morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-03-25
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 11.0

We woke up to snow covering the entire mountainside. We were slower in leaving our warm tent than normal, but still managed to leave before anyone else. The trail kept maneuvering from the cold, snow-covered side of the mountain to the warm spring-looking side. But soon clouds blocked the sun and a strong wind prevailed so it was just cold all over. We planned to stay at Deep Gap Shelter, but decided to push a couple more miles to the Blueberry Patch Hostel instead of braving what was supposed to be a very cold night. So we walked to Dick's Creek Gap and headed west down US 76 toward Hiawassee. We walked about a mile before a real estate agent pulled over to drive us the couple more miles to the hostel. This hostel is really just a two-room building in an older couple's backyard. One room is full of wooden bunks hand-crafted by the hostel owner himself. The mattresses are comfortable and they provide pillows with clean pillowcases. One bunk is big enough for couples to sleep together. The other room is a little kitchen with a picnic table and a large wood stove. The owners do your laundry for you and provide clean clothes to wear in the meantime, provide snacks and cookwear, let you refill your Coleman fuel or denatured alcohol, and have another small building for the toilet and shower fully decked out with all the amenities you could need. To top it all off they make you a big breakfast in the morning and drive you back to the Trail. And they do all of this for you for free. They are Christians and really very truly kind and thougful. Gary comes in about once an hour to throw more logs in the stove and ask us if we need anything. We were going to go to town to buy some groceries, but we managed to find enough food to last us in the hiker box. We felt very blessed to be here and since there were only three other thruhikers here, we got to talk more with them, feeling more comfortable in small groups. We had a good night rest and are now waiting for breakfast.
Date: 2014-03-26
From: Dick's Creek Gap

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: clear sky

The breakfast at the Blueberry Patch Hostel was phenomenal. There was scrambled eggs, sausage patties, hash browns, cheese biscuits, pancakes with the most wonderful homemade blueberry syrup, and coffee. Gary said a prayer asking God to help us see the beauty of Him and the beauty of His will for our lives. After that he drove us back to the Trail and hugged us goodbye. Feeling rejuvenated, we hiked the first several miles quickly. After winding around a mountain a few times a small wooden sign on a tree let us know we had crossed into North Carolina. Soon after we had to climb the steepest ascent we've encountered yet which was tough. Right after we had another steep ascent to make it up Couthouse Bald. At long last we made it to Muskrat Creek Shelter where we had decided to stay the night. We had walked twelve miles to get there. As we sat resting we noticed the shelter was pretty trashed. Bits of garbage were strewn all over and someone had left some dirty socks at the back of the shelter. The shelter itself wad covered with much more graffiti than any other. We cooked dinner, ate, and picked out a place to pitch our tent. Christine went to use the privy and came back horrified. Apparently it was horrible. So we decided to move on to the next shelter even though it was already late in the day. It was slow moving, but we pushed ourselves to Standing Indian Shelter. We arrived just before dark where hikers huddled around a fire shouted my name. It was a bunch of the young hikers who had been at the first and second shelter with us. We sat with them for a bit, but since we were exhausted from so much hiking and it was already late we went to sleep soon after.
Date: 2014-03-27
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: clear sky

Since our legs were still sore from yesterday we started out later than usual. We hiked the gradual ascent to Standing Indian Mountain at 5498 ft. elevation, our highest yet. Then we made the gradual descent to Carter Gap Shelter, making for a nice short day after a long one. When we set up our tent in the woods nearby the shelter, we found a plastic bag with a can on generic Dr. Pepper and a can of Georgian beer. We dont know how they got there, but we thoroughly enjoyed them with dinner.
Date: 2014-03-28
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: moderate rain

