morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-11-14
To: Walnut Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 13.1

11/14Walnut Mountain Shelter13.1 milesIt got a little spooky upstairs in the hostel overnight. I could hear things banging in the hallway. I was the only one up there last night. I told myself it was probably the cat but when I got up to visit the bathroom later, no cat and nothing disturbed. Later, as I was ready to leave, I put my backpack on in my room. I turned to the door with my hand out to grab the knob and found the door already opening toward me. Two days there and the door had never opened on its own. I stepped through and turned to close the door, but the door was shutting behind me. Spooky. I'm going to assume it was the house saying farewell. As I walked out into the day it was a little after dawn. I saw three people packing cars at the trailhead, but I didn't see anybody hiking all day. I walked uphill for nearly the whole day, finally reaching the summit of Bluff Mountain mid afternoon. Right before the summit I saw a tiny one man tent set up. The door was open but I couldn't see anyone. There was a military pack leaning against a fallen tree nearby. It felt a little wrong, with no signs of life at that time of day. I stared at it until I devised a reasonable explanation. Perhaps the hiker had set up a base camp and then gone hunting or birding. Maybe they were down the hillside digging a cat hole. I moved on. When I got to the shelter, it was empty. I walked on down to the water and scooped out three liters, then walked back up to the shelter and unpacked. I started water boiling for dinner while I made myself a comfortable bed. My NeoAir Xtherm and two quilts layered are about as good as it gets for me. Dinner was still rehydrating when a hiker with a dog walked up. Tom Horn and his little dog Geronimo were pooped. He got them water and they both ate some leftover pork loin he had packed. He didn't have the energy to do more. I could relate. Many of my evenings have gone that way. Tom Horn was a great conversationalist. We had a conversation that lasted until it got dark and we both fell asleep. Right before I fell into that deep well, he suddenly remembered the name of a mountain that neither of us could remember and it had driven us both crazy. "Killington." I gave him a heartfelt thank you and then sleep stole over me.
Date: 2017-11-16
To: Standing Bear Hostel
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: overcast clouds

11/16Standing Bear Hostel6.9 milesIt rained on and off all night. I was smug at my situation, all warm and dry under a roof. It conveniently stopped raining just as I was ready to get up. One hot coffee and poptart later, I was ready to face the world. The climb up and down Snowbird was far easier than I remembered. I'm at the point of the south where I was still building thruhiker legs going north on my last thru. It's quite pleasant to walk those same hills with minimal effort now. Instead of dying I can look around and appreciate the beauty. Today fog made it quiet and serene on top of the mountain. When I got to the turnoff for the hostel, I was still undecided about staying or just buying supplies and moving on. But as I walked up the gravel road my foot let me know that rest would be good. Yesterday afternoon it gave a few vicious twinges. Today I got some warning pains that made me gasp. Definitely time to rest. I took a hot shower in the distinctive beer bottle wall shower stall. I used the shampoo that was there, so I guess I smell pretty manly now. I mostly showered for the benefit of others. I didn't really feel dirty. Getting dry and dressed again was a trial. I think that's my last shower of the year in an unheated room. I'm holding out for heat from now on. Much of my life right now revolves around heat and the lack of it, now that I think of it. A section hiker, David / Grandaddy Longlegs, arrived shortly after me. He gave me some batteries, so now I don't need to worry about using my headlamp too much. He also offered to drive me to dinner when he went. We ended up at Janice's Diner in Cosby. Our dinners were cheap, filling, and tasty. It looked like the sort of place where one might get good meatloaf, and indeed it was. I couldn't finish everything, which made me sad. David even bought me dinner! I paid the tip and thanked him. Gator got a fire going in the wood stove in the bunkhouse. I expect I'm going to have a warm and comfy night. And then I expect that I'm going to suffer through the Smokies. I'm definitely going to break them up into to sections and go to Gatlinburg in between. Rain and 50 mph winds, in the teens and snowy.. it looks like I'm going to be experiencing quite a lot of inclement weather. I think I'll be all right, but I don't know that I'll enjoy it.
Date: 2017-11-17
To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: clear sky

