morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-06-06
From: Pearisburg, Va

To: Pine Swamp Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: few clouds

Day 56 - June 5thZero DayThis was a zero day in Pearisburg.Great internet cafe in the morning, then an AYCE Chinese buffet for lunch!Checked out the Walmart then another department store for a summer sleeping bag with no success. Will have to hold out until Daleville which has an outfitter.Day 57 - June 6thBill Gauthier - caretaker for the Holy Family Hostel - shuttled us back to the trail head by 08:30. Met Greg at the edge of town. The climb back to the ridge line was rather easy! Arrived at the Rice Field Shelter by noon. It turned out to be a bald. Another 12 miles to the Pine Swamp by 18:00. Met Buckaroo and Pacemaker, who were southbound, just before the shelter! At the shelter, a tree had fallen on the roof breaking the roof beams but the shelter was still useable.
Date: 2007-06-07
From: Pine Swamp Shelter

To: War Spar Shelter
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 58 Lazy start to the day. 08:30 on the trail.At the Stoney Creek Valley road, just a hour away, there was trail magic provided by the Captain - Englehart; although, I had missed the big weekend Captains party by 5 days! He had 34 tents and about 50 hikers attend the 3rd annual feast! A Zip line had been installed to allow hikers to cross the creek.Got to the Bailey Gap shelter by 10:00. Then the going was slow for the next mile or so due to rocks. You just don't know how long this rocky footing will last. Climbing seems easy compared to traversing rocky footing. This is just preparation for the rocks of Pennsylvania. Got to Wind Rock by noon, then War Spar another 5.9 m by 15:15. Set up the hammock for the night.
Date: 2007-06-08
From: War Spar Shelter

To: Sarver Cabin
Miles today: 12.1

Day 59Hot day! On the trail by 07:30 to beat the heat.The AT crosses over from the John Creek Mt over to the Sinking Creek Mtn Ridge. This was a 2000' climb followed by a 1500' climb. After getting to the top of the Sinking Creek Mtn ridge line; by 14:00, I had a long break getting out my snack bag and foam pad, and falling asleep for half hour.At 15:30, finally got to the Sarver Cabin which is located down hill another 0.3 miles. I left my pack at the ridge and took only my empty water bottles and snack bag down to the cabin. There were about 8 hikers taking a siesta at the cabin waiting for the heat to reside. About 17:00, a mass exodus was made for the next shelter Niday 6 miles away. Went back up the hill, and heard ominous rumblings of thunder. I hate hiking past 17:00. Picked up my pack and descended back to the Sarver Cabin. It started to pour within the hour.I was pleased with my decision. Jedi Berger and Rodent - SOBO's - were my fellow companions in the shelter.
Date: 2007-06-09
From: Sarver Cabin

To: Catawba - Homeplace Restaurant
Miles today: 10.0

Day 60About 20:00 a female slack packer dropped into the Sarver Cabin and Veg who had planned to stop for the night, repacked his bag, and they took off down the trail for the Niday shelter and next trailhead 7.5 miles away. Dark, wet and slippery. Fool hardy but young!Off early by 06:30. Although I was following the ridgeline, some of the footing was slippery from the rain the night before.   I encountered my first rattler on the trail. About 3 ft long, it was right on the trail and not moving off it. I didn't know what to do. I threw a couple of stones to try to move it. The snake just coiled up and rattled. After 5 minutes, I detoured through the brush on the uphill side of the rattler. At the Niday shelter by 09:30. Just a short stop, as VA621 is only 1.5 miles away, and trail magic. Sodas and cookies. 3 coolers with ice and sodas and cookies! Thanks!I decided to hike north on VA 621, east on VA 620, about 3 m to Trout Creek. Perhaps hitch along the way. I got picked up by Ray Schilone local resident and taken in to the Catawba and the Homeplace Restaurant. At that point, I decided to continue hitching into Roanoke and the Greyhound Bus Depot.I have done 700 miles this year, and the heat is getting unbearable. I was picked up by Bob Grimsby a local resident, who drove me into Roanoke. We followed a Greyhound bus into the depot! The next north bound Greyhound was scheduled to leave in only 15 minutes. I purchased my ticket to Bangor, Maine; then called home to let them know I was homeward bound. The only uncertainty, was whether, I would be able to make the Bangor to Saint John connection. There would be stopovers and bus transfers in Richmond, Washington, New York City, and Boston. I was able to bump up the departure times at each of these transfers, and after 22 hours, made the connection at Bangor! Another 5 hours and finally back home in Saint John and 15 deg C and fog!
Date: 2007-03-29
From: New Jersey