We started to hear the patter of rain on our tent in the early morning. When we normally would be packing up, we stayed under our quilt. When the rain didn't go away we got everything ready in our tent and in a lull of rain emerged to pack away our wet tent. Armed with ponchos we began hiking and soon it began to rain again. It was extremely foggy so we didn't see any good views. It rained off and on all day, but that didn't matter because even when it wasn't actually raining the tree canopy leaked drops of water on us. So it was as if it was raining all day long. Hiking in the rain is a completely different experience from hiking in the sun. Everything is damp and chilled so my body stiffens and my movements become more machine-like. Covered by a poncho I feel more disconnected from the different parts of my body and it feels as if my body is propelling itself forward of its own volition. With the hood up my vision is limited to a small space in front of me as I peer out of the plastic tunnel. I do not look around me, but mostly fix my eyes on the ground to avoid slippery roots or rocks. Since I am a thinking introvert I live inside my own head a lot. Hiking in the rain amplifies this and even as my feet take me down a very specific path marked with white blazes, my mind takes me to far off and unfriendly places. As my mind sometimes does, it took me this day to a place filled with all kinds of off-hand comments and unexplained actions by my friends and family. These are probably the things they forgot instantly and I have held on to. I regret to inform you that most are silly and most are years now in the past. Some are about people I barely even know anymore. But each hurtful memory ran into the next, gaining momentum as they gathered together into a large ball of anger and sadness. Thankfully a steep climb up the slippery rocks of Mount Albert took my mind away from these things. It is there we passed our first one hundred miles on the Appalachian Trail. There was a tower on top of the mountain that was supposed to provide great views, but we literally could only see a few feet in front of us until the scenery disappeared into a sheet of white. We continued on through the wetness. At times it looked like we were in a rain forrest and I kept thinking I was in Jurassic Park. We arrived at the Rock Gap Shelter and decided to sleep inside rather than put up a wet tent. A lot more thruhikers arrived and filled it up, hanging wet clothing all over. A couple that had married only three days before starting the Trail was there. When we told them we didn't have trail names yet the husband remarked that it can be very empowering to give yourself your own name. That started me thinking that I could give myself a name that would help me make this journey what I want it to be. The husband's name was Stick in the Mud.
Date: 2014-03-29
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 3.8

We woke up at 6 am in total darkness. We packed up our stuff as quietly as possible and must have done a good job since the others in the shelter jokingly expressed fear that we had been eaten by a bear. We walked up a small mountain and back down to a parking lot where a shuttle picked us up to go to the small town of Franklin. The shuttle took us to a motel where we booked two nights. We decided to take our first 'zero day' here, a day of absolutely no hiking on the Trail. It felt nice to walk around the town without packs, enjoying real food at local restaurants. We enjoyed going to the Gem and Mineral Museum and an outfitter for some more food in their hiker box. When we saw there was a donut shop nearby we walked over there and ate the most fantastic donuts I've ever had. It was a pretty restful day and we went to bed fairly early.
Date: 2014-03-30
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 0.0

Our first official zero day began with two large vans from First Baptist Church pulling up to the motel to whisk all thruhikers away to their church for a free pancake and bacon breakfast. They also took our photo and printed it out there and provided paper and envelopes for us to send a letter to someone. They stamped and mailed it for us. They make free breakfast every morning during thruhiking season. After we had our fill, we went to the local supermarket to resupply on food. After that we walked to another outfitter/coffee shop where we got more free food from the hiker box, free coffee and bagels for being thruhikers and a chance to use an actual computer. It is there that I settled on the trail name of Hesychast. One of the definitions of this word is one who practices "inner prayer, aiming at union with God on a level beyond images, concepts and language." Repetition of the Jesus Prayer is a recognized approach to seeking this union. During this hike I hope to draw closer to God which I can only do if I give up on my unceasing mental wanderings. From the outfitter/coffee shop, we walked over another mile to the local movie theater to watch Muppets Most Wanted which was fun. After the movie we had a more than three mile walk back to the motel, but thankfully a local man recognized us as thruhikers and gave us a ride back. When we got back we packed to hit the trails again tomorrow!
Date: 2014-03-31
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

After eating more pancakes and bacon at church we left the little town of Franklin on the 9 o'clock shuttle. We hit the Trail running, but within minutes almost everyone else on the shuttle passed us. My belly felt too full from breakfast and every step was a chore. As the day warmed, we shed layers until I was down to my shorts and T-shirt. I didn't get much sleep the night before and walked like a zombie all day. For the first time I thought about how I'd rather be in a city sitting on a couch than walking through the mountains all day. I felt heavy with every step and I stumbled over even the tiniest of roots. At one point I tripped into mud, dirtying my shorts and hands not even a day out of town. We hiked up and down Siler Bald and up Wayah Bald. At the top, a trail angel had set up a few snacks and cold drinks for hikers to enjoy. It definitely wasn't extravagant, but it is cool to see someone like him give. It seems as if most acts of kindness are done out of excess, but even when we have little, we could and should give. A few hundred feet away was an old stone tower they used to use as a lookout for forest fires. Atop the tower we could see mountains all around us, including the Smokies which we were fast approaching. Just a little bit further down the path we spent the night at Wayah Bald Shelter.
Date: 2014-04-01
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: A. Rufus Morgan Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: clear sky