11/17Cosby Knob Shelter10.7 milesDespite a cat with a killer reputation sleeping next to me, I felt something scrabble over my head during the night. I shrieked and flailed. I fumbled for my headlamp and looked around, but I saw nothing. I fell back asleep and was undisturbed for the rest of the night. In the morning I ate breakfast with the cat, who appeared to be pretty interested in my food. I didn't feed her anything but love. She's a big time cuddler and was happy to drape on my shoulder like Andy used to. I don't meet too many friendly cats on the trail so I was delighted and petted her lavishly. As I walked away from the hostel, I was clean, dry, full, and happy. The sky was a gorgeous clear blue. All was well with my world. I began climbing up into the Great Smoky Mountain National Park. My general feeling was one of low level ecstasy. The Smokies have some vegetation that I haven't seen anywhere else. There are plants that look like they've come out of a Dr Seuss illustration. On the characteristic narrow ridges of the area, the abundance of grasses and small trees gives an otherworldly feel. At one point I startled something that looked like nothing so much as a small fairy fleeing from my steps. It was all gorgeous. Two women on Arab horses passed me going up the mountain. I admired their horses, who navigated the rocks with competence. I noticed that they were wearing removable boots, and at least one was wearing a bitless rope bridle. I heartily approved of the horses and their women. I tried to imagine Pluto riding these narrow trails on steep ridges. I'm thinking that might be a suicidal ride. I arrived at the shelter at a quarter to 4. It was early to stop, but with dark at 5:30 and the next shelter 7 miles away, I was home for the night. I set up my sleeping gear in the shelter and moved out of the sleeping area to make dinner. Standing Bear had not had dinners that enticed me, so I had decided to eat things left over from my last resupply. Dinner tonight was a cup of miso soup, a hot Propel, a Gatorade whey protein bar, and some Sahale nut mix. Not as satisfying as chicken teriyaki, but it was hot, had plenty of protein, and probably sufficient calories. Today was a gorgeous clear fall day that had me walking in my shirtsleeves most of the day. Tomorrow the weather will be worse. At least I got one gorgeous day in the Smokies. I'm confident that I have the gear to keep me safe if not super happy.
Date: 2017-11-20
To: Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0

11/20Gatlinburg0 milesFor some reason I woke up before 5 today. I never fell back asleep, either. What's up with that, brain? Did you decide we don't need sleep now?The road to Newfound Gap was still closed this morning. I didn't know that when I paid for another night at the motel. I just knew I wanted to give the mountains a little time to thaw. I ate the skimpy motel breakfast, then waited for the outfitter to open. I bought surprisingly little there. They had plenty of freeze dried food, but minimal variety. At least I got a backup fuel canister. It'll probably get me all the way to the end of the trail. I pondered getting spikes, but I think the uneven support would really hurt my sore foot. Which might be a moot point if it's so slippery that I end up on my butt. At Old Grandad's General Store, I bought snacks and stuff. I had to ask them to find me coffee, as none was on the shelves. Coffee is more necessary than the dang fuel. I can drink coffee cold if need be. The shopping was tricky because everything I looked at literally made me drool. Which is awkward. I threw some extra snacks into the cart to eat right away. Turns out pecan logs aren't as good as I remembered they were. I went to Bennett's for lunch. Pulled pork BBQ. Not as good as JD's. It was filling and reasonably tasty. The waitress was psychic. I hope they get at least a living wage, because she really deserves it. Somebody who knows what you want before you do makes spectacular waitstaff. I pondered sightseeing but figured it would be better to rest my foot, so I returned to my motel room. It's quite pleasant. I love yellow rooms, so I find mine to be very welcoming. The bed is very comfortable as well. It has those sheets with the alternating matte and shiny stripes. So soft, and plain but also pretty. Stepping out for dinner at a busy restaurant made me feel lonely. I would rather have eaten something alone in my room rather than surrounded by happy people talking to each other. It made my meal feel strictly utilitarian. Enough calories acquired, check. Sufficient fluids, check. Goal accomplished. Eating was necessary but not fun. I'm looking forward to being out in the woods again tomorrow, where I don't feel lonely because being alone is normal. It took a surprising number of calls to arrange a ride back. My resources had wrong numbers, disconnected numbers, businesses not operating at this time of year, and businesses misrepresented. I did finally get a lead on Uptown Cabs, who offered a reasonable price and could pick me up at a reasonable time. That was a relief. I also called and made a dinner reservation for Thanksgiving, which contrasts oddly with the rest of my hike. But I should arrive in town again on Thanksgiving, and I'm pretty sure if I don't have a reservation I won't be able to find anywhere to eat at all. I'm getting close enough to the end of my hike to start thinking about how to get home, but not close enough to nail down a day. Frustrating. I must have left my precognitive beanie in my other backpack.
Date: 2017-11-21
To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

