morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-03-19
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: light rain

Today was a multi faceted day. It began very early. I was awoken by Rodo in the shelter. He told me it was 4:30. After laying awake for awhile, it occurred to me that I could start early and end early and maybe summit Clingman's Dome before the rain. I packed as quietly as I could and was on the trail at 6:00am. It was still totally dark. There was another shelter 1.7 miles ahead so I thought I would have breakfast there. It was pleasant hiking in the dark like that. There were several views to the west of what I assume we're the lights of Gatlinburg and surrounding towns. A few times I turned my headlamp off and looked at the lights and the reflection off the cloud deck that was just over my head. Really cool and peaceful. I was mindful to look up the trail frequently in case there were any eyes staring back at me. No need to meet any bears in the dark! By the time I finished eating, it was light. I arrived at the summit of the dome in a full fog with no views at all. I walked up the observation tower anyway and enjoyed a brief moment at the highest point the AT reaches at 6667 feet ASL. Another milestone occurred shortly afterwards when I passed the 200 mile mark! The arrival at Newfound Gap was a real shock after my solo morning with at least 100 cars and about a million tourists. Godspeed and Mountain Momma were offering trail magic today which consisted of two ham and cheese sandwiches, chips, a soda and four yodels. How grateful was I! Thanks to you both. That will be the only real food I eat for the week so much appreciated. A few rain showers and three miles later I arrived at the shelter. There were lots of day hikers stopping by but finally Ash, Weatherman, Beans and Ben arrived along with Nomadic Fish and Chalkdust. I was glad I wasn't the only one who opted out of going to town. We were joined by two weekend hikers and all shared a pleasant evening with no rain. Tomorrow and Monday are forecasted to be cold, below freezing at night with a chance for 1 to 3 inches of snow. I should be careful what I wish for!
Date: 2016-03-20
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tri Corner knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: broken clouds

Today was a mostly uneventful hiking day. Floated between 5400 and 6200 feet on the crest of the Great Smoky Mountains. The day dawned below freezing with rime ice. Other than one brief clear period, there was nothing but fog to see. Sometime after noon it started snowing and has continued until dusk. The forecast calls for 2 to 5 inches overnight with the temperature dropping to 20. Did I mention that I am not a fan of winter camping??? The good part is I am staying in the shelter where I got a fire started which has lasted a good three hours so far. There are roughly 15 people here tonight. It is supposed to clear overnight so sun tomorrow and I will be heading to lower elevations so it should warm up. I am currently on a seven day stint from Fontana to Hot Springs. 3 days left to go. I believe I have enough food to make it through and am excited to get there for some real food and drink. The cell service for AT&T has been very poor lately so that explains the lack of updates. Hopefully this will improve as I exit the park. I am hiking well and other than a little knee pain on the right side and changing foot pains I believe I am holding up well. I can't seem to get much past the 15 mile a day mark at this point. The Smokies have posed the greatest challenge in terms of terrain so far. Hopefully once I move beyond them I can increase my daily mileage. A quick shout out to Driftwood and his friend whose name I can't remember. Thanks for the conversation and sharing your cider last night. Hope you guys had a good hike out today!
Date: 2016-03-21
From: Tri Corner knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Hostel
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: clear sky

