morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-03-29
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Siler Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.0

Up and out by 8:30 and got to Winding Stair Gap just in time to catch Ron Haven's shuttle to town. I think he expected all of us to stay at his hotel - Budget or Sapphire - but I just wanted a ride. He was cool though. He told us about his days as a wrestler and some jokes about inbred southerners.So at the Sapphire he dropped everyone off but me and then he dropped me off downtown at 76 outfitters. I got my Smoky Mtn. pass and walked to Ingles Grocery store for food. I was going to meet him there again, but I was late coming out. So I walked to Arby's and then the highway right there.I got picked up by Jen and her boyfriend and her dog. They dropped me off and I got some trail magic - Little Debbie oatmeal cookie sandwiches from a guy and his daughter at the trailhead. Then I headed to Siler Mtn Shelter in the snow. There I met Jeb and Regina (She once lived in Pt. Orchard!) and we chatted, started a fire, and ate. But now I'm too cold to write, so I'm done.(I decided much later that Ron Haven wasn't as cool as I thought, and actually was kind of dodgy. I remember him staring at me in the rear-view mirror because I wasn't falling for his act and laughing at his jokes. He was trying to be funny and playing the easy-going southerner, but I could tell he wasn't that way at all. I think he's the type who uses people to get what he wants and is always out to make a buck. Just my opinion.)
Date: 2013-03-30
From: Siler Mountain Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: clear sky

I got a late start today and decided to only put in 11.5 miles. But when I got to Cold Spring Shelter it was crappy and occupied by a couple that had taken the whole thing over. So I pushed on to Tellico Gap to Camp there. But there was no place to camp - just hills.By that time it was getting late so I booked it to Wesser Bald Shelter. There were 4 guys there so I squeezed in, cooked dinner, and got everything ready for the night just before the sun went down.Today I went over 4 balds and with the side trails and 1/2 mile shelter exit in the morning, I probably did nearly 20 miles. I'm due for a slack day - maybe tomorrow if it rains. The highlight of the day was Wesser Bald observation tower. The clouds cleared up and there were 360°views all the way back where I came from and all the way to the Smokies. And the sun was almost down so it was even better. Wayah Bald would have been just as cool but it was cloudy there. The CCC-built stone tower was interesting - but not much else to see. Hopefully tomorrow won't be too wet.(The weather was consistently crappy and was a constant complaint of everyone on the trail. I heard that we had the wettest and coldest thru-hike ever, or pretty close to it. I don't know if that's true or not, but it sure felt that way. I definitely got my money out of my Frogg Toggs, but the jacket didn't last too long. I taped the inseams of the pants and cut them off just above my ankles and they lasted for nearly the whole trip. If I had to do it over again I might use a rain skirt instead and a better jacket. I did replace the jacket later with a Columbia jacket, and I used that from Gatlinburg on.)
Date: 2013-03-31
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 5.9
Weather: light rain

Today was a much needed easy day - 5.9 miles to the Nantahala Outdoor Center. I checked into the hostel, ate a burger at River's End Restaurant, updated Facebook, and chilled out for the rest of the day. I got a little trail magic at the NOC in the form of peanut butter cookies w/Hershey's Kisses. Happy Easter!I also called Mom and arranged for a mail drop in Gatlinburg at the NOC there. So I've got 5 days of food (picked up odds and ends here) and that should get me to Newfound Gap where the shuttle is - 70+ miles away. I hope I planned right.In my bunkroom is "Blood Orange," "V-Money Magic," "Starchild," and "Shadow." Shadow I met at Siler Mtn Shelter a couple nights ago and saw last night at Wesser Bald. he's a young guy, Eagle Scout, from Minnesota and has a Maine license plate tied to his pack.Starchild is a trip. He's from New York and is a cool hippie-type older guy. He got his name when he prayed on the way down here. He prayed to the AT, the actual trail, to be accepted to the group. The answer was yes and the physical AT and the spiritual AT aligned and gave him the name Starchild. Or something like that. I thought he was pulling my leg, but he was dead serious. Cool guy though.Now I'm showered, fed, packed and ready to go tomorrow. Frogs are croaking, rain is falling, and I've got beer and reading to get to. Weather should be nice for the next 3 days so I want an early start so I can crank out some miles.(Starchild and Shadow I would see on and off again until near Maine, and V-money I hiked with for quite awhile. Our room at the NOC had 6 bunks and was just up from the river. There was an obstacle course, a zipline, kayaking, and rafting available. The restaurant sat overlooking the river and was a good place to chill out and watch kayakers.)
Date: 2013-04-01
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Brown Fork Shelter
Miles today: 15.8

