morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-10-20
From: KATAHDIN!!!

To: Airplane at 30,000 Ft; CLIMBING KATAHDIN TOMORROW!
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I'm flying at 30,000 feet and I can't even begin to tell you how excited I am. We are going to do it...we are going to climb Katahdin tomorrow. When Jungli told me this morning that it was going to be a Class III day and that tomorrow would probably be as well, my hands and body started shaking all over. I guess that this was the strongest indication that I wasn't content on stopping short of the 'end goal'. After discussing our options with my trail friends, the consensus was to go for it. It was absolutely wonderful coming home and seeing my aunt and little cousins again, but the idea of 'failure' and not being able to complete the thru-hike has wreaked havoc on my mind. And now is the time to make it right... My friends and I need closure. Tomorrow, we are going to get just that - on the toughest mountain of the entire 2,178.3 mile trail. I recognize that flying up to Bangor tonight is just LUDICROUS! I decided that I was going at 11:45 am this morning and was on a train en route to Philadelphia at 1:20 pm. In-between, I had to book my flight, talk to Buttchinz to make sure that she would pick me up, and then rush around getting everything out of the dirty hamper and preparing to go. Fortunately, I had the support of my aunt and uncle and they encouraged me to go. If any of you know even a slither of what the AT has meant to me, then you would understand why I'm on a plane tapping my foot anxiously right now. Bloody hell, I've been reciting the name 'KATAHDIN' (Indian name meaning 'Greatest Mountain') every single day for six months and frequently over the last year. All I can say is, I can't wait to see my trail friends again and go take care of business! We don't even need luck tomorrow...we just need a Class III day!!! Just in case...wish us luck anyway.
Date: 2009-03-14
From: Hartford Connecticut

To: Gainesville Georgia
Miles today: 0.0

Start: Hartford, Connecticut. Miles: 1,000 PlusAfter 2 years of planning, the trip has finally begun. Sam The Jam arrived at my house just after 9:30am and we left immediately for the Hartford train station. We had the usual train station experience; a man my father and I for money, which my father generously helped him with (the first time he asked... he came back a second time).When the shuttle train arrived from Springfield, a couple hundred people, some intoxicated, got off to see the St.Patrick's Day parade in Hartford which began exactly as the train left (11:00am). The trip to New Haven went quickly and so did the ride from New Haven to Washington D.C..In D.C., we had an hour layover so I went to McDonalds and downed a Big Mac and fries. Trust me, I had no guilt about that. I'm sure I'll be burning those calories over the next few months The next ride departed at 6:45pm for Gainesville, GA. That was a trip from hell. Coach seats were wide, but I don't sleep well sitting up so I accumulated 3 hours of sleep. We arrived in Gainesville at 7:00am.
Date: 2009-03-15
From: Amicalola Falls ApproachTrail

To: Stover Creek Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: light rain

March 15th: Off and On 2.8 miles from SpringerAfter leaving the train at 7:00am and 3 hours of sleep, Sam's sister's father picked us up at the Gainesville, GA train station and brought us to McDonald's for a quick breakfast (again , not guilty), the local grocery store, and Wal-Mart for fuel. From there we went straight to Amicalola Falls. This is where the Approach Trail begins. A quick synopsis is that the AT begins on top of Springer Mountain so you can either drive up or hike from the base using the Approach Trail. We opted for the hike 8 plus mile climb to the trailhead. The first site to see is the falls. They are impressively tall and contain several vertical drop offs. There must be close to or greater than 600 steps to get to the top. (Side note: Sam's fully loaded pack weighed 50 lbs while mine was 46 lbs). From the beginning, your thoughts are "You've got to be kidding me because I am sweating from step 10 and beyond"). After no complaining (honestly) we got to the top of the steps and continued 7.3 miles to the top of Springer Mountain. The trail switchbacks (zigzags a bit up the mountain) and finally we arrived at the first blaze of the AT (Appalachian Trail) on the summit. We signed the trail log again, since we signed at the Amicalola Falls lodge, and ate a quick lunch. The Approach Trail hike took approximately 5 hours (left at 9:30 am and summited at close to 2:10pm).After taking a few pictures, we began the official AT hike. We hiked 2.8 miles, generally downhill, to Stover Creek Shelter. It was a strenuous, perfect start to the trip. Skipping the Approach Trail is certainly the easy way out, but an appropriate leg warm up. We've met a few people at the shelter; most of which are our age. Hope tomorrow is a bit brighter because the mountains were locked in clouds.
Date: 2009-03-16
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: light rain