Today was an experience in extremes. We woke to six inches of new snow and temps right around 20 degrees. I used all of my gear to stay moderately warm. It took awhile to get warm when hiking but it finally happened. The clouds broke and treated us to some beautiful Smoky Mountain views. By afternoon, in the valley, the temp was well above freezing and sunny. As I was crossing the bridge to pass under I-40, four hikers called from a little parking lot and offered me a peice of pizza. They were thru hikers being resupplied by their mom. Well one peice became two and also came with a brownie, a beer, and a mountain house dinner to go! Thanks to Diane from Knoxville for her generosity.Today it occurred to me that hiking is just what I do now. Eat, sleep, and hike. So far it hasn't gotten old. My body feels mostly good. I think of my colleagues at work and my job and am so grateful to have the chance to do this. In the morning I'll think to myself what I'd be doing at Mt Abe. While I like my job for sure, I am liking this better! I am growing accustomed to the lifestyle.This afternoon I exited Smoky Mountain National Park which is another milestone. I'm staying at the Standing Bear hostel tonight which is like an old hippie commune. It is like no place I have ever stayed. Thanks to Lumpy for his hospitality and the company of Nomadic Fish, Chalkdust, Hash Brown, Spaceman, and the local boy Morgan. I posted four entries today so those of you who thought I dropped out, feel free to look back on those. I also posted some other pictures on my photo page.
Date: 2016-03-22
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Walnut Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

Well today was my first twenty mile day. It was quite unintentional. I left the Standing Bear with the plan to go about 15 miles. This would have left me 18 miles to do tomorrow which would put me in Hot Springs late in the afternoon. Some easy miles late today and one ascent in the end made it possible and have me set up for an easy day tomorrow. Another beautiful day down south. It started on the 30s and easily made it to the 60s by afternoon. There has to be a forest fire in the area as smoke moved in late this afternoon obscuring views and making the air quite thick. I can still smell it well after dark. Highlights of today included summiting Max Patch, a big grassy bald with excellent 360 degree views. I met Rocky on top who was doing a little trail magic. She hiked the trail in 2013 and said she knew Lady Grey. I also caught up with some other hikers that I hadn't yet met. Today I also saw my first real game. In the morning a little doe was hanging around the summit of Snowbird. More exciting, this afternoon, I spotted a young bobcat who was walking down the trail toward me! I got a good look at both the front and back of it before it took of running the other direction. Tomorrow will be my last day in my current boots. While I was pleased to have them the two days I hiked in snow, they are far too hot with the gore tex lining and have given me blisters on the hot days. I look forward to getting my low cut, non waterproof trail runners. Hopefully I won't see anymore snow on this trip.Thanks to all who have been signing my book. I do my best to reply to all of your posts via email. The system won't allow me to reply if visitors don't leave an email address. So, cousin Sherrie, thanks for all of your supportive comments! This is why I haven't responded to you. Next stop, Hot Springs, NC!
Date: 2016-03-23
From: Walnut Mtn Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I have arrived in Hot Springs, NC. When I did all my initial planning this was as far as thought in advance. I guess there's not much to think about now other than eat some real food, buy some more camp food, and keep walking. My excitement at getting my trail runners has been tempered by the fact that they feel pretty tight on my feet just wearing them around town. Perhaps my feet have changed with all of the walking. Sadly I suspect I may need to get a new pair before i leave town.The hiking was uneventful today. I left Walnut Mtn around 8am and was in town before 2. I did walk through some very nice woods. It was warm and dry which made the softwood smell very nice. I'm staying at a local hostel which is reasonably nice. I must say that the Hiker Hostel back in in Georgia set a standard that has only been met by one other hostel so far. I'll take tomorrow off from hiking, figure out the shoes, resupply, and study the guide for what's coming up in the next couple weeks.
Date: 2016-03-24
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

