morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-04-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Well here I am in Erwin, Tennessee, which is about 75 miles from Hot Springs. It took me three days to get here. I am staying at a hostel and caught a spot at Uncle Johnny¢s. They give rides into town for breakfast lunch and dinner. I went  in for  dinner and stopped by a Walmart to resupply. I think I¢ll take a zero here tomorrow which means no hiking. I got here early enough to run to dinner at 5 o¢clock. Tomorrow I think I¢ll take  breakfast lunch and Dinner Shuttle. I need to pack in protein and calories because I¢m losing a lot of weight. Chicken Parmesan was really good from the Italian restaurant tonight. I did my laundry as soon as I got here so I could take that dinner shuttle.
Date: 2018-04-29
From: Atkins Virginia

To: Atkins Virginia
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Well here I am in Atkins, Virginia. After hiking 75 miles in three days, I couldn¢t pass up a hotel stay that is right on the trail. I was able to relax and right up the street is the barn restaurant, which I had it 2 o¢clock. I went back to the motel to do my laundry, take a shower, and pay special attention to my feet. At 6:30 I went to the Mexican restaurant and got a nacho. I also had a pack explosion. That¢s when you take everything out let it dry out and throw out the things you don¢t need . There¢s a lot to do when I get in town. I¢m also trying to resupply at the gas station. The first day out of Damascus I have my first fall and it was a doozy. I bruised my thigh aggravated my rotator cuff and hit my head on a rock. I felt like a fighter had just punched me. I tried to get up and I fell back down. WOW, I never want to do that again. The shower when I got here felt great. Tomorrow morning I¢m getting breakfast at the barn restaurant and hitting the trail again. We have some good weather in the forecast so I waiting for some bad weather to take some time off. These marathon days stacked together is tough but I don¢t like carrying a lot of food. I¢m 545 miles in which is a quarter of the way. Every day is a mental challenge. I have been getting up at 6 or 630 and start hiking all day long. I have great support on and off the trail. I¢m living the dream!
Date: 2018-05-03
From: Zero Day

