morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-04-02
From: Stealth Camp

To: Campsite near piped spring
Miles today: 18.2

Well today kicked my butt. 18 miles is still a long day for me. There weren't any good places to camp in the 14-15 mile range, so I pushed on to here. There was a hostel at 14.6, but I wanted to camp. I started hiking about 8:00 and had a gentle downhill for a couple miles. I passed Plodder and Grandma Shorty around 10. They are an older couple that I first met leaving Hot Springs. They were planning on the hostel tonight. They've been doing 14 to 16 mile days, so if anyone tells you that you hike like a grandma the correct response is "Thank you very much!" (Right, Bama!)I got slower as the day got longer and the younger folks passed me (although I seem to be in a bubble with not to many hikers around). Also camped here tonight are Dillon and Katherine, plus a guy hammock camping whose name I don't know.  I got here at 6:30 and got done with camp setup and dinner before dark. There was a nice purple sunset through the trees.I think I'll sleep in a little  tomorrow!Fitbit steps 47622   floors 485
Date: 2018-04-03
From: Campsite near piped spring

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: clear sky

More relaxing day today. I took more breaks including one at the top of Big Bald, great views from up there. Spring is on the way here, especially below 4000 feet. The forest floor is mostly green poking up through last year's dead leaves. Saw my first mayapples.Passed by the family of 8, and they have another family of 6 hiking with them for awhile. Last saw them before Franklin, 230 trail miles ago.Trail Magic at Spivey Gap provided by Yonder. He thru-hiked in 2007, the same year as me, but he started in April, so we didn't know any of the same hikers. He had hotdogs, chips, bananas, and pop. This is the last shelter before Erwin, TN. I'll nero tomorrow and may slackpack Thursday. For sure it's time to shower and do laundry, I stink!Fitbit steps 39277  floors 369
Date: 2018-04-04
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 6.3

After a night of thunderstorms and rain, it was a pleasant hike into town. The rain ended before I got out of my tent. Everything inside stayed dry (I really like my tent!), but I did have to pack it up wet.This hostel is a small farm owned by a retired couple who have bee hives, raise chickens, grow and some corn. They are renting their spare basement bedroom to me. Tomorrow I will slackpack, stay here one more night, then get back to carrying the pack!Talked to Julie today, and she asked how my weight is. I'm not really sure but my pants are baggier! Town days are prime opportunities to stock up on calories. I also thought I should clarify the whole NC/TN thing. When I entered Smoky Mountain National Park, the state line runs on the ridge top. So many days my left foot was in TN and my right in NC. Sometimes I'd veer into NC as in Hot Springs, and now I veered west and am in Erwin, TN. Clear as mud! I do know that when I get to Virginia, I'll be done with both these states. One last note: I saw my first salamander of the trip, a cute orange guy chilling on the trail.Fitbit steps 20037  floors 90
Date: 2018-04-05
From: Beauty Spot

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 10.6

Slackpack day. I carried my pack with water, food and rain gear.  It felt amazingly light! It was cold starting, 30 degrees at the hostel, and we went up to 4436 feet from 1700 feet. I hiked south today back to Erwin. Wildlife sighting of the day was a pileated woodpecker, very cool. I also saw a lot of hikers. I met Detail today. He started the same day I did, but earlier in the day and we hadn't met. He's on Trail Journals also. Other hikers were Dillon & Katherine, Gumby, Professor, SS, Hoot, Granite man, Spam City Rick, Mama Kish and Not Dead.I got done hiking around 1:00 and was lazy the rest of the afternoon. Called my mom and dad, texted with Julie, and took a nap.Mike drove me to dinner. Had Mexican including my first margarita of this hike. I was having withdrawal. Back at the hostel now, and I need to get organized for tomorrow. I'll get shuttled back to where I started this morning and continue north with a full pack.Fitbit steps 26069   floors 95
Date: 2018-04-06
From: Beauty Spot

