morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-03-25
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 13 - The hardest, most difficult and frustrating hiking day of my life! I ended up hiking about 14 miles but only made it to the next shelter 6.3 miles away. When I got up to go to the bathroom at about 0400 I noticed the snow had already reached about 4 inches in depth. When I left the shelter at about 0730 the wind had really picked up and it was snowing very heavily. Two tenths of a mile from the shelter I did some Chinoblazing (got lost). I inadvertently followed some tracks DOWN Bote Mountain Trail for about 2.9 miles before I realized I was way off course. I retraced my steps up a very difficult mountain climb. Of course I had no water because my water bottle was frozen. I ate handfulls of snow to keep me somewhat hydrated. I passed some hikers who confirmed I was heading back to the AT. After a grueling climb I got back to the trail. The conditions on the ridge were bad. Winds howled up to 50 mph in spots and the snow was deepening. I went about 2.5 to 3 miles on the trail WITHOUT seeing a whiteblaze or trail marker. I made a survival decision and decided to go back to the last shelter and wait until morning. About a mile into my return I ran into Cole and David who were at the shelter last night. We talked and decided to hike together and get to Derrick Knob shelter. Hiking in the snow was exhausting and we had to stop very often. We were totally spent and fully frustrated when we arrived at the shelter. A big thanks to Cole and David for their teamwork. Even though they were section hikers, I hope we stay in touch.
Date: 2013-03-26
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: light snow

Day 14 - I have not slept well the last couple of nights. It is very COLD. I got to the point of completely closing off my opening on my bag to stay relatively warm. Everything was cold -- I bet the temperatures were in the teens at best. I got up to notice my shoes were completely frozen. I borrowed another hiker's stove to heat up my shoelaces and tops of my shoes so I could put them on. Hiking was grueling. Gene Genie and Duffel Minor were breaking trail. The snow had accumulated to over a foot and the drifts were well over knee high. These guys are monster hikers, especially not using hiking poles. One of my poles kept breaking - sliding up to about 3 feet in length. Basically, it was useless. I did get it to stay when I got into the shelter. Very tired when we got to the shelter but surprised to see Wild Blue and Lady Grey. Blue had a fire going and I put my left foot near it only to start hopping around since my foot was being burned while wearing my shoes. I never took off a frozen boot faster in my life. What's a little burned foot among hikers? The plan for tomorrow is to go to Newfound Gap and attempt to get a ride into Gatlinburg, TN. These trail conditions are very dangerous. If we get into town we'll take a day off (zero day) to let the weather clear.
Date: 2013-03-27
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Newfound Gap (Ride into Gatlinburg, TN)
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: broken clouds

Day 15 - Good news -- I went over the 200 mile point today. Extremely tiring hiking today. At least 14 inches of snow on the trail and drifts over hip deep. Dangerously slippery and I fell at least 5 times. The climb up Clingman's Dome, the highest elevation on the AT at 6,655 feet, was tough. By the end of the day we were hiking in a group of about 12 hikers. It reminded me of the long lines of hikers heading up Everest that you see on a National Geographic special. About an hour from Newfound Gap we called the Park Service and they said the road was not open. Just as we got to the gap, the road opened and dozens of tourists drove up the mountain to see snow. By their reactions, many had never experienced snow before. Needless to say, I've seen enough snow for a LONG time. We called for a $35 shuttle into Gatlinburg and are staying in the Grand Prix Hotel. There are 8 of us in the suite -- four in the beds and four on the floor. While the younger hikers rushed off to Shoneys, I took a long, hot shower and did my laundry before Lady Grey and I went to KFC to pig out. For about four hours we sat around with other hikers in the suite and told stories until midnight. Tomorrow a zero day.
Date: 2013-03-28
From: Newfound Gap (Ride into Gatlinburg, TN)

To: Gatlinburg, TN (Grand Prix Hotel)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 16 - Zero day -- NO HIKING! Yeah. A group of us walked quite away for an AYCE pancake place. Unfortunately, it was not all you can eat. I ate a BLT and an order of toast. I used an entire packet of jelly on each half piece of toast. I bought a cheap pair of winter gloves on the main strip to replace the ones that had torn. A group of us went on a long, weird trip to Food Lion which was way out of town. We finally got on the appropriate trolley and made it there. For an off day we must have walked about 10 miles! On the way back from the store to resupply we stopped at Shoneys and had a great AYCE. The city of Gatlinburg is very strange -- like a permanent carny town. The streets were packed with tourists. My appetite finally kicked in. I bought a 1,000 calorie iced raspberry breakfast treat for tomorrow's breakfast but ate most of them that night (of course that was after a pint of Blue Bell ice cream).
Date: 2013-03-29
From: Gatlinburg, TN (Grand Prix Hotel)

