morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-03-23
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 5.6
Weather: few clouds

Spent a great "nero" day in Helen while there was still rough weather in the mountains but today I'm back on the trail and the weather was beautiful. Hiked up to Tray Shelter by about 1pm then stopped for lunch. While I was trying to cut an orange in half with a very small sharp knife I cut my hand badly. It wouldn't stop bleeding, so some of the other hikers helped me bandage it. I decided it would be better if I stopped hiking for the day to keep the cut from reopening. The group I was hiking with continued on to the next campsite and shelter. Later on during the day after the bleeding stopped some other hikers helped me glue it together with some Crazy glue. Lots of other hikers showed up later on in the afternoon and we had a great time with lots of laughter. It's just after 7pm now and some are already going to bed to stay warm. It won't be dark for another hour but I'm going to go to bed too.
Date: 2010-03-24
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

Another beautiful day for hiking. Today the hiking wasn't too hard until we got to Kelly's Knob. That was a tough climb. Not much to see today either, but there was one nice view on a side trail with a sign that just had "VISTA" written on it. It was a very nice vista though. A local elderly couple had hiked up from Dick's Creek Gap and was having lunch and taking pictures of the view. It was a long clear view with a beautiful blue lake in the distance. The couple told me it was Lake Burton. On to Dick's Creek Gap and Hiawassee, GA.
Date: 2010-03-25
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: light rain

Hiked into Dick's Creek Gap yesterday and hitched a ride into town with a nice lady who does in-home health care. She had a couple of dogs with her, one was a golden retriever that commenced to giving me a bath and the other one was a small long haired dog, maybe Pekinese, that she takes into the homes as a therapy dog. The little dog was a cutie and had little pink and purple rabbit ears in her hair. She dropped me off at the Blueberry Patch Hostel. The Blueberry Patch is a great place with a very nice couple that owns it, Gary and Lennie Poteat. They have a hostel building that is separate from their house and another small out building for the bathroom. I came in and met everyone and then went to take a shower. Lennie washed all our clothes for us. It was Wednesday so Gary invited us all to go to church with him where we had a great supper and then Bible study. The next morning they made us a wonderful breakfast with pancakes and their trail-famous blueberry syrup, eggs, biscuits, gravy, coffee and orange juice. Then at 9:30 Gary gave us all a ride back up to the trail. Today I crossed my first state line from Georgia into North Carolina. The hike today wasn't too bad until now, then NC said hello with a tough climb up a mountain that was unnamed on my map. We also had cold blowing wind and rain again. Got to Muskrat Creek Shelter and it was almost full, only one last space to squeeze into and that was with everyone turned in alternating directions. We had a snorchestra to listen to all night long. Well, that's all for this entry.
Date: 2010-03-26
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Beech Gap
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: light rain

Another cold, damp and windy day of hiking, nothing to see. Still some snow on top of Standing Indian Mountain, although they say that when summer comes while hiking you'll be wishing for just one of these cold days again. Stopped for lunch at Standing Indian Shelter and then continued on to Beech Gap where I stopped to camp for the evening with Little Foot, Whiskers, Seeker, and T-Rex, and where I'll spend the Sabbath. "For six days shalt thou labour and do all thy work but the seventh day is the Sabbath." The forth suggestion, or was it a commandment, It is also the only day that was blessed by our Creator and Heavenly Father.
Date: 2010-03-27
From: Beech Gap

To: Beech Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Shabbat, Shalom or Sabbath blessings to all. Today was a beautiful sunny day at Beech Gap. The low this morning was about 29 degrees and warmed up to about 45 degrees. Woke up this morning and said goodbye to my hiking buddies as they moved on down the trail, and then had a good day reading the book of Acts. Lots of other hikers came by today. Two sisters and a daughter stopped for lunch and I went over and sat with them and talked as they ate their dehydrated baked beans and spam. Later a fellow who worked for the Appalachian Trail Conservancy stopped by and we talked for a while. He told me about arrow heads that he was finding in the area. I asked him about seeing some wood on the ground that we see all along the trail that is an unnatural looking green color like it has been dyed green or colored with a green magic marker. He just happened to have a picture on his camera of a little green mushroom that was no bigger than an eighth of an inch that comes out in the fall. He said it causes a green coloring on dead pieces of wood on the ground. He also told me that the weather forecast was for more rain on Sunday. :-( And now this weeks trail recipe. This one is for those on a budget. One of the hikers said they got this one from one of the hostel owners down at the beginning of the trail. Take one package of Ramen noodles and prepare as usual and add some flavored potato flakes until the broth thickens to desired consistency. They said this was a meal they could eat all the time.And now for the Bible verse. Isaiah 4:1 "And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach."Who are these women, and who is this one man; and what is meant by this bread and apparel? Could these women be the same ones talked about in the verse from last week? It sounds kind of like a marriage but these women want to do everything their own way and are just using their husband for his name. And why is it that the Scriptures seem to be talking badly about women in general. Could the word women in these verses really be talking about something else, just symbolically?
Date: 2010-03-30
From: Franklin, NC

