morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-04-03
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Hilton
Miles today: 6.6

Today was a nice, short, easy hike into Fontana Village, the NOBO's gateway to the Smokies. After 5.5 miles I got to the main road crossing. A glorious vending machine appeared and was devastatingly sold out of everything. A damn pity. I hiked one more mile to the Fontana Dam Shelter, affectionately referred to by hikers as the Fontana Hilton. This is due to its roomy 20 person capacity, and its proximity to flushing toilets and warm showers. I am staying here tonight, and then heading into the village tomorrow to resupply and spend a zero day at the lodge. Tomorrow's forecast is rain all day, and I really don't want to hike up into the Smokies in the rain, so I will wait until Friday which should be a lovely day. Most of the folks here are the same as from last night, and most are heading up tomorrow despite the rain. Kudos to them!
Date: 2013-04-04
From: Fontana Hilton

To: Fontana Lodge
Miles today: 0.0

Today I spent a nice zero day in the Fontana Village at the Lodge waiting out the rain. It rained hard all day, and I am so glad that I waited. If it is nasty here, I can only imagine what it's like 2,000-3,000 feet up in the mountains. I was able to resupply my food at the Fontana General Store, but was disappointed with their prices. Most food items were 150% - 250% what I would expect to pay at a grocery store. That's just something that you have to deal with when not utilizing mail drops. I do think, however, that it was still cheaper than food plus shipping would have cost. I ordered a pizza and I am watching a 30 for 30 documentary about coach Jimmy V and the 1983 Wolfpack team. It is nice to relax and watch TV, and I have found Coach Valvano to be a very inspirational subject. I'm thrilled to be entering the Smokies tomorrow, and I am happy to be expecting some great weather!
Date: 2013-04-05
From: Fontana Lodge

To: Birch Spring Gap
Miles today: 5.9

This morning I accidentally overslept! The bed was very comfortable. I had planned to wake at 7 and get going, but I slept in until 10. At least I was well rested for the ascent into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. After a nice breakfast, I got a shuttle back to the Hilton and got back on the trail. The hike up was actually not too bad. Shuckstack Mountain had a cool old fire tower that provided some stellar views on a beautiful day.Due to my late start, I stopped at the Birch Spring Gap campground instead of hiking 5 more miles to Mollies Ridge Shelter. It is the only campground where you can tent on the AT in the GSMNP. Besides here, you have to stay at a shelter site, and you have to sleep in the shelter unless it is already full. This is unfortunate, as I have found that I definitely prefer sleeping in my tent rather than in a shelter, unless the weather is absolutely dismal. My strategy will be to hang around before I settle in and hope that they fill up so that I can set up my tent. At the campsite tonight with me are Lucky, Spicolli, and Valkyrie. They are cool people that I have camped with a few times now. There are around 1,500 black bears in the GSMNP. This is equal to about two bears per square mile. The experts are also expecting to see many mama bears with two cubs this year, due to last year's mild weather. Needless to say, I will be being extra careful with my food and I will be keeping a careful eye out! I hope to see my first bear soon (from a distance)!
Date: 2013-04-06
From: Birch Spring Gap

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: clear sky

Today was another beautiful day to be hiking. Clear blue skies and some wonderful sunshine. No great views today, though. While I took lunch at Mollies Ridge Shelter, I met a ridge runner and some trail maintainers. They were all nice and had some helpful tips and anecdotes. I arrived at Spence Field Shelter to a disappointingly not-even-half-full shelter, thus I am sleeping in the shelter tonight. It's not that bad, it just means I will be utilizing my ear plugs!Tomorrow's hike is supposed to be one of the toughest sections in the park. It should provide a few great views, however, so I am looking forward to it.
Date: 2013-04-07
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: broken clouds

