morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-04-05
From: Wayha Bald Shelter

To: Rufus Morgan Shelter 
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: clear sky

Thunderstorms in the forecast...again. Started hiking at 8:00. The rain began at 10:00. The trail was more like a stream, very slippery in places. I did not intend to hike another 15 mile day. This section of trail not have many places to camp between shelters so I kept walking. Legs are tired so a zero hiking day is needed. Having a great time inspite of the weather
Date: 2017-04-06
From: Rufus Morgan Shelter 

To: Natahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 1.0
Weather: light rain

Hiked a rainy mile into the Natahala Outdoor Center. Enjoyed a hot breakfast (eggs, bacon, and grits) at the local restaurant. Another cold rainy day forecasted so I'm taking a rest day. Called a local shuttle driver (Villa) she gave us a quick tour of the down and dropped three of us off at the hotel. Laundry, shower, and town food.
Date: 2017-04-07
From: Natahala Outdoor Center

To: Locust Cove camping
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Enjoyed today's hike. Started at the Nantahala Outdoor Center and hiked thru a variety of trail. Lower elevations showed signs of early spring. Hiked thru a large area of pine forest. Higher elevation had snow on the ground. Tonight's temps are expected to be in the mid 30s...brrrr. I hope to be snug and warm between my 20 degree quilts.
Date: 2017-04-08
From: Locust Cove camping

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: clear sky

Hiked 18 miles today. What was I thinking? The target stop lacked trees I needed to hang so I kept walking. I also wanted to get into Smoky Mountain National Park while the weather was still favorable. Slept great last night despite the "party" atmosphere at the nearby shelter. Shelter life is a lot like middle school. That's all I'll say about that.
Date: 2017-04-09
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 11.4
Weather: clear sky

Mostly an uphill climb all the way to the shelter. Legs are feeling worked out. Shelter is crowded. 15 in the shelter, 9 tents and 2 hammocks. Weather is outstanding. Blue skys in the mid 60s. Having a great time. Large areas of the forest floor is carpeted with white wildflowers.
Date: 2017-04-10
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Slow hiking today due to a hitch in my giddy-up. Left quad is a little sore. Had some beautiful views from Rocky Top. Mostly blue skies today in the upper 60s. Good crowd at the shelter tonight. Campfire chat was mostly about getting to Gatlinburg for real food.
Date: 2017-04-12
From: Double Springs Shelter

To: Newfound Gap 
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: broken clouds

Woke early this morning. Was hiking by headlamp in an attempt to catch sunrise at Clingmans Dome. Clingmans is the highest elevation on the AT. Unfortunately, cloud cover blocked the sunrise. Arrived Newfound Gap around 1:30. Enjoyed the view, made a hotel reservation, and hitched a ride to Gatlinburg. Passed on the first ride offer- small car with four young occupants. The second offering was from an elderly couple from Michigan who enjoyed helping hikers. They drove me right to the hotel.
Date: 2017-04-13
From: Newfound Gap 

To: Gatlinburg 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Taking a zero day (no trail miles) in Gatlinburg. Gatlinburg is a tourist mecca. Main street is a mix of a carnival midway and shopping mall food court. It's not as stuck in the 1970s as I feared. There's a modern feel with a twist of nostalgia. People like it...the place is packed.
Date: 2017-04-14
From: Gatlinburg 

To: Tri-Corner Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: clear sky

Caught a very early shuttle out of Gatlinburg. The shuttle is set up for hikers who want to see the sunrise at Clingmans Dome. Several of us exited at Newfound Gap and headed north using our headlamps. Good day of hiking. Trail conditions on the north side of the Park are much improved.
Date: 2017-04-16
From: Paint Branch camp.

