morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-03-26
From: Fontana Lodge

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 1.5
Weather: light rain

Our fourth zero day taken at the lodge. The snow from last night has accumulated 3-4 inches at the lodge and is still coming down. We are hearing that there is a minimal 12 inches accumulated in the mountains. Most hikers decided not to proceed today. Owl and I decided to slack pack the section from the Fontana Marina, where we left the trail, to Fontana Dam, a distance of 1.5 miles. It felt great getting out of the lodge and doing something, even if it only took 45 minutes. After returning to the lodge and having lunch, I called to change my motel reservation again in Gatlinburg. The clerk there said that park rangers were in the process of getting hikers off the mountains and had already done several rescues from hikers in trouble. Some reports coming in are saying there is 2.5 feet of accumulated snow in the high elevations. He also said that Rt. 441, the only road from New Found Gap to Gatlinburg, is closed due to ice and there is not an effort to clear the road so that shuttles can pick up hikers. I think we are heading out tomorrow due to a warming trend beginning Wednesday. Our thinking is that a lot of the snow will be melted or packed down before we reach the deepest snow.
Date: 2013-03-27
From: Fontana Dam

To: Birch Spring Gap
Miles today: 5.6
Weather: broken clouds

Well today is finally the day we are breaking out of the Fontana Lodge. A ridge runner happened to be in the lobby as we were making our final decision on whether to stay or go. His opinion was that with the warming trend for the next three to four days, that the snow would be melting and that the trail would be passable. He also recommended that for our first night we stay at the Birch Spring Gap campsite, instead of the first shelter at Mollies Ridge. This will put us on a different shelter schedule than most hikers and the shelters should be less crowded. We passed several hikers who had been at Mollies Ridge for the last several days and were unable to move forward due to the bad weather. They were returning to the lodge to resupply as they didn't have enough food to make it to Gatlinburg. They said that there had been over thirty hikers in the shelter last night, which was designed to accommodate twelve people. That must have been very uncomfortable for everyone.Owl and I made it to the campsite around 2:30, Goat and Zag came in about 45 minutes later. Zag has has just started experiencing some pain in her foot and it is slowing her down. She's going to have a rough time over the next three days if she can't handle the pain. It's 4pm and I'm already settled in for the night. Probably fix a light dinner around 5:30 or 6, put my food bag up on the bear cables and call it a day.
Date: 2013-03-28
From: Birch Spring Gap

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: clear sky

Today was nice, sunny and temps in the forties. Overall it was an easy hiking day. After arriving at the shelter, GarrBear and Bear Snack, along with 16 other hikers arrived at the shelter designed for 12. I learned that GarrBear and Bear Snack are enrolling in UF this August. Bear Snack is studying for her masters in architecture and GarrBear is hoping to be a walk on for the football team.
Date: 2013-03-29
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Today started out nice, but last night was tough with 22 people in the shelter and stereophonic snoring. I think I slept for only 4 or 5 hours. Today's hike was the most treacherous hike thus far. The trail was coated with packed snow and ice on top. Going up was manageable, but it seemed like every two steps forward you slid back a step. We crossed over Rocky Top (5,440 ft.) and Thunderhead (5,527 ft.), then started the fun. Going down slope on ice is an adventure, with slopes as steep as 35-45 degrees, the conditions were bad for falling. Old Goat said he fell five times. This was the reason for a low mileage day, you had to spend all your energy just to stay on your feet.It started to snow a wet snow this afternoon and everyone is wet from their shoes on up. Fortunately there are fireplaces in the smoky mountain shelters, so everyone is trying to dry out everything that is wet.
Date: 2013-03-30
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Thirty people in shelter last night. These short mileage days have me way behind schedule. Hopefully I will arrive in Gatlinburg tomorrow afternoon, then I will have to make a decision about when I leave the trail. Trail conditions were very icy and slushie again, slipped and fell once landing in a snow bank.Mostly the same group moving from one shelter to another, GarrBear, Bear Snack, Oatmeal, Donnie, Silver Fox, Old Goat, Zag and Owl, to name a few. Got into the shelter at 2:30, next shelter was to far away and you had to hike over Clingmans Dome at 6,643 feet to reach it.
Date: 2013-03-31
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: New Found Gap (Gatlinburg, Tn)
Miles today: 10.8

