morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-02-24
From: Lodge

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: scattered clouds

I finished the hike today at Hawk Mountain Shelter and am now sheltered for the night in my tent. I only hiked 8.1 miles but the next shelter is 8 miles further and 16 miles is just too far for my first day. It seemed strange stopping at 1pm but it allowed me time to work out a few bugs in my system and to meet a few fellow hikers.There are 4 others with me here at Hawk Mountain. Bearbag (trail name) thru-hiked the trail last year and is rehiking the first 150 miles again with his buddy Bill. There is also Dave from Phoenix and Dan from Boston. Bearbag, Bill, and Dave are all retired military. Bearbag and Bill were both Army helicopter pilots and Dave was in the Navy. Dan is 20 years old. He is from Boston and needs to finish by early August to start back at college in the fall. With the exception of Bearbag, the rest seem as excited as I am and all are convinced they will make it to Mount Katahdan. I hope we are all right but statistics show only one of us will complete the entire hike... I'm voting for me!Similar to geocaching, thru-hikers usually go by a nickname, in this case a trail name. You can pick your own or wait for someone to pick it for you. The second method may be more traditional but beware, you might not like the name you end up with. My geocaching moniker has been 1st Sgt for several years so I'm going to try to continue using it but I'll let you know if it changes. Bearbag received his trail name last year when others found out how well he could throw a line over a tree to haul up his food bag to protect it from bears at night. He was hiking with several others and they would call him for help when they were trying to do the same (I know from experience, it's not as easy as it sounds but tonight this site has a bear box, so my food is in it). The other three do not have trail names yet, but I'm sure they will before too many days pass.Well, enough for tonight. It's long past "hikers midnight". The owls are serenading me and tomorrow will be another long hike on the AT (I'm still having a hard time believing I'm actually here and starting my 6 month adventure). Tonight all is well. I am safe, warm, and dry. I couldn't ask for more. Goodnight.
Date: 2017-02-25
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: clear sky

Lightning and thunder woke me this morning at about 5:45. It had not started raining yet, and since my alarm was set for 6:00, I decided to go ahead and pack up to beat the rain. But I was still working inside the tent when it started to rain. By the time I was done packing, finished eating my morning oatmeal, and drinking my instant coffee and had brushed my teeth, the rain was intermittent.I spent a few minutes talking with the others at the campsite and began my hike at 7:45. Almost immediately, the sun popped out and the day was beautiful even if it was about 20 degrees cooler than yesterday. The cool weather was appreciated because soon after starting I had to climb Sassafras Mountain. It was a tough, long climb up and then down the other side. Even though not quite as high as the first, I thought Justus Mountain was even worse.I arrived at Hooch Mountain Shelter around 2:30 and spread out my tent to dry in the sun. That only made for about an 8-mile day but the next shelter is 12 miles ahead¢¦.20 miles a day is just too much for me at this point. Apparently, others felt the same because there are now about 12 people at this campsite.Basically, you can camp just about anywhere you want over much of the AT but it is recommended you stay at the designated sites. You can stay in the shelter or pitch your tent at one of the tent sites. Water is ordinarily close by and there is usually a "privy" available.The temperature tonight is supposed to drop to 26 degrees. I've been down to this temperature once before with my equipment and managed to stay comfortable. I hope tonight will be the same.It is beginning to get dark. I've had my dinner and cleaned up the best I can with my wet wipes. It is almost hiker's midnight and everyone in camp has now settled down in their tents or in the shelter. So far tonight, I'm safe, dry and "warm". I'm also really enjoying the trip so far and the people I have gotten to meet. Goodnight all.
Date: 2017-02-26
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Blood Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

