morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-06-07
From: Big Bald Shelter

To: Uncle Johnny's Hostel 
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: light rain

6/7/17 Day 25Big Bald Shelter to Uncle Johnny's Hostel 16 milesSlept so good last night. It was cold but I was nice and toasty under the down quilt but it was tough to get up. I had 1 mission today and that was to get to Erwin TN and Uncle Johnny's hostel. I heard this place was awesome from other hikers and I really just wanted a shower and to do my laundry. Of course the town food is always a bonus. The trail was graded pretty good for most of the miles but the final 2000' descent in 2 miles was a knee crusher. It didn't seem to matter as I flew down the trail focused solely on getting clean again.  I made the 16 miles in a little over 6 hours and was happy to see that the hostel was basically across the street from the trail.  Taco and Songbird were there along with a group of hikers I hadn't met yet.  Got cleaned up and did my laundry all in time for the 5:30 shuttle into town for dinner and resupply. Mexican or Italian?? That's a no brainer- Italian all the way for me!! Baked Tortellini with alfredo and some meatballs followed by a couple Cannoli!! That hit the spot!! I bought way too much food for resupply so now my pack is an anchor again. I only needed 3 days to get me 50 miles to Mountain Harbour Hostel- I have about 5 days of food to carry. I hung out on the front deck of the hostel with Jersey, Low Gear, F'it Jim, Yoda, Ishkabibble, and Fun Size. The knee is a little sore from pushing it today so maybe I'll make a late start tomorrow- they have a breakfast shuttle in the morning that goes to the Huddle House!!
Date: 2017-06-08
From: Uncle Johnny's Hostel 

To: Uncle Johnny's Hostel 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

6/8/17 0 day #7Uncle Johnny's HostelWoke up a little after 7:30 and decided I could use a zero day to rest up. I had done 120+ miles in the last 7 days so I think I earned it. Besides, the knee was a little tweaked and I didn't need much more of a reason. Also there was a chance of showers so it all fell into place.  Uncle Johnny's sits right on the Nolichucky River and has a little resupply store in the front that sells coffee so I had a couple even before the 8:30 breakfast shuttle. Gary is the caretaker and runs the store and oversees all the work being done throughout the day. He's a real joker and picked up on the Jersey accent right away. He's from Williamstown MA so we started right off doing imitations of each other's accents. He was totally off but he did have the cursing down pretty good. They have a big Rottweiler mix here that is around 14 years old. His name is Jerry Garcia and he has the run of the place. He just walked in 3 years ago and decided to call it home. He is the calmest, coolest dog ever. He sits right in the middle of the road out front, people just drive around him. They also offer work-for-stay if you can't afford a bunk and there were about 4 people here working off their bill. One guy, Yoda, has been here a month and has no plans on leaving anytime soon. He just works a few hours a day and is good to go. Low Gear has been here a few days and has worked off most of his bill too. It's an awesome set up and some people can't resist the pull of the hostel vortex. They just do some cleaning and organizing or some yard work. There's restocking the store shelves and even doing some electrical repairs. They also run a lot of shuttles for hikers and paddlers. Jersey decided to take a zero as well so we just hung out on the deck and talked to all the new hikers walking in for the day. Bubbles, who I'd met at Laughing Heart came in. Git Fiddle showed up and Big Time came in. Lisa and I gave Big Time a ride into Gatlinburg when I was on my little vacation a week ago. It's great to catch up with everyone as they pass through.  Time for the dinner shuttle and I guess it's Mexican tonight. We had a big group and it was a blast!! Everything is good when you're clean and eating town food with fellow hikers!!Came back to the hostel around 8 and hung out on the deck until we started peeling off to bed 1 after another. It was the perfect 0 day and some rain showers even came through to prove we made the right decision.  This is what I hoped the trip would be like and I can't help but feel incredibly lucky that I'm able to experience it.
Date: 2017-06-09
From: Uncle Johnny's Hostel 

