morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-03-22
From: Cody Gap

To: Fontana Dam Shelter (The Hilton)
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: broken clouds

Ahhhhhh. Yes that would be the sigh of contentment. Good day today. Went the 9 or so miles to Fontana Dam, which btw was amazing. Although it threatened rain all day, by the time I got to the dam it had all cleared up after a quick 2 minute afternoon shower. I'm staying at a shelter that has been nicknamed the Hilton because it's located right next to a public bathroom with flush toilets, running water! sinks! and a SHOWER! yes I totally used it and it was amazing. looking at my food supply i realized I wouldn't be able to make it through the Smokies so ended up going into the little village right nearby and getting just enough to tide me over. expensive if I had had to do a full resupply. Also southerners know how to make good, heart attack inducing food. Hot dog with chili, cheese, and coleslaw on top!It is noticeably further into spring down at this elevation and so warm. After my shower I headed to the dam to watch the light fade. had a funny glorious little moment of one of my favorite sensations so far being the breeze blowing through my leg hair. It's getting long and I'm considering dreding it. For the past few days I have looked over at the Smokies and noticed that they always seemed to be in shadow. It was as if no light could penetrate tose hills. I know I'm laying on the LotR references on a little thick here but it felt like I was hiking toward this sunless, cold, looming mass of pain. something to be dreaded. But down at the dam, looking up into the hills and seeing the variations of color as spring rose up the mountains, and the reflection of those hills in the lake, I feel inspired. maybe it's the shower talking but I'm ready to take on the Smokies, looking forward, eager even to be in them.
Date: 2012-03-24
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: broken clouds

First off let me just say that my bladder is amazing. So you know those old grizzled guys who tell you a storms coming when their knee swells or something. Well this is at least the fourth time that my bladder woke me up and sent me out at night to take care of business not a minute or two before a huge thunderstorm blew in. So proud of it for predicting these things. Slept well listening to the roar of rain overhead despite it sounding like any moment the roof was going to be blown off.Today was just sorta a mixed day. After looking at the upcoming miles our group decided to aim for a shelter just under 10 miles away and call it a short day. I started with a nice slow pace to better enjoy all the views that I know all the pictures I took simply won't do justice to. Great climb up to Rocky top mountain with simply breathtaking vistas all around. I could just see yesterday's fire tower as a little pinprick in the distance. The smokies has a lot of grassy sections between wooded sections and mystical little wood areas with flower undergrowth and bare trees surrounded by fog. I enjoyed the atmosphere immensely. Just as I climbed over thunderhead mountain it started to get overcast, and rainy, and cold. I hate the cold. The only time I ever seriously consider quitting is when it's cold. sooooo demoralizing. I fell into such a slump and just couldn't bring my pace up which was frustrating. Mentally started having a rough time. The only good news is I know exactly why I feel this way and know I need to just tough out days like this for the warmer weather to come. I'm just glad I had my warm spandex to hike in (Thanks again Dad) I also started to realize I hadn't had clean laundry or a proper bed in 5 days which is just about my limit. Right around this time is when I get cranky. call me a wuss, I don't care. 4-5 days in the woods is my comfort limit. So I'm going to go into Gatlinburg and resupply and get my head on straight again. I'm kinda looking forward to seeing what the picture definition of tourism looks like. For now I'm looking forward to getting out of the Smokies back to less foggy and cold conditions. At the shelter we met trail angel section hiker Ben who heard a bunch of us talking about going into Gatlinburg and offered us a ride tomorrow since his car was parked at Clingman's Dome. Score! Now all I need to do is hike a fast pace tomorrow to the dome to get there when he does. Mowtown, cheese, spoon, and I are going to get a room together to save on cost. Today's big achievement:   Crossed over the 184 mile today so officially counting down from 2000 now!
Date: 2012-03-25
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Clingman's Dome (Gatlinburg, TN)
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: scattered clouds

