morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-04-03
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: scattered clouds

I wanted to hit the trail early so I got a shuttle from the owner Ron for $20 to the Winding Stair Gap at 6:45. I wanted to get a spot in the small shelter. I grabbed my pack and was soon we pulled up at the trailhead. But when I grabbed my gear from the vehicle I realized with panic that I had forgotten my hiking poles at the motel! So I had to head back, grabbed my poles and catch the 9:00 shuttle. I did get to eat breakfast with Ron, the owner of the Budget Inn and learn more about the town and it's history and politics and his family as well along the ride and at breakfast. He offered to sell me the Budget Inn for $250,000 and was willing to owner finance. Soon we were loaded up in the Shuttle and on our way back to the trail, thankfully with my hiking poles this time. The waterfall and stream along the way were beautiful and I passed the cutoff for the Siler Bald Shelter where my wife and I had camped back in '13. I continued on to the next shelter. Not much of a view from Siler Bald due to the cloudy conditions. After awhile I walked on the road to the Wilson Lick historic site of the first ranger station in the area. There were a number of plaques with pictures and information about the site which I enjoyed reading. Then it was off to the tower from there. What a wonderful view from the imposing stone tower. At the top of the tower are plaques that identify all the peaks that you can see from each direction from the tower. You can see trails zig-zagging through the woods far below along with some tiny hikers. Then it was off to the Wayah Bald shelter where I arrived early and began collection of firewood for later. I spotted a plaque stating that the shelter was built in memory of Ann & Larry McDuff. It was a tiny shelter with a big porch with cooking railings around the edges. The small shelter could only fit 6-7 hikers comfortably. I then went to the water source for water and then went below source and got cleaned up in the frigid water. The mosquitoes were ferocious and came in swarms and extremely venomous bites so I had to break out the bug spray, which to my relief worked very well. Soon other hikers poured in and we got the fire started to drive the bugs away. I broke out the smores to everyone's surprise and delight! It was unanimous! They received rave reviews as they tasted soo good! A hiker from New Zealand got to try smores for the very first time and the look on his face when he took his first bite was priceless! I remember asking him if he liked s'mores and he said that he didn't even know what a s'more was. Phodo rolled through camp with his personalized license plate on his backpack, and stopped for a moment along with Mamma and Baby Bear who were going on further towards the NOC. Soon after I got ready for bed and listened to the Bible on audio book for awhile before going to sleep.
Date: 2015-04-04
From: Wayah Bald shelter

To: NOC
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: broken clouds

This morning started out an easy day and I was on the trail by 7:30 listening to my music and I hiked. When I came into the Burning Town Gap there was a church group offering trail magic so I was blessed to get a sausage biscuit, banana, coffee and orange juice while we visited. I was soon on my way to the Tellico Gap. The hike over Copper Ridge Bald was pretty tough but the view was pretty good and I took a short jaunt to the Rocky Bald for the view there. When I arrived at the Tellico Gap I found the Nantahala trail club was also offering trail magic of fresh fruit (apples and oranges), boiled decorated Easter eggs with salt/pepper packs and a stash of candy! We were so thankful! What a hard working group that builds and maintains such wonderful trails and shelters. Then it was up to the Wesser Tower with views of Fontana lake in the distance where even this far you can see that the lake is low. I hear that the dam us being repaired. After the tower the trail got brutal! The view from the Jumpoff were good. It was very twisted with many steep ups and downs with little straight lines to build up speed. There were many slippery roots in the trail and I had my first big Wipeout on the trail. I was going down steps when I stepped on a wet log covered on leaves. In an instant I pitched forward on my knees and only my poles kept me from face planting on the logs below. I had bruised my knee and both hurt along with my feet. It was slow going for the remaining 4 miles to the Nantahala Outdoor Center where I arrived at 4:00. The first thing I see is booths with retailers set up including a trailer where a man was doing gear repair. It was the tail end of a trail festival, the second that I had missed. I was able to get my straps on my poles repaired and reinforced for free! It was his form of trail magic! He told me to go inside the outfitter and grab a sticker, which I did. I asked the clerk what it was about and was told that it was for a free dinner which would be served soon! I walked across the bridge to the restaurant and was there just in time for more trail magic with a free spaghetti dinner served with salad and a free drink! I even met the hiker Spaghetti who joked that the dinner was in his honor! Feeling totally exhausted but feeling good that I had pulled the 17+ mile day so I could be there on Sunday for an Easter Service. I checked in for 2 nights at the bunkhouse and grabbed my dinner which was plentiful and good. Afterwards I played 3 games of chess on a picnic table by the river, winning all 3 before having to start up the hill to the shower to decontaminate, and then to the top bunkhouse - the overflow - the farthest distance from the store and way, way up a tall hill! After a long shower I felt better and was soon off to sleep.
Date: 2015-04-05
From: NOC

