morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-10-16
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Max Patch
Miles today: 13.3
Weather: overcast clouds

I left this morning - October 15th, five months and one day after I began this adventure - at first light. I knew I had a big hill to climb, but I figured with the adrenaline of reaching the finish line, I would power right through. The first five miles of hill weren't bad and went quickly - the last eight miles of uphill were decidedly more difficult, finishing with a steep, 1,000-foot climb to the summit of Max Patch. When I was here 12 days ago, I was dropped off at Max Patch Road, which is south of Max Patch. When I arrived at the road, and realized that I had finally connected all of the sections of trail, I teared up. Continuing up to the summit, I started crying. By the time I reached the summit, I was positively sobbing! I was relieved, happy, sad, nostalgic, and not sure what to do next!It was a Tuesday around lunch time, and there were quite a few people scattered across the bald. One man, Dave, came over to make sure I was okay. All I could say was, "I just finished the trail," between sobs! Dave is section hiking the trail and plans to finish on Max Patch himself, so he instantly related to my emotional finish and took me under his wing, taking photos of me and giving me a Gatorade while we sat and chatted in the sunshine. His wife, Donna, had been out hiking and arrived back at Max Patch shortly after I did. Dave and Donna ended up giving me a ride back into Hot Springs and were kind enough to listen to my stories and thoughts about the trail while we drove! The rest of the afternoon and evening seemed to go by quickly - I think it is sufficient to say I had a wonderful evening of celebration in Hot Springs!
Date: 2013-03-07
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

We are starting our hike in Georgia and aim to follow the white blazes north to Maine. All the food is dehydrated, our gear organized, and our bodies as ready as they can be for the trip. My dad¢s coming down to drop us off at Springer Mountain and lugging our extra stuff home. We leave tomorrow.It¢s been good to have two weeks to transition from car travel to foot travel (will we ever stop moving?), to prepare our selves and our stuff, and to enjoy being in this Appalachian climate again. Early March was cold, with snow or freezing rain nearly every day, but happily the weather is set to improve, and we¢re looking forward to a pleasant, spring-like first week. Even today, the sun is out and the temperature is rising. We¢re lucky to have no deadlines to meet or places to be after our hike, so we have the option of taking our time or hustling as our bodies and spirits dictate. more at: adventureclaudia.wordpress.com
Date: 2013-03-09
From: Springer Mountain

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

Today we start our long hike north. Drove up to USFS 42 with my dad and Pat. Everyone was in good spirits. Pat and I were especially excited to start our adventure. We three walked from the parking area to Springer, where Pat and I signed the register and officially began our thru-hike. Fine hiking weather today. The forest reminds me of the trails off the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville, which really isn't too far away. We found the terrain to be gentle and covered our miles fairly quickly. Pat cruised today, while I hung back more to take in some solitude. We got to Hawk Mountain Shelter early, giving ourselves time to settle into new routines.There are tons of folks at the shelter, though only two others are thru-hiking. We struggled to finish our shared pasta dinner. My feet are a little sore and I've noticed a few hot spots. I'm not confident about my shoes and hope to switch them out soon. So happy otherwise.All I have to do for the next few months is walk north. I feel so grateful to be out here again. This is the life!
Date: 2013-03-10
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter

To: Lance Creek
Miles today: 16.2

Windy and cold last night. Woke at first light, just after 6am, and packed up our tent. We made our green drink/breakfast beverage and headed out.Some little climbs this morning, definitely felt my legs working. It stayed windy all morning, the sun barely making an appearance. Pat was cruising again, and I wasn't far behind. When it's chilly, it's best to keep moving. My feet ache and I feel blisters threatening... I'm going to get insoles and maybe swap out my shoes soon.We stopped for lunch at Gooch Mountain Shelter and lingered for nearly two hours in some long-awaited sunshine, just enjoying the afternoon and digesting lunch. Pat and I did the first eight miles before 10:30am.Made our way to Lance Creek to camp for the night. There were at least 30 people here, with tents set up everywhere, partly because bear canisters are required for camping between Jarrard Gap and Neels Gap. Unfortunately, Lance Creek is a restoration area. I wonder how the restoration efforts will stand after six months of heavy use.
Date: 2013-03-11
From: Lance Creek