I had a better frame of mind today and noticed the signs of the beginning of spring. Birds chirped in the background, buds were forming on the plants and trees, and insects wete making an appearance. The sun shone bright as we walked today and before we knew it our skin began to turn red. We had heard in Franklin that it was going to be hot, but didn't think to get any sunscreen. We even saw our first snake warming itself by the side of the Trail. We sang, "Here comes the sun! Uh oh uh oh!" From our shelter we walked across Copper Ridge Bald and Wesser Bald before beginning a long descent. We dropped almost 2000 feet in elevation in just over three miles. A lot of hikers have a more difficult time goung downhill than up because it puts a lot of pressure on their knees. We haven't had any problem with this before, but with such steep terrain for so long, Nepsis' knees really hurt. We took it slow and decided to buy a knee brace and some hiking poles for her since they help take a lot of pressure off the knees. Thankfully there was an outfitter just a mile beyond A. Rufus Morgan Shelter where we were staying the night. We didn't know if it'd be open so late, but had already decided to walk the extra mile anyway because there was also a restaurant there. We needed a treat after a hard day. So we dropped off our packs and walked that mile. The outfitter was closed, but we enjoyed a meal and would come back for the hiking poles the next morning.
Date: 2014-04-02
From: A. Rufus Morgan Shelter

To: Locust Cove Gap
Miles today: 11.3

We woke up and walked that mile again to get to the restaurant when it opened at 8 o'clock. After breakfast we went to the Natahala Outdoor Center across the street when it opened at 9. They had a small selection of trekking poles and Nepsis began looking for a knee brace, but couldn't find one. An employee informed us that knee braces were sold out weeks ago. I guess a lot of hikers have knee problems coming off the mountain. The employee told us to wait though because they got a shipment in that hadn't been opened yet. After we waited for quite a while he told us they didn't have any, but that knee braces did not really help the problem, they just helped relieve pain. He recommended taking ibuprofen and sucking it up. Once we paid for the poles and some sunscreen we overheard another thruhiker say he got his Great Smoky Mountain Park permit at the outfitter because for some reason they were not giving out permits at the beginning of the Smokies this year. I'm glad we heard this because it was true. The outfitter had a computer and printer set up for thruhikers to get their permits. They cost $20 each and the process took a long time. We didn't start hiking until noon in the heat of the day. The hike was mostly up as we climbed Swim Bald and Cheoah Bald. We wanted to make it to the edge of the Smokies in two days so we decided to hike past a shelter and camp at Locust Cove Gap. We didn't think many hikers would be there, but there was a lot. We went to sleep early so we could make it to Fontana Dam the next day.
Date: 2014-04-03
From: Locust Cove Gap

