morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-04-06
From: Deep Gap

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

It is such a wonderful to take a zero day and boy, does the time pass quickly. After a great night's sleep I was ready to tackle more hiker chores. Laundry got done, followed by a big sort and repack of food for the next few days. Water filter got flushed, dirty water bags rinsed, and so on and so forth. Then it was time to catch up on my trail journal, but I had to have a little snooze first!Keeping up with the journal is difficult because of the cold weather (frozen fingers trying to type) and lack of cell signal. I am hoping that it will get easier to do daily as the weather warms up. Right now I have to do a written entry in my notebook, then transcribe when I have access to a computer. (Thank you Diane, for the use of your laptop!)I had a special treat tonight to cap off the best zero days yet. The North Carolina Symphony was in Franklin to give a concert, and I got to attend. It was a full house, 1500 people and the program was familiar; William Tell Overture, music from Romeo and Juliet, selections from the opera Carmen and a Czech piece that was unknown to me. Also joining the Symphony tonight was a pianist, age 17, who was amazing. Lots of wonderful music made better by the company of my Trail Angels and their extended family. They have been so gracious and taken excellent care of me these two days, I just can't thank them enough. Tomorrow I return to the trail, jumping ahead a bit to Tellico Gap. I am skipping a section that I did already this year and will keep me on schedule to arrive in the Smokies in time to meet up with Crumpet. It will be difficult to leave this piece of Heaven, but I must move on or I will never get to Maine!The picture today is of the oft photographed old and twisted tree above Bly Gap.
Date: 2016-04-07
From: Tellico Gap 

To: Wesser Bald shelter 
Miles today: 2.2
Weather: moderate rain

Oh my, was it difficult to leave the comfort of my trail angels' home and get back to the trail. Chris kindly shuttled me up to Tellico Gap. After depositing me at the Trailside he provided Trail Magic for some hiker sitting and having lunch. It was fun to see familiar faces. Nick and Perry were there as well as Bushwacker whom I had last seen weeks ago while hiking with Crumpet. We spent a minute catching up on where everybody had been and how there is zero days were in Franklin before shouldering are packed and heading immediately uphill. The high today was short and windy, as usual. This wind just does not want to give up. Dark clouds were forming off in the distance and we were all moving along quickly to get to the shelter before it rained. It was relatively painless getting there, I'm pleased to say and I was able to get almost set up before the rain and sleet hit. Hikers kept pouring in and quickly filled the shelter. Tarps were set up across the openings to help break the wind for the night. We all huddled inside cooking on any flat surface we could find while trying to keep warm as the temperature dropped. Two brave souls attempted to get a campfire going in spite of the wind and rain and were successful! I stood around the campfire for a bit chatting with the others as we discussed just how low the temperature would be going that night and how much snow we might encounter when we woke up in the morning. That in itself was enough to drive me into my hammock well before dark. Surprisingly as the evening wore on, the wind calmed down and the rain petered off. The temperature hovered at a raw 36 degrees. None the less I slept well, looking forward to tomorrow's hike downhill into the Nantahala Outdoor Center.
Date: 2016-04-08
From: Wesser Bald shelter 

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center 
Miles today: 5.9
Weather: broken clouds

