morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-04-07
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Whistling Gap
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: scattered clouds

4/7This morning was a dilly-dallier's delight. I broke camp late and was contemplating hitching at Sams Gap for a meal. I called 10-K and found out this was not such a good idea. I had to tell Stomach that he was out of luck. Just when I broke into the opening at the gap there was a car parked with the trunk open. Could it be? As Marv Albert often said, "YES!!!" Jason and Wendi were serving Trail Magic at Sams Gap, consisting of ham/egg/cheese sandwiches, donuts, and OJ. I was really hungry and hankerin' for a hot sandwich. They were only going to be there for a short time so the timing was incredible. The half gallon of orange juice was the icing on the cake. What an awesome start to the day. I felt down yesterday. It was one of the low days on the trip. The hills just wore me down. I might have bonked late in the afternoon. Today was one of the best days on the trip. The hills didn't seem as hard. My energy was up. I honestly think it was because of Jason and Wendi. My body needed that fuel. Now, if I can only convince them to follow me to Maine.   The highlight of the day was Big Bald On the hike up to Big Bald these two huge black Great Danes greeted me from another trail. Thank goodness they were friendly, and so were there owners that showed up a couple moments later. Big Bald is very similar to Max Patch with the difference being the weather. Today was just perfect. Even on the bald the winds were tame. And I had Big Bald all to myself. Not another soul was up there. There are times it's nice to be with a group and other times it's nice to be alone. I've had the best of both worlds today. Later in the day I had to plan my stopping point. I selected Whistling Gap, which was about half way to Erwin from my starting point today. This meant I would probably be tenting alone but I had no problem with that.   Just when I thought the day couldn't get any better, 8 of my buddies picked the same campsite, and they had a nice fire going. I even found out Rochester (my local high school) baseball won with Dooley hitting a mammoth slam to right-center to tie the game, followed by Murphy with a walk-off. Well done boys. Here tonight, under a star-filled clear sky, with temps in the 50s are Trekker (recovered), Pilgram (sick), JavaMan, Ned (sick) from Wales, Northern (sick), Truck Surfer, FeedBag, and Bilbo (last 3 recovered).   Woo Gwei, Hurry, and Eagle Runner showed up late, all concerned about not getting sick. As you can see not many of us have managed to avoid getting what I think is the norovirus. I've been "lucky" so far. 10:01 duration4701 ascent5089 descent
Date: 2013-04-08
From: Whistling Gap

To: Erwin
Miles today: 12.9

4/8Videos added for 4/5 and 4/7. Went to sleep with the sounds of dry heaves coming from sick hikers. Saw more sick hikers during the day. Have two sick hikers in the room next to me at the hotel. Fortunately whatever this outbreak is, the illness is self-limiting. Most are sick for 24 hours. Some zero in the field. Some are able to just suck it up and continue on. A minority of us have remained unaffected and we mostly have been the ones avoiding shelters.   I think I will remain one of those who avoids becoming sick as I don't go in shelters and will avoid contact with others. Time will tell. The hiking today was pretty easy. Did I just say that? I had Erwin and a steak on my mind. 10- K picked me up and took me to the hotel. We later went to Johnson City where I polished off a porterhouse. I had planned zeroing tomorrow but 10-K twisted my arm into a shortish slack pack together tomorrow. It will be nice to spend some time with him. Enjoying one heck of an NCAA championship game as I type. 8:14 duration2267 ascent4288 descent
Date: 2013-04-09
From: Erwin

To: Erwin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Whatever the sickness is on the trail it hit me last night after midnight. Gonna be a rough day but at least I am in a hotel. I really thought my precautions would spare me the distress. Dang thing got me anyway. If anything I've felt worse as the day goes on. Can't eat and have to force myself to drink. 10-K was a saint and brought me some Gatorade. Found out Java Man got sick about the same time as me. Trekker and Pilgrim are with relatives trying to regain strength.
Date: 2013-04-10
From: Erwin

To: Erwin
Miles today: 0.0

I feel SO much better today. Yesterday was horrible. I considered doing a slack pack today but thought better of it since I had nothing to eat yesterday. Actually I consumed a negative amount of food yesterday, if ya know what I mean. It's amazing how hard this virus hits and how quickly it goes away. It's been that way for pretty much everyone, so I think I will be fine tomorrow. It's good to know that I will now have some immunity to whatever it is. For the sake of those behind me I hope that this epidemic wanes. I plan on heading out for that slack pack tomorrow to see if I am 100%.
Date: 2013-04-11
From: Indian Grave Gap

