morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-04-01
From: Wine Spring Campsite

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: clear sky

It was a cold morning on top of the mountain, but I was warm in my bag and didn't want to get out. I got up at 7:30, but didn't leave until 9:30 after talking to Kaitie since she was on Spring Break and I took my time getting ready. Breakfast was 3 packets of cold oatmeal and I had all but run out of snacks and food for lunch. Good thing I'd be at NOC tomorrow. When I got to the parking lot by the Wayah Bald firetower I was about to follow the wrong path when I saw a white bearded man in his 70s who asked if I was a thruhiker. I told him yes and he said he had trail magic in his van. It was April Fools Day, and if this was some kind of joke I was going to be rather upset. It wasn't! He opened his trunk and had a cooler full of sodas and water along with bananas and about 6 boxes of little debbie snack cakes and things like that. It was my first trail magic and I sat and talked to the man whose trail name was Santa's Helper. I had a banana, rootbeer, and brownie, and he said I could take as much as I wanted with me. I took 4 snacks which was very helpful to get me through the long day. It was almost noon before I left the tower and I still had 11 miles to go. I walked fast and it was the first time I maintained a 3mph pace for an extended period. I ran into a guy named Long Strider who is a Ben Peck lookalike, not as handsome of course. I took in a view from Rocky Bald and Kazoo met up with me there. He explained that carpenter ants are edible as long as you don't eat their heads. I told him I'd take his word for it and before I knew it he was grabbing one and ate the bottom two thirds of it. He said they taste like lemon heads. Weird. There were two towers today! Well, three counting me...Hardy Har Har. Wesser Mountain Fire Tower was another 360o view and I met Homeward Bound up there. He said he hiked 3.7 mph to get there and I heard from a friend of his that he used to be a wrestler and can press 600 lbs with his legs. When I finally reached the shelter there weren't many flat spots, but Soho showed me one near the shelter. I setup my tent, pumped water, ate dinner, hung bag, talked to a few people around the fire and went to bed. NOC tomorrow! Only 6 miles!
Date: 2012-04-02
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: clear sky

I woke up at 6:30 with anticipation of getting to town nice and quick. Started hiking by 8 and soon realized that even though most of the hike was downhill it was entirely too hot to be wearing long pants and long sleeve shirt. I got situated at the 'jump-off' which is on the descent into NOC and had a great view. I paused their with Mr Fabulous and we took each others pictures. I found out later that day that it had gotten up to 89o, with very high humidity, by far the hottest day yet. I was very excited to be getting to NOC and I met up with everyone in front of the outfitters. I got a chance to say bye and good luck to Homeward Bound on his crazy Chinese adventure and we exchanged contact information. Scout, Jolly, and I shared a bunkhouse with two other older guys and after showering and doing laundry it was finally time to eat! Scout, Soho, Halfway, Doc and I went to the River's Edge around 1:30 and sat outside and watched the kayaks and rafters go down the river. Overdrive ate the hungry hiker which is a full pound of meat. The first in a number of eating acrobatics I will see along the way. We all got burgers, salads, fries or tots. It was wonderful. Afterwards, we checked out the outfitters and the general store. I still had some food leftover and it was only two or three days until Fontana Dam where I had a maildrop coming, so all I needed was a fuel canister, poptarts, hand sanitizer, and a 6 pack. Overdrive and Downhill went to the store with a friend from the area and got me pepperoni and cheese. Scout, Doc, Blues Clues and I sat with our feet in the river the rest of the day and just relaxed. It was glorious. Blues Clues told us about how he helped Gumpy do foot surgery on Peeper. Gumpy is a doctor, and she had a green abscess under a callous which he successfully removed(or did whatever you do in that situation). I met All Smiles, Skeeter, Wiffleball and Hawk. We got pizza around 6:30 and had some more beers. I made sure to drink plenty of water before bed considering I had to climb 3000' in elevation the next day. Another hiker left a box of food with Downhill and I grabbed two snickers and two granola bars. I have learned that I can't carry too many snacks. I got to talk to my mom and Kaitie and had a ton of fun at NOC.
Date: 2012-04-03
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Locust Cove Gap
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: light rain

