morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-03-16
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

We woke up too soon in the motel. The electric lights outside were annoying because we thought it was morning a few times before it was. We ate and caught the 9am shuttle back to the trail. once walking we stopped three times within the first 2 miles because Sweet over bolused for breakfast and forgot to reduce basals back to hiking, not town, levels. We pushed lunch off a little too long. I demanded food while filtering water about 2:00. After lunch we started the the longest up climb we've had yet. It was nearly four miles of consistent up. We finally made it to the top of Wayah Bald about 4:15 then rested while playing on and around its beautiful, stone, fire tower.We descended to the Wayah Bald Shelter to make dinner. After eating and a bit of story telling, we set off to make a few more miles. Down the trail about half a mile though, we started feeling rain drops. We found a site quickly & set up camp. Stopped too early, but it happens.
Date: 2012-03-17
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: A. Rufus Morgan Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Luck o'the Irish:We woke and breakfast as normal. The rain came and went through the night, and we were ready to start the day. We stopped to filter water just before Burningtown Gap, as well as treat a low. When we walked out into the gap though, It seemed we walked into a party.There was a group from the Burningtown Baptist Church set up. They offered us bisquits & gravy, eggs, juice, fresh fruit, and all sorts of treats. The best however, was the corned beef and cabbage with boiled redskins and soda bread. The food mixed with the great company of all ages was a real treat! Sadly, we left the group to tend to other hikers coming in and and headed out of the gap, which always means climbing uphill. It started raining , but only lasted about an hour. Due to our early lunch, we had the energy to make it to Wesser Bald sooner than expected, & kept walking past the shelter. It became our longest day yet, setting up at A. Rufus Morgan near dusk.
Date: 2012-03-18
From: Rufus E Morgan Shelter

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: clear sky

The NOC:There were several little rain showers last night. When we packed up this morning it was with empty stomachs & a wet tent. We only had 0.8 miles to get to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, and had breakfast there. After breakfast we made a very short and too expensive trip into the general store and looked around the outfitter. Then we decided to wait around until we could try the local microbrews at noon. We killed the time until lunch by drying our tent and making a few calls. Lunch ended up being pizza, and then moved out, realizing we could spend a lot of cash quickly if we stayed longer. The hike leaving NOC was UP. It started gradual, and took a couple sharp climbs, but up was the only direction we took until the last 0.2 mile. The miles today hurt worse than yesterday, even if it was less than half the distance. It took us awhile to find a site to set up. Not a lot of flat near this shelter, but water was close.
Date: 2012-03-19
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Brown Fork Gap
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: scattered clouds

High Day:We had a rough day. Planned on 12-15 miles and lucky to have hiked 9. Have you ever had a day that you just can't get your BGL below 200? Sweet woke up high after correcting at 2:30 this morning. Correction. We walked up Cheoah Bald (1.2 miles, mostly up hill) and she was higher. Checked site and it was bad. Changed, corrected.Stopped early for lunch, about an hour later. Still a little high but active insulin should work it out. Grumpy and lethargic to Stecoah Gap, where she was 330. Changed site again, corrected, wait. Went down then hovered around 280 for an hour and back up to 300 at 4:00. Decided to correct with a syringe. At 5:00, half way up another hill she was 43. Ate a correction this time, 52g carb. We made camp on this trying day, on a visit to the privy, she pulled out the site that was finally working. One more site change... We'll see how this goes tomorrow. Should be getting into Fontana Dam tomorrow, even if its late.
Date: 2012-03-20
From: Brown Fork Gap

To: Fontana Hilton
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: few clouds

