morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-04-28
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Newfound Gap, Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: clear sky

"New threads and some chili mac. Back to hike to Maine tomorrow."-- Rob, from NOC outfitters, Gatlinburg, TN. It was 25 degrees this morning in the shelter and we got 3 inches if snow overnight. It¢s beautiful out here today: cold, crisp and a cloudless blue sky. I spot bear, rabbit and coyote tracks this morning in the snow. The walking is a bit slow due to the ice that is covering the trail, and that often breaks and leads to deep mud ruts. So it's drenched sock and shoes all morning. All I can think about is getting dry, so the closer I get to Newfound Gap the more I think of going into Gatlinburg, TN. I pass a handful of day hikers heading up on day hikes to Clingman's Dome. There's also some great trail magic left by P.T. & K at the edge of Newfound Gap, fresh fruit and swiss rolls, thank you! I linger a while at Newfound Gap and see John from Indiana, who did a 5 day hike in the Smoky's and had offered me and Buttons a ride in to town at the shelter. Impulsively, out of a deep desire to dry out and get warm, I ask him if he'd mind taking me in to Gatlinburg. John is a good guy as he not only drives me in, but also gives me a tour of the town. I check into "hiker central," the Grand Prix motel, where throughout the day it seems every hiker within 15 miles of Newfound Gap has checked in. Everyone it seems needs to dry out and get warm. Gatlinburg is loud and garish, but as long as there is plenty of food, laundry and a shower thru-hikers are happy. A new NOC outfitter opened in town two weeks ago, it's a massive 30,000 square foot store. I also weighed myself and found I've shed 20 pounds in 23 days on the "excellent-good" A.T. diet.
Date: 2010-04-29
From: Newfound Gap, Gatlinburg, TN

To: Tricorner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: clear sky

"Out of the Gat Vegas vortex..."--Baltimore Jack, from Icewater Spring shelter register.I caught the free NOC shuttle out to the trail at 8 am, with Little Foot and Raywah. I finally spotted a grouse today after hearing them for two weeks, and this was a big one with his chest puffed out, near Icewater shelter.I spent a good amount of time at Charlie's Bunion, a huge rock out cropping that overlooks one of the most remote sections of the Smoky's on the A.T. Then most of the day was spent on a ridge walk above 6,000 feet.I met Metric, Giggles, Vegan during "second lunch" at a rock out crop with a view of the southeastern ridges of the Smoky's. And despite drying out my shoes and socks from all the mud and snow slush on trail today, my feet were wet again within the hour.The mud does make it easier to spot the bear tracks, there are plenty around but I've yet to spot one. Maybe tonight at the shelter is a possibility as apparently there is a problem bear here in the habit of stealing packs from the shelter.At Tricorner Knob shelter I get to meet Casper and Chef again. I hadn't seen them since The Blueberry Patch in Hiawassee where Chef was nursing ankle tendinitis. She's doing fine now and they're hiking strong.Also at the shelter tonight are Baltimore Jack (tenting), Moped, Giggles, Metric, Vegan Free Hiker, Raywah, and half dozen others. We're full up and provide plenty o' pickings for the Tricorner Knob shelter bear.
Date: 2010-04-30
From: Tricorner Knob Shelter

To: Green Corner Rd., Standing Bear Hostel
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: clear sky

"Goodbye Smoky's!"--EGHM, from Davenport Gap shelter registerToday was an "excellent-good" hiking day. I hiked with Casper and Chef for a good portion of the day, and the walking was generally good, including a 4,000 descent out of the Smoky's. We met Baltimore Jack along the way, and when I mentioned that it was my fourth time through and that I'd never gone up to Mt. Cammerer fire tower, he offered to watch our packs at the spur trail. So Casper, Chef, Metric, Giggles, Vegan, and I walked the half mile to the tower for some of the best views of the Smoky Mountains and the mountain ridges to the north.Everyone stopped short at the state line branch, but I decided to move a bit further to Standing Bear Hostel, where I have to resupply for the walk in to Hot Springs. The hostel is packed: Bandana Man, Lady Slipper, Serenetina, Raywah, Yeti, Buttons, False Start, Pee Wee and a dozen other thru and section hikers are here. My feet feel banged up and my legs are wasted, but it was an "excellent-good" day.
Date: 2010-05-01
From: Green Corner Rd., Standing Bear Hostel