To: Tri Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: clear sky

Day 17 - Up at 0700 to meet the shuttle ride back to Newfound Gap. Myself, Lady Grey, PB and J, and a dad with two younger boys headed back to the trail. The theme for today was ice. After 1300 it began to snow. I walked the last hour with Codger, a university professor from Chicago who was out for a 7 day hike. The shelter was packed -- we jammed 19 people into the place. At the shelter was 17, Lady Grey, Billy the Ridge Runner, Fidget, Dude and many section hikers. As I get ready to get into my bag, I notice it is really snowing hard.
Date: 2013-03-30
From: Tri Corner Knob Shelter

To: Green Corner Road (Standing Bear Hostel)
Miles today: 18.4

Day 18 - The Smokies will NOT let us go peacefully. I woke up to 12 new inches of snow -- yuk! No one wanted to leave first and break trail. I thought I was the first to go but was somewhat glad to see someone else was trailblazing. Just Dave's stride was too long for me and I ended blazing my own way. The first 7 or 8 miles was tough -- uphill in the snow. It was very difficult hiking physically and mentally. The next section was slush and ice. The climbs were very slippery and the downhill footing was precarious. At 1300 I started my descent and by 1415 I had passed the snow line. The hiking got easier but the trail became all mud. It was great to see Fresh Ground set up about a mile from the hostel. He has been moving up the trail and providing massive amounts of trail magic. I got 2 hot dogs and 2 sodas. Lady Grey and I entered Standing Bear Hostel at about 1700. The bunk house holds about 10 hikers. The shower was very hot and picked up my spirit. I sat around the fire talking with Curtis the owner. Curtis has really improved the place since I last hiked 8 years ago. There resupply shack is amazing -- it has everything a hiker needs. Lady Grey and I split a large DiGiorno's pizza -- delicious. Everything hurts, everything is wet and everything is GREAT.
Date: 2013-03-31
From: Green Corner Road (Standing Bear Hostel)

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: light rain

Day 19 - I called my Mom, Sister and Wife to wish them a Happy Easter as I climbed in the clouds heading up Snowbird Mountain. What a climb -- nearly 2,500 foot. The top of the mountain was a grassy bald without trees and it was cold and windy. I stopped at Groundhog Creek Shelter for a quick break and ran into Just Dave, a recently retired Army Lieutenant Colonel. The next big climb was up to Max Patch Summit. At the top you could see mountains on all sides -- spectacular, but very windy and cold. I barely got phone reception and called my son Will to wish him a good Easter and complain about the over 26 inches of snow back in the Smokies. With about an hour to go to the shelter it began to rain and I had to put my pack cover on and my rain top. I wish I had put my rain bottoms on because it started to pour and my pants were soaked by the time I got to the shelter. The final climb, about 750 feet, was torturous in the rain. At the top of the mountain was a 6 person shelter which was full. The guys let Just Dave and I squish into the shelter and out of the rain. Unfortunately, Lady Grey and PB had to put up their tents in the soaking conditions. The skies opened up at night and little sleep was to be had by all. The entertainment was watching the mice dart all around the place.
Date: 2013-04-01
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC (Elmer's Sunnybank Inn)
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: broken clouds

Day 20 - The mice were entertaining this morning -- one carrying a baby in its mouth. Lady Grey's pack was visited by some mice during the night. The plan was to hike a short day which is called a near zero (NERO). The nearly 1,000 foot ascent in the morning was brutal and the long, down hill into the city was no better. My feet, back and hips are killing me. I need some good stretching tonight. Since I got in early, I shipped about a pound of stuff home, washed clothes, updated the journal at the local public library and now need to consume massive quantities of food before I hit the Dollar General to resupply for my upcoming trip to Erwin, TN. Since there is no cell service, the last few days of pictures will follow later.
Date: 2013-04-02
From: Hot Springs, NC (Elmer's Sunnybank Inn)

