morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-03-03
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: clear sky

It was cold this morning, but the sun worked its way out. An easy day of hiking for the most part. Other than the last mountain (called Albert I believe), everything was pretty flat. The views from Albert were the best I had seen so far. From there it was a short walk to Big Spring Shelter, where I spent a cold night. It probably got down to about 20 degrees, but I had enough gear to stay warm.
Date: 2012-03-04
From: Big Spring Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: broken clouds

The cold night carried into a cold morning, but the short mileage made it an easy day. Bluegrass and I made it to the highway by 11 and got a hotel. Now its time to eat some fast food, shower, resupply, and do laundry. I'm just happy to be out of the cold.
Date: 2012-03-06
From: Burningtown Gap

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: clear sky

Warmer and sunny. Resupplied, got dinner at a restaurant, stayed in the bunkhouse on site. Had a package waiting for me with my Merrell Moab Ventilator trail runners, goretex socks, and polypropylene liners, and I shipped my Vasque boots ahead. If these work out I will send the Vasques home.Also, today I officially took the trail name "Achilles."
Date: 2012-03-08
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Stopped at Fontana Village to resupply, pick up microspikes, and get new poles. Shipped the broken poles home. Made our way into the Smokies in the afternoon with a reasonable climb. Big storm coming in tonight.I figure that since my recent posts have been brief due to exhaustion and no service, I would give everyone a look at an average day on the trail. I've been getting used to this type of schedule.I wake up between 6:15 and 7:15. It takes about 30 to 45 minutes to pack up my gear, get water, and eat breakfast. Normally, I have a poptart and a protein shake for lunch (real healthy, I know).From then I hike until anywhere from 4 to 6. Throughout the day I snack on granola bars, trail mix, jerky, dried fruit, and candy bars. Typically, there are at least a couple of water sources between the places I stay so I have 2 or 3 liters of water on me at most.I try to sleep either in or around the shelters because of the social aspect, and shelter from storms. At the shelter (or outside my tent), I cook a dinner by boiling a couple cups of water and adding it to a quart size freezer bag with tuna, chicken, or spam, and either rice, ramen, or a pasta/rice/noodle packet with powdered flavoring (my favorite). Usually I go for the knorr brand food packets (formerly lipton). My favorite dinners are tuna lo mein, chicken beef stroganoff, and spam alfredo.After dinner I'll either socialize with fellow hikers, edit my trailjournal, or catch up on emails and texts when I have service. Then I go to bed, usually between 7:30 and 9.Thus far, I've been in good spirits and really enjoying myself. I'm loving the thru hiker life and my only complaint is that no southern mountains have really been above tree line. As long as I stay healthy and the weather stays as nice as it's been, I doubt anything will slow me down.
Date: 2012-03-09
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 19.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I realized how truly fortunate I've been so far. Last night the weather was awful. A storm came in around 7 and brought pounding rains, probably as hard as I've ever seen, as well as crazy winds. Not only was I in a shelter during the storm, as I have been for most of the bad weather so far, but it was pretty cold out too. Not just a cool night either. When I woke up around 7:30 a fellow hiker's thermometer read 37 degrees. It must have rained an inch or two, so 5 degrees cooler and I would have been trudging through snow all day.Waking up today, I was pleased to see the rain had stopped. The weather only got better as the day went by. Don't get me wrong, it was cold and windy, but that beats the hell out of snow or rain. By the end of the day there wasn't a cloud in the sky and it had reached a balmy 42 degrees.As I got about 5 miles into the day, I started to see ice coating all the trees. The rain had frozen to the trees, which was really cool. The iced over trees, as well as eventually reaching a summit and being above the clouds, really made this day beautiful. I'll post some pictures when I get into town, but I'm not sure how they came out. The Smokies were more impressive today than they were yesterday, simply because of some awful weather. And back to how fortunate I have been, this was the first ice I had seen since beginning (other than a tiny bit on the ground last weekend).The cold eventually sucked the life out of me, but now I'm in Double Spring Gap Shelter with a fire inside and two dinners in my belly. Not a bad way to end a long and tiring day.
Date: 2012-03-10
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: clear sky

