morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-03-26
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Hiawasii
Miles today: 11.6

Bitterly cold night. Some didn't sleep much. Snow kept drifting into the shelter. I put my rain gear over my sleeping bag. I managed to sleep okay. I was wearing everything I had with me. Everything was frozen solid. I managed to put my Platypus water container under my legs for a few hours & it thawed some. When we started to hike, we paired up for safety. We left at 8:23. There was snow on the trail until the last .5M. Me & Hangman caught a free ride to the hostel. The plan was to stay there if they had room for five. They didn't. We went into town & hooked w/ the other three & got 2 rooms @ Holiday Inn. We hit a buffet, cleaned up, washed clothes & called it a night.
Date: 2013-03-27
From: Hiawasii

To: Muskrat Shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: clear sky

Raider had arranged a shuttle for us the next morning from the Holiday Inn. It cost us $ 5 ea. We left the Inn around 8 am. Got to the TH and started hiking around 8:26. Raider and Zack took off. Didn't see either one of them for the rest of the day. It was clear & cold & a lot of snow. There was a big climb in a couple of spots. I hiked off and on w/ Travis. Soon, we hit the GA/NC border. There was a group of hikers cheering as each person reached that location. Someone was videotaping the event w/ a GoPro camera. I took some pictures w/ my camera and my phone. Pretty cool stuff. One state done. The snow was still pretty fresh. I hadn't turned into ice yet. I kept climbing and eventually hit the shelter @ 2:20 pm. I had a spot available for myself. I grabbed it. The shelter was pretty small - room for 7 - and there weren't many tent sites available. All filled up and then some by the time it was done. It was cold but not frigid that night.
Date: 2013-03-28
From: Muskrat Shelter

To: Betty Gap Campsite
Miles today: 16.2
Weather: clear sky

Left hiking @ 8:20 that morning. Really wished I had my microspikes. The snow had been packed down and turned into ice. I fell twice on the ice and once in the mud. Was worried about hurting myself. I walked w/ Travis at the beginning. Then w/ Hangman. Then w/ Starman. And then Hangman again. I decided to go further on the hike today to get a shorter day the next day into Franklin. I hit the campsite @ 4:30. It was pretty full already. It really got full later on. Some hikers for the Warrior Project (walk off the war) showed up. There were a bit rowdy. All vets from the recent Iraqi & Afghanistan wars. I put in my ear plugs and tuned them out and went to sleep. They stayed up around the fire talking and smoking (multitude of smoking products).
Date: 2013-03-29
From: Betty Gap Campsite

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 12.2

Got up and started hiking around 8:36. There was a steep climb up to Albert Mtn. Ontop of it, there was an old fire tower. I climbed it and took some photos. The tower was at the 100.1M spot. Crossed the first century mark. Pretty cool. For the rest of the morning, there was a gentle downhill. Nice hiking. I hiked w/ a while with 'Headbone.' He was a bald-headed 62 yr old guy from nearby Ashville, NC. We got down to the hwy at 2 pm. We (along w/ another guy) caught a ride from a trail angel into town. She dropped each of us off at different motels. I was the last one to be dropped off at the Budget Inn. When I went in, I was told that they had given my room away because I hadn't called to confirm my reservation. That wasn't what I was told to do when I reserved it prior to the hike. I was supposed to call them if I saw I wasn't going to be there at the designated time. They called a nearby sister motel and there was room there. The lady gave me a lift to the next motel - Sapphire Inn. Once there, I ran into Headbone. When he heard of my situation, he suggested that I simply pay the extra $ 5 to the clerk and simply stay in his room. He had two beds. So I did. Saved some money. I cleaned up and did laundry. Grabbed a bite to eat and hit the sack.
Date: 2013-03-30
From: Franklin, NC

To: Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

This morning, we caught a church shuttle over a church that served us a pancake breakfast for free. Hit the spot. Then, they shuttled us back to the motel. At 9 am, we had a shuttle back to the TH. I started hiking @ 9:42. Steady climb up from the start. At Wayah Crest Picnic Area, I got some trail magic. More food goodies. Always a welcome treat. The trail was muddy and slushy w/ melting snow. Feet got pretty wet today. There were some nice views at the Wayah Bald Tower. I kept hiking and got to the shelter at 3:36. Surprisingly, there wasn't anyone there. I picked my spot. Shortly there after, others started showing up (Twigs, Guru, Woodpecker, Red Fox, the Germans, et al). The shelter filled up as well as the tent sites.
Date: 2013-03-31
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: light rain

