morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-06-05
From: Fontana Dam

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: clear sky

Day 1: Fontana Dam VC to Mollies Ridge ShelterGPS MilesElev GainTrip MilesTrip Gain11.34,17011.34,170My shuttle (AAA Hiker Services) arrived at Fontana around 2PM, on the last day of a multi-day monsoon but in a nice hole in the weather. After drinking the last Coke I was going to see for a while, I walked across the dam and into the park.I was fresh from two days of complete rest, so the climb to Mollies Ridge was almost easy. The only problem was that my pack was annoyingly heavy at 22 pounds, at least 2 pounds more than I was hoping for, and 4 pounds more than I had trained with. During this trip, I kept saying that more than 50% of the weight was food, but now that I see my spreadsheet, that actually wasn't true. Still, it was nice to eat my way through more than 2 pounds of weight every single day of the trip.I got caught in a couple of light rain showers, but my hat was enough to get me through it, and I didn't need to deploy my poncho until I reached the shelter and the evening's torrential downpour began.A retired woman was in the shelter already, all set up in a corner of the lower bunk and in her sleeping bag. She looked a little dubious as a through hiker, with the amount of gear around her. She said she was thru-hiking but jumping around the trail with two cars, one at either end of each section, but I didn't ask for details on how that can be done with one person. I talked to her a little bit and ate a few Clif Bars, but only half of dinner because I didn't want to go down to the water source in the rain.The first thing she had told me about, though, was the bear that kept coming around the shelter during the day. After I'd been there for a couple of hours, the bear came around again and headed for the food hanging wires, so I yelled at it and clapped my hands to chase it away. It was a bit reluctant to choose flight until we both began to clap.Near dusk we were joined by a young couple, so I had to move my transverse sleep setup that had my head hidden behind the shelter's tarp so I could keep the bear out of sight and out of mind. Of course, I always bump my head several times a night when I'm on the top bunk. Whatever someone thinks of shelters, at least I wasn't tenting in the rain in a small one-person tent and then having to pack it up when it was wet and muddy.Note: GPS Miles include trips to water sources, etc. Atdist.com was used for the official Daily Miles on the AT.View Course in Garmin Connect
Date: 2016-06-06
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 25.5
Weather: light rain

Day 2: Mollies Ridge Shelter to Mt. Collins ShelterGPS MilesElev GainTrip MilesTrip GainDaily AvgAvg Gain26.67,68737.911,85719.05,929On the second day, I walked over Clingman's Dome to Mt. Collins. There wasn't too much scenery except for the excellent views from Rocky Top on the way towards the main peak of Thunderhead, and another before Clingmans Dome. I skipped the Dome itself because I've been there several times. If I wanted to be around tourists, I would just go to work.Physically it wasn't bad until the very end, between the Dome and Mt. Collins. It got to me a little bit, mentally, because it was just so damn rocky. I had just done a day hike from Newfound Gap to Clingman's, with a side trip down the Road Prong trail, but that day I had been rested and carrying a lighter pack. My pack weight had decreased noticeably but was still heavy.The ecosystem along this part of the AT is quite beautiful, just as it is after Newfound Gap until after Mt. Kephart, or at the top of Mt. LeConte. These must be the parts that qualify as Temperate Rainforest. They resemble pictures of mossy wilderness in the Pacific Northwest, so no other scenery is needed. The trail work along this stretch is interesting too, with wooden stumps and beams held in place with iron spikes. It's like an ancient technology, or maybe Hobbit technology.Earlier today, I ran across a group of trail maintenance volunteers who were setting up at Siler's Bald Shelter. They were with the ATC and encouraged me to volunteer. I might if I could ever take time off from my second, part-time job, day hiking.Mt. Collins Shelter was packed. I was not the last to arrive. A couple of thru-hikers had to yield their space and tent behind the shelter. I washed my legs and feet in the grass and went straight to sleep after eating and using the privy. On my way to get water, I did have a short conversation with a man from Indiana who was out with his kids on a loop hike out of Elkmont. Bigger miles make me less social and more interested in business and sleep.I brought ear plugs and they definitely came in handy, even though I could still make out the snoring of several people around me.View Course in Garmin Connect
Date: 2016-04-01
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mtn. Camp
Miles today: 7.4

