morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-02-23
From: Red Clay Gap, Georgia

To: Unicoi Gap, Georgia
Miles today: 3.8
Weather: clear sky

This was our coldest morning of this trip so far but even though it was chilly, our water was not frozen this morning. Of course, most hikers have their routine down by now in the morning; rising to prepare breakfast, deflating the mattress pads, stuffing of sleeping bags, taking down the tent, and packing everything into their backpacks -- and, so it was, this very cool morning.   Today was a short hike of less than four miles to Unicoi Gap. As we proceeded over Blue Mountain, the sun came out and it was a beautiful day to hike. Rocky Knob was a difficult climb, a mountainside of rock, after rock, after rock.   We stopped off at Blue Mountain Shelter for an early brunch before the 1000 foot trek down to Unicoi Gap. The trail maintainers have constructed a new table for cooking at this shelter, and so far most of the shelters have been relatively clean and the trail has been very well maintained with very few blow-downs across the trail.   We called a local shuttle driver, Gene Roll, to carry us to Helen, where we stayed at the Helendorf Inn, an inn which has excellent hiker rates.
Date: 2011-02-24
From: Unicoi Gap, Georgia

To: Tray Mountain Shelter, Georgia
Miles today: 5.6
Weather: broken clouds

"Slow down and enjoy life; it's not only the scenery you miss by going too fast. You also miss the sense of where you are going, and, why." Eddie Cantor   Gene Roll picked us up at the Helendorf Inn and shuttled us back to Unicoi Gap. It was a difficult and demanding hike up Rocky Mountain. Those who make this climb are rewarded by beautiful views to the south.   The trail passes through an area known as the Cheese Factory. At this site there are no longer any signs of the cheese factory which was built in 1848 by an eccentric Yankee dairyman. The factory was 15 miles from the nearest farmhouse and was "inaccessible by any conveyance but that of a mule or well-trained horse where the cattle fed from the luxuriant weed of the wilderness."   We were passed by Fosters and Kya who spent the night with us at the Tray Mountain Shelter.
Date: 2011-02-25
From: Tray Mountain Shelter, Georgia

To: Dick's Creek Gap, Georgia
Miles today: 11.0

We had a windy night with a small amount of rain at Tray Mountain Shelter. We awoke to a very cool, cloudy, windy morning but it quickly became another good day for hiking with no rain, although the wind continued to blow strong all day. Fosters spent the night in the shelter with us. His dog, Kya, is a beautiful huskie with sky blue eyes. Fosters told us that a man had a heart attack at the shelter just before Neel's Gap. We hope the man was not Pops and that he will be o.k.   Just before the area of the Swag of the Blue Ridge there were beautiful views on both sides of the trail through the obstructive trees. Last year's dried leaves covered most of the trail today and, although a lovely blanket, it made walking a little dangerous because they were so deep they would cover roots and rocks and, of course, hikers are only one step away from having to leave the trail because of injury.   Kelly Knob is a steep climb and it seemed to take us forever to reach the top. We by-passed the Deep Gap Shelter and continued on to Dick's Creek Gap where we got a shuttle to Hiawassee.   We stayed at the Hiawassee Inn, soon to be called the Budget Inn, which is under new management and owned by Ron Haven, a great friend of hikers in this area.   We ate at Daniel's Steak House and topped off our day with a Dr. Pepper and peanuts.   A demanding hike today!
Date: 2011-02-26
From: Dick's Creek Gap, Georgia

To: Plum Orchard Gap Shelter, Georgia
Miles today: 4.5

We were shuttled from the Hiawassee Inn to Dick's Creek Gap by Sally. We passed by and saw Clydesdale Horses in a pasture and Sally told us that this was Hightower Creek Clydesdale Farm, a rescue horse farm for clydesdales. The majestic animals were in a picturesque pasture setting. Everyone, of course, is familiar with the clydesdale breed from the Budweiser commercials at Christmas time. Fosters and Kya and John from Indiana shared the shuttle with us.   Along the trail today we met a group of day hikers who had hiked to Bly Gap and were headed back to Dick's Creek Gap. One of the hikers had read our journal from last year and stated, "I feel like I know you already."   We arrived at Plum Orchard Gap Shelter and Fosters had a nice campfire going. We enjoyed our visit with Fosters and Kya at the shelter.
Date: 2011-02-27
From: Plum Orchard Gap Shelter, Georgia