I have been really lucky with the rain so far. Today when I got to the shelter it started sprinkling. A couple days ago the snow turned to rain after I arrived at the shelter. Another time it poured - right after I arrived. And last night I took an easy day after only 6 miles or so and it rained on and off all afternoon - but I was already in the NOC shelter. I hope I can keep this up.Today was a rough day. Right out of the NOC is a 3000 foot climb to an elevation of 4700 feet at Swim Bald in 6 miles. 2 miles later and some downslope and then up 600 more feet to Cheoah Bald at 5062 feet. From there we dropped 1900 feet only to climb back up 600 more. And that part is dubbed "Jacob's Ladder" because it is straight up 600 feet in .6 of a mile. That's only the 2nd part of this trail that reminded me of climbing in Korea, the other was the summit of Albert Mtn.Today I also met my first SOBOs - River Dog and Snowman. They started in August last year, took some time off for the holidays and January, and are now almost done. They told us about the snow coming up in the Smokies - up to 3 ft drifts! - and we told them what we've already seen. This was at the top of Cheoah Bald with Starchild, myself, and Always Late - a guy around 50 years old from N.C.It was a nice 15 min break and then we were off our separate ways. I was going to try and pull 18.7 miles to Cody Gap today but not after all that elevation gain. So I got to this shelter at 4 and I've got lot's of time to chill out, cook, and read before calling it a night. Usually I hike until 5:30 or 6, but the 8:30 start let me get here early. Now it's chill-out time.(My hikes in Korea really prepared me well for this trip. In Korea, most trails follow a stream right up a valley and up to a ridge. Then they follow the ridgeline to a peak. Lots of them are short, but plow straight up a mountain, using wooden or metal stairs, rock steps, metal rails, and ropes and trees to hold on to. I climbed the 20 biggest mountains over the summer and then some mid-range peaks during the winter. Nothing much bigger than 6,000 feet, but definitely a solid workout and good prep for the AT.)
Date: 2013-04-02
From: Brown Fork Shelter

To: Birch Spring Gap
Miles today: 18.6

I made it all the way to the Great Smoky Mountains NP today and I'm wiped out. It's raining and I'm in my tent. Damn weatherman. It's not supposed to rain until Thursday. I guess you never know in the mountains.I saw my first deer today just below the fire tower (Shuckstack) on the way to the campground. I also saw, and got a picture of, a big owl. I'll have to show it to Mom but I think it's a barred owl. The deer just stopped and watched me walk by, but the owl flew tree to tree as I got near. I was lucky to get a good picture.The view from the fire tower was great - so many peaks are tree-covered, even the balds, that you can't see anything. The tower itself is about 70 ft high and just about to fall apart. Wooden steps and window panes give it a constant creak and rattle in the wind. But the view of the dam, lake, and mountains was worth it.The AT crosses the Fontana Dam on the Little Tennessee River and it's the highest dam east of the Mississippi. It's part of the TVA and right now the lake behind it is about 45 feet low so you can see a band of rocks all the way around the shoreline. The info center and snack store is closed until May though, so that's all the info I have on it.I also checked out the Fontana Hilton shelter which sleeps about 20 people. It's on the shore of the lake and has a great view. But I had lots of daylight so I kept on.The only other thing that happened was some trail magic - sandwich and 2 cookies - from a family from Chicago. They are on vacation and doing some hiking so they got tons of extra stuff to hand out for the day - So nice! (and welcome!)(Right at the entrance to the park V-Money and I met Crazy Frog for the first time. She cruised by and we caught up to her later on as she was taking a break and eating an apple. Weird, the stuff you remember later on. I'd end up seeing her off and on again the whole way to Maine. A really nice young lady and a good guitar player!Also, from this point on I noted the day's weather at the top of my handwritten journal. I wanted to get a grand total of the weather conditions I went through all the way to Katahdin. This day's weather was sunny with a little bit of icy rain in the evening.)
Date: 2013-04-03
From: Birch Spring Gap