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I think that I must have worn down my immunities and that night I spent at Muskrat Creek Shelter, I picked up a virus from someone. With the midnight hike it finally got the best of me. I'll be staying here in Franklin a couple of extra days to get over it and get my strength back.
Date: 2010-04-01
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Cold Springs Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

Today started a little slow. I was planning on hiking over to one of the other motels in town to catch a ride on the hiker shuttle bus. I was going to leave my hotel at about 8:00 and be there by 8:30. When I got down to the front desk no one was around. I rang the bell on the counter and waited. Finally the manager came out from the housekeeping department and said they had been trying to get a television working. While she was getting my bill totaled, she and the other employees were talking and by the time I was able to get out the door it was 8:17. There was no way I was going to be able to make it to the other motel in time to catch the shuttle. I walked across the bridge, crossed the road to the on-ramp and started walking down the ramp with my thumb out. Before I got down the ramp to the road that led to Winding Stair Gap a man in a small truck stopped to pick me up. It just so happened he was from a local church and was on his way to Winding Stair Gap where they had a trail ministry on Thursdays giving out hiking supplies and witnessing to the hikers. He asked me what my trail name was and I said "Sabbath Keeper". He asked me if I was Adventist and I said "No Sir!" Anyone who knows me knows we had a good talk before we got to the trail. Yahweh works things out. Later on I found out that the shuttle bus had broken down that morning. Had a good hike with a good view up Siler Bald and took some pictures. When I got to Wayah Bald Tower the view toward Franklin was all smokey. Someone there said there was a forest fire in the Franklin area. Hiked on to Cold Spring Shelter and camped out on the ridge above using just my bivvy sack and sleeping bag and staring up at a clear beautiful night.
Date: 2010-04-02
From: Cold Springs Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

Today was really tough on me. My knees started hurting again yesterday and today. They are hurting really bad and I have a tough down-hill hike into the Nanatahala Outdoor Center. Had another good view from the Wesser Observation Tower. Got into the NOC, ate dinner at the Rivers End Restaurant, and got a bunk for the next two nights at the NOC Base Camp.
Date: 2010-04-03
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

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

It was a beautiful Sabbath day here at the NOC and there was lots of activity with people getting out for the spring weather. The Smokey Mountain Railway comes through here and goes a little farther before coming back and stopping. This train was one of the longest ones I've seen for this train. It had two engines pulling it which is unusual. It normally only has one engine and about ten cars. This one may have had thirty cars.Food thought for the week. I haven't seen anything unique this week that people are eating but I did meet an elderly fellow who said that all his food was no-cook foods. He said he just eats a trail mix for breakfast and all through the day, and then a single serving package of Spam and crackers for dinner. He doesn't carry a stove but his pack weight was thirty pounds with four days of food and water. I think I'll keep my stove and try to eat just a little better than that.This weeks Bible verses are Hebrews 10:26-29. "For if we sin willfully after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, there remaineth no more sacrifice for sins, but a certain fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation, which shall devour the adversaries. He that despised Moses' law died without mercy under two or three witnesses: Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye , shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of Elohim, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, an unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?"Most, if not all of us have heard all of our church lives that we are not under the law but under grace. That the law was nailed to the cross, giving us a false sense of freedom from the consequences and that if we sinned all we had to do was ask for forgiveness and all would be well. But this verse isn't talking about accidental sin, it's talking about deliberate sin that we continue in over and over again. What this verse is saying is we are not going to get away with it, but we will be judged and punished for it. But what is sin? Most of us think we know what sin is, but what does the Bible say sin is? 1 John 3:4 "Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law."
Date: 2010-04-04
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: clear sky

Another hot day of umbrella hiking, even though I look ridiculous with it. Everyone who saw me was envious. The climb up out of the NOC was a long one, six miles and a three thousand foot elevation gain. Had a beautiful view at the Nantahala Gorge overlook, got water from a place where the water was just running over the edge of a large rock above next to the trail somewhere around The Jump up, mile 140.3. Stopped for the day at Sassafras Gap Shelter. It was a double deck shelter but only three others were in it with me. Several others tented around the shelter or up on the ridge by the trail. One of the guys said it's all down hill from here to Fontana Dam, then someone said "Yea, and when we get to Clingmans Dome it's all down hill to Mount Katahdin." It was just a joke because we all knew that there was no such thing as all down hill on the A.T. The night was clear and mildly cool temps.
Date: 2010-04-05
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: broken clouds

