morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-05-27
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night we set up our tent on the top of a ridge with a beautiful view of the valley below. This morning we awoke to a view of nothing but fog. Since we had a short hike day today, we took our time getting ready to leave. All packed and ready to go, we stopped at the now empty shelter to eat our breakfast. That's when hiker Andy with a white hat came by. He told us he ran into our trail angel Becky, who met us in Franklin, at Wayah Bald yesterday afternoon after we'd already passed through. She had asked him about us, so he was excited about catching up to us.We took off about 9:45 on easy trail and made it to Rocky Bald, two miles away, in just one hour. We had to climb a blue blaze side trail to reach the top of the bald, but it was worth the effort, since the sun had burned off the fog by then. We spent about 45 minutes there.From there is was a long down hill to Tellico Gap, where we stopped to eat lunch and dry out our gear that was still wet from the night before.After lunch we packed up our now dry gear and climbed the 1.4 miles to Wesser Bald where there is an observation tower on top. We were lucky that the predicted thunder storms held off, and we had a nice sunny view from the top.From there it was just .8 miles to the Wesser Bald Shelter where we're tenting tonight. The thunder storms are now near, and we're waiting for the rain to start from the comfort of our tent.Tomorrow we'll head to the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) where we'll spend two nights -- and another zero day. It's easy to get to the NOC; the AT goes right through it.
Date: 2014-05-28
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: NOC
Miles today: 5.9
Weather: overcast clouds

When we left our campsite this morning at 9 am, we thought we'd have an easy day - only 5.9 miles and all down hill. We found out we were wrong about that pretty quick. There were several short but steep climbs followed by longer and steeper descents. In many places there was no walking. It was figuring out how to climb down in one piece, which was made even more difficult by our heavy backpacks. But the dangerous places also provided us with spectacular views.Of course, on the down hills I lead and Woofie follows. Today that was especially important so I could help her with the difficult places. But Woofie liked me going first today for another reason. Since I was first along the trail, I was the one getting the spider webs in my face instead of her. And that's another reason I don't like my whiskers. I can't tell if I've gotten the spider webs off my face.We stopped along the trail around noon for a lunch break, and made it to the Rufus Morgan Shelter by 1:30. As we started down the last mile to the NOC, we saw a nice big black snake coming toward us on the trail. We took his picture and we went our separate ways.We got a private room in a cabin at the NOC. Since it's so nice and since rain is predicted for the next two days, we booked three nights. So we're taking another 2 zero days to recover before heading back out on Saturday. The storms have rolled in, and it's raining now. Let it rain. It's great to be indoors when it's raining.
Date: 2014-05-29
From: NOC

To: NOC
Miles today: 0.0

Even on a cool, rainy day in the middle of the week the Nantahala Outdoor Center is a beehive of activity. Cars from at least 10 other states were in the parking lot today.There are lots of things to do, mostly thanks to the Nantahala River that flows through here. They offer white water rafting and kayaking, and recently they've installed zip lines, too. There are four restaurants, a full-service outfitter, and a small general store in addition to the hostel and cabins for visitors to stay in.Around lunch time the Great Smokey Mountain Railroad train pulled in with visitors from nearby Bryson, NC. Having enjoyed a scenic ride through the mountains, the passengers got off here, ate lunch while watching the kayakers on the river, then returned to Bryson.It's a good thing we took so long to get here. If we hadn't taken those 7 zeroes along the way, we would have arrived a week earlier and not been able to get a room because of the Memorial Day holiday crowd.None of the activities that attracted the car visitors was on our agenda for today. Today is a hiker R&R day, so we ate as much as possible and stayed off our feet as much as possible. We did have dinner tonight with trail angel Becky, who also visited us in Franklin. She was surprised by how different this place is now from how it was in '92 when she hiked through here.Those familiar with AT thru-hiking may have heard of the half-gallon challenge. It's a hiker custom at Pine Grove Furnace State Park in PA to try to eat an entire half gallon of ice cream in one sitting to demonstrate a well developed hiker appetite. The only reward is in the pleasure of participating in the custom, but there may be a time competition if more than one hiker at a time is involved. Anyway, we bought some ice cream today and tonight Woofie & I will attempt the HALF-PINT challenge.
Date: 2014-05-30
From: NOC