To: Stealth site mile 364.1
Miles today: 21.5

6/9/17 Day 26Uncle Johnny's Hostel to stealth tentsite at mile 364.121.5 milesIt was really tough to leave the hostel this morning. Now I know how strong the vortex is. I slept pretty well for the most part except for Jerry Garcia ( the old dog) must've gotten up to pee like 6 times throughout the night and he let the door slam shut every time! It's amazing to see the old guy walk up to the door, stand up on the knee wall with one paw and pull the door open with the other. And he strolls right back in and curls up on his couch.  A few hikers were unable to leave including Bubbles who was waiting for a package. I just had to walk away around 8 am. Of course it was up,up, and more up out of town. And with a full food bag.The weather was perfect! Sunny and 70!There were plenty of views today too. After I got past the sadness of leaving the last hiker bubble, it was all miles and smiles. The plan was to do 17.1 and get to Cherry Gap Shelter but the legs were feeling so good ( and the shelter was a dump), I decided to push on. I saw Low Gear had stopped by and kept going as well as Katisa. I caught up to then around 6:45 and wanted to keep going but decided I better not overdo it. I set up camp and made dinner and was in my hammock by 8:00 just waiting for the sun to go down. Today's hike was just incredible and at 21.5 miles was my longest yet. This trip just keeps getting better!!
Date: 2017-06-10
From: Stealth site mile 364.1

To: Overmountain Shelter 
Miles today: 20.4
Weather: few clouds

6/10/17 Day 27Mile 364.1 to Overmountain Shleter20.4 milesSlept so good last night that when I got up, Katisa and Low Gear had left and I didn't even hear them. I rolled out of my hammock around 7:30 and felt like I was late for work or something. Got packed up quick and had breakfast of a protein bar and a mini Snickers, chugged a bottle of water and hit the trail. The legs felt a little tired this morning, I guess from the long day yesterday. The uphills tired me out quick but the legs eventually woke up. There was no soreness though so that was awesome. It's so easy to overdo it out here. The problem is, you don't know till it's too late.  Today had a hard time matching yesterday for some reason but it was still a beautiful day. A little warmer but not bad. I had a huge 5 mile climb just after noon so maybe I was just dreading that. Went up Roan Mountain and was a little disappointed when there really wasn't much of a view but what can you do. The forest above 5500' was incredible though. It's all fir trees and the smell of pine is awesome. Also, everything on the forest floor including the fallen trees are covered in green moss like a carpet. I was surprised when I came down the other side of Roan Mountain and saw a huge parking lot filled with day trippers. It turns out the views are all over here!! There were some high grass covered balds that reminded me a lot of the Franconia Ridge in NH. You could see the paths leading up to the peaks and all the people walking on them were so tiny from so far away. Again, the weather was perfect and I could've taken pictures all day but I kept on moving.  I caught up with Low Gear as I was heading up to Janes Bald and we headed on to Overmountain Shelter for the night which makes a 2nd day in a row over 20 miles! Wooohooo!!The entire area is packed with weekenders and there are tents set up all over the place- it almost looks like Folkfest!! I wish there was a band here! Made dinner and am hanging in my hammock waiting for hiker midnight. The plan for tomorrow is to head to Mountain Harbour Hostel and pick up my resupply box that Lisa mailed for me. I planned on staying there at 1st but I already spent 2 nights indoors this week. I guess it'll be a game time decision.
Date: 2017-06-11
From: Overmountain Shelter 

To: Doe River Hostel 
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

6/11/17 Day 28Overmountain Shelter to Doe River Hostel10 milesSlept awesome in the hammock last night and I was far enough away from the crowds that set up on the meadow. The plan for the day was to do the 10 miles and get to Mountain Harbour Hostel for my resupply. As soon as I woke up, I knew I was staying indoors tonight. It is soooo hard to pass up a shower and town food.  The hike out of the shelter was straight up but the views were incredible!! First was Little Hump Mountain. It's a grassy bald, like Max Patch, where you can see the trail for over a mile. The weather was perfect and the views reminded me of the Whites in NH. After that, I went up Hump Mountain. Even bigger (obviously). The people walking up look so tiny, it's such a neat perspective. I was jealous of the people that pitched their tents up here last night. I bet they got an awesome show of the stars. I had asked a couple if it was clear last night and they both got the biggest smiles explaining what they saw. As I got to the road crossing, there was a guy in a pickup offering rides to another hostel that included shower, laundry, and town shuttles for no extra fee. Since I was hiking with Low Gear all day, I let him decide. The offers of PBR's at Dave's place convinced him easily. So off we went to Doe River Hostel. The hostel is also a working farm with chickens, horses, and goats!! Dave also had a piano and a guitar and wouldn't you know, I still can't play either very well. Low Gear and I hit Bob's Dairyland for dinner and got my resupply all packed up. My bag is now 32lbs!! It's gaining weight!! Meanwhile I'm down to 177. In turning into a hiking machine.
Date: 2017-06-12
From: Doe River Hostel 