I've been hiking with two guys I met on the trail. Bear Bag (Paul) hiked the trail last year and is hiking the first 150 again this year with his friend Bill. Bill will continue on to Mount Katahdan. It has been really great to meet up with them. Both are retired Army, both came out of a Special Forces type unit, both were paratroopers, and both ended up as helicopter pilots. It's been an honor to hike with them. Both are also 10 years younger than me so I feel pretty good about the fact that I've managed to keep up...just barely (or they are just being nice, but I'll take it either way.)We ended the day at Blood Mountain Shelter. It was about 3 miles further than we had originally planned but the stream was dry at the last shelter. They are calling for rain in the morning and this also gets us closer to our resupply at Neel Gap. Maybe we can beat the rain.Blood Mountain is the highest shelter in Georgia and also the oldest. It was built of stone by Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) workers in the 1930. Blood Mountain is also the highest mountain we have to climb in Georgia at about 4,400 feet.We are sharing the shelter tonight with three other hikers--Rose, Ryan, and William. All three are about 20. They make me even more proud of this generation. All three are obviously very smart, very polite, and have their acts together.Tonight is supposed to drop down to about 35 degrees but I am warm, dry, and safe. Goodnight.
Date: 2017-02-27
From: Blood Mountain Shelter

To: Mountain Crossing Outfitters
Miles today: 2.5

Headed into rain coming off of Blood Mountain this morning. It's amazing how fast the weather can change. It was cold but beautiful when I started hiking this morning and it was raining two hours later.Luckily, I was planning to stop at Mountain Crossing Outfitters anyway. Mountain Crossing is the first real opportunity to stop and resupply without actually leaving the trail. It is also the only building from Georgia to Maine that the trail actually passes through. Mountain Crossing sells everything you might have forgotten to bring with you. And, in my opinion, the prices were actually pretty reasonable considering its location. I met three of the staff while I was there and they were all very nice and professional without being too pushy. For a $1 donation, they allow hikers to mail packages to them and they will hold them until you come through. I had my resupply waiting for me. They have a bunk room and/or showers and laundry service available too. Best of all, they will mail a box home for you too. I was able to get rid of almost 4 lbs of stuff that I just couldn't do without...that is until I started carrying it.My original plan was for two more days of hiking and then I was going to take a "Zero" day to rest and recuperate. But due to the rain, my new friends and I decided to take a "Nero" here instead. Just 2 1/2 miles today but at least our gear is dry and so are we. Right now I'm full of pizza and spending the night at Blood Mountain Cabins. Tonight I'm safe, I'm dry, and I'm warm. Goodnight.
Date: 2017-02-28
From: Blood Mountain Cabins at Neel Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: scattered clouds

I started my hike this morning from the Blood Mountain Cabins at Neel Gap. It hadn't been my intention to stop there yesterday but with the rain it seemed like a good idea and turned out to have been the right thing too. I shared the cabin with Bear Bag and Bill. It cost us each $25 but it included them doing our laundry too. The cabin had two bedrooms and a fold down couch so it worked out perfectly.It was still lightly raining this morning but it was time to move on and by 8:00 it was over. I made it to "Low Gap Shelter" at around two with thunder booming off in the distance. The rain started again about the same time I got my gear settled for the evening.Today I experienced my first "Trail Magic". At a road crossing we met a man with the trail name "Lion-Hearted" passing out cold drinks, fruit, snack cakes, and other goodies. Lion-Hearted is a Vietnam War Helicopter Veteran who enjoys meeting hikers and comes out for a couple of weeks each year just to pass out goodies. You just don't meet folks like this every day. I enjoyed a banana, an oatmeal cookie, and a Gatorade (and a great few minutes with a fellow veteran) before moving on.Tonight, I'm sharing the shelter with 6 others from all over the country. I believe we probably have room for one more but might need to squeeze in a few more if the weather continues to worsen.But, tonight I'm warm, I'm safe, and so far, I'm dry. My knees hurt and my feet are sore but I'm loving every moment of it.Goodnight.
Date: 2017-03-01
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: overcast clouds