I hiked fast to make sure I got there when everyone else did. It was a nice moment when Motown caught up with me only in the last 2 miles and said she wondered if they ever would. These guys tend to hike much much faster than me leaving an hour or two after me and usually catching me pretty early on. But not today my friend, not with the promise of town. It rained, it fogged, it was cold, but nothing could dampen my spirits. town town town town town. We all piled into Ben's little truck. Now that was a smelly day and drove the 21 miles down the mountains to town. It was really cool to drive down as everything got greener and greener as we moved from high elevation to the areas were spring was just hitting to the more established areas. It was sorta like a watercolor painting in that way. We got to town which was simply culture shock! it was sunny, droves of tourists were roving the streets in their stereotypical lost, overweight, fanny pack, 5 dollar ice cream cone manner. Buildings had insane lights on them, signs indicating all sorts of wonders at the Ripley's believe it or not building, free moonshine tastings, arcades, master illusionists. epilepsy, shock, convulsions. We retreated to the Grand Prix were we were given a room still being clean, boy did we not care and these ladies were awesome! they completely adopted us and were throwing us extra towels, a boatload of sample shampoo and conditioners, deodorant, gum. I even caught one of them lecturing her son as I was rounding a corner to, "make sure you take care of my kids in 58, you make sure they have everything they need." I totally recommend this place. clean, cheep, and with an amazing staff that loves hikers.We ate a boatload of food at Bennet's BBQ. I mostly filled up on the salad bar and got my pulled pork sandwich to go as by the time it arrived I was ready to be tipped sideways and rolled out of the place Violet Beauregarde style. All in all Gatlinburg freaked me out with it's extreme tourism. It's like Disney World had a wild night with moonshine and bred with 3 different kinds of traveling carnivals to birth this place. I heard it described as Vegas for Christians. It is the 2nd most popular wedding destination in the country and has giant museum devoted to representations of Jesus in all sorts of different items like toast.... so yeah.Weird moment of the day: As I got to the parking lot at the dome, the fog was so thick I couldn't see 6 feet in front of me to find my group and awaiting ride. but as I was searching this car roles up next to me, lowers it's window. this girl grabs a quick picture of me, then they speed off. I do believe I have just been classified as a zoo animal of some sort. those rare exotic hikers, spring out of the woods every now and then. do not feed them, the become ferocious.
Date: 2012-03-26
From: Clingman's Dome (Gatlinburg, TN)

To: Mt Collins Shelter
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: clear sky

It was pretty hard getting around town on foot and took a lot of time to get our resupply needs met using the trolley system so we didn't get much time in town and didn't see much. This is less disappointing than you'd think. after less than 24 hrs in town we were ready to get back to the trail. the others went for lunch but i bought a box of strawberries instead and lucked out by getting back to the NOC store just as they were running a shuttle that two hikers hadn't shown up for. nice. Got back to the dome, also swarming with tourists but these guys were chill, mostly just really curious and eager to talk with the hikers. Talked to this one father that was so excited to show his teenage daughter that she could do anything and here was this other girl off hiking the trail and she could do anything she wanted to too. awe I'm a role model. EEK I'm a role model?!? now there's a scary thought. still i thought this guy was pretty cool for supporting his little girl like that. Some of the guys I've met insist that the woods are no place for women. these are far and few between and very rarely hikers themselves. So with all the chatting at the dome I only got out of there around 5:20pm and still had a good 4.5 miles to the shelter. The views were actually not as impressive as I would have thought, or maybe I'm just spoiled by them now that I don't notice. As I was hiking down my foot slipped on a real wet log which turned my sideways to the point were my pack pulled me all the way over and I came crashing down two feet onto some rocks. my knee got busted up pretty badly and is all bloody and bruised now. I hope it doesn't affect my hiking. Really full shelter tonight so a lot of people are tenting around us. I got one of the last spots. score again.
Date: 2012-03-27
From: Mt Collins Shelter