To: Walnut Mtn Shelter 
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: clear sky

A long but good hiking day. Started and ended with a steep ascent but in between fairly easy trail. A bit tired after a few long hiking days. I'll have to cut back in the daily miles. Had trail magic at a road crossing this morning, scrabble eggs, oranges, and doughnuts Yum! Glad to be here.Had a misstep the other day going downhill. What I thought was an 8 inch drop was closer to a 12 inch drop. The extra 4 inch drop sent a shockwave from my toes to my skull. Ouch!
Date: 2017-04-18
From: Hot Springs

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

Had a little rain today. Was not bad until the wind kicked up. I thought about staying in Hot Springs another day but the room I was in was not available. Most places are booked due to weather concerns. No rooms in town so to the trail I go. This shelter is on the ridge so with the expected rain a higher winds it may be chilly night in the hammock. P.S. slept great.
Date: 2017-04-21
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Bald Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: scattered clouds

The trail was slick from last night's rain. The rainy weather pattern continues. My going in plan was to hike to the next shelter area (11 miles) and call it a day. 11 miles in with no rain, I gambled for another 4 miles to Low Gap camp area. Mistake! Rained like crazy then I missed the camp area. Oops. Not many options before Bald Mtn Shelter so I pressed on. Fortunately, the rain took a break so I enjoyed nice views crossing the grassy bald. Got the tarp and hammock set up before...you guessed it...more rain.
Date: 2017-04-22
From: Bald Mountain Shelter

To: Erwin, TN 
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: broken clouds

Another early start to play the rain game. Good news, only one 30 minute downpour today. Better news, I was near a shelter so I waited it out under cover. I was thinking about setting camp, but a young hiker, Little Goat, reminded me about tomorrow's 90% rain/thunderstorm forecast and how nice trail food would be. He was right. Thanks Little Goat. Made it to Erwin,TN. Happy, happy.
Date: 2017-04-24
From: Erwin, TN 

To: Curley Maple Shelter
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Short hike day. Shuttled back to the trail around noon. Yesterday's rain turned much of the hiking trail into streams. Walked slow to keep my shoes dry. I do not like walking in soggy socks. Arrived at the shelter around 3pm. More rain in the expected so I set camp. Then the party crowd showed up. Very entertaining night. Some can really go at it.
Date: 2017-04-25
From: Curley Maple Shelter

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 21.9
Weather: light rain

Went long today, 21.9 miles, to create some distance from the party crowd. I also want to get closer to Roan Mountain so I could tackle it good weather. Mostly cloud today. The sun managed to peak thru the clouds once. I'm set to Roan Mtn tomorrow. All is well still having fun.
Date: 2017-04-27
From: Stan Murray Shelter

To: 19E Roan 
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Up and over two beautiful grassy balds, Little Hump and Hump Mountain. Nothing little about them. Awesome views. The wind nearly knocked me down twice. Predicted thunderstorms were rolling in as I approached 19E. Do I hunt for a camp site or head to town? Trail magic shows up again. The Doe River Hostel shuttle pulls up and offers a ride. Yay. Shower, laundry, a bed, and town food. Double cheese burger, fries, and a chocolate milk shake. All is well.
Date: 2017-04-29
From: Moreland Gap Shelter 

To: North of Wilbur Dam Road
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Another grand day on the trail. Did not see many hikers today. Elevation changes were fairly easy.  Hiked to Laurel waterfall then hiked around Watauga Lake.  Part of the trail near the lake was 10 inches under water. I hunted around for an alternative path knowing most hikers were not going to soak their shoes.  It took a few moments but I made it around dry. Found a secluded campsite over looking the lake. Very nice.
Date: 2017-04-30
From: North of Wilbur Dam Road

To: Double Spring Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: clear sky

Fairly easy trail today.  Elevation changes were were mild compared to previous days.  Most of the day was under tree canopy with the exception of a mile of open field toward days end.  Good crew at the shelter.  Sat around a campfire chatting with several section hikers. Have not seen the party crowd in several days. Winds are expected tonight with a high chance of rain tomorrow.
Date: 2017-05-01
From: Double Spring Shelter

To: Damascus 
Miles today: 19.0
Weather: overcast clouds

The foretasted rain was much lighter than feared.  I pushed to Damascus, VA to avoid setting up in the rain. The lure of town food and a much needed shower was a major motivator.  Crossed into VA today. Yay, another state completed.  Most of today's hiking was downhill.  Knees are tired.  Will take a zero day tomorrow.
Date: 2017-05-02
From: Damascus 

To: Damascus 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Zero day in Damascus.  Staying at the Woodchuck hostel.  Choice of accommodations: semi private room (main house), bunk house, tent in the backyard or teepee. yes, there is a  teepee in the backyard.  Nice place.  Several of us attempted to defeat the hostel owner at corn-hole.  We all failed.  Enjoyed townifood and a full days rest.
Date: 2017-05-03
To: Home
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