More Mud Miles from Springer: 15.1The first night in an AT shelter went well. I had only a little tossing and turning but figure I accumulated 9 hours of sleep. A few times I think I heard mice with a few little high paced vibrations on the floor. Mice stories are infamous inside shelters.Going back to yesterday, I failed to mention that the first animal I saw was a squirrel. I could have stayed at Penn State for that! At the shelter, we hung our food in a bear bag and we woke up this morning with all our food. There were about 13 of us at the shelter. Some decided to camp, but about 8 of us were in the shelter.All of the hikers seem friendly and in their early 20s. Vader and his girlfriend Jess seem real chill. Boo Boo is thru-hiking as well although he completed the AT back in 2004.Today's hiking was extremely wet. We began in fog and the trail was as sloppy as ever. We hiked up Sassafrass Mountain which was grueling and unrewarding; everything was socked in clouds. I think we had a persistent easterly wind creating them.By 6 miles into the hike, it began raining and it continued the rest of the day. Gooch Mountain Shelter was full of people so we ended up camping on a sloped hill. My experience from scouting helped in this situation. I made sure we had our tents in the right direction (head above feet), It was a damp, cool night. Pretty miserable honestly. Many items were soaked.The wind picked up a bit over night. Hopefully they are winds of change.
Date: 2009-03-17
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Neels Gap Walas Yi-Yi Inn
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

First View Miles from Springer: 30.1We woke up this morning to clear skies. Finally! I woke "Sam the Jam" up at 7:20 am and we got all of our stuff packed up to begin hiking at 9:20am. Packs were heavy today with wet tents and clothes. Ray, from Shippensburg, PA., hiked with us to Woody Gap about 5 miles from Gooch. We had a great view of the hilly GA terrain from there! Just to tell you the difference between days, we had about 1/8 to 1/4 mile visibilities Sunday and Monday. Today we had 30 mile visibilities and the mountains were blue as ever. We took a quick picture with Vader and Jess who then caught a ride to Suches, GA for a maildrop. Ray hiked with us over Big Cedar Mountain (Fantastic View!) and Burnett Field Mountain, but then he stayed behind. From there, Jam and I hiked uphill forever, or at least it seemed that way. We got to Woods Hole Shelter at 3:30pm and pushed onward up Blood Mountain (the tallest mountain on the AT in GA at 4,450 ft). We trudged upward and summited at 5:00p. We took some photos for a half hour or so. The view from Blood Mountain Shelter was phenomenal. Thank the lord for sunshine today because I can't imagine a more beautiful horizon. All the mountains in GA could be seen. It reminded me of the Green Mountains in Vermont. We descended Blood Mountain and arrived at Neels Gap at 6:50pm. This was just in time for dinner at the Walasi-Yi Inn. They served us baked ziti and it hit every spot in my stomach satisfyingly. Jam and I were able to get a couple bunks amongst 14 other hikers.It was a great day on the AT. Exactly what I wanted from this trip. Hard, exhausting, and completely worth it. Jam and I pulled a monster day of hiking 9:30am - 6:50 pm with an hour break at Woody Gap to lay out some wet clothes in the sun and have an enjoyable lunch.BTW: I heard Penn State basketball got gypt from the NCAA Tourney. Bummer.
Date: 2009-03-18
From: Neels Gap Walas Yi-Yi Inn

