morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-05-02
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Indian Grave Gap
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: scattered clouds

It was cold this morning when I woke up. I didn't sleep well at all last night. Regardless, I was on trail at 7:50am. I've been looking forward to today for a long time, because today I cross over the Clinchfield Railroad. My grandfather worked for the Clinchfield Railroad's NYC office in the 1920s, and I've camped along the Clinchfield Railroad with my brother and father many times. The first few miles of today's hike was through woods with no views, but after a few miles, the views got much better. I could see the town of Erwin way in the distance.I could also hear trains rumbling through the Nolichucky River Gorge way down below. At one point, the trees cleared and I got a stunning view of the river below and the Clinchfield trestle spanning it. It is a pretty famous view on the AT, and now I see why! By 11am, I was at Uncle Johnny's hostel, where I saw a lot of people I knew. I signed up for the 11:30am shuttle to Erwin, and I went back to the same pizza buffet I was at 48 hours earlier. I also realized that I forgot my headlamp in the motel 2 nights ago somehow, and I called them and they still had it, which was awesome. I was able to get that back. The shuttle was scheduled to return at 1:30 to pick us up, but I was done by 12:30. Out of the blue, a young guy driving a VW bus pulled over and asked if I wanted a ride back to the hostel, so of course I accepted. I felt like I was in the 1970s, hitching a ride and getting picked up by a VW bus. It was pretty cool. I got back to the hostel at 12:45 and I saw Bama, Iron Cheeks, and Earnhart. I chatted with them for a few minutes, and Earnhart gave me some food out of his mail drop that he didn't need. Thanks Earnhart! Soon after, I hiked out. I made it to the shelter, 5 miles away, but decided to keep going. I hiked another 2 miles to an unnamed campsite, and thought of staying, but then Zone showed up and we decided to go on to Indian Grave Gap and camp, just 1.5 miles further. I got here at 7:30pm. Tomahawk, Shane, Lasso, Zone, Dr. Vargas, and many more are here tonight, and we all sat around the fire talking and laughing until around 10pm, when we retreated to our tents. I'm not sure where I'll end up tomorrow, but I may shoot for the Greasy Creek Friendly, 15.9 miles away. Oh yeah, I also saw a snake today. It looked like a copperhead. Today is also my brother Aaron's birthday, and I was able to call him and wish him a happy birthday. My parents and grandmother went to Houston, TX to visit him today. I'd like to be there, but I'm on a mission for Katahdin!
Date: 2014-05-03
From: Indian Grave Gap

