morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-03-18
From: DerrickKnob Shelter

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 16.0

3/18Handles and I started out of the shelter today at 7. We woke up at 6, in the cold, so that we could catch the sunrise. Derrick Knob was only a few minutes up the trail. When we got there I mixed some hot cocoa and coffee together and cooked some oatmeal. The picture you see to the left was what we saw as we sat there in amazement.The sun came up over Clingman's Dome, the high point of the AT, and lit up the whole sky. We stayed for about an hour or so as other hikers passed through asking if that was us that showed up so late the night before. Last ones in, first ones out. We packed up our things and made our way down the trail with the warmth of the sun now in our favor. The climb up to Clingman's dome was very mild as are most of the trails here in the Smokies. From what I've gathered, the grade of the trails was designed so that horses could get through, so it's never too steep. There are no dogs allowed in the Smokies, but horses are welcome on the trail through this section. Clingman's Dome offered a full 360° view. We made our way up into the spiral observation deck along with a group of road bikers. I sat and made some Ramen and Knorr Pasta Sides for lunch. We snapped our fair share of photos and then began the descent towards Newfound Gap. Honestly, I'll take going up over going down any day. Coming down really does a number on your knees, especially with the weight of the pack. I try to take as many breaks as I can so that I don't get too sore. It's like pulling over to let your brakes cool off when you're driving down a steep mountain. It takes you a little longer to get down, but saves you from having to deal with the nonsense in the long run.We called ahead to see about vacancies in Gatlinburg. I wasn't going to stop because I've been staying at a lot of hotels, but I needed the resupply. We weren't even at the gap 20 seconds and a guy pulled over to ask if we needed a lift into town. We found out he had just been doing some mountain biking up on Clingman's Dome. He had told his friends that he was going to find some hikers to bring into town on his way home. We were thankful to have such an easy hitch in.There was definitely a pretty rapid transition as we made our way out of the mountains. We went from pines and towering Rocky hills to neons, t shirt shops and henna tattoo stands. I couldn't believe how many people were in town. The guidebook described Gatlinburg as "a tourist Mecca." This is an amazingly accurate description. It was like they stuck an amusement park smack dab in the middle of the Smokies.Scott, our hitchhiking hero, dropped us off at the Grand Prix motel and wished us luck. We walked in, set up our room and 2 night stay, then made our way out to see what Gatlinburg was all about. It took us about 30 minutes to figure that one out.
Date: 2016-03-20
From: Gatlinburg

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: broken clouds

3/20Handles and I left the motel today at 9 am. We grabbed some biscuit sandwiches before we caught the shuttle at 10 out of the NOC. As we worked our way up back up into the smokies, the snow started to appear. At Newfound Gap, the snow and ice covered the trees. An anxious group of hikers waited to take the shuttle back down into Gatlinburg. Snow in their hair and beards, they warned of icy trail conditions. We bid farewell to the shuttle driver and thanked us for the lift. Handles asked his name and he reluctantly told us it was "Bad Weather." After a good laugh and a few funny looks from the crowds of visitors gathering at the gap, we headed back onto the trail. Only 1972 miles to Katahdin. The day's hike consisted of a nice gradual ascent into the frosted trees. The green tunnel had transformed into the white tunnel. Ice had frozen on the branches of little trees and outlined every single branch. The higher we went, the more ice we saw on the trees. There were no views, only blank canvases as we stared out into the white at each vista. At lunch, the snow began. First it came down in little hail pellets. The rocks and roots on the trail grew icy. Then it came down in big fluffy white flakes that swept diagonally across the trail in the wind. The two of us cooked dinner under the roots of an overturned tree. We deliberated going another 5 miles to the next shelter. But the weather looked better at Pecks Corner and it was getting late. We rationalized that it would be better to have more time to set up and hunker down for the snow storm. The sun is setting now. I changed out of my wet snow covered gear and into the various layers of warm weather gear in my dry sack. The weather report for this shelter says that it'll get down to 18° tonight. Some strong gusts are possible as well as another 1-3 inches of snow. Every now and then until I fall asleep, I shake the snow off of the awning above me. Hopefully the weight of the snow doesn't cause it to collapse in the night. I keep joking that I drove 20 hours to come back to New England. As I lay here, admiring my breath as it fogs the screen of my phone, I'm starting to believe that it's true. Happy Spring!
Date: 2016-03-22
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Max Patch
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: few clouds

