morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-11-28
From: Damascus 

To: Iron Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 26.3
Weather: light rain

(In which I get a slow start out of Damascus and pass into Tennessee) -Currently sitting in the shelter well after dark-This morning I got up at 6 since I went to bed late. Crazy Lary was already awake and I didn't want to wake Ryder so I sat in the kitched and chatted with Lary while I ate my pop tarts and waited for the coffee to brew. I had a long day ahead, but Lary is a great story teller and I wasn't about to rush the rare cup of hot morning beverage. I didn't get out of there until 7 or so.There's a big hill coming out of Damascus - not intimidating compared to many others I've gone over, but when the weather's cold you know you're gonna have to stop a few times to adjust clothing on a climb like that. I must have blown 20 minutes taking clothing off and putting clothing on. Once I made it to the ridge I stopped to snap a picture of the TN/VA State Line and found out that I had cell reception - what a concept! I haven't had that for days. Makes updating this journal a bear. I spent another 30 or 45 minutes sending a few long-overdue texts and composing a super important e-mail to send off to Belgium. By 11:20 am I had gone just over 9 miles. Pathetic! What I lost in time this morning I made up for this afternoon. I made 15.9 miles in 5 hours and 30 minutes. That's how you hike! It was made easier by the cold air temperatures. I had my winter hat on, my shell and my thick gloves on the whole afternoon and I still had to keep moving to stay warm. It's getting cold out there.Today's post was brought to you by Tennessee, because passing into Tennessee means I've walked through 11 states. Only 3 more to go...
Date: 2012-11-30
From: Kincora Hostel 

To: Mountaineer Shelter 
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: scattered clouds

(I which I take my time leaving Kincora and take a pleasant short day) -Currently sitting at a bench in the shelter, well before sunset-This morning I got up at 7:30 and heated water for coffee on the hostel stove. It's such a great thing to have hot water without deaing with your cookset, using up your fuel and packing everything up afterwards. Simple pleasures.While flilpping through the hostel register and eating my pop tarts this morning, I learned something. I learned that Chuck Norris has never hiked, and most likely will never hike, the Appalachian Trail. This is because of an internationally recognized armistice between Chuck Norris and Bob Peoples.Bob stopped in just before I finished my coffee and he wished me well. I started hiking at 8:30, took a few long breaks, and made it to the sheter by 2:50 pm. At one point during the day I came across a park bench sitting next to the trail looking out over a vista. Benches in the middle of nowhere must be put to use - without exception. So I took an impromptu break and snapped the only picture of the day.Tomorrow my plan is to hike 25 to Roan High Knob Shelter. The reason I mention it is because I've been agonizing all day whether or not to change my mileage in order to avoid it. At an elevation of about 6200 ft, it's the highest shelter on the trail, and it's gonna be cold - real cold. Bob told me it's a 4-wall structure, and that the nights are supposed to get warmer tonight and tomorrow. I have the gear to sleep comfortably (sort-of comfortably) down to single digits, so I'm going for it. I'll consider it practice for the Smokeys.Today's post is brought to you by park benches in the woods, because hiking up to a park bench in the middle of nowhere reminds you that really, you're always somewhere.
Date: 2012-12-01
From: Mountaineer Shelter 

To: Roan High Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 25.3
Weather: clear sky