It rained all night. I started hiking at 7:50. I had a pretty short day in store. I wanted to get to the next shelter early and get a spot as there was more rain in the forecast. Very muddy trails for most of the day. Feet got wet. I hit the shelter @ 12:38. Met a couple that were section hikers from San Antonio. Turns out that he was a firefighter there. Small world. The same group that stayed in the shelter the previous night showed up. They debated going to the next shelter but decided not to. There were afraid to get there and not have a spot out of the rain. The shelter and tent sites filled up.
Date: 2013-04-01
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: scattered clouds

It rained some over night. But, I woke up to clear skies and no rain. Yea! Walked almost completely downhill to the NOC (Nantahala Outdoor Center). River Resort that had rafting, restaurants, stores, lodging, etc. I got down there and had to wait a bit for 11 am to order lunch. I got a burger & fries. Hmmmm. So much better than trail food. I had cell service so I called Nancy at Mary's house. Couldn't get ahold of her on her cell or Mary's phone. I called and got ahold of Derrick. I spoke to her that way. She was in NC visiting the great-grandkids. Afterwards, I began a big climb. Really steep. 3000' in 7 M. I put it in granny gear for this climb. After reaching the top, it was a short downhill to the shelter. I was beat. I grabbed a spot and claimed it.
Date: 2013-04-02
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: broken clouds

Started hiking at 7:36. Had a climb up to Cheoah Bald. Nice views. After going downhill for a while, I hit Stecoah Gap. From there, it was another really steep climb up Jacob's Ladder. Man, was it steep. I hit the shelter @ 3:09. I was beat. The same wolf pack showed up as well as Lady & Bomber. The shelter was an old one - built in 1938. Only 3 people used it (me, Bomber, & Lady). The others tented.
Date: 2013-04-03
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 6.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Short day down to Fontana Dam Shelter. I hit the road to Fontana Village about a mile from the shelter. I called and waited a while for a shuttle. Lady & Bomber showed up and shared the shuttle to the village. I ate lunch and picked up my resupply at the Post Office. Then, I caught the shuttle back and hiked into the shelter. Large shelter, double-decker. Room for 20. It filled up almost completely full. There was a nearby shower. Managed to get clean and get ready for the big climb into the Smoky Mountains Nat'l Park the next day.
Date: 2013-04-04
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: moderate rain

Woke up to rain. Made a mistake by not taking pictures the previous day of the dam. It was clear enough to do so. Not so this morning. Had a level walk for about a mile or so before we left the road and got on the trail. I was hiking w/ Travis. The rain was light and it was a little muggy as we hiked uphill. It quickly got cooler and then cold. The rain got a little heavier. Soon, we were both quite wet and cold. Travis hiked ahead of me and I lost sight of him. I was trying not to wear too much clothing to keep as much of my clothing dry once I got to the shelter. That was the plan, anyway. Soon, I reached the point that I couldn't stop even if I wanted to. I'd get too cold and hypothermic if I did. My fingers were inside my rain shells that were basically useless. I guess I needed to retreat them to help w/ the waterproffness. At one point, I took 5 minutes trying to unwrap a Snickers bar as I hiked. I had very little dexterity in my hands. Eventually, I got it unwrapped and managed to put some food in my stomach. I got to the first Shelter (Mollie's Ridge) at 1:05. It was almost already full. I had planned to go to the next one about an hour away. Travis wasn't there at the shelter. No one had seen him either. He shortly showed up. He said that he had taken a wrong turn and had to double back to the trail. We both pushed on to the next shelter. We arrived there at 2:25pm. I quickly got out of wet clothes and into dry ones. I was miserable. After getting water and eating an early dinner, I turned in for the night. This was probably one of the worse hiking days I've ever experienced. I was cold, wet, and miserable for almost the entire day. Yuck!
Date: 2013-04-05
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Siler Bald Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: broken clouds

Left the shelter at 8:25. I was totally spent from the previous day. Felt very tired. The rain that had fallen the previous day had froze onto the trees when it hit. Today, it warmed up enough that chunks of ice started to fall off the trees. I got 'bonked' several times. By the afternoon, the skies cleared and it was pretty. I reached the shelter very tired at 4:10 pm.
Date: 2013-04-06
From: Siler Bald Shelter

To: Gatlinburg; Newfound Gap
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

