morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-03-30
From: Hiker Hostel

To: Springer Mountain
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Greetings from Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega, Georgia! We have finally reached our departure point and tomorrow marks our first day of actual hiking. I left Seattle Monday morning and flew to Texas for a stay over with Beth and her sister. Then we flew to Atlanta today. We were late arriving at the hostel due to another group delaying our shuttle, I'd hoped to have a more relaxing stay. Also I found out I brought the wrong camera cable so I cant (currently) download photos. I hope to find a replacement in Hiawasse, or at least be able to upload a few photos from my phone soon.My pack is loaded with water, food, and fuel. After breakfast our shuttle drops us off near Springer Mountain and onwards to our first real campsite. Weather is phenomenal so far. High 60s and sunny, at least through the coming weekend! Cant wait!
Date: 2010-03-31
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain shelter
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: scattered clouds

We were dropped off at the Springer Mountain trailhead this morning by Hiker Hostel. Highly recommend staying here! Josh and Leigh Saint were very nice and helpful. The hostel was very clean, well appointed, and the breakfast Leigh cooked the following morning was excellent!We hiked backwards to the top of Springer and took photos, before heading back down. Weather was great and sunny. We were met by Many-Sleeps as we returned and also met Mountain Squid at the parking area. We also met another hiker, Andrew, coming up from the approach trail.Most of the Hiker Hostel crew stayed together today and most of us stopped at Hawk Mountain shelter for the day despite the low mileage and early arrival. We didn't want to push ourselves on the first day and settle into trail life. The shelter area itself was very full and most slept in their tents. A large group of Boy Scouts from Florida was also here. The privy was overflowing an unusable. In the distance we could hear gunfire and explosions, and were also buzzed by a helicopter at night, likely from the nearby Army base.
Date: 2010-04-01
From: Hawk Mountain shelter

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: clear sky

We left camp around 9 am with the intentions of camping at Gooch Gap today, keeping our initial mileage low. The day started cool but with the full sun and no tree cover we were overheating by noon. I'm a heat wimp and it slowed me down greatly. We passed some of the Hiker Hostel group as we went up and over Sassafrass Mountain. Along the way we saw a few small flowers emerging.Sassafrass was a long climb and we took a break on the far side. We continued on and crossed Justus Creek, stopping here for a snack, water, and to cool off. Many others were also here. After lunch we continued on the mostly flat trail and reached Gooch Mountain shelter. We were here earlier than planned so we decided to continue onwards to Woody Gap.We were all pretty tired and just sick of walking and happy to arrive at Woody Gap for dinner. We were also low on water. Waiting at the gap were Tin Man and Matt, along with some section hikers. As we talked Leigh rolled up in their SUV and offered them a ride somewhere. They'd hoped to stay at Hiker Hostel but it was totally full. They ended up joining us camped across the highway behind the picnic area, partway up the hill. We ate dinner at the picnic area with Charlie, Tin Man, Matt, Andrew, and Law-Dog.
Date: 2010-04-02
From: Woody Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: clear sky

In the morning as we packed up Leigh returned and informed us that Stacy (who had stayed with us at Hiker Hostel) had been taken to the hospital. They assumed it was heat stroke or dehydration from the hot day before and long miles.We packed up and left camp around 9am. Before long we met a woman hiking with a parrot named Freckles in a cage strapped to her pack. It was another very warm, sunny day and it drained me. We had lunch at Woods Hole shelter, which was very nice, but further off trail than we like to go. Back on trail we began the climb up and over Blood Mountain. I soaked myself in a small creek before starting the climb. Going up wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and despite a slow, steady pace we reached the top quickly.The stone shelter on top was nice and the views were excellent. We had a snack here and continued the trip down, following white blazes painted on the rocks. The descent was steeper and much rockier. Beth didn't enjoy it and it was pretty hard on tired knees and feet. Finally we reached the highway and Neels Gap. We booked the last two beds in the bunkhouse but then decided to just sleep outside up the trail in our tent, donating our beds to the next hikers to arrive.We pitched our camp and walked back to Neels to do laundry and take showers. Several of the Hiker Hostel group were here as well: Tin Man, Charlie, Matt, and some new faces too. Miss Janet was cooking dinner tonight for everyone. It was excellent with bread, salad, great pasta. Then retiring to our tent with a nice view, comfortable sleeping bags, and a beautiful girl; heaven.
Date: 2010-04-04
From: Neels Gap