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

Day 21 - Last night I pigged out on a 12 ounce burger and onion rings, 3 large Pepsi and attempted to eat a side of deep fried mushrooms. Resupplied at the Dollar General and drank a liter of Gatorade before packing and stretching. I slept in late and had breakfast at Elmers at 0830. What a feast -- pancakes, juice, heated strawberries, coffee and granola with milk. I met Lady Grey's husband who is in from Vermont. Lady Grey and Just Dave are staying in Hot Springs for a couple of days. At the beginning of the day I stopped counting when I went through my 20th spider web. Three big climbs today. The one out of Hot Springs wasn't bad, but the last one up to the shelter never seemed to end. What a difference a day makes. After stretching for more than an hour last night, it was fairly easy hiking today. Of course, after almost 20 miles, I am getting tight. I changed up my resupply and am eating dried fruit, pepperoni and cheese, Lance crackers and Grandma's Cookies.
Date: 2013-04-03
From: Little Laurel Shelter

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

Day 22 - When we got to the shelter last night was a sign saying someone got sick and there was puke and feces near the shelter. I hope I don't catch something from this moron's actions. Two section hikers were at the shelter and we started a modest fire to keep warm. It was so cold yesterday I turned my alarm off and slept in to 0730. A very long climb out of the shelter. The Blackstack Cliffs were a very technical rock climbing challenge. The Exposed Ridge Line Trail was also challenging because of the ice and snow. I could have easily violated rule #1 around that section if I had slipped. Hiked much on an old roadbed which was very boring. Two big climbs at the end of the day. Sconnie, Jay (from PB and J) and I are at the shelter.
Date: 2013-04-04
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: clear sky

Day 23 - Possibly the worst day of my hiking life!!! Started with rain and turned into a monster ice storm for most of the day. It was very difficult atop Big Bald, a stetch with no trees, because the sleet was pounding me from one side and it would not let up. After about 10 miles I stopped at Bald Mountain Shelter to put a long sleeve top on under my rain top. When I took off my pack, in the absolutely freezing weather, I had AT LEAST a half of an inch of ice on every part of my clothing and backpack. I could NOT get my rain pants off because of the ice. I wanted to put on my long underwear but I couldn't. I decided to press on another 10 miles to the next shelter. Immediately, I wondered if I made the right decision. At 1800 I finally arrived at the shelter and I was extremely cold. All my clothing was wet and I was nearing hypothermia. Not thinking clearly, it took me awhile to get into my bag and start warming up. Thanks to Sconnie for letting me warm my hands under his cooking flame. I did NOT sleep most of the night because I was cold to the core.
Date: 2013-04-05
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Erwin, TN (Super 8 Motel)
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: clear sky

Day 24 - Nothing like getting up and seeing that your bag is wet because the ceiling of the shelter had condensated and dripped during the night -- Great! At 0700 I put on my wet shoes and the rest of my gear and headed out. I thank my wife Becky for letting me vent to her once I had cell phone contact. After almost 3 hours in the clouds, I finally reached Erwin, TN. I stopped at Uncle Johnny's Hostel and I paid to have them shuttle me to the Super 8 Hotel. Sconnie and I are sharing a room. We cranked the heat to dry some of our gear and walked about a 4 mile round trip to the Food Lion where I purchased a pint of blackberries, bananas, Bop, whipped cream, ice cream and a paper (to catch up on the news).
Date: 2013-04-06
From: Erwin, TN (Super 8 Motel)

To: Erwin, TN (Super 8 Motel)
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Day 25 - Today is a well deserved zero day (no hiking). Even on an off day I woke up at exactly 0700. There are numerous hikers in Erwin, at Uncle Johnny's and at the Super 8, who have been here awhile fighting some sort of "Norovirus" or such. Many have severe intestinal problems and are zapped of energy because they need to be very close to a bathroom. I hope and pray I do not catch what is going around. Arranged a ride to the trailhead for tomorrow at 0800 with Miss Janet (former hostel owner in Erwin and one of the nicest people on the trail). She was nice enough to give Sconnie and me a ride to the laundromat. After cleaning our clothes, we headed to the Dollar General for a 3 day resupply. The final step on this zero day is to consume mass quantities of food and get rehydrated (Gatorade and water). The weather has broken and it must be 60 degrees outside. It may get to 80 within a few days! I want to thank all of you who have signed my guest book. I am reading all of the entries and appreciate the support -- keep them coming.    4/10/2013: I talked to Chino this morning and he will be in Damascus, VA approximately noon on Saturday, April 13th. His cell # is 785-331-6521. Mrs. "Chino"
Date: 2013-04-07
From: Erwin, TN (Super 8 Motel)

