morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-03-23
From: Woody Gap

To: Neel Gap
Miles today: 10.7

Today there was no way I could face a rugged ascent and descent over Blood Mountain, so I called Mountain Crossings [a famous hikers' store right on the A.T.] the trail and they gave me the phone numbers of several shuttles. When we hit Woody Gap, my brother kept hiking while I got picked up by Sam, a very friendly (and talkative) driver and he drove me to the Mountain Crossings store at Neel Gap (cost: $30).I paid for a bed in the 18-bed hostel, but they would not book a bed for my brother who was hiking all day until he actually arrived. Rather than risk him being left out in the cold, I walked down the street about 1/4 mile and booked us a cabin at Blood Mountain Cabins, then got a refund on my bed at the hostel.I enjoyed hanging out all day, both at the cabin and in front of Mountain Crossings, chatting with other hikers. I got one of the store's famous pack shake-downs [take EVERYTHING out of your pack, and one of their staff separates all your items into two piles: keep, and send home]. They only found 3 lbs. of stuff to send home, so I was pleased that I had done a decent job of packing. My final pack weight (incl. 4 days' food but no water: 29.5 lbs, which they said was good).HIKER SURVIVAL TIP: Yes, request a free shake-down when you get to Mountain Crossings. Lots of people do it, and it is really helpful (but a bit humiliating to have all your underwear and other stuff spread out in their back room for the whole world to see). I believe the UPS driver picked up 40 boxes of stuff to be shipped home the day I was there!
Date: 2014-03-24
From: Neel Gap

To: Hogpen Gap
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: clear sky

Got a late start today because my brother wanted to talk to the staff at Mountain Crossings about some of his equipment. His main purchase was a new tent (we shipped his old tent home) because his 2-person tent was too heavy and complicated to set up. We got on the trail about 11:45am--another beautiful day for hiking. I took it real slow on the first hill (700' elev. gain) and it felt good--I really find the uphills the hardest part of hiking.We got fantastic views from Wildcat Mountain, which is mentioned in lots of books and journal entries from other hikers. We got to Hogpen Gap about 6pm and crossed the highway (GA 348) and hiked another mile or so before spotting a great camping spot just off the trail shortly after 7pm (our deadline for stopping, as it gives us about one hour to set up camp before it gets dark).My supper of ramen noodles with a package of tuna mixed in tasted really good. I have found that the freeze-dried meals wreak havoc on my digestive system--not a good thing when you are on the trail and there are no bathrooms around!The forecast is for overnight freezing temperatures, but we have good sleeping bags, so should be OK (mine is rated 15 degrees and my brother's is zero degrees rating).HIKER SURVIVAL TIP: During the day, change your socks every couple hours (hang the old pair outside your pack to air if it's not raining). This will help prevent blisters (suggestion from one of the staff at Mountain Crossings).
Date: 2014-03-25
From: Hogpen Gap

