morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-03-28
From: Blood Mountain Cabins

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

We left our cabin and rejoined the AT at Mountain Crossings a little after 8:00. A sizeable group of senior citizens from an Asian hiking club passed us going southbound. We met a colorful hiker from Freeman MA. At Tesnatee Gap (mile 37.4) there was some great trail magic, which not only included the usual chips, cookies, candy bars, and soft drinks, but also offered some free knitted hats and pack towels. Amanda, a hiker from Brazil that we had met a little earlier and who suffered from some knee problems, hobbled in and received some TLC for her knee. The trail magic host offered to transport her pack up the trail so she could lighten her load and give her knee a rest. After the trail magic there was a steep (but short) climb. We reached our target site, near Low Gap Shelter (mile 42.9) at about 4:20 and found a good camping area for our tents. We met a solo hiker camping nearby, a man perhaps in his mid-fifties, who was a cancer-survivor. He planned to hike for six months, thru-hike or not. He told us of a woman he had seen on the trail, a paraplegic being carried in a special chair by eight men, in teams of four, looking to complete the entire trail.
Date: 2017-03-29
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Rocky Mountain
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: mist

We left camp a little after 9:00, and stopped soon thereafter to filter some water. The trail was easy for a while. We saw Amanda again, who was doing well despite her knee problems.We reached Unicoi Gap (mile 52.6), just barely scoring some trail magic (orange juice, candy, bananas and apples) from a local women¢s hiking club that was beginning to shut down for the day. Camped at the gap was a German hiker wearing a kilt. He had sprained his ankle and was advised to stay off the trail until Monday. He explained to us that there are many German hikers on the AT because German cable TV often runs a documentary about the trail.We got water midway up Rocky Mountain, a vigorous climb. We camped on top of the mountain with JJ, a female hiker, and a wonderful family from Wisconsin doing a section hike. They were a family that had had numerous outdoor adventures, and recommended Glacier National Park.
Date: 2017-03-30
From: Rocky Mountain

To: Lake Chatuge Lodge
Miles today: 15.3

      We did not see many people on the trail early on, although the family we had camped with earlier passed us, but not JJ. We did see a man hiking in a skirt and a pointy hat, reminiscent of an Asian conical hat.      With big thunderstorms in the forecast overnight, David and I were unsure as to whether to stop at Deep Gap Shelter (mile 65.7) or try to make Dicks Creek Gap (mile 69.3), where we could get a shuttle into Hiawassee, GA. We had planned to visit Hiawassee anyway, where I would resupply and David would meet a shuttle to make his way back to Atlanta and a flight back to Texas. As we got into the afternoon, we decided to push ahead and make Dicks Creek Gap our target, where we would meet Joyce (706-896-9339), our shuttle ride into town. We called about lodging from the trail, but most motels were booked up, probably due to a scheduled Hiker Bash in Hiawassee as well as the weather. We found a room available at Lake Chatuge Lodge, although its location was on the edge of town, well away from the town¢s stores.       We ran out of water on the trail and had to go off trail twice to replenish. Lesson learned: ¢camel up¢ whenever you happen upon a good water source right on the trail. It was our longest day yet on the trail, but we made it to Dicks Gap at 6:25 and were soon picked up and on our way back to civilization.       The room at the Chatuge Lodge was great, and we ate our fill at the Hawg Wild BBQ restaurant¢packed even on a Thursday night at 8:00--next to the lodge. We did some laundry and used the hotel computer the following morning to print my permit for Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Date: 2017-03-31
From: Lake Chatuge Lodge

To: Plumorchard Gap Shelter
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: light rain

