morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-04-23
From: Blue Mtn. Shelter

To: Addis Gap
Miles today: 13.0

It was an early rising today. We wanted to see the sunrise since the shelter opening faced east. At 6:30 the suns rays broke out across the distant ridge line. What a sight. Cameras were out and clicking. Huck was out again today before Woolly Bear and I. We started hiking around 8:30 (a big improvement for us). The trail was fairly easy and eventually wound its way down to Unicoi Gap. We had hiked a little over 2 miles and decided to take a quick break. We passed Huck and now he caught up to us in the gap. The hike out of Unicoi Gap was rough. About a 900 foot elevation gain in 1.2 miles. That normally wouldn't be too bad if the trail was laid out as a switchback, but this section was mostly straight up.We stopped for lunch at a place called "The Cheese Factory", an open grassy campsite with water nearby. Woolly Bear and I decided to cook a hot lunch, which was basically a one pot meal of Goya rice and vegetables we ate right out of the pot - very good! The oiginal plan was to hike to Tray Mtn. shelter, a 7.7 mile day, but by the time we reached the shelter it was only about 1:30, so we decided to hike further and eventually reached Addis Gap in the late afternoon and set up out tents. Today's hike was a total of 13.0 miles, not counting the 1 mile (1/2 mile each way) to retrieve water!Since I started hiking, the weather has been beautiful, with no rain. However the lack of rain made for a hot dusty hike today. Rain would be welcomed and is predicted for tomorrow.
Date: 2007-04-24
From: Addis Gap

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 5.3
Weather: overcast clouds

We are planning to stay at a hostel today, called the Cloud 9 Hostel, which is about 1.5 miles from the trail at Dick's Creek Gap. Huck, Wooly Bear and I were up, finished with breakfast, and on the trail by 8:15. The climb from Addis Gap was a tough one, with almost a 1000 ft. gain in elevation in just over a mile. The remaining 4 miles to Dick's Creek Gap were a series of short ups and downs and we arrived at route 76 by 10:30. We had planned to walk the 1.5 miles to the hostel but were fortunate to be offered a ride by a man waiting there to shuttle another hiker who was running late.We are currently situated in the bunk house of the Cloud 9 Hostel, a very hiker friendly establishment outside of Hiawassee, GA. Aside from the bunk house, there is a main lodge with a couple of bedrooms, bathroom / shower, rec. room with TV, and kitchen. There are many other nice features that make this hostel a great place for hikers to get some needed R&R.Wooly Bear and I are here for today and tonight. Huck had plans to stay at another nearby hostel, since he was receiving a mail drop there. After a shower (top priority) I spent the afternoon helping Wooly Bear get our clothes washed and transcribed a few of my journal entries on the computer at the hostel. The rain finally came in the late afternoon, but we were dry and comfortable indoors. 5 Eyes finally caught up with us and checked into the hostel this afternoon. 5 Eyes, Wooly Bear, and I got a ride to Hiawassee, which is 11 miles west of the hostel. We ate heartily at the "all you can eat" (AYCE) buffet at Daniel's Steak House, and then purchased groceries at the local supermarket to supply us for the 3 days of hiking to Franklin, NC. We needed to hitch a ride back to the hostel (something I haven't done since college) and after 5 cars passed us by we were lucky to catch a ride in the back of a pickup truck directly to the hostel, by a man going there to pick up his wife. That is what is called trail magic out here.We'll be back on the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2007-04-25
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: overcast clouds

After a good night sleep in the hostel bunk house, I walked up to the main house and into the kitchen where a fresh pot of coffee was brewing. Wow, that smelled good. Wooly Bear and I took our time sipping a couple of cups of coffee and made some real (no instant today) oatmeal and raisins. We were all packed and ready to get a quick ride back to the trail head by 9am. We started hiking by 9:45. It was good to be back on the trail again.The woods seemed a lot cooler and moist after the downpour yesterday, so the first part of today's hike was pleasant and we were walking at a good pace. The big event today happened towards the end of the day when we crossed the border into North Carolina from Georgia. A small wood sign nailed to a tree, marked this big event. We whooped it up and took a lot of pictures. Enterining into NC unfortunately had a negative effect on me. The energy seemed to drain out of me, and the climb out of Bly Gap was exhausting. I decided I wasn't going to fight the trail, and slowed down, occasionally stopping to rest and photograph some of the wildflowers along the trail. That seemed to help, and eventually we reached our destination, Muskrat Creek shelter. There are 6 here tonight. All but one, decided to tent since the shelter looked buggy.1 down 13 to go!
Date: 2007-04-26
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: light rain