To: Erwin
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: overcast clouds

4/11Java Man and I both decided to get back on the trail today even though we still felt weakened. I decided to do a slack pack back to Erwin while he just continued on with his hike. We met at the midway point and we were both gassed. Neither of us has been able to eat enough. We gotta be near the end of the virus's effects. Right near where 10-K dropped me off, Fresh Ground was set up supporting this bubble of hikers. I understand he will next be set up north of Grayson Highlands. I had no appetite to take advantage of his hospitality, but I did watch Feed Bag set the pancake record. The hike down to Johnny's was an easy one but it still took a lot out of me. I had a nice stop at Johnny's and would like to stay there if I ever section through here again. IMO Johnny's has done a great job in trying to keep hikers healthy during this viral outbreak. Oddly more sick hikers chose to stay at hotels when getting to Erwin than the hostel. We are going to get some rough weather overnight but it should be cleared out by morning. I plan on leaving town and getting back on the trail. I have a goal for tomorrow and am hoping I can do it. 4:45 duration568 ascent2073 descent
Date: 2013-04-12
From: Erwin

To: Greasy Creek Gap: Greasy Creek Friendly
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: light rain

4/12It rained hard over night but the forecasts had the rain ending by 8. 10-K took me back to the trail and off I went. I want to thank 10-K for all his hospitality during my stay in Erwin. Hopefully somewhere down the road I can be of help in return. In the mountains the rain didn't end by 8. It was foggy with drizzle all morning reducing visibility to maybe 100 feet until things cleared around noon. That was too bad too as the the trail went over Beauty Spot early, which, on a clear day, earns its name. After Beauty Spot the trail goes up and over Unaka Mountain. The fog actually made this walk in this "Black Forest" more interesting.As I approached Low Gap (about the hundredth "Low Gap" on the trip so far) I smelled a campfire. Being that it was after noon the timing was kinda odd. Sure enough, once at the gap there was a campfire in full flame. Whoever stayed there the night before needs to be more diligent in putting out their fires, as it had taken off once the sun came out and the winds picked up. I spent about 30-40 minutes knocking the fire down until I felt it was safe to leave it. A hiker passed me around 4 pm. I asked him if he remember any smoke from a fire in that area, "no". Job well done. I decided to end my day at Greasy Creek Friendly, which is a hostel .6 miles off the trail down an old wagon road. My appetite picked up a bit today. I finally feel back to normal. More on my stay tomorrow. 9:18 duration4144 ascent3514 descent
Date: 2013-04-13
From: Greasy Creek Gap: Greasy Creek Friendly

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: overcast clouds

4/13Greasy Creek Friendly gets its name from a play on the words "hostel" and "hostile". Connie runs the hostel and it is indeed "friendly" with the exception of the infamous neighbor. The neighbor hates hikers and does whatever he can to drive hikers away. Little does he know, but he is part of the draw. After a .6 mile, 465'-drop (accurate elevation drop) you walk by they neighbor's property. After an all-bluff, black dog barks at you, the neighbor chimes in. In my case, "Get out of here, Hippie!". After laughing him off GCF is on the right. Connie fixed me a pizza and assigned me my room/bed. Somehow I missed it but the neighbor drove his 4-wheeler back and forth, shining a light on the hostel, at 5am. Upon leaving in the morning the neighbor was absent. Turns out he was walking up to the AT to post a fake sign, (picture above of real examples) or to take down Connie's real signs. There he was between me and the AT. Once he spotted this "hippie" he scampered slithered off into the woods instead of confronting me. Either he chose to ignore my taunting or he had forgotten his hearing aide. I knew my plan for today's hiking was a bit ambitious. Over 16 miles with Roan Mountain in the way, but I wanted to stay at "The Barn", Overmountain Shelter. This shelter was in the Kurt Russell movie Winter People and sleeps like 30. Unfortunately a whole troop of Boy Scouts were there making tenting the only way to go. It was still a great stay with a campfire that partially melted my flip-flops. 9:57 duration 4406 ascent 3967 descent
Date: 2013-04-14
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: 19E: Mountain Harbour Hostel
Miles today: 8.7

