morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-03-27
From: Springer Mountain

To: Tent site
Miles today: 15.0

Met lots of people today. The first 8 miles were easy until Hightower Gap! Then we had to climb Mt Sassafras. I learned from Graham Cracker (thru 2002) that ¢Sassafras will kick your ass¢ is a popular saying. I agree. Ended up staying at 14.4 miles, a campsite with nice tent pads. Stayed with Andy (baby scrooge), Bob, an Allegra and Jake. Hoping to see Bob most of the day tomorrow. Seems super normal. Trying to go to mile 28, but might need a bear canister? Hoping not, otherwise it will be a super short 10-mile day military helicopters started at 9ish and haven¢t stopped for nearly an hour. Hoping they quiet down soon! Lots of bloodroot and purple trillium here. Also saw some bleeding heart! A great 1st day on the AT.
Date: 2012-03-28
From: Tent site

To: Swaim Gap
Miles today: 19.6

Staying with Seth and Norman, emailed Seth about TWLOHA. Met up with Bob at Jarrard Gap, pushed it all the way past Bull Head Gap by accident. Almost 20 miles! Tough day and going to do short tomorrow, maybe 7-10? Neel Gap was awesome. They had pizzas, cokes, and AquaMira since I ran out yesterday. Another great night with a great fire! Looking forward to whatever tomorrow brings
Date: 2012-03-29
From: Swain Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: overcast clouds

This day started at 3 a.m. when Norman said ¢uh guys, we¢ve got bears!¢ they shook the trees our bear lines were on and my cheap ass Walmart bag snapped right at the buckle and fell into the mouths of three hungry, relentless bears. These bears were not afraid of us and ate all my food. They continued to circle us until daylight, leaving Bob and I up tending the fire and trying to scare them off when they¢d come close. They were big and didn¢t want to leave! Thankfully, I had a ride down to Helen for groceries and some trail magic before I left to make it easier! After coming back, there were a ton of tough climbs and relentless sun and humidity. After 7 more miles I was toast. It was a short day and I was dehydrated, sunburned, and exhausted. Hoping for a better day 4!
Date: 2012-03-30
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Hiawassee
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: broken clouds

After a rough day 3, day 4 absolutely rocked! I got a lot of sleep last night, which I really needed. I was sad that my friend Bob didn¢t make it to camp, but decided to press on even though I was lonely. I left camp at 8:30 and made it to Blue Mountain Shelter at 11:30. After refilling my water, I ran into Zip Code, Ice Pack, and Fisher. We talked about the rain headed our way and tried to decide a game plan. Around 12:30, the rain had gotten a little heavier and we pushed down to Unicoi Gap. Ice Pack wanted to hike on, but Fisher, Zip Code, and I decided to get into town. On the ride down, we got poured on! It rained all afternoon, but we had hot showers an clean clothes! After texting and calling everyone, I was worn out. Had another great day! Tomorrow promises to be tough with a 1.4-mile, 1046 foot elevation gain right out of the gap. Promises of cheeseburgers at Tray Mountain will push me through though!
Date: 2012-03-31
From: Hiawassee

To: Deep Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Staying at Deep Gap Shelter tonight. Big group of people here, weekender from FL. Super nice guys who asked a lot of questions about my hike, about 10 thrus here. Lots of magic today! David dropped us off at Unicoi where there were hot dogs and beer. At Trey gap was Red Truck/Green Truck¢s 10th annual weekend out here. Lots of good food and tons of desert! Views from trey mtn were awesome! Zip Code and Fisher stopped at Trey and I moved on alone. We found Bob at Unicoi Gap! He was going to Hiwassee for two days to take care of his feet. I had really hard day, but it was really great. I hope to hit my first state line tomorrow around 1 pm!
Date: 2012-04-01
From: Deep Gap Shelter

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Staying at muskrat creek shelter with a ton of people, all thrus. Once again, my speed has given me a reputation and people had heard of me before meeting me again, ha! I crossed my first state line today, NC at 78 miles! The ¢welcome¢ into NC was an absolutely brutal hill that went up and up and up! It was a rough climb at the end of the day for sure! I¢m physically tired today, a first for me on this trip. Hoping that tomorrow¢s topography is true to the book and not as tough! Hoping to be in Franklin in 2 days!
Date: 2012-04-02
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: clear sky

