morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-03-10
From: Amicalola Falls State Park

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: scattered clouds

I had Dad set the alarm for 6:45 this morning with hopes of getting underway between 8:00-8:30. We were out before the woman at the motel even put out breakfast! We got to Amicalola at about 8:20, just as the ranger was unlocking the visitor center. I signed in (the thru-hiker of the day), dad bought a t-shirt and a new strip map, we walked around back for the obligatory photos under the arch, and then I was underway. This might as well be the first time I've hiked through here - I don't recognize any of it! I must have been too preoccupied trying to figure the whole backpacking thing out to remember any of it. One thing was similar though - I accidentally hauled ass up to Springer. I left Amicalola at 8:45 and got to the summit at 11:45. So much for taking it easy, huh?When I got to the Stover Creek Shelter, I seriously thought that I was going crazy. The shelter I stayed at last time was on the left side of the trail; this one was on the right. It turns out that I wasn't going nuts - they tore down the old shelter and built a new one in a different spot. That's too bad, because the old location was absolutely beautiful...Because of the time, the weather (a more beautiful hiking day may not exist), and my feeling good, I moved on. I ended up walking on to the Hawk Mountain Shelter, which I was sure was going to be packed. It wasn't - I was the first to arrive, and pitched my tent out back before the throngs descended. There are now probably 20 people here tonight. They younger crowd has taken over the shelter, and one of them even has a radio. I'm camped out back with the older bunch and a couple from England - Chicken 1 and Chicken 2. There are two dogs here, too, and they don't like each other very much... I only saw two Army-lookin' people walking through the woods today on my way to the shelter, but there have been helicopters flying around way down in the valley all day. It turns out that the Rangers are doing drop-off/pick-up drills with the helicopters out in the woods today, not tactical business just yet.Despite the long miles, my feet are in good shape. Only two small blisters per foot - this is an amazing improvement over the last time!
Date: 2009-03-11
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Dockery Lake Trail campsite
Miles today: 15.5

I fell asleep last night to the sweet serenade of automatic gun fire, grenade blasts, and coyotes hollering and yelling off in the distance. Other than the wars that took place throughout the night, I slept great. People started moving around at about 6:00 in the morning, but objecting to waking before the birds, I kept sleeping. The birds came to life at about 7:45, so, following suit, I did the same.There were a few good climbs today, including Sassafras Mountain - there were lots of gradual climbs culminating with very steep climbs that made me think, "was it really necessary to come ALL THE WAY up here???"Besides some confusion crossing Justus Creek (I crossed it then followed the most prominent path to the left; when I started going down hill I turned around and found the AT going to the right) the day went pretty smoothly. Because of the blisters on my heels, I put moer pressure on the balls of my feet; this made them quite sore. It's great how these things work ... Tomorrow I think I'll just try levitation - we'll see if that relieves some of the pressure. :-)I lunched alone at Gooch Mountain shelter, then moved on to Woody Gap where I rested on a picnic table. The climb out of Woody Gap was as I remembered it - dramatic, but with a nice view at the top. From there it was generally downhill to the stream I ended up stopping at. Unfortunately another couple took the prime tent site, but at least my spot is flat, if not exactly level.I'll be heading in to Neel's Gap tomorrow to buy a bit more food, then I'll hike on at least another mile or so before camping. It feels like some cooler weather might be moving in; it was certainly hot and humid enough today - a nice taste of what awaits me up in Virginia.
Date: 2009-03-12
From: Dockery Lake Trail campsite