Departed Woodchuck hostel  around 9 am.  Walked north through town (the trail goes down main street)  to the trail-head.   There I stood for what seemed a very long time debating what to do next.  My hiking mojo was in the tank.  Thoughts of home were on my mind.  What to do?  Today's goal was the second trail shelter, only 12 miles.  I altered the goal to to first shelter, an easy 6 miles.  But my legs remained still.  Maybe another zero day.  No, it's time to visit home.  So with out disappointment I rented a car and drove the FL unsure if I would return to the trail this year.  The 470 miles hiked was a great experience. Met many terrific people and saw beautiful places.
Date: 2017-05-19
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I've been off the trail for over two weeks.  No regrets about returning home.  Just needed some quality family time.  Several house projects were completed.  I'm well rested and ready to return to the trail.  Waiting for backpack repair pieces from Zpacks.  Had issues with several straps slipping, making the pack uncomfortable.
Date: 2017-05-23
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: light rain

Got an early start thus morning. The threat of rain lingers.  Started with an occasional light drizzle.  The clouds let loose their payload just before noon.  Arrived at the shelter area early afternoon.  The trees, mostly pine grow close together so it took a while to locate a suitable place for the hammock.  Misty fog all night soaked anything exposed to the air.
Date: 2017-05-24
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: clear sky

Today started with wet gear.  Not sure which is worse, putting on yesterday's wet socks and shoes or a cold wet tee shirt.  Fairly easy hiking through Grayson Highlands.  Views were obscured by the fog but the wild ponies did not disappoint.  found a great hang spot.  Glad to be here.
Date: 2017-05-26
From: Trimpi Shelter

To: Chatfield Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: broken clouds

Yay, sunny all day.  Got an early start to reach Mount Rogers visitor center, Marion Va.  Time to resupply, laundry, and shower. Met up with Roaming Gnome, a hiker I met in Damascus in early May. We got off the trail the same time I did. He returns today. We will team up to tackle the AT. After chores, we headed down the trail. Nice to have company.
Date: 2017-05-29
From: Chestnut Knob Shelter

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: broken clouds

Only 10 miles today. Energy levels were low and the trail was very rocky.  Never found a hiking rhythm. Attempted to catch a ride to a hostel for a hot lunch.  The shuttle was delayed so we wasted a lot of hiking time.  Some days the trail wins the mental battle.
Date: 2017-03-10
To: D-Day -2
Miles today: 0.0

In Boston for my last full day here. Spent yesterday practicing putting up my tent, and laying out my gear in logical groupings for packing. Went out to buy food - had to walk nearly a mile there and back but felt taking a taxi would be unnecessarily ironic...After shoving in 9 lbs of food and all the gear, my pack was 36 lbs, but that doesn't include fuel or water, so I am in a bit of despair as to what to drop, as 36 was my hoped-for outer limit. I've hiked in training with a 52 lb pack, but that was just once and it nearly killed me. I dropped back to 36 lbs for most of my walks in Ferry Reach and that was easy. I read people's journals where they say they don't bother with tent footprints, only have two pairs of socks, no toothpaste, etc. I think I am just going to drop a pound of food from my pack, and expect that I will eat 1.5 lbs daily and wing it. I'm sure on the trail I will be like all other newbies, sending gear home that we thought we'd have to have.Tipperary
Date: 2017-03-11
To: D-Day -1 Boston to Atlanta
Miles today: 0.0

So here I am, early morning in Boston, snow on the ground here, packing to get on a flight to Atlanta where I will spend the night at a hotel near the airport and get a shuttle to Mt Springer tomorrow. I'm nervous and anxious to get going. Last night my wife Gayle and my son Aidan went to the House of Blues for a Passenger concert. It was good to have 75% of the family together for a fun event like that; it would have been unreasonable to expect Aisling to fly up from Mexico City to join us...
Date: 2017-03-12
From: Mt. Springer

