morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-03-21
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: light snow

What a perfect first day. The trail began covered in a beautiful dusting of snow (definitely colder than my parents' first day!) Meandered down Springer Mountain through the snow covered holly bushes and into the rhododendrons. My spirit soared as I got to soak in the fact that I was finally on the trail. Every step I was taking was a new step towards my goal: Katahdin (or in the short term--Hawk Mountain Shelter 8 miles up the trail). It was sunny, windy, and about 40 degrees. We decided on 8 miles as a good "ease into the trail" day, and it was great. Met so many people today! We kept leapfrogging a couple named Aaron and Stephanie from Tennessee, we met Rootkicker along the trail (he was also aiming for Hawk Mtn). When we got to the shelter people trickled in all day. "Patriot" from Massachusetts was there (wahoo MA!), we met SOS (sparkle of sin) and pitch-it (they were hilarious), we also met Pascal and her son (they're from France), Matt the English major from Virginia, spring-breakers from Ohio, and many many others! It turns out the spring breakers go to Miami University in Ohio and I'm pretty sure my second cousins go there and I asked if they knew them and they said they sounded familiar and one of them may have studied abroad with my second cousin Alexandra in Belize! Another crazy story: my co-worker Kaitlyn told me before I left that she knew someone who just had their last day at work and was hiking the trail too so she connected us through Facebook and sure enough she was starting a day before us! Guess who I ran into at Hawk Mountain?? Skooch!! (Aka the woman Kaitlyn referred me to) and ALSO there were two other young men from Massachusetts as well putting the total at 6 people from MA at this one secluded shelter in Georgia (including me and Verge). WOAH. Small world. Anyways, our first water filtering trip and our first cooked dinner (yummy ramen) both went smoothly. Like I said, perfect first day.
Date: 2016-03-22
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: clear sky

Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. Today was fantastically warm and sunny and amazing.Met a lot of great people again and saw lots of familiar faces (Spider, SOS, Pitch-it, Farmer, Papaw Jim, and others)We ran into trail magic a couple times (it was yummy.) Originally, we were going to stop at Gooch Gap (8 mi) but we got there and it was only 1pm and it was so beautiful and sunny, so we kept going!Got to Woody Gap around 4 or 5pm (making it a 12mi day) and tented just past there with Dante, Livia, Nowhere Man, Flick, and Dot. Christened my trowel (TMI?) and first time hanging a bear bag (there were cables at Hawk Mtn). Had a small little fire again tonight, ready for sleep.
Date: 2016-03-23
From: Woody Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

Another awesome day.A little sunburnt.Hiked with Nowhere Man to start the day then Verge decided to kick it into high gear and BAM we were at Blood Mountain in no time (highest peak on the Georgia AT). Blisters showing up a bit. Got to Neels Gap (Mountain Crossings Outfitter) and picked up our resupply box, took a shower, did laundry, and ate a delicious dinner of rehydrated veggies and mashed potatoes mmmmm. Saw the tree at Neels Gap where people hang their boots when they quit--not us!!So tired. It's only 7:35pm...but it's already 7:35pm...zzzzz
Date: 2016-03-24
From: Neels Gap

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Who knew hiking up and down mountains all day with a 30lb pack would be tiresome?Neither Verge nor I were particularly chatty today. Her blisters hurt and my back hurt. We didn't come across too many hikers today either.The forecast said rain, so we hauled it for the second half of the day. It was mostly just sunny, windy, and mildly ominous all day though. I was sometimes freaked out by the creaking of the trees because giant fallen trunks are all on and alongside the trail (however unlikely it is that I'll be squished) so I liked to imagine the creaking was just fairies opening and closing their doors high up in the trees. It made everything a lot more pleasant. Setting up the tent in the wind was mildly challenging; filtering our water in the rain was fine but wet; making dinner in the rain was very wet; and doing other things in the rain--also not very fun. Hanging out in our (mostly) dry tent eating yummy "Rice Sides" meals is nice though. Hope I don't have to go outside again tonight!
Date: 2016-03-25
From: Low Gap