Last night 2 hikers arrived at the shelter late. One of them, Lion, is attempting a thru hike and had left Springer Mtn. this past Sunday. Doing the math it is easy to see he has been hiking on the avg. 20 mile days. Our jaws dropped when he said that. Needless to say he was young and just out of college. Before we actually got underway today 5 Eyes wanted to interview Wooly Bear and I. 5 Eyes (Craig), is a young freelance journalist from NYC who is hiking as far as Damascus, VA for a trail festival called "Trail Days". He wears glasses and carries a camera, hence the trail name 5 Eyes. He has been recording interviews with a number of hikers and shooting photos for a possible human interest story about the AT. So Wooly Bear and I talked a little about our pasts, but more importanly about our present relationship, and our 2 week hike on the AT.As a result we left the shelter late today. Rain was in the forecast today and it came down lightly about 2 miles into the hike. At 5 miles we stopped at Standing Indian shelter for a break and something to eat. As soon as we dropped our packs at about 11am, the heavens opened up. It poured and the wind howled. We even heard a few very loud cracks as a some tree limbs broke. We waited out the storm in the shelter with Jim, another thru hiker. We were worried about 5 Eyes who was ahead of us and most likely got caught in this typical Appalachian mountain storm.The storm let up and we continued on. We were hiking over some nicely level trail today and in combination with the cool temperature and light rain, we covered distance quickly. At 3pm we had arrived at our planned destination for the day, Carter Gap Shelter, a 12.5 mile hike. We were expecting to see 5 Eyes there, but read the shelter register and found out he had hiked on with Lion to the next shelter 6.8 miles north. We were both still feeling good and knew we could probably make it if we ate something, filled up on water and hustled. So we cooked up some Raman noodles and ate a late hot lunch. I had come this far without a single blister on my feet but I ate that Raman too soon before it cooled and burned the roof of my mouth which formed a blister (figures). We packed up quickly and started hustling along the trail. Just as we left it started pouring. We also needed to keep the pace up to stay warm. We got within a mile of the shelter but still needed to climb Albert Mtn.! (5220 ft.), a very steep, slippery climb over log and rock steps, and exposed rock slabs. We finally got to the top, but unfortunately today, there were no views to be seen. We coasted the last .6 mile to the shelter and greeted Lion and 5 Eyes. We had a cold dinner, put on some warm clothes, and crawled into our sleeping bags. I felt quite comfortable and warm, listening to the rain pound the metal roof of the shelter and the wind whistle through the trees as I drifted off to sleep.A big mileage day!
Date: 2007-04-27
From: Big Spring Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: scattered clouds

