morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-03-30
From: Dick's Creek

To: zero
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Stayed at the Top of Georgia hostel, Great staff and good model for a Hostel but the facility is overwhelmed with it's success. Spent most of the day in Hiawassee eating. I had lost 10 lbs in 6 days of walking and needed to put back on some weight as well as talked with Bob the owner of the hostel about strategies to get more calories. Huddle House for breakfast, walking by Hardees 2nd breakfast and then lunch at then 2nd lunch at Hardees. Went back to the hostel and back to Hiawassee for Dinner. Met a couple from Valdese NC that are thru hiking. Saw a Christian Church with the same name as mine. Very Cool stuff. I will be back on the trail tomorrow.
Date: 2017-03-31
From: Dick's Creek

To: muskrat shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: light rain

Got a good start from the Hostel on trail by 8:30 am and it was a windy day and pretty much a climb all day. Very windy and few views and ran into Big Toe at Bly Gap and had lunch. Very good to be back in NC. Got to muskrat shelter and Big Toe pushed on to Deep Gap. A young lady hiking the trail from England kept us all interested in her stories from hiking in England. Still very windy and when it was time to hit the hammock. Helped a hiker set up their new hammock system. Reminds me of a hiker that wanted me to help with their new system someone had given them a few days ago. They had broken the first two rules of hammock hanging. 1. Look up for dead limbs and 2. don't hang your hammock any higher than you are willing to fall. Helped them get their system squared away and boy did it rain hard that night. Off to sleep.
Date: 2017-04-01
From: muskrat shelter

To: Betty Creek Gap
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: overcast clouds

On the trail by 7:45 getting much better at having an organized camp and getting breakfast and out in the mornings. Started having some issues with blisters on my left foot and changed out the insoles and it seems to have helped. Wish I had my Oboz trail runners but these Salewa boots are great. Might have been operator error in getting them tied right. Using injinji toesock liners and darn tough socks should help with friction prevention aka blisters. Big toe made the right decision going on to Deep Creek yesterday afternoon. A family from southern Georgia had set up a camp with trail magic and he ate like a king for dinner and breakfast. This amazing family started providing trail magic in 2014 when their daughter started her thru hike. Now it seems to be A cherished family tradition. Wonderful people. Of course I had eaten breakfast less than an hour before so the best I could do was some bananas. Anyway up Standing Indian Mountain. I am 62 and met this very cool hiker from Texas that is 74 and is thru hiking. Wow I hope I am still out on the trail in 12 years. Today had turned out to be a very beautiful days and lots of views from Standing Indian. The trail is going through some of the fire damaged area and I hope things turn green before another fire hits this area. Heavy fuel load as they say in fire suppression. The trail is easy so I am going to get to the bottom of Albert Mountain so I can enjoy a beautiful sunrise tomorrow and get to the top before any haze sets in. Water source is a little sketchy for me so I treated it with aquamira my backup water treatment as well as the sawyer squeeze filter. Being trained in search and rescue it took me forever to learn to get my pack weight down because in SAR you carry a backup for just about everything as well as extra for the potential victim. But the one thing I always have a backup for is water treatment just in case. A lot of people say the sickness called norivirus is caused by bad water and yes I was not happy with one hiker I saw washing his dinner dishes in the water source. But most of the time it is bad hygiene. Wash your hands!!! Had Pack-it-Gourmet Chicken and dumplings for dinner and in the hammock by 7:30 listening to music and watching the moon rise. A beautiful night.
Date: 2017-04-02
From: Betty Creek Gap

To: Winding stair Gap
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: overcast clouds

