morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-03-22
From: Tri Corner Knob shelter 

To: Painter Branch campsite
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: broken clouds

Slept like crap thanks to a snore monster in the shelter. Got up at 530 am, packed up and ate a granola bar and some Reese Nutella and ready to go. Today we leave the smokies at mile 238. Made it down to Cosby knob shelter by 925 am. Roughly 8 miles in alittle less than 3 hours. Rolled my ankle pretty good on the way, it will probably be stiff but I still have good range of motion and not alot of pain. Time for lunch break here. Read a sign that said Bears are active in this area. My ankle swelled up quickly after stopping for lunch. A couple of Canadians called shrugs and axon gave me some wrap for my ankle, that helped alot. Hiked on to davenport Gap and out of the smokies. Made good time even with my injury. Got a little trail magic from some young Chinese people. Looked like college kids. Apparently grey wolf swindled them into giving us red bull and orange juice right before not yet and I showed up. The red bull gave me wings and I started out from davenport Gap strong. Just as I was leaving I heard a vehicle coming up and it pulled right in to the small parking area. It was real trail magic from 2 guys. They brought sodas, cookies, and fruit. I hobbled back to the road and everyone laughed to see me coming back for food. I grabbed a cookie and an apple and kept rolling. It was interesting to pass over pigeon Creek Bridge and under interstate 40 on foot. A couple miles later I came to a sign pointing to standing bear hostel. We had all talked about stopping there for a beer and something to eat before finishing the last 2 miles. I went up the road to the hostel and found an interesting place with tree house lodging and bunks. The whole place was like a little hiker village /haven with hammocks and a very community type atmosphere. The hosts that greeted me were 2 older guys and they were very friendly. One had been a former marine and Vietnam veteran. I thought to myself that he probably had some very interesting stories. Mainly I came for a quick bite to eat and to meet my friends so I got a microwave cheeseburger and some chips and ate that then we set out for the last 2 miles. It was a long uphill and probably took all of 2 hours. We got a nice campsite between a creek. The water running on either side. Started to drizzle around 715 and that was our signal to go to bed. I'm just happy that I don't have to stay in a shelter anymore. Tonight we sleep well after a 21 mile day. Our longest yet. Maybe a 20 tomorrow.
Date: 2015-03-23
From: Painter Branch campsite

To: Bluff Mountain summit
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

Woke up around 6 am. Got a light rain last night. My tarp held up and I slept pretty well. The morning was wet and overcast. Got in about 9 miles by noon. I had stopped at groundhog Creek shelter for about an hour. Nonetheless I made good time on the way up to max patch and caught up to most of my group. Only Will, now called scratchy wolf, was still ahead. We all relaxed for a little bit at the beautiful max patch summit. There was a rumor that fresh ground would be at lemon Gap which was about 5 plus miles from the summit so we started getting a move on. It seemed like forever to cover the last mile to lemon Gap and we were all moving so fast to get there. I think everyone was ravenous, I know I was. I kept telling grey wolf just around the next corner and it must've been 10 corners later when we finally reached him. He had a big spread going with hot dogs, chicken and rice, homemade french fries, kool-aid and a bunch of snacks. We swooped in and ate a dozen hotdogs and numerous cups of chicken and rice and more. We were all so grateful to see him. After sitting around for awhile listening to him talk grey wolf and I decided it was time to move on to the campsite. From lemon Gap we had a climb. We had planned to stop at the catpen campsite but never saw it. Incidentally we ended up hiking all the way to the top of bluff mountain with very full bellies. Luckily we had resupplied our water down at the last shelter so when we got up there I must've drank a liter just to help digest the food. We sat around alittle and had some tea but as soon as the sun starred to go down we both went to bed. Looking forward to hot springs tomorrow. Only about 10 something miles in the morning. My ankle did well today but I'm looking forward to properly treating it and getting cleaned up.
Date: 2015-03-24
From: Bluff Mountain summit