Needless to say it was cold and sprinkling this morning when I woke up. This seems to be a pattern unfortunately. I brought my clothes into my sleeping bag to warm them up while I plotted out my morning routine. I decided this time to get dressed, pack up and then make breakfast since the rain had stopped and my tarp was beginning to dry out. The sky was cloudy and looking like it might rain some more so it was best to get things wrapped up and under cover just in case. I think I'm getting a little smarter about all of this!I join the others in the shelter and made my breakfast while watching the packing up activities. We all had to shuffle and juggle around each other as there were at least 12 people moving about in a very small space. Having down my oatmeal and my Cuppa tea I threw my backpack on and headed up the trail. I was surprised when I checked my watch and found it was only 9:15 a.m.! Yay, a semi-early start!On the map the majority of the trail looked to be downhill. But of course in order to go downhill, one must first go uphill and that I did. What a spectacular view there was at the top looking out over the valley and mountains in the distance. The picture above probably doesn't do it justice, as the Sun was shining way off in the distance on the mountains and up close it was dark and cloudy, making for a wonderful contrast. Part of The Descent was very Rocky and some of it required actually sitting down on a huge Rock and sliding a bit until my feet reach the ground. A little unnerving but I keep thinking about all of the people's who have done this before me and survived, so I keep on going.Once past the rocky part the trailhead nice long stretches of good footing and you could make some good time lengthening your stride and moving right along. It felt good to stretch the legs out without worrying about tripping and falling. Before I knew it I was down too 1900 feet and the NOC. I had reserved a bunk for the night to get out of the cold and wet which wasn't going to be available until 3 p.m. There is a river lodge restaurant here so I joined other hikers for a late lunch. It was so wonderful to sit down and eat a meal without freezing!Lots of the hiker I have seen the last two days are here as well and there is wonderful camaraderie. I am currently sitting in the community building which is heated,working on my journal and soaking up as much heat as my body will allow, hoping it will stay with me tomorrow as I climb to 4600 feet and a 24 degree night. Thankfully at least there is no precipitation predicted for tomorrow night. We'll see if the weather man is right......
Date: 2016-04-09
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center 

To: Sassafrass Gap shelter
Miles today: 6.6

Surprisingly I didn't' sleep that well last night. I even had my own room with a door that locked, so no bears could get in. Guess I missed the comfort of my hammock. Nice to have flush toilets and showers though. Having the little room to myself I was able to spread my tarp out to dry late yesterday afternoon. In doing so, I noticed that one of the little O rings on the tarp ridge line had opened up, probably a result of the strong winds . Fortunately Pebbles was there (met her camping at Lance Creek previously, hiking with Heisenberg,her college roommate) and she was the proud owner of a huge and weighty Leatherman tool. When she saw my problem, she got out the tool and SoLow used his strength and nimble fingers to pry the ring back into useable shape. Problem solved thanks to these wonderful hikers.I could delay no longer as checkout was at 10 am, so looking at the map and sighing, I headed uphill. It was to be a full day of climbing. I actually enjoyed the day, as the climbs that are stretched out over 6 miles are more tolerable than going straight up. At one point, I passed a memorial plaque set into a rock, honoring Wade Sutton, a NC firefighter who gave his life in 1968, at that spot fighting forest fire. Below the plaque on the ground were many offerings from those passing by: coins, bracelets, candles and the like. I paused to admire the tribute being paid to him before continuing on. You never know what you will find in these mountains! The climb took me from 1732' to 4391' and you could feel the temperature change. I finally rolled into the Sassafras shelter area and set up quickly, trying to keep warm. There is a nice group here tonight, SprinkleToes, Crisco, Bushwacker to name some. Lately we have all been doing the same mileage and ending up together at night. This will likely continue into Fontana Dam. Bedtime came early,7:30pm, mostly to get warm! Going down to 26 degrees, but no reports of precipation, thank heavens. I may have to resort to using my hand warmer packets as a heat source ..........
Date: 2016-04-12
From: Fontana Dam

