morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-03-09
From: Fontana Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 23.4
Weather: overcast clouds

My wife dropped me off at Fontana last night. The TVA, I guess, has removed some of the picnic tables close to the shelter so there is about a half dozen concrete pads to set tents on. Very warm day for hiking. Stopped at Mollies Ridge shelter for lunch. A strange guy was there that I heard later was another lost soul. Very tall, black jeans, black leather tennis shoes, a small purple Walmart-brand book bag,thin but bulky sleeping bag bungi-corded on top, two shirts rolled up and tied around his waist, and three or four plastic grocery bags with who knows what in them. The shelter is 9.9 miles from Fontana, which is a long way from help considering the weather expected in the next few days. One difference this year from 2010 is the proliferation of smart phones. I did not get one until 2011 and even now don't consult it before making every decision the way some do.As a result of this wealth of accessible information everybody seems to know everything about what's going on, particularly the weather. The topic of conversation at the shelter this evening was the snow forecast for Saturday night. And how bad it could be. There were seven of us in the shelter at sunset, and two more showed up later, one slept on the floor at the front of the shelterr and the other set up a hammock.
Date: 2017-03-10
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Newfound Gap, Hwy 441.
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: overcast clouds

A short thunder storm occurred during the night. The morning was overcast, foggy, with a very strong wind. I was thinking about the snow most of the day. In the early 2000's for four or five years in a row I went on the same hike the first or second week of December. Start at Fontana, first night at Mollies Ridge, second night at Derrick Knob, third night at Double Springs, then retrace my steps back to Fontana. It being between Thanksgiving and Christmas break I was usually by myself. One year on my way back south it started to snow during my second night at Derrick Knob, about 10 inches by morning. The snow was deep enough to interfere with walking and heavy enough to bend the mountain laurel and smaller trees down over the trail. I was a long ,hard climb up Thunderhead and I had trouble finding the trail southbound off Rocky Top. I normally got to Mollies Ridge well before dark but this time I was at Spence Field with about two hours of daylight left. I thought about stopping for the night and going down to the Lakeside trail the next day to get below the worst of the snow. But then I saw footprints going south, having come up to the AT from Cades Cove. I kept going to Russel Field shelter, although it wasn't easy. There were two other guys there. The trail goes through a large laurel grove southbound and it took a while to find the trail the next morning since the laurel was bent over. It was after sunset but still light enough to see when I got down to the paved road leading over the dam. About 2:30 today I met up with a Southbound hiker who looked experienced and stopped to talk. He had started hiking that day and said the latest forecast called for as much as a foot of snow Saturday night and Sunday. That was enough for me. As soon as I had service I called my wife and told her to come and get me. Everyone else I talked to was also getting off the trail at Newfound Gap. I would have still been above 4000 feet in the park Saturday night and there would have been no road to bail out on until Sunday at I40. If that was passable. Was going to come home Monday or Tuesday anyway to finish up taxes so I'll just get a few extra days off.
Date: 2017-03-19
From: Newfound Gap, Hwy 441.

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 10.3
Weather: clear sky

Finally back on the trail, taxes still not finished but my wife can finish whats left. Started at 2:15,wish I had started at 1:15. Almost no snow left but as a result of the thaw-freeze cycle there were sheets of ice in many places on the trail. Got to the shelter at 7:15, about 30 minutes before sunset. Lots of people in the shelter so I tented, for the first time in the Park.
Date: 2017-03-22
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter

To: Deer Park Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Thunderstorm during the night, lost about an hour of sleep. Got up early for a big mile day, everything wet but the rain has stopped. Cool and foggy till about noon. No view from Max Patch. Very windy just like 2010 but I didn't make the same mistake I did then. I put my long underwear shirt on under my regular shirt and rain jacket. My fingers were still working when I got to Roaring Fork Shelter for lunch. Half way between Max Patch and the shelter I was passed by the younger of the two German (I think) guys. He was in a tee shirt, no hat, no gloves. He was at the shelter when I got there, when he left he had on a long sleeve shirt, stocking cap, and gloves. Afternoon was sunny, took my rain jacket off but kept long underwear shirt on. Gloves were off and on several times. Made good time for me, got to the shelter 15 minutes before I planned. The only people there were two German guys and a German woman I remember from Blue Mtn Shelter last month.
Date: 2017-03-23
From: Deer Park Mtn Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 3.2

