morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-08-23
From: Leroy Smith Shelter

To: PA 248/145
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: few clouds

A NOBO was at the shelter last night. Its hard to believe. He said he thought he was the last on, and I believe him. He has to do 20 mile days to got to Katahdin before it closes. I packed up and hit the trail. It was flat and rocky most of the day. On the south side of Little Gay is the Superfund detour. The climb up was rocky, bu then the rocks stopped and it was pleasant walking along a ridge with views of Palmerton. It was great. At the end the trail drops steeply down into Lehigh Gap. The grade and rocks reminded me of NH.I got to the parking lot and found a comfortable rock to sit on. I watched the other people setting out to hike and read a few chapters. Eventually Aunt Priscilla and I found each other and she took me home. On the way we picked up some Indian food for dinner. I'm not sure Ailey recognized me when she got home. Taking a shower felt great.
Date: 2013-08-28
From: 501 Shelter

To: Rausch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up a bit later than my usual time. I was still ready to go at 7 however. But it was raining, so I waited until it stopped at 8 before leaving. It was a quick four miles to the William Penn Shelter, and I passed the 1000 mile mark. That is a long way to walk. There was a weekender at the shelter who I tried to ignore but he insisted on talking to me. I took a shorter break there. There was a nice rock seat at the abandoned power line where I ate my leftover pizza. On the way to I-81 it rained. There was a bench under the highway where I stopped for another break.I was tired all day. Transition caught up to me there, and we hiked the last 6.5 miles through scattered showers. I definitely got here faster with her following me.Rausch Gap Shelter is a nice shelter, though there aren't a lot of nails to hang stuff on. My guess is that it was a railroad building, because there is the old track bod as the approach trail. I hope tomorrow is sunnier, being damp is no fun. I also hope the spring is running at the shelter tomorrow, or I'll be very thirsty.
Date: 2013-08-29
From: Rausch Gap Shelter

To: Peters Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: light rain

Today was a lot nicer than yesterday. I slept in a bit, then hit the trail. It was much less rocky than yesterday, so there was less cursing. I passed a few abandoned coal mining town sites. At the spring just before the road I filled up and took an extra liter in case the water here was dry. The ridge on the other side of the road had a lot more spider webs, but the sun came out. This shelter is large and nice, but the water is steeply downhill. I'm hoping I'll have enough to get to the next shelter tomorrow. Grandma and Grandpa are coming out to meet me for lunch. It should be good, and it will be nice to see them.
Date: 2013-08-31
From: Doyle Hotel, Duncannon 

To: Alec Kennedy Shelter
Miles today: 29.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke up at the usual time, and packed up all of my stuff. I had some pie, grapes, peanut butter, and a hard boiled egg for breakfast, then headed out. The trail was rocky the first few miles until the bottom of the hill after the pipeline south of Duncannon. Then they stopped. I had lunch at the Darlington Shelter, but it was so hot and humid I wasn't very hungry. From there the AT drops into the Cumberland Valley for ~18 miles. This section was very flat and hot. A few miles out of Boiling Springs it started to raid and there were a few rumbles of thunder. I got to the ATC mid-Atlantic office in Boiling Springs and took a break on their porch. There were some Christians there, and one was arguing that humility was more important than love. I don't buy it.I at some mashed potatoes I found in the hiker box, then decided I didn't want to camp when everything was all wet, so I pushed on to the shelter. I made it just before dark. There are a bunch of weekenders here, and one other SOBO I haven't met yet. Tomorrow I plan to go to the Ironmaster's Mansion Hostel for a shower and some laundry. Hopefully the storms will cool everything off a bit.
Date: 2013-09-02
From: Iron Masters Mansion

