morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-04-28
From: Hot Springs

To: Rich Mountain 
Miles today: 8.3

Day 27 Lookout Tower SunsetThe plan for today was a lazy one. Pancake breakfast at the Smoky Mountains diner, recover from that feast, mooch and float around the hostel with an intention of organising my pack then leisurely stroll for 4 or 5 miles to a campsite along the trail. It would be a short walk. I had arranged to meet two hiking friends ¢Joe Cool¢ and ¢2speed¢ there. And because it was a short walk I¢d even stored a celebratory bottle of red wine for the evening meal. It was a great plan. All started well. The breakfast was superb, I left feeling totally full. It was all I needed in a breakfast after days of hiking and a welcome change from my usual instant oats.I then frittered around the hostel, and at some point, feeling the first pangs of hiker withdrawal anxiety, I headed off to find the campsite 5 miles away. Hot Springs is a town that really embraces the Appalachian Trail spirit. There are AT logos emblazoned into the sidewalks and the citizens are so hiker friendly. Immediately out of town the trail crosses the French Broad River; which has plenty of rapids and a centre for kayaking sports. Lots of hikers seemed to be choosing to camp on the side of the riverbank which seemed a bit sketchy to me as the side of the riverbank included lots of mud, flood debris and general mess. Past all that it was a climb up to ¢Lovers Leap¢. There are many same named sites around the world where the legend goes of a maiden who leaps down to the river below to join the spirit of her lover who had been put to death in unfortunate circumstances. It was quite a view of the river below although I figured in this case the maiden would have had to take an almighty leap to get anywhere near close to the river. Once past the viewpoint I was under the impression that the path levelled off a bit and was an easy stroll to the designated camp spot. I was sadly mistaken. Instead the track went up and up (this is the AT!) and instead of being 5 miles turned in to being over 8miles. My legs just can¢t do climbs and I found it so hard. I was cursing every additional pound of food weight in my pack (especially the red wine). I was hauling out 6 days food and I was tiring fast by the time I reached the camp just below Rich Mountain. Once there I immediately poured a cup of wine, not bothering to wait for my friends. They did arrive sometime after but lucky them seemed to cruise up the mountain with ease. They did get to enjoy the red though!!!After supper we all climbed up to the viewing platform of an old fire tower on the summit. We were treated to a classic Appalachian mountains sunset with the peaks in all directions bathed in pastel shades of lilac, blue and peach.
Date: 2019-04-30
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Spring at Mile 309.5
Miles today: 15.0

Day 29 Big Butt Mountain During the night I made all sorts of plans and reconsiderations about what I should do. Should I quit? Should I stay? Should I move on? I took ibuprofen, an anti- inflammatory drug, something I usually avoid as the liver doesn¢t like it. I bandaged my knees and I committed to going slow. The morning came and my joints were definitely objectionable to movement. But they could be persuaded! So I moved on forward. The trail was pretty and I came across some picture perfect meadows and balds. Tough but very enjoyable. My throat was sore and I started coughing and spluttering. I committed to staying well away from any other hikers. No one should get the kind of virus I have! I found a secluded ridge shoulder with a spring nearby and enjoyed the solitude of the mountain forest.PS I have made 300 miles!
Date: 2019-05-01
From: Spring at Mile 309.5