Today was tough hiking. The Smokies provide some wonderful but very challenging hiking. At Rocky Top, the view was extraordinary. It is frustrating to reach the the top of a tough climb, only to realize that there is no good view or vista. However, when you finish a challenging climb and find yourself on an open mountaintop with a view, it is impossible to think anything but, "Of course. This is why I'm here. This is why I'm doing this." It is truly a feeling like none other. I felt particularly homesick today after passing a sign that said "Tremont Road -> 8.3", and also passing through a Buckeye Gap. Don't get me wrong - I'm nowhere close to wanting to stop and go home. I've just realized how much I miss my family, my great friends at home, my great friends elsewhere, my coworkers, and of course my awesome preschoolers. Know that I am thinking of you all and I miss you dearly!I have not technically finished the state of North Carolina, but I have entered the next major region. I am now hiking the section of trail that, for about 200 miles, essentially is the NC/TN border. It is pretty neat, for example tonight at camp (Double Spring Gap Shelter) there are two water sources - one to the right of the shelter in North Carolina, and one to the left of the shelter in Tennessee. There are a few familiar faces at camp tonight. Salsa and Twix are here, and I haven't seen them for over 100 miles. Aquaman is here too. He and I have decided to wake at 4:00 AM and hike the 3 miles to Clingman's Dome to see the sunrise. Clingman's Dome is the highest elevation on the AT at 6,655 feet. It has an observation tower that should be great to watch a sunrise from. I'll then hike to Newfound Gap and head into Gatlinburg for a resupply and one (maybe two!) nights in town. Good night!
Date: 2013-04-08
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 10.8

This morning was an early rise. Aquaman and I got packed up and hit the trail around 4:45. It was very neat to be hiking in the dark, and I was glad to have a partner, as the idea of a solo bear encounter in the dark didn't sound too appealing. The hike up was actually pretty easy, except for the last stretch which was steep. Unfortunately, when we arrived at the top we found ourselves in the middle of some thick fog with only about 20 feet of visibility. Thus, every part of our plan went swimmingly except for the whole seeing the sunrise thing. I had been warned that the north side (the way down) of Clingman's Dome was still very icy, and it sure was. It was a treacherous walk down, but I only fell once. It was steep and slippery and tough on the legs. I couldn't even imagine doing it without trekking poles. I got to Newfound Gap around 1:30, and experienced my first real trail magic/miracle/coincidence. As soon as I hit the parking lot, a car pulled in with a man and his wife in it. They asked if I needed a ride, as they were staying in Gatlinburg and figured there would be a hiker who needed to get into town. His name was One Stick, and he hiked just under 800 miles of the AT in 2009, and had been section hiking every year since. They were from Indiana and come to Gatlinburg a few times a year. They drove me through town and showed me around, and then dropped me off at the Grand Prix Motel, where I'm staying. I decided to zero here tomorrow since the rooms were only $30 a night and I could use a rest after the strenuous Smoky Mountains hiking. I had a nice night getting cleaned up and watching the big basketball game. I'll do my resupplying and other chores tomorrow.
Date: 2013-04-09
From: Gatlinburg

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0

Today was a good zero day. I got all my business of resupplying and getting ready to get back on the trail done, and then checked out the town. If you've never been to Gatlinburg, it is quite the experience. Look up tourist trap on Wikipedia, and you'll likely see a picture of the main street of Gatlinburg. I rode this ski lift ride up from right on the main street to the top of the looming ridge to kill some time. It was a strange experience, but at least it provided some cool pictures. I got to call my mom and dad which was nice, since cell service at Fontana didn't provide the opportunity. I also was able to join my siblings weekly video chat from my iPhone, which was cool. Lots of questions that I was happy to answer, and I got to hear how everything is going at home. I should be out of the Smokies on Friday, and tomorrow night I will be a mile away from 10% complete. Very exciting stuff!
Date: 2013-04-10
From: Gatlinburg

