morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-11-09
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: No Business Knob shelter
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Rained most of last night and stayed up (last text to my wife was 3:15am) way too late watching Fox News reports of the the ejection results ... Go Trump. Beats Hillary and the media without any help from former presidents or the speaker of the house. Started the day at 8:10. Crossed under I-26 at 9:10. Met Walking Tree who is from Germany and was one of the first to start at Katahdin earlier this year. He had to extend his visa to finished the trail. Said he had been walking for long time. Made it across Bald Mountain and to Bald Mountain Shelter by 12:15. Crossing the Bald it was 38degrees on my REI thermometer and blowing like crazy. Totally socked in with low clouds. Had most of my clothes on during the middle part of the day. Made it to No Business Knob Shelter by 4:15, set up camp and went right making dinner. I am exhausted and feel I have come down with a cold. Leaving the trail tomorrow to head back home for an important wedding then hopefully back here by Monday to hammer out another segment. Until then.
Date: 2017-03-06
From: No Business Knob shelter

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: light snow

Started at 8:45 after a great breakfast at Waffle House and a shuttle to Uncle Johnny's hostel. Great place, great people. Passed Indian Grave Gap, Beauty Spot, Unaka Mountain and stopped at Cherry Gap Shelter. Met 4 SOBO's and one NOBO, all were section hikers. Her name was Cookie and has been section hiking since 2015. She had planned to stop at Beauty Spot which has some great views but very windy and cold tonight since it is a bald. Misted rain and pretty windy all day. My thermometer showed in the middle 40's all day. Stopped early so as to not go out too fast after my winter break. Felt strong today and put in 17.1 miles. My Guthook's app indicates over 5,200 of climbing she over 3,000 of descending. Big day planned tomorrow as I want to make it to the Overmountain Shelter.
Date: 2017-03-07
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter (barn)
Miles today: 24.3

Rainy and windy night but hot god sleep. Started off just after 7:00 this morning. Started the day off listening to music and as Zac Brown says "life is good today". Well I wish that held true today. After passing Iron Mountain, Little Rock Knob, things started to go wring. After a tough hike up Roan Mountain, encountered a good bit of ice on the way down. During a slip, I broke one of my trekking poles at the handle. I have z-fold poles and the handle is critical, so that one is toast for now. Then the rain and wind started to pound the mountain as I approached Round Bald and Jane Bald. Couldn't see anything as the clouds and rain were on top of the mountain. Decided to use my umbrella which worked great but got caught in one of the gusting winds and blew up. Half of the umbrella is now in ruin but will try to fix it in the coming days. Starting from the bald's, the trail became a major muddy, slick mess all the way to my stopping spot, Overmountain Shelter/Barn. Was a good day for mileage as I made it 24.3miles. Met Riley the dog in the Shelter who slept close by with one of the 6 spring breakers out for a segment hike. Cold and very windy night. Could feel the whole structure move as the wind blew.
Date: 2017-03-08
From: Overmountain Shelter (barn)

To: Campsite near Mountaineer Falls Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Rained and very windy last and good thing I was in the Overmountain shelter/barn. I set up my tent inside to help keep the wind at bay. Riley, the dog, tried to leave with me but his master tricked him with some treats. Just what I would have done with my dog Mason who I miss hiking with me. Hiked over Little and Hump Mountain on "hump day". Beautiful crisp and but windy morning. The hike up both "Humps" was touch with the day I had yesterday and the gusting winds, but it was dry! After hiking down Hump Mountain I left NC and back TN. The day was beautifully clear blue sky's and brisk at times which made the hiking better. Stopped at a campsite about a mile north of Mountain Falls Shelter. Officially passed 400 miles hiking the AT today! Only 1,800 miles to go. 18.8 miles for the day.
Date: 2017-03-09
From: Campsite near Mountaineer Falls Shelter

