The forecast two days ago had been for dry weather through Sunday, but as I've been told, the weather is unpredictable up in the mountains. Wayah Bald Shelter was packed last night, which apparently is typical in bad weather. Fortunately, even here at 5000 feet it's not too cold, about 40 degrees. Speaking of Sunday, I'm finding it really hard to keep track of what day it is. Which kind of makes sense, because the only reason it matters is when you need to pick up a package from a post office. I chose not to send myself food drops for this reason, as I didn't want to find myself waiting around town until Monday for the post office to open. Also saves the embarrassment of having to ask someone in town what day it is.In case I'd forgotten I'm in the south, I got a reminder as I was leaving the Wayah Bald Shelter this morning. Tomahawk and War Chief, two twenty-something, camo-wearing thru-hikers from Raleigh were engaged in a spirited discussion with Pig Pen about various guns and their merit for inflicting bodily harm. And Dani, barely into her 20s, pulled out her cellphone to show off pictures of the guns she owns.Around noon, we pulled into Burningtown Gap, where we were met by trail angles Jo and Gail, who were handing out trail magic in the form of pre-Easter goodie bags that included decorated hard boiled eggs, candy, fresh fruit, and carrots. Jo reminisced about her 1981 thru-hike, mentioning that there were no cellphones and hiking poles, staples on the trail today. Gail maintains a section of the AT starting at Wayah Gap, where we met the Two Old Rangers yesterday. Thanks, Jo and Gail, your magic was much appreciated, particularly just before the climb out of the gap!My new Brooks trail runners passed the test, which included a muddy 16-mile slog into the Nantahala Outdoor Center today. The shoes now look months old, but my feet feel great, so I'll be mailing my boots home tomorrow.
Date: 2014-04-20
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Happy Easter, everyone! Hope the Easter bunny was as good to you today as Jo and Gail were to us yesterday.It was sad to say goodbye to Ash and Rob, who finished their two-week section hike from Springer Mountain to the Nantahala Outdoor Center yesterday and returned to real life back in South Carolina this morning. I first met this pair way back on Blood Mountain in Georgia and spent the last several days hiking with them, during which we joked and laughed as though we'd known each other for years. That's one of the things I'm learning about the AT -- on a daily basis, people enter and leave your life, some of whom you rapidly develop a deep fondness for. Rob's parting shot was the blister he showed me that had totally engulfed his small toe. Ash had been trying to convince him to pop it for over a week, but Rob wanted to see how big he could grow it. In typical Rob fashion, he texted me from the road, reminding me to mention in my journal that he's a far superior hiker to Ash!On a positive note, I'd been following the progress of Kimpossible, whom I'd met at the Hiker Hostel the day I arrived in Atlanta. We first teamed up at Low Gap Shelter in Georgia and hiked together for several days, before she ate some bad Mexican food in Hiawassee and had to spend an extra day there to recover. Since then, she's been putting in 15- and 20-mile days, so I was expecting her to pull into the NOC, where I zero'ed today, late this afternoon.No sooner had Rob and Ash pulled out of the parking lot, than a text arrived on my phone from Kimpossible. Turns out she and Just Kate had pulled a 23-miler yesterday, stopping at the Rufus Morgan Shelter a mile short of the NOC as it was getting dark. They rolled into the NOC this morning and texted me from the breakfast spot where I'd finished eating an hour earlier.My zero day today was spent alongside the Nantahala River, enjoying the sunny weather, and reuniting with dozens of hikers I'd crossed paths with along the first 140 miles of trail. The NOC was the site for kayak racing during the Atlanta Olympics, and we were entertained today by kayakers passing through the gates still remaining from that event. The atmosphere was festive, as I imagine Woodstock must have been like 45 years ago.
