morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-05-28
From: Rock Spring Hut

To: Bear Fence Mountain Hut
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

We needed a reboot after the last couple of days. Pilgrim has a plan so we strike out quickly without cooking breakfast or getting more water. We make good time at the beginning, but I run out of water and my pace begins to slow. We finally come to a stream and I get to use my Sawyer water bottle and filter for the first time. It works well but is really meant for sipping directly from the bottle and not transferring filtered water to another container like the bladder in my pack. I do not have a good place to keep the bottle within easy reach. After 3.5 miles we get to Big Meadows campground. We start our laundry and then take turns at the pay showers. Now suitable clean and pressed we walk to the Big Meadows Lodge and have a wonderful late breakfast. I think the hunger is beginning to kick in. I have no problem finishing off the breakfast and the side of pancakes I added to the order.I realize I have held some preconceived notions of who we would be meeting on the trail. There are more hikers my age, there are more women, and there are more dogs as hiking companions than I thought there would be. I also did not anticipate the number of foreigners we have met. It is a very diverse community on the trail.I have seen a handful of people hiking while listening to earphones. I guess the constant stream of trees day after day after day could get old if one is thru-hiking, but the thought of plugging in while hiking has not entered my mind. I had downloaded some podcasts before I left home, but have only listened to them a couple of times in the evening while in my tent. Of course, not plugging music into my ears on the trail has not prevented the occasional endless song from playing in my head. On this day it has been (Hey Baby) Que Paso by the Texas Tornados.After our mouse experience last night I think we are through with shelters for a while. When we get to Bear Fence Mountain Hut we quickly find a couple of sites for our tents and set them up. The ones we find that look good are a fair distance from the social hub of the shelter, but that is ok. There is also a large flat stump near my tent that is perfect for cooking on. After dinner a deer casually walked through the camp site.
Date: 2016-05-29
From: Bear Fence Mountain Hut

To: Country View Lodging Motel
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

A deer also walked through camp this morning. The side trail we took yesterday to get to the campsite takes an ¢L¢ down from the AT. This morning I see a couple of hikers taking a short cut from the camp site back up to the AT by going up a dry creek bed behind our tents. Early in our hike this morning we walk by Lewis Mountain campground. There is no reason to stop as there is no Grill or camp store here. Flowers catch my attention today. There are lots of Spiderwort along the trail. I experiment with some shots using them as an in-focus foreground element with Pilgrim walking away in background. One comes out pretty well.Shenandoah has a number of cabins in the park that people can rent far in advance. We ran into a couple of birders this morning who I think may have been staying at one of the cabins. They told us that a tropical depression had come ashore on the coast and was bringing rain later today. By the time we got to Swift Run Gap where Highway 33 cuts through the SNP the rain is beginning to fall. We saw another hiker we had met earlier on the trail hitching a ride on Skyline Drive. Pilgrim looked in his guidebook and saw there was a motel (Country View Lodging Motel) just three miles down the road. The guidebook also mentioned the motel could provide transportation from the gap. However, when we called the motel no one was answering the phone, so we started walking down Highway 33 trying to hitch a ride. The road quickly lost its shoulder and it would have been unsafe for someone to stop for us. We hiked the full distance to the motel and got a room for the night. The motel has a washer and dryer for guests to use, so we were also able to do our laundry. I had a Mountain House two-serving beef stew from my oversupply of food, and Pilgrim had a chicken pot pie from the supply of frozen entrees sold in the motel lobby. There was a steady drizzle all evening.
Date: 2016-05-30
From: Country View Lodging Motel

To: Pinefield Hut
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: moderate rain

