morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-03-20
From: Woody Gap

To: Woods Hole Shelter
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Blustery day, cold,gray,windy! There was a super view just out of Woody Gap (pic). Much more energy after a night in town and losing 7 lbs. of gear. Flowers are few and far between but I did find a cluster of trillium which is one of my favorite signs of Spring. They aren't blooming yet but there are flower stalks up.Camped with Cog, Fortis and Red Stripe
Date: 2011-03-21
From: Woods Hole Shelter

To: Bull Gap Tentsites
Miles today: 4.7

We hit Blood Mtn this morning with a full tank of gas and after a long rest. Now I understand why this is the most popular dayhike in Georgia! The views were amazing! And for better or worse, the Blood Mtn Shelter is everything I had heard it was!(pics) I decided the only difference between this shelter and a mausoleum was sleeping on the floor instead of in the wall! Enough said.I got to Mountain Crossings in time to grab one of the days last burgers and got to talk to Winton Porter, Baltimore Jack Tarlin, and Pirate. I had come in to look at a ULA Catalyst a few times over the last month so I decided to get one and save another 3-4 lbs. That was well spent money!After breaking free of the Neel's Gap time warp,(about 3 hrs. later) we went a mile up the trail to Bull's Gap. I have high hopes of seeing my first bear, as this site was raided last night! Hanging a food bag was an adventure.
Date: 2011-03-22
From: Bull Gap Tentsites

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.8
Weather: broken clouds

Bears are REAL! We got raided about 2:30. The bear came into the site and took down a cluster of 3 bags. He ate most of 2 but luckily Fortis' bag was only torn and not eaten, as he would have had to wait for a mail drop. We'd chase him into the woods and he'd stay 20-30 yds in front of us. We'd go back to camp and he'd follow. He'd peek out from behind a tree and if we hit him with the headlamps he'd duck back. Then he went out and got Cog's bag. While he was eating it, Fortis threw an m-80 at it, in the greatest toss in history! The toss would have landed 6-8 feet behind the bear, but it hit the ground and hung a soft right and rolled right under it's flank! The bear looked at the sparkly thing and put its face back in the bag. When it went off the bear came off the ground like a cat! It ran about 20 yds and then came back. This gane went on for about 2 hrs. Not a lot of sleep this night!Hiked almost 10 miles to Low Gap Shelter to get out of bear territory. Too much, too soon. The iron man move of the day was Cog's! He had to go back a mile to Neels Gap to pick up new food and then tracked us down at the shelter. That gave him 13 to our 11. Views that are worthy of a postcard are so common that you quit taking pictures!
Date: 2011-03-23
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Blue Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: light rain

I broke down and slept in the shelter instead of the tent to hide from the wind. I didn't have any issues with the mice, but we had a misty rain blow into the shelter in the middle of the night. The whole opening was covered except fora doorway. Guess who was sleeping on that end? I was going to have to make 2 long days into Hiawassee, instead of 3 easy ones but I was given a pack of Ramen and some peanut butter crackers to fill in the third day's food! It was super lucky for me that Taz and Roo have found 1 food that they didn't like in America, and it turns out that it was the crackers that I ALWAYS have around for a snack! Thanks folks, you saved me!
Date: 2011-03-24
From: Blue Mtn Shelter

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: few clouds

Well I had my first fall today, going down Blue Mtn into Unicoi Gap. It was just a slip and I landed on my hip but I had to get my heart out of my throat! I was on my ass trying to convince myself I was alright! My mood shifted at the bottom of the gap when I found a huge trove of Trail Magic. It's amazing how much of a boost you can get from Skittles and M&M's! I met Survivor Dave waiting for a shuttle in the gap. Nice guy. Then the fun began. Rocky and Tray Mtns just suck! The roughest stretch so far. And to add insult to injury, I passed the turnoff to the "old Cheese Factory" site. This was one of the places I was looking forward to seeing. Oh well, I can drive to within a mile and have a picnic with Angie later. The views from the top of Tray Mountain are amazing, including one rock where you can see forever off both sides of the mountain.
Date: 2011-03-25
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Hiawassee
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: clear sky