A good nights sleep in the hammock and starting the assent up Albert Mountain by 7:40 am. I took the regular trail up Albert Mountain and it reminded me of the Daniel Boone Scout Trail up Grandfather Mountain. Rock scramble and knife edge ridge. The views were incredible. I will be posting pictures and video as soon as I can. Met Big Toe on top at the fire tower talking with two graduates from Appalachian State who were section hiking. The views were breathtaking and unless it is fogged in or icy do not ever take the bypass trail around Albert Mountain. Got good reception and checked the weather and this week looks very bad. I made the decision to come off trail till Monday till the weather improves and give my blisters time to heal. Made the 100 mile mark just north of Albert Mountain yeppe!!! Big toe decided to push on and try to get to the bed and breakfast 26 miles by tomorrow and he is a strong hiker and should make it. Trail magic by a gentleman and his grandsons at Rock Gap. Made it to Winding Stair Gap around 2 PM and my ride was waiting. I should be back on trail Monday starting at I-40 heading for Erwin. I will come back and fill in the 54.8 mile section after I complete the I-40 to Erwin section. Hikers out there I hope you button down the hatches it's going to be a wild weather week. Interesting fact from Springer to Winding Stair gap you have ascended 29,760 ft and descended 29,840 feet which is like climbing Mount Everest and then going back down one time. Grits
Date: 2017-04-10
From: Winding stair gap

To: Cold spring shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: few clouds

After a crazy weather week back on the trail by 10am. Lots of sun an good tread made for a good walk. Met one hiker who had lost his phone an dropped his pack to retrieve his phone. Agree with going back to find the phone but not sure of the wisdom to Dropping your pack. Got to Wayah bald fire tower early afternoon. Great views but the fire damage was extensive to the roof system an signs hope it is repaired. There is a road up to it an worth the trip. Got to the shelter after a long late day climb and in the hammock by 8. Some guys were talking keeping us awake till I ask them to talk quiter. Great sunset.
Date: 2017-04-11
From: Cold spring shelter

To: Camp site
Miles today: 14.3
Weather: overcast clouds

On the trail at 7:30 great tread up to Wesser bald amazing views. Stopped at Rocky bald view, well worth the side track and met a brother sister thru hikers I had not seen sense before Neels gap. They told of being in a shelter for two days last week during the storm. A story that I heard many times. Then I got to the jumpoff knife edge ridge dropping 2000 ft. Into the NOC an the fire damage to the trail was scary. The fire had undermined the trail so bad one slip an it would be a body recovery. Got down an picked up my mail drop resupply ate a burger and headed back up. Very hot and stopped at a camp site about 2.5 miles out. I was exhausted. Several hikers decided as I had to face the climb out on fresh legs. Heard lots of owl's. A warm night I did not need my top quilt.Grits
Date: 2017-04-12
From: Camp site

To: Browns fork gap shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: clear sky

On the trail with a 2500 ft climb out of the NOC at 7:30. Met 3 hikers at camp last night from Talasshiee FL. great guys an hammock campers. View from Cheoah bald was beautiful. Then the five Mile 2000 ft. Decent into Stecoah gap. Met two travel nurses from Syracuse where my son lives. Small world. Going out of Stecoah gap an up Jacob's ladder lived up to the name. Thru hiker Nimbus was worried I would have a heart attack an stayed with me. He was out of water so at the top I insisted he take some of mine. I stopped at Brown fork gap shelter for the night. Met mistic who is from Wilkesboro NC about 45 minutes from where I live. Small world. Lots of hammock campers here tonight. Heard more owl's as I drifted off to sleep under a beautiful moon an stary night. Two big climbs today was hard.
Date: 2017-04-13
From: Browns fork gap shelter

To: Fontana dam
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: clear sky

On the trail by 8am an a good tread mostly down hill into Fontana dam. Saw a rat snake hanging out of a tree an lots of trillium flowers. You could see the lake as far as 6 trail miles out. Kept me wondering when I would get there. Talking with some thru hikers I pointed out the Smoky mountains where they? would be in a few days. Met a trail runner an we talked about the trail damage going into the NOC. She had heard the story from other hikers. A hiker who was injured but was following his wife was the first trail magic of the day an the 2nd was a couple from Greensboro NC who's son had thru hiked in 2014. The shower at the dam was closed so I had to walk back up to the Fontana dam Hilton to take a shower. Pick up headed home for Easter an back on the trail Monday. Glad I got the Smokies done last year. From what I am hearing a record number of people on the trail.Grits
Date: 2017-04-14
From: Fontana dam