I'm really starting to fall in love with the trail and its lifestyle. The sun came out and warmed the Smokies, and I was alone on Clingmans Dome before 9 am. I feared the road up it would have allowed for some serious tourist traffic, but luckily it was closed. After Clingmans I powered down to Newfound Gap. I got a chance to use my microspikes (they weren't completely necessary, just helpful). With the ability to go full speed on ice, I made it to the parking lot by noon. Waiting there for me were Godspeed and Mountain Momma, two trail angels. Godspeed had thru hiked and he and his wife were giving food, soda, and a ride to Gatlinburg to some very lucky thru hikers. It really was an enjoyable day in the mountains and it only got better in town. Clean clothes, a shower, and some hot food really made my day.
Date: 2012-03-11
From: Newfound Gap

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 23.3
Weather: overcast clouds

The best way to describe today is perfect. I got picked up by Godspeed and Mountain Momma and made it back on the trail by 10. Late start, I know, but the weather was perfect. Blue skies and warm, but not too warm. To top it off, I felt much stronger than I had so far. I felt good enough to go over 23 miles (with a little help from daylight savings time). Overall, I spent just under 8 hours hiking, so 3 mph all day. I may be sore, but I'm loving life and feeling good.
Date: 2012-03-12
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was fairly boring. Nothing worth noting happened, other than leaving the Smokies. This made me really happy, as all the regulations in the Smokies kind of defeat the purpose of being on the trail. I enjoy the freedom I have out here, and the whole national park part of it takes that away from me. We couldn't cook in shelters, section hikers had priority in shelters (rather than first come, first served, as usual), and hikers are required to sleep in shelters. I got sick of cooking out in the cold, wind, and rain very quickly. The amazing views didn't really make up for it. So I made it back to a lesser traveled part of the trail, called it a day early, made a fire, and enjoyed my freedom.
Date: 2012-03-13
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 26.2
Weather: light rain

Yesterday's predicted rain came last night. Then it stopped. Then it came back in full force throughout the morning. It was like hiking through a swamp. I made it halfway to Hot Springs, through the muddy, slippery conditions, and took a long break at a shelter. I let my feet air out, ate a lot of food, and put on some dry socks. I left there at about one, and as soon as I stepped outside the sun began to break through the clouds. This really changed my attitude and I plowed right up the next mountain. Then, about two miles from Hot Springs, my feet began to hurt quite a bit. I guess that's expected after 24 miles. So the last mile or so took about 40 minutes. I was overjoyed to have finished, and when I reached the road I immediately took my boots off. My feet were swollen and sore, but nothing a day off won't fix.
Date: 2012-03-14
From: Hot Springs

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Took my first zero today. Resupplied and dealt with my mail drops, as well as rested and ate a few good meals. I'm gonna soak in the hot springs in a couple of hours, and I should be ready to crank out a big day tomorrow. I'm loving the beautiful weather, and I hope it stays for a while.
Date: 2012-03-15
From: Hot Springs

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Good day coming out of Hot Springs. I felt really strong and got about 12 done by 11:30. I planned on doing about 26 to Jerry Cabin Shelter, but I got caught up with some trail magic. Hercules and Fal, a couple former thru hikers who live right off the trail, invited any thru hikers to their home for waffles, chili, and ice cream. I spent a couple hours there talking and eating, which was well worth it, and didn't get back to the trail until after 3. That kept me from doing the 26 miler, but I'll make up for it tomorrow. Hopefully it won't be 80 degrees again either, but the forecast looks hot for a while.
Date: 2012-03-16
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: light rain

