morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-01-27
From: Russle Field Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: light snow

It was a long day of hiking/trudging/post holing in snow that was often knee deep and sometimes hip deep. We still were only able to manage a 1 mi/hr average, but arrived at the shelter before dark. I decided I am definitely in need of snow shoes, as my hiking buddies are remaining on top of the snow while I am perpetually sinking my frozen toes. The views today were amazing, especially on top of Rocky Top. I had several emotional breakdowns climbing the mountain...I sunk with every other step and had to crawl on top of the snow at times to continue. At the top, it seemed as though we were walking among islands in a sea of clouds. -Just had a mouse run across my foot while writing- :-/ The bluest skies are those reflected off snow-covered mountains. Steve is with us again & thanks to another generous soul, we have another fire.P.S. Animal reports: A coyote ate a pile of human feces while we slept at Russle Field Shelter. Mice ate through Steve's homemade down top quilt at Derrick Knob Shelter while a great horned owl serenaded us to sleep. Hiking in snow means we are keenly aware of the wildlife sharing the trail with us: bear, coyote, turkey, deer, and feline (unknown specificity).
Date: 2016-01-28
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring 
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I must use the term "hike" loosely to describe my mode of transportation through the Smokies. While "post hole" most accurately describes the movement my legs made the majority of the time, I was occasionally able to "Tennessee Walking Horse" when some other unfortunate soul without snowshoes broke the trail before me. Today was another tough day and I definitely slowed the group down as the boys had snow shoes and often had to stop for me to catch up, only to start back up when I was in eyesight...meaning my gasps for oxygen were the only breaks from the physical torture I was enduring. I have created 2 games to make myself feel better about post holing: Badass & Snow Ninja. In Badass, I accrue points in the following manner:sink to ankle- 1 ptsink to calf- 5 ptssink to knee- 10 ptssink to thigh- 15 ptssink to hip- 20 pts*each consecutive sinking step is a multiplier (i.e. I sink 3 steps consecutively to my knee is 10+10x2+10x3= 60 points)falling- 100 ptscatching myself before falling- 200 ptscrawling along snow- 500 ptssurviving an emotional breakdown-1,000 ptsI'm not very good at estimating or math in general, but I'd say I easily racked up 10k+ pts a day, making me a supreme Badass. In Snow Ninja, I move as quickly as I can and count my steps before I sink. The steps ranged from 1 to 10, with the average being 4. Steve graciously let me borrow his snow shoes for a bit and that was quite nice. We stopped at Silers Bald for lunch and water and ordered a shuttle for Newfound Gap. These guys are amazingly supportive ands I could not have made it this far without them in these conditions. They keep me smiling and stocked with water. I know they will always be in my heart after this and I will be there for anything they need in the future. When we got to the shelter, I decided to make snowshoes with pine boughs and paracord for our 4 am ascent of Clingman's the next day. The one shelter mouse is uber brazen. We watched him scurry for several minutes and s/he did not seem at all fearful of us. Steve opted to hammock outside to avoid another run-in with the mice.P.S. Snowshoe evaluation: While my snowshoes were obviously badass, one (the prototype) broke within 10 feet of the shelter, so I did not end up using them for my journey.
Date: 2016-01-29
From: Double Spring 