In the morning the rain had stopped and the motel owner gave us a ride back to Swift Run Gap for a very modest fee of five dollars for the both of us. He charges for the trip not per hiker. The clouds dissipated and we had a nice sunny day for hiking. I got a number of photos of flowers as well as shots of the surrounding valley from viewpoints on the trail. For lunch we took a side trail to the Simmons Gap Ranger Station. We were able to eat at a picnic table and get water from a faucet nearby. Sidenote:I mentioned earlier that I purchased tortillas for the trail. They seem to be a backpacker staple. They pack flat, are fairly easy to find in large and small stores, and keep for several days. For filling I cycled through three options to provide variety: Peanut butter and bacon bits; single serve tuna pouches; and a mixture of dried refried beans, instant rice, and powdered cheese. For the bean-rice dry mix I would add non-heated water to the plastic bag just before getting on the trail in the morning and it would be rehydrated and ready for me whenever I had lunch. YumButter is probably a regional brand, but they have a 7 oz squeeze Go Pack of peanut butter and almond butter that I brought and used on the trail. Its modest size, small screw cap, and the fact that it was a squeeze packet made it very packable and convenient. Tuna by itself can be dry, so I packed individual mayo packets to mix in. I also experimented with using pilot crackers on this trip. They worked ok, they are less fragile than regular crackers, but I still had to treat them very carefully in my pack. They have a very slight sweetness to them, so I found that they also worked very well with Nutella. I packed a few individual serving size packets of Nutella I had found at World Market. World Market also has a variety of small packaged sausages.It was only another couple of miles to Pinefield Hut, so we got there mid-afternoon. The side trail from the hut to the tent sites was steep and took us out of view of the hut. It was fairly private so I filled my folding sink from the nearby spring and did a quick ¢sponge¢ bath behind my tent.
Date: 2016-05-31
From: Pinefield Hut

To: Blackrock Hut
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: broken clouds

We got an early start this morning and got on the trail by 6:30. I got a picture of a bright orange lizard or salamander that I had heard other hikers talking about. After looking it up later I found that the specimen I photographed is a Red-spotted Newt in its terrestrial juvenile stage. There were wildfires in SNP in April. They had to close down a portion of the AT for a while. We walked through some of the burned area this morning. Plants are already springing back to life out of the ashes. As we dipped down into a valley we walked along a very picturesque stream. I took a few pictures at the point where we crossed it. When we got back up to the ridge we could look across the valley and see that the burned areas were not solid. It looked a bit like a patchwork quilt on the opposite hillside. For lunch we stopped at the Loft Mountain Campground store for tortillas and Gatorade. It is a new very nice store with a breezeway where we set up to eat lunch. I briefly thought about a shower but ended up with washing my face and neck at the sink. Further down the trail we stopped at the Dundo picnic area for a bathroom break and a quick rest. Mid-afternoon we arrived at Blackrock Hut and found a couple of tent sites away from shelter and near a stream. As I was doing chores by my tent a bear surprised me and fellow hiker as it came crashing through the underbrush. She yelled at it and it stood up and then quickly high-tailed away from us. I don¢t think it knew we were there until she yelled. During the night a Whip-poor-will and an accomplice kept calling loudly to each other with great regularity. I know this because I did not sleep all that well while they were calling.
Date: 2015-10-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