To: Tentsite mile 414.4
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: broken clouds

6/12/17 Day 29Doe River Hostel to tentsite mile 414.420.7 milesToday was just a big mile day. Lots of little ups and downs but nothing that got me too out of breath. It turns out that Roan Mt. TN is the rhododendron capital of the world and that's all I saw today was rhododendrons. They were so thick that towards the bottom of the hills, it was almost dark during the middle of the day. None of them were in bloom (I think I'm late for that). I'm sure it looks amazing when they all go at the same time. A couple milestones for the day were:I'm out of NC for good. I've been straddling the TN/NC border since the Smokies. And I passed the 400 mile mark. They do seem to be coming a lot quicker lately.     The original plan was to get to Moreland Gap Shelter about 17 miles away but I've felt guilty about sleeping indoors so much so I needed to at least get a 20 in there. So I signed the register at the shelter to let Low Gear know and I pushed on. About 3 miles down the trail was a little campsite next to the water source. There were 2 ladies already set up there but I needed to stop for water anyway. They said I was welcome to join the campsite so I found the only 2 trees around and set up my hammock. They were struggling with the fire and the bugs were terrible here so I got a pile of firewood and showed them the hand sanitizer cheat for starting the fire. A little hand sanitizer on the little sticks and they burn long enough to catch everything else. True Nature and "89" were their names and they had become a team a few weeks ago. You could tell how they worked together to get their chores done. 89 also had a couple of dogs- good to keep the bears away. They were a funny pair and we had a nice time by the fire eating our dinners. By 9:00 I was ready to pass out. No problems getting to sleep tonight.
Date: 2017-06-13
From: Tentsite mile 414.4

To: Tentsite Mile 434.5
Miles today: 20.0

6/13/17 Day 30Mile 414.4 to mile 434.420 miles20 miles and not 1/10 more today. I had planned on going to Vandeventer Shelter 21.7 miles but the hills whooped me today. The forecast called for rain starting at 9:00 am so I wanted to get an early start to at least get some dry miles. Up at 6:15 and on the trail at 7:00. Low Gear started from his shelter very early so he was walking by just as I was getting on the trail. Glad he caught up. The ladies had planned to go to Black Bear Resort about 4 1/2 miles up the trail and Low Gear was ready to join them due to the coming rain. It took everything I had in me not turn onto that side trail, and besides, it wasn't even raining yet. I pushed on over Heartbreak Hill. A 3 mile, 2000' climb followed by a 3 mile, 2000' ft descent. It seemed so pointless. It didn't sound that hard but it took all my energy for the day and I still had 10+ miles to do.I came out of the woods and into Watauga Lake. A public access Lake with a beach and picnic area. I made my lunch under a tree and watched all the people swimming and boating. It was a nice place and I hung around for about an hour. Sun was still shining. So glad I didn't get off the trail. I pushed on, following the trail around the lake and to the dam before heading back up into the mountains. The climbs were tough and the heat had taken my energy away but I needed to get to the next water source 5 miles away at the very least. I stumbled into the spring area and immediately set up my hammock. It was only 5:00 but I was done for the day. I got out of my sweat soaked clothes and got cleaned up at the stream. In my nice clean clothes, laid down in the hammock for a nap. Got up and made dinner of Beef Ramen with mayo and Doritos. I learned the mayo thing from Wandering Star. It's a great way to add calories and bulk up your dinner. It's also good if you have a tuna packet to add to the noodles. A little bit of thunder rumbling and that was it. No rain, so awesome, 1 less thing to worry about.
Date: 2017-06-14
From: Tentsite Mile 434.5

To: Queens Knob Shelter
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: overcast clouds