To: Laughing Heart hostel 
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Slept pretty well last night, no rain. Greywolf and I Got up at 6 am and got rolling before 7. Only had a little oatmeal creampie for breakfast. Felt like slow going but we covered the 6+ miles to Deer Park Mountain shelter by 920 am. Time for a real breakfast and some hydration. After stopping at the shelter and eating we had good strength. We nearly ran down the mountain, passing one other hiker and getting to the bottom by 11am. We got down to laughing heart hostel and Checked in, took a shower, and started our laundry. Then we headed into town. Stopped by the outfitters and got some new thermal bottoms, alittle soap, and some Bayer. Headed back to the post office to pick up my rain pants and mail out a shirt and my heavier thermals. Saved myself over 10 Oz, yay! Then we went to a Mexican place for lunch. Filled up on Mexican then went next door to the Tavern for a tall beer. The weather is perfect here so we just sat outside while we drank. On the way back stopped at dollar general and got what I needed for the hike to Erwin. Tried to grab some healthier stuff besides just candy to munch on. I bought some Epson salt at dollar general which I used to soak my feet in back at the hostel. The hostess here said it should help get the swelling down in my ankle. Went down to the Tavern after lounging around the hostel and preparing my gear for tomorrow. After having dinner at the Tavern and some beers with scratchy wolf and greywolf we parted ways. Scratchy is at a different hostel and must continue without us, he is trying to finish in Virginia by the end of April so he will go on alone. Greywolf and I came back to the hostel and went to our rooms. I worked on cleaning my camera and taking care of last minute things up to bedtime. Tomorrow I may do a short 10 mile hike to the next shelter so there is no rush in the morning. Will probably have breakfast with greywolf at the diner before setting out. Guten Nacht
Date: 2015-03-25
From: Laughing Heart hostel 

To: Little Laurel shelter 
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: broken clouds

Had a nice evening last night, sat in my room and fiddled with some things while watching a TV show on my phone. I realized I had only spent 3 nights in a bed since the start. I didn't sleep too well but nonetheless I got up around 7 and finished packing. Also took one last shower then greywolf and I headed to the diner. I took my pack because I planned to head out after. We had a nice breakfast then parted ways. Maybe I will see him again near Erwin TN. I went by the outfitter because I needed a bigger food bag and I noticed they sold a pack I was considering switching to. I was carrying the ula circuit and was looking at getting the catalyst. My circuit was bursting with what I was carrying, which was only 4 days and food and water and my gear. I also knew that the catalyst was designed to carry the load better. I talked to the owner and he offered to throw in a free pack cover so I did it. Also got a bigger food bag (9L, I had a 6.5L). The new bag also had much better waterproofing. I was getting tired of a soaked food bag. After I mailed out my other pack back home I finally set out just before 11. I took it slow climbing out of hot springs. I was really feeling the beers I had the day before. I had taken care to drink lots of fluids last night and this morning but I was still feeling it. The only real cure is time but exercise helps. I creeped up the mountains, trying to enjoy the beautiful weather. Made a side track to a firetower at one point. Eventually I reached the first shelter just outside hot springs, Spring Mountain shelter about 11 miles out. Along the way I noticed alot of day hikers out, I guess I will be seeing more of them as the weather improves. I also came to a revelation about why I rolled my ankle. My shoes have felt somewhat loose for the past week no matter how tight I pulled the cord. They are quick laces which I had enjoyed the convience but now I realized that the laces were stretched out and causing my feet to slide in the shoe. I unlaced them and relaced with some of my bear rope which is thin but does not flex. Now I have reflective shoe laces but at least I feel like I won't slide out of my shoes. After that I decided that I would continue to the next shelter 8.6 miles away. It was nice to stop and chat with some of the other hikers there but I wanted to put some more miles in. I spent the next 3 hours 20 mins or so covering that 8.6 miles. I got to little laurel shelter just as it became dark. At this shelter I saw some familiar faces that I hadn't seen in over a week like dark Knight, the Canadian. He is very funny and easy going. I quickly set up and had dinner then got into my hammock. Thankful I made it so far while feeling not so great. Tomorrow may attempt 22 miles.
Date: 2015-03-26
From: Little Laurel shelter 