To: Roaring Fork Sheter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: 
Saturday, May 01, 2010


"Awesome, awesome, incredibly awesome views from Max Patch¢¦"--Piss Flaps, from Roaring Fork shelter registerMy legs continued to be wasted today. I felt thoroughly enervated. The climb up Snowbird Mountain felt like climbing up to a 6,000 foot mountain instead of 4,263 feet. The views were fantastic and the FAA transponder, now painted white, still sits atop the summit looking like a ghostly sentinel.The climbs in 80 degree weather today seemed interminable. Today felt like a forced march, it felt like the toughest day on the trail yet on this hike. A couple of hikers spotted rattlesnakes; I only spotted trillium, lady slippers, fire pink, and a couple of vireo, I wanted to camp atop Max Patch for the first time, but the weather wouldn't cooperate as the 30 mile per hour wind gusts will be accompanied by thunderstorms later tonight. So I moved on to Roaring Fork shelter where we have another packed house. Raywah, Bandana Man, Serenetina, Mosey, Moped, Giggles, Metric, and I are in the shelter, and another 10 tents are set up. It's definitely not thinning out out here.
Date: 2010-05-02
From: Roaring Fork Sheter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

"The nearest way to the universe is through a forest wilderness."--John Muir, from the A.T. Golden Anniversary plaque at the edge of Hot Springs, NCThe area directly north of the recently constructed Roaring Fork shelter has been relocated and made for some novel, and very easy, walking this morning. The humidity is fairly oppressive early this morning, luckily there is a strong breeze all day long that tamps down the humidity and temperature that creeps into the mid-80's today.A hiker's step is usually lighter, springier, and faster when headed in to town. It's also a function of the moderate terrain that the walk is so quick today. The two major climbs today, Walnut Mountain (4,260 feet) and Bluff Mountain (4,686 feet) are well graded and make for quick walking. Although a massive pile of bear scat catches my attention on Walnut Mountain, it looks like it came from a 300 pound bear, luckily it's nowhere in sight.Giggles, Metric, and I leapfrog each other during the day. They and Lady Slipper pull up at Deer Park shelter but I move on into town. The descent down to Hot Springs is easy and provides some sightings of Lady Slipper, Flame Azalea, Trillium, and I spot a couple of Blue Nuthatches.Elmer's Sunnybank Inn is predictably full, so I end up at the Alpine Court motel for the third of four times here in Hot Springs, NC. There are a couple of new places to eat and stay here in town, and I spot a fair number of hikers, mostly people I've yet to meet.I start my laundry while having dinner at the Iron Horse Tavern (highly recommended) but someone closes up the laundromat while my clothes are drying so my clothes are locked up and spending the night in The Wash Tub on the northern edge of town.I had dinner with Wallflower and I've seen Raywah, Little Foot, and the aforementioned new hiker faces in town. It was another "excellent-good" day.
Date: 2010-05-03
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Tanyard Gap
Miles today: 5.9

Again, to extend the comfort of town as I walked in at 5pm last night, I arranged to have Dan at Bluff Mountain Outfitters shuttle me to Tanyard Gap, 5.9 miles north of town, so I could slack pack back into town and do a "nero."It stormed overnight -- in fact there were flash flood advisories last night and today and 11 people were killed in flash floods in Tennessee yesterday -- and it is oppressively humid this morning. Despite the short hike it still feels like walking in hot molasses. The walk is fairly quick, but stopping to talk to northbound hikers takes up a fair bit of time. There is an interesting interpretative sign about 3 miles in to the hike that explains an Eagle Scout project that entailed using organic pesticides on a stand of hemlocks to stave off the woolly adelgid blight, and that's "excellent-good!" Walking south back in to Hot Springs means a hiker gets an excellent view of town and the French Broad River from the rock out cropping called Lover's Leap. By early afternoon the town is crawling with hikers as I finish re-supplying for the walk to Erwin, TN.
Date: 2010-05-04
From: Tanyard Gap

