morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-03-31
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

Day #13. Up at 6:30 am; start at 9:50 am.   Ascent: 3040. Descent: 2090. Duration 6:50. It rained last night but I was safely in a motel room in Franklin - no wet tent for me. It was hiker bash weekend - a great BBQ dinner but the music and loud talk went on out of the rain just outside my room door well into the night. Last I checked it was 1:30 am and still going. I woke at 4 am and it was quiet. Some folks had a really good time. I got up at 6:30 am and was in the van to the Baptist Church free hiker breakfast - pancakes, bacon, juice and coffee. It was excellent and I had seconds. They are very nice people, too. I took the shuttle back to the Trail and was hiking at 9:50 am in 55 °F temperatures in shorts and a T-shirt. It was pleasant hiking all day in partly sunny skies and temperatures no higher than 68 °F. Lunch was a 45 min break of pimento loaf, cheese and mustard on a loaded bagel. I arrived at the Wayah Bald Shelter area at 4:40 pm and set up my tent. It started to sprinkle but the rain never amounted to anything. I cooked dinner in the shelter with 5 other hikers - Tick-Tock, Missouri Mike, Two-Timer, Bright Flower and DreamTime. The youngest of the bunch was 52. Today I also met Peru & Radar from 2010, Tumbler & Rat Man (also from 2010), Gator, Nomad, Santa¢s Helper, DTunes, Buhler, Bookworm, Big Foot and Jolly Three-Zero. It is 8:30 pm and getting dark. Time to quit writing.
Date: 2012-04-01
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: Rufus Morgan Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: clear sky

Day #14. Up at 7:00 am; start at 8:30 am.   Ascent: 2690. Descent: 5070. Duration 9:03.   Today I finished my first two weeks on the Trail. I was up at 7 am in at 50 °F tent temperature. I started hiking at 8:35 am. The trails were good for the most part today but there were some long descents with a few tricky spots. I saw many wild flowers in bloom or just starting to bloom, including violets, trillium, jack in the pulpit, buttercups and white and pink dogwood. Dream Time and I were the first ones to arrive at the Rufus Morgan Shelter site so we had the choice of tent sites. A Boy Scout group on a 5-day backpacking hike arrived followed by another BS group and a number of other thru hikers. One was Juice who started hiking 8 days ago and hiked 22 mi today. I won¢t see him again. Two Time and Bright Flower are also tenting here. This site is 1.0 mi from NOC where I plan to get a town breakfast and resupply then hike out. It was partly sunny today and very nice although it did get up to 81 °F. I am hoping for the good weather to continue. It is 8:50 pm and the tent is 65 °F - the Boy Scouts are still talking but it will not last long.
Date: 2012-04-02
From: Rufus Morgan Shelter

To: Locust Cove Gap
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Day #15. Up at 7:00 am; start at 7:52 am.   Ascent: 3080. Descent: 2900. Duration 8:59 including 2 h for breakfast and 20 min for lunch.   Today was good hiking - partly sunny, no rain, temp up to 80 °F. No rain last night and I was up in a 60 °F tent at 7 am. I packed, ate a cherry turnover for breakfast and was hiking at 7:52 am. It was warm hiking at times but the trail was good all the way down into NOC where I had a hiker breakfast at their restaurant. I was back on the Trail and up the 3000 ft climb out of the NOC gap, ate a 30 min lunch at Sassafras Gap Shelter on the other side of the climb then hiked onward to Locust Cove Gap where I am tenting. I used the PLT (?) bear bag technique for the second night to hang my food because there were no good single branches. It is a technique where the line is strung between two trees. It is 8:27 pm and I am sitting on a log outside my tent. Everything is quiet. It is almost dark and the end to another successful hiking day on the AT.
Date: 2012-04-03
From: Locust Cove Gap

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: light rain

Day #16. Up at 7:00 am; start at 8:30 am.   Ascent: 2650. Descent: 3390. Duration 7:36, including 30 min snack and 45 min lunch.   Today the thunder storms finally found me. Last night around 2 am there was much thunder and lightning but no rain - another dry night, thankfully. I was up at 7 am and hiking by 8:30 am in 60 °F temperatures and overcast skies. The trail surfaces were mostly good except for crossing over about 10 rock slides. The climbs and descents were moderate except for the climb out of Stecoah Gap that was a steep 800 ft. I spent 45 min for lunch at Brown Fork Gap Shelter around noon where I dried out my sweaty socks in the sun. As I hiked on, the temperature reached 83 °F. Around 2 pm the rumbling I had been hearing turned into real rain. The rain lasted about 30 min and I hiked into the Cable Gap Shelter, hoping to get there before the next T-storm hit. I reached there amid a lot of thunder and just got my tent set up as the rain hit. I took my pack to the shelter, cooked dinner under cover and returned to my tent where I organized my gear inside the tent. Now I am writing in my journal. It is 7 pm, the rain has stopped, and my tent is dry. There are occasional rain splats on the tent from the trees. There is a gurgling brook less than 10 ft away and I also hear the not-too-distant rumbling of thunder. What more could you ask for on an evening on the AT?
Date: 2012-04-04
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana 28 crossing
Miles today: 5.4

