morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-08-15
To: Antler's Campsite
Miles today: 16.0

It seems like the more I try to slow down, the faster I go. I was on the trail by 5:30 this morning looking forward to the nice trail ahead. The AT did throw one more little mountain (Little Boardman) at me just to make sure I knew who was boss. After 4 miles of that, it was off to the races! I met several sobos but didn't talk to any of them. At noon I walked into a beautiful campsite on the edge of Jo-Mary Lake. I checked my guidebook and was surprised to find that I'd hiked 16 miles, before noon! I looked at the setting again, and heard the call of a Loon. That did it, I decided to stay. The first order of business, after setting up camp was to take a swim/bath/clothes wash. This is the first day it's really been hot enough to swim. This campsite has a privy with a name. It's called Ft Relief, and it's another two seater. I was here by myself for most of the afternoon, since nobody stops that early. Eventually a hiker from Atlanta, Georgia named Visa set up next door. We talked for quite a while. He's another retiree that started last October and is finishing on his 10th section. It was interesting hearing about his career in high rise engineering and "making cell phones work." I told him about the Loon, and he said he hadn't heard of them. I told him that it would be making weird noises tonight. It better not let me down. Interesting guy. He hopes to summit Katahdan on Friday. He also has a journal on Trail Journals under 2016. Check him out, he'll be posting a summit picture soon. Tomorrow I will get another look at Katahdan form Nesuntabunt Mountain. This will be from a 16 mile straight line distance. As I type this at 6:45 pm, it's raining. It's supposed to be dry tomorrow though. Two more days of the Wilderness! Until next time.
Date: 2017-08-16
From: Antler's Campsite

To: Rainbow Lake Campsite
Miles today: 25.5

The rains finally came last night. It never rained hard, but steady for quite a while. Somehow water found its way inside my tent. Not sure why, because it's never happened before. The rain didn't prevent the Loon from vocalizing several times through the night. The rain stopped well before daylight, so we were treated to a great sunrise. I got several nice pictures. I hit the trail at 5:45 and soon ran into Crazy Larry getting water from a spring. We ended up hiking together for a while and had some great conversation. Eventually we were separated and I made my around a beautiful Lake Nahmakanta. It is a huge Lake and was several miles around. The Lake trail took us up Nesuntabunt Mountain, where we were treated to another view of Mt Katahdan. This time it was from a straight line distance of 16 miles. It requires 35 miles of hiking to get there. It is one big mountain. Visa and I hiked off the crest of Nesuntabunt Mountain and stayed together the rest of the day. He's a very fast hiker and I had to work to keep up with him. We wrapped up a 25.5 mile day at the Rainbow Lake Campsite. Crazy Larry was already here, followed by several others as the evening progressed. It is a bit chilly tonight, but with the sun and wind, I was able to get all my gear dried out. While we were eating, a young lady joined us who was on her first day, after summiting Katahdan, of a sobo thru hike. She was trying to eat some noodles while we were asking her questions. This eventually led to us awarding her the trail name "Noodles." My plan is to hike out of the Wilderness and all the way to the base of Katahdan with Visa tomorrow. He and Crazy Larry will summit on Friday. I will try to get into a local hostel where Visa is staying after his summit. We will then celebrate his thru hike completion. The end is near and everyone is excited. Until next time.
Date: 2017-08-17
From: Rainbow Lake Campsite

To: View Entry
Miles today: 21.2

Another great night for sleeping, except for the 5 hikers that came in around 10:00 pm with headlamps blazing, setting up camp. Visa and I hiked together again. He's led an interesting life and I enjoy listening to him tell about it. We were hiking by 5:30. Actually I took off first, but he soon caught me. We were in a hurry to get to Abol Bridge so Visa could sign up for one of the 12 available spaces at the Birches Campsite. The Birches is 10 miles past Abol Bridge and right where you start up Mt Katahdan. When we arrived, only one other hiker had signed up, so we were good. We hiked on to the Ranger Station where you get a permit to hike up Katahdan. Visa is going up tomorrow so he is permitted and has his equipment ready to go. There is no need to take a backpack up the mountain, so most hikers take a daypack with bare essentials only. I will be summiting Monday with Papaw, so I went ahead and got my permit as well. AT hikers can only stay at the Birches one night, so I chose tonight so I could see Visa off in the morning. I will then start looking for a ride to Millinocket where I hope to stay at a hostel. Visa is staying at the hostel Friday and Saturday night also. We should have plenty of time to celebrate his AT completion. I look forward to finishing mine with Papaw as well. We've hiked many miles together, so it's only fitting that he's there when I finish. I'm glad to have a few days to rest up, since Maine has worked me over pretty well. Only 5.1 miles to go. Doesn't seem possible. Until next time.
Date: 2017-08-20
To: Mt Katahdin
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