Today was the most miles hiked in the Smokys. It rained about 8 hrs. last night, which added to the misery we were already experiencing. The trail conditions were slushy, with some parts 3-4 inches deep in slush or water. It didn't do any good to avoid these areas as it was impossible to keep your feet dry. It was easier to walk in the water and slush than go around it. If you were wearing wool socks the heat from your body warms the water around your feet, keeping your feet comfortable enough to walk in the water. I started on the trail at 8:15, the earliest I've gotten on the trail yet. Two hours later I'm on Clingmans Dome, the highest mountain on the AT at 6,643 ft. Unfortunately there were not any spectacular views because the fog was so thick you could only see about 30-40 yds.Zag and I hiked the last two hours together reaching New Found Gap around 4:30. We were surprised with some much needed trail magic as we came off the trail. A couple were feeding hikers chili, brownies and cokes, that really hit the spot. Also, there just happened to be a 2010 thru hiker who offered to give us a ride into town, which we gladly accepted.While we were enjoying the trail magic, an ambulance was waiting for the park rangers to bring out a day hiker who was not prepared and needed help getting off the trail due to exposure. After all the weather related problems I've experienced, I can quickly assess the preparedness of other hikers that I cross paths with along the trail. We passed some day hikers today that I wanted to tell them, what are you doing up hear dressed like that.Owl, Zag and I had dinner at a nice Italian restaurant in Gatlinburg. After dinner I was doing laundry at the motel, when Outside Dog shouted Hi! I haven't seen him since Neels Gap and apparently he and Hot Springer have gone their separate ways. I suppose it had something to do with the harsh weather conditions and that style of living. He's been in Gatlinburg for 8 days, confined by the weather. He said he was starting a temporary job tomorrow to supplement his budget. Decided to take a zero day tomorrow to reschedule my flight back to Gainesville, resupply and checkout the NOC shop in Gatlinburg.
Date: 2013-04-01
From: New Found Gap (Gatlinburg, Tn)

To: Zero Day Gatlinburg
Miles today: 0.0

Had a great breakfast (AYCE) at Bennetts this morning with Zag and Owl. Afterward we headed down to Walgrens to resupply and I also had planned to purchase a new pair of long hiking pants at the NOC. My old pants are just hanging on me, the new one is waist size 32, haven't worn this size in over twenty years. I also rescheduled my return flight to Gainesville with U.S. Air.If the weather doesn't hold me back I should be in Hot Springs, NC in six days, where my college roommate, Scott, will pick me up and take me to the Charlotte airport.Ran into Snowman and John at the motel this afternoon, they had just gotten in from the trail and were taking three to four days off due to possible rain on Thursday. My opinion is that if you let the weather dictate when you hike, you will not finish the trail. I can't believe that we could experience any weather conditions that are worst than what we have already experienced.
Date: 2013-04-02
From: Zero Day Gatlinburg

To: Peck's Corner Shelter
Miles today: 10.4

Left Gatlinburg on the shuttle to New Found Gap at 7:45. This was one of the best hiking days thus far, it was sunny, temps 35-40, and the views from Charles Bunion and Bradley's View were outstanding. The trail was considerably better than Sundays, with minimal ice, but that didn't keep me from taking a couple of falls. Zag, Owl, Old Goat and I hiked together all day, usually Owl is way out in front and the three of us leap frog one another. We were the the first ones to the shelter, so for a change we got the pick of the prime sleeping bag areas. Don't think the shelter will be full tonight.
Date: 2013-04-03
From: Peck's Corner Shelter

To: Crosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.9

The first six miles were extremely icy, as I fell three times, the only damage was a slightly strained left knee. The big climb today was up Mt. Chapman with an elevation of 6,417 feet. After that the rest of the day was perfect, sunny, smooth trails and gentle ups and downs.This is a memorable day, I have officially completed over 10% of the trail today, 230.1 miles.
Date: 2013-04-04
From: Crosby Knob Shelter

