morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-04-02
From: Franklin,NC

To: Franklin,NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Up at 6:30am for shuttle to free AYCE breakfast at Baptist Church. They also took our picture and mailed them for us. Church groups have been so good to hikers so far it blows me away. Got my room for a second night to hopefully catch up on journaling and get to check out Franklin, NC a little. Also hoping to actually do a little planning, which i have avoided so far. Town was nice today with little vendor tents all over. Wind played havoc with the tents and displays, making for an interesting day. The BBQ feed at the Sapphire Inn was the best meal I've had since starting. Ron bought the meat and a local hiking club provided a ton of sides. Backyard Boogie gave us a ride home.
Date: 2011-04-03
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Wayah Crest Picnic Area
Miles today: 6.0

After a big AYCE pancake and bacon breakfast, I spent the rest of the morning packing and hanging out with other hikers. I couldn't believe it when I saw some hikers throwing a hissy fit about shuttles, the music, the free food. (Actually, room rates were about $10 higher, but all the food more than made up for it.) Caught the 11am shuttle back to Winding stair Gap. The bus was full so Ron had Allen drive the rest of us up in an old van. As we were laughing at how slow the bus was climbing the final hill, we blew a radiator hose and wren't going anywhere at all. Finally got hiking at noon. The weather was beautiful with great views from Siler Bald. a local woman told us about a picnic area she thought would make a nice spot to camp. Stopped at Wayah Crest Picnic area and had a nice relaxing evening. A guy named Brian stopped by a couple of times looking for his wife and kids who were supposed to hike to here. She must have got a ride from someone since nothing else came of it. Camped with Taz and Roo, Maggie and Mike.
Date: 2011-04-04
From: Wayah Crest Picnic Area

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

Woke up to the warmest and clearest morning since I've been out here. Beautiful hiking to stone tower atop Wayah Bald. Great views back into Franklin and a full 360 degree panorama. The cold front and predicted severe weather showed up right on time, with a small thunderstorm chasing me into Cold Spring shelter. I got the tent up and everything inside, including me, just before the storm broke with rain and small hail. I hung out at the shelter for a couple of hours before retreating to the boredom of my tent. Storms predicted to continue till morning.
Date: 2011-04-05
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 4.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Storms were worse than expected. Scratch was hammocking next to me and was in the process of passing a kidney stone. I was impressed by an act of kindness Peter showed Scratch. Straight line winds to 60 mph had me expecting my tent to fail and it may have blown flat once or twice. Temps fell dramatically and I had a cold and scary night. Awoke to an ice coated tent, snow/sleet covering the ground, wind and temps in the 20's. Mostly cold till 2pm when the sun came out. Camped early at Wesser Bald shelter to dry out gear. Met Skidsteer and a group of other guys who are active on the trail in the south. PS This may be where I first met Hopeful.
Date: 2011-04-06
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Campsite
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: clear sky

Started at Wesser Bald shelter. Resupply at NOC was very disappointing after a burger and sweet tea at restaurant. mailed old Blackberry and some journals to Pat. Headed into the woods at 4pm and hiked a steady uphill out of the River Gorge. I was hoping to arrive at a stealth spot 2-3 miles out from NOC that I had heard about. I must have missed it and was 4 miles out before I found water and then another mile before I could find a flat spot to camp. Just before dark, I settled in on a small flat spot right next to the trail. Turned out to be a beautiful night.
Date: 2011-04-07
From: Campsite

To: Brown Fork Gap
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: clear sky

Beautiful morning at stealth spot, warm and sunny. Hiking today was fairly brutal with a climb up Jacob's ladder and numerous PUD's (pointless ups and downs) to add to the fun. I really picked the wrong time to add to my mileage goals. Now walking 10-12 miles per day in some of the roughest terrain so far. Got into Brown Fork Gap shelter pretty much wiped out. Tented on only flat i could find at the edge of a steep hill. If I forget where I set up, it could be a 100' roll down the hill.
Date: 2011-04-08
To: Fontana Hilton
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Woke to a cool and gray morning. Isolated thunderstorms had been predicted but all that ever happened was a few sprinkles. Cable Gap shelter struck me as a pretty spot and I took a couple pictures as I ate lunch there. All day I've been focused on getting to Fontana for a shower. In the afternoon, the sun came out, making for hot hiking, making me want a shower even more. Rough trail and PUD's really pissing me off in this stretch. They added PUD's right up to the shelter itself. Shower was great and washed hiking clothes at the same time. Feeling better after shower. will zero here tomorrow.
Date: 2011-04-09
From: Fontana Hilton

