morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-04-18
From: Tri-corner Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm Hostel
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: broken clouds

Even though it was very cold last night I stayed super warm and slept pretty well! This is my second day waking up early (6:30) and it was very cold. Just Lisa's clothes that she'd rinsed in the stream were frozen solid and there were little icicles around the water source.I ate a quick breakfast (high protien power bar) and headed out. It was sunny again today so I was able to get a good look at the northern side of the park. The Smokies have the most diverse views and scenery yet.I was debating all day if I should stop at 15 miles (the last shelter in the Smokeis) or go the last 3 to the hostel. I figured I'd make that decision when I got to the shelter. The 18 mile day had a 6700 ft. elevation decrease but ended up being pretty gradual and when I got to the shelter, I didn't care to stay there since it was another older, caged shelter (appearing to be crawling with mice). I'm glad I pushed on because there was trail magic a mile down at Davenport gap! It was amazing! I had an egg sandwich, hash browns, carrots, my favorite hummus, cucumber, grapes, bananas, chips and salsa, and they made me take cookies and extra gatorade with me. What a great end to the Smokies!I had another 2.5 miles to get to the hostel and at some point the trial spit me out at a road. I spent the next 20 minutes trying to find the white blaze to follow. Some people in a car stopped and actually asked me for directions. I tried to ask them if they knew where I was supposed to go. They asked me where I was parked! I finally saw the white blaze on road bridge and crossed it. I eventually came to the hostel and got a spot in a loft of a small cabin with another woman and a couple (instead of the bunkhouse packed with snorers!). I had a wonderful hot solar shower and am now ready for bed.
Date: 2010-04-19
From: Standing Bear Farm Hostel

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: overcast clouds

So much for a good sleep! A rodent of unusual size found it's way into the cabin and was getting into everyone's food. So nearly every hour I was awake, trying to shine my headlamp around the loft, looking for the beast. I never did see it, but it sure made a lot of noise!Today was tough! Nearly all uphill and the start was frustrating because I had to navigate around several blowdowns that blocked the trail. The ones I could go over really scratched up my legs. The 2 siginificant climbs today were up Snowbird mountain and Max Patch. Snowbird had some nice views so I stopped for lunch there. Then the day got pretty tough. I was drained from not sleeping enough so the uphill climbs were difficult. I also think the hiker hunger has hit me which means I need to start eating more! Today I had a banana, oatmeal, granola bar, lots of gorp, Snikers bar, vegetarian jerky, a huge serving of tortellini with pesto alfredo and sundried tomatoes, more gorp and hot chocolate.It's lonely hiking by myself sometimes but I'm meeting new people everyday. Got to know Tebow a little more today. He's also hiking by himself. It's a little wierd because I've left almost everyone I know (some are ahead, some behind). It's really easy to meet new people at the shelters though.Max Patch was pretty cool. It's a bald which means there are no trees at the summit, only grass. It was used for sheep grazing but it is currently maintained to stay bald. There are some panoramic 360 degree views at the top. It was also quite cold and windy! There's rain in the forcast for tomorrow. It would be great to make it to Hot Springs without it raining, but at least I know I'm going to be dry tomorrow night!
Date: 2010-04-20
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: light rain

I didn't sleep well last night mostly because my tent was on a slight slant but I knew I had to get going early to make it the 18 miles to Hot Springs. The day started out dry and I made the first (mostly flat) 5 miles to the next shelter in less than 2 hours. It started to sprinkle and stayed that way for several hours. Hiking in a sprinkly that's not too cold was actually quite pleasant. The rain is nice to listen to and makes the greens so vibrant. The fog and clouds surrounded the mountains but didn't completely obstruct the view, which offered some of the best scenery yet!But then, it rained harder and got colder so I had to keep moving to stay warm. And of course, like always in the rain, I slipped and fell with no one around to laugh at me! Luckily I have not injured myself. The last 3 miles down the mountain were the worst. I was tired and just wanted to be done!The trail goes right through the town of Hot Springs and the sidewalk is marked with stone AT symbols every 20 feet or so. My original plan was to try to stay at Elmer's Sunnybank Inn, a hostel in an old Victorian home that serves organic vegetarian food. I apparently walked right past it and must have appeared helpless because another hiker saw me and came to help. She told me the hostel was full and that another female hiker would like someone to split the cost of her hotel room. So she led me to her and I took her up on the offer. I quickly showered and went back to the restaurant for dinner.It seems as though I fallen upon a huge group of hikers that all know each other. They took me in and about 20 of us sat around on the patio next to the river eating, drinking and sharing stores. I ate so much! Salad, veggie burger, a stack (yes, a stack) of onion rings and cheesecake! I ate every single bite. I don't think I've ever eaten that much in my life in one sitting!
Date: 2010-04-21
From: Hot Springs