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: overcast clouds

(Sunny)Somehow I printed out a park pass for some guy named Albert from B.C. I don't have any idea how that happened and I'm worried about getting checked when I get to New Found Gap. If they check IDs and passes I might get a fine. I didn't even notice until yesterday at the self check-in kiosk. Hopefully it will all work out. When I get to Gatlinburg I'll get on the 'net and print mine if possible. This shelter is packed. It sleeps 12 but looks like it could fit 20. Right now there are 14-15 and 3 tenters outside. I thought about tenting but it's supposed to rain tomorrow. The only other thing today was I saw another deer - #2 so far.(The park pass turned out to be a non-issue since I never saw a ranger the whole time I was in the park. I made a mistake in my journal though, the name on the pass was Murray Savoy, not Albert. And it turns out that I met him and hiked with him off and on quite a bit, only I knew him as Push-Up. It wasn't until much, much later that I found out his real name and put 2 and 2 together. He must have been the last guy on the printer in Franklin and I just printed a copy of his pass instead of mine. Strange things happen on the trail sometimes.)
Date: 2013-04-04
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 18.0

(Freezing rain)It poured rain last night at about 3 AM and kept going all day. I was the 3rd one out and was soaked within an hour. I fell down twice and soaked my gloves, so they were useless. My rain pants leak at the seams and only come to my shins because I had to cut them so many times. So I was miserable all day. I tried to warm my hands in the coals at Siler's Bald Shelter, but the coals were almost out (each shelter has a fireplace in the Smokies). So I trudged on, head down, to the double Spring Gap shelter. I thought about packing it in there, but I knew a large group was headed in from Derrick Knob Shelter and they had reservations, so I moved on. (Day hikers can reserve spots and kick out thru-hikers)I ran into V-Money Magic (Chris Vlassic) whom I've kinda hung out with since the NOC hostel. We crossed Clingman's Dome in the wind and freezing rain. On a nice day, the pine forest and views would be awesome, but today we were in the clouds and the ice rain was freezing on the tree branches so they sagged down to block the path. I don't know how many times I got smacked in the face by a branch that V-Money let go. And I fell on my ass one more time. All of last week's snow was compacted and frozen into ice.So the final shelter - Mt. Collins - was 1/2 mile off the trail and it was 4:30. Time for a decision - shelter and cold/wet gear or 4 1/2 miles to Newfound Gap and get to Gatlinburg. Easy choice. We caught a ride from a lady, her husband, and son and dog. We were so frozen that we couldn't tie our packs on the roof or unbuckle the buckles. But we finally got it done and headed to town. Gatlinburg starts right outside of the park and is a huge tourist town - like a mini Vegas without the casinos. We met a German girl at the motel next door because the motel owner gave her an apartment and offered to share it with us for the night. We got our own place at Motel 6 then met up with her and had dinner at Shoney's. All you can eat buffet - Yeah!! We chatted about differences between countries - USA, Korea, Germany, and more. It was fun. And there were tons of people to watch because of spring break.Soon we were full so we grabbed some beer and hit the motel. I can't wait to check out the town tomorrow.(When we got to Newfound Gap we found out that the road had washed out between Gatlinburg and Cherokee and that's why there were hardly any people there. We seriously considered sleeping in the heated restroom if we couldn't find a ride. Thankfully, we did. I was never so happy to get a lift. We kept having to hop in the van, hold our hands to the heater, and then go outside to strap our packs on top. My fingers were so numb I thought they would break if I bent them. I finally got feeling back in my extremities about the time we pulled into Gatlinburg. This was easily in the top 3 of my worst days on the trail. I was never so glad to see a warm bed and a cold beer at the end of the day. But everything leading up to that was pretty miserable.)
Date: 2013-04-05
From: Gatlinburg

