morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-03-21
From: Davenport Gap Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm Hostel
Miles today: 3.6
Weather: broken clouds

Made my last mile out of the Smokies today, and an additional 3 miles to Standing Bear Hostel. While here, I got to shower, do my laundry, eat a pizza, and drink a Pabst Blue Ribbon Beer. The PBR was absolutely no better than I remembered it to be.For about $20, I get to sleep in a bunk room with about 15 others, take a scalding hot, to suddenly bone numbing cold, and then back to scalding hot shower, and scrub my filthy clothes on an old-fashioned wash board. (Soap is 50 cents extra). Believe it or not, it was all great!As I came out of the Smokies this morning, I came to one little last hill. Just as I crested it, my sense of sight was assaulted by a high-voltage power line, and the noise of rushing traffic on the interstate bludgeoned my ears. The sudden change from the serenity I had enjoyed in the Smokies was almost overpowering. And then, just as suddenly, I dropped back into a little hollow where a rushing stream and beautiful little waterfalls blocked out the brash sounds of civilization. I knew the sights and sounds of rushing traffic would return in just a few steps, but this final reprieve is just what I needed to make the mental adjustment.My picture today is a picture of something I saw on the trail just about a mile short of my destination. I don't know who this person is, but it just touched my soul that his family did this for him.Tonight, I'm safe, I'm warm, and I'm dry. I'm enjoying a freshly heated $10 frozen pizza and a Fat Tire Beer for dinner...no more PBR for me. Cheers and goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-03-22
From: Standing Bear Farm Hostel

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: moderate rain

I left Standing Bear Hostel this morning at about 7:30am and ended the day 15.2 miles later at Roaring Fork Shelter. It was a long but exciting day of hiking and I managed to only get lost twice. Overall, the trail is very well marked, but every now and then, it can be confusing. My first mistake this morning was caused by me not watching where I was headed and I took a left at a Y when I should have turned right. I caught the mistake within a couple of hundred yards and it only cost me a few minutes. The second time was near the end of the day. The AT made a hard left and the blazes were hidden by leaves. I continued down the trail I was on for about a half-mile before I realized something was wrong. When I finally reach this shelter, all three of the people here told me they had done the same thing. About an hour after I had arrived, another hiker who had passed me earlier in the day arrived. He told us he had continued down the wrong trail for more than two miles before finally turning back. Those extra miles don't count.I stopped for lunch today on a hillside in the sunshine just after 12:00.   After eating, just as I was restarting to hike, a young man came up the trail and asked me, "Can I pass you? I don't want to be slowed down". Now, I know I'm a lot older than most of the young people hiking the trail but I'm not dead yet, and his comment kind of struck me the wrong way. But, I let him pass and he went on over the crest of the hill.I finished tightening and tucking straps and continued my hike. As I crested the hill, I saw the young man about 75 yards in front of me and thought "he's really not moving that quickly, I'm headed downhill, I bet I can pass him."I took off after the guy hoping to catch up before he noticed me. But, when I was about 50 feet behind him, he glanced back and saw me. The look of shock on his face was priceless when he saw he was about to be overtaken by an old man and he started to speed down the hill. Well, I may be old but I also must have outweighed the kid by at least 50 lbs--going downhill I had gravity on my side. With each step, I gained a few inches. The young man kept glancing back and I could see the panic begin to grow in his face. I was like the Grimm Reaper, relentless in my pursuit. The sound of my feet striking the ground behind him ever nearer, ever louder, like Poe's ¢Tell-Tale Heart¢.In front of us was another small hill, my weakness. I had to pass him soon or it would never happen. And then I saw it. His shoulders slumped! He stepped off the side of the trail and I passed him. The look of defeat, despair, even respect, was visible on his face as I passed by. I made it about half way up the hill before I stepped off to the side. As he got near me I said to him "Go ahead son, I'm going to wait here for someone."I managed to remain upright until he passed over the crest of the hill. And then, even laying on the side of the trail, my lungs heaving, retching, victory was sweet! Tonight, I'm safe, warm, and dry in my tent. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-03-23
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Deer Park Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

