morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-04-27
From: Bald Mt Shelter

To: Erwin
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: light rain

Day 37 - Based on Wednesday evening's forecast I thought it best to get up and get moving as quickly as possible and try to get to Erwin for the evening. I was up at 6:50am and on the trail by 7:45am. The first climb of the morning was up Little Bald and was only 110 feet (over 1.3 miles) but it must have been straight up plus the humidity was very high. It had been humid all night; all my clothes were clammy when I put them on this morning. It really did not matter because by 8:30am they were soaked with sweat. Also, part of the problem with this climb was the wind, it must have been blowing 30-40 mph from the south and it would actual catch my back pack and twist me clockwise. So I am climbing up a fairly steep inclined, bent at the waist and being turned all at the same time. I have noticed this before but it was a dominant occurrence today with the wind blowing are the strange and weird noises that are made from the trees limbs rubbing against each other. Sounds such as wild animal howls, babies crying, different string instruments or big kettle or base drums permeate the forest. If they don't make you jump, they certainly get your attention as the wind whips across the top of the trees. Another thing that catches your attention is the position of the sun in relation to the trail. On Monday, day 35, the trail actually turned and headed due south until Sam's Gap when it turned east northeast. You really catch yourself in the afternoon if the sun is not behind your left shoulder wondering if you are headed in the correct direction (north). It is amazing to what you become sensitive to after hiking for a period of time. As the weather forecast was updated during the day I was more convinced that I needed to get to Erwin as it was supposed to get nasty around 10:00pm. I moved fairly quickly, stopped fewer times to take pictures and walked off the trail at the Nolichucky River at 5:00pm, having covered 16.3 miles at a 1.9 mph pace. I walked and hitched a ride to the Holiday Inn Express, ordered myself a pizza, plugged in my phone and went to bed.
Date: 2011-04-28
From: Erwin

To: Indian Grave Gap
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 38 - With the A/C on and the drapes pulled tight, I slept through the devastating storms that hit the southeast during the night. I know everyone's thoughts and prayers go out to those who lost members of their families during these storms. The weather forecast was certainly correct, both with the strength of this storm and the timing. I was certainly glad I had hiked as quickly as I did on Tuesday in order to get into Erwin. Many other hikers did the same thing, as the Holiday Inn Express breakfast area was full of hikers who had gotten off the trail. This promises to be a great day. First, my brother, Phil, is going to hike with me for a while and because he is doing this, I can slack pack. I love slack packing. Phil picked me up and we were on the trail at 9:15am and started hiking out of the Nolichucky River gorge. We had some pretty views of the river up on the cliffs. He and I hiked for 2 hours together, just 15 minutes short of Curley Maple Gap shelter, which was 4.8 miles from our start. At his point, Phil turned around and walked back toward his car while I continued to hike north toward Indian Grave Gap at TN 395. I arrived at the gap at 1:10pm, having hiked 8.9 miles at a 2.25 mph pace. Have I mentioned that I love slack packing? I have covered 348.2 miles so far. Phil picked me up and we enjoyed a hiker's typical AYCE (all you can eat) lunch at KFC. I appreciate Phil taking time to do this with me and I enjoyed his company. During the afternoon, I took care of some business and started planning my next 2-3 months of travel. I have not really spent time determining where I will be and when so I can set up mail/food drops. The evening turned out to be great as well as my mom and dad treated me with barbecued pork ribs from Phil's Dream Pit. If Phil could just develop a process of dehydrating these ribs so I could take them on the trail, that would be tremendous but I am not sure how I would dispose of the bare bones.
Date: 2011-04-29
From: Indian Grave Gap