(In which I make it over the Hump - literally, and stay at the highest shelter on the AT) -Currently sitting in the attic/loft after dark-I went to bed so early last night (before 6pm) that I woke up at 4 am ready to go. Rather than hike in the dark for a few hours I decided I'd rather lay there and the let the body rest longer. I was on trail by 5:40. The left knee was bothering me slighly yesterday, and it was tweaking a bit today too. It's north of the knee cap and it feels like it's under the knee cap. It only seems to bother on climbs, which is unusual for knee problems out here. They're almost always a problem on decents. It wasn't pain, just a dull, uncomfortable ache that was worse with weight on it. I was happy that I took a short day yesterday and I took all of today's climbs nice and slow. I'll have to monitor it and take it easy. I'm less than 400 miles from Springer Mountain, but I'm still 400 miles from Springer Mountain.I climbed Hump Mountain today - a five mile, 2800 ft humph. Halfway up I smiled at the thought that the number of big climbs ahead of me is dwindling. At the top I layed down and was sad that the number of big climbs ahead of me is dwindling. The tug of Springer is getting stronger as the miles-to-go number drops, but there's a bit of sadness as the end of the journey creeps closer. Too soon for those kinda thoughts though...Mid-day I passed Overmountain Shelter. It's possibly the most iconic shelter on the AT. It's shown in just about every movie and documentary about the AT. It's an old barn that has been converted into a massive shelter. My guide book says it sleeps 20, but I'd say you could fit at least 40 with room for a live band and a bar. I was hoping to stay in it on this trip, but the mileage and the timing didn't work out. I just took the side trail to the shelter to get water and take a picture. Tonight I'm staying in Roan High Knob Shelter - by myself once again. I expected it to be especially cold up here, but as of right now it's warmer than last night. This is a 4-walled job and there's little wind outside. We'll see how the temperature goes tonight.Today's post is brought to you by the letter A - as in: achey knees. C'mon, what do you expect after 1800 miles of hiking?
Date: 2012-12-02
From: Roan High Knob Shelter 

To: Curley Maple Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 29.2
Weather: scattered clouds

(In which I hike what's hopefully my last 30 mile day ever) -Currently sitting at the picnic table in front of the shelter well after dark-Last night was not cold. In fact, at about 10:30 at night I woke up in a panic to remove clothing before breaking out in a full body sweat. I bet the temperature never got below 32. Right now it's warm enough that hands aren't cold typing so I'm guessing tonight will be a warm one as well.In the morning I hiked down off of Roan High Knob expecting this long day to be relatively quick because of all the downhill segments. I had read in the shelter log at Mountaineer Shelter that 1.5 miles of switchbacks had been added to Roan this spring - I just didn't know where. When I looked at the guide after 2+ hours of strong hiking this morning and learned that I had hiked only 4.5 miles... well, I now know where those switchbacks went. I suppose I won't get credit for that 1.5 miles.Late in the day, about 4 miles from the shelter I approached a paved road with two trailers and a few people on horseback. What caught my eye was a young kid who was there watching his parents (I assume) load the horses into the trailers. He saw stone steps leading south into the woods and after glacing at his busy mother, decided to take a quick trip to see where the strairs went. I watched all of this as I hiked up to the road from the north side, then I crossed the road and followed up the stone steps the boy had just gone up. A minute later the little fella passed me going back towards the road and I said: "you like hiking the Appalachian Trail?""What's that?" (strong southern accent)"Well you're on the Appalachian Trail - you can tell because of the white blazes there. It's 2,000 miles long and goes from Georgia to Maine."His eyes got huge and a he says: "It goes THAT far?! Whoa!!"I like to think that when he hikes the trail someday and another hiker asks him when he decided he wanted to hike the trail he'll say "well, when I was 10 years old..."Today was brutal. I dragged the last 5 miles and stumbled on everything. No more 30 milers for me. Tomorrow it's a 20 through Erwin and then two longer days to get to Hot Springs. Looking ahead, I think I can finish by the 19th of this month without having to pull crazy mileage.Today's post was brought to you by curious little kids, because everybody on this trail started just like that.
Date: 2012-12-03
From: Curley Maple Gap Shelter 

To: Spivey Gap 
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: broken clouds