      We were up at 6:00. Due to the thunder storms, the power in the lodge had been out since before midnight. Joyce, our shuttle ride, picked us up about 10:45 to take me back to the trailhead to continue my hike, and take David back towards Atlanta for his flight home.       I had planned to resupply at a place called Mountain Roots, but it was not open, for unknown reasons. Joyce took me to the Budget Inn, where there was a tiny branch of the Mountain Crossings outfitters. I picked up some freeze-dried dinners and a few bars, and said goodbye to David.       I went to Subway for lunch, virtually right next door to the motel, and called Affordable Taxi and arranged for a ride back to Dicks Creek Gap. The Affordable Taxi driver was on another run, so I had to wait 40 minutes for a pick up for the $30 ride back to the AT. He had started the service a few years ago after abandoning a career in law enforcement, and said that he sometimes worked through the night on weekends, driving folks from bars to their motel rooms for ¢$25 a pop.¢       I was back on the trail at about 12:30 and soon met a south-bound hiker originally from Colorado, who said it was his dream to one day hike the Colorado Trail. I told him about my section hike there the previous year.       I stopped about 3:30 at the Plumorchard Gap Shelter (mile 73.8), which had a good water source. It was a tri-level shelter, and I staked out an area in the bottom section in the corner. I met Travis, from Arlington, who actually lives within a mile from my house. At Mountain Crossings a few days earlier, while arranging to ship some souvenir coffee mugs home, the shipping clerk said that they had had someone from Arlington shop there just that morning. Travis was a software engineer who had resigned from his job as a software engineer with a major brokerage house to thru-hike the AT. As a kid, he had visited almost all of the national parks in the country with his parents.
Date: 2017-04-01
From: Plumorchard Gap Shelter

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 12.2
Weather: snow

      I passed Travis on the trail after about an hour, and met a father/son pair of hikers. I reached the NC/GA line, and used my tripod to take some pictures. I later came to the twisted tree at Bly Gap, one of the most photographed trees on the trail.       There was some great trail magic at Deep Gap (mile 85.1). I was offered a cheeseburger, and said ¢Thanks, but I don¢t eat meat or dairy¢ and the man said ¢How about a veggie burger?¢ So I had a great burger along with some spinach salad, chips and a drink!       I got to Standing Indian Shelter (mile 86) at 5:30, where there was a couple from Florida in the shelter and about 8-10 tents scattered around, including a hiker from Michigan.
Date: 2017-04-02
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Long Branch Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: clear sky

      I left Standing Indian Shelter at 7:30, filtered some water, and was on the trail at 7:50. I met only a few northbound hikers, including one from Florida, and a trio of hikers, one from nearby Euless, Texas.       The climb up Albert Mountain to the fire tower (mile 99.8) was treacherous, involving some rock scrambling, but it was worth it, as the view from the tower was one of the most spectacular thus far. There was a young man there who had biked/hiked up the other side of the mountain to the tower. Shortly past the tower I had my picture taken at the 100 mile mark by one of the trio I had met earlier, who had blue-blazed around the hard climb to the tower.      I stopped at Long Branch Shelter (mile 102.3) at about 5:45. There were a few tents pitched nearby, but I chose to sleep in the shelter along with about six other hikers. One of these was ¢Pappy¢, a 74-year-old thru-hiker from a rural area north of Houston, Texas. He had been a tree trimmer until a few years ago, one of the workers who climbed high up in the trees. He and his wife had planned on hiking the AT some 40 years earlier, but never made it happen, and now he was here on his own to give it his best shot.
Date: 2017-04-03
From: Long Branch Shelter

To: Budget Inn (Franklin)
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: overcast clouds

     I left Long Branch Shelter about 6:45. It was still dark and misting, and I was using my headlamp. I got lost finding my way back to the AT, so I returned to the shelter to put on raingear. When I started out again, there was a little more light and I was able to find the trail again. Soon the mist turned to a light rain.     I got to Rock Gap (mile 105.8) at 9:00 to catch a 9:15 shuttle said to be coming from Budget Inn in Franklin, where I hoped to get a room for the night. By this time the rain was harder, and the hikers waiting for the shuttle were mostly soaked. At 9:35 a Macon County shuttle showed up, so we all piled into it for a $3 ride to Franklin.         I was able to grab the last private room at the Budget Inn. The Budget Inn is owned by Ron Haven, who also owns other motel properties in the area, including the Budget Inn in Hiawassee, GA. Ron Haven obviously has a love for the hiking community, and the Budget Inns cater to hikers¢ needs, including a hostel at the Franklin location as well as a shuttle bus and free advice about the trail ahead.     While waiting for my room to be made ready, I walked a short distance to the Kountry Kitchen Restaurant for some oatmeal, pancakes, and coffee. Unfortunately, my room must have been the last one readied, and I did not get into it until 2:00. I took a shower, hung some wet clothes up to dry, and started some laundry. The shuttle, driven by Ron himself, was set to leave at 4:00 to make a run to a shopping center across town so hikers could resupply at Walmart and have dinner at a nearby all-you-can-eat. Travis was on the bus. There was no charge for the shuttle ride, and Ron even dropped me off at a local outfitter to pick up some freeze-dried food before taking me back to Walmart.      Back at the motel, I ordered a vegetarian pizza from Pizza Hut, and sorted my gear for the following day.
Date: 2017-04-04
From: Budget Inn (Franklin)