April 1, 2016   1:30 ¢ 5:30Day 1 ¢ Springer Mtn. to Hawk Mtn. Campsite17,724 steps   7.4 milesStarting off at Springer, most questions are if we¢re goingto Maine or not. Our answer along with every other thru-hikeris ¢That¢s the hope¢ or ¢We¢ll see¢. Nobody says ¢Yes¢definitely because with only 17% of thru-hikers making it the whole way, we all have an unspoken clarity about our chances.Any rock or root stepped on the wrong way can end your plansin a heartbeat. The vegetation on Springer changes drastically from 10 feet tall Rhododendron creating the feeling of walkingthrough the Brazilian Rainforest and in another few steps surrounded by bare bark pines looming over a fresh pillowof needles giving my joints slight reprieve from the poundingrocks. We were warned about strenuous hiking to Neel Gap,so far it¢s fairly easy as we went 7.4 miles after only planning todo 5 miles. Hawk Mtn. Campsite is a strange little refugee campstyle with campsites dug into the mountain as you walk down 0.5 miles to the water source. The privy has no door, but hey, at least it¢s a toilet. Setting up our hammocks now surrounded bypeople we met on top of Springer Mtn. Until tomorrow!
Date: 2016-04-02
From: Hawk Mtn. Camp

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: light rain

April 2, 2016   11:00 ¢ 7:00 PMDay 2 ¢ Hawk Mtn to Woody Gap34,384 steps   13.4 milesToday was more strenuous with steep verticals, rocky paths, andan already sore body. We definitely pushed ourselves too hard today, but we¢ll learn from our mistakes. I¢ll have to remember howdifficult this was when Jenny joins us in a couple of months, we willhave our trail legs but she won¢t. So I want her to set the pace anddistance for that reason.Today we got 3 separate moments of trail magic after 1 yesterday!The first was at Cooper Gap courtesy of ¢Courtesy¢ the organizer¢s trail name. Here, I witnessed my brother do something I¢ve neverseen¢¦He ate an orange! The second trail magic was a randomolder couple I passed on the trail that gave us homemade chocolatemacadamian cookies, they were delicious! The 3rd magic was froma community of Mormons or Menonites [actually ¢Twelve Tribes¢] who set up their beautifully handcrafted double bus at Woody Gap and gave us homemade bread, tea and hot dogs and chips. I swear, if this trend keeps up, we¢ll never have to pack food ¢ ha ha. Mom, Dad and Sarah are taking us to Suches tomorrow for pizza!
Date: 2016-04-03
From: Woody Gap

To: Henry Gap
Miles today: 4.3
Weather: overcast clouds

April 3, 2016   12:50 ¢ 3:00 pmDay 3 ¢ Woody Gap to Henry Gap 9,991 steps   4.3 milesThe actual temp yesterday night was ~ 30 degrees, with anestimated wind chill of ~ 0 degrees; it was freezing! Butwe survived and had our parents and Sarah pick us up to take usto Wolf Pen Gap Country Store in Suches, GA for some pizza asDanny had been craving it the entirety of Day 2. So we ate withthem, then said our goodbyes as they drove back to Marietta and we continued North a different way. We only went about 4 miles today because we pushed too hard yesterday and our bodiesneed a break. The only other option was to push on to Neel Gapas we aren¢t allowed to camp between Jarrard Gap and Neel Gapwithout a bear canister. It would be another 6.5 miles to Neel, sowe wised up and just stayed put. Unfortunately we got here at 3 PM (a bit early for our liking) and are camping near a privateresidence. Hopefully I¢m not on their property or that they areserial killers preying on thru-hikers. Unlikely, but if they are, I loveyou Jenny ?.Okay, probably not serial killers since an old lady came out and offeredus water, but still you never know ha ha.
Date: 2016-04-04
From: Henry Gap

To: Hogpen Gap
Miles today: 13.5

April 4, 2016   9:30 ¢ 7:30 pmDay 4 ¢ Henry Gap to Hogpen Gap38,111 steps   13.5 milesBlood Mountain wasn¢t as bad as others hyped it to be. We took our time up and down, sure, but we had plenty of time left in theday once we got to Neel Gap. We stopped there for 1.5 hours andate some lunch. Called Mom and Dad to give an update. Weplanned to hike another 3 miles to a water source, but missed it,so decided to go to the next water source. We didn¢t realize it would be 3 more miles but that¢s okay because we aren¢t nearly as sore as Day 2. I guess those trail legs are starting tokick in! Our goal now is to head to Hiawassee for our 1st zeroday¢¦showers, laundry, internet, phone service! That will be a welcome treat! We will either go 15 or 35 more miles before the zero day, depending on how we feel. Right now we feel good, but I might want a zero sooner so I can talk to Jenny and catchup with friends and family.My trail name might end up being Brain Function due to my brain¢sinability to multitask at higher elevations. Ask me about what happened and I¢ll gladly tell ya ? . 7 tents, 3 hammocks, 1 tarp in small camping area.
Date: 2016-04-05
From: Hogpen Gap