To: Fontana Hilton
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Zero at Fontana Hilton to recover before hitting the Smokies tomorrow. Made a town run with "Cookie" and got resupply and chili dogs. Prices and selection of food much better at Fontana Village than NOC, but still nothing like a grocery store. Picked up a dozen eggs and hardboiled them to eat now and carry into Smokies. I haven't had an egg in weeks. Long talk with "Hopeful". He assured us that the trail conditions will soon improve. I'm writing by headlamp outside waiting for tent to cool down so I can get some sleep.
Date: 2011-04-10
From: Fontana Hilton

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: clear sky

Beautiful morning to start into the Smokies(SMNP). First, a one mile hike down to and across Fontana Dam. Then, a one mile road walk into the park to the trailhead. In the park, you have to stay at designated shelters, so not as much flexibility in mileage as I have enjoyed. Crossed the Tennessee border today for the first time. The AT crosses back and forth between TN and NC numerous times all the way to VA. Uphill most of the day and hot in the afternoon. Tented at Mollies Ridge shelter with Taz and Roo. Met Ox the maintainer for this section.
Date: 2011-04-11
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Helped Ox and Hopeful install some waterbars just north of Mollies Ridge shelter. Thunderstorm predicted for tonight. So, i'm only hiking the 5.5 miles to Spence Field shelter. Missed the sign and walked 1/4 mile past shelter turnoff and had to turn back. Beautiful evening weather. storms started 8:30pm after we had all settled in. My tent was set up perpendicular to the wind and collapsed twice but popped right back up. Snug and dry overnight in spite of rapidly falling temps.
Date: 2011-04-12
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Awoke to rain, wind and temps in mid-40's. Classic hypothermia weather. Apparently the cold front had stalled over us. Smokestack and I decided to hole up and wait for the weather to let up. Instead of getting better, all that happened was the temps fell further. I spent a couple of hours in the shelter, but the wind was so bad in the afternoon, that I had to stay in my tent just to keep it from blowing away. My best guess and info is that it was 37 degrees with 35-40mph sustained wind with higher gusts and rain sometimes mixed with snow. I saw Griffin's tent next to mine, but haven't seen or heard him all day. I couldn't cook or leave the tent, so I ended up eating all my snacks to try to stay warm. One girl came into the shelter practically catatonic and had to be told to get into her bag. She was going to go on. Hypothermia certainly clouds judgment. This was the first time I've been bored out here as I had to spend most of a 24hour day in my bag. I could only have my hands out for 10-15 minutes at a time before they became painfully cold.
Date: 2011-04-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

