morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-03-10
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke to rain and left in the rain. Made our way to Standing Indian Mountain. Normally a great place to take pictures. The visibility was zero and the wind was bout 40mph. No pictures from the summit it was very cold and no views. Made our way to Carter Gap Shelter. It was a full shelter again with several camping.It rained most of the night and we started out with rain and cold. I don't think we have had more than a few hours of sunshine since I started this trip.
Date: 2015-03-11
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 15.9

Left the shelter with rain again. The big climb today was Albert Mountain. If you have hiked this area before you how difficult it gets near the summit. It is almost a vertical rock climb the last 150 yards. The was more difficult with everything being wet and slick. Made it over the mountain and was making good progress toward Winding Stair Gap to get into Franklin when a major rain storm it. We all were soaked for the last two hours of hiking. I got to the Gap first and shortly there after my two hiking partners show up(the two marines). We didn't have cell service to call Franklin when an older gentlemen stopped and offered us a ride to the motel. We were really nasty and I am not I would of given us a ride but it was a blessing to get it. We were willing to give him some money for the ride but he said just pay it forward to someone else one day. Now I am in Franklin at the Sapphire Inn. Ate at the Mexican place across the street. Clothes are dry. All the motels are full because of all the rain and it is still in the forecast for the next few days. We decide to take a zero here and then probably push all the way to Fontana Village without taking any more zero days. Hopefully we will have some sun by then. Felling good, I still need to work on the calorie intake.
Date: 2015-03-12
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Sapphire Inn
Miles today: 0.0

Got up this morning and went across the street and ate at the Hardee's. There is a Dollar General nest door so I got to pick up a few food items I needed. Came back to the motel and cleaned and dried all of my gear. Was able to wash up some of my equipment that has been so damp and muddy. Rested this afternoon and then when out to eat with my hiking partners. Heavy rain is in the forecast for tomorrow and tomorrow night with rain starting to slack off on Saturday. We are going to see what the weather looks like but we may get a shuttle North about 15 miles and hike back South to Winding Stair Gap near Franklin. That way at least we can dry all our equipment here before moving on again on Saturday. On Saturday we would get a shuttle back to where we started on Friday and hike North on into the NOC. We'll see what tomorrow brings.
Date: 2015-03-13
From: Winding Stair Gap

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

The forecast called for cold hard rain so we did decide to hike this section from North to South so we could end up back at Franklin while it is pouring down rain. We started at Burningtown Gap and headed south in a light rain but it quickly became a hard rain and the temperature started to drop. We got to Wayah Bald where there is a large stone tower which usually has some good views but there were no views today. We just hiked on all day with our heads down in the rain until we got back to Winding Stair Gap where we caught a metro bus back to Franklin. Now I am just cleaning and drying out all my gear again to get ready for tomorrow. Rain is in the forecast for the first part of the day. We will shuttle back up to Burningtown Gap and head North again to the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center) for the night. I am still traveling with my Marine friends, FBomb, Mow, Recon, Butch and Sundance.
Date: 2015-03-14
From: Burningtown Gap

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: light rain

Left Burnington Gap with the rain still falling. The trail has turned into a muddy mess. It makes for very tedious walking when you have to watch every step. I fell 3 times today. Twice when the trail gave way and once when I was going down hill. No views at any of the scenic overlooks today. It rained all day. Made it to the NOC and got a two person bunk room with Recon. Washed my muddy clothes in a sink and took a shower. We ate at the restaurant and then went to a common area to hang out. Tomorrow we have about a seven mile long climb first thing in the morning.
Date: 2015-03-15
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Stecoah Gap
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We left the NOC with the sun rising over the mountain. Finally no rain. It was a long 7 mile climb to Cheoah Bald. For once we had a clear view of the surrounding mountains. From the top the rest of the day was up and down but the sun made for a hot day of hiking. We all ran out of water for the last 3 miles. At Stecoah Gap we were picked up by Little Cabin In the Woods Hostel. For some reason it is illegal to camp in the area around the gap. The hostel was fantastic. Donna the owner cooked us a great meal and breakfast. Tomorrow will be a tuff climb up Jacobs Ladder.
Date: 2015-03-16
From: Stecoah Gap

