morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-04-19
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: moderate rain

Weather in these mountains is unpredictable. Yesterday I was in and out of my raingear several times.it looks like rain, you suit up, and take a sauna. The wind dies down, the sun breaks through, you get down to shorts and shirt, and the wind coming across the ridges is suddenly very cold.The wildflowers are starting to bloom in profusion. A field guide would be nice, but too heavy to carry far. Yesterday there were sections of the hike where there was less and more moist conditions, the forest floor was blanketed with Spring Pinks, also a lot of Dog Tooth Violets.It rained heavily starting early in the morning. I hung around the shelter for a while, there were 12 in a place built for 8, SRO at the Tarp Majal. Jeanne's dried chili she made for me got a lot of attention: when I started to heat it up the shelter was full of the smell of chili. It made them hungry.Elected to head out, StopsaLot warned me of hypothermia. It was supposed to get down below freezing at elevations above 3, 000 feet. My thinking was, I can make it to the next shelter and the rain is supposed to let up late afternoon. Miserable hiking in the rain, but I got to Carter Gap in plenty of time. The rain stopped and a cruel cold wind came. Got most of my stuff adequately dry. Talked by the fire for a while and then turned in.
Date: 2013-04-20
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Long Branch Shelter
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: clear sky

It got down to freezing last night. Two layers on lower body and four on upper, 15o bag, barely warm enough. Slept 'til 7:30, gloves are wet and in the cold wind hands get cold. Left my nalgene behind at the last shelter. That means I can't use the SteriPen because I need a wide mouth bottle so I can stir. Treated one quart with a tablet. I don't like it but that's the fallback.Turned into an uncloudy day. Cool with a light breeze. I'm tired from yesterday and the day before, going methodically.Climbed Albert Mountain. Very strenuous last 500 feet of altitude gain. Did not climb the firetower. StopsaLot caught up with me on the way to the shelter, he was happy that I made out OK in the rain and cold. He will help me with my water treatment problem.Stayed at the new shelter, two stories, me, StopaLot, Fast Eddie, Oak, Tim and Ken.I was upstairs, first night in a shelter. Oak picked up his name working with kids at a Housing Development. Playing basketball, he's 6'4", a strong defensive player, blocks a lot of shots, holds his own when the game gets rough and physical. The kids called him Oak.I was upstairs, first night in a shelter.
Date: 2013-04-21
From: Long Branch Shelter

To: Rock Gap
Miles today: 3.6

Set off at 8:30 am, well-rested. By 10:30 I made Rock Gap. Easy trail, sidehill through rhodo and mountain laurel. I was thinking that Winding Stair Gap and then two nights/one day in Franklin, NC would be good. But I bumped into Eric, a young man who is hiking with his dog Dante, and a couple who were doing a short slack pack from Rock Gap to Winding Stair. Taking the 9:00 shuttle, you can catch the 11:00 at Winding Stair.Purists prefer to do the whole hike carrying a full pack. I sympathize, but the chance to pick up a few miles and a light workout tomorrow makes sense to me.That and a few twinges in my knees which have not been a problem, let's keep it that way.Ron Haven picked me up and to the Budget Inn Franklin which he owns. He is very hiker friendly, has a rich store of anecdotes and opinions. He also knows who in town has what you need.Late lunch was at the Roadhouse, a half chicken baked with gravy and stuffing, a baked potato, and a Ceasar salad, $12.50. I took half of it back to the motel in a doggie bag.Shoppe d at Ingles, apples, bananas, yogurt and blueberry jam (to flavor the yogurt). That was supper, not to gorge too much, that and some jerky and a trail bar.Jeanne, by coincidence , also had a half chicken and potato. Phones don't always work here, but we communicate somehow. Tomorrow 's agenda is a real breakfast, the short slack pack hike, then shopping at Three Eagles Outfitters. Fuel and waterproof stuff sacks. Question: what is waterproof? Wow it is really nice to take a nice hot shower and wash all my stinky clothing!
Date: 2013-04-22
From: Rock Gap