So, a few years ago I was looking around a local outdoor gear store (Bill Jackson's in Pinellas Park, FL) and saw some books and maps about the Appalachian Trail. I said to the friend that was with me at the time that I would love to do that some day - thru-hike the Appalachian Trail.   Fast forward to this year - a year filled with some major life changes and way too much stress. With my entire life changing (again), I decided it was time to take a break - a nice long one (6 months perhaps). I won't (or can't) explain here why I NEED to do this - maybe I don't even understand it all yet - but one thing is for sure, I AM going to do it!!
Date: 2015-10-20
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I want to let all my family and friends know how truly awesome they are! Even though some of them may not understand why I am doing this, they all have been SUPER supportive!   I couldn't ask for anything more. They have helped me research, train, shop for gear, given me financial and emotional support - they are the best!I also wanted to give a shout out to the Suncoast Chapter of the Florida Trail Association. They are the nicest group of people!   I joined the association because I know practically nothing about backpacking and camping. I have been on numerous hikes with them now and everyone I have talked to about my journey has been so excited for me and more than willing to share any information they have that might help. Thank you! I am really looking forward to my first full pack hike and camping trip!
Date: 2015-11-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Went on my first camping trip this past weekend to try out all of my gear. I am happy to say that even with a little rain everything worked really well!   I got a couple of small hikes in with my pack which now weighs 20 lbs without the water and only 3 days worth of food! I still have a number of small things to get and all my warm weather gear so I am getting seriously worried about the weight. I really don't think I will be able to handle any more than 30 lbs so I am going to have to re-evaluate everything and try to cull it down some.The camping trip was with the Suncoast Chapter of the Florida Trail Association. We were working on maintaining the trail at Little Manatee River State Park (shout out to my painting partner Yarro!). As I stated before, everyone I have met in this group has been super nice and very helpful but I want to give special thanks to the following people that really took the time to share their knowledge about backpacking, camping, and the AT with me: Ralph - thanks for all the great info and for helping me to cook my first meal; Arnold - thanks for all the info too and making sure my tent was set up properly so I didn't get wet when it rained Saturday night; Mike - I am going to be ordering that trail/camp stool and Wes for all your advice.This coming weekend is the big 4 day, 40 mile Thanksgiving weekend trip - wish me luck! I will let you all know how it goes!
Date: 2015-11-30
To: Thanksgiving Trip 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: fog

So, over Thanksgiving weekend (Thursday to Sunday), was my first real test. Four days, 40 miles, setting up and tearing down camp every day. It was great! I was with an awesome group of people from the Suncoast Chapter of the Florida Trail Association. I learned SO MUCH! i want to send out a sincere Thank You to everyone on that trip. I truly credit you all for helping me make it! I was trying out my second pair of shoes and they failed miserably - my feet are nothing but blisters but I would not have missed the experience for the world. Now, I just need to find a different pair of shoes..............
Date: 2016-01-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Oh dear - not good! Here it is January already. I took the whole month of December off from hiking and training (not good). January arrived with a renewed sense of purpose and a realization that I am running out of preparation time!! I did spend December finding new shoes - 3rd pair returned to store and then 2 hours at REI in Jacksonville to find the pair I have now. So, I joined the local YMCA and I went on my first traning hike with the FTA yesterday since the Thanksgiving trip. The bad news is I tripped (quite ungracefully) and I now have a sprained left wrist - not good! I will continue to hike on the weekends and try to use the treadmill at the gym............
Date: 2016-02-26
To: I am ready!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The AT Kick-Off is next weekend at Amicalola Falls and I will be there! I have all my gear. Without food or water, my pack weight is 19 lbs. so I should be around my max goal weight of 30. I am not as physically prepared as I would like to be but I am just going to take it slow in the beginning and not try to push too hard. If I can keep from injuring myself, I should be alright. I am very lucky to have lots of options for my start date (I can wait on a break for good weather) and I don't have to finish by any certain date so I can flip-flop if I need to. My motto will be slow and steady will get me there! I am SO EXCITED - I can't wait to meet other thru-hikers at the Kick-Off! I am ready to start my adventure!
Date: 2016-03-11
To: One more setback
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: moderate rain

The ATKO was great. Lots of good speakers - very informational. Very glad I was able to go. I, however, am not out on the trail where I should be. I injured my lower back somehow on February 29th and no matter what I have tried it is not getting any better. I am staying with my daughter in Atlanta with the hope of starting as soon as I can pick up my pack and put it on. If I am not better by this Monday, I will be trying to find a doctor here to see what is wrong. I will write again as soon as I have better news.
Date: 2016-04-02
To: Ready to go!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We went to Amicalola Falls today and I registered my thru-hike. I am hiker #1219!We are all set to start on Monday 4/4. I am very excited to report that both my daughter and my granddaughter will be hiking the first three days with me! I couldn't be happier. My back is feeling better. I have been doing small practice hikes with increasing weight but the real test will be those first three days. Wish me luck!
Date: 2016-04-04
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain Campsite
Miles today: 7.8