Today was another tough hot day and all I met at the shelter said it was one of the toughest for them too. The hardest part was coming up out of Sweetwater Gap, mile 149.6. I was so dry by the time I got to the shelter, I must have drank three quarts of water before bedtime. Another clear mild night.
Date: 2010-04-06
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I have been observing the days of Unleavened Bread and today was the last day so I took a zero day here at Brown Fork Gap Shelter. Some other hikers stopped by for a break and said there were record high temps in this area today. Last summer in Franklin, NC the high was about 84 degrees and they said today it would be 90 degrees today, so it ended up being a very good day to zero. And now for the large game report. Yesterday I saw a doe up on Cheoah Bald but she ran off before I could get her picture. Then back in Georgia while climbing Kelly Knob, I heard a loud rustling of leaves so I stopped to listen to see where the noise was coming from. I turned around just in time to see about a half dozen wild hogs running down the hill and crossing the trail about seventy yards down the trail from where I was. The only sound was the rustling leaves. They were running down the hill so fast that they were just a reddish brown flash as they crossed the trail and disappeared as they continued down the hill.
Date: 2010-04-07
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Village
Miles today: 0.0

Zero miles today due to rain, not a good time to start a climb into the Smokey's. No cellular service---they said a storm knocked out the tower. The phone company was in no hurry to fix it because there where just a few customers in the area that use it during this time of year. The hotel only allows fifteen minutes of computer time, only enough time to upload my pictures. I have to wait till later to upload my journal when I have service on my Peek. Not expecting any service up in the Smokes either.
Date: 2010-04-08
From: Fontana Village

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: moderate rain

Another beautiful day for hiking. I stopped for lunch at Cable Gap Shelter. At the top of the mountain we could see the Fontana reservoir (Little Tennessee River) then the trail turned west and we walked the ridge line for what seemed like several miles. We were looking down at the Fontana Dam to our right, which was where we were trying to get to until the dam was out of sight, then turning back east and walking down to dam. We checked into the Fontana Resort Inn which is a nice place to stay with a restaurant in the hotel. This area is called Fontana Village and it is where the workers lived in the forties during the construction of the dam. It's a resort now for the rich but during this off season they lower their rates for us "hiker trash." Rain is predicted for tomorrow so it looks like most hikers will stay for a zero day. Tomorrow we will enter the Smokey Mountain National Park just the other side of the dam.
Date: 2010-04-09
From: Fontana Dam

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: few clouds

We are going to get spoiled with all this beautiful weather, sunny and cool today, perfect for hiking. The walk across Fontana Dam was beautiful and the hike up into the Smokey's was not too bad. I've read other journals where they complain about how hard this climb was, maybe it was a hot day then, but it was cool temps today and the climb seemed kind of mild compared to some others we've had. Not a lot to see yet, just some glimpses through the trees of the valleys and the reservoir below. Stopped at Mollies Ridge Shelter for lunch but thought that because of the backup of hikers at Fontana due to the weather that this shelter would be packed tonight. Hiked on to Russell Field Shelter which was only 2.5 miles further. Turned out to be a good decision, only three other hikers in a shelter made for fourteen. They said the next day that Mollies Ridge Shelter was full plus about five to ten others tenting around the shelter. Most of the shelters have been remodeled but this one was one of the older ones that still had a chain-link fence. They are removing the fences because the hikers were feeding the bears through the fence.
Date: 2010-04-10
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Another beautiful Sabbath day. As it turned out, the Russell Field Shelter is at a trail intersection of a popular day hike loop for locals who start down at Cades Cove and walk up to the AT. Then they, walk up to Spence Field and back down to Cades Cove on the Bote Mountain Trail. Lots of day hikers coming through all day long. One group of young people came in and dropped off their packs in the shelter and then hiked on up to Rocky Top to watch the sunset, which was about 4.1 miles from the shelter. I guess they didn't know that through hikers go to bed at dark, we also wake up at dawn. The shelter was full this night. Today's food idea: this may sound crazy to begin with; carrying fresh fruit, but after a while you start to crave fresh fruit while hiking the trail. So, for breakfast I carried a couple of bananas and oranges. I bought a six-pack of Jiff To Go peanut butter and gave three away. Mixed the peanut butter with honey and spread on a tortilla wrap, add banana and that's breakfast. Just eat the orange plain.Today's Scripture verse and thought: A sad state exist in the religious community these days. Every denomination thinks theirs is the only right way to salvation and that all the others have been led astray. Even though they pretend that it does not matter anymore, they are all joining the one world church. But what does the Scriptures say about who is going in the right direction? In the book of Zechariah 8:23, it says; "Thus saith Yahweh of host; In those days it shall come to pass, that ten men shall take hold out of all languages of the nations, even shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you: for we have heard that Elohim is with you." Now, why would they go to a Jew for guidance if they had been right in their beliefs? Could the Scriptures give a clue to this? Jeremiah 16:19, says; "O Yahweh, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit." What have we inherited? Commandments and traditions of man that are not in the Scriptures. Mark 7:9 "And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandments of Elohim, that ye may keep your own tradition." If any of the commandments were to be changed or done away with, why didn't He say so, plainly, before His death?
Date: 2010-04-11
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: clear sky