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 3.7

Breakfast at McD's, sausage McMuffin with Egg. Updated journal. Called home with my next mail drop, NOC Outfitters. The slack packing worked well: the shuttle was late at both stops, but I only needed to wait 5 minutes for the ride on the return trip. GA mountain time is flexible: the shuttle leaves Franklin and arrives at the various gaps at the same times, 9:00 and 11:00. It works OK. Saw a White Trillium in Bloom. It is fragrant, unlike the purple ones I'm used to at home, which smell like rotten meat. Nature's truth in color coding. Worth noting, I came across a campsite where a freshly fallen tree was lying right on the bare spot where you would put up your tent. Many hikers have remarked on the presence of "widow-makers" at campsites. It isn't possible to control all the risk of the hiking activity but I would tend to look at surrounding trees before camping in heavy weather. There are those (like Fast Eddy) who double treat their water (UV and filtration); there are those who drink clear water untreated. Statistically there is scant evidence that treating water reduces illness among hikers. I treat everything I drink. Similarly with bears: some of us string up the pinata every night, others sleep with their food and a pen knife for protection. Meanwhile Ibuprofen is "Vitamin I" and Advils are eaten like M&M's. As for me, I was hiking along obliviously on terrain where a fellow hiker noted the proximity of a 500 foot drop. I read his journal: we walked the same trail. Went shopping, got canister fuel, a 25 liter waterproof stuff sack, a new hat, and some sock liners that are supposed to wick moisture. Nobody agrees on whether they are useful or not, but it's worth a try. In hot weather the wool socks get wet with sweat and then they chafe the feet which could lead to blisters. More shopping at Walmart before supper, for vitamins D and B12, then tomorrow I will be back on the trail, rested and refreshed.
Date: 2013-04-23
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Breakfast at Kountry Kitchen, it was their second day in business. Bacon and eggs, hashbrowns and toast. Fortified for the trail.Long uphill on a warm and sunny day. Trail magic by Meredith the Hobbit. He had ukelele which he is learning to play. I gave him a chorus of Tiptoe Through the Tulips, no falsetto.The last few miles were long. There were campsites, but too close to the road and I prefer not to camp alone under the circumstances.Something had killed off the trees for a mile or so. Whether it was beetles or pollution, who knoows. The forest floor was green with grass, studded with spring pinks, dog tooth violets and regular yellow violets.Reached Wayah Bald. There is an observation tower, with stinning panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. Spent the night in my tent at the shelter.
Date: 2013-04-24
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

It started off threatening rain and by midafternoon it delivered. A group of us - me, Marshall, Angela, Stopsalot and Fast Eddy - sat around Cold Spring Shelter at lunchtime and debated the wisdom of waiting it out at the shelter. I was in favor of hiking on, the thinking was, if we get wet, we'll dry out. Also, weather reports showed a thin band of rain, likely to pass over in an hour or less.We set out, and by Tellico Gap we were all soaked. Stopsalot asked me "What's the plan now, Swamp Fox?" The answer was, we will climb 800 feet over the course of 1.4 miles, then it's all downhill from there. I thought it was a witty rejoinder, at the time.I fell just before we reached the Wesser Bald Shelter. There was fallen tree across the trail. To go around it, you had to climb up and down a steep bank of clay/mud. I fell hard, got my pack and pants covered in black mud. Not hurt.You can't do the AT without getting rained on, or without taking a fall.
Date: 2013-04-25
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 6.0

It got steadily colder during the night, to where the rain froze on my tent. Layered up during the night. The hike down to the NOC was beautiful. The sun came out, you could look down on the vallies below, covered in a dense fog, the clouds were like a lake between thr mountains. I took pictures, hard to do it justice. NOC is a busy place.I got a bed at the Base Camp for $19.38 incl tax. Spartan but warm.Did my laundry. Lunch and Dinner at the Riverside Restaurant, with Marshall and Angela, Stopsalot and Fast Eddy. Picked up my mail drop. Tomorrow is Jacobs Ladder, ascend 3, 000 ft over the course of 7 miles.
Date: 2013-04-26
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Sassafrass Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.7

Breakfast at Riverside Restaurant. This was the toughest part of the hike so far. From the NOC to Swim Bald the trail rises 2, 961 feet. A lot of it was gently sloped but the total gain made it seem like it had no end.In the afternoon, struggling up yet another hill, a kindly soul had scratched out a message in the dirt of the trail: "Come on Swampy!" By midafternoon the wind died out: the hike turned into a test of patience. The woods can be quite warm when there are no leaves. Back in my 30's I got badly dehydrated doing the Vernon (CT) Rabbit Run on Easter. No shade. So I stayed at a pace that would not overheat me and kept going on a very long upward ridgewalk.Made the shelter @4:00, swept up and claimed a spot on the bottom floor. Soon enough more hikers arrived and the shelter was full. It was supposed to rain so I slept in the shelter, otherwise I would tent.Hung around the fire until 8:30 and so to bed.
Date: 2013-04-27
From: Sassafrass Gap Shelter

