morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-03-08
From: Muscrat Creek Shelter

To: Albert Mountain Bypass Trail
Miles today: 18.4

I woke around 6:15 but it was very cold with a good wind. I really didn't roll out of my cocoon until close to 7:00. It seemed to take forever to get my stuff packed and have breakfast. I was finally on the trail by 7:35, a late start for me. I just felt slow out of the gate. Again I was without the pep I had a few days back. Not sure why but I'll figure it out in a day or two. The first 4+ miles were not too bad. Mostly little ups and downs but nothing major. Then came Standing Indian Mountain. It is a 1200' climb over 2 miles which is not too bad but grinding on you. It was a beautifully clear day but cold and windy. I was up there around 10:45 and rather liked the next 3 miles down to Beech Gap. The next couple were a little rocky but level into Coleman Gap before you start to climb 600'. I wanted to get by the Carter Gap Shelter before I decided to stay. I had planned to get to Betty Creek Gap, another 4 miles basically down the trail. However, after going up Ridgepole Mountain I started feeling really drained again. My plan had been to get to Betty Creek and then eat. The body was drained so I stopped only after maybe a half mile past Ridgepole Mountain on the way down. I made my hot rice dinner with tuna and I felt nice and warm and content but tired. It was around 5:45? Next thing I know I felt a drop of rain on my face. I had laid back against my pack and dozed off. The storm promised for tomorrow was obviously early. It was around 7:00 pm, so I got everything together and walked on down to Betty Creek Gap as the rain increased. I made a choice to go on to the next shelter at Big Spring Gap which was only 3 more miles and I would be able to then make it into Franklin sometime tomorrow. It was nothing but climbing and I would up being too tired to go too much further so I found a spot at the base of Albert Mountain. I hurriedly set up my tent in the rain, climbed in and was asleep around 9:10pm. Also a record for me. It poured all night but I caught some sleep in between the wind blowing and the rain hitting the tent. I was warm and dry in the tent.
Date: 2011-03-10
From: Franklin NC

To: Franklin NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

After the deluge yesterday, the rain during the night and the forecast for today, I decided to sit tight and relax. There are about 10 hikers here with the same idea. The last few days have not been pretty and sometimes you just need to sit back a little. I do a lot of planning around weather. However, this early in the year it is always hard to beat all the rain. You don't have the physical strength yet to run 20 miles days and the weather itself is unpredictable. Those who know me know that I will do everything I can to walk in only nice weather. But, at the same time, if I have to be out in it I will sometimes do my best mileages. Town does give you the opportunity to review all your gear, replace anything that may be broken or better than what you have, resupply and rest. I bought some things at the store last night to take care of breakfast and lunch today. A big thank you to Evergreen Boy who made a fantastic Louisiana jumbolia for all hikers for dinner. I have everything packed up for hitting the trail on the 9:00 am shuttle back to Winding Stair Gap. The weather looks good for the next few days but it sure will be cold. You could feel the change in the air this afternoon. Since getting into town yesterday there has been nothing but flood warnings being posted on every channel. It will be nice to see the sun again.
Date: 2011-03-11
From: Franklin NC