Day #17. Up at 7:00 am; start at 8:20 am.   Ascent: 1100. Descent: 2300. Duration 2:53. Today is a NERO (near zero) day. It stopped raining before dark last night but the thunder continued to rumble in the early night. There was no more rain at my camp site. I was up at 7 am and the tent was 56 °F. I packed, ate a frosted honey bun (500 cal) and a packet of peanut M&Ms (250 cal) and was hiking at 8:20 am. It was a brisk 50 °F but comfortable hiking in the morning fog in the Gap. I hiked the 800 ft out of the Gap when Flash (as in Gordon) caught up to me. We hiked together all the way into the Fontana 28 AT crossing, filled out the permit for the Smoky Mountain National Park where I caught a shuttle to the Fontana Lodge, checked in, had lunch, and am now in my room writing this journal entry. I also met Smitten last night and Stinger today. It is 3:25 pm and I need to get to the PO to mail this before it closes. I¢m off to the Post Office.
Date: 2012-04-05
From: Locust Cove Gap

To: Mollie Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: light rain

Day #18. Up at 7:00 am; start at 9:05 am.   Ascent: 4530. Descent: 1690. Duration 7:55 including lunch. Today I entered the great Smoky Mountains. It was a restful and dry night at the Fontana Village Inn. I was up at 7 am and eating breakfast by 7:30 am. I took a shuttle back to the Trail and was hiking by 9:05 am in shorts and a short sleeved T-shirt in 55 °F air. There was fog in places, clouds, and sun. I went over the large Fontana Dam which was not generating electricity at the time. The lake seemed quite low. Today had a lot of climbing but it was not steep. I stopped for lunch at noontime and ate to the sound of rumbling thunder. After lunch it began to sprinkle, requiring me to don my rain gear. The rain was short-lived but there was an incredible lightning bolt and loud crack of thunder shortly after the rain stopped. I reached the Mollies Ridge Shelter site at 5 pm to the rumble of thunder, got my tent set up and dinner cooked, and hung my food bag from the bear cables before it started to rain again. I am in the tent and dry. I saw a number of flowers today including star chickweed, trout lily, squawroot, wood anemone, rue anemone and mountain buttercup. It is now raining hard and time to call it a night. P.S. I just looked outside my tent and realized that it was also hailing - hail the size of road salt crystals. It looks like the tent survived though.
Date: 2012-04-06
From: Mollie Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day #19. Up at 7:00 am; start at 8:50 am.   Ascent: 3630. Descent: 3450. Duration 8:12.   Today the Trail reached the Tennessee line. Now the Trail will meander back and forth between NC and TN. There was a lot of wetness when I got up this morning although the rain had stopped. Most of my things in the tent were still dry. I packed up the wet tent in a trash bag in my pack and was hiking at 8 am in heavy fog and rain gear. As the day went on the skies cleared and the temperature reached the low 50s. It was cool but comfortable hiking with a pleasant breeze. I went over Rocky Top and Thunderhead Mountains today. Tomorrow is Clingmans Dome. I am sitting in the shelter now where there is a fireplace. There are a bunch of other thru hikers including Tower, Smitter, Soho, Bigfoot and Overdrive, among others. The temperature has dipped below 50 and it will be cold tonight.
Date: 2012-04-07
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

