morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-05-06
From: Mason Dixon Line

To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

The eyes have healed staying at home. However, I have decided not to go back a third time. There is no way that I could finish the AT by early August, when I have to return to work. That takes away a lot of the motivation to keep hiking.It is probably not a good idea to start this type of hike with a time limit. You really should have the entire year available so you don't have to worry about time. In a "normal" year this would not have been a problem, but the snow in the south made for some early problems. I will wait a few years until I have an entire year available. I also will not start in February!!! We learn from our failures. I am now looking at 2014This was a difficult decision and my first ever DNF. (did not finish). I really enjoyed the trip and met a lot of interesting people. The hiker culture on the AT is fascinating and all of the people were very friendly. The AT itself is maintained by volunteers. A large part of the area through which the AT goes is reclaimed forest that was pretty much ruined by the 1920's due to over logging. This is especially true in the south. It is an example of America at its best. It was also great to reconnect with the idea of just walking somewhere and doing without most modern devices. I was also able to spend time in a part of the country where I had not hiked before and watch spring come to the forest. It was a good time to think about what I will do for the last 1/3 of my life. So I was able to accomplish about 75% of what I set out to do. I plan on doing some more wandering in the west before I return to work. I now p
Date: 2010-06-23
From: Home

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Someone asked about why I did not go back and just spend the summer section hiking part of the AT. I did seriously think about this, but really want to experience the entire thru hike experience. I am now planning on taking an entire year from work in 2014 so I do not have to worry about any time constraints. I will also not have to start in February. This was a very difficult decision, but I think it is the right one for me. I do really miss being on the trail.
Date: 2011-05-18
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Last year I failed at a thru hike and was planning on waiting until 2014 to try again. I just could not stand not hiking on the AT, so I have decided to section hike for the next 3-4 summers. I will be starting at Nantahala Outdoor Center on Monday May 23rd and heading north. I only have 4 weeks available this summer so we will see how far I can go. Al
Date: 2011-05-23
From: NOC

To: Sasafras Shelter
Miles today: 5.5

Why Men Don't Ask for Directions.I got a shuttle to the start of the trail at NOC from the owner of the Hike Inn in Fontana. I asked two women for directions to the start of the AT trail both sent me to a trail head, which turned out to be the Flint Ridge trail. After about a half hour on the trail I realized that I was on the wrong trail. I should have backtracked, but decided that based on the map this trail would intersect the AT. I missed the intersection and hiked an extra three hours before I found the white blazes that mark the AT. So the reason that men don't ask for directions is the fear that women will lead them astray! Met Ralph, from Ipswich MA, when I stopped for lunch. He is about my age and we hike at close to the same speed.It was a long steep climb to Sassafras Shelter. Nice sunny day with not to many people. There are a fair amount of bugs unless the wind is blowing. I forget to bring the connection to download pictures so I might not be able to get those up until later. The first stop with an internet connection is in Hot Springs a 130 miles away. Glad to be back on the trail.
Date: 2011-05-24
From: Sasafras Shelter

To: Cody Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Left camp at 7:30 a little later than I would like. Ralph started right behind me. I passed Earthshaker who had dinner at the shelter but then moved on to stay overnight at a bald about a mile pass the shelter. Also passed by a young couple still in their camp at 10:00 at Locust Cove Gap. Stopped for lunch at the Stecoah Gap with Earthshaker who had passed me. It was a hard steep and hot climb out of Stecoah. I decided to camp at a nice spot at Cody Gap. About 6:00 pm a young couple and Will passed by on the way to the next shelter. Will is a young woodworker from VT doing his first long hike and started at Springer Mountain. Good day and looking forward to dinner in Fontana tomorrow.
Date: 2011-05-25
From: Cody Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 11.32
Weather: few clouds