To: Baggs Creek Gap
Miles today: 11.6

My full moon last night provided me with a nice glow, despite the mostly cloudy skies. It cooled down a bit too, which made for a much more comfortable night's sleep. The sun was high in the sky by the time I mole-skinned my feet and got underway, but I was still the first person out. The first few miles were nice and easy, all the way up to Blood Mountain. It's actually a pleasant place to be when it's not raining - who would have thunk it...The climb down into Neel's Gap was pretty intense though. Lots of rock slabs, steps, and switchbacks. I was glad to get down to the bottom - my feet were killing me from riding the brakes so hard.I probably saw more bicyclists at Mountain Crossings than hikers. One guy weighed his carbon-fiber bike on the pack scale and it came in at less than 15 lbs - Wow! Amazingly enough, I ran into Pirate down there - he was the first person I met when I started hiking in 2005. It's good to see that he's still out there walking around!I bought my groceries first, then called Anna, Mom, and Dad (all of whom were surprised to hear from me so soon), and ate a ham sandwich for lunch. After a couple hours I moved on up the ridge to find a place to camp. I got confused about where I actually was and thought that I had walked past all the nice campsites, but I found one with water eventually and pitched my tent. "Only" 11.6 miles today - still not bad by any standards.
Date: 2009-03-13
From: Baggs Creek Gap

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up this morning with two thoughts: 1)"I can't believe that it didn't rain last night;" and 2)"I'll bet that it's going to rain today." Both ended up being correct and accurate. I managed to get past Tesnatee and Hogpen Gaps before it started to rain, and finally decided that I was getting wet enough that I needed a raincoat and packcover. I stopped at Low Gap Shelter long enough to have a snack and get more water, then I moved on. It was real cold and windy down there, and I dind't want to get too cold. A couple of times I could have sworn that I saw snowflakes, but I can't be sure... After a while the wind finally died down, and a dense fog rolled in. It reminded me of the limb up Heart Mountain in Wyoming - the trees were just sliding away from me into "the depths of the Archean."By the time I got to the Blue Mountain Shelter it had stopped raining. Papa Jack had built a fire, so I warmed up next to that for a bit then set up my tent. This was the first real rainstorm for most of my gear - that's always a tense experience. I am very glad to report though that everything preformed admirably; my raincoat kept me dry, my pack cover kept my stuff dry, and my tent is now keeping everything dry at once. The tent was a little tricky to set up because my poles kept sliding, but now it's up and good to go. If it ever stops raining again, I'll go out and cook some dinner!
Date: 2009-03-14
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: moderate rain

Oof - another rainy day. It apparently rained pretty hard last night because all the screens on my tent are covered with dirt and junk. I got moving pretty quickly despite the weather. I was out before most of the people in the shelter were. Tons of people had shown up during the night and there were tents scattered far and wide across the flat area near the shelter and trail - there were probably 13-15 of them scattered about.The hiking today is best described as blah. I got wet, muddy, cold, and then sweaty. There were a number of good climbs, too - Rocky Mountain, Tray Mountain, and Kelly Knob were all fairly dramatic. Kelly Knob isn't even CALLED a mountain, but it just went up and up and put the other "mountains" to shame. What is a knob anyway?One nice thing did happen as I went up Kelly Knob though: for the past two days the trail has been completely socked into this foggy, rainy cloud. But just as I began to climb the Knob, the cloud blew off and I could see for miles. It was pretty spectacular to see the fog peel off the mountain sides. Then, just as I crossed the summit (does a Knob have a summit?) I fell back into the fog, where I now sit.Fortunately there was only one guy (Pecan) and his dog (Metal) at the shelter, so I got one of the top bunks. No setting up a wet tent for me! Another guy from Blue Mountain showed up a bit later (Cajun Dave from Oklahoma) and then a woman and her dog moved in too. I've never slept in a shelter with any dogs before, let alone two of them... luckily I got a top bunk so I didn't need to be bothered by wet noses and paw prints in the night.Just recently a troop of very unhappy Boyscouts showed up, and are now tenting outside. Tomorrow, depending on the weather, I may or may not stay the night in Hiawassee...we'll have to see how soggy I feel when I'm in there. It'll be nice to have a hot meal, though.
Date: 2009-03-15
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Plum Orchard Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: light rain

