morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-04-17
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Max Patch
Miles today: 13.3

Today was about two things, slowing down a little and experiencing Max Patch because I knew the weather was going to be good.I settled my tab with Standing Bear and headed out. I had raised the idea of camping on Max Patch at the campfire last night but no one seemed interested, so I assumed I'd be alone.Today was hard...physically and emotionally. I'm having some post-smokies depression. I miss my tramily who are now 3 days behind me. I'm struggling with making progress with my presentation out here. I feel I'm just gross and smelly all the time and that doesn't really help you feel very attractive which is a strange desire when you're on the trail...but an ever present one for me. The climbs today we're challenging. I took a rest at the top of Snowbird Mtn to admire the views, eat breakfast, and chat with some day hikers. Then it was just rolling on. The trail kept dropping down to gaps only to climb straight up the next hill. The last set of climbs to Max Patch were extremely difficult and water was scarce. I filled it with extra water at a stream before the summit and push the last .8 miles up the stairs to the Bald summit. Instant gratification upon reaching the top. Max Patch is an intense place to be on a beautiful day. 360 degree views of the Smokies and the trail ahead. The grass is mowed and it's just a great place to sprawl out and soak in the views. My plan was to sit up here, camp, and watch the sunset. There was already a group of tents set up at the top so I wasn't alone in my idea.Slowly hikers who had been at the hostel began to filter in as I made dinner and now we have a tent city up here on the Bald. Seems like the views and the difficult climbs made my idea all that more attractive after all.Watched the sunset and am now laying in my tent watching the lights come on in the valley below.
Date: 2019-04-20
From: Max Patch

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 20.2

This entry actually covers two days. Hiked from Max Patch to the Deer Park Mountain Shelter on Thursday for 16.6 miles. Slept, got up, and hiked 3.6 miles into Hot Springs in the pouring rain for a NERO. Woke up with a scratchy throat. It has turned into a nasty cold and fever. So I'm stuck here in town because with the current temps and weather, if I go back out I will get pneumonia. On top of that, I've been having a lot of trouble lately. I'm having a hard time finding the motivation to continue. I miss work. I am eager to go to Denver. I'm not having a bad time out here, but it's becoming hard to justify spending several more months on the trail I'm also having some more personal issues out here. Being trans on the trail has it's challenges, especially when you're mid-transition. My presentation is kind of a mess. It's hard to feel like I'm making a positive difference when I'm filthy, smelly, and about as far from feeling feminine as one could imagine.Bottom line...this hasn't been the best weekend. I'm resupplied so I'm committed to going forward for now, but I will be stuck here until at least Monday. Stuck and really evaluating what my goals were for being out here.
Date: 2019-04-23
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I went to bed last night prepared to get back on the trail, but when I woke up....I just couldn't bring myself to walk past the outfitters. Joe was with me. He was headed out of Hot Springs too, but for whatever reason I decided not to. My health has been rough, though I've been on the upswing. My body is in good shape. I'm not having difficulty with the terrain. But my head and heart are definitely elsewhere. I don't feel I'm done with this trail, but I do feel I need to step away from it for a while.So what now... Well, I hitched into Asheville and found a direct flight to Denver for tomorrow. That's right.....I'm going to Denver to see my nephew and my brother. I'm going to try to get up to Rocky Mountain National Park for a few days. Right now I'm feeling like I'd like to come back after a little time away and pick up with the AT again, but I don't really know what will happen. I want to hike with my friends again. Maybe I'll return for trail days in Damascus.I'm disappointed in myself to some extent. This is purely a mental/emotional decision. I didn't quit on a bad day. They've all been really good days. I haven't had a bad day since Wayah Bald. It just seemed like I was presented with two paths and one opened up to me while the other was closed. Either way, I couldn't sit in Hot Springs another day.So that's where I am now....headed to Denver and uncertain of what happens next. At least it's still an adventure.Edit: I've been doing some planning today and I think I will push to return and pick up with the trail again in a week. Stay tuned!
Date: 2019-05-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I am headed back to the trail today.I've got a flight back from Denver at 3:45 and plan to hitch my way up to Sam's Gap. I'll be jumping ahead about 40 miles, but plan to make that up later. I should be able to catch up with some friends by the weekend.The goal is to get to Sam's Gap tonight and night hike to the first shelter and then push the next morning to Erwin, TN. Haven't don't night hiking before and am a little less anxious to give it a try... especially alone. The forecast calls for showers until Monday so it will be a realistic reintroduction to trail life.The rest in Denver has been good, though it did end up taking the majority of the stay to get over the cold I caught in Hot Springs. But I am excited to be going back to the AT.
Date: 2019-05-03
From: Spivey Gap