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Left Stecoah Gap and about a mile later made the difficult climb up Jacobs Ladder. It started out cool today but got warm fast. The trail is finally starting to dry out. It was a nice afternoon of hiking. We made a long decent into Fontana Village where we are staying in the lodge. We ate at the restaurant and then printed off our permits to thru hike the Smokies. In the morning we will be entering the park.
Date: 2015-03-17
From: Fontana Dam

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: scattered clouds

We left Fontana Village and the trail took us over the dam and on a road walk to the entrance of the Smokey Mountain National Park. Once we entered the park it was a long up hill hike to the top of Shuckstack Mountain. On top of the mountain there is an old very tall fire tower where it is a thru hiker tradition to hike to the top. I made the climb and took some video but I can tell you my hands were shaking at the top. You could see all the surrounding countryside. From Shuckstack Mountain we climbed more to reach Doe Knob. We descended to Mollies Ridge Shelter and decided to go a little further to Russell Field Shelter. It was a long day but I am glad we have made it to the SMNP.
Date: 2015-03-18
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a very hard day. We had two major mountains to go over, Rocky Top 5440 ft and Thunderhead Mountain 5527ft. The nice thing the sun was shinning and the views were good. You could be on Thunderhead and see the hikers on Rocky Top. The rest of the day were numerous climbs of 500 ft up and down from the ridge. This went on for miles. We reached Silers Bald Shelter and was worn out. The good news is tomorrow we are headed to Newfound Gap where we are hitching into Gatlinburg and I will meet up with my wife. The bad news is heavy wind and rain is in the forecast. I am ready for a zero day.
Date: 2015-03-19
From: Silers Bald Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: overcast clouds

During the night heavy wind and rained moved in. It would of been hard to leave the shelter if it wasn't for the upcoming zero days in Gatlinburg. You immediately leave this shelter and began a four mile climb to the top of Clingmans Dome. The wind and rain were brutal near the top. This is the highest point on the AT at 6655ft. The temperature dropped to the low 30's and we were being pelted with rain and ice. We quickly started our decent and ran into several meters of solid ice on the trail. Further down the mountain the trail was more like a creek with 4 inches or more of water standing on the ground. Recon was with me and neither of us could fill our hands they were so cold. I was praying coming down the trail we could catch a ride quickly since we were so wet and cold. We arrived at Newfound Gap and there were only 3 cars in the parking lot. It looked like it was going to be a difficult hitch into town. I just had taken my pack off when a guy coming southbound walked over to Recon and I and asked if we were trying to hitch into town. Turns out he was the Ridgerunner coming off duty and offered us a ride into town. The trail always seems to provide what you need when you need it. We are now in Gatlinburg for a couple of needed rest days. My wife arrived tonight making for a great day that started off difficult.
Date: 2015-03-20
From: Gatlinburg

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0

Today is day one of two zeros I had preplanned for Gatlinburg before my hike started in order to meet up with my wife. FBomb, Mau, Recon, Sundance and Butch are all in town. We met for lunch so my wife had a chance to meet everyone. FBomb's wife is coming in town tonight. Butch and Sundance will be leaving on Sunday. It has been great having them along since Dicks Creek Gap. Since they have thru hiked twice they have provided us with a wealth of knowledge for what's coming up on the trail. It's still raining today so it's nice to be in town.
Date: 2015-03-21
From: Gatlinburg

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0

Zero day two. Days in town are not spent just laying around. There are clothes to wash, equipment to clean and food to purchase. Recon went with us to the local grocery store to resupply. It always takes a little while to figure out where everything is you need. I want to take this time to thank everyone that has left entries in my Guest Book. It always means a lot to see them. Tonight we are having a dinner with the whole group since it will be Butch and Sundance last night with us. Tomorrow my wife will be dropping Recon and me off at Newfound Gap on her way back to Atlanta.. We will meet back up with FBomb and Mau at Ice Water Spring Shelter. It was great to see my wife for a couple of days and I already look forward to seeing her further up the trail.
Date: 2015-03-22
From: Newfound Gap

