morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-04-04
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was the day we were going to get an early start. SuperFeet and I were finally going to leave before noon! We woke up around 9 and were getting packed (and still we were the last ones in the shelter!) when suddenly the rain came down - hard. Well, that made the decision easy for us. So much for trying to leave before noon! We sat around with Knaffles inside the comforts of the shelter as SuperFeet started a mini fire with the wood already sitting in the fireplace. As it got closer to noon, I kid you not, the sun came out and the clouds dissipated! Blue skies began showing from all around. Apparently the sun god was telling us to not break our "NBNC" and "FWHC" rule (Never Before Noon Club & Fair Weather Hiking Club)!!!So once it was around 12:45, we decided to head out. The trail wasn't as muddy as we had expected and the wind was steady, but felt really nice. We hit the first shelte and stopped for a quick snack break and ended up running into Little Spoons, Dirt Bag, and Lost and Found who were caught in the rain and were trying to dry out. So much for trying to hike out early cause we caught up three hours later!We hiked on to the next shelter after that. We hit the entrance to the trail leading to the shelter and sat there for awhile with Knaffles debating whether to go on to Derrick's Knob Shelter (6.3 miles still away) which was the original plan or to stay at the shelter we were at. After rearranging our plans, we decided to stay here at the Spence Field Shelter - out of the rain. We had heard bad rain was coming tonight and literally everyone was going to be at Derrick's Knob so we would've had to tent in the rain and pack up a wet tent. That wouldn't have been very fun. We were close to having to tent here though! It would've been a very, very sad night if we had to move out of the shelter because all of the reservations had showed up...Thankfully, we have all managed to squeeze in side by side and are comfortable and warm. Hope the rain subsides once we wake up in the morning so we can have a nice, sunny hike through the Smokies!Thwap-Thwap!- Barnacles
Date: 2014-04-05
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke up to the trees covered in icicles and bright blue skies. As the day warmed up, the icicles began showering down on us like snow. It was such a beautiful sight to see!Of course we weren't going to leave before noon though because it was still way too cold. So we were in the middle of packing up when Amy and Tori, a couple day hikers, walked inside the shelter. It's always fun when people are interested in our hike and are so excited for us. So as we explained everything, they offered us candy and homemade oatmeal cookies which were delicious! Thank you both! First trail magic of the day and it definitely wasn't the last.Once we started the day, literally less than 5 minutes into the hike, these two college guys who were out for a day hike (we never got their names...) stopped us and asked if we wanted any fruit. Now, I had walked a couple feet ahead because I wasn't paying attention, but I definitely heard the word fruit and instantly ran back. Fruit?! Fuji apples and green grapes? Perfect! Then as we continued only a couple feet, we were stopped again by FireFly who was doing trail magic. This time we got little cuties, carrots, and nutter butters! Could this day get any better??We got to the top of Rocky Top and the panoramic view was amazing. The sun was out, the breeze was nice, and the clear skies enabled us to see endless miles of mountains. It was cool looking out towards Thunderhead Mountain and seeing everyone walking from where we stood on Rocky Top. In just a couple minutes we'd be crossing through there and looking back on where we were just at! It's just such a fun sight to see. As we got to the top of Rocky Top though, a couple more day hikers were sitting around and they offered us all their snacks it seemed like. Cold pizza, chicken fingers, oatmeal cookies, thin wheats, crackers - food galore! It was as if the sun god was rewarding us for continuing our never-before-noon tradition. It was amazing!Now the crazy thing is, the night before I had written a list of items to get for a resupply once we got into Gatlinburg and amazingly we got everything on the list through trail magic! How much of a coincidence is that?? It's amazing how much the trail always provides!We got to Siler Bald Shelter around 6ish and decided to tent because the shelter was quickly filling up. We can't even remember the last time we had to use a tent! As we set up, we met Luke, Ryan, Marcus, and Harry who were sectioning for a couple days. I have to say, these guys were like gods to us - sausage gods that is. SuperFeet got a fire going and was rewarded by them with the most amazing sausages in the world - conecuh sausages! They brought about 3lbs and we devoured it quickly. Delicious sausages cooked fresh over a campfire? It was an amazing combination for sure. So thank you guys for that! Best trail magic by far! After all that sausage, we all slept very, very well.Thwap-Thwap!- Barnacles
Date: 2014-04-06
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 12.5

