morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-04-29
From: Hampton, Tenn.

To: View Entry
Miles today: 151.1
Weather: light rain

Out of the mountains and into town. Have been rained on for several days and blown down off my feet with high winds. Lots of great views and interesting things happened. My gear is wearing out. Shoes are so worn I'm slipping on rocks and mud big time. Rain jacket is torn and backpack is coming apart. I've stopped in Hampton and my good friend Ken has moved on. I'll stay several days here then ride the grey dog to Wash, DC to visit my son and help crew for his 50 mile run. So that's it till another day.
Date: 2014-03-16
From: Springer Mountain

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

Today was the first day in a great new adventure! My dad and I drove down from Indiana with my mom, twin sister, her friend, and two cats and stayed overnight in Ellijay, GA. Even though we delayed our start on Sunday to hopefully avoid the rain, our adventure was meant to start in a fashion suitable for the AT! After driving the rugged forest road up to the parking lot near Springer, my dad and I walked with my sister and a family friend Peter Bonsavage to Springer and back. Peter hiked the trail before and gave us some great advice on the walk. Upon returning to the parking lot, we suited up and said our goodbyes. It was hard initially to leave everyone behind, but both my dad and I are set on reaching Katahdin with their support. The first miles were relatively uneventful...just lots of rain! It rained all day but luckily we were able to keep most of our gear dry. Several miles into the trail we chose our trail names. I chose Indiana Jones because I am from Indiana on the adventure of a lifetime with an Indiana Jones-esque hat. Dad chose Big Dawg since he is the top dog in our family. After several hours we made it to Hawk Mountain Shelter and got ready to set up. We recently switched from tent camping to hammock camping, so it was an interesting experience setting it up in the rain! Before sleeping, we met Oconee and Grey Ghost from Georgia. Oconee is a former Scoutmaster and avid hiker. Grey Ghost recently retired and thru-hiking for the first time. We also briefly met Dallas and Shorts from Grand Rapids, MI. With everything set up and dinner eaten, we turned in early for the next day of our adventure!
Date: 2014-03-17
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Wolfpen Country Store via Woody Gap
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up to rain this morning. Had to pack up the hammock gear in the rain and some of it got wet. It took a lot longer to pack up because of the rain, so we got a later start around 10:30. Today we climbed some of the first big mountains on the trail...we did not see any views, but we survived the tough climbs! We walked the whole day in a rain/misty fog. We arrived at our original stopping location Gooch Gap and did not find a lot of sheltered spots for the hammocks. Along the trail we met the AT Ridgerunner for Georgia and his wife. The ridgerunner's name is Razor. We continued to Woody Gap and were lucky enough to stay at the Wolfpen Gap Country Store Hostel - a little hostel above a gas station store in Suches, GA. We were able to hang everything up and get it dried out! At the hostel we met Dallas and Shorts again along with two new hikers Victor and John. John is from Jacksonville, FL and Victor decided to do the trail after visiting in Georgia and Texas. Tomorrow we head out for Neels Gap and will be going over Blood Mountain...hopefully it will not rain tomorrow!
Date: 2014-03-18
From: Woody Gap

To: Neels Gap - Blood Mountain Cabins
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Another rainy and foggy day! It started out somewhat nice when we arrived back at Woody Gap with John, Dallas, and Shorts but it quickly returned to the rainy drizzle. We hiked on and unfortunately missed some views because of the fog. The plan we have in place to get done before August 25th does not leave a lot of time for extra down days, so we will just have to find other views further up the trail. Eventually we reached the base of Blood Mountain and I am not sure which was worst - the climb up or the climb down! Both were pretty rugged and steep, but we made it through both of them. We were teased with nice weather near the top of the mountain but it was not meant to be - it clouded up and no views for us . We finished the day at our planned stop in Neels Gap but there was no room at the hostel. Luckily we were able to stay nearby at Blood Mountain Cabins with John. The cabins were pretty sweet - we stayed in Wild Boar Cabin. Mountain Crossings had everything you could imagine and we met some cool people up there. So far the trail life has been great...although it has rained every day so far, we have met many interesting people with diverse and unique stories! Everyone has been friendly on the trail as well!
Date: 2014-03-19
From: Neels Gap