What a difference a day makes. Woke to nice sunrise with a light breeze. Slow start to avoid packing wet gear and low energy this morning. Got to Derricks Knob shelter around 3pm and decided to press on to Silers bald shelter. Low energy made the 5 mile push to Silers hard and I arrived at 7:30pm. An ecclectic group tonight of thru-, section and overnight hikers. Realized I'm not eating enough!
Date: 2011-04-14
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Took my time getting going and eating breakfast. This worked out well with the overnight guys from Cinncinati giving me an overloaded egg mcmuffin they made. What a needed addition to breakfast and I noticed the difference in improved stamina. I gotta start eating more! Hiked up and lunched at Clingman's Dome amongst the tourists. One mile round trip to restrooms at parking lot for toilet paper resupply and 1/2 mile side trail to Mount Collins shelter added to today's mileage. Weather great with storms predicted for tomorrow. Looking forward to Gatlinburg.
Date: 2011-04-15
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Up early and out by 8:30 for dash into Gatlinburg. Weather cold, misty with rising wind. I can feel the storm coming and work to cover the 5 miles as fast as I can. Ate 2 dinners last night and it seems to have improved my energy this morning. No views, no anything today. Just get out before storms. Hit by 10:30am. I'm at Newfoundland Gap and catch a ride in on the free NOC shuttle. By 11:30am, I'm holed up in the Grand Prix Motel watching the predictions of 80mph wind on the weather channel for the trail. Wind knocked out power in Gatlinburg while I was out getting groceries and people coming in from Clingman's Dome are reporting 60-70 mph winds with rangers telling hikers to get to town. Motel is very hiker friendly and I'm glad to be safe from this storm. I'm on the 3pm shuttle for tomorrow back to the trail. Scale at Grand Prix shows I already lost 20 pounds. I haven't stopped eating since i got back from the store.
Date: 2011-04-16
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Rained all night but sky is starting to clear as I get moving. Free Krispy Kreme donuts and coffee in office. 4 or 5 donuts and 3-4 big coffees and I'm off to Bennets BBQ for AYCE breakfast buffet. Nice people and great food. The one cook I met yesterday on the trolley, and we recognize each other. Finished packing and checked out. Down to the NOC outpost to finish resupply and store my pack so i can walk around town. Took a walk downtown to people watch and get a picture.Gatlinburg is the exact opposite of the trail in every way. Spend the rest of my town time at NOC journaling. On shuttle back, you go from spring at 1300' elevation in town to winter again above 5000' elevation where the trail is. After an easy 3 mile hike into Icewater Spring shelter, I find "Hopeful" helping Doug the Ridgerunner clean up around shelter. another member of the fellowship was at the shelter and we had a good talk. Turning in early, going to be a really cold night. Doug the Ridgerunner told us the rain notes gauge at LeConte showed 4"of rain from the storm I sat out in Gatlinburg. a river runner told me that the flows in Gatlinburg set new records.
Date: 2011-04-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Awoke to beautiful, clear morning after very cold, damp, windy night. Temp at 20 degrees with 20-25 mph winds. Everything, including tents, covered in a thin coat of ice. Took my time getting started to let things warm up some. Beautiful views from ridgelines and weather improving throughout the day. Could not seem to keep track of where I was and missed the fantastic view from Charlies Bunion, or so I was told. Got to Tricorner Knob shelter around 5pm. Shelter full and no tent sites so Hopeful told me about good tent site nearby. I'm set up here by myself. Ready to turn in for the night. Still winter at this elevation.
Date: 2011-04-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Long day planned for today. 15 mile push to Davenport gap shelter. Last shelter in the Smokies. Saw a ruffled grouse strutting in the trees today about 10-15 yards away. I've been hearing them "booming" and flushed one, but this is the first one I've seen close up. As I descended the mountains, it became more and more springlikenwith a huge variety of wild flowers and full streams flowing from the recent storms. A beautiful, but long day. At the shelter there were no campsites, so i had to sleep in the shelter. this didn't turn out to be as bad a dealafter Parker and Turtle spotted a mama bear and her cub close in around camp. The guy under me is snoring and I can't get to sleep.
Date: 2011-04-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Up early packing, no breakfast. Into standing Bear hostel for breakfast. Standing Bear is a cool place run by Curtis and his wife, Marie. Incredible resupply along with a full kitchen to cook in if you want. Bunk house and cabin also available. I'm just stopping by for a hot breakfast. Had 4 steak and cheese burritos and 2 sodas. Got to meet "Mom's" husband as he picked her up to go back to Ravenna, Ohio. Also this morning, i finally got out of the GSMNP and back into national forest. Now I can go back to hiking as many miles as I want rather than having to camp only at shelters. While hiking over Snowbird Mountain, I took a power nap on the grassy bald on top. Hiked on to Brown gap for a total of 13.3 miles today. Brown gap looked good in guide, but pretty much sucks in person. probably the worst water source I've used so far. Good news is I'm here with Taz and Walkabout Roo, Hopeful and Apostle John. It's good to catch up to the Australians again. Also saw my second bear today.
Date: 2011-04-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 10.3