To: I 40 crossing
Miles today: 73.0
Weather: clear sky

Completed this section southbound in 5 days August of 2016. I have day hiked Clingmans dome to Charlie's bunion. Interesting note Spence ridge area mid 1970's Dennis Martin search most expensive and largest search for a missing person in US history. Never did find the child but it completely rewrote how search and rescue is conducted. Mount LeConte if you can get reservations it's a must. I think the big Creek area off Waterville road and up to Mt. Cammerer is my favorite area.Grits
Date: 2017-04-17
From: I 40 crossing

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Good to be back on trail. My daughter will be in this coming week for Merlefest so a slight change in plans. Drove over to Hot Springs and shuttle to I-40 thank Bluff Mountain Outfitters for making it happen. Got on the trail around 3PM and the rain was holding off. Looking south the weather in the Smoky Mountains did not look good but it was south and east of me so I felt like I might miss the worst of it. Made it to the top of Snowbird Mountain where the FAA site is and had a nice view. Some Great views. Made it to Groundhog Creek Shelter about 6 pm just as the rain started. Met a father (section hiker) daughter (thru hiker) from Ohio and they were pretty cool. Met Planner a recent Graduate of UNC Chapel Hill Nursing Program so we had a lot of basketball to talk about. Tomorrow will be an interesting day weather (lots of rain) and destination. I have not heard good things about the location of Walnut Mountain shelter and that would put me at a 13 mile day from here so my destination. Grits
Date: 2017-04-18
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 26.2
Weather: clear sky

I was up and on the trail by 7:45 trying to beat the late afternoon heavy rain and thunderstorms predicted. Made the 5 miles to Max Patch by 10:30 and even with so so weather the views did not disappoint. I had been here in October 2011 and had incredible fall weather and colors. anyway ate lunch at Roaring Fork shelter and some little cascade like water falls through this area. I about forgot that you could hear the traffic on I-40 from Groundhog Creek shelter most of the night. lol how far but how close things are in the Mountains. Planner caught up just as I was finishing lunch. Met a guy at Roaring fork that was drying out his tent from last night. He had his food bag hung and someone took it down when they were getting theirs down this morning and did not put it back up. Well Mr. Grey Squirrel decided to inspect the inside and had chewed up his food bag. He fixed it with duct tape till he can get into town to replace it. Got to Walnut Mountain Shelter around 2:30 and it was in the fog winds around 10 to 15 mph and raining sideways pretty good. I decided to push on to a lower camp site and get out of the high mountain weather. As time wore on my legs felt strong and there was a lot of downhill and when I got over Bluff Mountain I decided that I could make Hot Springs before or near dark and it would be a personal best of 26+ miles. I have done 23 a few times but being 62 now it was a challenge. Like Mount Mitchell it ain't flat this section assent 5960 ft. and decent 7560 ft. I pushed on and I walked into downtown Hot Springs at 8:00 pm. Grits
Date: 2017-05-03
From: Allen Gap

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: few clouds

A long delay but needed to gain some weight back and my daughter was in town for Merlefest and her Birthday which made for a great week. So I took time to work on my gear ordered a 40 deg. top quilt and some extra shoes I might be needing them and my suspension for the hammock or course Dutch came out with something new lol. For those of you that do not know Dutch is an amazing inventor and has thru hiked the AT before and he comes up with equipment that is light weight and actually works. Dutchware.com I got the same great shuttle service from Bluff Mountain Outiftters to pick me up in Hot Springs and take me up to Allen Gap and I got on the trail by 10am and it was a good walk not a lot of steep climbs and temps in the low 50's and clean skies. Perfect hiking weather. I met the brother sister hiking team that camped with on the 2nd night at Lance Creek and had seen one time sense at rock bluff. They were doing well and having a blast. I had lunch at the Rich Mountain fire tower and you could see Mount Mitchell and the black mountain range. Most of the views there are like the the ones at other fire towers being overgrown with trees. From there it was pretty much 8 miles downhill to Hot Springs and the best veiws from Tanyard Gap into Hot Springs is at lovers leap which overlooks the river and town. A good part of the trail well maintained and fun to walk. Grits
Date: 2017-05-08
From: Allen Gap