To: Uncle Johnny's Hostel
Miles today: 11.1

Caught a ride from the hostel back up to Spivey Gap to finish out the 11 miles to Erwin, TN.Prometheus decided he wanted to run the section so I hiked it with Little Debbie. We did it in 3.75 hours. Prometheus did it in 2.5. Got my resupply done at Walmart after dinner in town and also picked up some burgers to cook later on at the hostel. Ended up throwing a rainy burger party on the porch for some new hungry hikers.
Date: 2019-05-05
From: Uncle Johnny's Hostel

To: Curley Maple Gap Shelter
Miles today: 4.3
Weather: light rain

Long story short....tried to leave town on Saturday, but got lured in by the Erwin outdoor festival and spent most of the day hanging around town. Then rain came in and made the idea of leaving even more difficult. Hot Sauce and I ended up sharing my tent for another night at Uncle Johnny's.Woke up and packed but it was raining. Decided to wait for some trail magic that was being set up for lunch and then hit the trail. A church group made burgers and hot dogs and all manner of amazing food. It was pouring rain, but we sat around under tents and feasted. Finally headed out....and thats when the rain really started coming down.Hiked the 4.3 miles to Curley Maple Gap Shelter. That was far enough on a full stomach in the rain. Decided to get some sleep before putting in some long miles over the next few days.
Date: 2019-05-06
From: Curley Maple Gap Shelter

To: Apple Orchard Campsite
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: few clouds

This section was great. Rolled for miles on easy sidehill trails that snaked along the mountainside before a short climb up to the Beauty Spot where Prometheus and I sat to have lunch.The climb up to Unaka was tougher, but it was cool to see the forest give over to spruce as we neared the top. There were several camp spots in the dark and haunted looking forest at the top. Joe said he had camped up there but it looked too much like a scene from The Ritual for me.Rolled down to the next shelter and waited for Hot Sauce to see if she wanted to push on or not. Thankfully she did so we walked another 4.2 miles to an Apple Orchard on the side of a mountain where we found WyldViolet camping already. We joined her there for the night and made a fire. I went to bed early and slept great.
Date: 2019-05-07
From: Apple Orchard Campsite

To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: clear sky

I left the campsite early while Prometheus and Hot Sauce were trying to dry their dew-covered gear. We had agreed on going to the top of Roan Mtn to stay in the highest shelter on the AT.I was feeling really good after longer miles the previous day and rolled along just fine over the couple of smaller peaks between me and Hughes Gap. Crossing the road at Hughes Gap was when the day got interesting though. The climb up 6190' ft Roan Mtn was long and every few hundred feet the forest changed. The higher you climbed the more the big trees gave way to scraggly short bent trees. You started to see more pine mixed in. I climbed to a small rocky summit and was granted a reprieve at Ash Gap, a beautiful flat section with grass growing among the trees. I found Wyld Violet here and stopped to have lunch before continuing my climb.From Ash Gap, the forest was wholly taken over by spruce trees. It felt like I was back in the Smokies. The trail became rocky and the light beneath the fir trees was darker. The trail snaked upward, weaving back and forth as it climbed. When I finally reached the top I felt more accomplished then I had on any other climb thus far. I turned towards the nearby parking lot at the top of the still closed auto road to find a group of hikers taking a break near the bathrooms. The park service had left a stall open for hikers, but everything else was locked up until the start of the season. I relaxed for a bit and refilled my water bottles before heading for the shelter, finding it empty when I arrived, but that didn't last long as it started to rain and before long other hikers were filtering in to get out of the wet, including Hot Sauce and Prometheus.The area around the shelter was beautiful and I was really glad to stay there for the night. The rain moved out and the light from the sunset filtered down through the mist that swirled through the pines, making for some stunning pictures.
Date: 2019-05-08
From: Roan High Knob Shelter