To: Low Gap shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: few clouds

Resupplied, we left Neels Gap after breakfast. Miss Janet had provided cereal, fruit, and donuts for everyone. Thanks! Our packs were heavier than they needed to be since we'd bought too much food. We're new at this, being our first resupply. The selection at Neels was very good with individual tubes of crackers, cookies, and lots of Mountain House and Enertia foods. Not the cheapest resupply though.We made slow time since it was hot out but plugged along steadily. We stopped for water at Hogpen Gap and found it slightly creepy. The water source wasn't so good but our filter took the worst out of it. Mostly, the place felt deserted. The whole time we were filtering, having a snack, and walking within sight of the highway not a single car went through. Not a good vibe. We moved on to Low Gap shelter for the night.
Date: 2010-04-05
From: Low Gap shelter

To: Rocky Mountain
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: broken clouds

Left a little late and enjoyed a nice walk up to Blue Mountain shelter. Great location! From there it was a steep drop down to Unicoi gap. We crossed the highway and continued on while some other hikers hitched into Hiawassee from here. We were low on water and looking for the stream partway up Rocky Mountain as indicated in our guidebook. Partway into the climb we ran across a trickle of water going over the trail. The steam? I didn't think so but Beth didn't want to continue on and have to backtrack to this. I scouted ahead while she pulled out the filter. I found a large creek higher up and came back to tell her, but by then she'd already filled our water tanks.We walked higher and took a break at the creek, cleaning off in the fast running water. Charlie and Evan were here too. Semi-clean, we continued upwards planning to stay on top of Rocky Mountain. We found a great flat spot and pitched our tent. Just relaxing, even after a stressful day, felt great. We played some cards and just enjoyed the day. Later we were joined by a family out for a single night.
Date: 2010-04-06
From: Rocky Mountain

To: Deep Gap shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: clear sky

We rose early due to a natural alarm clock: a huge "widow-maker" tree hanging over our tent, suspended on another tree only by a large knot on the side. I'd noticed this the night before as we were lying there, rain-fly off the tent, and mentioned it to Beth who didn't seem concerned. We both went to sleep.In the morning a slight wind kicked up. The tree creaked about 6 am. We both looked at eachother and were wide awake. We got out of the tent, moved it, and packed up. First time on the trip we were up and hiking before sunrise. We watched the sun come up over Tray Mountain as we hiked.The goal today was to reach Deep Gap shelter, close to the highway were the shuttle would pick us up to reach Hiawassee. Dropping down off Rocky Mountain to Indian Grave Gap we collected water from a culvert. We passed through the old cheese-factory site where our friends had camped and began the trip up Tray Mountain. The shelter on top was a kind of dirty but the view was excellent.We continued on and kept wondering exactly how many miles we'd walked. Landmarks were far between on this stretch. After awhile it was clear we were climbing up Kelly Knob, the final climb of the day. It sucked. It's not a big thing but the grade of the trail is very steep, especially at the end of the day. It was also in the mid 80s and full sun. I was fried and feeling a little dizzy by the time we reached the shelter. Happy to have the pack off and get some rest. I probably wasn't the best company today but Beth put up with me, thanks.We were joined by T-Squared and Stogie, along with some others and the family we met on Rocky Mountain.
Date: 2010-04-07
From: Deep Gap shelter