To: Greasy Creek Gap
Miles today: 15.9

Day 39 - This day promises to be good too as I will be able to spend some time with Al Wargo. I slept well and felt good having my belly full of pork. Al picked me up and we hit the trail at Indian Grave Gap at 10:45am. It was a nice day, breezy and warm. Al led the way up the trail, climbing 965 feet to Beauty Spot in one hour, moving me at a 3.4 mph pace, with my pack on!! It was good to visit with Al and catch up with him since I had not seen him since last fall. He turned back once we got to Beauty Spot and I continued on, albeit at a much slower pace. The entire day was nice, low humidity and just a good day to be outside hiking. My goal for the day was Greasy Creek Gap and I arrived there at 6:45pm having hiked 15.9 miles, averaging 2.1 mph. My total is now 364.1 miles. There were 3 other hikers already there, Amanda, her brother, Jesse, and Buckeye. I enjoyed their company and talking with them. The forecast for the night was dry but down to 30*F, I am glad I still have my down jacket with me. I was in my tent by 8:30pm and lights out by 9:30pm. My pace is increasing as I continue to get stronger and more importantly the terrain is leveling out a little more. Ever since I crossed Spivey Gap on Tuesday the trail is maintained by Eastman's Hiking and Canoeing Club. I want to acknowledge their work as I know several of those members. EHCC is one of 14 clubs that maintain the entire trail and it is never ending work. They do a great job keeping the trail passable and in good condition. EHCC maintains and has responsibility for over 134 miles, from Spivey Gap to Damascus.
Date: 2011-05-02
From: Carver's Gap

To: Apple House Shelter
Miles today: 14.3

Day 42 - Terry Hackler and David Pittman picked me up and we were able to hike 3.3 miles together on a very pretty day. We started on the trail at Carvers Gap and headed north once again. It was nice to have their company and get caught up on what has been going on. Terry is planning to do some of the trail in late May starting at Springer Mt, I thought about going with him but that thought dissipated fairly quickly. They turned around at Stan Murray Shelter at 2:30pm and I headed for Little Hump and Hump Mt. These are interesting mountains, actually balds, with the trail going right up the middle. My initially plan was to go as far as Doll Flats which is on the TN/NC border. There was plenty of daylight left when I got there, I was feeling ok and I knew I needed the miles in order to be in Damascus on Saturday so I elected to walk on. I arrived at Apple House Shelter at 7:35pm and set up my tent. I hiked 14.3 miles today which is good considering I did not start until almost 1:00pm. I met a bunch of hikers there, many from the New England states. I ate and was off to bed by 9:00pm.
Date: 2011-05-03
From: Apple House Shelter

To: Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: clear sky

Day 43 - I slept fairly well, it was the first time I have been able to wear just a tee shirt and still be warm at night. Mr. Skunk visited the area at 4:05am, he (maybe a she) did not spray but I could definitely smell the critter. Being sprayed or having your tent sprayed would definitely put a halt on one's hiking plans but maybe not showering for 3-4 days, it would all just blend together. The weather report for later today and tonight did not sound very good, so I set my sights on Moreland Gap Shelter which is 18.9 miles away. The shelter prior to that is not far enough and I did not want to tent camp if I could find room in this 6 person shelter. So, off I went around 8:00am. I crossed over U.S. 19 in just 15 minutes and really did not have any major climbs so I made fairly good time. At 2:10pm, I crossed the 400 mile mark from Springer. It is way too early to start documenting these milestones but I did stop and commemorate this one. Lots of wildlife today, the birds are much more active and can be heard as early as 5:30am. I saw what looked like a domestic cat but larger running out of the woods, down the trail for 10 yards and back into the woods. I did not get a look at the head so I am not sure what I saw. I did keep looking back for awhile to see if I was going to get pounced. I also saw 2 snakes crawling about. I kept listening to the weather forecast hoping against all odds that I would reach the shelter before the storm hit. I was running low on water and I knew the water at the shelter was some way off so I decided to stop and load my water containers and put my electronics in a waterproof bag and put my rain cover on my back pack. It had really been hot today and I had been sweating a great deal so I had been sucking down the water. The first rain drops hit, not crickets this time, at 5:15pm. The rain actually felt pretty good, helped cool things off and rinsed me off at the same time. After about 30 minutes I felt a slight problem developing. When I run in high humidity or if I run enough to soak my shorts I will start to chaff my inner-thighs. My shorts, encrusted with salt begin acting like 100 grit sandpaper rubbing against my legs. I have some anti-chaffing wax that I could have put on but that would mean I would have to unpack my bag in the rain to dig it out. I decided against that and I can mark that up as a bad decision. By the time I walked into the shelter at 6:30pm I was walking bow legged trying my best to keep my pants off my legs. Additionally, the temperature had dropped quite a bit and I was starting to shiver. I ate quickly to try to warm up and changed out of my wet clothes. It was so humid that even my dry clothes and sleeping bag were soon moist. The 6 person shelter was full with the 6th person having to sleep over a leak in the roof. He woke everyone up at 12:15am putting his emergency blanket over him to keep him dry. Still a good day, covered the 18.9 miles in 9.5 hours or at a 2.0 mph pace. My total miles are now at 408.
Date: 2011-05-06
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: Abingdon Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: light rain