Tough day. We climbed up to Clingman's Dome. Hit packed snow and ice. Very slippery uphill. Got to the dome and climbed the tower and took some pictures. Then, the nightmare began. Downhill on icy, steep trails. Scared me to death. Fell many times. Me and Travis had a tough time. I met the wolf pack. One of the, Woodpecker, had fallen and dislocated his shoulder. They were hiking back up to the Dome to catch a ride into town and the hospital. Before I got down to the Gap, I'd already decided to alter my plan and go into Gatlinburg and get a room for the night. I got to Newfound Gap @ 3:36. Totally spent. After getting some trail magic at the Gap, Raider hiked up. He'd taken a few zero days w/ his family and rejoined the trail. He was going to keep going. Me & Travis caught a ride into town and got a room at the Grand Prix Motel. We later shared it with Lady & Bomber. I ate a bunch of food and hit the sack.
Date: 2013-04-07
From: Gatlinburg; Newfound Gap

To: Tricorner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: clear sky

Caught a shuttle from the motel at 9. Hit the trail @ 9:43. I decided to push hard to reach Tricorner Knob Shelter (original plan). Ice wasnt too bad at first. Once I got to the ridge line, there were some great views on both sides. I was hiking w/ Travis early on. He took off & left me in the dust. I later hiked w/ Trucker. He was from Austin as well. Met him yesterday in Gatlinburg. The ice picked up. I slipped & slided but never fell. It helped that it wasn't as steep as yesterday. Hit the shelter @ 5:13. Grabbed me a spot. The shelter filled up. Lots of tents as well.
Date: 2013-04-08
From: Tricorner Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Hostel
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: broken clouds

Left the shelter at 7:23. Dealt w/ some ice early on. Had a long hike to Standing Bear Hostel. Downhill most of the way. Hit the hostel at 3:43. Got a bunk. The caretaker was a guy by the name of Rocket. An alcoholic stoner who was entertaining. Longest hiking day to date = 18.4.
Date: 2013-04-09
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: few clouds

Left the hostel @ 7:31. Big climb day. Early on i. The hike, my left hip started to hurt. Sharp pain. I took some aspirin & it felt better. Travis walked w/ me for a while. Had some trail magic early on. Big climb again. Decided to push on further on to get closer to Hot Springs.
Date: 2013-04-10
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: few clouds

Started hiking @ 7:09. Downhill at first. A good climb & then downhill into Hot Springs. Travis took off. Two Speeds, Shadow, & Doc blew by me as well. Was pretty warm today. Hit the town at 12:50. Got the last bed @ Elmers Sunnybrook Inn. Ended up sharing a room w/ Travis. Grabbed some lunch & came back to shower. Did some laundry. Tomorrow is a Zero Day. Rest & eat.
Date: 2013-04-12
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hemlock Hollow Hostel
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: few clouds

Slackpacked 16M today. Left Hot Springs w/ no pack. My pack was driven to a hostel that I hiked to. Hit the hostel around 3pm. Overcast most of the day. Cool as well. Good weather for the next few days.
Date: 2013-04-13
From: Hemlock Hollow Hostel

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: broken clouds

Left the hostel @ 7:01. TH @ 7:17. Started climbing. At Little Laurel Shelter, I met Obie & Beetle Juice. They warned me about the shelter. Everyone who slept there got sick. Everyone tented around it. After getting some eater, I kept going. BJ later passed me. I later got to a ridge that I hiked along. Very pretty views. Exposed, tho. Had an alternate 'Bad Weather Route.' Would be nasty in a storm. Obie caught up me. We hiked together for a while. She later left me to catch BJ. I then hooked up w/ Scarecrow. An ex-Marine. I'd met him previously in the Smokies. He later pulled away from me. At 3:15, I hit Flint Mnt Shelter. I'd gone 16M. Decided to call it a day. Sparky & his daughter showed up.
Date: 2013-04-14
From: Flint Mountain Shelter

To: Bald Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Left Flint Mnt Shelter@ 7:34. Went downhill for a while. Gradual grade. Then a big up. I saw a sign at a shelter about some trail magic by the Interstate. Someone else wrote they thought it was earlier in the week. Turns out there was a guy cooking eggs & hashbrowns. Drinks, too. Hit the spot. I called Nancy from here. Also called Bob Davis. Bob agreed to get me a room @ the Holiday Inn Express w/ his points in Erwin TN. Sweet! I pressed on passed my planned stop - Low Gap - to Bald Mnt Shelter. After crossing the Bald, I kept hiking hoping to beat the coming rain. I saw Beetle Juice going S/B. He said he had 'the Plague.' A few min later, I saw Obie heading after him. She said that she was going to catch up to him & see if they could call a shuttle for both of them. I hit the shelter @ 5:30. No one was there. I set up for the night. Other hikers started showing up. Later that night, Paisley got sick. The Plague struck again.
Date: 2013-04-15
From: Bald Mountain Shelter