To: Stecoah Gap
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: few clouds

It rained overnight. Glad I stayed in the shelter. Set out early, it was sprinkling. Got to Cheoah Bald, the highest point for the day, no view - mist and fog.By midafternoon it was pouring, no letup in sight. Fine trail magic at Stecoah Gap by El Perro and Warpzilla. Hamburgers, hotdogs, chips, fruit and beverages. Even a small canopy to eat under. He went on to give rides into town! Holed up in the SanRan Motel, Robbinsville, pretty much everyone who was on the trail in the area. The setup is good, plenty of heat in the rooms to dry stuff out, Ingles grocery across the street, restaurants and laundry within walking distance. A group of us went out for Mexican food.I'm on a mission tomorrow, compactor bag and garbage bags, to prevent the rain from getting at my sleeping bag, etc in the future. It's very difficult to keep gear dry in a protracted rain. Can't bolt for a motel every time it rains.Tomorrow will be a zero day, much needed, and worth doing now because rain is predicted, heavy. Kg
Date: 2013-04-28
From: Stecoah Gap

To: Stecoah Gap
Miles today: 0.0

Zero day, in Robbinsville, NC at the San-Ran motel. El Perro got his name from a stuffed dog his sister gave him before his hike. He used it for a pillow at night, originally it was El Perro Noche, or Night Dog. Warpzilla is simply a very fast hiker: he did the whole AT from May to September. They were trail angels, gave us a ride to Bojangles for breakfast. Shopping: apples, bananas, yogurt, preserves, dried cane, compactor bags and garbage bags. Did laundry, wearing Nike training pants, Vibram shoes, black undershirt and shell, everything else was in the wash. I couldn't bring myself to go dressed only in raingear.It rained all day. Stopsalot bought me an umbrella at Dollar General - $5.25. With the umbrella, going out for meals, groceries or laundry was tolerable. Fast Eddy met a couple in the grocery store who very kindly brought him a tray of brownies, which we all shared and took the extras for snacks on the trail tomorrow.It turns out Jacobs Ladder refers to a short but steep climb that I will be doing early tomorrow. Yhe shuttle leaves for Stecoah Gap at 9:00 am, maybe later if it's still raining.
Date: 2013-04-29
From: Stecoah Gap

To: Cable Gap Sheltetr
Miles today: 8.5

The motel ran a 9:00 shuttle to the gap. By 10:30 I had finished Jacob's Ladder. It is a punishing series of switchbacks. Jacob wrestled with an angel.There are those who wrestle with demons, but I prefer angels. My sisters used to sing the old spiritual in harmony when I was a child, very pretty. I played it in my head while climbing. Me, Fast Eddy, Stopsalot, Marshall and Angela were the only occupants of the Cable Gap site. The shelter is small, an antique. We stayed in our tents. All the younger hikers headed for the Fontana Hilton at 2.5 mph. We had a nice bonfire, after we finally got it started. Marshall brought a lot of wood, and Stopsalot kept feeding the fire. Stopsalot is retired from IBM, 63 years old, he did computer work his entire career. His training fo the hike consisted of two 3 hour jaunts to test his gear. He's married to Scribbles (through hike 2011), and his daughter did quite a bit of the trail a few years ago but didn't complete a through hike. Scribbles says he's doing a "hotel hike", for the fact he's spent a lot of time in hotels/motels. The same could be said for me. The saying is, hike your own hike.
Date: 2013-04-30
From: Cable Gap Sheltetr

