morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-04-05
From: NOC

To: Locust Cove Campsite 
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Starting today at the in OC we had a very long and steep climb out of that low spot back up into the mountains.  It had rained early morning and was still raining when we got to the NOC to resume hiking and started in a light drizzle.  It did quit raining on us fairly quickly which was nice but of course the trail was just a muddy mess and it made climbing out of the NOC area and very difficult and challenging task to say the least.  Due to all the rain it also made conditions very cloudy or foggy whichever it technically is I don¢t really know but that meant no visibility at all. We probably had 100 - 150 feet visibility along the trail but when you would look off into any of the valleys or gaps you could see absolutely nothing for the dense clouds.  After getting a bite to eat we were really exhausted from the hard uphills and had already climbed into our tents when several hikers came in, but because it was so chilly I chose not to even get out of my warm sleeping bag and just listened to conversations around me but did not join as I was ready to try to get some rest.
Date: 2019-04-06
From: Locust Cove Gap

To: Cable Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 11.5

Today¢s hiking had a lot of tough climbs, a lot of rock scrambling.  It made for a very long morning. We went through a section referred to as Jacobs ladder where you really have to be careful and watch your step. All in all it was just a long hard day of walking after another night of little sleep. We met some section hikers from Gainesville Florida. They seem to be having a good time & they knew that the next day was their last day on the trail they would be back at the car and headed home.  Spring Break has a lot of hikers out here. So far our wildlife count still stands at 2 grouse, 2 squirrels and then just a few different varieties of birds,  so not a lot of wildlife which is a little bit of surprise to me.  I¢m just gonna keep taking one step at a time and see how far I can go, tomorrow¢s another day.
Date: 2019-04-08
From: Fontana Dam

To: Mollie Ridge Shelter 
Miles today: 12.1

The day started with the long walk across the Fontana dam spillway and I Learned the movie The Fugitive used the spillway at Fontana dam in scenes in that movie when Harrison Ford and others were in all those tunnels and jumped out of the spillway into the lake below. It was a cloudy and overcast morning as we started the hike and after about an hour or so into the Smokies the bottom fell out and it started to rain and it rained off and on the rest of the day and all into the night I did manage to find space in the first shelter we came to and I was grateful for that because again it¢s stormed off and on all through the night and some of the other hikers were not as fortunate but the rules are the first come first serve on using the shelters it was my first night to be in a shelter since starting the trail. I prefer my tent, but rain can make you change your mind!  Nothing really exciting happening on the trail and with the rain coming down as hard as it was of course there were no views and nothing to take pictures of other than I do wish I had videoed the amount of rain water running down the trail as we were hiking in it. It was just like Creek walking with Mic, Drew& Rob back in Helena.
Date: 2019-04-09
From: Mollie Ridge Shelter 

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: light rain

It was a great day for hiking both temperature wise and sunshine wise. The only thing that didn¢t cooperate were the trails, which are still a muddy mess and lots of long stretches of the type mud that is like glue and just wants to pull the shoes right off your feet if you¢re not careful. I chose not to sleep in a shelter last night because it was already very crowded when I got there and there were ample tent spaces available so I chose to sleep outside and I actually got a good nights sleep instead of listening to all the sounds of the shelter of snoring and zippers and just you know some type of almost constant activity all throughout the night, so by sleeping in my tent I was able to get a pretty good night sleep for a change. The only downside to sleeping in the tent is that in the early morning hours when you have to change out of your sleep clothes into your hiking clothes believe me it is quite cold outside in the mountains still I¢m not sure the actual temperature but I dare say it was in the low to me at mid 30s and the shelter itself because of so many people in there at least there is a an element of warmth that you don¢t get it all when you sleep in your tent.  Nothing really exciting is happening during all of this I mean it¢s basically you get on your hiking clothes you start hiking after an hour so take a short little break maybe eat a snack then hike again till lunchtime take a little bit longer break for lunch and if the suns out now that I like to take my shoes and socks off let my toes air out let my socks dry little bit my shoes dry a little bit while I¢m eating lunch then you just going to pack everything back up and take off hiking for the afternoon. I¢ve certainly met a lot of interesting people out here on the trail and I¢ve tried to make notes on some of the trail names, but is often difficult to get enough information to add a story about the people, but trust me when I tell you there a lot of unique individuals out here. I think so far I¢ve met at least four or five people from Germany, a lady from Ukraine and an Irishman that we¢ve met recently, Trail name Whitey, from his childhood.  There is also a lady that is almost the same pace that Jerry and I have maintained.  She moved to the US from Beijing China and she is just fascinated with the trail. The other day in the rain she was hiking with a small umbrella and a great big camera taking pictures of everything. Her trail name is Click! And these folks can hike too!  Youth and lighter packs mean faster speed on the trails.
Date: 2019-04-10
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Mount Collins Shelter 
Miles today: 13.0