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: broken clouds

This morning, we woke up at 2am & hit the trail by 4:40. The moon was fickle and hid behind snow clouds before we could use its light to guide our way. I led the group using previous footprints to lessen the pain of sinking in snow. From time to time, the prints would disappear in a drift and my leg would often follow suit. It took us 3 hours in the dark and snow, but we made it to Clingman's Dome Tower before sunrise. When we arrived, I felt as if I was in a scene from a SciFi alien flick; the trees were white, having been coated in a thick layer of frost, which was being flung at us by howling winds. A tall pillar topped with a concrete disk connected to the ground by a winding ice-covered ramp. Snow blanketed the ground and dawn's light was masked by a thick grey fog. I donned my spikes and circled my way to the top, where the 50-60 mph winds were strong enough to make you feel as if you were walking drunk and whipped at you from all directions. Add to that a temperature of 10f and you felt as if your face would freeze off in a matter of minutes. Needless to say, I promptly returned my ass to the ground and into the trees for protection from the bitter winds. Victor showed Steve and I the "unofficial shelter" under the tower's ramp, which was an enclave littered with food trash and condoms. Out of the wind, we did our best to raise of raise our core body temperature, Steve doing pushups, and I adorning more layers before stuffing my face with crackers and candy. We didn't see a beautiful (or any) sunrise, but we had an experience we are not likely to forget any time soon. We set off to complete the remaining 6 miles of our day's trek towards a reprieve from the elements and "real food." After descending a mile, I noticed the footsteps I had been following led to a road, so I split from the boys (purists) to spend my remaining miles above the snow rather than in it "blue blazing/yellow blazing/rainbow blazing" at top speed and beating the boys to the Gap by nearly 2 hours. Our shuttle arrived shortly after Steve and after a quick shower (with no shampoo) at a Motel 6, we filled our deliriously hungry bellies with burgers and beers at the Smokey Mountain Brewery.
Date: 2016-01-30
From: Motel 6- Gatlinburg

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I walked the strip many times in an attempt to complete my town chores (laundry, eat, resupply, eat, drink, eat). I realized there was no way to get snowshoes (even with a ski resort up the hill and a not-so-fully-equipped outfitter) without ordering them online and waiting for their delivery, so now I'm stuck with the decision to posthole another 30 miles with Victor, wait and do the rest solo and snowshoes, or skip the last bit of the Smokies and return to them at a later time. I decided to head out for a pizza at The Best Italian restaurant and drinks at Hogs to celebrate my 1 month trail anniversary. I spent the evening playing the role of therapist with a nice guy named Kevin, then walked by to the hotel to finish my pizza and crash. Steve (Santiago)left for the trail this evening, but left me with the trail name "Hestia," Greek goddess of the hearth and home and keeper of the sacred fire atop Mt. Olympus, on account of my contribution during the Smokies; a warm fire by which we dried our gear, dethawed our extremities, and warmed our souls.
Date: 2016-01-31
From: Motel 6- Gatlinburg

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 0.0

Victor left this morning and I had a very long and emotional conversation with my wife, who had spent the night with terrifying dreams and awoke pining for my love, which I was more than happy to give. Her cries weighed heavy on my heart, since I knew I was the cause, but they were quickly quieted with affirmations of my undying love for her. I truly do not believe I could love anyone as deeply as I love my wife at this moment, nor would I be able to continue without her support. After our chat, I finished packing and headed to the strip for breakfast and a ride. I began my hitching adventure at 10:45. Within 30 minutes, two cars had stopped to offer a ride, but were going the wrong direction. Another couple gave me $5 to "help with whatever." Several church busses and vans (I believe there must have been some Christian conference that weekend) passed me by in my time of need. After about an hour, a police officer pulled up and politely instructed me I was not allowed to hitch in city limits and instructed me to get on a trolly and out of town. As instructed, I hopped on a trolly, which drove me within a 1/4 mile of the town limit. From there, I walked along the road for nearly and hour as tourist and Christian busses zoomed past by erected thumb and smiling face. Around 12:40 (again, bad at estimating and math)I was picked up by a guy heading to Cosby, which was not my final destination, but substantially closer. Along the way, he announced he would take me all the way to Hartford (which is where I though the hostel was located), since he had nothing better to do. As we wound around back roads talking about hiking, I did consider he may be taking me deep into the woods for less than honorable intentions, but I quickly dismissed that thought and thoroughly enjoyed the ride and conversation. I was dropped off at a BP, which doubled as a caf© of sorts, and ate a grilled chicken sandwich and drank a PBR. I called the hostel and was informed I still had 6 miles to go and no one could pick me up, so I hitched another ride from Robin & her 2 dogs to Standing Bear. Chatting along the way, we discovered we had both visited my vet, Dr. Kindard, in Murfreesboro. Apparently, she rescues small wild animals (rabbits, squirrels, opossums, etc.) and she would occasionally check them out for her. I stayed at Standing Bear in complete AT style, partying with the workers. I had a deliciously long conversation with my lovely wide and we were able to connect as if we weren't hundreds of miles apart.
Date: 2016-02-01
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: clear sky