To: Deep Gap North Carolina
Miles today: 11.3

"If you want to know if your brain is flabby, feel your legs." Bruce Barton   We awoke to another beautiful morning, a great day to hike the last few remaining miles of the trail in Georgia, although Georgia kicks hikers one last time before letting them go into North Carolina and then North Carolina welcomes hikers with a steep and difficult climb out of Bly Gap and up and over Courthouse Bald.    We stopped at Muskrat Creek Shelter for an early supper and then continued on. Some distance past the Chunky Gal Trail, the pathway becomes very rocky and follows a ledge along a ridge for a couple of miles with no campsites, so we were happy to arrive at Deep Gap and pitch our tent for the night.
Date: 2011-02-28
From: Deep Gap North Carolina

To: Carter Gap Shelter, North Carolina
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: broken clouds

We packed up in a hurry this morning because it was beginning to sprinkle rain and we wanted to get over Standing Indian Mountain, elevation 5430 feet, before the forecasted thunderstorms arrived.   We walked in drizzly rain and pea-soup fog all day. We passed through Beech Gap today, aptly named because of the many beech trees in the area. Beech trees are deciduous trees that hang on to their leaves all winter and there are still many leaves on the trees. The canopy of these trees provides good shade and the dense leaf liter makes a beautiful ground carpet. Beech trees provide wood that makes a good firewood because it is easily split and long-burning. Beech chips are used as a fining agent for Budweiser beer in their brewing process, helping to give the beer its typical flavor. Of course, in the earlier days when there were still wild honeybee populations in this country, hollow beech trees were a favorite nesting place for the bees and oldtimers would scout out bees and cut the tree down in order to hive the bees and collect the honey.   We, fortunately, arrived at Carter Gap Shelter before the late afternoon thunderstorms arrived with heavy rain, high winds, hail, thunder and lightning. We later found out that a tornado did touch down nearby in Traveler's Rest, South Carolina.
Date: 2011-03-01
From: Carter Gap Shelter, North Carolina

To: Glassmine Gap, North Carolina
Miles today: 9.6

We slept well in the shelter even with the torrential rain, high winds, hail, thunder and lightning. Spending the night in the shelter with us and riding out the storm were Atlanta Dave, Maps, Christian, and another guy doing a section hike. In the morning the glorious sunshine came out and we had a beautiful day for hiking even with the chilly beginning.    The highlight of the hike today was climbing Albert Mountain, altitude 5,220 feet. It is a difficult climb especially for short people with short legs and a pack on your back. The view from the top of the firetower located on the mountain is magnificent.    Last night's rain was the first major rain event in a couple of weeks in this area and this reminded us of tardigrades so here's a science lesson for you elementary school students following our journal and for any other young-at-heart students. Small animals, called tardigrades or slow walkers (tardy means late or slow and grade means walker or traveller) live on clumps of moss or lichens on the forest floor. Whenever we see a clump of moss dislodged by some hiker we want to stop and examine it for tardigrades. They are about the size of the period at the end of this sentence. Other names for them are water bears, moss piglets, and in German kleiner wasserbar. The tardigrades remind us of our slow-moving selves.   If you would like to see tardigrades or water bears, (perhaps your classroom has a microscope so you can see them better) take a clumb of moss, hold it over a container, and rinse it with a little water. Look at the rinse water under a microscope and you will probably see water bears. They are called water bears because their gait is a lot like the gait of a bear.   Tardigrades can dry up and change into barrel-shaped pods. They look and act dead but the minute you add water, they rehydrate. A scientist added water to a clump of moss that had been stored in the dry in a museum for over a hundred years and poof! out popped little tardigrades. Tardigrades have even been carried into space where astronauts performed experiments with them and they survived the vacuum of space.   After crossing many intermittent streams, climbing Big Butt Mountain, and struggling up Albert Mountain, we tented at Glassmine Gap.
Date: 2011-03-02
From: Glassmine Gap, North Carolina