I decided to spend the day with Huckleberry, Spoon, Greenbean, Moses, the Roaming Dude, and Bluegrass. Therefore, I started a little later and took more breaks, as one usually does with a larger group. I really enjoyed the company, as I've hiked alone for almost a week now. They certainly helped me keep my sanity for a couple more days. We got to the shelter a little later than I'm used to, but with enough time to get situated before the incoming thunderstorm. Now I'm sitting in my tent and weathering the storm. The upside of the inclement weather is that I'll probably be asleep well before 9. That should help me prepare for the 26.5 miles into Erwin, TN.
Date: 2012-03-17
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Uncle Johnny's Hostel
Miles today: 26.5

The rain didn't get into my tent (or at least most of it didn't), so I woke up fairly dry this morning. I'll have to let my tent dry soon, but it's probably going to rain tonight too. Luckily, I'm staying at Uncle Johnny's Hostel in Erwin, TN. The 26.5 miles was certainly worth it, as I'll soon be getting delivery pizza and taking a shower. Man my priorities are screwed up since I'm writing this before showering. I guess I'm just getting used to the filth. Maybe it'll start to grow on me and eventually I'll enjoy being dirty.Other than a short, light rain shower and insane humidity following it, today was a beautiful day. It's still a little hot for my tastes, but it sure beats cold and rainy. I'm happy to be in Erwin, and I don't feel like I did just under 27 miles. Not only has the speed and strength arrived, but my endurance is getting better too. My feet don't even hurt right now. If all goes well, I should be able to keep up the big mileage and even increase it as the terrain gets less challenging. My goal to finish in late June seems very reasonable as of now.Well, I don't have anything else incredibly relevant to write about. I'm just looking forward to a copious amount of delivery pizza. It seems the things we want become simpler as our lives do, seeing as all I do is walk and all I want is food.Oh and they have a scale here. I've lost 20 lbs so far.
Date: 2012-03-18
From: Uncle Johnny's Hostel

To: Curley Maple Shelter
Miles today: 4.7
Weather: light rain

Town sucked me in today. I got stuck on the shuttle schedule of Uncle Johnny's Hostel, which means I had to wait until the 12:30 lunch/resupply shuttle to get to the supermarket. The upside is I missed some serious rain in the morning and I got some extra meals into me from town. I didn't end up getting back from the supermarket until just after 2, so I took my time getting out and made it just under 5 miles to Curley Maple Shelter. Pretty lame day, but I'll make up the miles over the next few days.
Date: 2012-03-19
From: Curley Maple Shelter

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The heat tired me out far more than the terrain today. It was about 80 and it just made me feel like a zombie. I'm so used to walking at this point I don't have to think at all about anything, and I'll just hike 3 mph. After lunch, I was in this zombie-like state until I reached the shelter. I guess I shouldn't complain, because the weather has been so mild. Other than the heat, today was a ridiculously beautiful day. I'm gonna get to bed early and regain my strength so I can do it again in the heat tomorrow.
Date: 2012-03-20
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Mountain Harbor Hostel
Miles today: 23.7

Woke up early today, in search of 24 miles before 5. Bluegrass, Maverick, and Goose all left a little before me with the same plan in mind. I took off just after 7, with barely enough light to see. The early start got me up Roan Mountain and onto an exposed ridge shortly after 10. The climb up was steep, but eventually I reached a dense spruce forest that kept the temperature about 10 degrees cooler. Hiking through there, I regained my strength and enjoyed the lovely smell of the spruce trees. From there, I powered over a few balds and down to Stan Murrey Shelter. I planned on breaking there for lunch, but it was trashed. It's a shame to see a shelter filled with trash. I'm incredibly sick of seeing people's garbage all throughout the forest. After passing the trashed shelter, I hiked to Overmountain Shelter. My plan to continue on changed once I realized Overmountain has a privy. Tennessee has lacked these for the past few days, so I was filled with excitement not to have to squat. As you can see, the life of a thru hiker is quite glamorous.The shelter was worth the visit. It's a converted barn that could probably fit 30 or more people. Surrounding it were great views. I ate some lunch there (after using my hand sanitizer), and continued on over the other balds. The views were spectacular all day, and the exposed areas made this my favorite part of the trail so far.Coming down from the last bald, some thunder rolled in. I got back under tree cover with plenty of time, and the storm only hit the mountain just slightly. Once again, I had great fortune in terms of weather.Once I hit the road, I walked .3 down to Mountain Harbor Hostel. At the hostel, there was soda and food for purchase, as well as a shuttle into town for dinner. Needless to say, I filled up on as much food as possible. After dinner, we watched Top Gun (we kind of had to, since Maverick and Goose stayed here too). Today was an incredible day.
Date: 2012-03-21
From: Mountain Harbor Hostel

