morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-04-07
From: Erwin, TN

To: Nolichucky River Gorge
Miles today: 0.0

The reason for our extended stay in Erwin was today. A day that we will never forget, although, some parts we might like toSweet's sites kept fowling last night, and led to some tired eyes in the morning. We left the Hostel before 9:00 to get to the Nolichucky River Outpost for our first ever whitewater rafting trip. Upon arrival we were issued wetsuits, booties, and splash jackets, because the weather had cooled off a bit. The rains of the past few days had raised water levels to near 3.5 cfs. This river's class II, III, & IV rapids would be fun today. (Even if Sweet's reading was high by the time we returned)The trip was amazing! We saw a heron, osprey, and several geese guarding new eggs. The worst part was when another guest fell out at the start of "Quarter Mile", a .25 mile of class IV rapids. She was safe due to the higher than normal water, but shook-up. After returning to the outpost we dried off and changed, said our goodbyes and got a ride back to the Hostel. First thing we changed pump sites and Sweet took an injection to fix the "HI" reading on her meter. As she napped, Low uploaded some pictures to facebook, and learned of a treat for the evening, a hiker easter egg hunt. We again skipped the restaurant shuttle to cook our own meal. Tonight was sauteed squash, zucchini & green beans with rotini in a cheddar broccoli sauce. (not a typical trail meal, but great in town.) Rambler came by our picnic table and insisted on sharing a rotisserie chicken with us... So we did, & some ice cream. Our stomachs were now very full, so Sweet made a call home while Low attended the (headlamp required) egg hunt in the yard. The hunt was the brain child of a hiker coming into town, with prizes including Snickers, oatmeal, wipes, & honey buns... All things hikers would want. We sat up and socialized after the hunt, but it was a big day. Sleep came fast.
Date: 2012-04-08
From: Nolichucky River Gorge

To: Unaka Mtn.
Miles today: 13.5

Easter:The day started with both of us showering one more time before heading back into the woods. Then came the packing. Odd how spread out you can become over two nights.We left Uncle Johnny's at 9:30 and began ascending out of Erwin. The climb was constantly up. We saw several examples of how small springs and creeks increase the size of bigger flows. This mountain seems to be made of water. We crossed many streams as we followed the trail.Later in the day we came upon a bald known as Beauty Spot. It was nice, but the parking lot led to led to many visitors and some that had never learned of LNT. The lack of signs in this area mixed with reroutes had us quite confused about where we were, so we got water and kept walking after we planned to stop. When we did decide to make camp, we found a mostly level spot near the top of Unaka Mtn.We ate & enjoyed some treats that were mail dropped. the night was cold but at least we set up on the leeward side of the ridge.
Date: 2012-04-09
From: Unaka Mtn.

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: clear sky

We slept late this morning. That is a disadvantage to camping on a mountain instead of in a gap. It's just colder in the morning. encouraging you to burrow down into the bag for a little longer.Low's phone has been drying well in the bag of rice, so he reassembled it and typed out a few days worth of journals first thing this morning. Sweet slept in.We hit the trail near 11:00. Approaching (yet another) Low Gap, we saw our first large mammal on the trail, a deer. Sweet remarked at the size of her tail. The largest white tail she's ever seen. We then snacked in the gap and walked on to the Curly Maple Shelter for lunch. The rest of the day went well: passing through an old apple orchard in blossom. Finding morrels and ramps to augment dinner. reaching our plan before dark and eating said dinner. Sweet remarked that it was the best trail meal ever, but that may have been the hunger talking. Phone back in rice bag with more to come tomorrow.
Date: 2012-04-10
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Stan Murry Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: scattered clouds