11/21Silers Bald Shelter12.1 milesTrash bear came back. I'm sure he's a regular visitor. I stuck my head out my door after a clang. Only to find a posse of half dressed men talking about the enormous bear, who apparently had taken off into the garage. I wished they would just let him fish through the trash and be done with it. Instead everyone stood around discussing the situation instead of going to bed. Somehow they also managed to tap my door and window repeatedly, which was annoying. All of it was annoying. In the morning, I could hear the same voices when I awoke. Apparently they needed, or got, even less sleep than me. Dandy. I ate breakfast in my room, in no mood to join the crowd at the lackluster breakfast bar. I had purchased a bearclaw, which tasted good with the pot of coffee I made. I stuffed the last items in my pack and walked up front to check out. My cab driver turned out to be an older woman - the dispatcher's mom. She was pleasant to talk to. I think I was just enjoying having a conversation with another human being. She added a friendly tone to the morning that hadn't been there before. The trail was still a little icy but much more manageable than it had been the morning after the storm. I only had one small slip, which didn't result in injury or fall. So footing-wise, today was a definite improvement. Clingman's Dome was open but really not in great shape. You can see rebar through the concrete. The structure was jam packed with tourists and whining children. I shot a couple of pictures but didn't linger. At Double Spring Gap I stopped for water. There was a lone hiker there. I regretted leaving, knowing that it was unlikely that I would have company at the next shelter. But I wasn't tired, and I really wanted to get to Fontana Dam for Thanksgiving. Cutting it short today would have made that difficult. Sure enough, this shelter is empty. There's a tarp up, which is noisily flapping. I'm not sure how well I'll sleep through it. Well enough, I guess. Given that I'll be in my sleeping bag for twelve hours, I'm sure I'll manage to get sufficient rest. I decided to lay my sleeping bag sideways in the shelter. It's a little tight under the bunk to maneuver my head to the back wall, and sleeping with my head out makes me feel vulnerable. If another hiker shows up I can move, although that seems unlikely. And even set up sideways, there is still room for a bunch more people. Although I haven't seen any bears in the park, and barely any scat, there are lots of signs warning of the dangers. And I know that the park has one of the highest densities of bears in the country. It makes me paranoid. The bears are likely all denned up and not an issue, but my subconscious disagrees. Despite the beauty of the Smokies, I'll be glad to leave the park so I can camp where I feel less inundated with the idea of bears.
Date: 2017-11-22
To: Russell Field Shelter 
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: light rain

11/22Russell Field Shelter 14.6 milesIt was foggy and drippy when I got up at 5:30 to answer the call of nature. I got back in my sleeping bag, which turned out to be an excellent strategy. At 6:30 when I got up again, the sky was dawning clear. Much better. It seemed like I climbed all day. That isn't correct or even possible, but that's how it felt. Another southbound hiker brought it up, so it wasn't just me. It also felt cold all day. It wasn't that cold - I think the high was in the upper 40s. But the trail followed the ridge line most of the day, leaving me exposed to the wind. I needed my gloves pretty much full time. In mid afternoon I switched from my raincoat to my less steamy windbreaker, but that's as far as the disrobing went. I hiked wearing tights under my pants in an effort to keep feeling in my butt. It failed, and I never felt so warm that I wanted to remove the extra insulation. I'm looking forward to hiking at lower elevation. Maybe it will be a little warmer. Or maybe it's late fall and it's cold everywhere. There was no privy at last night's shelter so I needed to dig a cat hole today. Since I was walking on a narrow ridge all day, it took a very long time to find an appropriate spot. Given the weather, there were a lot of requirements to meet. It needed to be in a spot protected from the wind and in the sun. It needed to be invisible from the trail. I needed to be able to get to it safely, so it couldn't be on a steep slope. It took me until 3 pm to find a place. I was about to explode by that point. I greeted my little haven with a great deal of relief. The other hiker said he was going to try to make it to this shelter tonight, but he's not here. I don't know if he pooped out and stayed st Spence Field, or had a burst of energy and moved on to Mollie's Ridge. Either way it's just me and a mouse for company tonight. I saw a small bear less than a mile from the shelter so I suppose I might have ursine company as well. Probably not, though. I have a bit less than 16 trail miles to go tomorrow, plus 2 road miles to the lodge. I hope I can get a ride. I don't want to be late for my dinner reservation. The two miles of road walking wouldn't do my foot any favors, either. The shuttle sadly doesn't run this time of year. My plan is to attempt to get up at 5:30 or 6 so I can be walking by first light. That would give me an extra two miles. Plus a lot of tomorrow is downhill. That should help. Being motivated by hot food and a hot shower may help most of all.
Date: 2017-11-24
To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: clear sky