Today's hike through this section of the Smokies was beautiful! It was as if we were in some magical world. Pine trees were lined up and the ones that had fallen were covered in lush moss. It was nice change smelling pine throughout the hike. Like SuperFeet said, it smelt like Christmas! The climb up to Clingman's Dome was steep, but not terrible surprisingly. The views were amazing the higher up we got. Seeing the pine trees growing on the mountains for miles and miles was really cool. The mountains are slowly, but surely getting green! When we got to the observatory at the top of Clingman's, it definitely gave off a different vibe. Seeing all the tourists compared to us dirty hikers felt odd. Everyone was so excited to be there and running around while I sat there exhausted and panting. It was extremely cold though with the wind blasting us and I was so out of it that I didn't get to take any pictures from the observatory. But it was beautiful nonetheless! Tonight we'll be staying in Gatlinburg, TN. We hitched a ride quickly from Ron Blankenship at Newfound gap. Such a kind gentleman who was really patient with us even when we got lost trying to find the motel we were planning on staying at. We're sharing the room with Knaffles, but it seems as if all the hikers we've met along the way are in the same motel. It's like a mini reunion here!We've decided to take a zero day tomorrow because severe weather is headed our way tonight and tomorrow. We don't wanna be caught in a thunderstorm on top of a mountain!Btw, we hit the 200 miles mark today!!!! Hooray us! We're almost 10% done!Thwap-Thwap!- Barnacles
Date: 2014-04-07
From: Gatlinburg, TN

To: Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Zero day in Gatlinburg! The weather down here wasn't bad at all. Nice and sunny. But apparently it was bad in the mountains. We ran into Blackhorse as he was coming in and he was soaked!Today will consist of nothing but relaxation and delicious Mellow Mushroom!Oh, so SuperFeet and his uncle, Dennis, decided that "thwap" should stand for something and here's what they came up with: two hikers with a problem. So now "thwap" actually stands for something! Thwap-Thwap! - Barnacles
Date: 2014-04-08
From: Gatlinburg, TN

To: Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 0.0

The Smokies were engulfed in a cloud and covered with snow when we woke up. To hike in the snow or to stay in a free, nice hotel with Tuna and Meticulous...what to do? Here's to another zero day! So we packed up our stuff and headed up to their hotel across town. It was gonna be worth it though because they had an indoor/outdoor pool AND a hot tub!Before we got there though, we stopped by the NOC and SuperFeet got a new backpack - finally! As much as he loved his Granite Gear pack, he was excited to get a Deuter. His 9 year old backpack wasn't sitting correctly on his back so it was always pulling on his neck which led to him being in pain. Now with his new pack, nothing can stop him! I thought he was fast before but now I can guarantee he's going to fly across the trail! Once we got to Meticulous and Tuna's hotel, we decided to tour Gatlinburg. Of course our very first stop was a moonshine sampling (and my last stop)! I'm such a lightweight that I didn't even wanna see how I would react trying even more moonshine. So I just watched over these crazy kids as we walked all over town, but it was so much fun! We stopped at every single moonshine distillery and wine sampling there was. And not to mention, it was free cone day at Ben & Jerry's! So pretty much our entire day was FREE and it was amazing. It was such a fun and eventful day!Thwap-Thwap! - Barnacles
Date: 2014-04-09
From: Gatlinburg, TN

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We woke up early today to catch a shuttle at the NOC back to New Found Gap - and free breakfast at the hotel! After another unexpected zero day, it was time to head back to the hiking world. Of course we were on the opposite side of town so we had quite a ways to walk. Yesterday's walk through town was so much easier without a heavy pack on! And not to mention, the moonshine probably helped as well.Just as we began walking to the NOC, Tuna led the way - right into wet cement. That's right - WET cement! I looked up just as Tuna took two steps, stopped, and turned around. His expression was absolutely priceless and I could barely keep myself from falling on the ground from laughing so hard. Of course the man who had just completed it happened to be standing right there but with his back turned so he was oblivious to what had just happened. We just bolted! We felt terrible, but honestly it's not our fault because the man didn't have any signs up about wet cement or even a ribbon isolating the newly cemented area. It was completely wide open for anyone to walk through! Okay, there were orange cones and a flashing arrow for cars to go around, but I guess he didn't think too much about it. So now Tuna has cement lines that cover the bottom of his boots which may or may not add extra weight. I love having a great laugh to start my day off!After our crazy resupply in Gatlinburg, our packs weighed an insane amount. With a pound of conecuh sausage, beers, moonshine, and way too many snacks we decided that today was gonna be a nero day - just 3 miles to the first shelter and we were gonna have a nice little cookout! We got to the shelter (through a light layer of snow) and we were greatly disappointed. There was no fire ring outside! No fire ring meant no sausage cooking over the fire. So much for our amazing cookout...That didn't stop us completely though! We used Tuna's frying pan to cook and even though it wasn't the same as it would have been over a fire, it was still delicious and everyone still had a great time. Watching three drunk people try to make a small fire with wet sticks in the fireplace inside the shelter is really amusing! There's literally never a dull moment with this group - I love it!Thwap-Thwap! - Barnacles
Date: 2014-04-10
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: clear sky