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: broken clouds

Day 26 - Last night I was still fighting the effects of the virus going around. In the morning Miss Janet kindly shuttled us to the trailhead. The hike up to Indian Grave Gap was fairly easy. It was great to see Fresh Ground again -- what a Trail Angel with all of his treats. PB & J were also there. It seems J got the worst of the virus (vomiting on a regular basis a day or two earlier). Sheperd, a young man with his hiking kilt, and Sconnie were also there. Sconnie was feeling the onset of the virus and I recommended he take some Immodium that Fresh Ground had. I ate 2 hot dogs, drank 2 cokes and ate a large banana pancake. The climb up Unaka Mountain was tough because I ran out of water. PB was kind enough to give me half of a bottle of lemonade to hold me over. The top of the still had snow, even though it was in the 70s. I ate some snow to keep my mouth from being parched. William, a section hiker from Virginia, and I are in the shelter while Sconnie is tenting. I saw a deer near the shelter at 1700 and thought of my second date with my wife years ago when we were camping and had deer outside of our cabin -- good memories.
Date: 2013-04-08
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 23.9
Weather: broken clouds

Day 27 - I was very tired and sore from the start of the day. My hip, knee and IT band were extremely tight and 4 or 5 sharp, shooting pain, that stopped me in my tracks, made me extremely nervous that that my hike might come to an unexpected end. I took a break at a shelter at the 9.2 mile mark to stretch and get water. I was so exhausted I took a 45 minute break. I did NOT want to take another step. I forced myself to eat before proceeding on a strenuous climb up Little Rock Knob which had many rock scrambles. The nearly 2,200 foot ascent up Roan Mountain was grueling! Toward the top there were ice and snow layers which made it very slippery and dangerous. After conquering Roan, the mountain had its say and would not let me down the back side easily. The north side descent was treacherous with packed snow drifts about 5 feet deep with layers of ice on top. This was very difficult hiking. I almost violated rule 1 about 12 times. My poles were flying, legs moving in a herky-jerky fashion as I tried my best to keep from falling. I probably looked like some cartoon character flailing about. Fortunately, I did not fall. I did have to grab onto a tree and punctured my left, middle finger. I decided to make a big push to get to Overmountain Shelter, a Revolutionary Barn that has been renovated. Many section and day hikers were tenting outside because they had come down with the Norovirus and were very sick.
Date: 2013-04-09
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: US 19 E (Mountain Harbour Hostel)
Miles today: 8.7

Day 28 - I woke up early at 0615 to stretch for about an hour, took 800 mg of Vitamin I and ate 2 pop tarts before departing. The climb up Little Hump and Hump Mountains seemed long and were arduous. The view on top of Hump was spectacular! I ran into a section hiker named Unit 2 going Southbound on top and he graduated from my school (Ohio U.) the year before me -- what a coincidence. The top of Hump was all grass which I found unusual. The remainder of the day was downhill, although it had many rock scrambles. Sconnie and I walked together until the hostel. Mountain Harbour Hostel is very scenic -- a creek, horses, goats, renovated barn (hikers stay in top section, horses on ground level) and a B&B in the main house for those who want privacy. At 1700 we took the shuttle (back of a pickup truck) into town where I ate the best pizza of my life! After a quick stop at the Dollar General to resupply, we were back at the hostel for the night. I highly recommend staying at this hostel, even though the floors of the hostel are so tilted it feels you are falling out of bed throughout the night.
Date: 2013-04-10
From: US 19 E (Mountain Harbour Hostel)