I was incredibly thankful to be in the warm weather this morning. I set my laundry line up the night before so that it would be facing the east. This way, the morning sun would hit my wet gear and dry them as I packed up. Rash, Tesla and myself made our way to the Standing Bear Hostel which was only a half mile off the trail. When we got there, we were greeted by and older guy who called himself "Lumpy." Lumpy gave us the "nickel tour of the property." They had all sorts of food and items in their resupply shed. The three of us split a frozen pizza and cooked it in the kitchen provided on property. There was a guitar inside that belonged to the recently departed founder of the hostel. I spent some time playing some music while we waited for the pizza to cook. We left the hostel and as we walked down the dirt road, there was a car from some section hikers that had paint markers sitting on the hood. The windshield read, "Thru hikers write on me!" We obliged and continued on.After a steady ascent back up to 4300' we started to see snow again. We reached the top of snowbird mountain and stumbled upon an FAA air traffic control station. It looked like a UFO that had crash landed on top of the mountain. We were 9 miles out from Max Patch, an iconic location on the trail. It was already 5 because we had spent so much time roasting in the sun at Standing Bear. The three of us devised a plan to catch the sunset off of Max patch, but we had just under 3 hours to make it there. I kicked into high gear and hiked through as fast as I could. I made great time, but the steep hills started to drain my energy pretty quickly. As I hiked through the forest I smelled and saw smoke in the air. I could see it looming over the mountains. The dry weather that we've been having made me inclined to believe that there was a wildfire, but it could have been a controlled burn just the same. The sun turned a deep blood red as it set over the smoke covered hills. It was hard to admit the defeat that I didn't make it to Max Patch before sunset, but I rationalized that there were many sunsets along the trail to be seen. Another life lesson hatched from a small instance.When I finally reached Max Patch, the full moon had risen. The light poured over the hills and valleys below like a single candle in a dark room. I'm sure that on a sunny day, this is a spectacular view, but it was truly unique to be there right at the beginning of the full moon. We sat for over an hour on the bald talking about life philosophy, spooky ghost stories and things we had seen along the trail. These guys are young, but incredibly smart. I'm envious that they're coming into a sense of adulthood out here on the trail. I'm well aware that I am too in many ways, so I venture to guess that this is why I've enjoyed spending time with them.
Date: 2016-03-26
From: I Don't Even Know Anymore

To: Perpetually Hot Springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

So I've been in Hot Springs now for three days. Not quite sure how it happened, but I suspect that it was the temptation of free food and a nice spot to camp by the river.I've been with King Arthur, Hot Rabbit, Learning Curve and Alpha sitting on a sandy river bank soaking up the sun. Yes there's been a little bit of beer involved, but the main temptation has honestly been the food provided by Handles' parents. They've been more than hospitable to us. We've had hamburgers, hot dogs, salads, spaghetti, bacon and eggs, and the list goes on. I built a fire pit when we first got here, and it's been the center of our day to day activities. Wake up, get the fire going, spend all day eating and gathering wood, then keep the fire going into the night. This has been our routine. It's peculiar to me how the trail feels so far away even though we've only been off for two days. The temptations of "civilization" sets in pretty quickly. Everything we need is readily available. There are showers at the campground, bathrooms, convenience stores etc. But it's too easy. That's not what we signed up for. Yesterday was the day I decided I needed to leave, but I do enjoy the company of these new friends so I stuck around the extra day to leave tomorrow morning. The way I see it, the problem with towns is that this is where you spend money. So if everything is provided for you, and you're not spending money, might as well soak up some rays on the river bank.So that's what we've done. Knowing that Easter is coming up, it's nice to have some companionship. I've packed up some spam, stuffing, gravy and cranberries for Easter dinner tomorrow night. It's comforting to know that tomorrow I'll be back on the trail, somewhere up in these hills that look over the town of Hot Springs. But for now, I'll nurture the good vibes and lay in my hammock perched on the side of the river.
Date: 2016-03-27
From: Perpetually Hot Springs