Like 2010 I get into town about 9:30 so I get almost two days off and only have to pay for two nights lodging. As usual I'm at Springbrook cottages. Too expensive for most hikers. The owner had a record of my stays in 2008, 2010, and 2012. Check-in normally 2:00 but she let me have my key when I got there. By 12:30 I had had a couple of sausage biscuits and hashbrowns at the Smoky Mtn Diner, picked up my resupply box at the outfitters, washed clothes, taken a shower, and cleaned up most of my gear. Updated trail journal in the afternoon, then back to the diner for an early supper. I"ve seen a fair amount of hikers around town, but not as many as I thought would be here.
Date: 2017-03-24
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

Full day off, beautiful weather. After lunch at the Diner stopped to talk with another hiker about my age also eating lunch. He said that the "Walk in the Woods" movie probably had something to do with the large number or older hikers on the trail this year. I don't know how many started, but I'm beginning to see a lot of the same guys over and over, so I guess they're hanging in there. Lighter gear and better information on how to prepare, along with the mental toughness that older people have gained after years of having to put up with bad situations that they could not control at home and at work. It's been my experience that the young people quit the trail for mental reasons, they can't handle the months of cold weather, hot weather, wet weather, monotonous food, bugs, dirt, obnoxious hikers, crowded hostels, etc. Older hikers quit because something physically breaks. As I mentioned, I'm beginning to see the same people every day or so. In 2010 by Damascus, VA I had met up with the group I would spend most of my time with the rest of the hike. I should be in Damascus in a little less than two weeks. Looking forward to how things will turn out.
Date: 2017-03-25
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Jones Meadow
Miles today: 22.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Leaving town you cross the river, walk through the NOC property, then along the riverbank for a ways before turning up into the woods. The riverbank is the homeless and poor hiker campground. You're in the national forest but only about 10 minutes from town. There were 3 or 4 tents and about a dozen people just laying out on the ground. I usually stop at the first shelter, 10 miles out for lunch. When I got there there was a young woman there who didn't look like a regular hiker, tan Army boots, cotton pants and hooded sweatshirt,stuff layed out in the shelter in the middle of the day. Knowing that the water source was a long way down a hill, I didn't feel good about leaving my pack so I just kept walking. No other water for 2 hours until coming to a road and seeing a sign that said Mom's Store with an arrow. The store is a small block building,inside, half the space is a few shelves with snacks and a drink cooler. The other half is old furniture. I section hiked this area back in the mid-90's and Mom was in there running the place. It looked the same then as now. I have never seen it open since. Got two cokes and had my lunch. Met an older couple, the wife a retired school teacher, who knew about the young women and thought she was mentally challenged. A few hours later I came to a place where the trail had obviously been rerouted and was surprised to find that it was rerouted onto an old road instead of off of one. Met up with Whistler there.
Date: 2017-03-26
From: Jones Meadow

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Very cool and damp starting out, warm and sunny by lunch. Another reroute onto an old road. I noticed it when I came to a sign pointing to the Shelton brothers (Civil War veterans) grave. The trail used to go right by it and I would say a quick prayer for all veterans as I passed.
Date: 2017-03-29
From: Erwin TN

To: Iron Mtn Gap
Miles today: 20.2

Slack packing from the gap back to Erwin. Unaka Mtn the high point of the day, a place that looks like it could have been used for a few scenes from Lord of the Rings. Very thick spruce forest, dark, damp, lots of very green moss growing on every thing.
Date: 2017-03-30
From: Iron Mtn Gap