The original plan was to stop at Deep Gap Shelter but rain was forecast for the night and I had planned on meeting Angie in town Saturday morning 3/26. I walked all the way to Dick's Creek Gap and hitched into beautiful downtown Hiawassee Georgia. I'll be sitting out at least 2 days of rain in town, putting an end to the question of whether I have sense enough to come in out of the rain. Seriously, I decided that it's not worth the risk of slipping and breaking an ankle to get one extra day on the trail this early. I figured with a slip I could be off the trail before most people even start.I ended up staying Sunday night also! Serious storms were forecast for Sunday so I decided to spend the day with Angie and set off again Monday morning. As soon as I decided to stay and paid for the extra day, the skies cleared and the rest of the day was beautiful. I moved to a "smaller" room, since it was going to just be me and it turned out to have a hot tub. "Roughing it!"
Date: 2011-03-29
From: Plumorchard Gap Shelter

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: clear sky

Another gray nasty day. Muskrat Creek turned out to be an interesting place. It is at the junction of two creeks and is pretty swampy. It's early enough that there are no bugs, but I don't know that I would want anything to do with this spot in summer!I lost contact with Taz and Roo today. They pushed to the next shelter in order to make it to Franklin for the April Fool's Bash. I just wasn't sure I could increase the pace yet. 7-8 mile days are really comfortable. I guess I'll have to push myself soon.
Date: 2011-03-30
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 4.7
Weather: moderate rain

A very short day put me at Standing Indian Shelter. Checking the guidebook made it obvious that I wasn't going to make it to Franklin until late Friday. Angie was taking all day Friday off from work, and I didn't want her to waste the whole day. Flexability kicked in.
Date: 2011-03-31
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Standing Indian Campground
Miles today: 0.0

Instead of delaying our weekend, we decided to stretch it out an extra day. I backtracked on the A.T. about 7 tenths of a mile to the terminus of the Kimsey Creek trail. This trail turned out to be the best hike so far in this trip! It follows a creek 3.7 miles down to a campground in the national forest. For about 20 yards on either side of the creek, plants were green and flowers were peeking out! It was much nicer than the winter grays and browns on top of the ridgeline!We guessed at our meeting time, and only missed our target by 10 minutes or so!An extra day in Franklin was great, including finding a great French/Creole restaurant that was attached to a gas station! The whole weekend was great.I got to see Taz, Roo and Cog this weekend. Good times.
Date: 2011-04-04
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.6
Weather: clear sky

It was a nice day to be out, but I pulled up short today because of the threat of nasty weather coming in tonight.Near dark we started getting bands of rain that lasted only a few minutes. It was nothing we couldn't sleep through. Then about 10:30 we got hit with what had to have been the worst storm I've ever seen! Winds were later reported to be gusting between 50 and 90 mph!
Date: 2011-04-05
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: scattered clouds

After the storms of last night, the last thing I expected was to wake up to SNOW! It was a very novel experience for me to hike the first few hours of the morning thru a winter postcard! Albert Mtn. was the big climb of the day. The last few tenths of a mile of this climb are rough enough that there is a blue blazed route to go around and skip the view from a firetower at the summit. I didn't come here to skip anything! The wind was howling at the summit and every level of the firetower added another 5 mph to the wind. I got high enough to see 360 degrees of absolutely stunning unlimited views. Got to Carter Gap Shelter about 5:30.Today was big. I got Albert under my belt, passed the 100 mile mark, and made a 12.1 mile day.
Date: 2011-04-06
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Siler Bald
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: clear sky