I hear Taz and Roo's alarm at 6:20, but wait until 7:00 to start moving. It's a cool and overcast morning and I have coffee and breakfast as I pack up. Just as I finish, the rain starts and i finish my last cup of coffee in a steady rain. I start hiking to get warm. I warm up nicely in spite of the wind and steady rain. About 3 miles into my day, I run into "Rambo" and his wife and 2 year old doing trail magic. The rain eases and I eat a banana and 2 chips, then suck down a soda. An apple and a couple of candy bars for the trail. I start the climb up to Max Patch. Just as I come out of the trees to head for the summit, thunder crashes directly overhead. I back off into the trees and spend about 15 minutes getting colder and colder in the rain deciding what to do. I decide to go for it and thunder again as I reach the treeline. I realize it must not be God's will for me to cross Max Patch and look for a way around. I end up taking about a 3 mile detour on trails and forest service roads before i get back to the AT. By the time i get to Roaring Fork shelter, the rain has stopped and Smokestack rolls in as I am eating lunch. The weather continues to improve and we call it a day at Walnut Mountain shelter so we have time to dry out from the wet start today. Walkabout Roo builds a big fire and we all hang out while our gear dries and we cook dinner. Only 10.3 miles today but everything is dried out and ready to go for tomorrow.
Date: 2011-04-21
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Woke to sound of water dripping on tent. Outside dense fog condensing on everything and dripping from the trees. So much for being dried out. Hike up and over Bluff Mountain in dense fog. Got warm fast hiking in 100% humidity. About half way down Bluff Mountain, the fog lightened as I dropped below the clouds and eventually the sun started to peek through. Finished the afternoon in warm and sunny conditions at Deer Park shelter 3 miles shy of Hot Spring, NC. The plan is to run into Hot Springs for breakfast.
Date: 2011-04-22
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Up early and basically dashed the 3 miles into Hot Springs, NC in a cold drizzle. Smokestack told us of the hot breakfast at the Smokey Mountain diner and everyone in camp was racing to get there. I was not disappointed. Breakfast was huge and great tasting and I must have had a 1/2 gallon of coffee. The dines was so good that I decided to tent at a campground for $10 and blow the rest of my town money on meals. Tried to text Pat and Jeremy Happy Birthday but no AT&T service in town. Spent the rest of the day on town chores, then had a great dinner with Peter, who I've been hiking with for a while now.
Date: 2011-04-23
To: View Entry
Miles today: 11.5

   Back to the diner for breakfast. Man, I love the food there. Best so far. Then a little final resupply shopping and I reluctantly leave town at 11am. I see how people get sucked in to the town "vortex" and can't get going again.   It's a very steep climb up and out of town and I get all the way to the top and almost go back into town for "just one more meal". I manage to press on, but the thought of all the town comforts lingers through the day. Eventually, I get to Spring Mountain shelter roughly 11.5 miles out of town and call it a day. Most of the hikers I've been traveling with are here. P.S. great weather today.When I woke up this morning, the light was hitting my wedding band just right and it seemed to glow. As I looked at it, I was filled with a feeling of happiness about being married to Pat. The feeling lasted quite a while into the day.
Date: 2011-04-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 15.4

I'm trying to increase my mileage, so I start a little earlier today. My plan is to head to Jerry Cabin shelter 15.4 miles away. It's a beautiful day and I find myself thinking a lot about Easter and its significance, much more so than I normally would. I pass a number of southbound hikers and everyone is saying "Happy Easter". It's a long day of hiking for me and I finally get to the shelter around 7pm. I'm spent. There was no temptation to hang out around the shelter since when I walked past it was a bunch of kids discussing the current price of weed. To bed and do it all again tomorrow. The high point of the day was a narrow rocky ridgewalk with fantastic views.
Date: 2011-04-25
To: View Entry
Miles today: 14.5