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: clear sky

Started out nice, during the climb up Roan Mtn clouded up with occasional drizzle. Very bad weather scheduled for tonight. The shelter is an old barn, the young people were all in the loft, I set my tent up on the ground floor. Wind blowing hard all night. Loft about full.
Date: 2017-03-31
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: FS Rd 293
Miles today: 22.8

Started out cloudy, but cleared quickly. Wind blowing hard. In many places the trail like a creek bed with all the water running down it. It would not take much work to drain it off. Would help keep the trail from washing out. Still clear going over the highest point of the Roan Mtn Highlands, this makes two trips clear and two trips foggy, all windy. Got cloudy and drizzley going down. Stopped at the site of the former Applehouse Shelter for lunch. It's days like today that I wish the shelter was still there. Spent the night inside twice, ate lunch on the steps once. Later picked up and taken to hostel.
Date: 2017-04-01
From: FS Rd 293

To: Hwy 321
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: broken clouds

Another cloudy day, sun finally came out in the middle of the afternoon. Toward the end of the day the trail gets a mile from Hwy 321 where you would turn right and go 2.5 miles to the place where the trail crosses Hwy 321. But instead the trail makes a sharp right turn away from the road and goes up a mtn with only a couple of good views half way up this time of year, and no views when the leaves are out and wanders about for almost six miles.
Date: 2017-04-03
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 18.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Cloudy to start, rain held off until after 1:00 so I ate lunch dry. Passed the last shelter before Damascus at 11:00 and there was a guy still laying in his sleeping bag. Got to town at 3:00 and went to the outfitters to get my box. Luckily I asked about the laundramat only to find out it had closed. Now you have to go to one of the hostels. No one was using the machines where I went so I was able to get my stuff in right away. Stopped raining about 6:00.
Date: 2017-04-07
From: HWY 600

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Since I'm not on a time schedule and need to finish before a certain time I decided to stay in town yesterday and today to avoid the cold wet weather. I saw a car come through town this morning with snow on it. Got my replacement shoes that Nancy shipped up here yesterday and another shirt she shipped today. The old shoes were great shoes for me, I wore them for the last couple of hundred miles in 2012 plus some other short hikes so they had at least 300 miles before this trip. I can only remember one blister and that was due to my inattention. Some of the leather trim was splitting and the fabric was tearing and the Goretex was no longer working. Looks like it will be warming up and the replacement shirt is cooler. Went by Mount Rogers Outfitters to arrange my shuttle to HWY 600 in the morning and the manager offered to take me for nothing. I can not recommend them strongly enough. Great people who know how to provide great customer service.If you click on the stats box to the left, you will see only two zero days(days when no hiking is done). I don't see the need to take the time to post a lot of entries with nothing on them. But in case you're curious, here is what I usually do when in town. Usually in bed by 9:30 and up by 7:00 to stay close to my hiking schedule. I try to get into town early enough to get clothes washed, and gear cleaned that first day. That way on the next full day off I don't have anything I have to do. Eat, snack and rest on the full day off. I can afford to spend more time in town than the young kids and at my age want to try make sure I give my body enough time to recover from high mileage days. When I'm in the woods I'm walking all day. If I want to rest, I do it in town. Nancy commented on the lack of pictures. If you look at my other journals there are pictures in most of them. I look the same, my gear looks the same, and the trail looks the same. I keep my phone off most of the time when hiking.
Date: 2017-04-08
From: Damascus, VA

To: Hurricane Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: few clouds

Bank thermometer said 31 and we still had to go up 2000 feet to get to the starting point. When we got there the wind was blowing hard and we had a half mile of open ground to cover before getting into the woods. Not much snow, maybe 3 inches at most. After getting to the top and starting down the other side ran into ice in the rocky downhill. Only 2 ponys in the usual area although I saw 6 more later at a lower elevation out of the wind. Finally warmed up enough to remove long underwear shirt and rain jacket about 1:30.
Date: 2017-04-09
From: Hurricane Mtn Shelter