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

Today I got back on the trail by way of a free shuttle that is provided by a local outfitter. This was a much better option than the $30 shuttle the Grand Prix offers, despite a later departure (10 AM) than I would have liked. Most of today's hiking consisted of walking the ridge line of the mountains, which meant lots of great views and not too strenuous of climbs. Most of the day it seemed like after every corner there was another stunning view. As I mentioned, it was also easier hiking than the first half of the Smokies were. There were a lot of climbs, but they weren't nearly as intense as the ones from Fontana Dam to Newfound Gap. My favorite part of the day, and my favorite landmark the trail has take me to so far, was Charlie's Bunion. It is a rock formation jutting out the side of the mountain, and provided a beautiful view. I sat there for about 45 minutes and took it in. It provided a great place to relax. I'm staying at Pecks Corner Shelter, which is 0.5 miles off trail. I really don't like staying at shelters that are this far off trail, but with the late shuttle combined with shelter spacing in the park, I had no other choice. I hoping that the expected rain tomorrow holds off until I reach camp!
Date: 2013-04-11
From: Pecks Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Well, the rain held off today! It's about 7:30 here at camp and it has only sprinkled a tiny bit. It should storm pretty bad tonight, but stop around the time I start hiking tomorrow morning. Today was some good hiking. I did 13.4 miles and I'm actually not exhausted. I am trying to take short breaks with snacks ever hour an a half or so, instead of one long lunch break. It seems to be working quite well. My energy stays up all day now and I'm making better time. It is also helping my attitude during the day. Tomorrow I will finish the Smokies! I'm going to stop at Standing Bear Farm in the afternoon, resupply with enough food to get to Hot Springs, and then move on a couple miles and camp. It's only been two days since Gatlinburg - I don't need a shower yet!
Date: 2013-04-12
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Painters Branch
Miles today: 12.8

The storm last night was intense! The rain was just hammering my tent, and at times the lightning was flashing and the thunder was cracking right above us. I was definitely a bit unnerved, however once the storm passed over I was able to get some solid sleep. Most of today was downhill out of the Smokies, but I did have a couple climbs. It was a good feeling hitting Davenport Gap and leaving the GSMNP, as it was yet another obstacle tackled. Crossing under I-40 was weird. It was about a quarter mile of road-walking freeway ramps, and strange after all of the mostly wilderness, remote trail I've covered so far. Shortly after crossing I-40, I got to Standing Bear. They had a great resupply stock, and I hung out for about an hour with the folks who are staying in the bunkhouse there. The vortex of showers and sleeping inside beckoned me greatly, but I was able to resist and pushed on another two miles to a nice campsite. Spicolli is camping here, which I was happy to find out. I hadn't seen him since my first night in the Smokies. There is also a local high school group here from Brevard, and their instructors were nice to chat with a bit.I was able to cut a 2700 foot climb in two by pushing on to this campsite. The good news: I cut the climb in half and get a night's rest before I finish it tomorrow. The bad news: I get to start out tomorrow right away with a 1400 foot climb!
Date: 2013-04-13
From: Painters Branch

To: Campsite 0.1 miles before Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 12.9

Today was a tough day with a lot of climbing. The first summit, at the top on my day-starting 1,400 foot climb, was a neat grassy bald. It had a strange looking FAA tower on top, which I presume provides RADAR for air traffic control. I have run out of water purification drops, so I have been carefully picking good looking springs to get my water from. I will pick up some new drops in a few days in Hot Springs, but I must say it is very refreshing to drink fresh water straight out the side of mountains. Today was the first day I realized I was encountering numerous PUDs. This is a hiker term that stands for pointless ups and downs. There were many small, and a couple large climbs today where you went up, then back down with absolutely no payoff and usually to find another one right in front of you. All of these PUDs were eventually exonerated by Max Patch Bald. I know I just talked about how Charlie's Bunion was the coolest spot on the trail so far, but Max Patch made it look like a cute little glimpse. Max Patch is a massive grassy bald that gives literally breathtaking, 360 degree views. No matter which way you look it is absolutely stunning, and quite honestly it brought a tear to my eye. It's the first place that I thought, not "this would be cool to visit again", not "I think I'll try to visit here again", but "I know I will return here". It was quite simply magnificent. The campsite I stopped at tonight is right next to a rushing stream and a fire ring, where someone very thoughtfully gathered ample amounts of fire kindling, medium sticks, and large logs. Spicolli showed up shortly after I, and we had a fire and then went to bed. Tomorrow should not be too taxing, and will put me at most a half day's hike from Hot Springs.
Date: 2013-04-14
From: Campsite 0.1 miles before Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Deer Park Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Today inadvertently became my longest day so far on the trail. Just a tenth of a mile below 15!It was a cool, overcast day which actually made for some pleasant hiking weather. There were two major climbs - one 800 feet and the other 950. Both transpired rather easily which gave a great boost to my confidence. The day started with a very mildly graded downhill 3.5 mile walk which was a nice easy way to warm up my joints and muscles. The plan was originally to stop at Taylor Hollow Gap where my guide indicated there was water but did not mention any camping. I assumed there would be some patch of flat ground to pitch my tent, but you all know that saying about what happens when you assume. Needless to say, there was nowhere to tent, and the water source was nowhere near good. Alas, without water I was forced to continue past the couple campsites I did see after the gap and press on 3 miles to the shelter. The good news is that this leaves a simple 3 mile hike into Hot Springs tomorrow. The other good news is that I feel great after covering 15 miles and I hope to stick between 12 and 15 miles for a daily average in the upcoming section of trail.
Date: 2013-04-15
From: Deer Park Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 3.2