To: No Business Shelter
Miles today: 10.6

It rained last night. Very foggy when I got up. I had a short day planned for today with a really short the next into Erwin. I left the shelter @ 8:34. I bumped into Scarecrow & hiked w/ him for a few hours. I took many breaks & still hit the shelter @ 2:30. Easy day.
Date: 2013-04-16
From: No Business Shelter

To: Erwin TN
Miles today: 5.9

Left the shelter at 7:06. Hiked almost all the way w/ Woodman. 65 yr old guy from Nashville. It was mostly downhill to town. We hit the road at 9:46. We were 50 yds from the hostel. I picked up my food drop, got some fuel, & got some AquaMira. I then walked the 1.1m to the Holiday Inn Express. Later walked to a pizza buffet.
Date: 2013-04-17
From: Erwin TN

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up to a thunderstorm. Really looked bad. After eating breakfast, it finally stopped. I started hiking at 7:18. Had 1.1m to walk back to the trail. Once there, I started to climb. It started to rain. It went from light to med. After hiking for most of the morning on 1 liter, I was almost out when I crossed a hwy. A shuttle driver (Miss Janet) was dropping off a hiker. She didn't have any water but agreed to drive me a short distance to a stream. She told me that she had been taking sick hikers off the trail until midnight last night. She told me that this virus was really bad. Purell did nothing against it. Rats! So much for the extra that I bought. I thanked her for the ride & info. I continued to climb. Around 3:30, it stopped raining. I hit Cherry Gap Shelter @ 4pm. It wasn't full. I made #4. There were a couple of tenters.
Date: 2013-04-18
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 16.8
Weather: broken clouds

Left Cherry Gap @ 7:10. Windy but no rain. I only saw 2 other hikers on the day. They were slackpacking. Today had a big climb - 2K - up Roan Mnt. It wasn't graded too bad. Kept grinding up the hill. After cresting the top, I checked out a nearby restroom at nearby parking lot. Everything was locked up. I kept hiking toward Roan High Knob Shelter. I got to the cut-off st 3:30. I missread the sign & kept hiking down the trail. I later realized my mistake & doubled back. The shelter was a converted barn. Completely enclosed. I was the first one there. 3 other hikers showed up. 1 stayed in the loft & the rest of us stayed on the ground level. Around 10:30, 3 other hikers showed up in the dark. Late night hiking for them. Roan Mnt Shelter is the highest shelter on the AT - 6,194'.
Date: 2013-04-19
From: Roan High Knob Shelter

To: Roan Mountain, TN; Mountain Harbor B&B/Hostel
Miles today: 15.8

What a day this was. Left the shelter @ 7:16. Foggy & very windy. I hiked downhill for quite some time. When I hit the next shelter, it had a wet floor. The wind blew it inside the shelter. It wad raining off & on. When I hit Carver Gap, I started climbing up to the balds (mnt tops w/ no vegetation). As I did, the wind got really fierce. It blew off my pack cover. I was barely able to snare it before it flew off. When I said it was fierce, it was so strong that it reminded me of the winds in Patagonia. My rain jacket's hood waz flapping so loud that the noise hurt my ears. Fortunately, it was only misting. Later hikers had to deal w/ horizontal rain & then sleet. I spent over an hour battling this wind. When I finally got into trees again, it started to rain. The lower I got, the heavier it rained. It was turning into an awful day. I kept plugging. Around 3:15, I finally saw the road. I let out a yell. At thw road, it was a short 0.3m hike to the hostel. It was barely raining now. When I got to the B&B/Hostel, I learned it was full. I was crestfallen. I was.told that only tenting sites were available. She checked again & said that there a cot available. I gladly took it. I showered and gave them my dirty laundry. They washed them for me (for a fee). I later went into town on their shuttle to eat some BBQ. It wasn't up to Texas BBQ standards. But, it still hit the spot. A cancellation allowed me to get a bunk.
Date: 2013-04-20
From: Roan Mountain, TN; Mountain Harbor B&B/Hostel