To: Fontana Dam NC 28
Miles today: 5.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I started early, by midmorning Fontana Dam was vidsible in the distance. The climb doewn is rather long, with a great deal of step work which is hard on the knees. I was using my trekking poles almost like crutches, trying to spare my left knee which was giving m little twinges. The wildflowers were very pretty in some of the moister areas and I was experimenting trying to get better closeups. By midafternoon I reached NC 28 and called the shuttle for $3. I got my mail drop at the Fontana Lodge and took a room. Took a nice long hot shower and went out for a burger and fries. I'm bone weary and a little disappointed at how tired I was today. The upcoming hike out of Fontana into the Great Smokey Mountains National Park involvs a long climb. After that it's supposed to be pretty easy. Not a lot of miles today. Hopefully tomorrow with a good nights sleep I will feel a little more peppy.
Date: 2013-05-01
From: Fontana Dam NC 28

To: Mollie's Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 12.2

The shuttle starts at 8:30. I spent some time on the AWOL hiker's guide for the next few days. The climb up from the dam to Mollie's Ridge is steep and the day was high miles compared to my average. This is where we find outm whether I can continue the hike along the lines I originally envisioned.Last night I went to dinner with Fast Eddy. He's 70, a retired physician who recently completed a degree in Art. He has been an active hiker for many years, and enjoys his retirement because he has many interests.Sez Eddy: "Mr. Injury is always 10 feet ahead of you. If you catch him, he will bite you from behind."He drinks 5 or 6 liters of water a day, filtered and treated with UV. He is a firm believer in hydration. He also stretches carefully every day.My hike went well - much better than expected. The first part of the hike was a roadwalk across the dam and into the GSMNP. Then the trail turned up into the woods for a long climb to Mollie's Ridge. There was no room at the shelter so I could tent. It got very cold and windy: neither supper nor breakfast would come to a boil. I should have cooked behind the shelter, out of the wind.
Date: 2013-05-02
From: Mollie's Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I overestimated what I could do and wound up very tired, hiked into the shelter with my headlamp on. It was hot, but a managed to enjoy the wildflowers and scenery. I was so late that Marshall went looking for me. He noticed I hadn't reache4d the shelter and went back 3/4 of a mile looking for me. He must have missed me when I came in , I went directly to the bear cables, which were off to the side. I ate supper on the trail. By 5:00 I knew I wouldn't be at the shelter in time for supper, so I set up my stove in the middle of the trail and cooked Jambalaya II, for the full time as instructed, adding olive oil and salt. It's an experimental dried trail dinner that Jeanne put in my mail drop. Gourmet fare.
Date: 2013-05-03
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: overcast clouds

The morning started with wildlife sightings. I went downhill to the east of the trail to answer a call of nature, and saw two deer as I was returning. Then I started downhill west of the shelter and saw a wild turkey. I had never heard their call before: to me it sounded metallic and raspy. I decided to make it a low mileage day. The two previous days were tough by by my standards and I felt it was time to back off a bit. It was cold and windy in the morning, which may have contributed to yet another senior moment. I left my set of pots and pans behind, titanium and a bit pricey. So when I started to cook supper, I got a rude surprise - not a pot to cook in. Fortunately, a fellow hiker, not someone I knew, had brought them along and returned them to me. I'm having a lot of luck, getting bailed out on this type of thing. I reached the shelter about 4:00 pm. The wind was strong and cold, with various reports of bad weather coming. I slept in the shelter, top row, but close enough to the ladder to avoid disturbing other occupants if I should get up during the night. That's another problem for the elderly male on this trail: it's a pain in the neck to to get up and pee in the middle of the night. There were two deer browsing in the vicinity of the bear cables. They were not afraid of us, and it was a good photo op. Unfortunately my battery was too low to get a picture.
Date: 2013-05-04
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Clingman's Dome Tower Path
Miles today: 2.9

The weather reports were getting ominous - talk of high wind and precipitation, perhaps some snow.Almosr everyone at the shelter decided to go to Gatlinburg. The question was, whether to go to Clingman's Dome Parking Lot, about 3.5 miles, or to New Found Gap, 10.8 miles. I decided to get off at the earlier point, as I didn't want to risk the combination of fatigue, bad weather, and rough terrain.The wind at Clingman's Dome was awesome. There is an observation tower that is reached by a circular concrete ramp, supported by large concrete posts. It was vibrating when I went up, and I held the railing to prevent the wind from pushing me around.Hiking along the ridge in gale force winds, I did an excellent impression of Jim Cantore on the beach in front of a hurricane. The difference was, with a large pack, a hiker presents a lot of surface to the wind, and it can push him off balance. Not nice, on the ridge. Good luck (and human kindness) intervened again. I couldn't get service to use my phone to call a shuttle, so I resorted to hitchhiking. The second car picked me up, a young Hungarian couple who are working at Vanderbilt for the rest of the year. She's a computer programmer and he's an electrical engineer. They dropped me off at the Grand Prix Motel, which caters to hikers.Some of the younger hikers report that the frequent acts of kindness on the trail restore their faith in humanity.From there I went to the usual in town routine - real food, showering, laundry and resupply.
Date: 2013-05-05
From: Clingman's Dome Tower Path