The climb out of NOC was as advertised and it was just as hot as yesterday. Luckily, I only had 2-3 days of food, others were carrying 6-10...some had enough to get through the Smokies! Cheoah Bald was 7 miles in and 3000' up with the best and only view of the day besides the 'jump-up' which was a view down on the Nantahala Gorge. As I reached the top I began to hear thunder and just as I got there it began to rain and I was forced to continue on and put my pack cover on. I hiked down to camp behind Hawk and Wiffleball when I overheard them discussing a null hypothesis. When I got closer I asked what they were talking about and Wiffleball began explaining to me that when we put on our pack covers it creates a barometric shift in the atmosphere and actually forces rain away. "It's science" was his explanation. I liked this guy. As if he knew we were a few minutes from camp, he pulled out his phone and began to play Africa by Toto and we arrived to a tent city and everyone looking at us. Mr Fabulous had moved on past NOC and met up with us at camp. There were 18 tents in a rather small area and it was the Moving Village, Wiffleball, Hawk, Kazoo, Long Strider, Further, and a few others. It rained off and on starting around 4pm so we were back and forth in and out of our tents, but by around 6 or 7 I started getting tired and since it was raining decided not to get out of my tent to hang my bear bag. I knew others that weren't and figured that if a bear wanted to walk up to a campsite with 20 tents in the rain and take my food he could.
Date: 2012-04-04
From: Locust Cove Gap

To: Campsite before Fontana
Miles today: 14.6

It was dry when I woke up at 6 and I packed up and left around 7:30. The views this morning were awesome and the clouds hung low in the valley all morning. I walked along the ridge and the mountains in the distance looked like islands in a sea of clouds. I got my second trail magic at Stecoah Gap where there were sodas and chips and apples. It was right before Jacobs Ladder(an 800 foot climb in less than half a mile) and I'm convinced the Pepsi and Snickers combo pushed me up that mountain. Scout had moved on the day before and the rest of the Moving Village were pushing onto the Fontana Hilton. This is a famous shelter along the trail because it has a shower. I wanted to stay there, but it was past the town itself and it would be easier for me to get my maildrop in the morning if I camped a few miles before. On today's hike I saw a bright red crawfish that looked like it had already been cooked and a 4 foot black snake. I set up camp by myself and started a fire and was joined later by Kazoo and 3 others. I learned from Wiffleball and Hawk that Kazoo's name should actually be chocolate steak because of a story he told the first night on the trail. It may not be as much a story as a lifestyle, but anyway...It involves the chocolate fondue fountain at golden corral and him putting a plateful of steaks under it and eating it. Maybe after a few weeks or months on the trail, but not for fun. Anyway, it sounds like he would rather be called Kazoo, but everyone would prefer to call him Chocolate Steak. The 3 others at camp were two men who claimed to be thruhiking and one of their sons who is visiting for a week. The reason I say claimed to be is because along the way they are panning for gold. I had never thought about gold panning on the trail, but they were serious about it. They explained how certain tools over certain lengths in certain states are illegal. The one guy explained how he was refused some tool because the owner of the store knew he would be panning for gold with it. Apparently Kazoo's Dad was from Yukon territory or something so I listened to them as they talked about the history of gold panning and eventually after some weird stories retreated to my tent. This night I heard a large branch or perhaps a whole tree fall down in the rain and wind. My heart skipped a beat while I hoped it wouldn't fall on my tent, and when I didn't hear any screams or yells from the other hikers I assumed everyone was OK and I went back to sleep.
Date: 2012-04-06
From: Birch Spring Gap