To: NOC
Miles today: 0.0

I awoke a little bit later than normal and was eating breakfast at the Riverside Caf©, enjoying the view along with sausage biscuits & gravy, a sausage, egg and cheese biscuit sandwich and coffee. I called a nearby church, the Silvermine Baptist church, and asked if someone could come by and pick me up for Easter Services and soon the former pastor was there to pick me up and we were on our way. It was a small Church of about 20 people, but full of good people and the singing was amazing and beautiful. The service was good and it was fun visiting with everyone afterwards. Soon after I was at the Riverside cafe eating The Tail of the Dragon burger which was huge,spicy and delicious! Between the burger,the huge side salad and the pint of ale I was full and well content. I found out that the public laundry was closed as the machines were broken so I asked the housekeeping staff if they could throw my stuff in with a load of their stuff and thankfully they did. While I waited I went to see if I could use the public computers only to find out that they didn't offer that anymore and we're miffed at me for asking. I had used computers there with my wife back in '13 and expected them to still be there. I went to the Pavilion and started catching up on Facebook and trail journals on my phone until I picked up the laundry. I grabbed a bowl of chili and coffee at the restaurant before heading back up the mountain to the bunkhouse where I am continuing to catch up on posting pictures and updating my blog. During the day I have seen Grey Wolf, Bionic Woman, and Doc among others from the trail. The hostel was full so Doc slept on the floor in Grey Wolf's room. It was officially hiker's midnight so I plugged in my devices and went to sleep.My observations from the trail.For those who are planning on a thru-hike please consider this. I have seen many hopefull hikers become injured by bringing the wrong gear,too much, too heavy gear and inadequate gear for the conditions. This results in miserable conditions at best and can cause injury and leave you open to life threatening conditions such as hypothermia. It has been said that you can get away with a 30o bag this early on, but that is dangerous BS! I have seen it get down to 11o at Standing Indian Shelter a 30o bag wouldn't cut it at all. I have a 20o bag and a +25 bag liner which has served me very well. (In addition I also had a baclava, smartwool hat, thermals and wool socks.) So save yourself pain and money by finding a good outfitter with a staff with technical training with the gear and actual trail experience to help you pick up gear that will fit you, your budget and the conditions you will face. This will prevent you from having to send back a lot of unneeded gear at expensive outfitters on the trail with limited options and high prices. Your back and wallet will thank you for it later.
Date: 2015-04-06
From: NOC

To: NOC
Miles today: 0.0

I ate breakfast at the River Inn again this morning as the breakfast is pretty good and cheap if you know what to order. Today I decided to take the day and finish catching up with my YouTube video uploading and Journaling on trailjournals.com which took me most of the day. At the store I picked up a few supplies that would tide me over to the next town for resupply. I was using the wifi, sitting on the inside stairway at the outfitter when I ran into the Bionic Woman - Niki Rellon who was shopping for Gopro camera attachments. after I finished uploading videos we got a pint together and caught up on trail talk while she ate a burger and I had a wonderful slice of Key Lime Pie.(I had already eaten) Her artificial leg was giving her difficulty and she was having a new one waiting for her at Fontana Village. It is very difficult for her but she persists in her endeavor which demands respect and admiration. Afterwards I went down to the river and relaxed on a rock and just enjoyed watching the river go by. Later that evening as I was heading back to my room, I ran into Grey Wolf and Doc in the hostel dining room and they offered me food and beer! How could I, as a thru-hiker, possibly refuse?!! There was a rotisserie chicken, tortillas, chips and salsa and cold beer! The makings of a great feast! We talked for some time and I received a call from a reporter from the Bangor, Maine. Newspaper wanting an interview and to follow my thru-hike in a series on the AT with a local connection with hikers who are from Maine. She's going to stay in touch and send me copies of the articles as they come out. How cool! I turned in and listened to my iPod for awhile before going to sleep.
Date: 2015-04-08
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter 