Had a nice solo camp at Cody Gap. Passed by Will and the young couple from the night before. I mad it to Fontana Dam by mid afternoon. It was a hot day in the low 80's which is hot when you are hiking and it is humid. The good part is that there is great shade unlike the west. Nancy from the Hike Inn pick me up and took me and another hiker, Jimmy to their cabins. Nancy and Jeff Hoch own and operate the Hike Inn, which is a group of 5 small cabins. They are just fabulous to work with. In addition to the cabins they shuttle and arrange shuttles in the area. They only rent to hikers. Their hiker special includes the cabin, (which had the AC on when I came in!!) washing your clothes, and a shuttle into town for only $60. They also are a great source of information about the area. I highly recommend that you stay at the Hike Inn if you are ever hiking in the area. Nancy took three of us into Robbinsville for dinner and to stop at the grocery store. There was myself Five Stones and Jimmy. Five Stones is "middle aged" and works in construction management for about six months of the year and hikes the rest. He had started a thru hike of the CDT but had some problems with altitude in New Mexico so he switched to the AT. Jimmy just graduated from a high school in NJ. As part of their senior class requirements he has to do some type of internship. Some how he talked them into counting a hike from Springer Mountain to Damascus VA on the topic of self sufficiency. We had dinner at a pretty nice Mexican food restaurant with one big problem. This is a dry county. It is unthinkable to have Mexican food without a margarita. We all went to Ingles supermarket to stock up on food. I plan on going all the through Smokey Mountain National Park without resupplying. Its about 76 miles. Looking forward to the Smokies.
Date: 2011-05-26
From: Fontana Dam

To: Mollie's Shelter
Miles today: 11.1

It was a long haul up from the dam. About 2,850 of elevation, which is less than Stecoah Gap and a much nicer trail with good switchbacks.Smokey Mountain National Park is somewhat of a pain due to the number of people that visit the park resulting in lots of rules. You must sleep at a shelter, you cannot just pitch your tent at a nice spot like you can for most of the 2,180 miles of the AT.Also you must get permits to camp with specific dates, unless you are a thru hike. They leave four open spots at each shelter for thru hikers. If there are more than four thru hikers then you can pitch your tent. In order to be classed as a thru hiker you must start at least 50 miles from the park boundary and hike at least 50 miles past the park. I had started only 28, but when you round it up it is 50. Plus I really started at Springer Mountain the year before. (Which does not count according to the rules.) The ATC hires ridge runners to hike the AT in the park and check on hikers. Carl was at Mollies Shelter and was a great guy with lots of stories. He said that hiking the Pacific Coast Trail is a lot easier than the AT. I am thinking about doing that in 2016. Met "Canned Goods" from Michigun, survival man from Florida and a couple more people from Florida. That evening a big storm came in with lots of rain and hail. Will and Ralph came in late soaking wet. The shelter was pretty full.
Date: 2011-05-27
From: Mollie's Shelter

To: Derrick's Knob Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Nice cool day with some very light rain. Great hiking weather with some nice views. Ralph got out early and I didn't see him until the Shelter. Will passed me at about five miles. Lots of up and downs. Saw some deer. The shelter was full again.
Date: 2011-05-28
From: Derrick's Knob Shelter

To: Ice Water Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: few clouds

Long very interesting day and I will have to retract everything I said about women in the earlier post. Shortly after I left the shelter I passed a guy who was going pretty slow. He had spent a zero day at Derrick's Shelter because of leg cramps and was trying to get to the next shelter that was about five miles away. He did not have any obvious symptoms. We walked for about five minutes and he needed to rest again. I decided to pick up the pace and report him to the park rangers. I met one by Clingman's Dome. He took the information and went down the trail to find him. I heard later that they had to helicopter him out. Another hiker who I think was Ralph also had to be taken out because of blood in his urine. I met a young local couple while I was taking a break on the trail. She remarked that she had the same pack as mine, but the it was killing her shoulders. We spent about 5 minutes adjusting the pack so the weight was on her hips. She was really happy about the change and offered to marry me. I was tempted but thought that her boy friend was not as enthusiastic. I stopped at a Double Spring Shelter for lunch and to dry and air all of my gear. Met two thru hikers doing the same. Then along came this very attractive lady on a day hike. We talked for awhile and she said she would meet me at the trail head to see if I needed anything. It took me about 10 minutes to repack and head up the trail. Joanie was waiting and we took the tourist hike on the observation tower. She offered me a ride down to New Found Gap, which cut a few miles off of the trail. Normally I would not take a short cut, but she offered me an apple. Adam never had a chance and neither did I.I took up the offer.Joanie is thinking of doing a long hike later this year, maybe down to Springer Mountain. We had a nice talk about long distance hiking. The apple and cool water were delicious!! I also picked up three big chocolate bars at the visitor center. Joanie, if you read this let me know how your hike goes. She took me to the trail head at New Found Gap, which was crowded with cars and motorcycles. There were lots of people at Ice Water Shelter so I pitched my tent nearby with a great view. Great diverse group of people, except all males. There were a lot more females last year.
Date: 2011-05-29
From: Ice Water Shelter