It was a later than usual start today (about 9:45) but we were not too concerned since we would be going in to the town of Franklin NC for resupply and a possible zero day tomorrow to rest our legs after our big mileage day yeserday and 9 miles today. A zero day is a day of no hiking and therefore no mileage. This will be OK since we are a day ahead of schedule.Little Engine & Caboose (a retired couple from Atlanta GA, thru hiking), 5 Eyes, and Lion all left the shelter one by one. The bad weather cleared today and it is sunny with the temperature in the 60's, great hiking weather. As we started today's hike I felt some tightness in my left hip which was bothersome. I told Wooly Bear I'd catch up. I dropped my pack, swallowed some Ibuprofen, and took some time to stretch the muscles. That seemed to do the trick and I made a mental note to do that every morning after the first half mile. I eventually caught up to Wooly Bear who had stopped for a break. The rest of the hike took us through a lot of the "green tunnel". The AT is often referred to this way, since in some places rhodedendron (sp?) and mountain laurel flank the trail and sometimes form a canopy over the trail. The climb out of Wallace Gap kept going and going.... but finally leveled off and soon dropped down to Winding Stair Gap. We could not get any cell phone service to call the hotel in Franklin that provides shuttle service into town, so we attempted to hitch a ride with no luck. Little Engine and Caboose arrived later and Caboose was able to make a call for the shuttle. Wooly Bear and I, 5 Eyes, Lion, Little Engine and Caboose are all staying at the Saphire Inn, at Franklin, NC   Resting up for the 4 day push to Fontana Dam. Enjoying the hike.
Date: 2007-04-28
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a zero day. A zero day is a day when no hiking is done on the AT. We stayed an extra night at the hotel in Franklin to clean and dry out gear, resupply and rest up.Ironically we did walk 2.5 miles to a grocery store to purchase food for the next leg of our hike. Ate a very good dinner tonight across the street from the hotel at a restaurant called the "Mountain Feast"
Date: 2007-04-29
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

Wooly Bear and I got a ride back to the trail head this morning on a free shuttle run by the hotel. Four other hikers (Little Engine, Whistler, Edge, and Jim) joined us. We were on the trail and hiking by 9:30. The day started out with beautiful weather (sunny in the 60's). Within the first 2 miles we must have seen close to 10-15 hikers going south on the trail. I think a lot of weekend hikers hike up to Siler Bald, camp for the night, and come back down. Speaking of Balds, our hike today passed 2 of them; Siler Bald and Wayah Bald. A Bald is a mountain summit which is usually open and grassy, with no trees and normally has a 360 degree view. The trail passed Siler Bald but did not go up it. We opted to pass on the .2 mile hike to the top since the trail would be going directly to the summit of Wayah Bald later. We reach Wayah Bald 10 miles into the hike, and had lunch at the summit. We sat in the warm sun eating tortillas made with ham spread and slices of cheddar cheese and enjoying the spectacular views. There were signs here which identified the mountains in each direction and we were able to see the firetower on Albert Mountain in the distant horizon, which we climbed last Thursday. This really gave us some perspective as to the distance we have hiked.After lunch we hiked the remaining miles and reached Cold Spring Shelter by 5pm. During that section there was about a 2 mile stretch where it was obvious there must have been a fire in the past. Fire charred tree trunks and branches littered the forest floor, surrounded by new growth and healthy trees. It was any eerie sight.Tenting on the ridge near the shelter.
Date: 2007-04-30
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: Wesser, NC - NOC
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: clear sky

Today's hike, mileage wise, does not appear to be too long (11.4 miles), however it seemed like we walked about 16 by the end of the day. In combination with the day being hot, there were many ups and downs. We have decided to slow down for the next few days because Wooly Bear will be leaving the trail when we reach Fontana Dam, and his friend won't be arriving to pick him up until Thurs. We got ahead of our original shedule, thus the need to slow down some.We took our time this morning and did not leave until 11pm. The trail came close to another Bald today (Wesser Bald) and we decided to hike up the short distance to it and take a lunch break. We then climbed the observation tower on this Bald and took quite a few pictures of the surrounding views. Looking to the north we were able to identify the southern edge of Fontana Lake.For the rest of the day it was mostly down. From Wesser Bald the elevation dropped from 4630 ft. to 1740 feet at the Nantahala river where we ended our day. You might say that going down would be much better than climbing that distance, and in many ways that is true. However going down for that long a period of time puts a lot of strain on the knees and constantly forces the toes to the front of your shoe which can be painful if your shoes aren't the best fit. Unfortunately that has been the case with Wooly Bear. He has been battling blisters the whole trip and doing a very good job of taking care of his feet, but today was a challenge.The good news is that we are staying at the bunk house at the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC), a kayaking / rafting center / outfitter right on the Nantahala River. We had dinner at the restaurant here and soaked our feet in the very cold water of the Nantahala River...ahhhh.
Date: 2007-05-01
From: Wesser, NC - NOC

