morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-04-01
From: Blood Mt.

To: Neel's Gap
Miles today: 2.4
Weather: light rain

Journal entry by TRAINMAN.At 1:30 AM the wind picks up and the rain starts. Fortunately both are intermittent. As the night progresses we get wetter than April thinks is appropriate. She's not real keen on the open-air qualities of the new tarptent, but what we're experiencing could be considered an EXTREME test with wind gusts to 40 mph.The rain stops completely and we're out of the tent at 7:30. We find ourselves in a heavy fog; visibility is only 150 feet. We quickly break down our camp and haul all the wet gear to the shelter for repacking. Oddly, considering the miserable atmospheric conditions, only 2 hikers have spent the night in the shelter while probably 25 have slept in their tents. Is there a problem with this shelter?Well, actually there may be. The shelter is historic, being certified as one of the oldest structures in Georgia. It has 2 rooms, a roof with shingles and a floor that at least slows down the entry of mice. It also has window openings but no windows and no shutters. Herein might be the problem. Rain can easily blow in through the openings, wetting you and your sleeping bag unless you put up your tent INSIDE the shelter. Enterprising hikers have been known to tape up their tents over the window openings. A trail maintainer explaned to us that they had previously tried to keep wooden shutters on the openings, but hikers continually removed the shutters to use as firewood. Get out! Doesn't sound to me like something a professional through-hiker would do. Guess we'll have to blame it on the weekenders.Once off the mountaintop we find the fog has resided, but the day is still dreary. In a short 80 minutes we come to the Walasi-Yi Center at Neel's Gap. What a wonderful refuge in bad weather! At this point most hikers have been on the trail for 3 days. Many less experienced hikers have found out that some of their gear is ill-suited to the rigors of the trail. The outfitter here does a good business by allowing hikers to obtain equipment that REALLY WORKS. They advertised that in 2006 they helped hikers discard 9000 pounds of unnecessary and inappropriate equipment, saving on average 12 pounds per hiker, and sending it all home in boxes. This means that for those choosing to utilize the service, the outfitter reduced your pack weight from a body-killing 45 pounds down to a svelte 33 pounds.Knowing exactly what she's doing, April has no need for the weight-reduction service. However, she does decide to pick up a new alcohol stove and some different water purification chemicals. She also makes an entry in the "2007 NoBo" book at number 388 (translated: 388th NOrth BOund hiker to register at the store). After hanging out at the center for about 2 hours, we call up Kieth at the Goose Creek Campground about 4 miles down the road. He runs us back to a cabin that we had reserved for the night. For $55 we had a bed, shower, heat, clothes washed and shuttle service to the restaurant in town. Nice job Kieth!
Date: 2007-04-02
From: Neel's Gap

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: light rain

Journal entry by TRAINMAN.April's been questioning the absence of thru hikers. Normally during mid-March to mid-April there will be many starting hikers out on the trail here in north Georgia. For some reason we've seen almost no one except for ourselves. April's curious: did a majority of the northbounders (NOBOs) bolt out of here in the first 2 weeks of March when the unusual heat wave blew through? They may have all readjusted their departure dates thinking that spring had come early this year. If so, April thinks she's now at the rear of the pack. She'll really have to hustle to catch up with the main group, assumed to be 5-10 days ahead.Fear not, we are not alone!! As we come down off Wildcat Mt and cross over to the parking lot at Hogpen Gap we see a large group of hikers. April is rejoined with Chuck Norris and Tigger, thru hikers we met briefly back on Springer Mt. A lot of others are there also including Montreal, Leonard and Fire Hazard. Having someone to hike with besides Trainman pleases April.The reason everyone has stopped is an unbelievable offering of Trail Magic by Mud Butt, a school teacher who is here with 2 of her students (?) during spring break. Such a spead of goodies we have rarely seen before. The selection resembles the cookie and candy rack at the 7-Eleven. After a 15 minute pause for eating and conversing, we prepare to move on. Mud Butt insists that we fill our packs with candy bars before we go. The thought is tempting, but after fifteen minutes of binging, most of us pass on the offer. However, April does stuff her pocket with one small bag of Fritos.At Low Gap shelter April has the first opportunity to use the new stove she purchased at Neel's Gap. Previously she was using a Brasslite, and it certainly was compact and lightweight. But April thought that it's burn time capacity was limited. A single fill-up with alcohol did not boil all the water she typically needed. The outfitter showed her a larger capacity Etowah stove, and now that she's familiar with it, it suits her needs better. While using the requisite wind screen she is now able to boil 4 cups of water with less than 1 ounce of fuel.
Date: 2007-04-06
From: Hiawassee