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Yesterday I flew to Atlanta and took the train to North Springs where Survivor Dave (2008 thru-hiker who now runs a shuttle service) picked me up and took me to my hotel. I went out for a meal to a Chinese-Malaysian restaurant in a mall nearby. Continued to work on my packing. Printed off my Smoky Mountains permit. Went to bed and slept soundly until 5:50. After a good breakfast, I was again picked up by Dave who drove me to Springer Mountain, about a 2-hour drive, the last 14 miles on a pitted and rutted service road. From the car park, I hiked south for one mile to reach the southern terminus, took pics and signed the register, and turned around and started the official AT. There was snow on the ground but it was dry, at least until the temperatures went up enough to start melting the snow and ice in the canopy. I put on my pack cover and poncho at about the 4-mile mark. The going was often muddy, and my pants were filthy by the end. I stuck to my plan and set up tent at Hawk Mountain shelter. The shelter was full and noisy with several conversations going on at once. Surprisingly, I didn't feel hungry but cooked some oatmeal and had it with an apple, some spicy jerky, and a protein bar - a well-balanced meal. The actual hike from the terminus took me roughly 4 hours but the terrain was almost always tricky, with rocks, tree roots and even fallen trees occasionally. It's true that it did seem more uphill than downhill...Tipperary
Date: 2017-03-13
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Gooch Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night was cold, but I was as warm as toast in my sleeping bag, which is rated as adequate for temperatures down to 15F. I just could not sleep. There were strong winds in the trees that at least drowned out any snoring noises from other tents nearby. Before long the wind was shaking ice crystals out of the trees which sounded just like rain as they hit my tent. In the morning I had my first experience of taking down a tent in the woods - my hands were soon frozen and I dispensed with niceties like folding stuff - it all just got crammed into my pack. I left with Kyle, a 19-year old from Maine. He suffered from painful ankles and slowed down on descents but murdered me on climbs. The ground was dry and frozen, much better than the mud of yesterday. There were some gorgeous stretches of rhododendron alleys and others of open forest where you could see the trail meander away ahead. My pace today again was 2 mph, but my hips and Achilles held up. I pitched tent well away from the shelter at Gooch - there must be 40 people here. We had a roaring fire going and the usual fun trading stories and avoiding the smoke. I had another balanced meal of ramen noodles in vegetable broth, the last of my spicy beef jerky, and peanut butter on crackers. Now I'm in my tent with the rain pattering down. It's supposed to turn to snow later tonight.
Date: 2017-03-14
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Neel Gap
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: light snow

Thanks to some Ibuprofen PM, I slept through most of the snowstorm last night, waking around 5am. I got myself organized in the dark, first knocking all the snow off the tent from inside. As I had planned on 12.7 miles today, I was on the trail by 8:30. Only a handful of hikers were ahead of me, and the snow had mostly melted on the trail itself, so it was a pleasant start and I found I had to shed my beanie and rain jacket and rain pants to stay cool. I didn't need to bother with gloves either. I was alone most of the time, occasionally passing or being passed by other hikers. I'd anticipated a 6-hour hike, but as I was going up a steep and lengthy climb I discovered I'd passed my destination earlier than expected and missed it. So I carried on to the top of what turned out to be Blood Mountain, an elevation gain of 1,500 feet in five miles. I was truly knackered, doing about a half-mile per hour at times. The top was glacial, with a howling wind, bare ice-covered rocks to navigate and other good stuff - I mean, what's not to like? Noah, a younger (much, much younger) thru-hiker passed me en route to Neel Gap. It was all downhill for 2.4 miles, and I recovered much of my joie de vivre. At the outfitters at Neel, I re-encountered Noah. The manager told us that temperatures tonight and tomorrow night would be 10F and that we'd be wise to stay in town if we could get rooms. When we found there was one room left in a motel in the town of Blairsville nearby, we agreed to share it and I got free earplugs from the shop since Noah mentioned that he snores. A customer at the shop, William Sperin of Irish ancestry, gave us a lift. I knew we were in the right place when I saw a suede (yes, suede) Star Trek poster framed in the reception area of the motel, and the owner's name is Colleen. We had almost free all-one-could-eat pizza at a spot across the street. Again, what's not to like?So tomorrow will be a recovery day and a laundry day and trying to figure out what the next destination will be.
Date: 2017-03-15
From: Neel Gap