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: scattered clouds

I awoke several times last night due to severe left ankle pain. It was very stiff and painful to move. Around 4am, I brought my pack inside my tent and propped my feet up. This didn't really help at all, and at 7:15am, I was up and getting packed for the day. I had a noticeable limp leaving camp, and it hurt to walk. Not a good thing considering I'm trying to walk another 1,800 miles. I limped down the trail just a very short distance to the road at Indian Grave Gap (TN HWY 395), and BT (Brother Tom) was doing trail magic! I had 2 cups of coffee, fresh banana bread, a muffin, a banana, and an apple. I left shortly after, and began hiking again by 9am. I hiked the first few miles with a limp because of my sore ankle, but it eventually loosened up and my range of motion increased. It still hurt all day, just like it has most days of this trip so far. I'm very worried about it, and I know that if it gets much worse, my hike could be over. Thinking about that sickens me. The first part of today's hike took me over the aptly named Beauty Spot. Beauty Spot is a series of balds with endless views. Really breathtaking. Then I hiked over Unaka Mountain, which has a very out of place summit for Tennessee. The summit of Unaka Mountain was covered with a dense spruce pine forest that looked like it belonged in New England instead of the south. The descent down, however, was long and rocky, and I finally made it to Cherry Gap Shelter where I saw Bushwhacker! I first met Bushwhacker at the base of Springer Mountain in GA in 2006, when I began my first thru-hike attempt, which ultimately was a failure. I recognized him immediately, and he recognized me too. It was nice to see him again out on the AT. Three miles later at Iron Mountain Gap, I was surprised with my 2nd trail magic of the day! Rob Bird, former owner of The Birdcage Hostel in Dalton, MA was parked along the trail at the road crossing, giving out food and drink.I had 2 ice cold sodas that really hit the spot, as well as a pack of Nutty Buddies, a banana, and he gave me some granola bars and Pop-Tarts to take with me for the trail. He was a very nice guy. 3 miles later at Greasy Creek Gap, I saw Shane, Tomahawk, Lasso, and Dr. Vargas camping, and I thought of camping with them, but decided to go another 1.9 miles to Clyde Smith Shelter, where I'm camped tonight. Lots of people here tonight including Zone, Hanna (thru-hiked the PCT last year), Papa Doc, Not Chicago, Snakebite (thru-hiked the AT last year), Shamrock, Upside Down Monkey, and others. I'm shooting for Overmountain Shelter tomorrow, 15 miles away.
Date: 2014-05-05
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Elk River Campsite
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I was packed up and on trail by 8am, and decided not to fill up on water at the stream near where I camped, because according to the guidebook, there was a piped spring just 2 miles north. Big mistake! I never saw this spring, and I was very thirsty. The scenery, however, was beautiful again today. 2 miles into the day I began the long, steep climb up Hump Mountain. Hump Mountain is a large grassy bald with stunning views the whole way up. The wind today was fierce. On top of the bald, the gusts has to be over 60mph. It was hard to stand up at times. These balds have no trees to block or slow down the wind, so it comes at you full force.At times, longhorn steer graze atop Hump Mountain, but I didn't see any today. After summitting the mountain, I met up with Shane, and we hiked the next 5 miles together. A few miles after Hump Mountain, and we got to Doll Flats, where we finally left NC for good. The AT entered NC 310 miles ago, and has been weaving in and out of TN and NC since Newfound Gap, in the Smokies. It feels very good to finally leave it behind.When we got to the road crossing, we saw Tomahawk, Turbo, and PoHo. We walked 0.3 miles down the road to Mountain Harbour Hostel. I've heard so many good things about the place, so I was surprised when we didn't feel welcome. The place seemed unorganized, but we finally got them to take us to town to resupply. For $10, me, Tomahawk, Shane, Turbo and PoHo rode in the back of a pickup truck to the grocery story, where we got some tortillas, cheese, nachos, and beer. It is Cinco de Mayo, after all! When we got back to the hostel, we debated on staying there, but ultimately decided to hike on. We loaded up our bags with our food and beer, and headed back to the trail. Our plan was to hike 5.2 miles to a waterfall and camp, but after lugging heavy packs for hours, we were disappointed to find that there was no camping spots there.We all hiked another 0.6 miles to a beautiful campsite along the Elk River. We put our beers in the river to keep them cold, and built a nice fire. Turbo was cooking everyone quesadillas over the fire, which were very tasty. We also had nachos and queso dip. Cinco de Mayo: Appalachian Trail style! It was a very fun night.
Date: 2014-05-06
From: Elk River Campsite

To: Black Bear Resort
Miles today: 18.7

I awoke at 6am, and had to use the bathroom. Having to leave your warm sleeping bag to go outside the tent to use the bathroom is never fun! The valley that I camped in was so beautiful though, I didn't mind getting out of the tent so early. I began hiking by 7:30, and the fog hung low in the air. I wanted to make it to Kincora Hostel for the night. Partly because I really really really need a shower, and partly because I'd like to meet the owner, and trail legend Bob Peoples.Lasso also wanted to make it there, so her and I hiked together all day. The first few miles were pretty easy, and also very beautiful as the trail paralleled the Elk River for this stretch. About an hour into the day, Lasso and I passed the 400 mile mark! The day began to get hot, but the terrain was nice. We stopped for lunch at Hardcore Cascades, a rocky waterfall that was not really too hardcore. Three miles later, we got to Moreland Gap Shelter, where we saw Shane and Tomahawk. We began the descent to Kincora Hostel, and I slowed down because of the terrain. When I got to the road, I headed to Kincora Hostel where I met Tomahawk, Shane, and Lasso. After finding out that we missed the free shuttle to town, we decided to head down the road to Black Bear Resort, because they have a store on site where we can buy food. They also have an entertainment room, with a DVD selection. As we were leaving Kincora, Bob Peoples showed up, and I got to meet and chat with him. It was very nice to meet him. When Tomahawk, Shane, Lasso, and I got to Black Bear Resort, we got a cabin for the night for $40. As soon as we got there, Dr. Vargas showed up, so he also stayed in our cabin. We were all very glad when he walked up, because I gave Tomahawk pen and paper and he wrote a note to Dr. Vargas to go to Black Bear Resort when he got to the road crossing. The note worked! The resort had a camp store where we all bought food and drink. They also had a scale where I weighed myself, and I've lost 25 pounds since beginning this trip. Not bad! We watched Dumb & Dumber in the entertainment room, which is one of my favorite movies. We all had a good time, and by 11pm, I was tired and I headed off to bed.
Date: 2014-05-07
From: Black Bear Resort