What a past 24 hours...Both good and bad.Unfortunately, Bear Bag, one of the guys I've been hiking with, had to leave the trail today. His knee had been swollen and stiff the last few days. It was only getting worse and he had also developed a bad cough. He completed a thru-hikers last year and was only planning to hike to Franklin this year with Bill so the risk of serious injury wasn't worth a few more days of hiking. He is a great guy with tons of experience and trail knowledge...he will be missed.On a funny note...I met a young hiker at the shelter last night name Kate. We were talking and she told me she had left a large container of Parmesan cheese in the "hiker's box" back at Neels Gap, explaining it was just too heavy to carry. A little later, I was preparing my camping meal of lasagna and I noticed Kate was preparing spaghetti. I stated "I bet some of your Parmesan would sure go good with these meals". Another hiker, a young lady named Rebecca from Switzerland, had just walked into camp and heard my comment. ¢Parmesan, I have Parmesan¢, she said. Kate and I looked at each other and I asked Rebecca, ¢Where did you get the cheese? Of course, Rebecca replied, "From the hiker's box at Neels Gap". Kate and I started laughing and Rebecca just looked at us confused until we explained what had happened. Needless to say, we all had Parmesan cheese with our dinners.On a broken equipment note...my air mattress failed to hold air last night and has already gone flat as I lay here typing this post. On the surface, that just sounds like an uncomfortable night's sleep but my air mattress and sleeping bag are an integrated system with the mattress supplying all the insulation under me. I suspect this is going to end up being a very cold night.I also broke a shoulder strap on my backpack just before entering the campsite tonight. I've attempted a repair using paracord. Tomorrow I¢ll find out if it will work. Both problems will require a trip into town and both items may require replacement.Today was my first 15-mile day! It was exhausting! I've gone further in a day on other hikes but nothing with terrain this tough. Tomorrow is also supposed to be another 15-miler but my broken backpack may dictate otherwise.We also received, and are still receiving, a severe storm. It has rained a little off and on all day but as soon as I finished setting up my tent here on top of Tray Mountain, the sky opened up first with heavy rain and then with dime-size hail. Now, more than three hours later, the precipitation appears to have stopped but the wind must be blowing in excess of 25 mph. Much less than it was, but I still have concerns for my tent and I won¢t have an opportunity to prepare my dinner.Let me end this post with¢¦so far tonight, I am warm, dry, and safe and excited about the possibility of hiking in the sunshine tomorrow. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-03-02
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Top of Georgia Hostel - Hiawassee
Miles today: 11.0

I made it to the "Top of Georgia Hostel" this afternoon and I am back on track for when and where I want to be. I'm planning on taking a "Zero" day tomorrow to rest and try to make a more permanent repair to my backpack strap. The expedient repair I made on top of Tray Mountain last night actually worked out pretty well, and I believe, with a little tweaking, it might last the trip. Tonight's temp is supposed to be in the low 20s and tomorrow night it is supposed to get down to 14 degrees. Overall, a good time to take a zero and do some repairs. I was also able to purchase a new air mattress. I didn't really want to spend the money this early in the hike but I had budgeted for equipment failure during the hike so I'm okay.The rain finally stopped last night at around 9:30 but the wind never let up. It continued to gust all night and all through the morning. I had to leave the tent twice during the night to re-secure my stakes. It got very cold. My tent poles go through grommets at the bottom corners of my tent and the ends of the poles touch the ground. This morning my poles were frozen to the ground and when I jerked them free, a ball of frozen mud came with them. I had to break the frozen mud free between two rocks before I could remove the tent from the poles. On the other hand, the wind had blown most of the water from the rest of the tent.Tonight, I caught the shuttle from the hostel to the town of Hiawassee. It appears to be a very nice town but is where the movie "Deliverance" was filmed. We were informed by the hostel owner that banjo and pig jokes would not be considered funny by the locals.The owner also congratulated us on our perseverance so far. According to him, by this point, 1/4 of the people who started the hike have quit.I did not get the pizza and beer I wanted for dinner but went to an all you can eat (AYCE) country buffet restaurant instead. The food was excellent and it only cost about $10.Tonight, I'm safe, dry, warm and well-fed. Goodnight from the AT.
Date: 2017-03-03
From: Top of Georgia Hostel - Hiawassee