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night it thundered louder than it had before and I could feel the ground shake underneath me. The lightning preceded the thunder by less than a second at times. It was the third night in a row of storms and the second night in a row where I heard a tree either snap or fall down. It cleared up overnight and in the morning it was considerably dry. The four of us packed up and I followed Fastback out of camp with Hawk and Wiffleball close behind. We hiked fast and even w/ three shelter stops we hiked 11 miles in 5 hours. The other three were planning to night hike after catching the sunset at Rocky Top. Yes, the same Rocky Top from the song. It was only 2pm and there were 6 miles to the next shelter, so I figured instead of stumbling through the rocky trail at night I would get there in daylight. I had lunch with the guys and then headed out on my own without knowing who I would see along the way or at the next shelter. I told the guys that I would be putting a lot of rocks and sticks in the trail for them since they'd be walking in the dark with only their headlamps and when I began and realized how rocky the trail was, I laughed to myself. It was a tough 6 miles and I was worn out by the end. There were a bunch of weekend hikers at the shelter and then I saw a majority of the moving village. Scout, Doc, and Blues Clues had moved on, but everyone else was there and they had a fire going in the shelter. The shelters in the Smokies are mostly made of stone as opposed to wood and most if not all have fireplaces, which is uncommon for shelters elsewhere. The weekenders had brought trail magic in the way of candy bars and whiskey. I missed out on the candy, but Overdrive brought me over the whiskey as I was setting up my tent. The temperature was dropping quickly and I was warmed up by the alcohol. It reminded me of a trip in the White Mountains of New Hampshire where my cousin Cory had brought Kahlua that warmed me up. After setting up my tent I prepared dinner and jokingly hugged Mr Fabulous after not seeing him for two whole days. I met Trog a 70+ year old who has hiked the trail twice before, just not in the same year. In 2003, he finished over 1700 miles before an injury caused him to stop, and in 2010 he was close to the 100 mile wilderness in Maine with over 2,000 miles completed when a back injury forced him out. Both times he finished the remaining parts the following year, but he wanted to do it all in one year, a true thru-hiker mentality. Because of his age and back problems he has gone ultralight and carries less than 10 pounds without food and water. I went to sleep thinking about how determined he must be until I thought I heard a bear breathing by my tent. It was probably my imagination, but the weather wasn't. It was the first very cold night and the temperature dropped into the high 20s or low 30s that night.
Date: 2012-04-09
From: Pecks Corner Shelter

To: Davenport Gap Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

The morning was cold and I didn't want to change from my camping clothes to my hiking clothes. I hiked with Biscuits in the morning and early afternoon, but he eventually got ahead of me. Today's hike was a lot less exciting than yesterdays. There were hardly any views and this was the end of the Smoky Mountain National Park. We stopped at Tri-Corner Knob shelter for second breakfast and Cosby Knob shelter for lunch. Here I met Jolly Rancher who said he had a lot of other trail names he was being called too. He was from Scotland. After 15 miles I passed the side trail for Mt Cammerer tower. A few other hikers said it was a view not to be missed, but it was .6 miles off trail and I could feel some blisters coming on so I had to miss it. I did not expect to make as good mileage through the Smokies as I was and clearly my feet were not yet tough enough for 20 mile days. I reached the shelter around 6:15 and met Gribley, DayStar, and Pants on Fire. Biscuits decided to stay instead of pushing on for 20+ and Tyvek got in after we all had eaten and it had gotten dark quickly. Gribley offered some whiskey and it warmed me up. This shelter is the last one in the Smokies to still have a cage covering the front so bears can't get in. There was a chain link door that we shut at night and I got a great night sleep.
Date: 2012-04-10
From: Davenport Gap Shelter

