morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-04-30
From: Fontana Village

To: Fontana Dam Trailhead
Miles today: 3.1
Weather: clear sky

Change of plan¢today we did a nero. According to most hikers, a "nero" is when you hike less than three or four miles. We hiked without our packs from the lodge to the Fontana Dam, and saw a video about how the dam was constructed at the visitor's center. Then, we did our supply shopping, and eating. Tomorrow: into the Smokys!By the way, curious about anything I haven't been talking about? Feel free to use the guest book (link to the left) to ask us questions! We're happy to answer them as we can. y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-01
From: Fontana Village

To: Spence Field shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: clear sky

Yesterday, we hiked a short distance to reduce the length of the today's hike. Unfortunately, the shuttle that was supposed to take us back to the trailhead was out for service, so we had to walk from Fontana Village, adding unplanned miles. We went from the lodge¢after a big breakfast as usual when leaving town¢and hiked to Spence Field shelter, for a total of 17.8 miles. After crossing the dam, we took a right and came up to the entrance to the Great Smoky Mountain National Park (GSMNP). The the start of the GSMNP portion of the trail rises from an elevation of 1,700 ft. to 4,520 ft. Then some ups and downs to the shelter at 4,114 ft. It went better than I expected¢the rest day we just had really helped. We stayed at the shelter as required by GSMNP regulations. It was pretty busy there and we met a few people before "the event". That evening, somebody shouted, "Bear!" There was one close to the shelter. Two people who were out in a tent came rushing in, and a few people from the shelter ran out to scare it away. I¢like most of the other hikers¢was already in bed, so I didn't see it. Our only bear event so far. y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-02
From: Spence Field shelter

To: Double Spring Gap shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

A warm and sunny day here on the AT. We hiked from Spence Fields shelter to Double Spring Gap shelter for a total of 13.5 miles. Lots of ups and downs made for slow going, and it felt a lot harder than yesterday. By the time we got to the shelter we were spent, ready to eat and go to bed. We've been meeting all kinds of really nice people on the trail¢Tadpole, Medusa, Rattlesnake, Not Yet, Spoon, LostandFound¢folks from Australia, Sweden, the Netherlands, England, and different states in the U.S. We all get together in the evening at the shelter for cooking and chatting. It's fun to learn what other people's reasons are for hiking the AT. y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-03
From: Double Spring Gap shelter

To: Icewater Spring shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: broken clouds

Another sunny day, another 13.6 miles, from Double Spring Gap shelter to Icewater Spring shelter. Quite a few achievements today. We reached the highest point on the AT¢Clingmans Dome, elevation: 6,644 ft. From up there we could see so far in every direction. Beautiful. We also crossed into Tennessee. The AT follows the North Carolina/Tennessee border, so sometimes we're in one state, and then we're in the other one; it will be like that for a while. And finally, we completed 10% of the trail, which means.... we have 90% to go!To answer your questions so far... Yes! We've seen snakes, deer, chipmunks, rabbits, squirrels, and birds (in many pretty colors), and we hear about bear sightings but have yet to see one. Dan has a trail name! Seatac, after his home-base airport in Seattle. The toughest part of the trail has been Albert mountain, (elevation: 5,200 ft), back in Georgia. We're climbing more and bigger mountains here in the Smokys, but maybe we got used to it because that early one was the hardest. No issues with altitude, though.I am most sore in the shoulders. My feet are fine! The tape really helps prevent blisters. We've crossed paths with a lot of hikers but never stay with a group, everyone continues at their own pace. We only chat with others in the shelters. I'm sleeping well. We're so tired when we get to camp we pass right out, even when there are other people around. We will just miss the Appalachian Trail Days Festival in Damascus (Virginia), but that's ok, we're here to hike, not party. y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-04
From: Icewater Spring shelter

To: Tricorner Knob shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: broken clouds