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

Even though the bed was super-comfy, I did not sleep well last night. I was awake at 6am so I got ready and headed over to Elmer's Sunnybank Inn to put my name on the waiting list for tonight. I then headed to the diner across the street for breakfast. Other hikers kept telling me about the "skillet" breakfast (a giant plate of hash browns, eggs and cheese). I decided on a spinach omlette instead. I spent the rest of the day doing hiker chores: laundry, post office and resupply. Overheard at the local grocery store, "I done gone to get gas and gone to the dump!"I was able to get a room to myself at Sunnybank. This place is amazing! It's a huge, historic Victorian home, complete with antique furniture and tons of charm. This is better than any hotel I've stayed at! I spent a few hours of the day just wandering around the giant place. It did remind me a little of the Knapp house in "The Burbs" though. Elmer provides a library of interesting books, instruments for you to play, board games and videos to watch. The only thing that made me disappointed was that dinner (organic vegetarian food) was cancelled because not enough people signed up. Oh well, at least I'll get breakfast.
Date: 2010-04-22
From: Hot Springs

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

I had a wonderful night of sleep in my single room and attended the organic vegetarian breakfast this morning. It was nice to sit at the dining room table and eat with everyone. I got my last resupply items and headed out into the warm, sunny day.The first quarter mile of the trail ran alongside the river which was very nice. I would've liked to have stayed there by the water! There were some nice views of Hot Springs and the surrounding area at the top of the climb.The trail is really starting to look a little more diverse. Don't get me wrong, there are still rhododendron tunnels at some point every day but it has passed through more meadows and diverse forest types. The grade of the trail also seems to be improved. More switchbacks and the trail doesn't always go straight up and over the tallest peak in front of you.Today was quite pleasant. I was very happy today and feeling good. I finally got some cell service to call Erik which I haven't been able to do for a while. With all the hikers leaving Hot Springs today, I really thought there would be more people at the shelter. No one is sleeping in the shelter and there are only 2 other tents here!
Date: 2010-04-23
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

Some nights I just don't sleep well. I woke up at least once every hour. Then it started raining about 2am and it was the first night I've stayed in my tent with rain so I was awake for a while making sure things would stay dry (they did).The rain stopped by morning and I packed up my wet tent and headed out. The beginning of the day went well but it got very hot and incredibly humid. I felt tired and drained. I don't normally have to stop on the uphill, but today I was stopping about every 50 feet. I finally made it to the first shelter for lunch. I was a sweaty mess! I drank lots of water and ate lots of food. Another hiker, Pigpen was feeling the same as I and we knew we had a big climb after lunch so we decided to hike together.The good break must have helped because I felt more energized. The trail went up to follow an exposed ridgeline for about a mile and offered some great views. It was very rocky and sometimes difficult to maneuver. I was done by the time we made it to Jerry Cabin shelter. Out of steam. Just 3 of us in the shelter tonight: Sabbath Keeper, Landfill and I. It may rain again.
Date: 2010-04-24
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept in until about 8am this morning and headed out. The first climb today was up a peak called Big Butt. Not Big Butte, Big Butt. I really wanted to take a picture of a sign with Big Butt, but there was no sign. I spent part of the day walking with and getting to know Landfill. We took a break at a shelter and then met Twinkles, a solo thru-hiker.We could tell that it was going to rain so we headed out to get through the last 8.7 miles. Low and behold, there was a cooler of trial magic just before our big climb. Pepsi, oatmeal cream pies, apples and Snickers! Just what I needed! Of course it rained for the last 6 miles of the day. The last 2 miles followed a ridgeline and were very wet and windy, and quite chilly. There were just enough spaces in the shelter for Landfill, Twinkles and I. We're here with Dutch Tape, Cabana Boy, Turtle, and Pigpen. Pigpen, Landfill and I are already plotting our plan for Erwin, TN in 2 days. Splitting a hotel room and eating lots of pizza.
Date: 2010-04-25
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: scattered clouds

