morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-06-16
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Fram
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

There was a stready 4 mile uphill and then long 6.5 mile descent from CKS out of the GSMNP. Good thing my knees have adjusted! Great water falls approaching I40. We were harassed by a state trooper while trying to cross under I40. Given our exhaustion and irritation I thought there might be a scene but he finally drove on. Tough unexpected uphill right before Standing Bear Farm which took its toll. Checked in where we met Curtis and White Crow. Love this place! They took us on a beer run and we hung out by the cabin listening to Chase Johner, and Melissa King, two bluegrass musicians staying there who played for us. Curtis hooked us up with a Howard Johnson motel reservation in Asheville where we will end our hike.
Date: 2009-06-17
From: Standing Bear Fram

To: Max Patch
Miles today: 13.5

We left Standing Bear Farm after a heavy morning rainstorm with the intention of setting up camp just north of Hawk's Roost campsite. Three challenging uphills were followed by not finding the water source listed on the map. We backtracked trying to find it but had no luck and were basically out of water by late afternoon. We made the decision to continue north and found a reliable stream, not listed on the map, at Max Patch Road. What a relief! We filled up and finished our hike on the summit of Max Patch. A huge storm rolled in and we set our tents up below the patch just before it hit. A second storm hit a few hours later but our tents held up well. Had a great dinner and went to bed early. We will meet Ian from Standing Bear Farm tomorrow morning for a ride in to Asheville to tour the Biltmore and fly back to Texas. This was a great second leg to our A.T. adventure.
Date: 2009-07-28
From: Max Patch

To: Garenflo Campsite
Miles today: 12.5

We are back! For the third time this summer we have returned to the A.T. Shuttled to Max Patch from Asheville HoJo by Bluff Mtn Outfitters out of Hot Springs. We had perfect sunny weather leaving Max Patch Bald heading North. Met a couple from New Orleans with a huge dog at Roaring Fork shelter. Summitted Walnut Mtn and Bluff Mtn which had a large rock at the summitt. After a long descent the rains came as expected and we set up camp at a campsite south of Garenflo Gap. Campsite was on an old road bed which made it hard to stake the tents. Went to bed early due to being tired after first day back on the trail.
Date: 2009-07-29
From: Garenflo Campsite

To: Hot Springs, N.C.
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: light rain

It rained all night and we woke up to rain, packed up in the rain and hiked all day in the rain. Hike between Garenflo Gap and Hot Springs was mild except for the last several miles of a steep downhill in a downpour. Right as we walked off the trail into Hot Springs it stopped raining and the sun came out. We picked up our maildrop at Bluff Mtn Outfitters and checked into Elmer's Inn at Hot Springs. Met Eric and Shawn there who were managing the place. We hung our tents and gear out to dry on the balcony at Elmer's and ate dinner at the Iron Horse Station. Slept great! Met Elmer the next morning and had breakfast at the diner across the street before moving on.
Date: 2009-07-30
From: Hot Springs, N.C.

To: Spring Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

Our packs weighed over 40 lbs each leaving Elmer's this morning. Man were they heavy with all that maildrop food! We had 3 tough climbs today, leaving Hot Springs and trekking along the river before climbing to Tanyard Gap. We stopped at a fire tower 2.5 miles above T.G. and took photos as well as had a snack. We stayed at Spring Mtn Shelter where we met two N.C. State grads, Lilly and Jenny as well as a group of Southbounders from Blue Ridge, TN.
Date: 2009-07-31
From: Spring Mtn Shelter

To: Hemlock Hollow Hostel
Miles today: 6.0

We waited until around 12:30pm for the rain to stop before leaving Spring Mtn Shelter. It didn't and we finally packed up and left. Mom called us on the trail in the middle of a storm from her cruise ship in Canada which was a nice surprise. Most of the elevation was downhill but we decided to stop 6 miles out, at Hemlock Hollow to complete some business with their internet access, and to dry out! Hattie and Freddie have a great place there and Freddie took us on a beer run to the local convenience store. We enjoyed drinks on the hiker hostel porch overlooking a stream and cooked trail food for dinner. While it was great the 6 mile day has put us behind schedule.
Date: 2009-08-01
From: Hemlock Hollow Hostel