To: Tri Corner Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: clear sky

Nice hike at high elevations, over 6,000 feet. Met Shad Adair and his son Josh. Shad lives in Albuquerque and his son just finished college in Georgia. There were also four recent medical school graduates doing a hike to Hot Springs before they started residencies.
Date: 2011-05-30
From: Tri Corner Shelter

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

Long Hike with a lot of downhill at the end. It got a lot warmer as the elevation changed. Hiked with Shad and Josh for awhile but they were too fast. Caught up with Earthshaker and the three new MD's at Cosby Knob shelter and had lunch. Stayed at Davenport Gap shelter. It has to be one of the ugliest shelters. It has a cage front that they used to use to keep bears out. The good part was that it did not have mice. It did have two big black snakes. Laser Legs is a 62 year old doing a hike from Springer Mountain to Duncannon PA. He is the most highly organized hiker on the trail. He has the exact distance that he will cover each day for over 1000 miles and sticks to it. Bear and Harrison stay there as well. Will moved on the a river down below. Earthshaker and Two Cents kept going to Standing Bear Hostel.
Date: 2011-05-31
From: Davenport Gap Shelter

To: Standing Bear Hostel
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I took a "nero" day at Standing Bear. A zero day is when you do not hike at all. A nero day is when you do a short hike, but rest most of the day. Like all of the distance hikers I was glad to get out of the park. The smokies are very pretty, but all of the rules set by the feds don't fit well with they typical long distance hiker. We really value the freedom of the hike. I rented a $20 cabin at Standing Bear Hostel which included a hot shower and washing your clothes. They have a shed with every type of short term supply a hike could want.I bought a rib sandwich, coke, and ice cream for lunch. Then had a huge pizza for dinner. They have a typical hikers accounting system. You write down what you ate on the back of an envelope,add it up and stick the money in when you leave. Several hikers came in including Rambler and 15. They are a young couple who met on the AT in Maine last year. They are just finishing the final section of the AT and then are getting married. Really cute couple. Love on the AT.
Date: 2011-06-01
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: scattered clouds

I am so happy to be back on the AT. Things are going great and I feel like this is just the right place to be. The freedom to roam is incredible. Got an early 6:45 start for a long hike up Snowbird Mountain. Passed by four thru hikers camped by a small stream. One of the best camping spots I have seen so far. They passed me a short time later as did Sarin who I had met at Standing Bear. Max Patch was really pretty. This is one of the so called balds in the south. They are open areas at the top of some of the higher peaks. There is some dispute as to why the exist and are not covered with trees. In some places, such as Max Patch the forest service is mowing the area to keep it its current state. Some theories include that native americans burned the tops. Later white settlers used them for grazing. It seems like to me that the native americans would have set fires to encourage grass to grow similar to what plains indians did to attact buffalo. When europeans first came to this are there were large herds of elk and bison. It would have made sense to burn the areas and then pick off game that came to the burns. I haven't seen this theory any where. At any rate they are very impressive, especially when you have been hiking in heavy forested areas all day.
Date: 2011-06-02
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Deer Park Shelter
Miles today: 14.8

