morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-04-03
From: NC 28

To: Campsite 113
Miles today: 7.2

Not Natasha met us at the boat ramp at Fontana Dam and will be hiking with us for the day and spending the night at campsite 113. It was great having her company with her bubbly personality. I had met Not Natasha on Trail Journals. Ranger Bob, Rebecca and I spent time chatting as we got to know each other.The dam is incredible and the water is such a beautiful crystal blue in color. After crossing the dam we began the long asscent up Shuckstack Mountain. What a difference a day makes. Yesterday we are freezing and today it's sunny, blue skies no clouds and HOT. With no leaves on the trees the sun just bares down on you. I don't do well in the heat...unfortunately. We found a small piece of shade cast by a tree and sat down for lunch. Jill surprised us with some homemade brownies. They were so yummy. Now what hiker doesn't enjoy a homemade brownie with their lunch? Thanks Jill.We made our way to Shuckstack fire tower. Jill agreed to watch our packs since she had just been up there in the fall. A deer watched us as we made our way to the tower. I could only go up the first flight of stairs and about 4 steps on the 2nd flight. I just couldn't manage climbing that high.Carl the ridgerunner greeted us at the campsite and went over all the dos and don'ts of the park. Greenstone & Thimbleberry and Memphis Rain are with us tonight. We all gathered around the fire ring for dinner which was at the original site of the old Birch Spring Shelter which has been torn down.It's quite buggy tonight which I guess goes along with the hot weather.Dinner complete, food bags hung, water purified and a goodnight from Greg. I'm ready to snuggle down in my sleeping bag.Hope to get an early start tomorrow morning. Severe thunderstorms are predicted.Four days and counting until I see Greg. That will keep me going.
Date: 2011-04-04
From: Campsite 113

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Earliest start yet...8:10. Said goodbye to Not Natasha as she headed back to Fontana Dam. It was great having her hike with me. I'll miss her bubbly personality.It was sunny, but the strong breeze saved me from the heat. It was actually great hiking conditions.The terrain was relatively kind today compared to how it has been. The spring beauties are blooming quite profusely along the trail. There were quite a lot of large downed trees, but they had been there awhile as they were covered with moss.We stopped for lunch at Russell Field Shelter and to get some water. The wind is becoming quite gusty and clouds are beginning to roll in. The predicted strong storm with tornado warnings is getting closer. It was 2:00 and better judgement said to stay where I am. Better safe than sorry. More and more people are arriving and many have opted to stay put.Russel Field Shelter appears to have been replaced. It looks relatively new. It even has sky lights which provides a lot of light inside.The strong wind has blown dirt all over me. Everything I touch is filthy. I can wash my hands and as soon as I touch something it looks as though I never washed them.Dinner is eaten and food bags hung. The sky is becoming darker and darker. Everyone has secured a place in the shelter to wait out the storm.Rebecca has a new trail name for me...Shelter Feet. Whenever a shelter is close my feet seem to move quickly to get there. I kind of like that name.A few things I'm really missing right now is a HOT shower, lotion on my dry skin, my bed and of course Greg and the girls.
Date: 2011-04-05
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: scattered clouds

As the storm blew through last night it sounded just like the hurricanes I had experienced in FL. It lasted at least 6 hours. Several times I put my sleeping bag over my head and prayed the roof of the shelter wasn't going to blow off. I'm so glad I was in a shelter and not a tent.The morning was extremely cold. First light revealed snow all over the ground. This was going to be a cold windy walk. It was cloudy most of the day and a few times it actually snowed lightly.There were some views on top of Thunderhead Mountain, which was above tree line. It was beautiful looking back at the snow covered trees. A couple of times some blue sky showed through the clouds. There were many ups and downs through the snow and ice covered trail.By the time I reached Derrick Knob Shelter the sun was beginning to shine, but it was still very cold and windy. I found a spot in the sun to eat my dinner, but it didn't take long for it to cool off.I was really dragging today because of the lack of sleep.With the exception of the first day my experience weather wise in the Smokys has been very cold and windy.It's so cold that the thought of washing off isn't very appealing. I'm looking forward to Gatlinburg and a hot shower.
Date: 2011-04-06
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: clear sky