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: moderate rain

I loved today's hike. It reminded me of the Massachusetts Mid-state trail. So pretty!Short day. We probably could go further, but we figure maybe today we can give our feet and backs some rest and do some socializing, then go hard the next few days. Sunshine Lovin' it.
Date: 2016-03-26
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: broken clouds

Last night was so fun!Met Stephanie and her husband Scott who were just up for the night to soak in some vibes to bring back to work with them, and we also met four great guys who met each other in the navy and all decided to thru-hike the trail together! There's Mayo from Vermont, Pierce from Kentucky, Jason from Pennsylvania, and Saunders (or BKG). They are all hilarious and friendly, and I really enjoyed their company; my abs hurt from laughing so much! We ended up hiking a little with them today and we all met up again at Tray Mtn shelter (but it was foggy and there were more people so we didn't have a fire or play cards and listen to music like we had the previous night). It was another night of wonderful company and funny stories though. We met Vonnie, Janice, Jennifer, Tor, Beast, and a couple others (full shelter!) We reserved a tent site at the Top of Georgia Hostel for tomorrow night so I'm hoping for showers and laundry and a trip to Hiawassee!
Date: 2016-03-27
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Top of Georgia Hostel
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: clear sky

Not every day is sunshine and pretty views.Luckily, I'm still having a blast! AWOL had said that if after a week it's easier than you thought then you're going to make it to Maine. Well so far it has been a challenge obviously but way easier than I thought! I have so many challenges yet to face, but I am so optimistic that I will take on every one of them with a smile on my face. ( Even if it's a fake smile that I'm forcing because guess what, studies say that faking it 'til you make it actually works).Lots of nice people at the hostel, got yummy sandwiches in town (and a bag of spinach), and looooved my shower. Clean. Yay.
Date: 2016-03-28
From: Top of Georgia Hostel

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was marvelous. The sky was as blue as could be; there were cute fluffy bees and pretty purple butterflies fluttering at my feet; the sun was warm on my face (don't worry, I wore sunscreen), and there was a light cool breeze. I could not stop smiling. We crossed the Georgia/North Carolina border--yay! North Carolina welcomed us with steep steep climbs, but I kept my smile on (unless it was a breathless painful grimace...) It was a really hard 12 mile day, but at the top of each climb I was filled with an overwhelming sensation of euphoria that every time triggered some kind of amnesia that made me forget any negative thoughts about the terribly hard climb I'd just mastered, and all of a sudden I'd go from the painful grimace to the happy-go-lucky smiling girl from before. It was fantastic. We finally got to Muskrat Creek Shelter, met more great people, and had dinner. Beast was there (he'd been at the hostel as well) and so was Long Stride. We had a very interesting conversation about government accounting, current generation social interactions, and trail culture as we all drifted off to sleep.
Date: 2016-03-29
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Betty Creek Gap
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

Marvelous again: blue sky, warm sun, light breeze, birds chirping, great company. Beast and Long Stride seem to go about the same pace and mileage as us, so we got to see them a lot today. They are so great. Long Stride is sweet, generous, and friendly. Beast (named for his ability to sweat...) is full of fun stories; Verge and I really enjoy his company. He attempted a thru-hike last year but broke his foot in Virginia--trying again this year! He's full of lots of good tips as well.All settling in after a 16 mile day; ready for Albert Mountain tomorrow (very steep and marks 100 miles on the trail!)
Date: 2016-03-30
From: Betty Creek Gap