It was a hot, humid day. When I was having lunch in a cool shady spot a dog came around a corner and got scared by me. I must smell really bad. The dog ran back up the trail. Charlotte was the dog's owner and she and the dog where on a two day hiking trip. She is a nurse from Wilmington, NC. There was one older couple (as in almost my age.) when I got to the shelter. They had started at Springer and were doing just 7-9 miles a day and planned on seeing how far they could go. Another example of "hiking your own hike." Late in the evening several other hikers came in including Will, Two Cents, and Pilgrim. Will was hiking with his aunt and uncle who had met him at Standing Bear to hike to Hot Springs.
Date: 2011-06-03
From: Deer Park Shelter

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Got an early start and was in Hot Springs by 8:00 am. This is a very nice, small town and very hiker friendly. I got a room at the Alpine Motel and had a great hot shower before taking off to do the usual long distance hiker stuff: wash your clothes, go to the local outfitter for a couple of items, then to the Hill Billy Market and Dollar General Store to resupply. It is interesting to note that it seems like every small town now has some type of "dollar" store. They fill in the niches that are too small for Wal Mart. They make great spots for hikers since they usually have the type of basics that hikers need. Plus they have ice cream!! In addition to food I got some $6 sun glasses to replace the pair that I had broken and a pair of flip flops. Lots of hikers in town, including Five Stones, Jimmy, Pilgrim, Laser Legs, and Two Cents. Had a cheese burger for lunch and a big bbq pork dinner. Then some wine at the Iron Horse. I love food and wine! There is a re-enactment of a local civil war battle tomorrow and a lot of hikers are going to hang around to watch. I will move on.
Date: 2011-06-04
From: Hot Springs

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

Beautiful climb our of Hot Springs with a good switchback trail and nice views of the town of Hot Springs. As usual I got passed by the young thru hikers. I go to the shelter about 3:00 and decided to quit for the day. It was pretty buggy by I found a tent site that was a little higher and not so buggy. Lot's of tall oaks, poplars and elms. The Hemlocks are under attack from a bug from China and you can see them dying through out this segment of the trail.
Date: 2011-06-05
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Jerry Springer Shelter
Miles today: 15.4

Shad and Josh, the father and son from New Mexico, were camping nearby when I got up. I got started a little before they did. They caught up with me later in the morning and we hiked together for awhile. Later Laser Legs also passed me. We all met again at the shelter. As usual I pitched my tent as did Shad and Josh. We agree that we sleep better than in the shelter. It was a great hiking day.
Date: 2011-06-06
From: Jerry Springer Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: moderate rain

I made a really dumb error today. I got to Big Butt where the trail forks in three directions. There were no signs at that spot and the trails were all well used. I took the one that headed east, which is pretty logical, but wrong. If I had taken out my map and compass it was obvious that the trail went due south for a few miles at this point. One of the confusing items, at least for me, on the AT is the fact that the trail twists and turns so many times. This is done to follow the Appalachian mountains and also to stay on public land. Also you do not have as many chances to get wide open views to easy to recognize landmarks as you do in the west. The smart thing to do is to just forget about your compass bearing and stay on the trail. At any rate I went a couple miles before I realized my error. Since I had gone downhill I did not want to go back. I also decided not to try and find the trail. Instead I found an old logging road that would take me to a road. It turned out to be a really nice hike along a pretty stream. I finally got to a road and a couple of fisherman gave me a ride in the back of a pickup to the main road. Then another guy came along and gave me a ride about five miles back to the AT. The people in the south are the nicest, friendliest people in the world. Throughout this journey I have never had more that a couple of cars go by without someone offering me a ride. When I got to the trail head there was a lady from Chicago parked there who was waiting for her daughter and granddaughter. I had meet them at the shelter and was able to tell her that they should be there in about an hour. She gave me some fruit and cold water which was great. I finally got to the shelter about 6:30 and found Shad, Josh, and Laser Legs who were somewhat concerned that they had not seen me all day. We had a good laugh when I explained about my detour. I officially did about 15.7 miles today but it was actually about 20. I slept well.
Date: 2011-06-07
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Whistling Gap
Miles today: 13.5