To: Green Corner Rd (Standing Bear Farm Hiker Hostel)
Miles today: 10.9
Weather: clear sky

Thought today was going to be an easy day. With rain forecasted, I got an early start and was on the trail by 8:00am. We had planned to stay in a hostel just off the trail so that we could do laundry, shower and stay in a warm bed. That's not what happened. The first five miles were easy ups and downs with light rain. After reaching Davenport Gap, it was three miles to the hostel after a 3000 ft. descent with moderate rain and occasional hail or freezing rain. I reached to hostel at 230, hoping for a nicer atmosphere than the last three days. It didn't work out that way. The hostel was over crowded, ended up sleeping in my tent on the porch of the hostel's owner, along with Old Goat and a couple of others. Didn't get a shower, the laundry consisted of two deep tubs for hand washing your clothes and a dryer. Changed out of my clothes, which were a little wet, into my second set. This is going to have to hold me until I reach Hot Springs in three more days. It's now 8 pm, the rain has stopped and the temp seems to be warming up into the fifties. Someone said they are forecasting snow for tomorrow. Just have to wait and see.
Date: 2013-04-05
From: Green Corner Rd (Standing Bear Farm Hiker Hostel)

To: Brown Gap
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: clear sky

After getting a good night sleep on the porch, I ate breakfast, did a little resupplying and Owl and I left the hostel at 9:30. We had one big climb of 2500 ft. to the top of Snow Mountain. Just when I thought we had experienced everything, the AT hit us with something new.It was a foggy day, with about a 20-30 yd. visibility. About thirty minutes before reaching the summit of Snow Mountain, the trees, which were covered in ice from the previous days rain, started showering ice down on us. Most of the ice ranged in size from golf ball to softball size and were falling 30-40 feet out of the trees. This lasted about an hour until I cleared the summit and descended down the other side. I couldn't believe that chunks of ice were bombarding us. One piece hit me on my left wrist and several others just barely missed me.I reached the Deep Gap Shelter around 2pm where we had planned to spend the night. Owl had reached the shelter about thirty minutes earlier and did a quick survey of the conditions. This was absolutely the worst shelter we have come across thus far. The platform for sleeping was bowed to the middle, it was damp, trashy and had mouse traps under the platform. Owl and I decided to leave and head out to the next campsite, which was about three miles away. We left a note for Zag and Old Goat telling them where to find us and proceeded for another two hours of hiking to the campsite. We made camp at 430 and were waiting for Zag and Old Goat. They eventually showed up at 6pm, apparently they missed the note and Zag wasn't to happy about hiking another three miles with the toe problems she was having. It was nice sleeping outside again away from the crowded and noisy shelters. Zag, Owl and I built a camp fire and sat around it sharing the one can of beer that I had brought from the hostel and a couple of miniature bottles of scottish they had bought in Gatlinburg.
Date: 2013-04-06
From: Brown Gap

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 10.2
Weather: clear sky

Today was possibly the warmest day we've experienced, with temps in the upper fifties and sunny. Owl and I left the shelter around 8:30 and 2 and a half hours later made the summit of Max Patch (4,629 ft.). When we reached the summit, which is a round top mountain that has been cleared of trees and is grassy, the panoramic view was unbelievable. Mountains in all directions. Within thirty to forty minutes we were joined by Zag and Goat. We just laid back on our packs in the grass and took in the sun for an hour and a half. I think it was the AT rewarding us for all the bad weather that we've been through.As we left the summit, descending on the other side, we found some trail magic being offered by trail angels. Since we had already had lunch, I just grabbed a beer and an apple and we were on our way. The rest of the day was mostly down except for a 750 ft. climb up to Walnut Mountain shelter. This shelter is notorious for bears and is the smallest one we have encountered, in that it only sleeps five people. We fixed our dinners on top of the summit, which was about 200 yds. from the shelter, as the sun was about two hours from setting. A great ending to probably the best day of the hike.
Date: 2013-04-07
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 13.1