To: Dahlonega, GA
Miles today: 0.0

This is Day 0. The trip already started with problems. Delta didn't have my travel info when I used the self check-in kiosk. Had to go to an agent to get my e-ticket. Everything else went smoothly with the flight.Arrived in Atlanta around 10:30am. I hung around for a while in the main terminal just reading and relaxing before my trip on the MARTA. Finally around 3pm I headed to the MARTA station. It was closed. Yeah, CLOSED! I was supposed to meet my ride at North Springs at around 4:30pm. However, the whole area around the MARTA station in the airport was blocked off with police tape. I found a MARTA worker who told me there was some sort of construction accident and the station was closed for the rest of the day. He then instructed me to go outside and take a bus to College Park, the next stop on the train. So I went outside and crossed the street to the bus area. There I was met with an extremely large mob of people. All of them waiting for the MARTA bus. I ended up waiting over an hour for a bus. All worked out in the end. I was only 15 minutes late and my ride (Leigh from the Hiker Hostel) was aware of the problem.On the ride to the Hiker Hostel in Dahlonega I had my first real pangs of anxiety. Once at the hostel I did some prep work, lightened the pack a little, BS'd with other hikers, and eventually fell asleep...after a long time.
Date: 2007-03-30
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain
Miles today: 8.2
Weather: broken clouds

The ride up to Springer Mtn was brutal. The road up to the trail terminal is about a good 25 minutes (if not more) and it's nice and bumpy. About half way up it started to rain. As I got out of the car to start my hike it was just a heavy drizzle. Great way to start . I threw on my rain jacket, my gaiters, stripped down to shorts (it was about 50 degrees) and started up to Springer Mountain. Couldn't really see anything on the way up but I got to the top and snapped some pictures and started back down the mountain toward my first camping spot (Hawk Mountain Shelter). Hiked the day with a hiker I met at the Hostel named Jay.Passed by some elderly hikers today (Borrowed Time and Guidedog). They had to give up. BT is legally blind and has partial paralysis. Despite a period of training, they had to quit because it was just taking too long.The rain stopped by about 1pm and it turned into a really nice day. Got to the shelter by about 3pm and my feet were killing me. I felt a cramp coming on as well and my left knee was killing me. Camp had about 30 people in it that night.
Date: 2007-03-31
From: Hawk Mountain

To: Gooch Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Great day of hiking today. I'm still very sore from yesterday. Ended up tossing and turning the whole night last night. My body is still getting used to sleeping on the ground.The big mountain for the ay was Sassafrass Mountain. It kicked my ass. Thus they cal it "Kickassafras Mountain." Felt like it took me forever to get up it. Flowers were blooming along the whole mountain so that made the trip a little easier. I got a great picture of one flower in full bloom next to one still blooming.I decided to sleep in the shelter tonight. Gooch Gap Shelter is nice and spacious. It's a double decker shelter that sleeps about 14 or so. By the end of the night the shelter was full. Sleeping around so many people I didn't know was a little odd. By the middle of the night it started to rain. At various times in the night the wind would whip around the walls of the shelter and spray a fine mist on my face. It felt real nice!
Date: 2007-04-01
From: Gooch Gap Shelter

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: light rain

Rained hard today. I had my first real "trail magic" today. Three guys who hiked the trail last year had set up a tent at Woody Gap and were cooking burgers and hot dogs. With only two days on the trail, I can't believe how great those burgers and hot dogs tasted. Two of the guys were Old Reb and Super Dave. I can't recall the third guy's name. They also had a great deal of info to share.I decided to stay the night at the Hiker Hostel. This gave my muscles a chance to heal up a bit and stay dry.Heard a new term today: Hiker Midnight. That's at 9pm.
Date: 2007-04-03
From: Neels Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: broken clouds

