morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2022-02-17
From: Stecoah Gap

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 16.48
Weather: clear sky

My longest day so far. 16.48 miles. We got some rain late in the day. We added on 2+ miles at the end to make our day entering the Smokies that much shorter. So now we have an 11+ mile day rather than a 13+ mile day when we do the climb to Mollie¢s Ridge shelter. The start was almost straight uphill for 1.6 miles. They call that climb Jacob¢s Ladder. I had never heard of it but Al and Sandra knew all about it from YouTube videos. About 4 miles from the end someone set up a little display of leprechauns or something. I took a picture. Today Hollis developed a new skill - reading while hiking. I told him the trail is so rough I can barely stand up using trekking poles and all of my attention. Going down is harder for me than going up. Today Hollis also moved on without us. I am taking a zero at Fontana Village and Al and Sandra are zeroing at the Hike Inn. Hollis wanted to stay on the trail and get back to the shelters. We left him at what is supposed to be the nicest shelter on the AT. They call it the Fontana Hilton. It is very nice. Double decker with two shelters connected by a roof. They have a bathroom up the hill that has heat, running water and a shower. Very nice. I think we will run into him again if he is able to stay on the trail.
Date: 2022-02-19
From: Fontana Dam

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

February 18 was a zero and since then I have either had no cell phone service or very little time when I did have service.  I did try to take daily notes so hopefully I can quickly get caught up.Feeling really good today.   Tough hike. Hiked 11.03 miles. Started at Fontana Dam at about 1,750 feet above sea level and ended at Mollie¢s Ridge shelter at about 4,700.  Hiked with Al and Sandra and Pete, Eric and his wife Mushroom. Today we started in Great Smoky Mountain National Park. I have a picture of me putting the bottom half of my backcountry permit in the box at the trailhead. You have to carry the other half with you through the park. Also got some pictures of the dam and the lake behind it and me on the dam as well as pictures of the lake further up the mountain It was a cold but clear day. Lots of snow still around. Got some views on the climb up. We passed Birch Spring Gap where Matt and I tented on our December shakedown hike.
Date: 2022-02-20
From: Mollie Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.94
Weather: clear sky

February 20Mollies Ridge Shelter to Derrick Knob ShelterToday was a tough day. 11.94 miles but we went over both Rocky Top and Thunderhead Mountains. Got some good pictures and videos I will try to send/post. I slept in my tent. Yesterday was the first time I slept in a shelter. It was very cold. My tent is definitely warmer. Saw two turkeys on the hike up Rocky Top and two deer near the shelter.
Date: 2022-02-21
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Mt Collins Shelter
Miles today: 13.43
Weather: overcast clouds

February 21Derrick Knob Shelter to Mt Collins Shelter.Today was a crazy hard hike. 13.43 miles and we went over the top of Clingman¢s Dome, the highest point on the AT. The worst part was coming down the other side. There was a lot of snow and it was thawing and re-freezing. It all flowed down the trail and the trail was a jumble of rocks and ice. It was very treacherous. I made it without falling but got to the shelter just as it was getting dark. Bulldog fell. He said he just laid there and figured out nothing was broken but he continued to just lay there because it felt better than continuing hiking. He made it after me. He is a super nice guy. Retired Navy Seal. He is only 66, so a young guy. Got some pictures and videos from Clingman¢s Dome. Rain was coming but we still had some good views. Slept in the shelter because rain was to start at 2 AM, and it did. It poured! The shelters have metal roofs and the sound was deafening.
Date: 2022-02-22
From: Mt Collins Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 5.82
Weather: overcast clouds