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

We checked out from the cabin and got an early start on the trail. John left slightly before us and we caught him at the top at Levelland Mountain. It was still rainy and foggy so we did not get to see any views. John had to leave the trail because of pain in his neck - he has already had two surgeries so he did not want to injure it again. He will be missed on the trail. We had a big climb before Hogpen Gap where we met Sir Packs-A-Lot. He is the co-owner of a new hostel near Dick's Creek Gap called Top of Georgia Hostel. After we reached Hogpen Gap the rain and mist cleared up - WE COULD FINALLY SEE SOME VIEWS! We continued on the trail until Low Gap Shelter and we were able to set up the hammocks in dry weather and get a fire going. We went down to the shelter and listened to all the interesting stories people had to offer. The shelters are a great place to meet all sorts of people coming from a variety of backgrounds! Before going to sleep we met Kevin from Ohio State who setup his hammock near ours and Dallas and Shorts arrived at the shelter later that evening. Overall it was a great day on the trail after the rain cleared up.
Date: 2014-03-20
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

Today was a beautiful and sunny all day today! It was great for our first 15+ mile day with three climbs over 4000 feet. It was also the first time we experienced Trail Magic! Before the last two big mountains we stopped at Unicoi Gap where the Oak Grove Baptist Church group was giving out hamburgers, snacks, and sodas during their Spring Break. They had just run out hamburgers but we got some snacks and a soda and talked with other thru-hikers enjoying the magic. The climb out of Unicoi Gap was steep and rugged and we found our last trail magic before going up Tray Mountain. Albert Sims from Hiawassee was giving out drinks and food before the last climb to the shelter. The energy boost was necessary to finish that last big climb. On the tops of the mountain we had beautiful views because of the sunny day! We met several new hikers today. Peppa is from New Hampshire and is planning to finish the trail at about the same time as us. Buffalo and his mom are thru-hiking and he just hiked the PCT last year. Victor from Wolfpen Gap was at the shelter with some Germans. We went to bed in the hammocks and prepared for the next day.
Date: 2014-03-21
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Budget Inn - Hiawassee, GA via Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

We woke up early to watch the sunrise from Tray Mountain...it was an amazing view to behold in the midst of all of nature's beauty! We packed up as soon as the wind died down and hiked several miles before eating breakfast. This plan worked well for us and would be useful for longer days on the trail.After eating breakfast, we had to climb up Kelly Knob - that climb was ridiculously steep! We had to take some breaks going up it, but we made it to the top and met Black Horse along the way. He is hiking back to his home town in Maine! After Kelly Knob, the hike into Dick's Creek Gap was not too bad. We saw Peppa at the gap, but she moved on to the next shelter. We picked up a ride with the Georgia Ridgerunner and stayed at Haven's Budget Inn. The hotel was a good place to stay to get off the trail and resupply and rest. In town, we met up with several previous thru-hikers including Kevin! We ate at Georgia Mountain Restaurant and the food was pretty good after being on the trail for three days. After resupplying getting some gear dry, we watched the weather to make sure we had an out in case of bad cold weather. Next town stop: Franklin, NC!
Date: 2014-03-22
From: Dick's Creek Gap

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

Today we met many new thru-hikers! Upon returning to Dick's Creek Gap, we met hikers coming in from Budget Inn, Blueberry Patch, and Top of Georgia. We met RP and Mio from Maryland and Dusty and Shroomer from San Francisco. Shroomer has done both the Continental Divide Trail and the Pacific Crest Trail, so he was very knowledgeable about hiking long distances! We met Pyro and Fritzfrom Germany - they had not met each other before the trip. We met Tatiana and Wildlife. Tatiana is from North Carolina and met up with wildlife who is from Sweden. A lot of thru-hikers hike by themselves, even coming from Europe by alone! Many people feel comfortable with all the individuals that they will meet on the trail. Everyone is so welcoming and friendly on the trail! We met Wet Dog who has hiked the AT twice - he is the first person i met who has completed this feat, and his love of the trail is impressive and inspiring. I am also inspired to hike the PCT and the CDT after talking with Shroomer. Today was a great hiking day - it was sunny and warm all day with great views. The climb out of Georgia today was tough - it said goodbye with some big climbs. North Carolina welcomed us with a big hello with the climb out of Bly Gap - this was the toughest climb of the hike so far! After setting up the hammocks and camp and chilling around the shelter, Wet Dog showed us some great views off of Raven Rock and a side trail to a small plane wreck on the mountain. The views were beautiful and it was interesting to look through the airplane wreckage. After playing Hearts in the shelter, we turned in for the night for the next day.
Date: 2014-03-23
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: overcast clouds