We left late again. This time it was for good reason, we were cleaning and fixing our gear. Sweet fell asleep with a half eaten Hershey bar that melted all over her pants, sleeping bag, & pad. When she noticed in the night she moved the melted bar in wrapper to the tent's pocket. She cleaned her gear this morning. I sewed the hole where a rodent chewed his way to the melted candy bar and stole it away. After the invasion, We met a trail crew in Hughes Gap, who just finished putting in a blue blaze to water. The trail club seemed to have several reroutes planned going up Roan, so that crew will stay busy for a while. On Roan we read more about the old Cloudland Hotel that used to top the mountain, but didn't linger as it was snowing.After Roan. we crossed several beautiful balds. Maybe because of the elevation or cold, we stopped before planned, at Stan Murry's Shelter. In Bed and hoping for a better morning/day tomorrow.
Date: 2012-04-11
From: Stan Murry Shelter

To: Mountain Harbour B&B and Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: broken clouds

Slush was in our Nalgenes this morning upon waking. We ate cold snacks planning on hot breakfast at Overmountain Shelter an incentive to leave the tent. We packed slowly because our hands didn't want to work. The temp on our mini thermometer was 28 degrees at 7:30. Stopping at Overmountain was nice even if .3 miles off trail. Beautiful views and nice stories accompany the shelter and gap it's in. We walked with more clothes on today than any day so far. To start because of the cold, later because of the wind. Crossing Little hump and Hump Mtns. was incredible. The wind pushed Low around and Sweet to a knee more than once. The scenery was some of the most spectacular yet, but weather hard.When we came to US 19 we planned a quick in and out from Roan Mountain, TN. We were picked up by the shuttle from a hostel we passed, and ended up resupplying with LeeBob and Skunkape. They convinced us to stay at the Mountain Harbour Hostel, even though the hostel was full and we'd have to camp, with stories of the best AYCE breakfast on the trail.Its supposed to be another chilly morning, but we have a hot breakfast and hot showers to get us out of bed tomorrow. That will be much better than more Nalgene slush, even if we could have made a few more miles today.
Date: 2012-04-12
From: Mountain Harbour B&B and Hiker Hostel

To: Past Walnut Mountain rd.
Miles today: 11.6

Waking up in a tent with frost in the inside is odd. We stayed warm, but the temp dipped below freezing again. We had stowed our packs away in the hostel above the barn, and only took bags, pads, & clothes to the tent. This chill is why. When we approached the porch of the main house, a thermometer read 24 degrees F at 7:20. Thank goodness there was hot coffee and tea waiting for us inside.Breakfast at Mountain Harbour was astounding, in quality and quantity. French toast to fritata to cheese blintz & more. Everything was delicious & made from scratch. From what we've seen, the best on the trail. Leaving was hard because our stomachs were so full. When we finally got on the trail, it was a pleasant day. No grades too steep up or down. The highlights were Jones & Mountaineer waterfalls. The low when Low dropped the camera on the lens. Now our point & shoot wont retract. Wild camping tonight in an undesignated area. Better than the highway noise last night.
Date: 2012-04-13
From: Past Walnut Mountain rd.

To: Dennis Cove Rd. / Kincora
Miles today: 12.8

After waking, eating breakfast, and starting, we passed Upper Laurel Fork quickly. This section of trail is beautiful, with river walks and ridge running, but devoid of the undergrowth we've gotten accustom to seeing. We saw Huff & Puff, first around 11:30 & agreed that we were all trying to make it to Moreland Gap Shelter for lunch. Its should be "at most 45 mins away" is what we agreed on. We didn't make it until nearly 2:00. the trails seem to be different than claimed in the guidebooks around here. At Moreland gap, Huff showed us a new edible green called garlic mustard. The rest of the day Low pushed for us to move faster, without knowing how useful it would end up being. When we walked onto Dennis Cove Rd., we hung a left and made our way to a well n=known hostel named Kincora. As we stepped onto the porch, Bob Peoples stepped out and said we had made it just in time for the town shuttle. Ate too much dinner. Staying here tonight.
Date: 2012-04-14
From: Dennis Cove Rd. / Kinkora