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: few clouds

Favorite section of trail so far! We had such amazing weather today. apparently the Smokies gets maybe 40 clear bright days like today and I'm here for one of them. The views and landscape today are simply spectacular. So much more impressive than anything that's come before. Lot's of ridge walking, at times only 4 feet across with steep drop offs to either side. Walked with Motown for bit and we had good chat's together. later she told everyone she totally magpied the crap out of today so I guess my pace is now a descriptor word. ha! but honestly just a really good, warm day and so many opportunities to just stop and take in how amazingly vast, wild, and beautiful places we have set aside for ourselves. I can't imagine these views being the same if they were lined with town homes and shopping malls. I love that as a society we decided to value wilderness in areas because this is an experience that every generation should be able to cherish for hundreds of years to come. simply soul soothing and uplifting. Charlie's bunion offered a great place to hang off the side of a cliff (securely) and look north to all the ridge lines to come. The trail seemed to follow natural bridges between masses of mountains and in no time I plodded into the shelter, feet tired and soul filled.
Date: 2012-03-28
From: Pecks Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: overcast clouds

The trail was very rocky for the first half of the day and it tore up my sore feet from yesterday's long miles. But I got a rush of energy around 12:30 so pushed hard, rounding a curve just in time to catch four little deer on the trail. The deer in the Smokies are so tiny and fluffy with delicate features they look like they have bunny in their genes. so cute! They scampered off before I could get a picture and I kept moving. Got to camp and settled into socializing. Lots of girls here tonight and I met Rocky and Sunshine. I'm always jealous of all the girls who've shaved their heads for this as I would have loved to. But my brother's getting married in August so for the families sake, I'm hanging onto mine. As we were unpacking we heard a bunch a shouting and went outside to find Tray, our ridge runner, chasing off a bear. Once again I wasn't quick enough to catch a picture or even a glimpse of it. It came back around for a second time and we scared it off again. hehehe I was having fun, and hoping for a picture. So we sat around talking bear and asking tray what they do if a bear keeps coming back to a shelter. apparently they dart it, tag it, do blood work, and then wake it up to 10 guys shooting it with paintball guns so that it has very negative reactions to interactions with humans. I think this would make me more likely to want to kill the next human i saw but apparently it work pretty well. the shelter is in the low lands so its very springy here. I leave the park tomorrow, which after yesterday and today is sad because I'm in love with this area. Maybe just because it's been so kind to me. I doubt I'll visit in winter.
Date: 2012-03-30
From: Painter Branch

To: Max Patch Rd, Ashville, NC
Miles today: 10.6

I set a nice slow and steady pace taking as much time as I could to do the 10 miles today as I knew it would be later before I got picked up and whisked off the familial settings. But as the day got older and I continued not to get signal or have any means of communicating i picked it up a little to make sure that I would be there in time. There were A LOT of PUDS today, and today I dubbed them DPUDS because as I was doing the roller coaster laid out for me a thunderstorm rolled in quickly without warning right on top of me. yikes. I was forced to abandon my poles and the ridge line heading for lower ground where I sat for 40 minutes waiting for it to role past. ugh, just sitting there being rained on when all i want to do is move! Finally it rolled past and the thunder was far enough I felt safe climbing back to the trail and continuing. I was only a mile from Max Patch road where I was to be picked up it turns out and got there around 4. got water, chose a spot a little hidden from the road under some rhododendron bushes where I could see the road. Unfortunately another storm landed on top of me again with some pretty brutal lightening, but I was tucked safely away. It rained and I got soaked and started getting cold. More worrisome was that I had no signal still and it was 5:30 now. So i decided to move, pulled out my compass, hoped for the best and choose south along the road. walked a mile before i got a brief signal long enough to know that traffic would make the pickup even later. Still lacked signal strength to make a call so I kept walking until finally i was able to fuzzily connect long enough to figure out when and where they would be. Then it was just a waiting game. did you know that if you sing the entire 100 bottles of beer song it takes just about 50 minutes? So I sat there in my rain jacket being rained on with a rather serene accepting outlook. When you know there's a warm dry bed, shower and loving people coming to you soon, nothing dampens the spirits much. I knew that no matter what my Aunt and Grandma would slowly drive all these mountain roads until they found me. and they were some pretty curvy roads let me tell you. YAy! they got here, wet hugs and kisses all around, heated seats, realizing just how badly I smell! and then pizza, showers, and the fluffiest most amazing bed i have ever been on. All that, and the day ends well.
Date: 2012-03-31
From: Max Patch Rd, Ashville, NC