To: Ice Water Spring Shelter
Miles today: 3.0

My wife took Recon and me back up to New Found Gap. From there we headed up the trail to Ice Water Spring Shelter. We made quick work of the 3 miles up hill and arrived in about an hour. FBomb and MAU were already there. The Ridgerunner showed up and checked our permits. Several over thru hikers arrived, Biscuit, McGyver, NoName and several others. This shelter is close to 6000 feet so it got cold quick. It started raining aroun 5:00 and rained all night.
Date: 2015-03-23
From: Ice Water Spring Shelter

To: Tri Corner Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Woke to no rain. Left and headed for Charlies Bunion. Great views from the top. Hung out a while then headed out. It was a nice trail following the ridge line. We had nice views all day long. Made it to Tri Corner Shelter around four. Lot of thru hikers here and then five Boy Scouts showed up. Packed shelter tonight.
Date: 2015-03-24
From: Tri Corner Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 18.4

The trail today goes mostly down hill so we decided to go all the way out of the park. The northern part of the park has been very nice with a lot of views and mostly ridge line. We only had two big climbs today and that allowed us to make some fast miles to Standing Bear Farm. We exited SMNP and went about a mile then went under I 40. The last mile was straight up hill to the farm. I was able to take a hot shower and eat some pizza. We plan to make Hot Springs in two days. Some cold weather and snow is predicted for the weekend.
Date: 2015-03-25
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: clear sky

Left Standing Bear Farm with the sun shinning. We had a long 4 mile climb up to the top of Snow Bird Mountain. At the top of the mountain there is a FAA tower that looks like a spaceship. Check out the photo tab to see a picture. It got really hot as we walked today. The nats came out and were a pest all day but it was worth it to have some sun. Made it to Max Patch and had some beautiful 360 degree views. Recon and I laid out at the summit and soaked up some sun. Signage showed up shortly and joined us at the top. From there it was an easy downhill to Roaring Fork Shelter. We stopped before the shelter and filled up our water bottles. All thru hikers at the shelter tonight, Werewolf, Signage, Bismark and Hopper, Recon and I. It was a good evening and a warm night.
Date: 2015-03-26
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: haze

Left the shelter and 4 miles down the trail we ran into Fresh Ground. He sets up a Hiker feed about ever hundred miles on the trail as long as hikers continue to donate so he can buy the food. We had pancakes and hash browns. Right after we left Fresh Ground we had a long steep climb up Walnut Mountain on a full stomach. It was some down hill and then we had another steep climb up Buff Mountain. The rest of the day was mostly down hill into Hot Springs. We all got rooms at Alpine Court Motel, a small place in the middle of town. We checked in and headed to the laundry mat to wash clothes. Several hikers told us all the thru hikers were meeting at The Tavern to eat together. We chowed down on very large hamburgers and had a good time. Back to the room to get some much needed sleep.
Date: 2015-03-27
From: Hot Springs

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We got up this morning and headed to the Smokey Mountain Cafe to eat breakfast. Had 3 eggs, country ham, hash browns, biscuit and gravy and several cups of coffee. A friend of FBombs is cooking us lunch at a place just at the edge of town. The lunch was awesome with Fried Chicken, Macaroni and Cheese, biscuits, cupcakes, gatorade, and sweet tea. We were also given all the leftovers for later. I weighed my pack yesterday and I am at 28lbs with four days of food and water for the day. I have lost about 15 lbs since I started. I currently weigh about 165. It is hard to keep the calorie intake up when you are on the trail so when you are in town you eat as much as possible. I will resupply today for the next four days that should get us into Irwin TN. It is currently cold and raining with snow in the forecast tonight. It's a good day to be in town.
Date: 2015-03-28
From: Hot Springs