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: few clouds

I was up by 6:30, got a shower and met everybody for breakfast @ Normandy's. I had a nice breakfast of eggs, homefries, toast & coffee for $4.00. Great way to start the day. We caught the shuttle back to Winding Stair Gap. It was cold and clearing in town when we left. As we headed up the mountain you could see the surrounding mountains were covered in snow. The shuttle arrived @ WSG at 9:40 and I began hiking with flurries and 1/2" on the ground. The trail climbs 1200' over next 4 miles. It seemed like just a dusting but as you climbed the snow increased to about 4". At this time it was still cloudy and cold with the snow like powder that would fly all over your shoes @ every step. The sky started clearing about the time I hit Silver Bald. As the sun came out the trail was like a winter wonderland. Snow was stuck to everything and glimmered when hit with the suns rays. As the sun hit the trail the snow began to crunch underfoot instead of blowing up over the shoes. However, as I began to climb Wine Spring the snow increase to 8" - 10" or more. The sun was not hitting this area and it was windy, below freezing and powdered snow. I knew my feet were wet but since they were still warm I kept going without changing socks. I was moving well but it just seemed to take forever to get to Wayah Bald around 2:45pm. I took a few pics from the tower but it was so cold I just wanted to get moving. I still had 6 more miles to go. You could feel it start to get colder as I came down near the Wayah Shelter. It was not too bad down into Burningtown Gap but the climb out was terrible, mostly because I was beat by then. Walking in snow just seems to take so much more effort. I finally got to the shelter @ 5:20 and was freezing. I changed clothes quickly, put on my dinner, ate, cleaned up and got into the sleeping all within an hour. It was windy and cold and I had given just about all I could today. I am beat. It was a beautiful day and that made it all worth while. At one point today I saw a small spider walking across the snow. It seemed odd since I didn't think they were out yet. But what did seem interesting was how easy and effortless he moved. Kind of made me wish I had that many legs to shoulder the load.
Date: 2011-03-12
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: NOC
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

I was cold and uncomfortable most of the night. I think I overexerted and did not drink enough water to flush the system. My muscles ached. It was just one of those nights when you can't wait for morning. I was up and on the trail by 7:15. The trail went up for a mile to Copper Ridge Bald where there was a great view of the surrounding valley. I took a few pics and moved on. The trail itself was mostly crunchy snow and icy. Every spot that someone stepped on yesterday was ice today. I think the first 2 miles took me 2 hours. However the sun was out early and began warming things up. Much of the snow had either begun to melt or was already gone from the sun yesterday. The muscles were aching from the workout yesterday and it took me a few hours until I could actually feel like I was making progress. I had to get rid of my jacket and bottoms to my pants since it was warming quickly. There are many small ups and downs that are too numerous to show on a map. When you finally hit the section of trail that is mostly down for 4+ miles into the NOC, it really does come down. I finally got down at 1:15. The trail always has many surprises and the last few days have brought many. Today, although it started out @ 28 degrees, it was almost 60 by the time I got to NOC. I had put on sunscreen but my face is now hot and sunburn. I am very happy that the last few days have provided such great views missing over the last week. I got a bunkroom for tonight hopefully catching up on lost sleep. I plan to hit the trail at first light tomorrow. I will be in bed by 9:00 tonight.
Date: 2011-03-13
From: NOC

To: Brown Fork Creek Gap
Miles today: 16.0

Today was one of the toughest days I think I have had on the AT. It just seemed like I was in slow motion with no pep when it came to all the elevation changes today. It started out wrong when I started off from NOC @ 7:35. I hiked up the trail for about 10 minutes then realized that I had forgotten to return my key. I decided to hike back, return the key then begin hiking again. So much for an early start. It was now 8:00 am. The first 3 miles climbed consistently for 1500' at a nice grade. The next 2 miles, however, were a terror. The trail climbed another 1400' over rocks and many blowdowns that contributed to an already difficult trail. I just could not keep the legs moving. I was out of breath and had to stop often. I would walk 100', stop and rest for 10-15 seconds, walk another 100' then rest again. This continued on up Swim Bald. By the time I finally reached the top, I was beat. I hiked another couple of miles down to Sassafras Gap Shelter around 12:30 for lunch. It was a well needed break before the next climb up Cheoah Bald which got the legs burning again. The day that had started out sunny and clear with temps climbing as quickly as I, was now cloudy with cool temps. The mountains were somewhat hazy and not as clear as earlier. I was down to shorts and T-shirt by 9:30 and had worried about getting sunburn again. This turned out not to be a worry and the remainder of the day was really ideal hiking weather. The weather was great, it was me that was lacking. There was one point as I was going down into Locust Cove Gap where the temp dropped and the winds picked up where I thought it might rain. However, I lucked out and it just returned to cloudy. After laboring through the trail to Stecoah Gap, I knew I only had 2.5 miles left to my home for the night. Unfortunately this would not come easy. The first mile was a little hump of a few hundred feet that went back down in Sweetwater Gap. Then came the climb that you don't need at the end of the day. It was a 700+' climb over about .5 mile. This was one of those that you wouldn't have far to fall if you did. You could just about reach out and touch the ground in front of you. It took me longer than it should but I finally got up and over it and began my descent to the shelter. It was about 5:30 when I saw the shelter sign and there was never a happier guy. I made a protein shake while I cooked dinner and settled in for the night. I know this cold is starting to bother my breathing which is bothering my climbing. However, today was not a usual day with ascents somewhere in the range of 5200' and descents around 3600'. You throw in a lot of little ups and downs and you wind up with one tired hiker. At least tomorrow is mostly ?? downhill to Fontana Dam.
Date: 2011-03-14
From: Brown Fork Creek Gap