Today, I made just over 14 miles and for the first time during my adventure, I wasn't totally exhausted when I reached my campsite. I even considered moving on, but I'm meeting my wife tomorrow in Hot Springs and am going to take a Nero and a Zero.I can hardly believe that as of tomorrow, I will have been on the trail for a month. I'm just as excited today as I was on my first day. I lost one of my shirts. I must have left it at Standing Bear. We try very hard to keep our packs as light as possible.   This means we carry the absolute minimum of what we need. Losing a shirt cut my wardrobe in half. Luckily, I can replace it tomorrow in town and the only consequence is I might smell a little worse. But other items, such as my lighter or my sleeping bag, are essential to my safety and well-being. Try to do better than I did, safeguard your equipment.Tonight, I'm tenting about 3 miles from my first trail town! I'm safe, warm and dry. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-03-24
From: Deer Park Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs NC
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: clear sky

Last night was probably my best nights sleep on the trail. The weather was perfect, just cold enough that my 15° sleeping bag was neither too hot or too cold. I woke at 6:30, tore down camp, and quickly hiked the three miles into Hot Springs. From about a mile up, the trail (probably less than half that as a crow flies), I could hear the dogs in town barking and it might have just been my imagination, but I think I caught the aroma of fresh hot coffee and the tantalizing scent of bacon and eggs sizzling in the local diner.Upon entering town, my first stop was the diner. The breakfast skillet met all my expectations and more. As I entered the diner, I met three of the young folks I've been hiking with the last few days. They might be able to hike faster than me, but once it came to consuming mass quantities of food, they didn't stand a chance.I finished breakfast, said goodbye to my hiking friends and made my way down the main Street to the Iron Horse Station Hotel and managed to check into the room my wife had reserved for us. I dumped my dirty clothes and my trash, hopped in the shower and just managed to clean up before my wife arrived. The rest of the day has been a happy blur. It is so nice to see her after a month apart.Tomorrow, I'll spend the day cleaning equipment and resupplying for the next leg of the trip but mostly just enjoying time with my dear wife.Rest assured, tonight I'm safe, warm, and dry. I'm having a cold local craft beer in a small town bar and then my wife and I are going to enjoy a nice dinner and listen to a local band before retiring for the evening. I hope your evening ends up being as pleasant as mine. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-03-25
From: Hot Springs NC

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

Spent a incredible day with my wife doing almost nothing but relaxing (and eating). It was wonderful. It's going to be hard to leave again but we plan to meet up once a month though. I did purchase my resupply for my next leg of my journey and cleaned and repacked my gear. I also purchased an inflatable pillow. I've been using my clothing bag but it just wasn't quite enough when I would lay on my side.One of you asked about my "Spot" locator. I consider it an essential piece of equipment. Since it works off satellite, I don't need to worry about signal loss. Every evening, with just a push of a button, I can let my entire family know my location, I've reached my campsite, and am safe for the night. I'm only using the basic service. When I turn on the tracking button (which I do every day), it sends a location signal every 12 minutes to my personal page. You can elect to purchase a higher level plan if you choose but the basic service does all I need. This does not send an email to my family but they can sign in and see my last location at any time.. The device also has an SOS button, basically 911, I can activate if I or someone else is injured. There are two other buttons you can customize to send a message to whomever you choose. I've got one of these buttons programed to ask my wife to pick me up at the given coordinates and the other buttons tells her I pressed the 911 button for someone else instead of me (she gets notified if I press the 911 button and I didn't want her overly concerned if it wasn't me that was hurt).The device costs $149 but you can almost always find it at half price (check REIs webpage or Amazon). To activate the unit, you sign an annual contract. You can pay monthly or save a bit by paying for the entire year up front. I paid for the year and it cost me $149.00. My only concern is the automatic renewal of the service. You must provide at least one month¢s notice of cancellation and the unit number located in the battery compartment. This must be done in writing (I believe an email is sufficient) or they will bill your credit card for the next year. I recommend you keep the cancellation information in a safe location at home just in case the unit is lost. In the morning, my wife flies back to Texas and I head back out on the trail. The weather forecast for tomorrow night is rain but Hemlock Hollow Inn is about 16 miles down the trail. Depending on how things work out, I may spend the night there, or maybe just camp on the trail. But tonight, I'm safe, warm, and dry, and enjoying the evening with my sweetie. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-03-26
From: Hot Springs NC

