morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-04-09
To: Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Well it's been a long day with planes,trains and automobiles. Took a flight from JFK to Atlanta and was surprised my pack made it intact and not damaged. First worry of the day down. Next took the MARTA,it's similar to the Long Island RailRoad we have on Long Island but it's a lot cleaner and people were a lot more polite. Anyway, that was an hour long train ride and then finally the guy from the Hiker Hostel picked 5 of us up and it was another hour drive to the hostel.   The Hiker Hostel is a beautiful place, three story cabin with internet and tv and beautiful scenery all around. It's the perfect way to relax and prepare for what's ahead. My nerves have been a mess for the last few weeks,after talking to some people and actually being here, I feel so much more relaxed. One of the people staying here is actually from a few towns over from where I live back home, it truly is a small world. Plus knowing I have a huge support group back home on the island makes it that more special.
Date: 2014-04-10
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: few clouds

Simply put today was an amazing day. Great weather,great hiking partners and great company at the shelter. The day all started at the Hiker Hostel, we all loaded into the van and drove about an hour,mostly on gravel roads and it seemed like we being driven to a prison camp. It was so quiet the whole ride, everyone was so nervous including myself and finally we reached Springer Mountain.Spring Mountain is the beginning of the trail but I had to hike about .9 miles to the official start where the infamous bronze plaque,one I have been seeing pictures for years and now finally on my where there. So a girl named Ella was first, I was second and a guy named TJ was third, we admired the beautiful view of the summit and then we were on our way the way starting the journey.   Ella and TJ became my hiking partners and we sped through the 8 miles to the shelter. Along the way we met all minds of hikers-fellow thru hikers and a lot of locals out for a day hike, who some didn't say hello back, I don't think they were fond of my Mets hat being that I'm in Braves territory but that hat has been a conversation starter for the last few days and I've met a few people from Long Island and a few from NYC, I'm hoping I get a Mets trail name at this point. To those who don't know, people don't go by there real names out here rather a name they are given on the trail, it's a tradition that began on the trail a long time ago. The hike today has some pretty steep climbs and my out of sharpness shown through but eventually you get by it. The trail is near a military base so there was explosions and gunshots for a while, quite the paradox, even writing this now, they're doing helicopter exercises.   So we arrived at the shelter and Homemade and Short Leash were at the shelter,a husband a wife out section hiking. Homemade got her name from making the tent they live in from scratch and Short Leash got his name as he needs to hike close in front of her to scare off the snakes. So we just relaxed for a bit soaking up the weather and other thru hikers came trickling in,in total there's about 18 tents and 4 people staying in the shelter. We all ate dinner and just hung out for awhile, it's an eclectic group but they were great. Considering how nervous I was on the van, I've taken a complete turn for the best. Tomorrow is another 8 miles, Ella is going to the same shelter and TJ is hiking past that so I'm hoping I keep in touch with both of them along the trail. Now sleeping in a tent by myself is the next challenge,see how it goes. Hoping the knees are going to be hurting too bad in the morning,taking it one day at a time.
Date: 2014-04-11
To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Trailjournal entry 2Hawk shelter-gooch mountain shelter-7.7 milesAnother beautiful day on the trail. Didn't sleep too much due to the helicopters flying over the shelter for a good 2 hours and I kept tossing and turning, my quilt was working too good, I was sweating even though it was in the 30's. This morning woke up around 7:30,took me a bit to get going but after wrestling with my pack for awhile and trying to organize it,which I still need practice at, I left around 9ish.Ella left a little before me so I solo hiked for about an hour which was nice, it's a different experience but nonetheless a relaxing one. What wasn't relaxing was the uphill right of the bat, took a lot of breaks while trying to eat pop tarts at the same time, it worked out okay. Saw Ella taking a break soon after the first uphill and we hiked together for the rest of the day, few more uphills but the legs are getting used to them one uphill at a time. Before we were about to tackle the last up hill of the day, Home Stretch,Short Leash and newly trail named PocketFire were having lunch so we had some too. Afterwards we hiked out and a mile before the shelter we had to cross this amazing creek which we had to sit by for a good 30-45 minutes. We soaked our feet and then I led the procession of dunking the heads in the ice cold creek, it felt so good after hiking under the sun all day which has led me some nice sunburn. We reached the shelter and Cap was there but was leaving so our merry band of hikers had out choice of campsites. Soon after, others who stayed at Hawk Mountain Shelter the night previously with us showed up and we all have become a crew, getting excited when another one shows up. Today, 2 people didn't show up but about 40 new people are staying at the trail, mostly doing weekend or weeklong trips but this places is packed with tents and hammocks everywhere. The next few days, the trail is going to be packed, they say the hiker here starts to spread out after Neels Gap, which is in 2 days...we'll see what happens.
Date: 2014-04-14
From: Neels Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light rain