To: Kincora (again)
Miles today: 10.5

We woke up at Kincora, after an amazing night, and Low made breakfast: fried potatoes with the rest of the red cabbage. Packing up was slow because Sweet kept talking with Bob Peoples and getting distracted. By the time we left the porch of the hostel it was 10AM. Before getting to the end of the drive, we both checked our blood sugar and were both low. We turned around and treated on the porch. Now, seeing our situation, Seiko and Bob offered us a slackpack from Watauga Lake. (A slackpack is when you hike carrying only a day pack and minimal supplies, & in this case, return to the same hostel at the end of the day.) After a few moments of deciding, we accepted.The hike was odd. We only carried about 5 lbs each in a day pack. We walked from the north back to Kincora, south on the trail. It was Saturday, meaning lots of section & day hikers were out. However, we enjoyed a very pretty section of trail with Pond Flats, a river walk, & Laurel Fork Falls. We returned to Kincora just before 4PM. On the porch sat Leebob, Skunkape and the rest of the Hikers that had just come in today. On our walk, we decided to spend another night and cook only at the hostel, by adding some meat to a noodle dish we already had. No luck. Bob shuttled us to a different plaza tonight. We ate Chinese Buffet. The Ingles was larger than IGA, so we picked up a few things that weren't available last night as well. Back at the hostel, everyone sat on the porch swapping stories. The best always came when Bob decided to share in the conversation. We arranged to leave near 8AM, continuing north from the lake, with others slacking back south. The storied got better as the night got darker, and we ended up in bed quite late... but it was worth it.
Date: 2012-04-15
From: Kincora (again)

To: near Turkeypen Gap
Miles today: 13.2

We began our day at Watauga Lake, and saw geese with six little goslings, in the lake swimming area. We walked around the lake to Watauga Dam, an earthen dam, when Low realized his boot lace was broken. After a few minutes of replacing and repair, we were hiking again. Today's hike was a lot of switchback ups, with the occasional straight up, and a decent amount of gradual ridge walking. The temps reached the 80s today, with nice views of the lake, but not enough breeze. When we reached Vandeventer Shelter, we were tired and out of water, because we missed the spring 1 mile before. That meant a .3 mi decent (straight down) to another spring, and .3 mi (Straight up) up the hill hill carrying water... no fun. We ate dinner and kept walking. Camp was made at dusk, in a small flat and debris free spot in the middle of a field of raspberry bushes. Its a real shame they have yet to produce, but being April, it's understandable.
Date: 2012-04-16
From: near Turkeypen Gap

To: Double Spring Gap
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: broken clouds

We got on the trail a little later, because we had to catch up on sending journal entries. No service at Kincora. So at 9:39 we started. The trail opened up into the "Tennessee Turnpike" today. Well kept trail with gentle grade all around. Early in the day Sweet was startled by a snake sunning himself on the trail. Later we saw three deer, Just before lunch we saw a memorial to Nick Grindstaff, a hermit of renown from the area. While at his memorial our camera started working again! At least all the functions including zoom are working & lens will retract, with a little help, now. We saw Dragon Tail at Double Spring Shelter. He may be getting off the trail in Damascus, to let his knee heal. We kept walking until dusk again, but with the gentle grade it was enjoyable at least. Stopped in Double Spring Gap. Not sure if we'll enter Damascus, VA tomorrow or camp on the outskirts of town.
Date: 2012-04-17
From: Double Spring Gap

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Waking in Double Spring Gap was nice. We had less that 10 miles left to finish Tennessee, and were excited to cross the third state off our list. We ate cold, planning on a second breakfast at Abingdon Shelter, and made decent time getting there. After second breakfast, we were still making good time on gentle terrain. The passing of the TN/VA border was celebrated because we were entering out fourth state, and there was only 3.5 miles left until we entered Damascus, VA. Rain was threatening, so we made the miles quick.The trail runs right through town. we decided to stay at The Place even though there were other (nicer) options for lodging. It is a hostel "operated" by F.U.M. Church, but we met no one that operated anything. Just a big empty house with electricity, running water, & no owner. We ate dinner at pizza buffet & shopped for some food. The walk back was in light rain. We'll finish town business tomorrow & keep heading north.
Date: 2012-04-18
From: Damascus, VA