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: clear sky

Another perfect day! I feel like I'm getting spoiled.Started the day with a steep hike up Albert Mountain, marking our 100th mile on the AT!We hiked with Beast all day, and we motored! We were going almost 4mph on some parts!We all decided that Franklin, NC was a great place to have our first zero day (and there's rain in the forecast for tomorrow so it works out perfectly) so we made a reservation at the Budget Inn and got a shuttle there in the late afternoon (just after we encountered some trail magic). We immediately went to go find food. We ate at a lovely 50s style restaurant ad enjoyed every bite. After laundry and showers, Verge and I settled in and watched the show "Castle" for a few hours. Beast came back with snacks to share (he's the fricken best) and we stuffed our faces once again with combos and vanilla wafers.My body has been holding up very well, and for that I am so so grateful. I've had two almost-blisters that I caught early and turned into callouses; my bunions (or as I liked to call them--my hallux abducto valguses--the proper term because "bunion" sounds worse than it is) have been bothering me a little, and my back has some twinges because I'm still figuring out how my pack is most comfortable for me. Verge has had some knee botherings and very blistery feet along with an unrelated foot pain that is slightly worrisome. All in all, we're doing well but a zero day is indeed needed in order to prevent any of these "botherings" from getting worse. Love seeing familiar faces. Mr. President and Chia have been going our mileage so we've seen them, and Long Stride is staying at the Budget Inn as well. Met Jingle (carries change he finds on the AT) and Sassy and Foot and Shaggy and Qtip and Whiplash and Romeo and Muffinman and Bambi in the past few days as well. Everyone is so great. Hope I get to see the navy boys or Nowhere Man or Jordan or our German friend Chris again!
Date: 2016-03-31
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Fun, relaxing day. Free breakfast at a generous church, watched tv while it rained outside, made a trip to Walmart, explored town a little (including a cute little book store with a cat and a coffee shop that had trail magic of free drinks--like a pay it forward type thing--very cool). For a while the day seemed a little bleak because it started pouring and Beast was told his resupply box had been stolen (had valuable contact lenses in it among other things) and Verge and I walked in the pouring rain in flip flops getting splashed by cars to go have dinner with him at the Italian restaurant he was at (and typically we aren't fans of carb-loaded dishes) HOWEVER we got there and the service was great, the company cheered everyone up, and the food!!!! My god it was amazing. I had a scallops and curry dish loaded with spicy deliciousness and vegetables and oh it was so good. We all enjoyed our meals and when we stepped outside, the sun was out! To make it better, when we got back to the hotel they had recovered the package they thought was stolen, so everything seemed to be looking up! The cherry on top of the day was going out for sundaes and milkshakes for dessert. Poor Beast is lactose intolerant so he had a cup of m&ms, but it was a great time and now we all just need to repack our packs with everything and settle in for bed. So ready to get back on the trail!!!
Date: 2016-04-01
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

Scattered showers, some sun, yada yada, nice day.Wayah bald shelter, lots of lovely people (Beast, Long Stride, Sweets, Mr. President--so named for his tent we call "The White House" a few section hikers, etc.)The highlight of today (besides food) was meeting Peach from Texas who is a SouthBounder!! He started in June of 2015 but broke his foot and had to take two months off in the winter and is about to finish his last 120 miles in the next few days! It's so fun to hear his stories and opinions and advice. He actually started the trail barefoot in Maine and not only lasted until New Hampshire barefoot but ran out of food in the 100 mile wilderness and had to go two days without food! Such a badass. Here he is finishing the trail after so many hardships and crazy stories. Awesome. Go Peach!!!
Date: 2016-04-02
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: moderate rain