Date: 2014-04-21
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I found out yesterday that Nantahala is a Cherokee word meaning "land of the noon day sun." Two days ago, we descended from the south into this steep-walled river gorge along six miles of rocky, muddy trail, losing 3000 feet in the process. Today Kimpossible, Puzzle, and I hiked together and regained our lost altitude, and then some, by climbing eight miles up to the top of Cheoah Bald. By noon, the temperature had risen into the high 70s and the sun was beating down, making it easily the hottest day so far. When we reached Stecoah Gap, 2.4 miles from our destination, I was feeling nauseous due to the heat and dehydration. Thankfully, an anonymous trail angel had left magic at the gap in the form of apples and bananas. The magic perked me up enough to get up and over Jacob's Ladder, a near-vertical, quarter-mile of pure hell. I'm now lying, comatose, in Brown Fork Gap Shelter, hoping that someone will offer to cook me dinner!Just Kate just rolled in. She accidentally locked her hiking poles in her room this morning and had to wait for the NOC office to open to retrieve them. Despite hiking alone the entire day, she covered the 16 miles in the same time as us.Hikers on the trail seem to fall into one of three age categories: twenty-somethings, by far the majority, who routinely stay up late, party hard, sleep in, yet somehow arrive at shelters first at the end of the day; retires, who've waited to finish their careers before setting out to hike the trail; and then a smaller number like myself who fall in between, putting their careers on hold to fulfill their dream.
Date: 2014-04-22
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Crossing
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: moderate rain

Sorry for yesterday's crappy post. Normally, I spend lots of time on the trail thinking of what to write about in my journal; yesterday my only thought was surviving the eight-mile ascent up Cheoah Bald followed by a similar distance through an inferno, with Jacob's Ladder punctuating the day's death march. So when I got to the shelter and sat down to write some words, all that was in my brain was sawdust. Or ashes.And then Just Kate strolls in an hour later after her late start with a smile on her face as though she'd been on a stroll through the park. Man did that piss me off. Guess I'll just have to suck it up, Sally.Last night we had seven hikers packed into a shelter meant for six. Occasional snoring and the sound of mice running through the rafters kept me awake much of the night. The shelter has a three-foot gap between the sleeping area and the sill that runs along its front, a kind of moat, making it treacherous for anyone needing to pee in the night. Which, of course, I did.One difference I've noticed so far between the trail in Georgia and North Carolina is in Georgia the ups and downs are shorter and more frequent, typically a mile or less. Since crossing the border, the climbs and descents have gotten much longer. In carpentry terms, Georgia is a crosscut saw whereas North Carolina is a ripsaw.Puzzle left the shelter with the "gang of six," with whom we'd first crossed paths at breakfast in Hiawassee, GA. A bit later, I left with Kimpossible and Kate, who was able to start on time today, as there was no possibility of locking her poles in the shelter.An old saying goes, "If there were no rain, you wouldn't enjoy the sunshine." The opposite applied for me today. After yesterday's scorcher, I thoroughly enjoyed today's hike in the rain down to Fontana Dam. Tomorrow we'll climb up into the Smokies.Tonight I'm sharing a $60 room at Fontana Lodge with Just Kate, Kimpossible, and Puzzle. The contrast in luxury from last night, when seven of us were crammed into a mouse-infested shelter, is remarkable.
Date: 2014-04-24
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: clear sky

I waited as long as I could, made and ate breakfast, packed up, and answered the call of nature, before waking up Kimpossible and Just Kate to say goodbye. Although it was 9:00 am and everyone from the shelter had long since hit the trail, Kimpossible was entombed in her sleeping bag and took a minute to emerge. I guess they really did plan to go easy today. We said our goodbyes and wished each other luck, and then I walked out of Russell Field Shelter and up the trail, feeling lonely for the first time since camping by myself at Gooch Gap my second night out.The pleasant weather and spectacular ridge walk soon cheered me up. There were a number of grassy areas that offered views down to the valleys on both sides. The "Gang of Five" was at Derrick Knob Shelter when I arrived there for lunch. They'd lost one of their members, Raven, to a sprained ankle at Brown Fork Gap Shelter two days ago. Who knows, maybe I'll tag along with them for a while. I had a minor water crisis this afternoon. Seeing several water sources on the map just beyond the lunch site, I decided to postpone filling up until I got further up the trail. When I reached the first, there was no sign directing hikers to the water. By the time I reached the second, several miles later, I was thirsty and out of water, yet there was still no indication of the location of the water. So I took off my backpack, picked the north-facing slope, and started descending. And descending. And descending. I must have dropped at least 500 feet in a quarter of a mile and was starting to get worried when I finally reached a trickle. It took forever to fill both bottles and climb back up the steep face. After my detour, it was a relief to reach my backpack, lying beside the trail where I'd left it a half-hour earlier.Unlike the shelters further south in North Carolina, those so far in the Smokies are much bigger and have bear cables and fireplaces, but not all have privies. After a warm day on the trail, the temperature dropped quickly once the sun went down, so it was a pleasure to keep warm by the fire inside the shelter.