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Set out at first light. The climb up Blood Mountain wasn't too challenging, even with the misty morning chill lingering. Pat, Can't Wait, and I all got cold when we stopped for a snack at the shelter on the top of the mountain; we quickly resumed the hike.We stopped at Mountain Crossings at Neels Gap to look at gear and warm up. With rain forecasted that evening, I was tempted to stay at the hostel there, but Pat wanted to press on. And so we did.At times, the trail seemed to be a long land bridge in an endless cloud of fog. We felt transported, like we were walking in another world. It was lovely.And then it started to rain. We nearly ran the last two miles to the shelter, only to find it "full" and half a dozen tents set up. The shelter wasn't really full, just at capacity--but the occupants were defying trail courtesy and not making room for anyone else. It felt miserable, but we set up our tent in the rain and hurried back to the selter to cook and eat dinner under the shallow overhang. It was a cold and wet night.
Date: 2013-03-12
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

It was a miserable morning, freezing cold with everything wet. We packed up slowly, methodically. Once we hit the trail, we were laughing at our ridiculous night, so rife with misfortune. Our rainfly had leaked, our sleeping bags had gotten wet, and the temperature was uncomfortably low. Plus, in our hurry to set up the tent the night before, we had chosen an angled site that was riddled with roots and rocks. But we made it through, and even with little sleep, we had miles ahead of us today.It was an easy hike on those misty land bridges, fog still walling us in. The forest was covered in a thin layer of ice that rained down on us when the wind blew. It was a surreal scene.Eventually the wind pushed the clouds away and the sun warmed us up. Though we had been discussing trying to get to town to dry off, we didn't need to. When we stopped at Blue Mountain Shelter for lunch, we hung everything up, and the wind and sun dried everything within an hour. We felt so grateful. We did run out of cooking fuel at lunch today, midway through cooking up some mac and cheese, but we can eat cold food until we get to Hiawassee. Pat's eating like a champ, though my appetite isn't up yet.We had two nice climbs this afternoon with sun and wind and lovely views. My feet are still getting pounded, and my legs are a little weary. We ended up at Tray Mountain, tenting near the shelter. It's a beautiful spot perched just so that one can see both sunrise and sunset.
Date: 2013-03-13
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: US 76 (Hiawassee/Brasstown)
Miles today: 11.0

It was a pretty cold night up on Tray Mountain. Beautiful sunset and sunrise, though, seen right from our tentsite. We packed up soon after waking and were on the trail by 7:30am. There were strong westerly winds, biting, bracingly cold. It was a rough push onwards from Deep Gap Shelter, but we survived, moving as quickly as possible to get out of the wind.We rode into Hiawasse in the back of a pick up truck, did our errands quickly, and settled down to a buffet. Later, at Ingles, I ran into Pyro, who I had hiked with from Maine to Massachusetts in 2010; he was starting his northbound hike and would try to catch up to us on the trail. Pat and I also heard from our friend Susanna, who offered to pick us up and take us to her place in Brasstown, NC, a mere 20 minutes from Hiawassee. We were so excited, both to see a familiar face and to sleep in a bed. She took us to Lane's End Farm, where she used to work and live; it's a peaceful place where they grow herbs and vegetables. Then we got groceries and drove home, cooked dinner and hung out, and finally went to bed, warm and content. We even got a shower and did some laundry, and in the morning we'll go with Susanna to the yoga class she's teaching before we go back to the trail.
Date: 2013-03-14
From: US 76 (Hiawassee/Brasstown)

To: Plumorchard Gap Shelter
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: clear sky

Yoga and breakfast and the John C. Campbell Fold Art School--what a great start to the day.Susanna dropped us off at US 76 and hiked with us for a mile or two. We had two dogs with us who were so excited to be romping around in the woods. It was wonderful to catch up with her and have a moment to rest; Pat and I are so thankful to have friends like Susanna.We only hiked a few miles today, just to the first shelter. We got there early, giving ourselves the rest of the day to eat, relax, and reorient ourselves. I took a nap in the shelter's loft, then folks started to arrive. We passed an enjoyable evening with Dutch, brothers Snoman and Not It, Beerdra, Thistle, and Fix and Foxi from Germany.Supposed to be a cold night tonight.
Date: 2013-03-15
From: Plumorchard Gap Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: few clouds