The sun greeted me the first thing this morning...yahoo!As the day wore on and the temperture warmed up the trail became extremely muddy. Sometimes the mud went over the top of my boot...yuck! It was very slippery going down hill with the mud. It was slow going at times. I fell a couple of times adding to the mud on my rain pants and me. Oh well...what can you do?At one point about 1 1/2 miles from the shelter Rebecca and I questioned whether we were on the trail. There were no blazes for at least 20 minutes. We ended up turning around and walking back to the sign only to realize we were on the trail. Thus an hour of extra walking.Something new today...fur trees. It was so nice to walk through fur trees. They smell so good and provided some shade.So glad to be here. Great spring very close to the shelter.I can't wait to get to Gatlinburg tomorrow. A hug from Greg, a shower, bed, restaurant and a nice furry snuggle with the girls.
Date: 2011-04-07
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: clear sky

A little warmer in the morning compared to what it has been. It wasn't long and I was shedding layers. The climb up towards Clingmans Dome didn't seem so difficult this morning. Probably had to do with getting to Newfound Gap and seeing Greg and the dogs. Enjoyed walking through fur trees. The aroma was that of a Christmas tree farm.Passed by the trail to Clingmans Dome, but didn't make the trip. I've been there before and I'm anxious to see Greg. The trail today was through a lot of old growth forest. There were a lot of blow downs...not from the recent storm...just in general. The trail maintainers of this section really have a tough job keeping this trail open. There was still a lot of ice on the trail from the recent storm that blew through. Walking is tricky at times. I don't need to slip. We met the trail maintainer and chatted with him for a while. Nice man. We complimented him on his hard work.The sun is out and it's getting warmer. Rebecca's husband Mike hiked in from Newfound Gap and met us with a bagel, cream cheese and Gator Aid. That was a nice treat and tasted oh so good!Got to Newfound Gap around 2:30. Greg and the dogs were waiting for me. It was great seeing them.Got a motel room at the Microtel Motel and will take a zero day and try to heal this rash that has made walking quite uncomfortable.Shower and dinner...can't get any better.
Date: 2011-04-08
From: Gatlinburg

To: home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Gatlinburg to me is like a side show. It has everything from Ripley's Believe It Or Not, to gift stores, ice cream parlors and everything in between. I must say that having many restaurants to choose from was nice. The streets are crowded and it is a little overload of stimulation.The zero day was used for the usual thing...laundry, re-supplying and of course eating. I've had many showers...because I could and used over the counter medicines. This rash doesn't seem to be getting any better and looks infected. I've decided to go home and try to doctor it a little more and go to the doctor if need be.
Date: 2011-05-05
From: Home

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I have been home for about 3 weeks. I wasn't feeling well and found out I had a staph infection. I've been on antibiotics and the rash has gone away. I thought I probably would not get back on the trail, but you know how that is...I just couldn't stay away so I'll be getting back on the trail in Atkins, VA. I'll be joining my friends that I had been hiking with. I just hope I can keep up.I'm not sure what will happen...where I'll end up or how far I'll go. For now I'll just be headin north.
Date: 2011-02-03
To: Last Prep Entry Until Georgia
Miles today: 0.0