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: light rain

Today was a beautiful, but brutal climb from the Sassafras Gap Shelter up Jacobs Ladder. I had woke up at 5 and was on the trail by 6:30, while it was still dark. I had to stop a number of times to rest and was actually getting extremely frustrated. At some points I had to lean forward and climb using my hands and feet! The views were breathtaking with deformed trees, a sea of fog probably covering Fontana Lake with mountains rising through the mist. I was exhausted both physically and mentally from the climb up that seemed never to end. My back and my knees were very sore so I stopped at the Brown Fork Shelter at around 12:00 and called it a day. I was the first at the shelter so I first carefully went down the steep and slippery trail down to collect water for the night. I then went way down the creek, out of sight of the shelter, and got out of my clothes, which I cleaned and then with my Jetboil pot took a very quick and refressing shower in the spring water. I use a part of a car shammy for a wash cloth and another one for a towel as a shammy will dry you even when it's wet. The shammy will also dry very quickly, pack small and are lightweight. Feeling refreshed and energized I walked back to camp. At the shelter the Bionic Woman, Mamma and Baby Bear role through and down the trail to get a little closer to Fontana Dam. Waldo came in looking as exhausted as I felt when I first arrived and we bemoaned the day's climb, feeling good for having conquered such a climb. The shelter is made of huge logs and is of a strange design with a hole that you have to climb over to get into the shelter. I was told that this was a "Bishops Pulpit" to keep porcupines out of the shelter. There was a colored cat drawn on the wall in the best graffiti I had seen so far so I took a picture of it. Life is good on the trail but I am missing my wife greatly, I called to talk to her for awhile, happy to hear her voice and I looked at her pictures on my phone to feel closer to her while we talked and caught up together. I got to write some poetry in the trail log and listened to the Bible on audio book before going to sleep.
Date: 2015-04-12
From: Russel Field Shelter

To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 17.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I was up before light and was up the trail. And I mean up! I spent the morning going up and saw my first white tail deer on the trail. More precisely, I saw a white tail vanishing into the woods! My feet sped me on and soon I passed the Spence Field shelter up to the views at Rocky Top, then on to Thunder Mountain. I spent the morning hitting view after breathtaking view, each of which filled me with wonder and awe of God's creation. The mountains are so majestic and filled with beauty that even when I am discouraged by the uphills that I snail my way up, I am encouraged that more beauty awaits ahead. I stopped by the Derrek Knob shelter for a break and a snack before pressing on I arrive at an empty shelter. I see that the next shelter is about 3 miles ahead but my achilles tendon and back demand that I call it a day, so I grudgingly give in and set up in the shelter. I cook my big meal early again as I am extremely hungry. I visit with Giggly Goose and his crew among others and again get a fire started in the fireplace. I went down and from the watersource and got cleaned up and rinsed out my clothes which felt great. I got back to the shelter and hung everything out to dry. It was about 4:00 so I was still full from my late lunch so I skipped dinner and just hung out with the other hikers and participated in a safety meeting until at 7:00 when I turned in. I had a very hard time getting to sleep due to the high wind shaking the tarp in front of the shelter and making a terrible racket.
Date: 2015-04-13
From: Silers Bald Shelter

To: The Grand Prix Motel
Miles today: 12.1

I didn't get much sleep at all. Just little snippets as the tarp slapping so loudly that I couldn't sleep well, even with earplugs. I got up late and ate before leaving at 7:00, which is late for me. I dragged along and it seemed to take a very long time through scattered rain and raging wind and low hanging clouds whisping across the trail. Mt. Buckly offered a hard climb but no views due to the clouds. I arrive at Clingmans Dome in dense clouds and heavy mist and found Free Byrd there and he watched my pack while I did a video walking to the top of the tower and down the ramp of the monument in the howling wind. We walked together and he eventually walked on as I was dragging, and I didn't see him until later that evening. With 2.5 miles to the Newfound Gap my knee was really bothering me so I got out on a short side trail and walked along the road that parallels the trail and near the end, a former section hiker with the trail name of Trooper (he had been a paratrooper in the army rangers) picked me up with his wife and they plied me with questions and shared his stories from the trail while they delivered me to the Grand Prix Motel in Gatlinburg. I got a room for 2 nights to give my knee a chance to rest and limped up the stairs to my room, grabbed a shower and rested for awhile after taking some Alieve. Later I walked down mainestreet to the Subway and grabbed a footlong meal with chips and a drink which was huge and filled me up. The people at that store are awesome. I asked for Sirrachia sauce and they mixed it up with some kind of ranch. She asked if I wanted her to make me another sandwich and I said, "No, I'll take it", not wanting food to be wasted. She was so nice that she gave me my chips and drinks for free and stuffed the sandwich so much that I had a salad left over from the vegetables that fell off like the last time. I then stopped at the Walgreens and Dads grocery store for resupply. There was a store that sold swords, pipes and other oddities and I stopped in for awhile. I found myself a good small pipe that was disguised as a rifle bullet. You unscrewed both ends and it turned into a 3-5 hit pipe. I also bought a number of one hitters to pass out as trail magic as they were cheap and cool to look at. I saw that Bionic Woman, War Frog, Momma Moab and many other familiar faces were in town. I was sad to hear from her that the Bionic Woman's new prosthetic leg was not working out and that she had sprained her ankle and was zeroing. I rested for the rest of the day hanging out with some of the hikers. We had a safety meeting which helped the pain and a couple of beers and leftover pizza. I returned to the room and watched an intriguing series called "Washington's Spies which I want to see in full at a later date (Hopefully on Netflix). I then went to bed, did my audiobook and was soon asleep.
Date: 2015-04-15
From: Grand Prix motel 