To: North of Big Firescald Knob
Miles today: 20.2

"Back on the trail after a couple of days in Hot Springs... easing back into things."-- Avatar, from Spring Mountain shelter register. Long day into a night hike. Lots of juvenile grasshoppers bounding on dead leaves makes the forest sound like popping corn. "Excellent-good" views from Rich Mountain fire tower where I spy Blackstack Cliffs where I'll walk tonight. The black flies are absolutely out of control, I'm pockmarked with bites. I see Chef, Casper, Moped, Food Network, T Trick and others already in their tents for the night while I night hike. I hike into the cool of the night hoping for the 4 day waning full moonlight, but it never materializes (though it woke me up, bright as day just before 5am). Hiked over Blackstack Cliffs and Firescald Knob at 10pm. The towns visible to the west in lower Tennessee Valley are ablaze in lights, an analog of sorts for the stars ablaze in the nighttime firmament. Finally tenting out again on my own with no one else around. We hit 300 miles tomorrow morning, that's "excellent-good."
Date: 2010-05-05
From: North of Big Firescald Knob

To: North of Devil's Fork Gap
Miles today: 10.2

"Happy 300 miles!"--EGHM to Mosey at Flint Mountain shelter We hit 300 miles today. We hiked up, we hiked down, and we hiked up some more. We are tired, I especially so, so tired I walked 6 miles took a two hour nap and could only manage 4 more miles today before calling it a day. I had nothing in the gas tank today. I'm already in my tent, writing this, at 7pm, and I stopped walking an hour ago. I need a long night's sleep and I intend to get it tonight. Chef, Casper, and Moped headed on to camp at Big Flats, and I, like Mosey back at Flint Mountain shelter, decided to put off the ascent of Frozen Knob until tomorrow morning. I'm exhausted.
Date: 2010-05-06
From: North of Devil's Fork Gap

To: Big Bald Mountain
Miles today: 13.7

"Going to tent atop Big Bald and watch the meteor showers"-- EGHM, from Hogback Ridge shelter register I've always wanted to camp atop one of the large Southern balds on the A.T., but weather or timing always seemed to interfere. This hike I made it a priority, so I planned a shorter day today when I heard meteor showers would be visible tonight. I saw very few people today other than Waterlogged, Ice Hot, and Sweet Tea who were doing a southbound slackpack today, it was Waterlogged who told me about the meteor showers. I also saw Trish and Charles, and they were cutting their section hike short when Charles became ill just north of Sam's Gap. While waiting out the afternoon sun and heat at Hogback Ridge shelter I mention the meteor showers to Little Foot and Mosey, Little Foot likes the idea and says he might also stay atop Big Bald. On the approach to Big Bald it becomes evident how much more the area around the mountain has been developed. There are massive vacation homes and condos that accompany the golf resort now on the shoulder of the mountain. At 5,516 feet Big Bald is one of the tallest mountains remaining to us to traverse on the southern A.T. The 360 views from the top are amazing, after sunset Little Foot and I get a tremendous lightning show from a massive thunder head well south of us. The city lights in the valleys of North Carolina and Tennessee are arrayed before us as are the manifold mountain ridges extending to the horizon in every direction -- this is most "excellent-good," the sort of experience one comes on the trail to have.
Date: 2010-05-07
From: Big Bald Mountain

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 18.1

"Going in to Erwin and thinking about a steak and ice cream, and I intend to have both¢¦"-- EGHM, from No Business Knob shelter register.The sunrise from atop Big Bald was just as spectacular as yesterday's sunset. It was windy overnight, but as I still have my cold weather clothes I was quite comfortable. The meteor showers never materialized, but thousands upon thousand of stars were ablaze in the night sky, and I did spot a satellite shooting across the sky.Early I see Ice Hot and Waterlogged camped just north of Big Bald, and later Sweet Tea and McGyver at Big Bald shelter. The early walking is moderate on gentle slopes, but later in the stultifying heat of the afternoon the walking feels like a slow slog in an oven. No interesting terrain or animal sightings of note, just the slow grind of walking we have to endure some days on the trail. Although, I did soak my feet in a numbingly cold creek at Spivey Gap which briefly revivified me, but just an hour later it was to no avail.I can't get in to Erwin quick enough. My friend Ceci emails me to tell me she and her husband Dan and kids, Austin and Nikki will drive to Erwin to meet me and do some white water rafting on Sunday, so the prospect of a zero day with a good friend makes the tough, hot descent to Erwin more bearable -- but what a bear it was!
Date: 2010-05-08
From: Erwin, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: 686.7