To: Pearisburg Virginia
Miles today: 0.0

Hawk and I made it to Pearisburg Virginia. It¢s a great town to take a zero, resupply, eat food, recharge my phone, do laundry, and sleep on a level bed. Since Hawk and I left Damascus six days ago we covered 167 miles. That¢s averaging 27 miles a day! It¢s unbelievable that my knees are holding up. My legs are doing great but it¢s still a challenge mentally every day. Every hour Hawk is such a great friend. It¢s very important to have a good friend out here. We ate at the all you can eat Chinese food buffet today. It was a great day. I am thinking the pizza hut buffet for dinner tonight and the Mexican place tomorrow before we head out. I will also stop at Hardee¢s to drag some breakfast sandwiches out with me. They¢re always good on the trail. We will be in Virginia for 2-3 more weeks and then I should be at the halfway point. We¢ve been seeing hikers all day come and go out of town that we saw on the trail. It¢s going to hit 80 today! We need to be hiking as soon as the sun comes up, if not earlier . We¢re getting longer days now so we¢re going to have to be taking lunch breaks. To cool down, I soak my shirt in the cold Creekwater several times a day. We have a full load of food and 2500 foot elevation gain tomorrow morning. Leaving town is always hard!
Date: 2021-03-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We've been waiting a long time to start this amazing adventure. We thought about this in our twenties and now that we're in our 60s it's time to get on with it! We're both recently retired and finally we can take to time to make it happen. Over the years we've section-hiked about 300 miles of the trail, but we have never been on this trail for more than a week at a time. But we're ready to go. Our kids and grandkids are very supportive and we'll miss them all. Some people think we're nuts, but most are really excited for us.We've always enjoyed the outdoors and we look forward to enjoying nature, fellow hikers and the whole Appalachian Trail challenges.
Date: 2021-03-21
To: Black Gap Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Our plan was to drive a one way rental car from our home in Pennsylvania down to Georgia. We were going to drop the car off at the Atlanta airport and then get an Uber to Amicalola Falls State Park.Well, my friends took me out for a retirement celebration Friday afternoon and I kind of lost track of time and I arrived at the rental car place 20 minutes too late,. It turns out it was spring break weekend and none of the other rental car companies we're making one way rentals. Needless to say, this was very upsetting.So we tried to make a new plan to get to the trail. After searching for buses, trains and other methods to travel, my daughter and her boyfriend Josh suggested that we should just drive our car to Amicalola and they would eventually drive down and bring it home. It turns out that Amicalola Falls State Park will let you park there for months at a time. And it only costs $25(with Senior Citizen discount). So the plan was set. Thank to Hannah and Josh we were good to go.We left on Saturday the 20th. We also planned to visit my nephew Brandon, his wife Beth Ann, and their four children in Augusta. We drove 12 hours,. arriving at their place at 6:30 pm. Brandon and Beth Ann moved to Augusta from Pennsylvania about 5 years ago. Brandon works for the Federal government and Beth Ann is a school teacher. They also operate a ice cream,. actually frozen custard, operation called The Meadows. This is a franchise they that is based in Holidaysburg, PA. We had a great visit with themThe next day we drove to Amicalola Falls to start hiking. Just before we arrived there we stopped at a Five Guys to get a greasy squirt-burger fries as our last real meal before eating dehydrated food for many months. I can't think of a better way to prepare than this. It should be in the training manual.We checked in at the entrance to the approach trail at about 1:30. It was a beautiful sunny day in the 50s - great hoking weather. We registered as thru-hikers 1057 and 1058 for this season.   Right now it'6 pretty much the peak starting date for northbound thru-hikers. They told us that at least 50 started today. We weighed our packs. Tom"s was 26 pounds and Lucy's was 24.  That was with 4 days of food and 2 bottles of water each. We were pretty happy with that.Then off we went to start hiking. The approach trail is about 8 1/2 miles from Amicalola to the top of Springer Mountain, hich is the starting point for the Appalachian trail. So the miles on the approach trail don"t count for the thru-hike. We hiked a little over 7 miles to Black Gap. shelter. The trail guide calls this hike "strenuous" and it was a bit of a challenge since we're not in hiking shape yet. But we made it we'll before dark. All-in-all,. The last two days have been very exciting.Quote of the day from a lady we met on the approach trail:. "You two can't be thru-hikers. You're too clean"
Date: 2021-03-22
From: Black Gap Shelter

To: Stealth tent site north of Hightower Gap
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: clear sky

We stayed last night at a tent site at Black Gap Shelter. There we're about seven other tents set up, and a couple people used the shelter. But it wasn't crowded at all. The Appalachian Trail Conference is strongly discouraging the use of shelters due to Covid. In addition, the privies are apparently shut down throughout the trail.We hiked up to the top of Springer Mt and took pictures at the official southern terminus of the trail. From there we started our official northbound thru-hike.There were lots of people out on the trail. Some were thru-hikers but most we're day hikers. It was another beautiful day to be hiking. We were originally going to stay at Hawk Mt shelter, but it was only mid afternoon when we arrived there, so we hiked on to a stealth campsite atop a ridge north of Hightower Gap.
Date: 2021-03-23
From: Stealth tent site north of Hightower Gap

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: overcast clouds

We got up just before first light and were treated to a beautiful sunrise. A perfect way to start the day.There were lots of ups and downs today. The terrain reminds me of the hills in West Virginia. The trail itself is in great shape. We met a Georgia trail volunteer along the way and he said they take pride in keeping the trail well maintained. Then he told us not to get used to it. Apparently it gets worse when we get out if Georgia. We're very thankful for these volunteers.We had some gear casualties today. Lucy took a tumble on some rocks. She was OK, but smashed the face of her call phone. It's still functional but it's hard to read the screen through the broken glass. Our water filter also stopped working. We couldn't get anything out of it or even backflush it. Another hiker gave us some chlorine tablets to hold us over. We'll pick up new filter in Neels Gap in a couple days.We're running into a lot of the same people along the trail and are striking up some friendships. We've met people from Texas, Florida, Georgia, Maine, Wash DC and other places. Everyone is very friendly.
Date: 2021-03-24
From: Woody Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: light rain