To: Gatlinburg,TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

We stayed up way too late last night! Our three fellow hikers worked on their laundry, showers were taken and we found ourselves around the dining room table chatting until 11 pm! I dreamt that I smelled bacon cooking and coffee brewing. Could it possibly be? As I came awake, I remembered where I was and thought " oh boy, no oatmeal today"! Crumpet was busy in the kitchen turning out a feast. The odors drifted thru the condo and soon the others began appearing, following their noses. We sat down and made Crumpet happy by devouring everything in sight, and then made some more. Over breakfast, plans were made to drive our friends back to Fontana Dam. SprinkleToes and Crisco were going to get back on the trail and continue north, in the rain, I might add. Bushwacker was going back to the Fontana Lodge to meet up with a friend and take a zero there. My job was to do the dishes and get started on my hiker girl chores: laundry, clean my water filter, scrub more dirt off my person and rest. I was successful at all of the above. Even after two showers of scrubbing, I still horrified myself when I took a jacuzzi tub bath and still left a ring around the tub, ugh! The rest of the day was uneventful. Crumpet returned and we went out to do errands and pick up some supplies. Had a great BBQ at Bennetts. I highly recommend it if you are ever in Gatlinburg. We then returned to the condo to sort food and get packs ready for our hike starting Thursday. Because my feet were still sore, and my right knee a little swollen, I decided to take another zero here tomorrow.
Date: 2016-04-13
From: Gatlinburg,TN

To: Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Crumpet came prepared to do trail magic at Newfound Gap today. Her SUV was loaded with all sorts of goodies that hikers crave: drinks, snacks, fresh fruit,, veggies and various sundries, like toilet paper, hand sanitizers, wipes, extra water, etc. She also had planned to join me for a few days hiking. We put our heads together and hatched the following plan.Rather than return me to Fontana Dam and have to wait until the end of the week for me to reappear at Newfound Gap, I decided to skip this section (Fontana to Newfound Gap). This would serve two purposes. One, I would get to help her with the trail magic, and have the fun of seeing hikers I started with, coming by. Secondly it would give me a second day of rest which my body seems to be asking for, and thirdly, Crumpet and I could hike from Newfound Gap northward to my next resupply stop, where her husband would pick us up and shuttle us back to the condo for an overnight, thus giving us 5 days of hiking together instead of 3. When I return south after I complete the AT, Crumpet, and hopefully the rest of my 'send off ' hiking gang, will join me for the final hurrah of completing Fontana to Newfound gap. I think it is the perfect plan. I was never a purist about having to hike each and every mile of the AT. Rather, I am doing this for the overall experience. If that means altering my itinerary to enhance someone else's experience ( like providing trail magic food, or overnight opportunities) or enriching my own life with unscheduled symphony concerts and making new friends in Franklin, NC, then that is my priority. Tomorrow, I have the pleasure of hiking with my buddy Crumpet and that makes me very happy !!
Date: 2016-04-14
From: Gatlinburg, TN

To: Ice water spring shelter
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: few clouds

Crumpet's husband dropped us off in the late afternoon at Newfound Gap. We said goodbye and headed uphill, with heavy hearts and especially heavy packs as they were full of food for the next five days. Crumpet was a champ with the climbing. We hit 6,000 feet today! We are now hiking through old-growth Pine forests and it is just gorgeous. The shades of green are astounding. The temperature today is in the low 50s, and cloudy. Tonight it's supposed to be in the low-40s which should be nice as there will be no wind. We got ice-water spring shelter and it had wonderful views looking out at the mountain ridges. The stone shelter has a fireplace inside. There was no ridgerunner here tonight to enforce the shelter Only Rule so we scouted for tent and hammock space. It was hard to find but we persevered and soon we're set up a little ways down hill from the shelter. By the end of the evening there were at least twenty people here. Some were familiar faces from earlier days. A big crowd of youngins came in well after 11 pm and were having a noisy time catching up with each other. It turned out they had been drinking in Gatlinburg, testing tequila and moonshine and had decided to hike drunk in the dark. What were they thinking? The next morning as they were relating this story to us, I asked them did they learn anything? One replied yes I'll never hiked drunk again. Another replied well it probably wasn't such a good idea and the third one stuck his head out of his tent and said please don't talk so loud!
Date: 2016-04-15
From: Ice water spring shelter

To: Pecks Corner shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: clear sky