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: clear sky

My little thermometer looked like it was reading in the mid 20's this morning but the sky was clear and there was no wind. I was able to take my long underwear and jacket off by 9:00. I was going to have lunch at the next shelter but it was a little ways off the trail so I decided to keep going to the next water source. About 20 minutes later I was climbing over a fence on a set of steps (instead of a gate that might be left open, fences usually have a set of steps or a ladder that goes up one side and down the other) when I saw a cardboard Coca Cola 12 pack under the bottom step on the far side. There were only 2 missing and the rest were still cold. What could be better, cold soft drinks on a hot day right at lunch time and steps to sit on on while eating. A little before 3 I passed a sign saying 4 miles to go so I figured to be there by 5. A few minutes later I saw a guy coming the other way so I stepped out of the way but he stopped and started talking. I eventually indicated I wanted to move on and he said he was going to turn around but that I could go ahead since I was probably faster. I don't generally like to hike close to others so I moved out pretty fast. Well, I was't fast enough. Every time I looked down I could see his shadow right behind me. Up hill, down hill, I was going just about as fast as I could go and he stayed right behind me. Along the way he asked me how old I was. We finally came to the high point about 30 minutes later and I paused for a sip of water and he said he had Gatorade and Oreos and asked if I wanted some. As you may imagine, by this time I was getting somewhat concerned about this situation so I said no and that I needed to go. I knew the trail was mostly downhill the rest of the way so I took off at as close to a run as I could with a pack and managed to out hike him. I got to the shelter at 4:30. He showed up 15 minutes later and I made sure he did not see me. He talked to another hiker in the shelter and during the conversation asked him how old he was. He finally left and so ended a very strange day.
Date: 2017-04-10
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Atkins, VA
Miles today: 11.6

Short day, expect to get to town in time for lunch. Trail goes past the Settlers Museum of Southwest Virginia, a collection of buildings from the 19th century including an old school house that looks remarkably like the classroom from Little House on the Prairie. The building is only a few feet from the trail and there was a sign that said trail magic courtesy of West End UMC. I went in and there was a cooler with cold drinks, a box of fruit and some small bags of chips. There was other stuff like toothpaste, toothbrushes, bandaids, and even a bag of dog biscuits for hiking dogs. After a quick snack I was back on the trail. I should have realized that it was an omen. About 30 minutes from town, here comes the strange guy again. He says something, I say what?, he asks if I know where the kid is? I say I don't know and we both keep walking. I go to the Barn restaurant for lunch. they have a one pound hiker burger that I ordered in 2010. I knew not to order fries with it. This year I got the half pound burger with fries. I was looking out the window during lunch and saw the hiker who was at the shelter yesterday arrive at a conveince store. On my way back to the hotel I stopped and asked if he saw the strange guy. He said yes and the guy asked him if he saw the 65 year old hiker? I stayed in what I refer to as a hiker hotel. They are generally old, small, built out of concrete blocks, single story, and run by someone whose primary language is not english. For those back home, if the Regal Inn was a little more run down it could be a hiker hotel. Several more hikers showed up during the afternoon.
Date: 2017-04-11
From: Atkins, VA

To: Chestnut Knob Shelter
Miles today: 24.1
Weather: clear sky

Nothing special today, just a lot of walking. Met up with a guy who was at Hurricane and Partnership shelters. I asked him about the strange hiker and he said that he knew him and that he was harmless. This shelter is a small stone cabin with windows and a door, on top of a bald mountain where there used to be a fire tower. I was planning on tenting but a hiker who was already there said rain was expected. I checked the weather app and there was a chance. The wind can get pretty strong up on the balds during a storm and I didn't want to have to deal with a wet tent the next day so I stayed in the shelter. It did rain sometime during the night.
Date: 2017-04-14
From: Wapiti Shelter