To: Spring near Sams Gap
Miles today: 11.5

Day 30 Salvation at Sams GapI wasn¢t getting better. I wasn¢t getting worse. I¢m a cup half full kind of person so things are on the positive! I resolved that the next road I came to I¢d call a shuttle to the nearest hiker hostel, get a room and see out this flu pestilence I¢d succumbed to. Two or three coffees later and after I¢d had my instant oatmeal breakfast I was on my way! A mile or so later I saw my goal in sight! A road! My pace quickened! Just 100 metres short though of my goal my pace was arrested by the sight of an A4 sized pink poster stapled to a tree trunk. ¢15 th anniversary Trail Angel feast at Sams Gap¢ All sorts of food goodies were promised. One of my three brains asked ¢ How can you go past that?¢ My initial plan to high tail it to a hostel was amended to making it to Sams Gap ... then to hightail it to a hostel! So onward I continued! I had not quite taken into consideration that Sams Gap was a mountain ascent and descent away and that it would take all my energy to get there. But the positive energy from having a goal pulled and pushed me forward. The trail magic closed at 3:00pm and at one stage on the wrong side of the steep mountain I began to wonder would I make it. But luck was with me and I stumbled into a parking Bay to the side of an interstate highway at 2:45pm. 10 gentlemen in their 70¢s who were trail maintenance volunteers ran the trail surprise every May 1st. On arrival I was asked to head to the handwashing station then after that not to leave until I was not hungry. There was a grill with hamburgers, lots of sides and a mountain of brownies. I was in heaven. Eventually I was complete and as I was the last one in, the gentlemen then packed up their tables chairs and supplies into their pickup trucks and headed home. For me I just wandered over to the nearest tree and lay down in the shade for a 1 hour sleep. One of the trail volunteers had told me of a camping spot just a mile away with a good spring. I headed to that and setup camp feeling totally revived from my feeding splurge!
Date: 2019-05-02
From: Spring near Sams Gap

To: No Business Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 17.0

Day 31 Big BaldThe positive energy from the Trail Magic feast from yesterday spilled over to the morning and I awoke anxious to get going. The day had a major climb up to Big Bald which is a very prominent cleared mountain top at 5,516¢. I could see it from miles away and was excited to eventually reach it¢s summit. It was a glorious sunny day and lots of hikers gathered at the top, threw off their packs and soaked in the 360degree views. I kept my distance because I was coughing still. But it gave me the chance to sketch Little Bald which was a short distance away. Back on the trail it was a relatively easy descent, to Spivey Gap where there was a picturesque campsite in a grassy meadow. But my legs felt strong so I climbed up the next ridge and from there the path continued it¢s easy decent to No Business Knob Shelter. I¢m no sure why that called it that; perhaps it¢s because they had no business putting a shelter there in the first place because the water source was way back down the mountain. Not a good thing to learn that I had passed it by and would have to backtrack my steps if I wanted supper for the night. The weather app had predicted heavy rains for the day and though I had one slight shower all was clear. I counted my blessings and enjoyed another dry night in my tent.I was also quite pleased to have done a 17 mile day which by my standards is a darned long way!
Date: 2019-05-03
From: No Business Knob Shelter 

To: Erwin
Miles today: 6.2

Day 32 Uncle Johnny¢sJust 6 miles away at the bottom of the river valley was the town of Erwin and my next resupply point. It¢s a place where most hikers stop off for a while and have some R&R.When I awoke and got moving most of the folks who were staying in the shelter had gone. Many tents were also packed up. I think that there was a general restlessness that after 5 or more days of hiking people were ready for some real food and a chance to have a proper shower. The path was very easy and I made good time. The first house one runs into on the outskirts of Erwin is ¢Uncle Johnny¢s¢ Hostel and almost everyone either calls in or stays the night. I made inquiries and secured a private room for $45 per night plus taxes. I was happy with that as I wanted to isolate myself given I was often coughing. There were many familiar faces and I caught up with characters I hadn¢t seen in some time. Most bunkhouse beds were full. There were even many tents pitched on the lawns as that way it saves $¢s but there are still the facilities.My first priority was straight to the showers for a major clean up, then the washing machine for all my clothes. Uncle Johnny¢s has bikes of dubious shape and I took one down the road to a service station where I managed to buy lots of oranges - I figured the extra vitamin c could only help fight off whatever the flu type virus it was that I had.Then I simply rested the day away!
Date: 2019-05-04
From: Erwin

To: Uncle JohnnyÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs 
Miles today: 0.0

Day 33 ZeroI was in heaven because I did not need to hike for the day. And also because I was in a room where I could spread out my junk ( ie have a pack explosion) and not worry about invading other people¢s space. During the day the hostel provides shuttles into town so that there are many options for resupply, eating or buying/replacing gear. Already some hikers have gone through a set of hiking shoes - it¢s unbelievable how the trail rips to shreds packs and shoes. My major point of call was the post office as I wanted to send back to Australia clothes and gear I did not need. After 4 weeks of walking I¢m very conscious of every gram of weight in my backpack and I will be ruthless to reduce it! That done I headed to Walmart and bought 5 days supplies of food. Walking out I¢m so aware of how heavy my shopping bags are, and the conversation on the shuttle back general revolves around concerns of ¢Do you I think I¢ve bought too much?... my food weighs a ton!!¢ or ¢ Have I bought enough?¢That all done though I just spent lots of time lying on my bed doing nothing. Ahhh bliss!
Date: 2019-05-05
From: Uncle JohnnyÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs 