Moved to Winding Stair Gap by 11a.m. Got a ride into and out of Franklin from a great guy named Bill Evans. He runs shuttles for Ron Haven and has had a fascinating life. On top of his history, he is involved with preserving Native American sites and can tell you anything about local history that you want to know. After picking up a food drop at the Sapphire, we had lunch together and then rode back to the Gap. It was one of the few times that I didn't want to rush back to the trail!Met Trudge and Eureka on my return to the Gap. I would continue to hike with them for quite a while.I hiked on and camped on Silers Bald. I have dreamed of the Appalachian Balds for a long time and this experience did not fail me. The view was breathtaking and the sunrise and sunset were just perfect.
Date: 2011-04-07
From: Siler Bald

To: Burningtown Gap
Miles today: 10.4

Leapfrogged with Trudge and Eureka today. The highlight was to be Wayah Bald but it turns out the Bald is overgrown and the stone tower is all there is to see. The views from there are really nice though.At the end of the day I ran into staff from NOC and REI giving out "trail magic". I had planned on another mile and a half but when someone offers you burgers, cokes and beer plans change!
Date: 2011-04-08
From: Burningtown Gap

To: NOC
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: light rain

I started early today to make up for the "short" day yesterday. I skipped breakfast and paid the price for this mistake all day. I ate and drank all day but I was playing from behind from the start. 12.9 miles was a long day, and the long downhill hike into NOC was really tough. A real learning experience. I hiked with Ray Kaylor for a while, and he was kind enough to give me a ride to the Lodge. Another mile and a half may have killed me!
Date: 2011-04-10
From: NOC

To: Cheoh Bald
Miles today: 7.9

I got out of NOC about 11a.m. The climb out of the gorge was seemingly endless but not as hard as I had expected. I climbed up to Cheoah bald to camp, hoping it would be as nice as Silers. No such luck. I couldn't find a level spot and the wind was enough to keep me away from the trees. There was no sense in tempting a "widowmaker" to drop on me in the middle of the night.
Date: 2011-04-11
From: Cheoh Bald

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.9
Weather: overcast clouds

I was warned that the climb out of Stecoah Gap was worse than the climb out of NOC but wasn't ready for this! The day was full of hills and from the Gap I had to climb 500 ft. in a half mile! To make it worse, there were little ups and downs sprinkled in just for variety. The only word to cover it is SADISTIC!
Date: 2011-04-13
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Hilton
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: few clouds

SUPER day. It was a long hike but was warm and clear and there were more trillium today than I have ever seen. Fontana Lake was visible for at least half of the day and gave you the hope that you were near the end. No such luck. The trail winded around and around and eventually fell off the ridgeline. The downhill was tough.The worst surprise of the day was the fact that the water at Fontana was just nasty! It came out of the bubbly and tasted like swimming pool water. I would pay a price for this.
Date: 2011-04-14
From: Fontana Hilton

To: Birch Spring Gap
Miles today: 6.0

I resupplied at the general store in Fontana and got out of town by noon, crossing into the Great Smokey Mountains National Park (GSMNP). I barely made 6 miles to the first backcountry camping site. I suspect I was badly dehydrated due to the full day without decent water. Maybe the worst day out here.
Date: 2011-04-15
From: Birch Spring Gap

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Hiked from Backcountry 113 to Russell Field shelter and stopped about 3pm. There is a bad storm predicted this evening and we didn't think we had time to get to the next shelter. We were right! We ended up with about 20 people in the 16 person shelter and more tenting outside. A section hiker tells me we are only 5.1 miles out of Cades Cove. I may take a few days there to shoot pics.
Date: 2011-04-17
From: Cades Cove Campground

To: Cades Cove Campground
Miles today: 0.0

Took a serious zero and just sat until after dinner. I decided to walk part of the loop and ran into a traffic jam where people were chasing a mother bear with 3 cubs into the woods! I got to see the cubs in a tree and the mother from 25-30 yds away. She was ok with people for almost an hour and then she decided to get the cubs out of the tree. She layed at the bottom of the tree and almost purred! After she moved the first cub off to hide it, the Rangers showed up and shooed everyone off. One of the coolest experiences ever!
Date: 2011-04-24
From: Newfound Gap