4/14The plan for today was for a short-mile day to 19E and a stop at Mountain Harbour Hostel, where the breakfasts are legendary. It's all about the journey, ya know? The hiking highlights of the day were going over the balds, Mugsy Mountain, known to everyone else as Little Hump, and Hump Mountain. Climbs like that of Hump Mountain still stop me in my tracks, and it doesn't help when you can see the whole climb in front of you. I would have thought that by after nearly 400 miles I would walk right up. That is not the case. I had to wait a long time for spring, so I guess it will be more waiting for the vaunted Trail Legs. The views were great and the winds greater. In baseball terms a high pop to the pitcher goes over the CF fence. Tiger Woods might hit a 600-yard drive with the wind and a 75-yard drive against it. Walking upright was not a given, it was work. I even lost my sunglasses when they must have been blown off my hat. Someone is probably the new owner of some sweet Oakleys.....grrrrr Some time in the middle of the day I said goodbye to North Carolina. It won't be too many more days til Tennessee is also in the bank. We have gone back and forth between these two states since before we broke the 100-mile mark. We received some nice Trail Magic from Raincloud and Happyfeet just before 19E. I didn't want to stay too long as I had timed my arrival to the start of the Masters. I know I am on a thru-hike but some things are trump. Master's Sunday is a celebration of spring and a tradition for me. Condor arrived just before the 5-pm shuttle for dinner and resupply. I won't see him again as he is doing far more miles/day than me. I know, I know, The Masters was not over but we got back for the playoff, I swear. To my delight Bob's Dairyland was NOT closed on Sundays, as it is listed in the guidebook. I have always eaten there on my previous section hikes. I couldn't go for the Holy Cow Burger because of the previous Trail Magic, but Truck Surfer gave it a try. Here are a couple pics from the event. Trekker and Pilgram showed up out of nowhere as we were getting ready to head back. I thought I had done some decent miles in the last couple days and they caught me. I didn't think I would see them for another day or so. 5:04 duration1617 ascent3196 descent
Date: 2013-04-15
From: 19E: Mountain Harbour Hostel

To: Upper Laurel Fork: Vango/Abby Memorial Hostel
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: light rain

4/15Why does this day stand out? Oh yeah, glad I got that done before I left Illinois. My stay at Mountain Harbour Hostel was awesome. Great friends, great food, and I mean great, and a comfortable sleep. Got cleaned up and laundry done. Hit the trail this morning feeling like a new man. But more on this breakfast. MHH is known for its breakfasts. At $10 they appear a bit pricey but they are worth every penny. For you thrus behind me, try to work a stop at MHH into your plans. You won't regret it. Here is a pic of today's breakfast. The hiking today was a piece of cake compared to what we are used to. The birds were chirping, light winds. Temps had me between wearing my light jacket or just a T. There were no major climbs and the trail was actually walkable. What I mean by that is you could, for the most part, take normal strides, instead of picking your way through root/rock minefields. You could actually look around instead of just looking for the next place to put your foot. I crossed the 400-mile mark on the trail this afternoon. It seems that these milestones are coming quicker. The hiking highlight of the day was Jones Falls. If this falls was near a road it would be a tourist attraction. As it is it takes a pretty good hike to see it. I stopped for about an hour there, taking it in and having lunch. Had it all to myself. I had a bit of a scare when my right knee let out a scream for no apparent reason on a smooth, flat section of trail. With all I've been through, why the heck would the knee hurt now, and on this easy section of trail? I had a twinge in it a few more times. I stopped at a shelter and took a nap. After that the knee seemed fine. I have good knees too. I have joked that I didn't use em til I was 44. Stuff like that make you realize how lucky you gotta be to complete one of these hikes. I decided to shorten my hiking plans for the day and stopped at another hostel. It had nothing to do with pizza and ice cream.....7:34 duration2667 ascent2077 descent
Date: 2013-04-16
From: Upper Laurel Fork: Vango/Abby Memorial Hostel

To: Dennis Cove Rd: Black Bear Resort
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: overcast clouds