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: clear sky

Hot day but I'm going to town so it's a good day. The hotel I'm staying at this time is 3/4 miles from the trail but the walk is on a level paved road. The place I stayed the last two hikes has been torn down. This new place is much closer to everything in town. Unlike the typical hiker hotel this place has three floors and the operators speak english as their only language. All employees, although well tattooed, are extremely polite. I get my clothes washed and gear cleaned today so I'm free tomorrow.
Date: 2017-04-17
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: The Captains
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: broken clouds

Light, rain, drizzle starting about noon. Off and on the rest of the day. The Captain is a guy who lets hikers camp in his yard. There is a short zip line across a stream to get to his property. He has a big yard, several picnic tables and free cold drinks in a refrigerator on his back porch. I've never stayed here before.Stopped raining about dark.
Date: 2017-04-19
From: Laurel Creek Shelter

To: VA Hwy 620
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: clear sky

Started raining during the night. Foggy and damp during the morning. Haven't had phone service the past two nights so I stopped on Brush Mtn near the Audie Murphy plane crash site and was able to call home by standing on a bench. Very nice campsite where other hikers ahead of me had stopped back in 2010. No one else was here tonight.
Date: 2017-04-20
From: VA Hwy 620

To: Campbell Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: overcast clouds

After about 9 miles the trail crosses a paved road and the guide mentions that if you turn left and go .4 miles there is a convenience store.That means the round trip is almost a mile, but walking on a road is a lot different from walking in the woods. I went there in 2010 so I knew it wasn't a bad walk and since it was about lunch time I went again. Bought a few snacks and a big soft drink and called home. As I was getting ready to pack up I heard thunder. It looked like it was in the direction I had come but before I could get packed the storm arrived. Very hard rain for about 10 minutes but I was under the roof overhang. The hardest rain I've seen so far on this hike. Did I do anything special to deserve avoiding this storm that would have left me soaked for the rest of the day? Jesus says in Matthew and Charley Brown says in Peanuts the the rain falls on the just and the unjust. So I can't say I received a special blessing and besides, about an hour later, the rain did fall on me, just not as hard or as long.
Date: 2017-04-21
From: Campbell Shelter

To: Daleville, VA
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: moderate rain

Hot day. The spring pollen season finally caught up with me and I had to take a pill this morning. I hope it will be over when I get back. In 2006 I was hiking in the pollen for almost 3 weeks when Spring caught up with me and I stayed with the seasonal change as we moved north. In 2010 I missed most of it when I went home for 2 weeks. Since my wife is going to pick me up tomorrow to go back home to GA for the NRA annual meeting I'm hoping Spring will be over by the time I get back. Got to the hotel, the front desk did not have quarters for the washing machine, the convenience store didn't have any, so I walked about a quarter mile to a bank.
Date: 2017-05-07
From: VA Hwy 614

To: Bryant Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 3.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Dropped off late in the afternoon so I didn't get far. Very large shelter, probably could hold twenty people on two levels plus a covered porch on two sides at least 8 feet wide. Lots of vegetation, no real tent sites, so I slept on the porch on the side just above the stream. Probably ten other hikers here, no one I've seen before.
Date: 2017-05-08
From: Bryant Ridge Shelter

To: Matts Creek Shelter
Miles today: 22.6
Weather: few clouds

Stream was so loud I didn't here alarm, got up about 20 minutes late. Temperature in upper 30's. Warmed up quickly. Guide book said I would have to ford stream to get to destination shelter. I didn't remember having to do that in past and sure enough there were plenty of rocks to step on to cross stream right in front of shelter. Good tent site right beside loud stream.
Date: 2017-05-09
From: Matts Creek Shelter

To: Hwy 60
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: broken clouds

Originally planned to stay out another day but after looking at the guide book found that there was no place to get picked up tomorrow less than 30 miles. And that's a little to far so I'll get picked up tonight. Those interested in historical sites along the trail should look up Ottie Cline Powell and the Brown Mountain Creek Community. I passed both of these places today.