Day 46 - This promises to be another fun filled day as I will have two set of hikers with me today. I am supposed to meet Bill Wight where the AT crosses TN 91 at 10:30am and he will hike with me until we cross U.S 421. Kevin Pruitt and his son, Taylor, are to meet with me there and hike over night and then on into Damascus on Saturday. Thursday night was not as cold as it was supposed to have been and I was up and on the trail by 8:15am. The 4.5 mile hike to TN 91 was uneventful and Bill was waiting for me when I emerged from the woods at 10:15am. We resumed our conversations that we had started a week earlier when he picked me up at Carver's Gap and took me home. The terrain along this section of the trail is conducive to setting a good, fast pace and Bill and I did just that. He did allow me to lead because his stride is much longer than mine. Still, we hiked the 6.6 miles section at a 2.6 mph pace, if I could do that consistently, I would be in Katahdin by August. We had a good time and I enjoyed his company, he has done a lot of neat things. We got to U.S. 421 at 12:50 and Kevin and Taylor were to meet me at 3:30pm. I put in a phone call to Kevin and told him if he could to accelerate their plans, I would be ready.   In the meantime, Bill walked down to Shady Valley and retrieved his car and came and got me and we went back to Shady Valley and had lunch at the Country Store. This is a very interesting store but had delicious cheeseburgers and fries. Kevin and Taylor met us at the Country Store and we decided that Kevin's car would be safer there than up on the highway. So, we all climbed into Bill's car and he took us back to the trail head. We told Bill good bye, in the meantime Bill had agreed to take Cheap Chardonnay to Shady Valley in order to get to Damascus. The three of us hit the trail at 2:50pm; we were only planning to hike to Abingdon Gap shelter to camp, which was only 4.8 miles up the trail. Taylor, a junior at Vandy led the way and we were there in no time, at 4:30pm. The time seems to fly by when engaged in conversation so it was a real treat to be covering miles effortlessly. We set up our tents beyond the shelter and ate the lasagna and brownies that the Pruitt's had brought. After dinner we sat around and talked and about 7:30pm when I told them it was about my bedtime. I know this was too early and very rude but the sun was dropping and a hiker goes to bed at sunset, at least this hiker does. The total mileage for the day was 15.9, even though it did not seem that long and the average pace was 2.25 mph. My total mileage is now 454.2 and the town of Damascus is the next milestone.
Date: 2011-05-07
From: Abingdon Gap Shelter

To: Damascas
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: broken clouds

Day 47 - We all had a fairly good night's rest and we were up a little after 7:00am. Kevin and Taylor had hiked in fresh eggs so it was a real treat to have real scramble eggs for breakfast and not dehydrated ones. We broke camp and we were on the trail at 8:20am. Taylor explained his life at Vandy and his summer plans at Doe River Gorge camp. He carried my pack the last 2 hours which allowed me to slack pack which I appreciated. He is a neat young man and I know Kim and Kevin are proud of him, as they should be. At 10:48am another milestone was accomplished, we crossed into Virginia, my fourth state. It seems I have spent a lot of time in and out of North Carolina and Tennessee the past couple of weeks, but nothing compared to what is in store for me in Virginia. Virginia has the longest portion of the trail of any one state: 536.7 miles, 24.6% of the entire trail. It will take me nearly 2 months to transverse this great state but I am looking forward to it. We exited the trail at Damascus at noon, having covered the 10 miles very quickly at a 2.8 mph pace. We loaded our stuff into Taylor's car, which they had left the day before and headed back to Shady Valley to pick up Kevin's car and of course, have another cheeseburger at the Country Store. My total miles are now at 464.7. Kevin took me back to my place and I was able to have dinner with my mom and dad, Kathie, Alice, Donna, Jim, Sally and Janna. It was a good visit, as I will not see them again for several months as I start northbound away from home. Donna and Jim quickly and graciously agreed to pick me up and take me to Damascus on Sunday on their way back to Cookeville. I know it is a 100 mile total detour so I am thankful for them doing this. I will repack my food supply and attempt look at my hiking plans out for another 2-3 weeks.
Date: 2011-05-08
From: Damascas