Up and out early, like always. We crossed into North Carolina this morning. See ya, Georgia!The climb up Standing Indian Mountain was very gradual, with an especially gentle descent that seemed to take forever. My feet starting aching around mile 14. Pat's did, too, so he hiked barefoot for the last seven miles of the day. It was warmer today, sunny with little wind. Our longest day yet.Pat's going with the trail name Barking Spider, sometimes shortened to Spider.
Date: 2013-03-16
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap, US 64 (Franklin)
Miles today: 15.9

Slept in, didn't hit the trail until past 9am. I feel weary. Starting so late meant we were hiking around a cloud of people almost all day, passing them then getting passed while we took a break, then passing again. It's tiresome.My feet ache, my muscles feel empty. It's time for a little rest. We planned to go to Franklin, get a motel room and some pizzas, and recharge. We also need a little more food to get to the NOC.Pretty steep little climb up to Albert Mountain, but the sunny skies afforded us some nice views. We tried to climb the firetower at the summit but found it locked.
Date: 2013-03-17
From: Winding Stair Gap, US 64 (Franklin)

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Slept like a baby. We caught the 9am shuttle from Sapphire Inn back to the trail. Cruised through the first few miles, passing most other hikers. We hit Fresh Ground's AYCE trail magic around noon, the first from the shuttle. Many hot dogs later, we got back to hiking.My right heel was acutely painful. I had to borrow one of Spider's poles for much of the afternoon's hike. We went over Wayah Bald, goofed around on the tower for a while, then went onwards. Saw Bean at the next shelter, ate some ramen, and decided we had a few more miles in us yet. Long last stretch to Cold Spring Shelter, including a seemingly endless mile climb.Fiery sunset from this shelter. We're tenting nearby, despite a chance of rain tonight. We hear it might hold off...
Date: 2013-03-18
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: NOC
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: light snow

My feet are in pain. I propped them up on my pack last night to help reduce swelling in the morning, but by the first descent today, I needed to borrow one of Spider's poles just to keep any sort of pace. It feels worse on uphills.We decided to bunk at the NOC tonight, and we just barely made it there before the hard rain arrived. We actually dodged a short downpour at the shelter just a mile from the NOC, lucky us.Big lunch, lots of rest, and an easy day tomorrow are in order. I finally bought SuperFeet and hope my feet start to feel better.
Date: 2013-03-19
From: NOC

To: Locust Cove Gap
Miles today: 10.6

Slept in to 8:15am then showered and ate breakfast. Just a regular old morning. Barely made the 10am check out deadline. Spent some more time at the outfitter, procrastinating tackling the big climb out of the NOC. Ugh.We climbed uphill for miles and miles... ultimately, it wasn't as bad as I'd feared, but still, my legs were sore. Happily, my feet held up admirably with the new insoles. We had lunch at Sassafras Gap Shelter and decided to push on a little further to a camp site with water and at lower elevation, as it was awfully cold and windy up at Sassafras.Camping here with a whole tribe of boy scouts or some such group, plus Snoman and Not It and our old friend Can't Wait.
Date: 2013-03-20
From: Locust Cove Gap

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 18.1

Pretty good day today. Pat's feet were hurting, but we made it. There was a nasty steep climb out of Stecoah Gap, nearly straight up. Pat flew up but I took my time and lost my hat in the process; Not It brought it back to me when we took a break at the next shelter. We kept going out of Cable Gap--not a bad hike overall, just an accidental high mileage day. We had meant to take it easy and avoid injury, but the promise of pizza at the Hilton was hard to ignore. Too bad there's no pizza delivery to the shelter anymore. We finished our food bag for dinner. The Hilton's a huge shelter, but it feels almost full tonight. There was a big group that zeroed today and will start the Smokies tomorrow. We're considering a zero tomorrow ourselves. Gonna be cold tonight.
Date: 2013-03-22
From: Fontana Lodge