"How long have you been on the trail?How did you know I'm hiking the trail?The food you're getting, it's what all the hikers get¢¦"-- from a conversation with the cashier at the Dollar General store.The morning was spent doing the usual town chores: laundry, resupply, planning the next section, and walking from one end of town to another to get these things done.I spend the afternoon the way a zero day should be spent: off my feet, in an air conditioned room, and napping.My good friend Ceci, her husband Dan, and kids Nikki and Austin get snarled in traffic outside of Asheville so they don't get in to Erwin until 8pm, but we soon end up at Azteca Mexican restaurant and have a hearty meal, and I finally get my steak.I see a group of hikers that include Metric, Cougar, Wallflower, and others fresh from resupplying at Dollar General and having dinner at Azteca Mexican waiting for the shuttle from Uncle Johnny's hostel.It's decided that we won't go white water rafting tomorrow, but we're not sure what we will do, but with a car a nearby drive and just about anything is possible. We spend the night reminiscing in good conversation. Meeting good, longtime friends along the trail, this too, is part of the trail experience. It's such an "excellent-good" manner in which to spend a zero day.
Date: 2010-05-09
From: Erwin, TN

To: Nolichucky River Valley
Miles today: 1.3

"Happy Mother's Day, Mom!" I woke up feeling funky, quite funky, and hoping I'd feel better by mid-afternoon. To my surprise I found Husband and Wife staying here at the Super 8 this morning. My friend Ceci, her husband Dan, and kids Nikki and Austin, were undecided about white water rafting so we went for a short hike on the trail, about 1.2 miles to the USA Raft and NOC camps by the Nolichucky River. We then found a barbecue joint, the Riverside Cafe, had another mediocre meal and came to the conclusion that Erwin is not the culinary capital of Tennessee. But it was a very pleasant day nonetheless, despite that I started to feel ill to my stomach enough to stay another night in town. So I ended up doing an inadvertent 1.2 mile nero. Ceci and her family's visit was an "excellent-good" turn, and here's hoping that I'm being better tomorrow.
Date: 2010-05-10
From: Nolichucky River Valley

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: overcast clouds

"... sleepy, hungry, and looking forward to that huge ass mountain tomorrow."--Styx + Bones, from the Cherry Gap shelter register. I'm still feeling funky this morning: bad stomach, very low energy, and tired. I'd like to take the day off, but that is not a viable option. The proprietor of the Super 8 shuttles me to Jones River Road where I resume the trail where I left it yesterday with Ceci and her family. I really don't want to hike today but I do. I'm surprised to see Husband and Wife come up behind me doing a slackpack as I thought they left yesterday, but I soon see why: Husband is hiking in one boot and one flip flop as he is having issues with his right foot. He's going to hike in Tevas once he gets them mailed from home. This is actually a good way for them to make some progress while sorting the foot issues out. I don't see anyone else from 11am until 4pm, and I start thinking that the Trail Days festival has already drained all the hikers north into Damascus, VA, but at 4pm I run into half a dozen northbounders, headed by Wiggles, going south on a 20 mile slackpack back to Erwin. As I ascend Unaka Mountain, to the southernmost large stand of Red Spruce on the A.T., the temperature plummets to the low 40's, and while I was considering camping on the summit I move on because I don't want to be tented out in freezing rain tonight (rain is forecasted tonight). I move on to the shelter and find Mosey and Still Steve already there with a nice campfire going. And I'm done walking on a day I didn't feel like walking, and feeling marginally better. Tomorrow we climb the last 6,000 foot mountain on the A.T. until New Hampshire -- Roan Mountain, the butt kicker.
Date: 2010-05-11
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Greasy Creek Gap
Miles today: 7.3

"Wish I could stay longer. I love it here..."-- Mrs. Mtn. Camel, from Greasy Creek Hostel register. It started to rain last night at 2am, and despite a warm front moving through, the temperature dropped into the high 30's overnight. I don't know why I found it so difficult to get going this morning but I didn't get on the trail until 10am. All the rest of the morning it was blustery and rainy with temperatures hovering in the low 40's. It probably lead to me doing such a short day. It began to warm up quickly by 2pm, the rain and cold weather preceded a warm front -- go figure. So I've put off Roan Mountain for tomorrow and come in to Greasy Creek Friendly Hostel to check it out and decided to stay. Connie runs the hostel and claims she got the idea when she caught the A.T. virus in 1998 when she was hiking the southern portion of the A.T. There is an 8 bed bunkhouse and 2 beds in the main house and the sofa for overflow. It's a nice place, and Connie cooks breakfast, lunch and dinner -- "excellent-good" stuff.
Date: 2010-05-12
From: Greasy Creek Gap