To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 18.2

I did not intend to go 18 miles today. My goal for the day was a shelter at a little over 15 miles, but the trail was generous.Early in the day there was a 1000 foot climb up Mt Unaka. Then after that the trail was well graded with no real big ups or downs. I took quite a few breaks and didn't feel like I was hiking fast, but I made good time for me. I got to the cutoff to the shelter a little after 4 :00, and I could see 6 or 7 big tents set up. Both the time and the crowd made my decision easy, I hiked on.I loaded up on water at the last source for awhile, and hiked until I found a spot to set up ( further than I'd hoped!) I set the tent up first, as rain was predicted-- then I started dinner. It started sprinkling, so I put all my gear in the tent, then ate my dinner quickly. In my tent now at 7:15, and it's a steady rain. Rain is forecast for most of the day tomorrow. Oh well, no rain, no pain, no Maine!Fitbit steps 45622  floors 540
Date: 2018-04-07
From: Stealth Camp

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: moderate rain

Well winter is back. It rained most of the night, but stopped by the time I was ready to get out of my tent. It was cool and foggy all day. Climbed over Roan Mt -- the highest shelter on the AT is there at 6250 feet. After hiking down from Roan, I crossed a road then climbed a grassy bald with 360 deg views of fog!A highlight of the day was talking to two young women on a day hike. They asked the usual questions, when did you start and when do I think I'll finish. A few seconds after heading our separate ways I hear a "Sir, sir," and one of the young women was jogging up the trail. She said "I bet you get asked those questions all the time. Can I ask you something more unusual?" I said sure, and she asked when was the last time I had been hugged. I said it had been awhile--  March 3rd to be exact. So we had a nice hug on a foggy mountain, and as she left she said "Human contact is important." What a sweetheart.With that, the goal was to get to this shelter. The temperature kept dropping, and snow is in the forecast tonight. This shelter is an old barn. I'm upstairs with 9 other people, so far, and there is plenty of room. I got here about 4:00, cooked and ate dinner and am in my bag at 5:45.Fitbit steps 31589  floors 358https://docs.google.com/spread...
Date: 2018-04-08
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Mountaineer Falls Shelter
Miles today: 18.0

Cold start today. Last night's temperature was 12 degrees and windy. The old barn loft was a good place to be, but it does have some gaps between boards. It snowed-- but less than an inch on the ground. The trees and shrubs had about an inch of frost on them. As I packed up, I loaded my pockets with snacks and started hiking to warm up. Once I warmed up, I was better able to appreciate how beautiful it was. Morning climbs went over Little Hump and Hump mountains. The sun was coming out, and there were some awesome views.After that was a long descent to Hwy 19E, and the snow slowly disappeared. I had a lunch break near the road and dried my tent. Dave, who owns a pub and hostel, stopped and gave me a Coke. The afternoon hike was nice-- no snow and warmer. I hiked by two waterfalls and along a mountain river. Fitbit steps 45789  floors 441One million steps:  https://docs.google.com/spread...
Date: 2018-04-09
From: Mountaineer Falls Shelter

To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 18.0

This was a bit of an odd day. Woke up to rain with some white stuff mixed in-- so I didn't get up. By the time I did get hiking, it was 9 o'clock. It was foggy, so no views, and I was in and out of rain gear all day. Around 2pm the temperature dropped, and it started misting/sprinkling. I was hoping to stealth camp, but there was a road crossing with 2 hostels close by, a little over 15 miles into today's hike. I thought I'd hike there.By the time I got to the road, the rain had stopped and it was warmer-- so I hiked on. P lanned on going a mile past the road then finding a place to camp, but there weren't any good places-- so I decided I'd go to the next shelter.  The last 3 miles of the hike were gorgeous. Hiked along Laurel River with steep rock walls. Then climbed down to Laurel Falls, 300 rock steps down. This may be the best waterfall on the trail. The trail then follows the river. Espresso and girlfriend (forgot her trail name, sorry) passed me and were headed to the same shelter. We all missed the cutoff to the shelter. I then saw Granite Man camped by the river and joined him. This is a beautiful spot, way better than a shelter!Espresso and girlfriend backtracked the 0.2 mile to the cutoff (and up 200 feet) because they were meeting Chickpea there.This day had about 5 different plans as it unfolded but it turned out great.Fitbit steps 43713  floors 398
Date: 2018-04-10
From: Stealth Camp

