morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-04-03
From: Ice water Springs Shelter

To: Tri Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: broken clouds

Tri Corner Knob Shelter 12.5 milesSince the shelter was full to the gills last night, I waited for someone else to move before getting up about 7 am. I left by 7:40. It was a nice morning. I walked down about a mile to Charlie's Bunion. It was a rock outcropping with a superb view. I stayed a half hour, then went on. It was a nice walk. At Bradley's view I stopped to get a rock out of my shoe. The view was so good, I decided to make it a lunch break. I stayed almost an hour. After my break I went down to the Peck's Corner Shelter trail where I stopped to refill my water. About 10 minutes after leaving I felt a few drops of rain and heard thunder. I wondered about going back to the shelter but I thought it would pass quickly. About 30 minutes later it was raining and thundering, I had to stop and put my pack cover and rain coat on. I walked on in the rain. Fortunately it never poured, and it stopped after about an hour. A while later I ran into some southbound hikers and they said they never got rained on. Thunderstorms in the mountains are all about location, location, location. I took my rain jacket back off even though I could still see threatening clouds and hear thunder. I reached Tri Corner Knob Shelter about 3 pm without further rain. Secrets, Shananigans, KD, and CapsLock were already there. About a half hour after reaching the shelter another thunderstorm came through and it rained almost continuously the rest of the evening. I was glad to already be at the shelter and dry. The damp air and cool temperatures made it feel cold even with dry clothes on. About 5 pm, 4 horsemen arrived. Horses are allowed on the AT in the Smokies. They were volunteers from the local horsemen club and were out clearing blow downs along the AT and other trails. They tied their horses up down below the shelter and came in. It must be nice to use a horse to get around. They had a horse for each man plus an extra horse just to carry their gear. They had all kinds of heavy clothes, sleeping bags, fresh food, stoves, and even a Dutch oven. They probably carried a few hundred pounds of equipment and food into the shelter; stuff no backpacker could ever carry. They were real nice guys, more my age than the other backpackers here. I enjoyed talking to them. They shared the last of their beef stew with me too. Several other backpackers arrived so the shelter has 13 people and is mostly full. Today is 3 weeks since I started on the trail. I have completed 222 miles. So I passed the 10% complete mark today. I enjoy it when it's warm and dry, but I dislike it when it's cold and wet like tonight. It had better dry out and warm up soon.
Date: 2012-04-05
From: Standing Bear Farm Hostel

To: Standing Bear Farm Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Standing Bear Farm Hostel - Zero day, The weather report says rain today and tonight, then a bunch of really nice days. I just couldn't see walking in the rain when I could just stay here so I decided to stay. Around noon we got our first rain but it only lasted a half hour. Then about 5pm the thunderstorms started. I thought I could have made a good days hike by then, but then as today's hikers started arriving, they were all soaked. They had been walking in the rain for hours. Even though it wasn't raining here in the valley at the hostel, it was raining up on the mountain. Besides, this is such a nice place I enjoyed staying here. I played cards with other hikers and enjoyed a day off. Similar to the past week in the Smokies, I didn't have a cell phone signal here. Since I had a signal a few miles back when I crossed I-40, I went a mile back down the hill to get a signal. While there I updated the online journal through yesterday. With the limited cell phone coverage in the mountains I don't get to keep the online journal as up to date as I would like. I write an entry on my phone each day but I have to wait until I have a cell signal to update it online. While I was sitting there I watched the thunderstorms approach. I rushed to finish at least the text updates. Pictures take longer and need a stronger signal than I had, so I didn't get to them. It started to rain as I started back. I pulled on the rain jacket I had brought just in case and ran back to the hostel. I didn't want to get my camp clothes wet. It rained lightly as I ran but I beat the worst of the rain, so it worked out OK. The hostel was overflowing with people last night. I shared a pizza with Precious and drank several root beers. Once again the group was interesting and I enjoyed myself.
Date: 2012-04-07
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: clear sky