I'm not much of a one for prep entries. Even with the dozens of journals here I've read, I admit I rarely read all of the preps. There were a few journals that had so big an effect on me that I went back and reread them, preps and all. It's interesting sometimes to see how people change from the "getting ready" rookie stage to the "2000 miles in" veteran stage. I'm not sure how many people will be interested in ready my journal. Friends and family of course and maybe a few people at work. I suppose it's for myself as much as anyone. To reread it after I've finished and see how much has changed.My training has hit a bit of a hitch in that Northeast Oklahoma just had the biggest one day snowfall on record: 13 inches where I live, and up to 20 further northeast of Tulsa. It will be weeks before some of the hiking trails around here are hikable. On on vacation this week. I'm supposed to be spending the week hiking the Butterfield Trail at Devil's Den State Park in Arkansas, but the snow has the area pretty much locked down. I'm taking another week of vacation in 2 weeks and then another in 4 weeks, which I intend to spend hiking. After that, it's back to work for one more week and I'm done. My job will be waiting for me when I come back. (They've had 15 months notice, after all.)I'll be arriving at Amicalola Fall Lodge on Sunday the 20th. I've rented a cottage for 2 nights for me and my family. I had intended to start my hike on Monday the 21st, but my brother is flying in from Las Vegas that day and won't arrive until around noon, so I've agreed to wait until Tuesday morning to start so he can hike the first few miles with me. My mom and my niece will also be there.I've posted most of my gear. I guesstimated a few of the weights, but they should be pretty close. Now it's mostly just waiting for mid March to get here. I probably won't do another Prep entry until I get to Georgia. I'll do one with some final thoughts before I start. Thank you to those who have signed my guest book. I don't do as good a job of responding to those as I should, but they are all appreciated.By the way, I will be bringing a good camera along, but I will also take pictures when I can with my phone, since it may take a while to get pictures posted from my camera. My phone has a 5 MP camera, and I can upload the photos immediately to my Facebook page. My primary journal will be here, but I will add pictures and updates on Facebook to help people keep track of me. Facebook apparently doesn't host video, so I will also add video from my phone, and when possible from my camera, to Photobucket.com. Search for user Wraijth. And also, if your interested, you can check out my YouTube page at youtube.com/user/wraijthify.
Date: 2011-03-21
To: Finally in Georgia
Miles today: 0.0

We arrived at Amicalola on Sunday. I picked my brother up at the airport Monday morning. Now the family and I are in a cottage here at the park. I stay the trail tomorrow morning.A few last thoughts about gear. My Thermarest Trail sleeping pad developed a leak after only about six uses. So I've switched to a second closed cell foam pad. Using the two pads together adds a bit of bulk, but they're comfortable and not that heavy. I actually debated whether I could get away with packing my 40 degree sleeping bag since the temps here are in the upper 70's with lows in the 50's, but the ranger told me I'd still need the 20 degree bag in the mountains for probably another month.I have a reservation at a hostel at mile 20 on the second day. I have to be there by 5 pm to get picked up, so I'm going to try to do 12 to 15 miles for my first day since there are thunderstorms in the area on Wednesday.Well, that's all for now. I just want to get started tomorrow.
Date: 2011-03-22
From: Springer Mountain

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: broken clouds

I started the trail at 7:00 am. I met hikers Paul and Pat (no trail names yet) at Stover Creek Shelter. I met several other hikers along the way, including Hawk, That Guy, Sparky, and others whose names I didn't catch. The first mountain crossing was Hawk Mountain which wasn't so tough, but then I had to climb Sasafrass Mountain which was not even in the Thruhiker's Companion. As soon as Sasafrass was done it was followed immediately by Justus Mountain. The two back to back were pretty darn tough, which was the subject of much conversation at the Gooch Mountain Shelter where I spent the first night.
Date: 2011-03-23
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: light rain