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: clear sky

I came out of Gatlinburg after a week of rehab. I decided to get back on the trail at Newfound Gap instead of hiking back up from Cades Cove. It will be easy enough to fill in this gap since it's close to home and short enough to do in a 3 day weekend. I did most of the 3 miles up and out of the gap with Angie and felt fine. It was kind of odd to be in a section with so many day hikers. They smell funny!
Date: 2011-04-25
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: light rain

 Stretched out the mileage a little bit. I feel good. I made the 7.4 miles between 9:30 and 3:00. The knee is fine. It feels great to be back out, but the regulations in the park are so restrictive that I'll be glad to get out. It amazes me that some of the most heavily used shelters on the AT don't have privies. I've now bought a Smokies liscense plate and the new Tennessee AT plate and for my trouble I have to tiptoe through a toilet paper minefield.
Date: 2011-04-27
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Davenport Gap
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: overcast clouds

 Long day for me. I lost touch with Stardust today by pushing on to the second shelter of the day. I needed to push the limit to see if I really was OK. Some nagging injuries had been shaking my confidence, and I decided to go for broke! This long day was going to put me back in the game or take me off the trail. This was the last shelter in the park, so I had Standing Bear Hostel in my sights. I got in a couple of hours before dark and felt great! The fact that this shelter is a real pit didn't take the fun out of the day.
Date: 2011-04-28
From: Davenport Gap

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 3.4
Weather: broken clouds

Well my short day out of the park to Standing Bear Farm turned into a 5 mile day due to a little "detour" that added about 2 miles to the day but I did get my first Eastern Box Turtle of the trip, even though he wasn't on the AT. The hostel is great and it's nice to relax a bit! The only bad part of the day was news that a huge wave of storms had raked the southeast. We didn't see much rain at the shelter and certainly had no hint of the severity of this storm. On the way down the mountain we had to go over several trees and I hit one slick spot and almost went down on a rain barrier. The only thing that saved me from what could have been a serious injury was my trusty Leki's. One of them snapped clean but it kept me from faceplanting. I hope it can be repaired.
Date: 2011-05-01
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: creekside campsite
Miles today: 2.5

Yet another big Sunday after a weekend with Angie! I got a nice surprise for our anniversary though. I found the first Pink Ladyslippers of the trip and sent her a picture for her "anniversary card". It turns out that she had found some things I left in the car and was trying to catch me on the trail. I stopped and set camp next to a little creek and she got there just a few minutes later. We were able to hang out for a while, and Angie spotted the first flame azaleas of the trip, which I passed without noticing and saw SEVERAL more Ladyslippers that I missed.........
Date: 2011-05-02
From: creekside campsite

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: overcast clouds

SUPER day! It started out with tons of trillium and I had both Snowbird and Max Patch to look forward to. The FAA tairy tower on Snowbird is set in the middle of a field that has been carved out on top of the mountain. It has a real science-fiction look to it, and being set in the middle of nowhere just makes it that much more odd.Max Patch is one of the highlights that have kept me going on the bad days and to finally see it was nothing short of amazing. The sheer size of the bald dwarfed anything I've seen and the views in every direction looked like a fairy tale. I was able to take a long break and just soak in the beauty and really enjoy the reality that I had hiked into the Patch from Georgia. With all of the traffic in this area, and storms forecast, I expected the shelter to be crowded. As it turned out, there were 3 of us in the shelter and we missed the rain!
Date: 2011-05-03
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Garenflo Gap
Miles today: 11.4

Last nights rain is coming in! I pushed today, but had no shot at making the shelter before it caught me. I was going to have to ride this out in a tent camped alone! About 4 o'clock I decided I was out of time and found the bed of an old logging road carved into a hillside. It looked like it would block the wind, so I stopped there. The site turned out to be great except that I couldn't drive the tent stakes into the ground far enough. The rain started about 10 minutes before 5 and everything held all night! It turned out that I was just short of the gap and my spot was better than what I found there. I'll take luck every time! The big suprise of the night was a temperature drop into the high 30's. I ended up in my long johns and puff jacket but at least I was dry.
Date: 2011-05-04
From: Garenflo Gap