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Well I finally made it out of the Hot Springs vortex. Next destination for a resupply is Erwin, TN. It's about a 70 mile hike, so I figure about 4 days of hiking.My general resupply stops are about every 4 days. I pack in about 8-10 lbs of food and hit a grocery store or Dollar General to grab what I need. Most of what we eat can be found at low cost at little stores like this. But a super market is a jack pot where you can grab all of your little specialty items. Erwin has a Walmart so that'll be a good resupply point. A lot of hostels in between towns offer resupplies, but they're usually pretty marked up. I really felt the few days I spent off the trail. I swear I've gone completely soft after only 72 hours. There was a pretty steep climb out of town. I could see that it was taking its toll on the other hikers as well. After about 5 hours of hiking, we wound up at the Spring Mountain shelter and decided that it was time to set up for the night. I've fallen into a groove of doing between 10-15 miles after a resupply. Your pack is heavy because of all of the food. Usually, after that day, you've worked into at least 2, maybe 3 lbs of what you brought in. It sounds like nitpicking, but every pound really does count. Even when I refill my water bottles, I can feel the difference. I suppose that's why hikers are always talking about all of the wonderful ways we can cut down on weight.I've been hiking along with the guys from Hot Springs. After the big climb out of town, we settled in 11 miles up the trail at the Spring Mountain shelter. There I made my stuffing and Spam Easter dinner. As I laid by the fire, I looked up into the night sky and thought about my family back home. These are some of the many emotional hurdles faced. I'm displaced from my home and everyone I love, but this is the journey and these are the sacrifices made. While I laid down for bed, the wind circled the vallies below me like waves crashing into the shore.They worked over the ridges, rocking my hammock as the gusts passed over me. The familiar sound of rain spattering above me finally brought me to a sound sleep.
Date: 2016-03-29
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 26.0

"My brother, where do you intend to go tonight?I heard that you missed your connecting flightto the Blue Ridge Mountains, over near Tennessee."Today was my first big mile day. I left Hogpen Gap shelter pretty early. That is to say, if I can be packed up, have eaten breakfast and I'm on the trail by 7, then that's early. The terrain has been fairly flat. Steady rolling hills lead up to grassy balds and green hills. I hiked alone and tossed around the idea of hiking the 26 miles into Erwin. It would be a feat, but a grueling one. I came up over the first hill of the day to see King Arthur and Handles sitting in a field together. Arthur took off, but Handles and I decided to hike together once again. Once in awhile we encounter a bald or two, but they usually come and go. Big Bald nearly knocked me down with its beauty. I could see field after field of yellowish brow grass as the trail split the fields in two. All along the way, there were old weathered posts with fresh white blazes on them. This was the mental image of the trail that I had before I came out here. A lot of the trail out here is similar to home, but these balds, these are different. I walked in wide open fields, high above the towns below for over an hour. I stopped to take as many photos as I could. The hardest part was keeping the pace going and not stopping to take picture after picture after picture. The beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountains had captivated me through in a million different ways. Handles and I stopped after awhile to make lunch and I bounced the idea of going into Erwin off of him. He agreed that it would be a good time to increase the mileage and see how our bodies faired. We were excited to pass all of our friends at the last shelter before town. When we arrived, we realized that they too had decided to go the distance. So, the two of us hiked into the dark, headed the last 7 miles into town. The way into town was a steep drop. We could see the town below us, but never car any closer. We worked through 14 switchbacks before the distant street lights emerged in front of us. We had finally made it to Erwin. We had no idea what our plan was or where were were going to stay, but like a mirage, Uncle Johnnie's hostel appeared in the distance. I saw Hot Rabbit laying in a hammock on the porch. He couldn't believe we had made it in so late. We were the last ones in, by far. But we were just happy to be there with all of our friends. We stayed the next day where I again did work for stay. The day was filled with usual in town activities including a provided shuttle over to the local Walmart. At the end of the night, the hostel played the Revenant on their outdoor TV. All of the hikers and hostel staff gathered around to watch. Feeling oddly inspired by this first viewing of the film, I went to bed. I faded into sleep while down pouring rain slammed off the tin roof not but a foot above my top bunk bed.
Date: 2016-05-09
From: Waynesboro