As expected, the Boyscouts woke us up this morning. It was a slow morning for everyone, because even the alure of a town stop wasn't enough to make us want to go out into the rain again. I was the first one out, and I didn't get moving till about 9:00.The walk to Dick's Creek Gap was a lot hillier than I remembered it, but would have been pleasant had it not been raining. I was all set to spend tons of time trying to get a hitch because it was so foggy that nobody would be able to see me in time to stop (and the fact that it was Sunday morning and I'm wet and smelly), but a nice old pot farmer, "Mike," offered to drive me into town for $10. I'll tell you, it was worth the price just to hear this guys stories. He took me right to the grocery store, and I bought some food then made my phone calls. Pecan and Metal showed up while I was on the phone, so I watched the dog while he went "shopping." He wasn't impressed with the selection in the store, so he went out back to the dumpster and found that the selection was just fine, and the price couldn't be beat.Just as it stopped raining, "Mike" showed back up and offered to drive me back to the trail. I decided that I might as well just go back out, so I gave him $5 more dollars for another ride. He might not be in an honest business, but he sure is an honest business man, if that makes any sense :-)I didn't get rained on for the rest of my walk to Plum Orchard Gap, which was a nice change. I even got a spot in the shelter! It's a rather nice spot, actually - the shelter's at the bottom of the hill in a nice tall, open rhododendron/mountain laurel thicket. It makes me think of the type of place that "Mike" might have his 40 plants hidden way...
Date: 2009-03-16
From: Plum Orchard Gap Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: light rain

Bluh. More rain. Again. Until about 3:30 this morning, it was crystal clear. By the time we got packed it was pouring. I did get about 15 dry minutes at the Georgia/North Carolina border, which was good because I got to take some pictures. Otherwise, it was just varying degrees of wet all day. I almost went another few miles to Betty Creek Gap to camp, but I can make it to Franklin from here, and this way I don't need to set up and take down a wet tent. In the rain. It's always raining.But anyway, some good things did happen today: I crossed my first state line (only 13 more to go!); I've walked over 100 miles (only ~2080 more to go!); I walked my longest day yet; and I finished out my first week (only 20 more to go at this pace!).Having finished one state and entered another, let me reflect for a bit. Georgia was quite pleasant - the trail was well maintained, the hills weren't too excessive, and the people were friendly. I don't feel too bad about hot remembering it though; it's a lot of brown and has very few memorable landmarks or vistas. Georgia is a good break-in state; it allows you to ease into your hiking routine and get comfortable with hanging out in the woods. North Carolina, however, puts one to the test. If the first climbs past the border are any indication of the rest of the state, this state's section of the AT really was designed by an evil, evil man who had a very unhappy childhood. The trail went straight up to the very top of the nearest hill from the border - this is exactly the way I remember NC...we'll see how it works out in the next couple of weeks!Right now I'm sharing the shelter with another thru-hiker (Wishy-washy) and two ROTC instructors from Alabama on spring break. It's a good group - I'm glad I stayed.   Tomorrow I get to visit my friend Albert, then head on into Franklin. I'll describe the trip and good ol' Albert from the comfort of a motel room tomorrow!
Date: 2009-03-17
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: clear sky

The rain finally stopped! It got really cold over night (there was frost on some stuff that wasn't in the sleeping area), and the sky stayed crystal clear all day. It felt so great!I hustled out of the shelter to get my day started so I could get to Winding Stair Gap as soon as possible. It was pretty easy going all the way to Albert Mountain - my good friend Albert. Looking at the topographic profile, one might just assume that Albert is like any other mountain. Then you get to Albert. And you all but walk into a wall. you'll be standing on the trail, and look up to see a blaze 20 feet above your head and only 10 feet farther forward...needless to say, you make a fairly direct line to the summit. At least it was nice and clear today, so I could take advantage of the killer view from the fire tower. How refreshing.From there, it was a pretty mellow walk in to Winding Stair Gap. Climbing out of Wallace Gap was a little tedious, but mostly because I could see where I needed to get, but the trail kept going in the other direction. When I got to the road crossing, there was a Baptist Ministry with a tent set up giving out soda and chips. I took advantage of both, and they even called Ron Haven ("the nicest man in Macon County") to come up and pick me up. By 3:00 I was down at the Budget Inn, and getting ready for a shower.Ron drove us all around town to the outfitter and grocery store, telling us stories all the way. It was a great refreshing break from the walking. When I had finished my shopping, I started my laundry and made some phone calls, then it was out on the town for dinner.I think I'll stay another day just to rest up and finish drying out before heading back to the hills. With hospitality like this, who can resist??
Date: 2009-03-18
From: Franklin, NC