A great 12.6-mile hike from from Icewater Spring shelter to Tricorner Knob shelter on another nice, sunny day. There were beautiful views on either side along the ridge. As is becoming our usual day, as soon as we get to the shelter, we scout for space inside, and if there is any, we layout our bed to show the spot is taken. If the shelter is full, or if we decide we want to camp, we find a flat area nearby to set up our tents and beds. Once we know where we're sleeping, we go sit, cook a meal, hang up the food bag (so bears can't get to it), and then go to bed. 'Til tomorrow! y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-05
From: Tricorner Knob shelter

To: Davenport Gap
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: overcast clouds

The 15.4 miles from Tricorner Knob shelter to Davenport Gap were mostly a beautiful, usual day. Then, a couple developments. We came to Cozy Knob shelter where we had originally planned to stay and saw a note that read, "Closed due to an aggressive bear in the area." Then, we continued on to Davenport Gap, where, per a new plan, my good friend Vicki, from Florida, picked us up. More on that change of plan, tomorrow. y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-06
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

So here's why we were picked up yesterday.A couple days ago I started feeling some chest discomfort. I was worried since we were in the Smokys, such an isolated part of the trail. As luck would have it, there was an ER physician in one of our shelters; I told him what I was feeling and asked his opinion. He recommended I get an EKG as soon as possible, and probably some blood tests. From that point, we knew the quickest way to do that was to exit Great Smoky Mountain National Park at Davenport Gap and go to Asheville, NC. My good friend Vicki happened to be there visiting her parents, so I gave her a call and she drove an hour to the trail to pick us up. Once she met us, I told her what was up, and she found a hospital in Asheville to take me to. I got my EKG and blood test, and everything was normal. The hospital staff knew I was hiking the AT and wanted to continue, so they kept me overnight for observation to be safe. Today, they did some additional tests including a stress test, that also didn't show anything wrong. I talked to the cardiologist around noon and asked if I should be worried. He said, as with anything, no guarantees, but he didn't see any problems. Maybe it's just all the carrying a backpack uphill. Concerned readers: all is well. :)When I was released, Vicki picked me up and brought back my clothes which she was kind enough to clean. Then she took Dan and I to REI to resupply, then to Five Guys for the burger and fries I was craving for lunch. Meanwhile, Vicki's parents, Mike and Marcia have been overwhelmingly welcoming. They let Dan stay with them while I was in the hospital and had us both over today. Vicki made dinner for everyone as well. I very much appreciate her and her family for going out of their way for us. Thank you all!y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-07
From: Davenport Gap

To: Roaring Forks shelter
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: broken clouds

This morning, Vicki drove us an hour back to the trail, and we hit the ground hiking. We went 18.1 miles from Davenport Gap to Roaring Forks shelter. The hike started with a downhill, then we crossed I-40, west of Asheville, and started a long, long climb. Even though we'd taken a zero yesterday, it was pretty hard going. And it was worth it¢amazing view from Max Patch, the peak. From there, we went downhill to the shelter and settled in for the night. y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-08
From: Roaring Forks shelter

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: clear sky

A few days back, a forest fire had been reported near Hot Springs, the town we were headed toward. We'd heard that, due to the fire, 7 miles of the AT were closed and we'd have to be shuttled around it. But luckily, by the time we arrived today, the fire had been put out and we were able to go through. We hiked 17.9 miles from Roaring Forks shelter to Hot Springs and had a beautiful day with a few showers in the afternoon. There were some very long downhills, then the trail takes you right through town. We went looking for a hotel and ended up at the Magnolia Mountain Inn, an old victorian house overlooking the mountain. It's a really tiny town so we walked around looking for a restaurant: one was closed for cleaning, a second was closed for repairs. Burgers it is! y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-09
From: Hot Springs

To: Spring Mountain shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

From Hot Springs, we hiked 11 miles to Spring Mountain shelter. This morning at the inn, we met Not Yet and Nick¢people we've seen on the trail. We sat down together for the all-you-can-eat breakfast provided by the inn: eggs, bacon, muffins, fresh fruit, fresh squeezed orange juice. We all had multiple helpings. Then we set back out: back down the main street of town, left across a bridge over French Broad river, right to follow the river, left and then up up uphill. We came across another hiker coming down the mountain who told us, "You're going the wrong way!" He didn't mean we were lost, just that we had so much left to climb, haha. But we knew that was the case. We ascended from 1,320 ft to 4,740 feet. Quite a climb, but fun, on a sunny, beautiful day. We also met a hiker named Fearless, a girl from Oregon, sitting by a water source. On the trail we stick to our trail names. y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-10
From: Spring Mountain shelter

