morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2023-10-09
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 0.0

2023 Day 12Trail miles: 0Total miles: 0Total time: 0:00Speed: N/A mphCalories: N/AElevation gain:  0 (Far Out 0)Elevation loss: 0 (Far Out 0)Weather: Mostly cloudy, upper 30's at sunrise, warming up to the upper 60'sThis was an easy zero at Nantahala Outdoor Center. No restaurants were open for breakfast but I scrounged up a few oatmeal packets and some crackers. I then organized the materials in my resupply and did my laundry. I ran into Frog and we had an early lunch at the Rivers End restaurant. I learned more about his work for People's Choice, an advocacy group that is an outgrowth of Ralph Nader's consumer protection work. After lunch, Frog continued south and will be ahead of me for the rest of the trip.In the afternoon I went on a two hour rafting trip down the Nantahala River. It was great fun but not as rewarding as hiking.I ran into Peter again and he joined me for dinner at Rivers End Restaurant. He's taking a zero tomorrow, so I'll probably be ahead of him for the rest of the trip. Tomorrow I have a 3000 ft climb out of the Nantahala River Valley with a heavy pack containing food for five nights out. This will be that last massive climb of the trip.It's approaching 9 PM, hiker midnight, so it's time for sleep.
Date: 2023-10-10
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Wayan Bald Shelter 
Miles today: 16.3

2023 Day 13Trail miles: 16.3Total miles: 17.5Total time: 12:21Speed: 1.3 mphCalories: 2,616Elevation gain:  5,728 (Far Out 5,850)Elevation loss: 3,133 (Far Out 2,930)Weather: Mostly sunny, cool breeze for most of the day, high in the 60'sI was up at 5:30 and out the door of my room at 6:30. I crossed US 19&74 at 6:40 to begin the big climb out of the Nantahala River Valley. I used my headlamp for the first 45 minutes.  Once the sun came up I had the best photo opportunities of the trip.  Mother nature provided clouds to reflect the golden rays of the sun. There were several view points as the forest had not fully grown in from a fire several decades ago.I climbed at a slow but steady pace. My pack was the heaviest it will be on this trip as I have 5 days of food (2 lb of food per day) and have switched to using a bear vault (heavy duty plastic container with screw on lid) as recommended in the AWOL guide for this portion of the trip. The vault adds several more pounds.I reached Wesser Bald with its fire tower at noon. There were 360 degree views from the tower and the cloud patterns made for some interesting pictures. The afternoon was about making the 10 miles to Wayah Bald Shelter. The first 5 miles were challenging with a major down and the an up. If it kept up like this I wasn't going to make it to Wayah Bald Shelter.  However, the trail became easier.  I passed my backup campsite, Licklog Gap, at 6 PM. I had 1.4 miles left to my intended stopping point and I knew I could make it in the hour of daylight that was left. I arrived at the shelter a little before 7 PM. I'm the only one here. The wind is still whipping so I'm glad to be in a solid roofed structure rather than my tent.I can see lights through the trees. I wonder if there is a mountain vacation home development nearby?In terms of effort expended this is probably the hardest day of the trip.
Date: 2023-10-11
From: Wayah Bald Shelter 

To: Rock Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 14.8

2023 Day 14Trail miles: 14.8Total miles: 15.6Total time: 10:31Speed: 1.4 mphCalories: 2,279Elevation gain:  3,264(Far Out 3,028)Elevation loss: 4,242 (Far Out 3,842)Weather: Overcast, high in the 60'sThe wind blew for most of the night but died down by daybreak.  I was up at 6:20 and on the trail at 7:40, just after sunrise.  The first order of business was an 800 ft climb to the lookout tower on Wayah Bald. There was a 360 degree view. The sun was trying to pearce through the overcast.  This made for some interesting lighting which I tried to photograph. The highlight of the day was the view from Siler Bald (Elevation 5208). It was a 0.2 mile uphill climb from the trail and was worth every step. I had a late lunch here. To the southwest there were six successive ranges of mountains that could be seen. This is the direction I'll be hiking over the next week. To the northeast three peaks higher than Siler could be seen on the horizon.  The tops were just poking up above a lower cloud layer. I assume these were the 6,000'+ peaks in GSMNP. I took many pictures. The challenge was the heavy haze obscuring the distant peaks. Siler Bald would be a great place to return to for sunrise and sunset photos. I had 8 more miles to cover after lunch but the trail was easy. On my way down to Winding Stair Gap I encountered a Nantahala Hiking Club work party. They had just chainsawed a nasty blow down out of the trail. I thanked them for their work.I arrived at Rock Gap Shelter a little after six. I'm the only one in the shelter but there are six others camping nearby including Freezing, Tired, Hungry, and Mountain Toad.
Date: 2023-10-12
From: Rock Gap Shelter 