To: Neel Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

It was so pleasant being able to sleep in a normal bed in the warmth of our motel room, getting up late, drying out gear, doing laundry, discussing with one's roommate the various hiking options over the next couple of days, dropping in to see Peggy in Foodland once more, and of course one again indulging in the pizza buffet across the street for the princely sum of $7.04. As we were almost the last to leave, the manager approached us as we tried to squeeze out the door and asked if we'd be interested in a pizza he'd prepared but hadn't sold. We agreed to take it off his hands. Back in the motel, I finally figured out how to add photos to these entries and added a few to earlier ones. This is all to appease my family. Of course it means I now have to take the occasional photo.I called up some of the shuttle services to enquire about rates to get Noah and me back to Neel Gap in the morning, and struck a deal with one chap called Jason. I also spoke to the famous Miss Janet who featured in David "AWOL" Miller's book about his AT hike. She's hilarious. She told me about Awol trying to retrieve a resupply package from her house-cum-hostel while she was out. I hope we meet her tomorrow when everybody is getting their rides out.I think I'm going to adopt my roommate, Noah. I hope his parents won't mind. He needs a strong father figure out here on the trail to advise him on ways to hang sleeping bags to dry, how to roll up tarps correctly, how to fit stuff ergonomically into a cup, and many other vitally important life lessons. I also need to talk to his girlfriend to let her know what she's getting into, not least of which is snoring. Food. Everybody on the trail talks about it, but at this stage it's in the context of how little we are eating. I must have hiked in with about ten pounds of food, but have made barely a dent in it. Of course, I am quietly discounting the nightly four pounds of pizza I've savoured last night and the night before, but the healthy salad with bacon bits that I had each night sort of counterbalances that, if you know what I mean. On the trail, I met Bill who is an AT "ridge runner" and who spent some time in Galway, where I went to college. On one of those encounters he told me that he was hiking out 15 pounds of trash, including an unopened 4-pound jar of peanut butter that someone had discarded in a shelter against all the rules about attracting bears. [On the subject of dumping: yesterday I hiked out of Gooch with a one-pound battery charger that somebody dumped in the snow by my tent-site. I plugged it in at the motel and it worked fine, and it fully charged my iPhone. I'm giving it to the motel folk to add to the kit hikers leave behind.] But enough about food.
Date: 2017-03-16
From: Neel Gap

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: few clouds

Noah and I were picked up at 8 by Jason our shuttle guy. He is an ex-Army veteran who served a tour in Iraq and is now on disability. It was very cold at Neel Gap -about 20 degrees below freezing. I went into the outfitters to buy sunscreen and a water reservoir as I'm fed up with stopping every time I need to drink. Noah headed on. Immediately on leaving the outfitter the trail heads up an exposed hillside, and there was a bitterly cold wind. I had several layers on, plus a base layer hood, rain jacket hood, and gloves. My fingers went numb and it was at least 30 minutes before the exertion of the climb and some helicoptering of my arms got the circulation going. But as successive climbs followed, there was shelter from the wind, and by Cowrock Mountain I was part of a large group stopping to enjoy the view and the sun, and shed outer layers. I shared half the pizza I'd hiked in and had no refusals. Temperatures were supposed to peak at 47F today and it felt like it. There was my first sighting of trail magic supplied by Nudge Ministries at Tesnatee Gap - I helped myself to a couple of mini-Snickers as a lack of food is not my problem. At Low Gap Shelter, 11.5 miles in and the prettiest Shelter location I've seen, I stopped to finish the rest of my pizza and decided to push on. It was a good decision. The trail for several miles was fairly flat, curving around hillsides and defiles. Towards the end there was a difficult rocky stretch but I had a lot more energy than on Blood Mountain on Tuesday. I got to Blue by five, so 2.3 miles per hour including the breaks for food, and my longest stretch so far. I will be taking it easier tomorrow. Blue Mountain Shelter is on top of a ridge and there was a panoramic view of the sunset, all pinks and oranges. I was quickly quite cold as soon as I'd stopped and set up tent. Davis, another ATC ridge runner, showed all the newbies how to hoist a bear bag into the trees. I cooked some ramen, and sat by the fire for a few minutes, but decided being snuggled up in my sleeping bag was a better option. Several of my tenting neighbours were snorers so I was glad I'd brought along earplugs. Tipperary