morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-03-31
From: Standing Indian Campground

To: Beech Gap
Miles today: 4.4
Weather: broken clouds

Each year during the heaviest hiking month the First Baptist Church in Franklin sends a van around to all the motels and picks up the hires to serve them breakfast. Their service includes taking the hiker's picture and providing an envelope to address so they can mail it for the hiker. At the Church talked with a Lady from Camden, SC. A relative of hers was CM there. She reported that the City had abandoned its investment in Mayor Rhames flowers & beauty. If true it is a horrible example of conservative ideologues destroying community value. The talkative driver on our ride to Standing Indian campground was a County Commissioner-motel owner who praised Macon County's young Manager Derek Roland. I arrived at the campground and got back to hiking at 10:00. Catfish, an experienced hiker who knew the area well & his two dogs got me directed to Kinsey Creek Trail. This trail follows the creek, zig-zags across it and sometimes rivulets to the creek are the trail. It is a beautiful, hike, but would be miserable if the water were higher. I managed to rock hop without getting my feet wet. The walk was 3.7 miles up Kinsey Creek to deep Gap. I got back to Deep Gap at 12:30.At the Gap I met three senior citizen hikers: Why, Why Not, & Hawkeye. They all ended up passing me. After 0.9 more miles up hill I returned to Standing Indian Shelter and was ready to start counting trail miles again. The 1 12 mile climb to the top of Standing Indian Mountain was much easier than I expected. Trail down the other side was a breeze. I still had a reasonable amount of energy left when I stopped at 5:30 at Beech Gap, mile 90.7.3.7+0.9+4.4 Standing Indian to Beech Gap = 9 mile day with all of the first 6 miles uphill.
Date: 2014-04-01
From: Beech Gap

To: Bearpen Trail Intersection
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: clear sky

An unexpected morning sprinkle dampened the tent's rain fly, but by the time I was packed, all was dry. At last night's campfire I learned a new reason for choosing your own trail name. A girl in the group had made the mistake of announcing when the hiker pickup bus reached its destination that she really needed first dibs on the restroom. As a result she is stuck with the trail name "Little Trickle". I had hoped to do a 12 mile day stopping at Long Branch Shelter, but stopped just short of the base of Albert Mountain, a steep, rocky and reportedly somewhat dangerous climb. Decided it would be better to take it on in the morning with fresh legs. Stopped for the night at a beautiful east facing overlook that two southbound hikers recommended to me. Covered 9.1 miles today. Most of it was easy and generally downhill through rhododendron tunnels with frequent breaks showing marvelous views of distant mountains and valleys. Last three miles were all uphill. I m just over 10 miles from Winding Stair Gap; so I may make it to a hot shower and soft bed in Franklin tomorrow night.
Date: 2014-04-02
From: Bearpen Trail Intersection

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: few clouds

Woke to a sunrise coming across the distant mountains and shining in the door of my tent just as the southbound fellows who recommended the site to me had predicted. Climb to the top of Albert Mountain was a strenuous rocky scramble as predicted but vista from the old fire tower was proportionately impressive. Mountain makes a great location for a "learning experience" adventure for Grandkids. Manning a fire tower had to be, like a lighthouse keeper, a horribly lonely job.Long stretch of trail after Albert Mountain was unusually easy. Almost fooled me into thinking that I was a competent backpacker.Stopped for water at long Branch Shelter, a particularly attractive new shelter built to replace a Shelter that was razed to prevent overuse from impacting the surrounding area's ecology.Last climb of the day started to best me but was aided by trail magic Gatorade waiting to refresh me before I started and a fellow senior hiker, Big Shep, a 67 retired software engineer who climbed with me after haven taken a half day in Franklin to resupply. He recommends half days as an alternative to losing too much time to zero days.Sapphire Inn sent a pickup to Winding Stair Gap for me. I had a strange but delicious meal at Franklin's Cafe Rel restaurant. Between tube waitress's accent and my hearing what I thought would be a tuna steak turned out to be a sushi dish. As always the shower and soft bed were wonderful.
Date: 2014-04-03
From: Franklin, NC