To: Winding Stair Gap, North Carolina
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: clear sky

We woke up in the tent to a very cold morning but the temperature quickly increased to give us a warm, beautiful day.   We paused at Rock Gap Shelter for a late breakfast. This shelter is in a cold spot; the sun did not come up over the mountain until 10 a.m.    At log steps we were passed by John, a thru-hiker from Indiana whom we had met earlier when we shared a shuttle out of Hiawassee.    We can now be called Centurions because we passed the one hundred mile mark. During the last half of the 18th century a popular hobby was men racing against time over long distances. These racers were called Pedestrians and they earned money by walking several dozen miles in a proscribed time. A popular goal was to cover 100 miles in 24 hours. Those walkers who performed that feat were called Centurions. It took us, of course, more than 24 hours to cover 100 miles but we feel certain the terrain we covered was a lot more rugged than the terrain which those earlier walkers covered.    After Wallace Gap the trail goes steeply upward for one-half mile and there are several log steps. A beautiful mountain stream gushes out of the mountainside and crosses the trail at 3800 feet elevation; it's amazing to see water coming forcibly out of the mountain side at that elevation.    The trail at Winding Stair Gap is aptly named because it does indeed, wind. At Winding Stair Gap, Dave and Cathy, a very nice local couple, were dropping their son off for a hike. They offered both of us, John, and C-Chord and his dog Scrappy Doo, a ride to Franklin. It is always good to meet local people and they are indeed Trail Angels.   We had a great fish dinner at Elmore's Fish Restaurant. It's a family owned and run place and we highly recommend it if you are in Franklin.
Date: 2011-03-03
From: Winding Stair Gap, North Carolina

To: Wayah Crest Picnic Area, North Carolina
Miles today: 5.8

It was a rather tough climb out of Winding Stair Gap--crossing the soundly-constructed, weathered bridge, traversing the rapidly flowing stream, and slowly pacing the ascending and descending pathways through Swinging Lick and Panther Gap.We crossed Siler Bald, named after the Siler Family which had sheep and cattle farms on top of these mountains in the 19th century, and, moving onward, we came to Wayah Crest Picnic Area.We regret to report that Tom's mother has had a stroke and we must leave the trail. Our return is doubtful.Best wishes to all!
Date: 2011-04-10
From: Wayah Crest Picnic Area, North Carolina

To: Cold Spring Shelter, North Carolina
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: clear sky

   Tom's mother is improving so we opted to return to the AT and enjoy the trail as best we can.   It's really great to be back on the trail; it's April; its springtime! This means of course, the warmly radiating sun, the, at times, mildly chilling wind, the softly chirping birds, and the beginning of the blossoming of the spring ephemerals, are, characteristically, amplifying the spring beauty along the Appalachian Trail.   Our climb up to Wayah Bald, although debilitating and taxing on our old bodies, rewarded us with a spectacular view. We were given bottled water at the tower by a man whose wife is hiking on the trail.    Wayah means wolf in the Cherokee Language. Actually the wolf clan was one of seven clans of the Cherokee nation. Apparently, Wayah Bald is a popular area for tourists, nearby residents, and, of course, all types of hikers. It is wonderful to see so many people enjoying themselves.    Wayah is pronounced "Why-ya." It is the only mountain on the AT that asks a question, "Why are you bald?"   If you have an interest in languages, you may want to go to the Auburn University website (auburn.edu) and search the site for Cherokee Language. This is part of a project aimed at preserving the Cherokee Language. You can hear the speakers pronounce several of the words in the language.   We tented near Cold Spring Shelter. There is a nice spring (and it is cold!) near the shelter and we took advantage of the easy accessibility of water by obtaining enough to soak our weary feet -- in our collapsible kitchen sink.   Again, it's great to be back on the trail!
Date: 2011-04-11
From: Cold Spring Shelter, North Carolina