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: light rain

It was a much warmer night than others the past week. I slept well but woke up with a coughing spell. As I was finishing my packing up I heard the all too familiar rain drops start to hit the metal roof of the shelter. It appeared that the rain was early again. It dripped for a while so I started with my heavy rain jacket. Luckily the rain stopped and I switched out jackets within a half an hour. The trail was mostly downhill but again had multiple ups and downs. I was still tired from yesterday and the cold is affecting my output. I decided to just take it easy since I only had 13.0 miles today. It remained cloudy but warmed into the high 40's, which is perfect hiking weather. I hiked the rest of the day in a short sleeve shirt. The trail rolled along as I continued to fight all the uphills. I stopped for a short break at Cable Gap Shelter which is about halfway to Fontana. After a 2 mile minor climb it was finally mostly downhill to Fontana Dam with many thru-the-trees views of the lake and Dam. The trail finally emerges at NC 28 next to the Fontana Marina. Even though it is early in the year and a weekday, the marina is fairly active with many boats out on the lake. After filling out my permit for the Smokies, I started off on the last 1.5 miles to the Dam. As I arrived at the top of the hill near the Dam, Jeff Hoch of the Hike Inn was already waiting for me. He had met a young couple that I have seen a lot the last few days, Zippo and Sun Spirit, and found out where I was knowing that I was coming there today. It was a great suprise not to have to wait. He was concerned that I might not get a signal and since he was in the area decide to check. Jeff and Nancy are very accomodating in making sure you feel at home. They ran myself and Bear Phyro (a section hiker) into Robbinsville for dinner, shopping and anywhere else we would have needed to go. I decided to stay over and take a zero since the weather is for rain and my cold is getting worse. I relaxed watching the hiker's favorite channel, The Weather Channel, before hitting the sack about 9:00.
Date: 2011-03-15
From: Fontana Dam

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

I listened to the rain as it hit outside all night and was happy I decided to take a zero day. I sleep well but was.awaken often by my coughing spells. I checked all my equipment and sorted through the 5 days of food needed for the Smokies. I relaxed until around 12:30 when Nancy offered a ride to the library in Robbinsville. This was a great solution to what to do when nothing is within walking distance. I and Brian Phiro spent a few hours in the library updating journals and emails. I mailed off the maps I had been using and stopped @ the drug store for cold medicine. I never realized how many you have to choose from. I explained that I was hiking and bothered by nightly coughing spells. So I asked the pharmacist what he suggested. He told me to sign for some codine cough medicine that he said would also help me sleep. Hopefully this $8.00 will turn out to be the solution. I'll find out tonight. We just met up with another hiker for dinner @ the local Mexican restaurant. Back to the hotel and off to bed early.
Date: 2011-03-16
From: Fontana Dam

