morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-03-28
From: Sassafras Gap Campsite

To: Dicks Creek Gap - Hiawassee
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 6: We are in Hiawassee! As the first light of dawn begins to brighten the inside of our tent, we crawl out of our sleeping bags and begin our morning routine to prepare for the days hike. It is a short one today, only 6.3 miles down to Dicks Creek Gap, where we plan to catch the free 11:15 shuttle to Ron Haven's Budget Inn in Hiawassee. After a quick breakfast, we are on the trail by 8:10. The day has a different feel to it than the past few days which have been cool, dry, and cloud free. Today, there is a distinct feeling of humidity in the air and the unlimited views that we enjoyed during the past few days have been replaced by a thickening haze. We climb about a thousand feet up and over Kelly Knob, and as we descend toward the gap, we can now see the larger mountains of North Carolina that we will begin to ascend the day after tomorrow. As we near the gap, we see a guy running up the trail towards us. When he gets close to us, he asks us if we know anything about when the shuttle will show up at the gap trailhead. We give him the information and we all hike back down to the gap together. His name is Travis, now called Nitro, and he tells us that his wife had contacted us some time ago about our dehydrated dinners. As the three of us arrive at the gap at about 10:15, the van is already waiting there and loading up a bunch of other hikers. We are the last two to squeeze into the van as Shuttles, our van driver, takes us all into Hiawassee. In the van, we meet Button, Ultraviolet, Bunny, Brett, and once again Jay. We have seen Jay every day since we were at the Hikers Hostel. Everyone in the van is sky high with excitement about the prospect of being in town, where there is an abundance of food, showers, soft beds, and plenty of time to just relax and recoup. SilverGirl and I check into our room, shower, and then go to thr Dairy Queen for lunch. Town food sure tastes delicious after several days of trail food. Going back to our room after lunch, we see that FireWalker, Brett, Juice, and Cheese Whiz are in the room next door. I ask Cheese Whiz how he got his name, and he tells us that a can of Cheese Whiz exploded in his pack yesterday covering everything in Cheese Whiz. We do our laundry, walk to the post office to pick up our mail drop, and then relax for awhile. For dinner, we walk over to Daniels Steak House for their all you can eat dinner buffet - mmmmm! Tomorrow, we will spend another day here in town to rest up for the next leg of our adventure, which will take us to Franklin, NC. Still feeling geat and having the time of our lives!
Date: 2012-03-29
From: Dicks Creek Gap - Hiawassee

To: Dicks Creek Gap - Hiawassee
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 7:LongStride and I have had a restful zero day at the Budget Inn. We had a great breakfast at the Southside Cafe. We were very hungry by the time we got there. We went to the library to catch up on uploading pictures, entries, and checking email. Everyone is very friendly and helpful here. Hiawassee is a beautiful town. We were hoping to get to the theater to see Hunger Games but didn't want to get a taxi or hitch. Oh well, maybe in Franklin.We felt a little conflicted about zeroing today. It was difficult to see some of the wonderful hikers we have met leave here this morning not knowing if we'll see them again. But the rest was well deserved and probably a good descision. Our next descision will be where to go for dinner...Hmmmm.
Date: 2012-03-30
From: Dicks Creek Gap - Hiawassee