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: overcast clouds

   We awoke to a beautiful, cool spring morning and, after packing up our tent, we began our hike toward Tellico Gap, a steep downhill hike of over three miles which took a toll on our feet, especially our toes. We were passed by several thru-hikers who warned us of impending nasty weather predicted to arrive in the late afternoon--so we decided to end our hike early today at Wesser Bald Shelter where we could have some shelter from the storm.   We ascended to Wesser Bald Shelter, a steep climb, and the old tower on top of the Bald rewarded with outstanding and breath-taking views of the surrounding mountains. Wesser Bald Shelter was empty when we got there, but soon, over twenty thru-hikers arrived, all seeking shelter from the anticipated thunderstorms. The shelter only sleeps six so there were hikers pitching tents all over the place; it was tent city. One hiker even slept on the cooking table at the shelter in order to escape the rain.    It was dark when the torrential rains, swirling strong winds, and, occasionally, heavy, loud thunder and continuous lightning arrived; the rain lasted all night.   Time for a science/chemistry lesson. A thunderstorm begins whenever the air picks up a lot of water vapor from the ground and then rises. As the water-heavy air rises into the sky, it gets cooler and the water vapor condenses back into water droplets. If the air continues to rise, the water droplets can freeze into bits of ice. Somehow, some of the ice crystals steal some of the electrons from other ice crystals so that some crystals have a negative charge and others have a positive charge. These positive ions and negative ions attract and repel each other and build up an electrical charge. When the electrical charge gets too strong, lightning strikes. Lightning is the hottest thing on earth, hotter than the surface of the sun.    Sometime during the stormy night, lightning struck a tree near the shelter producing a gigantic, explosive cracking sound! It was scary.   Someone once said that weather is a good metaphor of life; sometimes its good and sometimes it bad.
Date: 2011-04-12
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center, North Carolina
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: light rain

   It was still drizzling rain this morning which meant a challenging hike down to the Nantahala Outdoor Center for two old baby boomers. It rained throughout the day and this amplified the wet and sloppy trail; the shifting mud, slimy roots, and slippery rocks were treacherous--especially the deep step-downs, a routine pounding of the knees, and, of course, the jump-off, a challenging downhill maneuver.    In many places today both sides of the trail were lined with beautiful white wood anemone wild flowers. The dogwoods are beginning to bloom around the Nantahala Outdoor Center and we saw many white-blooming serviceberry bushes. Because the NOC is at a lower elevation, spring comes earlier here than it does at the higher elevation. In the vicinity of the NOC we saw mayapples (only those with two leaves have fruit), common blue violets, dwarf crested iris, foamflowers, and white trillium.   At the Nantahala Outdoor Center our package (containing our camera) had not arrived so we got a bunk for the night.
Date: 2011-04-13
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center, North Carolina

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: overcast clouds

After waking up at the NOC we picked up our camera at the General Store, faithfully delivered by the USPS, and then crossed the Nantahala River. The NOC is located on the Nantahala River, where the AT crosses a footbridge, and is a white water paradise for kayakers and rafters,but it is also biker and hiker friendly.    We had breakfast at the River's End Restaurant before starting the LONG climb out of NOC. We met Japhy and Journey from Pensacola, Florida (Bama fans) along the trail.    There is a long switch back section covered with large rocks. Also along the trail today is a monument to a forest ranger who lost his life battling a fire in this area several years ago. There are numerous wildflowers along the trail today.      The climb up Swim Bald (it's not bald anymore) was very demanding. We met a social studies teacher from Ashville, NC doing a section hike during his spring break. We met thru-hiker Gail, a retired nurse from Michigan, who is hiking the AT a second time. She previously hiked the AT in 1991 and the PCT in 2008.   After a tough day of climbing we pitched out tent near Sassafras Gap Shelter and crawled into our sleeping bags.
Date: 2011-04-14
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: overcast clouds