4/16Vango/Abby is a more spartan hostel than others, and that is fine. It's fairly close to the trail with enough food options to satisfy. There is no water, bathroom, linen, or wifi in the bunkhouse, but there is electricity and an oven to cook your own pizza. Stayed here with Flip, a farmer from Iowa that is racking up big miles. Those miles make for a huge appetite. He had two Tombstone pizzas and a pint of Ben & Jerry's ice cream for supper. He started 18 days after me and caught up already. I doubt I see him again. The plan for today was to get to a road crossing with a cabin and meet up with a buddy of mine, JB, for dinner. The trail was mostly smooth with no major climbs. But, even on days that look fairly flat the AT manages to find a couple thousand feet of gain. I was beginning to get worried that I wouldn't get a cell signal in time to contact JB but everything fell into place. Met another hiker, Hawkeye (from MN), today and we are both staying at the Black Bear Resort. JB arrived at the road crossing almost the exact second I came out of the woods. We sat around the resort for a bit before heading out to Elizabethton, TN for dinner and resupply. JB has always taken care of friends that hike the AT in his area. He also cooks amazing meals for us at Trail Days (an AT event in Damascus, VA in May). I've hiked the next 50 miles multiple times. The last 40 miles is considered the easiest 40 to date. Named the Tennessee Turnpike, some folks try to knock out the whole 40 in one day. Not me. I will probably break it up into 4 days. Tomorrow it is suppose to rain later in the day, so my first of those 4 days will be the shortest. Heard that my buddy Trekker is off the trail. He never really shook that virus south of Erwin and has simply lost too much weight, weight he simply could not afford to lose and remain healthy. I, on the other hand, have lost 25 pounds since Mar 4 and look forward to dropping 25 more. 7:17 duration2300 ascent3281 descent
Date: 2013-04-17
From: Dennis Cove Rd: Black Bear Resort

To: Dennis Cove Rd: Black Bear Resort
Miles today: 0.0

4/17Flexibility is the word of the day. Had planned to do a short day over Pond Flats but the 40% chance of rain turned into a nonstop rain event. I have violated my philosophy of not leaving a warm, dry bed to head into the rain once already, not gonna do it today. I just love the sound of rain on a metal roof anyway. Big rains are in the forecast for Friday and I had a plan for that. Not sure what I will do now. My stay here at the Black Bear Resort has been a joy. Stephanie and Brian are a young, friendly couple that took over the resort a couple years ago. I hesitated coming here due to my admiration and respect for Bob Peoples, who runs Kincora, a hostel just up the road from here. I feel a need to support Bob for all the work he tirelessly does for the AT, but the Black Bear Resort has been a better fit for me. Today I am just resting and listening to the rain on the metal roof. I wasn't in need of a zero day but I would rather take one in bad weather than good. Signs of spring are everywhere. Temperatures have been warming. Trees are budding at lower elevations. Birds are in full song. Bugs are becoming active, no biting ones yet thankfully. Winter will probably take one more swing at us so I will not lower my guard. This is no time to swap out to my summer gear. I have witnessed some kids buying 45-degree bags, sending their heavier bags home. I hope it works out for then but I'm not taking that gamble.
Date: 2013-04-18
From: Dennis Cove Rd: Black Bear Resort

To: US 321: Iron Mountain Inn
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: overcast clouds

4/18Said goodbye to Black Bear Resort after a wonderful two night's stay. Hawkeye and I split a cabin for four on both nights. Hawkeye and I hike at a similar rate and will probably run into each other again. He is from MN and started the day after me from Amicalola. It wasn't til two days ago that we met on the trail. I guess he's been within a day or two of me all along. The highlight of the day came early in the day with Laurel Falls. This is a fairly powerful falls that has claimed the lives of several over the years. Swimming near the falls is a no-no. The trail follows the river before going up and over Pond Flats, which has no apparent pond, nor is it flat. With virtually no views as a reward, this 1700' climb/descent is the very definition of a PUD (Pointless Up and Down). My hike ended at US 321 were a couple ex-thrus were putting on some Trail Magic. Vikki from Iron Mountain Inn picked me up and took me to Monsoon Thai restaurant. I had no idea I was going to score some Thai food on the way to the BB. Once at the BB I was stunned by the views. I had dinner in the shadow of Iron Mountain while looking at Pond, Roan, and Unaka Mountains in the distance. It amazed me at how far I had walked in such a short time. Bad weather is forecast for tomorrow. Wonder if my plans for the day will come to fruition. 5:55 duration 1923 ascent 2359 descent
Date: 2013-04-19
From: TN 91