To: Jerry Cabin shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Today we hiked 15.9 miles from Spring Mountain shelter to Jerry Cabin shelter. The highlight was walking on an exposed hill area on a ridge. From there we could see a thunderstorm at a distance. Of course this is the worst place to be in a thunderstorm, but the sight was amazing. And at the same time, scary¢there were drops on either side of the mountain. By the time we got to the shelter, the storm had passed and the skies cleared, so we set up our tents and cooked dinner. We also saw Not Yet and Nick again. All of a sudden, around 9:30 p.m., we did get a thunderstorm, with hail and heavy wind. I thought the tent was going to fly away with me in it! That was really scary, at least it only lasted half an hour. The rain stopped, back to sleep. Later on, another batch of rain, but this time not so bad! y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-11
From: Jerry Cabin shelter

To: Sam's Gap
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: broken clouds

We went from Jerry Cabin shelter to Sam's Gap for a total of 17.9 miles. Today was sunny and hot which made for a tough hike. Good news: Whitney met us at the end and brought lots of goodies! Chocolates, cookies, cheesecake, fruit, cold drinks. As she waited for us to arrive, she'd been offering trail magic to other hikers and had given away some of our drinks. :p ... There were plenty left over :). She took us to a hotel for the night. y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-12
From: Sam's Gap

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 24.6
Weather: clear sky

Whitney drove us back to Sam's Gap for an early start. Today is a long day¢just over 24 miles¢but it was a slackpack which made it fun. I didn't have to carry that monster of a backpack. Especially uphill. We had a great 360° view from Big Bald Mountain; a clear day, so we could see forever. On the trail, we met Early Bird, another girl hiking by herself. And around the time we were looking for a spot to stop for lunch we met with trail magic! David and Janet offered a selection and I got a ham and cheese sandwich with Fritos and a cold drink. What a nice surprise! As we approached Erwin, Whitney came up to meet us on the trail so she got to hike a bit of the AT and we all went back down. She also brought some iced cold Coca Cola-- sooo good after a hot day! (not a paid endorsement). Then to the hotel for a shower, and out for pizza for dinner. y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was essentially a zero. We got up at 8 a.m., had breakfast¢the usual hotel fare of sausage, egg, muffins, waffles, etc. On our resupply, we went to a store called Uncle Jonny's for freeze dried food and then Food Lion for the rest. We spent the remainder of the day repacking our bags, cleaning things up, and resting. A sunny day in town; nice to have a view of the mountains without having to climb them!y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-14
From: Erwin, TN

To: Cherry Gap shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: few clouds

Amy and Zoey arrived last night to join us for their section of the AT, from Erwin to Damascus. Whitney took us all to the trail head this morning and we hiked for 17.1 miles from Erwin to Cherry Gap shelter. Dan and I were concerned we were going too fast for our new trail mates, but everyone enjoyed the hike. It was a hot day, with lots of uphills, but once we got to the shelter area we found a nice spot for our campsite. y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-15
From: Cherry Gap shelter

To: Roan High Knob shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Today we hiked 17.6 miles from Cherry Gap shelter to Roan High Knob shelter. Amy's leg was bothering her yesterday but after a good night sleep she was ready to go. She also didn't care for the heat but luckily today was overcast and cool. Unluckily, that turned to rain later in the day. We found trail magic!, which is always awesome, and got to have burgers and hotdogs and drinks. This was a well-placed treat, right before a big climb, which took us to the highest shelter on the AT. Once we got there, we found a nice spot for camping, had dinner, and went to sleep. y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-16
From: Roan High Knob shelter