d some decent sleep at the Blood Mountain Cabins, the babbling of the creek mixed in with the rumbling of 18 wheelers on the highway creates a certain ambiance to fall asleep to. I had my alarm set for 7:30 but everyone else started waking up earlier so that forced me to get out bed but it was probably for the better. The plan for today was to hit up Mountain Crossings and pick up some snacks and a new sleeping pad, mine was way too big and then me, Ella and Pocket Fire were on our way out, Pocket Fire and I were going for Low Gap Shelter while Ella was going to the shelter before Low Gap. We said our final goodbyes to Homemade, Short Leash and Old Fart and we were on our way. I took a bit longer at Mountain Crossings so I told them to go ahead of me and I would catch up. The morning was a misty, foggy one with showers expected to arrive in the afternoon so once I got packed up, I hauled it up the mountain to meet up with them fueled by Snickers and ice tea, passing hikers left and right and it felt good. I went against my mantra of keeping it steady but it felt so good to hike with a quickened pace and not feel too winded. Anyway, I caught up with them about a mile into the hike and soon after Pocket Fire and I soon were on our way. Pocket Fire is from Germany and sort of resembles the Undertaker from WWF except he's a lot more friendlier and has long red hair in a pony tail but that man can hike, we were hiking about 2.5-3 miles an hour and were on our way when the rain hit, first drizzle and then the downpour,it wasn't too bad until the shoes and socks were saturated but that's what happens. We got to the shelter in about 5.5 hours and it was full mainly with hikers from the previous night who didn't leave because they didn't want to hike in the rain. So Pocket Fire and I decided to set our tents up near the shelter but everything was muddy and wasn't the best set up but we had to make due with what we got.Once we were settled in,it was time for food, we didn't stop for lunch so I was pretty hungry. I had garlic mashed potatoes with cheddar cheese and sausage with some hot sausage and it was delicious, throw in a honeybun and green tea for dinner and it was a solid meal. It was mostly new faces this shelter except for Delaware and Shelley, met a hiker named A Bear in the Woods who after seeing my Mets hat, thought my trail name should be Shea, after Shea Stadium and I kind of like it, Pocket Fire also came up with a name of One Pole because I'm the only thru hiker who's using one trekking pole instead of two while hiking. I like both but I'm leaning towards Shea at the moment.Tomorrow is still up in the of where to go, the weather is suppose to be crappy until noon and then clear up. I'm probably not going to sleep tonight, this is my first night in the tent in the rain and where I pitched it isn't in the most ideal of locations so it's going to be along night. I'll just try and make the best of it. Keepin' It Steady
Date: 2014-04-18
From: Bly Gap 

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was an unexpected short day. It was pretty cold this morning and everyone was a bit on the lazy side so there was no rush to get up. Delaware was up first and she started up the again. Today's plan was to hike around 12 miles and finish up at Beech Gap campground.   So yet again the day started with a steep uphill, the consequences of camping in gaps. It was another dreadful uphill, hopefully one day they will get better. I took my sweet time getting up there and after that it was pretty flat for awhile. I hiked with Delaware for a bit, we stopped at Muskrat Creek Shelter to see if we knew anyone there and while there these two people who work for a thru hiker website that's creates and send mail drops of food. The guy gave us his presentation and then gave us spice packets with salt,pepper, chili powder and a few other spices, it was great way to start the day. It's weird that hiking companies are out promoting their products on the trail, it seems sacrilegious in a way but it's a sign of the times I guess. I split from Delaware after she stopped to have a snack and my last was pretty good, the knee is still a little tender. I made it to Standing Indian shelter as we were all going to meet there for lunch. Crews (I was spelling his name wrong) was already there and was setting up camp, he wanted to take a short day and there was a good possibility of rain so I was down for a short day, it would give me time to rest my knee. Delaware and Mouse showed up and agreed so we're all here along with Tim,James and Twirls from New Hampshire, people I've met before and never knew there names, there's also a older gentleman here,Tom, who's doing a section hiker to Fontana Dam. My group and Tom are staying at the shelter, this is my first night sleeping in one and my only concern is the mice and them gnawing in my pack and food bag. We got here real early so some people are sleeping, some started a fire, I'm glad I brought my headphones, today's music is Mumford and Sons. Oh, I lost one of my camp shoes on the trail, I went back and looked for it but no luck, so have to pick up a pair in Franklin, great way to start North Carolina.   So the rain began and the hikers begs to trickle in to retreat from the rain. It's definitely a different experience, one that I could honestly do without. There's an eclectic group of people here and I'm not feeling it. I'm just sitting here listening to everyone's conversation, there's some good stories being told. The shelter is packed, we have seven people packed in from wall to wall and one person laying horizontal to us. There's a picnic table underneath the roof so people are sleeping in the ground as well, there's a crosswind coming so they maybe a little cold throughout the night. The rain is suppose to stop tomorrow morning and suppose to be nice again, we're going to get into Franklin,NC on Sunday. Shelter sleeping tonight on a rainy night, just another experience on the trail.
Date: 2014-04-19
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Betty Creek Gap
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: broken clouds