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Zero Day!It feels great to be rested and warm and dry. I'm just chillin' for today - updating the journal (I updated everything I've done so far, but haven't put up pictures yet), eating, and kicking back. My room from last night was reserved for tonight, so they moved me to a different room with a king sized bed - upgrade!I'll head back out tomorrow, and then probably cruise through the NOC, Fontana Dam, the Smokies, and stop again in Hot Springs. The weather is supposed to be pretty nice - only a 40% chance of rain tomorrow, then mostly sunny for the rest of the forecast, so it should be good. The updates will continue the next time I end up in town long enough to post them up!
Date: 2009-03-19
From: Franklin, NC

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 21.6
Weather: clear sky

As expected, Ron was slow getting to the motel. He brought myself, Maggie, and Dubs back out, as well as a bunch of Boy Scouts who were going out for a couple of days.It was a cold morning - the Weather Channel said it was only 32F when I left the motel. I cruised for a while in rain pants and a long sleeved shirt, then changed into the kilt and t-shirt when the hill warmed me up.For the morning I just motored. The climb up to Wayah Bald wasn't too bad, but my ankle was sore from bouncing over all the roots. There was a great view from the tower though; I could see all the way to Clingman's Dome! It's kind of novel to be able to see where you're going and where you've been...you could torture yourself with thoughts like "holy hell - I was on that mountain 3 days go, and it's still in sight," but I find it rewarding to see progress and far-off goals.At Burningtown Gap I ran into a trail angel (Apple) in a "Big Orange Dome." He had soda and snacks for us which was great. He told me that I was only the second thru-hiker he'd seen today - he saw 50+ a few days ago. This doesn't bode well for the Smokies - I'll probably run into them and have to camp in the "toilet area."At the Big Orange Dome I also ran into Mullet - one of the kids who busted into Hiawassee from Deep Gap. We bumped along the rest of the day to Wesser Bald Shelter.A bit later Dubs came in - he did the same miles as me today. It's funny - all three of us are faster than the rest, and can't wait to meet up with people travelling at our own pacce. Maybe we'll bump along fora while longer ... except Mullet has a bum knee and Dubs needs to wait for a mail drop at Fontana. Who knows...
Date: 2009-03-20
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 21.7
Weather: clear sky

Happy spring! I could tell it WAS spring today - the leaves (wet from last night's rain) were frozen solid, the birds were silent, and anything leafy looked frosted and sad. Needless to say, it was wicked cold this morning. Mullet (from FL) and Dubs (from NJ, but living in CA) were less than amused - I was right at home!The walk down to the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) was hillier than I expected, but I got some great views. The NOC itself was positively swarming with hikers. I guess that's where they've all been hiding while I've been doodling around by myself. I bought a couple of Milky Way bars and a postcard, ate the candy bars (but not the postcard), and got underway. The climb was pretty epic - in 8 miles we climbed over 3500' and only went down less than 500'. I passed about 10 other hikers on the way to Cheoah Bald where I ate lunch, which was shocking considering I've had the trail for myself for a week.About 6 miles farther I got to Stecoah Gap. The climb out of this gap represents all that is evil about the Appalachian Trail. It goes STRAIGHT UP the steepest side of the hill, and its leafy and soft so you slide all around. At least on Albert Mountain there are rocks to cling to; here there's nothing and the sun was in m face the whole way.There are 4 other people here besides me and Dubs - 3 are tenting. It was the quietest group ever - when I showed up, everyone was sitting around reading books in complete silence. After the damning question "Where did you com from today?" nobody spoke another word to me all night.I hate that question - its the surest way to create a disconnect between "us" (the "Uberhikers") and "them" (the normal folks). Oh well - I'll probably never see any of them again anyway...I have a short day into Fontana tomorrow, and hopefully I'll be able to get what I need at the outfitter to make it thru the Smokies. If the weather holds out, it should only take me 3.5 days to get thru...my fingers are crossed!
Date: 2009-03-21
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Quick, lazy day today. I ended up moving out early becasue it was another chilly morning, and cruised through Cable Gap Shelter soon after. There were a couple of climbs (nothing like yesterday though), but the biggest obstacle was rocks. They were big and mossy, and we had to go across hills of them, not just up or down. The day was perfect otherwise - sunny, cool (I hiked in a long sleeved shirt all day) and I had great views of Fontana Lake for the last 5 miles or so.I called a shuttle from the Marina and got taken in to the General Store for a resupply at about 1:00pm. There isn't really a "town" here - it's mostly a motel and resort with a marina on the lake. Good thing I wasn't moving any faster - the store only just opened for the season today! I bought enough food to be out for 6 days; my plan is to make it to Hot Springs by then, but if the weather turns on me I'll be good for about a week in the Smokies. Another shuttle brought me back to the shelter where I ran into a hiker from Eau Claire, WI. Small world!Well, it's way past my bed time and almost "hiker midnight" (9:00pm), so I should go to sleep so I'm ready to truck into the Smokies tomorrow.
Date: 2009-03-26
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: moderate rain