I had a pretty restful sleep considering I was sandwiched between 2 people I only recently met. Thankfully it stopped raining by the time I left the shelter. Putting on cold, wet clothes is no fun!During the first couple of miles the sun came out! The day ended up being beautiful. Unfortunately, my camera was packed away because I thought it would be raining all day. There were some stunning views though. The trail led over some grassy hills and then up to Big Bald, a large bald (like Max Patch) with 360 degree views. It was very windy at the top and I nearly fell over several times!I took an enjoyable lunch break at Bald Mountain shelter and probably spent a little too much time there since I was trying to do 20 miles today. So I was on my way again.Once I reached the 15 mile mark I was pretty tired but took a short break and ate a Snickers bar. I finally made it to the shelter and cooked dinner right away. Apparently the shelter has a resident black snake, but I never did see it. Oh well, at least there are no mice! AND, I think I'm actually too tired to care. It's just Turtle, Pigpen, Hercules, Green Abe and Guy here tonight. We somehow lost Landfill today.
Date: 2010-04-26
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Erwin, TN (Holiday Inn)
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: light rain

I woke up at 6:30 this morning to head to Erwin for a nero. It rained overnight and looked like rain in the near future. Turtle, Pigpen and I headed down the mountain and couldn't stop talking about food. Our plan was to head to pizza lunch buffet. Turtle's section hike ended in Erwin (where his car was) so he drove Pigpen and I to get groceries, pizza and then to the Holiday Inn. Thanks Turtle!Pigpen and I took the rest of the day off and relaxed in the nice, clean room of the Holiday Inn. Pigpen is hiking the trail to raise money for charity. He has a son who is handicap and he is raising money for the hospital his son went to. For more info: www.thefezfund.com
Date: 2010-04-27
From: Erwin, TN (Holiday Inn)

To: Erwin, TN (Holiday Inn)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

This was an unplanned zero day because the weather forcast was looking very bad: rain all day, cold temps and freezing tonight. I heard from another hiker who moved on, Supermax, that it was even snowing at the higher elevations. So in the interest of avoiding hypothermia, misery and frozen clothes we decided to zero.We were going to head to the local hostel tonight to save some money but the Holiday Inn was just too nice to leave! Clean and comfy beds, clean rooms, free hot breakfast and best of all, no mice!We rested, watched crappy TV and only left to eat pizza buffet for lunch. I'm eating so much now! It's kind of fun but I'm eating a lot of things I don't normally - copius amounts of pizza, soda and Snickers. The pizza buffet has a salad bar so at least I've been able to take advantage of that.
Date: 2010-04-28
From: Erwin, TN (Holiday Inn)

To: Erwin, TN (Uncle Johnny's Hostel)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I was about to leave the Holiday Inn and head back to the trail when I decided to try to call my brother-in-law's parents (who have thru-hiked before and are avid AT-hikers) who were going to be in the area soon. Well, they were at Uncle Johnny's, the hostel along the trail and had been there the whole time I was in Erwin. Darn! So I headed to Uncle Johnny's. It was great seeing them, so much that I stayed another night! Their trail names are Wildhair and Raincheck and they had lots of stories to tell and good trail advice.I went to the local Mexican joint for dinner and met some new faces: Cervesa (who I met through this site prior to hiking), Opus, Hotfeet, and Gonzo (my long, lost friend!).
Date: 2010-04-29
From: Erwin, TN (Uncle Johnny's Hostel)

To: Cherry Gap shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: clear sky