To: Boots Off Hostel (Hampton, TN)
Miles today: 6.5
Weather: broken clouds

Nice day today. There was fog in the valleys, but you could tell it was clearing off. I started hiking a little after 8:00 and was heading to this hostel, so I wasn't in a hurry. Granite man left before me, and he was hiking on.There was more uphill than I thought there would be, go figure! I got here about noon, checked into the bunkhouse, showered, had my laundry done and ate a pizza. Nice place here. The bunks each have their own light, outlet, and privacy curtain. The showers have hot and cold water going to an overhead bucket with holes in the bottom which worked amazingly well. The hostel is right on the trail, so they provide shuttles to town. I resupplied at Dollar General and ate at a local restaurant. Talked to Julie while waiting on shuttle to go back to hostel. I also texted my nephew Drew, and we're all set to meet up in Damascus, Virginia on Saturday. I figure I'll get there Friday afternoon, so I can clean up and get some town food, then we'll hike out when he gets there Saturday. I'm looking forward to it!Fitbit steps 19643  floors 214
Date: 2018-04-11
From: Boots Off Hostel

To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: clear sky

So this is the most stealthy of stealth camps yet! The hostel had a continental breakfast. So after eating and packing up, it was 8:30 by the time I was hiking. This was mostly an uphill day (leaving towns usually are), but the grades weren't too steep and I made good time. I first walked around one end of Watauga Lake, then 3 miles, later across the dam. I stopped for lunch at a shelter that still had good views of the lake-- that was 9.3 miles into the hike. Watauga Lake is big. Met Grace and Tracker at lunch, they are hiking from Damascus south to Springer. Grace recognized by trail name from Trail Journals. I got to Iron Mountain Shelter about 4:30, loaded up on water, took a short break, and then headed off to find a campsite. I'm 1.3 miles past the shelter and probably 50 yards off the trail on a ridge. I have good views through the trees of the valley below and sunrise should find me quicker!I've seen several tombstones along the trail, and I'm close to one for Nick Grindstaff, 1851 to 1920. The writing says, "Lived alone, suffered alone, died alone."Texted with Matt today, and he asked if my feet had been talking to me! During my 2007 hike my feet got pretty sore, so my head and feet had frequent conversations about whether we really needed to continue hiking! This year the feet are fairly quiet-- maybe it's the new boots and insoles making a difference, or maybe they saw what happened to my toes and are afraid to say anything! Fitbit steps 42523  floors 540
Date: 2018-04-12
From: Stealth Camp

To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: broken clouds

Beautiful day, weather wise. Back to hiking in a t-shirt.  The day started with a nice sunrise seen from my tent. The terrain here has more gradual ups and downs. At one point today I hiked through a pasture that appears to be setup to do some rotational grazing. I found myself going through the 'pasture conditioning scoresheet' as I hiked! Thanks, NRCS! There were also some great views from the pasture. I got to the shelter, which was my goal for the day, about 4:00, so I decided to hike a little further. While I was getting water (0.2 miles downhill), Epic, Whisperer, and Half Moon showed up. Epic and Wisperer wanted to get to Virginia today, and Half Moon didn't want to hike that many miles, so she decided to camp with me. I ended up hiking 2.1 miles past the shelter and found a nice spot. The sunset was awesome. We'll all get to Damascus, Virginia tomorrow morning. Fitbit steps 40147  floors 310
Date: 2018-04-13
From: Stealth Camp

To: Damascus, Virginia
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: clear sky

Beautiful day today. It was nice to wake up warm. Highs in the mid 70's today and I had a short hike into town. Also I hit the Virginia State line, so am done with 3 states with 11to go. I will be in Virginia for a while, as about 525 miles or almost 25% of the AT is in this state.I got into town before noon, showered, and went to lunch with Epic, Whisperer, and Half Moon. Then I picked up my mail drop.I sorted through my stuff and sent some things home in the same box. I was hoping to send more winter gear home, but there is a chance of snow on Monday. In the morning, I meet nephew, Drew. He'll hike a week with me. After Monday the weather improves again, but it looks like Drew may get more variety than I'd hoped. Fitbit steps 29643  floors 89
Date: 2018-04-14
From: Damascus, Virginia