To: Campsite @ 408.8M
Miles today: 17.2
Weather: clear sky

What a difference a day makes. Woke up to clear skies. At a fabulous breakfast @ the Mountain Harbor B&B. This breakfast spread rivaled Four Seasons. Very impressive. Good food. Lots of it. Beautiful presentation as well. After pigging out, I starting hiking @ 9:05. The trail was a little muddy in parts. I was able to keep my feet dry, though. After hiking for a while, I caught up to Scarecrow taking a snack break. He is a former Marine who I had first met @ Tri-Corner Knob shelter in the Smokies. Nice guy. Anyway, we started hiking together for a while. I took a side hike to see Jones Falls. Pretty falls. The prettiest I'd seen so far. It was only about .1M off the trail. I took a food break there. I kept on hiking. I got to my planned stop @ USFS 293 campsite around 3:31. Me & Scarecrow decided to keep going since we were feeling good. We hit the campsite near 408.8M at 4:49. We set up our tents and called it a night. All told, it was a nice day of hiking. Much better that the nasty weather we had the day before.
Date: 2013-04-21
From: Campsite @ 408.8M

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 7.7

Had a planned short day today. Took my time in the a.m. Started hiking @ 7:56. Hit the next shelter in less than an hour. Hit Dennis Cove Rd @ 11:22. It was 0.3M west to Kincora Hostel. There was another hostel 0.5M east. The owner of that one picked me up and gave me a short lift to Kincora. Nice lady. Obviously, she said her hostel was better than Kincora's. When I got to Kincora, I found it to be very 'rustic.' She was probably right. Anyway, it only cost me $ 5 for the night there. The price was right. I got a shower & did my laundry (for free). There wasn't much to do until the 5 pm shopping run into town (4M away). I barely had a cell signal. I called Nancy and spoke to her a while. Turns out, I was the only guest at the hostel for the night. When the owner, Bob Peoples, gave me a ride into town, he told me that the grocery store was closed on Sundays. He had an agreement with the grocery owner to open up the store for his guests @ 5 pm. I bought a frozen pizza and some other snacks and brought them back to the hostel. Pigged out and hit the sack.
Date: 2013-04-22
From: Katahdin

To: Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 17.5
Weather: clear sky

Left the hostel @ 7:08. Walked the short distance back to the trail. I took the trail downhill toward Laurel Falls. Beautiful falls. The trail followed the river for quite some time. Very pretty section. Probably the prettiest section along a river so far. There were several nice campsites along the way. Most were occupied. None of them had anyone stirring yet. Then, I had a big climb up to Pond Flats. Several thousand feet. The grade was too steep. So, it wasn't too bad. My left hip started to hurt again. A sharp pain in the joint. I had this happen to me before just after Standing Bear hostel (after the Smokies). I took a couple of Advils and it seemed to get better. Then, I had a long downhill toward the hwy into Hampton & Lake Watauga. I had heard from S/B hikers that the lake had flooded in the rains a few days before. When I got down to the lake, the trail was closed and there was a re-route to avoid the flooded sections. I had good cell service so I made a few phone calls (Mary - she answered - and Nancy - got voice mail). I then got back to the trail and followed the lake for quite some time. Eventually, I got around the dam side of the lake. 'Safety Bob' was there working and he had some trail magic goodies that he was giving out. Got a snack and a soda and spoke w/ him a little bit. After crossing the dam, I began to climb again. I caught up to Sunshine and Not Yet on the trail. I walked w/ them for a while. I also walked with another guy - All The Way - for a while. When me and All The Way got to a road crossing, I spotted an RV. A cooler and people sitting down in chairs next the RV. I yelled back to All The Way and told him that I thought we had some more trail magic ahead. I was right. Cheeseburgers, chips, cokes, beers (didn't grab one), and other snacks. Score!!!! That really hit the spot. Turns out, this was Big Red's (and his wife, Yooper) Aunt and Uncle. The had rented the RV and got the goodies to provide support for them as well as giving out trail magic to the other hikers. It was a great treat. I left from the trail magic and began the big climb up to the shelter. I hiked for a long time w/ Sunshine & Not Yet. After about an hour or so, I gradually pulled away from them. Eventually, I hit the shelter that afternoon. From the back of the shelter, there was a great view of the lake below and well as the town. At night, the views were even better. Very pretty spot. Even had cell coverage. I called Nancy from here as well. Got ahold of her this time.