To: Quarry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: light rain

It was great to sleep in the air conditioning last night. Breakfast was two waffles and some cereal. I left around 8:30, after reading the pamphlet on how to make iron. Interesting stuff, and now I know why everything is called 'furnace' around here. A few miles from the park I passed the halfway sign. I took some pictures and wrote in the register. A bit over a mile later I passed the actual halfway point, which is unmarked and at the top of a hill. The rest of the day was fairly flat and uninteresting. This shelter is really really nice. Probably the nicest on the AT. There are hanging plants and small stones were carried in to 'pave' the front of the shelter. And the privy has a book about outhouses in it. The maintainer came up to water the plats and pick up4 trash. He is pround of his shelter, and rightly so. He said he volunteers with kids who have to do community service, and gets them to help do trail work and maintenance.Tomorrow I'm going to probably go to a campsite 0.6 from the Maryland border, then attempt the Maryland Challenge on Wednesday. The challenge is to walk the entire state of MD in one day, about 41 miles. Or, if I'm feeling good, I'll do the 4 state challenge, starting in PA, going through MD and WV and ending in VA, about 50 miles. We'll see. I also heard that Mom got to the top of Mt. Isolation in NH and finished her 4000 footers. Congratulations!
Date: 2013-09-03
From: Quarry Gap Shelter

To: Deer Lick Shelters
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: few clouds

A whole bunch of birds have just flown into the area, and I've had to go sit under the shelter roof to avoid being hit by falling tree pieces. Today was a pretty easy day, and I got to the shelter shortly after 1. I spent the afternoon sitting around and reading and resting for tomorrow. I've decided to attempt the 4 state challenge. I'll leave here at midnight and try to got to somewhere in Virginia before midnight tomorrow. It will be a challenge. The birds seem to be on their way out. It is surprising how noisy they are, chirping and all taking off at once. A section hiker stopped by a while ago and gave me some extra food. I might see him again, but I'll be walking past his campsite rather early in the morning. Off to be to try and get a few hours of sleep in.
Date: 2013-05-06
From: Hiker Hostel

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: clear sky

So last night at the hostel I had some crazy dream and woke up with a yell, then apologized but no one was awake. True story.I woke up, had breakfast and was finally in the mood to talk to the others in the hostel - sat and talked with a Canadian father and son that were into geocaching, they are on vacation here doing the Georgia section of the AT, slackpacking.Said goodbye to the other hikers and after a lot of driving on wooded roads, got dropped off at the springer mountain parking area. Took some pictures then started my hike. The first 5 miles were great, the terrain was relatively flat and I felt like I had springs in my legs. The last 3 miles to the shelter however took forever and required quite a bit of climbing.Finally reached hawk mountain shelter, made camp for the first times and cooked a HUGE POT of Mac and cheese with spicy tuna. The shelter is pretty full and there are about 10 tents in the area. It's only 7pm and I'm already dead tired.My plan is to get to Unicoi gap by Saturday and have a nice motel stay into Sunday. Hoping I can do all 53 miles.
Date: 2013-05-15
From: Quality Inn

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: clear sky

It was an easy day today - cab back to trailhead after a mediocre but free motel breakfast. The good news is my knee feels much better when hiking.Only did a 5 today and it felt very short. This is a good thing, it means I'm stronger and the terrain is more familiar to me. I'm going to start doing minimum distances tomorrow, meaning ill do 5 miles then rest, but keep pushing after that for whatever number of miles I still have left in my legs. I'm also going to try to get an earlier start - I don't think I have left camp earlier than 10 most days, and if I finish my 5 before noon I'm more likely to do more.I underestimated the sun on the trail too - most of the trail is shaded but the mountain ridges are not, and that is where you most often stop and rest after a climb. Bottom line: I'm as brown as my father in July (Hi Dad!).   I need to cover up more because my scalp is cracking and my face is visibly dry.Tonight I'm at a shelter next to two guys from Kansas City that are hiking to New York. They speak in this vaguely bored monotone and I can hear every word of their conversation next to me. Hopefully I can put in some miles and play catchup with my buddies from last week.I'm also using this trip to catch up on my reading - I download books into my phone from Barnes and noble and read them in my Nook App. If you have any recommendations please email or Facebook them to me!!
Date: 2013-05-20
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: scattered clouds

