morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-04-06
From: Rock Gap

To: Siler Bald Shelter 
Miles today: 8.0

We had a good nights sleep last night. The first baptist church sent a van over to our motel at 7:30 this morning to have breakfast at the church. We had pancakes, bacon, coffee and juice. They told us that as long as we are eating, they will keep cooking. Awesome! We got back in time to catch the free shuttle to an outfitter in town. Hooti needed new rain pants. We also asked the driver if he could make a stop at the Post Office so we could mail stuff back home. I am amazed by all the people who go above and beyond to help us out. It is greatly appreciated! Ron Haven, the owner of the motel got us back to Rock Gap where we left off. Got back on the trail just before noon. Our 8 mile hike to Siler Bald Shelter was rainy and cold. Arrived about 4:30, ate our dinner and, set up tents to get warm and settled in for the night. Forecast is for rain all night. We will hope for better weather tomorrow. Time for bed. Goodnight! ~ Robi1We were treated to a free breakfast this morning and then visited the local outfitters for some gear. The bottoms of my feet have been bothering me so I picked up some insoles to help cushion them. Hope it helps. One of the zippers on my rain pants tore so I was also hoping to get a replacement pair but had to duck tape them instead since the store didn't have any in my size. Of course the weather prediction is for rain for the next five days. I'll have Claire find a new pair for me and shipped them out, in the mean time I'll have to make do with the duck tape. We got back on the trail around 11:30 and it rained all day. The trail wasn't difficult today but we were a bit sluggish for some reason. We got to camp around 4:00 cold and wet. Had a quick dinner and had to set up in the rain. Couldn't get in the tent fast enough. Should stay warm and dry for the night and we'll see what tomorrow brings. With any luck we'll get a break from the steady rain at least. ~Hooti
Date: 2015-04-07
From: Siler Bald Shelter 

To: Cold Springs Shelter 
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: moderate rain

It was still raining this morning when we got up so we waited for it to stop before packing up for today's hike. We got started a little after 10:00. The trail was up and down all day and slippery, the rain continued on and off but the temps were warmer than yesterday. We were all exhausted by the time we reached camp around 5:15 but felt much better after a short break and dinner. We are planning another 11+ mile hike for tomorrow - most of which is downhill. It will be another tough day if the trail is wet again. ~ HootiWe left a wet and rainy Siler Bald Shelter just before 10am. Rain showers on and off most of the day. We had more ups today than downs and the trail was muddy. We took a breaking the stone tower at Wayah Bald. The view is supposed to be fabulous, but not today. Made our way 11.? miles to Cold Springs Shelter around 5:30 where it cleared enough to get our very dirty and wet tents set up. The weather says no rain tonight and we will see what tomorrow brings. The plan is to get to Nantahala Outdoor center and do laundry and get a shower. Time to rest. Goodnight. ~Robi1
Date: 2015-04-08
From: Cold Springs Shelter 

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center 
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: light rain

The weather was clear when we left the Cold Springs Shelter camping area. We went up some, down and back up to Wesser Bald Observation tower where there are panoramic views. Its amazing, mountains everywhere. Then we had a knee killing 7 miles down into the Nantahala Outdoor Center. We checked into a bunk room with 2 other hikers. We arrived around 5pm and ended up with the top bunks. Just what we wanted to do, climb a ladder..... Took till 9pm to get our laundry done. because only one washer was working. While we waited, we had a nice juicy, greasy cheeseburger with fries. We got our mail drop at the outfitter store across the street and got that sorted for the next 30 miles. Time to get some rest. Goodnight. ~Robi1Today's hike was a butt kicker. Seven miles of downhill on a muddy slippery trail. Thankfully the sun came out in the afternoon to dry it up a bit. We had to slow our pace down because of the conditions so it took all day to get to the NOC. Didn't feel like we had the time so we didn't even stop for lunch, just snacked instead. The NOC is a popular outdoor sports center known for its white water rafting, canoeing and kayaking and is located on the AT in Bryson City NC. We reserved bunks for the night here and will pick up a small resupply box to cover the three days it will take to get from here to Fontana Dam. We are making our way to the Smokies and should be in the park by the beginning of the week.   ~Hooti
Date: 2015-04-09
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center 

To: Locust Cove Gap 
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: overcast clouds