To: Kincora Hiking Hostel
Miles today: 24.4
Weather: clear sky

Another hot day, but the easy terrain allowed me to get a later start and still finish at a reasonable time. I hiked some really boring miles, and for some I thought I could have been in someone's backyard. Days like these drive me crazy. These easy, boring days walking through woods that could be behind an interstate seem pointless. Worthless miles like these are where I question why I'm doing this. Don't get me wrong, I love thru hiking the trail, but sometimes it's hard to see why the trail goes through a certain area. The only way I can stand it is by constantly daydreaming.My mind and I rejoined at Kincora Hostel. I arrived just as the evening shuttle into town was leaving. That fortune allowed me to buy tons of food at the supermarket and feast for a couple hours back at the hostel. While eating, there was some very interesting conversation. Kincora is run by Bob Peoples, who is very active in maintaining the AT. He told us about the process he must go through to alter a section of the trail, and how it takes at least 3 years to do. I'm certain he knows as much about the trail as anyone else, and it was interesting to hear about it from his perspective. This conversation was exactly what I needed to stay sane after such a dull day.
Date: 2012-03-22
From: Kincora Hiking Hostel

To: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 24.5
Weather: clear sky

Today wasn't very exciting either. It wasn't as bad, but I just didn't find it too stimulating. Plus, the heat sucked all the life out of me. Therefore, I'm going to keep it brief. I put in some fairly big miles once again, and made it to Iron Mountain Shelter. It's been dark for less than 45 minutes now, and I've already heard the mice starting to come out. Good thing my food is unreachable to a mouse.I plan on waking up early tomorrow, as rain is imminent. The chance of precipitation goes up as the day goes on, so I may leave well before sunrise in hopes of getting to Damascus without getting soaked. Luckily, it shouldn't be too hard to dry off there.
Date: 2012-03-23
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 27.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up really early today, in order to avoid the rain. There isn't enough light to hike until about 7, so I used my headlamp for a couple of hours. It wasn't horrible, but I'm gonna try and avoid headlamp hiking for the most part. The upside to it was my early arrival into Damascus. I got in around 1:30 in the afternoon and lazily got all my chores done within a few hours. Afterwards, I spent the evening hanging out with some fellow hikers and enjoying my time in town. Not a very eventful day in terms of hiking, but it's always nice to spend some time in town.
Date: 2012-03-24
From: Damascus, VA

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: moderate rain

I got a late start today, but it was by choice which is far better than what happened last weekend. I woke up a little later than usual and had a leisurely breakfast, but I felt sick for a little while. I was concerned because I had heard of some 72 hour hiker bugs (from the victims of them). They'll essentially knock you off the trail for a minimum of two days, but I felt better around lunch time. I got a big burger and was able to stomach it, and I regained my strength and energy afterwards. After lunch, I got my stuff together and took off. It was a shorter day, and I avoided the heavy morning rain, but an afternoon thunderstorm got me. There was some hail too, but the downpour was the only part that really sucked. I'm dry at this point though, as are my clothes. By morning my shoes should be fully dry too.I got to the shelter around 6, as another storm rolled in. That was incredibly fortunate, as I stayed dry under a roof. There were some boy scouts here already, and they even had some extra pork. Obviously, this made me really happy. Tomorrow's a big day though, so I'm gonna get some rest now.
Date: 2012-03-25
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 23.2
Weather: light rain