Racing Thunder:We left Jim at the campsite and started our way to Fontana Dam. With adequate blood sugars, the miles went much easier today. We made it to Cable Gap Shelter for lunch, and pushed up the worst up hill today with tuna in our bellies... maybe not the best idea as temps were in the 80s today. After a few more miles we saw the Little Tennessee and Fontana Dam in the distance. As we got closer, though, the thunder started heralding. We descended quickly Hoping to beat the storm and make it into Fontana Village before the store closed at 5. We made it down to the marina at 3:20. We resupplied at the store & walked to the Pitstop to get pizza for dinner. We caught a shuttle back to the shelter with Diva. It started raining as soon as we arrived, so we ate on benches in front of the shelter and watched the rain. As the weather cleared we set up our tent & filled in our GSMNP Backcountry permit. The next few days will be the most challenging, so far.
Date: 2012-03-21
From: Fontana Hilton

To: Molly's Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

She smells like beef & cheese:Last night I realized we skipped 1.1 mile of trail from our shuttles into Fontana Village. First thing this morning we walked southbound on the trail to make it up, then road walked back to the tent. After packing up we stopped by the bath house to freshen ourselves one last time before entering GSMNP (Great Smokey Mountain National Park)... the land of cat holes. We stopped and checked out the Dam. Shortly after, crossed the official southern boundary of the park. Lunch was had at Rock Throne. Where for the first time we had bagels, beef, cheese & PB instead of tuna wraps.Later we found ourselves walking in a field of tiny flowers that made it look like fresh snow, excusing the 80F temp. Staying in Molly's Ridge Shelter tonight. A lot of people are here, but the banjo player has everyone's attention. For carrying it as well as the wonderful music he entertained with. A great first day in the Smokeys.
Date: 2012-03-22
From: Molly's Ridge Shelter

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

Altitude: The Morning sounded like waking up at the beach. The wind made a crashing sound like waves hitting the beach. Before lunch today we walked over Rocky Top. Just after lunch we topped Thunderhead (5527 ft). We walked through more pretty fields of flowers. The sky dropped a few drops of afternoon shower. It seemed we walked more than 12 miles though. They say you start to feel the altitude at or around a mile up. We must be feeling it. We should see Clingmans Dome tomorrow. the planned miles are saying 14 for tomorrow. We may be felling a bit beat up by the end of the day, but there are no closer shelters, and wild camping can earn a fine in the Smokeys. The day after next we should be sleeping in a bed and resupplying though. These are beautiful hills!
Date: 2012-03-23
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Clingman's Dome
Miles today: 10.0

Long, Cold Day:We woke this morning to some more rain. It was different rain than we've walked in before. It was cold rain at +5500ft above sea level.We walked for the first few miles and it was ok. When we noticed we were walking in sleet, though, we got disheartened. Lunch was made and eaten in the next available shelter. While there, we looked at the mileage we would have to make to meet our goal. It was too far. The decision was made to pull off at Clingman's Dome, and get a dry night in Cherokee. At the visitors center, some park workers offered us a ride to Cherokee, since it is only a mile from their HQ, so we accepted.We got a room at the Microtel. Resupplied at the Family Dollar and FoodLion. Ate Chinese Buffet for dinner. We have been freshly showered and laundered. Now all we need is a ride back to the park in the morning... and maybe visibility better than the thirty feet we had today.
Date: 2012-03-24
From: Clingman's Dome

To: Mt Collin Shelteer
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: light rain

Clingman's Dome:Waking up in a bed was odd. We both slept well last night, but after resupply and laundry, sleep didn't come until almost midnight. At the continental breakfast we both noticed we were eating more than any member of the collage baseball team at the next table. Maybe this hiker hunger thing is for real. At breakfast I noticed a guest carrying his pack through the lobby, and asked him how he was getting to the trailhead. The front desk clerk offered him a shuttle by an employee. When she returned at 11, we also had a shuttle back to Clingman's Dome. We tipped our driver too much when we got back to the same lot as yesterday, but excitement was abounding because the skys were clear and we had wonderful views atop the tower.We walked only a few miles to Mt Collins Shelter and agreed to stay though it was only 4pm. Tomorow we'll cross Newfound Gap and hope to make up some lost miles. A low miles, but big smiles day was needed.
Date: 2012-03-25
From: Mt Collin Shelteer