February 22 Mt Collins Shelter to Newfound Gap. Today was relatively easy day. Only hiked 5.82 miles down to Newfound Gap. Still had to deal with ice and snow and rocks but it was short. All week Al was worried that TN441, the only road through the park would be closed. Sure enough, when we got up in morning our shuttle driver texted that the road was closed because of high winds. Just to prove there is karma and it still works, when we got there we were met by a trail angel named Iceman. He said he was there since yesterday and he saw Hollis when he came through. The two talked and it turns out Iceman is from Lancaster, same as Hollis. Hollis told him we were a day behind him so Iceman decided to wait because he was aware they were closing the road. He slept overnight in his truck at Newfound Gap to wait for us so he could give us a ride to Gatlinburg! Whatever kindness we showed to Hollis was paid back immediately because we didn¢t have to wait 12 hours in the bathrooms for the road to reopen. Iceman said a ranger asked him what he was up to and he said he was waiting for us so he let Iceman stay. Iceman has the exact same truck I do. A 2021 Toyota Tacoma with a six foot bed and the color was cement, just like mine. He has a cap on the back and he sleeps in the bed. We made it safely to Gatlinburg and I stayed at the Hampton Inn. Got laundry done, resupply etc. had a nice dinner with Eric and Mushroom, Al and Sandra, and Pete and I. Lauren and Cory got married today!  Ian was the only person in attendance.  Long story here.
Date: 2022-02-23
From: Newfound Gap

To: Peck's Corner Shelter
Miles today: 10.69
Weather: light rain

February 23Newfound Gap to Peck¢s Corner Shelter.  Medium hard day today. 10.69 miles.  It was supposed to rain all day so I put my poncho and pack cover on. It ended up being a beautiful day!  Had to take all that stuff off because I got extremely hot. Was supposed to hit 58 in the mountains.  It was probably the best hiking day so far. After a long steep climb we hiked along the ridge for miles and we had amazing views when the sun came out.  Also hiked through forests of hemlock which were stunning. I tried to take pictures and videos to capture some of the beauty but I am not sure they really portray what we saw today. Got passed by two ladies today. It was still very icy today at the beginning and I was standing still trying to figure out how to get around the icy path. Both of them just walked along the side so I followed them.  One of the ladies is thru hiking the AT and the other is driving an RV to support her.  In places where the AT doesn¢t cross major roads the thru hiker lady has to sleep in a tent or shelter.  She plans to go from Newfound Gap to Davenport Gap in 2 days, a distance of 35 miles!  This is her 4th attempt to hike the AT.  Later in the week I saw these two again and talked with the lady driving the RV again.  It turns out she went to Centerville High School!  What a small world.  Hollis is staying in this shelter!  It was good to catch up with him after our brief chat yesterday.  Bulldog is here too, as well as Al and Sandra and Eric, Mushroom and Pete. Saw 3 flocks of turkeys on our drive to Newfound Gap. At least 50 birds in total.
Date: 2022-02-24
From: Peck's Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 13.09
Weather: overcast clouds

February 24Peck¢s Corner Shelter to Cosby Knob Shelter.  Very hard today. 13.09 miles. Lots of climbing. Went above 6,000 feet again. As beautiful as yesterday was today was the exact opposite. It was cloudy and misty and raining most of the time. I took some pictures of the views and all you can see is mist. I also took pictures of the hemlock forests. They were still beautiful and kind of spooky.  Near the end we went through  a rhododendron forest. They were different than the ones I saw in Georgia. I tried to take pictures and videos to capture some of sights.  Can¢t believe tomorrow I will be through the Smokies.  They were scary and intimidating, mainly because of weather concerns. But tomorrow they will be behind me. Same crew as last night. We are at Crosby Knob Shelter. I am sleeping in the shelter because it supposed to rain again tonight and tomorrow Pete got word today that his brother in law passed away. It is a sad story but Pete said he had been sick for decades with MS.  He will leave the trail tomorrow.  Now I will be the oldest in this group.  Pete had me beat by one year. He is 68.  Bulldog is 66. Eric and Mushroom organized a group photo. I will post that too.
Date: 2022-02-25
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: broken clouds