To: Max Patch Summit
Miles today: 0.9

A nero in it's truest form. Such a relaxing day touring the Biltmore estate in Ashville NC with my aunt and grandparents. It is the largest home in the US which basically means an excessivly large castle with beautiful stonework and finishes. Ahhhh what can be done with a fortune of 200 million. Yes you read right and that was back in the 1930s. Sooooo yeah. I really enjoyed the house tour as a really beautiful example of large scale architecture designed in a way that is still cozy. And thegardens were beautifl. So many tlips in bloom. I d recommend a visit if you are up fr that kind of thing. We had an amazing lunch while I did my laundry and then drove the windy country roads back to Max Patch where I gt out and headed back into the woods. It was pretty late and I got to the summit, which is basically a large bald in time to watch he sunset start working it's magic on the sky and mountains. It was so beautiful that I decided to stay there for the night and just enjoy this sunset and tomorrows sunrise. I did choose to camp on a lowerfield just in case a thunderstorm brewed up in the night as I didn't fell much like serving as alightening rod.As good as it was to take time off the trail, once I had my pack on my back ad was hiking, it just felt right. Normal and good. With ease I fell into the routine of pitching a tent and hanging my bear bag, blowing up my sleeing pad, and crawling into my bag for the night. Trail is home.
Date: 2012-04-01
From: Max Patch Summit

To: Deer Park Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Well it was certainly fitting that on the first day of april I woke up in my tent to a beautiful red sunrise that reminded me so much of that first one on springer mountain. Well I had camped out of the wind so my tent was dripping wet with condensation but it was different sleeping in a big grassy medow so I was happy. Man the terrain is starting to become more like rolling hills with great smooth switchbacks and I was making great time covering 3.5 miles in an hour and 15 minutes. So I was trucking along and feeling really good until mile 14 when all those miles hit me like a ton of bricks. Boy my feet suddenly felt like anvils and I was exhausted. Got to the shelter and set up my tent hoping to let it dry some when a masive afteroon tunderstorm rolled in and made that a pointless exercise. The shelters are all very small now with no roofs extending past them so there were 8 of us huddled in this tiny little structure that really could fit maybe 5 just waiting out the rain. The water source was quite a ways down hill (which is where the storm caught me) so we were all hoping it would pass soon so we could get dinner.Ran into old friends and made new ones at the shelter when I met BLT and Frenchy. So after that rain I decided to stay in the shelter when a spot opened yup but an hour before dark we heard squicking and this mutant mouse the size of a massive sewer rat or small dog comes out of the wall and runs across some sleeping bags. I do NOT mess with mice that come out before the sun goes down, this guy had no fear and there was no way I was going to give him the oppertunity to crawl into my sleeping bag during the night, so I and another hiker bailed to our tents where I had a restful mice free sleep.
Date: 2012-04-02
From: Deer Park Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 2.8
Weather: light rain