To: Mile 117
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: light rain

      I woke up at 5:00 for another shower and more packing. At 7:15, a shuttle from The First Baptist Church of Franklin picked up hikers at the motel to take us to the church for a free pancake breakfast, just another indication of the bond between the AT and nearby communities. This is the tenth year that FBC has been feeding hikers during the peak hiking season, and this year they had already fed 700! We signed our names and thank-yous on a giant wall poster, and had our pictures taken by church members, who printed them for us to include with a note that they sent back home for us. We ate our fill, got a word from the pastor along with a bit of verse from The Book of John, and then the shuttle took us back to the motel at 8:15.      At 9:00, Ron shuttled us back to Rock Gap, and I was on the trail again at 9:45. I soon met George Edwards, a vlogger/entrepreneur with degrees in Economics and Finance who taught me everything I know about the Austrian School of Economics. George was slack-packing with ¢Pappy¢, and they planned to return to Franklin at Winding Stair Gap (mile 109.5). While most hikers suffer through with Internet access on our phones, George actually carried an IPad Pro and Bluetooth keyboard on the trail with him.      At 5:15 I stopped at approximately mile 117, camping near a couple and a solo female hike right across the trail. There was not a shelter at this site.
Date: 2017-04-05
From: Mile 117

To: Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 3.5
Weather: heavy intensity rain

      I left camp at 7:15. I began seeing some evidence of a forest fire from last year, and at mile 119.6 came to a stone tower at Wayah Bald, which suffered fire damage in 2016. I knew that there were a couple of days of bad weather in the forecast, and my plan was to do a short hike to a shelter and wait it out as needed. There was a hiker at the stone tower who had arranged for a shuttle to pick her up there and return to Franklin because of the bad weather. She offered to share the shuttle with me, and I strongly considered it. However, I had just left Franklin the morning before, and the idea of doing two zeroes in Franklin and then arranging to get back to the trail seemed impracticable. It would certainly be more comfortable, but counterproductive, so I pressed on.      I got to Wayah Bald Shelter about 9:15, which seemed like a good place to wait out the weather. There was no one there, which was a little surprising. I went to the nearby water source to refill and returned to the shelter. Soon I was joined by Trudy, an experienced hiker from Nova Scotia. She had lived and worked in Banff for 18 years. I heated up some water for some green tea and offered her some. Other hikers came and went, opting to make a few more miles before hunkering down. The rain became heavier, and other hikers arrived with plans to stay.       By 1:00 in the afternoon, we had about 13 people at the shelter, including two dogs that did not get along. One was Molly, a sweet white bull dog owned by Cody, who ran a dog rescue operation. Molly and Cody tented near the shelter, as did some others.      ¢Sparks¢, from Minnesota, said that he had recently seen 4 bear cubs crossing the trail, but no mama bear in sight.      I met a hiker trail named ¢Brave¢, from Garland, TX and Virginia. She had started in early February but had gotten off the trail for a while due to the bad weather that preceded my hike. She told us how she got her trail name. She had camped on Blood Mountain, had left her tent to do some necessaries, and it was so foggy that she could not find her tent again. She did find the trail, though, so she followed it down¢perhaps barefoot-- to Neel Gap, reaching the Mountain Crossings hostel at midnight. She banged on the door and a guy let her in, took care of her bloody, muddy feet and offered her a sleeping bag. The next day, he went with her back up Blood Mountain to find her tent and retrieve her gear. Hence the trail name ¢Brave¢. Also in the shelter was ¢Ninja¢ a former suit presser for an upscale clothing company in Maryland who got the urge to try the vagabond life¢he was listening to an audiobook entitled ¢Vagabonding¢¢and decided to start with the AT. All the other hikers envied his luxurious Big Agnes sleeping bag.      I met a thru-hiker named ¢Giggles¢, an ever-cheery accountant from England. She worked in Leeds, but lived in a tiny (10-house) community near Malton and had a substantial daily commute. She had braved rigorous red tape on both sides of the Atlantic to arrange for a six-month visit to the States for her hike.
Date: 2017-04-06
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