What an exhausting day! It was almost 90 degrees during my 7 mile hike, and the longest climb started 1.8 miles before the end. There was also a large rattlesnake on the side of the trail, but I was alerted because the hikers ahead of me were freaking out a bit. This is the second wild rattlesnake encounter in my life and I was much more calm this time. It rattled like crazy as I passed (about 4' away) it but really you would have to physically touch the snake before it would attempt a strike.I left Unicoi Gap yesterday morning and felt very strong on the initial 1000' climb - I guess rest and pizza do that. Met a father, son and uncle hiking up at the same time and have been sporadically hiking and resting with them. Very funny guys, you can tell they are brothers.Tomorrow I'll hike the 4 miles to Dicks Creek Gap and head into Hiawasee for re-supply and a night at the hiker hotel. From there I plan a straight 40 miles, 5/6 day trip into Franklin, NC. I finally will finish Georgia this week!The days are becoming more routine now, and the tone of each day follows a pattern: 1. Relaxing (you sleep well)2. Rushed (breakfast, water, break camp)3. Easy (start of hike)4. Harder (halfway through hike)5. Excruciating (1 mile from camping for night)6. Weary (got to camp, can barely drag self around to put up camp and cook)7. Relaxed and Accomplished (stomach full, dry clothes, hammock/tent ready)
Date: 2013-06-03
From: Franklin, NC

To: NOC
Miles today: 27.0
Weather: few clouds

It's been a tiring but fun few days. I did two back-to-back 10 mile days and honestly, it kicked my butt. I have to taper up toward 10 miles/day a bit more before I can do day after day of it.I left Franklin a few days ago and hiked the 10 miles to Wayah Bald, an amazing view with a lot of history (see picture). The hike up was quite steep and the gnats would not stop trying to buzz into my ears, eyes and mouth.Up there I met a few different people, all within the space of an hour. One retired couple from Florida that had lost their son to cancer was up there visiting the location of where they placed his ashes. Another older hiker named Ambler also introduced himself and talked about his previous thru-hike and the series of articles he wrote for the Washington Post about the experience. Very nice guy, and I camped with him that night at the shelter, along with several other people.The next day I hiked another 10 miles to the next shelter, and met up with Daniel and Regina, hikers from Indiana who were very welcoming. They convinced me to sleep in the shelter that night, the first time I ever have so far on this trip. Thank god I did, because it poured rain all night and the next day. I left the shelter as it was still raining, and made my way down the 6 mile descent to the NOC, this great outdoors village with a river, rafting, restaurants, an outfitters and a hostel. I signed up for the hostel and they put me in a bunkhouse room that no one else was in yet.A couple of other hikers, Moose and Risky Business showed up about an hour later. Moose was already quite buzzed after stopping for several beers before reaching the bunkhouse, and was quite amicable. He, Risky Business and I went down to the restaurant for dinner and beers, then picked up another couple of six packs to drink on the deck outside the hostel. It was great - Daniel, Regina and Ambler all showed up so we all had several hours of drinking and good times while the Mosquitos ate us alive.This morning however, I woke up late and hungover, so I'm taking a zero day at the hostel and allowing both my head and feet to heal. Then it's onto the 30 miles into Fontana Dam, where the Smokies start. Can't wait.
Date: 2013-01-27
To: First Post
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Ok, Ok it's real because I told my parents I was hiking this year...I have read SO many trail journals, I don't know who to thank first or who to hit first, but after so many years reading about everyone else's hikes, I'm taking one of my own. Thank you Stumpknocker, Mrs. Gorp, Jan Liteshoe, Wags, Gangsta, Mrs Joy and the COUNTLESS other hikers that I have kept up with over the years. You kept me entertained and help me entertain my own hike.It's offical, I'm a 2013 NOBO AT hiker beginning March 8th with the Summit Sisters. A group of about 30 hiker ladies that will be starting their hike in two groups, they have given me the courage to begin this hike. THANK YOU!Thank you to my extraordinarily fabulous and understanding and supportive husband and family for letting me follow this dream. And to the staff of White Rock Coffee in Dallas Texas... Thank you for understanding and keeping the coffee brewing while I'm away. You are all inspiring, wonderful, witty and the best barista's a gal can ask for! Now put on your apron and get to work!! I need to make sure there is coffee when I come back!
Date: 2013-02-15
To: Telling my Leadership Team...
Miles today: 0.0