During today¢s action packed 13 miles of hiking we had another mile stone where we passed 200 Trail miles and we also climbed up to Clingmans Dome, which is 6658 feet above sea level is the highest point on the entire Appalachian Trail. We were lucky when we got on top of Clingmans down because it was a gorgeous day and we could see for miles and miles in all directions.  We had run into some other hikers who were lamenting the fact that on their visit there it was very cloudy, overcast and foggy and so they had no views but they did not have time to wait for the clouds to clear.  We got lucky. During our lunch time break as we were just taking it easy we glanced over in the woods and we actually saw three deer.  It appeared to be a mother and two fawns. They didn¢t have their spots but were young deer that appeared to have been born probably in the early fall, just slowly making their way about 20 to 30 yards away from us through the woods as we quietly ate our lunch.  You never know what you might see.
Date: 2019-04-11
From: Mt Collins Shelter 

To: Newfound Gap Parking Lot
Miles today: 5.0

Today was a planned short hike day in the Smokies. Our Trail Angels, Patti & John met us in the parking area of Newfound Gap. Jerry & I arrived a little before they did so we took advantage of a couple of Trail Magic offerings and they were great!  Snacks of all kinds and coffee too. When Patti & John got there, all John had to say was ¢Get a razor, you need to shave!¢  These Military guys don¢t like facial hair (mustaches being an exception!) but he means well. These two have been lifesavers to us, timing couldn¢t be better to get a brief rest and then continue the journey through the Smokies. Heard interesting comments from a fellow Thru Hiker earlier, where she said the AT was disappointing because you can¢t/don¢t see much compared to other trails. When asked to elaborate, she said trails out West you can walk & look while walking. On the AT, you have to keep your head down most all the time due to rocks, roots, mud, high steps, low steps, etc.  When we see a side trail to a ledge for a view, we¢ll check it out if pretty weather otherwise we keep walking, with head down watching for loose rocks and wet roots!  John has appts to keep, so Patti dropped him at his car, we got a shower and off to an oufitters for shoe replacements. Bad weather predicted for next 2 or 3 days so we will see how long we stay. Patti has been too generous with time, home, transportation and everything so don¢t want to abuse her hospitality!  Hope my mileage on Journal is close, per Guide we got off at mile 207.7, so will need another 2.5 to 3 days before leaving the Smokies.
Date: 2019-04-12
From: Otto, NC

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0

Spent today resting and resupplying meals for the next several days. Had a great Mexican lunch with Jerry & Patti. We treated Patti to help express our appreciation for her generosity!  Visited Outdoor 76 Outfitters in Franklin  for a few Trail needs.  Back to the Trail in the morning.
Date: 2019-04-13
From: Newfound Gap

To: PeckÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Corner Shelter 
Miles today: 10.5

Big climbs to leave Newfound Gap.  Elevation went from 5045 ft to over 6000 ft. Received Trail Magic at Icewater Spring Shelter from a couple from Murfreesboro,TN!  Had candy for Hikers. Also visited Charlies Bunion, a very popular spot for locals and hikers.  Great views when clouds allow. Good day for hiking in the Smokies. Made it to Tri-Corner Knob Shelter for the night. Covered about 10.5 miles after mid morning start. Have to plan stops to match with Shelters in the Smokies.  You may tent if Shelter is full & they often are full, but tent spots can be at a premium so you don¢t want to arrive to late in the day.
Date: 2019-04-14
From: Pecks Corner Shelter 