To: Stagnant Pond Campsite
Miles today: 11.6

Great first day with Tang (trail name of my nephew, Drew). He texted me a little after 8am, telling me that he was on the shuttle and would be in Damascus by 9:30-- a full hour ahead of schedule. I had to hustle up a bit to load my pack and hike down to the outfitter. I got there just as Tang was arriving. Trudged and Santa walked by and wished us happy hiking. They were zeroing today. I purchased some denatured alcohol for my stove, and we began hiking the AT, as it goes right through town. We had about a mile of in-town hiking before we turned into the woods. It was a beautiful day, probably near 80, and we were heading uphill (mostly). We made good time in the morning, but got slower as the day wore on. We got to this site about 4:30. It's much nicer than the name, Stagnant Pond, implies! The pond is full of frogs and tadpoles. The pond's dam does have a deep gully cut through it, so the pond is not as deep as it once was. Probably wasn't designed by a top notch NRCS techician!We talked about making a fire, but I don't think either one of us had the energy! It's a little after 8pm with Tang in his hammock, and I in my tent. It's still fairly warm-- hard to believe that snow is possible tomorrow night. Tang's take:Great first day on the AT. Twofer did a wonderful job not letting me die. Hopefully the same can be said for tomorrow. Quick shout out to my little bro Hunter for letting me borrow his pack. It¢s 30 minutes before hiker midnight and I¢m headed to bed. Hopefully you hear from me again! Fitbit steps 30682  floors 322
Date: 2018-04-15
From: Stagnant Pond Campsite

To: Campsite
Miles today: 6.6

Short day today because of the weather. We got up and were hiking before 8:00.  Tang spotted a deer which just looked at us a while. We got to Lost Mountain Shelter a little after 10. Flint and Steel were zeroing there today because of the coming storm. We decided to hike a little further and camp. It rained off and on as we hiked. We got to this campsite about noon and decided we shouldn't press our luck, so we quickly set up our shelters. We planned to cook our dinners for lunch, but it started raining, so Tang got in his hammock and I got in my tent. Then it rained hard-- with several big claps of thunder. I've gotten more of my book read than I had the entire trip! Tang had some podcasts to listen to and took a nap. We are both warm and dry!Tomorrow is suppose to be cold but hopefully with less precip!Tang's take:I followed Twofer right into a monsoon today. I have stayed dry in my hammock for the last 3 hours and hopefully it continues to hold out the rain into the evening. Twofer has taught me a lot on the trail, but the most important thing he¢s taught me, so far, is how to eat peanut M&Ms. You eat them two at a time in certain color patterns to give you extra power. First you eat the Orange and Brown for Halloween, then Blue and Green for Sky and Earth, and then Red and Yellow for cyclONE Power. Naturally the last color combination tastes the best. Fitbit steps 16410  floors 166
Date: 2018-04-16
From: Campsite

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: light snow

Tough day hiking. It rained most of the night, then turned to snow just before sunrise. We stayed dry and warm last night, but It was cold packing up. Tang and I started with a 1400 foot climb-- that got us warmed up. We got 2-3 inches of rain yesterday, so much of the trail was a stream. A couple times, we came out of the trees and were buffeted with 30 mph winds. We got sleeted on a few times, also. Did I say it was a tough day hiking?!?Got to this shelter about 3:30 and claimed our spots in the loft. We cooked a hot dinner and then climbed in our sleeping bags to warm up. Tomorrow is supposed to be 65. We're hoping that is right!Fitbit steps 26222  floors 380
Date: 2018-04-17
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: Campsite near VA603
Miles today: 12.7

It got cold last night, had to have been in the teens. Our only water bottle with water in it was frozen. Tang got the lovely experience of putting on frozen boots! Wind was crazy last night, also. A couple times it felt like the wind might take the roof right off the shelter. We managed to get some sleep, but we were slow to get hiking. I also got to see a spotted skunk up close a couple times in the night. Shining my headlamp on him made him leave. It's about the size of a squirrel and knows how to get to the second level in the shelter. We were hiking through Grayson Highlands. I had wanted to do it on a good weather day; this wasn't ideal. Everything was covered in snow, so it was hard to tell what you were stepping on, and the going was slow. The wind was blowing hard up top-- we'd be walking straight and then get blown a couple steps sideways. Eventually we dropped some elevation and got in the trees. We were hoping to see wild ponies and finally saw 2 by the trail. We pet one and took a picture, then hiked a little further and saw 4 more-- right as we got to Wise Shelter.  Espresso and Clover were still in the shelter, so we told them about the 4 ponies that were close. Clover was excited, and they went to see them. We ended up seeing 17 ponies.The afternoon hike had some more open, exposed areas. The wind hadn't let up, but the sun was out. We stopped at one point, pulling out my tent and Tang's hammock to dry them and noticed my pack cover was gone!  Ten minutes later Espresso showed up with the pack cover!! We hiked to this campsite, dropping 1400 feet in elevation. There is no snow here! We set up camp and even had a fire. A nice ending to a frozen start of the day!Tang's take:Today started out super fun. Twofer and I slept in a shelter last night with a bunch of guys in what felt like 0 degree weather. This morning we woke up and ice skated across the Grayson Highlands. The winds were so strong I couldn¢t walk in a straight line at times. The weather improved, and we were able to see 17 wild ponies. I was tempted to hop on one and ride it to my car. Had a fire tonight, enjoyed some good conversation, and enjoyed some hot chocolate. Time for bed! Fitbit steps 35837  floors 335
Date: 2018-04-18
From: Campsite near VA 603