Another decent day of 14.5 miles planned. Although we can now camp anywhere, water has been a limiting factor. It's easy to find a flat spot to tent, it's easy to find water, but lately it's not so easy to find both together. Rain threatened off and on all morning. Today there were a couple of gravesites and memorials right on the trail. The Shelton graves were especially pretty and I took a pic. Just after that, a thunderstorm broke as I lunched at Flint Ridge shelter. I hung out at the shelter with a couple who was out for the weekend until it passed. Weather continued to improve and I was at Hogback shelter at 6pm. There is way too much activity around the shelters. I need a night or two by myself. The kids here are making a mess of the bear cables as I go to sleep.
Date: 2011-04-26
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I'm about 26 miles out from Irwin, TN, so I decide to split it into two 13 mile days and stop just short of town on the 2nd day. The day's hike takes me across a beautiful meadow covered in wild strawberries in bloom along with apple trees also in bloom. I have a clear view of Bald Mountain, which I have to cross later today. Weather is threatening to rain as the day progresses. Views from Bald Mountain are great and the size of this bald is impressive. Probably 200 acres or more. I hike past the next shelter and head for a campsite in the book 3 miles further at Whistling Gap. Nobody else stops and I'm all alone. I relish the quiet and settle in for the night.
Date: 2011-04-27
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Today's dilemma: the last water from town is 6 miles from town at No Business Knob shelter. I guess I'll start walking and see how it goes. By 12:30. I'm at the shelter eating lunch, so I decide to press on to town in hopes of catching Uncle Johnny's dinner shuttle to a KFC all you can eat buffet. I run into another hiker who tells me that major storms are predicted for tonight. I make it to Uncle Johnny's Hostel by 4:30 pm and actually have time for a shower before dinner. No cabins or bunks available because of the storm, so I elect to tent on the lawn for $8. Stuff myself at the AYCE and hang out until 10pm with others under pavillion until first storm starts.
Date: 2011-04-28
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

A very stormy night, but only about 10 minutes of heavy wind. Safe and secure in my tent. Woke at about 4am and the storms seemed over, so I took the chance to charge my phone and do laundry. Both things you always have to compete with other hikers for. Got both done and went back to bed until breakfast. I was awakened by Cookie talking to Taz and Roo outside my tent about the tornadoes and hundreds being killed. At breakfast at JD's, we found out more about the storms and how close they were to us. 15 or 20 miles up the road, houses were destroyed. Today's weather is clearing and storm threat is well east of us. All I can do about the weather is trust God will protect me from the worst of it. Nice weather predicted for next few days. Had dinner with Taz and Roo at the KFC and plan on heading out after breakfast and post office run tomorrow. Irwin, NC is all spread out and you kind of need a shuttle to get around, so Uncle Johnny's provides a number of them through the day.
Date: 2011-04-29
To: View Entry
Miles today: 12.9

Went to breakfast again at JD's and hit the post office to mail off journals. I noticed the seams on the tent had been leaking some during the last rain, so I bought some seam sealer and took the time to seal my tent before finally heading out around 1:30pm. Everyone told me the first couple of miles were so beautiful, but I couldn't see it. Maybe it was just me having to shake off town and get back into the hiking. Later in the day, things got better and I caught up with Taz and Roo at a campsite 12.9 miles out. I thought Peter was here also, but it turns out I passed him sleeping in a shelter. A fellow who was getting on my nerves in Irwin tried to hike with me today, but I wanted none of that, so I just outran him on the trail. Hiking is hard enough without having to deal with idiots.
Date: 2011-04-30
To: View Entry
Miles today: 13.9

Today was a bit of a weird day on the trail. There was a cystic fibrosis walk for the cure thing going on and all of these day hikers were hiking 31 miles southbound and kept passing us all day. I had seen signs posted at Uncle Johnny's about trail magic at Iron Mountain Gap, but when I went through all that was going on was the cystic fibrosis people were hanging their finish line sign. Later, I heard that the day hikers ate all the trail magic, burgers and dogs, provided by the church. The only real climb today was Unaka Mountain. It is covered in spruce on top and was a nice change from our usual scenery. Tenting at Clyde Smith shelter for a total of 13.9 miles.
Date: 2011-05-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 12.4

Well today is the climb everyone has been talking worrying about all week, Roan Mountain. It's a 2300' vertical climb and rumor has it that it's a tough one. Luckily, I get to warm up by climbing a couple of smaller mountains first. One of them, Little Rock Knob, also provides a little bit of scrambling for added fun. The first half of Roan is a new, switch-backed and well graded trail. The second half is straight up the hill on washed out, eroded trail/gully. The re-route is flagged for a new route, like the bottom, but construction hasn't begun yet. I wonder if it's this year's hard core project? There is a small bald on top of Roan that used to be the site of the Skyland Hotel. I saw my first deer of the trip there. After coming down, I caught up with Taz and Roo and we crossed a couple of miles of balds in wind that almost knocked me over a couple of times. Stopped for the night at Stan Morray shelter for a 12.4 mile day. I probably climbed a total of over 4000' vertical today. As dusk fell, a deer walked through camp. Trip total up to 2 now.