So. Today was my first day experiencing strictly "woman-related" challenges on the trail. It was bound to happen eventually. It totally put a damper on my morning, so I had a snickers for breakfast. Heck yeah. It probably would've messed with my mood for the rest of the day too, but I got to hike with Sweets (a nice girl from Atlanta just out of college) and talk to her about it and learn about her family and stuff. To make things even better, we quickly ran into trail magic that had cookies and fruit and biscuits and juice and gatorade and a fire! It was so lovely. Although it was quite windy, the sun was super nice, giving us yet another beautiful day and making things even easier to deal with. I love my hiking buddies. Still hiking with Beast, Longstride, and Mr. President. They're all so great. Mr. President is getting picked up by his fianc© Chia in the morning at the NOC because his ankle is getting worse and her knee had given out, so they're going on a road trip instead. I'll miss their company, but I hope they have fun! Saw Spicy and Hobbler again and met Michael and Chud. I also found out that Beast knows Neon! Very cool connecting my two worlds. Time for a very cold night of sleep! All stuffed snug in the shelter, hopefully we'll keep each other warm from the harsh wind. Good night!
Date: 2016-04-03
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Grassy Gap
Miles today: 9.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Wow--two weeks already!Today was, again, awesome. It was some uphill then mostly all downhill about 6 miles to the NOC. I flew down the trail today (really--I ran most of it--it was spectacularly thrilling). Couldn't stop smiling!When we got there we had a delicious lunch at the restaurant there and got our drop box at the outfitter. Sadly, they had a mouse issue and it ate into our box! Only our trail mix was compromised (eaten and pooped in), but they felt horrible and gave us four free Clif bars! Score!Sat and relaxed in the sun while our feet dried and watched the white water rafters. Hung out with Longstride and Beast more and got to know a nice fellow named Q-tip better (he's part of the "goon squad"). Beast was kind enough to share his room for a bit so that we could utilize the laundry and showers!!! (Like I said before, he's the FREAKIN' BEST!!!) We also chilled for a bit and watched the movie "Coming to America" and ate one of our dehydrated meals. Since we're trying to save money, we didn't think it in our budget to share a room again so soon after our zero day in Franklin, so we decided to trudge on up the hill about 3 miles and just tent by ourselves. Now we're pleasantly munching nuts and reading. Until tomorrow!
Date: 2016-04-04
From: Grassy Gap

To: Stecoah Gap
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

Anna and I were a little snappy at each other this morning, but we got hiking and it was soon rectified. What can you expect from siblings? Perfect all the time? Almost! It's great how well we know each other and how we know how to deal with each other when we get pissy (for the most part...)Again, today was beautiful, sunny weather. We had really tough climbing all day though. SO MUCH UP. If it was down, it wasn't like gradual, "I'm-going-to-give-you-a-break" down; it was more like "HA-you're-out-here-for-a-challenge-so-that's-what-you're-going-to-get" down. Suffice it to say my muscles are tired.Funny story. After a marvelous hour-long lunch break full of reading and pretty views at the top of a very difficult climb, I was on the way down the mountain and I really had to pee. I looked for a good spot and I chose the side that looked like there was more cover. MISTAKE. I had to bushwhack through thorns (by the way--why the hell are there so many of those here?? It's like it's freakin Sleeping Beauty or something. You can't ever stray from the path without getting attacked! They better grow into freakin roses or something otherwise they're just pointless painful prickers penetrating mi piel! {had to go with Spanish to keep that alliteration going} end tangential rant), and then I slid down the hill aways because it was so steep and covered in leaves and afterwards I had to climb all the way back up and kept getting stuck in the prickers and man it was just a big process and I wish I went pee on the other side--even if it meant someone seeing me!But I kept walking. I notice that if something unfortunate happens, you should just keep walking (excluding any serious injuries) because either something lovely will happen that will distract you and put you in a good mood again or something worse will happen and everything will just build and build and, in the end, at least make the day pretty comical (again, excluding any serious injuries or dangers).For example, today it was the butterflies that distracted me and made me happy (along with the snickers bar I ate). The pretty purple butterflies were like Willow-the-Wisps; they'd flutter right in front of me and disappear. Then a few steps later, they'd flutter in front of me again then disappear. It was so peaceful and pretty and comforting.Then the mile that never ended came. The last couple miles you do seem to always take the longest, but this freakin mile--I swear there was some sort of time warp going on. We'd keep going down this horribly steep downhill full of switchbacks and rocks and then it'd take you around the mountain and you'd swear you were hiking that same section again! It was never ending! Anna and I were both so exhausted from the sun and dehydration and exertion. We finally (after what felt like three hours) got to the bottom--Stecoah Gap--and someone had left bananas and apples there for hikers. Hallelujah.Finished the day with the most amazing dinner (a gourmet dehydrated Thai meal) and some reading. I love this.
Date: 2016-04-05
From: Stecoah Gap