Did a 19.3 mile day in the tough NC mountains! Pushed it with Tye Dye so I can get a ride to Franklin in the morning. I hit the 100-mile mark at 5 pm today after climbing up Albert Mountain. It was a tough climb, but it was exhilarating! The trails today were so similar to those in the Smokies and it felt like I was at home. I really hit my stride for sure. After Hard Drive and Pappy got to camp, they send a message from Pops saying he¢d come up to the shelter tonight from Betty¢s Creek if Trophy Wife would come back and carry his pack. I like that I¢ve got a reputation for endurance being that I¢m one of the few females out here. I¢m hoping to get into and out of Franklin quickly so I can keep on going!
Date: 2012-04-03
To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 4.3
Weather: light rain

After pushing 20 miles yesterday to get to Franklin, I was ready for laundry, food, and a shower. I was planning to get back onto the trail, but the universe had other plans! After getting a lucky ride to town with Ron Haven, Dingo and I cleaned up and headed for the AYCE (all you can eat) buffet! We went grocery shopping and then got back to the hotel, finished our laundry, and I packed up and headed out to hitch. I caught a ride with Shawn, who couldn¢t take me all the way. Turns out, it started pouring rain and he didnt want to leave me, so he took me to Ingles to wait it out. While trying to come up with a game plan, a nice woman names Ginger told me I looked like I could use a ride and took me back to the hotel. I roomed with Josh from Arkansas, taking a space on his kitchen floor for the night. Josh, Flame, Dingo, and I went to eat dinner and had a blast before calling it a night. The local church picks up hikers at 7 am for an AYCE pancake breakfast before we head out. I¢m Hoping the thunderstorms are done, but I¢m pretty sure it¢s supposed to rain all week! I¢m also hoping dome friends will catch up soon! I¢m missing some of my old crew. I am enjoying meeting all these new people though.
Date: 2012-04-04
From: Franklin, NC

To: Wine Spring Tent site
Miles today: 11.9

After a dry night in town with everyone, I started back at Rock Gap with Dingo and Trauma Kit. Trauma Kit has to go home tomorrow, so I¢m taking a short easy day to stay with them tonight. Siler Bald was very cool, way nicer than the balds in the Smokies! Met Ryan there and we kept pace together for a few miles before breaking off. Going to camp at Wine Spring tonight and hopefully make it to A Rufus Morgan Shelter tomorrow, about 17 miles away. At this rate, I¢ll be at Fontana Saturday to see my husband We had an awesome last night with Trauma Kit and I¢ll definitely miss him out here. We had a great fire for a few hours and took some silly photos. Another great day on the AT!
Date: 2012-04-05
From: Wine Spring Tent Site

To: NOC
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: light rain

I pushed through 19.5 miles (on trail, not counting the extras!) to get down into the NOC today! I started the morning by saying goodbye to Trauma Kit as he has to go back to work Monday The views from Wayah Bald this morning were awesome and we could actually see the Albert Mountain Fire Tower from there! Dingo and I pressed on for trail magic at Burningtown Gap from Grits (NOBO 09). I had a lot of uphill today, crossin several balds. This was also the first day I truly had to hike in the rain! It rained off and on all day, making the trail muddy and slick. When I got to A Rufus Morgan, Ryan told me thru hikers can camp at the NOC for free, so I took advantage of that, eating food and scoring free brownies from the hiker box (this is where hikers can take or leave things they no longer want, usually food, but sometimes extra bear line or luxury items, like shampoo, etc.) Now it¢s raining again and I¢m hunkered down in my tent, thinking of the huge climb tomorrow! I can¢t believe I¢ll be in my own bed in two nights!
Date: 2012-04-06
From: NOC