To: Beech Gap Tenting Area
Miles today: 15.3

2023 Day 15Trail miles: 15.3Total miles: 15.8Total time: 10:08Speed: 1.5 mphCalories: 1,739Elevation gain:  3,310 (Far Out 3,202)Elevation loss: 2,703 (Far Out 2,593)Weather: Heavy rain overnight, foggy in the morning with cool breeze, started to clear at about 1 PM, then partly cloudy, high of about 60It poured buckets for about half the night. It ended at about 7:30 AM. The shelter was under an oak tree and acorns were falling on the tin roof all night. It sounded like someone was throwing rocks on the roof. Needless to say, I was awake for part of the night.I was up at 6:20 and on the trail at 7:40. Although it had stopped raining there was still lots of tree rain, so I wore my rain pants and jacket plus I put my pack cover on.It was a relatively easy climb to Albert Mountain, but the top was in the fog so I didn't linger. On the way up I met Fyrefly (yes, unconventional spelling) from Waterville, Maine. She has thru hiked the AT three times.  She was out for a couple of days leading some women who had never backpacked before. I took advantage of the fog to take some moody pictures of the woods. Later in the day after it had cleared, I took some great pictures of nearby peaks.I arrived at Beech Gap at 6 PM. I saw someone speed hiking south on the AT at about 6:30. I'm the only one camping here.Since Fontana Dam it has worked out that I've had the hard hiking in the morning and the easy hiking in the afternoon.  I like that routine!Only 90 miles left to Springer Mt. Getting close!
Date: 2023-10-13
From: Beech Gap Tenting Area

To: Plum Orchard Shelter 
Miles today: 16.6

2023 Day 16Trail miles: 16.6Total miles: 17.1Total time: 10:00Speed: 1.7 mphCalories: 2,212Elevation gain:  6,725 (Far Out 3,222)Elevation loss: 8,274 (Far Out 4,501)Weather: Breezy overnight, mostly sunny in the morning becoming mostly cloudy in the afternoon, light showers at 4 and 6 PM, high of about 60I got up at 6 AM and was on the trail at 7:40 AM, just about sunrise. It takes discipline to get up when it is completely dark but that's what I need to do to make the miles.I did a 2 mile, 1000 ft climb to Standing Indian. This offered the most spectacular views of the trip. There was almost no haze. The surrounding mountains were starting to turn their fall colors. It was amazing. This was also the last peak over 5000 ft on this trip. The rest of the day was easy miles in the woods. I stopped several times to take pictures of yellow and orange trees in the woods. It was very restful. There were many yellow or gray birch trees. I haven¢t see so many birch since the Grayson Highlands in VA.At about 3:45 PM I crossed from North Carolina to Georgia - my last state! YAHOO! There were a few light showers in the late afternoon but not enough to put a rain jacket on.I'm at the Plum Orchard Shelter. There are two ladies in the shelter and two ladies tenting nearby. All four are out for a couple of days. I encountered several other hikers out for a random couple of days. It's approaching 8 PM. Time for sleep.
Date: 2023-10-14
From: Plum Orchard Shelter 

To: Tray Mt Shelter 
Miles today: 15.7

2023 Day 17Trail miles: 15.7Total miles: 16.7Total time: 11:03Speed: 1.4 mphCalories: 2,293Elevation gain:  7,910 (Far Out 5,082)Elevation loss: 6,761 (Far Out 4,114)Weather: Rain overnight, foggy in the morning, becoming mosty cloudy in the afternoon, very windy, high in the 50'sFor my first night in Georgia, I slept like a log eventhough the rain was pounding on the tin roof 4 ft above my head. I was up at 6 AM and on the trial at 7:30. The rain had stopped but there was still tree rain. This was a challenging day because of all the cumulative elevation gain (>5000 ft according to FarOut). This should be the last day of that magnitude for this trip. The morning was hiking in the fog. I took a few moody pictures of the forest in the fog. The fog cleared at about noon, just in time for my lunch break at Powell Mt viewpoint. The ridges had lots of fall colors. The afternoon was lots of up and down hiking. First up to the top of a ridge and then down to the next gap. I just kept chugging along. The water supply at my intended stopping point for the night was iffy. So I hiked 0.1 mile down a steep side trail from Steel Trap Gap to a very weak spring. When I got there, I could see no water, argh! However, on closer inspection I found a trickle. I still had 1.7 miles and 800 ft of elevation gain to reach Tray Mt Shelter. I arrived at 6:30 PM. There are two brothers and one of their sons in the shelter with me. They are from Orlando. They are out for several nights and are going from Unicoi Gap to Deep Gap. There are several more hikers in three tents. The shelter is on top of a ridge and the wind is just whipping. It is going to be a wild night. Glad I'm in a shelter. An easy day tomorrow. Less than 6 miles to Unicoi Gap and then a pickup to The Green Dragon Hostel.
Date: 2023-10-15
From: Tray Mt Shelter 