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 14.3

April 5, 2016   10:15 ¢ 6:00Day 5 - Hogpen Gap to Unicoi Gap35,300   14.3 milesWoke up cold, windiest day yet. Decided to push to thisgap in case we wanted to do a zero in town tomorrow. We¢llcontinue on to Dick¢s Gap instead before taking a zero. The mountain approach before Blue Mountain was the most treacherousslow hiking I¢ve done so far. For about 2 miles, we walked along what looked like a past landslide where the stonescontinued to crumble over many years, creating a forest of jagged broken rock we had to attempt to traverse withoutinjury. Fortunately neither of us were injured except for the sore feet. That stretch took us at least 2 hours to complete,but we still made good time for the day regardless. There were4 of us in the same boat wondering where the next shelter was(the only landmark we all had) and cursing the AT makers for takingus through such a long painful path. But we made it and Danny and I went an extra 2.5 miles to make our goal. Overall this was a goodday, though a bit painful. We have 2 easier days tomorrow beforewe run out of food and head into town for our zero day. I look foreward to that!
Date: 2016-04-06
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Addis Gap
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: overcast clouds

April 6, 2016   10:20 ¢ 5:30Day 6 - Unicoi Gap to Addis Gap30,442 steps   11.3 milesAfter sleeping in the trash dump, the day was the coldest we¢ve had so far. The temp eventually hit the 50¢s but wind chill was around32 degrees the whole time. Today we weren¢t too sore (no more thanusual), but we were extremely fatigued with little to no energy. We still made it pretty far despite this. I think town is a good motivationfor us. We¢ve decided to go in tomorrow afternoon and stay fortwo nights. My main problems are possible blistered feet and randombloody noses. I think the cold dry air is causing those, but since I¢veonly had a couple in my life, it would be good to give my body a chanceto heal. It currently looks like rain, so hopefully it stays away even though we are pretty much ready for bed. Only 5.4 miles tomorrow before wecatch a ride into civilization! We can¢t stop thinking about food, it¢s all that¢son our minds. The constant hunger out here is something you cannot preparefor and something I never want to go through again.PS ¢ This is officially the furthest I¢ve ever backpacked!
Date: 2016-04-07
From: Addis Gap

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 5.4
Weather: light rain

April 7, 2016         10:15 ¢ 1:30Day 7 - Addis Gap to Dick¢s Creek Gap15,105   5.4 milesAn easy day of hiking today as we are at Dick¢s Creek Gap waiting fora shuttle to take us into Hiawassee, GA. I had a thought over the lastmile. It doesn¢t seem like we are in a civilized nation while on the trail. Not because of wild behavior from hikers or anything. Simply justbecause we go days without seeing the outside world and when wedo it¢s for a brief moment of rest and relaxation. It¢s almost like we¢rein the wild tundra living off the land except when we encounter random villagers where we exchange niceties for food and shelter. It¢sdefinitely a different and unique experience that will stick with mefor the rest of my life, even if I don¢t make it to Katahdin. Coreyfrom Minnesota who we¢ve passed and been passed by the pastfew days on the trail just came back from Hiawassee and gave us some extra fuel that he had to buy. Saving money already!
Date: 2016-04-08
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Hiawassee, GA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

April 8, 20 16Zero Day 1 - Hiawassee, GAAte a lot of food at many different retaurants to regain energy. I probably weigh more now than when I started the trail! It wasgood to rest, but at the same time there seems to be more achesand pains in more places than when we were on the trail. That might be because we just didn¢t notice while on the trail, butmaybe we¢re just getting soft in this big city of 800 people ?.Anyway, back on the trail tomorrow!
Date: 2016-04-09
From: Hiawassee, GA

To: Random Stream in NC
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: clear sky