To: Campsite - Cheoah Bald
Miles today: 8.2

OK, so I talked about the long, long descent to the the NOC yeserday at the end of the day. Well considering the NOC is 1740 ft. above sea level and our destination today is at 5062 ft. above sea level, what do you think we did all day? Yes, you got it.... we went up and up and up!Of course it wasn't all just hot, dusty, hard pounding climbing. Wooly Bear and I started the day with a great breakfast of eggs and pancakes and plenty of coffee. While we were eating, 2 thru hikers (Edge and Jaybird) and 2 section hikers (Whistler and Little Engine) came in and sat down with us to have breakfast. They had hiked down from the first shelter south of the NOC, where they had stayed last night. Wooly Bear and I had planned to do that also but overshot the shelter and ended up at the NOC. Today was special due to our wildlife encounters. Through Georgia and NC we really haven't seen much wildlife other than a few rabbits and a variety of birds. Today Wooly Bear saw a boxer turtle, of all places, in the NOC parking lot. He gently prodded it with his hiking stick in the direction of the river. Later we encountered a newborn mouse struggling across the trail. Wooly Bear almost stepped on the little guy. We were able to push him on a leaf and place him near a log where he was safe and out of the hot sun. The real prize however was a four foot long black snake lying in the sun, directly on the trail. After we got very close to take a few pictures, it eventually slithered off into the woods. All the climbing today was worth it in the end. We are tenting tonight on Cheoah Bald, a grassy mountain summit with close to a complete 360 degree view of the mountains.Gotta go. The sun is setting in the west and I want to get a few pictures. Another good day on the AT!
Date: 2007-05-02
From: Campsite - Cheoah Bald

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 20.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a big day. But let me first talk a bit about last night. Wooly Bear and I had the summit of Cheoah Bald to ourselves as our campsite. We had to carry up extra water and ration it, to camp there since none is ever available on the ridge of the mountains. It was worth it however, since the views, solitude, and great converation we had, turned out to be one of the highlights of our hike together so far.After dinner we stood atop a very steep overlook and admired a beautiful sunset. We were able to see parts of Fontana Lake, from this vantage point. After the sun went down we built a small campfire, and had some really good conversation. By the time the fire died down to glowing embers, a full moon was in the western sky, illuminating the entire area...very nice. We wandered off to our tents for a great night sleep.We decided to get an early start this morning and just ate a few pop tarts for breakfast. The hike was mostly downhill, with the cool morning air making it quite comfortable. We filled up with much needed water after the first 2.5 miles and pushed on another 5 miles or so to Brown Fork Gap shelter, where we stopped for about an hour for lunch. Lunch lately has been peanut butter on a wheat bagel, followed by Gorp (raisins, peanuts, M&M's). We filter a litre of cold spring water and mix in some crystal lite lemonade mix, for a very satisfying drink and valuable electrolyte replacement. Our destination for the day was Cable Gap shelter about a total of 14 miles. The remainder of the day was filled with a number of tough climbs and plenty of what is referred to as PUDS (Pointless Ups & DownS) out here.By the time we arrived at the shelter, we were tired. We cleaned up a bit and cooked dinner (Goya rice w/ broccoli and cheese, with a packet of BBQ chicken added). As soon as we finished we started feeling rejuvenated, and discussed the possibility of hiking 3 more miles to a campsite with water. The plan was made and off we went. Hiking with a full belly made us somewhat sluggish in the beginning, but after a while we were hiking with determination. By the time we made it to the campsite, we decided to go all the way to Fontana Dam and stay at the shelter by the dam. It's about 9pm now and we are comfortably settled into the shelter after a much needed shower which was available to us at the visitor center. The name of this shelter is "The Fontana Hilton". It is the largest shelter on the AT, and can accomodate 24 hkers.First 20+ mile day!
Date: 2007-05-03
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Cabin near Bryson City
Miles today: 0.0