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 5.7

2023 Day 18Trail miles: 5.7Total miles: 5.8Total time: 3:51Speed: 1.4 mphCalories: 1,038Elevation gain: 1,240 (Far Out 1,188)Elevation loss: 2,660 (Far Out 2,372)Weather: Very windy last night, foggy for the first hour of hiking, still windy and cold, becoming mostly cloudy later in the day, high in the 50'sThe wind was howling for the entire night. Despite that I slept soundly until about 4:30. After that I'd had enough sleep. I got up at 6:30 and was on the trail at 7:40.This was a short hiking day. I took a few pictures of the foliage and from one view point. It was easy miles to Unicoi Gap. Bill from the Green Dragon Hostel picked me up and brought me into town were I got a deli sandwich from Ingles Supermarket. It was delicious! I'm now at the Green Dragon Hostel.  It is a great place. Perfect for hikers. There are three other hikers here, two section hikers and one thru hiker who flipped at Harpers Ferry.Green Dragon Hostel had spaghetti and chicken for dinner - YUM!
Date: 2023-10-16
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Baggs Creek Gap
Miles today: 16.9

2023 Day 19Trail miles: 16.9Total miles: 17.7Total time: 10:40Speed: 1.6 mphCalories: 2,285Elevation gain: 4,514 (Far Out 3,992)Elevation loss: 4,140 (Far Out 3,422)Weather: Day started out mostly sunny but became overcast by mid-morning, at times the high elevations were in the fog, a few light showers in the afternoon with some tree rain, a cold breeze for most of day, 40 in early morning rising to the low 50's in the afternoon. I was up a 6 AM for a 6:15 breakfast of egg casserole and pancakes prepared by Donna at The Green Dragon Hostel. This was a perfect way to start the day. At 7:30 Bill drove Quilt and I back to Unicoi Gap. Quilt headed north and I was headed south by about 7:45.As with most days it started with a climb, in this case 1000 ft to Blue Mountain. Then, the hiking through mid-afternoon was easy including 3 miles on an abandoned forest road. I expect that it was built by the CCC. There were dry laid stone walls supporting the road where it traversed the draws. Old style metal culverts carried the water under the road.In mid morning I met Whistle from Ohio. He was moving south at a fast pace. He is almost a thru hiker but had to skip the 100 Mile Wilderness because of the flooding in Maine early in the season.Today I took more pictures of the foliage in the fog and of a tree that split a rock apart.  This showed the will of this tree to survive. No pictures from the viewpoints as they were in the fog.I ran into Care Bear a little before lunch. I'd met her before at Fontana, where she started, and also saw her at NOC. She is camped near me at Baggs Creek Gap. She is a chemical engineer from SC. She is out for a section hike and will end at Springer on the 19th, same a me.I did have a 1000 ft climb out of Hog Pen Gap to end the day. This allowed me to get in a few more miles than planned. This sets me up for a mid-afternoon rather than late afternoon finish on the 19th.My campsite at Baggs Creek Gap is fogged in resulting in tree rain. I'll have a wet tent to roll up in the morning. The wind is still blowing. It's close to 9 PM, hiker midnight, so time for sleep.
Date: 2023-10-17
From: Baggs Creek Gap