To: Unicoi Gap
Miles today: 14.3

I woke up several times in the night and thought I heard rain splattering on my tent's rain cover. When I got up about 6:30am to pee, what a surprise: snow! We got about 1/2" in the night--the A.T. is full of surprises...Packed up our stuff and got on the trail about 8:45am. The early morning woods with snow were beautiful, and soon the sun was shining through the trees. We met a Trail Runner shortly after setting out and stopped to chat. These men and women monitor the trail--esp. areas that are heavily-used and/or environmentally sensitive. He said they get paid a modest stipend for their role on the A.T. ("just enough to feed my addiction [hiking] for three months of the year").We got snow flurries several times during the day and, in some places, the wind was really blowing. The thermometer on my pack read 30 degrees for most of the day. We decided to do some big miles (for us) and try to get all the way to Unicoi Gap where the highway (GA 75) crosses the trail. From there, you can hitch a ride into the town of Helen, 9 miles away.Most of the trail today was flat or downhill (my favorites--I get tired on the uphill sections), so we really made good mileage. We stopped at Blue Mountain shelter for a break, and one of the other hikers asked us where we were headed. I said we wanted to reach the highway and catch a ride into Helen--and maybe stay at the Best Western. Amazingly, he had just phoned them and they were sending a shuttle to pick him up at the highway crossing in about 50 minutes. So we phoned Best Western, booked a room, and high-tailed it down the mountain in time to catch the shuttle.The shuttle driver gave us a delightful running commentary on the area and the town of Helen as we drove the nine miles into town. The town is quite charming, and done in a Bavarian theme--similar to Leavenworth, Wash. and Solvang, Calif. After getting settled in our room, we went next door to a restaurant and had supper. I was embarrassed during the meal to realize that "hiker stink" is very real--I was wreaking of foul sweat odor!HIKER SURVIVAL TIP: After several days of hiking, take a shower and change your clothes before appearing in public places where non-hikers are present!
Date: 2014-03-26
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Helen, GA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Today is a zero [no hiking] day in the town of Helen, GA. First stop: the laundromat, then the post office, check out local restaurants, etc.--all the typical activities of hikers hitting a trail town. I couldn't sleep last night--maybe I should have pitched my tent out behind the motel and used it??--so I got up about 4:30am and totally revised this trail journal: figured out proper formatting, linking photos with daily entries, adding mileage, etc. Also added a daily hiker's tip, based on all the lessons I'm learning from more experienced hikers.HIKER'S SURVIVAL TIP: Hike the Trail YOUR way--not somebody else's. ("Hike your own hike.") For example, just because most hikers on this site may be doing 8-10 miles/day doesn't mean you have to do it that way, too. Today is my second "zero day" in a week--certainly not the schedule I had envisioned. But I am really enjoying this A. T. experience--and that's the most important thing, right?
Date: 2014-03-27
From: Unicoi Gap

To: Steeltrap Gap
Miles today: 7.4
Weather: clear sky

After breakfast at the Best Western in Helen, the manager (Carol) drove us back to the trailhead at Unicoi Gap. Trail magic [unsolicited food given to hikers from benevolent strangers] was happening big-time in the trailhead parking lot--there were hikers buzzing around tables of food like bees around a honeycomb! But Wynott and I knew we had a long steep climb just ahead--and we were already so loaded down with food that we skipped it.Later, on the trail, three guys caught up with us, and they were grinning ear-to-ear with all the good stuff--including burgers!--that they had either eaten at the trailhead, or were now carrying in their backpacks.On the trail, we also saw three other young male hikers, including one walking barefoot. We stopped for lunch on the descent from Rocky Mountain, then discovered more trail magic at the bottom of the mountain where Indian Grave Gap is intersected by USFS 283. Two married couples were handing out sodas, chocolate bars, cheese, fruit, and other goodies. They said that they only do it one day/year, so we hit it lucky. All of them were avid hikers, and obviously enjoyed talking with those walking the A.T. I stopped at the Tray Mountain shelter to check the register. Sure enough, Trip the Light had signed in the day before--that guy sure puts in the daily miles (Trip is a fellow hiker, also from Seattle, that I got know from this website before starting my A.T. hike.)Getting to the top of Tray Mountain was an unrelenting slog--but we finally made it. On the other side, there were really steep downhill sections, and we trudged on, looking for a place to stealth camp. Finally, right at 7pm (our deadline for stopping so we have enough daylight left to set up camp), we saw a spot and quickly dove into our end-of-day routine: set up the tents, cook supper and hang the bear bags before it gets dark about 8:30pm.The forecast is 100% chance of rain tomorrow--should be fun!HIKER SURVIVAL TIP: If you anticipate a freezing cold night and you have a stove, heat up some water, pour it into a Nalgene bottle, make sure the lid is tight, then put it in the bottom of your sleeping bag--like an old-fashioned hot water bottle. Your sleeping bag will soon be toasty--sweet dreams! (suggestion by one of the staff at Mountain Crossings)LESSONS FROM THE TRAIL: One of the ladies doing trail magic today had done two attempts to thru-hike the Trail. The first time, she fell and broke a knee; the second time, she slipped in Maine and broke an ankle. Now she is planning a 3rd attempt in 2016 to celebrate her 70th birthday! I love to meet inspiring people like her, and hope that I can be the same type of inspiration to others, helping them realize their dreams instead of crushing them with comments like, "You're planning what?..... you're crazy!" (sound familiar?)
Date: 2014-03-28
From: Steeltrap Gap