While it is nice to be in town, it is an expensive venture. I don't want to think about how quickly it adds up! I had a thought that you come to town to eat so you can sustain your body to hike, buy more crappy dry camp food to last enough days to get to the next town so you can eat to sustain your body to hike... repeat, repeat, repeat all the way to Maine. You get the idea. Is this trip about hiking or eating? That is the question. I've been here for 24 hours now. I've seen the group of people just a day ahead of me head out and now there appears to be a large group of other hikers coming in from behind that I don't know. It looks like there are a lot of them. On the trail though I don't see all that many people during the day. The volume of people always leads me to think about pressure on campsites. The key to it all may be to avoid towns!They're is a lot of talk about trail families. It is clear that many of the mid/late adolescent hikers group in this way. I feel as if I am a trail orphan. I have gotten to know alot of hikers in the same "bubble" and all are very nice people. I have tended to walk my own speed which has led me to walk mostly alone. I'm not sure if I should slow down and be more social on the trail or save the social time for camp at night. It is difficult for me to slow down. I seem to keep waiting for a contemporary of mine to show up who hikes at a similar pace so I can have a hiking partner. I do not know if this will happen. Sometimes I think this could do me in on the trail. Other times I am content to travel solo. Is this a parallel for life? When I planned all of this I never thought past Hot Springs. Well here I am. Tomorrow I will step out into more unknown. Oddly it will look the same. Hardwood forests, tall fir trees, a view into a valley now and again. I like the fresh air, the powerful feeling of steadily walking up a long hill, and the easy cruise once I attain another Ridgeline. I'm hoping that new shoes will solve my foot issues which is currently my only physical complaint. Time will tell. Life on the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2016-03-25
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: light rain

Back in October of 1984, I began a six month stint as the winter caretaker at the AMC Carter Notch Hut in the White mountains of New Hampshire. I was a highly social guy who was headed into a scenario where I would go days without seeing other people. It was a hard adjustment to get used to this. Ask yourself when was the last time you went 24 hours without seeing another human being. I bet for many of you it would be years. I did become accustomed to the solo life in time. However, I remember the melancholy I would feel when I knew that the guests would be leaving and I would once again be alone. Leaving town after a zero day seems to invoke a similar feeling in me. Like in the caretaking days however, it would usually take about a half an hour and I was back in the groove. Leaving Hot Springs today was no different. It didn't take long before the hiking groove kicked in and trail life resumed.I felt good hiking today. Some hikers day that b you should take it easy after a zero day. I think i am of the mind that after five good meals, I'm gassed up and ready to go. That certainly priced to be the case today. The miles b passed quickly whether they were up or down. I ran across One Feather, Thor, and Mantis around 2 pm at a shelter 11 miles from town. I hiked with them for a short while. They opted to camp around 3pm. I continued on and arrived at Little Laurel around 6:00 where I found Pigpen and Seam, two other hikers I met back around Tray mtn in Georgia. They had collected some wood and had eaten dinner early so I was treated to a nice fire while I cooked. It was a pleasure to talk with them about life's challenges, hopes and dreams, and spirituality. There are only the three of us here tonight. Certainly the smallest overnight group I have been a part of on the whole trip! The new shoes felt great today. Cooler, lighter, and more comfortable by days end. The dirty girl gaiters that my nephew Rowan gave me for Christmas add a necessary splash of color to my men in black hiking clothes. They also did a great job keeping stuff out of my shoes. My only complaint today was some muscle pain around my knee. I wonder if v this b is related to eliminating the superfeet insoles and sticking with the stock insert? I probably should not have walked so far today. I hope I am not developing some problem.
Date: 2016-03-26
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 21.9
Weather: scattered clouds