To: Preacher's Rock
Miles today: 14.0

2023 Day 20Trail miles: 14.0Total miles: 14.9Total time: 10:40Speed: 1.3 mphCalories: 1,893Elevation gain: 4,107 (Far Out 3,448)Elevation loss: 4,064 (Far Out 3,379)Weather: Foggy over night until about 9 AM then mostly sunny, temperatures started in the upper 30's and got up to the 50'sI got up at 6 AM and was on the trail at 7:30. Due to the fog and the overnight breeze there was tree rain all night. Thus, the tent was soaked when I rolled it up. Other gear was also wet. Nothing could be done about that except to start hiking.For the first couple of miles the trail was overgrown with wet vegetation.  It was like hiking through a car wash. My pants and boots were soaked.At Neal's Gap I made a quick visit to the outfitter for AAA batteries for my headlamp.  Then, it was a 1000 ft plus climb to Blood Mountain (Elevation 4,459). This was the last peak over 4,000 ft on this trip. There were great views and the sky was crystal clear.  The foliage is not very far along at these lower elevations and now that I'm further south.The afternoon hiking was uneventful and through hardwood forests.  I did encounter a homeless man who was rumored to be in the area. Fortunately he was headed north and I was headed south.I had intended to camp at Lance Creek but I was there at 4:15. I pushed on 2.4 more miles to Preacher's Rock where I camped for the night. There is a great view to the east. I ate my dinner as I watched the last of the daylight fade and the lights from the cities to the east to come up. It was a treat to camp at a place with a view as usually shelters and campsites are buried deep in the woods. Several locals made the one mile trek from Woody Gap to watch the sunset.I can hears vehicles on the highway below and a dog barking so civilization is close by.Tomorrow I hope to cover 18.8 miles to Stover Creek Shelter. The cumulative elevation gain is only 3,586 and there are no big climbs so this should be doable. I've already done two 18 mile days on this trip. Moreover, my pack will have just one day of food in it so will be relatively light. Getting to Stover Creek will set me up for a mid-afternoon finish on my last day.
Date: 2023-10-18
From: Preacher's Rock

To: Stover Creek Shelter 
Miles today: 18.8

2023 Day 21Trail miles: 18.8Total miles: 19.2Total time: 11:38Speed: 1.6 mphCalories: 2,903Elevation gain: 3,946 (Far Out 3,586)Elevation loss: 4,625 (Far Out 4,255)Weather: Mostly sunny, slight breeze at times, temperature started in the upper 30's and rose to the 50's, perfect weather for hikingAfter a restful night I was up a 5:45 AM and on the trail at 7:00. The early morning lite to the east was glowing red as I went over Preacher's Rock. About a dozen people had hiked the one mile up from Woody Gap to watch the sunrise.The goal for today was to cover 18.8 miles to Stover Creek Shelter. I needed to maintain an average pace of at least 1.5 mph to get there before dark.For most of the day the trail followed a ridge. If the top of the ridge went up, then I had a steep climb to a peak or knob with no view.  If the ridge went down, then I had a steep drop into a gap.This section of the trail is heavily worn by all the "want to be" north bound thru hikers, most of whom drop out. There are also many section hikers who start at the southern end with the hope of someday completing the trail. The poor condition of the trail added to the challenge. I made quick work of the descent to Woody Gap. From there I had a great view of the plains to the east in the early morning light. After Woody Gap, the real work began.Mostly the trail went through hardwood forests but near the end of the day, there were a few groves of pines. This is the first I've seen of that this year. A section hiker, Bruce, and I passed each other several times. He hikes faster than me but takes more and/or longer breaks. There were about a dozen section or day hikers that I passed. Of the last group of three, two graduated from Purdue engineering. One was there at the same time as me.I arrived at Stover Creek Shelter a little after 6:30. My average pace was 1.6 mph. Well done!There is a guy living in the shelter with a poorly behaved dog that barks a lot and 100 lbs of books that he hauled in. For this reason, I chose to stay in my tent. Bruce chose to hike on the next shelter. It's a same that vagrants sometimes monopolize shelters.This area of the trail is near a training base for Army Rangers. A helicopter flew by me at treetop level. There were a few random explosions during the afternoon and evening. At about 8:30 PM I could hear a firefight that lasted 10 minutes. I'm camped just 2.8 miles from the summit of Springer Mt, the southern terminus of the AT.  There is less than 1000 ft of elevation gain to go. I should be on the summit a little after 9 AM. It has not yet sunk in that tomorrow my 2,198 mile section hike of the Appalachian Trail will be completed. Then I just have an 8-mile descent to the base of Amicalola Falls.It's after 9 PM. Time for sleep.
Date: 2023-10-19
From: Stover Creek Shelter 