To: The Station at Route 19E
Miles today: 16.3

This was a section I had been looking forward to since starting the trail and the Roan Highlands did not disappoint.I left the shelter in a wave of other hikers. The first couple of miles meandered through the Spruce forest as the trail descended from the top of the mountain. It let out onto a road at a mountain pass where there was a bathroom rest area. Then it climbed up to Round Bald where I was able to look out over both NC and TN. The clouds on the NC side we're far below us, settled in the valleys several thousand feet below.Pressing on, I climbed to another Bald and then the trail began a long descent to a shelter around 5 miles in. Another 1.9 miles brought me to the Overmountain Shelter but I decided not to go check it out, beginning another climb. About halfway up I turned and was able to look down on the shelter. Overmountain Shelter is a converted big red Barn sitting at the foot of a clearing that stretches up the mountain. It's an impressive structure and very unique for an AT shelter.I continued the climb, eventually making it to what I thought was the top...But what I had climbed was Little Hump mountain and reaching it's summit revealed Hump Mountain beyond. From where I was standing it seemed impossibly huge, filling the sky beyond the peak where I was standing. I abandoned my plan to sit and have lunch until I had conquered this new challenge and headed off.The climb was long and exposed. Hump mountain is bald for the entire length that you are on it. It stretches up and up and up and taunts you with false summits. Even when you reach the fence near the top you find another few hundred yards of climbing to reach the summit. I reached it just behind Pumpkin and found a bunch of faces that I hadn't seen since Hot Springs. I sat and had lunch and chatted before the group headed out for Roan Mtn, TN.We had barely gotten below the Bald when the sky opened up. It rained hard for about 15 minutes forcing the pack covers and rain jackets to come out. I had just purchased the pack cover in Erwin and was grateful to have it.The last 5 miles to the road went quickly and I reached it with a small group of other hikers. A few of us grouped up and hitched a ride into town for resupply and BBQ. Both went really well. Finished the day out at The Station Hostel which is really really nice and run by a native New Hampshire-ite. Hot Sauce and Prometheus made it in as well but Hot Sauce is sick and is going to the doctor tomorrow. I will discuss the plan with them tomorrow but I am eager to push on to Damascus.
Date: 2019-05-17
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Hey Team! I'm at Trail Days in Damascus this weekend. I will be hiking out on Sunday, but I realized there was one thing I have forgotten to include in my updates over the past couple of weeks.I got my trail name! Thanks to my escape to Colorado a couple of weeks ago I have earned the trail name "Denver". I am now seeking someone named "Omelette" to hike with so that we can form a dream team hiking duo "Denver Omelette".
Date: 2019-05-19
From: Damascus