To: Hemlock Hollow Inn
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: light rain

It was raining this morning when I left Hot Springs. It seemed fitting. My wife is flying home and I won't see her again for another month. It rained, was foggy, and the wind was blowing most of the morning. To me, it seems strange to have all three conditions at the same time. I would think the wind would blow the fog away or the rain would knock it down. By 11:00, the weather was starting to clear and I couldn't tell if it was still raining or if it was just dripping from the trees but by noon the sun was shining and the day became very nice. Now, at 6pm the clouds and wind are back and it looks like it might begin to rain again at any moment. Because of the forecast for tonight, and because I still felt ready to press on at the last shelter, I'm staying the night at Hemlock Hollow Inn making my total for today approximately 16.3 miles. After being damp all day, a hot shower will certainly feel nice too.I met a young lady on the trail today named Sara. She told me she had left home when she was 17 and has been hitch hiking and hopping trains for the past 5 years. I've met several people on or near the trail that I've suspected of being homeless but this is the first to confirm it. She seems healthy and happy enough, but as a father to four girls, I can't help but worry some. She was also quick to accept, and eat, a bag of mixed nuts, a granola bar, and a chocolate bar when I offered them to her.I'm not sure when I entered it but I'm currently hiking in Cherokee National Forest. So far, it looks about the same as the Smokies. I sent my micro spikes home with my wife (1 lb gone!!!). So, I'm hoping no repeats of the ice and snow.Tonight, I'm safe, dry, and warm. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-03-27
From: Hemlock Hollow Inn

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: light rain

If my math is right, I did 16.4 miles today, and a lot of it was uphill. I have a choice tomorrow to do 14.9 and camp at a primitive campsite; or continue a little further and do around 18.5 and camp near a shelter.Since I primarily tent camp, the only real difference between the two is the shelter site has a privy and bear cables to hang my food bag. I have to admit, a privy is still much better than a cat hole, but not by much.   I'm not concerned about the bear cables because I have a line and can create my own.Even though it slowed me down a little this morning, I still think the hostel last night was a good call. After settling in, it rained for about two hours straight. It was nice to start the day with dry clothing and equipment. I stayed at Hemlock Hollow Inn. It was a little off the trail but it was the nicest hostel (by far) that I have stayed in so far. The couple that owns it even invited me to dinner. I was tired and declined their offer but it was very nice of them to offer. If you're hiking the trail, I highly recommend a stop here.Today, I went over the 300-mile mark. I still have a long, long way to go but like seeing the double 0s. I think breaking the trip down into more obtainable goals, such as a hundred miles, or distances to trail towns/state borders, helps me.Sometimes on the trail, you can see for hundreds of feet. Other times, the brush is so thick you feel like you're walking through a tunnel and can only see a few feet to either side. Today, while in one of the really thick areas, I heard something crashing through the brush. About 30 feet later, I came to an area where the visibility was better and about 100 yards down the trail, on the left side, I saw it. It was just sitting there, apparently waiting for me to come out. I stopped and watched it for more than a minute and it never moved. I took a step forward, hoping it would back off, but again it seemed unfazed by my actions. I hollered at it, nothing. I moved a step or two to the left and the same to the right. Again, nothing. A few more slow, cautious steps forward and then I knew! I had just seen my first bear stump! I'm sure I will see plenty more throughout my hike. As far as the crashing through the brush; it might have been a real live bear, a deer or just a rambunctious rabbit.But tonight, I'm safe, warm, and dry and in my tent. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-03-28
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Low Gap Campsite
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: light rain