To: North to the Carolinas (Bly Gap)
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: scattered clouds

All entries going forward are written by me, Aprilshowers, with Trainman supplying the transcription services and a little editorializing along the way. Trail notes are sent to Trainman by e-mail about every 10 days. That's the reason for the delay in getting the entries posted. Most entries will eventually contain a photo, but again there will be a delay in waiting for the mailed flash card to arrive home.We leave the Hiawassee Inn at 10:30 AM, just before Trainman's shuttle arrives. I'm a bit worried that it will not show up, in which case Trainman will be seriously inconvenienced. The weather turns very cold with a strong westerly wind. We must keep moving to stay warm on the trail out of Dicks Creek Gap.The highpoint of the day is crossing the GA/NC state line. One state down, thirteen more to go. We have thoughts of spending the night at Bly Gap but the wind chill on the mountains feels like its zero degrees. We make arrangements to return to the Inn tonight, also.Our group's ages range between 45 and 55 so we decide to call ourselves the "Over the Hill Gang." Now there are seven of us including newcomers Kokopelli and Fire Hazard. After hiking with the trail-nameless Leonard for over a week he confesses that he is "Hawaii," and has been so-named for quite some time.For continuation go to "Deep Gap" dated 4/07/07.
Date: 2007-04-07
From: Bly Gap, NC

To: Deep Gap, NC
Miles today: 6.8

We leave Bly Gap as soon as all the gear is packed. It's so cold we cannot even hang around for breakfast. In a little less than 3 miles we come to Muskrat Creek Shelter. Everyone has a fast breakfast because the cold attacks us the instant we stop moving.Early in the afternoon we come to Deep Gap, elevation 4340 feet. Here the AT crosses over Forest Road 71. We're surprised to find Trail Magic being offered up by former thru-hikers Tarheel and Repeat. They've gone all out; we have hot dogs with all the fixins' and a big fire to keep us warm. The hospitality is much appreciated! And so is the fire as we wait an hour for the Hiawassee Inn shuttle to arrive. The cold temperature makes it impossible to spend the night in the tent. So far on this hike I think more nights have been in motels than tents. Hope this changes soon.
Date: 2007-04-08
From: Mooney Gap, NC

To: Winding Stair Gap, NC
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: clear sky

Today we take advantage of a slack (not having to carry our full backpacks all day) that's provided for us by Ron Haven at the Budget Inn in Franklin. Slacks are super, when you can get them, because when you're carrying only 5 pounds (just water and snacks) instead of 30, you really fly along the trail. We start with a jump ahead of 13 miles from our last stopping point. This makes the best sense from a logistical standpoint. We will go back tommorow and make up the miles we skipped over today. No cheating! You've got to hike every mile (well, at least 99.9% of them) to be "legal."The day is beautiful but still very cold. Shortly after departure we climb Albert Mt., elevation 5220 feet. We continue at elevations over 4000 feet for the remainder of the day. In the afternoon we return to the Budget Inn where the 7 of us have rented a cozy mobile home for the night. After obtaining supplies in town we have a great spaghetti supper.
Date: 2007-04-09
From: Deep Gap, NC

To: Mooney Gap, NC
Miles today: 13.1

We ride for a full hour in an old school mini-bus to reach the trailhead. It's not possible to go too fast on these winding mountain roads. We're dropped off back in Deep Gap and hike north, capturing the mileage we bypassed yesterday. Again we are slacking, so we are able to easily traverse the 13 miles in around 6 hours. The highpoint of the day is Standing Indian Mt. at elevation 5500 feet. When we started at Deep Gap the elevation was 4340, so we've climbed 1160 feet in two and a half miles to reach the top. Thank goodness for slacks!Our group of 7 is now larger by the addition of G.H.O.S.T. who hikes with us for the day.
Date: 2007-04-10
From: Winding Stair Gap, NC