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: scattered clouds

False summits. One of nature's dirty little tricks! Just as your head pops over what you thought was the top of the mountain, you realize the summit is still about another 400 yards further and another 100 yards higher. This might repeat itself 4 or 5 times before you actually reach the top. It appears the folks who laid out the trail didn't want anyone to miss the absolute top. Every now and then, the trail will turn left or right just long enough to make you start believe you are going around the peak. Just when you think you're safe, the trail makes a hard turn back towards the summit.I crossed into North Carolina today! Woot! Woot! I'm on my second state! For the next approximately 300 miles, I will move back and forth between North Carolina and Tennessee. According to "Sir Packsalot" at Top of Georgia Hostel, often the only way to tell which state you are in is that NC shelters have privies and TN shelters do not.Tonight, it¢s supposed to drop down to 14 degrees. I've never used this equipment down that low before. Hopefully, I can stay comfortable¢¦at least the trees around this camp site are blocking the wind. I have a liner for my sleeping bag that is supposed to add "up" to 25 degrees of protection. I guess if it provides more than that I can return it, otherwise, it's mine.Right now, I'm in my tent. I'm safe and I'm dry and, other than my feet, I am reasonably warm. Hopefully, they will warm up quickly in my down booties and I will have a good night's sleep. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail in North Carolina!
Date: 2017-03-05
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Gooder Grove Hostel, Franklin, NC
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

I passed my 100-mile mark today and climbed my second mountain in excess of one mile high! It was a great day for hiking. The weather was perfect; not too hot and not too cold.I hitched a ride into Franklin, NC, from Rock Gap to pick up my next resupply and spend the night at "Gooder Grove Hostel". Ah, a real bed tonight after a large dinner at an AYCE Chinese restaurant in town!For the past week, I've been hiking with basically the same group of guys. I've usually been one of the first to leave the camping area each morning only to be passed by just about everyone else throughout the day. If this were an old-fashioned rally, I would probably be in last place...but, I'd still be in the race!The whole group of guys I've been with have decided to take a "Zero" day tomorrow to rest and heal some blisters. Although my schedule isn't rigid, I hadn't scheduled a zero for tomorrow and I've decided to continue on for a few more days. I'll probably take a break at Fontana Dam, right before I enter the Smokies.Tomorrow, I hope to make 15 miles but tonight, I'm safe, dry, warm, and sleeping in a real bed. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-03-06
From: Gooder Grove Hostel, Franklin, NC