Before leaving the Neel's Gap Outfitters, I did a pack shakedown with the staff. They went through my pack and all it's stuff and reduced the weight from 40lbs to about 31 lbs. After the shakedown, I headed up into the hills for Low Gap Shelter. It was about a 10.5 mile day. It started raining as I got to the shelter.
Date: 2007-04-04
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It rained hard last night. In the middle of the night we had some strong thunder and lightning and the wind was gusting hard. I sat up for an hour in the middle of the night just watching the storm. Saw a few bolts that seemed real close. Today's hike was pretty nice. I stayed at Blue Mountain Shelter. The view was awesome. It had pretty much a 180 degree view of the surrounding mountains. Saw the sunset over some distant mountains...awesome!This is one spot I'd revisit with friends for a weekend trip.
Date: 2007-04-05
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Slightly past Tray Mountain
Miles today: 11.0

Woke up early to watch the sunrise from my sleeping bag in Blue Mountain Shelter. Again, it was awesome. I just don't know how to describe it any other way.Hiked out with Talkerman and we camped with AT-70, Catchup, and Ox about a mile past Tray Mountain Shelter.
Date: 2007-04-08
From: Hiawasee, GA

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: few clouds

Hiked into North Carolina with Talkerman and a few others. One state down...So, I stop by the "cheese factory" for a break. I see a nice slope with a view of the mountains and I decide to go off and use the bathroom that is so conveniently offered to my by the outdoors. I find a nice spot on the slope. So guess what I end up doing? I end up dropping my toilet paper down the side of the slope. I watched it keep rolling and rolling. I would say to myself "please stop soon" and it would keep going. I ended up bushwhacking all the way down this slope to retrieve my TP. You don't want to be caught dead in the woods without it .Stayed at Mustrat Creek Shelter, birthplace of "The Old Pros." A legendary hiker group which included Ed Garvey. Had a fire at night and camped out with Rafiki, Jamie, I Am Not, Wornheel, Birdstar, and a few others.
Date: 2007-04-09
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It was cold today. Like real cold. Like Arctic cold.Got to the shelter around 4pm or so. Turns out it was Wornheel's birthday. He's turning 50 today. He's a cobler from Wisconsin who's been hiking along the same pace and staying pretty much at all the same shelters I have. Felt good to celebrate his birthday with him. His birthday cake was a moonpie and people gave him candy and energy drink mix as a present. We also signed a torn piece of trail journal as a card.Again, it was cold. Thank god for sleeping bags.
Date: 2007-04-10
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: light rain

Hiked to Wallace Gap where Talkerman's wife, Alice, was waiting for us. She gave us a ride into Frankling, NC. Staying the night in Franklin...ah, the outdoors.Passed the 100 mile mark...Woot!Talkerman and Alice treated me, I Am Not, and Birdstar to dinner at this really nice place (the Frog and Owl or something like that). It was a pretty fancy place and I'm sure they looked at us a little funny coming in there with our hiking clothes on.
Date: 2007-04-11
From: Franklin, NC

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: light rain

Taking a Nero Day (Near Zero Day) to heal up some more. Left knee is feeling great but the bottoms of my feet are killing me. Got a few blisters over the last few days and I'm treating them aggressively.Hiked three miles from Wallace Gap to Winding Stair Gap. Only took 1.25 hours. Using the rest of the day to resupply and rest. Again, thank god for Talkerman's wife, Alice, who provided all the transportation.
Date: 2007-04-12
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: clear sky

Wow, hiked 16 miles today. Highest mileage yet. Took a lot out of me. My joints are killing me and the bottom of my feet are hurting big time. Stayed at the Cold Spring Shelter with Rafiki, I Am Not, Jamie, Ox, Bluedog, and two others. The shelter only sleeps 6 or so but we all crammed in there... some of us were sideways toward the front of the shelter.Had a great view from Wayah Bald today. You could see the Smoky's from there. I'm starting to get a little nervous as we approach. Experienced hikers are saying that the Smoky's are one of the first big hurtles on the trail since it's about 71 miles without a resupply point. The highest point on the trail is also in the Smoky's at Clingman's Dome.Talked to two folks from France up at Wayah Bald. They looked at us with a little amazement when we told them we were walking up to Maine.
Date: 2007-04-13
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: NOC
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