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Zero Day for wash, catch up journal and similar to do items.Ate breakfast again at Baptist Church and listened to Church Members swap yarns about local bootleggers.Made reservations for Sunday night at Nantahala Outdoor Center and coordinated with Nathan to meet me in the morning and spend three days hiking there with him. Nathan happily reports that his School's accreditation review went great and that they received an excellent review and rating.
Date: 2014-04-04
From: Winding Stair Gap, Franklin, NC

To: Wayah Shelter
Miles today: 11.0

Nathan arrived in Franklin in time for us to make the 11:00 am shuttle to Winding Stair Gap. Weather report predicted rain, so we dressed and packed accordingly and anticipated a rather miserable hiking day. I had scheduled us for an 11 mile hike to reach Wyeah Shelter even though 11 was more than I have done to date and the trail was uphill for most of the day. We lucked out. The rain threatened all day long, but never came. For the most part the uphill grades were relatively gentle. We got to the shelter around 6:00. It was already full with a surprising number of tents around it, but we had enough daylight left to set up my tent and Nathan's tarp in a snug combined shelter. Hiking with Nathan and Bomber was wonderful. The company and conservation helped make the miles and hours slide away and he told me some stories from his adventures that I had not heard before including the night he was attacked by a colony of roaming ants in the Costa Rica rain forest. Lots of wind noise in the trees above us tonight, but our camp is protected from most of the breeze by the rhododendron forest around us.I am extremely susceptible to poison ivy. If I get near the plant, instead of just an annoying rash I have a systemic reaction with outbreaks popping up at random places on my body. To get rid of the attack I have to both take a series of steroid pills and get a steroid shot. I knew I would run into poison ivy on the trail and looked for a way to immunize myself.   The only thing I found was a non regulated, homeopathic product called Oral Ivy.   I was pretty sure it was snake oil, but lacking any other alternative I started taking it. A week and a half ago I had an unusual string of bumps on my forehead that I assumed were mosquito bites. Other itchy bumps started appearing in other places. A couple of days ago I finally woke up and realized that the Oral Ivy had given me poison ivy. I stopped the daily dose and to my delight, instead of spreading, the rash is going away. The snake oil may be working and helping me build up some immunity.   When the rash is all gone I will start taking the Oral Ivy again and see what happens.
Date: 2014-04-05
From: Wayah Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: light rain

Another beautiful day and delightful time with Nathan. I am really happy that he is taking the time to hike with me.We scheduled 10.6 miles from Wayah Shelter to Wesser Bald Shelter at mile 131.4. Day was not as demanding as yesterday, but we were not as fresh.   Both of us were ready when we reached our campsite at 6:00. We took time to enjoy some great vistas including climbing the Wesser Bald Observation Tower. Took a number of pictures including a few pictures of the two of us. And enjoyed an unexpected trail magic lunch provided by the Burningtown Gap Church at Burningtown Gap. Magic from the Church created the opportunity for me to explain to some Yankees the distinction in meaning between "God bless you" and "God bless your heart".A great day on the trail.
Date: 2014-04-06
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: clear sky

Another beautiful day.   Nathan & I on the trail by 9:00 and down the steep descent to Nantahala Outdoor Center by 1:00 for a delicious lunch.Descent had some marvelous vistas and Nathan manned the camera to take some great pictures including the obligatory cute Bomber pictures.Nathan used his canoeist contacts to locate a fellow who brought his car from Franklin to NOC in exchange for a ride back to Asheville. Nathan had my food resupply box In his car, so I was able to prepare my food load for the next thee days to get me to Fontana Dam. I made up a seven day food box that Nathan took with him and dropped off for me at the Fontana Village Lodge where I will spend Thursday night.Plan to take a zero day tomorrow here at NOC and avoid a predicted rain storm.Met a young hiker, Irie or Zack Hanratty on the trail and invited him to share my room. Cabins and rooms at NOC are great. I will take pictures tomorrow.
Date: 2014-04-07
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 0.0