Hit the trail around 9:30 am. It was so refreshing returning to the scents of the earth, the pine, and the rhododendron. Most of the 6.9 miles were uphill, but I made it to the shelter by 1:30pm. It started to rain by 2:30, but I stayed dry in my stone shelter. A shelter mouse made an appearance before the sun had even set! Tomorrow is Groundhogs Day $ I will wake up at Groundhog Creek Shelter. Maybe I'll see Mr. Groundhog! Looks to be a solo night spent reading. :-)
Date: 2016-02-02
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I woke to a very foggy and warm morning long before the sun decided to grace me with an appearance. The higher I hikerd, the less dense the fog, until I finally broke free from it entirely and saw the rays of the sun peeking through the trees. I spent a good majority of the morning enjoying the spring-like weather (65F with a warm humid breeze) and contemplating relationships. I first thought of my relationship with the trail, which has grown more spiritual with every mile and every moment. I pray to the trail as if it were a deity, begging for mercy at times and thanking it for its splendid beauty at others. I have never felt more connected to myself or my surroundings. My senses have become fine tuned; I hear the rustle of the leaves beneath the feet of a chipmunk; I can feel the shift in weather patterns (though I haven't fine-tuned my meteorological skills as of yet); I can smell when someone is brushing their teeth outside a shelter...or when I'm coming up to a road; I can taste a flavor packet someone else has opened up feet away from me...and I can feel energy coursing through my veins at that first bit of a snickers bar. Although I relish the creature comforts of towns (indoor plumbing, a warm bed, a scarcity of mice, food, beer, etc.) I lose my sense of self while I'm there and only regain my peace when I return to my chapel in the woods.I also thought about the argument I had the with NOBO boy and the animosity I still feel towards him. Though I want to forgive and forget, the part of me which shelters from others (especially assholes) screams for a write-off. He most likely could not give two shits, so I am really the only one carrying excess emotional baggage, and on the trail every ounce counts! I hear myself saying "Karma's a bitch" every time I think about how he's currently off trail with a kidney stone, but the vindictive through leaves me sad once the anger subsides. I want to feel sorry for him and support him. I also want to tell him off. All in good time, I suppose. I arrived at my shelter far too early, but far too tired to continue on. With storms approaching, I at my dinner and did my best to cover the entrance of the shelter with my tent, but the 50mph wind gusts found a way in and blew across my sleeping bag. At times, I could feel the entire shelter shutter under the force of the winds and I felt as though I was attempting to sleep on a landing strip. I was scared. The thunderstorm predicted had yet to begin and already I was regretting staying on top of a mountain. I did my best to ignore the non-animal howls and was able to finally fall asleep shortly after the rain began.
Date: 2016-02-03
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: moderate rain