To: Pond Flats
Miles today: 20.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Sleeping by the creek was great for the ambient noise but was very moist all night which made it cold to sleep. I knew this when I decided to camp there but did not appreciate how much colder it would get when everything is a little damp. The morning hike was through a tunnel of mountain laurel and then Upper Laurel Fork. Appropriately named and very beautiful large creek running through the mossed covered rocks. Lot of hiking miles during the mid-day through sections of burnt forest. Sad to see but you can tell new vegetation is sprouting a new. Stopped into the Black Bear Resort to resupply before getting into Damascus. Met Stephanie who is the curator and had nice chat while I ate a good lunch. Found out she was a school teacher from Cocoa Beach and I shared with her that I grew up in Melbourne Beach (20 miles south). Small world. She and husband did not want raise their kids in the city life of Cocoa Beach so they ended up buying what is now the Black Bear Resort. Although I didn't stay here, this looks like a paradise in the woods. She said I was hiker #2 for the season. She also mentioned that snow and cold was coming into the area by Saturday. Hope to be in Damascus by then. Hiking past Laurel Falls and the river was absolutely stunning. Need to go back for a longer stay. Long climb to Pond Flats camp site where I ended the day. 20.8 miles for the day.
Date: 2017-03-10
From: Pond Flats

To: Double Spring Shelter (tentsite on ridge)
Miles today: 26.4
Weather: light rain

Long but successful day. It rained a good bit last night and was really wet all morning and very windy and cold. Had my rain suit on most of the day either for the rain or the cold and wind. Not much of a view today except walking past Watauga Lake and the dam. Once on the ridge line the weather obstructed everything and was strong enough I had to lean into it to stay balanced. Made it to Double Spring Shelter and decided tent camp up on the hill. Needed to let my tent dry from packing it up wet this morning from the rains. Once I set my tent up for about an hour the water droplets froze and started to fall off when the wind picked up. Going to be a cold one tonight. Thank goodness for my 20F bag and down jacket. Talked with my wife about the upcoming snow and very cold temperatures being forecasted middle of next week north of Damascus. May make alternative plans for a few days and let the bitter cold hiking/camping for others. Big day with 26.4 miles.
Date: 2017-03-11
From: Double Spring Shelter (tentsite on ridge)

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 18.7

Last night was the coldest on the AT for me so far. When I woke most everything was frozen (water bottles, soap, bandana, ground) and notice my gauge was indicating 20F. After making myself some coffee and hot oatmeal, I was able to start moving which helped warm me up. The temperature for most of the hike got up to 32F until I got into Damascus where it went into the 40's. Decided to stay at the Broken Fiddle Hostel & Inn where Bonnie gave me the grand tour and I decided on one of the back bedrooms. Nice place and suggest it for other hikers. Did some laundry, had a great lunch and arranged for a shuttle tomorrow to go back where I left my transportation. The weather forecast for the next several days north of Damascus is calling for snow and bitter cold. It will be even colder up in the mountains so I am going to take a few days off and let things warm up a bit. Only met four people in the trail today. A father/son section hiking back to Erwin, a gentleman out for a hike and lunch and another one out with his two Golden's. Had a great conversation with my brother Joel today, congratulating me for making it into VA where he is home based. I passed the TN/VA border back a few miles before entering Damascus. We discussed making plans to meet on the AT in two weekends with his son Jackson and go do some hiking and camping together. Very excited about that and hope our schedules and weather make for a good visit
Date: 2017-03-18
From: Damascus, VA

To: Elk Garden
Miles today: 24.0
Weather: few clouds

After a few days off of the trail due to very cold weather in the mountains, I am back on this morning. I replaced my broken trekking poles while I was off the trail. REI was amazing for taking back my broken poles after almost a year of having them. Absolutely no questions asked. Also decided to pick up a Thermarest NeoAir pad. The foam version wasn't working for me because of my side sleeping habits. Had a few beers at Hey Joe's to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Met some tower climbers who were also celebrating their best week (income wise). It was fun to catch up with folks that work in my industry but lets just say their version of celebrating was at a different level than mine. Stayed at Crazy Larry's last night. Great host, good conversation and a tasty breakfast before I headed out. Also ate dinner at MoJo's which makes four stops there in two short days. Fantastic food and enjoyed the company of Hal who is also staying Crazy Larry's. SunDog Outfitters helped me with my shuttles and has some great stuff. Passed several hires guest, most SOBO and probably section or weekenders. Hiked along portion of the Virginia Creeper trail and was passed a few family's out for a bike ride. Was a little misty and some light rain but the temps were back in the 40's so it was pretty comfortable hiking. Passed Whitetop mountain and ended the day at Elk Garden, next to VA 600. Good distance for the day at 24 miles.
Date: 2017-03-19
From: Elk Garden