Rough Day. Hiked 11 miles today and it felt like 30....all uphill. The sixteen miles yesterday took it's toll on me today. To make matters worse, I had a steep downhill that went on for 4.2 miles. After the hike today I'm slowly starting to realize that my boots may not be the best type of footwear for this hike. Even though they are light weight and fairly comfortable they feel small and my feet ache at the end of everyday. Stopped at Wesser Bald Shelter for lunch with Talkerman. We hiked the rest of the way down the mountain into Wesser, NC, where the Nantahalla Outdoor Center (aka the NOC) is located. On the way down, about a mile from the NOC, we stopped in at Rufus Morgan Shelter and said hi to I Am Not, Rafiki, and Jaime (aka Oreomnos). They opted to stay in the shelter for the night rather than push onto town. Also met another hiker named Eagle there.Stayed at the Hiker Hostel in the NOC. Made a few phone calls at night to Tut, Mutt, my Brother (said happy birthday to my sister-in-law), and left messages for a few others.
Date: 2007-04-14
From: NOC

To: NOC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Took a zero day to let the feet heal up. I was itching to hit the trail again but in the early stages of this hike I need to make sure my body is healing properly and building itself up for the long term. I slept for two hours in the afternoon so apparently I needed it. Spent some time walking around the NOC. Even though the basecamp lodging is somewhat spartan, it would be a great place to visit for a weekend trip with friends or for a bachelor party. The whitewater rafting looks like a lot of fun here. Taking some time to stock up on supplies for the hike to Fontana Dam. Bought about three days worth of food and alcohol for the stove. The mental stress of hitting the Smokies is starting to creep up on me.After a hot dog for lunch, I spent some time talking to Talkerman, Ghost, and Eagle. Ghost is from Boston. Eagle is a retired Marine doing a Yo-Yo and a Half (which is hiking the trail three time continuously: GA to ME, ME to GA, and then GA to ME again...very tough!). Eagle ran a survival school called DUST. Spent the rest of the day getting ready for the hike and talking to some random hikers.
Date: 2007-04-15
From: NOC

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: snow

Coming out of the NOC was warm. Put on some shorts, my underarmour shirt, and a dry fit t-shirt over top. Black clouds in the sky so I thought for sure rain was a possibility so I put on the pack cover and kept the rain gear toward the top of my pack.about half way up the mountain, it started snowing. Winds really picked up and the temperatures started dropping rapidly. The gusts had to be about 30 mph. As the snow accumulated the spanish moss on the trees and the mountain laurel looked really cool. Even though I couldn't feel my toes or feet I tried to stop and admire some of the scenery that the snow offered on this rare occasion. Talkerman and I got into Sassafras Gap Shelter at about 5pm. The shelter was full with everyone in their sleeping bags trying to stay warm. The temperature was about 30 degrees at this point. Thankfully the shelter was down in a little protected area and we were spared the wind chill. By the end of the night, we had 21 people in a 14 person shelter. The joke of the evening was: anytime someone had to roll over in the night, everyone would have to roll over together in sync.I'd like to finish todays entry with a quote from Dr. Evil: "It's fricken freezing in here Mr. Bigglesworth."
Date: 2007-04-16
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Cody Gap
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Still windy. Cold in the morning with snow on the ground. The afternoon warmed up but the gusts were still frigid. Had some conscious realizations today of what I love about this hike: Flat or slightly graded trails that stretch on for miles, walking on ridges or along the side of a mountain and seeing the long downhill, climbing ascents to a peak with a great view, and going to town to re-supply and finding out what kind of place it is.Anyway, camping at Cody Gap tonight in my tarptent. Temp is cold and it's taking forever for my alcohol stove to boil 2 cups of water for my rice and tuna. Camping with Talkerman and Matt (a lawyer from Atlanta) between two small streams/brooks.
Date: 2007-04-18
From: Fontana Dam

To: Fontana Dam Village
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Zero'ing at Fontana Dam Resort. Got my first mail drop today. My bounce box arrived thanks to my awesome Mother. I ended up sending home a whole bunch of stuff that I figure I won't need. All my trail guide books went home. I just need the Thru-Hiker's Companion. Sent home some clothes too. Took some extra tent stakes, an extra fleece for the Smokies, and read some mail from my Mother and a letter from my cousin Heather.Later on in the day met up with Lucky and he spent the night in the hotel room with Talkerman and I.
Date: 2007-04-19
From: Fontana Dam Village