We hardly slept last night. The bunks were too short and just uncomfortable. It's pretty bad when your tent is more comfortable than a bed. The hike out of the NOC was an exhausting climb up of 3300 feet over 8 miles with temps a little hot for hiking. It'd be nice to send some of this warm weather up north. I heard it snowed last night. We got some pictures of the great views of the gorge along the way. We are staying at a camping area without a shelter tonight so it's a lot quieter since there are not as many hikers. Tomorrow's hike includes "Jacob's Ladder" - a short but really steep and difficult section of the trail. Crashing early to catch up on lost sleep. ~HootiLeft the NOC just before 9am. Today it was a 8 mile 5,100 ft tough climb right out of the gate to Cheoah Bald. Very nice views including todays photos. Ran into my favorite animal today..... Continued down about 2.5 miles to Locust Cove Gap where we will camp for tonight. 10.5 for today. Time to rest the body! Goodnight. ~ Robi1
Date: 2015-04-10
From: Locust Cove Gap 

To: Walker Gap
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: moderate rain

Haven't heard from the guys today but saw through Spot that they are at Walker Gap. They must not have cell service. We'll update the journal once they get in touch again - should be tomorrow. They are less than 3 miles from Fontana Dam which is tomorrow's destination. They are planning on resting for most of the day before they start the 7-8 day trek through the Smokies. ~ Billy Goat(Updated) We had a good night at Locust Cove Gap until 7am when it started to rain. We packed up and left. The rain stopped mid morning but the trail was muddy/slippery. We had a tough climb up Jacobs Ladder just after Sweet Water Gap. We were going to stay at Cable Gap shelter which is 5 miles from Fontana Dam but instead we came upon water and continued onto Walker Gap which is only 2 miles from the Dam. We decided to push so we could have most of the day to relax. We are staying at the Hike Inn where we will do laundry and get a ride to town pick up a couple of fuel canisters and supplies before we hit the Smokies. 14.7 miles today. Time to rest! ~ Robi1
Date: 2015-04-11
From: Walker Gap

To: Fontana Dam 
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: broken clouds

Jacob's Ladder isn't a ladder at all. It's 600 feet in .6 miles on a dirt path. Even though yesterday's hike wasn't easy we kept on going past two shelters and one camping area and finally stopped and pitched our tents on the side of the hill at Walker Gap around 6:30. Not exactly level ground. Early today we walked around a bit and realized there was a campsite complete with fire pit right near where we had stayed. We had set ourselves up for an easy walk into Fontana Dam and got there fairly early this morning. Spent the day resting, eating and preparing for tomorrow's start of the hike across the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The park gives thru hikers 8 days to get from one end of the park to the other and requires a permit to do so. We have eight days of food in our packs and hope we don't need it all. We were told by a local that we had just finished the hardest 30 miles in the South. Good to know since it wasn't a walk in the park. I doubt the difficulty will change much for a while though. Not sure how good the phone service is in the park but we'll do our best to post journal updates. ~ Hooti
Date: 2015-04-12
From: Fontana Dam 

To: Spence Field Shelter 
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: clear sky

Jeff from the Hike Inn got us back to the Dam about 8:30am so we could continue the journey into the Smokies. We put our permits in the box at the end of the Dam and headed onward. 3.5 miles in we took a side trail to an old fire tower. The views were unbelievable! We continued up and down all day till we got to Spence Field Shelter 16.4 miles later. Got in around 6pm, ate and hung our packs on the bear cables. Bears are very active right now as well as the wild hogs that can be quite nasty. Its one of the many rules when in the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. We pushed the milage today because the next few days calls for rain and today was a very nice day to hike. It has been a long day, need to rest. Goodnight. ~ Robi1 The weather was great for our first day in the Smokies - a little warm but clear and dry. The views of Fontana Dam from the fire tower 4.4 miles out at Shuckstack were pretty good. We had climbed 2100 feet by 11:00 and would climb another 1121 by the end of the day. The trail is different here with more switchbacks and loop arounds. A bit more of a gradual climb but we were still ready for some grub and a pillow when we finished. I tried out my new insoles today and was glad I did. My feet were definitely more comfortable hiking and not so sore tonight. Talk has turned to animal sightings. One of the hikers claims to have seen a couple of Wild Boar. Wouldn't want to meet up with one of those.   -Hooti
Date: 2015-04-13
From: Spence Field Shelter 