To: Brown Gap USFS 148A
Miles today: 13.4

Got my best sleep in a shelter on the entire trail last night. Woke up feeling refreshed, but worn out from the 20 mile day. We had a mile left of the Smokies before Davenport Gap and another 3 miles after that to Standing Bear Farm Hostel. Biscuits and I hiked together in the morning and it was another cold one so we started with layers which were soon shed. We reached the hostel around 10am and planned to get just enough supplies to make it to Hot Springs which was about 23 miles away. The atmosphere was of a party that had lasted late into the evening and hungover hikers were now gathering around the constantly burning fire to reminisce. A hiker named Pilgrim was doing "work for stay" at the hostel which meant his job was to show hikers around and wash dishes so he was allowed to stay for free. He greeted us with a swollen cheek and black eye, the apparent results of a bar fight. He showed us around and let us have leftover chili which we were more than happy to accept. He also showed us a few chunks of cheese that a few hikers from Wisconsin had paid with. Around 10:30am he cracked a beer and said "You can't drink all day if you don't start in the morning". Overall, a nice guy, but clearly he had some issues. Over the next few weeks we would hear stories of the hostel and workers which made it seem like the once well respected hostel was turning into more of a party scene. After chili, sodas, charging my phone/ipod and resupplying with pop tarts and cinnamon buns, we were on our way. I thought that the climb out of the hostel was gradual, but I was wrong. I may have been tired from the long day yesterday, but the 2400 ft rise in 4.5 miles was tough. It was tougher because I was trying to keep up with Biscuits who had started the trail in much better shape than I and whose pack was half the size of mine. We hiked together off and on the rest of the day until I finally got cell service again. I called Kaitie and my parents who were visiting my great Aunt Jane in Florida. It was great to talk to all of them over speaker phone since I hadn't had much service over the past week or so. I saw a lot of hikers this day that I would see the rest of my trip including Tyvek, Roller, Sunkist, Mr Wrong, CheeseWater, Sir Towely, the Honeymoon Hikers, Gribley, Daystar, Pants on Fire and others I'm sure. There were a lot of new faces on the trail who had spent the night at Standing Bear and I was catching up to them for the first time. Biscuits and I got to Brown Gap and the camping was minimal. The Honeymoon Hikers had already set up camp and there was just enough room for us to set up nearby. The honeymoon hikers met on the trail last year during their thru-hikes, got married, and decided to do it again. This time at a slower, more relaxing pace as they both rushed through it last year. Not your typical honeymoon if you ask me, but they are very nice people. This was the last water source for 3 miles so even though the dead trees were swaying in the wind and the sites were right next to the road we set up shop and had dinner and went to bed.
Date: 2012-04-11
From: Brown Gap USFS 148A

To: Bluff Mountain
Miles today: 12.3

I didn't realize until last night that Max Patch is only 3.5 miles away. When I woke up freezing and listening to the howling of the wind outside I said goodbye to the honeymoon hikers and Biscuits and I went back to sleep. It was glorious. I slept until 10:30 and began the climb up Max Patch at 11:45! When I had talked to my parents yesterday, my mom told me once again to hike my own hike, and that's what I was doing. I needed to catch up on sleep and hoped that the wind would die down since I wanted to enjoy the summit. This is one of those places on the trail that I looked forward getting to since I had seen so many pictures and videos of it in the past. It didn't disappoint and the climb up the grassy bald was exhilarating. The wind was blowing 30-40 mph and the temperature was in the 40s, but I sat up there and ate lunch and took it all in. At the summit Mr Wrong passed me who was planning a 23 mile day from Standing Bear. He was shocked that I had only done 3.5 miles so far since he had already done 13. He told me that Wiffleball and Hawk were planning a game of wiffleball on the summit of Max Patch today and I was surprised they were so close. Next, Mac and Snap, an engaged couple, asked me to take their picture. They handed me a very nice, but heavy camera. They were very friendly, but Snap had to keep moving because she was from Alabama and was not used to the cold. I waited until 3 to see if Wiffleball and Hawk showed up, but finally left considering I needed to pick up the miles in order to get to Hot Springs tomorrow. I turned on the blasters and did 9 miles before it got dark and set up my tent, made dinner, and sat around the fire. There was a large group this evening at the campsite and we built a massive bonfire. It may have been the coldest night of the trip and we were camped at 4500'. Other hikers included Spools, Radio, Roboticus and her friend(both from PA), Rocky and Stormy(married couple), Mr Wrong, and Croc Hunter and a few others continued on and decided to night hike. 11 miles to Hot Springs! I set my alarm for 6 as I was very excited for the next trail town. After all, it had been 9 days since I had a shower.
Date: 2012-04-13
From: Hot Springs!