We went over Blood Mountain today. This is the highest point on the trail in Georgia, at 4400 feet or so. One of the locals told us that Blood Mountain gets its name from when the Cherokee Indians came down from the north and wiped out the Creeks here, sending them into Florida. Another story claims that the mountain gets its name from red flowers that grow there. We'll, I didn't see any flowers so I'm going with the Indian story. Makes better conversation.The climb up the mountain was a challenge, but the worst part was the descent on the north side. It was treacherous, with steep rock slabs and many rocky jumbles to negotiate. Glad that's over with.At Mountain Crossings in Neels Gap we bought some supplies, including a new water filter. The people there were nice enough to adjust our packs for us. They said "you have to wear your backpack, not carry it". So now we're wearing our backpacks. They're great enhancements to our wardrobes.
Date: 2021-03-25
From: Neels Gap

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

Last night we stayed at Your Home in the Woods B&B, in Blairsville, GA. We really enjoyed our stay there. Bonnie and Paul we're very gracious hosts. They'll pick you up from the trail, feed you dinner and breakfast, do your laundry, and deliver you back to the trail the next day. The food was plentiful and delicious. It was a great place to stay and a nice break from trail life.Today's hike was relatively easy but it rained all day with thunderstorms and high winds at times. Our rain gear held up pretty well but eventually we got a little wet because it rained for so long. Tomorrow is supposed to be nicer.
Date: 2021-03-26
From: Low Gap

To: Tray Mountain
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: light rain

Last night we hoped to stay at Low Gap Shelter to keep out of the rain, but when we arrived there the shelter was full. So we found a flat spot that was not in a drainage area and set up the tent. All night there were heavy thunderstorms and torrential rains. It was pretty scary. There were flash floods warnings throughout the local area. We found out today that 4-5 inches of rain came down last night. Our tent held up very well. There was very little water inside in the morning. I have to give a shout out to Big Agnes. We're using their Tiger Wall UL2 tent. The picture of our tent in this post was taken a few days ago. The tent only weighs about 2 1/2 pounds and it has performed really well for us.Lucy has decided that she would enjoy this adventure much more as a support person rather than hiking the trail every day. We've met a few other couples where one is hiking the trail while the other follows along in a vehicle for resupply, shuttles into town. It was fortunate that we left our car at Amicalola Falls. A couple days ago we got a ride back to there and picked up the car. Now Lucy will operate the chase car. We'll meet up every so often and she'll hike in from nearby parking lots to stay in the tent. Another cool thing about this arrangement is that she can operate as a trail angel, giving out water and food to hikers as they pass through road crossings.
Date: 2021-03-27
From: Tray Mountain

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: clear sky

The goal today was Dicks Creek Gap. Lucy parked at the Gap and hiked south a couple miles to meet me. We finished up around 12:30, and then we were off to Hiawassee to visit the Hiawassee Brewery for some microbrew and tacos. Their pale ale hit the spot. A great way to finish a hiking day.Then we were back at Your Home in the Woods B&B to enjoy the hospitality of Bonnie and Paul again. Can't get too much of a good thing!If you are reading these posts, please sign the guest book and post a comment. It would be great to hear from you. You can ask questions there and we'll answer them in subsequent posts.
Date: 2021-03-28
From: Dicks Creek Gap