I sadly left the comfort of familiar faces and town this morning. At least the weather was nice and the trail wasn't too horribly difficult. However, I think I took off too much time because my legs were hurting today! It may have been my most painful day yet.I was excited for today because this begins the section I did with a friend of mine when we were in high school. I was eager to see what I could recognize. I definitely remembered the dark, dense spruce forest on Unaka mountain. But then my legs and feet were hurting so bad it was all I could think about. There was a little bit of snow on the mountain from the storm that passed through a few days ago. Everyone that I talked to who was out in it said it was miserable: sleet, hail, snow, rain and freezing temps. So glad I was warm in a hotel!After making it ti the shelter I promptly did the usual evening duties: got water, changed some clothes, set up tent, cooked dinner, ate, ate some more, hung bear bag, and stretched a lot. I spent the rest of the evening chatting with others: Pigpen, Hotfoot, and #1Son. There was a beautiful sunset this evening.
Date: 2010-04-30
From: Cherry Gap shelter

To: Roan High Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: clear sky

Today was another day through a section I had done before. I spent the beginning of the day trying to recognize the trail. I remembered the steep, rocky climb up Little Rock Knob. I recall thinking how stunning the views from the top were but now they are just like every other view (but still nice of course!)On that past trip we had to cut our trip short because it had snowed overnight and our next stop was Roan mountain (the highest shelter on the AT) and we weren't equiped to handle th low temps. So now I had the luxury of experiencing Roan mtn. It's a steep 3 mile climb to the top. I powered to the top by indulging in my trifecta of motivation: advil, caffeine and iPod. It worked wonders and I made it up the mountain in fair time.I had gotten word that there would be some trail magic that night at the shelter. A past thru hiker, Can-do Will-do had prepared a feast of mostly meaty things, but a very awesome dinner for the non-vegetarians. He had also brought tons of goodies to give to us. It was almost ceremonial the way he passed out cool hiker gadgets and food. What an interesting evening!
Date: 2010-05-01
From: Roan High Shelter

To: Mountain Harbour Hostel
Miles today: 15.7

Today was awesome! After leaving Roan shelter we passed through a picturesque spruce-for forest, then emerged to hike over 2 grassy balds. The rest of the hike was just as nice!Little Hump mtn and Hump mtn both reminded me of the high altitude alpine zone that tops the Rocky mountain peaks. I loved it!The end of the day looked like rain so we (Pigpen and I) headed to the hostel for the night. Our accomidations were an RV on the property. There were goats, horses and dogs to pet!
Date: 2010-05-02
From: Mountain Harbour Hostel

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 25.0

Pigpen, I and the Canadian father-son duo (96 and #1son) decided to slackpack the 25 miles to the next hostel. A slackpack is basically day hiking - either with no pack or just a few necessities while the rest gets shuttled to your destination. About 10 very hot miles in, we ran into Mad Mike, Professor, and Uncas who were slacking south and had cold sodas for Pigpen and I! Best trail magic ever!There were some beautiful waterfalls and the trail hugged the Elk river for a while, making swimming very tempting! Alas, we had to keep moving to make the high mileage day. By the time I reached the end I was very tired and very hungry. We ordered pizza (of which I ate most of a large and drank a 2 liter bottle of soda) and went to bed.
Date: 2010-05-05
From: Elizabethtown, TN Americort hotel

To: Watauga Lake
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: clear sky