While I didn't plan to write again until tomorrow's summit, I decided that too many neat things have happened during my 3 days in Millinocket to leave out. As usual, out here, the best memories are of the people, rather than the trail itself. My first night here, Visa and I went to a watering hole down the street to celebrate his completion of the trail. There were many hikers there celebrating the same. The atmosphere was very happy and emotional because there were trail families that had been together for long periods of time, telling stories of their hike, and saying their goodbyes before heading off to different parts of the country/world. We ate at the AT Cafe several times. It is actually owned by the owners of the hostel where I'm staying. It is a neat place. The ceiling panels are signed by hikers that have completed the trail. I added mine 5.1 miles early, but I'll make good on it tomorrow. There is also an ice cream eating challenge that includes 4.5 lbs of ice cream. While I do love ice cream, I decided to pass. I had a long conversation with Ole Man, the owner of the hostel. He told me the story of the how he came to own the hostel after staying here on his thru hike several years ago. He expects to eclipse the 3000 guests mark this season. The peak season is about to start. I talked to another hiker that came back to the US and hiked the AT after spending several years in South Korea teaching English and doing proof reading. There was a man here from Portugal that always had everyone laughing. He left this morning heading to the Grand Canyon for more hiking. Finally, there was Visa. We hit it of well and spent a lot of time together around town. I asked him soon after I met him how he was getting home. He told me that he was flying. He then confided in me that HE was flying home. He didn't want everyone to know that he had his Cirrus airplane at the Millinocket Airport. That is how he has gotten back and forth doing his section hikes. He has done quite well in the business world and shared many stories of how he did it. I went out to the airport with him this morning to check out the plane. It's definitely very nice. I even did FaceTime with my son who is a pilot as well, and Visa talked with him about the Cirrus. After Visa took off, I noticed a group of people preparing for a parachute jump. I decided to check it out. It was a business that offers a rafting trip and a tandem parachute jump package deal. They were on hold because of clouds, so I talked with the pilot and he gave me a tour of a couple more planes. After several hours, they cancelled for the day and I walked back to Millinocket. So, as you can see, it's been a great 3 day break. Papaw is stopping by the hostel and picking up a well rested Bazinga at 6am tomorrow, and we're gonna go finish this thing. The weather is supposed to be great! For the last time - Until next time.
Date: 2017-03-26
From: NOC

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Mile 137.0 to 143.7 First day back on the trail. Mom and Brenda dropped me off at the trail at 9:15. What a climb out of the Nantahala Outdoor Center -- 3000 ft. Took me 5.5 hours to hike 6.9 miles. Rain was in the forecast but only sprinkles after 8am. Staying at Sassafras Gap Shelter which is packed tonite because rain is predicted. Big shelter but very dirty. Wish I was in my tent.
Date: 2017-03-27
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Cabin in the Woods
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: light rain

Mile 143.7 to 150.4Got hardly any sleep last nite. Had to get up 3 times for a nature call. I know that was just because I wasn't sleeping. We had a brief rain shower around 10:30 but when I got up later the sky was full of stars. Trapper John said a mouse dropped on his face in the middle of the nite and he just laughed. I told him if that had happened to me the whole shelter and everyone camped nearby would have heard me screaming.Lots of up and downs today but not a huge elevation change like yesterday. It started raining around 12:15 but I didn't put on my rain gear or my pack cover because I thought it would stop like yesterday. I was wrong so after at least 1/2 hr. I finally found a place to stop and put them on. But I was already wet and so was the pack.Before I started hiking this morning I made a reservation at the Cabin in the Woods. Donna, one of the owners, picked me up at 4:30 and I'm sharing a cabin with Memo and Bruce, two sisters from CO and CA. Right now it's thundering, lightening and raining really hard. Glad I decided to stay here tonite. There will be a lot of soaked hikers tomorrow!
Date: 2017-03-28
From: Cabin in the Woods