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 9.3
Weather: light rain

I woke up in the middle of the night to hear the wind roaring through the trees around our tent; it really does sound like a freight train coming (as I've read in other A.T. journals). Then the rains came, but I was snug and dry in my little tent.By the time Wynott and I got up at 6:30am, the rain had stopped, so we quickly packed up everything, including our soggy tents, and hit the trail by 8am.We took a 30-minute break at Addis Gap, then pressed on to Kelly Knob, where we (once again) ran into The Bird (ex-Army guy) and his brother-in-law, Surveyor. Had a good chat with them while we all recovered our breath after the 700' elevation gain on that last hill.I made the 0.3 mile detour to Deep Gap Shelter, but didn't recognize anybody there and nobody else had signed the register all day--I guess it's too far off the "beaten path" for most thru-hikers to visit.At Powell Mountain, I left a voice mail for Gary at the Blueberry Patch Hostel, and then we headed down the mountain (the pick up location doesn't have cell service). When we got to the pick up point (Dicks Creek Gap/US 76), Gary was not there, but I noticed my phone said I had a new voice mail.There was trail magic going on in the parking lot, so I asked one guy where I could get cell service, and he pointed down the highway in the same direction as the new Top of Georgia Hostel. So Wynott and I walked down the highway about 1/4 mile to the Hostel and they had cell service in a "sweet spot" on their front lawn! I retrieved the message--it was Gary saying they were full, so he wouldn't be coming to pick us up. We took a look around the new Top of Georgia Hostel--it is really nice.... it's brand new, only open about a month. The staff are most welcoming. But we decided to pay for a ride to town (Hiawassee), and treat ourselves to another night in a motel.After unpacking all our wet gear and spreading it all around the motel room, we each took a shower, then went next door to an all-you-can-eat buffet. I had a steak dinner--it was fantastic! Now Wynott and I are both catching up on our computer-related chores, then we'll pick up some food at a nearby supermarket and call it a night.HIKER'S SURVIVAL TIP: The trail today was extremely muddy and slippery in places. Using an old trick, I stepped slightly to one side of the trail--rather than walking exactly down the middle--and found the footing was much better. THOUGHTS ON THE TRAIL: For the past couple days, I've been reflecting on Robert Frost's poem (slightly adapted here): "Two [trails] diverged in a yellow wood/And sorry I could not travel both.../I took the one less traveled by,/And that has made all the difference." Sounds like the A.T. to me--relatively few travel it, but what a difference it can make to those of us who are privileged to walk it and learn its lessons.
Date: 2014-03-29
From: Hiawassee, GA

To: Hiawassee, GA
Miles today: 0.0

Wynott and I had a great zero [no hiking] day today. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Express and got all our rain-soaked equipment dried out. I also made trips to Ingalls supermarket for re-supplies, the Laundromat to clean clothes, and the Buckhead House where I bought some new boot laces, a souvenir A.T. patch, etc. Wynott has been having trouble with blisters, so we hopped a shuttle to Struts shoe store (now located about 5 miles NW of Hiawassee) and purchased some new boots (Merrell brand) that I think will work a lot better than his other boots.We also hit Daniel's steak house, which has an AYCE [all you can eat] buffet--their steaks are fabulous. We saw some other tru-hikers there, too. By the way, do you know how to spot a thru-hiker who has been on the Trail for at least a week? Look for these signs:>> male (bonus point if he has a beard)>> scruffy appearance>> wears weird clothes (e.g., long underwear bottoms under orange shorts, with a dirty green T-shirt)>> smells funny>> is wearing crocs or sandals>> heads straight for the AYCE buffet line upon entering a restaurantHIKER'S SURVIVAL TIP: Getting from the Trail to the nearest town can be a challenge. But motels often have a list of phone numbers of locals available to shuttle you. For example, in Hiawassee, the Budget Inn gave us three phone numbers to call, and John (706-896-5584) was coming right to our motel to drop off other hikers, and was happy to take us to Struts shoe store 5 miles out of town, wait while we shopped, then drive us back to our motel (cost: $20). There are usually no taxis in these small towns, so a shuttle ride is your best option if you don't want to hitch-hike.
Date: 2014-03-30
From: Dicks Creek Gap, GA