Last night in our tiny five man shelter, we were visited by mice instead of bears. Owl had a dream that mice had taken toilet paper from my pack and made streamers out of it from one end of the shelter to the other. After I had gotten up and was packing my pack I found that mice had gotten into it and completely shredded a half roll of tp, apparently attempting to build a nest in my pack. That was a comical start to the day, as the day would turn out to be more strenuous than expected. We had over 13 miles to reach Hot Springs and 80% of it was down, with over a 3300 feet decline in elevation. Today was sunny and the warmest hiking day yet with temps in the mid sixties. However, the last ten miles, which was mostly down, took a toll on all of us. My right knee became so sore that it took me over an hour to finish the last mile. Owl said she had to slow down because her feet became sore, which was unusual for her, as she is the strongest hiker in this group. Zag and Old Goat were also slowed by their preexisting conditions.Tuesday Scott will pick me up in Hot Springs so that I can return to Gainesville. I am conflicted as I have to leave these three new friends and all the others who I have met since March 3rd. They will be several hundred miles up the trail when I return on May 1st.
Date: 2013-04-08
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Zero day in Hot Springs
Miles today: 0.0

Last night Old Goat, Owl and I had dinner at the Spring Creek Tavern. The food and local beers were very good and because my trail appetite has kicked in I also needed dessert. Unfortunately the tavern was completely sold out of theirs, so Owl and I went across the street to the Iron Horse cafe and indulged in a gigantic slice of cheese cake. It was a nice ending to the completion of the first sections of my hike. Today is reserved for recuperating from the 273.9 miles of AT already completed. All I did was visit the Bluff Mountain Outfitters, update my trail journal, checked e-mail and other web sites. Old Goat and Owl relaxed by doing the hot springs jacuzzi spa treatment.The four of us enjoyed a nice dinner at the Iron Horse along with Megan, a friend of Zag and Owl from Birmingham, Al. This was our last night the four of us were together, so there was a lot of reminiscing about the good times and bad experiences we've shared together over the last three weeks. Owl, Zag and Old Goat will be moving on up the trail tomorrow morning, while I will return to Gainesville on Wednesday. There is a possibility that we will hike together again in about two months. Owl and Zag will take a scheduled 2-3 weeks off the trail in June, that will just about allow me to catch up to them after I return to the AT on May 1st. We could possibly spend another 1-2 weeks hiking together again before I finish my goal this year of hiking the south half of the AT.
Date: 2013-04-30
From: Zero day in Hot Springs

To: Returning to AT
Miles today: 0.0

Thursday, May 2nd, I'll be returning to Hot Springs, NC to continue my AT experience. After three weeks of R & R with Jane and the dogs I feel rested and ready to tackle the next 800 miles of my goal for completing half of the trail this year.While I was home I upgraded and replaced some gear. This will lighten my overall load by 5-6 lbs. I replaced my two man Kelty tent with a one person Marmot Pulsar tent, replaced my Kelty backpack with an Osprey Atmos 65 and my heavy fleese hooded coat with a Patagonia nano puff jacket. This will bring down my total weight, including food and water, to under 45 lbs., much better than the 52 lbs. that I started with at Springer Mtn. This is still a little on the heavy side, but I can eat my down to 40 lbs. in three to four days.With better weather and trail conditions I'm hoping to average 15 miles a day for the remainder of the hike, this will allow me to complete this portion of the trail by July 4th.
Date: 2013-05-02
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I returned to Hot Springs yesterday to begin the next leg, of which I'm hoping to complete 800 miles by July 4th. My college roommate Scott, picked me up at the Asheville airport and drove me to Hot Springs. We had a great evening with dinner and live music at the Iron Horse Tavern.After a big breakfast at the Hot Springs Resort general store, I started on the trail at 9:30. Today is the warmest day I've experienced, I'm wearing shorts and a short sleeve shirt. The first six miles were fairly easy, I was thinking about doing an extra 4 or 5 miles, but then I started the ascent on Rich Mtn., a 2300 foot climb. After reality set in, I decided that the 11 miles I had planned to hike today was enough. I made it to the shelter around 3:45. Set up my tent and fixed a Mountain House Chicken Teriaky with rice dinner. Haven't met any new hikers today, just getting a feel for who hikes at my speed.There is a strong wind out of the south tonight, hope it isn't an indication of an approaching cold front. The 10 day forecast was only calling for occasional showers , but not until this weekend.
Date: 2013-05-03
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Started on the trail at 8:30. Another warm day until around 4pm when the temp seemed to dip a little. Today was the longest miles hiked at 15.4 and also reached another milestone of 300 miles completed as of today. Had another big climb of over 2500 ft., the good part about it there was some trail magic after I had hiked 10 miles. The trail magic was sponsored by the Greenville, Tenn. Hikers Club. I arrived there about 3pm and as I hadn't eaten any lunch yet, I feasted on the hot dogs, cole slow, fruit, brownies and lemonade. Made it to the shelter at 6:45, the latest I've stayed on the trail, a 10.5 hr. day. Had a difficult section that included some of the rockiest and most difficult rocks to maneuver .It's 8:30 and I have another 15 mile day tomorrow .
Date: 2013-05-04
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: light rain