To: Beauty Spot
Miles today: 10.1

Day 34 Beauty SpotMy zero day staying in a Room at Uncle Johnny¢s had done wonders for my morale. I still had the end stages of a nasty chest infection but it was coming good. Judging from the splutters and coughs I heard around me I was not the only one suffering and I did hear tales of a number of hikers who had to leave for a week or more to overcome the effects. But I was anxious to get going again so I vacated the room at 10am, had a strong cup of coffee from the camp store then headed out on the trail. The weather has been very wet and rainy but I was told there might be a break after 12noon. I left with high hopes and for awhiles anyway the showers held off. Then they returned with vengeance. There was Curly Maple Gap Shelter at mile 5 so I called in to get some dry time and a lunch break - pepperoni, cucumber, bell pepper and sliced garlic on a bagel. You might ask why the sliced garlic? - at this stage I¢m thinking even garlic might help get rid of the dreaded pestilence I have! The sodden path wound its way up to a bald called Beauty Spot. Much of the day I had been in cloud that reduced visibility to 100 yards or less. However on reaching the peak out popped the sun and for the briefest of moments I got to see the grassy top in all its glory. It was beautiful! But then the cloud closed in again.There is a piped spring and camping spot just over the other side so I headed to that as my home for the night. My evening supper was a salad kit I¢d lugged up from Walmart, to which I added an avocado, cucumber, pepper and ... more sliced garlic. I will be  making a new variation of hiker smell I¢ve no doubt. Rain kept threatening, then it started in earnest. My tent is working quite well to keep out the damp so it was off to bed for me.
Date: 2019-05-06
From: Beauty Spot

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: broken clouds

Day 35 Chicken of the WoodsToday I added another culinary ingredient to my arsenal of healthy foods to combat my dreaded malady. Stumbling along the path I spotted two fellow hikers looking at an fallen tree. I asked what was up and they said they had discovered some ¢Chicken of the Woods¢. Not being a mycophagophobe; (ie I love mushrooms especially the ones I personally find in the wild) I was quite excited. This fungus, otherwise known as Laetiporus sulphureus is an unmistakable mushroom. It is a large growth; a brightly colored fungus, distinctively orange with tinges of red and yellow as shown in my photo. Usually it¢s found on rotting trees, because that¢s what it does - rot wood. In fact back a few hundred years it caused lots of damage to the wooden hulls of the British Naval Fleet! Anyways I¢m told that Chicken of the Woods has a ¢succulent ¢ poultry flavour. I am not sure if I would go that far, but it does cook up quite well when stir fried with garlic, which is exactly what I did when I got into camp at the Clyde Smith Shelter. Note that I do happen to carry a small bottle of extra virgin olive oil (for occasions such as these) with me and though I don¢t have a frying pan, my cooking pot is wide enough that it will do the trick!I tented for the night, however the shelter has a great bench for cooking. Pretty soon the ¢succulent ¢ odours from my culinary experiments were wafting all about and garnering all sorts of praise from my colleagues. It should be understood that hiker food is insipidly bland so any cooking out of the ordinary such as my little feast will cause quite a stir. As it turns out when the ¢Chicken of the Woods¢ was added to my normal dehydrated fare, it tasted absolutely delicious. I went off to bed with a tummy feeling brimful and content. As for the walking today? Much like most AT Days ... Up a big Mountain (Unaka Mountain 5180¢) then down the other side with the promise of something similar the next day!
Date: 2019-05-07
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter 
Miles today: 15.6