To: The Ice water Spring shelter 
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: moderate rain

I was up early and ate a big breakfast at Dad's General Store. I picked up some last minute supplies to finish my resupply and was ready with my pack by 9:00. I knew that it was going to be a long rainy day so I put my pants and shirt in my backpack (which was heavy again after a resupply) and just wore my rainsuit with my socks and underwear underneath. This worked to keep me from overheating as I could roll up my sleeves and unzip the armpit vents to let the heat out and let the rain cool me through the rainsuit. The shuttle hadn't been called so we had to call another which arrived after 10:00 so I got on the trail after 11:00. I took the mandatory picture and felt excited about crossing the second state line. It was lightly raining as I stopped in at the restroom at the parking lot and got on the trail. It was cold and the trail was wet and muddy with many rocks to climb over. I arrived at the Ice water gap shelter and had been resting when it started pouring cats and dogs outside and the temperatures plummeted. I set up in the upper level where I saw a sign on the rafter where you could only see it facing from the inside. The shelter was dedicated to a hiker with the trailname of "Pacemaker" with the quote "He loved the AT." and the memorial included his the dates 5/21/96-6/21/06 showing he was only 16. How sad. I checked and the weather showed that rain would continue this way all day so I took a nero and set up my sleeping spot. I ate my snacks for lunch and watched the rain. As it poured down rain, people poured in including Bionic Woman, Chief 2 sticks and several others I knew but couldn't name. It was miserable for those who had to set up their tents as first there wasn't much room and then there was the rain to contend with.I ate dinner and joined a group outside for a safety meeting. Bionic woman had put her yogied shine into a platypus and was sharing shots with anyone that wanted one, I took a drink myself, lifting the spirits of many with her generosity. The shelter was designed for 14 people ended up with 21 with 18 on the platforms and two on the floor inside and one on the ground on the porch. There was a confrontation with one of the hikers with a ridge runner. The hiker had been about to leave a book that he had finished and the runner told him to pack it out so the hiker just left it there even though the runner said that he would throw it away, which he ended up doing. Wet clothing was hanging everywhere in the shelter as people hung them with hopes that they would dry somewhat overnight. I had a hard time getting to sleep due to the noise so I kept my earbuds in after my nightly routine which helped.
Date: 2015-04-16
From: The Ice water gap shelter 

To: Tri-corner gap shelter 
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I was up at 5:00 and gone at 6:00. Sometime during the night, the rain had stopped. It wasn't far off of the trail to the Charles Bunion view but since it was very foggy with low laying clouds I didn't even bother going on the loop trail. I was lucky to have a great view during my last time through. The Sawteeth involved a whole lot of ups and downs and I actually was gifted with some beautiful views as the clouds parted at times during the day. At one point I stopped for a breather and turned around and was rewarded with a view that I still vividly remember. I looked down into a gap where I could see the trail go down and disappear into the woods only to reappear on the other side and go over the hill. I could see out from both sides of the gap under a layer of cloud which looked like a roof on the gap giving it the appearance of a great amphitheater. I stopped in at the Pecks Corner Shelter for a quick privy break and to sit and snack for a short spell before moving on. Then I stopped for the views at the Eagle Rocks and went up and over Mt.Chapman before turning the corner and arriving suddenly at the Tri-Corner Knob shelter located right on the trail. I made my lunch early (my big meal) and got everything wrapped up and right after it started pouring again. Once again I had made it just in the nick of time to avoid the deluge. My wife called and we talked for awhile, sharing what was going on in our lives. I know that it is hard on her for me to be away for so long and I miss her greatly every day. Being away from her has been the hardest part of the trip so far. I saved a spot for the Bionic Woman, who I heard was again, having a hard time with her prosthetic leg. The shelter filled to overflowing again and it rained all night again. Wet clothing was hanging everywhere and along with the packs and people it was standing room only until everyone went to bed. I was pretty tired so I put on my iPod and was out around 8:00.