I think I did a bad thing going so far today. I'm hoping I don't pay tomorrow in knee pain! A pleasant day of hiking including some views from one peak. I didn't see a single thru hiker from the time I left the shelter in the morning until I reached the shelter this evening. In fact I only saw three groups of people all day. I was going to camp solo tonight but decided to push on to this shelter so I wasnt alone and in hopes of getting a place inside. While I arrived late, there was room in the shelter for me and a pleasant greeting from several folks I've seen off and on along the way including Large, White Rabbit, Skittle, Santa and Wonder, and a couple section hikers. Short entry tonight. It's well after hiker midnight!
Date: 2016-03-27
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: No Business Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Well the miles seem to be flying by. Once again I told myself I wouldn't do a 20 mile day but I did. I felt pretty good this morning after yesterdays long day and a slow start, coupled with limited camping options,  and the threat of rain, led me into this shelter around 6pm. This morning I hiked with Large for awhile which was pleasant. He is nursing a sore ankle so we didnt spend the whole day together as I plodded on at my anti-social pace. The day featured clouds both in the morning when I woke up at the shelter and also along the way before lunch. We climbed up and over Big Bald at 5400 feet.  When I was at the summit,  the sun tried very hard to come through. By afternoon the cloud deck had lifted and broken up somewhat so the potential for rain diminished. I chose to sleep in the shelter again tonight as the forecast is still for wet. This afternoon I hiked through an area that appeared to have been burnt over some time ago. Alot of standing dead trees with fire scar and alot of dead fallen trees.Tomorrow I will go into Erwin, TN for a resupply. I had carried four days of food for this stint but due to my higher mileage days I've done it in three. I am very excited to stay at the Super 8 where I can do fabulous things like be dry, take a shower or two, watch TV, and best of all have WiFi and hopefully AT&T! Yes,  I am easily amused these days. I was thinking today that I have been away from home almost a month. Four more days and that will be the case. Five more and I will have been on the trail for a month. I will be intetested to see where I am mileage wise on that day.  Today I figured out that I would have to hike 440 miles a month to finish by the end of July which is my goal. Based on my progress over the past couple days I am hopeful that I can make up for the time spent getting my body used to hiking through lower mileage days early on. While I'm sure I can, I must remember  that the temperatures and humidity will increase as well.  As always I appreciate cooler weather!
Date: 2016-03-28
From: No Business Knob Shelter 

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 6.2
Weather: few clouds

Today was my first nero day. That's a day when you hike less than 10 miles. While I arrived on Erwin by 10:30am, I opted to spend the night and have a leisurely resupply day. This town is very spread out so not so easy for the foot traveler. The trail hits the road right at Uncle Johnny's Hostel and they work very hard to have you stay. While I opted for the regular motel tonight, they have been very helpful with rides in and out of town. I was able to wash a few clothes in the sink, get some more food, eat a couple meals, and should be ready to head out tomorrow again. Tomorrow I will begin a section that I actually did back when I was fifteen years old. That summer I had big plans for a 900 mile section hike that I gave up on after only 110. Interestingly, back then, the trail distance from Erwin to Damascus , VA was 110 miles. Now it is 125. Go figure. Tonight I ate at a BBQ place called the Hawg and Dawg. I went with Santa, Wonder, Cocoa, Butter, and AK. A few hikers around here have gotten sick. Presumably with the norovirus. Shortly after I arrived here, Jensen, ex Weatherman, now Renaissance man, showed up and sadly he too is sick. I fear I'm staying at the noro inn. Lots of hand washing for me! I've had a chance to catch up with some of the folks back home including family, LG, and my friend Mark who is doing my job in my absence. Sounds like most is well back home. Back to the trail tomorrow. Town is so easy. Water at the tap with no need for treatment, flush toilets, toilet seats, and food that doesn't come in a bag. Amazing how much you appreciate the convenience after doing without. Next challenge,figure out how to watch the NC Syracuse game on Saturday night. Who'd have thought a 10 seed would be in the final four. Sorry Saw but my money is on Carolina!
Date: 2016-03-29
From: Erwin, TN