Day 36 Red BarnToday I spent the night in one of the iconic shelters on the Appalachian Trail: The Overmountain Shelter. Since first seeing photos of it from AT reports on the internet I¢ve wanted to stay there. It¢s appearance is so romantic: a typical heritage American southern state building lost in the back woods. The days hike took me over Roan High Knob which at 6285¢ is one of the highest mountains to get over. It¢s also one of the colder ones. But on my day the weather was just fine. It¢s a long walk up and as usual I was passed by just about everyone! Starting early morning I made the peak at 12.30 and had my lunch (2 packets of apple cinnamon oatmeal cooked up in my drinking mug!!!) Then it was all the way down again! About half way it started to rain, but things cleared up just as I got to the shelter. There were lots of people there .. maybe 25 though I¢m told that on the weekend there were 75! The recent history of the barn is that in the early 1980¢s it was renovated by hiking clubs so that it would suit people staying overnight. The upper barn floor is used for sleeping, then the lower section has tables for eating as well as a raised platform which also can be used for sleeping. One thing the renovation did not alter were the wall gaps. It turns out the barn used to be used specifically to store tobacco. Hence all the wall slats and floor boards have half inch gaps between so the tobacco could dry out. Now all the gaps let in the chill air and the mice!!! It should be no surprise then that the hikers now all put their tents up inside the barn!! I didn¢t do this but it sure seemed strange to sleep in a room full of tents. It was a great night!
Date: 2019-05-08
From: Overmountain Shelter 

To: Stealth Camp Elk River
Miles today: 15.7

Day 37 Last of the Big HillsTwo big events today. Firstly It marks the ¢sort of¢ start of the reduction in the elevation and steepness of the trail (at least in the immediate term- although there are still a few more 5000 foot hills to come) and ... drum roll ... I past the 400 mile point!!!It was a great night sleeping in the barn and to my relief I did not have any mice trying set up a nest in my sleeping quilt whilst I was still using it. Per my usual day the birds start chirping and singing come dawn which is around 6:00. That¢s my signal to pull the plug on my mattress that lets out a noisy ¢whoosh¢, pack my bags in the early light and be on my way. I chatted to some section hikers just before I left and I asked how they slept. ¢Terrible¢ was their reply. They were not used to hiking. They had done a third of my distance yesterday and were in pain and distress. Although I really feel exhausted at the end of the day, hearing that others are also feeling that pain (sort of) helps put my feelings of being tired into perspective. Perhaps even though I don¢t think or feel it, I am getting to build up some resilience.The day began with a climb (long) (for me anyway) up Little Hump Mountain followed a descent, then, by another climb of (yes.. you guessed it) Big Hump Mountain. I was quite puffed out at the top of that so I savoured the moment by a Garlic/Cheese/Garlic and Salami Bagel. Yum. Then it was down hill. This part I liked. I got to pass the 400 mile point celebrated with a clearing with a sign made out of sticks ( drumroll). See photo.I found a perfect campsite by the Elk River. Another grand day. PS I think the garlic is working at least to warn others to keep away from me! - I sat down at a table to make my supper. I left my food whilst I collected water. When I returned a fellow hiker was sitting opposite. I started cooking my food and suddenly he packed up his cooking gear. I asked if anything was wrong and he just said he was going to eat his dinner somewhere else! Maybe the garlic is warming people to stay away from the Aussie hiker with the plague!!!
Date: 2019-05-09
From: Stealth Camp Elk River