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: scattered clouds

...and thus began the Smokies!Hiked 11 miles and entered the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. This is the first real big test of the AT. So far the first day was a great hike and the shelter is really nice. There's a circular bald out front of the shelter. I'd like to call that Mollies Ring Bald. Talkerman is using playing cards to read the fortunes of Gingersnap, August, and Orangemoon. Lot's of people in the shelter and got to know Smokestack, Robo, Wishbone, Binjali, Turtle, Karl (an AT Ridgerunner), and a few others.Cooked up rice and tuna on the alcohol stove. It was working a little better in the warmer weather but the high altitude was still slowing it a bit. In bed at 9pm.
Date: 2007-04-20
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

Well, not a great day. Despite some great views and really great hiking, the day was dominated by a really bad blister right on my achilles tendon above the heel. It was sending sharp pains into my foot with every step. I did some triage work on it mid-trail by putting a blister bandage, moleskin, and duct tape over top. Got 11.5 miles on my medical work.Got into Derrick Knob Shelter around 6pm. Same crew as last night plus Google and Sunshine. I've decided to rename this shelter to "Helter Shelter."Hung out by the fire, cooked dinner, and in bed by about 9:15pm.
Date: 2007-04-21
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.0
Weather: broken clouds

Short day. Developed another blister on the other foot in the exact same place as my other blister. I've given these blisters trailnames: flotsam and Jetsam. I just feel like sinking my feet into water.Learned the name of some wild flowers: Spring Beauties and Fringed Phecalias (or something like that). They are in abundance in the Smokies here. Quite the sight. The Spring Beauties blanket the entire forest floor and almost look like snow.Got to the shelter around 1:30pm. A couple hiking for the weekend (Jessica and Clint) showed up to stay the night. They gave me and the other hikers there some Hiker Burritos: tortillas, salami, and cheese."I just finished calculating what I'm eating and how many calories the average thru-hikers spends in a day (approx. 6000). By my calculations I should be dead by next thursday."Watched a few people just endlessly throw wood on a fire in an attempt to warm up. I don't think it occurred to them that they should just gradually put the wood on the fire. Most inefficient fire I ever saw. They burned all the wood in the area in about an hour.Anyway, if you're gonna be a bear, be a grizzly.
Date: 2007-04-22
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Icewater Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: clear sky

I wanted to describe my typical day on the trail today...but I'll hold till tomorrow.Woke up to a few deer coming right up to the shelter. They walked right through the camp area.Saw Clingman's Dome today. It's the highest point on the trail at 6,643 feet. It had an awesome 360 degree view.Said goodbye to a hiking partner today: Portland. He had hiked and stayed at the last couple of shelters over the past few days.Saw a lot of blowdown on the trail (trees blown down by the wind) and some recent cutting work in an attempt to clear the trail. There was a trail cutting crew out a little past Clingman's Dome and had a chance to help them clear the path a little.Thought about my old camping/hiking crew from home today as I was climbing this neverending, painful uphill: "...and I though they smelled bad (deep breath) on the outside."
Date: 2007-04-23
From: Icewater Shelter

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was a pretty typical day. Woke up around 6:45am. Ate a package of pop-tarts for breakfast. Put on my hiking gear, rolled up my sleeping bag, packed up my backpack and took off down trail. Went to the water source and filled up my 2 liter bladder and my 1 liter platy's. Treated my water with Aquamira. Hiked for about 2 hours and then took a break and ate a snickers bar. Hiked for another 1.5 - 2 hours and stopped for lunch which consisted of a hiker burrito (tortilla, cheese, pepperoni). After lunch collected more water at another source down the trail. Hiked for another 2 - 3 hours and stopped for another break and Cliff Bar. Hiked for another 1.5 hours and rolled into the shelter. Took my stuff out of my backpack at my spot in the shelter. Layed out my sleeping pad, my sleeping bag, and my personal stuff. Grabbed my food, my stove, alcohol (for the stove), and my cooking pot/mug. After dinner, hung my food bag up on the hoist cables. In bed by 9:15pm.
Date: 2007-04-24
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Davenport Gap
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: broken clouds

Hiked out of Tri-Corner Knob Shelter with Talkerman. We headed into Asheville, NC today. The day started off overcast and damp. Had a little rain but nothing too bad. The day got real warm as we came down the mountain. Said goodbye to a few people I camped with in the Smokies. Staying w/Talkerman's son and his girlfriend (Sam and Lynette).