April 9, 2016 10:20 ¢ 4:40        Day 8 ¢ Dick¢s Creek Gap to random stream in No. Car.24,455 steps 11.2 milesWe shuttled back from the Budget Inn in Hiawassee and found a box fullof MRE¢s, some very nice trail magic! Unfortunately, we were fully loaded,but still managed to fit one in our packs. Today was definitely the windiest sofar with 20 ¢ 30 mph sustained and 40 mph gusts. When we weren¢t in thewind, it was a pleasant day, otherwise it was freezing. Tonight will probablybe our coldest so far, but we decided to camp in a rhododendron patch to help protectagainst wind & frost. Temps expected ~ 20 degrees w/out wind chill. We made a firesince we got into camp so early. This wood burns super quick! We decided to stop so soonfor a couple of reasons. First, my knees have been in extreme pain all day. It¢s almost unbearable on the downhills. The braces may be helping but I can¢t be sure. I really hope this pain doesn¢tkeep up and it¢s an early ticket home for me. Secondly, one of my trekking poles snapped in the tension string so it was rendered useless. I walked with a stick for a mile before we foundthis place. I duct taped it up, so we¢ll see if it holds tomorrow. Even after a painful, cold& malfunctioned day, camping next to a bubbling brook fading the sunset with the smell offire still permeating the air, those mishaps were worth it for this near perfect scenery.
Date: 2016-04-10
From: Random Stream in NC

To: Carter Gap
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: clear sky

April 10, 2016   12:00 ¢ 6:30Day 9 ¢ random stream ¢ Carter Gap30,270 steps 13.1 milesWe decided last night we were going to sleep in since the temps weregetting so low overnight. It was a good decision because I woke up refreshed & ready to go. I took 2 Aleve to try and alleviate my knee pain (pain kind of ???)It seemed to be working great. We had a 3 mph pace for the first few miles, thena decent place climbing Standing Indian Mountain which is ~ 5,400 feetelevation & a 2.5 mile climb to the summit. It was a good view even with the cloudcover, so we ate lunch there¢¦ cheese & salami! The 3 mile walk down the mountainwent good as well. It¢s amazing what not having excruciating knee paid can do. I was able to go at my normal pace & enjoy the scenery. Unfortunately it didn¢tlast all the way to camp. With 3 miles to go, my right knee was killing me. Whenever I bent it is when the pain would strike. It felt like somebody shovinga knife into my knee with every step. I went from thoroughly enjoying my hike to having trouble concentrating on the path before me. I now know what theymean by blinding pain. I am going to continue taking Aleve or vitamin I because I do not want to quit. I just hope the pain subsides or at least lessens or else I might have to. Wish me luck!
Date: 2016-04-11
From: Carter Gap

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: light snow

April 11, 2016   9:45 ¢ 6:00Day 10 ¢ Carter Gap to Winding Stair Gap36,350 steps   15.9 milesOur longest day yet! I wasn¢t sure how my knee would fairtoday after an excruciating 2 days prior. They actuallyfelt pretty good all day with the exception of a mile walk along a cliffside. Definitely the worst place to have knee trouble¢¦ but that was our firsttrue cliffside walk as well! Dad definitely would¢ve been terrified, but wewere just cautiously enjoying the views. I took 4 vitamin I (ibuprofen)throughout the day which probably helped my knee pain, but I feellike they are getting better as well. Danny¢s right knee started hurting himtoday, which in turn is causing him slight discomfort in his ankle. Due tothese injuries, we¢ve decided to take a zero day tomorrow to give ourbodies a chance to heal. We found a nice open space in a valley surrounded by a rhododendron lined stream to set up camp. It started sprinkling right whenwe got here, so we quickly set up or rainflies first so we could continuesetting up under cover. Anyway, into Franklin, NC tomorrow. PS ¢ the climb up to the fire tower on Albert Mountain was our toughest test yet. It was set your poles aside & rock climb kind of hiking.Hopefully we don¢t have to do that too often.
Date: 2016-04-12
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