To: Wayah Gap, NC
Miles today: 6.0

There is real magic on the trail; here's the proof. Four days ago I lost a glove back in Hiawassee. I looked everywhere for it, in the shuttle van, in my clothing, in a side pocket of the back pack, nothing. I assumed it was lost for good. As I get out of the van at Winding Stair this morning, I look down on the ground and what do I see? My missing glove! How could this be possible? I'm certain that it did not just fall off of me as I am leaving the van. Here I am 40 miles north of where the glove was last seen. Somehow it walked (flew?) to this spot even faster than I got here. Now it's just laying here waiting to be retrieved. The group is puzzled by what they see, but all agree that getting one's glove back is surely a good omen for the rest of the hike.Today we do another northbound slack, wiping out the 6 mile distance in 2.5 hours. We return to Franklin with plenty of time to do our laundry. Our packs will be full tomorrow when we hike out.
Date: 2007-04-11
From: Wayah Gap, NC

To: Cold Spring Shelter, NC
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: light rain

For the first time in a long while I carry my full pack today. I'd almost forgotten just how heavy 28 pounds is on my back. Good thing that I had purchased a new Osprey pack this spring. It's much more comfortable and adjustable than the old one.All day it is misty and foggy. Rain is predicted to appear this afternoon. With no mountain views available we hike fast and reach Cold Spring Shelter (elevation 4920 ft) before the rain starts. Rain dampens our spirits, but we all understand (and appreciate) that this is North Carolina, not Arizona.
Date: 2007-04-12
From: Cold Spring Shelter, NC

To: Nantahala River, NC
Miles today: 11.5

Today we have super weather with beautiful blue skies. The view from the Wesser Bald (elevation 4630 ft) fire tower is magnificent. The profile map I carry shows that the trail continues along a ridge for a ways to "The Jumpup" (elevation 4000 ft; we see more great views), then it goes straight down from there, crossing at the Nantahala River, elevation 1740 ft. That's a drop of a half mile in a four mile distance, and this proves to be torture on everyone's knees. All seasoned hikers know that use of walking poles helps greatly to traverse the ups and downs, definitely helping more with the downs. In any case, we are all thankful when we finally reach the river.There's a lot of activities offered here at the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center), but no one feels up to rafting, biking or sightseeing. Instead we check into the hostel, then get a shower, get some dinner, and do some laundry. That's it for today.
Date: 2007-04-13
From: Nantahala River, NC

To: Sassafras Gap shelter, NC
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: overcast clouds

All morning we climb straight up. Starting at the river and topping out at Swim Bald, elevation 4750 ft, we climb 3000 feet in a distance of six miles. Total time spent is 3.75 hours giving us a travel rate of about one and a half miles per hour. The group is showing improvement; a few weeks ago we wouldn't have exceeded one mile per hour on a stretch like this. It's comforting that we continue to get stronger and more acclimated to the trail every day.Our pace is broken by the last mile coming into the shelter - it's downhill. It starts to rain around 1 PM, so we wimp out and call it a day. However, the group (Chuck Norris, Tigger, Montreal, Hawaii and Kokopelli) agrees we've got to get tougher and start putting in some serious miles. Seven miles a day just doesn't cut it if we ever expect to reach Maine!
Date: 2007-04-14
From: Sassafras Gap shelter, NC

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter, NC
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Leaving the shelter this morning we climb up to Cheoah Bald, elevation 5060 ft. The sky is gray and the temperature is a cool 55 degrees. Conveniently around lunchtime we come to Stecoah Gap and are presented with Trail Magic by Hopeful, a through hiker from 2003. This was the year that I did my previous hike, so Hopeful and I have a wonderful time reminiscing about places we have been and hikers we have known. Hopeful and the gang serves up hot dogs, potato salad, chips and cookies. It's great!TRAINMAN'S SIDEBAR COMMENT: HopefulI do not know Hopeful, so I checked back in Trail Journals to see what I could find. Sure enough, his complete 2003 journal (hundreds of listings) is here for all to read. You might enjoy, as I did, browsing through the entries. Hopeful is a prolific writer; many of his narratives are interesting and worthy of your time.
Date: 2007-04-15
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter, NC

To: Fontana Dam, NC
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: light rain

The Over the Hill Gang finally puts in big miles today. The day begins with mist in the air, changes to sleet, and finally converts to snow as we near the dam. We hike 13 miles in five and three-quarters hours giving us an average of over 2 miles per hour. We have a cold but satisfying day. Everyone's anxious to be sleeping indoors tonight. Tomorrow we will enter THE SMOKIES. Tonight we all stay at the Fontana Village Resort and Inn. Being newly renovated, it's a beautiful place.
Date: 2007-04-16
From: Fontana Dam, NC