Oh, Jees, that did not come out right. Not at all what I had planned. Instead of calmly telling my beloved leadership team of my dream of hiking the Appalachian Trail and how much each team member brought special skills to our business and this window of opportunity is a once in a lifetime chance to place my business life on pause and listen what God has to say to me while backpacking 2,189.3 miles. I began this important, but surprise announcement sobbing. Yes, the uncontrollable sobbing that you hope no one in the world who have to see. AWKWARD! Why? Who knows, but when God gave out spiritual gifts, He gave me the gift of tears. What was going through my mind was, what in the world must they be thinking is happening. She has an incurable sickness, or they are getting a divorce and are sitting ¢the kids¢ down to explain things. No, no, no, why can¢t I get the words out to my team that I have planned the greatest adventure of my life and they are needed more than ever. I wanted to share the good news!! OK THIS is what I had envisioned what I was going to say¢¦My dear team, I have a dream. I have had a ten year dream of accomplishing something big. During the course of the last ten years, the time has not been right to attempt this feat. In the last ten years, we have worked every waking moment putting together this business. During the last ten years the business was not in a place to support me accomplishing this dream. However, the last couple of years have been growing with a nice trajectory, and with the leadership team that is in place, the dream was beginning to become reality. Six months ago I talked with my husband about attempting this feat during the next season. My dear husband [and business partner] is totally supportive and has been my rock to accomplish this dream. And it is with your extremely valuable participation in our business has lead me to believe also that this season is the window of opportunity to accomplish this dream. I have been preparing to hike the Appalachian Trail from beginning to end. This hike will take about six months. During the last few months, I have been methodically teaching and passing off responsibilities that have in the past been solely mine. You guys have molded into such a great team, I am hoping you support me in this dream and that you guys will pull together, just as you have in the past, to keep White Rock Coffee going in the trajectory it has been. You guys ARE the total package. I couldn¢t attempt this without each one of you. I am so very grateful for you and what you bring to the table. Thank you in advance for what you will accomplish in the next six months.That is what I meant to say¢¦ I apologize that is not what came out, but I hope you know sincerely that's what I meant. It¢s not the first time tears got in my way of saying what I wanted to say, and probably not the last.More to follow.
Date: 2013-03-01
To: Less than one week away - Send Off Party
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Less than a week jitters are in full force, especially since I haven't finished sewing my sleeping bag. Other than that things are falling into place nicely, although I have yet to weigh my completed pack. Only a short amount of time left to complete all of the preparations that began six months ago.Meanwhile, when I thought I was going to have a nice family dinner at our local family run Italian restaurant, all of our treasured baristas surprised me with a wonderful Send Off party! I was so moved that everyone participated in the event with balloons, cards, banners and cake! I received such sweet, heart-warming cards and send off messages, I was so happy that all of these great friends are praying for me and pulling for me. You guys are the BEST! How can I say thank you enough?This weekend's checklist, finish sleeping bag, finish drop box schedule, pack!Back to it...
Date: 2013-03-16
From: Stealth Camp near Cold Springs Gap

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: clear sky

Last night 1Foot and I stealth camped near Cold Springs Gap with Apple Pie. That was a hoot. Apple Pie is a triple crowner with many more trails under her belt. She was a wealth of knowledge and a delightful companion.We hiked just a few miles to Unicoi Gap
Date: 2013-03-18
From: Sassafras Gap

To: Dick's Creek Gap
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: overcast clouds