To: Clingman's Dome Tower Path
Miles today: 0.0

It was raining hard enough to deter me from doing the slack pack routine I had in mind.This is day 30 of my hike. I've been over 200 miles. That would be 7 miles per day, or 8 if you leave out the zero days. That's pretty much what I thought I could do, and most likely can be increased as the terrain becomes easier and I lighten my pack by replacing or removing cold weather gearMy health is holding up. The trail provides heat stress, going from hot to cold almost daily, strenuous exertion carrying a heavy pack up and down hill,rudimentary sanitation to include a lack of privies, and numerous opportunities to slip and fall. So far, no injury or illness. Gatlinburg is a tourist town. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park encompasses 800 sq. miles, 95% of which is wooded and 25% of which is old growth. The land was originally occupied by the Cherokee Indians, who were evicted along the Trail of Tears to make room for white settlers. The descendants of these settlers were evicted in the 1930's when the US Government took the land to make the park. Such beautiful land, the government always has a better use for it than the occupants. Still, the park is beautiful. The GSMNP is the focal point of the tourist industry. Nearby is Dollay Parton's Dollywood, a country music themed attraction. There are a host of restaurants and other attractions, with a very good trolley (actually buses)system to get around on. Clingmans Dome is the highest point on the AT, 6,685 feet above sea level. That's 5,000 feet above Fontana Dam. Tomorrow I will slack pack from Clingmans Dome to New Found Gap, return to the motel for my mail drop, and then continue hiking from shelter to shelter through the Smokies.
Date: 2013-05-06
From: Clingman's Dome Tower Path

To: New Found Gap
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: clear sky

I caught an early shuttle (7:00 am) to Clingmans and picked up where I left off. Carrying about 12# and well-rested, it was easy going and I was back at the motel by mid-afternoon. My maildrop was there, so that worked out OK. Total cost of shuttles was $10, more luck.Most of the hike took place in a conifer forest, spruce I think. I don't know how these usually look, but it seemed to me there were an awful lot of dead trees and blowdowns. The Forest Service maintains the trails in the park. One of the rangers told me they don't use chainsaws. Just a regular handsaw, an axe, or a two man saw for the larger items. There were a lot in the 1.5 to 2 foot diameter range. I stopped at Indian Gap, where the remains of an old road are still visible. Until the 1930's, it was the main North/South route through the Smokies - 5 ft wide, steep and rocky. There is a protected Beech forest area along the hike. Wild hogs are not native to the area, and they can devastate native plants. The hog bridges are supposed to permit hikers to cross the fences while excluding the hogs. The fence goes between two steel grate ramps which are easily negotiated by hikers but apparently not by hogs. The weather improved for much of the day and then got cold and windy again as I waited for the shuttle back to the motel. Tomorrow I will set out with my full pack and head toward Hot Springs. I plan to get off again at Davenport Gap, which is where the AT exits the Smoky Mountain Park. The weather reports are again predicting rain, but it is unlikely to be as intense as the past weekend and I plan to hike on through.
Date: 2013-05-07
From: New Found Gap

To: Peck's Corner Shelter
Miles today: 10.4

The climb up out of the gap was steep, with a lot of stepwork. I saw a feral hog trap: the forest service euthanizes any that they catch.Charlie's Bunion is the main scenic sttraction. Named for a fancied resemblance to an early hiker's bunion, it provides excellent views of the surrounding area. Later the hike turned into a ridgewalk. The ridges are narrow, with steep slopes to either side. The surrounding mountains are similar, knife-edged. The views were some of the best of the hike so far.The shelter was crowded. Technically regular visitors with reservations take precedence over through hikers. However, the available spaces were first come first serve. One gentleman gave up his place for Mary, age 77, plus someone else saved one for her. She was one of the last to arrive.