To: Meadow Campsite
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: light rain

We checked out of Hemlock Hollow and Freddie gave us a ride back to the trail. Most of the day the weather was nice. There was a very challenging climb to the top of Camp Creek Bald and we missed the firetower due to lousy trail labeling. We had lunch on White Rock Cliff and supplemented it with tons of wild blueberries. We reached Jerry's Cabin Shelter late in the day and it started to rain. As our mileage was low and the shelter was not pleasant we pressed on in the rain and stopped at a meadow just North of Big Rocks viewpoint to set up camp for the night.
Date: 2009-08-02
From: Meadow Campsite

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up to a heavy fog and the threat of rain. We packed in a hurry, skipped breakfast and hiked in the rain to Flint Rock Shelter. Met Lilly again there as well as Mighty Mouse and Mustachio, two hikers who hitched to the trail all the way from Phoenix. Also met members of the Carolina Mtn Club there. There was a tough climb out of Devil's Gap and we decided to skip lunch after the big breakfast at F.R.S. We finished our day at Hogback Ridge Shelter where we saw Lilly yet again, as well as a father and son from Ohio hiking to Indian Grave Gap. Lilly decided to go on to Sam's Gap and get a ride into Erwin where Jenny was staying due to illness.
Date: 2009-08-03
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Big Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.0

Woke up to a brisk beautiful morning and we took our time leaving H.R.S. The hike started out mild but had several short, sharp ascents including one to Big Bald. Once we arrived there we discovered awesome 360 deg views. Met a retired guy who pointed out his summer home on the ridge near Laurel Ski Resort. Later we descended to B.B.S. which was a mess but we built a fire to burn a lot of the trash and temporarily repaired the picnic table. It got noticably colder as soon as the sun went down. There was no sign of the father and son hikers who must have been making some serious mileage.
Date: 2009-08-04
From: Big Bald Shelter

To: Uncle Johnny's Hostel
Miles today: 17.0

Beautiful, perfect weather today. We left B.B.S. just afte 10am with a goal of reaching somewhere past No Business Shelter. Most of the hike was very mild and pleasant except for a few climbs near the shelter. We decided to go on past it after getting there too early, around 4pm. Needed a reliable water source to stop at the next campsite but couldn't find one and ended up hiking all the way to Erwin. My wolverine boots were literally falling apart as we stepped off the trail and into Uncle Johnny's Hostel. Foxfire, whom we had met way back months ago was working there and gave us a ride to get beer. We had trail food for dinner at the hostel.
Date: 2009-08-05
From: Uncle Johnny's Hostel

To: Super 8 Motel
Miles today: 0.0

We have decided to take two zero days here in Erwin. I have to get some new boots, conduct a few business phone calls and send out a few emails. We can't do all that at Uncle Johnny's and have decided to move over to the Super 8 Motel which is a short walk from downtown Erwin. Foxfire shuttled us over there and this was a good decision with a private phone, clean room and reliable internet. We walked to the downtown area and had a great lunch at the Choo Choo Cafe. Glen from Uncle Johnny's later took us to Wal Mart where I bought some Herman's Survivors boots for a mere $50. We also made a run to the liquor store in Johnson City. For dinner we went to Azteca Restaurant, a good two mile walk from our motel but well worth it.
Date: 2009-08-07
From: Erwin, TN

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The two zero days in Erwin have really put us behind schedule. Foxfire picked us up at the Super 8 and had us on the trail by 8:30am. Perfect sunny but cool weather all day. We had lunch at a campsite near Indian Grave Gap and later took a break at a place a bald overlooking Erwin called Beauty Spot. We conquered Unaka Mtn but it was a very tough climb and descent late in the day. The new Wal Mart boots feel good. Built a big fire and slept in Cherry Gap Shelter with the mice.
Date: 2009-08-08
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Ash Gap Campsite
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