To: Brown Fork Gap
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was absolutely the hardest day I have had so far on the AT. I¢ve heard legend of the difficulty of the hill climbing out of the NOC¢¦ the first four miles or so weren¢t bad. I figured that people were just maybe a little too hungover. The last 1.6 miles of climbing to Swim Bald were absolutely brutal. The trail was rugged, mostly rocks on a slim overhang, and it was just relentless climbing to a bald with absolutely no view. After a very short, almost imaginary downhill, I climbed again to Cheoah Bald. I¢m pretty sure Cheoah in Cherokee means ¢hill that makes girl cry¢ because I lost it climbing up to the top. At least I finally had a view, as the weather cleared up. After more enormous ups and downs and a few more tears, I finally made it to Stecoah Gap at 3:30. Mind you, it normally doesn¢t take me that long to go 13.9 miles and I was just devestated. To my surprise, Hopeful was at the Gap doing Trail Magic for his birthday. Hopeful thru hiked NOBO in 2003 and 2011 and was more than happy to help me off with my pack and to fill me full of food! I nearly cried at his generosity. He had a lot of great stories and was so friendly and genuinely kind. He was truly my angel! After sitting and eating for more than an hour, I began the climb known as Jacob¢s Ladder. It¢s a brutal 0.6-mile, 650-foot climb to the top of a nameless mountain. After finally rolling into camp around 6 p.m., I was ready to sit down and relax. The crew at the shelter tonight wrote lots of songs, including ¢Burps That Taste Like Hot Dogs¢, ¢Switchback Blues¢, ¢Balds Without a View¢, and ¢The Downhill is a Lie¢. I was very thankful to have a wonderful night and a great fire after the worst day I¢ve had on the trail yet.
Date: 2012-04-07
From: Brown Fork Gap

To: HOME!
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

Today is the day! I finally get to go home for my first zero day (a day where you rest and clean your gear without any hiking!) But, before getting to my wonderful, super awesome husband, I had to hike 11.5 miles out of Brown Fork Shelter to the car! I started my day at 8:20 and immediately began an undulation. The trails today were much kinder than yesterday, but I can tell my body is getting tired, probably from the sheer lack of nutrition I¢m getting out here. The sun was shining and the wildflowers were abundant. I only had one truly brutal climb today that really made me angry, but when I made it to the top of the hill, I was looking straight down into Fontana Lake! It was such an emotional moment for me to look down and know I was almost home! After some more undulation and ¢rock climbing¢, I made it to NC-28 at 12:40 and waited for David to show up. He¢d given some hikers a ride to the parking lot. It was very surreal riding in a car for 2 hours to say the least. It¢s also very weird to be home. I¢m very much looking forward to sleeping in my own bed tonight and will have a special blog post tomorrow about my first day off in nearly two weeks. I¢ve already hiked 167 miles and I can¢t wait for more! The photo below is me at the gap above Fontana. The lake is far below, the clouds floating over the water.
Date: 2012-04-09
From: HOME!

To: Double Springs Gap
Miles today: 28.9

Got back on the trail today and was feeling a little discouraged. I didn¢t see any hikers until Silers Bald, where I ran into the wolfpack. They were mostly moving on to Double Spring Gap. I stayed there that night and got there super early, 3:30. I was tempted to move on, but the next shelter was 7 miles away and since you can¢t stealth in the Smokies, I stayed put. Had a great night in camp, singing songs with Atlas, who has a guitar and ukulele! We had a good fire to keep warm and the wind blew all night long! At some points, it blew underneath my tent and lifted it while I was in it! A long night for sure. Below, left to right - Rocket, Cheeks, Spam, and Atlas.
Date: 2012-04-10
From: Double Springs Gap

To: Tricorner Knob
Miles today: 26.4

Today I reached not only the highest point on the AT, but the 200-mile mark! Most of you reading this can drive up and walk 0.5 miles to get there I did a super hard and long day all the way to Tricorner Knob to try and meet up with Bob from Maine. Turns out, he left the shelter just before I got here! It¢s super cold today and the wind blew all day long. I¢m glad to be sleeping in the shelter tonight for sure! Going to Standing Bear Hostel tomorrow and hope to get a bunk and some resupply to get me to Hot Springs. I¢m also hoping for warmer weather and no more wind!
Date: 2012-04-11
From: Tricorner Knob

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

Today I reached not only the highest point on the AT, but the 200-mile mark! Most of you reading this can drive up and walk 0.5 miles to get there I did a super hard and long day all the way to Tricorner Knob to try and meet up with Bob from Maine. Turns out, he left the shelter just before I got here! It¢s super cold today and the wind blew all day long. I¢m glad to be sleeping in the shelter tonight for sure! Going to Standing Bear Hostel tomorrow and hope to get a bunk and some resupply to get me to Hot Springs. I¢m also hoping for warmer weather and no more wind!
Date: 2012-04-12
From: Standing Bear