Today we woke up a little sore from our long day yesterday. I forgot to mention that at the end of that marathon hike the trail passed the Fontana Lake Marina. There was a soda machine in front of the restroom there and we couldn't wait to have a nice cold icy coke, I was deperately hoping either Wooly Bear or I had the right change for the machine. Wooly Bear only had a 5 dollar bill but I was overjoyed to find I had a few singles. I eagerly inserted a dollar into the machine and was disappointed when it failed to take it. I then remembered I had some change. I counted out 2.00 with 6 cents left over. I could almost taste the cold liquid soothing my dry throat. When I dropped each coin into the slot, they each dropped all the way to the coin return receptacle. I tried it over and over with the same results...AARRGHH. Our prize was out of reach! We packed up and walked about 1/2 mile to the Fontana Dam visitor center. The plan for today was to go to Fontana Village to do laundry, pick up a mail drop from the post office, have lunch and wait for Wooly Bear's friend to pick us up and drive us to his cabin near Bryson City for the rest of today and tomorrow. This is the end of Wooly Bear's section hike with me and he had made arrangements to meet his friend here for a few days at his cabin, and a ride back to Raliegh, NC next week. So we were able to arrange for a shuttle into Fontana Village and were able to get all of our planned chores done by about 2pm. There happened to be an event planned in the village, which was a sort of Cooper convention. I am talking about the small compact car by that name. I think it was a local club of Cooper and mini Cooper owners. Needless to say it was entertaining to watch hundreds of these little cars from all over the country driving around this small village. Wooly Bear's friend finally picked us up around 3:30 and brought us to his cabin. Two of his friends were actually there (old high school buddies) and they treated us to a fine BBQ and some overall great hospitality.Another zero miles day today. Getting ready for the Smoky Mtns.
Date: 2007-05-04
From: Cabin near Bryson City

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Wooly Bear and I are at his friend's Cabin. His 2 friends are Willy and Wayne, both originally from the Asheville NC area. I had a relaxing day off the trail last night and definitely stayed up way past an AT thru hiker's bedtime which is usually around 8-8:30. Wooly Bear made breakfast for all of us. He served up some great eggs, bacon, buiscuits and coffee. We took a drive into nearby Bryson City, so I could pick up a few grocery items to supplement the food mail drop that Kathy mailed to Fontana Village (thanks Kath).When we arrived back at the cabin, 2 of Willy's friend's had come for a visit. They had brought some shotguns and clay pigeons with a hand held manual launcher. So we all tested our shooting skills for a while. The last time I had tried this was back in college. My shooting skills today were quite marginal but Wooly Bear was quite good at it.Wooly Bear then drove me back to Fontana Dam at around 3:30 where I was planning to start hiking into the Smoky Mtn. National Park for the next 5 days. By the time we got to the parking lot we were both not saying much and I think the reality was sinking in that our hike together was over. We got out of the car, I pulled my pack out and put it down, and we gave each other a long hug. I really thought I was going to lose it there, and I almost did, but somehow I managed to avoid it. This trip together with Jesse has been everything I thought it would be and more. In the end, I felt we had really reached a level in our relationship that we had not attained before. It seemed to go beyond just a father-son relationship, to a deep and lasting friendship. I guess spending over 2 weeks hiking together on the AT can do that.We hugged again with a few hearty back slaps. Jesse drove off and I walked down to the visitor center by the dam, feeling a little lonely. The wind was picking up and I could feel a few drops of rain falling. I decided to walk back to the Fontana Dam Shelter, spend the night there and start hiking in the morning. I was at the shelter at 4pm and there was no one there. I set up for the night and started catching up on my journal. After about an hour, I heard someone walking toward the shelter. When they came into view, I was surprised to see Huck, the thru hiker Jesse and I had been hiking with about a little over a week ago. We had pushed on ahead of him when he needed to stay an extra day at a hostel to wait for a mail drop. After Huck arrived about 3 or 4 more thru hikers also arrived. This is the first time I have met them, but it looks like we will all be hiking the next 5 days through the Smokies.Wooly Bear you are one great hiking partner! Give my little grandson a big hug for me and tell him all about our hike in the mountains.