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Today began a little later than usual, because I had the opportunity to shower again in the morning, and I didn't pass it up. I also bought some food and drink from the resort's store, which was consumed immediately. Shane, Lasso, and I began the day with a half mile walk back to the trail. The first few miles were beautiful, as the trail went to Laurel Falls, a large waterfall. From here, the trail paralleled the river for several miles, making for a very fun and scenic walk. They say that all good things must come to an end, and that certainly came true as we began our ascent up Pond Flats. The trail that was following the river turned sharply and for the next few miles it went up, up, and up. After about three miles of steep climbing, I made it to the summit. Due to a lot of switchbacks, the climb was manageable, although extremely tough. When I got to the top, I saw Shane sitting down by a stream, so I joined him. Lasso soon arrived, and we all had lunch. Once we descended the mountain after lunch, the trail joined Shook Branch Road for just one tenth of a mile. Just enough time for Shane to get yelled at by an asshole that lives on the road. Here is what happened: Shane saw 2 empty cans on the side of the road, and he put them in the trash can at the end of a driveway, figuring it is better than just leaving the litter where it was. The guy that lived there came running down yelling at us to take the trash out of his can. He said he was a Tennessee State Trooper, and that he wanted to write Shane a littering ticket for placing litter that he found on the road in his trash can. The guy sucked. Just a miserable person probably jealous of the fact that we are living our dreams out here! Shane, Lasso, and I left without further confrontation with him, although Shane did stare him down for a solid 20 seconds before he walked away. Go Shane! The trail from here led to Shook Branch Recreation Area, which has a beach on Watauga Lake. Peter Pan, Bilbo Baggins, Ferris, Switchback, and a few others were hanging out here, so we joined them. The day was very hot and sunny, but we were in the shade. After spending about an hour hanging out by the lake, we all hiked on. The trail skirted the lake for about 1.5 miles before going over Watauga Dam, a massive earthen dam. From here, the trail joined Wilbur Dam Road for a 0.4 mile roadwalk, straight uphill of course! Walking on a road is harder than walking on the trail when it is hot outside, because the black asphalt makes your feet very hot. Lasso had a friend from college meet her at the trailhead, and he brought milkshakes for Lasso, Shane, and I. We then hiked 6 miles further to Vandeventer Shelter. Some people here are talking about doing a 33 mile day tomorrow into Damascus, VA. Not sure if I'll try doing a 33 miler or not. We'll see.
Date: 2014-05-08
From: Vandeventer Shelter

To: Abingdon Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: clear sky

I woke up today intending to do the 33 miler into Damascus. I left the shelter and was hiking by 7:30am, and was feeling good. The terrain between Vandeventer Shelter and Damascus is known for being pretty easy. So easy in fact that this 33 mile stretch is known as the Damascus Dash. I did the first 7 miles to Iron Mountain Shelter very quickly. I had to cook lunch there because I lost the bag that contained my lunch supply for the 50 mile stretch between mile 417-467, so I cooked one of my dinners for lunch, figuring I'll be in town either tonight or tomorrow morning anyway. Water was very scarce in this stretch, so I drank a lot when I came to any water source (stream, river, pond, etc.) Eleven miles into the day, I arrived at the Appalachian Trail's only handicap-accessible portion of the trail. For 1/2 mile, the trail became very smooth and well graded. Although it would still take tremendous effort to wheel a chair down this 1/2 mile stretch. The handicap trail was very easy, but that ended soon, when I hopped a barbed-wire fence via a stile, and went back into the woods. A few miles later, I got to Double Springs Shelter, still 19 miles from Damascus. For some reason, my right pinky toe began to really hurt. It was getting pushed between the right side of the shoe, and my other toes. I think I need to get new shoes soon. When I got to Low Gap, the AT crossed US HWY 421, where a man in a Jeep was parked. He offered me water out of his Camelbak, which I did not want to drink, but had to as I was out of water and desperate. After chugging about a liter of it, some other hikers arrived. The man was a local guy who parks at the trailhead and takes pictures of female hikers. The guy admitted he was a pervert, and told us that a few days earlier he took a picture of a female hiker because he could see down her shirt. After hearing this, we all left rather quickly, and were 5 more miles from Abingdon Gap Shelter.By this time, my usual fast pace was reduced to more of a fast hobble/limp than a hike. After 2 hours of painful and frustrating hiking, I arrived at Abingdon Gap Shelter, still 10 miles from Damascus, VA. IT was 6:45pm, and I already hiked 23 miles. I decided to camp here and not push my already sore body. I'll get up early tomorrow and push hard the next 10 miles to Damascus. Tomorrow I'll be in VIRGINIA!
Date: 2014-05-09
From: Abingdon Gap Shelter 