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 5.2

Today was the worst for driving rain, high winds and miserable trail conditions. After getting soaked, we opted to take advantage of the shelter and get out of the storm. Turns out many others felt the same. We had around 20 people in a shelter made for 12, so it was a little crowded but better than suffering in the rain. We even managed to get a fire going inside the shelter to help warm up and dry out shoes and socks a little. One can¢t expect to hike for 6 months and not encounter a lot of rain and being wet, but you hope to minimize it and make good decisions about when to continue and when to take cover! Signs in the Shelters ask that you not cook or eat in them due to food odors attracting bears, but most ignored that advice and did it anyway. (No, I did not cook or eat inside the Shelter). You just have to make the best of the situation, understand there are many different personalities out here and you try to get along as best you can given the conditions & circumstances. Tomorrow¢s another day.
Date: 2019-04-15
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter 

To: Standing Bear Hostel
Miles today: 18.4

After bad weather made for a shorter hike day, many felt the need to get an early start and try to finish hiking the Smokies. It meant our longest day of hiking so far, over 18 miles to get out and then to a place to camp safely. Most days, the hiking starts around 7:45 - 8:00 but we started around 7:00 knowing it was going to be a long day. It helped that we were towards the end of the Smokies so no mire climbs, most of the hiking was down hill. An interesting aspect in some parts of the Trail as you hike along the ridges, you will have the path, maybe 4 or 5 feet wide, but on either side, you have drop offs of several hundred feet!  It is wide enough to be safe, but you don¢t want any mistakes or you could find yourself at the bottom of some very rough terrain. It is still head down hiking due to rocks, roots and mud. We hiked past several shelters, took a few short breaks to snack and kept moving.  We could finally hear traffic sounds and came to the box where we deposited the other half of our Smokies Permit. Half goes in a box when you enter the Park, other half when you leave the Park. We still had about 3 miles to the Hostel but we had finished the Smokies!We hiked under I-40 and finally made it to Standing Bear Hostel. This is an iconic stop along the AT and quite an interesting place. You can get cabins or sleep in the bunkhouse which is what we did. They offer some limited meals, some options on food resupply and a shower. Enjoyed our short time there but headed out by 8 the next day.
Date: 2019-04-16
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Max Patch 
Miles today: 13.6

Didn¢t use the scrub board at Standing Bear to wash clothes but did use the shower, so felt good leaving the next morning. There was a long climb out making for a tough morning. We climbed from around 1500 ft to over 4200 feet over the morning, having to take a lot of 10 -15 seconds to catch your breath on these climbs. We met Bookie, AT Thru Hiker 2015, from KY, who was a wealth of knowledge about the Trail and graciously shared his interest of and love of the Trail with us.  He had hiked the Smokies in 3 days, doing over 30 miles one day!  Incredible to think anyone could cover that many miles in one day but he did. We hiked past an FAA facility on top of one bald. It is a beacon/transponder tracking station for all aircraft. Really in the middle if nowhere!  As we neared our destination of Max Patch, AT Thru Hiker Peaches (2108) was set up with an incredible Trail Magic camp. She had everything from burgers, hotdogs, soft drinks, beer, cookies, fruit, water, hand sanitizer, just an awesome end to fhe day. She had driven from Philadelphia just to do Trail Magic for a couple of days to give back from her experiences last year. She suffered an injury on her 4th day lady year, was off the trail for 9 days, but didn¢t give up and completed her hike. We hear many stories like this when talking with others. After a nice break, we climbed up to Max Patch, found some level ground and set up our tents. Had to wait a couple of hours for sundown and since it was a decent weather day, many local people also came up to see the sunset. I counted over 25 tents, sone big family tents and easily over 50 people for the night. Of course everyone was up to see a beautiful sunrise the next morning.
Date: 2019-04-17
From: Max Patch