To: Fontana 
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: broken clouds

Lovely, long day. Spring was showing more! My feet definitely hurt towards the end and we hobbled to the shelter after the never-ending mile (seems to be a theme that never-ending mile...)The Fontana Dam Shelter is called the "Fontana Hilton" because it's such a nice shelter. Met a lot of new people (Scarecrow, Sundance, Tarzan, Wildcard, Big Stick) and saw a few familiar faces as well (Beast, Longstride, Muffinman, Q-tip, Romeo). Wildcard was nice enough to get s'more fixings so we could enjoy them by the fire. Beautiful view of the water from our little paradise shelter (oh and there were showers!!!) slept well too.
Date: 2016-04-06
From: Fontana 

To: Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Lovely and relaxing zero day. Sundance and Tarzan were zeroing as well so we found the shuttle into town with them. The driver of the shuttle was listening to some epic Star Wars music as we cruised along the windy road to Fontana Village (it was awesome; he was hilarious). We got our drop box and the box our parents had left us and rummaged and organized.We got to meet Beast's parents! They're quite friendly and fun. Met a thru-hiker named Greg in th lobby who was super friendly and handing out some hiker magic. We took some dried bananas and exchanged it for an extra ramen and pasta sides that we had.Then we went to go do laundry--basically the highlight of the day. Anna and I just relaxed in the warm laundry room and read our books while eating banana chips and apples and it was pure bliss.Later at the Hilton we took more showers and socialized more! Sweets and part of her crew caught up but unfortunately half her crew (called "Quest") was down with Noro!!! Scary...but Anna, Sweets, Songbird, Foot, Sweet Josie, and I all hung out in our little top floor of the shelter and swapped stories and had fun. It was, again, lovely. I love it out here: the atmosphere, the people, the community, the nature, the relaxation, the hard work, everything.
Date: 2016-04-07
From: Fontana 

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: moderate rain

First day into the Great Smoky Mountains!Definitely did not get enough sleep the night before. Sleep deprived thru-hiker version of me is easy to offend, proud, and more prone to panic attacks...so basically, I'm a Hippogriff. Sleep deprived Legs = HippogriffTons of hard uphill, super windy, and barely got to the shelter in time for a spot (Chicken Feet made room for us). It was freezing cold and it snowed overnight. Eek. Welcome to the Smokies.
Date: 2016-04-08
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Beautiful snowy day. Fun. Hard ups and downs.Race to the shelter because in the smokies you have to go to the shelters; you can't stop wherever you want to tent. The crappy weather also makes it so no one wants to tent. Everyone wants the shelters with the body heat and tarp covering and fireplace. We got there in time. Great people (lots from the previous shelter like Beast, Longstride, Greg, Sundance, Tarzan, Scarecrow, Chef, Hobbler, Snake, Songbird, Sweet Josie, etc.) Sweets and Foot were also there, but they tented. We also met Ounce, Gram, and Pound. A father, son, daughter-in-law team who are super light-weight and super speedy. They're so sweet. Everyone is. We fit 18 people in a 14 person shelter. We were snug as bugs. So cold again (even colder than the previous night).
Date: 2016-04-09
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Clingman's Dome
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light snow

Anna and I hiked with Sweets pretty much all day (she's awesome). Today was by far the coldest day. Blistering winds and snow and mud and ice everywhere. Tough hiking. We definitely felt like bad-asses. It was great.And of course, as bad-asses, we had to summit the highest point on the AT today--Clingman's Dome-- in this blistering cold weather! Oh yeah!Beast and Longstride had perfect timing and met us right at the top. Beast's parents surprised everyone by showing up at the top (they're awesome). They drove us into Gatlinburg (Beast, LS, Anna, and me) and gave us chips and apples. We're spoiling ourselves with them tonight and staying at a beautiful hotel with a pool. Went out to eat and got to see Gatlinburg. Fun!Hitting the trail in the morning after a delicious breakfast.