Miles today: 0.0

(sunny and warm)Today was such a nice easy day. I went to breakfast with V-Money and then searched out a laundromat that ended up being 3 miles out of town. So no clothes washed.Then I picked up a 10 lb. package from home at the NOC. I also picked up a $65 rain jacket and a $13 waterproof food bag. More money down the drain. But I had to replace my shitty Frogg Toggs and 18L food bag - too big.After that we headed to a Mexican joint for late lunch and then bar-hopped our way back to the hotel. KFC was understaffed so we got Hot Pockets and beer at Grandad's Market and called it a day.On a side note - it seems that there are no good-looking girls in town other than bartenders - and they live up to an hour away - I asked. Mostly middle aged mothers and their teenaged kids. Weird. But at least the bartenders are cute.The weather was awesome today too. I could have put in a lot of miles, but the 0-day was very nice.(I only made it halfway to the laundromat before giving up. Who needs to walk that far just to wash clothes? But I clearly didn't mind walking to the bars and restaurants in town. I can tell from my observations of the locals that the beer was flowing pretty freely. And Grandad's Market is actually Old Dad's Market. Yep, beer makes everything fuzzy.)
Date: 2013-04-06
From: Gatlinburg

To: Tri Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 15.6

(sunny and cold)V-Money and I slept late and skipped the pancake restaurant. We hopped on the NOC shuttle with Diet Coke, Backtrack, Always Late, and Starchild. Diet Coke is a nice older lady (60's?) and she's part of the Tallest Peak Club - she wants to climb all but the technical mountains in all 50 states. So no Rainier, McKinley, etc. Pretty cool lady. The rest of the group I've met before.At Newfound Gap we met trail angel Beth who hooked us up with Dunkin' Donuts - Nice! Then we were all off like a shot. There were some awesome views down the valley and a great lookout at Charlie's Bunion. A lot of the trees are dead or dying because of a beetle infestation. Lots of standing dead wood and bare deciduous trees give it a gray look with patches of green here and there. So not as beautiful as it could be, but still pretty on a clear, sunny day.Again there was lots of ice and slush and fallen trees. One of them I got stuck under trying to crawl by so I had to go back and walk around. Trail crews will have their hands full this summer.Tonight I'm sleeping at 5911 feet - the highest I've ever camped out. I'll be wearing almost everything I own just to stay warm. Tomorrow should be a long haul to get out of the Smokies.(The Tri Corner Knob shelter was packed, but a good place to stay. It had great bear wires, a convenient privy, and the water source was literally just steps away from the front of the shelter. If only it weren't so cold!)
Date: 2013-04-07
From: Tri Corner Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Hostel
Miles today: 18.4