To: Hiawassee
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Left Deep Gap shelter early to make it down to the highway crossing and catch our shuttle into Hiawassee. On arrival a local in a pickup truck told us to hop in and he'd give us a lift instead of waiting. He said the same to everyone else there. Something didn't seem right, and the shuttle from Hiawassee Inn was already on its way, so we said no. Later on we learned this guy had a running feud with Ron Haven and someone also said this guy would also demand money halfway into the ride or kick you out. We asked him where he'd recommend we eat in Hiawassee and he at least pointed us towards the Mexican place, the only restaurant that serves beer. What was the name, asked him. "I dunno ... somethin' Mexican," he replied.We rode in the shuttle van down to Hiawassee, T-Squared and Stogie stopping by the Blueberry Patch to pick up a package. It was a hot day already as we checked in. Amazingly we found two beers in the hiker box! We snagged them, took them back to the room, and set them on ice. We felt better after showering. The laundry was out of soap so we walked next door to Rite-Aid and picked up a box for hikers to share. Beth also got a skirt and I picked up some boxers to wear while the rest of my clothes were in the wash.We hit the Dairy Queen next door for "appetizers" and then walked down to Ingles Grocery for our resupply. It was a bit daunting to pick up 5 days worth of food, guessing what we'd want or need. Neither of us had done this before. Between Ingles and the Dollar Store we loaded up and bought way too much stuff. We crossed the busy street and had lunch at Monte Alban (spelling?), the Mexican restaurant. The food was pretty good and the beer excellent. $4 bought us a gigantic mug each! We stayed over an hour just to drink the whole thing. The walk back was incredibly hot: 93 degrees and sunny, with bags of groceries.Along the way we stopped at the library to upload some photos. I'd neglected to bring my drivers license, which they need to see for computer access. Beth supplied hers and we split a computer for one hour before returning to the Inn to watch TV and sort our food. We also found a replacement for our broken water filter at a small store in town and Beth mailed home a bunch of stuff, including her rain pants. I made a return trip to Dairy Queen to get some Dilly Bars and we relaxed on the bed, watching a hypnotically awful movie "Phone Booth" before turning in for a great nights sleep.
Date: 2010-04-08
From: Hiawassee

To: Muskrat Creek shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: light rain

We boarded the "short bus" driven by Ron Haven and headed back to Deep Gap to continue our hike. Most of the other hikers on board quickly outpaced us on the uphill. We were struggling in the heat and with our over-heavy resupply, but still having fun. We stopped at Plum Orchard shelter for water, then continued on. After awhile we reached Bly Gap and crossed from Georgia into North Carolina! Our first state is complete! Hooray! We ate lunch here to celebrate, joined by Tin Man.Walking onwards another four miles we reached Muskrat Creek shelter and called it a day. The shelter was full with a group of women so we pitched our tent across a marshy area with Tin Man. There was rain in the forecast for tomorrow.
Date: 2010-04-09
From: Muskrat Creek shelter

To: Carter Gap shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

We left fairly early under gray skies, passing the "Chunky Gal" trail turn off. Not far beyond this we heard distant thunder and the rain started. It was just a light drizzle so we just put on our pack covers and made the rain gear accessible. About ten minutes later the skies opened up! On went all the rain gear. My gear included a Gore-Tex jacket, rain-wrap, and a pair of short gaiters. Beth just had a laminated jacket from REI, having sent her rain pants home in Hiawassee. The rain let up and we took our rain gear off, drying off a little.We made it into Standing Indian shelter for a snack and got more water. Inside were Peach, Doug, and Oh. They had a fire going and we stayed awhile, warming up, before heading up and over Standing Indian Mountain. We reached the top without rain but with no views. As we crossed over and down the far side the skies opened up again. Very heavy rain, wind, and thunder! The trail was getting very slick and covered in standing water. Beth just kept going faster and faster, totally soaked at this point. I was only damp but my boots were getting wet now.No sign of the rain letting up, we stopped to consult the guidebook and pushed on to Carter Gap shelter. We'd hoped to reach Betty Creek but the weather was just too bad. We stopped at the old Carter shelter, only to be told by its soggy occupants to check the new shelter a few minutes up trail. In the new shelter we found about 15 very soggy people, including Tin Man. We ducked inside too, trying to stay dry. Beth put on her driest clothes and we both shivered to stay warm. The rain continued, with occasional thunder.Finally about 5:30 the rain let up and somehow the sun came out! I ran out and pitched the tent. Someone quickly got a fire going and Beth tried to dry out her soaked pants. We all piled our wet boots around the flame to dry them as well. Beth's full leather boots were especially soaked and heavy. Everyone cooked dinner and then retreated to the shelter or their tents as another round of rain came through. Overnight the temperature dropped below freezing and anything left outside was icy. I was a little cold on my Neo-Air pad, despite having a 15-degree bag. Beth was wearing my extra clothes since hers were all soaked and she'd sent her down jacket home. Still, despite the cold and wet, there's nowhere else I'd rather be and nobody else I'd rather be there with.
Date: 2010-04-10
From: Carter Gap shelter