To: Springer Mt
Miles today: 2.8

2023 Day 22Trail miles: 2.8Total miles: 11.9*Total time: 7:00*Speed: N/ACalories: 1,648Elevation gain: 2,263* (Far Out 1,001 to Springer Mt)Elevation loss: 3,402* (Far Out 98 to Springer Mt)Weather: Partly cloudy, temperature started in the 40's and rose to the low 60's*Includes Approach Trail to Amicalola Falls Visitors CenterNote on mileage total for my AT hike: does not include the approximately 100 miles of the AT and Long Trail that are the same. See my 2009 Long Trail journal for those.I slept reasonably well but the vagrant in the shelter yelling at his dog woke me up a couple of times. A hiker who stayed at Hawk Mt Shelter said that there were several more Army Ranger firefights during the night but I slept through those.I was up at 5:45 AM and was on the trail at 7:30. It was an easy hike to the summit of Springer Mt. In a way the hike was surreal as it was hard for me to comprehend that I was about to complete my 12th and final section hike of the AT.I arrived at the summit a little after 9 AM. For a while I was the only one there and I savored the moment. My former UMaine colleagues Pat and Diane, sensed that I would be on the summit at about that time and called to congratulate me. Soon Bruce, who had stayed at the Springer Mt Shelter, arrived and we took ceremonial pictures of each other.Soon it was time to start the hike down to the Amicalola Falls Visitors Center. Bruce and I hike together for much of the way. We traded places on who was in the lead. At a point where I was a 100 yards ahead of him, I apparently stepped over a sleeping copperhead snake without realizing it. Bruce saw the snake and took a picture of it. That was too close for comfort!I arrived at the visitor's center at 2:30 to be greeted by my cousin Bob and his wife Margaret. They presented me with an engraved AT medallion. For a while, I was speechless. We hung around the visitor's center for about 1.5 hours. Bruce was already there. Soon Spicey rolled in to complete her AT thru hike and then Care Bear came in to complete her section hike. It was wonderful to be there with hikers that I'd met along the way.  I also gave trail advice to two gentlemen from New York who were about to start a section hike. I think that Bob and Margaret enjoyed meeting the hikers and learning more about the trail.I'm now at a hotel in Gainsville GA. I'm showered, shaved, and wearing clean clothes.  My wallet is now in my back pocket rather than a ziplock bag in my pack and my car keys are in my front pocket. I guess that means my journey is over. I'll post again with some follow-up thoughts when I get home.
Date: 2023-11-12
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Springer Mountain
Miles today: 8.1

Google Photos Photo AlbumDay 151AT miles 8.1Miles hiked 9.1Hawk Mountain Shelter to Springer Mountain (Southern Terminus)I woke to a cold misty morning. No problem though. This would be my last cold, rainy morning on this thru hike. I started a big cup of cocoa and began packing up. Oops ¢ still not used to how fast my JetBoil can boil water so now I have a hot chocolate encrusted cook pot and stove.  Once everything was packed I stopped by the shelter to say goodbye to the hikers I met last night. They were all very excited for me and wished me well along with congratulations on completing my journey.  I texted Phil and told him I¢d be at the Springer Mountain Trailhead in three hours then started hiking. It didn¢t take long for the mist to turn to actual cold rain. The weather was getting in its last licks. Poetic in a way.It didn¢t seem real that my hike was about to end. As I was making my final trek of the journey I caught myself thinking back over all the adventures I¢d had, all the people I¢d met and especially all the friendships I¢d made along the way. This had truly been the adventure of a lifetime.  My energy level seemed to be ebbing a bit so I ate a candy bar and ended up drinking the rest of my water. One more water stop was in order to filter some water. I felt much better after downing a liter of water.It stopped raining about a mile before the trailhead. Good. I was worried we would have to walk our celebratory mile in the rain. I wouldn¢t mind but I didn¢t want them to have to suffer on my account. I got to the parking lot in three hours and three minutes. Almost perfect timing. But where was Lynn, Phil, and Ethan? Then, just like that, they were turning into the parking lot. And to top it off, the sun came out. Hooray!I ditched my unnecessary gear and put Lynn¢s cooler in my backpack. They¢d brought adult beverages and donuts to celebrate my accomplishment. Perfect!The walk to the summit was not bad at all. Especially compared to summiting Katahdin. The Southern Terminus just does not have the same visual and emotional impact that the Northern Terminus has. But, it still felt good sitting beside that monument. We took some pics, talked to day hikers who were up there, ate donuts and drank beers then headed back to the car.My hike was over. I didn¢t know how I should really feel. I was happy that I was able to finish my hike, happy to have better options when it started raining, but I was going to miss the simple lifestyle of waking up and walking all day.We drove to Amicalola Lodge hoping for lunch but the restaurant closed right when we got there and our rooms weren¢t ready yet. We drove to the visitor center and played with Ethan on the playground, got some snacks then headed back to the lodge.I spent a good part of the afternoon drying out wet gear and cleaning what I could then it was dinner time followed by bedtime.