A good day not to be out on the trail. It is raining steadily and I understand the Weather Service has posted flood warnings. While waiting to meet a trail angel I talked with an Auburn University psychology professor who is taking the NOC raft guide course. For $400 the NOC offers a full package week-long course. Most of the young people who take the course become their summer employees. He and his son bought their own raft in Colorado and he is taking the course to make sure he does not drown his friends when he takes them out for floats in it. My trail angel: While Nathan, Bomber and I were crossing the Wayah/Tellico Forest Service Road, the last road crossing before our final climb of the day, a jeep came by full of folks enjoying a mountain vista jeep tour service. We talked with them a few minutes. That evening I got an email from Dawn Duplak explaining she and her husband lived in Bryson City Bryson City near the NOC and offering a ride to town.Last night I discovered that I had left the USB cord that I use the charge my camera battery at the Sapphire Inn. I contacted Dawn who offered to come to NOC and either bring me one or take me to Radio Shack. Brian and Dawn showed up at 9:00 with a cord that fit and over breakfast told me about their son who speed hiked the Appalachian Trail and then took up ultra marathon running and high adventure rock climbing. Their second son has recently been assigned to a post in Germany after a precarious Army tour in Afghanistan.   Brian, who is an engineer on the short rail line that follows the Nantahala is planning a trip to Germany to visit him. Dawn manages rentals of a group of cabins for their owners. They were on the jeep ride as a familiarization tour the owner conducted for folks in the local tourism industry. Spent the day in the restaurant catching up journal and correspondence while it rained outside.Lunch with a through hiker who had planned to hike the trail with her husband in a few years when he retired, but she discovered she has multiple sclerosis; so she is doing her hike solo now while she still has the muscle control to be able to complete it.
Date: 2014-04-08
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: broken clouds

Got up and packed early. On the trail at 8:30 for the 6.8 Mile climb out of Nantahala Gorge leaving Irie asleep in the top bunk. While eating a breakfast roll in the cabin got email notes with pictures off to Catherine, Michele, & Maggie in Manassas Park.Climb was arduous and other hikers passed me through the day, but it did not exhaust me completely. I reached Sassafras Gap Shelter at 2:30.   I had enough energy left that I considered going another 3.5 miles over one more rise to a campsite, but a chance of rain was predicted decided to claim a place in the shelter. Temperature dropped so even with all my outer clothesI was cold through the late afternoon,   Fixed supper early and crawled into my sleeping bag, but still had cold feet all night. Cairns that hikers had built at the Wade Sutton plaque honoring a State Forest Service employee who died in 1968 fighting a forest fire along the trail were surprisingly touching.Vista from Jump Up lookout back down to the river was as dramatic as the guidebook promised. Talked with May Louise who had gone to "Camp David" play at Arena with Marcus. Her emotional description of a marvelous production touched both of us. Hope to get up early and make a long day tomorrow so that I can get to my room at Fontana Resort early Thursday.
Date: 2014-04-09
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Hogback Gap
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Today's goal was to hike 12 miles to Cody Gap leaving only 8.8 miles to reach Fontana. I want as much time as possible at the Fontana Lodge to get ready for the 7 day hike across the Smoky Mountains National Park. I ran out of daylight and stopped 0.9 mile short at Hogback Gap. Some of today's climbs were more demanding than I anticipated. Most of tomorrow's hike to Fontana should be downhill.Got my first view of Fontana Lake from the last ridge before camp this afternoon. Tried iPhone earphones and music to walk to for the first time today. "O Brother Where Art Thou" helped get me up the last climb.Have been missing May Louise today. I am not sure the hike is worth the separation. Learned another lesson.   It was see-your-breath cold when I started this morning, so I kept my puffy jacket on. Half way up the first climb I warmed up enough that I stopped to take it off so my sweat would not make it wet. I stopped at a wide spot in the trail as it hugged the edge of a steep slope. I put the jacket in its waterproof stuff sack and was cramming it in the side pocket of my pack when it slipped out of my hand and rolled down the slope halfway back to Georgia. Luckily I was able to hobble down the slope and find it stopped by a tree trunk.
Date: 2014-04-10
From: Hogback Gap