With impending rain in the forecast, we woke up early to pack everything up while it was dry. We almost had all the gear packed and under the shelter before the rain started. After eating and getting water, we were some of the last people to leave the shelter. We did most of the hiking in the rain, including the big climb up Standing Indian Mountain. Although it goes to a high elevation, the climb up the mountain was not that bad. We met Tatiana and Wildlife at the top and then continued down the mountain until we found a nice little spot to eat lunch. The rest of the hike was uneventful and we decided to sleep in the shelter that night since we had a long hike to Winding Stair Gap. We stayed in the shelter with Grey Ghost, Rob, Tortoise, and her dad. Many of the same hikers from the previous shelter stayed at Carter Gap shelter. Mio, RP, Dusty, Jason, and Shroomer moved on ahead. Without the setup, it did not take long to eat and relax around the campfire. Two guys from Alabama were on Spring Break and were hammock camping. We talked about basketball and many other topics around the fire and then turned in for the long haul tomorrow.
Date: 2014-03-24
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Budget Inn - Franklin, NC via Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 15.9

We passed the 100 mile mark today! A big accomplishment on the trail that is getting us closer to our goal of Mt. Katahdin. We have managed to keep on schedule and on pace for our finish goal of mid August. We woke up and left the shelter early to make good time on the trail. Our shelter stay was mostly successful with some snoring and mostly comfortable with only the hammock gear for padding. I started letting Big Dawg lead the hikes so our stops are more common and consistent when he needs them. After hiking for some time we stopped at a gap to get water and breakfast. We met RP, Mio, and Jason in the gap along with six girls from Michigan on break. Today we had to climb up Albert Mountain - the climb was very steep, but I did not have to scramble at any point up the hill. Once on top of the mountain, we had some great views from the firetower...unfortunately the tower was locked so I could not get all the way in it.From Albert we went all the way down to Rock Gap where we were going to eat lunch. However, our third case of trail magic occurred when we met Tabasco and his dog Max from Asheville. He provided hot dogs, chips, soda, cookies, and good conversation. He is going up to New York to finish the trail up to Katahdin. At Rock Gap we met Knafles and her dog Champ and walked with them to Winding Stair Gap. We were picked up and taken to the Budget Inn by the owner of the Sapphire Inn. From his suggestion, we ate at Mi Casa in town and had a lot of delicious Mexican food - the portions were large! The Budget Inn was an ok place to stay and get off the trail under some shelter. The rooms were a little run down and several things were not working, but for a single night off the trail it was not too bad. After dinner we made changes to the hiking plans to accommodate cold weather on Tuesday. We tested the hammocks to low temperatures but the forecast was lower than we had tested to. The new plan puts us in Aquone Hiker Lodge tomorrow but still gets us to Fontana Dam in the same time. Trail life has been great to us so far! Interesting and nice people, beautiful views and plenty of stories go bring back home with us. Glad to be hiking with my dad.
Date: 2014-03-25
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Aquone Hiker Lodge via Wayah Gap
Miles today: 5.9
Weather: broken clouds