Rainy, cold, windy, and pretty damn miserable are the best ways to describe today. Before further describing the day and its weather, I'm going to explain the weather during the last couple of days. On late Friday night, or early Saturday morning it began to rain heavily. This continued until sometime between 10 and 11 am. Then there was a severe thunderstorm around 1 until about 2. Then it stopped raining until another thunderstorm at about 6. This only lasted 45 minutes or so, but it drizzled until 9 then poured until 7 on Sunday morning.So I awoke, and it was wet outside but the rain had stopped. I was optimistic that that would be it, but it began again at 8 and it rained fairly heavily until 3 in the afternoon. During much of this time, I was on an exposed ridge getting blown around by wind and even hit in the face with some freezing rain during the morning. I made it to Thomas Knob Shelter, just over 12 miles from where I had started, by about 12:30. The trails were more rivers than trails at this point, and dodging 6 inch deep puddles makes it awfully slow going. I ate lunch at Thomas Knob, and did my best to warm up. It took me far longer than I expected, so I took a short nap. I wound up leaving just after 3, so I had slept through the end of the storm. The remaining wind and fog made the next 11 miles pretty boring. I couldn't enjoy the beautiful scenery of the highlands, and I didn't even see any wild ponies. That was the biggest disappointment of the day.With incredible rains like this comes the need for excellent gear. The first piece of gear that saved me were the gore tex socks. I hike in low cut boots without any waterproofing, as I know they'll inevitably get wet on days like this. That allows them to dry very quickly, but makes days like this miserable. But my feet remained dry, due to the gore tex socks. I couldn't have done almost 24 miles without them.The second piece of gear that really helped is my packa. A packa is a rain jacket and pack cover combined into one item. This is probably the coolest gear I have with me, as well as the most ingenious. And I have some sweet gear, too. While hiking with my packa, I actually ran into Cedar Tree, the man who invented it. We discussed it for a short while, and he was glad to hear how pleased I am with it. So for all you future thru hikers out there, buy a packa, as well as gore tex socks.I arrived at Old Orchard Shelter around 7, where a large group of students from the University of Maine were on a spring break trip. They were doing a week long hike as part of their backpacking expedition class. Although the shelter was full when I arrived, they were very kind and cleared a spot for me. I appreciated this very much after such a long, challenging day.The day wasn't too much fun, but my gear stayed dry and my spirits are still high. And at the end of the day, that's all that really matters.
Date: 2012-03-26
From: Old Orchard Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 24.7
Weather: overcast clouds

So I started from Springer four weeks ago. Not bad mileage for the first four weeks, but I'd like to pick it up a bit over the next four. I don't doubt that I'll be able to do that, as I'm feeling incredibly strong and the terrain is only getting easier.A beautiful day allowed me to get big miles done really early. I hiked from 8 until 4:45 or so, and took at least an hour and a half worth of breaks to enjoy the weather. My speed hasn't peaked yet, as I've been able to go faster, and for longer periods of time. Today wasn't very eventful though. I realized a while ago that music will help me pick up my speed, especially at the end of the day. What I learned today is that higher beats per minute typically means I'll go faster. Deadmau5 probably does the best job of helping me increase my speed. On almost all terrain, in reasonable weather of course, Deadmau5 gets me to about 4 mph. That's how I got to Partnership so early. The last 8 miles or so took about 2 hours.When I got to Partnership, I was able to order a couple pizzas to be delivered. This shelter is right by a forest service visitor center place, with a phone outside so thru hikers can order pizza. I got a couple medium pizzas and a piece of cheesecake. That's all been eaten by now. Sadly, the shower isn't opened for the season yet. Also, I'm alone at the shelter. This is a bit of a bummer, because after hiking alone all day I like having someone to talk to. I think I'm ahead of almost everyone at this point, so this could happen more in the future. Judging by the journals in the shelters, there's only a handful of people ahead and it may be a while before I catch them. I guess I'll get my book out of my bounce box soon, because I bet I'll do a lot more reading if I'm alone. There are some people magazines from 2010 here, but I'm not that desperate for something to read. I guess I'll just go to sleep as early as possible.