I was up early and on the trail at 8:15. Today is a little cooler than yesterday with temps starting in the low forties, much nicer than some of the cold mornings in March. The first nine miles was probably the easiest nine mile stretch so far, lots of flats and smooth trails. The last six miles was challenging, with a 1600 ft. climb and lots of up and downs. Arrived at the shelter at 5pm. I was planning to stay in the shelter instead of my tent because rain had been forecast for tonight and tomorrow. Unfortunately all six spaces had been claimed by the time I had arrived.
Date: 2013-05-05
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Low Gap Campsite
Miles today: 6.1

It started raining last night around 9 o'clock and continued all night. When I woke up at 6:30 and there was not the sound of rain falling on my tent, I knew I had to take advantage of stoppage . I ran down to the stream, filled up my water bottles and gathered my food bags from the bear cables, that's when it started to rain again. I fixed my breakfast and got my gear organized, in case the rain stopped long enough for me to pack my backpack. No such luck, it even started to rain harder.So I resorted to what my wife Jane would do, crawl back into my sleeping bag and contemplate the situation. I decided that if I left the shelter by noon, that I could reach the next shelter by 5 or 6pm. The problem, it was ten miles away and I had to climb over a 5,500 foot mountain named Big Bald. As luck would have it, I caught a break in the rain, packed my gear and was on the trail by noon. After a light rain became a moderate, but hike able rain, I decided that the next shelter was probably going to be full. If it was still raining when I got there setting up a tent was going to be a problem, as the inside would get wet before the rain cover could be put on. As I didn't know how wet my gear and I was going to be, it was not going to be a pleasant experience having everything wet and temps in the low forties.About four miles short of the shelter was a campsite with water, so I decided to spend the night at Low Gap. Another factor was that the Big Bald Shelter is one of the highest on the trail and it was probably going to very windy up there. So camping in the Low Gap campsite, I would be sheltered from the wind, the only problem that it is 6:30 and I'm the only camper here.So this will be the first time I've camped solo if no one else shows up. There haven't been any problems with bears yet, hope my luck continues.All my new gear seems to be performing well under the rainy conditions, my Marmot tent is keeping me dry, the Osprey backpack and rain cover kept all the gear inside dry and my new hiking shoes have kept my feet surprising dry.Just as I'm finishing this writing today,it has gotten darker and started to rain again.
Date: 2013-05-06
From: Low Gap Campsite

To: Spivey Gap
Miles today: 9.7

It rained for about half the night last night. When I got up this morning four other tents where pitched in the gap, didn't have to sleep alone after all. I had planned to hike to Business Knob Shelter, another 4.9 miles beyond Spring Gap, but with all the steep and rocky downs, it has been more than my left knee can tolerate. So I cut the day short at 4 pm.After two nights and a whole day of rain, today is perfect with lots of sun and light winds. I am about five miles behind where I wanted to be as of today. However, tomorrow was a scheduled 6 mile day into Erwin, TN. where I had planned for a zero day. So with eleven miles to go I'm planning to be in Erwin around 3-4 pm. Tomorrow's terrain doesn't appear to have any big up and downs, so I don't expect my knee will have a problem. It will be nice to get cleaned up and put on clean cloths after six days on the trail.