To: Jerry Cabin
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: clear sky

Tennessee Viking got me the contact information for 10-K in Erwin and I got him to shuttle me from Erwin to Allen Gap after a good restful week/ weekend which I did get in the one slack pack and a trip to Grandfather Mountain I will try to get the video up of the Grandfather trip from the Parkway to Calloways Peak a 2000 ft assent in 3.5 miles.  That is from the parking lot not the trail head lol I digress and back to the AT.  10-K got me on the trail by 10am and by lunch time I was at Jones Meadow where the Greenville Tn hiking club had set up and amazing feast. It seems like they do this every year Hamburgers Hotdogs fresh fruit potato salad coffee juice  lol I hate I missed breakfast which is even more amazing I heard from other hikers later. A big shout out to all the trail angels out there. Stopped to take pictures at Whiterock and Blackstaff cliffs. Not really much to look (here or any other overlook you don't know the names or history of the mountains you are looking at) except that two times a year the contrast is beautiful one is with the fall colors and in the spring when you can see spring slowly turning the mountains green like a wave of green flowing up the mountains.  Firescald Knob was has the best views I have seen on the trail south of here amazing 360 degree views from the plains of east Tennessee in Greene County to Mount Mitchell and the Blacks which have such an imposing view from here to Blowing Rock. The trail in about a mile section here reminds me of the Crest trail along Grandfather Mountain but not quite as rough but every bit as scenic. Then on to Jerry Cabin great water and bear cables. There is an electrical outlet here but someone forgot to pay the bill!!!! .Everyone pushed on but 4 of us because the next shelter is only 5 miles further down the trail. One  southbounder who had got off the trail due to bad weather last December and she is almost to Springer. One southbound section hiker and myself and another north bound hiker. A quite night night and good sleep in the hammock. A full moon so it is like daylight at night.  Bear Cables are used to hang your food bag so that bears mice and other critters cannot get into your food bag. If not bear cables are available you hang your food bag in a tree (lots of fun try it!!!) Throw a rope over a tree limb 15 feet up and not get it tangled. Sleep with your food and have all the critters come belly up to the food bar well sometimes.  Bears are an issue but mice and other critters are more likely to get into your food. The third choice that I use is the ursack a food bag made out of spectra a very tough material that even bears can't tear into. So I just hang it in a tree at shoulder height.  Grits
Date: 2017-05-09
From: Jerry Cabin

To: Hogback ridge shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: scattered clouds

On the trail by 7:45 and a great hike to Flint Mountain shelter where I met for the second time 3 section hikers from Louisiana and serving out country (great guys and one happened to be stationed in Hickory NC for 4 years and has hiked a lot of the same areas that I frequent and he said he really liked Blowing Rock which I notice received a 3rd place for best small southern towns from a US Today poll. They said that they wished they had stayed at Jerry Cabin because it was so packed at Flint they had to move further down the trail to find a place to camp. Threatening rain so I keep my bright orange pack cover on to keep the rain at bay and another good reason is that we could hear someone target practicing near the trail and it is a very visible way to let someone know that I am there. One time I was on the AT near Shady Valley  Tn. and someone was target practicing and did not know I was there and I bet I was only 50 ft. from him when he fired and I dove on the ground and the pack weight about drove me 3 feet into the ground. lol scared me, funny now but I was not in any danger. Anyway we got to Devil's fork gap and the long climb to Hogback shelter. I think it was 2009 when I first did this section with a 55 lb. pack and I felt a lot better with just a 36 lb pack at this point but still a long hard climb at least for me. Got to Groundhog Shelter about 3 and took time to go to a creek and really clean the dirt and sweat of two days of hard hiking off. Really felt good and in the hammock resting by 8. Lots of people here and one kid from Roanoke Va. was staying in the shelter everyone else in hammocks or tents. It seems that there are two young ladies from Canada on the trail that are here and I learned later that they are somewhat celebrities on the trail from their good cheerfulness. When I was at this shelter before so many years ago there was a southbound SoBo  ultra light thru hiker that was carrying a two pound canoe paddle with him as a conversation starter so that he could say if he got up the creek at least he would have a paddle. Yes he made it to Springer and completed his thru hike with the paddle. Grits
Date: 2017-05-10
From: Hogback ridge shelter