To: NOC
Miles today: 0.0

What a wonderful day! While it was raining on and off all day, we were resting comfortably in our nice dry room. And somehow it miraculously stopped raining every time we went out to eat.The AT passes right through the whole NOC complex, so we've actually been hiking the trail every time we went to eat and returned to our room. Extra trail miles? Nope. Do-overs don't count.So we'll be back on the trail tomorrow, heading north toward Fontana Dam, our last stop and chance to resupply before entering the Great Smokey Mountains National Park. Tomorrow we'll be climbing all day until we reach Sassafras Gap Shelter, 6.7 miles from here. That's the price we pay for town visits: it's always uphill with our packs heavy with food for the next few days.
Date: 2014-05-31
From: NOC

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: light rain

We got an early start out of the NOC, anticipating a long day of climbing. It was overcast and foggy for the first couple of hours with temps around 70, making for comfortable hiking conditions. By about 10:30 the sun finally burned away the morning clouds, and the rest of the day was sunny.The trail was easier than we expected in spite of the steady uphill grade, being mostly smooth, but also because we can feel our strength building. Around 12:30 we found an overlook of the valley below and stopped there for a lunch break. As we ate, we watched hawks flying in the sky at about our altitude, but sometimes below us. We had already climbed 2000 ft, but still had another 1000 ft to climb to reach Swim Bald, the highest point of today's hike.As we got to the top of Swim Bald, we started to hear thunder in the distance. The last mile going down to the shelter was very gentle, so it only took us a half hour to reach the shelter, getting there with plenty of time to set up our tent before the rain arrived.We'll want to get an early start again tomorrow. It's 9.1 miles to the next shelter, Brown Fork Gap Shelter. But better weather is predicted for the next couple of days.
Date: 2014-06-01
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: few clouds

We had planned an early start today, and had set our phone alarm for 6 am. But it rained all night and was still raining in the morning until 8 am. So we got a late start, finally hitting the trail by 10 am.Not only was this a longer day for us, but it was a hard day, too, being all climbs and descents. From the shelter we climbed up 700 ft to Cheoah Bald, then down 1900 ft to Stecoah Gap, then back up 800 ft of Jacob's Ladder, before descending the final 250 ft to our shelter for tonight.This was one of the hardest days we've had, and we're so beat. Woofie wasn't even hungry for supper. When I asked what she wanted me to fix, she just said to fix whatever I wanted. So now I know how to get my way. Just drag her up and down a few mountains.Tomorrow is supposed to be nice all day, followed by a total rainy day. So we're going to push the whole 11.6 miles into Fontana Dam Village tomorrow. We'll spend two nights there, taking a zero day on the rainy Tuesday.
Date: 2014-06-02
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 11.6

Last night there was just one other camper, a dad and his son (trail names Avatar & Tic Tac), at the shelter, and they tented on the only really suitable tent site. So we set up our tent inside the shelter to keep the bugs and rodents off us. As we settled in our tent, we began hearing the scurryings of the permanent shelter residents, which kept us from falling asleep until quite late at night for a hiker, after 10:30.We were up by 6:30 and hiking by 8:30, knowing the we had a long day of hiking ahead. The weather was perfect, sunny and 65 in the morning. Now that June has arrived, the rhododendrons, azaleas, and mountain laurels at the higher elevations are all finally out in bloom, making the trail into a continuous flower garden.The hike profile for today showed what looked to be a much easier day than yesterday, with mostly flat terrain and only a couple climbs and descents. But it sure didn't feel any easier. The flats were filled with rock scrambles that were hard to navigate across, slowing us down. There was also a fallen tree the we had to crawl under. It took five minutes for each of us to get past that obstacle. And the strain of the extra miles today made the ups and downs, though smaller than yesterday, feel even more exhausting.Today's hike was the first double digit day of our hike. When we finally arrived at the road to Fontana Dam, it had taken us 10.5 hours to cover the 11.6 miles, and we were beat. We called for a shuttle into Fontana Village about two miles away. We rode with our packs in the back of a pickup truck to the Fontana Lodge, where we'll be staying the next couple of nights. It felt so good to be riding instead of walking.
Date: 2014-06-03
From: Fontana Dam