6/14/17 Day 31Mile 434.4 to Queens Knob Shelter (abandoned)23 milesThe alarm went off at 6:15 but I wasn't budging. Yet. The 20 miles from yesterday were still a little painful so I decided that I deserved another hour of sleep. It was so worth it. I heard a hiker pass by my campsite and that was enough to get me out of the hammock. Packed up my gear then had to put on the wet clothes from yesterday. I wonder how long it will be before I'm ok with that. Got to talk to some SOBO's (southbounders) as I was eating my breakfast. They had it rough yesterday as well- must've been the heat.  The forecast was calling for more thunderstorms this afternoon but we'll see how it goes. It was nice walking while the temps were cool early this morning. That should be motivation enough to get me out of bed earlier. I heard from Low Gear around lunch time- he went to see a doctor yesterday because he wasn't feeling right. Turns out he was just really dehydrated from the heat and humidity yesterday. He decided to get off the trail and head home, even if just temporarily. I know it wasn't an easy decision.  After lunch, I came out to a road crossing and into a huge cow pasture.  The trail goes right through someone's farm. There are stiles to climb over when crossing from one pasture to another and I walked right through one that had cows. They didn't pay me any attention at all. I was whistling at them like you would to a dog and they didn't even bother to look up. It was nice and sunny with a little breeze as I walked through the exposed field. I do prefer the shade of the forest though. Then it was back up into the mountains. Passed by a couple shelters but I had my mind set on Abbington Shelter, 25 miles from my starting point. I really had my energy in late afternoon and was flying at about 3 MPH pace, even uphill when the thunder started rumbling. It was getting closer and I only had about 5 miles left. I kept pushing on. Just as it started to rain, I came up to this little shelter and ducked in just to stay dry. It was 6:30 so I figured I would cook my dinner in here and wait out the storm. There was no moving after I ate- the legs and feet had tightened up for the night and I didn't feel like pushing on for just 1.2 more miles. 23 will have to do for today- it's still a personal best for me. I have 11 miles to get into Damascus VA and my 4th state!! I should be there by noon, maybe a bit earlier. Can't wait to get a shower!!!Side Note- I want to thank everyone for signing the guest book. It is a huge pick-me-up to see who is following along and I'm glad you're joining me on my journey. I also know that it doesn't always work for a lot of you as well. I have reached out to Leif (site moderator) and he is doing everything he can to correct the issue not just for me but for other hikers also.
Date: 2017-06-15
From: Queens Knob Shelter

To: Damascus VA
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: few clouds

6/15/17 Day 32Queens Knob Shelter to Damascus VA11.3 milesSet the alarm for 5:30 thinking I wanted to get a quick start (haha) this morning. The alarm went off and it was still dark? Went back to sleep for another 45 minutes till the sun came up. Got packed up quick and on the trail by 6:30. It's so easy when you stay in a shelter. I still had the burst of energy from yesterday and kept a 3 MPH pace all the way to the TN/VA state line. 3 states down!!! VA is a big challenge though. Roughly 1/4 of the entire trail is in this state and a lot of people get off trail due to the "Virginia blues".  It makes sense that after about a month, you start to question yourself.  What am I doing out here? Is it still fun?  My answer is- I'm out here to finish this thing and hell yea it's still fun.  Everyday is an adventure.  They're not all perfect but they are an adventure.I made it into Damascus around 10 AM. 11.3 miles. I was motivated. The trail goes right down the Main Street in town so I picked a hostel close to everything. I stayed at "The Place". Bearman had recommended it to me. $7 donation for a bunk and a shower-can't beat that. It's run by the local Baptist church so there are a few rules. No smoking, no alcohol, and no cursing. WTF? No smoking?!?Got cleaned and took care of town chores + a haircut. I feel like a new person.  This town is a hiker/biker town. The Virginia Creeper trail ends here and they'll shuttle you and a bike to the top of the hill and you can coast most of the way down. The trail runs on an old railroad bed and follows a creek.  It looks like a lot of fun and I'd like to come back and try it. The Place is nice and quiet, lights out at 10:00 so everyone goes to the other hostels to party before stumbling in here to crash. I wasn't really motivated to go looking for a party so I took care of all my stuff and was in bed by 10.  I'm ready to push on into Atkins 75 miles (about 4 days) away.
Date: 2017-06-16
From: Damascus 