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: broken clouds

Day 8:After our zero day yesterday in Hiawassee, we are ready to get back on the trail. SilverGirl and I walk over to the South Side Cafe at 7:30 for a delicious breakfast consisting of three egg omlets, toast, and hash browns. At 9:00, Shuttles loads us up in his van along with all the other hikers who are returning to the trail today. By 9:30, we are back on the trail heading north under partly cloudy skies, with the temperature in the 70s. The air is humid today and as we walk, we notice the clouds gradually building to our west. The forecast calls for showers later today. Most of todays hiking is primarily uphill as we ascend into the higher elevations in southern North Carolina. Just afer noon, we reach our first major milestone by crossing the border from Georgia into North Carolina - mile 78.5. Shortly after, we reach the famous twisted oak tree at Bly Gap, where we stop for lunch. Sharon (now called Cackles) is also here along with Squach. Just as we finish our lunch, we hear thunder and it starts to sprinkle. Quickly, we don our rain coats and cover our packs before resuming our walk. After another couple of hours of uphill walking we arrive at our destination for the day - Muskrat Creek Shelter.  Snickers, Ivy, and a couple of other hikers are already here when we arrive. Before long, many others arrive. The shelter will be full tonight. SilverGirl and I decide to set up our tent despite the on and off rain. We will sleep much better in our tent away from the noise that typifies a full shelter. After setting up our tent, I heat up some soup for us. Hiking in the cool rain has chilled us, but the hot soup warms us back up. After, dinner, a few of the hikers walk over to a site near the shelter where an airplane crashed a number of years ago. The wreakage from that crash still remains. Tomorrow, it's up and over 5500 ft Standing Indian Mt. One state down; thirteen to go!
Date: 2012-03-31
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 9:After a night long dose of steady rain, we wake up at about 6:30. The rain has stopped, but the trees are still dripping, so we linger in our tent for another hour. Packing up during and after a rain storm is a bit more work than when everything is nice and dry, but we are able to get everything together and start hiking by 9:30. Shortly after we start walking, we catch up to Spiller at the junction of the Chunky Gal Trail. What a name, right? Of course I have to jokingly get SilverGirls picture next to the sign. Moving on, we hike with Spiller for awhile. She is a very nice girl and we enjoy her company. On April 30th, she will be getting off the trail because she got a job as a trail crew leader in Maine for the summer. We hope we'll see her again when we reach Maine. By 11:00, we descend into Deep Gap and see a white van with tables set up outside. It's trail magic! A couple of thru-hikers from last year, Freight Train and Plan B have all kinds of food set up to give away to thru-hikers coming by. Silver Girl and I enjoy hot dogs, bananas, chocolate chip cookies, and sodas. The climb up Standing Indian Mt is relatively easy for a 5500 ft mountain. The food we have just eaten gives us some extra energy. As we descend the back side of Standing Indian, the hiking becomes very enjoyable. We walk through many long tunnels of rhododendrun as we sing songs together. The miles just seem to fly by, and before we know it, we arrive at the Carter Gap Shelter, our destination for today. The weather is nice and there are several other hikers tenting next to us. We're having a great time meeting all of the other hikers along the way and we are all starting to know eachother. Everyone is so nice. Tomorrow, it's up and over Albert Mt, where we will reach our first 100 mile mark. Can't believe we've come this far already. The days are flying by.
Date: 2012-04-01
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap - Franklin, NC
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: clear sky

Day 10:We wake to a cool but clear morning at Carter Gap Shelter. Today, we plan to hike up and over Albert Mt and down to Rock Gap Shelter. We are on the trail by about 8:30 and soon pass Voltron and Wobbles. About a half hour later, we catch up to Spiller at a beautifu overlook. She takes a nice picture of us with the seemingly endless ranges of the Nantahala Wilderness behind us. By 11:30, we reach the summit of Albert Mt. This spot is about where we pass the 100 mile mark of our thru-hike. Hard to believe we have come this far already. What a blast we are having and we are feeling really good. Coming down off of Albert Mt, we meet a new thru-hiking couple from Maine, Pipi and Bojangles. The walking towards Rock Gap Shelter is pretty easy, with long stretches of beautiful rhododendun tunnels. Sometimes, it's like walking through a long cave with the ceiling and walls made of rhododendrun bushes instead of rock. You need to see this in person to truly appreciate its beauty. At 2:30, we pull into Rock Gap Shelter, but decide to push on the extra 3.7 miles to Franklin. We reach Winding Stair Gap just before 4:00, and after hitchhiking for about 5 minutes, we catch a ride all way to the Sapphire Inn in Franklin, where we will stay and rest for 2 nights. After settling into our room we walk over to the Laundromat, make some dinner, and then go over to McDonalds for some dessert. A wonderful day.
Date: 2012-04-02
From: Winding Stair Gap - Franklin, NC