Another perfect weather day. We got off to a late start as we didn't get much sleep due to mice in the shelter crawling through our bags. We thought the hike today would be relatively mild until Roan Mtn but we were wrong. Climb to High Rocks was tough and all the ascents and descents throughout the day added up. The climb from Hughes Gap up Roan Mtn was very steep and one of the toughest we've experienced, especially since we were running low on water. Fortunately there was a spring at Ash Gap and we set up camp there two miles up the mountain and about a mile from the summitt. We were worn out but relieved to make it.
Date: 2009-08-09
From: Ash Gap Campsite

To: Bradley Gap Campsite
Miles today: 11.0

We really enjoyed Ash Gap campsite last night. It was an excellent stopping point 2/3 the way up the steep side of Roan Mtn. After a huge granola breakfast we finished the last .8 miles no problem to summitt the mtn. Stopped by Cloudland Hotel remnants for a break. It was a long descent into Carver's Gap and my boots didn't cushion my feet adequately from the rock bed. We met some bikers and a geologist at Carver's Gap and then moved on up the balds. Stopped at the famous Overmountain shelter, where "Winter People" and "The People Under the Stairs" movies were filmed and took a break to eat some wild blackberries. We met Spaniard Damasco and his dog on a bald going towards Bradley Gap campsite. Got there around 4pm and made the decision to quit early for once as Hump Mtn was stairing us in the face! Only 80 miles to go to Damascus!
Date: 2009-08-10
From: Bradley Gap Campsite

To: Mountain Harbor Hostel
Miles today: 6.5

We left Bradley Gap Campsite around 8am and hiked in a very heavy fog up Hump Mtn. It didn't seem as intimidating bc we couldn't see two feet in front of us! It was steep but no problem as we were fresh. No view though. There was a long descent on the North side to Hwy 19E. Toes jamming bad, but I had switched out my innersoles for Dr. Scholl's which helped the bottoms of my feet quite a bit. Got to Mountain Harbor Hostel and our maildrop had not arrived yet. Mary checked us in, Terry took us on a beer run and when we got back it had arrived but we decided to stay the night anyway. Now we are seriously behind schedule, trying to get to Damascus by the 15th. Had campfood for dinner on the balcony. After reading the trail journal we got the bright idea to slack pack it to Dennis Cove, where Terry will drop off our packs at Kincora Hostel. This was a very good decision!
Date: 2009-08-11
From: Mountain Harbor Hostel

To: Dennis Cove and Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 24.0

We left Mtn. Harbor Hostel at 8am sharp without packs. Weather was sunny and clear, but somehow we still managed to get lost twice an hour into the hike. It was a great deal of mild hiking in the afternoon but followed by numerous ascents and descents, including a 3 mile steep descent into Dennis Cove which was brutal after 21 miles! Found trail magic crackers and sunglasses in a shelter we stopped at for lunch. We called Terry from the last summitt to tell him we would be late and he suggested Kincora Hostel as a pack dropoff point and place to stay. After 24 miles my feet were absolutely killing me and I relished the break at Kincora. We met a Frenchman currently living in South Carolina there, Michael as well as owner Bob Peoples. Bob had just gotten back from hiking the Pilgrim's Way in Spain and told us all about it. He suggested for tomorrow a "slack pack flip flop" in which we would hike Southbound over Pond Mtn without packs due to elevation difficulty.
Date: 2009-08-12
From: Dennis Cove and Kincora Hostel

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: light rain

Bob Peoples gave us a ride to Hwy 321 where we hiked southbound without packs back to Dennis Cove over Pond Mtn. Again, this was another good decision! We then had lunch at Kincora and he gave us a ride with our packs back to the trailhead at 321. The full packs were heavy after two straight days of slackpacking and felt like 60-70 pounds! Hiked across Watuga Lake Dam and up to Vandeventer Shelter. There were some pretty challenging ascents and we were tired from yesterday's 24 mile hike. We got hot and ran out of water (spring marked incorrectly in ATC map). We finally found a spring 1.7 miles from the shelter and loaded up with water, drinking as much as we could at the spring. The view from the shelter overlooking Watuga Lake was incredible! We had scotch and whiskey for happy hour on the rock cliff overlooking the lake. We slept in the shelter but Dad set up his tent inside it to shield himself from the mice!
Date: 2009-08-13
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Double Springs Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: clear sky