To: Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

After a good night's sleep at Gooder Grove Hostel, I was back on the trail by 9 am this morning. I would have much rather started out earlier but it is just one of the consequences of staying in town. The shuttle comes when it comes.I hiked just about 15 miles today over Silver Bald at 5,001 ft. and Wayah Bald at 5,342 ft. A bald is a mountain with no trees at the top. Nobody seems to know why, although there are many different opinions on whether these are natural or not. We do know; however, they have been this way for at least 300 years.I spent the entire day by myself and only passed a few people on the trail. The small group of young folks I had been hiking/camping near all decided to take a ¢Zero¢ in town. I'm sure I will see most of them again up the trail.While hiking by myself today, I got to thinking about a slogan often heard on the trail "Hike Your Own Hike". Many people will tell you that it basically means mind your own business and let me decide for myself what constitutes my thru-hike. I believe it can mean this but also a whole lot more too. The trail is a great equalizer. It doesn't matter if you're young or old, rich or poor, male or female. It doesn't matter if you are a middle-aged housewife or the CEO of a fortune 500 company. Nobody else can hike your hike for you. It is your journey to make. I also spent a lot of time contemplating my purpose in doing this. That answer may take a few more hundreds of miles to totally figure out. I'll let you know.For the last 3 days, I've hiked through areas that were burned in last year's forest fires. Today, it rained most of the day and it is supposed to rain much of tomorrow too. If I have my druthers, I'll gladly take the rain.Tonight, I'm in my tent on the north side of Wayah Bald. I'm safe, warm, and dry. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-03-07
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Today it rained all day; sometimes hard and sometimes just a drizzle, but I don't think it ever fully stopped. But, as they say, "No Rain, No Maine". As far as I¢m concerned...you can add "No Pain" to the saying.I stopped at about 3pm due to the rain but did manage to complete the miles I had scheduled. I could have probably made it in to the Nantahala Outdoor Center, otherwise known as ¢NOC¢, but the trail was slippery and I was ready to get out of the rain.I only saw one other person on the trail today. As every good hiker knows, most of the weight of your pack should rest on your hips and not on your shoulders. Unfortunately for me today, my shirt came untucked and my pack was beginning to wear a hot spot on my hip. Typically, when this happens, I take my pack off, re-tuck my shirt, and then re-don my pack. Today, for some reason, I thought I could do it without removing my pack. I undid my hip belt, then my pants, and as I was trying to hold my pack away from my shirt and tuck my shirt, my pants begin to slip. Now, I'm standing bowlegged, trying to keep my pants from falling further when a man about my age comes around the bend. He immediately saw my situation, smiled at me, and said, "Shirt come untucked?" Yes. "Thought you could re-tuck it without removing you pack?" Yes. "Been there, it doesn't work." Yeap. Then as he passed me, he laughed and said, "But I didn't get caught with my pants half down". Oh well, it could have been worse.Tomorrow, the rain is supposed to end and the sun is supposed to shine. But, I'll take it as it comes.Tonight, I'm safe in a shelter (no tent tonight) with three other hikers, I'm dry, and I'm warm. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-03-08
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC)
Miles today: 5.9

I slept in a shelter last night. I've said in previous post that I prefer my tent, and I do, but last night was definitely the night for a shelter. It poured most of the night and the noise of the rain on the tin roof was almost deafening. At about 4am I was awoken by silence. It was like a switch had been turned off. The difference was so sudden, it actually woke me up.At about 5:30, I got up to use the privy and was amazed by the number of stars that were visible. I haven't seen a sky like this since doing some survey work on a Pacific island years ago, where there was no electricity for hundreds of miles around. I stayed up until dawn, just to watch the sky.I hiked about 6 miles to the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) this morning in glorious sunshine, and arrived just before noon. The trail crosses right through the parking lot. Most of my gear was wet (and smelly) from the rain so I decided to stop, pick up my resupply, clean my equipment, and do my laundry. Since that would take at least a couple of hours, I decided to go ahead and get a room for tonight. I also enjoyed a very nice lunch, shower, and dinner too. This puts me about 6 miles behind schedule but this trip is all about the journey, not the destination.My pack hasn't been resting on my shoulders quite right since I broke the strap so I figured it was time to look for a replacement buckle while I was here. The original buckle had been sewn in so it wasn't a simple fix. Once I found some parts I thought might work, I asked the salesperson if I could return them if they didn't fit. Better yet, he told me to bring my pack in and we would make something work. We must have spent nearly a half hour working on the repair. I believe it is now better than the original and it only cost me $6. The folks here are incredible. They may be doing this to earn a living but you can tell they love doing it. So far, I have found this type of attitude all along the trail. I asked a 27-year old, who had hiked the trail last year, what was the biggest thing you gained on your journey? He answered that the trail had renewed his faith in humanity. I hope to be as lucky.Tonight, I am safe, warm, and dry in my little room at the NOC. Tomorrow, I head towards Fontana Dam. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.