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

The plan was to leave this morning to hike out of town but that was before it snowed at the higher elevations last night. The temperature dropped to the mid twenties in town with mid teens expected at 3000 feet without the wind chill factor. It was an easy decision to stay in town tonight. We went to breakfast and all the hikers we saw have decided to do the same. It is going to warm back up on Sunday so we will leave in the morning. It looks like everyone has come into town to escape the cold weather tonight. It really zaps your energy when the temperature drops below 20 and your staying outside. We hope to make Irwin TN. in 4 days. We will have to average close to 16 miles a day so we'll see how that goes. I make most of these entries using my IPhone so I hope I don't have too many grammatical errors in these post. I have Verizon Cell Service which is one of the best so far on the trail. All my pictures are also taken with my IPhone5 and uploaded to TrailJournals.com. So far all of my equipment has held up well. I have not changed any thing other than send a couple of extra clothes items and my microspikes home with my wife when I met her in Gatlinburg. I am using a 12degree dry down (the down is treated with water repellant before inserted in the bag) sleeping bag and have stayed in it at 15 degrees and stayed warm wearing a base layer. My ULA pack has been perfect and I have seen a lot of them on the trail. I am hiking in Brooks Cascadia 9 Trail Runners and they have been great. I do have a pair of .5mm Neoprene Socks from REI I wear over my wool socks to keep my feet warm in the snow or in very cold weather. They are not waterproof but they keep your feet warm even when they are wet. I use the larger (3oz)Sawyer Water Purification System because it has a better flow rate but I have also seen a lot of hikers with the smaller system. All my Patagonia clothes have held up well and kept me dry and warm. Will be up early tomorrow and back on the trail.
Date: 2015-03-29
From: Hot Springs

To: Log Cabin Drive
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: clear sky

Left this morning and it was 18 degrees. The trail went straight up a cliff where there were good views of Hot Springs from Lovers Leap. The sun warmed up and it turned into a nice day. We kept passing McGyver and NoName on and off today. Mau sprained his foot on a root. Rain is forecasted for tonight so we decided to stay at Hemlock Hollow Bunk House. It was nice and warm as it did rain all night. We had a nice breakfast and then headed out to a cold wet morning.
Date: 2015-03-30
From: Log Cabin Drive

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: broken clouds

Left Hemlock Hollow and it was raining. We had a very long climb of several miles right out of the gate. From there we eventually reached a very narrow high ridge that slowed us way down. We made it across and after several other small climbs passed the 300 mi mark. It was a long decent to Flint Mountain Shelter. Besides the four of us McGyver and NoName, another thru hiker and a woman with two sons out for the week .
Date: 2015-03-31
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 14.9

Woke to a nice sunny day. We only had one big climb up Lick Rock Mountain. It was a perfect day for hiking. It was sunny, low 50's and cool breeze . We got to Sam Gap and there was trail magic there. A gentleman cooked us eggs and hash browns and had drinks as well. We hiked four more miles to Low Gap where everyone is camping that was with us last night plus a few others.
Date: 2015-04-01
From: Low Gap

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: clear sky

Broke down camp and left with the sun coming up over the ridge. After several miles we came to Big Bald. At over 5000 ft we had 360 degree views. Took some pictures and headed out. The rest of the day was pleasant with rolling trail. We arrived at No Business Knob Shelter around 4:30. About 12 thru hikers are here. We are tenting tonight. I have a flat spot compared to last night.
Date: 2015-04-02
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Erwin TN
Miles today: 6.2
Weather: broken clouds

It was a short downhill hike into Erwin today. The town known for hanging an elephant. Checked in at Uncle Johnny's Hostel. A nice place by the Nolichucky river. Washed clothes and a friend of FBomb met us and treated us to the local pizza cafe. We ate till we were stuffed. My hiking partners FBomb and MAU are hiking the trail in honor of a friend killed in combat. They also want to bring awareness to the suicide rate among veterans. You can read more about them and their friend at www.karellahikeat.org and the charity Higher Ground.
Date: 2015-04-03
From: Erwin TN