11/24Brown Fork Gap Shelter11.6 milesThe bed was so comfy that my body gave me lip about leaving in the morning. It tried hard to persuade me that staying another day was an excellent life choice that would reap multiple benefits. I pointed out that the weather would be excellent today and it would be far more fun to hike in sunshine than the inevitable cold wet weather in our future. I won, but my body retaliated by being stubbornly sluggish all day. I skipped the restaurant in favor of coffee and a pastry in my room. I sat around until 8:30 because the desk lady said to come up and ask for a ride between 8:30 and 9. I went up and checked out, then waited briefly. A maintenance man offered me a ride. I tried to pay him when we got to the trailhead but he wouldn't take my money so I offered my thanks and hefted my pack out of the truck. I met a friendly mother daughter pair on the way up the mountain and had a nice little conversation. I think that's all the people I talked to until the very end of the day.Despite my coffee, my legs were dragging today. With my late start, lunchtime came early. I sat on a log and ate Chex mix and a piece of cheese. I briefly felt revived, but not for as long as I wished. Also I was slipping like crazy on roots covered with leaves. I did actually fall down today on two occasions, but didn't take any damage. At Cable Gap Shelter I stopped to filter water. I sort of wanted to stay and sleep. With a sigh I got up and started walking again. My progress was slow and it didn't look like I would make this shelter before dark. I gave up and took a caffeine capsule. The rest of the miles came more easily. Right before the shelter I heard somebody behind me and stepped off the trail so he could pass. He asked if I were Mrs Joy and said he'd been just behind me for days. He introduced himself as Lizard King. He started two months later than I did. I'll see him pass me tomorrow but probably not again after that. He came down to the shelter to eat dinner with me and the mice. We had a good conversation. Both of us are thinking about life after the trail. It's a pretty tough transition from the simple life of hiking, eating, and sleeping to the stress and complexity of a modern American life. I'm afraid I haven't had any brilliant ideas about carrying my thruhiker life over into the real world. Maybe in the next two weeks a lightbulb will go off?
Date: 2017-11-25
To: NOC 
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

11/25NOC15.8 milesMan I slept great. The mice apparently left me alone. At 5:15 I persuaded myself to get up so I could get to the NOC at a reasonable time tonight. I guess I should have slept in because it was still dark when I finished packing. I put on my headlamp and started walking. I was treated to an absolutely gorgeous sunrise that went on forever. I watched the clouds turn rosy in giant wings extending away from the hidden sun. In the center, the sky turned pink and then golden. I walked and took pictures through one of the prettiest sunrises of my life. Jacob's Ladder, downhill through leaf piles, was a little tricky. I slipped and slid my way down hill. The hike up to Cheoah Bald took a long time. People keep saying how hard the Smokies terrain is, but I think this was harder. Descending to the NOC was no picnic either, though again I think that was the fault of the leaves. I got here after 5, so I'll have to stick around tomorrow until after the outfitter opens at 10. I've been getting up around 6. What on earth will I do with the time?  I can only eat so much breakfast. The restaurant doesn't open until 8, as well. Maybe I'll take a shower. The water was nice and hot and high pressure. Unfortunately they don't provide a towel. Drying off with my hand towel sized camp towel is doable but not fun or easy. I was planning on getting a motel room tonight, but they were booked. Instead I'm in the bunkhouse. I have it all to myself. I'm not convinced the heat really works. It's blowing but it isn't noticeably hot. I'm wondering if I need to sleep with my water filter. The NOC has had some major growth since I was last here. Good on them. I hardly recognized the place as I turned the corner on the trail and saw it. I bet the outfitter doesn't have honeybuns. I'll probably have to buy something disgustingly healthy to eat for breakfast until I get to Franklin.
Date: 2017-11-26
To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 6.0
Weather: clear sky

11/26Wesser Bald Shelter6 milesHey guess who's solo in a shelter again? Every time somebody online says "You'll never be alone on the AT" I just want to shake them. The bunkhouse last night (where I was also solo, of course) was fine. I dillydallied until 8, dropped my keycard in the box, and walked down to the restaurant. Which was closed. Dammit. No hours listed on the door. Website still says they open at 8. I finally saw a small sign by the road that said they opened at 11. I didn't see it last night, not coming in by road. I took off my pack and set up on the bench near the door. That was as out of the wind as I could find. I needed my box from the outfitter, and I needed to buy snacks. So I couldn't just head into the woods. I made myself a mug of coffee on my jetboil and dug in my foodbag for something to eat. First thing out was the bag of marshmallows and they started some kind of feeding frenzy. I stuffed my face like a squirrel with nuts. I sat there for two hours, getting colder and colder. When my feet went numb, I got up and paced. Finally it was 10 and the outfitter opened. They were really nice. Didn't have a ton of snacks to buy, but they were nice. I decided to wait for the restaurant to open, and asked where I could sit out of the way in the shop. They got me a chair!I ate a very nice burger and finally started walking around noon. I basically walked up hill all afternoon. It was fine. Clear blue skies and at times warm enough for shirt sleeves. Due to my late start, it was a very short hiking day. I hove up to the shelter at about 4:30. As usual nobody was here. I made dinner, hung my food, and filtered or boiled enough water for tomorrow morning. It's supposed to be chilly so I made a hot water bottle. My fuel bottle is running low, which is fine because I have a spare. My mail drop had the last guidebook pages so I made plans for the end of the trail. I'm pretty excited to see JD! Looks like reentry into the real world will take place after the weekend of December 8.