To: Dennis Cove Road (Kincora Hostel)
Miles today: 24.9
Weather: clear sky

Day 29 - Left at about 0730 and hiked a huge, fast day -- 25 miles in only 10 hours! The temps were in the low 80s and were brutal. I must have drank 5 liters of water. The trail was fairly easy with no big climbs or descents. It is probably the easiest 25 mile section of the entire AT. Jones Falls was spectacular. The plan was to stop at the 19 mile mark, but Sheperd mentioned Kincora Hostel so we went the final 6 mile on little to no energy. Bob Peoples, Kincora owner and ex-Air Force Major, met Sconnie and I near the trailhead in in his truck because the grocery store in Hampton, TN was closing soon. We got there with 10 minutes to spare. I didn't need to resupply but bought snacks for the night -- large DiGiornio pizza(split with Sconnie), a pint of ice cream, liter of coke and some pepperoni. The hostel was very crowded. It was nice to get a hot shower and some laundry cleaned.
Date: 2013-04-11
From: Dennis Cove Road (Kincora Hostel)

To: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 24.3
Weather: clear sky

Day 30 - I left early anticipating a long, strenuous day. Sconnie and I hiked up to the water's edge as we passed Laurel Falls which was a beautiful sight. It was a very hot day in the 80s. It seemed we missed spring temps. A few days ago I was in a ice storm and now I'm in oppressive heat. What's up? The 1,700 foot climb up Pond Flats was very difficult. It seemed I would never reach the summit. The descent down the north side was much more pleasant than the never-ending south ascent. I could see Watauga Lake from the mountain. The trail took us around the lake and eventually up a long road walk which is tough on the feet. You could see some quarry activity nearby and as I climbed I could hear many explosive blasts. The heat drained me and it caused me to move at a snail's pace all day. The last 4 miles lasted FOREVER. It was nice to get a cool, eastern breeze when I got near the ridgeline, but it was mixed with much smoke from a nearby controlled burn. I arrived at the shelter at 1815 where Sconnie and 3 section hikers were staying.
Date: 2013-04-12
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 26.3
Weather: light rain

Day 31 - Soon after nightfall the rain moved in and continued throughout the night. Lightning strikes were within 5 miles of the shelter. I sat up for hours watching the light show which means I had almost no sleep. Sconnie and I hit the trail at 0715 in our rain gear. The storm dropped the oppressive heat by at least 30 degrees or more. The rain was cold and was a nice change from yesterday's heat. I attempted to get as many miles in while it was raining and cool. The sun finally shone at 1415 and I was glad to get out of my rain gear. Although the terrain was mild, this long day wears on your body and mind. My toes and feet are chewed up. For a day or so my middle, left finger has been bothering me. Last night at the edge of the fingernail it started turning a pale green color so I put triple antibiotic gel on it and bandaged it. At the shelter I took a look at my finger and it was very swollen and infected. I put my safety pin to a flame and pierced my finger in 4 or 5 spots. I squeezed out much puss then reapplied antibiotic lotion and bandaged it up. I'm sure it will be fie in a day or two. Big news -- I entered Virginia today! Three states down and only 11 more to go. I am staying at The Place, a hostel run by the local Methodist Church. The hostel holds about 30 hikers. After these huge miles, I am taking a much deserved zero day (no hiking) tomorrow. After looking at my 2005 data, it took me the same amount of days to reach Damascus as this year. I think this is impressive since I've encountered extremely cold weather, over 27 inches of snow in the Smokies, a terrible ice storm, effects of the Norovirus, loss of a toe nail, an infection of a finger and excessive heat in April. I sometimes feel like God is throwing all these challenges at me to test my fortitude. It has been extremely difficult up to now but I am still loving it! Please keep praying for me as I move to conquer Virginia (25% of the entire trail).
Date: 2013-04-13
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Day 32 - Zero Day (No hiking). Last night, after a large cheese steak sandwich, I headed to the laundromat to get the stench out of my clothes. Upon my arrival to the hostel I noticed about 40 Boy Scouts setting up tents in the yard. Around 2300 the scouts finally started to settle down, although it didn't matter because Crow snored loudly most of the night. Instead of sleeping, I stretched in my bunk for about an hour. I got up at 0645 to the sound of the Scouts. Paranoid, Sconnie and I went to eat at a gas station -- biscuits and gravy, scrambled eggs, sausage and coffee followed by a 20 ounce bottle of Coke. I walked cross town to the library to update this site. The Dollar General was a great place for a 3 day resupply. A nice stranger handed me a $20 bill and said it was his way of giving trail magic. We used the money for food and drinks, of course!