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: overcast clouds

After yesterday's full rest in a cabin at the empty lodge, we caught the 8:30am shuttle for the trail and started our hike through the Smokies. Road walked over the Fontana Dam--pretty amazing what humans can do to the natural world, even terrifying. The rangers checked our permits and we began a 3+ mile climb up to 4,000ft. The trail had a decent grade. It was a cloudy and cold day, no views to speak of. It started snowing in the afternoon. Lunch at Mollie's Ridge Shelter, where Snoman, Not It, and Can't Wait caught up to us. Passed Russell Fiel Shelter, where Bean was tending a lonely fire, so that we could put in more miles in case it rained tomorrow.The snow is serene, and the brief glimpses of distant mountain silhouettes leave us in awe. So peaceful up here.
Date: 2013-03-23
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Rough start to a long day with nasty weather: cold, drippy, cloud walking. We had breakfast at Derrick Knob Shelter; I was so miserable I was ready to bunker down in my sleeping bag for the rest of the day right there, only 6 miles in. But we kept going. That's what we do.It got nicer en route to Silers Bald Shelter; the sun even came out. We started sweating instead of shivering. Spider and I decided to push for Clingman's Dome today because the weather's supposed to get worse. We didn't bother going up to the tower, as it was clouded in a thick layer of fog.I enjoyed walking through the lovely forest past Double Spring Gap Shelter. I did not have the same enthusiasm for the icy north side of Clingman's Dome that we had to climb down.Pretty crowded shelter tonight. Hoping to get to Newfound Gap early for a ride to Gatlinburg to resupply.
Date: 2013-03-24
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Newfound Gap (Gatlinburg)
Miles today: 4.5

Heavy rain in the morning solidified our decision to go down to Gatlinburg for the night. Hiked 5 miles to make the 10am shuttle. Received excellent trail magic from Godspeed and Mountain Mama at Newfound Gap, sodas, hot cider, chili, and brownies, plus a little respite from the rain--thank you!! We got a ride down in the NOC van, and the driver warned us of big snow forecasts. We're staying at the Grand Prix Motel, eating ice cream and pizza. King of nice to rest, for a minute anyway.
Date: 2013-03-25
From: Newfound Gap (Gatlinburg)

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0

The road to Newfound Gap is closed due to snow, so we are stuck in Gatlinburg today. We spent some time at the NOC, walked around town, and caught a trolley out to the grocery store to resupply. The town feels like the Ocean City boardwalk, very oriented towards tourists. There are about fifty pancake houses here.
Date: 2013-03-26
From: Gatlinburg

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0

...the road is still closed. Another forced zero. We lounged around the motel room, watched lots of bad tv, and ate a lot of ice cream and pizza. We've signed up for the shuttle back to Newfound Gap if it can go tomorrow. There are some weather reports, though. And it's still snowing...
Date: 2013-03-27
From: Gatlinburg

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0

At least the snow stopped. But we still can't get back up to Newfound Gap. Took the tram, sampled some moonshine, and ate more pancakes. I think we found the best pancake house in Gatlinburg, the Pancake Pantry. Spider was drooling over the enormous hunk of whipped butter that sat near the pickup window. Tons of hikers are in town. Otto only just came down from the mountain; after walking seven of the fifteen miles down, a snowplow driver picked him up. He tells of snow drifts, covered blazes impossible conditions.
Date: 2013-04-01
From: Newfound Gap (Gatlinburg)

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: scattered clouds

We were dropped off last night back in Gatlinburg, but it was too late to start hiking. So, after another night at the Grand Prix, we took the NOC shuttle up to Newfound Gap and started hiking. It's been a solid week since we were last here, and both Spider and I are eager to resume our hike.I was hiking fast, despite the icy and snowy trail conditions. The weather cleared up, but the trail itself tells of the snow storm that came through. Turns out we missed another little snow on Friday night. All our balancing muscles are sore. I only fell once, but nearly fell a few times, barely catching myself before hitting the ground. At least hiking without poles has improved my balance.A tough end-of-the-day climb up Mt. Sequoyah and Mt. Chapman, then into the shelter around 5:30pm. All new faces here. We're tucked into a corner; the shelter is overfull. A few latecomers slept on the ground or on the table outside.
Date: 2013-04-02
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: State Line Branch campsite
Miles today: 17.0