This morning I woke, broke camp, and then had a nice, short walk to the town of Hot Springs. I stopped just before the trail goes through the town at the Laughing Heart Hostel. I am staying here tonight and then I will zero in town tomorrow at Elmer's Sunnybank Inn. The hostel is very nicely set up, and there are a lot of hikers staying here. I got a couple good meals in town, did my laundry, and relaxed all day. I made some calls home and got to talk to family and friends. I was informed about the events in Boston and am disappointed that someone would do such a thing. Being on trail has many wonderful aspects, and one of the best is the removal from constant reminders of how troubled our world seems to be. Being surrounded by good people enjoying the wonderful wilderness makes it easy to forget that these messed up things still happen. I am ready and excited for a zero day in my first true trail town!
Date: 2013-04-16
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0

Today was a great day. I had a huge skillet breakfast at the Smoky Mountain Diner, and then stopped by the Hot Springs Spa. I got to soak in a hot tub overlooking the river into which they pump the natural hot spring mineral water from the nearby spring where the town gets its name. Each tub is in a private space, so you are able to go "au natural". It was very relaxing and felt wonderful. After that I got some locally made ice cream and headed to Elmer's. Elmer's Sunnybank Inn is a hostel that is located in an old mansion dating back to 1840. It was a wonderfully charming place and has been hosting AT hikers since the late forties when Earl Shaffer, the first ever to thru-hike, stayed here. Elmer has owned and operated the Inn since the late seventies. There is a nice library, a neat music room, and gourmet vegetarian meals. I will have breakfast here in the morning and I am looking forward to it. Tonight I went to the Iron Horse Tavern for some live music by a local artist. He was very talented, and it was open mic night so naturally I got up and sang a Springsteen song. It was fun and entertaining. Tomorrow I'll get back on trail, and I am hoping to make this my longest stretch - from here to Damascus, VA - without a zero day. I hope to be able to hold myself to this!
Date: 2013-04-17
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Rainbow Gathering
Miles today: 5.2