Woke up to clouds hanging over Lake Watuga and left a few minutes later than we had hoped. Packs still felt a bit heavy but the terrain was mostly very mild with a few brief but sharp ascents. We met Bob Peoples again on the trail where he and his team were clearing out brush and weeds. Ate a lot of wild blackberries in this section. We crossed a nice open hay field where the mower came fairly close to mowing right over us as we were having a snack. We decided to stop at Double Springs Shelter but set up camp just North of it as the shelter was buggy and muddy. We built a huge fire, ate the extra rice and crackers we had and drank the rest of our liquor to get our pack weights down for a projected 19 miler into Damascus tomorrow. I'm pretty sure I heard a bear, huffing and puffing, come through our campsite after we went to bed. I got my pocketknife ready to defend myself just in case! This will be our last night on the trail.
Date: 2009-08-14
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Damascus!
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: scattered clouds

What an awesome day. Woke up to perfect weather and had a huge breakfast before leaving Double Springs Shelter. The hike was long but perhaps the most mild since we started at Woody Gap in Georgia. We made 8 miles before lunch at Abingdon Gap Shelter. Saw much bear scat but no bears. The descent into Damascus was mild but incredibly long due to switchbacks and I thought we'd never get there. We checked in to Mt. Rogers Hostel, washed clothes at the local laundromat, had a pint of ice cream each, had drinks at Dot's and dinner at Quincy's. We saw Lilly and Jenny again at the laundromat and they said they were staying at the Methodist hostel The Place. Again no cell phone service (AT&T) so we called my wife and my Mom from a pay phone to let them know we made it a full day early.
Date: 2009-08-15
From: Damascus

To: Zero Day in Damascus
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

We woke up at Mt Rogers Hostel early and went to Cowboy's Exxon where we had awesome blueberry pancakes for breakfast. We decided to take advantage of our free day in Damascus and rent bikes to do the famous 17 mile Creeper Trail. We had perfect sunny weather and enjoyed the ride down from White Top and back to Damascus. We checked in to Montgomery B&B and had BBQ lunch at Fattie's. After buying some stuff at Mt Rogers Outfitters we went to Quincy's for internet access and free drinks. We finished the day with a pint each of ice cream and then went back to Quincy's for another good dinner. We watched a video on thru-hikers at the B&B, which was a great way to end our latest A.T. adventure. On to the airport tomorrow and back to Texas. What a wonderful summer it has been!
Date: 2009-03-27
From: Springer Mountain

To: As far as I get
Miles today: 0.0

I am a friend of John's and trying to keep his journal for him while he is on the trail.His previous entries somehow got lost and I am trying to redo his journal. I will use some of his hiking partner Anthony Trail name Green T's journal to keep up with him until I have contact again.Today we woke early and started to Springer Mountain( a day later than planned)drove in the pouring rain to get here and enjoyed the beauty of the rain and fog.Now we are here and getting ready to sign in. This is so exciting and so surreal.
Date: 2009-03-27
From: Springer Mountain

To: As far as I get
Miles today: 0.0

We had an interesting event occur on the way up the forest road. As we started to see all the granite stones in the side of the mountain and on the road the CD player in my friends car (Debbie and Jeff) who were driving us started going crazy and spitting out all the CD's. It was changing radio stations and cutting off and on by itself. The majic of this journey is beginning before I even hit the trail!
Date: 2009-03-27
From: Springer Mountain

To: As far as I get
Miles today: 0.0

As we reached the top of the forest service road to Springer Mountain we were just out of the car and gearing up when a car pulled in. The man was longingly looking at us and when he got out of his car my friend Debbie said Hello and he asked if she was hiking the trail. She told him no but that she had brought us here to start the trail. He came over to us and with tears in his eyes told us of his 25 year old son who had dreamed of this and then in preparation last year had died . He had a heart attack . He pulled out of his pocket a memorial card and asked if we would take it with us on the trail. In tears ourselves we agreed and off he went.I placed the card in a pouch I had and started up the trail. Debbie had gotten his email and told him she would send pics. After reaching the top and amidst the excitement we forgot to take a pic. When I pulled the card from my pocket I was shocked at what I found.
Date: 2009-03-27
From: Springer Mountain 