(sunny)Today was almost all downhill, which means tomorrow will be all up. Ugh. But we put in good miles today. 2 days from now should be Hot Springs.Again some great views and sunny weather, but the highlight was the trail magic. I got a Coke and some Thin Mints Girl Scout cookies from Sir Franklin and his daughter(?) Thin Mint. She thru-hiked in 2010 and he did Katahdin. They were very nice and chatted about trail towns coming up - Hot Springs and Erwin.They were at the exit of the Smokies so I made it through without my faulty pass being checked. Actually, I never saw a ranger at all. And the exit was just a nondescript dirt parking lot alongside some road. No signs, buildings - nothing.Anyway, the next trail magic was a bag of Little Debbie's Brownies and Peanut Butter Bars at the trail leading up from Interstate 40 after the underpass. I had a Peanut Butter Bar - awesome!From there it was the Standing Bear Hostel which is a cool little rustic hostel. There's a small cabin over a stream, a shower with a glass-bottle wall, a 14-bunk sleeping room with bunk beds and a drum-stove, a store that is a shed with 2 fridges and shelves of goodies, a kitchen with gas range and all utensils in another shed alongside the hand wringer and washboard clothes washing area - real dryer though, and a small outbuilding with a non-working computer and a local call phone.I think we have a full house tonight since 3 people just rolled in. I'm going to try and pack up everything tonight so I can get a good jump in the AM. My clothes are somewhat cleaner now and mostly dry and my stomach is full.(The hostel was a pretty cool little place, but the people running it were dodgy and left me with a bad taste in my mouth. I don't remember the guy's name, I think he was the owner, but he basically called all hikers out as thieves ("Thieving motherfucking thru-hikers" were his exact words). Undoubtedly there are some bad apples along the trail, but to call me out like that in the little shack while explaining to me how to pay for the stuff I wanted was extremely off-putting. So I stewed over that all night and it still pisses me off just to think about it. Yes it was nice to sleep in a bunk and get a shower, but if I had to do it again, I'd pass.The other characters running the place just made me feel nervous. One guy was all tattooed up and down from his head to God knows where (prison tattoos I was told, but I can't be sure). Another was just quiet and mumbly and off in his own world. The last guy was pretty mellow and I liked him, especially since he was in charge of the beer fridge. But I still slept with one eye out for my stuff. And the cat was good. There were no mice around to chew on my stuff!)
Date: 2013-04-08
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Walnut Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

(sunny and hot)I did 20 miles today and I'm beat. My knees and legs are ok, but my feet are pretty sore. Mostly from running downhill yesterday I think.It was really hot today and I had to put on sunscreen twice. That, and I had to drink water constantly. There was still a patch or two of snow around the top of Max Patch. Max Patch is a huge bald with great 360° views.Other than that it was just hiking, hiking, hiking. One thing I've noticed is that the AT is like Korea. There are few people like you, and you end up talking to people you ordinarily wouldn't. That can be good and bad though - just an observation.(Even though the AT has the nickname "The Green Tunnel," it doesn't really get that way until late spring or early summer and I used sunscreen quite often. Once or twice I ran out on the trail and got a bit of a sunburn, but luckily never too bad. I'm just glad I had it on the balds where there was no shade to be had at all.)
Date: 2013-04-09
From: Walnut Mtn Shelter

To: Sunnybank Inn, Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 13.1

(sunny, 85°)I made it to Hot Springs and immediately checked into the Sunnybank Inn. I had my choice of the study or a bedroom so I chose the latter. The house is an 1875 Victorian mansion that has been a farmhouse, school, boarding house, and housing for German POWs' wives during WWI. It has 2 stairwells, a clawfoot tub (bath only, no shower - I used it), Chinese paintings, tons of books, antique furniture, dark woodwork, and cracks in the walls and ceilings. It's pretty cool.The town itself is less than a mile long and closes down at 5 pm. Dollar general, the L&K mini mart, and the bar close at 10 or so. Not much to see or do if you aren't going to the Hot Springs resort complex, but a nice quiet town nonetheless.I got here early enough for lunch at the Smoky Mtn Diner, Internet at the library, sending a package of extra stuff back home at the post office, and washing my stinky clothes.So now I'm set with supplies to make it to Erwin, TN and I'm ready for a good night's sleep in a real bed.(Hot Springs was a nice little town with a couple of old buildings and bridges that were worth wandering around and finding. The sidewalks in town have AT symbols and I believe it's the first "trail town" that the AT actually passes through, if you are headed north. The train line and a river also run through town and I sat and counted a 120-car train pass by in the night. I also chilled out at Spring Creek Tavern, overlooking Spring Creek, and had a beer and some food at the end of the day.During my stay at the inn, I found out that "Sherpa" isn't a unique name, and I was the second to pass through already. "Sherpa Chief" was heading southbound and I missed him somewhere along the way. The guy at the inn said there are always 2 or 3 every year. Damn! And here I thought I had a cool, one-of-a-kind name. At least the story behind my name is unique!)