To: US 321: Iron Mountain Inn
Miles today: 20.3

4/19Due to the expected cold, rainy weather I wanted to extend my stay at Iron Mountain Inn another day. I didn't want to take another zero, so I decided to do a "slack pack". This is where the hiker carries only the gear/food/water that they need for the day. Typically they are driven to their starting point, picked up when done, of both. I decided to hike SOBO (SOuth BOund) so that I would finish at a major road instead of finishing on a poorly-traveled road. With the bad weather I felt more comfortable knowing I had more control should something happen causing my driver not to show. The day started out better than forecast with the rain holding off til late morning. Once the rains started temps dropped into the 40s. Winds had to be near 40 with the rain coming in sideways. My body had another one of those conversations when the rain was hitting me hard from the right. Left Ear: "Sucks to be you today" Right Ear: "What?"LE: "SUCKS TO BE YOU TODAY"RE: "No kidding. The last time things were this loud was that Black Oak Arkansas concert back in 1974. "LE: "Great times. Jim Dandy could wail."RE: "What?"The hiking highlight of the day was the "Uncle Nick Grindstaff Monument". Grindstaff was a hermit who died in 1923. His epitaph reads, "Lived alone. Suffered alone. Died alone."Today was my first ever 20-mile day on the AT. It won't be my last. It was a bit surreal to be hiking in the cold/wind/rain and a couple hours later relaxing in a jacuzzi at the Inn. 9:57 duration 2590 ascent 4168 descent
Date: 2013-04-20
From: TN91: Iron Mountain Inn

To: Unnamed Campsite
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: overcast clouds

4/20Happy Birthday April. Yesterday officially ends my chances of setting the all-time speed record for completion of the Appalachian Trail. After 47 days I came up just a bit short with 445 of the 2186 miles. I was so close. Jennifer Pharr Davis holds the overall record, hiking the AT in 46 days, 11 hours and 20 minutes. I guess I'll just have to settle with enjoying myself. Vikki dropped me off at TN91 at about 10:30. I started late since I knew Jason and Wendi were doing Trail Magic about that time. I had no desire to hike all the way into Damascus so the late start wasn't an issue. I had just had a big breakfast but I took a PB&J for later. The first part of the trail today I believe is designed to be handicapped accessible. For about a quarter mile the trail is smooth, fine gravel which ends at a bench. From this bench there is a great view. The trail then went through a cow pasture. There was this one cow that had me confused. I was unclear what social statement is intended when a cow sports only a right horn. I finally decided it was destined for that new restaurant, the Lone Horn Steakhouse. Hiked most of the day with B-Rocket, Mc JetPack, and Hawkeye. We set up camp about 6 short miles from Damascus and only 2.5 miles from Virginia. We had a nice campfire and settled into our tents on a beautiful, cool evening. Big D is only a Nero away.7:03 duration 2234 ascent 2093 descent
Date: 2013-04-21
From: Unnamed Campsite

To: Damascus: Crazy Larry's
Miles today: 6.4
Weather: clear sky

4/21Slept very well at our unnamed campsite and got an unhurried start for the short walk down to Damascus. Half way we said goodbye to TN and hello to VA. Three states down and eleven to go. Hawkeye, B-Rocket, and myself all got to town about the same time. We got our requisite pictures at the arched sign and headed to the Blue Blaze Cafe (formally Quincey's). Hawkeye ate a meal created for 3-4 people. Hiker appetite is starting to kick in for some. I actually had a huge salad, wanting to get some much-needed veggies on board first. I also buy a 64-oz bottle of V8 juice when arriving in town. I'm trying to follow the advise of friends regarding getting a lot of fruits and veggies while in town. After the meal I went to Mount Rogers Outfitters where something I just can't get my head around occurred. Back on 4/14 I posted on here that I lost my Oakley sunglasses. "Pop and Gween" found the glasses and just happened to have read my blog as well. They contacted me via email to describe the sunglasses. I sent them a pic of the Oakley Half Jackets. It was a match. They drove the sunglasses to Damascus where I picked them up this afternoon. As a bonus they included a Chum Eyeglass Retainer, which I will proudly use going forward. The thoughtfulness of others never ceases to amaze. 2:38 duration 367 ascent 2152 descent