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: clear sky

As mentioned in my last entry, when I was 15, I did a section of the AT from Erwin to Damascus. That summer I met up with Ron Filadelfo who I had met the previous summer hiking in the White Mtns. Ron was on my mind as I hiked into Erwin yesterday so I googled his name and quickly found him. I sent him an email and heard back from him this morning. In fact, he called me and we talked for a bit. What a blast from the past and how cool to catch up after nearly 40 years! We shared some memories and also some updates on our lives. Ron shared that he never returned to the AT but thought it was great that I had.Needing a ride back to the trail from the uncle Johnny team, I didn't get going today until probably 10:30. It was a beautiful day, cool, dry air and sunny skies. I saw Magic at lunch and he said wouldn't it be great if there was trail magic in Indian Grave Gap. I pointed out that it was a Tuesday and that it was unlikely. He had a wicked smile on his face when I arrived there and sure enough, there was a local, Brother Tom, sharing fruit, sweet tea and brownies! More than happy to be proved wrong on that one. Now I know why he is called Magic. After spending a little while with Tom, I soon caught up with Magic and Large and we hiked the rest of the afternoon together. Magic is a very interesting young man from Ohio. He is a member of a farming family and is very committed to maintaining the family business. If we finish together we've decided to go to the coast of Maine and eat lobster. He's never been there and I said I'd take him to a lobster pier.Tomorrow is supposed to be another nice day supposedly followed by some heavy rain. Time will tell. If all goes well, we will summit Roan Mtn tomorrow, the last 6000 foot peak until we reach New Hampshire. I am enjoying hiking and camping with Large, his daughter White Rabbit and Magic. It is pleasant company and while our paces aren't exactly the same, we like to cover similar mileage over the course of the day. I would like to stick with them for awhile.
Date: 2016-03-30
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: clear sky

As I write this, it is very windy, there is what sounds like significant weather coming in, and we are at almost 6200 feet. This shelter is the highest shelter on the entire trail. While I considered going 7.4 miles more to a better shelter at a lower elevation, it was too much to do after the 17 some miles we did to get here. Last night was a very relaxing night in camp. Tonight not so with the wind and lack of picnic table. There are seven people here tonite. 5 thru hikers and two section hikers.Today Magic, Rabbit, and I came across a little buck in the trail. He just looked at us and slowly moved up the trail. He paced us for almost 200 yards before taking off. It was fun! The days hike was fine ending with a 2000 plus foot climb of Roan Mtn. We will cross a bald ridge tomorrow for awhile before descending to lower elevations. I am hopeful that there will be no lightning which is in the forecast. Early to bed tonight.
Date: 2016-03-31
From: Roan High Knob Shelter

To: Rte 19, Newland, NC
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: overcast clouds

The night at Roan high knob was drafty and cold. Having to get out of the loft on the middle of the night was no fun either. The good part was that it didn't really rain. I left before anyone else because I was ready earlier. Once I'm ready, I hate to stand around in the cold. Movement is warmth. This morning it was the only warmth to be found. I descended Roan mtn and transitioned on to a bald ridge which included Jane Bald, and Hump mountain. Balds in the south are like being above treeline in the north. Today the temperatures were in the 40s and the wind was gusting near 50 miles an hour. They're were many times when I lost my footing as a result of gusting winds. It was both exhilarating and anxiety producing. We had considered laying up at the Overmountain shelter only seven miles ahead. By the time I had covered 5, I didn't think the weather bad enough to need to stop hiking at 11 am so I pushed on with the thought of making decent miles by staying at a hostel when the trail crossed Rte 19. About three miles out I was able to call only to find out they had no room. With the next shelter 10 miles further, and not wanting to tent in potential severe thunderstorms, I wound up at a motel in nearby Newland, NC. While far from my first choice it allowed me to eat some real food and get a couple more days worth of trail food. I should hopefully be able to make it to Virginia with what I now have. Tomorrow will mark the end of my first month on the trail. Frankly I can't believe it has gone so fast. My cousin Sherrie asks what has the trail taught me or have I gained any woods wisdom? At this point I don't really have a good answer. I'll conjure on that as I hike in the next couple days I guess. The only thing I might say now is that have greater confidence in my ability to actually complete this hike. Every time I talk to my son Sawyer, he says to me "you're doing it Dad". Today I admitted to myself that he is right. Tomorrow I will cross the 400 mile mark. While my ultimate goal is to complete the whole trail (and I will!), I feel surprise and awe that I have backpacked this far! I am proud of myself and everyone else who has undertaken this adventure and is meeting with this kind of success!