To: No Business Shelter
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: light intensity drizzle

My earliest time out and on the trail 7:05 am and I slept well last night even with the wind gusting steady it sounded like a train overhead. The young hiker from Roanoke was out ahead of me but said he was sick and threw up all night. He looked bad so I called 10-K and he said he would pick him up at Sam's Gap thank goodness. I offered to pay 10-K but he did it for free and a big shout out to 10-K and his business hikershuttles. Funny you get to Sam's gap and the sign on the south side says welcome to Madison County NC and walk under I-23 and on the other side the sign says welcome to Tennessee. Up the mountain to the view spot looking down into street gap where on another trip I found a sign stuck on one of the white blaze posts that said that a certain Governor of a  state south of NC had been there but it was found out he was actually in South America. LOL fun memories and then as I walking down to Street gap I heard a loud crash about 50 feet below me and looked down. A BEAR wow I could not believe it at first but when he stopped and looked back at me yep it was a bear. He was gone before I could get my camera out o well. Then the climb up to Big Bald and what a perfect day for it little wind and clear beautiful sky.  I got to the top and amazing 360 degree views with Wolf Laurel down below and Mount Mitchell and the black mountains dominating the southern view was spectacular. There was one point that you could see Roan Mountain to the North East and looking down on the plains of east Tennessee as the green was beginning  to creep up the mountains. I stopped by Big Bald shelter to eat lunch and rested for 45 minutes. There were two more climbs on the way down to Spiveys Gap and as I was walking up Little bald there were small wildflowers covering the forest floor as far as the eye could see. I tried to take pictures but the pictures do not do it justice. I got over High Rocks and down to Spivey Gap at 4:30 and was passed by a slack packer going NoBo and I filtered some water for him.  When I got to No business shelter about 6:30 and 5 more miles the slackpacker about talked me into going on and night hiking into Erwin but I was to tired and there were some great places there to hang a hammock. I would rather lay in the hammock than hike after 20 miles lol. Another full moon and two owls really having a loud conversation to go to sleep by. Grits
Date: 2017-05-11
From: No Business Shelter

To: Nolichucky River-Erwin
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Up and on the trail by 7:30 and made great time into Erwin 2 hours and back to the truck and headed back home to resupply and plan for continuing the journey north in Virginia. Now I have completed 3 states Ga. NC and Tn and part of Virginia for a total of 590.9 miles completed. Lost another 8 lbs in the last four days so that is my major worry at this point how to keep the weight on. The older you get the harder it is to replace muscle loss and I will slow down and or not complete the thru hike if it continues. Thanks and should be back on the trail sometime next week. It's a great journey lots of pictures to take and places to see as well a great people to meet. I did stop in and get 4 gallons of strawberries in Erwin, they have a reputation of growing very tasty strawberries. Grits
Date: 2017-06-02
From: Hwy 52 Bland

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: broken clouds

Back on the trail and still trying to get things going smoothly. Spent the last week in Linville Gorge with the gorge rats and despite the heavy rain had a great time. Got my summer equipment in and ready to go. On the trail about 1.30 and a little climb to start but the trail smoothed out and easy walking but a warm day. Ran into two very big rat snakes mating on the trail. I walked around them and kept going. Got to Jenny Knob shelter about 6 and there was a trail crew with saws working on some dead trees. Roanoke hiking club has done a great job on this section of trail. The new top quilt from hammock gear 40 degree was very comfortable and a big shout out to Adam for getting it to me. The trail runners I switched to Oboz are very comfortable and cooler than the boots. Two other hammock campers in camp and everyone headed North. In the hammock by 8 pm and the moon is out tonight a very bright evening.