To: Fontana Dam, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today I take a zero day, the first one since starting the trail 19 days and 162 miles ago. Before leaving Connecticut I had mailed a box to myself care of the Hiker Inn in Fontana. Now, according to trail etiquette, I have to relocate to the Hiker Inn to retrieve the supply box they are holding for me. What a mistake this is. First of all they allow lots of cats and dogs to roam free at the Inn. My allergies take a big hit. Second, all of the staff smokes so the washed clothes they return to me smell like smoke for many days. So much for having clean clothes! It will be a full 7 days before I'll be able to wash again. My zero day isn't exactly relaxing because I have to go to the grocery store to get some food then to the library where I use the computer. At least the night at the Inn is warm. The TV reports a record cold overnight of 18 degrees. This really is more than most hikers can tolerate. I expect all but the most hard-core will find indoor shelter tonight.TRAINMAN'S SIDEBAR COMMENT: The Hike InnApril's diary is a little abbreviated for today so I look in a copy of Wingfoot's "Thru-Hiker's Handbook" for some filler material. And I find it. The Hike Inn is apparently exclusively open ONLY for hikers. The rules appear a little regimented: 5 rooms, max 2 per room, no credit cards, check in by 5 PM, out by 9 AM (FIRM!), $50 S, $55 D, includes shuttle to/from dam, includes 1 load of laundry, includes shuttle to town for dinner (und you vill enjoy your meal at ze Gasthaus or you vill valk home!). Sorry, got carried away with the narative. The Gasthaus was probably a very nice place. I'm sure the gang greatly enjoyed the evening.
Date: 2007-04-17
From: Fontana Dam, NC

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter, NC
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

We wake up to a beautifully sunny and cool day. Everyone's excited to be finally heading into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. As mandated, Montreal and I pick up our park permits at the dam visitor center and fill in all the requested information. But we cannot find the box where the permits are to be deposited. We assume the box must be on the other side of the dam, near the park entrance. So we make the mile-long trek across the dam only to find NO BOX! Uh oh, maybe it was back on the other side of the dam after all. Montreal volunteers to go back over the dam to find the box (thanks, Montreal!). While I wait for his return a couple more through hikers, White Bear and Cujo, join us. It takes Montreal a long time to reappear, but when he does he's got Hawaii, Tigger and Chuck in tow. With the gang reconstituted, plus 2, we begin the hard climb up to the Mollies Ridge Shelter. We have to climb almost 3000 feet to get there, and it's not easy. We anticipate another freezing night at the high elevation.
Date: 2007-04-18
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter, NC

To: Derrick Knob shelter, NC
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: overcast clouds

The group arrives at Spence Field Shelter, less than 6 miles from our starting point, around 11:30 in the morning. Although Tigger and Chuck Norris call it quits for the day, Montreal and I decide we must go on. We're sad to leave T&CN behind, but they promise to catch up soon. The next 6 miles prove much more difficult than the first 6 with many 500 foot elevation changes between the gaps and the summits.Tonight I don't get much sleep. My neighbor in the rack keeps bumping into me. Sometime during the night my air mattress goes flat. I hate when that happens.In the morning everyone opines that the mattress flattened because this guy was laying on it too, but that wasn't really the case. The guy had a rough night because he was diabetic and he ended up almost in a coma. Oh my, I suppose he could have died right there next to me. I REALLY hate when that happens.
Date: 2007-04-20
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter, NC

To: Icewater Spring Shelter, NC
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: broken clouds