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 0.0

My father always used to say, "Having fun is a lot of work." This hiking experience has been the most hard work in our lives. And I'm sure that as we look back on it, it will have been the most fun we ever had in our lives. But for now all we are experiencing is the work. So Woofie and I have decided that we've had all the fun we can handle. The decision that we have gone far enough was a hard one to take, and we are both very sad that our hiking adventure is over. We are not thru-hikers any more, but we are happy to have made it as far as we did.But the demands of hiking through the Smokey Mountains are more than we think we can deal with. If we do longer mile days, that has proved to be too hard on Woofie's legs. And if we do shorter mile days, then extra days will be needed to reach to next resupply town, meaning a heavier pack for me carrying more days worth of food, which, when added to the higher elevations and bigger climbs, will be too much for me to bear.So our plan for tomorrow is to catch a shuttle into Sylva, NC and rent a car. Then we plan to drive as far as Chimney Rock, NC, where there is a campground we like and have stayed at before. Since we already have all our camping gear, we'll spend two or three days there before heading home to MD by the weekend. That way we can end our trip with more fun than work.
Date: 2014-06-04
From: Fontana Dam

To: Chimney Rock
Miles today: 0.0

We asked the desk clerk last night about how to get home from Fontana Dam. We wanted to rent a car, but the closest car rental is in Sylva, NC. She gave me a business card of a shuttle provider. I called him, and he agreed to take us to the car rental place in Sylva.As we checked out this morning, a rather elderly and feeble looking gentleman pulled up in his SUV and ambled in through the door. That was our shuttle driver.As we were driving, he told us about how he had shuttled Jodie Foster back & forth during the filming of the movie Nell many years ago. That was interesting. Then we turned onto a main road and we were in for the ride of our life. I noticed that he liked to use both lanes of our side of the highway. I really got worried when he told about his 84 year old wife. So how old is this guy?For the rest of the ride my hand was white knuckled on the door handle as we flew around the curves at 70 miles an hour in whatever lane he felt like, never touching the turn signal or looking in a mirror. I wanted to kiss the ground when I got out.(Update from home: I Googled the guy -- He's 98 years old.)Anyway, we got our rental car and have arrived at Creekside Campground in Bat Cave, NC near Chimney Rock. We'll camp here for about three days before heading home.We're already feeling better about our hike. Our trail angel Becky said that the trail will still be there when we're ready to return. We already know we will return, so this hike is...To be continued...
Date: 2014-06-05
From: Chimney Rock

To: Chimney Rock
Miles today: 0.0

Boy, did we sleep well last night in our tent by the stream! Although there is a road not far away, the steady sound of the stream blocks out all other man-made noises. That's why we love camping here.Today we went to Hendersonville to visit Woofie's favorite antique store, Needful Things. Unfortunately, the best things have already found new homes, and the things that are left, well, maybe someone will find a need for them later.After lunch I brought up the subject of possibly returning to the trail in a few days after some more rest. I suggested that we could skip the Smokey Mountains, and pick up the trail in Damascus, VA. The trail in VA is less demanding but still very interesting. It would be easier to do that while we're still here, instead of after we've driven home. But she's not sure she's ready. Although her body has recovered from being over taxed, her mind hasn't. So we're just relaxing here, doing familiar things. And I hope her fire returns. I do so miss walking the trail with her.On the bright side, we're still eating like hikers. For breakfast we ate a Clif Bar. For lunch we ate at an AYCE buffet at Golden Corral. And for supper we had Clif Bars again. She loves those things. So maybe there's still some hope.
Date: 2014-06-07
To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Woofie is different from most women -- she actually likes to go hiking & camping. And unfortunately, she is different from most women -- she doesn't change her mind when it's made up. I couldn't convince to go back to the trail. And I take full blame for our trip ending when it did.Woofie is an amazing women, one who enjoys being in the wilderness and enjoys the effort it takes to hike and camp in the woods. I'm so lucky to have found such a woman. Every day of our hike was a gift, like the proverbial golden egg laid by the goose. And as long as I was willing to be patient with the short mile days, she was willing to give me another golden egg each day. But then I asked for two eggs in one day, a double length day to reach the next stop a day early. She gave me that day and then said no more golden eggs for you. It was too much to ask of her.It's a bitter lesson for me for sure. I had forgotten the Prime Directive of Marriage. As long as the wife is happy, everyone is happy. And so now I am not happy.On the positive side, she is pleased with herself that she outlasted many who started the hike, only to drop off the trail after a few days or a week, usually when reaching Neels Gap in GA. She is pleased to be home again with her cats. Leaving them to go hiking was her only qualm. She is pleased with her weight loss and new figure. Now she can go shopping for new clothes. And she is pleased that by next year, she'll be ready to go back to the trail and pick up where she left off. So, sometime near the end of May next year we will travel back to Fontana Dam and tackle the Smokeys, one short day after another, hiking to reach Damascus, VA or the end of July, whichever comes first. We will take the time each day to just enjoy being there. She will be happy with that, and I will be happy with that. And I will not forget the Prime Directive of Marriage again.
Date: 2014-06-09
To: Final Thoughts
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