February 25Cosby Knob Shelter to Standing Bear Farm and then to Newport, TN.  Today was a moderate day. 10.40 miles. We exited the Smokies!  Weather wise it was rainy day. When it rains as hard as it did, the trail becomes a stream. All the water just flows right down it. Was very wet. Not too cold but will be cold tonight and tomorrow. Tried to get pictures of the trail with the water just streaming down it.  The trail really acts as a gutter to collect all the water.  I learned a lot from hiking the Smokies. One is that if you focus on how hard everyone tells you it will be you psyche your self out. All you can do is put one foot in front of the other and keep going.  Another is to just try to take in the beauty of nature as you pass through.  That can be challenging when it seems you have been hiking uphill for hours in the rain and cold. Got picked up near Standing Bear Farm by a shuttle driver whose trail name is Stripper.  It comes from when she was working on a trail crew and she was the fastest tree bark stripper on the crew.  She says she always tell young children her trail name is tree bark stripper.  Stayed at the Holiday Inn Express in Newport with Al and Sandra and Pete.  We went to Ruby Tuesday for dinner and it was great to have a salad.
Date: 2022-02-26
From: Newport, TN Holiday Inn Express

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

February 26Newport, TN to Roaring Fork Shelter.  Very tough day. 15.30 miles. Lots of climbing. Over 5,500 of elevation gain. Nothing hurt and I felt pretty good so I just kept going. Also was really no place to stop. They closed 8 miles of the trail to tenting because of bear activity and then no camping on Max Patch for two years because of overuse. Climbed Max Patch. Beautiful views. Have some videos. Rain was freezing on the signs when I summited. At Roaring Fork Shelter with 7 others. Pouring down rain. Rained most of the day. Very cold freezing rain. We had some guy come to the shelter at 6:30 or so. The shelter was full. He slept under the shelter. Shocked everyone.   There was about a 3 foot crawl space in the back and he got in there. Everyone wondered about all the spiders and mice and who knows what else might be under there. He was ok and left early this morning. He was a super nice guy and was doing big mileage.  He did 22 miles to get there. His trail name is ¢Machine¢.  I ran into him several times in the next few days, especially around Hot Springs.  He is from Virginia. He plans to finish by July 1.  Bulldog said he hopes to to finish by June 2023.  Bulldog is doing ok too.
Date: 2022-02-27
To: Campsite at mile 267.5
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: light rain

February 27Roaring Fork Shelter to Campsite at mile 267.5.  Medium day today. 10.4 miles.  The rain finally stopped.  At a campsite at mile 267.5 by myself. Some of the group were planning to go 18+ miles and go all the way to Hot Springs. Others were going to the next small shelter about 4+ miles further on. My leg started hurting a little. Nothing big just needed to stop. Did 15.3 miles yesterday and it was probably my hardest day yet. Did 10.5 miles today.  Not as much climbing. Have about 7.5 miles to make it to Hot Springs so hopefully an easier day. My tent is much warmer than the shelters and much cleaner. The shelters are dirty - just with dirt that everyone drags in when then walk on the floor where you set up your sleeping pad and bag.
Date: 2022-02-28
To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 7.43
Weather: clear sky

February 28Campsite at mile 267.5 to Laughing Heart Lodge, Hot Springs.  Hiked  7.43 miles to Hot Springs. Relatively easy day.  Took a few pictures.  Beautiful day!  Met up with Hollis!  He is staying at the hostel.  We walked to downtown Hot Springs and ate at a really good deli type restaurant.  Had quinoa and sweet potato salad and Key Lime Pie.  Stopped at Dollar General with Hollis on the way back.  Bought him a package of markers so he could do sketching on the trail.  He owes me a sketch so I can sell it on eBay when he becomes world famous.  Had the ¢Firefly¢ room at the Laughing Heart Lodge. Tried to book a room for tomorrow night but was told the lodge is sold out. So tomorrow I have to move to the hostel.
Date: 2022-03-02
From: Allen Gap