To: Stealth Camp Laurel Fork Falls
Miles today: 20.0

Day 38 My first 20milerThe first week on the Appalachian Trail was a bit like the first week at High School: lots of new characters and faces, a panorama of new experiences, and nervousness about what is to come.Now as I move forward most ( more than 50%) of the aspirational hikers have quit leaving a more mellow bunch of walkers. They are still motivated, sometimes dangerously so! The goal now is mileage ... just how far can I go today???I¢ve heard and met already folks who are doing astonishing mileages ... 20, 25, 30 , 35 miles ... well that is the talk at least. Maybe some are the trail retirees a week after their sub 12 hour epic ultra marathon??. It seems everyone around me were regularly doing 20 mile days. Meanwhile I seemed to be plodding along, then tiring out at 15 miles max.But today I deliberated and came to the hare-brained resolution that I would push my physical boundaries and attempt a 20 mile day! What foolishness. I have got to say there was a touch of logic to my choice of days. Firstly no big hills. Secondly most of it down hill. And fine weather was on my side. As it turns out luck was on my side and I achieved my goal. Possibly I was in a daze the whole way since I don¢t remember much ... I was definitely in an otherwise focused mindset.I do remember seeing a dilapidated barn (see photo) which I figured must be an old tobacco barn given the gaps between the timbers.As the day wore on I regularly checked my phone GPS app, At long long last it said I¢d done 20 miles and that was it. Luckily I was right beside a river, so it was pack off, and set up camp. Later that night I checked out the comments about a shelter just 0.2miles ahead. ¢ No f@@@ing way stay here. It¢s haunted! Go back and stealth camp¢ I guess this time I got it right!!
Date: 2019-05-10
From: Stealth Camp Laurel Fork Falls

To: Boots Off Hostel
Miles today: 6.7

After 6 days on the trail, things have started to feel a bit ¢sticky and stinky¢!!! Not only my skin and clothes, but just about everything I currently have or touch. There is only so much a swim in a river can do. Time for a major rest and wash! As it so happens just 6 miles away was ¢Boots Off¢, a hostel that I had heard a lot of good comments about so after packing up camp, that is where I headed. It was a chance for a ¢Nero¢ (Nearly a Zero hiking day.) Between me and the hostel was a big hill to get over, this is the Appalachian Trail after all. I find that I¢m easily able to achieve the first hill in the morning. It is after that that the irritating indisposition in my lungs kicks in and slows me down. But it was not the case for today, as it was a short distance so I fairly flew to the hostel. Once checked in I headed straight to the showers (see photo) which are a fairly inimitable design. Firstly they are outdoors, I think, because hiker showers need a lot of ventilation! The shower itself consists of a galvanized laundry tub hung overhead from a timber beam with a link chain. Hot and cold copper pipes lead into that, and when the industrial lever style taps are opened the tub fills with water and the shower is in operation. The drain below somehow overflows onto rocks below. Very unique. To top it off there is a humourful mural on one of the walls. Adding to the effect of it all are strip fairy lights. I took all the time in the world to scrub and scrub and left feeling so refreshed. Meanwhile I had all my clothes and bedding washed. Finally I ordered a much, much too large pizza, devoured that and for 5mins my tummy enjoyed being totally full. I felt I was a new human being. The rest of the day was spent lazing about ¢ my aching leg muscles needed some respite and a chance to recuperate. ¢Boots Off¢ was such a clean and tidy hostel. I am so glad that I took the chance to call and stay awhile.
Date: 2019-05-11
From: Boots Off Hostel

To: Rabbit Hole Hostel
Miles today: 20.6

My stay at ¢Boots Off¢ had invigorated me to really make a good effort of hiking over the next two days. I decided that I¢d push for Damascus which is 42 miles away. A filling had come loose in a back tooth and I had made an appointment in a town close by, meaning I'd have to "hoof it" if I was to get there in time. The day was a rainy one and there was nothing to it but push on. The terrain was a bit easier in a way. The trail followed a ridge line so there were no long ascents or descents. Some folks even describe the route as flat. It was definitely not that to me as I am sure that the cumulative ascent and descent was just about the same as any other day. It just didn¢t seem that way at the time. I was well and truly tired out by the end of the day. I am a very slow hiker. Starting at 7:30am I reached road junction TN91 at 7:15pm having done 20 miles. There is a hostel nearby called the Rabbit Hole (named after ¢Rabbit¢, one of the owners!), and I called them. A shuttle car pulled up 10minutes later and I was asked if I was feeling hungry. I sure was though at the time I was so tired from walking that I didn¢t know what I felt! Anyways upon arriving at the hostel there was a long timber bench around which were 10 or so hikers sitting in beach chairs. On the bench were 2 steaming pots loaded with spaghetti Bolognese. ¢Go for it!¢ I was instructed. At that point the hunger took over and I made quite an assault on the feast. Delicious! I was even given a beer to wash it down with. I went to bed feeling weary but happily replenished. The photo is of more chicken in the woods that I spotted on a log. With the rain the mushrooms are really starting to appear.