Well service has been nonexistent the last few days, it seems Verizon is number one with AT&T trailing behind.    So last night was an interesting experience in the shelter, it was a fine balance act between angling myself so I could stretch my leg out and being careful bit to kick the lady in the head who laid out perpendicular to us in the shelter, needless to say not much sleep occurred last night, at least there wasn't any mice.   So today was a pretty easy hike, not too many ups and downs, I hiked with Delaware today, she has a good pace and I wanted to take it easy with the knee. North Carolina is already a beautiful spot, crossed a few streams that were swelled up from the rain last night, it rained all day today despite everyone thinking it was going to clear up. We got to Betty Creek Gap pretty early, I would have liked to have pushed on to the next shelter which was five miles away, it would've been a long day but we didn't exert much energy in today's hike but we had a plan and we stuck to it plus we couldn't ditch Mouse like that.    Betty Creek is a labyrinth of campsites hidden among the vegetation, we thought we smelled a campfire while we were coming down the mountain but didn't see one when we arrived. Delaware and I cooked a early dinner and retreated to our shelters, I took a nap and woke up to a bunch of people setting up for the night. Our goal is to get into Franklin tomorrow, we have a full day of hiking ahead of us and hopefully we can get a ride into town, it being Easter might prove to be somewhat difficult. Worse case scenario, we camp nearby and head into town Monday morning, I need to head into town to resupply on food and pick up some gear.
Date: 2014-04-20
From: Betty Creek Gap

To: Franklin,NC
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: few clouds