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I entered Virginia! I tented at Abingdon Gap Shelter last night, and at 6:00am I was up and getting packed. By 6:30am I was hiking. I wanted to get to Damascus for breakfast, so I was hiking fast. I hiked the first 6 miles in under 2 hours! About a mile before I got to the TN/VA border, I met up with Wired. Wired is a woman who hiked the Continental Divide Trail last year, and the Pacific Crest Trail the year before that. This year she is hiking the Appalachian Trail to complete her Triple Crown. When Wired and I reached the border, we took turns taking each other's pictures. We then hiking the last 3.5 miles into Damascus together.I really enjoyed hiking and talking with her. The miles went quickly, and before long we were in Damascus. It felt so damn good to reach Damascus, as it is a major milestone in an AT thru-hike. Damascus was packed with hikers, and many I've not seen in a long time. I saw Racewalker at the Blue Blaze Cafe. I haven't seen him since NOC, almost a month ago. I also saw Bottlecap, who I haven't seen since Franklin, NC. At Blue Blaze Cafe, I participated in a pancake eating challenge with Scout, Crusoe, and Ragnar. I only ate 6, Scout at 7, and Crusoe and Ragnar each ate 13. The record this year is 19.Shane, Lasso, and I shared a room at Dave's Place Hostel. For dinner we went to Hey Joe's Bar, which had $1 Yuengling drafts, so of course we enjoyed a couple of those. After dinner, we went back to Dave's Place, where we saw Crazy Horse, who I first met on Springer Mountain on April 1, as I was beginning this hike. He thru-hiked 5 times in the 1990s and now just travels up and down the trail hanging out in trail towns. Damascus has a cool feel to it, and it is also cool that the AT goes right down the sidewalk through town. It feels so very good to have GA, NC, and TN behind me. I'll be in Virginia for awhile though, because the next 550 miles of the AT are in this state.
Date: 2014-05-10
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

I was planning on hiking out of Damascus today, but that didn't happen. After breakfast at Dairy King with Shane and Lasso, Tomahawk and Dr. Vargas arrived in Damascus and got a room at Woodchuck Hostel. The weather report was calling for rain, which made the decision to take the day off an easy one. Shane and I also reserved spots at Woodchuck's, and then went to Dot's Bar with Tomahawk and Dr. Vargas. After that, we walked around town for a bit. Damascus had a town-wide yard sale today, which really suffered because of the rain. We ended the day at Blue Blaze Cafe for dinner, and to take advantage of happy hour. Papa Doc and his son Not Chicago showed up and we all drank beers and played pool. We headed back to Woodchuck's Hostel around midnight, when the Damascus Police decided that we shouldn't be walking through their town. They asked us where we were going, and I told them. They said to get there immediately, so we did. Today was a fun zero day, but I'm looking forward to hiking out in the morning.
Date: 2014-05-11
From: Damascus, VA