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

Low woke early to get a shower at The Place, and was greeted with a lukewarm cleansing. When Sweet welcomed the sun and attempted to shower, it was ice. Too many had woke before her and this led to a fowl mood.We walked outside the hostel to rain, but still had business before leaving town. Find postcards, mail home a full journal and bits, finish resupply, use a computer, & check out the three outfitters in town for amazing things we can't afford to live without... By noon or so, it was all done and it was still raining. Sweet announced she was going to stay in town and get a hot shower before leaving.With the rain, most of the accommodations in town were filling up, but we secured lodging at the Hiker Inn. After moving in, we used the library computers, & got dinner at Dairy King (a local shop with way better food & menu than any Dairy Queen). We walked back to the Inn and visited with friends in the bunkroom, before calls home & sleep... In a king size bed, YAY!
Date: 2012-04-19
From: Damascus, VA

To: past Beartree Gap Trail
Miles today: 11.9

Low woke first this morning, bur read quietly at to not wake Sweet from the comfy bed she so desperately wanted. After packing up and saying goodbye to the owners of the Hiker Inn, we went to breakfast at Mojoe's, a hiker friendly coffee shop. After breakfast, we picked up a sub to carry out for lunch. Last, as we walked out of town, Sweet stopped at a bakery for a turnover for now & brownie to go. We finally left Damascus at noon. , The obligatory uphill climb out of town was fine, but annoying after a full resupply. We stopped for lunch at the Mt Rodgers Rec Area, between a bike trail and the AT. We considered stopping at Saunders Shelter, but since it's 0.2mi off the trail, we just kept walking, hoping not to run out of water too soon. We filtered water 2.5mi later from a spring fed pond, and ate dinner on it's bank. The next flat ground was chosen as our camp for the night. (A 12mi day isn't so bad, considering we left town at noon!)
Date: 2012-04-20
From: past Beartree Gap Trail

To: near VA 600 / Elk Garden
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: clear sky

Getting out of the tent this morning was difficult. There was no rain, odd neighbors, or bear scare keeping us in. Low simply didn't get up as early as normal, and therefore didn't harass Sweet to get up every five minutes like a snooze alarm. He was happy to sleep in, until that put us on the trail at 10:33. Shortly after our day began we joined with the Creeper Trail, a bike trail we first saw in Damascus. The AT and the Creeper Trail shared a trail for about 1/2 mile along a river and over a large timber framed bridge.At Lost Mtn Shelter we stopped for lunch. but couldn't eat our normal tuna wraps. The can opener came up missing so we ate instant potatoes on tortillas instead. We'll need to replace that soon. Our late start smacked us in the face when the uphill started for Whitetop Mtn. On the down slope of Whitetop, though, we had an odd encounter with a button buck. He walked in front of us on the trail for 150 yards then circled and followed us for 200 more. He just seemed a bit off. Maybe the ramps in Low's pocket were enticing him or even the salt stains on out shirts. It just seemed like a different experience with a young deer. We made camp before our planned spot, but with the late start, we were in no mood to cover Mt Rodgers this late in the day. A spring and perfect campsite presented themselves and we took full advantage. Now we can't wait to get over Mt Rodgers and into the Grayson Highlands. Wish us luck.
Date: 2012-04-21
From: near VA 600 / Elk Garden

To: spring near Stone Mountain
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: broken clouds