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.5
Weather: light rain

Mm 150.4 to 158.9Last nite it stormed for about 2.5 hrs. Lots of rain, thunder and lightning. I fell asleep while it was still storming...warm and cozy at The Cabin in the Woods. Donna and Phil are wonderful hosts. Donna made us breakfast sandwiches to take to the trail that were delicious. Started out ascending as usual. Before I knew it I was in Jacob's Ladder. It's a very steep section of trail. There are no signs saying when it starts and ends but I'd guess it's about a mile. There were another couple long ascents and then the trail leveled off a bit. The weather was 70s with beautiful sunshine and a cool breeze. Met several thru hikers...Popeye, Solomon, Scout and several more. Got to the shelter at 4:30 -- made good time today since I didn't start until 10:30. Great day on the trail...one of the best I've ever had. No cell service tonite. Think I'll read until I fall asleep.
Date: 2017-03-29
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Village
Miles today: 5.5

Mm 158.9 to 164More uphill as soon as I leave the shelter. Headed to Fontana Village to pick up a dropbox and spend the nite. The weather is great again today. I saw my first snake for this year. Don't know what kind it is but it wss only 18" long. I went around and it slithered across the trail. At one point I got to the top of the mountain and saw Fontana Lake way below. It"s quite a sight -- beautiful clear blue.My feet were aching by the time I arrived at Rt. 28 where a shuttle will take hikers into Fontana. There is a phone at the restrooms that you can use to call for the shuttle and for $3 they come pick you up. Fontana is very hiker friendly...Lots of hikers have a dropbox sent there and stay at the Inn. They also have good resupply items. Checked in and got my dropbox then Gadget Legs and I went to the Pitstop for lunch. Kate gave us a ride down the hill and we enjoyed hotdogs and nachos. Luckily we got another shuttle ride back up to my room. Gadget Legs had been doing a section hike and was leaving the trail today. Amazingly a friend of hers had driven in to meet here and when Gadget got to the Inn and got a cell signal they connected and they left. I showered and dried out my tent since we had a heavy dew last nite and I had to take it down very damp. Had a salad for dinner and made phone calls.Didn't sleep well because the air conditioner in the room next door ran all nite. I finally turned on the TV to drown out the noise.
Date: 2017-03-30
From: Fontana Village

To: Fontana Village
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Zero DayWent to do laundry at 8am when the laundromat opened. Didn't realize I needed to get change and detergent at the general store next door which didn't open until 9am. So didn't get done until 10:30. Decided to take a zero because I was tired and wasn't even packed up yet.It was a productive day because I reworked how I wanted to hike the GSMNP (Great Smokey Mtn. Natl. Park). Each hiker must have a permit which is good for 8 days and 7 nights and I was concerned about finishing in that time. You must stay at the shelters which limits your options. So I relaxed and figured out how to accomplish the next 71 miles.Feeling much better both physically and mentally!
Date: 2017-03-31
From: Fontana Village

To: Birch Spring Gap Campsite
Miles today: 7.4

Mm. 264.4_171.8WOW it...What a climb today. I was on the trail by 8:15 because I asked Kate, the shuttle driver, to pick me up at 8:00. It rained and stormed last night but I didn't hear it. It was still sprinkling when I started hiking. Walked by the "Fontana Hilton" which is the shelter for the area. It holds 20 hikers, has a restroom, shower, and charging station. Visited for a few minutes and took some pics. Then walked across Fontana Dam and up Shuckstack Mountain (2100' ascent). It had stopped raining but was very windy which made it cold. Don't know how cold but probably in the 40s. My phone hadn't shut off after taking pics and the battery died. I thought I had 13 hrs. of battery life on this new phone...I guess not. No pics or communication until Gatlinburg in 4 days.Hiked the .1 mi. up to the Shuckstack fire tower but it looked too rickety to climb. Mom and I had hiked Shuckstack 10-12 yrs. ago and it was just as hard this time as it was then.I'm now in GSMNP where I have to stay in shelters or campsites. When I arrived at Birch Spring Gap campsite the wind was really blowing up thru the gap but I had to stay because the next shelter was more than 5 mi. further and I was too tired. The wind has died down a little but it's going to be cold tonight.
Date: 2017-04-01
From: Birch Spring Gap Campsite