Another 13.1 mile day (13.5 if you count the foray to Deer Park Mountain shelter, where I was finally able to sign a log book with my newly given trail name. I woke to splatters of rain on my face, as the shelter's roof was leaking and rain was penetrating the many holes on the windward side. After moving things to a slightly less wet area, I cooked breakfast and ate while reading. I was in no hurry to begin my rainy hiking day. As I was packing my things, I noticed something very peculiar: a very polite shelter mouse had visited my pack during the evening and had an acorn snack in nearly every compartments. It did not touch my food bag, which was hanging with my pack, but instead left partially eaten nuts and poo in the various pockets. I had hung my things using the "PCT" method, So I think it must have leapt to my pack from either the wall, ceiling, or sleeping platform. Eerily enough, my head was only about a foot away from my pack! I suppose the "offerings" (used TP) I have been leaving have given me good Karma with the shelter mice & I was very grateful to have enough untainted sustenance to make it to Hot Springs. Within 30 minutes of hiking, I was soaked head to ankles (my feet, thankfully stayed dry) despite donning my rain gear. Most peculiarly and unfortunately, my nether regions were also soaked, leading to some very uncomfortable walking and chaffing. I powered through the 9.9 (or 10.1) miles to the next shelter and my solace from the storm, stopping only once to pee and twice to eat. It stopped raining just before I reached the shelter, and I was able to switch into a dry shirt and shed my rain gear. After a lunch of dry ramen and a dry poo, I ventured forth the remaining 3.2 miles (or 3.4) to Hot Springs. My first stop was for tobacco, where I chatted and laughed with the owner, a cantankerous older gentleman of sorts. I then had beer an buffalo chicken at the Spring Creek Tavern before watching a movie and crashing at Elmer Sunnybank Inn.
Date: 2016-02-04
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Hot Springs is definitely the vortex people claim it to be! I arrived on the evening of February 3rd and didn't leave until the morning of February 8th, though I did spend some of that time with my loving mother, who drove 5 hours from Nashville to spend a few nights with me. On Thursday, I ate undoubtedly the best breakfast in town at Elmer's historic Sunnymead Inn. I left there and headed to Laughing Heart Hostel for a change in scenery and the opportunity to wash my laundry and access wifi. I met a very friendly section hiker, Mogley, and we spent the day running errands and eating food. The next day (Friday), some more NOBO hikers arrived at the hostel (Einstein, Sun Down, and Victor aka Bill Nye). I hung out at the hostel until my mother arrived and we went to Creekside Court, where my mother had made reservations. We had a beer and a snack before returning to our room to watch a bit of TV before venturing the 30 meters back to town. 2.5 hours and two phone calls later, the very drunk (or high?) daughter of the establishment concluded fixing the TV in the room was impossible and moved us to a new room. Luckily, my mom and I were able to laugh about it afterwards, though I will never consider staying again or recommending a stay there to anyone. The next morning (Saturday,) mom and I ate breakfast and headed to the Hot Springs Resort, where we spent 1 hour soaking in mineral water and 30 minutes being massaged. Afterwards, we were so relaxed we could barely walk or talk! Afterwards, we ate a delicious salad at the Ironhorse and rested up a bit at the room. Our neighbors started a fire, so we joined them for a drink around the pit. They invited us to join them at the pool tournament that evening at what they considered the best place to eat in town (a BBQ joint next to the Tavern). We wandered over a bit later and had a bite to eat, but did not stay long as most of the patrons (and some staff) were overly drunk men, which did not bode well for a calm and relaxing evening, so we went back to our room. At about 2am, I ended up revisiting the chicken quesadilla I had eaten...ironically, the people who owned our hotel also owned the restaurant...also not recommended. Side note: I have the best mother ever! I so enjoyed being able to see her and have her relax a bit. I wished it were possible to whisk her away from her stressful life to hike along my side, but perhaps a weekend away will be enough to inspire a change of pace for her. I <3 my momma!!!
Date: 2016-02-07
From: Allen Gap

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 14.8

Did a bit of "light packing" with Einstein, Bill Nye, and Sundown. TRie was gracious enough to drop us off at Alan Gap so we could hike SOBO into Hot Springs, effectively missing any major uphill climb. :-D This was by far the longest hike I had done, so I was glad to have only a day's worth of food and supplies for spending a night outside if it became necessary. (Plan for the worst and hope for the best!) My feet began to ache after about the 9th mile, so I'm fairly sure my body still isn't quite ready for the big miles. It was a gloriously beautiful hike with amazing vistas into Hot Springs. I did a bit of scrambling to reach Lover's Leap (or at least what I think may have been Lover's Leap, as it was not indicated by any sign) and felt exhilarated by the adrenaline rush associated with a high potential for imminent death....Afterwards, I saw a deer running from something in the woods, so I followed suit and picked up the pace the last 2 miles into town. As I was walking back to the hostel, a man slowed down and shouted out his car window: "Hikers are awesome!" Smiling, I returned to the hostel for a bit to eat and some R&R before joining my fellow SOBO and NOBO hikers at the Tavern to watch the Super Bowl. Though the game was a disappointment, I thoroughly enjoyed socializing with everyone.
Date: 2016-02-08
From: Allen Gap