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: clear sky

After a very good night's sleep at the hostel, I woke around 7:45am to the sound of cereal being poured in a bowl, and coffee being brewed. I got up and went to the kitchen for breakfast, and had several bowls of cereal and a cup of coffee. Woodchuck thru-hiked in 2012, and then moved to Damascus and opened this hostel. It is a wonderful place, and he is a very nice man. I ended up getting on trail around 9am. The AT runs right through town, so I went to Subway on the way out for a second breakfast and another cup of coffee. I also forgot to charge my phone at Woodchuck's, so I did at Subway. By 10:30am, I was back on trail, heading north. The AT follows the Virginia Creeper Trail for the first 1/2 mile out of town, which is a Rails-To-Trails bike path. Soon though, the AT veered left and climbed into the woods and off of the flat VA Creeper Trail. The first few miles were a climb up and over Iron Mountain. My right pinky toe was really hurting again, and it turned an otherwise pleasant hike into one full of agony and pain. I really need new shoes ASAP! Anyway, by 3:00pm, I arrived at Saunders Shelter, where I saw Zone, and split a bag of Goldfish with him. My toe was really hurting bad at this point. It was 6.4 miles more to the next shelter, which I decided would be my destination for the night. The hike was easy, but the pain in my toe made it anything but easy. After 2 miles, I couldn't take the pain, and took my shoes off and hiked the last 4 miles in my Crocs. What a difference! I was hiking nearly pain free for the first time in almost 100 miles. The AT then rejoined the VA Creeper Trail for 1.5 miles and it went over a large trestle. I eventually got to Lost Mountain Shelter, and who do I see? Jaleesa! I haven't seen her since GA. She now has a trail name, which is Chispa. It was nice catching up with her over dinner at the shelter. Tomorrow should be a really nice hike over Mt. Rogers (Virginia's highest point) and through the Grayson Highlands.
Date: 2014-05-13
From: Old Orchard Shelter

To: Fox Creek (VA HWY 603)
Miles today: 1.7
Weather: light rain

I am getting off trail today to go to Atlanta, GA to attend a friend's wedding, but will be back on trail in a few days to pick up where I left off. Today was a lot shorter than planned! I woke up planning on getting to Partnership Shelter, 24.7 miles away, but my feet had other plans. I hobbled 1.7 miles to the first road crossing, VA HWY 603, and decided I cannot make it to Partnership Shelter. I tried hitch hiking to Marion, VA, where my parents were going to pick me up tomorrow anyway, but I was unable to hitch a ride. Soon, a van pulled up to drop off some section hikers, and he was going back to Damascus. I figured Damascus is better than where I was, so I hopped in his van. 30 minutes later, I was back in Damascus. I sure didn't think I'd be here today!I went back to the Blue Blaze Cafe for a cup of coffee. Next I had to figure out how I'd get to Marion, VA so that my parents could pick me up. AT&T has no phone reception in Damascus, which made things even more difficult. Long story short, I saw One Hitter and he said his girlfriend lives nearby, and that she could take me to Bristol, VA, which was perfect! I got to Bristold by 5pm, and got a room in Motel 6, showered, had dinner, and called my parents and told them that I was in Bristol, and not Marion. Tomorrow morning I'll be picked up, and I'll be in Atlanta for a wedding and a few days of R&R until Monday (May 19).
Date: 2014-05-19
From: Fox Creek (VA HWY 603)

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: scattered clouds

BEAR! I finally saw my first bear today! I woke up at 6am today at my parents' house and was ready for the long ride back to the AT where I left off on 5/13/14. I had a fantastic time in Atlanta at Travis & Katrina's wedding. It was great to see some of my best friends and make some new friends. Although I will admit, it felt strange to be wearing a Calvin Klein tuxedo after hiking 508 miles in the same smelly clothes. I was on the road with my dad at 8am for the trip back to Fox Creek. We stopped for breakfast at Waffle House in Sylva, NC around 9:30am. When we got to Asheville, NC I went to REI and bought a new pair of hiking shorts to go with the new pair of Keen hiking shoes I bought in REI in Atlanta. They felt so much better than the shoes I hiked the last 508 miles in!We finally got back to the AT around 4:30pm, and after saying our goodbyes, I was hiking by 5pm. I talked to Earnhart yesterday on the phone, and we both agreed to shoot for Trimpi Shelter. Beginning a 12.5 mile hike at 5pm pretty much guarantees you'll be hiking for at least a mile or two in the dark. The hike was not hard, but after 5 days off, the hills were tougher than they looked!About 2 hours into my hike, I saw a bear! The bear was about 50 yards in front of me. Once it saw me, it took off running (thank God away from me). It really got my adrenaline pumping. By 8:45pm, I was 1.5 miles from the shelter, and it got dark. I turned on my headlamp and was greeted by a pair of glowing eyes looking back at me, most likely from a deer. Not long after that, I heard a large animal crashing through the woods, most likely a bear. I got to the shelter at 9:30pm, and quickly went to sleep in the shelter. It feels good to be back on trail, and my pinky toe feels great!