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: broken clouds

We saw some more sleet & rain last night. This morning too. The cold and rain Made us stay in our bags longer than we should have. When we left the shelter we were in rain coats and pants. We stayed that way until reaching Newfound Gap. There, we met Godspeed & accepted some fruit and brownies he offered. We walked past Newfound Gap to the first shelter, in more cold and with poor visibility. We stayed, because we'd like to see some more of the views, and maybe some general malaise. One or two nights more in the Smokys.At least we met back up with some of the same crowd we've been hiking around. Its good to see some familiar faces at the shelter tonight.
Date: 2012-03-26
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tricorner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: clear sky

We woke from our second night in a cold shelter, once again safe from the rodent plague because of idiots keeping food near the floor. We were on the trail at 10. Quite late but, we were happy, dry, & warm, with a new weather forecast. The sun came back out today, and it was warm.We lunched at Pecks Corner and passed the last 5 miles walking and talking with another thru hiker about WoW and D&D. The subject annoyed Sweet, but she also found the nerd talk endearing. When we arrived at the shelter it was near full. We unpacked and ate dinner. As we were putting away our stove & pots we were inundated with a BSA troop and more hikers. There were at least 25, so we peaced out and set up our tent. Sleeping in the tent is nice, but annoying since we had already unpacked and ate. The GSMNP really needs to reform their "reservation" system.
Date: 2012-03-27
From: Tricorner Knob Shelter

To: Davenport Gap +1.3mi
Miles today: 17.0

Exodus From Smokys:Our campsite away from the shelter was just fine last night. When morning came though, we had to listen to NOBOs complain about the noise at the shelter. Hmm... We considered that before leaving when we saw the number of people. Ha! The elevation went into the 6000s for the first couple hours but descended into the foothills, bringing change to the forest plants. The Magnolias and flowers came back with force. We found service High on a ridge and placed a request for our first mail drop of medical supplies. Then we descended the rest of the was to Davenport Gap Shelter, where we ate dinner. It was odd because it was the first shelter we've seen with a chain link front. After the shelter we walked 0.9 mile to the border of GSMNP. There we preformed a happy dance and walked on until a campsite near a stream. We are excited to leave the Smokys' regulations. It is a park I would like to visit again in a car, though.
Date: 2012-03-28
From: Davenport Gap +1.3mi

To: Near Brown Gap
Miles today: 11.6

Trillium and Morrels:We enjoyed our camp site last night, even if staying near the stream led to more condensation in our tent. We also tried oatmeal with cold water for breakfast just out of curiosity. Not bad for speed but if we have the fuel to boil, I think we will. Before crossing under I40, we saw a lot of new flowers, including Trillium.The Standing Bear Farm Hostel seemed great. We got in early & resupplied. Then shared a pizza for lunch. The big lunch was probably a bad idea because climbing out of the gap kicked our butts. After finding a few morrels on the climb, our moods improved. (Yes Jake, we finally found some morrels.) Reaching the top of Snowbird Mt was nice.We ate dinner (morrel helper) at Groundhog Creek Shelter & decided to push on to Brown Gap. We didn't like the water or camping there, so continued until we found a nice spot on the mountain, along the trail. We should be getting some nice morning views of Max Patch tomorrow.
Date: 2012-03-29
From: Near Brown Gap

To: Past Big Rock Spring
Miles today: 14.5

Max Patch:We planned on getting up early to watch the on Max Patch. That didn't happen because we were up several times in the night treating low blood sugars. When we arrived at the bald, it was still beautiful & odd.The terrain after Max Patch was gentle for several miles. We ate lunch at Rolling Fork Shelter. After lunch, more gentle miles, but we found a bank covered in Morrels! Ten mins of picking got us more than enough for dinner tonight. A small bonus to living on the trail, I guess.We stopped at Walnut Mt Shelter to get some water & pressed on. The last big up before Hotsprings was next. We stopped part way up Mt Bluff & ate spaghetti with sauteed morrels, wild chives and olive oil happily. On top, We agreed that Bluff it the prettiest summit We've seen so far. We continued down, got some more water at a spring and made a dry camp a little further down the mountain. Dinner tonight was better than the lure of town food tomorrow.
Date: 2012-03-30
From: Past Big Rock Spring