To: Fontana Dam Lodge
Miles today: 9.6

The clothes you wear while hiking get wet from sweat even if you do not get caught in the rain. The backpacker's rule is to keep your set of night clothes dry at all costs. That means that if your day clothes are wet when you get up, you put them on anyways. Since I hiked late last night, there was not enough time for my base layer and socks to dry out before the sun set. I should have put the wet base layer shirt and pants on, but since I woke up to a chilly 34 degrees   And since I was heading to Fontana Lodge where there will be a washer and dryer, I chickened out and kept my nice warm and dry clothes on and getting them sweaty as I hiked. I will not have the luxury of avoiding the discipline over the next seven days as I hike through the Smokey Mountain National Park. I got up early to make sure I got to Fontana Dam before 4:00 when they start running the shuttle. Ate breakfast, broke camp and got on the trail by 8:30. I had only 9.6 miles to go and I projected I would get to Fontana Dam by 2:00 or 2:30. I was overly optimistic. The trail was tougher than I expected with short but steep rises, lots of rock scrambles, and long, very steep downhills. I got to the dam at 3:30 exhausted and with my left knee hurting despite the brace.The weather was great and the day was beautiful. By noon I topped a rise where I could see the. Dam and I got views of it growing larger as I hiked down closer to it through the afternoon.GA Trail Club maintenance is superior to NC's. Had to navigate lots of blow downs today including one that required crawling under on hands and knees. I am apprehensive about the planned seven day trek across the Smokey mountain National Park. I would take an extra day to rest at the Fontana Lodge if I were not pushing to make a rendezvous with May Louise and Marcus and if the Lodge were not booked up for Friday.The lodge is comfortable and Fontana Village is beautiful. I want to bring May Louise back here.
Date: 2014-04-11
From: Fontana Dam Lodge

To: Fontana Dam Lodge
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Checked the map in more detail upon waking up and concluded that my plan for a rendezvous with May Louise, Marcus and the Grandkids is not realistic. The AT/I-40 intersection is further east and not as accessible as I had envisioned. Will stay at Fontana Dam Lodge today and give my body an extra day to rest even though it promises to be a beautiful day for hiking. Fascinating breakfast conversation with Dr. Phil. He is a retired, through-hiking OBGYN from Ohio and a Cajun native from Louisiana. He told some of the real "Evangeline" stories of his forefathers' evictions from Nova Scotia to Louisiana. I took time this evening to reread Longfellow's poem to match my vague literary memory to his personal history lesson. It was delightful how the seasoning of my age and the anchor of an acquaintance's personal history converted what was once a tiresome assignment into an eye watering beautiful experience. Spent the morning completing my thank you notes to the friends and staff members we visited in Paducah. I continue to miss and to be proud of that wonderful team of community servants. Also got a few more pictures posted to the trail journal, but have a lot more to go.Pleasant afternoon conversation with folks here on a Sierra Club outing. Club is a good screening tool for interesting people. May Louise and I are long time members but have never been on one of their trips. We should try one. While checking my load this afternoon for tomorrow's departure I found that somewhere I had lost my permit to hike through the Smokies. Called the Park and a helpful civil servant faxed a duplicate copy to the Lodge. Hope my knee is ready for a new workout tomorrow. Unfortunately it still feels a little sore.
Date: 2014-04-12
From: Fontana Dam Lodge