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 11:Spending today and tonight in Franklin for some R&R. Feels good! This morning for breakfast, we are picked up at 7:15 at the hotel by a guy from a local Baptist church. He drives us over to their church, where the church patrons are putting on an all you can eat pancake breakfast for hikers at no charge. Apparently they do this every year for 3 weeks during the spring. We have our fill of delicious pancakes, bacon, coffee cake, and juice and then we're driven back to our hotel. The people here are so friendly and hospitable. After breakfast, SilverGirl and I walk over to the outfitter in town where I pick up a small stuff sack. We then stop in at the grocery store to pick up enough food to get us to the Nantahala Outdoor Center. Right now, we are just relaxing in our room. We're thinking of trying to find a way to get over to the Ruby Theatre to see The Hunger Games, but it is a few miles out of town. We'll see if we can get a ride somehow later.
Date: 2012-04-03
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Stealth Campsite North of Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: light rain

Day 12: We sleep quite well last night on our soft bed inside the Sapphire Inn. Visiting the towns after several days on the trail is always nice but we seem to quickly grow tired of them and look forward to getting back on the trail. There really isn't much going on in the towns besides filling our stomachs with as much food as we can cram into them. It seems that we are now feeling the opposite of how we thought we would feel about visiting towns before we started the trail - instead of relishing our time in the comforts of hotels and restaurants like we expected we would, we instead think about the trail and the people we've met - where do you think so and so is today; what will the weather be like during the next few days; what new and exciting sights and experiences will each new day bring to us on the trail? It seems that we have made the transition from "civilized life" to the simple, yet rewarding life of walking the trail. We are very content to be here in the woods.  At 7:00 this morning, we rise and begin packing up for our shuttle back up from Franklin to Winding Stair Gap. Ron Haven, the owner of the hotel, picks us up along with a few other hikers - Peach, Sparky, and Passionflower. We are back on the trail by about 9:40. The day starts off sunny and warm, with the temperature in the low 70s. There is also a high level of humidity in the air, a harbinger of possible afternoon thunderstorms. Reaching the grassy side of Siler Bald at 11:00, we push on towards Wayah Bald. Shortly after noon we pass Sharon (Cackler) as rhe sound of distant thunder begins to roll through the valleys below. The thunder and lightning continues to move closer as we make the long, circuitous climb up Wayah Bald. Just as we reach the top, with its sheltered stone tower, the thunderstorm is passing over us. From under the roof of the stone towers observation deck, we watch as lightning flashes into the valley below. Looking northwest, we can now see Clingmans Dome in the Smoky Mountains, where we will be in about one week from now. After having lunch here with a few of our fellow thru-hikers, we move on. The rain has stopped for now, and we make an easy descent off of Wayah Bald. Just before 3:00, we come upon a campsite just off the trail, so we decide to set up here for the night. We are alone tonight. A few more waves of thunderstorms roll through, but we are warm and dry in our tent. Life is good out here. We think we will stay awhile!
Date: 2012-04-04
From: Stealth Campsite North of Wayah Bald Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 13: After several rounds of thunderstorms last night, the skies finally clear. We crawl out of our tent at about 7:15, take care of our morning chores, and are on the trail by 8:50. As we approach Burningtown Gap at 10:00, we are again greeted with trail magic. "Grits", who thru-hiked in 2009, has a tent set up and is cooking pancakes for hikers as they come by. We stop for a few moments to grab a Coke, and continue on our way. We don't want to linger too much today because we expect it to rain again this afternoon, so the sooner we can cover our planned 10 miles today, the better. By 11:15, we reach the side trail to the summit of Rocky Bald. We go up for the view and see Snickers, Ivy, and Greg up there as well. Not wanting to get caught in the rain at lunchtime like we were yesterday, we stop here for an early lunch. As we eat, we look out over the distant peaks that are poking up through low cloud cover that has covered the valley floors all day. Coming off of Rocky Bald, we descend into Tellico Gap and then make the ascent up Wesser Bald. At the top of Wesser Bald, there is a fire tower with a nice observation deck on top. The views from here are indescribable. In the distance, we can again see the Smokies, as they loom ever closer. All around us are incredible views. Camera pictures do not come close to capturing the beauty that we see with our own two eyes. By 1:30, we reach our destination for the day - Wesser Bald Shelter. Once again, we forego staying in the shelter in favor of our tent. No sooner do we get our tent set up, when it starts to rain. Thankfully though, it doesn't last. As we cook an early dinner, Cackles and Squach stop in for a break before moving on to the next shelter. We would also like to move on, but if we do, we will arrive at Fontana Dam on Saturday and will then have to wait until Monday morning before we can pick up our maildrop at the post office. So...we are doing a couple of days of easy miles so we can get to Fontana Dam on Sunday instead. Our campsite tonight is quite crowded with tenters. We got here early and were able to get a good site, but many others are having a hard time finding level spots. Tomorrow, we plan to break camp early and hike the 6 miles downhill to the NOC, where we will stay tomorrow night. One of my hiking poles won't lock properly, so I'll see if I can get it repaired at the outfitter store there. Also, and most importantly, we will also indulge ourselves with big juicy cheeseburgers, fries, and maybe even a beer at the restaurant there. Mr. Breeze just walked into camp...we haven't seen him since Hawk Mt Shelter on day 2. Good to see him again!
Date: 2012-04-05
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 5.9
Weather: light rain