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: few clouds

Leaving Damascus alone without Hot Sauce or Prometheus was one of my hardest days on the trail since I came back. The terrain wasn't too difficult, but I felt really alone and lethargic from sitting in town for 4 days. I pushed on though.I encountered wonderful Trail Magic at the first road crossing. A guy named Wheels was standing next to a bridge handing out sodas and grilling burgers. I wasn't going to stop, but the burgers smelled really good so I eventually took my pack off. I didn't stay long though.Pushing on the trail ran parallel to the Virginia Creeper trail for a while before winding up a mountain only to rejoin the Creeper Trail on the other side.In spite of my late start I got to the shelter around 4:45. Looking around I realized that I didn't know any of these faces at all. All my friends are ahead or off trail. Still ... It's an opportunity to meet some new people.It stormed over night but I was very comfy in my tent.
Date: 2019-05-20
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Id been waiting for this section for a long time. The Grayson Highlands are iconic as are the wild ponies that live there and I was excited to see what all the excitement is about. The climb to Buzzard Rocks wasn't too bad, but the weather was threatening to turn. Reaching the first summit it was drizzling lightly, but as I made my way down to Elk Garden the rain went away and blue skies took over.The next climb was great, winding it's way back by up into a pine Forest. I ran by into one of the vendors from trail days that I had bought a hiking skirt from. We chatted for a bit but the summit was calling so I pressed on.Just below the summit of Mt. Rogers (the highest peak in VA), the landscape opened up into mountain fields and pine groves. Signs of the ponies we're everywhere but I didn't actually see any until I climbed past the beautiful Thomas Knob Shelter and reached the crest of the highlands.The trail wound through a series of protected little valleys along the ridge where ponies we're clustered in groups of 5 - 10, grazing. I even saw a longhorn steer laying out in the grass of a bald peak.I was able to get close enough to the ponies to take pictures. They're not really afraid of people at all and will willingly approach you if you let them.Continuing on, I encountered a trail work crew working on the trail and much to my surprise Unicorn and NAB were among them, getting some volunteer trail work in before they flip up to Maine to finish their hike SOBO.By the time I reached the shelter below the highlands my feet were tired. It's hard not to feel competitive when other people are pressing on and you're done for the day, but it becomes so much less fun out here when your body is beat up, so I crawled into my tent grateful to be done.
Date: 2019-05-21
From: Wise Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: clear sky

Big day and the first part of it was absolutely spectacular.Leaving Wise Shelter, the trail rambled along through a bowl between the peaks that make up the highlands. You soon emerge onto an open ridge running down the center of the valley with views of the pine-clad peaks all around you. You can see other trails on the peaks around you and there are plenty of wonderful camping spots. The whole area seems like it has so much to offer and I'd love to come back and explore it further.After a few miles you descend into a gap where a paddock sits. This is The Scales and the hillsides around it we're dotted with ponies and longhorn cattle. It's a perfect camping spot and even has a privy and a water source. The scenery is spectacular.I lingered as long as I could before continuing on my way. I encountered trail magic at a road crossing as I left the highlands behind. Two gentlemen had setup camp to catch the post-trail-days bubble and serve them coffee, sodas, lunch, and dinner. I stayed for about an hour before pushing on. I had an ambitious goal for the day and didn't want to arrive too late.The rest of the day was honestly a blur. The terrain was rolling but not too difficult. I was on high alert for snakes but saw none. The final 1.75 miles to the shelter down from the ridge felt like an eternity and I kept running into spider webs. I was very close to my limit.Finally reached Trimpi shelter which is actually a very cool stone shelter similar to the ones in the smokies. It had a chimney, two levels, and a resident snake. I opted for my tent.
Date: 2019-05-22
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Marion, VA
Miles today: 10.0

Today was about getting to town and resupplying. I've been having trouble with my pack and was eager for a more restful day.I woke up at 615 to find that Crypter and Memorial, two guys I'd hiked with over the past few days were already packed and heading out with the goal of hiking the 10 miles to Marion in time to catch the 11am shuttle. I packed myself up and headed out at about 7:15.The trail has a surprising amount of climbing. I had expected an easy 10 miles, but it proved to be more challenging then I'd hoped. Still, I rolled in to the parking lot at the visitor center at about 10:30 to find a trail angel waiting with Memorial and Crypter already on board. I hopped in and was wished away to Marion, VA where I am now splitting a room with Memorial at the Travel Inn. Nemo is also staying here and I ran into WyldViolet at the Bojangles. A couple that go by Shortcake and Slearner are also here, and I ran into about 4 other hikers I know whole wandering around Walmart while resupplying. I'm ready to go again tomorrow, but I am grateful for the rest.
Date: 2019-04-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light intensity drizzle