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: clear sky

Weight off my back      Miles from Springer: 41.5It was a rough time getting some shuteye last night. There was some tremendously loud snoring coming from a few of the 13 or so hikers in the same room. I figure I attained 5 or 6 hours of sleep. We woke up to banana pancakes and bagels with cream cheese for breakfast.After packing up at 9:00am, we went to the outfitter to get some gear stripped off our backs. I had my stuff looked over twice, once with the owner who brought me down to 33 lbs with water plus food. Of course, I spent a bit of money to switch to some lighter gear.We had our second trail magic in two days. Yesterday we were provided with fresh fruit by relatives of a thru-hiker. Today, the local church grilled hamburgers with all the fixings for us. Wow, did that hit the spot! We left Neels Gap at 1:00pm after Sam The Jam took care of our laundry. We caught up to Vader and Jess after they left Neels Gap an hour earlier. We went with them for a bit and then hiked beyond our trail friends.Jam and I got to Crowrock Mtn (3,842 ft) around 3:00pm and the scenery was amazing from the summit! There was a rock face over looking 10 mountains. Spectacular! From there we had a large descent into Tesnatee Gap where we took a short break. This is also where GA348 meets the trail. By the way, I think Sam The Jam and I really hate roads. The reason behind this is because it means you descend into a gap and then go back up again. This has been persistent and tiring in Georgia. So up we went using a really steep trail on Wildcat Mountain. We descended yet again and crossed GA348 for the second time. Our last 4.4 miles to Low Gap Shelter were tough on the arches of our feet, but we made it in by 6:20pm. That was just enough time to cook, fill up our water bladders, hang our bear bags, and set up the tents before the sun went down around 7:30pm.It sure was a fantastic day. Plentiful sunshine with great views, a lighter pack, and hard hiking.
Date: 2009-03-19
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Tray Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Miles from Springer: 56.5The guy in the tent about 20ft from mine was undoubtedly the loudest snorer I've ever heard! (not an exaggeration, his name was Chainsaw) He had three different types of snores, each equally hellish. Needless to say, it was a rough night of sleeping. My feet were also throbbing in pain like they were growing and expanding. Picture the incredible hulk going from normal human to ripped giant and that is what my feet were going through. This morning we woke up at 7:40am and did the normal routine: purify water, get the bear bag, go to the privy, pack up the tent, make breakfast, and pack our backpacks. We were on the trail at 9:40am and feeling great. It seemed like we had a steady incline to Blue Mountain (4,025 ft). Then, we had an abrupt drop in elevation to Unicoi Gap.We sat at the intersection of the trail and GA75 for a half hour chomping down some trail mix. Unfortunately, we had to start hiking again and we had a killer ascent to the summit of Rocky Mountain (2,949 ft to 4,017 ft in 1.3 miles). Following was descent to Indian Grove Gap and up to Tray Gap just before Tray Mountain. There were trail angels grilling cheeseburgers for passing hikers and all of us had two each. That really got us energized to ascend to Tray Mountain at 4,430 ft. We arrived at the shelter 0.3 miles beyond the summit at 5:30pm. Jam, Early Bear, Halfstep, and I all felt good and willing to keep hiking but we decided to tent here. Vader and Jess arrived a bit later.So here I am tenting on a 4,430 ft mountain overlooking towns and mountains. The AT punishes and rewards its hikers.Weather update: Another clear day but a bit windy. We had some high cirrus, then cumulus, but no rain.
Date: 2009-03-20
From: Tray Mtn Shelter

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

Holiday Inn Express   Miles from Springer: 67.5Last night, 10 of us slept in the shelter at Tray Mountain. One thru hiker, Graham, is actually a southbounder. He left Mt. Katahdin on September 15th. This is an absolutely remarkable feat! He hiked off-season in isolation through snow and ice. Now he has four days until he finishes.Tray Mountain was cold and windy last night. The low temperature was likely in the 20s without the windchill. Sam and I cooked a few servings of oatmeal and were off hiking by 9:30am. We had a grueling ascent up Kelly Knob (4,276 ft) and ate lunch with Jess and Prairie Dog (formerly Vader). After a Power bar and trail mix, we descended a bit and then had a short hike up Powell Mountain. The rest of our day was a steep downhill which was a killer to my knees. I'll invest in hiker poles before the Smoky Mountains.Right when we arrived in Dicks Creek Gap, we had a bit of trail magic. Halfstep was trying to hitch hike for 20 minutes into Hiawassee, Georgia. When Sam The Jam and I arrived a van pulled up and the driver, Tater, was willing to take us into town. Tater thru hiked in 2000 and took us to the Holiday Inn Express. Halfstep, Earlybear, Ketchup, Sam The Jam, and I are sharing a room. We went to Daniel's all you can eat steakhouse for dinner. Evidently steak is not part of the all you can eat but there was plenty of fried chicken, cornbread, shrimp, fish, and salad. We had our fill and left to do some grocery shopping.We have 8.8 miles left of trail in Georgia. North Carolina here we come!
Date: 2009-03-21
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Goodbye Georgia   Distance from Springer: 84.1 milesEarly Bear, Ketchup (I thought Catchup but apparently not), Halfstep, Sam The Jam and I had a great night at the Holiday Inn Express in Hiawassee last night. We had the all you can eat dinner, resupplied at the supermarket, consumed a few beers, rested our feet in the hot tub, and watched a little basketball before a full night of rest.The hotel breakfast was filling: Eggs, bacon, bagels, orange juice, and donuts. We got a ride back to the trail for 6 bucks a person (10 miles). Jam and I started hiking around 9:40am and reached the GA/NC border at 1:30pm. We were just in time for lunch with Prairie Dog, Angry Beaver, Halfstep, and Ketchup. The setting for lunch was at an old, demonic looking tree in Bly Gap. The state of North Carolina greeted us with two steep ascents. The rest of the day wasn't bad. We're staying the night at Standing Indian Shelter just before Standing Indian Mountain. Bear bags had to be used since bear cables are only supplied in GA. All of us are in the shelter tonight, with only a few camping. A troop of boy scouts is also here from Columbia S.C.. They are good company.Weather: Cool and Sunny.
Date: 2009-03-22
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: clear sky