      There was a big snorer in the shelter Wednesday night, so I only slept about one hour. About six people, including Sparks and Trudy, left before daylight in hopes of making whatever miles they could before the weather turned even worse. It started snowing about 7:30, and loud, gusting wind began. Travis, who had tented nearby, and Giggles left mid-morning. At noon, four more people came in. Ninja and I were the only ones from the previous night who stayed put. More came, including a hiker named ¢Braveheart¢ and we had the shelter packed with people. The snow increased as the afternoon turned into evening. The forecast called for a low of 22 degrees overnight. I only slept about 3 hours.
Date: 2017-04-07
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC)
Miles today: 8.4

      I started moving about 7:00, but was unsure when to leave the shelter and rejoin the trail. There was a lot of snow on the ground, and it was still very cold, although the forecast called for temperatures to moderate during the day. As I began to pack, I felt dizzy and unsteady, so I drank some water and soon felt better. I had sent my gloves back to Texas with David, so I used woolen hiking socks on my hands. I left the shelter about 9:30, and it was tough going at first. Snow had not collected on the trail itself¢it doesn¢t seem to stick there¢but the melting of the surrounding snow made for a very muddy trail.       My original plan had been to try to make it to Wesser Bald Shelter and camp nearby. Ninja passed me and said that Cody had arranged for a shuttle from Tellico Gap(mile 128.9) to the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC), so I thought I might see if I could share the ride if there was room.      When I got to Tellico Gap about 3:30, the bottom of my pant legs covered in mud, I thought I might see Ninja, but he was nowhere in sight. I tried to phone NOC to arrange for a room, but I could not get a cell signal. Using mobile phones on the AT can be a hit or miss situation. Sometimes you think you are close enough to a town that you might be able to connect, but you can¢t. Other times, you are on an isolated mountain, and you have no problems making a call. In general, my experience was that Verizon users could sometimes connect when AT&T users could not.      Soon Cody, Molly and others arrived and were able to call the shuttle drive (Steve Claxton, 828-736-7501, a thru-hiker and a good guy). I used Cody¢s phone to call NOC and grabbed the last private bunk room in their Base Camp Bunkhouse for $40. The shuttle arrived about 45 minutes later, and we threw our packs in the pickup bed and piled in. I was in the back seat with Cody, Molly and a wonderfully-pleasant baby in a car seat.      The NOC is a large, sprawling commercial complex on the Nantahala River. It¢s not a town, but offers all the hiker conveniences that a hiker could want: motel, hostel, restaurant, outfitters, laundry and a general store. For tourists, there are whitewater rafting/kayaking and zip lines. The AT literally goes through the complex, over a bridge spanning the river.      I checked in and headed for my room to ditch my gear, then back to the restaurant for a veggie burger, fries and coffee. Then back to the room, took a shower and began organizing my gear. Hostel rooms are sparse, and mine had not much more than two bunk beds¢no linens supplied (nor needed, since I had sleeping gear), no TV or bath¢but it was just what I needed.
Date: 2017-04-08
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC)

To: Cheoah Bald
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: light snow