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

We crossed our first state border today. I was hoping to receive a shot of Jameson and a marching band, but they must have left before I got there :(.  It feels good to have one milestone behind us. Georgia was a good state to train for the rest of the hike. There were lots of challenging ups and downs.  I definitely enjoy the ups more than the downs. It's just easier to fall or blow a knee out on the downs.We had an interesting experience while driving to the trailhead this morning. As we were driving on a two lane highway a dog was limping towards us right in the center of the road. A little further along two other dogs of a similar breed were also roaming unleashed where a driveway met the road. One of these two dogs was missing a leg. All of the dogs looked like they were we'll fed.  There were no humans around. After driving a little further we decided to turn around and see if we could find the owner to let him know the dogs might get run over.So we turned into the driveway and knocked on the door. After a few minutes a man came to the door looking very unhappy that I was there.Man in house: "Yeah, what do you want?"Me: "Uh, there are three dogs near the end of your driveway that are going to get run over and I thought they might be yours"The guy looks me over. I'm dressed in my Sunday best hiking clothes (clean T-shirt and shorts)Man in house: "Who are you and where are you from?Me: "Look, I just thought you might want to help with these dogs"Man in house: "Dogs! I don't care about no dogs. Why don't you get back in your car and get out of here"So much for trying to be a good Boy Scout. I guess his reaction might have been expected, but I was surprised by this harsh reception. I was glad to get back on the trail. Everyone we've met on the trail has been very friendly and helpful.
Date: 2021-03-29
From: Muskrat Creek

To: Betty Creek Gap
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: light rain

The Muscrat Creek shelter area was packed last night. There were at least 20 tents set up with another 10 people or so in the shelter.  It had been raining most of the day and it finally stopped in the early evening. People were hanging bear bags containing food and other smellables all over the place. The idea is to hang these bags at least 10 feet off the ground and at least 5 horizontally from tree trunks so bears couldn't reach them. But many of the campers hung them haphazardly. Some were only a few feet off the ground. A bear could have a feast at this campsite.AWOLs AT Guide, the guidebook used by most hikers, warns that normal methods for be hanging bear bags will not protect your food in this area. Apparently the bears are smarter here. Or maybe they go through special training. The Guide recommends using bear canisters. I've only seen one hiker with a canister. Nobody wants to carry the extra weight.The temperature dropped all night, and our shoes which were soaked from walking in the rain yesterday, were frozen stiff this morning. Our water bottles we're partially frozen also. After hiking an hour or so we were warm again. Lucy and I hiked north together for 4 miles to the car, which was parked at Deep Gap. Then I continued on to Betty Creek Gap. I hiked a little further than originally planned so I could have a shorter day tomorrow, when we'll stay at Baltimore Jack's Hostel in Franklin, NC.
Date: 2021-03-30
From: Betty Creek Gap

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

The first hundred miles are in the bag. Our son Jerry texted us and informed us that we are 4.6% done. I guess 100 miles doesn't sound so impressive from thatperspective. One step at a time.Most hikers get off the trail at Winding Stair Gap or one of other nearby road crossings to go into Franklin, NC. Franklin is a hiker-friendly town that has a number of hostels, hotels, and B&B's. It also has an outfitter for new gear and gear repairs, a brew-pub and other places that provide hiker necessities. In the town square there's a large welcome board for 2021 thru-hikers. Hikers are encouraged to sign it.We're staying tonight at Baltimore Jack's Hostel. Baltimore Jack wrote a nice resupply guide a while back that we're using as a reference.Tomorrow is supposed to be rainy most of the day with heavy downpours and thunderstorms in the afternoon. We may try to do some hiking in the morning before the heavy rains come.
Date: 2021-03-31
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Burningtown Gap
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: few clouds

Yesterday evening we met up with our son Brian and his wife Adele at a restaurant in Walhalla, SC. Brian and Adele drove down to Greenville,SC to explore the area for a potential place to live when Brian finishes his Residency,. Wahalla is about half way between Greenville and Franklin, NC, where we're staying right now. It was great to see the two of them.I started hiking today from Winding Stair Gap in the rain with the intention of quiting just before the thunderstorms arrived in the early afternoon. Apparently I was the only knucklehead with this plan because I only saw one other hiker on the trail today. And he was hiking back to the nearest road junction to get a ride home because he blew out his knee. I felt bad for him. I've heard of a number of hikers who've had to end their hikes due to injuries.I met Lucy at Wayah Bald tower, which at 5300 feet, usually provides a great view of the mountains for miles around. Today it was socked in with clouds. It was still early and the thunderstorms were still hours away, so I hiked on to Burningtown Gap,. That will make for a shorter hike tomorrow when we hike into the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). There's a small cabin waiting for us there with a hot tub. We're trying to enjoy the local amenities as much as we can as we continue this adventure.
Date: 2021-04-01
From: Burningtown Gap