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: snow

Mm 180.1-189.0Rained a little in the nite so packed up wet...May have just been heavy dew. Nothing of note happened today. Dried out tent while eating lunch at Mollies Ridge Shelter. It was foggy until noon and then sunny and warm.Slept in the shelter tonite and no mouse encounters. The wind was howling until 10pm then it completely? stopped. The shelter has tarps covering the open side but they had some holes, so I was glad the wind calmed.
Date: 2017-04-02
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: clear sky

Talked to Mom this morning. Hickory loaned me his phone since mine is dead. Very warm and sunny today. Put on sunscreen but got burned in the areas I missed. There was no shade on the trail because the trees don't have leaves yet. It was a long hard day--lots of ups and downs. I had taken 2 allergy pills this morning because the pollen is kinda bad. That really dried me up which was great but I ran out of water. The last mile took me almost an hour to do and when I walked into the shelter I immediately asked for water which Momentum gladly supplied. Then Tarzan (who I'd never met) offered to go fill up my water bottle. Momentum said better take him up on that offer because the creek was a little ways. I gladly accepted. Thank you both!!!It's cold and windy again tonite and I think it's blowing in rain. Slept in my tent since the shelter is full. I was so tired that I didn't pay attention to which way the wind was blowing when I pitched my tent (actually I wasn't sure which way to pitch it because the wind was sorta swirling) and I picked the wrong direction. Wind bombarded the side of my tent all nite. It held though...And I was warm and comfy.
Date: 2017-04-03
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: clear sky

Mile marker 189.0 - 194.7The wind howled all nite last night. I had pitched my tent the wrong way but it withstood the wind all night. I was cozy and warm but didn't sleep much because of the wind blowing on my tent? first in one direction then the other. It started raining at 8:00 so I decided to wait to pack up and see if it would stop and it did. So I was half done when it started to rain again. I had my tent halfway doen so I finished quickly and grabbed everything and ran to the shelter. By that time every thing was wet and I still had to finish getting it in the pack. What a mess. It rained the whole day and I ended up hiking in thunder and lightning part of the time. I got to Siler Bald Shelter at 2:45 but had planned to continue to the next shelter. I was soaked even tho I had on my rain gear. Someone asked me to come in and get warm. I walked in and the shelter was already full but they had a big fire going in the fireplace. I've never seen so much wet gear hung all over the place. The guys were tightening up the tarps so the rain and wind wouldn't get in.  There were 2 section hikers expected who had reservations so I knew I had to leave since it was already full. Several hikers moved closer together and made room for me and told me not to go back out in the rain. I was so grateful!!Everyone dried out our footwear and as many clothes as possible. It took all evening and most of the night for all of us to get clothes dry enough to put on in the morning. The guys kept wood cut for the fire and Rock Star got water for all of us--he made 2 trips for some of us. The fire kept us warm all nite and we took turns stoking it all nite. I did a 3:15-4:00am stint. I had woken up at 3am and couldn't get back to sleep so I relieved the hiker watching the fire. Went back to bed and slept very soundly until 6:30am.
Date: 2017-04-04
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: Clingman's Dome
Miles today: 4.6
Weather: mist