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Got up early to get a shower and eat whatever I had extra from my maildrop for breakfast. I had been coughing a lot and I really felt like jumping back into bed. I decided I just couldn't lay around another day so I met Br're Rhino at 7:15 and Jeff drove us back to the dam. We got hiking around 7:45, which is just light enough to see where you are going. We started to climb immediately but it was at a very nice grade. It only took about 2 hours to go the first 4 miles that went up from 1677' @ dam to 3893' @ Shuckstack Mtn. It was so foggy visibility was only about 100'. We figured it would burn off before noon since they were calling for clear and 70 in nearby Robbinsville. It felt to me like it was only around freezing here. I rolled up these hills and it felt good to be moving well again. We hit Mollies Ridge Shelter around 12:30 and ate lunch. It was the kind of day that got colder at times but didn't seem like it would ever clear. The dampness was enough to have all the trees dripping almost as if it were raining. We continued to roll along and arrived @ the Spencer Field Shelter right @ 4:00. The sun was finally trying to come out. It had peeked out @ 3:16 and disappeared again at 3:20. As we walked within half a mile of the shelter the trees started to drop ice that acted like somebody turned on the icemaker. All in all a very good day since I still am not close to 100%. The shelter is full tonight mostly with spring breakers from the local area.
Date: 2011-03-17
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Double Spring Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

Slept well last night and woke to a clear windless morning. Got on the trail right @ 7:30 to find that yesterday's nice graded trail is no more. The ups and downs were all much greater and required a lot more work. It was a beautiful day weatherwise right from the start. The sun was up but it was at least 10:00 before any of the warmth was felt. I had on my fleece liner, globes and wool hat until almost 10:30. I lathered on the sunscreen hoping to hasten the burn. It is almost impossible to prevent, no matter what precautions, due to the extreme clarity of the air and traveling at an elevation above 5000' most of the day. I was feeling good and guess I thought that I could walk at the same pace as yesterday. I learned quickly that today was going to take more time and effort. When I got to the Derrick Knob Shelter for lunch @ 11:30, I couldn't believe it took me 4 hrs to go 6.3 miles. I was tired and kept thinking about the next 7.2 miles. It is now noon. When will I get there? The trail after Derrick Knob Shelter continued much the same as earlier. Some of the slopes are still dotted with snow and at one point it covered the trail. In general, the trail was just wet and muddy. The second half was almost as bad as the first. It was getting hotter as the sun beat on you constantly. I felt myself slowing down but kept drinking water and pushing on up the many hills to the Siler Bald Shelter. Here I was tempted to stay but I knew this 2 miles would come back to haunt me tomorrow if I gave in. I pushed on and finally arrived at the Double Spring Shelter @ 4:30 totally exhausted. I mixed up a protein shake while I was cooking dinner to help the muscles recover. It helped greatly. It was lights out by 7:30 and the close of one tough day.
Date: 2011-03-18
From: Double Spring Shelter