Day 14: We are at the Nantahala Outdoor Center, 137.3 miles into our journey. Hoping to get to the NOC eary this morning, we begin packing up at 6:30  this morning. By7:30, we are on the trail. Todays plan is to hike the 5.9 miles down to the NOC, where we hope to get a bunk for the night. The view down towards the NOC in the early morning light is incredible. All of the taller peaks poke up through a blanket of clouds that cover the surrounding valleys. By 10:00, we reach the NOC, only to be informed that there are no bunk spaces available. As we talk with some of the other thru-hikers there who are in the same predicament, we are told that there are some free campsites along the rivers edge about a quarter mile from the NOC. We walk over, pick out a nice level spot, and set up for the night. After setting up camp, we shower, visit the outfitter store where I have my trekking pole repaired at no charge, and buy 10 oz of denatured alcohol for my cook stove. Then comes the best time of the day - food. We stop in at tue Rivers End Restaurant, where I order the Hungry Hiker Burger (1 lb burger), chips, and soda. SilverGirl orders the 1/2 lb burger with a side salad and chocolate milk. 15 minutes after we finish our meals, we realize that we are already hungry again. Burning about 6000  calories per day, our appetites are in overdrive now. Following lunch, we purchase some groceries for the next few days of hiking and then head back to our tent where we resr for awhile. SilverGirl is feeling a bit of pain in her left shin, so the shorter day today is a good thing. Tomorrow, we head up and over Cheoah Bald on our way to Fontana Village at the base of the Smoky Mts. Still having a blast out here.
Date: 2012-04-06
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Locust Cove Gap Campsite
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 15: After a verybenjoyable dinner at the Rivers End Restaurant last night with Mr Breeze, Turtle & Snail, Sparky, and PassionFlower, we settle into our tent at about 8:30. Once again, it starts to rain and it continues on and off through the night. It's like we have been in Camelot for the past few days, where it only seems to rain during the night. By morning, the rain has stopped. We linger in our sleeping bags until about 8:00, before going over to the restaurant for a 3 egg ham and cheese omelet and French toast. By 10:00, we are on the trail. Todays hike is a strenuous one, with 8.1 miles of continuous climbing up to Cheoah Bald. We stop at the Sassafras Gap Shelter for lunch before grinding out the final couple of miles to the summit. The climb is well worth it. The top of Cheoah Bald has a grassy surface with open views all around. It is simply amazing, and pictures don't capture the true magnificence of the views. We can see The Smokies front and center now along with Fontana Lake. We will be there the day after tomorrow. The hike down to Locust Cove Gap, our campsite for the night is very pleasant. A cooler and drier air mass has settled over us and it makes for extemely enjoyable hiking. We arrive at the campsite at 3:30. Nobody else is here yet. I get water for the night, set up the tent, and make dinner. After a couple of hours, ZigZag & WingWing, Turtle & Snail, Sparky, and PassionFlower also arrive. The campsite is pretty full now. Tomorrow, our plan is to hike until we find a spot just short of Fontana Dam so that we will have a short hike into Fontana Village on Sunday. Monday morning, we will pick up our next mail drop at the post office, and then it's up into the Smokies.
Date: 2012-04-07
From: Locust Cove Gap Campsite