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: broken clouds

Hot Springs:We heard a few familiar voices pass by in the dark hours before morning. They were, apparently, too excited to sleep with the prospect of reaching Hot Springs in the morning. Its a trail town. The trail actualy goes down the sidewalk, along Main St.We, not being as excited, walked into town closer to one o'clock. We got a room at Sunnybank Inn, an Italianate Victorian built in 1875. The Inn is amazing. Our host is superlative. The plumbing is better than I expected. After cleaning up, we walked down the street to the laundry. While our wash was in, we visited the outfitter and explored the other two blocks of town. There were not enough guests signed up for dinner at Sunnybank tonight, so we stepped out and ate at the Smokey Mt Diner. After dinner, we walked the two blocks back downtown to meet up with a few trail friends for evening festivities. Now, at nine-thirty, we are back for sleep and our first zero day tomorrow!
Date: 2012-03-31
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Zero Day:Today was our first zero day. That is, the first day we made 0 miles, no progress north on the trail. A break. Time to heal the sore body... Hiking every day hurts. Hurts your feet, knees, hips, back, shoulders, and more.We resupplied our food bags after a wonderful breakfast made by Elmer. Then went to the library, hardware store and outfitter. Upon returning to Sunnybank, we made a fer modifications and repairs to our gear. The rest of the day was set for leisure. When we walked down to the health spa where the hot springs actually are, we forgot that it was Saturday. Our hopes of hot water faded when the lady at the desk told us their next available pool was after 10pm. We decided to come back in the morning when we were set to leave town, passing the spa on the way. The rest of the day was filled with story telling around the inn and another meal prepared by the inn's staff. That soak... It might require another day...
Date: 2012-04-01
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: near Hurricane Gap
Miles today: 9.5

Aprils Fools:The day began with packing. Instead of packing up our tent, though, we were preparing to leave a room in the beautiful Sunnybank Inn. Breakfast was waffles, granola and fruit. We left the house soon after breakfast, in order to make the walk to our hot spring appointment. Once there, we jumped into our pool of 105 degree mineral-water and enjoyed every second. After drying off, we made our way across the street and ordered a light lunch from the resort's campground grill. Crossing the French Broad river and the walk along side it were beautiful. With full packs and a day off, the climb out of town was not. Eventually, a rain shower, seconds after Sweet mentioned how she wished for one more shower before we left the inn. Nature's April Fools joke. It came hard and fast for nearly an hour, then tapered off. We ate dinner, an effort to warm up after the rain, & walked a while more. We set up camp to a red sunset.
Date: 2012-04-02
From: near Hurricane Gap

To: Big Firescale Knob
Miles today: 14.3

First bit of night hike:Our campsite on the ridge was a little windy. So windy, in fact, that it blew our damp clothes dry and pulled out a few stakes in the night. It is odd to wake up with a tent laying on you because the stakes have pulled out, but easily fixed. It was a short walk to the first shelter so we kept walking past. Down the trail we stopped for water at the Little Paint Creek, a blue blaze. It was worth the time to blue blaze, we got water and five mushrooms.Before we crossed NC208/TN70 we saw a sigh advertising "trail magic" 350 yards down the road. Instead of investigating, we stayed on the trail & had lunch shortly after. The rest of the day was a battle. Sweet ran high, Low was low until stopping for dinner.We pushed on after dinner into the night. As the sun went down, a sign appeared with two options:Exposed Ridgeline Trail & Bad Weather Trail. We took the high road, and the rock scrambles that came with. After an hour of stumbling through the dark on a very exposed ridge line, we found a flat enough spot to camp. Both of us enjoyed the night hiking, but with the terrain we experienced last night after dark... We'll probably wait to night hike again when we know there is less rock involved.
Date: 2012-04-03
From: Big Firescale Knob