April 12, 2016Zero day 2 ¢ Franklin, NCWe decided to take another zero day to give our bodies a rest since both of our knees are ailing us & causing us some majorpains. We had a pretty nice camp spot last night at Winding Stair Gapnext to a stream. A girl showed up after us who is from Virginia but hasa strong English/Australian accent. Apparently her dad is English & she worked in Australia, so that explains that. Anyway, I bring that upbecause one of my goals on the trail was to give someone their trail name.I gave her the name Raindance and she loved it! The explanation behind itis when I told her it was going to rain all day tomorrow while at camp shesaid ¢yay!¢ and did a little victory dance. It was sarcastic of course but enoughto earn her that name. At the Budget Inn, us hikers sure have a way of turning any place into a little shanty town. We all immediately string ourbear lines on the decorative ¢columns¢ to dry out all of our gear. Our harddoor was also wide open for most of the day as was most everyone else¢s. It¢s a pretty neat gathering of people to witness & be a part of.
Date: 2016-04-13
From: Franklin, NC

To: old road bed
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: clear sky

April 13, 2016 9:30 ¢ 6:00Day 11 ¢ Winding Stair Gap to old rd. bed36,517 steps   13.7 milesWe wake up at 7 am to catch the shuttle to First Baptist Church for free all-you-can-eat pancakes and bacon! They do it every dayfor thru hikers, so I don¢t know how they can afford to feed thatmany mouths, but it¢s a cool thing they do. We even got to senda pic to someone & they pay for all mail charges. Definitely worth a stop if you zero in Franklin, NC! Both Danny and I have been goingby the trail names Ziploc [Danny] and RADAR [Nick] when people ask us, so theywill probably stick. We both felt well rested & virtually pain freeat the beginning of the day. I got a new knee brace to try out sohopefully it helps. We took a side trail to Siler Bald about 4 miles inwhich offered us our best views of the Appalachians yet. Thegrassy mountain top & rolling hills was reminiscent of Sound ofMusic without all the Nazis. We spent a few moments up there takingit all in. A few miles after that we took lunch at a historic ranger station built in 1913 about 14 mile off the trail. It was a nice secluded spot since not many thru-hikers take the time to stop.
Date: 2016-04-14
From: old road bed

To: Wright Gap
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: clear sky

April 14, 2016   9:30 ¢ 7:00Day 12 ¢ Old Road Bed to Wright Gap38,285 steps   15.3 milesThe hiking today started off fairly mild with manageable ups & downswith a great view from Rocky Bald, followed by a 360 degree viewfrom Wesser Bald Observation Tower. But from there the terraintook a turn for the worse. A couple more miles of ups and downslead to a point of the map called the ¢Jumpoff¢.   This was putaway the poles & use your hands kind of back packing. The descent on that part of the mountain was 4 miles of kneeshattering steepness that left your feet screaming for mercy. It was difficult taking breaks due to gravity wanting to getyou to the bottom faster than you planned. The view fromJumpoff was nice with a single tree growing from stonelooking over it¢s kingdom below. However, what followed was anything but. When we finally made it down, the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center) allowed for a much neededrest at the restaurant for a much desired burger. A bit priceyat $12, but it was huge and tasty and a healthy amount of friesaccompanied it. We couldn¢t stay too long though since the day was nearly over and we had undiscovered forest ahead to try and find adequate camping before the light faded. We luckilyfound a flat spot amongst near cliffsides to set up ourhammocks around 7 pm. Since we just ate the burgerand didn¢t have to cook, we had plenty of time to set up.Side note: The NOC seemed like a cool place to check out ifever in the area on vacation.
Date: 2016-04-15
From: Wright Gap

To: Stecoah Gap
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: clear sky

April 15, 2016 10:00 ¢ 6:30Day 13 ¢ Wright Gap to Stecoah Gap34,684 steps 11.9 milesWe started off the day with a 5 mile climb on verylittle water. The AT Guidebook said there were 3water sources up ahead, but they all turned out to befake. I had so little water, that I had begun rationingit and considering squeezing some out of the moss on the ground. We eventually did make it to a well flowingspring near a rockslide. Shortly after continuing our 3,000 foot elevation ascent, my right knee was strickenwith the intense pain I felt before Franklin, NC. I hadmy new brace on the left knee but switched it over rightaway. I believe this brace does help, but I still walked thenext 6 miles or so basically straight legged and only bentmy left to get me up and over rocks. I am going to buya 2nd brace as soon as I can. Despite the bad knee painand inevitable slower pace, we still managed 12 miles, whichputs us 14 from Fontana. We aren¢t going to try to push ourselves to get there tomorrow since we plan on staying there Sunday night anyway thanks to our dadgetting us a reservation. That was a nice bit of trailmagic to hear about! I think we are finally realizing thatmore important than miles in the early stage of the trailis taking care of our bodies. We¢re new at this butlearning ?.