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter, NC
Miles today: 11.8

Another great day of hiking. John, our shuttle driver, picked us up shortly before 10am and dropped us at Dick's Creek trailhead. We walked lots of uphill and had lunch near Bull Gap. The day's highlight was passing the border into North Carolina about 4:45pm. We stopped just short of the Muskrat Creek shelter and pitched our tent. This area is popular--there were about a dozen other tents nearby.The temperature on the trail today was a high of 50 degrees, but as darkness falls, the thermometer on my pack is reading 30 degrees.HIKER'S SURVIVAL TIP: Don't leave your sweaty socks out overnight to dry. I awoke in the morning to find that a mouse had chewed one of my socks to pieces--apparently he thought the salt from my sweaty feet tasted pretty good!
Date: 2014-03-31
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter, NC

To: Carter Gap Shelter, NC
Miles today: 12.5

One of the day's highlights was running into two other older hikers at Deep Gap (mile marker 85.4). Hawkeye is 68 and Ishmael is 71 years old--both of them seem to be having a great time on the Trail, and we hop-scotched with them both for the rest of the day.The high point today was Standing Indian Mountain--quite a long slog to the top and then we lost all that hard-earned elevation over the next five miles. We arrived at the Beech Gap tenting area about 5:30pm, but decided to push on to the Carter Gap shelter area (arrived 7:10pm), so we can get far enough to catch a ride into Franklin and get cleaned up at a motel.Mid-day temperature on the Trail was a pleasant 70 degrees; as night descends, it is still 50 degrees--quite a bit warmer than last night.HIKER'S SURVIVAL TIP: Having a little compass on your pack can save you from hiking south when you are a NoBo [northbound] hiker.
Date: 2014-04-01
From: Carter Gap Shelter, NC

To: Rock Gap, NC
Miles today: 12.2

Another beautiful day for hiking, although mid-day temperatures reached the mid-70s and it was very hot hiking uphill with a big backpack in the sun!My highlight of the day was getting caught hiking SOUTH on the Trail--rather embarrassing, but it seems to happen to a lot of north-bound hikers at one time or another.I decided to skip the torturously-steep trail up Albert Mountain (Wynott, the thru-hiker, did it, of course). So I blue-blazed around the bypass, which is USFS 67. The road ended in a parking lot--now what? I saw a sign for a loop trail that didn't look like what I wanted, then saw a blue-blazed trail going off to the right, so I wandered down that trail for a ways, and finally stumbled back onto the AT--what a relief. But what I didn't realize was my southerly direction. Fortunately, another hiker came along soon and got me turned around and hiking north again!I walked today through huge rhododendron groves--it was shady and cool in the bushes, and was a delightful interlude before getting out into the hot sun again.When we reached Rock Gap, we called the Budget Inn and Ron Haven picked us up and gave us a free shuttle ride into Franklin, where we got some "real" food, went grocery shopping at Ingles and did laundry at the motel before calling it a night.
Date: 2014-04-02
From: Rock Gap, NC

To: Near Wayah Gap, NC
Miles today: 10.2

We had an unexpected ending to our day: We simple ran out of daylight and ended up camping right next to the Trail. My tent was about five feet from the pathway where everyone would walk by; as I sat on a log and wrote in my journal, I could stretch out my legs and touch the Trail!This morning, the van from First Baptist came by the motel at 7am and picked up all the hungry A.T. hikers, then took us to the church for an all-you-can-eat breakfast--what a ministry! They do this every morning for about three weeks each spring as the wave of thru-hikers come through town. We caught the shuttle to the Trail at 11am and then started walking. It was another beautiful day, although the afternoon temperature reached 80 degrees and I got really hot on the uphills. As usual, I had bought too much food at the supermarket and was very tempted to toss some of the heavier items in the bushes when nobody was looking!In late afternoon, we walked up our first bald (a flat-topped mountain which is bare of trees on top--for reasons nobody really knows). The views were 360 degrees in all directions--spectacular!We got to Wayah Gap about 6:30pm and started up the next hill, but I was completely wiped, so we set up camp right beside the trail and collapsed into our tents. There is a sliver of moon shining through the trees, and a gentle wind is rustling the tops of the trees. A lovely night to be in the woods!
Date: 2014-04-03
From: Near Wayah Gap, NC