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Hi everyone,Tom asked me to tell you what kind of day I put in "on the trail". Well, our morning started @ 6:00am. We were in the car by 6:30 looking for a gas station and checking on the oil to Mini. Then it was off on a 53 minute car ride on winding backroads to Burningtown Gap to drop Tom off where I picked him the day before.I followed the road towards the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). Our afternoon meeting place. I drove through this incredible canyon with a raging river along side. It reminded me of the Pacific Northwest. I actually drove through it twice....I turned around and drove through it again. It was so pretty in this canyon. I later found out the 2013 freestyle kayaking championships were held on this stream.  Today was an easier day for me. I hiked 2.5 miles on the AT to meet up with Tom. Then we hiked 2.5 miles back to the car. It was a very cold hike. I don't think it got much above 40 today and it was very windy. I saw less than 5 hikers today. I think the rain and freezing cold had something to do with this. I try everyday to hike between 4 to 8 miles.
Date: 2021-04-02
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Sweetwater Gap
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

Good Friday. We have to abstain from meat today. No problem there. Meat is pretty scarce on the trail. I've only seen 3 critters in the trail so far, all on them squirrels.The day started off pretty cold. When I started off hiking around 8:00 AM, it was 27 deg. But it wasn't uncomfortable. Yesterday the temperature was in the upper 30's in the morning and the wind was blowing around 20 mph. I was very cold for the first few hours. Today the wind was light and it made a huge difference. Looking ahead, I know we're eventually going to be hiking in 90 deg temps with high humidity. I'll take today's conditions over that.Lucy spent the day hiking, checking out the local towns and shuttling hikers from Stecoah Gap into town. She really enjoys helping others. We met up at the Gap and hiked on a mile further to a tent site. It's going to be cold again tonight, but things are looking up in the days ahead.
Date: 2021-04-03
From: Sweetwater Gap

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

Today the hike took us to Fontana Dam. The hike was long and mostly downhill, which sounds easier but it was really hard on my knees. Other people I met we're having difficulties also. I just have to slow down on the downhills. Lucy met me about 2 1/2 miles from the dam and we hiked in together.I hiked a few miles today with rodNreel. He's 69 years old and has already hiked the trail twice ... when he was 23 and 62. He walks a mean pace and I had trouble keeping up with him. He gave me lots of good advice about food, gear, and hiking technique. Nice guy.The picture in this post is the FontanaHilton shelter. It is supposed to be the most luxurious shelter on the trail. It has room for quite a few people, maybe 20 or so. There are picnic tables outside, a grassy area for people who want to set up tents, a charging station for cell phones, a hot shower nearby, and it overlooks Fontana Lake. It's as good as shelters get.Tomorrow I'll enter the Smokies. The Smokies are notorious for bad weather, and the next 4 days or so are looking pretty good. I hope to get through in 5 days. It's about 74 miles so it'll be a challenge. Lucy is going to drive home to State College, PA tomorrow. She's going to swap out Mini Cooper for our truck. The truck is more reliable and she can help more people with the truck.We'd like to thank all who have signed the guestbook and posted comments. We read them all and we are inspired by your posts.
Date: 2021-04-04
From: Fontana Dam

To: Russel Field Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: clear sky

Easter Sunday. We're so thankful for the blessings God has given us and for the opportunity to pursue this adventure. Lucy and I watched Sunday Mass from our church back home via YouTube. I have to say that it's much easier to fall asleep during the Homily when you're watching it on YouTube than it is in person.Speaking of church, last night we stayed at Lonnie's Stecoah Wolf Creek Hostel, and after we checked in we met Eddie Grunenwald there. Eddie goes to our church back home and usually sits about six pews behind us. Neither of us had any idea the other one was hiking the AT. We just happened to choose the same hostel on the same day.  It was cool to see him. It's nice to have a local connection.