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: clear sky

Had a great night¢s sleep at Standing Bear last night and pushed super hard today to Walnut Mtn Shelter and walked over three separate balds today. I got to spend quite a bit of time on Max Patch today and it actually felt like I was standing on top of the world at one point, as there was nothing but a blue, cloudless sky beyond the ridge as I came to the top! I also heard from my friend Bob, who I¢ve been trying to catch since Sunday! Ill actually get to see him if I stick around in Hot Springs, so I may zero there. I¢m having such an amazing time out here meeting new people and learning about so many different things. I¢m very blessed to have this opportunity in my life to say the least. I¢m loving the trail! As you can see below, Max Patch really does feel like the top of the world.
Date: 2012-04-13
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs!
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Started a little late today, about 8:30. I got a text from my friend Bob last night saying he had somehow gotten behind me, which was really tough! I was hoping he¢d catch up to me today on Hot Springs, about 15 miles from where I started. My sister came into town and I got a lot of great food and trail magic from her as well! About 7 pm, I get a text from Bob saying he was in town and it blew my mind! We¢re planning either a Nero or zero tomorrow depending on how we feel. We had an awesome reunion and I¢m really excited to have a trail partner again to say the least! These blazes are on the sidewalk in Hot Springs, as the trail runs down the main street.
Date: 2012-04-14
From: Hot Springs!

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Took a zero day in Hot Springs with several friends today. Bob and I did a lot of errands and ate more food than I care to think about. Ultra Violet, Naked Ninja, and Nitrous Oxide joined us several times today for ice cream and a soak in the mineral tubs just before bed. We had such and awesome day and are planning for a long hike tomorrow, but I¢m pretty sure we¢re up for it. It¢s going to be a tough day, but now that I¢ve got a partner to hike with I think it¢s going to help with my pacing and get us both the mental support we need. We¢re going to try and keep pace with the Georgia Boys for a while as well.
Date: 2012-04-15
From: Hot Springs

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: clear sky

My first day back hiking with Bob and I was so happy to have a partner on a tough day to say the least. The climbs today weren¢t difficult, but the temperature was about 30 degrees warmer than the last day I did a full day of hiking! Bob drank nearly 7 liters of water today and I had 5 and we both got headaches and dehydrated. It was incredibly hot towards the end of the day. We had planned to do 21.5 miles, but cut it short at 19.5 in order to stay at a shelter with good water. After a big dinner and a lot of water we both felt better and we are ready to face tomorrow!
Date: 2012-04-16
To: Hogpen Gap Shelter
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I cannot believe that I¢ve hiked 100 miles in such a short period of time! Today we hit the 300-mile mark at Jerry Cabin Shelter at around 11 a.m. Considering I took a zero day recently, we¢re all pretty excited with out progress! Wall-e, Alyssa, and Krispy Kreme have been pacing with Bob and me. They started the same day we did and we¢re all moving quick. It¢s nice to have a little group forming that we travel with. We had some tough climbs today to say the least. I wanted to give a big congrats to Nitrous Oxide today! While Bob and I did 21.5 mile, Nitrous did 32.8 today! He was hiking in memory of those killed at VA Tech in the shooting two years ago. He raised money on his blog today as well, due to his awesome effort, for the Delta Society, which provides therapy dogs for those in need. Congrats to him for sure! Another long day planned for tomorrow, 20.7 at least, and then Erwin the next day for hot showers! I think the thru hiker smell is really starting to set in with this terrible heat, ha!
Date: 2012-04-17
From: Hogpen Gap Shelter

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: light rain

This is officially my third week anniversary on the trail! I had an easy 20.7 miles today, doing it in about 8 hours with breaks! I got to No Business Knob at around 4:15, just in time for the rain to start! We waited about an hour for the rain to let up and then set up our tents. Alyssa and Wall-e showed up around 7, but no sign of Krispy Kreme or Bob. Hoping they¢re both alright in this rain! I wish I would have been able to get some photos today, as I went over two balds, Big and Little Balds, and an awesome rock feature called High Rocks, but with the threat of rain it didn¢t happen Erwin tomorrow for hot showers, clean laundry, and cookies! (and beer too, ha!)
Date: 2012-04-18
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Uncle Johnny's
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: moderate rain