Ahhh the lure of town. So I went into town expecting to do a quick resupply and hightail it back to the trail.....but then there was the smoky mountain diner where i stopped for a meal. A huge, cheap, delicious meal that left me stuffed all day and was served by sweet and sassy wait staff. I liked this place A LOT. Sweet potato pancakes, sausage, and biscuits with gravy. It was awesome. So i took my newly extended belly and slowly walked down the street to the outfitter. Hot Springs is one of the few towns that the trail offically runs through so the side walk is actually the trail. there were cool diamonds with the AT symbol in them in the sidewalks too. At the outfitter I ran into Bookworm who took a zero yesterday to go skydiving. She's going for the extreme hiker version of the trail jealous! she was staying in town and without a thought I opted to join her rathetr than roll through as planned. a lot of this was brought on by the access to the public library which gave me the oppertuinity to catch up on all the trailjournalling I had fallen behind on. The next shelter out of town was a good 11 miles and I knew I wouldn't make it before dark unless I left around noon. So nix that. yay another town stay.What I have learned is that yes it is possible to be in town too soon. By 5pm when I was done with the computers I was all jittery and filled with unspent energy. I was too fresh from Ashville that I didn't feel the need to shower but took one anyway because I knew I should. The beds where we stayed were so rock hard that I actually slept on Lacy's trail pad they were so uncomfortable. Kinda a wasted town day except for access to the computer. But live and learn. now I know I need to be trely dirty, tired, wet, and starved to get the most bang for my buck! Iyt was good to see bookworm though as she's just a really fun person to hang with.Onward tomorrow.Note for future hikers: You must visit the Smokey Mountian Diner but be careful what you order if you want to get out of town the same day vcause it'll keep you there with a full content stomach.
Date: 2012-04-03
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: broken clouds

Today was one of those days that I ask myself what the heck I'm doing out here. Bookworm and I left town together around noon climbing over the bridge, jumping the barrier and following the river back into the woods. There was a little bit of a steep climb getting out of Hot Springs but in general was very pretty and HOT heading out. But we quickly noticed a slow moving dark cloud on the horizon and new we were probably in for a soaking. It held off for most of the hike finally hittin gme just as I started up our biggest hill. Two hikers ahead of me and I had to stop and wait out some of the worse of the lightening strikes before we could get over the hill. then the second wave came in on the next hill and it rained, thundered and there was sheet lightening for the rest of the day. I hate getting soaled right out of town and have realized I have a very real fear of lightening which is the number one threat to hiker safty. It was too close to dark to wait out most of the storm and there was nowhere else to camp so I made my way as quickly as I could trying to supress my fear everytime it htundered or the sky would brighten suddenly. Finally made it to another small shelter where thanks to Tipsy and Fetch's generosity I got a spot in the shelter and they set up a tent once the rain cleared off. COld and wet tonight but glad that I have dry clothes and a sleeping bag to change into. but of course when you're starting to get into a foul mood, more stuff always happens. went to get water, slipped and ended up ankle deep in a mud pit so those pair of socks are done for until the next town. Ugh today does not go under the good day heading.Redeeming moment of the day: A sweet note from Motown in the shelter log, "Thinking of you Magpie. Hope you're enjoying Hot Springs, hope to see you soon." Hope I can catch that girl.
Date: 2012-04-05
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Acceptance.That is the word of the day. Acceptance of the miles, of the rain, of the pain. We had our daily dose of thunderstorms, the ones that always come in as you are headed up a hill. Still there were some incredible views today. Th kind that make you stop and just soak them in. Speaking of soaked did I mention rain? More rain. Rain that was simply mocking me. Less than a mile from the shelter, dry finally after the first storm, it starts again, cold wet and foggy this time. Bookworm was at the shelter when I got in. She got a ride around firescald which is good because her ankle isn't doing to well. Gave her the coke i'd been carrying from yesterday's trail magic for her. We decided to break the trail into two 10 mile segments following the layout of shelters rather than try a horrible 20 miler that would kill us. The water source was way too far away and it was raining still. This shelter didn't have a cover outdoor space and was overcrowded thanks to the sweetness of hikers who follow the "there's always room for one more" mantra on days like today. We all took turns cooking in the limited space then settld in like sardines for the night.