To: Franklin
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: clear sky

In the morning we packed up our soggy stuff and set out. Beths zip-off pants were still soaking so she wore her long johns and the skirt she picked up to wear while doing laundry. Combine this with my black fleece and zip-loc bags over her feet, to protect her socks from the wet boots, and it was a real fashion statement. At least the sun was out today.If only the rain hadn't hit! The trail from here to Betty Creek was flat and easy, and we made great time. We could have had a much longer mileage day. We hadn't planned to go into Franklin, carrying enough food to bypass it, but because we were soaking wet and Beth wanted to replace her leather boots, we decided to stay at another of Ron Haven's motels.The trail up from Betty Creek was very steep and rocky until the top of Albert Mountain, but thankfully short. On top there was a cool fire tower with excellent views. The tower itself is locked but the stairs go pretty high. We took some pictures and moved on to Big Spring Shelter for lunch. It was then a long, flat, easy stretch down to Wallace Gap. We arrived just as the shuttle pulled up to pick up a few other hikers. We were able to climb in as well, riding in the bed of the pickup with a bunch of tools and everyone's packs.We were dropped off at the Budget Inn for the night. We had just enough time for a quick shower before hopping on the town shuttle. Ron first drove everyone to the Post Office (and told some funny stories / jokes along the way). Next stop was Eagle Creek outfitters. I bought a pair of light shorts to wear for laundry, while Beth got a poncho and a Z-Lite sleeping pad, along with some other things. Finally the shuttle took us to the Walmart / Ingles shopping center. We already had plenty of food so didn't resupply. Beth did find a pair of New Balance shoes to replace her leather boots though.Back at the Budget we started our laundry and walked to Cody's Roadhouse for dinner. It was packed and the wait too long so we walked up to a pizza place instead. Full, we returned to gather our laundry. Here we met Limestone, another WA hiker that Beth had been emailing! We said hi, then walked over to Mulligan's where some other hikers were supposedly meeting. Nobody showed, so we walked back to our room for the night.
Date: 2010-04-11
From: Franklin

To: Wayah Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: clear sky

Woke early and walked with Beth to the Post Office to mail her boots home. We then went to Wilson's for breakfast, near the Ingles and Dollar Store. It's pretty hidden off the main road but worth finding. The food was excellent! Bring cash, no cards accepted.After checkout we caught the shuttle back to the trail. Most other hikers still had to resupply and were dropped off at K-Mart along the way. The handful left on the bus continued up towards the mountains. Ron stopped first at Winding Stair to drop two people, then told us we had a chance for a slack pack. A church group was doing trail magic and they let us leave our packs here while Ron drove us back to Wallace Gap. We hiked the 4 miles between in less than an hour!We then hiked out of Winding Stair and up to Silar Bald. It was very pretty on top and the day pleasant. Then we pushed on towards Wayah Shelter. The trail climbed and dropped more than we thought and by the time we reached Wayah Bald lookout tower it was getting late and we were tired. Both of us were getting irritable from hunger and getting on eachothers nerves a little as we finally reached our camp about half an hour from sunset. We snagged the last campsite for our tent, ate a quick dinner, and turned in.
Date: 2010-04-12
From: Wayah Shelter