      I got up at 7:00, packed a bit, and had breakfast at the restaurant at 8:00. The outfitter opened at 9:00, the only place to buy laundry soap, and I got some laundry started across the street next to the general store. I bought some meals and bars for the trail at the outfitters, some snacks at the general store, did some last minute repacking, and was back on the trail at 11:00.      Starting my hike again from NOC meant that I skipped the 8.1 mile section from Tellico Gap to NOC. The 48-hour stay during the bad weather at Wayah Bald Shelter had put me behind schedule, so I was glad to be a little farther down the trail. Since I was only hiking a section of the AT, I didn¢t feel a need to hike by every single white blaze.      The hike out of NOC was a long, hard climb of some 3,000 feet, virtually without rest, over 5.8 miles. Ninja passed me not long after NOC, and I also met a father/daughter duo of thru-hikers and a small group of trail maintenance folks. As I climbed, there were patches of snow and mud which reminded me of my hike the previous day.      I stopped at Cheoah Bald (mile 144.9) to camp at about 5:00. With an elevation of 5062 feet, and two good outlooks, it was a beautiful place to stop. Several other hikers stopped to take in the view, but went on, hoping to log a few more miles before sundown. There was substantial room on the bald, but I was amazed to have the whole place to myself, my first solo camp of the hike.
Date: 2017-04-09
From: Cheoah Bald

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: scattered clouds

      I left Cheoah Bald at 8:35. I got to Stecoah Gap (mile 150.4) where numerous hikers were resting around picnic tables, eating some apples that someone had dropped off for hikers to enjoy.      After a rest, I started hiking again, soon hitting a hard climb called ¢Jacob¢s Ladder¢ (think stairs). I stopped for water at Brown Fork Gap Shelter (mile 152.8) and saw Travis and Ninja there. I later met a 70-year-old woman thru-hiker from Long Island and Florida, another inspiration for me. I continued on to Cable Gap Shelter (mile 158.9) where I would tent for the night. I saw Ninja there (but he did not stay), Giggles, Sparks and Trudy. I was struggling to set up my tent in a gusty breeze, and a woman from Maine came to help. She actually lives near Katahdin, and was essentially thru-hiking the trail back home.      It¢s generally easy to follow the trail, but you can get confused. As it began to get dark, a couple walked up to the camp with confused looks on their faces, saying ¢What are you guys doing here?¢ They had left Cable Gap hours earlier to make their way towards Fontana Dam, about seven miles away. They had stopped to filter water after a few miles, and decided to switch leads. They got confused and actually began to unknowingly hike back to Cable Gap, hiking for several hours and ending up at the same place.
Date: 2017-04-10
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Lodge
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: overcast clouds

      I left Cable Gap Shelter at 7:15. When I came into the Fontana Dam area at the Marina, I saw Sparks and Trudy. I got a cold drink from a Coke machine and then the three of us started hiking a section of the trail that lead to the ¢Fontana Hilton¢ (mile 165.6), a large shelter that apparently got its nickname because it actually has a shower. At the parking lot nearby, the Fontana shuttle ($3), which circulates the sprawling area around the dam and nearby resort facilities, stopped and asked if I could use a ride. I took a ride to the Lodge, where I would stay for the night, one last luxury for the remainder of my hike. After a little SNAFU (the first room they assigned me had guests staying in it) I was in my proper room (a very nice room for about $79), gathered up some dirty clothes, walked to the general store and got some laundry started. I then walked to the grill for yet another terrific veggie burger, then back to the store to start the dryer. I did some food shopping at the well-stocked store, packed up my dry laundry, and walked back to the lodge.      After a shower, I took the shuttle back to the place where it had picked me up earlier that day, and walked to Fontana Dam itself, stopping by the visitor center, taking lots of pictures and walking across the dam. The shuttle was supposed to pick me up at 4:20 on the other side of the dam. About 4:50, with no sign of the shuttle,  I was about to walk back to the visitor center to see what my options were to get back to the lodge, when the shuttle showed up and took me to the lodge for no charge. I inquired about getting an early start the next day, since I wanted to cover considerable ground over the next few days, and the driver agreed to pick me up at the lodge on her day off at 7:30.     I went back the grill for an incredible (but too-big) vegetarian pizza.