Take It To The Limit   Distance from Springer: 103.8 miles.Halfstep, Early Bear, Ketchup, Prairie Dog, Angry Bear, Jam, and I hiked hard today. The boy scout troop from South Carolina that stayed with us at Standing Indian Shelter agreed to take our trash. This which was a huge help, or a few ounces. Jam and I hiked at 9:00am and finished at 5:30pm. We had two amazing views. One on Timber Ridge Trail and the other on Albert Mountain (5,250 ft). We also summited Standing Indian Mountain (4,760 ft) at the beginning of the day. On another sunny, cool (temps in the 50s) day, the overlooks provided spectacular views. Albert Mountain is quite a sight with a lookout tower at the top. Climbing it required some upper body strength at times. Halfstep, Ketchp, Jam, and I summited at close to 3:00pm. The surrounding 360 degree view of the valley and mountains was a sight to behold. I'll probably never forget how magnificent this area is. Another memorable aspect of this mountain is actually from A Walk In The Woods by Bill Bryson. I believe this is the mountain where Katz and him were stuck in a snowstorm. The negative part of today was my feet. Two blisters (one on each heal) are slowing down my pace. I'll cover them up and push on tomorrow. We're trying to get to the Nantahala Outdoor Center in 2 more days.
Date: 2009-03-23
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Wayah Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Got Worked       Distance from Springer: 118.6 milesToday is by far the most difficult I've had on the AT. We woke up to cold temperatures (~ 25 degrees F). I had to pack up the tent and then head up to the shelter to prepare some oatmeal. I ate mine plain. It is disgusting put keeps satiety. Halfstep, Ketchup, Jam, and I started on the trail at 9:00 am and we had a huge trek uphill. From 9:00 am to 12:30 pm was a constant uphill to Siler Bald. A bald is a summit that is essentially treeless. The views from Siler Bald were phenomenal! The valley had fields and towns and the mountains surrounded everything. The pictures I took probably won't do any justice compared to actually being there.We quickly descended to another gap and had a long haul up to Wayah Bald. Today was completely uphill in my mind. Right when we arrived to the top of some feature, we'd scurry back down so quickly that it was a passing memory. Halfstep, Jam, and I reached Wayah Bald at 4:00pm and we had terrific views. There was a lookout tower that provided 330 degrees of panorama. We saw Albert Mountain to the south but could also make out Clingmans Dome in the Smokies. They are only 4 days away.Today the temperatures stayed cool with a fair bit of cloud cover. You needed to be hiking to stay warm. At the moment, the shelter we are staying in overlooks the mountains. There is no place I'd rather be, except maybe a foot massage parlor.
Date: 2009-03-24
From: Wayah Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: clear sky