To: Aquone Hostel
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Tonight we are at the Aquone Hostel, run by Wiggy (a 2010 thru-hiker) and his wife, Maggie. The accommodations are really nice--it's first class. They fed us a pizza when we arrived about 7pm--it really tasted good. Wynott and I have the whole men's sleeping area to ourselves--it's not crowded tonight.One of the day's highlights was Trail Magic at noon on Wayah Bald. Meghan and Dave were serving hot dogs, chips, cookies, sodas and even beer! Needless to say, they were extremely popular with all the hikers who were lucky enough to stop by.
Date: 2014-04-04
From: Aquone Hostel

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: light rain

Today we had one of the longest downhill sections of the Trail--6.5 miles with almost 3,000' elevation loss. Some sections were very tricky--lots of steps, large rocks and other challenges to navigate. But we didn't have a long day, so we could take our time and it wasn't as bad as I was expecting.Tonight we are back in a hostel--at the famous Nantahala Outdoor Center, where white-water rafting, zip-lining and other outdoor activities are also happening. We went to the restaurant and had a late lunch at 3pm, then went back a couple hours later and had supper! Needless to say, our hiker's appetites are kicking into high gear!
Date: 2014-04-05
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Swim Bald
Miles today: 5.8

Today's hike was "only" 5.8 miles, but it was that dreaded long uphill trek out of the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) that I've been reading about in other hikers' blogs.The day had a nice beginning--Wynott and I had a big breakfast at the NOC restaurant, then we went over to the outfitter's store where two employees, Tom and Tim, were extremely helpful in giving Wynott some advice about his ongoing foot (blister) problems. After much discussion, they fit him with some Super Feet inserts. We went back to our cabin, finished packing--then decided to head right back to the restaurant and have lunch before hitting the trail. I noticed that there were also a lot of other hikers hanging out at NOC who didn't seem in any hurry to get out on the trail.Finally we couldn't stall any longer, and we started the long uphill marathon and gained almost 3,000' elevation gain over the next six hours. By the time we reached Swim Bald, my body was screaming "Enough!" so we camped just off the trail and set up camp. Surprisingly, we even had enough time and energy to build a campfire--a nice way to end the day.After dark, we had a surprise visitor. A young guy named Indiana stopped by for a few minutes to warm himself by our fire, and we had a fascinating talk with him after learning that he was traveling super-light; his total pack weight was only 8 lbs (ours are about 30 lbs). It`s almost a science to get your pack so light while also being safe--having adequate food and clothing to stay alive in the woods. Indiana was very experienced and obviously in great physical shape--he was doing up to 24 miles a day on the Trail.
Date: 2014-04-06
From: Swim Bald

To: Cabin in the woods/Stecoah Gap
Miles today: 7.6

Today we had a relatively easy day, because we are only three short days of hiking away from Fontana Dam, where I (Wy) have to leave the trail and fly home to Seattle on April 9th while Wynott continues hiking by himself.We left Swim Bald about 8:45am and reached Cheoah Bald--the highest point on the trail for several days (5,062'). Once again, we were blessed with a nice day, so the views were fabulous. On top, we stopped to chat with Songbird and Bypass, who just had heart surgery five months ago.Then we walked downhill for a couple miles and had lunch while visiting with several other thru-hikers at Locust Cove Gap.Finally, we reached Stecoah Gap at 2:30pm, where we found a picnic table with a generous offering of fresh fruit(trail magic)--much to the delight of several hikers taking a break. We called Phil Capper, owner of The Cabin in the Woods where we are staying tonight, and soon he came to provide a ride to his charming home, with several cabins on his property which he rents out. Wynott and I had the choice of two cabins and chose "The Loft," a tiny but cozy cabin with two twin beds, shower, toilet, sink, microwave and TV--what more could two tired hikers want? Phil's wife, Donna, made us a fabulous dinner of fried chicken, baked potatoes, green beans and cornbread. Wynott and I both ate three chicken legs--I have never eaten so much food in my life! We also had a choice of brownie and whipped topping, or peach cobbler for dessert. This place is definitely worth checking out, fellow hikers! Tonight it's raining out, but we are warm and snug in our cabin. Tomorrow night, it's back to the tent--rain or no rain (the forecast is not promising)...