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 16: After a lovely, rain-free, but cool night, we rise at about 7:00. It is a cool morning and we both wear our cold weather jackets and pants while we make breakfast. After some oatmeal, tea, and breakfast bars, we pack up the tent and are on the trail before 9:00. Today's destination is Cable Gap Shelter, 11.6 miles up the trail. The morning is cloudless, and the visibility is endless. The humidity that spawned all of the thundershowers over the past few days is gone. As we descend ino Stecoah Gap, we meet Backtrack, Black Top, and Train coming the other way. They are slackpacking the 13+ miles southbound today and will spend the night in a cabin at the NOC? Life is tough out here! At Stecoah Gap, we run into Kellen from Oklahoma. We also grab a soda from a stack of sodas that have been left here for the thru-hikers. The Twisted Sisters (Psycho & Path) are also here and we enjoy a few minutes talking with them. Coming up and out of Stecoah Gap, the trail becomes very steep for awhile, but we make it to the crest just as we're ready to stop for lunch. During lunch, we enjoy panoramic views of the Smokies, Nantahala Lake, and all of the other surrounding mountains. Descending the heights after lunch, SilverGirl begins to notice that her shins are hurting again. She stops to take a couple of Ibuprofin and we continue on. At 2:00, we reach Cable Gap Shelter. We are the first to arrive and have our choice of campsites before many others arrive later. SilverGirls shins are still hurting so she's laying down to rest them. It's good that we only have about 5.5 miles to cover tomorrow. She needs to rest a bit. Camping with us tonight are Sparky, PassionFlower, Turtle, Snail, Kellen, and a number of others whom we haven't met before today. We will be glad when we get further north, when the crowds at the shelters and campsites are no longer. On to Fontana Village and a night in the Fontana Lodge tomorrow!
Date: 2012-04-08
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Rt 28, Fontana Village
Miles today: 5.4

Day 17:A badly needed short day today. We rise to another beautiful morning at about 7:00. Both of SilverGirls shins are still hurting. We have 5.4 miles to hike today. Our destination is Rt 28, where we plan to hitchhike into Fontana Village where we have booked a room for the night at the Fontana Lodge. The hike this morning is quite painful for SilverGirl. If you have ever had shin splints, you know what I'm talking about. The pain brought tears to her eyes at times. We pick our way down the trail, and finally reach Rt 28 at about 11:00. SilverGirl deserves a lot of credit for toughing out this mornings hike. She is a real trooper. As we stand on the side of Rt 28, we realize that very few cars are heading towards the village. We reluctantly decide to start walking the 3 miles after several cars pass us by. Finally, a car stops. The man who picks us up has another passenger in the front seat and a young girl in her car seat in the back. His car is also full of misc stuff, but he gets out of his car to rearrange everything just to make room for us. Thank God for people like him. We learn that he is also a hiker and is on his way to Fontana Village to drop off a resupply package for his son. He drops us off in front of the Fontana Lodge, where we check into our room. This place is beautiful, with all kinds of recreational facilities, restaurants, a general store, post office, ice cream store, and great views of the Smokies. After showering, we walk over to the all you can eat brunch buffet here. Oh my God...this is a thru-hikers dream buffet - roast beef, turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, shrimp, macaroni and cheese, salad, buns, and several varieties of cakes for dessert. In true thru-hiker fashion, we gorge ourselves. What a treat! After brunch, SilverGirl rests, while I walk over to the Laundromat. Sparky, PassionFlower, Snail, and Turtle show up a little later. They are also staying here for the night. Later in the afternoon, we decide that it will be best to book another night here so SilverGirls shins get a good rest. She needs it and deserves it. For dinner, we walk over to the Wildwood Grill and order sandwiches and fries. After dinner, we call our son, Patrick, and learn that he is now engaged. Congratulations, Pat!!!!!!!! Tomorrow will be a rest day, and we hope to God that SilverGirls shin splints will get better.