The sun was shining nice and warm once we woke up. The snow had completely melted and everything was beautiful. The view from the shelter was amazing - there was an opening that looked out upon a valley. It was just picturesque and definitely a scene you would love to wake up to. The birds were chirping and just a few feet away, a deer came grazing by. My first big wildlife! The deer seem unfazed by our voices and the music playing which seemed odd, but it was nice seeing a deer in the morning. It felt like a deer sighting was a sign that today was gonna be a good day!We hiked out just a mile and hit Charlies Bunion where we sat for at least an hour or two. The view was breathtaking! Looking out on the Smokies and seeing the cities beyond it was amazing. It was a fun little game trying to pinpoint which cities were which and trying to see landmarks. We met a nice group of people here on Charlies Bunion. We met a lady named Julie who lived just an hour away and came up to this spot often. She was sweet enough to take our trash for us! Thank you for doing that for us Julie! We also met a group from Atlanta, two guys and three boys (whose names we didn't get...), but coincidentally one of the guys went to the same high school as SuperFeet did and was actually the prom date of one of the members at the country club we work at! Talk about a small world!! Finally we decided it was time to move on since we had hiked only one out of 12 miles today. It was a nice, beautiful hike the rest of the way. We came up on this ridge that looked out towards Fontana Dam and here we decided to have lunch. It was amazing seeing how far away and tiny Fontana Dam and the firetower was and realizing that we were just there a couple days ago. It's crazy thinking about it! It always amazes me and I'm really proud of myself seeing the distance I've gone from the top of another mountain miles away.With all the breaks we were taking and the slow, relaxing pace we were going, I'm surprised we made it to the shelter before sunset - and there was still shelter space! We set up and had dinner and relaxed with everyone on the only patch of grass available in the vicinity - right next to the privy...At least the sunlight was nice and warm so that made up for it!Thwap-Thwap! - Barnacles
Date: 2014-04-11
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Today's hike was once again nice and easy. Originally we were going to pull a big day and hike 15 miles, but decided against it. Why rush through the beautiful Smokies? The days have been so nice and good to us. We had to enjoy every moment of it!We came across a plane wreckage a couple miles in and stopped to check it out. It was crazy seeing all the remnants of the plane and seeing the path it took as it came down - the cleared path and broken trees. I'm not sure how long ago the plane crash was, but it's definitely crazy seeing it to this day.We got to Cosby Knob Shelter pretty early. This shelter is in amazing spot! It opens up to this huge, open downhill field and everything is just green and full of flowers. At the bottom of the field was a nice fire ring which meant that tonight would be a night for a fire - a big one at that! So SuperFeet, Tuna, Blackhorse, and Dirt Bag got started on collecting tons of firewood and before I knew it, they had started a fire hours before the sun was going to set!We had a nice, big group join us that night around the fire. Jokes and special talents were shared amongst everyone. The Beatles played in the background as everyone enjoyed each others company. It was a night to remember hearing all the laughter and singing. It was definitely a different vibe than usual (probably because alcohol wasn't involved for once), but it was really nice. I truly enjoyed tonight's entertainment. Thwap-Thwap! - Barnacles
Date: 2014-04-12
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 10.7

It was difficult to leave Cosby Knob today. It was such a great shelter spot! But it was time to leave the Smokies so we pushed on. It was going to be a hot day today - time to take out the shorts again! Funny how we entered the Smokies wearing shorts and we were now going to leave the Smokies wearing shorts.We hiked a couple miles uphill towards the Mt. Cammerer lookout tower. This tower is now probably my favorite tower by far. It's structured to look like a lighthouse and it's just adorable! It was quite a walk off the trail just to get to it, but it was absolutely worth it. Yes, the view from Clingman's Dome was amazing since it was the highest point on the trail, but something about this lookout tower made a difference. I can't exactly explain it, but the views from here were the best and the most breathtaking. Maybe it's because today is just perfect. The sky was so blue and was filled with big fluffy, white clouds. You could see the huge shadows they casted over the mountains. I think that's what made the difference. Yeah, that's probably it. Well, we sat up there for an hour or two with Tuna and messed around. We climbed up and around the tower to the other side where you could see a 340 view. It was so beautiful! And the weather was amazing - it wasn't hot surprisingly and the wind wasn't strong. Everything about today was just absolutely perfect.We met a couple day hikers (whose names I cannot remember...) up there on the tower and they gave us food! Summer sausage, cheese, and Panera bread - amazingness. Thank you all and by the way, happy birthday to you again!We got to Standing Bear Farm quicker than expected. With how easy the trail was, SuperFeet and I were going about 4 miles an hour - a new record for me! We rented out a cabin with Tuna, Meticulous, Knaffles, and Dirt Bag. With Rocket in charge of this place along with his friends Giant and Hottie, tonight would be a night to remember with this crazy crew! Being the sober one that I always am, I had to watch over these crazy kids again! It was fun sitting around the fire and enjoying the company of everyone as the whiskey got passed out.It was sad leaving the Smokies. I'm definitely going to miss it. I have to say, my favorite part about the Smokies would be standing on the ridge lines. The views from either side are just so different and beautiful. Looking out to my left, I'd see cities after cities through the mountains. Then looking out to my right, I'd see nothing but valleys and mountains. The contrast is so different, but so unique. I loved seeing that change every moment I got! I also loved the stretch between Clingman's Dome and New Found Gap. That was the most beautiful part of the trail and I would definitely recommend taking a stroll through there one day! You won't be disappointed. Thwap-Thwap! - Barnacles
Date: 2014-04-13
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