We'd thought about hiking the AT for almost 25 years. And we'd learned about hiking and planned our hike for the last several years. We knew it would be exciting and difficult. But found out we had no idea how exciting or how difficult it would be. Beside getting books and DVDs about hiking the AT, we read other hikers' journals on Trailjournals.com since 2005. Reading the journals of hikers like Liteshoe, Stumpknocker, Hammock Hanger, Red Dane, Banjo Man, Bama, Mrs Joy, and Cody over the years has taught us much about the trail and how to prepare for and deal with most aspects of hiking.This time we were the hikers and journalists. When we started our hike, our daughter sent us a list of "tongue in cheek" rules we should follow while on the trail to avoid unpleasant things happening. One of them was "Don't talk to strangers." We can honestly say that we followed that rule, since we never met a single stranger on the trail. We only met other hikers, who were friends we hadn't met yet. And so, now I'd like to thank them for the kindness they showed us.Thank you to Jim the Ripper, Mike & Bach (who started with us at Springer Mtn), Dreamweaver & Dances w/ Poles, Wayne Goodman, the folks who run the hostel in Suches, John our faithful shuttle driver, Jeb, the Patton family, Chef John Wayne (aka Helicopter Man), Brother Bear & Sunflower, Ron Haven, Big Easy, Ken Bowman another shuttle driver, Sully, Avatar & Tic Tac, Brooks, and Sarah & Deb. Each of you helped make our hike better in your own way. And a special thanks to trail angel Becky (Surefoot - '92), who went out of her way to contact us, took us to dinner, and brought us supplies from Walmart, when we couldn't get there. And finally, thank you to all our friends, known and unknown, who followed us on our Trail Journals adventure, especially to those who signed our guest book to offer us kind words of encouragement. Doing the daily journal so others could enjoy our journey with us has added a remarkable new dimension to our hike. By describing our days to others in the journal entries, we've captured those moments in print and photos that would probably be forgotten over time. I hope it has been as enjoyable and informative for you, our readers, as the other hikers' journals we read prior to doing our hike were for us.We will continue our hike next year starting around Memorial Day and hope to go for about two months, this time with no distance or destination goal, just an enjoyment goal. We will be journaling again, so look for Woofie & Wooly Booly's Appalachian Trail 2015 a couple months before that.
Date: 2015-04-13
To: See our 2015 Journal
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Just a note to say we've started our new Trail Journal for 2015. You can get to it a few different ways.1. From our 2014 journal, click on the 2015 AT button on the left of the page.2. From the any trailjournals.com page, enter Minturn in the search field and you'll see both of our journals. Click the link to the one you want to see.3. Use the direct link - www.trailjournals.com/woofie2015
Date: 2014-02-15
To: Ohio
Miles today: 550.0