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

Day #20. Up at 7:00 am; start at 8:03 am.   Ascent: 4110. Descent: 3060. Duration 8:55 including 60 min lunch. Today I climbed the highest mountain on the AT (Clingmans Dome, 6643 ft elevation) and I passed the 200 mile mark on the AT. It was cold last night, 35 °F in the tent. I was glad to have a 15 °F bag and a 10 degree bag liner. I was up at 7 am and hiking by 8:03 am wearing rain gear, a long T-shirt and gloves. I warmed up gradually under the clear skies and removed the rain gear and long shirt when the temperature passed the 55 °F mark in the morning. It did not get about 60 °F all day. I stopped at noon for lunch, got water, and took advantage of the privy and good cell phone signal. I hiked on, climbing over Clingmans Dome and Mt. Collins, ending up at the Mt. Collins shelter at 5 pm. I ate a dinner of beef stroganoff with added butter and hickory-flavored vienna sausage. It may sound bad, but it tasted great. I¢m in my tent - it¢s 7:30 pm and the temperature has dipped to 48 °F. There is no wind but it promises to be another cold night.
Date: 2012-04-08
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Newfound Gap, Gatlinburg, NC
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Day #21. Up at 6:50 am; start at 7:30 am.   Ascent: 670. Descent: 1510. Duration 2:10. Today was a NERO in Gatlinburg, TN for resupply and town food. I was up at 6:50 am (didn¢t hear my alarm at 6:30 am) and rushed to pack. It was 35 °F in the tent when I got up after a cold night. I was hiking by 7:30 am in raingear, a long sleeved T-shirt, and shorts in 40 °F temperatures. I hiked out with a group of about 10 hikers we call ¢The Village¢ and arrived at Newfound Gap at 9:40 am, a distance of 4.5 mi. In total it was actually 5.0 mi if you include the 0.5 mi from the shelter back to the AT. Big Foot from ¢The Village¢ group offered me a ride into Gatlinburg by his father who we called Papa Big Foot. Papa arrived at 10 am and 11 hikers along with him and Mama Big Foot crammed into his F150 extended cab with a cap. It was tight but we all fit. Thanks Papa for the ride into town. Once there, I got checked into the motel, took a shower, rode the trolley to get groceries, resupply and do laundry, purchased denatured alcohol at the outdoor store, had dinner at Famous Italian Restaurant and came back to the room. Now I am finishing this day¢s journal at 8:45 pm. I weighed myself after dinner and estimate I have lost 4 lbs over 3 weeks. Time to turn in.
Date: 2012-04-09
From: Newfound Gap, Gatlinburg, NC

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

Day #22. Up at 6:15 am; start at 11:30 am.   Ascent: 2510. Descent: 2210. Duration 6:00 including 30 min lunch. Today is the first day of Week 4. I got up at 6:15 am and was at the breakfast pancake place when they opened at 7 am. My goal was to be ready when my ride back to the Trail arrived. Unfortunately there were too many hikers and full packs so they had to make two trips. I was back at the Trail at 11:30 am ¢ thanks again to Papa Big Foot for the ride. At Newfound Gap there was a cold wind blowing so I bundled up in a long T and rain jacket. The temperature was 50 °F but the wind made it feel much colder. The 1000 ft climb to Icewater Spring Shelter warmed me up and the air temperature increased to 55 °F. I was down to shorts and a T-shirt again. I got water at Icewater Spring Shelter and hiked on another hour before taking a 30 min lunch break. Bologna, mustard and cheese on a bagel was the main course. Dessert was raisins and a Mounds candy bar. I hiked to Pecks Corner Shelter, arriving there at 5:30 pm. I set up my tent and ate a dinner of 4 hot dogs on buns and an Almond Joy candy bar. Today the hike was 10.4 mi in 6 h (including lunch). The trail tread was mostly smooth and soft except for a few sections of broken shale and shale-type rocks. It is 7:45 pm, 45 °F in the tent, and dusk is starting. It will be another cold night.
Date: 2012-04-10
From: Pecks Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: few clouds

Day #23. Up at 7:00 am; start at 8:10 am.   Ascent: 2050. Descent: 2800. Duration 7:00 including 20 min lunch. Today was cold and windy but there was no rain. I was up at 7 am in the 33 °F tent. I stayed warm all night, thanks to my 15 °F sleeping bag, a long sleeved T-shirt, and long bottoms. By 8:10 am I was hiking, still in my long T-shirt with raingear. The temperature was 38 cold °F. Gloves and over mitts helped keep my hands warm in the cold wind. Much of the trail today was broken loose rock ¢ a pain to hike. I stopped at 12:10 for a quick 20 min lunch and hiked on to the Cosby Knob Shelter, arriving at 3:30 pm. I am in the shelter tonight because all the tent sites were taken and there was plenty of room in the shelter. This is my first shelter stay on the AT this time. I cooked dinner (mashed potatoes and bacon bits) and ate a Mounds bar at 5 pm in the cold wind, then hung my food bag on the cable system provided at the shelter. Believe it or not, there was some fresh bear scat right under the cables. There is a fire in the shelter fireplace which makes the shelter warmer along with the tarp over the shelter opening. It is 6:30 pm and time to crawl into my sleeping bag.
Date: 2012-04-11
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Stealth camp past Snowbird Mountain
Miles today: 15.5