It thunder stormed most of last night but it stopped before I got up this morning. But, at about 9am, the skies opened and it rained until about two this afternoon. Despite the rain, and being wet most of the day, I managed to hike 14.9 miles. I'm currently tent camping with about 10 others at Low Gap campsite about 4 miles before the next shelter. Another 14.5 miles or so tomorrow will get me to the last shelter before Erwin, No Business Knob Shelter. Then, on Thursday morning, a 6 mile Nero will bring me to my hostel.Although I do my best to protect it, everything I have feels slightly wet after last night's storm and the rain today. I line my backpack with a trash compactor bag (about backpack sized and thicker than regular bags). My clothes, my sleeping bag, my liner, and my pillow goes inside of it. I seal it the best I can and my other gear goes on top. On rainy days, like today, I also use a pack cover. But, no matter what I do, everything still feels damp.Tomorrow is supposed to be sunny and warmer. Hopefully, everything will dry up. But, as the saying goes, "No rain, No Maine".Once again, I want to say thank you to everyone reading my posts. Your advice and support has been wonderful. If anyone has any questions regarding any aspect of my hike, please send them to me and I'll do my best to answer them.Tonight, I'm safe, I'm warm, and I'm relatively dry. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-03-29
From: Low Gap Campsite

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: broken clouds

Hiked around 14.9 miles today to "No Business" Knob Shelter. According to one of you, this area was used by moonshiners back in the 30s and anybody else had "No Business being here!¢ I liked the story and passed it on to the other hikers staying here tonight.I spent the whole day hiking with another Trail Journals hiker named "Beaker". If you haven't read his journal, you should. The weather was perfect and we spent much of the day talking as we hiked. Don't misunderstand me, I enjoy the young people on the trail, but it was really nice talking with someone near my age for a change. We plan to hike together tomorrow too and do a Nero at the hostel, resupply, laundry, and shower. I know it's only been 4 days since Hot Springs, but after the rain and mud, I'm ready to clean up.I did get to the campsite early enough tonight to string a line between some trees and hang my sleeping bag and other items in the sun to air for a while. Even though nothing had actually gotten wet in the rain, everything felt slightly damp. As I lay in my sleeping bag writing this tonight, everything feels better (smells better too).Tonight, I'm safe, warm, and dry in my tent. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-03-30
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Uncle Johnny's Hostel
Miles today: 6.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Got up this morning to another beautiful day. Beaker and I did a very quick 6.2-mile hike down the mountain and reached Uncle Johnny's Hostel just after 10 am. This gave us just enough time to check in and grab a shower before catching the shuttle to town for AYCE pizza and some resupply at the local Dollar Store. I didn't need much because my wife sent a resupply to the hostel but I did pick up some chocolate bars and Pop Tarts (I had plenty of instant oatmeal but I¢ve had all I can eat for at least a little while.)After returning from lunch, we got in line to do our laundry, one washer and one dryer, only to learn the dryer was barely heating. Beaker (God bless him), an avid bicycle enthusiast, volunteered to take a loaner bike and take our clothes to the local coin laundry. No doubt, it got done much faster than if we had waited.While he was gone, I went through my resupply and hand washed a pair of socks I had inadvertently left out of my laundry bag. Gotta have everything clean before heading out again.This evening, we caught the shuttle ride again back into town for Mexican food and a trip to Walmart. I bought some replacement batteries for my SPOT (I don't need them yet but wanted to be prepared) and Beaker finished his resupply.Tonight is supposed to be a night of severe thunderstorms with high wind advisories, a good night to be inside. Unfortunately, the storms are supposed to continue until around noon tomorrow. We're going to play it by ear. If it looks okay in the morning, we'll head out. If not, we'll catch the shuttle to breakfast and then head out as soon as it appears safe.But tonight, everything I have is clean and dry, I'm safe, warm, and filled with a good dinner. Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-03-31
From: Uncle Johnny's Hostel