Hot Springs NC, 18.0 milesIt was cold last night. Down around freezing. When I got up I had to put on warm clothes. I hurriedly packed up and left about 7:30. I started walking fast and hard in order to warm up. It took about an hour to get warm. Then I finally stopped and took off a layer of clothes. I hiked on to Walnut Mountain Shelter where I stopped for my first snack of the day. Tortoise & Hare as well as a few other hikers were still there from the night before. We talked. Dakota Dan rolled in. They all left and I was still there. I left and climbed Bluff Mountain where I tried to call the hotel in Hot Speings to reserve a room for tonight (Easter weekend ) but I couldn't get a cell signal. I continued on till I saw Dakota Dan sitting on the side of the trail snacking. He called and was able to reserve a room, so we will share one there tonight. We hiked pretty quickly from there all the way to town, my second 18 mile day. I guess the call of restaurant food and a bed puts a little something extra in your step. We got a room at the Iron Horse Inn, an old but nice establishment. We ate in their restaurant where I enjoyed a grilled salmon dinner. Afterwards we walked around town and talked to many thru hikers.
Date: 2012-04-08
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Hot Springs NC, 3rd zero day. Another zero day. That's 2 within only a few days. Today was beautiful weather wise. The problem is today is Easter Sunday, and I have a package at the Post Office which will not open until tomorrow morning. So I have a nice day off. Well at least Hot Springs is a nice little town. A lot of hikers take a day off here. It's not a very large town, population 600. It has everything a hiker wants: hostel, hotel, a campground, a couple restaurants, Outfitter, a small food store, a tavern, and of course the hot springs. The whole town is about 1/2 mile from end to end and the trail goes right through the 'downtown'. You see hikers everywhere; at the Outfitter, at the store, at the restaurant and tavern. Everyone is so friendly. It's not like being in New Jersey with so many people; everybody so busy, and no body talks to you. This is small town America. We moved from the Iron Horse Hotel to a room above the Spring Creek Tavern. The room last night only had 1 bed so Dakota Dan slept on the floor. But it was the only room available last night. Tonight we are sharing a room with 2 beds. I stopped at the Outfitter and bought a new dry sack for my clothes. When I put the previous cheap one from Walmart in the washer, the buckle tore off. I don't have a way to fix it so I bought a new one. I also saw a better pair of gloves than what I had. This pair has a lightweight insulating glove and a separate waterproof outer shell. It weighs about the same as my previous ones, but is better under varying weather conditions. So I bought them and will send the other pair home. The box at the Post Office I am waiting for has a lighter sleeping bag. My current one is rated for 0 degrees, the one at the PO is rated 20 degrees and is about 12 ounces lighter. The only problem is the forecast says it is going to get colder. It says the low temperature on Tuesday and Wednesday will be 32 in Hot Springs which will be in the 20s on the mountains. I am a cold sleeper. I am never comfortable down to any manufacturers sleeping bag rating. I am still debating whether to switch bags as planned, or keep what I have and send the 20 degree bag ahead to a future town. I will have to decide when the PO opens tomorrow morning. Dakota Dan, Who The Dickens, and I made a 5:45 appointment for the Hot Springs Spa. A naturally occurring warm mineral spring feeds the baths which are really hot tubs, each surrounded by a privacy fence. OK, I'm back from the spa. Like I thought it is a hot tub filled with mineral water from a naturally occurring hot spring with minerals. Dakota Dan, Who the Dickens, and I had 1 hour in the tub. Very soothing. I feel very relaxed now. By splitting the cost between the 3 of us, it was only $9 each. Well worth it. Hot Springs is a lot quieter tonight than last night. That was a Saturday night, today is a Sunday. Last night there was live music from the tavern and from the Iron Horse Station restaurant. Tonight they are just quiet eating establishments.
Date: 2012-04-09
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