To: Deer Park Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 16.6

After I cool and windy night on top of Max Patch, We had a nice decent from Max patch as we hiked all morning and lost elevation of about 1200 feet, from over 4600 ft down to 3400 ft, allowing us to cover a lot of trail mire quickly. Nothing exciting, just hiking. Limited views, but gorgeous scenery nonetheless. Crossed many streams, foot bridges made from local logs/trees, took a break at Walnut Mountain Shelter, and pressed on to Deer Park Mountain Shelter for the night. We could have pushed on to Hot Springs, but since we already had plans to be picked up on Thursday, we felt good stopping and leaving a short 3+ mile hike Thursday morning into Hot Springs. Covered 16.6 miles today.
Date: 2019-04-18
From: Deer Park Mountain Shelter 

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 3.2

There were a couple of climbs leaving Deer Park Shelter but nothing major, then it was a long downhill before the woods and trail coughed us out on the edge of Hot Springs. Here, the sidewalk us the Trail into town and fortunately not very far to reach civilization and a great restaurant!  There were lots of other hikers as well as locals eating so we had to wait a bit for a table, but no problem as it was only 9 & John was expected around 11. We ate, and shortly afterwards John arrived and we loaded up for the trip to his house. Along the way, we stopped at an outfitters to get a waterproof food bag and a new pair of socks, later had a great lunch and made our way to John¢s in Cullowhee,NC. Went with John to Lowes for mulch, got 30 bags, took home, unloaded, need to puck up about 50 more per John!  Oh my. Glad to help by unloading them, got to earn our keep!  Like a work for stay you might say. Stormed overnight and has been raining nonstop this morning. Possible snow in higher elevations tonight and tomorrow. We may stay an extra night. No firm timetable so we shall see. No need to expose ourselves to unnecessary risks. We can make that decision later as we still need to buy food resupplies. Good to be out of the rain for sure. I may be off on the mileage counter but have covered 274.5 miles per the AWOL Guide book. Updates still a challenge by phone and can¢t locate my pictures!  Will keep trying. I post them to FB without issue, not sure what I need to do to add them here. Back to the Trail soon.
Date: 2019-04-21
From: Hot Springs 

To: Rich Mountain Lookout Tower
Miles today: 8.4

John drove us back to Hot Springs to resume our hike. We had a quick breakfast before starting out and saying bye to John. There was a great deal of rain the last two days with some local flooding so glad we were safe & dry!  Due to the later start time and spacing of Shelters and tent sites, it was a short hiking day. Worst part was having to put on our Crocs to wade through high water over the trail from the French Broad River.  Fortunately it wasn¢t deep nor for very long, just a hassle of taking off pack, taking off shoes, put on Crocs, load up, then reverse process once through the water. And guess what, it was a long climb out of Hot Springs, going from an elevation of 1326 ft to 3506 at the Tower. Great views from the Tower, not sure of its original purpose and there is a good road up to it, just not part of the AT. Found a decent tent site below the tower and several other hikers tented there as well. Good day back on the Trail and decent weather.
Date: 2019-04-22
From: Rich Mountain Lookout Tower 

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter 
Miles today: 18.6

After a short hiking day yesterday, we knew we needed an early start and try todo a few more mikes. We did 18.6 according to the Guide and I felt it. There was a great deal up up and down, with many rock scrambles, ridge walking, steep drop offs, and much of the time we were straddling the TN/NC border. There were some great views of the TN Valley as well as NC. More tough climbs, more mud from weekend rains, still putting 1 foot before the other. Still meeting new Hikers each night, some are Section hiking (just hiking a particular section of the AT) others on Spring Break, others just because they like hiking & camping.
Date: 2019-04-23
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter 