Started out hiking with 2nd Dinner. We had met several times at shelters. Again, she hikes faster than me but she waited for me at Clingman's Dome. On my way up the mountain I passed 2 women hikers. The second one said "I know you." I didn't recognize her but come to find out she (Ziplock) and Repack were on the trail in 2015 the day we all came out of Hiawassee and we leapfrogged most of that day. I was having trouble with my ankle and they remembered me. Incredible that I would run into them hiking southbound from Clingman's Dome. They've been doing sections since that time too. It's true...You never know who you'll run into on the trail.It was a challenging climb but made it by 12:30. We hitched into town and a great couple (Terry and Jennifer from Michigan) gave us a ride. They were staying at the Econolodge and since we didn't have any hotel reservation we just had them take us there. Great hotel for $62+tax. We showered and then Terry and Jennifer took us to the Food Lion to resupply. Thanks so much Terry and Jennifer...Real trail angels!!!We had pizza at the Mello Mushroom and by the time we were finished eating we were exhausted so just relaxed the rest of the evening. Laundry will have to wait until tomorrow.
Date: 2017-04-05
To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Taking a zero today. Storms are predicted tonight so I'm staying put. Ate sausage, and biscuits and gravy for breakfast at the motel. Yum!! Then went to the laundromat. They have a great trolley system here and for 50 cents you can get around easily. Went to the Dollar Store for sunscreen then 2nd Dinner and I ate lunch at McDonald's. I had a bacon ranch salad...It was so good. As we were walking to catch the trolley 2 women in a van stopped and asked us if we were hikers. They offered us a ride back into town. Turns out they are also hikers and one of them is recovering from an injury and they had hooked up with a ministry in town who had loaned them the van to provide rides for hikers. They offered to take us back to Clingman's Dome tomorrow so we'll let them know what time. That's great since the shuttle driver 2nd Dinner had called was going to charge $70.We just ate leftover pizza for dinner and then walked around town. Not nearly as many people out tonight, probably because storms are expected.
Date: 2017-04-06
From: Gatlinburg

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0

Didn't sleep much last night. 2nd Dinner and I had decided to go back to the trail today and I was worried about that decision. Slept about 3 hrs. after deciding not to start today. In the morning 2nd Dinner made the same decision. After breakfast we walked to the outfitter's. We had found out that the road to Clingman's Dome was closed due to ice and snow so we couldn't have started there anyhow. We bought a few things we needed and went to Bennett's BBQ. Then went back to the motel and took a nap. Stayed in the rest of the day since it had rained all day and relaxed.
Date: 2017-04-07
From: Gatlinburg

To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0

It had stopped raining in the night. The road to Clingman's Dome is still closed. We had to change motels because the Econolodge and many of the motels were booked due to a car show in Pigeon Forge. After breakfast we walked across the street to the Gillette Motel and we're in a our new room by 10:00. This is a family owned motel, older but nice. We had to pay $89.00 but this was the weekend rate I'm sure.Noel, a hiker from Australia that I hiked with last year arrived in town overnight, so 2nd Dinner and I met him for a late lunch. We met at the outfitter's. And went to Blaine's to eat. Good food. Lots of hikers in town.The sun was out but still cool out. The road to Clingman's Dome is still closed. All 3 of us will head back out in the morning. I'm skipping the 7 miles from Clingman's Dome to Newfound Gap. I'll do those in the fall. Went back to the room and packed and showered and relaxed. There will be lots of hikers going back in the morning so will see lots of people. Hope the road to Clingman's Dome is back open so the thruhikers can continue on and not have to worry about making up that section.
Date: 2017-04-08
From: Newfound Gap

To: Ice Water Spring Shelter
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: clear sky

Headed out of Gatlinburg and hit the trail at 10:20. Noel and I are hiking together. Slick trail. Icy and snowy (anywhere from 2 - 8 inches). Arrived at the shelter at 1:30. The sun was bright and started to melt the snow. Now it's a slushy mess. It's 7:00 and am already in bed because it's getting colder. Think it's supposed to get down around 32 tonight. This will put the new quilt to the test.
Date: 2017-04-09
From: Ice Water Spring Shelter

To: Peck's Corner Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: clear sky

Had an ok night but got chilly. Had to get up twice for nature calls which is bad enough but the path was slick and icy.Not something you want to deal with in the middle of the night.Left the shelter at 9:00 and stopped at Charlie's Bunion. It's an outcropping with beautiful views.   We had lots of beautiful scenery today. The sun was out all day but we still had to contend with ice and snow. I fell twice -- once due to ice and the other due to rocks and I'm not sure what else. Couldn't get up the first time because of all the ice and had to take my pack off and scoot until I could get some traction.Noel is having a tough time. His body is having to adjust to too many changes all at the same time -- time change, altitude, and hard hiking. We'll take it easy tomorrow, only 4.8 miles.Shelter is full again tonight...14 in one made for 12. Last night there were 19 in one made for 12.