Food is Fuel      Distance from Springer: 134.9 milesI slept really well last night at Wayah Shelter. For once, we got to the shelter early enough for a spot to lay down inside. The six of us in the shelter have been together for approximately a week. Today, we lost Early Bear, Angry Beaver, and Prairie Dog to Franklin, NC because they needed to resupply.This morning was warmer than the last few. I cooked some oatmeal and we were hiking by 8:30 am. Plain oatmeal is getting old but it keeps my hunger at bay until 11:30 am everyday. The same thing happened today. Ketchup, Halfstep, Sam The Jam, and I were at the base of Wesser Bald when Sam The Jam suggested we wait until the top to eat. I went along with the idea since the gap smelled pretty bad for some unknown reason. So, we charged up the mountain to reach our goal...lunch. I left everyone behind since I was on a mission to eat ASAP and made it to the top at 12:15pm. The observation tower allowed for 360 degree views under mostly cloudy skies (cloud base was well above the mountains).After a Power bar, trail mix, and peanut butter for lunch, plus a few pictures, we started the long descent to the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). (4, 700 ft to 1, 740 ft). This took a toll on my knees so I went slower than the rest and relied heavily on my hiking sticks. We plopped into the NOC at 3:45 pm and got a hotel room and an ice cream bar. After settling in, we went to the River's End Restaurant for dinner. We dined next to the river while watching a few rafts and kayaks go down the rapids. This is a popular outdoor activity center with biking, hiking, and whitewater rafting. For food I had a hamburger, french fries, a slice of pizza, and 2.5 root beers (thank god for free refills). I'm looking forward to a good mattress tonight, but not looking forward to the 3,320 ft ascent over 8 miles tomorrow. Also, the forecast calls for 5 days of on-and-off rain. Goodbye to those beautiful views for a while. I'm only 3 days from the Smoky Mountains!
Date: 2009-03-25
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Brown Fork Outdoor Center
Miles today: 16.0

Ascent from the NOC      Miles from Springer: 150.9Halfstep, Ketchup, Jam, and I stayed in a cabin for $20 each last night. This was a deal since the hostel was $19 each. We watched Penn State defeat Florida to reach the NIT semifinals, did laundry, and went to sleep.We all agreed to take it easy this morning. We slept until 8:30 or 9:00, shopped at the General Store for 3 days worth of supplies to get to Fontana Dam, and dined at the River's End Restaurant for lunch. I wasn't hungry since I devoured leftover pizza for breakfast. I ordered a chocolate milk and that hit the spot! Milk was a good choice.Halfstep stayed behind while we left to hike at noon. He wasn't feeling well and said he'd catch up with us later.Jam, Ketchup, and I began the dreaded ascent out of the NOC keeping "slow and steady" as our motto. We reached our original destination at 2:30 pm. It took us 2.5 hours to gain 2,590 ft in elevation over 6.9 miles. We were pleased with our rate and pace so we pushed on to Brown Fork Gap Shelter hoping that Halfstep wouldn't be too upset.The final 9.1 miles took an additional 4 hours with two steep final ascents. This section was especially difficult since it started to downpour with 2 hours left. With the addition of Sam The Jam and I, the shelter was maxed to capacity. Two older couples, Pecan and his dog, and Greg were all there when we arrived and were willing to make room.
Date: 2009-03-26
From: Brown Fork Outdoor Center

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Trail Magic         Miles from Springer: 163.6Last night was quite eventful. At 4am, Spike and Little Engine packed up, made breakfast, and made as much noise as possible before leaving to hike at 7:30am. As the story goes, Mosey, a nice middle-aged woman, tapped Spike to tell him to stop snoring. He was enraged and decided if he wasn't going to sleep, nobody else was either. Sam The Jam, Ketchup, and I started hiking at 8:30am with the rain still heavily falling. The rain concluded a couple hours later when we reached Yellow Creek Mountain Road. We had a good climb up a few mountains before we caught a glimpse of Fontana Lake. It took an hour to get down the mountain to the lake since there were switchbacks. On the way, I was leading Sam The Jam and Ketchup down the mountain when an owl flew just a couple feet from my head and perched in a neighboring tree. I was surprised and quickly got out the camera. Once at the Smoky Mountain greeting center for hikers, Ketchup dialed for a shuttle to take us 2.5 miles to Fontana Village. The village is a general store, laundromat, post office, and gas station. Jam and I collected our mail drops and all three of us did laundry. Dry clothes are definitely required for the Smokies!The shuttle brought us back to our original location on the trail, but we left our backpacks 1.1 miles ahead, just before the shelter. This means that we did our first slackpack. For dinner, we had a bit of trail magic. Actually, not a bit, a lot of trail magic. Red Hawk and his wife Sue, from Iowa, prepared brauts with cheese and crackers, soda, and home fries. Everything was delicious!Tonight we are staying at the shelter called the "Hilton at Fontana" since it has a bathroom and a shower. The shelter sleeps 24 but there are only 13 hikers tonight. We are certainly missing our friends Halfstep, Prairie Dog, Angry Beaver, Early Bear, Chuckles, and Knuckles. We moved a day or two ahead of them all.