To: Hurricane Shelter campsite
Miles today: 20.1
Weather: light rain

Woke to 2-3" of snow this morning. Slow start after a rough night listening to cars coming and going from the trail head parking lot. At one time last a car wrecker came to load a car and drive away after making a bunch of racket. Made for poor night of sleep. I had most of my clothes on, including my rain jacket trying to stay warm. Also wore my micro spikes due to the icy conditions. Although cold, the ice and snow blown terrain was beautiful. Also saw several wild horses, one of them I think they call "Fabio" due to his long blonde tail and mane. Glad to arrive at a lower elevation and warmer temperatures.
Date: 2017-03-20
From: Hurricane Shelter campsite

To: Chatfield Shelter
Miles today: 26.4
Weather: mist

Cold damp morning having camped by a stream. I know, I should have learned my lesson but that is where my body wanted to stop. Met up with "Cheap Sunglasses" at a trail head. He had left his cookset back in Damascus so had improvised by cooking in beer cans. Passed several spring-breakers from OH. They were heading to Damascus where they left their car. Stopped at the Chatfield Shelter where I met "Tigger" who is thru hiking and a lot of good stories. Weather forecast indicates rain tonight and through tomorrow morning. He told me that he heard that over 200 hiker started the AT on March 12. They call that the bubble for sure. Total miles today 26.1 miles
Date: 2017-03-21
From: Chatfield Shelter

To: Possum Creek
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: clear sky

Rained a lot last night so decision to stay in the shelter was a wise one. Tigger and I walked into Atkins together and checked into the Relax Inn. He was staying the night but I think once my laundry is done, take a shower, recharge my devices, I will check out, resupply and go eat at the Barn and then head north this afternoon. I would like to get to Dismal Falls early on Friday so I can secure two campsites for my brother and me. The trail opened up in the middle of my afternoon hike to some grand pastures backed by a mountain ridge that made the area like a postcard. VA definitely has some steep sections but not asking and arduous as previous states. Passed a sign today that I was 1/4 way to Katahdin. Not sure how accurate that is but was a good feeling that in 27 hiking days I had reached this milestone. Stopped at camp site next to Possum Creek. 17.4 miles today
Date: 2017-03-22
From: Possum Creek

To: Jenkins Shelter 
Miles today: 22.0
Weather: clear sky

The climb up Chestnut Knob was healthy one and glad it was at the beginning of my day. The Chestnut Knob shelter is the old fire warden's cabin that has been converted for hikers. Met billygoat who getting ready to leave the shelter and hike to a nearby Hostel. I remember reading his story (TJ) earlier this year about getting frostbite on his toe(s) and he told me that after 3 weeks of being home all was fine. Met Gary and his dog pepper walking the ridge north of the knob. Pepper was 19 and had a hoddie over his shoulders to keep him warm. He was very friendly. My dog Mason would be very jealous. Finished "The Patriots - legends and lies" audiobook and learned a lot of early US history that I didn't know. Stopped at Jenkins Shelter which is in the Jefferson National Forest. Listening about Jefferson's vast contributions and walking in the national forest named after him, was very fitting. I find having a few audiobooks with me passes the time and helps me catch up on my reading. It stayed pretty cool all day with the temps in the 40's. One important item I wanted to mention a few days ago as I entered VA, is that the privy's are back and reasonably nice. It's the small things that make a difference in the woods! Total of 22 miles today
Date: 2017-03-23
From: Jenkins Shelter 