Tough climb up to Bald Mountain, but worth it. There were great views and lots of wildflowers. Shad and Josh passed me along the trail and planned on going to No Business Knob Shelter. I decided to camp at Whistling Gap which is not a shelter spot, but had good water. I built a fire to reduce the bugs.
Date: 2011-06-08
From: Whistling Gap

To: Erwin TN
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Fairly easy and mostly downhill trail to Erwin. I only saw three hikers all day. I stopped at the Holiday Inn which was a big mistake. Erwin is a very spread out town and the Holiday Inn is on the edge. The Holiday Inn does not have a shuttle into town. I did get a hot shower and clothes laundered. I watched CNN for the first time since I was on the trail. I decided I missed the trail.
Date: 2011-06-09
From: Erwin TN

To: Erwin TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I decided to take a zero day and moved to Uncle Johnny's, which is a hostel, outfitter, and river trip company. The lesson learned is to avoid chain type locations and stay at the places that cater to hikers. Uncle Johnny's provides two shuttles a day into town along with a place to stay. Plus the company is better. Will was in and I met another guy my age who was also northbound, Bill. Also a 23 year old south bound Otto. We all went to a Mexican food restaurant in Erwin. No margaritas again!! I You can only buy beer in Erwin. I was told that Erwin had a population of about 5,000 and 66 Baptist churches. I love the south, but this deal on getting a drink is a problem. I mentioned that the town was missing a lot of tax revenue to the owner of the hostel.He replied that between the Baptist church and the folks that made the local white lightning it was unlikely to change. That makes sense.
Date: 2011-06-10
From: Erwin TN

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Long uphill out of Erwin. I meet two thru hikers, Otto and Jason at Curly Maple Gap about 9:00. They passed me at Indian Grave Gap. We met again at Deep Gap and decided to stay there because it looked like rain. It did rain but not until about 7:00. I wasn't ready and some stuff got wet. Good lesson.
Date: 2011-06-12
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Stan Murray Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: few clouds

This was a great day. There was a tough climb up Roan mountain of 1,800 feet gain on slippery rocks. The rhododendrons on Roan Mountain were very pretty. They were originally planted by a luxury hotel in the early 1900's. All of the trees in the area were logged in the early part of the century and the hotel was torn down. Of interest is that the state line between Tennessee and North Carolina went through the center of the ball room. You could only drink on one side. There were a lot of people who had driven up to Roan Mountain and also Carvers Gap. I had met one middle aged couple when I was hiking up Roan Mountain. Of course by then I had been out a few days and looked and smelt like it. The couple asked about whether is worth hiking further in the direction that I had come from. I did explain that is was pretty, but slippery and rocky. The lady looked at my and asked "Is there any shopping?"Round Mountain and Grassy Ridge were really neat balds. Lots of views and wild flowers. I decided to stay at Stan Murray shelter instead of my original destination, because of the threat of rain. It started raining hard right after that. A couple of day hikers stopped to eat, but otherwise no one was there.
Date: 2011-06-13
From: Stan Murray Shelter

To: 19E Elk Park
Miles today: 11.1

The balds on this section are fabulous!! They are truly world class spots. Wide open grassy areas with some wild flowers. It really looks more like Scotland.I meet three groups of boy scouts and a couple of backpackers. The Mountain House B&B is located .3 miles off of the trail on 19 E. It is a great looking B&B but was full. I paid $13 for a tent site, including a hot shower and a shuttle into Roan Mountain for dinner. Laser Legs was there and I met Bear Paw who has done a thru hike of the AT and is a long hike.
Date: 2011-06-14
From: 19E Elk Park

To: Laurel Fork 
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: clear sky

Nice cool hiking day. Stopped off the trail to go see Jerry's Falls. Pretty neat. Laser Legs and Frank, a backpacker that I had met a couple of days ago were also there. I camped at nice stream for the night. Bear Paw came in a little later.