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter 
Miles today: 15.5

Another cool start to the day always makes leaving the warmth of the sleeping bag tough. While not freezing or anything, it is still not a fun way to start your morning by getting out of your sleep clothes and back into your hiking clothes. I have tried to improve my morning routine and become more efficient and take less time so the hiking can commence. Here is a brief summary of what I do: Take off sleep clothes, put on hiking clothes except for shoes, put on rain jacket for warmth since puffy needs to be packed, sleep clothes go into stuff sack, toiletries and all other zip lock bags sealed and packed, sleeping bag put in compression bag, air out of sleep pad and it has to be rolled twice to get air out then trifold to put in stuff sack along with inflatable pillows. Everything inside tent is in its bag ready to be packed. Now it¢s outside to take down the tent. Off comes rain fly, set aside, out come tent stakes unless real windy, in which case stakes remain till later. Tent comes down, stuff in tent bag then put in rain fly, won¢t fit properly unless tent in first. Breakdown tent poles, gather 6 tent stakes, so only thing not ready for packing is ground cloth. I use that to stage everything fir loading to my pack.  Now off to retrieve my food bag which is hanging by a rope from a tree limb nearby.  Now time to pack it all. Clothes go inside a trash compactor bag in case of rain, every thing else on top of clothes. Trying to distribute weight so food bag in middle, cook kit and remaining items stuffed in. Tent stacks, poles and folded up ground cloth in side pocket and you hope you can snap all the buckles and straps. Oh, if you cook breakfast, you need to leave needed items out to do this. Some are very efficient at this process, I¢m still learning, but usually get it dinein 30 - 45 minutes.Now you are ready to hike. Head down, get ready to climb.  Most days, unless on a ridge or too, there are no views. There is finally mire green everywhere as Spring is arriving in the mountains. Trying to take more short breaks during climbs as energy level is really low. Lots of elevation changes today, which is par for the course if late. Just trying to keep moving forward.
Date: 2019-04-24
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter 

To: Whistling Gap
Miles today: 13.6

Typical morning start, packing up gear, eat a breakfast bar of something, filter water, get moving. So nice to see more green and lots of little flowers blooming along the Trail. Today¢s hiking had many ¢ups¢ and steep climbs, then downs that were tough on legs and knees. Warm today too so no complaints on the weather. Really starting to feel effects of Trail life and lack of decent food. The breaks help but not enough time to fully recover as you feel the need to keep moving forward.
Date: 2019-04-25
From: Whistling Gap

To: Erwin,TN
Miles today: 13.3

Daily Hiking miles are determined for you in a sense because of Shelter locations and/or tent sites as well as distance to the next resupply location. We knew we would have 2 pretty big hiking days back to back in order to reach Erwin on Thursday afternoon. Now there are hikers out here who are doing unbelievable miles on a daily basis, lots of 20+ and occasional 30+ miles per day. All I can do is watch in amazement. More ups and downs as usual. Had brief rain showers around lunchtime, happened to be near a shelter so got out of the hard rain and had a snack. Very tired, rundown, no energy today. Made fir a long hike into Erwin. Fortunately after morning climbs, we finally started the long decent into Erwin. Easier than climbs, but still tough on knees and feet because of roots & rocks. Footing still tricky. Had some great views overlooking Erwin as we descended. Emerged from the woods/trail just shy of Johnny¢s Hostel, a well known Hiker Hostel and Outfitter. We got drinks, gator aid for me, coke for Jerry. The Hostel had a big crowd there, a few we had met previously and most were staying there for a day or two as there is a party there this weekend. This is more in line for a much younger crowd! Hiking partner informed me this morning he is headed home, having made travel arrangements overnight. I respect his decision as everyone must do what is best for them. We got a shuttle to a motel, showered, washed clothes, walked to a fast food restaurant to eat and back to motel. My friend John called, was traveling today and offered tocome get me and let me recharge once again at his home in NC. A lifesaver!  With Jerry leaving, my own state of mind and physical state in question, I readily accepted. I¢m not ready to stop, but with weight loss and being physically spent, must take a little time to recover. The Trail will be there in a couple of days, so I will rest again and take more steps to reduce overall pack weight, a necessity.
Date: 2019-04-26
From: Cullowhee 

To: Cullowhee 
Miles today: 0.0

Physically exhausted and needing rest, have returned to John¢s home to recuperate. Yes, could have hunkered down in Erwin, but John is persuasive and knowing I needed more than 1 night off the Trail, I accepted his offer. Got really windy in the area today, reports of 40 -60 mph gusts especially in higher elevations. Lost power at John¢s for about6 hours due to trees knocking down power lines. Feeling better but still weak feeling. Glad to be resting. I know the Trail awaits my return.