Another perfect day of weather. Beautiful views from Rocky Top which is part of Thunderhead Mountain. The views are down into Cades Cove and all the way over into Townsend, Tenn. Some of the best views yet. See more pictures in the Photo section. Derrick Knob Shelter is a nice shelter in a open grass field. I didn't get a picture of it but most of the remodeled shelters look the same. The shelter was full with many hikers in tents around it.
Date: 2010-04-12
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

Good weather again today. Fairly easy hike to Double Spring Gap Shelter where I stopped for lunch. Then on up to Clingmans Dome where the views were great. I took lots of pictures and a 360 degree video clip around the observation tower. I'll try to upload it as soon as I can, maybe when I get to Hot Springs, NC. There were lots of trees down from winter storms still to be cleaned up before they can open Clingmans Dome to tourist. The AT goes right near the top so hikers get to see it all before they open it. About two weeks ago we had heard that there had been 40-50 inches of snow up in the Smokey Mountain National Park. While coming down from Clingmans Dome, there was still snow on the trail. Mt. Collins Shelter was full with lots of other hikers tenting around it.
Date: 2010-04-13
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Newfound Gap and Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: broken clouds

Good weather. Hiked down to Newfound Gap and hitched a ride into Gatlinburg with one of the other hikers who's husband met her there. He had a truck and loaded up several hikers and their packs. Went to Gatlinburg and checked into the Grand Prix Motel. If you stay in this motel make sure you ask if the hiker rate is available before you check in. After checking in the owner told me that the hiker rate was only available for four rooms and they were full, but others who checked in after me got the hiker rate any way.
Date: 2010-04-14
From: Newfound Gap and Gatlinburg, TN

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

Resupplied at the NOC Outpost and Food City and was ready to go back out. The NOC Outpost has a free shuttle back to the trail but it was already full until the 4:00 shuttle. So I headed out of town walking with my thumb out, no one would stop but after about thirty minutes the same hiker and her husband who gave me the ride into town the day before stopped and picked me up for the ride back. Thanks HD Mama. Lots of tourist at Newfound Gap hiking north on the A.T. to Icewater Spring Shelter and to Charlies Bunion where there was a YAHsome view. More great views all along this trail. If someone wants to do a section of the A.T., the section through the Smokeys is one of the best with most of the shelters close together and some of the best views, just don't go during the month of April. This is the peak of the A.T. through hiker season and the shelters will be full most nights.
Date: 2010-04-15
From: Pecks Corner Shelter

To: Davenport Gap Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

Good weather. Going for a big push today so that I will have a small one tomorrow into the Standing Bear Farms Hostel. Not much to see on this section although there was a fire tower on a side trail that I went by but didn't want to stop. I knew it was already going to be late when I got to Davenport Gap Shelter. Lots of rocks on this section and they make stepping down a hard landing. Got to the shelter where there were already about eight other hikers there. Was eating dinner just after dark when a group of eight young people and two adult leaders came in. They had a reservation for the shelter, which no one knows about until they show up. They can reserve all but four spaces for through hikers in the shelter. They were nice about it and said all of them didn't have to stay in the shelter. We squeezed in about six on the decks and two slept on the ground inside, two others stayed in their tent.
Date: 2010-04-16
From: Davenport Gap Shelter

To: Green Corner Rd. and Standing Bear Farms Hostel
Miles today: 3.3
Weather: clear sky

Good weather. Took my time leaving the shelter today. Took some time to fix up the water source before leaving. It was just a trickle of a flow out of the piece of pipe they had there but after a little work, it had a good flow coming out. Hiked on down to Green Corner Rd., mile 238.4 on the AT and walked up to Standing Bear Farms Hostel. One of the other hikers I had hiked with who's trail name is River saw a bear that charged her just after she crossed under Interstate 40 and started up the stairs back into the woods. She said she started blowing her whistle and running as fast as she could back down to where her husband was. A Sheriff or some other law enforcement officer was in the area and heard her whistle. They stopped and gave the couple a ride the rest of the way to the hostel. It sounded like she had quite a scare.