We started the day off right with an early morning pancake breakfast at the First Baptist Church in Franklin! They pick up thru-hikers from the different hotel locations and feed them pancakes, bacon, coffee, OJ, and hot chocolate. You can eat as much as you want and it was delicious! They will also take your picture and print it out for you on-site. They give you envelopes to mail the pictures and they will mail them for you. The church provides this great service during the peak thru-hiker season in March and April. Stop by if you get a chance!After that we walked around town looking for a hat pin with no success. We picked up the 11 am shuttle with Ron Haven back out to the trail and were met with good stories and snow in the mountains! He dropped us off and we began an adventure walking in the snow. The snow in the mountains was beautiful but it was quite chilly higher up. We met another Indy on the trail today! He had a pretty legit Indiana Jones hat, so the name fit. We also met a thru-hiker who was leaving gifts of candy along the trail - I picked up a sucker! Further up the climb it started snowing pretty hard so Big Dawg and I were pushing to get down the mountain and to keep our hands warm! We arrived at the first pickup point for the Aquone Hiker Lodge and we waited with Barnacles and Superfeet for Wiggy to come pick us up. Wiggy is from Manchester, England and hiked the trail in 2010 and set up a beautiful hiker lodge that he runs with his wife Maggie. He hand-built all aspects of the cabin and his workmanship is outstanding. They got us settled into the lodge and got our gear hanging up to dry while they provided us fresh clothes to wear on-site. The showers are awesome and the food is outstanding! Maggie cooked a chicken and gravy dinner with cheese potato soup. Throughout the day we had several thru-hikers at the cabin including Longbow, Malibu, All Day, Emcee, and a couple others. There was also a section hiker from Fort Wayne Indiana who is an avid hammocker - got some great tips from him. After dinner we settled in, had some snacks, watched TV and played Scrabble and life till it was time to go to bed. It was a great day to hop of the trail and avoid a really cold night that may have been beyond the limit of our gear. If you can stop at this place for an overnight stay!
Date: 2014-03-26
From: Wayah Gap

To: Aquone Hiker Lodge via Tellico Gap
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

After a great night's sleep and a good breakfast from Maggie, Big Dawg and I returned to Wayah Gap planning to hike to Cold Spring Shelter. It was a chilly start to the morning but it warmed up nicely throughout the day. We were the first hikers on the trail from Wayah Gap to Wayah Bald, so we were the first footprints of the day! We had some tough spots going up but we made it to the top without incident. Along the way we saw signs of a bear from the previous night - footprints and dig marks where he was looking for grubs and roots. It was cool to see and luckily the bear was not near! At Wayah Bald we had beautiful views of Albert Mtn and the places we will hike later. It was a great sunny day to be out! Heading to Burnington Gap we would find random groupings of candy from the thru-hiker we met yesterday. The free candy lifted my spirits and energy! We ate lunch at the gap then continued to Cold Spring Shelter. No one was staying in the shelter but we looked for hammock camping nearby but did not find a lot of firewood. Since it was still early and it was supposed to be cold, we moved to the next campsite looking for trees and firewood. We went to Rocky Bald but the sites were not as hammock friendly since it was small scrub trees. Since we were close we hiked to Tellico Gap and went back to the Aquone Hiker Lodge. While we waited for a ride we received some trail magic in the form of beer and cookies! We returned to the lodge and met Emcee and Pops again. We cooked some dinner and chilled the rest of the evening.
Date: 2014-03-27
From: Tellico Gap

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC)
Miles today: 8.1

Got another early start to the day so we could resupply at the NOC. We left Emcee, Marshall, Pops, Wiggy, and Maggie at the lodge and started from Tellico Gap. It was a bit chilly in the morning, but it warmed up pretty well during the day. On the way up Wesser Bald we met Tyler (Blue Deer) and his friend coming down the mountain. They were the trail angels from yesterday at Tellico Gap. At the top of Wesser Bald we had some great views of the mountains from the Wesser Observation Tower.The downhill climb to the NOC was tough and treacherous near the beginning! We were within the first people on that section of the trail and it was on the back side of the mountain so the snow and ice had not melted yet. The footing was dangerous but we both made it down without falling or injury. After a few miles the trail cleared up and the hike became easier. When we first arrived at the NOC, we immediately met Rob and Wet Dog by the outfitter. They were taking a zero day at the NOC before heading out tomorrow. We checked into a room in cabin D for the night and dropped off our gear. We found out later that the hostel has private two person rooms near the main bunkroom for the same price as the bunks. We would have done this instead of the cabin if we had known - we just wanted to avoid snoring from tired hikers!After settling in, we returned to the outfitter to pick up our bounce box. We saw Grey Ghost near the general store and chatted for a little bit. The outfitter did not have our box since it was not shipped by the Budget Inn in time - be careful with bounce box timing! We walked a little over a mile to a gas station store to resupply - it did not have the largest selection but it was enough to get us to Fontana.We met Can't Stop near our cabin. He hiked SOBO in 2010. He gave us some good advice about the trail and taking "nearo" days - staying in a shelter near town to resupply but avoid hotel stays. We then went to dinner at the River's End Restaurant. We ate with RP, Mio, Jason, Grey Ghost, Jerry, Rob, Wet Dog, Barnacles, Superfeet, and Solo and had some great food and great conversations. It was nice to be around friends that we met along the trail! We also saw Brian (Night Train) from Fort Wayne when we left the restaurant. The hamburgers are excellent - you should get one when you go!The good food and familiar faces made today an awesome day! We are preparing for a long hike tomorrow in rainy weather and a huge climb out of the NOC - let's do it!
Date: 2014-03-28
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC)