Today is the most exciting day so far. We make the hard climb from Double Gap Shelter to Clingmans Dome, at elevation 6643, the second highest point in the Eastern U.S. The trail distance is 3 miles but the rise is 1140 feet. It snowed overnight, and now with bright sunlight, the melting snow comes off the trees like rain. On the way up we meet a Ridge Runner. This is someone who volunteers their time to be on the trail and give out information to the hikers they meet. We¢re told that a storm on the mountain last night has blown over hundreds of trees. The trail will be hazardous for a while until it¢s all cleaned up. That warning was spot on ¢ we find trees all over the place as we continue along toward New Found Gap. Actually it is kinda fun scrambling over, under and around all the obstacles. I feel like a monkey instead of a hiker. It slows us down considerably, but overall it is a pleasant change from our normal progression. After all, there is some monotony involved in hiking 2100 miles.At Newfound Gap I meet Alma Williamson of Cosby, TN. When she is informed of my trail name, she exclaims "I'm following your Trail Journal!" What a strange coincidence. Alma confesses that she has deep admiration for all through hikers. I appreciate that many people I don¢t even know find my commentaries interesting.Fire Hazard leaves us at this crossroad and hitches into Gatlinburg. She would not hang around in town, instead getting her supplies, obtaining a new mattress for me, and getting out fast. She catches up with us the next day, pleased to have survived the ordeal.From here it¢s up 900 feet to the aptly-named Icewater Spring Shelter. It stays fairly warm until the sun lowers in the sky, then the temperature takes a dive. I stay in the shelter hoping that it will be at least a few degrees warmer than my tent. The shelter is completely full. Maybe all of us sardines can keep the temperature up.
Date: 2007-04-21
From: Icewater Spring Shelter, NC

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter, NC
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

I experience another day of breath-taking views. Never once does the trail drop below our one-mile-high altitude. On this stretch even the gaps are way up: Dry Sluice Gap, 5375¢; Porters Gap, 5500¢; False Gap, 5400¢; Big Cove Gap, 5825¢. And of course the summits are even loftier with the highest being Mt. Chapman at 6260¢. Up, down, up, down, that¢s the way of the trail.Early in the day we take photos on Charlies Bunion, a curious rock outcropping with views in every direction. We arrive at Tri-Corner Knob Shelter around 2 pm and decide to quit for the day. Indications are that it¢s going to be another frigid night.
Date: 2007-04-22
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter, NC

To: Standing Bear Hostel, NC
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: clear sky

This is our last day in the Smokies. We¢re glad to be leaving in a few hours. Once outside of the Park we will have a lot more freedom as to what we can do and where we can spend our nights.The day¢s hike is superb with great views. We spend the first 10 miles up and down along a 5000 foot elevation line. About 5 miles further we drop down to 2000 feet elevation and we exit the Park. Continuing on, we drop down to 1400 feet, going over the Pigeon River and under Interstate 40. One half mile ahead, where the trail intersects Green Corner Road, we know that a great hostel is a mere 600 feet off to the left. After hiking for over 18 miles today we finally call it quits, arriving at the Standing Bear Farm Hiker Hostel late in the day. Having been here in 2004 I know this is a great place to spend a night (they have hot showers and cook-your-own pizzas). My pizza is huge; I have no trouble eating the whole thing myself. Tonight I¢m privileged to have a private cabin so I anticipate a good night¢s sleep. What a relief not to have to listen to all those snoring guys. They can be really annoying!All hikers agree that Maria and Curtis run a very accommodating Hostel here at Standing Bear.
Date: 2007-04-23
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Ground Hog Creek, NC
Miles today: 7.2

I¢m just not overly-motivated this morning after putting in so many miles yesterday. I take my time with coffee and breakfast. I take another shower. Finally I leave the Hostel around 11 am.The climb is up, like it always is, when you leave a hostel or a town. We go from elevation 1800¢ to 4265¢ in a 5 mile distance. This is tough! Good views are available from the top of Snowbird Mountain. Not knowing when to quit, we somehow find the strength to climb the fire tower. From here it¢s all the way back down to elevation 2850¢ at Groundhog Creek Shelter.Now that we¢re out of the park, we are not mandated to stay in the shelter building itself. I use this first opportunity in a week to actually sleep in my tent. It¢s nice to be outside the confines of the shelter and have some space to myself.
Date: 2007-04-24
From: Ground Hog Creek, NC

To: Walnut Mt. Shelter, NC
Miles today: 13.1

The skies are cloudy all day but fortunately it does not rain. The trail is fairly easy and level with the only summit of consequence being Max Patch at elevation 4600 ft. This is our first encounter with a ¢bald.¢ We¢ll see a lot more of these land formations as we move northward through Virginia. Max Patch was a homestead 100 years ago. The settlers cleared the land to graze cattle and sheep. The USFS now maintains the area to preserve its original appearance, not allowing the trees to grow back in certain areas.After a month on the trail I¢m strong enough to do ten-plus mile days on a regular basis. The nice thing about that is I meet more new hikers every day. And of course, that¢s why I¢m here in the first place.