To: Jenny Knob Shelter
Miles today: 23.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Another cold night and morning. Frost was frozen to the inside of my tent. Temp was around 25F when I woke up. Met SlowMotion while crossing Laurel Creek. He was on his last leg to Springer to complete his SOBO. He had already completed a NOBO hike earlier. He is 73 years of age. May we all be blessed with his abilities and adventure at that age. Stopped to talk to a working trail group consisting of volunteers, Roanoke ATC and local trail club maintainers. We had a great conversation and I thanked them for their service to the trail. It has always amazed me of the amount of work it took to build the trail but also the huge undertaking of maintaining it. My hats off to all those volunteers, local trail clubs and ATC folks. Started another audiobook, Dead Wake, which goes into great detail of the events leading up to the sinking of the Lusitania. Beautiful day today with the temps rising fast. Just before arriving at my destination, I crossed the 600 mile mark . Stopped at Jenny Knob Shelter around 5 pm. Total miles today 23.2.
Date: 2017-03-24
From: Jenny Knob Shelter

To: Dismal Falls
Miles today: 8.2

Hiked into Trent's Grocery to get a shower, do some laundry, recharge batteries and resupply. Then made quick hike to Dismal Falls to wait for my brother and his son. They were driving in from Richmond, VA and parking their car in Pearisburg, then getting a AT shuttle down to the Falls. All the plans sounded good until I heard ten yelling for me from across the large creek. Thankfully there was a fallen tree that spanned the creek so they walked across and I took my shoes off and walked through the pretty cold water to retrieve their packs. We spent the rest of the day setting up camp, making dinner and dessert and watching a most beautiful Falls. It's great having them here with me and looking forward to the next two days with them. Total miles 8.2.
Date: 2017-03-25
From: Dismal Falls

To: Doc's Knob Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Hiked for about 45 minutes with "early-riser" who is a local hiker but has hiked a large portion of the AT and other trails. His dog Harper-Ferry lead most of the way. Great conversation and feed back about the trail, math (he was a high school math teacher) and computer science stories. The day started out with great vigor but quickly became more difficult with rising temperatures into the high 70's, the terrain became very rocky and slowed our pace plus the ascents seemed to get harder with each passing mountain. After stopping at a road bed before our last mountain climb, a passing car stopped and asked if we needed water. We accepted the generous offer and she introduced herself as a thru-hiker from 2014, named "Clamity". Didn't ask how she got that name but now I wish I had. Stopped at Doc's Knob Shelter and camped down in the rhododendron grove. We ate dinner with some weekend hikers from Charlotte. Lot of great camping and hiking stories. They agreed with the difficult terrain and ascents. Very proud of my brother and nephew as today was a huge accomplishment and hard day on the AT. Total miles today was 15.6.
Date: 2017-03-26
From: Doc's Knob Shelter

To: Pearisburg
Miles today: 9.4
Weather: broken clouds

We left the shelter after having breakfast and were resupplied with water. Most of the hike was fine until we started to encounter the deadly ankle-breaking ricks again. We made it down to the car about 1:00. My brother drove me back to the Wood's Hole Hostel after resupply at the Food Lion and then they started their long drive back home to Richmond. Met Michael and Neville who operate the Hostel and we ended up with 5 other hikers before dinner. We all pitched in to help with the dinner preparations and sat together eating except for Michael who still was outside with his chores. The other hikers were named Shay, Hawk, Ghost, Sherpa (dad), Kanga (mom) and Roo (1 year old baby). Roo was the hit of the night scooting around on the floor and playing with the dogs and cat. The Woods Hole Hostel is first rate and is a recommended stop for all hikers and alike. Again, I really appreciate my brother and nephew making the journey to come spend the weekend with me. Total of 9.4 miles today.
Date: 2017-03-27
From: Pearisburg

To: Bailey Gap Shelter
Miles today: 23.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Started off the day with a great breakfast and an unexpected yoga class. Neville teaches yoga and offered the class to everyone that wanted to attend. I had never participated in yoga but thought this would be a great way to be introduced. I really liked it and reminded me more of stretching exercises at high school track practice. So three of us jumped in the car with Neville and Michael and got shuttled back to Pearisburg where I restarted my journey north. I think between the short mileage day the day before, the great dinner, comfortable bed, great breakfast and yoga class, I felt renewed and strong through the day. Even though I did not start until 10:00, I was able to push 23.2 miles today to Bailey Gap Shelter. Met BooBoo and her dog Baxter at the shelter.
Date: 2017-03-28
From: Bailey Gap Shelter