Today was an absolutely beautiful day. It was sunny with clear blue skies and temperatures in the 60s. Perfect weather for hiking. Crumpet and I took the side Trail to Charlie's bunion, a huge Rocky outcrop with spectacular views of the valley. A sign at the beginning of the trail said 'guard children closely'. Haha! I guess adults with vertigo would be smart enough to totally avoid that trail. Not so, and this adult pushed through the fear, trying to keep calm and carrying on. Note the 'calm' face in the picture above. After that, the trail bumped up and down to Pecks Corner shelter. We made good time in spite of the rocky footing, arriving around 3 p.m. The shelter is made of stone and has a fireplace inside. A huge tarp was strung across the entire front of the shelter to keep the wind out. Fortunately it was not a problem today as there was just a gentle breeze. While we were assessing where to hang a hammock and plant a tent a Ridge Runner came in and our hearts sunk. The rule is, in the Smokies, you must sleep in the shelter unless it is already full. Well we were number two and number three to arrive and with the Ridge Runner there to enforce the rules it was to be a shelter night for us. What exactly does that mean? Well, it is a two-tier shelter, sleeping 12. We staked out our space on the upper level hoping it would be warmer (body heat from below rises to keep us warm) and easier to get in and out. It is noisy: people snoring, mumbling in their sleep, thrashing around on noisy sleeping pads trying to get comfortable, etcetera. Not to mention worrying about the mice scurrying around you. Did I sleep? No, I did not and tomorrow is our longest day. Sigh........
Date: 2016-04-16
From: Pecks Corner shelter

To: Crosby Knob shelter 
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: clear sky

Last night was just plain miserable. I missed sleeping in my hammock. I don't think Crumpet slept well either as it was a new experience for both of us, and not a pleasant one. Feeling a bit cranky I tried some yoga stretches before we left. I'd like to say it helped, but I think it was my silliness making us laugh that improve the mood. Crumpet was not feeling well as she may have been suffering from some altitude sickness so we were quite the pair. We left camp late, about 10 ish and the trail had us climbing all morning until we reach 6300 feet,skirting Mt.Guyot. We reached Tri-Corner shelter in time for a late lunch around 2 p.m. We were trying to decide whether to call it a day after 5.9 miles or push on to our intended destination, knowing we would arrive late after 7 p.m. Suddenly in walks the Ridge Runner from last night and she announces she will be staying at the shelter tonight! I just looked at Crumpet and we packed up and headed out immediately. I didn't care how late it was or how much my feet hurt I was determined to sleep in my hammock tonight. Off we went, knowing that we had one more climb, then 6 miles of downhill to the next shelter. It was a long 5 hours, but I was so happy when we arrived. Familiar faces greeted us as we came dragging in. One friend pointed out hammock trees for me, another directed Crumpet to a space for her in the shelter. Die Hard offered us his filtered water for our dinner needs. We were well taken care of, I must say. Trail friends are a wonderful thing. Since we 'only' have 7.6 miles to do tomorrow, I told Crumpet I was going to sleep in and bid everyone a good night. What a relief to sink into my hammock, ahhh..........
Date: 2016-04-18
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Zero day, Pigeon Forge 
Miles today: 0.0

The picture above is from yesterday. We were hiking along the trail up in the higher elevations, probably about 5800 feet. I was enjoying the greenery, the budding leaves on the trees, the Pines, the smell of Balsam in the hot sun when all of the sudden I came upon this little snowman on the side of the trail. I just had to stop and admire him and wondered where he came from and who built him. Then I noticed a few feet away there was a pile of snow under a log, lingering and sheltered from the sun. He was just so cute and welcoming I had to stop and take his picture. I hope you enjoy him as much as I did. Today was spent in the usual manner of a zero day. Good sleep, good food, good company. That's all a hiker needs. Did I mention clean clothes?
Date: 2016-04-19
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Groundhog shelter
Miles today: 6.9