To: U.S. 19
Miles today: 16.3

It rained all night last night. And all day today. It was hard to get up this morning and pack everything without getting things wet. From Roan High Knob, we hiked down the windy, cold, rainy mountain for 16.3 miles, to U.S. 19. On the way, we went through some balds which would have made great vistas, but all we saw today was rainclouds. We ended up in the village of Roan Mountain, TN where we found a bed & breakfast in which to spend tonight. y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-17
From: U.S. 19

To: Moreland Gap shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: light rain

This morning, Steve, the owner of the bed and breakfast we stayed in last night, took us back to the trail. We were concerned that it would be another rainy day but we got a beautiful morning, with rain not showing up til noon. From U.S. 19 East we headed for Moreland Gap shelter. The 18.4-mile hike was tough; the usual ups and downs felt especially difficult.We also took a slight detour. We came across a sign that said there were waterfalls to the right off the trail--worth taking a look. Normally, hikers don't want to take a side trail because we're already walking long enough. But we went, and it was worth it. We sat there a while by the beautiful Jones Falls. We also went by a large river; watching the water flow down was another beautiful sight.We reached our destination, and, for the first time, had a shelter all to ourselves. Tonight it rained hard, and it was nice to listen to the rain while nice and comfortable inside. y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-18
From: Moreland Gap shelter

To: Boots Off Hostel
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

From Moreland Gap Shelter, we hiked 14.8 miles to the Shook Road Boots-Off hostel. A particularly scenic hike. The weather was nice--a little bit of rain, but overall the overcast sky made for a nice, cool day. Helpful, since we went over more hills today. Amy and Zoey have been killing the uphills! so we've let them take the lead. While Dan and I have been out here four weeks and have our "hiking legs", the one thing they have on us is age. They can take the uphills much faster than we, or I can, (I hope I'm not slowing Dan down!). They let us catch up at the top and then keep going. We saw several more waterfalls today, and crossed some bridges over a river in Tennessee. It's really pretty being out in the middle of nowhere with trees and greenery all around. We came across one section with a 2-ft-wide ledge we had to pass through. On one side: huge rock, on the other: river. Zoey was in the lead when she stopped, froze, and came running back. "Snake!" There was a rattlesnake sitting there, and no way around it. Dan said, "I'll take care of this!" and with his hiking poles, tried to grab and push the snake off the ledge. He pushed it into the water and we watched it swim to a rock, then back across the river to the other side. They are quite the swimmers! At the end of the day, when we got to the hostel, they took us to McDonalds for dinner and the Dollar Store for a resupply. Ready to get going tomorrow!y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-19
From: Boots Off Hostel

To: Iron Mountain shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: light rain

We left Boots-Off hostel and hiked to Iron Mountain shelter, 16 miles away. After an initial climb from 2,100 ft to 3,600 ft, most the hike was along a long ridge. Nothing eventful happened, but we had a nice view of the lake below. When we arrived at the shelter, there was only one other person--Blasto, from Wisconsin, a retired thru-hiker who we've seen and talked with several times before. Since there was plenty of room, and we were expecting rain, we decided to stay there that night. Then, as we sat around in the shelter, Amy jumped; "Mouse!" (As it happens, a lot of the shelters have mice in them.) Then Zoey jumped; "I don't know if I want to stay here tonight!". Then it started raining. I don't think Amy slept well, thinking about the mouse, but the little guy was minding his own business and never came around. And the shelter was a great idea, it rained hard. The rest of us passed out and slept through the night. y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain
Date: 2018-05-20
From: Iron Mountain shelter

To: Abbington Gap
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: mist

Today we hiked 15.9 miles to Abbington Gap. This has been the flattest section of the AT so far, which made for good hiking. With no climbs, we stayed at around 4,000 ft in elevation. Unlike the last few days, we arrived at a shelter full of several other people. This is likely due to Trail Days, which took place from Friday, May 18--Sunday, May 20. Trail Days is annual event that celebrates past and present AT thru-hikers. Thousands of people converge on Damascus and gather for a big to-do. Now that it's over, the shelters are crowded again. We decided to tent tonight. Fortunately there was no rain, so it worked out well. y not¢Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn¢t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.¢¢Mark Twain