To: Saunder's Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: light rain

Day 48 - Donna, Jim, Sally and Janna picked me up and transported me back to Damascus. We said our good byes and Janna helped me with my trekking poles, I believe she was ready to hit the trail with me. I was on the south side of town and started at 12:55pm walking through town. Trail Days will be in Damascus next weekend so the town was gearing up to host over 10 to 15,000 visitors, mostly hikers. I was actually glad to be there a week early and get through town quickly. I stopped at Cowboys and had half a sandwich and put the other half in my pack to eat later. The trail exiting Damascus actually parallels the Virginia Creeper bike trail but stays much higher and certainly has a different terrain than the old railroad grade. It had rained hard in Damascus Sunday morning and the humidity was quite high once the sun began to shine. I was sweating fairly quickly and actually thought about going down to the creek along the creeper and cooling off. But no time for that, so up and over Straight Mountain I went. There must have been 30-40 switch backs going over this mountain, the last ten or so I would think that I had had reached the summit. It was only a 1,500 foot climb out of Damascus but it seemed like more. After 9.6 miles, I arrived at Saunder's shelter which was a quarter of a mile off the trail but I had no choice to walk that distance because there were no real suitable camping sites. I don't normally like to waste miles hiking off the main trail. David and Wendy from Reading, PA were there, they had been shuttled from Damascus to White Top Mt and had hiked down. They were on their way to Damascus for Trail Days. I set up my tent, ate and turned in fairly early as I anticipate I will have a fun day tomorrow attacking White Top and Mt. Rogers. With this short hike today, I have covered 473.8 miles.
Date: 2011-05-09
From: Saunder's Shelter

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 49 - I slept pretty well and was up at 6:45am. Hopefully not a omen for the day but I spilt my entire ground pepper supply into my grits and onto the ground as I was preparing to eat them. This was bad for two reasons, one I had too much pepper in my grits and I had no remaining pepper for use later. At least I did not sneeze. I had to hike back out to the trail and was on the real trail at 7:55am, again paralleling the creeper. The trail actually crosses over U.S. 58 several times and joins the creeper for a mile or so. This was extremely easy terrain and I was able to pick up considerable speed. Once I got off the creeper and headed for Buzzard Rock and Whitetop Mountain the real fun began. The 1,812 foot elevation change is over rocks.... baby rocks, middle size rocks, average size rocks and boulders. Rocks with sharp edges, rocks that would turn when stepped on, rocks that would catch your boots and twist you. Every conceivable shape rock was on the trail and I was hurting . The soles of my feet have toughen over the past 7 weeks but today they seemed as tender as a baby's bottom. Some of the trail and scenery was beautiful and unique but it got very monotonous as my head was down, picking out places to place my feet. I got above Elk Gardens and stopped and had an early dinner, really just to sit down and rest. I arrived at Deep Gap at 6:30pm, found a isolated campsite and set up my tent, got in it, rubbed my feet, read and went to sleep. I have purchased and am now carrying a Kindle, the newer versions weighs only half a pound and will last a month on a single charge. I have found reading is a good way to unwind after hiking all day. I know, it is still 8 ounces but it is better than the pages that I had cut out of books that I was carrying previously. As bad as my feet hurt, I still covered 16.5 miles today which is good, for a total of 490.3 miles. My average was 1.7 mph which was OK given the terrain. I will cross over the 500 miles mark tomorrow.
Date: 2011-05-10
From: Deep Gap