To: Unknown camp site near licking rock
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up a couple times last night. Wind was raging and had some rain coming in. Thought for sure I was getting wet. Covered my pack in the middle of the night. Didn't get too chilly though so I slept alright. Woke up around 7 and felt my stuff. It was mostly dry, except my tarp of course. Packed up and had a light breakfast. Got on the trail by around 8 maybe. Had a bit of a climb straight off which I did not enjoy. It was still cloudy and the air was thick with moisture. About 3.1 miles in I stopped and took a break at white rock cliffs. Didn't stay long, was alittle chilly so I kept moving. After that I encountered some of the roughest section I think I have so far, lots of rock scrambling. Eventually reached Jerry's cabin and took a break with Dark Knight and a guy named bald eagle. Didn't know the other 2 hikers yet. Had some coffee for once, about to move on to the next shelter at flint mountain. Looking forward to getting scooped up tomorrow at Sams Gap by my gf. Ready for my first zero which will be Saturday. Got to the next shelter and discovered that everyone was planning to end their day here at 12 miles. It was just one of those days. I stopped and ate a quick lunch and got some water then forced myself to move on. I was actually feeling alittle quicker than earlier but still I could tell my body needed a break. Got down to Devils Fork Gap in an hour (2.7 miles) and crossed the road. There was a nice field and a beautiful view of the mountains so I stopped there for a break. It would be my last stop of the day. After that I got up and made the climb from 3k feet to over 4500. I never found the campsite but figured I was close and did not feel like setting up in the dark so I stopped for the day. I quickly set up and camp and had dinner. Tomorrow I have a short 5 mile hike down to the road and looking forward to taking a zero and missing the bad weather Saturday. Low of 28 and snow last I checked.
Date: 2015-03-27
From: Unknown camp site near licking rock

To: Sams Gap 
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: mist

Woke up this morning to noticeably different temperature than last night. Did not want to get out the bag but my softshell has been amazingly warm. First thing I noticed was the ice on my hammock straps. At first I thought they were frayed but then I looked at the other strap and it looked the same. All my ropes were frozen and even my bear bag took some fanagling to get down because the rope was frozen to the tree. I started out with my rain pants and soft shell on. Walked probably 1.5 miles and had to take it all off. The ice rain was still coming down but I was just too hot. Put on my poor excuse for a rain coat and kept going. Got to the Hogback Ridge shelter around 930. Only 2.4 miles left to Sams Gap. Got down to Sams Gap pretty quickly. Found a dry spot under an overpass and sat down to wait there. I was about 40 mins early. A guy named Oyster and his Australian sheep herding dog Nate joined me. It had started to snow pretty steadily so he was getting off the trail for a couple days. My chariot arrived around 1240 pm and I escaped the rain, snow, and cold. Taking the rest of the day off after I get my resupply done at Walmart. Tomorrow will be my first zero miles day.
Date: 2015-03-28
From: Sams Gap 

To: Erwin TN 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

Feels good to take a day off. Went over to Johnson city to get a thermal long sleeve from target and picked up a new tarp. Got the eno HouseFly. Tired of my current tarp letting water in. The HouseFly closes on either end so I'm expecting good results. Noticed it is significantly longer than my other one as well and weight seems similar if not alittle less. Found an Indian buffet, it was nice to have something other than burgers for once. Lots of veggies and fresh meats. Went back to the hotel and finished organizing my gear. I had hand washed my clothes in the morning and they were dry now. Turned out better than I expected, might have to hand wash them more often. Spent the rest of the day relaxing and putting my stuff together. My body feels like it has returned to some state of normalcy. Found out greywolf is about 13 miles ahead of me so I will have to make up some miles!
Date: 2015-03-29
From: Sams Gap 