Finally started! Faye an Emily are walking with me for the first few days! We got to Springer and hiked up to the terminus to take pictures and then back down to the parking lot and on to the Hawk Mtn. Shelter. Very tough day with my 30 lb pack. 6 hours to hike 7 miles! Great place to sleep though.
Date: 2016-04-05
From: Hawk Mountain Campsite

To: Cooper Gap
Miles today: 4.9

Got a late start. Very windy last night and Faye and Emily's tent was not good in those conditions. All of us sore and moving slow. We didn't make it very far. Hill picked us all up and we went to dinner and back to Atlanta. Hill will drive me back to Cooper Gap in the morning.
Date: 2016-04-06
From: Cooper Gap

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 8.5

Got back to Cooper Gap about 10 a.m. this morning. Made it 8.5 miles to Woody Gap where I got a shuttle to the Wolfpen Gap Country Store/Hostel. My first day hiking by myself. It went really well today but I did not carry my whole pack (I left the tent at Faye's). The trail was still tough but I am feeling good! Met a lot of great people at the hostel, in particular Diane and Roy from Tampa! This was a great Hostel and I would recommend it to everyone.
Date: 2016-04-07
From: Woody Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: scattered clouds

A very nice man drove a group of us back to Woody Gap this morning from the hostel in Suches. Then I slack packed 10.5 miles to Neels Gap. I rented the slack pack from the Wolfpen Gap Country Store for $5.00 and I would do it again if I ever had to hike over Blood Mountain again - Brutal, Brutal descent! I NEVER would have made it down the mountain carrying a 30 lb pack there were HUGE boulders that had to be climbed over. On a positive note I did see 3 deer this morning crossing the trail about 100 feet behind me. See if you can find the deer in the picture above. Staying at the Blood Mountain Cabins tonight (very nice). Roy came up and stopped in Atlanta to pick up resupply stuff I had left at Faye's and then picked up my big pack from the hostel.Note: Slack packing is where you just carry a small pack with whatever you need for the day and you leave your full pack at the hostel. For an extra $10, the hostel will deliver your pack to Neels Gap. Highly recommended for this particular section.
Date: 2016-04-08
From: Neels Gap

To: Hogpen Gap
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I went to the Mountain Crossings store in Neels Gap this morning and bought a slack pack (I had to return the other one to the Wolfpen Gap Country Store) so that I could hike for the next couple of days without my big pack. Roy picked me up at Hogpen Gap and we went back to stay at the Blood Mountain Cabins. Another day with tough terrain but really AWESOME views. Actually had a little snow/ice falling at the top of one of the mountains this morning. I am slowly learning the trail names of the hikers I have been seeing every day: Trek, Big O, Sea Goat
Date: 2016-04-09
From: Hogpen Gap

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 12.3

Slack packed again today from Hogpen Gap to Unicoi Gap 12.3 miles. Almost didn't make it before dark. Going down that last mountain was really tough! Roy met me at the top and helped me down. We drove to Helen, GA for the night. Cutest little Bavarian town - we had dinner in a great German restaurant overlooking the river. My left knee is really bothering me.
Date: 2016-04-11
From: Helen, Georgia

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: scattered clouds

First day with full pack on since last Monday. Only made 5.7 miles to Tray Mountain Shelter. Couldn't get a ride from Helen until 10:00 a.m. Took me 6 hours! It's going to rain tonight so this will be the first real test of my tent.P.S. The tent worked perfect through the rain and intense wind!
Date: 2016-04-12
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: light rain

Full pack from Tray Mountain Shelter to Deep Gap Shelter - 7.4 miles. Most of it was nice and easy except for the 800 ft. straight up in 1 mile! Going to try out sleeping in the shelter for the first time. I am considering ditching the tent to lighten the load. Results: I was so scared of the rats and. bugs that I spent the night entirely covered in my sleeping bag. And my left hip was just killing me so I spent the whole night turning over ever half hour which made me feel bad for everyone else in the shelter (the sleeping bag on the air mattress makes a lot of noise). Guess I had better keep the tent!
Date: 2016-04-13
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 3.6
Weather: broken clouds