To:  Campsite past VA 672
Miles today: 15.7

Wow, nothing crazy to report today! It was a beautiful day. It even warmed up during the night. We started with a 900 foot climb to Hurricane Mt. and were soon in t-shirts-- eventually shorts. I'm sure it got to 80. Highlights of the day include Comer Falls- there's a lot of water from the recent rains, and Trail Magic from Curly, a 1992 thru-hiker including chairs, cokes, apples, tangerines, hard boiled eggs, cookies and a trash bag to dump our trash! We were there probably 45 minutes.  The third highlight was walking through a pasture with great views.This was also Tang's longest hiking day ever; yesterday was his previous longest. Tang's take:After the sub par conditions the last several days, we finally had a beautiful day on the trail. Was fun to put in a bigger mile day and test the legs a bit. The highlight of my day was the trail magic that a lady who through hiked in 1992, named Curly, provided. Then while Twofer and I were eating, a guy pulled up who also wanted to provide trail magic, so he gave us 4 M&Ms each! What a delight!  Well it¢s 15 till hiker midnight so time to get some shut eye. Fitbit steps 38467 floors 277
Date: 2018-04-19
From:  Campsite past VA 672

To: Relax Inn
Miles today: 18.3

We were very flexible with our plans today. It was cool and breezy when we got up. We were hiking by 8:00. Our first plan was to hike a little over 12 miles, camp, and then have 6 miles to here tomorrow morning. We got to the Mt Rogers Visitor center about 11:30, warmed up a bit, and discussed our options. We ruled out the campsite since it was on the highest ridge of the day and today is windy. We were either going to camp at the Chatfield Shelter or continue on to town. We opted for town. We had some good views on our hike down and then experienced Trail Magic at an old school house: cokes and chips. The school opened in 1872 and closed in 1937. Interesting to read the rules for teachers and students.We got to the hotel a little after 6:00, showered and went for Mexican food! We drove to the restaurant, as this is where Tang's car was parked. Tang heads home tomorrow, and I will zero here. Thanks Tang for a great, but very tough, week of hiking!!There was a scale at the Mt Rogers Visitor center whereI found that I've lost about 15 lbs so far. I'll try to gain a couple lbs tomorrow!Some one asked about my tent: It's a Light Heart Gear - Solo.Tang's take:I finished my week on the AT a day ahead of schedule. What an awesome experience that I will look back on forever. I¢ve learned a ton from Twofer, and I can¢t wait to plan my next hike. This trail is no joke. I have gained even more respect for the guys that can wake up and do this for 6 months straight. Dan Gable said ¢Once you¢ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy¢.   I am assuming Dan Gable never completed a through hike on the AT before he said that. Also, he¢s a Hawkeye which makes him a probable liar. Thanks a ton to Twofer for showing me the ropes and taking care of me this week. Good luck with the rest of your adventure.P.S. - After the weather I have experienced during this hike I am considering changing my trail name from Tang to Fair Weather.Fitbit steps 44177 floors 410
Date: 2018-04-20
From: US 11 - Relax Inn

To: Relax Inn
Miles today: 0.0

Lazy day. Tang and I had breakfast. Then he loaded up and started back to KC. Thanks for the great week, Tang!I've been slowly getting ready to hike out tomorrow, sorted out my mail drop, and packed up my food bag. I managed to work in lunch and dinner. Met section hiker Slippery Doc as I was headed to dinner, and we ate together. He's hiking until May 5th. Well it's past hiker midnight-- time to get some sleep. Back to hiking tomorrow!Fitbit steps 3264 floors 7