(In which I resupply in Erwin and fall short on the days mileage) -Currently sitting around a little, smokey fire-This morning I made great time and made it to Uncle Johnny's hostel, just on the edge of Erwin, by 8:30. No one was there. A note on the door said they'd be back in 15 minutes, so I waited. And waited. I sat for 45 minutes and even talked with two fellas who had stopped their car at the nearby intersection just to ask if I was hiking the trail and to pepper me questions about it. They gave me two leftover breafast burritos and wished me luck. Oddest trail magic I've ever had. Anyway, after about an hour a fella drove up and looked to be in a hurry. His name is Grim and he helps run the hostel with John. He checked for the package that was supposed to be there, but there was nothing. He also told me they didn't have much in the way of food resupply, and that he needed to pick up his kid in the next few minutes. I asked if he could get me into town on his way, and the next thing I knew I was eating breakfast at JD's Market.The trouble with Erwin is that it's 5 miles long and the trail is at one end of it. The post office is on the other. After eating I walked over to the post office and snagged the package I was hoping to get. A pair of Darn Toughs and a titanium spork!! Worth the walk! Many thanks to brother and crew.I resupplied, walked the 4 or so miles back to Johnny's and got walking again by 1:20. The original plan was to be back on trail by 10:30...Twenty miles on the day wasn't going to happen, so I ended up in Spivey Gap at a nice li'l campsite. I made a fire, spent some time mending my shoes, and after consulting the guide, decided that I'll have to make Hot Springs a day later than planned. I'm not pulling any more 30 milers unless it's absolutely necessary.Today's post was brought to you by Erwin - a hiker friendly town alright... you have to hike everywhere to get anywhere.
Date: 2012-12-04
From: Spivey Gap 

To: Flint Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 24.6
Weather: broken clouds

(In which I lose my cool and bust a trek pole tip) -Currently sitting in the shelter after dark-Last night started out warm but overnight the temperature dropped a lot. The drop in temp made for more comfortable sleeping in the 20 degree sleeping bag, but by morning everything was covered in dew - including all my gear. A little dew isn't a problem thouugh, and I got going by roughly 6 am.After a few minutes a minor click sound developed in my pack with each step. It must be some subsidiary rule of Murphy's law that any repetitive click or squeak will inevitably get worse rather than get better. I'm not sure why this is, but the click got louder and more consistent with every step. There are few things that get to me like a repetitive click or squeak, so I had to stop to rearrange my gear. After the short break things seemed better... until the click returned without warning. Once again I stopped and this time rearranged my cook set thinking that maybe the new spork wasn't sitting right. After putting everything back together and hiking onward, the click was still there. I think the long 30 mile day combined with yesterday's short, frustrating day left me exhausted and frustrated. The problem with being exhausted and frustrated is that you're too tired to express the frustration... and it builds. After having repacked my gear twice this morning, I had enough... I went a little berzerk. I started visibly shaking, launched my trek poles into the air, ripped off my gloves, threw down my pack and tore every piece of gear out of it. I proceeded to gently shake each piece of gear up and down, left and right, until I found the culprit. Pop tarts. Two packages of pop tarts in a box made to hold four, under the perfect conditions, will flop back and forth in the box when they're exposed to a subtle up and down motion. I tore the box to shreads and instantly felt better. After sitting a minute in the trail amidst my scattered gear, I decided it was good to vent. I packed up for the fourth time that morning and went on my merry way to finish a 25 mile day.A few miles after my nervous break...we'll call it a venting episode...I realized that my right trek pole felt funny. Well of course it did... the tip broke off. Trail lesson (and life lesson) number ten billion: when you lose your cool, there are always bad conseqences. New tips in Hot Springs...Today's post was brought to you by pop tart boxes, because pop tarts just aren't nearly as satisfying when they're crushed into oblivion.
Date: 2012-12-05
From: Flint Mountain Shelter 

To: Spring Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 21.3
Weather: overcast clouds