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Left Uncle Johnny's and crossed over the river. The trail was mostly flat for several miles. Reached Indian Grave Gap and a man gave us some sweet tea and fruit. Climbed up to Beauty Spot and had some good views. We decended down to Unaka Mountain where it was a dense spruce forest. We decended down to Cherry Gap Shelter. There was a great spring. The shelter was full and a family of five camping,. You can here thunder it is going to rain tonight.
Date: 2015-04-04
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: broken clouds

Rained all night at Cherry Gap Shelter. Had stopped when we got up in the morning but it was very cold. Left in cold weather gear. Trail started with some up and downs then had a long climb to High Bluff Knob at 6144ft. Very cold and windy. In the afternoon the sun warmed us up a bit. We made it to the highest shelter on the AT at Roan High Knob Shelter at 6194ft. It got down to the low 20's. We were in a four sided shelter with a door at least. Everything that had water on it froze. It was a long cold night.
Date: 2015-04-05
From: Roan High Knob Shelter

To: Highway 19
Miles today: 16.3

When we left the shelter the trail was really iced over. As we made our way to the lower elevations it started to warm up a bit. Stopped at Overmountain Shelter. One of the most famous shelters on the AT. It is a big barn that will sleep about 30 hikers. From there we hit a series of balds with beautiful views. We went over Round Bald, Jane Bald, Grassy Ridge Bald, Little Hump Mtn and Hump Mtn. We finally left North Carolina at Doll Flats. We hiked on to Highway 19 and made our way 3/10 of a mile to Mountain Harbour Bed and Breakfast where they let hikers stay above their barn. The owner told us to come up to the main house that she was feeding us for Easter Supper. It was an amazing meal. We also had an amazing breakfast before we left to head back to the trail.
Date: 2015-04-06
From: Highway 19

To: Forest Road 293
Miles today: 13.6

Left the barn we were staying in and hiked back up to where the trail crossed Hwy 19. The trail was nice today with few up and downs. The big thing for today was we crossed over the 400 mile mark. Heavy rain is expected for this afternoon and tonight. We decided to cut our day short and stay at Bear Den Hostel. One person has a sprained ankle and I am getting over a strained muscle on the top of my foot. Mine is much better today but the other person has had a lot of soreness and swelling with his. A little time off makes a big difference and he will be ready to go in the morning. Hope to be in Damascus by Friday where my wife will meet me for a couple of days.
Date: 2015-04-07
From: Forest Road 293

To: Dennis Cove Road
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Left FS 293 in heavy rain today and pretty much kept our head down and kept walking. There was a lot of lighting so I jogged the ridges since I had two metal trackng poles. Made it to Dennis Cove Road and walked the half mile to Black Bear Hostel. Washed clothes, ate a pizza and took a shower. This place is full of hikers tonight.
Date: 2015-04-08
From: Dennis Cove Road

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Left the hostel and made our way to Laurel Falls. With all the rain the last few days there was a lot of water flowing over the falls. The only problem is the trail goes along a narrow cliff by the water. We only had a small trail and a flowing river if you fell in so we all unbuckled from our packs just in case. We hiked on and got to Watauga Lake where we had lunch. Arrived at Vandeventer Shelter around 4:30. As it got later the shelter filled up.
Date: 2015-04-09
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Damascus VA
Miles today: 34.0

This shelter had a fantastic view from a cliff at the back of the shelter. We all watched the sunrise as it changed different colors. We hiked out this morning and after several miles we came to a metal box just before hwy 91. In the box was soft drinks and little Debbie's that a church leaves for thru hikers. It was a nice surprise on a hot day. Shortly after hwy 91 the trail goes through a beautiful green pasture for a mile or so. From there we made our way to Abington Gap Shelter. It is here we decided to do the official Damascus-a-thon. It is only 10 more mostly downhill miles to the city. When we said we were going to do it everyone at the shelter packed up and said they were going to. It was game on. We left at 6:30pm and started hiking. As it got dark we switched on our headlamps. We crossed the TN/VA line with about 4 miles to go. We arrived in Damacus about 9:30pm and got a bed at The Place, a Methodist Hostel downtown. All 8 thru hikers made it to town.