To: Siler Bald Shelter 
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: broken clouds

As promised, the weather turned wet. It was clear till about 3am. Then the wind picked up with heavy fog. The wind on the ridge I'm guessing was about 55-65 MPH. We had drizzle when we left the shelter and on and off showers all day. We hit some high ridges which I'm sure had some nice views, but not today. We got into Siler's Bald Shelter around 5pm. 12? miles for today. We set up tents in the rain, ate and got ready for a nights rest. Hoping for better weather tomorrow. Goodnight. ~ Robi1 As nice as yesterday was today wasn't. The rain came in overnight so our tents were soaked when we broke down camp. It was a cold windswept rain and made for a tough day with a slippery trail and some steep up and downs. The shelter here is full as is the ones before and after this one and there are quite a few tents besides ours. The trail is pretty congested. We are now at 5200 feet and will climb Clingman's Dome at 6655 feet, the highest point on the AT, tomorrow. We don't have our hopes up for any views since it is supposed to rain again. We are 12.5 miles from Gatlinburg and will try to get to town tomorrow if it is still raining. With rain predicted for the next week we'll take advantage of any opportunity to dry out.   ~ Hooti
Date: 2015-04-14
From: Siler Bald Shelter 

To: Mt. Collins Shelter 
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: moderate rain

We left Siler Bald Shelter in the rain. The trail was muddy and at times looked like a small stream. It was very slow going. We climbed up to Clingman Dome the highest point on the AT about 4 miles into our hike. It was raining hard and foggy so we just hiked on. Nothing real good to report about today's hike. By now most everything is wet except 1 set of clothes for night time and our sleeping gear. A lot of hikers were getting off the trail at Newfound Gap to go into Gatlinburg TN for the night. We were lucky enough to get space in the MT Collins Shelter for tonight. We don't have to set up very wet tents yahoo! Went about 8 miles today. Hope for dryer weather!Goodnight. ~Robi1
Date: 2015-04-15
From: Mt. Collins Shelter 

To: Icewater Springs Shelter 
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: light rain

We left Mt Colin's shelter in the rain. Rained hard last night but we were dry and toasty in the Shelter. Nothing good today. Trail was a small stream or ankle deep mud. Everything is wet except one set of clothes and sleeping gear and it gets harder each day it rains to keep that dry. We went 7.5 miles today. We are in Cold Springs Shelter 2nd highest on the at 5,939 ft. There are 20 people now in the Shelter that holds 12! Also 12 tents set up outside. We are dry, warm and happy for tonight. ~Robi1We have walked less miles in the past two days than we did on the first day in the smokies. The rain has been nonstop and torrential so it has slowed us down. We did pass the 200 mile marker yesterday though. We slept in a shelter last night and will again tonight. There are 18 of us in a 12 person shelter. We never made it to Gatlinburg to dry out but it doesn't matter, we'd be soaked again anyway. Hopefully tomorrow will be drier than today.-Hooti
Date: 2015-04-17
From: Icewater Springs Shelter 

To: Davenport Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 27.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Despite the rain and muddy trail, we managed to pull off two decent mileage days. 12.6 yesterday and 14.8 today. It rained just for a couple of hours in the early afternoon yesterday and today it finally didn't rain at all. We actually got some great photo ops today of the valley covered with fog and clouds. We leave the Smokies tomorrow without really getting a good look at the park. Tomorrow we will hike just a few miles to Standing Bear Farm to after a week since our last stop, finally get cleaned up, dried out, recharged and resupplied before heading back out on Sunday. It will be nice to clean the mud off. Our next stop will be Hot Springs NC about three days away as we continue along the Tennessee and North Carolina border. ~HootiWe left Icewater Spring Shelter in the fog and rain. About a mile in was a side trail to Charlie's Bunion. It was very foggy with a good rain and we both decided that Charlie's Bunion could kiss our butts. That rain slowed to a drizzle as we headed for Tri-corner Knob Shelter. We got to the shelter and got a space when it started pouring again. The Shelter was packed again with people on the ground and 10 tents around the shelter. We put our dry clothes on and settled in for the night. About 12 miles for today. We left Tri-corner Shelter in heavy mist and fog. By mid afternoon the sun poked through a few times but still no views. We made our way to Davenport Shelter 12 miles later. We got a space in the Shelter and it was packed again. Stayed fairly dry during the night. ~ Robi1
Date: 2015-04-18
From: Davenport Gap Shelter 