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: light rain

Day 50 - I slept OK as exhausted as I was. I heard rain drops on my rain fly at 3:29am but it did not last long and did not keep me awake. At 6:20am I was awakened by thunder, the forecast was for rain most of the day and I guess it was going to start early. One side of my brain told me that climbing around Mt. Rogers and through Grayson Highland State Park was going to be very similar to yesterday and told me that I needed to get up and get started. Also, by getting up now, before it really rained I could take down my tent with minimal wetness and that would equate to less ounces to carry on my back. The other side of my brain told me to drift off back to sleep and rest awhile longer, which I did. My feet appreciated it. I am not sure which side of the brain it was but I liked what it was telling me. After snoozing a little while longer, the same side of my brain convinced me that I had not laid in bed or slept late since my retirement. Once again, I listened to that logic and read in my tent for awhile. I did not get up until 9:00am!!! I was on the trail at 9:40am and headed over more rocks. The hike around Mt. Rogers and through Grayson was actually rockier than the day before. The weather forecast for late in the day and through the night was heavy thunder showers so I could not stop and quit. Most of the day was around the balds so there was not a lot of protection from the elements. I saw probably 40 of the highland ponies that are in this area, they reside here to help keep the balds clear of unwanted vegetation. If the rocks were not bad enough I had to watch my step because the ponies share the trail and they leave their residue all over the trail. I arrived at Wise shelter at 3:00pm having covered only 7.2 miles so it was way too early to call it a day even though the sky look ominous. The next shelter was 5.9 miles away so on I went. The trail after Wise had fewer rocks and it was back to a dirt base so I was able to move much quicker. I arrived at Old Orchard Shelter at 6:00pm and it was full so I set up my tent in a grassy area. I covered a total of 13.1 miles today. Even though my feet hurt, I was pleased with the miles since I had such a late start. After dinner I was in my tent and read for a while. My total miles are now at 503.4, slow but steady progress toward Maine.
Date: 2011-05-12
From: Troutdale Baptist Church Hostel

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: broken clouds

Day 52 - Hopeful and I stayed in the same room and he was a non-snorer!!! More good fortune. Moonwatcher got up and left a little before 7:00am, he was driving back to Florida and having to go back to work, imagine that. Hopeful and I got up, packed, swept the floor and guess what.... headed back down the hill to Jerry's for breakfast. How about the hiker's special including, two eggs, hash browns, country ham, orange juice, tea and a huge biscuit covered with gravy. Oh, what a life. We had to hitch a ride back up to the trail which took a little longer than we expected but were on the trail ready to head north at 9:30am. Our destination was Partnership Shelter which is next to Mt. Roger's visitor center. The unique thing about this shelter is that it has a propane heated shower!! Hopeful, from Harrison, TN, led the way. We had a most delightful day of conversation, discussions, prayer and I enjoyed his company. Did I mention that we had sandwiches made for us while at Jerry's this morning for our lunch? I enjoyed my BLT along the trail, having had food from Jerry's for four consecutive meals. We walked out of the woods to Partnership Shelter at 3:30pm, having covered the 14.7 miles in 5.5 hours, equating to a 2.6 mph pace. I was so pleased to be able to do this pace given the difficulties that I had experienced on Monday and Tuesday. My total mileage is currently 528.1. There were quite a few hikers at the shelter and we were required to stay in the shelter and not set up our tent. I took a shower, rinsed out my sweaty clothes and hung them out to dry. Everyone started to make dinner plans. The visitor center has an outside phone line which one can use to call and have pizza delivered. I thought about this but learned that 2 section hikers, Granddaddy Longlegs (VA) and Vista Jim (PA) were going to Jerry's for dinner, so I asked for a ride. Off we went, back down the hill to Jerry's for my fifth straight meal from this establishment. I had hamburger steak, baked potato, salad, baked beans and their home made peach cobbler with a little scoop of vanilla ice cream. We got back to the shelter and several hikers had obtained rides back to Damascus and were headed out. All week, that was the topic of discussion, how people were getting back for Trail Days. Some were actually going to retrace their steps and hike, others were hitchhiking, others were arranging shuttles. I am sure PBR sales had another booming week.