To: Punchbowl Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

Still fighting the rain. It seems that there has been at least some chance of precipitation in the forecast for awhile now. But I'm a pro at this, and all of the issues I faced last week have been resolved. Clark Jungle Hammocks sent me an awning to put over the top of my hammock. They were incredibly professional and did right by me. It took me about 3 hours the other day to set up the awning. I had cut and measure the proper cordage for the outriggers, and play around with it to see how it worked. It weighs 14 oz and is about half the size of an AT shelter, no joke. It's amazing. When I arrived in Daleville about 5 days ago, I ran into my friend Sneaky Pete. Pete was the first hiker I met when I stepped out of the car at Amicolola Falls my first day on trail. He lives in the town of Roanoke, only a 20 minute drive from Daleville. He offered to bring me back to his place where there were 20 other hikers hanging out. He considered it his trail magic to the community. Being that it was May 4th, Star Wars Day, we all gathered around the tv to watch the new Star Wars film. I zeroed the next day at his house watching 3 more episodes of Star Wars, the originals of course. It was a marathon, but I had my pals Spike and Napster from Germany to watch every episode with me. On that zero day, I ate as much food as I possibly could shovel in. I also made my way out to pick up a 50° fleece sleeping bag for $12 at a sporting goods store in Roanoke. Not a bad deal at all. It only weighs a pound and is great to cozy up with at night. I finally picked up the resupply package that had been lost in the mail for a month. That was waiting for me in Daleville. I grabbed some tree straps to hang my hammock from. Unfortunately, I left the straps I was using tied up around two trees on Mcaffee's Knob, so I had no way to hang my hammock until I grabbed these. While in Glasgow this morning, I picked up a package of hose gaskets for my Sawyer. With a surplus of about 6 gaskets, I'm banking on not having to drink water with my emergency water treatment again. I had a chance to fully resupply, and this time I've packed enough food to keep me going strong for 5 days, potentially 4 if I'm really tearing into it. All in all, things are looking pretty decent out here for me. I'm good under pressure, and a seasoned problem solver, but I let the trail get into my head. It's hard to explain the relationship I have with this trail so far, but I can sum it up as one of respect. I respect the trail because I know it can break me. But it will only break me if I allow it to do so.
Date: 2016-02-25
To: Springer Mountain
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Hello, My name is Rob Potvin but on the trail I will go by WESTY. That'e because I drive and camp in a 1987 VW Vanagon Wesfalia; affectionately know by their owners as "Westy".I plan on hike NoBo (Northbound) starting at Springer Mountain on or about March 16th. I will not start in a downpour or blizzard; preferring to wait a day or two for a little better weather.My goal is to hike 100 miles a week so I will hike six to eight days a week depending on trail conditions and how I feel. Obviously if I hide too many eight day weeks my end date will extend past my current plan of September 4th.My wife Kathy and I live in Topsham Maine. We are retired and greatly enjoy the outdoors. Her support, both materially and emotional are key to my success. Three times during the hike, setting out from Springer, on the Blue Ridge Parkway and In the White Mountains, she will meet me every evening for a week or so, transport me to a campground and urge me on. In doing this I will have the luxury of slack Packing (hiking with a daypack) for a few days when I'll appreciate it the most; starting out and during a couple strenuous mountain passages.Kathy will also coordinate my mail drops of which 16 are planned. The combination of mail drops, Kathy meeting me and a few nights in trail towns will mean I will have very little food shopping to do on the trail. That should help me eat healthy most of the way.Well, that is it for now. I hope to write one more pre-hike journal entry and then do and entry or three each week while on the trail. If I can figure out how to do it I will include photos of some of the sights that I think worth sharing.WESTY
Date: 2016-02-26
To: Springer Mountain
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Hello again. This entry is going to be short; I simply want to talk a bit about what I have been doing to get in shape and our mail drop plans.Since I will have the luxury of slack packing for the first hundred miles, I am depending on those early miles to get my trail legs. With that in mind I have concentrated on walking and exercises to prepare for the hike. I walk on average 6 miles a day on rolling terrain with hikes up and down moderate (1,000 foot) mountains every week or two. I also do lots of knee bends and squats. I wore hip belt with 15 points in it for a couple of weeks but it didn't wear like my backpack and it made my lower back sore so I quit that. I had no trouble carrying a loaded pack on the two longish hikes I used it with so I am hoping wearing a pack won't be a problem once my legs are in shape.We have managed to assemble most of the food that we will mail drop. Fifteen mail drops containing about eighty meals, replacement socks, tooth paste and many quarter rolls of toilet paper are piled on our guest room bed. We will be using USPS Priority Mail boxes.
Date: 2016-02-27
To: Springer Mountain
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I spent a bit of time yesterday tuning up my electronics for the hike. My smartphone (a Apple 6S Plus) is the core element; it will be my phone, camera, dairy, guidebook, compass, alarm clock, weather forecaster and navigation device. My guidebook is AWOL's. My navigation app is Guthooks. My weather forecaster is Appalachian Trail Weather. This weather site gives weather forecasts for each shelter along the AT. Besides my smartphone I'll carry a charger/flashlight. The one I picked is a 6000mAh Jackery Bar; this charges my smartphone one and one half times. Also among my electronics is a SteriPEN UV water purifier.WESTY
Date: 2016-03-15
From: Springer Mountain