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: moderate rain

Today was one of the roughest days on the AT so far! We hiked 15.9 miles, mostly uphill in bad weather. Even though we had an early start from the NOC, we had 8+ miles of steep uphill before we had the first big downhill. The climbs today were very steep and it was a huge relief when we finally arrived at Brown Fork Gap Shelter - after hiking 10 hours today. At the beginning of the day, we passed Rob and Wet Dog on the climb up to Sassafras Gap Shelter and then later again after they stopped at Locust Cove Gap to camp. At Sassafras Gap Shelter we met up with RP, Mio, and Marshall when we stopped to eat lunch. After that we did not see many people on the trail until Stecoah Gap. The climb up Cheoah Bald was rough and we missed the great view at the top...we will have to catch it during nicer weather, we heard it was a fantastic view.At Stecoah Gap, we met Grey Ghost's friends who were providing trail magic. Whitewater and Video thru-hiked in 2012 and were giving back to the trail. Whitewater is also planning to hike the PCT this year. Both them and their wives provided delicious food - soda, hamburgers, pudding, chips, fruit, cookies, and cinnamon rolls. The trail magic was a great place to meet new thru-hikers and catch up with some old friends. We saw Mio, RP, Marshall, and Peppa while meeting Grizz and Blondie. The food and fellowship was much needed in our final push to the shelter and Jacobs Ladder...it was a rough final climb!Overall it was a very tough day on Big Dawg - the big climbs took it out of him and was hard on his legs. He made it through and is ready for tomorrow!
Date: 2014-03-29
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Village via NC 28
Miles today: 11.6

We woke up to rain in the morning but we packed up our stuff quickly and hiked on. It was mostly an uneventful hike in the rain and fog and we did not see many people. We stopped at Cable Gap Shelter and Rock and Moto (Jason) stopped as well. We climbed up the last big climbs and went down into Fontana Dam. It was a steep climb down and Grey Ghost passed us on the way down - he was shooting to meet his wife at Fontana Village. It was a slippery climb down, but we managed to stay upright and uninjured. Right before we reached the pickup point, the sky opened up and we got drenched. We got to the pickup point and saw RP, Mio, and Grey Ghost getting a ride into town. RP waited for Moto and we rode into town with Grey Ghost. Before we left, two thru-hikers pulled up and asked if we had seen a kid running away called Dionisus. He was a fake thru-hiker who was stealing gear and food boxes on the trail while being a dick to people and doing crazy drugs. Since there was only one road out of Fontana Village, he was captured at the gas station trying to get out of town. He was arrested and good riddance to him!We went into town and got all of out gear dry in the room. We did our laundry and resupplied in the general store. Many thru-hikers were in the store and laundromat so it was great chatting with everyone. We ran into another hiker bubble in front of us so it was great to meet some new people. Peppa and Grizz went to the Fontana Hilton Shelter while Rock, RP, Mio, Marshall, and Marshmellow stayed in town. We had a great lunch with RP, Mio, Marshall, Moto, and Marshmellow and had great conversations over a great meal. Since some were taking a zero the next day, it was good to see some people we will not see for a couple of days.I am glad we started when we did since we have met a great group of thru-hikers and it will be good to see them later on!