Date: 2014-04-25
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Icewater Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: light rain

We had a full house last night at Double Spring Gap Shelter, and despite plenty of snoring going on, I slept well. We woke up to the sound of rain on the tin roof and knew our luck with the perfect weather in the Smokies had run out. Which wasn't surprising, since the National Park is considered a temperate rain forest.I provided some early-morning entertainment in the shelter by slitting a blister on my heel. A couple members of the Gang of Five came over for a closer look.We reached the highest point on the AT this morning, 6644-foot Clingmans Dome. The summit has an observation tower, from which we had unobstructed views in all directions as far as the eye could see, about 50 feet into the clouds. Unfortunately, we were a day late.I walked in the rain with Kinetic and Medic, two members of the Gang of Five, who hail from Washington, D.C. and Alabama, respectively. Kinetic is a high school physics teacher, and Medic just graduated from Auburn. By the time Kinetic and I stopped at Newfound Gap, the rain had intensified and the wind was howling, so we sought refuge in the men's restroom for lunch. There we met a cyclist on a round trip from Oregon, who apparently had the same idea.By mid-afternoon, we reached the Icewater Shelter, which was filled to capacity, but they made room for me and Kinetic. Two dinners and sitting beside by the fire in the shelter has finally taken my chill away.
Date: 2014-04-26
From: Icewater Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: clear sky

I got up early and left Icewater Shelter by 7:30 with the intention of going 20+ miles for the first time. Unlike yesterday, the weather was perfect, sunny but cold in the morning with a predicted high of 80 in the afternoon. The trail passed several famous landmarks, including Charlies Bunion, the Sawteeth, and the remains of a plane wreck.The Gang of Five appears to be down to four, as Medic decided to go short, 13 miles, due to sore feet. I caught the Gang, which left Icewater a bit earlier than me, a few miles down the trail at a rock outcrop where they stopped for pictures. Hiking with the Gang today was tortuous at times, since much of the conversation centered around food. Food that's not available in the wilderness. When addressing Lieutenant Dan, one of the Gang's members, the others often break out their best Forest Gump impersonation. The Smokies have been showing us its many faces. The first two days were spent climbing rounded ridges sparsely covered in large hardwoods. Yesterday we walked through the rain in dense spruce and fir forests. And today we traversed narrow, craggy ridges with spectacular views in all directions. At one point, I stopped for a mid-morning snack and watched a hawk ride the thermals up from the valley.I wonder whether it's possible to acclimate to heat and cold simultaneously, as this hike is exposing us to temperature extremes on a daily basis. Two days ago, I climbed toward Clingmans Dome in the hot afternoon sun, running out of water in the process. Yesterday we walked through hypothermia-inducing rain and wind, which left me chilled for hours at the shelter. And today it went from quite cold to hot during the course of the day.Tomorrow we'll climb 10 miles down to Davenport Gap, where we'll leave the Smokies. At Fontana Dam four days ago, where we entered them, I transitioned to AT-3, the third of my 22-map set of the entire AT. Tomorrow I'll be moving to AT-4.No sooner had I pressed submit on today's post, then who should roll into Cosby Knob? Medic. So the Gang of Five remains five.