To: As far as I get
Miles today: 0.0

On the way down the mountain when I pulled the card out of my pocket to take the photograph I was shocked when I saw his name was Anthony John. So I guess me - John and my friend Anthony will take Anthony John on this hike with us and know it is a blessing to our hike! Life is wonderful and amazing!
Date: 2009-03-31
To:  Dahlonega, Ga
Miles today: 0.0

Today John called and they got off the trail in Dahlonega, Ga and are staying at a hotel. The hostel was full. They have been on the trail for 5 days and were cold and wet and were ready for a hot shower and a bed. John is having trouble with his card in his camera and has been unable to take pics. He hopes to get it fixed in one of the towns he gets to if not tonite.I will take any pics from his hiking partner Green T's journal and post here when they are available.He is loving it and is doing well adjusting to the trail life. They are going slow and hikers are passing them by quickly. I told him to remember to "Hike your own hike"
Date: 2009-04-02
From: Dalohnega, Ga

To: Slaughter Creek Campsite
Miles today: 7.4

We are back on the trail after a couple of days rest and taking care of head colds. Hiked in the fog today and did our most miles yet. 7.5below is excert from my hiking partner Green THe has a way to update from the trail and my friend is helping me to keep up by following our GPS and from Gree T's journal entriesFrom Green TOur zero day is over and we hit the trail running today. Well, maybe not running but we were both eager to get back into the woods. Through the Hiker Hostel, we were able to catch a ride from Dahlonega back to Woody Gap. The people who run the Hiker Hostel are extremely nice and we are very grateful to them for giving us a ride even though we didn't stay at their hostel. The day started with a hike up Big Cedar Mountain from Woody Gap. There were some great rock ledges at the top but unfortunately they were all obscured by a thick fog. I'm sure the views are spectacular though since it looked like they took in the entire valley.The fog lingered around all day. Mix in a cold wind and rain showers and that describes the day weather-wise. I didn't mind it too much though; walking through the woods when it's full of a thick, rolling fog is a pretty surreal experience. I enjoyed it quite a bit actually. And we had our biggest day yet at 7.4 miles! So overall it's been a pretty good day. I was a bit grumpy and tired by the time we got to our camping spot but it all got better once the hammock was up and I could sit down for a few minutes and rest.Tomorrow it's a short 3 mile hike up the rest of Blood Mountain anf then down into Neel's Gap for a quick re-supply. -Green T
Date: 2009-04-03
From: Slaughter Creek Campsite

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 3.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Had a bad nite of sleeping as a thunderstorm and winds blew in around 2am and we were freezing.Tomorrow hope to hike through the 6 mile no camping zone due to bears and it is supposed to be a beautiful day (finally). Taken from hiking partner Green T's journal entry
Date: 2009-04-04
From: Neels Gap

To: Hogpen Gap
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: overcast clouds

The day started off with discovering trail magic at Neels Gap. Thank you SC Hiker club for your generosity and kindness. We knew we had a long day ahead of us by our standards. After enjoying grilled hotdogs and hamburgers we started the hike out of Neels Gap by 11:30. The surprise today was the nice weather and the biting bugs. Everytime we stopped on the trail for a break we got swarmed. We hiked through the no camping section of the trail today. The trail leaving Neels Gap was a steady uphill and I peeled my jacket off after 10 minutes. The overlook at Cowrock Mtn was spectacular, however, the swarming gnats kept me from stopping more than 30 seconds. Wildcat mountain is a hard uphill climb, worse than the guidebook makes it out to be. Daffodils and bugs on top of the mountain. Some hikers opted to just walk up the road and skip the mountain. I contemplate why I don't skip uncomfortable sections of the trail. More trail magic at the end of the day. Folks from Charlotte set up a grill on the side of the road. What an awesome day; nice people, hot food,sunshine, and a campground not in the guidebooks.