Tonight I am camping with a bunch of hippies, hobos, and vagabonds - but I'll get to that later. This morning I had a delicious vegetarian breakfast prepared by the staff at Elmer's. It was raining off and on, so I took my time getting out of Hot Springs and didn't get on trail until about 11:30. The hike out gave some great views of the town and the French Broad River, along with a nice stretch along the river. I had planned on doing around 14 miles today, but about five miles in I met a girl in a tie die dress named Megan. She told me there was a Rainbow Gathering a mile off trail. Since I had no idea what that meant, she explained that there were a bunch of hippies camping out. That would turn out to be a bit of an understatement, but I decided to be adventurous and camp with them for the night. I learned all about the Rainbow Family and broadened my horizons to say the least. The Rainbow Family is a large group of loosely affiliated people all over the world. They describe it as a non-organization, as there are no official leaders or centralized organization. They are devoted to world peace and have "gatherings" all over the country every year, including one deemed "Nationals" which draws tens of thousands of people. It seems somewhat cult-like, as I was greeted upon arrival with salutations such as "welcome home" and "I love you". Everyone was very nice and kind and were open to my many questions. Most of the people at this were what the people in the Rainbow refer to as "dirty kids". They are mostly young, in their early twenties, and hitchhike or hop trains all over the country. They willfully described themselves as homeless and hobos. Most of them are on food stamps and pool these together for the food for gatherings. Other means include getting the food from food kitchens and retrieving "perfectly good" food from grocery dumpsters (needless to say, I did not partake in the group meals and ate my own food that I packed in). There was a lot of musical instrument playing and I enjoyed listening in on the countless jam sessions. In some ways I greatly admire these people, in their sense of peace, individuality, freedom, and the fact that they live how they want. Other things I don't admire, such as living off of food stamps (my and your money) instead of finding means to support themselves. I am glad I decided to camp here as it broadened my horizons and was another experience I won't forget, however it is not the life for me and I don't think I would return to another gathering. Tomorrow I will push on, and due to today's change of schedule may need to stay at a hostel coming up to resupply some food.
Date: 2013-04-18
From: Rainbow Gathering

To: Hemlock Hollow Hostel
Miles today: 11.1

This morning I had breakfast, and got back on the trail around 9:30. The mile hike uphill back to the trail made me regret the decision to stop by the gathering just a bit!There were a few big climbs but altogether it was a beautiful day and some nice hiking. I needed a couple more meals to get to Erwin, so I stopped at the Hemlock Hollow Hostel, resupplied, and stayed in the bunkhouse. I was going to tent here, as it was a cheaper option, but we are expecting some rain tonight and all day tomorrow so I opted to sleep indoors. The hostel is a lovely spot, and I met Grand Poobah who is out doing a section hike with his dad. He thru-hiked SOBO last year and had some good tips and suggestions of not-to-miss stops along the way. I'm planning a big day tomorrow - hopefully the rain won't spoil my plans!
Date: 2013-04-19
From: Hemlock Hollow Hostel

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: moderate rain

Today I did my longest day, 16 miles, in the pouring rain, beginning with a 1,400 foot climb, and including a 1.5 mile stretch of boulder scrambling over exposed ridge line. Are you impressed yet?!I had a great day and enjoyed the hike very much. The initial climb up was definitely tough, but after that most of the stretch was mild terrain - except for the exposed ridge line section. There was a bad weather bypass around this section, but since there was no lightning or thunder, I decided to do it anyways despite the rain. It really wasn't too bad, just a lot of going up and down large boulders. It was too bad that the weather was crummy, because I know that the views along the whole 1.5 mile stretch would have been amazing. I got to the Jerry Cabin Shelter around 3:00, and right around that time the rain dropped off and I decided to push on 6 more miles to go for my biggest day. Once I got to Flint Mountain Shelter, I got settled in and was pumped that I felt good. I was definitely tired, but after 16 miles I was feeling fine. My trail legs have definitely kicked in and I hope I am well on my way to getting my thru-hiking legs!
Date: 2013-04-20
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 14.9

Despite a bunch of very small ups and downs, the day started very easily for me and I covered 2.8 miles in under an hour, which is good for me! At Devil Fork Gap, I stopped for a rest and a car pulled up. It was Uncle Johnny from the hostel coming up in Erwin, and he said, "Hey hiker, want a cold beer?" Yes please! I had a cold Pabst that they had just picked up on their way to the Trail Fest in Hot Springs. It made my break even better, and as a hiker it was purely bonus calories!Today had a few hard climbs which were tough. However, at this point I don't really dread climbs, I just know that it will suck for an hour but it will be over quickly. I got to camp, settled in, and didn't feel like hanging a bear bag so I am sleeping with my food in my tent. I've done this a couple times now and it doesn't really worry me, but I hope a bear doesn't come sniffing tonight!