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

We left fairly early with another long day planned. We wanted to reach Rufus Morgan shelter, just short of the Nantahala Outdoor Center, and stay there the night before to maximize our time at the NOC. Along the way we stopped at Cold Spring shelter for lunch, meeting hiker Cymbal.We headed out first, but Cymbal soon passed us and offered us a soda if he's still at his car down by the road crossing. We reached Telico gap and he supplied drink. They were cold! It could have been any drink, no matter how bad, and it would have been awesome because it was cold!Partway up the slow climb to Wesser Bald we met McLovin, getting some water from the stream. He asked me if I had a bowl, to which I replied "No, but I have a cup." Wrong kind of bowl!We stopped for lunch under the Wesser Bald tower. Two day-hikers showed up and offered us the beer they'd carried because they were "too hungover" to drink it. Works for us! We took them gratefully before continuing on to the next shelter. McLovin had left something behind and we were trying to catch him to return it. We did find him, along with Tin Man, at Wesser Bald shelter.We pushed on towards Morgan, wondering when we'd hit "the jump off" listed in the book. Finally we hit a rocky open ledge where the trail drops steeply, assuming this was it. The trail dropped over several miles down towards the shelter and it seemed to take forever. It was cool to drop from the bare trees on the ridge down into the lush green of the valley, where spring was taking hold. After a lot of walking we reached a stream and found the shelter.It was getting late so we pitched our tent and readied camp. McLovin showed up and tried to convince us to hike into NOC for drinks. We said no, but would give some cash if he'd bring beer back. Surprisingly he agreed! So cash in hand he, Tim, and Moritz hiked into NOC and returned with beer for all! While they were gone Beth started a fire and we sat around in the dark drinking. Nice night with great company.
Date: 2010-04-13
From: Rufus Morgan shelter

To: Wright Gap
Miles today: 2.4

Early in the morning we packed up and hiked the short distance into NOC. First order of business was breakfast at the restaurant overlooking the river. We were seated in the hiker section (read: smelly) away from the other patrons but otherwise service was great. I had the Fontana Hash-Browns which were excellent while Beth had the breakfast burrito. Very good.Next we crossed the bridge and paid for showers and laundry. The shower stalls were clean and the water reasonably warm. All the washers in the mens room were taken so I gave my pile of clothes to Beth and she took them into the womens room to wash. We sat outside on the deck, drying off in the sun and drying our tent. Soon we were joined by Lucy, Kelly, and Moritz, along with hiker "Sticker".Dry and clothes cleaned, we walked back to the NOC outfitter and general store where we resupplied with 2 days worth of food, enough to reach Fontana Dam. Everything done, we picked up some ice cream and beer from the store and joined Tin Man by the river. We relaxed here for awhile before Tin Man took off back to his cabin for the night. Beth and I returned to the restaurant for burgers and then got another beer for the road ... before returning to the river to sit around some more. I sat on the shore, a cold water wimp, while Beth waded into the river. Tin Man and Limestone walked across the bridge, laughing at us and tapping their watches! We had planned to hike today, really, but were just being lazy.Finally we left NOC around 6pm and hiked about 3 miles up to a spring where we made camp. It was very hot, we were a little buzzed from all the beer, and just these few miles were tiring. We camped with Lorod, Long-Shanks, Jibitz, Funky Monkey, and Leonidas. Nice campfire and then we turned in. Low mileage but one of the most fun days on trail so far.
Date: 2010-04-14
From: Wright Gap

To: Cody Gap
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: clear sky

We left fairly early to beat the forecast heat and hiked up and over Cheoah Bald. Views from the top were nice but the bald is fairly overgrown. Further on we stopped at Locust Cove gap for water and lunch. As we moved on my lunch didn't agree with me and I had to find a discreet spot to visit the woods. Nothing could be found so I hiked onward, hoping to find a spot at Stecoah Gap. Not too fun.Beyond the gap, which was a steep rocky drop, we climbed right back up again onto the ridge. Very tiring on such a hot day. We stopped briefly at Brown Fork shelter (and its very exposed privy) before pushing on to Cody Gap. This was our longest, roughest day yet, and both of us were beat when we hit the gap. We setup camp here with Twinkles and hiked downhill to gather water. Later we were joined by LB (Last-On-The-Bus), Grumps, Funky Monkey, and Lorod. Campsites here were pretty much on the trail and the water source wasn't so great. A tough day for both of us but still having a blast.