To: still Hot Springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Friday the 13th! When I woke up, I hadn't decided whether or not to take a zero. My plan was to relax, get breakfast, resupply, mail a few things home, use the library's computer, play wiffleball and then hike a few miles and camp outside of town. I posted a few entries from the library, and then at 2 headed towards the field to see what if any hikers were going to show up. Hawk and Wiffleball had been telling everyone to spread the word, and I had, but I still didn't know what to expect. There were about 12 hikers when I got there and more slowly came over until there was at least 10 on either side. It was the biggest wiffleball game on the trail so far. I think, at least.. Mac and Snap were there, All Smiles, Skeeter, Wiffleball, Hawk, and I met a few other hikers named Polaris and Swiss who is from Switzerland. There were cases of beer in backpacks and I helped myself to a couple. We played for a few hours before stopping and with my pack ready to go, I still hadn't ruled out hiking on and I had to get something to eat before I left...so we went back to the tavern. Fastback and Hawk joined Wiffleball Spiller and I. We also saw Overdrive, Mr Fabulous, Downhill, Bigfoot, Soho, Halfway and all who I hadn't seen in a few days. After another beer or two, the offer to stay in a hotel, and the fact that the flyers playoff game was on directv, I finally decided to stay. After a flyers win I crashed on the floor of the hotel w/ Fastback Wiffleball and Hawk. They were planning to slackpack the next day, but I didn't want to. I didn't like the idea of hiking South and decided once again to hike my own hike.
Date: 2012-04-14
From: still Hot Springs

To: Rich Mountain Lookout Tower
Miles today: 8.2

I finally left Hot Springs around 12. I facetimed w/ Kaitie while the locals watched and thought I was crazy. I saw the moving village who were taking a zero so I said bye to them once again, but was sure I'd see them later. I had been in my first trail town for over 48 hours and I enjoyed every minute of it, but I was ready to be back on the trail. I passed the Honeymoon Man who was hiking with his two sons since it was his birthday and they visited him. He told me of an REI in Asheville where I could get a new pack since my hipbelt was getting too big to fit around my waist. I passed radio and hopalong and then ran into Hawk and Wiffleball. They had been dropped off up the trail by All Smiles Wife and would stay another night in Hot Springs and get dropped off at the same spot tomorrow to hike north. They had mentioned providing trail magic and they didn't dissappoint. They carried juiceboxes, peanut butter snickers, and oatmeal creme pies which were Wiffleball's favorite. After telling them I would see them up the trail I passed a family with a small boy who was probably between 6 and 8. After I passed them he tried to keep up with me and I could tell he was practically running. His parents told him to slow down and come back with them, but he insisted on seeing if he could keep up with me. I thought to myself that he would fall soon and that was when I heard the thump, and then I heard the cries. He fell face first and I turned around and looked at him as he dusted himself off. It wasn't that I wanted him to fall, but maybe he learned his lesson. Some other hikers coming from the north were followed through the woods by a big husky/german shepard mix. When I talked to them, they said it wasn't theirs and it had been following them for a while. I had to check out the fire tower and decided to camp around it when I saw the view it offered. I found a campsite with a firepit and picnic table and set up camp. I had cell service and was by myself and able to talk to Kaitie. I watched the sunset from the tower with a family and when it got dark, I went to sleep.
Date: 2012-04-15
From: Rich Mountain Lookout Tower

To: Jones Meadow
Miles today: 13.5

Last night's sunset was great and before going to bed I saw Jessie who was hiking w/ Sunkist. I had met this couple in Hot Springs. In the morning, I planned to get up at 6 to watch the sunrise from the tower, but the cold and wind kept me in my tent and instead I snoozed until 7. I got out of my tent and the new carabiner that I bought in Hot Springs did not hold my food bag so it was on the ground. Luckily, no signs of mice or bears. On today's hike I passed Hungus, Pace, Watermelon, Cheesewater, Sir Towely, Trog and Dreamtime. There was another fire tower today, but the signs said it wasn't worth the .2 miles. I went anyway and was disappointed, maybe next time I'll listen to the sign. This whole group camped together and Brownie and her dog, and Wall-E and another guy showed up later. The black flies are starting to get bad. They bothered me a couple times during the day, but at camp they were the worst. I started a small fire to keep the bugs away while we set up our tents, and afterwards I made it BIG. There was a lot of wood in the area and everyone helped out so we had a nice big fire and talked around it. An older hiker named Brisket showed up and said it was his first day on the trail since he ended his hike in Hot Springs a few years ago due to a torn ACL. Naturally, I had to speak up and talked about my injury and then Wall-E also mentioned that he had ACL surgery 2 years ago. I was glad to know I wasn't the only one trying to attempt this after an ACL tear.