To: Springer Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 0.2
Weather: clear sky

Destination Springer Mountain Shelter mile 0.2 Start Amacalola State Park mile -8.8Started Approach Trail at 8:00. Bright crisp day. The Approach Trail is very difficult with an elevation gain of almost 2,000 feet. When I arrived at the top, tired and sweaty but excited to have made it, there were several other thru hikers and a dozen or so day hikers lounging on the rocks. I wrote a short message in the log book and continued on to Springer Mountain Shelter 0.2 miles down the trail. I set up my tent, ate supper (chili Mac and cheese), hung my food bag on the bear cables and crawled into my tent. I was asleep by 7:30. A great start!
Date: 2016-03-16
From: Springer Mountain Shelter

To: Hightower Gap
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: clear sky

I woke up this morning at 7:30; it was just barely dawn, chilly and very windy. Used the privy (quite an experience), fetched my food bag, cooked two packets of oatmeal and one of hot chocolate then took down my tent and packed everything up. On the trail by 9:00. Lots of ups and downs with many pretty overlooks which were a great excuse to stop and rest; often with other hikers. Bright, warm sunny day; absolutely quiet except for the occasional chirping of birds. I was passed by several hikers; some thru hikers and some day hikers. Several kids on spring break. I arrived at Hawk Mountain Shelter at 3:00 and set up my tent. Setting up your tent right away to claim a good spot with few roots and rocks seems to be the thing to do. I had just taken off my shoes when Kath came walking up. What a pleasant surprise! She had managed to drive to Hightower Gap any walked the half mile up to the shelter to meet me. I took down my tent, packed up and together we hiked to Hightower Gap and slept in our Vanagon for the night.