Spring Mountain Shelter. 11.0 milesUp at 7, and to the diner for breakfast at 7:30. I had a good breakfast with Dakota Dan and GrandBob and still have time to waste before the post office opens at 9. At 9 I picked up my package. I forgot I had food in the box. I bought food yesterday. Now I have twice what I need; more than I am going to carry. I went through everything, and only kept a few things, the rest I left at the utfitter for other thru hikers to take. My 20 degree sleeping bag was also at the PO. I was going to swap my 0 degree bag for the 20 degree bag, but based on the weather forecast I forwarded it on to Damascus, about 190 miles ahead. I'll keep my 0 degree bag a little longer. After taking care of everything, I finally left Hot Springs at 10:45. The trail leaves town and follows the French Broad River before climbing up the mountain. There are several good views looking back at the river and town from above. I just couldn't seem to get moving today. My pack is heavy from resupply and I didn't swap much out to lighten it up like I planned. I took a lunch break at Tanyard Gap, but that didn't help either. I struggled uphill almost all day. I reached the shelter at 4:30. I am sharing the shelter with Mouse, Options, GrandBob, and Einstein and Lime Green. Dakota Dan and others are camping nearby.
Date: 2012-04-10
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Jerry's Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Jerry's Cabin. 15.4 miles 300 miles from Springer MountainMouse was up at 5:30. She barely makes any noise; she's quiet as a mouse. I got up at 6:20. Mouse left at 6:35 and still needed a head lamp. I left at 7:00, it was plenty light by then. The first few miles were nice. When I reached Allen Gap, there was a sign for Trail Magic 350 yards down the road. They had Belguim waffles and a bunch of other stuff. I thought about it, but I want to eat from my pack so it will get lighter; so I went on by without stopping. Later when I saw everyone else, they all raved about the food. I hiked up to the Little Laurel Shelter where I stopped for a snack. It has been getting colder instead of warmer as the day goes by. Depending on the side of the mountain, the wind was was blowing hard. I walked on. I had to stop and put a long sleeve Under Armour on to stay warm. Finally I reached White Rocks. White Rocks is an exposed rocky ridge with great views, but a very difficult rocky path. I went over the rocks very slowly, taking my time and enjoying the views. I reached Jerry's Cabin Shelter about 3 pm. It was great to be there. Mouse and Lime Green were already there. I got a snack and settled in. This shelter has a fireplace on the side stone wall and Mouse had started a fire in it. I hope it will help keep things warm tonight since it will be cold tonight. I am sharing the shelter with Mouse, LimeGreen, GrandBob, Professor Oak, LemyLunks and 2 others. Dakota Dan and others are camping nearby. Today I reached 300 miles from Springer Mountain. Another milestone.
Date: 2012-04-11
From: Jerry's Cabin Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: broken clouds

Hogback Ridge Shelter. 14.7 milesIt was cold last night! I had to pull my pants on over my shorts even in a zero degree bag. I'm a cold sleeper. I didn't want to get up this morning but I finally did. Brrrrr! I packed up and left wearing my shorts plus rain pants, my tee shirt, long sleeve Under Armour and rain jacket, plus my knit hat and gloves. That's the most I have worn hiking. Even with all that on, I was cold whenever I was in the wind. I didn't take any of it off for the first 5 miles. I needed it just to stay reasonably warm. After the first 5 miles, I exchanged my knit hat for my ball cap and took off the rain pants. I wore the long sleeve until afternoon and never took the rain jacket off all day. The cold put me in the wrong frame of mind. I didn't get my shoes tied right before I left, and my pack was all lopsided, but I refused to stop walking to fix it. Tonight I have my first hot spots on my feet because of it. That was a bad move. I hiked to Flint Mountain Shelter and stopped for a very quick lunch. Then I took a 2nd quick snack on the long climb a few miles before Hogback Ridge Shelter. There were a few nice views along the way, but I was too cold to stop and look or take a picture. So I don't take any pictures today. Hogback Ridge Shelter is full tonight, plus people are camping all over. I have had all my clothes plus my jacket on ever since I got to camp and I am still cold. I will be going to bed shortly, and it will be another cold night. The forecast for Erwin TN is 28 degrees and it's always colder up here. Also, the wind is still blowing so the wind chill is still lower.
Date: 2012-04-13
From: Spivey Gap

To: Erwin, TN - Uncle Johnnie's Hostel
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: broken clouds