To: Niday Shelter
Miles today: 27.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Said goodbye to BooBoo and Baxter but Baxter quickly caught up to me. Baxter would run up ahead and then look back waiting for BooBoo to be insight. Eventually Baxter stayed with her mom the rest of the day. I did meet up with High-Miler (HM) who had a fast pace and I could only last for a little while until I dropped back to my normal speed. HM did stop at a shelter to dry out his gear as we had a lot of rain last night. The trail today had some steep up hills and some difficult rocky sections that left my feet pretty sore by the end of the day. I took some vitamin I for the first time in weeks to help the soreness. Hiked past Keffer Oak Tree, a magnificent oak tree at the base of a pasture. The tree has witnessed all AT thru-hikers from the beginning. I stopped at Niday Shelter and soon after my arrival High-Miler showed up. We had dinner and called it a night. Big miles today at 27.0. If I put in another 20-25 mile day tomorrow, then I should arrive Daleville a day earlier than planned.
Date: 2017-03-29
From: Niday Shelter

To: Catawba Shelter
Miles today: 24.7

Started to hike this morning with High-Miler and made pretty good time. The weather for the morning was perfect with slightly cool temps and blue skies. The approach to the Dragon Tooth on Cove Mountain was tough and the temperatures started to rise. Ran into several day hikers to the Tooth and also talked to two SOBO. One had started from Waynesboro. Stopped at the Johns Spring Shelter first but several trees down and one large tree was overturned by wind and fell just a few feet from the privy. Decided to move on to Catawba Mountain Shelter which was in pretty good shape. The shelter also had a bear box to store food in. Water was down a steep blue trail. Total miles today was 24.7.
Date: 2017-03-30
From: Catawba Shelter

To: Daleville
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: clear sky

The morning at the shelter was a little foggy and as we hiked up to McAfee's Knob it only got thicker. We passed a group of SOBO spring breakers just awe arrived at the famous Knob. We took some pics shrouded in fog with no visibility to speak of and started are way to Tinker Cliffs and then down to Daleville. Checked into the Howard Johnson Express and then checked on High-Milers new shoes that had been sent from home. They had not been delivered yet but would probably show up tomorrow. Walked down to Three Little Pigs BBQ and had a great late lunch and then off to the local outfitter to resupply. Decided on Pizza Hut for dinner where we met up with a SOBO who had started last year from Katahdin and had just rejoined the trail over the last week. Lot of rain coming in tonight and tomorrow so will have to wait till tomorrow to make my plans whether I stay in town or push out. Total of 17.0 miles today.
Date: 2017-03-31
From: Daleville

To: Wilson Creek shelter
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Rained a lot last night and this morning so we decided to wait until the rain quit and stay at the hotel and pigged-out on the continental breakfast. We also were waiting on my hiking friend's new hiking shoes that were being USPS to the hotel but never made it. The shoes are now being rerouted to our next town stay, Glasgow. Hope they make it for his sake. Stopped at Wilson Creek shelter after a short day hike. My hiking friend, high-miler, surprised me with a large Heineken he stowed away in his pack when we left Daleville. Nothing heavier than a 2-24oz beer in you backpack. Perfect beverage for my spicy Asian dinner...thanks. I have 45 miles to the James River Bridge where I am going to get off the trail and go home for a few days for an important event, R&R and see the family.   Will be good to be back home.   Total miles 11.2.
Date: 2017-04-01
From: Wilson Creek shelter

To: Cornelius Shelter
Miles today: 25.7
Weather: overcast clouds

After I uploaded yesterday's events, a dad and his two sons showed up at the shelter. Very nice and we had a lot of things to talk about but they were a little noisier than I wanted for a good night sleep. I left that morning with all three sleeping. The morning started out very breezy and the temp's had fallen from the day before. We left the shelter early since we had a long day ahead with some pretty good climbing at the end of the hike. We crossed over the beautiful Blue Ridge Parkway several times which made for some great views. We stopped for a quick rest at the Bryant Ridge Shelter which was huge and very nice. I could see how this Shelter could be quite the party place. I had a long 4.5 mile climb up Floyd Mountain but the strong breeze and the cooler temps helped from over-heating. Stopped at Cornelius Creek shelter earlier than expected around 4:30. Still very windy and while we ate our dinners, the temps dropped considerably. Total miles today was 25.7