To: Near Rector Laurel Rd.
Miles today: 11.7

Discovering Big Butt!:Upon waking, we realized our campsite was nicer than we knew in the dark. A real find past dusk last night. We returned to the rocky ridgeline for only a short while. The trail gave way to smoother ground soon, and we were thankful. Quickly, we saw evidence of a recent prescribed burn. It was odd, but nice to let people see. As we neared where Big Butt should be I was excited. We walked into a picturesque meadow, & I thought that was it. Just after reentering the wood line, though, the Butt was revealed to us. A giant rock, perfectly cleaved in half, resembling a three story tookus. Pictures were taken and the name of Sir Mixalot was invoked before leaving. The rest of the day passed gently until thunder began to threaten again,. We made it to a small flat area before the rain picked up. We intended to just wait out the rain. Then we cooked & made a game of collecting water to filter. Still raining, so, in for the night.
Date: 2012-04-04
From: Near Rector Laurel Rd.

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: scattered clouds

The rain stopped around ten o'clock last night. We , however, delt with dampness all night into the morning. condensation was the worst yet, but it had alot to do with our poor choices. We had no air flow, cooked in the vestibule & was too near a stream. The weather today, was no issue, though.We walked all morning with little motivation. When we reached Hogback Ridge Shelter though, there was a sigh advertizing trail magic from 8:15-2:30 at Sams Gap 2.4 miles away. We would have to hustle, but the sign mentioned hashbrowns & Sweet was into potatoes. We covered the 2.4 in 45 mins & had scrambled eggs and hashbrowns for lunch. After Sams Gap, and crossing I-26 it seemed like the rest of the day was uphill. We ate dinner on Low Gap, and decided to camp there, so we could leave early to see the sun rise on top of Big Bald(2.8 miles away). It is 5516ft and has 360 degree views, for a great sunrise... That is the plan at least.
Date: 2012-04-05
From: Low Gap

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 20.9
Weather: overcast clouds

We got up at 4:30 this morning. Our plan was to watch sunrise on top of Big Bald. We were there but, there was so much fog and mist we never saw the sun rise. Especially sad because today was the first time Sweet let her bear, Spice, ride on the outside. After the first few miles of early morning hiking, we stopped for a second breakfast about 9:00. After finishing, Sweet called the NOC to book us spots on a whitewater trip in Erwin. Her dad read about chances to raft along the AT & insisted we go. The best trip was Saturday and we got two of the last three spots. We continued on to No Business Knob Shelter, for lunch. Just after reaching the shelter, it began to rain. We ate and chatted with others until it stopped, planning to go just a bit more and set up camp. After we left the shelter, It poured on us... Bad enough we walked the rest of the way to town for a dry bed. The Hostel was full so we stayed at the Super 8. Our 1st +20 mile day!
Date: 2012-04-06
From: Erwin, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The rain last night motivated us to keep walking into town for a dry bed. It soaked us well, including Low's phone, which is how we've been writing out journals. It was pulled apart to dry, but more steps are needed to save the phone, including storage in a bag of rice for the next few days. After eating breakfast at the motel, we loaded up our packs and and walked to the post office for out first mail drop. The package was sent general delivery to the Erwin, TN USPS office and contained our first restocking of insulin, test strips, pump supplies, and a few goodies added by Sweets parents to help us celebrate the Easter weekend.After the post office, we walked down the street to do laundry, and resupply. This time, it included veggies from a roadside stand. Then we walked to the most important place in town, The KFC Buffet. We sat in the KFC for nearly three hours eating, quite the stunt, but our bellies were full on protein and fat when we left. Leaving the Buffet was difficult. Not only because we craved more food, but because bellies were so full that strapping on packs with a full resupply (read: as heavy as they get) was uncomfortable. The KFC is on the opposite side of town from the hostel, so it had to be done.After a few miles through the streets of Erwin, a car stopped to offer us a ride. It was Danu, another hiker we've talked with several times, with her mom and sister. They came out to see her for the weekend. We gladly accepted the ride, and were back to Uncle Johnny's Hostel quickly