Entry by grzz, Friday, 27 March -- Padre reached Hot Springs (271 trail-miles) yesterday, 26 March. He left today and expects to be in Erwin, TN, Monday, 30 March, and will call again then. I'm not sure when he will be able to put in his own updates. Although the probability of rain over his last section (22 - 26 March) was high according to weather reports I saw, he said the weather was very good, in fact. It rained only a little one night.
Date: 2009-03-30
From: Spivey Gap Campsite

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: broken clouds

Hey everyone!Sorry for the lack of updates recently - I haven't been spending enough time in town to get on a computer long enough to update everything! Anyway, I'm in Erwin, TN now, staying the night at Uncle Johnny's Nolichucky Hostel, 348.7 miles into my journey. I've been doing consistant 20 mile days since Franklin, except for the few shorter days going into/out of the various towns. The weather's been ugly again - today is the first sunny day I've seen in almost 5 days now. We even got snow last night! It's nice to be able to dry my tent and sleeping bag out at least for a night before heading back into the woods ... my fingers are crossed for decent weather as I go over Roan Mountain in a couple days.In 4 days or so Dad is coming down with Anna and my computer, so I promise I'll sit down and get this journal up to date then. I'll even be able to upload my pictures!
Date: 2009-04-03
From: Apple House Shelter

To: US 19E
Miles today: 0.5

Whew! Loooong day today! A whole .5 miles...I'm actually back in Erwin, having been picked up by Anna and Dad at US19E, then picking up Anna G. at the Tri-Cities airport. We spent the after noon and evening packing - it took us 5 hours to get everything sorted out.I know that I promised that I'd get the journal up to date, but it took us so long to pack that I'm totally beat. I posted up a few, but I'll have to get the rest of them sometime later.Tomorrow we're going to head into the woods at US19E, and hopefully make it to Damascus - Anna M. has made it her mission to get that far before she has to go home. Hopefully the weather is kinder to us than it has been to me - I've had rain on 13 out of 25 days so far!
Date: 2009-04-04
From: US 19E

To: Laurel Fork Campsite
Miles today: 12.6

Comment text added by grzz: I took AnnaG, AnnaK, and Padre back to the AT crossing on US 19E near Roan Mountain, TN. Partly sunny, temperature was about 37F, winds seemed to be about 37, also, but probably closer to 20 mph. They started northbound up the hill at 10:35 am. The winds and chill were worse up on the ridges, trees offered little protection since none were leafed out yet.
Date: 2009-04-05
From: Laurel Fork Campsite

To: Laurel Fork Shelter
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: clear sky

Added by grzz: Padre, AnnaG, AnnaK hiked from the campsite to the Dennis Cove Road (USFS 50) crossing, where I met them. AnnaG left the trail with me at that point because of being chilled and not feeling well. AnnaK and Padre kept on going to the shelter.The weather was sunny but continued to be cold and windy.