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 6.2
Weather: broken clouds

 A short day put me in Hot Springs NC. I feel like I just walked into Mayberry! The tiny town has everything a hiker needs though. I grabbed some food and did laundry but on learning that tonight was going to be mid 30's I decided to stay in a hotel instead of camping on the bank of the French Broad River as planned. I'll trade indoor heat and a shower for 1 1/2 miles any day.
Date: 2011-05-05
From: Hot Springs

To: Rich Mtn Lookout Tower
Miles today: 8.7

A pretty easy day despite the climb out of town put me on an abandoned fire tower. I got in about 4 but decided that it would be more fun to camp ON the tower. I sat my tent up on the platform so I could get sunset and sunrise pictures. It was beautiful! I had the unexpected bonus of sharing the clearing around the tower with several caerulean warblers who were in full breeding mode. I got to watch several males sparring and the females watching the action from the unique perspective of the tower. I was high enough to look down on the action. Very cool.I found a trail that is the old AT route and is a little over 3 miles back to Hot Springs. Hmmm 8.7 to get here and 3.2 to get back? I think I've been had! I'm going to take the old route back to town to meet Angie for ANOTHER leisurely weekend. I LOVE ROUGHING IT!
Date: 2011-03-04
To: Getting ready
Miles today: 0.0

We will be camping near the top of Springer Mountain eleven nights from now! Still a lot to do before then. Snake Hips and I retired last year in our 50's with a goal completing several epic adventures. I had hiked from Springer to the Shenandoah in 1978 and always wanted to finish the hike. Hiking in your 50's is quite different than in your 20's in many ways. Fortunately my husband Snake Hips had always wanted to hike the AT also. We both appreciate this opportunity to hike the AT and the support of so many family and friends. Thanks to you all. Please sign the guest book. Will update the journal and e-mail back when we can along the hike.
Date: 2011-03-07
From: Getting ready

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

What a contrast! Since November, Snake Hips and I have sold our house, office, a car and loaded up a storage shed in Indiana. Now we are working on reducing our hiking gear down to a final 25 pounds or so each, including food and water for a few days. It reminds me of a cross-country bicycle trip in 1987. We had ridden from Anacortes, WA and about 4 weeks later were in NY somewhere along Rt 20. We carried so little that folks thought we were out for a weekend ride. We each had a seat bag and handlebar bag, no panniers. I remember looking around the tent one morning and thinking that there was really no other belongings we needed. I am hoping to feel the same way about my AT hiking gear real soon.
Date: 2011-03-11
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

We are heading by Amtrak to Gainesville, GA in 2 days. Our To Do list is smaller but not done yet. We both have short trail haircuts, grayer than on the last hike of the AT in 1978. That hike was a real adventure in many ways. But didn't make it all the way to Katahdin so here I am again. I appreciate more than last time the rare opportunity we have to take a 6 month hike. So many things have to come together to make it possible. And the support of so many people, family and friends, who have helped along the way. From paying bills, mailing gear, storing lots of Stuff and many, many words of encouragement. From co-workers at the ARU and WHS to family and friends at a retirement community, to long time friends since the last AT hike. Thanks to all of you. We couldn't consider this hike without your help and encouragement.
Date: 2011-03-19
To: Neels gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

We have arrived at Neels Gap and are having a great adventure. Some rain the first day for the 604 steps at Amicalola State Park to Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. After the first day, the weather has been sunny, great views, temperatures to the 70's. I have to remind myself not to send back my winter gear like I did in 1978. We could easily have some snow in the Smokies, several weeks from here. No bears yet but they are munching on bear bags just north of here. Thanks to all for their encouragement and comments. Will have more time to post further up the trail.