Day #24. Up at 6:50 am; start at 7:50 am.   Ascent: 4190. Descent: 4900. Duration 9:40 including 90 min for resupply and lunch.  Last night was cold. Ice formed in some of the water bottles and there was ice and frozen ground on the trail early on in the day. I was up at 6:50 am and hiking by 7:50 am in 40 °F temperatures wearing all my gear. Even then it took a good 30 min for my fingers to starting warming up. The trail was mostly smooth with gentle inclines except for a few sections with loose rocks. The day started with a 550 ft descent and 750 ft ascent up to Mt. Cammerer followed by a long 2000 ft descent into Davenport Gap. I stopped in the Standing Indian Hostel for resupply and lunch then climbed the 2700 ft to Snowbird Mountain summit. I am stealth camping 0.4 mi down the trail. Bamboo Bob and On Track (?) arrived later and are camping here too. I expect it to be cold again tonight so I have my water inside the tent with me so it won¢t freeze. It is 8:20 pm, 35 °F in the tent already, getting dark, and well past hiker midnight.
Date: 2012-04-12
From: Stealth camp past Snowbird Mountain

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: clear sky

Day #25. Up at 6:50 am; start at 8:05 am.   Ascent: 3730. Descent: 3530. Duration 8:42 including 20 min for Trail Magic lunch.   Today was wild flower day - carpets of May apples in the morning and trillium in the afternoon. Today was also a great Trail Magic day thanks to Skippy (AT 2010) and Lish. As expected, last night was cold and my tent was 29 °F this morning. One of my water bottles had ice crystals in it and the top was frozen. The other was fine because it was standing upright. I got up at 6:50 am and was on the trail at 8:05 am. The ground was frozen and I was bundled up to stay warm. It gradually warmed and the trail softened and was smooth all day long. The inclines were low to moderate and the hiking was fast (for me). For several hours this morning the forest floor was a carpet of May apple plants, and for about 3 h this afternoon the floor was carpeted with trilliums in bloom ¢ white, dark red, yellow, pink and painted. In addition there were numerous other wild flowers mixed into the carpet: 5 kings violets, foam flower, star chickweed, rue anemone, jack-in-the-pulpit, wild delphinium, flowering sedum, magnolia, silver bells, Dutchman britches, trout lily, toothwort, and one I can¢t remember. The highlight of the day was the Trail Magic lunch provided by Skippy and Lish who are leaving to hike the PCT in several weeks. Skippy knew me from the 2010 hike. Thanks to you both! It is 7:50 pm and getting cold again. Time to quit and crawl all the way into my sleeping bag.
Date: 2012-04-13
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Day #26. Up at 7:00 am; start at 8:10 am.   Ascent: 2150. Descent: 5050. Duration 8:42 including 45 min for lunch. Today I pushed and made it to Hot Springs. Last night was clear and chilly with a slight wind. I got up at 7 am in the 38 °F tent ¢ warmer than yesterday but still very cold. By 8:10 am I was hiking in my warmest gear. The 1000 ft incline helped me to warm up, and this was followed by a 2000 ft decline into Gavenflo Gap, a bunch of small ups and downs, and a 1000 ft downhill into Hot Springs where I arrived at 3:30 pm. The trail was smooth and easy today for which I am thankful. I am staying in the Iron Horse Station Inn on Main St in Hot Springs. It is nicely restored old train station turned into an inn and restaurant. The freight trains still pass within 50 ft of the building ¢ I expect to hear them tonight. Lab Rat from 2010 is going to visit me tomorrow, a visit I am looking forward to. It is almost 10 pm and way, way past hiker midnight ¢ time to get some sleep in a warm bed.
Date: 2012-04-14
From: Hot Springs

To: Stealth camp past Rich Mountain
Miles today: 8.0

Day #27. Up at 7:00 am; start at 2:10 pm.   Ascent: 2950. Descent: 830. Duration 4:30. Today Lab Rat, who I hiked with in 2010, came to Hot Springs to visit me. It was great to see him again. It was nice to sleep in a real bed for a change last night. I left for breakfast at 8:45 am at the Smoky Mountain Diner. I had my hiking poles checked at the outfitter and mailed my journal entries and photo card to my faithful Transcriber. At 10:30 am Lab Rat (a loyal hiking buddy from my 2010 AT hike) arrived and we chatted about all our good AT times and what he is doing now. Lab Rat, thanks for driving 4 h to come and visit - it was most enjoyable. I started hiking at 2:10 pm up the 1000 ft climb out of Hot Springs with 4.5 days of food and a pack weight of 25.56 lbs. I have lost 10 lbs over the first four weeks of the hike so I am trying to eat more. The Trail was smooth and led to another climb of 1200 ft up Rick Mountain. I am stealth camping 0.2 miles north of the summit along with Watermelon, Radio, Hungers, Pace and DreamTime. It is 9:15 pm and the wind is blowing but I am camped on the lee side of the mountain. The temperature is a comfortable 59 °F. Time to quit.
Date: 2012-04-15
From: Stealth camp past Rich Mountain