Yesterday I saw an Osprey Helicopter/Airplane or whatever while it was in helicopter mode hovering beside Sasafrass Mountain. The army does training maneuvers in the area. Today one of them buzzed us in airplane mode at low altitude and scared the hell out of us. We were in the trees and couldn't see it coming. We just heard a giant godawful racket and this thing comes storming overhead at about 200 feet.Today I hiked the 5 miles from Gooch Mountain to Woody Gap with Tortise, while the brothers Coach & Big Ben played leapfrog with us when Big Ben kept stopping for breaks. Something about the way Coach gripes at Big Ben is just hilarious. They have a blog at www.hikingitat.blogspot.com. I recommend checking it out.Right now I'm on the computer at the Hiker Hostel in Dahlenega, GA. They took us to Walmart in town to let us resupply and they'll feed us breakfast in the morning before taking us back to the trail. The weather today was very cloudy and cool, but it never rained although it threatened to all day. The cooler temperatures were much welcome.Got my first Trail Magic yesterday. Someone had left 3 gallons of water at the bottom of Sasafrass Mountain which was much appreciated since it was several miles between streams. The streams here have been crystal clear and cold. Great for drinking but I still treat it just in case.I need to say thanks to Paul who gave me some vitamins since I had forgotten them, and Pat who game me some hot chocolate this morning since I had forgotten that too, and Big Ben who game me a chocolate covered granola bar.Tomorrow I plan to hike an easy 7.5 miles to a campsite just before Blood Mountain. Friday morning I'll do an easy 4 miles into Neels Gap where I'll pick up my first mail drop. There is an outfitter at the Gap that will do a shakedown of you pack to make sure everything is adjusted correctly and to see that you're carrying what you need and not a bunch of extra junk that's just going to weigh you down. I'll also buy new shirts and hiking shorts there since the ones I've got don't work too well on the trail. I'll also see about getting some gaiters for my boots to keep debris and water out, which will hopefully mean I won't have to where my rain pants since they're very hot. Well, as soon as my laundry is done I'm going to bed since I only slept 2 hours last night. It will probably we a couple of weeks before I get used to sleeping on the trail. Anything I've forgotten to talk about today I'll add to the next entry.
Date: 2011-03-24
From: Woody Gap

To: Woods Hole shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: clear sky

Had a great night of sleep at the hiker hostel in Dahlonega. We had a nice pancake breakfast before being driven back to the trail. It rained last night which was unfortunate for those camping but the clouds cleared off before the sun came up which made for a beautiful day. Hiked with Tortise again. He's a big guy and he's having trouble adjusting to the trail, so I stayed with him through the day so he wouldn't have to hike alone. The pace was slow which was fine with me since it was only a 7.5 mile day anyway. We made it to Woods Hole Shelter at mile 27 about 4:30. Soho and her friend whose name I shamefully forgot were there, along with the brothers Coach and Big Ben, and others. The shelter only holds six, but I'm tenting along with about a dozen others. Tomorrow I'm going to hike into Neels Gap. There's an outfitter and hostel right on the trail. I'll pick up my first mail drop and get a hot meal and then probably move on up the trail a little ways before finding a place to camp.So far no rain and life is great.
Date: 2011-03-25
From: Woods Hole shelter

To: Campsite
Miles today: 4.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Packed up and left Woods Hole at 7am. The first hike of the day was up Blood Mountain, the highest mountain we've come to yet. The trail had lots of switchbacks though so it wasn't too bad. Met Parker and Turtle at Blood Mountain shelter. We hung out a bit at the top and took a few pictures of the amazing views, but it was cold and the wind was blowing like crazy so we made our way down the mountain to Neels Gap. We were met with trail magic hamburgers cooked fresh on the grill. Thanks Keith. Ended up spending almost 8 hours at Neels. Had Winton Porter [I hope I got that right] shake down my pack and give me some valuable advice about more suitable clothing for the mountains and also a good hydration system. Ended up spending $330 on clothes, hydration system, and a much better Big Agnes 2.5 inch inflatable sleeping pad. I'm a little skeptical of inflatable pads because I've had problems with them but the Big Agnes is used my many hikers and I've heard only good about it. The brothers (Coach and Big Ben) also had there packs shaken down and we all hiked out together about 5:30 pm to a campsite about a mile up the hill where we will spend the night. Expecting rain tonight.
Date: 2011-03-26
From: Campsite