Erwin TN; Uncle Johnnie's Hostel. 10.7 miles1 month - 341 milesLast night wasn't as cold as the previous 2 nights, but it was still cold. Probably upper 20s or 30. I was up at 6:35 but didn't leave until 7:30. It takes longer when I have to pack up a tent. My tent needs better ventilation. The inside was completely wet this morning with condensation from my breath even though it did not rain. My sleeping bag was wet from it also. Not the insulation, but the outer shell material. I am using a single wall Tarp tent. It only has a single waterproof piece of fabric; not a standard 2 wall tent, which has a tent plus a rain fly. It weighs 24 ounces instead of about 50 ounces for a normal 1 man tent. I had pitched the tent high so I would get ventilation through the netting under the sides between the wall and the floor, but that wasn't enough. Next time I will need to leave the door open. I hiked up to the next shelter where I did see Mouse, Lime Green and Dakota Dan had all signed the register indicating that they were there last night. I had a quick snack and walked in to Uncle Johnnie's Hostel in Erwin, TN, arriving at 12:30, making it a 10.7 mile day. There I saw Mouse, Lime Green and Dakota Dan. They asked if I wanted to be the fourth person in a 4 man cabin they were getting. Well of course I did!It felt good to get a shower, then wash my clothes and put on clean clothes. I had to wear my rain pants and jacket while my clothes were washing. As a thru hiker you can only carry a limited amount of clothes. Everything you carry adds to the weight of your pack. I have clothes to hike in which I use every single day, day after day. And a limited amount of dry clothes for night and warmth. So when I wash my clothes I have nothing else to wear except my rain jacket and pants until they finish washing. In the evening the hostel shuttles hikers into town to eat dinner, to resupply, and do any other town chores they need to do. We ate at a Mexican restaurant and then I went to the IGA to buy food for the next 4 day segment. Today completes 1 month that I have been on the trail. I have hiked 341 miles. My average distance per day is steadily increasing so I am happy with my progress. Currently my pace would appear to be too slow, but as my mileage increases it will be sufficient. The Southern & Northern mountains are difficult. The middle states are relatively easy. So when I get to Central Virginia, things will get easier. When I get to Pennsylvania and New Jersey it will be like a walk in the park, and my mileage will increase still more.
Date: 2012-04-14
From: Erwin, TN - Uncle Johnies Hostel

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.5

Cherry Gap Shelter. 17.5 milesI slept good in a bed. I didn't get up until almost 7. I fooled around and didn't leave until 7:45. The early miles were easy, up to the first shelter. BP was sitting there eating and Slim was laying down in the shelter. He did 32 miles yesterday and is taking a zero day today. BP was lamenting his relationship with Step Ahead. She wants to do 19 today and has already left BP behind. Their relationship is in turmoil. From the shelter I climbed uphill to the Beauty Spot. It's a nice grassy bald with an excellent view. You can see Erwin in the distance, where we were last night. I laid in the grass thinking about staying the night there. After a half hour Dakota Dan showed up. He stopped for a break, and then was ready to leave to hike to the next shelter. I was torn. It was only 1 pm and I wanted to hike with Dan, but I also wanted to just stay there. I got up and hiked on with Dan after spending about an hour there. We hiked and talked all the way to the shelter arriving about 5 pm. Mouse and Lime Green were there. Shortly later Smooth Sailing and Sit A Bit showed up, then Doc.
Date: 2012-04-15
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: clear sky

Roan High Knob Shelter. 16.4 hard milesUp at 6:30, gone at 7:05. Walked to Apple Orchard campsite where Santa & Gnome were camping. I stopped and talked to them for 1/2 hour. They are from upstate NY and were really nice people. Sit A Bit went by, then Dakota Dan came along. I had to get up and walk at that point. We walked together until the next shelter. I relaxed and ate for almost an hour. Dakota Dan had already left long before I finally did. I hiked over to the base of Roan Mountain where the big uphill starts. Roan Mountain is a 2200 foot steep climb. It took me 2 1/2 hours and wore me out, but I reached Roan High Knob shelter at 4:30. The shelter is old, dirty, dark, and smells inside. Many people preferred to camp rather than use the shelter. I shared the shelter with Birdman (the young one) and Caveman. During the night Smooth Sailing and Mouse moved in because the clouds descended on the summit.
Date: 2012-04-16
From: Roan High Knob Shelter