Walking in the forest seemed amazing this morning.It might have been hunger or being tired from the day before, but we didn't notice how enchanting this section of wood was until morning's light. Boulders littered the hillside, covered in moss. We passed several springs, and areas thick with wildflowers. Even the trees seemed diverse in age and species. Elk Garden was like a storybook setting: enchanting. Crossing the road and going up Mt Rodgers was nice too, but we couldn't wait for a chance to see feral ponies that roam around the south side of Grayson Highlands State Park. We ate lunch on the edge of the park, at Thomas Knob Shelter. It was packed with section hikers, a reminder that it was the weekend. As we started leaving the shelter, the first thunder storm of the day occurred. It lasted only 10 mins, then was beautiful again. We passed troop 7 as the rain cleared and asked about pony sightings. None since last night. We still had hope, though.As we walked through the park there were signs everywhere of the wild beasts. Hoof prints in the mud, poop everywhere. Trails that had become trodden so many times by the herd passing they sometimes confused the hikers into stepping off trail. No ponies.Then came thunderstorm #2. This time with hail. We crossed out of the gated fence that holds in the feral wisps, and found shelter in a welcome to the state park sign. We waited out the hail and considered going back into the fence to set up our tent, even though it was only 2pm. The logic went like this: We want to see the feral ponies. They wont be out playing in the rain. They're hiding low out of sight. It's going to rain on & off all day and tomorrow. We'll keep walking.So, we walked. In the rain and begrudgingly the rest of the day. We ate dinner at Wise Shelter, and got a short reprieve from the weather, to walk on and set up our tent when dinner was done. We are both disappointed and grumpy by not seeing ponies. VA sucks so far.
Date: 2012-04-22
From: spring near Stone Mountain

To: past Dickey Gap
Miles today: 15.7

It rained all night and into the morning. The lack of seeing ponies and the continuing rain led to poor motivation this morning. When we started going, though, it was like someone had lit a fire beneath our feet. We walked through an area called the Scales, and Sweet was scared by a silly cow that was seen through the mist. Just after seeing the cow we met a couple coming south that greeted us with, "you look hungry!" & proceeded to give us some Oreos. Score. We walked the rest of the way through misty-gross-pseudo-rain, planning to eat at Old Orchard Shelter. We were greeted by what appeared to be a gentleman living in the shelter, trying to dry out himself & his yippy rat dog.We moved on to Hurricane Shelter, 5 mi away, for lunch. It was freezing cold, so we cooked hot lunch & pushed on. Near 7pm we came on Dicky Gap, and walked toward High Point long enough to get out of sight of the road & find a flat place to set up camp. It was 200yds off trail, but a nice end point.
Date: 2012-04-23
From: past Dickey Gap

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: light snow

Low woke last night with his head touching the tent roof. He scooted down and was touching the roof with his feet. It was then he realized the tent was caving in. It was under a snow load! This is the first time to see an accumulation on this adventure. We knocked it off and did so several more times until daylight. It was nearly 10am before we decided to not zero in the tent, and got on the trail, cold but happy, near 11:30. We lunched at Trimpi Shelter, but kept pushing to make it to Partnership. Partnership shelter is next to the Mt Rodgers National Rec Area HQ building & is legendary on the trail, because you can get pizza delivered. We made it to the HQ phone just in time. A party was had in the shelter, with each person eating their own large pizza.We slept in the shelter while our tent hung on a clothesline, drying from packing it away with snow & ice still frozen on. It was odd sleeping in a shelter for a 3rd time, but had great company.
Date: 2012-04-24
From: Partnership Shelter

To: past USFS 644
Miles today: 7.8

We woke and packed quickly this morning, so we could visit the Mt Rodgers NRA HQ visitors center. We planned on hitching into Marion, VA for resupply, but learned of an area shelter for 50 cents each way and plans changed. We rode the bus into town with Leebob, Skunkape, and NutterButter. We all took turns pack sitting while the rest resupplied at Wal*Mart and Ingles. Then, had a chineese lunch buffet at Great Wall. Leebob and Skunkape stayed in town, so we rode the transit back to the trail with NutterButter, Danu, Rocky & Sunshine, with a stop at the Army Navy Store so low could get a few P38s after losing our can opener somewhere around Damascus.We, along with everyone else who left Marion today, planned a short walking day. When we arrived at the first shelter out of town, it was full & had little level ground for camping, so we cooked and moved on to a flat spot found in a long stretch on magnolia cover. The sound of a creek is encouraging sleep.