I had a late start this morning since I wasn't sure if I'd be able to get a ride back to the trail. It was another awesome day with great weather and beautiful views. I passed Laurel Fork falls, a giant waterfall that I wished I could've stayed at all day! After about ten miles the trail spit me out at the beach of Watauga Lake where there was trail magic! Mostly meaty, so I had a cold beer and a candy bar. Several of us decided to camp on the other side of the lake on the shore. All was peachy until about midnight when, from my tent, I heard the sound of claws on a tree behind me. I poked my head out and shined my headlamp in the direction of the noise, and sure enough a bear had climbed the tree my (and 2 others) food was hanging from and was nearly reaching. It stopped and looked at me and we stared at each other for a few seconds, each in shock; the smallish bear with glowing eyes and me in disbelief with my headlamp. I moved a little and the bear ran down the tree and away. I called for the other guys whose food was hung with mine (Hollywood and Hedgehog) and the woke up and we looked around a little but assumed the problem was solved.Thinking all was good, we went back to sleep. About 10 minutes later, there was a large crashing noise: the bear was trying to get in an old cooler that was left at the site (fairly close to my tent). We did our best to scare the bears (plural, because we now realized there were two) away by making lots of noise and throwing rocks in their general direction. This happened again with the cooler, except this time the lid was ripped right off the hinges. We made noise again and we watched the large bear appear to walk away. Being a little more than freaked out, especially since my tent was close to both the cooler and the tree with our food, I moved my tent closer to where Hollywood and Hedgehog were tarping.So back to sleep we went (okay, I was not sleeping!). A few minutes went by and then I hear Hollywood yell something like, "oh shit!" and I quickly poked my head out to find that the large bear   had been nearly inches away from him. It had only dodged about 20 feet away in the shrubs and just stared at us with glowing eyes. Once again we tried to scare it off but this time it did not move. So, feeling somewhat threatened, we thought it would be best to pack up our things and head down the trail and let the bears have there territory.We hiked about a mile in the dark to the Watauga Lake shelter. There was a dog there that barked viciously at us when we arrived (and woke everyone up) but was comforting knowing the dog would most likely bark at bears. We set up our tents behind the shelter and went to sleep, UNTIL the dog began barking. Of course, the bears had followed us to the shelter! The dog seemed to keep them at bay, but the were definitely around all night because the barking never seemed to stop. I hardly slept and when I did, I was dreaming about bears!
Date: 2010-05-06
From: Watauga Lake

To: Iron mountain shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

I woke up at 7 am to the dog barking. I thought the bears were back but it was a few high school students delivering trail magic to the shelter in the form of McDonalds breakfast. It was once again meaty, so I just drank some sweet tea (a southern classic). I really wanted to go back to sleep but I also wanted to get the heck out of there, so I left. As the trail curved around the lake and over the dam, I noticed a plethora of fresh bear scat on the trail. I was so tired from not sleeping, I felt like a zombie all day. I was very happy to make it to the shelter.A note on bears:Most bears are more afraid of people than we are of them. "Problem" bears are only that way because of "problem" humans who leave food/trash/coolers where they shouldn't. These bears become habituated and will become agressive towards people and in many cases have to be put down.
Date: 2010-05-07
From: Iron mountain shelter

To: Abingdon Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: clear sky

Well, last night there may have been a bear in our campsite because I woke up to the sound of pots clanging (someone had hung there pots and utensils on their bear line) and footsteps near our tents. I did not get out of my tent this time! In the morning we found the utensils behind the shelter. So I slept okay, not great though. The hike started out decent and then we (Mad Mike, Professor and Uncas) came upon a cooler full of trail magic (cold sodas and snacks) which lifted my spirits a bit. But then I started feeling crappy: tired and had a bit of a stomach ache. I took an excessively long lunch with Professor, Mad Mike and Uncas. Professor and Mike ended up getting a ride into Damascus early since Professor wasn't feeling well either. I almost came along, but instead I pushed on 5 more miles to the shelter. It was just me, Uncas and another hiker who had said that he saw a bear about a quarter mile back from the shelter.I feel kind of icky but at least I only have 10 miles to go tomorrow. I have a new trail name! Professor has designated me "Bear Blaze" due to the bear incident. He says the bears were "pink blazing" me, which implies that the bears were following me because they like me. I thought it was cute and it's a much better story than H2 or H squared! So I kept it.
Date: 2010-05-08
From: Abingdon Gap Shelter

To: Damascus, VA Hiker Inn
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: few clouds

Sleep was elusive last night! For some reason I couldn't fall asleep, then the wind picked up, and it rained like crazy. I'm glad I stayed in the shelter. Uncas, Pigpen, Radar (who both met us at the shelter) and I made a mad dash down the relatvely easy graded trail to town. As we emerged into town, 2 kids ran up to us with Popsicles! Yummy! Radar and I split a room and we all took showers and headed out to eat at Quincey's, the pizza joint. I, once again, managed to overeat. I finished my hiker chores, relaxed, and then went to dinner with Professor and Mad Mike. I ate less this time!