We hiked in the cold rain over rocks and downhill that made the day miserable. We had been watching the weather and knew the weather was going to get very, very cold with snow so we re-assessed the next few days.While walking along we heard familiar voices, and turned around to see Camel and Alfalfa. It was great to catch up with them since we hadn't seen them since the morning of day three!We tried to stay at the Blueberry Hostel; however, they were full so we opted to get out of the weather at the Holiday Inn Express in Hiawassee. There we saw many hikers getting out of the cold, some were coming in limping looking half dead. The severe weather was taking it's toll.
Date: 2013-03-21
From: Aquone Hostel

To: Aquone Hostel
Miles today: 4.8
Weather: overcast clouds

We hiked from Burningtown Gap to Tellico Gap in very cold weather and about 2-3" of snow. The few miles we hiked were fairly easy and we had beautiful views; however, we had to keep hiking to keep warm. I took lots of photos. We have become very fond of slack packing and the meals the Aquone Hostel was feeding us. If you EVER get a chance to stay at the Aquone, DO SO!
Date: 2013-03-22
From: Aquone Hostel

To: NOC 
Miles today: 8.3

Today, I hiked with Sunshine and Chris a lovely couple from the D.C. area. We hiked down to the NOC and the day went very quickly. This cute couple hadn't heard all of my stories yet...We stayed in the NOC bunkhouse, which is a far cry from the warmth of the Aquone Hostel... We had a great dinner at the River's Edge, half pound hamburger and side salad which totally hit the spot.
Date: 2013-04-07
From: Plumorchard Gap Shelter

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Beautiful weather, warm, sunny still no wildflowers. Great day to be on the A.T. The trail tread was soft, and the elevation change was not that noticeable. We got to Muskrat Creek Shelter early in the day and the shelter wasn't full, just dirty and full of trash. This is what gives hikers a bad name. Why can't hikers pack out their own trash?We set up our tents, cooked dinner and hung our bear bag. We met a lovely older couple that we had hiked with. Along with a German couple that I tried out my German with. They even understood me, or did they just humor me?
Date: 2013-04-08
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: clear sky

We knew it was going to be a short day. We were anxious to get to town to slack pack for the next few days.Nearing the end of our hike, we were passed by two ladies and as we chatted we noticed a patch on their backpacks. THEY WERE SUMMIT SISTERS, TOO!! We met Patti, "Shadow" and Janet, "Slow 'n Steady". We were so excited to be able to meet in person ladies we had known on our Summit Sisters facebook page. We chatted all the way to Deep Gap and formed fast friendships.We stayed in Franklin at Haven's Budget Inn.
Date: 2013-04-18
From: Silers Bald Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: broken clouds

Ok we weren't supposed to do that many miles today, but you can blame it on the weather.We started out southbound from Silers Bald Shelter in balmy, but whipping windy weather. we got an early start on the day and trudged thru. We had a quick lunch at Derrick Knob Shelter and kept going south. The winds were so gusty that it nearly blew us down. We were climbing a big climb, exhausted from fighting the weather and knew we had to climb the biggest mountain yet. Temperatures were plummeting, winds were strong and it began to get dark and rain. We were nearing the top of Thundermountain (appropriately named) when we discovered we simply could not safely continue. We decided to turn back and head north. We arrived at Derrick Knob Shelter pretty shaken after that many miles in that kind of weather. The wind continued to whip around the shelter. We collected firewood for the shelter fireplace and hunkered down for the night.
Date: 2013-04-19
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: heavy intensity rain

We packed up early and had breakfast waiting for the weather to break so we could begin hiking. The rain was torrential, coming down in buckets, wind so strong it would blow you over.We unpacked and laid claim to our spots in the shelter. Only a few brave souls left the shelter that day. Uke was there with his Ukulele, singing songs and reading aloud from Tom Sawyer. We played gin rummy and talked for the entire day. We took turns going out to collect wet firewood for the shelter fireplace. A few hikers came in from hiking and they were soaked and shivering. They warmed up beside the fire. There were about 20 people inside the shelter designed for 12. By late afternoon the rain finally died down and the sun peeked out for just a few minutes.Since the sky cleared we knew we were going to be in for a very cold night.