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter 
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: overcast clouds

We left Davenport Gap Shelter with clear skies. A couple of miles into our hike we were out of the GSMNP! FINALLY! Continued 3 miles more to to Standing Bear Farm Hostel where we had a mail drop waiting. We were hoping to stay but did not like the sleeping arrangements. If you wanted to do laundry done you had to do it yourself on a washboard in a sink and put it through a ringer to get the water out. They did have one dryer. Pretty unique place. We charged our phones, had a frozen cheeseburger heated in the microwave then hiked onto Groundhog Creek Shelter. About 10 miles today. We came across 2 huge rattlesnakes on the trail today. One was a Timber Rattler and the other was a Diamondback Rattler. Tonight we are renting. The weather calls for more rain tomorrow... yay! Goodnight! ~Robi1Standing Bear Farm wasn't what we expected so we didn't stay very long. Just long enough to pick up our resupply boxes, buy some food and drinks and take a quick lunch break before heading back out on the trail. There is a group of 8 of us who hiked together today and plan on hiking to Hot Springs by Monday night. We are now way overdue for showers and laundry. We have two 13 mile days ahead of us, but they'll be worth it once we get to town. The weather and the trail were good today for hiking. We encountered two rattlesnakes, a Timber and a Diamondback that we were able to get pictures of. I called my grandson Hunter tonight to tell him about them - for those of you that don't know, he is a huge fan of snakes. ~Hooti
Date: 2015-04-19
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter 

To: Hot Springs 
Miles today: 26.2
Weather: light rain

One bad day and one good day.Sunday was a very tough day on the trail. Windswept pouring rain most of the day with gusts so strong at Max Patch that it was difficult to walk. They had to have been 40 mph. We got to Walnut Mountain Shelter after 13 miles of hiking and found a small shelter already full with its occupants trying to block the rain from coming in through the open side with a tarp and picnic table. We decided to keep walking until the rain stopped. It stopped after another mile or so when we reached Catpen Gap and just in time for dinner.Today was a much better day. After a thunderstorm passed through first thing this morning, we put on our last set of dry clothes and hoped for the best. We stayed dry all day. The 10 mile descent into Hot Springs seemed to take forever. We could see the town below for a long time before we even got close. We rented a cabin for tonight and tomorrow night with a group of hikers at the Hot Springs Campground. Finally after nine days of hiking we were able to shower and get our clothes washed. Tomorrow we are taking a zero day to finish drying out and rest our tired feet.Thinking of you Mom.-HootiWe left Groundhog Creek Shelter in light rain. Hiked for six miles and reached Max Patch. A mountain summit that was cleared for cattle and now maintained as a bald. I'm sure on a nice day this bald with its views is beautiful. Not today. We hiked across the bald for about a mile in steady cold rain and strong wind. We could not get across fast enough. We continued onward and stopped for lunch at Roaring Fork Shelter. We continued on in steady rain till we got to Walnut Mountain Shelter where we had planned to tent for the night. The wind was blowing hard and cold so we hiked on to keep warm. We went another mile and a half till we reached Catpen Gap where there are campsites but no water source. We hiked up the trail 4 tenths of a mile to get water. The rain stopped long enough for us to get our tents set up. We ate in the vestibule of our tents and now resting listening to the rain again. We went 14.5 tough miles today lots of ups and downs. We hope start out early tomorrow so we can get to Hot Springs by early afternoon to get showers and laundry done. Both are way overdue! We will most likely spend a 0 day there eating and picking up a mail drop.GoodnightWe were about to leave Catpen Gap around 8am when thunderstorm rolled in. Tents were not down yet so we got back in and waited 45 mins for it to pass. The Sun came out and it was a nice day but the trail was slippery and muddy. We hiked 12 miles into Hot Springs Around 3:30, took much needed showers and did a load of laundry. With the smell almost gone and clean clothes we went to eat. Got back to our Cabin and settled in for the night. ~Robi1
Date: 2015-04-20
From: Hot Springs 