To: Whitley Gap Shelter
Miles today: 5.1
Weather: heavy intensity rain

I'm writing this a day late, but I didn't have the energy to write yesterday. Yesterday was a pretty miserable day. Had to pack up my camp in the rain. Everything got soaked. Then hiked about six miles in the rain. I decided I had to stop at the first shelter I came to. Unfortunately it was 1.2 miles off the trail. The next shelter was four miles further on, so I decided to stop. What I didn't know was that it was 1.2 miles down a very steep slope. I was exhausted when I got there. The shelter held six people and there were six of us there crammed in like sardines. And one of them snored. And we were in a cloud bank so the mist kept everything soaked. Worst day yet on the AT. Things got better today, but that will be the next entry.
Date: 2011-03-27
From: Whitley Gap Shelter

To: Campsite
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Packed up and left Whitley Gap shelter about 8am. The rain had stopped, but still being above 3000 feet and in the cloud bank everything was still soaked. Put all my wet clothes back on so as to try to save the few dry clothes I had. I can tell you, pulling on wet socks and boots on a cold morning is no fun. Got to the next shelter four miles later and changed into my last pair of dry socks. About 3 o'clock or so the sun miraculously came out and suddenly everything changed. It's amazing how much fun hiking in the sun is after a day and a half of mist and rain. I even stopped on top of the mountain and spread out my gear to dry it out. About 30 minutes layer though the clouds started moving back in so I packed it all up and booked it down the mountain to a campsite.
Date: 2011-03-28
From: Campsite

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 3.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I managed to get my camp set up before the rains came, but I had set my tent up on a slight slope which had me sliding to the back of my tent all night. At least the rain had stopped by about 8am so I didn't have to break down my tent in the rain again. But it was still soaked from the mist since I was still in the cloud layer. After that it was a steep climb for about the next mile and a half before a one thousand foot descent into Unicoi Gap at mile 51 of the AT. Met up with hikers Deb and Hiker Chick at the top of the mountain and hiked down with them. At the gap, Hiker Chick called for a shuttle to Haiwasee to stay in a motel and invited me to go too. Well, I can tell you after two days of rain and mist, and everything I had being soaked, I was fine with that idea. So here I am in my hotel room for the night. The shuttle will take us back to the gap in the morning and we'll continue our hike. Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny with rains coming late tomorrow night, but at least I'll be starting with everything clean and organized. Next major stop is the Blueberry Patch Hostel at Dicks Creek Gap at mile 67.
Date: 2011-03-29
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 5.6
Weather: few clouds

The shuttle bus broke down this morning so we were a little late getting back to Unicoi Gap. It was about 10 am before we got started. Right off was a steep climb up Rocky Mountain with an equally steep descent. Hiked again with Hiker Chick and Deb, now known as Pippy (because of her pigtails) and Teach (because she was a teacher for 27 years.) Then we hiked up Tray Mountain, which at 4430 feet is the second highest mountain we've had to climb yet, but at least it wasn't as steep. Tonight we're at the Tray Mountain shelter. It's supposed to rain all day tomorrow so the plan its to make it just 7.5 miles to the next shelter, then a short day the next day to the Blueberry Patch Hostel at Hiawassee. That's a place most hikers stop if they have the chance. It's got a great reputation. After that the next town stop will be Franklin, NC at mile 107.
Date: 2011-03-30
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: moderate rain

Last night we had 9 people stuffed into a 7 person shelter on Tray Mountain. The typical AT shelter is a three sided affair with an open front. There was a huge thunderstorm that blew in last night and of course it came from the direction of the open front. Everybody got soaked. We tried to tarp it off but the wind was too strong, but we all made it through the night. Hit the trail about 9am. Hiked again with Teach and Pippy. Again we hiked in the cold wind and rain all day. We started with a steep climb down Tray Mountain. After that lots of medium ups and downs before reaching Kelley's Knob, which in spite of the name is just as tall a mountain as Tray was but much more steep. It took forever to reach the top. Then it was another horribly steep descent down the mountain to the Deep Gap Shelter at mile 64. We only did 7.5 miles today but with the nonstop rain and mud it was plenty enough. Tomorrow will be a short 3 miles into Dicks Creek Gap and a stay at the Blueberry Patch Hostel. I may even consider taking my first zero day because I'm so tired. A lot of that has to do with the 5 days of rain we've just had. The weather is supposed to improve though.