To: Over Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Over Mountain Shelter. 7.3 milesUp. At 6:10, out at 6:40. I left early so I could have time to enjoy the Roan Highlands and still make 17 miles to the Mountain Harbour Hostel in Roan TN at a reasonable time. Smooth Sailing left at the same time. We walked across Jane Bald together. It was a great view but very windy which made it feel cold. We reached Stan Murray Shelter a little after 9 am. I spent a half hour there and had a snack. While sitting there, Mouse, then Lime Green, and finally Sit A Bit arrived. Each sat for a few minutes and left again before Smooth Sailing or I left. Eventually I left and hiked 2 more miles to the side trail for Over Mountain Shelter. I needed water so I went down. When I reached the water, I could see the shelter. I remembered how nice the view was from the shelter when I stayed there during my section hike, so I left my pack at the water source and walked over. I took some pictures and started back. Smooth Sailing was just walking up to the shelter. As we passed each other, he saw the shelter and the view, and he said he was going to take a zero day here. I walked another 100 feet back to the water thinking about his comment. Then I filled my water bottle, picked up my pack, and walked back to the shelter again. I was sold. It's really not a zero day since we did 7.5 miles, I'm not even sure it's short enough to call it a nero day (nero is a near zero day), but it is definitely a short day. It was 10:30 AM. I enjoyed sitting around enjoying the view, collecting firewood, and eating several times. While talking with Smooth Sailing I learned that I had actually met him a year ago. He mentioned AlwaysFine, my long time friend whom I completed my section hike with. So I asked how he knew AlwaysFine. He said he met him last May (2011) at Raush Gap Shelter in PA while AlwaysFine was doing a thru hike and he was camped next to the shelter. I was at that shelter that night also. I told him my real name is Dave, and I probably introduced myself that way at the time since I was just out for a 4 day walk with AlwaysFine. Then memories came back for both of us with the realization that we had met a year earlier but didn't remember it till now. Later, a new batch of thru hikers arrived to spend the night. Tonight we have Medicine Man, Einstein, Drop Out, Sole Man, Sling Shot, Frenchie, and a couple others in addition to myself and Smooth Sailing. Everyone sat around the fire talking about their day. It was the end of an excellent day.
Date: 2012-04-17
From: Over Mountain Shelter

To: Mountain Harbour Hostel - Roan Mountain, TN
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: light rain

Roan TN - Mountain Harbor Hostel 9.2 milesI was awake at 6 and could see Hump Mountain was in the clouds. It looked like the clouds would lift in a few hours, so I turned over and went back to sleep until 7. At 7 Hump Mountain was still in the clouds, but you could tell the clouds were lifting, so I got up. I was packed up and gone by 7:30. First you climb Big Yellow Mountain, then Little Hump. Both were in the clouds as I crossed over the summits. By the time I reached Bradley Gap between Little Hump and Hump Mountain, the clouds were pulling away from their peaks. From the gap you could see the summit of Hump Mountain about a mile away. It is a grassy bald all the way from the gap to about a mile past the summit. I climbed to the summit. It was 10:30. I sat down for a nice well deserved snack and to enjoy the 360 degree view. I stayed there for about 45 minutes. Then I walked about a half mile down the bald where I stopped for another chance to enjoy the view before leaving. While on the bald I was able to get the weather forecast. Rain starting this afternoon, then tonight and all day tomorrow. At least I will reach the hostel tonight before it rains. The walk down from the bald was easy and quick. I reached the road at 1 pm and went 0.3 miles west to the hostel. There I had lunch, then got a shower and washed my clothes. The place is small with 4 bunks, a semi separate room with a double bed and a pull out sofa bed. That's it. The couch was in the common area along with a sink, refrigerator, and stove. It started to rain about 3 pm but I was already here and dry, so that is OK. About 5 pm they shuttled us to town for dinner. We ate at a pizza joint in Roan. Roan doesn't offer a lot of choices: pizza, a barbeque (which was closed tonight), and Dairyland. Tonight there are 9 of us here: SOS, his wife, Trail Momma, Jack, Einstein, Connect 4, SlingShot, Frenchie, Medicine Man, and myself.