Hiked from Deep Gap to Dicks Creek Gap - only 3.6 miles. My back was really bothering me in the morning. I am really struggling with this full pack. Today there was trail magic and trail angels for me! I met a very nice man passing me early in the day (he was going to meet his wife at Dicks Creek for resupply and today was their 31st wedding anniversary) and he could see that I was really struggling and offered to carry some of my pack for me since we were going to the same place. I declined the offer but a couple of hours later another man came walking toward me and said that he had heard about me from the anniversary man so he had come to carry my whole pack for me!! There are some really awesome people out here. Faye met me at Dicks and drove me to Hiawassee. We had lunch, bought a few items, she did my laundry and helped me go through my pack to try to lighten and rearrange it. She did great! I am so lucky to have her close and supporting me!
Date: 2016-04-14
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Plumorchard Gap Shelter
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: light rain

I woke up this morning very discouraged. My pack is better but still heavy. I go so very slow out there. It seems like everyone passing me are like ghosts - we exchange pleasantries and then they are gone. Sometimes I will see them again at the shelter but usually I never see them again. I am worried that soon I will be at the back and there will be no one else to pass me. I will be alone at the shelters. I do want to at least make it through GA. Then maybe I will jump forward some. So, I got a shuttle back to Dick's Creek Gap about 11:30 and hiked 4.5 miles in 4 hours to Plumorchard Gap Shelter. Tomorrow I should cross in to North Carolina!
Date: 2016-04-15
From: Plumorchard Gap Shelter

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: broken clouds

Hiked 7.3 miles today to Muskrat Creek Shelter. Crossed in to North Carolina today! Wonderful trail leaving Georgia but North Carolina hit hard from the beginning and was pretty tough. Bad news is my cell phone and my charger are both dead!I need to figure out how to eat correctly. I am only putting in 600 - 800 calories a day and expending thousands. I am sluggish and shaky early in the day which is why I am struggling so much! I need to add more calories without adding much more weight to my pack.
Date: 2016-04-16
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: clear sky

Another short day - only 4 miles to Deep Gap. The first 2 miles were very nice but the last 2 was rough terrain (big boulders both going up and down). I arranged a pickup through Haven Budget Inn in Franklin, NC. Expensive shuttle ($40) but my knees and feet will thank me. I also need to figure out how to eat correctly.
Date: 2016-04-18
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Wayah Bald parking area
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: clear sky

Skipped 25 miles and jumped ahead to start at Winding Stair Gap.What a beautiful start to the day with the above waterfall!I was only going to walk to the first shelter (5 miles) but I got there in only 2 hours and it wasn't even noon yet so I kept going. Slow But Steady and I decided we would check out the camping area between this first shelter and the next one. It was only another 4 miles but we never could find it with the directions from our maps - we looked and looked. So we had to keep going. We made it to the Wayah Bald parking area where I hoped we would find campers but there weren't any. I had injured my right foot earlier in the day and by then it was just killing me. Slow But Steady was so great staying with me while I really struggled to keep moving. It was getting late when we got there and I just couldn't go any further. There was a couple of vehicles in the parking area. One was loading up with hikers and didn't have any extra space but the other belonged to the most awesome couple who were visiting from Michigan. They drove me back to Franklin where I found a room at the Comfort Inn.
Date: 2016-04-21
From: Franklin, NC

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Rested my foot Tuesday & Wednesday. It wasn't feeling much better, so Thursday I went to an urgent care clinic and had it x-rayed just to be sure I didn't have any stress fractures (again). Good news: negative x-Ray, bad news: plantar fasciatis. Nothing broken so enough of these zero days.
Date: 2016-04-22
From: Franklin, NC

To: Creekside Paradise on the AT
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Got shuttle service with Beverly Carini from Franklin to a Bed & Breakfast outside Robbinsville, NC called Creekside Paradise on the AT. Beverly does shuttles for donations - she is super nice and cost 1/2 of what Larry's Taxi Service wanted to charge me! The B&B is really nice and the couple that runs it (Cynthia & Jeff) are both wonderful. Four other hikers were also there.