To: Erwin views area 
Miles today: 22.8
Weather: clear sky

Spent the morning at the hotel with my girlfriend. Had some waffles, sausage, donut, and some biscuits for breakfast in the room. I was very thankful she came down, I got a lot done and it was good to see her. Around 10 something we packed up and checked out the hotel and headed back to Sams Gap. She dropped me off just before 11 and we said our goodbyes for now. Only 152 miles to VA from Sams Gap! Had a long 6 mile climb from there to Big Bald and then a couple more miles to my first break at the Bald Mountain shelter. Big bald was pretty, ice was on all the trees and there was quite a bit of snow with a 360 degree view. After that I booked it down to Spivey Gap 5 something miles away. Total 13.6 in 5 hrs 44 mins. Taking a short break at Spivey then on to No business shelter 4.7 miles from here. Got over to the shelter and on the way I decided I was gonna keep going past it and down near a parking area 6 miles beyond. I would be night hiking but noticed I could catch some views of Erwin TN. I did catch some views on the way but nothing I could get a good picture of. The night hike wasnt bad. It was mostly flat or slightly descending. I found a small campsite a mile or so from the road so that's where I set up. Didn't take long to figure out my new tarp. It's nice to have total coverage for once. Today was long but I felt up for the task after my break. Turned out I have a new PR of 22.8. It's 942 and time for bed, I heard a rumor fresh ground may be setting up somewhere ahead of me tomorrow. Pretty excited to eat!
Date: 2015-04-01
From: Over the mountain shelter 

To: Moreland Gap shelter 
Miles today: 28.0
Weather: clear sky

Someone was coughing all night. Woke me up a few times. Eventually just decided to get up around 6 and start packing to leave. Not sure what took so long but I was eventually back on the trail by 730. It was a long 9 miles up some massive balds that overlooked part of NC and Tennessee. I got down to the road around 1115am and found my way to the Mountain Harbour B&B where my package was coming to. My package however was not there. I'll just let her send it back to sender when it shows up. In the meantime I had a massive lunch. Ate an entire pizza, 1 pint of Ben and Jerry's, a mountain dew energy hydrating drink, and a yohoo. I left Mountain Harbour feeling totally stuffed and bursting at the seams. I didn't expect to be climbing so much out of there but I should have. I was groaning 2.4 miles up. It was mostly downhill from there to the Elk River where I stopped and took a break almost 7 miles later. I waded into the river and got some water. It had been pretty warm today but the water was Ice cold. Felt great on my feet. After that I went on for 6 miles until a bench that had a great view. It was about 7pm. I ate a big meal and left by 730. I didn't stop again until the end. I really wanted to do 30 miles but the time I got up to Moreland Gap shelter I was tripping all over the place. My feet were cramping up so I made the call to stop. I felt plenty good about doing 28 miles. I was the only one at the shelter so I strung my hammock inside and went to bed. Only 56 miles to Damascus.
Date: 2015-04-02
From: Moreland Gap shelter 

To: Vandeventer
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: light rain

Slept great last night. Woke up feeling refreshed around 730. Broke camp before 8 and headed down the trail. There was no reason to stick around because I had very little water left and there was none there. I headed out thinking I'd stop at a spring 2 miles away but I never found it. Continued on to a stream that was over 5 miles away before I got to eat, brush my teeth, or refill water. It was so worth it. There was a great stream with just the right flow, nothing weak. I stopped and washed my hands and face, had coffee, brushed my teeth and flossed, and ate some breakfast finally. I think I'll stop again at the next shelter and eat a big meal since I didn't have dinner last night. I went down to Pond national park and it was amazing. It was alot different from the rest of my hike, their were plenty of incredible things to see. The laurel Falls were great. I somehow missed the laurel shelter but didn't mind since I planned to stop at pond flats instead. The hike up to pond flats was taxing but when I got there I cleaned up and had a big lunch. After that I hiked down to Watauga Lake and around it to Wilbur Dam Rd where I had another meal before my last climb. The last climb to the Vandeventer shelter took forever. It was only 4.7 miles but I was ready to be done. It started to rain at one point so I pulled out my new Golite umbrella to try it out. The umbrella worked great, even my legs were dry but I couldn't find a way to keep it secure so I could use both my poles. Made it to the shelter just after 9. There were 3 other hikers inside which surprised me. This was the first day I hadn't seen any other thru hikers all day, I thought I was between bubbles. They must have stayed down near pond national park last night or at a hostel. I quickly hung my hammock and ate some dinner. Got in bed before 10. Unfortunately one of them is a big snorer Haha. Only 32 miles to Damascus for a much needed break. 24 today and have to do about the same tomorrow.
Date: 2015-04-04
From: Abingdon shelter 