   We awoke to the sound of a turkey gobbling, packed up, and left Sassafras Shelter and then immediately started climbing Cheoah Bald, another demanding climb, but our climb rewarded us with magnificent views at the summit.   As we were descending Cheoah Bald we encountered a fussy bluejay and we were reminded of an old superstition which people used to tell their children to try to make them behave. The belief was that bluejays flew every Friday to the devil and reported the bad behavior of children. The birds also carried a stick of wood to Satan to keep the fires burning in hell.   Later in the day we passed Stecoah Gap where we took a break. We then continued on and encountered an extremely steep climb. Our AT Guidebook labeled the climb "unnamed summit" but all the hikers call the climb "Jacob's Ladder" and it is indeed like climbing a ladder for a long, long, way.   We tented with a large group of people at Brown Fork Gap Shelter where a nice young man from Raleigh (trail name Cape Crusader) filtered some water for us. There are trail angels among us!   We met some other great people at the shelter: Rose from New Mexico, Purple Haze from Michigan, and a father and son hiking duo, Bearman and Skins, from North Carolina. Skins works for the EPA in Washington, D.C. so we have some common interests.   We have had difficulty getting a data signal in the Smokies; we hope to add pictures soon.
Date: 2011-04-15
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam, North Carolina
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: overcast clouds

   All the hikers (us included) were scurrying and hurrying to make it to Fontana Dam to escape the approaching rain storms. The trail today was lined with thousands of wild flowers in the colors of purple, white and yellow. We believe the Lord must love those colors because He sprinkled the woods so liberally with those hues.   We made it to the marina at Fontana Dam just before the heavens opened up and the rain began. We were picked up by the Fontana Dam Village Resort shuttle service who shuttled us to the Resort where we spent the night, as we knew the shelter (just over a mile further on), would be full because it is a weekend night and also raining.    Unbelievably, we do not have phone service in the town of Fontana Dam, North Carolina.
Date: 2011-04-16
From: Fontana Dam, North Carolina

To: Birch Spring Tent Site, GSMNP
Miles today: 7.0

   The storms have ended this morning but the clouds are still threatening and a strong wind is blowing. With so many dead trees in the woods it is a little hazardous to be walking outside. We left the marina area and hiked past the Fontana Hilton (the hiker name for the shelter near Fontana Dam), and then hiked past Fontana Dam, the tallest dam east of the Mississippi. The gift shop at the dam does not open until May 1.   Just after crossing the Dam we entered the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We got our hiking permit, required in the Smokies, and started climbing Shuckstack Mountain, a long climb of over 2000 feet.   The strong winds continued all day and with an air temperature of only 43 degrees it was quite cold. We were only passed by one hiker all day.   We did not attempt to climb the rickety old fire tower at the top of Shuckstack as the winds were strong and swirling and the temps with wind chill were in the 20's.   We were happy to crawl into our warm sleeping bags once we reached the Birch Spring Tenting Area. GSMNP has strict regulations about where hikers can tent.
Date: 2011-06-13
To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We got to Baxter State Park about 5 min before they closed! I pretty much kept my hands over my eyes the whole time my Dad drove 60 mph down the dirt road heading to the park. We finally pulled up to Katahdin Stream a little before 9 pm. We ate some delicious hot dogs and easy mac for dinner. Ryan and I couldn't really get a fire going, I guess we have a lot to learn. Good thing Daddy was there to get things going. (Well the wood was wet.) We slept in a lean-to for the first time. Momma really felt like she was roughing it, and Daddy really enjoyed himself. We are so thankful for how much Momma and Daddy helped us get going up here. They took their anniversary vacation time to bring us all the way up here from Chattanooga, TN! Both of our families are very supportive in our crazy plans to complete a thru hike. My sister Rachel has 3 kids from 6 months - 5 years and she agreed to help us out by watching our 2 large Boxers. We just really appreciate all the support. -Beka