Today was one of those days on the trail that infinitely got better has the day went on. Had my first great night of sleep on the trail since I've first step foot on it but I have to admit the dreams you have out here are really vivid and intense. You don't get a full eight hours,it's broken up to three or four at a time and you wake up for a few and then fall back asleep.   Well we woke up to a damp and cold morning, the rain stopped around three in the morning and we left camp rather abruptly. We had a mission in hand and that was to get to Franklin today, we were low on food and were dirty and smelly, it was time to head into town. So Mouse headed out first and me and Delaware left soon after, there wasn't too many up and downs today so it looked like a nice walk on Easter Sunday. Out first real climb was some rock scrambling and when we reached the top of the mountain, there was a fire tower up there. So Delaware and I climbed to the top but we couldn't go inside the tower so we sat outside of it and ate our breakfast. We had a beautiful view and were actually above the clouds, it was a great way to start the morning plus the cherry on top was that we also hit the hundred mile mark on the trail. This is a long journey and you need to set small milestones along the way and crossing the first state plus the first hundred miles is a great way to start off a trip.   The hike was simple and pleasant, it's a bit more green in North Carolina and the forest is a bit more livelier. We got to the Winding Gap parking lot in great time and we were just waiting for Mouse to show up. When we got to the end, there was a twelve pack of soda and some ramen noodles there,our first trail magic! We both took a soda and enjoyed it while we were waiting.We were about to start calling for shuttles when we both realized we had no service so we were in a bit of a conundrum. Then all of sudden a truck pulls up and it's a guy we met before named Lefty and his dog Lucy. We talk to him for awhile and he then offers us a beer and a ride into town-double trail magic! He was a great guy and we talked for awhile whole waiting for Mouse to show up and all of a sudden a car pulls up and a mother and son come out. They explain that some of their family members they hiked back in 2005 and they wanted to lay it forward and gave both of us an ice tea and some candy. Triple trail magic! It shows how there's a symbiotic relationship among the towns and the trail, they both need each other and will help each other out when they can.    So Mouse shows up and we head into town and get a room at the Budget Inn. We got some Dominoes for dinner and some beer for dessert, we need to pack the calories in somehow. Tomorrow we're going to run some errands and resupply before heading out, hoping to put in some miles in despite a late start, see how it goes.                                                                                                                                 Keepin' It Steady
Date: 2014-04-21
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was a long but fun day. We went shopping at an Ingles grocery store and Dollar General. I bought way too much food considering I have a maildrop at the Nantahala Outdoor Center but that just means I have to eat more which these days is not a problem. We had a late start and took the 11am shuttle back to the trail, Ron Haven who is the trail ambassador for the area drove us back in a shuttle van and told some pretty funny stories along the way.   We aimed to do 11 miles even though it was a late start. My knee felt great, probably due to sleeping on a real bed. I picked up a knee brace at the Dollar Store, we weren't able to make it to Walmart so I made due with what I could get for now. I was worried about Mouse, her ankle and Achilles are in bad shape but she swore she could do it. Delaware and I started off with a great pace, nothing too serious until the last few miles which was a decent uphill but we trudged on. We made it to the top of Wayah Bald and there's a stone tower on top which we climbed and there was some spectacular views. We stayed for a bit but we were tired and were only a mile away from the camp so we hiked on. When we got there, Yogi was there me his ankles were swollen pretty bad, there were two other in the shelters, Little Man and another guy, Delaware and I grabbed the first two spots at the shelter, I was going to give the shelters another shot.    Soon after, people started to show up and it was looking like a full house. Guppy, Smokey and Bandit, Mike from Texas,guy who looks like Bubbles from Trailer Park Boys, a British guy and his friend Duck. Mouse managed to make it there too, that girl is trooper, I have to give her credit. This shelter experience was the complete opposite from the last one. Everyone was in good spirits and cracking jokes, I haven't laughed that hard in a long time.    So there was a hiker box at the Budget Inn and I looked through it and there was a Buffalo chicken rice dish and if you know me I love spicy food and even though I was in the woods, I had to go for it. Throw some cheese and beef jerky into it, it was a pretty good dinner, finished off with some hot chocolate it was a great way to end a great day. We started a fire and talked for a bit and it's now time for bed, hopefully there's not too many snorers.
Date: 2014-04-22
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: light rain

Well there was a few snorers last night, the rule is that at least one person always snores at the shelters. So today's plan was to about 11 miles to get to Wesser Bald Shelter which would set us up for a short hike into the Nanthala Outdoor Center tomorrow.    Stuffed myself with honeybuns and pop tarts and was good to go. A whole bunch of us left at the same time and we had a caravan. We hiked fast as the sky was cloudy and the fog was settling in, there was a chance of showers and it would be sooner than later before it started up. About two hours in, the rain started, it was steady but not a torrential downpour so it wasn't too bad to hike in.   I hiked ahead of Delaware for a bit and had lunch at Tellico Gap along with Duck, Mike and British guy. There was a guy slackpacking today and his wife was there waiting for him and when he showed up, she offered us beer and fruit so I reaped the benefits and scored a Yuengling and apple.   I ate the apple on the way to the shelter, first fresh fruit since I've been out here, it was delicious. The rain picked up and I got to the shelter while Duck and that group were leaving, Delaware showed up soon after. We both have too much food so we gorged on tortillas,cheese and pepperoni and shared the Yuengling. Soon after a older gentleman showed up to the shelter. The water is a bit far and I was getting restless so I offered to fill everyone's bottles,it was actually a pretty cool set up, someone carved a sink into the stone. More people started showing up to escape the rain Bubbles and Radio who brought a guitar with him, Guppy and Yogi came in as well. I'm staying in the shelter tonight, I don't feel like setting up my tent and I'm not sure if it's suppose to rain later, I hate hiking with a wet tent, it's no bueno.   Radio is playing some songs while people are starting to cook dinner, he's got a good voice and knows The Decemberists so he's good in my book. We've been seeing the same group for the past few days so it looks like this is who we'll be hiking with for awhile, it's a good group, I haven't seen anyone from my the first group, I leave notes in the logs so I assume I'm still ahead of them.   So we managed to build a fire despite the wet weather, tomorrow we're doing a six mile hike to the NOC, it's a steep downhill and the way everyone's ankles, feet and knees are, we're probably going to stay there for the night.