Day 1 (23.3 miles) - Route 30 north to stealth camp 3.8 miles north of Pine Grove Furnace State Park.Day 2 (24.7 miles) - 3.8 miles north of PGFSP to PA Route 11. I pushed a bit too hard for the first time out. I felt fine on day one and completed the 23.3 miles several hours before nightfall. Near the end of day two my legs and feet were getting tired/sore and I had blisters on the lower part of both heels. Here again I finished a big mileage day several hours before nightfall. A day three would not have been so pleasant!
Date: 2019-05-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Started out with the intention of covering 56 miles in 3 days. It did not work out exactly that way. Day 1 (22 miles) - Started my trek at 0600 when my awesome wife dropped me off at the intersection of PA 944 and the AT. It is an approximate 1.8 mile hike to the top of the mountain where the AT intersects the northern terminus of the Tuscarora Trail. Stealth camped near the Warner Loop trail spur a couple of miles north of Flat Rock Vista. This day totally beat the heck out of my feet as at least half of the days miles were rock scrambling. Day 2 (13.5 miles) - Stormed a bit overnight but my oversized hex rainfly kept my hammock and I dry and comfortable. A nearby whippoorwill decided that it was going to do it¢s best to see that I did not get a good nights sleep. It succeeded! I am considering including a set of ear plugs with my gear. My feet were really sore and had started to blister on the balls of both feet during yesterday¢s rock scrambling so I knew this may cause me to terminate my trip early. About 5 miles into my day I met up with my wife and sister at the intersection of Route 233 near Colonel Denning State Park. They intended to do a few mile out-n-back hike with me as I continued southward. The climb up from 233 turned out to be a bit more than they had bargained for so we bid farewell as they headed back to the car. I continued on for another 7.5 miles until I decided that the blisters on my feet had gotten painful enough that it would be wise to call it quits. I contacted my wife and she picked me up where the trail intersects with Cowpens Road.I am a bit frustrated and disappointed in myself and am going to have to figure out how to prevent these blisters from happening during my AT SoBo hike.
Date: 2019-05-24
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Started out with the intention of covering the next 44 miles of the Tuscarora Trail in 3 days, picking up from where I left off on Shakedown Hike 2. Just like Shakedown Hike 2 it did not work out quite that way. Day 1 (7 miles) - My wife dropped me off at Cowpens Road at 3:00 in the afternoon and decided to hike the first couple of miles with me which I really appreciated. We shared the trail for about 2 miles until she turned around to return to the car as I continued on the additional 5 miles to my destination of Fowler Hollow Shelter which is where I planned to spend the night. Arriving in Fowler Hollow I found that there had recently been a very high velocity wind occurrence because there were dozens of trees of all sizes uprooted and blocking the trail in many places. Two of the fallen trees barely missed the Shelter. Anyone who had been in this area when this occurred would have certainly feared for their lives. Fortunately for me it was a calm evening and I took advantage of the Shelter. No need to hang my hammock tonight. Day 2 (18 miles) - Up an on the trail at daylight and had to continue to deal with uprooted trees blocking the trail for quite some time. Made progress frustratingly slow. As I climbed up out of the hollow and left the devastation behind I soon came upon my next challenge. Unlike the AT the Tuscarora is not maintained nearly as well so I spent a large portion of the rest of the day busting through waist high grass, weeds and poison ivy. This also made progress frustratingly slow and very dangerous as there were lots of rocks hidden amongst the grass which were impossible to see. Did I mention the ticks? Needless to say, I made it to my goal for the day but decided that I had had enough of the Tuscarora Trail and cut my plans short once again. Future shakedowns will be done on the AT.For those that may not be familiar with the Tuscarora Trail, it is a 252 mile trail whose southern terminus is a junction with the Appalachian Trail located in Shenandoah National Park and whose northern terminus rejoins the Appalachian Trail at the top of Blue Mountain near Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. I happen to live midway between the TT and the AT in the Cumberland Valley of south/central PA.