To: Birch Spring Gap Campground
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Back on the trail I spent most of the day climbing out of the Little Tennessee River Valley to an old Fire Tower on the top of Shuckstack Mountain. The tower is visible from the Lodge and from the Dam. It looks real high and a long way off. The 3 1-2 mile climb made it feel real high and a long way. It wore me out enough that I stopped at Birch Spring Gap the first available campsite with only 7 miles completed. I went so slow climbing up it felt like a backpacking plod instead of a hike. The extra weight of food for seven days to get me through the Smokies did not help. I left the bug fly open too long while I was loading my gear into the tent.   A swarm of little flies got in and are driving me nuts as I write this.The day was beautiful. All sorts of new plants are pushing themselves up along the trail, wild flowers are blooming, trees are budding. Where previously only flies were swarming in the trail duff, now ants and other insects are scurrying. Spring has come to the mountains.   I hope the weatherman got the message.I enjoyed seeing Fontana Dam for the first time in decades and refreshing my visual memory of the place Dad showed us where they sawed out a slice of the dam to solve the problem of growing concrete filling up the expansion joints. Nathan warned me about the danger of sunburn when hiking in the mountains before leaves are on the trees, so I dutifully purchased some sunscreen and put it on my hands and neck this morning. I hiked in my rain pants which have handy zippers down the side of each leg to allow them to vent when it is warm. It was not until mid day that I realizes that while my somewhat tanned neck and hands were protected, the Lilly white sides of my thighs that have not been exposed for years were glistening in the sun.   I think I got the sunscreen in place before any damage was done. If not the mistake will create an interesting tan line.The views from the fire tower was fantastic. Since my legs were wobbly from the climb and since I don't have Nathan's comfort with high exposed places, I settled with climbing just to above the tree line and did not go all the away to the top   The tower was the only place I was able to get AT&T connection to check in with May Louise.Republican Health Care: Met a fellow at the Lodge who confided that he was nursing a hernia with a self made wrap and keeping it from his wife because he lost his health insurance when he retired and he could not afford to have it treated until he turned 65 and was eligible for Medicare.
Date: 2014-04-13
From: Birch Spring Gap Campground

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: broken clouds

Relatively easy day. Ups and downs along ridges of the Smokies are not as easy as I had hoped they would be, but they are not nearly as difficult as the long, step uphill climbs. Park shelters I have seen are quite nice and include fireplaces. Met my first Ridge Runner today, an employee of the trail association hired to give advise and explain Park rules to hikers. A nice, reassuring service. Sky was overcast much of the day. Had some sun. Tonight the wind is howling and rain is promised. Expect to have to hike in the rain tomorrow, it since I am in the shelter tonight, I won't have to pack a wet tent.Best sight of the day were large magical fields of wild flowers. Some stretched along the trail for a tenth of a mile.Little cellphone connection today. Got messages out to May Louise, Marcus and Bob, but could not call May Louise. Our AT&T service is consistently unreliable. You can stand In one place and the indicator cycles from three towers to no service. Hikers with Verizon service have better results. My poison ivy medication experiment failed. The outbreaks caused by the immunity medicine receded; so two days ago I started taking a smaller dose of the medicine again. Today I started breaking out again more aggressively including an unfortunate patch that my boot rubs. Hope it subsides again. If not I will have to visit a doc-in-a-box and get treatment.
Date: 2014-04-14
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: light rain

Rain was predicted for last night and this morning, but it held off until mid morning. I had hoped to do 12 miles so I could go to Bob's Tuesday night, but by the time I reached the Derrick Knob Shelter I was cold, tired, and wet from sweat; so I quit for the day even though it was only 1:30. My hiking clothes will be dryer but still damp in the morning. Folks in shelter who have seen recent weather reports say rain should stop by noon but that it will be cold tomorrow. Climbed over. Rocky Top today. It did not look like "home sweet home to me".   Was more like wet, cold, and blustery. I'm sure the view would have been great if the top were not shrouded in mist. Before I started Nathan surveyed his friends who had through hiked for advice. He was told that the best advice for the new hiker is: "Wet rocks are slippery." I confirmed the wisdom of this advice today. I was lucky and did not fall, but I slipped several times on wet rocks and would have fallen if my poles had not been firmly planted. I am really looking forward to the break with Bob. May dream about his hot tub tonight.Did not have phone service anytime today; so have not been able to update him or May Louise.