To: Stan Murray Shelter
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: light rain

"¢¦a stripe was painted on the floor through the middle of the dining room¢¦ this line showed where guests could legally drink alcoholic beverages and where they couldn't. In Tennessee it was legal to consume alcohol, while in North Carolina it was not. Legend tells of a North Carolina sheriff who lingered around the hotel ready to nab anyone who stepped over the state line with their drink!"--from an interpretive sign about the Cloudland Hotel that once stood on Roan Mountain.I knew there was no way to avoid Roan Mountain today so I had a hearty breakfast cooked by Connie at GCF Hostel and got on my way at 10am.It took me 3 hours to cover the 2,000 feet of elevation gain in 2.5 miles to get to the summit of Roan Mountain (6,285 feet). And about midway up a hiker catches up to me and I'm surprised to find that it's Lint, who hiked the A.T. In 2004. That makes at least four of us that were out that year and are back this year.At Roan's summit I wander about a bit and checking out some of the historic landmarks and the sun finally breaks through the day long cloudiness. I even go out of my way to check out Roan High Knob shelter, and it's still as dark and dank as it ever was despite a 2003 renovation. As the shelter at the highest elevation on the trail, it seems perpetually stuck in the clouds and uninviting.The high point of the day is ascending Carver's Gap and getting a view of the five great southern balds in succession: Round Bald, Jane Bald, Grassy Ridge, Little Hump Mountain, and Hump Mountain. Today I'll only traverse the first three, but the view in the golden light of the late afternoon is spectacular. Although I do get buffeted about by the 40 mph. wind gusts.I decide to stop at Stan Murray shelter because my feet are throbbing -- my shoes blew out a few days ago and the over-pronation is causing quite a bit of pain on the top third of my feet -- time for new shoes. There are four young men at the shelter celebrating the end of their freshmen year in college with a week long camping trip. And at 9pm a young woman who hiked a portion of the trail in 2008 and her friend; she opts for the shelter which becomes full with 6 hikers and he tents out.Most of the hikers out here are Trail Days bound, so they're either hurrying to make Kincora Hostel by Friday, Bob Peoples drives hikers in, or some have made arrangements to be picked up at various points. I'm headed in from U.S. 19E, so I'm looking at a short day tomorrow -- and with these feet, that's "excellent-good!"
Date: 2010-05-13
From: Stan Murray Shelter

To: U.S. 19E
Miles today: 10.9

"¢¦ but where were the cattle?"-- Pacer, from Apple House shelter register.dI was up at 5:30 am, the humidity was so thick that I was sweating inside my sleeping bag, and everything was coated with a fine layer of water. And sleeping in a cramped shelter that sleeps 6 isn't conducive to golden slumbers anyway.It is ridiculously humid all morning despite the cool temperatures, but the walking goes fairly quickly. I traverse the last two of the great southern balds by 10:30, and luckily the day turns sunny, which makes for great views.Oddly, the legendary Watusi cattle of Hump Mountain aren't out grazing today, and judging by the lack of cattle scat I wonder if they pasture out here anymore. All the way down off Hump Mountain all I can think of is getting new shoes so I can dispense with this nagging foot pain that has developed after the shoes blew out.I also work out the logistics for going to Trail Days this weekend. I'm going to stay at Mountain Harbor Hostel tonight and have Enterprise pick me up tomorrow and drop me back off at the trail at U.S. 19E on Monday. So I'll be at Trail Days Friday through Sunday afternoon. Terry and Mary Hill are great hosts at the Mountain Harbor B&B and Hostel. They have a beautiful property with horses, goats, and a creek running between the B&B and the Hostel, which is on the second floor of a converted barn. They'll shuttle you to town to resupply, or more importantly for me to the King of the Road steakhouse -- ribeye-o-rama! Can't seem to get enough protein out here, but a King of the Road ribeye helps.A couple of more hikers are expected at the hostel tonight, but at this time (7pm) they still haven't showed. Terry and Mary served over 20 hikers on 3 consecutive nights this week, as everyone rushed to Damascus, VA for Trail Days, obviously everyone has drained north by now.