(In which I walk through a cold morning rain and don't see anyone) -Currently sitting in the shelter well before sunset-I didn't see another human being today. That's the second time on this trip I've gone through a day without seeing another person. Think about how unusual this is - for anyone. There are 7 billion people on this planet, and I didn't see any of 'em. Try to think of the last day where you didn't see another person... good luck.Part of the reason I didn't see anyone was because it was cold and wet. It started last night and the rain continued into the morning. At first it was too warm to keep my raingear on, but as soon as I took that off, the temperature dropped, the trail leveled out, and I was cold... real cold. I stopped at a shelter about 6 miles into the day and put on all my clothing. I hiked the rest of the day that way and never broke a sweat.Towards the end of the day the sky started to clear - grudgingly. The clouds drifted in and out and mists would pop up without warning that would engulf the trail. At one point I snapped a few pictures where the high-level clouds had parted, but the low level mist hung on the trail. 1900 miles and I've never seen anything quite like it.Most of the rain I've experienced on this trail has been from hurricanes and a week-long stretch of misery in Vermont. Every time it has rained, it has rained for a long time. Today the rain gave way to sun, which made life a whole lot better.Today's post was brought to you by chilly rain, because my rain gear just hasn't been getting enough use lately.
Date: 2012-12-07
From: Hot Springs - Elmer's Sunnybank Inn 

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter 
Miles today: 26.2
Weather: overcast clouds

(In which I leave Hot Springs, hike over Max Patch and get a nice view of the Smokys) -Currently sitting at a picnic table in front of the shelter next to a fire that a friendly section hiker started up-This morning I was out of the Sunnybank before the sun came up. I left a note thanking Elmer and I expected to see Dante either later in the day or tomorrow when I pass through Standing Bear Hostel. Dante was planning a 33 mile day today to get straight to Standing Bear, but he said he couldn't leave town until the post office opens... I think his plan too ambitious, but we'll see.The miles were easy today and the views over some of the balds were spectacular. Today's picture was taken from on top of Max Patch - a well known grassy bald with a great 360 degree view. To the south loomed the big, bad Smoky Mountains. Tomorrow I enter the park and do almost all of the hard work. The climb into the park is 7 miles long and goes from 1500 ft to 5100 ft. If the trail is as smooth as it has been lately then I'm sure it'll just be a nice little workout. After the climb, the AT through the Smoky Mountains rides along anywhere between 5,000 and 6,000 ft - no big climbs. The weather is also looking good - not great, but good. I'm looking forward to some easy mileage and great views up there. The plan is to go only 17 miles tomorrow since I need to stop in the middle of the day at the hostel to pick up 3 days of food before the big climb. After that it's two 20 milers and a 23 to Fontana Dam. 247.7 miles and counting...Today's post was brought to you by section hikers who like fire, becuase life is so much better when there's a fire - especially one that you don't have to maintain.
Date: 2012-12-08
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter 

To: Cosby Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

(In which I resupply at Standing Bear Hostel and enter the Smoky Mountains) -Currently sitting in the shelter before sundown-Last night Dante rolled into the shelter at about 8:30. He didn't get outta Hot Springs until 11 am so his original plan of getting to Standing Bear changed. Good to have him along. This morning I got a late start but I think I needed the sleep. I made it to Standing Bear by 9:30 and was really delighted by the place. I don't normally use the word delighted, but I think that's the best word for it. The place reminds me of the cover of Jericho. It has a cozy little bunk house, little hand-built stone bridges across the streams that runs through it and a set of rustic buildings housing a kitchen, a resupply store and the privy. Rocket (trail name) manages the place for the owners right now and he showed me around and got me started on resupply. Surprisingly, the 3 days of food I needed only cost me $40 - pretty good considering they could charge whatever they want to. Dante showed up about an hour after I got there and we spent a good hour and a half eating things from the resupply store and talking with Rocket. Apparently Rocket and Dogger hung out a lot earlier this year when Dogger was northbounding. Apparently Dogger had to stop his northbound trip when his leg got banged up. He spent a week at Standing Bear before going home to heal the leg and eventually started southbound after it healed.I took off from the Hostel around 11 and attacked the big climb. With 3 days of food on my back it was a rough haul. I took a break about a third of the way up to inspect Davenport Gap Shelter, but didn't stop after that. I made it to this shelter earlier than I though I would, but thoroughly exhausted. Dante strolled up about 20 minutes later equally sluggish. Dante was offered a job from Elmer at the Sunnybank Inn provided he finishes the trail, and he's excited about it. You can't predict this kind of stuff... it's a crazy journey this trail. It's good to have Dante around again - fire tonight.Today's post was brought to you by the Standing Bear Hostel, because it's the kind of place worth hiking 1900 miles to experience.
Date: 2012-12-09
From: Cosby Knob Shelter 