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 18.2

We woke up early for our longest hiking day yet. We just hiked and hiked and hiked. The last several miles were quite difficult for me and I began to understand that this journey is hard and I could understand why so many people quit before finishing. We won't quit though. A mile before the shelter we crossed a road where thruhikers were piling into a small shuttle. We squeezed in and were whisked away down a curvy road to the Fontana Village General Store where thruhikers resupply on food. Our guide book said the shuttle closed at 6 o'clock which was in 15 minutes, but I asked the driver and she said to have the cashier call her when we were done shopping. Unfortunately, I failed to communicate this to Nepsis and she was worried we would miss the shuttle. So we rushed through our shopping without really planning out what exactly we would need. When our shuttle pulled back up our friend, North Star, who we hadn't seen in days, jumped out. He was missing his wallet and I helped him look through the garbage can for it. When he found it he was overjoyed and paid for everyone's shuttle fare back. He also offered to take our packs to the shelter where he had come from so we could hike the last mile without them. That was our easiest mile yet as we walked along the edge of Fontana Lake. The shelter was nicknamed the "Fontana Hilton" because it was large with bunks that could hold 20 hikers and actual restrooms with showers. The shelter was completely full and in front of it was a little area built from stone with picnic tables that looked out onto the lake. Thruhikers were strewn about lounging and drinking beer. Behind the shelter was the bathroom, then a grassy hill, and another larger hill. Tents were set up all over the hills and we found the spot where North Star had reserved a place for us to set up our tent. We got everything ready for the night and enjoyed a hot shower. Thruhikers were everywhere, being loud, and it seemed like everyone we had ever met on the Trail were there. We sat at a picnic table and enjoyed the rest of the evening with North Star and a few of our other friends.
Date: 2014-04-04
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We slept in since we had a long hike the day previous and used the restroom one last time before heading off to the Smokies. We crossed over a large dam that had informational signs explaining that it had been built to prevent the flooding of a town. It felt kind of weird knowing so much time, effort, money, and resources were used to build and maintain such an ugly, massive thing just to change an aspect of nature just because humans wanted to live somewhere water was supposed to be. After a couple more miles we passed the sign for the Smokies and deposited our permits into a metal box. We had to pay $20 each for the permits, the only place on the whole Appalachian Trail that charges money for overnight guests. As additional logistical annoyances, we also could only spend seven nights in the Smokies, and could only stay at the shelters built along the Trail. There were no designated campsites and we weren't allowed to set up camp anywhere except next to the shelters in the event that they became full. Non thruhikers were given priority at the shelters and thruhikers had to give up their space in the shelters for them no matter what time of the day they arrived. Additionally, sometimes the spacing between shelters was weird so that sometimes there were three shelters, each less than three miles from the other and at other times shelters were very far away from each other. Just a few steps into the Smokies it began to rain, and I couldn't help a sense of foreboding, that the Smokies wouldn't be too much fun. We climbed up back into the mountains gradually in the wetness until we were past 4000 feet elevation again. A few miles into the Smokies the Trail found itself right on the Tennessee-North Carolina border, where it stayed for the rest of the Smokies. The rain mostly stopped by noon, with a few sprinkles as an aftermath. When we got to Mollies Ridge Shelter it was full, with many hikers already setting up their tents and hammocks so we followed suit.
Date: 2014-04-05
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It rained all night, but stopped before we got out of the tent. Still, it was so cold in the morning that it took us awhile to leave the comfort of our sleeping quilt. Once I did get up, I found the zipper of our tent had frozen shut and had to really yank it to get it to open. Even though we usually leave earlier, we were still one of the first ones to get back to walking on the Trail. Once we were among the trees we found ourselves immersed in a world of white. There was no snow on the ground, but every branch and arm of every tree and branch was coated by a layer of snow. It was not frozen rain that encased the branches in a clear ice as I have often seen in Michigan. This was something I had never seen before. It was an actually layer of white snow that formed itself on the same side of every branch in sight. We walked through this cold wonderland praying that the sun would show up, remembering that only two days ago we hoped that the sun would hide behind clouds as it burned our skin. When the sun finally did make an appearance it would warm the branches and at random moments parts of the "snow" would fall down like hail in small clusters. It always seemed to strike just as I was walking underneath them so Nepsis kept her distance from me. Apparently, a gentle breeze would also cause a heap of the "snow" to plummet on me and she could tell when it was going to fall where. I was not so observant. Eventually it warmed up some and we had lunch on a bald which is a beautiful spot on top of a mountain where there are no trees. There were a few spots like this in the Smokies which was new to us and offered some incredible views. From here we could look across the mountains and see which parts had been hit by the sun as the trees looked normal and which parts which had not as the treetops were still frosted. After lunch we started up Thunderhead Mountain and met a woman who was resting from her day hike. She gave us cuties, grapes, and nutter butters which we saved for later. We hiked up to Rocky Top which provided incredible views all around and many hikers had stopped here to take in the sights, including more day hikers who brought up extra food, knowing thruhikers would be hungry. We each got a slice of Domino's pizza which was cold, yet still an incredible treat. Just a little further we passed the point where we had 2000 miles more to walk and on to Derrick Knob Shelter where we stayed the night in our tent again.
Date: 2014-04-06
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Mt Collins Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

The weather was good all day and there wasn't much elevation gain or loss. Once we were up in the Smokies we stayed up, some elevations in the 4000s, but mostly in the 5000s and 6000s. We walked and walked and walked in anticipation of getting to Clingman's Dome, at 6655 feet, the highest point on the Appalachian Trail! We weren't as excited about that, but about the possibility of snacks in the gift shop that the guide said was down at the parking lot. This was the first weekend that it was open to tourists. Since we rushed through buying food at Fontana Village, we didn't have so much food to fulfill our growing appetites. We ate most of our food the first few days knowing full well that we might be eating only plain tuna and dates the last day. Most people resupply by hitching into Gatlinburg, but both Nepsis and I had been there and had no desire to go back. Also, we planned to meet up with friends on Wednesday, our 22nd day, and needed to be out of the Smokies by then. When we got to Clingman's Dome, we found an ugly tower with a spiraling ramp leading up to it there. Tourists, old couples and younger couples with small children in strollers, walked up and down the ramp. We went up, snapped a few photos, and came back down, drawing stares from everyone. We then walked the half mile down the mountain on a paved pathway to the gift shop. Once there, we canvased the shop and found only jams, honey, $3 chocolate bars, and $3.50 "trail bars." We were wildly disappointed there were no real snacks that we could replenish our supply with and walked back up the mountain to the Trail. All day long I had been craving all kinds of foods and my morale was knocked down a notch as we walked on, thinking of our meager food situation. The last few miles of hiking felt really long. My morale was knocked down another notch when we got to Mt. Collins Shelter and found it full. We would have to set up our tent again. And all day people had been saying it was supposed to rain really hard during the night.