After last night, there was no way anyone was going to be able to hike out today! Today turned into a zero day so that everyone could recover. We all sat around the porch above a e creek along with Bear, Dirt, and Star Gazer. Some read, some quietly talked, some just sat in silence as classical music played all day through SuperFeet's speakers and the birds chirpped near by. It was the perfect place to be for relaxation. I hate to say this and it tears me up that this happened, but Blackhorse will no longer be able to finish the trail (at least not for a long time). I'm unsure of all the details and we did not know until later, but he was airlifted out of the Smokies and taken to a hospital where he had surgery for a shattered leg. Please pray for him and a quick recovery! He was the kindest, coolest old man on the trail who loved being around us and enjoyed listening to our music no matter how late it got. He really was a part of us. Blackhorse, please recover quickly! We all miss you greatly! Thwap-Thwap! - Barnacles
Date: 2014-04-14
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Brown Gap
Miles today: 9.8

Starting out, I had absolutely no energy. I woke up tired and didn't feel like hiking. We didn't stay up last night and I didn't drink or anything so it was unusual that I was feeling this way. As we packed up our things, Hooch and FuzzyWuzzy were on their way in to the hostel. Oh, how we've missed Hooch's company! We had been wondering where he was and if he was okay. Right off the bat, he instantly offered us beers which SuperFeet gladly accepted. So we sat around the porch of our cabin for awhile enjoying each other's company along with Bear and Whale.Around 12:20, we decided it was finally time to take off. It was tough leaving Standing Bear Farm knowing that it was going to rain and possibly snow the day after, but it was time to move on! On our way out, we ran into Jersey Girl one last time and we traded contact info. It's her birthday today so happy birthday to you Jersey Girl! It's always so nice seeing older people accomplish tough tasks while always having a smile on their faces. Plus, with our rowdy the turtle crew is, I'm surprised she really enjoyed our banter and company!As we began the hike, my legs felt like rocks. They were so heavy! It took what little energy I had in me to keep moving forward. I could've sworn I was going a really slow pace, but SuperFeet said I was doing fine and wasn't slow at all. Plus, the pace I was going was perfect for him because of the beers he drank just before the hike! Pretty soon after we started hiking, the rain slowly came down on us. It wasn't heavy, but rather a light shower. It felt nice to hike in the heat while the raindrops fell on our skin and cooled us off. I guess it's not so bad hiking in the rain after all - if it's not cold outside!We finally got to the top of the mountain when suddenly we see an easy-up and a cooler. Trail magic?! Set up in the rain was Apple who was handing out cold water and Cokes to hikers and he provided chairs for us to relax in. It's always so nice to find trail magic when you least expect it to happen (especially on rainy days). Thank you Apple! And once we got there, the rain finally decided to stop.After that Coke, it was like an energy booster and I finally felt good. My legs stopped feeling heavy and I was ready to keep going. The next 6-7 miles were a breeze after that! So we set up camp at Brown Gap and had dinner around the fire. Tuna even made fries out of potatoes from Standing Bear Farm. It was delicious! Tuna is definitely the trail chef out here so we're just gonna call him Tuna Creations! Thwap-Thwap! - Barnacles
Date: 2014-04-15
From: Brown Gap

To: Brown Gap
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light snow

Well, today turned into the most unproductive day on the trail yet. We woke up very early morning to the sound of rain hitting the tent - much heavier than the rain we walked in. Looks like we were just gonna have to wait the rain out!And...so much for waiting the rain out! The rain continued non-stop until noon and then it turned into sleet. And then the sleet turned into flurries that accumulated. Yeah, the snow collected pretty fast. So what did we do all day? We literally stayed in our sleeping bags ALL day. We never left our sleeping bags unless necessary. Good thing we got a lot of water the day before so we didn't have to go out and get any.So yeah, today was a very unproductive and very cold day!Thwap-Thwap!- Barnacles