Waited out a wintery-mix of ice and snow to spend Valentine's Day together at home in St. Louis. Car, truck and camper are packed (except for liquids and last minute morning-adds.) Family caravan of truck/camper and car drove from St Louis to Norton Ohio (550 miles) today. This moves the "base" camp closer to Springer Mtn. Still aiming for March 2014 start, weather permitting.
Date: 2014-02-23
To: Erie, PA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Gathered together at my dad's house to demonstrate gear, share maps and to discuss the general plans for this journey. Drank some great local craft beers (thank you Michael) with homemade sloppy joes and macaroni salad. Gail made brownies and added caramel, and Michelle made cherry/raspberry fruit bar crunch. Yum! We showed off our new Verizon smartphones (thank you Mark) and joined the world of unlimited talk, text and data!Some bittersweet tears as we parted ways from this sendoff - I love my family so much.
Date: 2014-02-24
To: Elmira, NY
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Plans to travel to Elmira, NY to visit Aunt and Cousin must unfortunately be scrapped (and not due to winter weather). I awoke with a mild sore throat, and Boss now has a fairly advanced head cold. These may be minor issues to those with fairly healthy immune systems, but not so for my cousin who is undergoing advanced cancer treatment. We cannot risk being disease carriers, so we chatted over the phone for a good hour. Not the same as hugs in person, but love is shared nonetheless. They each share excitement for and support of this journey, though my Aunt will fret and worry like a good, caring mother.
Date: 2014-02-25
To: Norton, OH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Now in the final stretch of prep. I continue to condition, wearing my loaded backpack and boots while walking on the inclined treadmill for at least 60 minutes every morning over the last few days. This may not represent the conditions I will encounter, but the training can't hurt!As for packing, my backpack has been packed and repacked so often, I finally have a feel for where everything "lives" and how to be efficient with my space. Base weight of pack with winter gear (excluding water and food) is approximately 23 pounds. It has been quoted that "hiking is better when the pack is light, though camping is better when the pack is heavier". I choose to put focus on the hiking. Therefore, my goal is to keep the pack total weight BELOW 30 pounds for sake of my hips, shoulders and sanity!
Date: 2014-02-26
To: Norton, OH
Miles today: 0.0

Gathered today at Pintsize Boss Parent's house for the final sendoff party. Got Pizza from Angie's, had a huge antipasto salad and a "Happy Trails" DQ ice cream cake. Though 3yr old great-niece Cailyn, thought it was a birthday cake, we sure celebrated but did not sing the birthday song! Three-month old great nephew Aiden was a little fussy having received 3 shots at his doctor's appointment the previous day, but I think it was because he couldn't eat the cake It was wonderful having 5 generations of their family together, including 97 yr old Grandma.
Date: 2014-02-28
To: Lexington, Kentucky
Miles today: 370.0
Weather: clear sky

Pathfinder and camper packed. Temp was 1 degree when I arose, and is now 10 degrees - glad we're headed south today!Left at 10am driving south on I-71 through Columbus, where snow has melted and ground is actually visible! By Cincinnati temps are in the mid 30s and sunny. Crossed Ohio River and into Kentucky on I-75, realizing I was leaving my family, extended family and Ohio for at least 5 months...After many gas stops (we're averaging a whopping 8mpg pulling this camper) we pulled into Renfro Valley Campground in Mt. Vernon, KY (just south of Lexington) about 5:30p. It is off-season and are the ONLY camper in this wonderful park in the beautiful Cumberland Mountains.Dinner is the last frozen bag of BBQ pork, leftover from my PIGNIC birthday pig roast. Another milestone in this journey of a lifetime.
Date: 2014-03-03
From: Amicalola Falls SP Lodge Road

To: Horse Gap (via Summit of Springer Mtn)
Miles today: 10.5

Many emotions of nerves and excitement today as I truly begin this epic adventure on the Appalachian Trail. Today's starting point is the Amicalola Falls State Park Lodge Road, which is the furthest point we made on yesterday's Approach Trail hike. This is how it works - you start wherever you end the previous hike and progress forward from there. So today the plan is for me to hike 6.8 more miles on the Approach Trail just to reach the "beginning" point - the Southern Terminus of the AT on Springer Mountain.