To: Jones Meadow
Miles today: 13.4

Day #28. Up at 7:00 am; start at 8:10 am.   Ascent: 4090. Descent: 3240. Duration 8:45 including 45 min lunch. Today I completed the first 4 weeks of my 2012 AT hike. It was cool last night but not cold. I started hiking in shorts, a T-shirt, long shirt and rain jacket. My hands were not cold. The hike started with a 700 ft down and a 600 ft down bumping around, then 1000 ft down to Allen Gap where I had a leisurely lunch. A 2500 ft climb led to Camp Creek Bald and a 300 ft down to where I am stealth camping. The trails were mostly good today. Others are now camped here including Tower, Pace, Watermelon, Hungers, Briquette, and a woman with a dog who just rolled in. They are sitting around the fire now, talking. It is 8:25 pm and approaching hiker midnight.
Date: 2012-04-16
From: Jones Meadow

To: Cascade Brook
Miles today: 14.5

Day #29. Up at 7:00 am; start at 8:05 am.   Ascent: 2310. Descent: 3410. Duration 8:20 including 25 min lunch. Today I completed the first 300 miles of the AT. Today was also a day of "R and R" (rocks and roots). Last night was warm with a high dew point ¢ there was condensation everywhere, including a little on the inside of the tent that I wiped off with my kerchief.  I started hiking at 8:05 am in shorts and a T-shirt in 60 °F temperatures. The Trail started out smooth with a small incline but degenerated quickly into rocks and roots, but mostly rocks.  There were loose rocks, broken rocks, embedded rocks, a rock jumble and a 2-hand climb over Big Finescald Knob that was especially tedious.  I ended up camping beside a cascade brook after getting water for dinner and the evening.  It is nice to hear the brook in the background.  There is a 64% probability of rain predicted for tonight.  There were a few sprinkles during dinner but it didn¢t amount to much.  I am in the tent now writing this because the black flies were bad outside.  It is 8:30 pm and close to hiker midnight.  Time to quit this journal.
Date: 2012-04-17
From: Cascade Brook

To: Bald Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.0

Day #30. Up at 7:00 am; start at 8:00 am.   Ascent: 5020. Descent: 3230. Duration 9:55 including 1 h lunch. Today was a day of wildflowers and rain. It did not rain last night.  I packed up my dry tent and was hiking by 8 am.  The trails were good all day long but there were lots of ups and downs.  Some hikers were calling them PIDS (pointless ups and downs).  Today I saw patches of blue delphiniums, star chickweed, hillsides of white trillium and still some patches of spring beauties.  I went over the 5500 ft Buick Mountain and could not find a suitable camping spot so I ended up in the Bald Mountain Shelter.  It is just as well since it started raining shortly after I arrived.  The shelter is full with 10 hikers.  It is 8 pm, getting dark, and some hikers are already snoring ¢ it comes with the territory.
Date: 2012-04-18
From: Bald Mountain Shelter

To: Erwin
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: moderate rain

Day #31. Up at 7:00 am; start at 8:00 am.   Ascent: 2470. Descent: 5690. Duration 8:13. Last night it rained hard, very hard. I was glad to be in a shelter. I started hiking in 50 °F temperatures wearing my rain gear.  It showered off and on until 1:30 pm when I stopped for lunch at No Business Knob Shelter.  At that point I decided to hike on into Erwin, made reservations at the Holiday Inn, and completed the 6.9 mi to get there.  It did not rain again.  The Trail down the 1200 ft from the shelter was lined with white azaleas in full bloom ¢ a beautiful sight.  The Trail today was mostly smooth, easy and fast although I have to be careful with my knees on the down hills.  Highlander¢s homemade fleece knee warmers are helping.  Thanks Highlander.  After I hiked the 1.1 mi off the Trail to the hotel, I found that Miss Janet (of AT fame) was running a hiker shuttle.  I called her and she picked me up and took me to a Mexican restaurant along with a number of other hikers including Ratman, Tumbler, Utah, Sherpa, Corona Sam, Firecracker, Don¢t Wait, and Dreamtime.  It was much appreciated since Erwin is so spread out and no restaurants are near the hotel.  Thank you Miss Janet.