To: Icewater Spring Shelter 
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: overcast clouds

(In which I take an easy 20 through the Smokys and Dante can't start a fire for the first time) -Currently sitting in the loft of the shelter after dark-The weather in the Smokys so far has been amazing. I spent the whole trip thinking the nastiest weather was going to be in the Smoky Mountains. I think most other southbounders think the same thing and for the most part that's usually true. We got lucky. Yesterday I hiked almost exclusively in shorts and a t-shirt and today I didn't have to put on the wind breaker until mid day when the temperatures dropped some. Its been cloudy and moist today but no rain. Tomorrow I think conditions are supposed to get worse (colder and with rain) but that was a forecast I heard 3 days ago. In these mountains I don't think I'd believe a forecast more than two days out. Crossing my fingers, but even if it's rough weather I wouldn't complain considering the luck I've had so far. There was 4 to 7 feet of snow up here after Sandy and except for a small patch here and there, it's all gone.Tonight we gathered wood to make a fire but it's all damp or just plain old wet. Dante has been trying every trick in the book to get a fire going: peel bark off, organize small to large pieces, use hand sanitizer and denatured alcohol, lots of paper and kindling from relatively dry pieces... hes been at it about two hours now and refuses to give up. A few weeks back I gave him a brief lecture on the theme of Moby Dick (he hasn't read it, and to be honest I don't recommend it, terrible book) and when I said "alright Ahab, you should probably eat dinner and set up your sleeping gear..." he got a little grumpy. "...but this is different... I WILL get this fire going!"There are ten days left of this trip but it's still hard to wrap my head around the conclusion. Ten days is nothing when you're off the trail, but on the trail it's a lifetime. That's 4 resupplies. It's 25 lbs of food. It's 209.8 miles. It's still a long time.Today's post is brought to you by Dante, because he just killed his white whale... fire officially started.
Date: 2012-12-10
From: Icewater Spring Shelter 

To: Derrick Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: moderate rain

(In which I summit Clingmman's Dome and my sleeping bag gets soaked)Did I say I wasn't going to complain about the weather? I take it back. This morning I woke up to a steady rain on roof of the shelter. Dante sighed: "wet from the first step today."The wind howled all day and if it wasn't raining then the trees were picking up the slack. On top of Clingman's Dome we took the short side trail to the spiral-ramped concrete tower hoping for a wind block and a dry place to sit at the top. There were neither, but there was some rain cover. I took the opportunity to check my sleeping bag. My pack cover hasn't been working well lately and I was worried about moisture making its way in. I was less than pleased to find my sleeping bag more than wet - it was soaked. Through and through. Dante was at a loss for words other than "dude, that sucks." Indeed. There wasn't much I could do other than wrap it in the bivy, pack it all back up, and keep movin'.At the shelter Dante immediately got started on the fire while I got water and went in search of some dead, albeit very wet, wood. After wood hunting I got into the sleeping bag and I've only left it for bathroom breaks. The only way to get a sleeping bag dry in the woods is body heat and this bag needs to get dry. It's already mid 30s and I expect it to get much colder over night.Rough day today. Hoping it doesn't get too cold tonight otherwise it's gonna be a really, really uncomfortable one tomorrow.Today's post is brought to you by wet sleeping bags, because few things make your day quite like squishy sleeping gear.