To: Jones Meadow
Miles today: 16.41
Weather: clear sky

March 2Sam¢s Gap to Devil¢s Fork Gap and Allen Gap to Jones Meadow.  Slack packed 16.41 miles.  Very tired at the end. Beautiful day. Warm and sunny. Got some nice pictures. Part of the trail went through private land and there is a monument describing the gift of the land. Usually have been in Pisgah and Cherokee National Forests.
Date: 2022-03-03
From: Jones Meadow

To: Devil's Fork Gap
Miles today: 14.01
Weather: clear sky

March 3Jones Meadow to Devil¢s Fork Gap.  Slack pack 14.01 miles today. Fairly hard. Had to scramble (using my hands to help climb over rocks) twice. The first scramble got me to the ridge line and some nice pictures. The second went up a mountain called Big Butt. It was really hard to tell where the trail went and I ended up climbing to a ledge that went nowhere and then had to come back down and search for the trail. Eventually found it and continued on. It was a beautiful day to be in woods. Very warm. High was 69.  Blue sky and sunny. When I come back to the trail after Texas, I¢ll need much lighter clothes.
Date: 2022-03-04
From: Sam's Gap

To: Spivey Gap
Miles today: 13.56
Weather: clear sky

March 4Sam¢s Gap to Spivey Gap.  Slack packed 13.56 miles. Climbed Big Bald. Definitely the best views so far for the whole trip. I took videos and panorama pictures and regular pictures to try to capture the view. Beautiful warm spring day.  Some rock climbing today near the top of Big Bald and later at High Rocks. Similar to yesterday¢s scramble but shorter and not as intense.
Date: 2022-03-05
From: Spivey Gap

To: Unaka Springs Road
Miles today: 10.83
Weather: clear sky

Spivey Gap to Unaka Springs Road. Not a long day or necessarily a hard day but I am exhausted. Hiked 10.83 miles. Last day on the trail for a while. Staying at the Sleep Inn near Tri-Cities Airport and will pick up a one way rental to drive back to Ohio. No high views like the last couple of days but there were still many beautiful things to see. I passed through a number of rhododendron tunnels and they were particularly nice. It was a beautiful warm spring day and very nice to pass through them. I tried to take pictures to capture how cool they are. On the walk down to road 19E, you can see the Nolichucky River and some of the development leading to the town of Erwin, TN, which is about 4 miles away. My IT band has been bothering me. Hopefully this break will get it time to heal and strengthen.
Date: 2022-03-25
From: Unaka Springs Road

To: Campsite at mile 357.6
Miles today: 13.53
Weather: clear sky

First day back on the trail since March 6.  Almost didn¢t make it. Yesterday I picked up a rental car to drive to Kingsport, TN. I spoke with the lady at the Herrz counter at Tri-cities airport to confirm they were open until 11 PM. I asked her where I should refill the gas tank. She said Shell was the closest gas station to the airport. I got gas and when I got out I left the keys in the car and the doors locked. My phone was on the front passenger seat. The guy running the convenience store let me borrow his phone and I called Hertz and after evaluating several options, and about 75 minutes, a locksmith called Pop-a-lock came and opened the door. I got the car returned at 10:50 and got about 6 hours of sleep before getting picked up at 7 AM. Today was a good but tough day. 13.53 miles and over 4,600 feet of elevation gain. Started at the Nolichucky River by Uncle Johnny¢s at about 1,600 feet and ended at a campsite just below the summit of Unaka Mountain at about 4,900 feet. Hiked through Beauty Spot, which is a bald with panoramic views. Ran into some trail magic today. Renee and David pulled their truck up a forest service road and set up a kitchen, making grilled ham and cheese sandwiches, heated honey buns, as well as assorted fruit, drinks and other snacks. I had the sandwich and honey bun and they were delicious.  David said they do trail magic as a way to tell people about our Savior, Jesus Christ, and then told a story about when he hiked the Camino de Santiago in Spain. The trail is much busier than when I left. I was passed by at least 8 hikers, although tonight I am in this particular campsite by myself.Met a thru hiker at trail magic from Wales. His trail name is Taffy, and he said in the UK, Taffy is used to designate someone from Wales. Interesting fellow. Now lives in Colombia, South America. He is doing big miles - he said he just did back to back 22 mile days - so I don¢t think I will see him again. It is COLD!  The next two nights it¢s supposed to be in the mid to low 20¢s and then in 4 days the highs are in the 70¢s.
Date: 2022-03-26
From: Campsite at mile 357.6