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Tie dropped us (Einstein, Bill Nye, Sun Down) off at Allen Gap once again, only this time we headed north bound towards Jerry Cabin. The forecast was calling for 1-3" of rain/snow and it was about 40F when we hit the trail. After a few hours, it began to snow....even though I don't think it had dropped below freezing and the sun was out. It was a bit eerie and hindsight being 20/20, I should have taken the blazing bright dark grey skies flecked with white as an omen of bad weather. The boys quickly out paced me, leaving me alone with my thoughts as I arrived at Bearwallow Gap, a very rocky exposed ridge line that had received a fresh 1" of snow and seemed to continue on and on. Though the AWOL book had the elevation profile of this area as pretty flat, I found myself scrambling up and down snow covered rocks/boulders for over a mile (and likely an hour, but I chose not to look at my watch to avoid disappointment). By the time I was off the ridge line, it was already 5pm, the skies were beginning to darken with heavier snow clouds and I still lacked 1.7 miles to my shelter. No longer fearing a wrong step would send me plummiting to an early grave, I quickened my pace and made it to the shelter by 6pm. There was already about 1.5-2 inches of snow on the ground and a roaring fire in the shelter, thanks to a wonderful caretaker (this is the first shelter I've been at thus far that had someone looking after it) who left a pile of firewood along the cabin. The boys were already cooking dinner, so I set about to completing my evening tasks. By the time I had eaten and went for my last restroom break, there was 4" of fresh powder on the ground and we had to hang up my tent in order to block some of the snow that found a way through the two tarps already hung over the shelter's opening. We took turns stoking the fire throughout the night as we each work to use the restroom and the snow continued to pelt the tarps strong along the shelter's opening.
Date: 2016-02-09
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

To: Devil Fork Gap
Miles today: 9.2

Let me tell you how I really feel. Fuck snow. Snow is no joke. It's a hateful bitch. Meteorologist suck, and so does snow. The forecast was for a max of 6" over the course of two days on the mountains. We woke up to 6" after the first night and the snow was not stopping. Looking out the shelter, I was reminded of a blizzard in '92 or '93 where I spent a week trapped at my grandmother's house because of 6" of snow. Einstein was ambitiously planning to hike 15 miles, but the rest of us were already formulating contingency plans. It took me only an hour of hiking with the snow stinging at my face to realize I needed to get the fuck off the mountain ASAP. Although the snow was light and powdery and not nearly as difficult to walk in as the snow in the Smokies, I had developed icicles on my hair and felt as though I had sandbags tied to my ankles. Bill caught up with me before reaching Flint Mountain Shelter (our designated lunch spot) and he commiserated with me on finding a way out of the snow. We waited for Sun Down while at the shelter and decided to call Uncle Johnny's for a shuttle from Devil's Fork Gap, a few miles down the trail. Bill handed me the phone to "work my magic" and procure us a ride. Within an hour and a half, we were in a warm van with Jeff, the hotel manager, and Jerry Garcia, the hostel mascot. Jeff reported Einstein had passed him by while he waited for us and had continued on to the next shelter. :-( Not a strong choice. Anywho, once at the shelter, we had a snack and headed out for Taco Tuesday on the dinner shuttle.
Date: 2016-02-11
From: Sam's Gap

To: Devil Fork Gap
Miles today: 8.4
Weather: clear sky

We got a lift to Sam's Gap, where Einstein headed north and Bill, Sun Down, and I headed south. we again "light packed" with food for a night and our gear in the event we got stuck on the mountain. The air was chilly and the wind strong, so I had my neck gaiter up and my hat and hood down. The condensation from my breath resulted in me pocketing my glasses, which fell out of my pocket somewhere between Sam's Gap and High Rock. Vision is overrated, except in times like this where you are typing on a computer screen with squinty eyes. :-/ The snow had begin to compact a bit and we ran into snow drifts over 2ft deep....again...the forecast was for 6"...I hate snow even more with each day of hiking. My legs felt like jello by the end of the day, as we had taking turns breaking trail. I may end up staying here through Tuesday...I really don't want to go back into the snow. On a brighter note, my wife will be joining me tomorrow!!!!!