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: light rain

Woke up this morning at Uncle Johnny's Hostel to rain. But, the forecast said it would be over by noon and it already looked to be slowing down. Beaker and I decided to hike and by the time we hit the trail at around 7:55, the rain had stopped. Unfortunately, it started again around 9:00 and continued most of the morning. It was never really rained hard but it lasted long enough to soak me to the skin. After lunch, the sun broke through the clouds several times for a few minutes but never long enough to totally dry me out. By the time we reached our campsite at Cherry Gap Shelter, the wind had come up, it had cooled off even more, and I was shivering.I set my tent up as quickly as possible, climbed in, and changed into dry clothes. Feeling a little better, I went over to the shelter and prepared some Mountain House Lasagna and hot instant coffee for dinner. This helped a lot, but I still haven't totally warmed up. I just crawled into my sleeping bag so I suspect it won't be long until I'm nice and toasty.Hiking with Beaker the last few days has been a real pleasure. As I said in a previous post, I really like the young people but it's nice to have someone I can relate too. He also has a great hiking pace. As a 30-year military retiree, you would think I could maintain a pace when hiking, it's not that different than marching. But I can't. I'm constantly either finding myself just moseying along or exhausting myself trying to speed back up. Beaker's pace is consistent and just a little bit faster than mine. I must work to keep up but feel like I'm already improving. Having someone interesting to talk with, certainly makes the day go by quicker.I covered 17.1 miles today, much/most of it uphill. We plan to do about the same tomorrow. Right now, we are tentatively planning to stay at Roan High Knob Shelter tomorrow night. At 6,193 feet, it is the highest shelter on the entire trail. The temperature tomorrow night in the lowlands is supposed to be around 39 degrees. When you take away 3-5 degrees for every 1,000 ft., we might be looking at around 20 degrees tomorrow night. If the wind is blowing there, like it is here tonight, it could be much colder. We'll have to play it by ear and decide as we go.Tonight, the wind is howling, it has started to rain again, and it is cold outside; but I'm safe, dry, and almost warm in my tent. And, even though I miss my wife, children, and grandchildren, I'm still having a great time! Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2017-04-01
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Stopped at Roan High Knob Shelter tonight after a 17.6-mile day, most of it up hill, and much of it in rain, fog, and slogging through puddles. My clothes were still damp from the day before so for much of the day I was slightly cold. I had some trouble keeping up with Beaker in the morning. I just couldn't seem to get the ole muscles moving smoothly but by afternoon things finally loosened up and I did much better. But, I was sure glad to see the shelter at the end of the day.We managed a little bit of trail magic twice today. We first met up with Rooster, Hydrator, and Hydrator's Better Half. We've met on the trail before (very nice people). They're slack packing to the south to pick up an area they had skipped over. We had a nice conversation and they shared their sandwiches with us! Then, at a road crossing, someone had left a bag of goodies and some cold soda. Beaker and I both had a bag of chips and a soft drink before moving on (thank you very much!).The sun finally peaked out at about 2:30 and by 4:00 there wasn't a cloud in the sky. Tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful.Tomorrow night we plan to stop at Mountain Harbour Hostel. We will probably end up doing an unscheduled zero there on Monday. I lost my wallet today on the trail. Lucky for me, a hiker named Ringer, who I met last night found it, picked it up, found my wife's phone number in it, contacted her, and is going to meet me to return it on Monday. She really has saved my entire hike and I can't thank her enough! But tonight, I'm safe, dry, and warm at the top of Roan Mountain, in the highest shelter on the Appalachian Trail. The wind is blowing hard outside but this is also one of the only 4-sided shelters too, so let the wind blow! Goodnight from the Appalachian Trail.