It was very cold this morning--all our shoes had frozen! We packed up early and were nearly the first ones on the trail. It's too cold to linger and make breakfast.Our feet were awfully cold and wet this morning with all the slush on the trail. It was nice hiking, though. And the skies have cleared up, giving us some stunning views. It warmed up as we started descending past Cosby Knob. The trail dried out, our shoes dried out, and our spirits warmed.We are pumped to be out of the Smokies. It looks like we missed Fresh Ground at Davenport Gap, but at least the weather is nice. We picked a pretty campsite near State Line Branch. A crew tented near us and we hung out by the fire a bit before going to sleep.
Date: 2013-04-03
From: State Line Branch campsite

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Physically challenging day today, endlessly uphill.Started with a six-mile climb up to Snowbird Mountain. It was OK and we weren't dying as we climbed, but it took hours and was awfully wearisome. After a quick descent to Brown Gap, we started another six-miles of uphill to Max Patch. At least the weather was cooperative and our pace was strong. We can maintain at least a 2mph pace up all but the most strenuous climbs. Some lovely views on Max Patch, a spot we'd both visited before when living in Asheville.We were both feeling a little cranky by mid-afternoon, partly due to the long climbs and partly due to low food supplies. We're almost rationing our food so as to make it to Hot Springs.
Date: 2013-04-04
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 13.1

We woke early enough to have to use our headlights to pack up the tent and start our hike. It was another cold morning and rain was forecasted. We climbed up Bluff Mountain steadily, grateful the exercise helped heat us up. The first six miles went by easily; we plugged away, kept moving, and stayed warm. It started to rain a bit and get even colder, and the next 3.5 mi passed slowly. We took a break at Deep Park Mountain Shelter to eat our breakfast and met Cody Coyote still snuggled in his sleeping bag. I started to get really cold and we started the last push to Hot Springs, just a few miles north. We arrived before noon and got a room at Laughing Heart Hostel. Chuck Norris and Tigger were super sweet and helpful, and we enjoyed the hostel immensely. We dried out, ate a ton at the diner, perused the outfitter, and then joined dozens of other hikers for the community dinner provided by the town of Hot Springs. Such excellent hospitality and welcome from a wonderful trail town. We relaxed all evening at the hostel, and Spider even got to play some games with Yard Sale and Mud Mouth.
Date: 2013-04-05
From: Hot Springs

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke at 7, packed, and went to breakfast at the Smokey Mountain Diner. Fueled by coffee and a good night's sleep, we enjoyed the climb up Lover's Leap Rock and looked back nostalgically at the French Broad River, which we'd swum in a bit last summer. It was foggy this morning but the rain held off. On Rich Mountain, we witnessed ice falling from trees from yesterday's ice storm. It was an amazing scene and we often found ourselves dodging falling ice chunks when the winds blew.At Hurricane Gap, the sun broke through. Stayed sunny all day, even getting warm. We took a leisurely lunch break at Spring Mountain Shelter then pushed onwards 3.5 mi to Allen Gap. The weather was so nice that we didn't want to stop, so we ended up at the next shelter even though we had planned to stealth camp. It was a perfect last few miles of hiking.Little Laurel Shelter had two ominous notes pinned to the ground by rocks, warning of sickness (poop and puke) in the shelter. We assumed the rains had washed it away, but still most people avoided sleeping in the shelter. Dave from Missouri and Cody Coyote both braved it.
Date: 2013-04-06
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: clear sky

Beautiful rocky ridge climb around Big Firescald Bald, all smog and sunshine in the morning. We pulled into Jerry Cabin Shelter already tired, though we'd just started our day. Found Movie Star still packing up. We cooked up some hot food and continued on.It was a pretty and warm hike over Big Butt Mountain, felt like summertime. Tough climb uphill to Lick Rock, ugh. Then a long couple miles to the shelter at the end of the day. We had taken a long lunch break and talked with Java Man, who showed us his dedication to a fine brew--he carries coffee beans and a small grinder, and disposable filters, all for 8 oz. of java. It was impressive.Been noticing a lot of tombstones near the trail recently, just the past few days.Lots of people have been sick with the poop-and-puke bug. Seems like it lasts a day and you can't hold much in while you have it. A few people were recovering at the shelter, like Wild Blue and our old friend Trekker. Others tented so as to try to avoid it, except Dave, who figures he would already have gotten it from Little Laurel Shelter last night.