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: scattered clouds

It was warmer than previous nights and I actually unzipped my sleeping bag 1/4 of the way. This morning the temps were above freezing for the first time in a long time. At 7:30, usual leaving time, it was clear with a mild breeze and looked like the beginning of a beautiful morning. The sun showed through the trees and you could feel the air warming up early. The trail climbed almost 1100' over the first 3 miles to Clingman's Dome at 6643'. As I climbed, there were a few views to the east that I took pictures of. I figured it would be a picture perfect moment when I reached the top. However, in the short time it took to reach the dome, the clouds had rolled in and the dome itself was hardly visible. No views but lots of disappointment. There were a few spots of snow and ice on the climb up but nothing of note. The trail down was quite the opposite. The trail from Clingman's Dome drops quickly and is covered in snow and ice. Much of the snow is from the past week but the ice is still around from months ago and is better than 3" thick. This continued over the next 4 miles on the climb and descent of Mt Collins. The next 4 miles into Newfound Gap had little snow but was nothing but slush, mud and running water. It was a challenge just keeping the feet mildly dry. Dry at home is one thing and while hiking is somewhat subjective. I finally made it to Newfound Gap around 1:30 to find hoards of people out enjoying what was now again a beautiful day. I stopped for only a few minutes to take a picture and it was off for the final 3 miles to Icewater Spring Shelter. It was a nice grade out of the gap and climbing was not a major problem. After about 1/2 mile of great trail it turned back into much of the same ice, snow and mud experienced earlier. I got to the Icewater Spring Shelter around 3:30 and was greeted by a number of people already there. This is the most popular shelter due to it's close proximity to Newfound Gap, many shelters on intersecting trails, and it's great sunrise. The snow and ice apparently is pretty normal for this time of year hear in the Smokies. Recent warm spells have caused other sections of ground to start thawing resulting in much water and mud on the trail. I hope to experience a little drier ground as I exit the park in another day. Meanwhile I had dinner to a beautiful mountain view and the promise of a great sunrise tomorrow morning. I head to bed at about 8:15 with an almost full moon shining above and some hikers stay up to tend the campfire.
Date: 2011-03-19
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tricorner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Last night it was clear when I went to bed. Overnight the clouds rolled in and it was like the same soup I walked in on the first day coming into the park. You could hardly see 100' ahead of you. It actually drizzled for a short period of time. The spruce trees were acting like filters sucking all the damp air through their leaves, forming droplets resembling rain and waiting for hikers to pass so they could rain their catches on them. I actually had to wear a rain coat and cover the pack it was so consistent. The trail, unlike the last few days, was in great shape overall. There were no major ice, snow, mud or water problems, except for maybe the last 1/2 mile into Tricorner Knob Shelter. The footpath, for the most part, was solid and provided good footing. The trail had a number of ups and downs that all seemed much easier with a good footpath. The sun tried to come out a number of times unsuccessfully until around 1:30 when it came out to stay. I got to the shelter around 2:00 and this provided me a chance to hang out all wet, damp and smelly clothes to dry. As the evening approached, so did the clouds, negating what was to be a full moon. Guess I'll just have to settle for a good might's sleep.
Date: 2011-03-20
From: Tricorner Knob Shelter

To: Davenport Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: scattered clouds

I was up early and on the trail just as always at 7:30. The trail went up a few hundred feet over the next 2 miles on a nice footpath. There were a few tenths of snow that was more than 2 feet high but strong enough to support my weight. Other than those few places the trail was relatively smooth. It came down 1600' over the next 4 miles before climbing a few hundred before dropping into Cosby Knob Shelter. It dropped another 500' and then made the final climb of 750' for the day. It was smooth sailing after that right down to the Davenport Gap Shelter. It was around 2:30 when I got in so I had time to relax and dry clothes. It was a very warm dry day which required lots of water to keep hydrated. Tomorrow is a short one to Standing Bear Farm for nice bed and shower to wash off the 5 days of hiker funk.
Date: 2011-03-21
From: Davenport Gap Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 3.3
Weather: broken clouds

I left the shelter around 8:00 walking downhill for a mile to a road crossing TN 32 in Davenport Gap. When you leave Davenport Gap you leave the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. After a little climb up from the road you meander along a creek that has many scenic waterfalls. You then come down into the Pigeon River bridge which leads the the I40 underpass. You just have to follow the trail up the some steps and in another 1/2 mile you come to Waterville Rd. Make a left for a couple of tenths and you are at Standing Bear Farm. It has a bunkhouse, cabin, kitchen, fully stocked supply shed,etc. It is unique in it's rustic charm. I showered in a shower that is constructed of concrete walls impregnated with empty beer bottles in the form of the AT symbol. A great use of recycled bottles mixed with the high tech of on-demand hot water fired by propane. I for cleaned up, picked up supplies for the next 2 days and then washed my clothes in an old washtub with a wringer on the side. I hung all clothes outside to dry and to make sure they smell fresh. Everything is packed and ready to go in the morning.