To: Hot Springs 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Tuesday 24th 0 day in Hot Springs.Got up today took a shower and headed for breakfast. Then more laundry. Took out all our stuff out to dry and organize our gear. Went to the outfitters and got some insoles for my boots. I'm hoping they dry out by the end of the day in the bright sun. Feels so good to be dry!We will head out to the trail in the morning. ~Robi1
Date: 2015-04-23
From: Hot Springs 

To: Flint Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 32.3
Weather: clear sky

We have had two great days of hiking coming out of Hot Springs. Both were good climbs, but the weather was nice and the trail mostly dry so we were able to get in 15 plus miles each day. I'm a happy hiker in four wheel drive with my new trekking poles.   We had amazing 360 degree views today of the mountains and valleys in the distance atop Big Firescald Knob. There was a ceremonial service going on when we got there honoring a trail master with a plaque placement. Our next trail town is Erwin TN, 35 miles away. Hoping to get there midday Sunday.-HootiWensday April 22Got up and took one more shower before we left. Packed up and stopped at the General Store on the way out. Had a coffee and sausage and egg biscuit.We got on the trail at 9:30 Bright and sunny today. Clean dry clothes, fat and happy from our much needed 0 day life on the trail is good. Hooti got a some trekking poles while in Hot Springs and was a very happy hiker today. He says it's like hiking in 4 wheel drive. Today had some good ups and downs. We stopped for lunch just before Hurricane ridge. After eating we got to the ridge and the name is appropriate. Very strong winds beat us around for about a mile. Mid to late afternoon dark clouds gave us a few light showers but nothing big. We hiked on to Allen Gap 15.1 miles from Hot Springs where we are tenting just off the trail. We got here about 5:30 we ate our freeze dried meals and now it's time to rest up for tomorrow.Goodnight. ~Robi1 Thursday April 23We left our tenting site at Allen Gap at 8:30. Around 40 degrees this morning. Had a big climb coming out of the Gap. We met husband and wife trail maintainers and they took our trash and gave us a candy bar. Soon we were going over Bald Ridge where there are 360 views. You look east your looking out at NC. West TN. The views were great but for 3/4 of a mile the trail was a rock scramble. Slowed our progress quite a bit. We continued on and had another good climb. After that we encountered a section of the trail that had been relocated. The trail was rough, rocky and roots not packed down yet. It was a cool day today. I don't think it made it out of the 50s. Tonight is supposed to go below freezing. Today we did a tough 17 miles to Flint Mountain Shelter because of the terrain. This is our 2nd day out of Hot Springs and we plan on making it to Erwin TN on the 5th day (Sunday) We are trying to knock off a couple of extra miles each day so we can get into Erwin around mid day to Clean up, do laundry and relax.Time to bundle up for a cold night.Goodnight. ~ Robi1
Date: 2015-04-24
From: Flint Mountain Shelter 

To: Low Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: few clouds

Another great day for hiking with gorgeous views but along a grueling trail of ups and downs and steep switchbacks. We took a break this morning from a particularly difficult 3.2 mile uphill climb near a beautiful waterfall. While we were sitting having a snack we were treated to a different kind of trail magic - a family of deer sighting.(Mom, Dad and a youngster) It is awesome to see these wild animals in their environment. We had been working really hard climbing up the steep switchbacks and we sat and watched as these three animals proceeded to walk straight up the hillside. Now that's what I call 4wd! We have been hiking longer days and putting in consistent mileage lately, feeling stronger and ready to even kick it up a notch. We start our day tomorrow with another uphill climb of a little more than 1000 feet and then we start the gradual 15 mile descent into Erwin TN. We are expecting rain Saturday and Sunday so we'll get accommodations in Erwin for Sunday night to clean up and dry out once again. -HootiWe left Flint mountain Shelter around 9am. I don't think it was below freezing last night but it was cold. It warmed up to about 65 degrees, light breeze and full sun. Perfect day to hike. About 3 miles in we came across a nice little water fall going up one of the gaps. We had a cliff bar and watched 3 deer run up the trail ahead of us. We had another tough day with lots of up and downs. We went 15 miles today and are tenting at low gap. We enjoyed the nice day. Weather for tomorrow says rain. We shall see. Time to rest.Goodnight. ~Robi1