To: Damascus, VA 
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up around 515 this morning. It was about 15 mins before my alarm. This was the first time in over a week that I felt rested. Last night it was raining and storming bad but I was dry and warm inside the shelter. When I woke up this morning the rain had stopped. I was pretty happy about that. I ate and did my morning routine. Got on the trail by 6. The terrain was easy but the weather was brisk. I covered the 10 miles fairly quickly and got down to Damascus before 10 am. It was cool to walk through the town, I got some good pics. I was expecting to be picked up by my parents around 10 so I kept walking and eventually covered another mile or so and met them on the main street. The plan was to go home for a few days since I really needed to take a break and tomorrow is Easter! I would also be exchanging some of my gear and doing some maintenance. Many other hikers I knew would also be taking off time here. I finished the 2 miles through town to a restaurant called the Cavalier and had a huge breakfast there. I was starving at that point because I had eaten all my good food the day before. After that we went across the street to the outfitter on the edge of town and looked around. Before we left Damascus i went over and grabbed a sub from subway next door. On the way I saw a few other hikers that I recognized. We talked alittle and I was already missing it but my knees and feet needed a serious break. I had covered 470 miles in 28 days.
Date: 2015-04-05
From: Damascus, VA 

To: Damascus
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Got my shoes switched out at REI. My old ones were totally done. Also picked up some other small things like another 34 oz platypus bag. The one that comes with the sawyer squeeze is crap. I'm still working out details of returning to Damascus. I should be back no later than next Tuesday. My knees and ankle haven't quite healed up and going up and down stairs is quite a chore! When I get back out I know I will appreciate this break, it was time to get off of them. I have been uploading videos to youtube in the mean time. Also waiting on some gear to be returned to sender before I leave. I have 1 job opportunity that I will be exploring today as I cannot pass it up but I think I will have time to hike some more. Easter was incredible, I've been eating loads of food. I will be back out as soon as I can be! -Happy Trails
Date: 2015-04-13
From: Damascus, VA 

To: Saunders shelter 
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Heading back to Damascus this morning. Got up and left by 5 am. It's a beautiful day, should be there around 11 am. I'll probably hike 8 miles to a shelter outside town. I'll be starting at the edge of town since I already walked through last weekend so that'll save some time. Stopped to have a big breakfast at cracker barrel on the way. Made it down to Damascus. Stopped in Atkins on the way and dropped off my next food drop to save money on shipping costs. Left it at the Barn restaurant there, I'm sure I'll be eating when I stop in. It's nice the trail goes right through there. Sitting down for lunch here at the cavalier in Damascus then it's back on the trail! Got started around 135 or 140 and did about 4 plus miles in 2 hours. Made it to the Saunders shelter at mile marker 478 around 530. There were some other hikers here and I was surprised to learn 2 girls had started the same day as me. Maybe I hadn't lost as much time as I thought. I set up my hammock behind the shelter and ate some dry foods. Today was slow going, I can tell I really need to eat through some foods so I got to working on some that I knew needed to be eaten first. Not all of it was fitting in my food bag earlier but by the time I was ready to hang the bag everything was inside of it. Tomorrow I would be plowing through some as well. By 742 I had climbed in my hammock and was ready for bed. I only got about 3 hours of sleep last night. On the way I managed to catch a couple more hours but I was ready to get some more rest. I'm confident I'll be feeling more trail ready tomorrow. My knees were feeling much better and so was my ankle after doing some stretches and rubbing the stiffness out. I knew it was time to get back out. I'm glad to be back. Tomorrow I will shoot for 19 miles.