To: Iron Mountain gap
Miles today: 6.81
Weather: light rain

Done hiking for the day. It was very cold last night. I couldn¢t fall asleep it was so cold - in the mid 20s - and there was a high wind advisory  I swapped out my winter sleeping bag and pad for 3 season versions. They will be fine when lows are in the 30s and 40s but not low 20s and teens, which is what is forecast for the next couple of days. If I managed to doze off I woke up shivering, mainly because cold from the ground was coming up through my sleeping pad. When I got up there was snow on my tent and the ground. Not a lot but I heard it all night pinging off my tent. I have some pictures. It is supposed to be in the teens tonight with a wind of 15-20 mph so around 6 AM I texted my shuttle driver and asked if he could pick me up at the closest gap where the trail crosses a road. He said yes and picked me up at 1 PM. I hiked 6.8 miles to get to Iron Mountain gap. I went over Unaka Mountain with pine and spruce forests at the top. Very beautiful especially with a little snow. I have a few other pictures from today¢s hike I¢ll try to post. Zack, my shuttle driver dropped me at the Super 8 motel in Erwin.  It¢s basic but within walking distance of a Food City that has a salad bar and cut fruit. I did laundry too. I am going to slack pack 16 miles tomorrow and then get back on the trail on Monday when the low warms up to 32.
Date: 2022-03-27
From: Iron Mountain gap

To: CarverÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs gap
Miles today: 16.24
Weather: clear sky

Beautiful cold day today. Hiked 16.24 miles with over 5,200 feet of ascent. Went over Roan Mountain, but didn¢t start the ascent until mile 11, so near the end. It is the last mountain with elevation over 6,000 until New Hampshire. Roan Mountain was beautiful at the top. Huge pine and spruce forest again but still very cold and windy. I have pictures of the ice on the trail and along the trail that I will post. There was an old luxury hotel near the top called the Cloudland Hotel. It was built in the late 1800¢s. People took a train to get close and then a horse and buggy the last 12 miles to the top. Nothing there now except a crumbling foundation wall and a flat area. Looking at pictures on the plaque they have describing the hotel, it looks like The Shining. Someone put an American Flag on the trail. No explanation. Also got a picture of wild flowers coming up through the snow.
Date: 2022-03-28
From: CarverÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs gap

To: Mountain Harbor 
Miles today: 14.81
Weather: scattered clouds

Carver¢s Gap to Mountain Harbor Probably the most scenic or one of the most scenic hikes so far. The Roan Highlands are beautiful!  I think what makes them so unique are the views for such an extended period of time. Hiked 14.81 miles today. It was very cold and windy to start. It warmed up a little as the day went on. Also, the ground is still frozen and when the sun came out and the temperature got above freezing, the top layer of mud started to melt and it was slippery in spots. There was still ice on the trail too.  I have some pictures of the ice. Got a number of panorama shots and videos to try to capture the day. It was basically a series of balds - mountain tops with no trees - for miles. Because of the lack of trees on the higher elevations, I had 360 degree views all day. I got a picture of a shelter along the way - the Stan Murray shelter and a distant shot of an old barn along a trail that was used during the Revolutionary War times that has been updated and turned into a shelter for AT hikers.  Stan Murray was a forest service employee and leader of the Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy. Also, I think I am through North Carolina!  I posted a picture of the sign saying leaving North Carolina. So two states down and 12 to go. Staying at the Mountain Harbor B&B tonight. It is 0.2 miles off the trail. It is very nice. One of the  owners is from Springfield, OH and her sister lives in Centerville near Bill Yeck park.  What a small world!