To: Elk Garden Tentsite 
Miles today: 24.0

6/16/17 Day 33Damascus to Elk Garden Tentsite 24 milesDidn't sleep very well last night with "Train Wreck" in the room. Loudest snorer I ever heard! I was out the door at 7 sharp and heading over to Mojo's for a huge town breakfast and some coffee! Juevos Rancheros and 2 cups of coffee did the trick and I was hiking with purpose at 8:00. Didn't have a specific destination so I'll just hike till I don't feel like it anymore.  The trail was nice and kept criss-crossing with the Virginia Creeper Trail. The only difference was that the AT was going up and down the mountains while the VCT stayed nice and level. It was nice to know I was in VA and making progress. I got to a shelter around 3:30 but wasn't ready to call it a day. I met Marathon and Mr. O there. They were setting up for the night and making dinner. The next shelter was 12.7 miles away and I was feeling good so I pushed on. I kept up a 3+ MPH pace for a bit but the last climb (2000', 4 miles) took its toll on me.  I was surprised with the best view I've had in a couple of days. Up on Buzzard Rock I could see for 360 degrees and the wether was different in every direction. I think I got some good pics, check them out. I stayed up on the rocks for about an hour, letting my shirt dry out and enjoying the view. I had the place all to myself also which was nice. I was surprised because it was Friday and the weekenders come out in force around here. I was tempted to camp up here on the hill but the weather was too unpredictable for the night- didn't want to be up here for a thunder storm. It was about 6:00 when I started walking again and I figured there was no reason to push too hard to the next shelter so I would start looking for a place to camp. I hit the tentsite at 7 and got a fire going and made dinner. I'm right near a cow pasture and I can hear them mooing. 24 miles today!! A new record for me! Perfect 1st day in VA!!
Date: 2017-06-17
From: Elk Garden Tentsite 

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: light rain

6/17/17 Day 34Elk Garden Tentsite to Old Orchard Shelter 16 milesDidn't want to wake up today, I think the big mile days just require a little extra sleep to recover. Got out of my hammock around 7:30 and was slow to pack up. Didn't get on the trail till 8:30- a little late for me. Straight up into the cow pasture and they were not friendly. This one cow with a calf nearby was doing the bull move and scraping its front hoof on the ground. I had to raise my poles a couple times to defend myself. I will a hit a cow, seriously. She stared me down the whole time I walked by and I was glad to be gone.  Up the first climb and off to my left were a couple wild ponies walking through a campsite of about 3 tents. I dropped my pack and went to check it out. The campers weren't amused by them anymore as they had to deal with them poking at their tents all night long. It was still new to me so I was petting them and letting them lick my arm. Just have to make sure they don't do the turn around move and throw a kick your way.  I wasn't expecting the ponies yet because I hadn't made it into Grayson Highlands Park where they have hundreds of them.I passed by the junction to the Mt. Rodgers trail (highest peak in VA) but I wasn't doing it. That's an extra 1 mile round trip and not much of a view.  There was a shelter in that area, Thomas Knob Shelter, that had a bunch of awesome campsites surrounding it. I wish I had pushed on yesterday.  I crossed the boundary and was in GHP when I also crossed the 500 mile mark!!Unfortunately, it started to rain pretty heavy so I didn't linger to play with the ponies. The trail was tough also with all the slippery roots and rocks. I thought I was going to have another big mile day based on the elevation profile but I hadn't counted on the tough trail conditions. The rain was heavy and I came up to Wise Shelter and stopped there for lunch.  Met a nice family out there for the weekend. Mom,Dad, and 2 kids. Grandmom even came along.  She was thinking of doing the AT next year.  I really have to give it to them, they were all upbeat despite the crazy heavy rain and they just put their ponchos back on and went right back into it! Just as I was about to put my pack back on, the rain started to come down in buckets so I decided to wait it out. I had only done 9.5 miles up to this point so I couldn't justify staying here for the night. I put in another 6.5 and made it to Old Orchard Shelter. On the way, I passed the best car campsite. It's called the Scales and was about 3 miles before the shelter. It was a fenced in meadow with a gate to the wild ponies and a bathroom! I'd love to come here sometime and camp in style.  I got set up here and had my dinner and it's only 7:00. As I was about to start the fire, it started drizzling again so I'll just skip it tonight.  I want to get to bed early so I can do a 23 mile day tomorrow and get to Partnership Shelter- there's a pizza place that will deliver there. 16 tough miles today and I'm whooped!