Crumpet and her husband kindly drove me back to Standing Bear Farm Road and dropped me off at the trailhead. We all looked at it and it went up, up, and up. It was to be a three-mile climb to the top of Snowbird mountain before a long slow descent to Groundhog shelter. The day was beautiful, clear skies and warm. But once I started climbing I began to notice how really warm it was. The temperatures probably got up to the high 70s today and it was a hot and sweaty climb. I made a novice hiker mistake early on by not stopping at a beautiful water source. Instead I had opted to go 8/10 of a mile more to the next source which was somewhat questionable as per the map. When I arrived at the location it was dried up. I had about a cup of water to get me up and over Snowbird mountain and partially down the other side to the next strong water source. Lesson learned, never pass up a water source because you don't want to carry it up hill! I got to the top of Snowbird mountain and it was unusual because it is completely bald meaning there is grass growing and no trees. There is also an FAA Tower up there and the views were remarkable. I found a nice spot to sit and have lunch but did not linger because there was no shade and the sun was becoming too hot to be comfortable. It wasn't long on the way down before I found the next water source and quickly filled up a one liter container, filteted it and drank it immediately. Then I refilled it and another container and I was all set to go. The hike downhill was not too bad, some rocky footing but mostly a nice trail that made it easy to move along. I surprised myself by getting to the shelter area very early, 2:30 p.m. It felt odd to be in so early and I felt a little guilty about quitting so soon, but I was concerned about going another three miles and camping near a forest service road on my own. That's usually never a good idea. I stayed in the shelter area and soon people began to drift in. It has been a pleasant evening of getting to know new faces and catching up with old friends. It's going to be a warm night, dropping down into the low fifties and promises to be a three quarter full moon. Tonight will be the first time I'm sleeping without setting up my tarp and I am lying in my hammock looking through the mosquito netting up at the sky and hoping that it will be a bright and starry night. Tomorrow will bring a long day of 13 plus miles, but since Crumpet and I pushed the limits last week, I'm confident I can do it. Especially if I get out of bed early and get moving!!
Date: 2016-04-20
From: Groundhog shelter

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: few clouds

I was really looking forward to today, in spite of having to hike 13.1 miles, a very long day for me. Luckily, I am two days away from town, so my food supply is dwindling and weighs very little. I left early, about 8 am, knowing it was going to take me a long time. The trail started right uphill, and climbed and climbed. Six miles into it, I finally reached Max Patch Bald, only to have to climb up even higher! This mountain is all grass on top and no tree. I thought it would be a great place to have lunch and admire the views, but the wind was so bad, it was all I could do to race across. It's hard to move fast when the wind is blowing you sideways! I got down off the Bald and back into the forest. Not too far in was a nice flat area that was obviously used for camping, and had a fire ring, so I plopped myself down, took off my boots and socks so they could dry out. The weather has been beautiful and warm, now in the 80's. But it also makes for sweaty feet! Bushwacker soon came along and joined me. He had stayed on top for awhile and was able to get some good pictures. Over lunch we discussed the various flowers we have seen, especially Trilliums. Up to now we had only seen purple. Now white ones were appearing and I wasn't sure if they were still Trilliums. I took a picture of a white one and sent it off to my sister, the horticulturist, to identify. Soon I had an answer, yep, another variety of Trillium. We then continued onward down a beautifully maintained trail, along Roaring Fork Creek. There were a lot of day hikers climbing up to Max Patch, so there was plenty of stopping to chat. The last part of the afternoon was spent climbing upwards to Walnut Mountain Shelter, home for the night. The shelter was dismal and gloomy, and I was thankful to have my hammock. The water source was down a side trail, in a very boggy area. Because Bushwacker arrived earlier, he offered to climb down and collect for both of us. Ahh, the kindness of fellow hikers! The wind keeps picking up and getting stronger and colder. Dinner was a quick affair, and I retreated to my hammock. Tomorrow is to be another 13 mile day to get into Hot Springs. I am looking forward to being in a town, inside a building, out of the wind and getting a hot shower. My morale is suffering, and I am tired of being cold and windblown. The higher mileage isn't helping either; my resolve is weakening.