Today was a super hard emotional day for me. I found out this morning that Bob had to get off the trail. It broke my Heart to lose my partner yet again. Out in the trail, you bond with people so quickly that it hurts when they have to leave. I hope Bob gets back soon. I had a Nero day from 5,8 miles up to Erwin and stayed at Uncle Johnny¢s hostel just off the trail. Had two all- you-can-eat meals and then did some grocery shopping, which was overwhelming due to my partner being gone since we had a resupply plan. I hooked up with Brownie (formerly Alyssa) and Wall-e, with Krispy Kreme showing up after the lunch shuttle. Nitrous also came in around 3 and we¢ve planned to hike to Damascus together to meet our spouses next week, 125.1 miles and less than 7 days from here. Life must go on I suppose. I really hope Bob is okay though and hope he¢s back soon. On to a 20-mile day tomorrow, climbing Mt Unaka!
Date: 2012-04-19
From: Uncle Johnny's

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

Day 24 Started strong out of Erwin with Nitrous this morning. We started the day with overcast weather, but it was turning into a nice day about four miles in. We climbed up over Beauty Spot and then moved on to our tough climb , Unaka! It turned out to be not only easier than I thought, but also my favorite mountain of the hike so far. On the way up it was rocky, then more bald-like, finally ending at 5100 feet in a spruce forest. A gorgeous climb and then a hike downhill to the shelter. An easy 17-mile day for sure! Tomorrow we have a long 22.5-miler to get to Overmountain Shelter and climbing Roan Mountain! This is looking up to Mt Unaka from the Beauty Spot.
Date: 2012-04-20
To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 21.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Started off as a rough morning. I was feeling lonely and had a long day planned. The trail undulated quite a bit, finally going downhill a little before climbing Roan Mountain. There had been a lot of trail reroutes on this mountain, making it an easier climb, but really throwing me off mileage-wise! The climb was really rough, the last mile climbing 1000 feet and having three false summits. When I got to the top, I met with Country, Miles, Davy Jones, and Spools. I walked with Davy Jones for the next two miles and then climbed yet again for the day, three more balds, before finally making it to Overmoutain Shelter. Nitrous pointed out to me I did bonus miles as well¢¦ I accidentally did a mile extra, making my total for the day 24. Tomorrow is just 18, but I may go farther depending on how early I get to the shelter. On to Kincora Hostel in two days! This is a photo of Roan Mtn after I climbed it, looking as mean as it truly was!
Date: 2012-04-21
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Mountaineer Falls Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Hiked a short, slow day today, 18 miles, to Mountaineer Falls Shelter at mile 400.7. Passed two waterfalls today, one 0.2 miles round-trip off trail. Started the day with yet another climb of two balds! I¢m so tired of climbing balds. I get it North Carolina, you have a lot of balds. I finally finished North Carolina today! I¢ll be out of TN in just 66 more miles as well, so it¢s exciting to see how much progress I¢ve made. Pretty excited to get to Kincora tomorrow. My left Achilles tendon has been screaming at me since about noon today, so I¢m hoping for a less painful day tomorrow. This is a photo of me at Jones Falls, which is about 0.1 miles off trail.
Date: 2012-04-22
From: Mountaineer Falls Shelter

To: Black Bear Hostel
Miles today: 15.6

We woke up today in cold and rainy weather, ready to do an easy 16 miles into town to stay at Kincora Hostel. Immediately upon leaving the shelter, my Achilles tendon flared back up and was angry! For 16 miles today, every step I took with my left foot was painful. We did some very easy terrain, but it took me nearly 7 hours to go 16 miles. When we finally got down the mountain to get to the hostel, we discovered it was full! We walked nearly another mile on the road to a second newer hostel and they had plenty of room for us and they sell beer! I spent 22 bucks in the store on miscellaneous food and ate nearly all of it. After a hot shower and clean laundry, I feel more human! We found out the forecast here tonight at the lower elevation is 37 and snow flurries, so we¢re happy to have a heated cabin I¢m hoping my foot feels better in the morning as well. If not, I may be yellow blazing to Damascus to rest for a week.
Date: 2012-04-23
From: Black Bear Hostel

To: Black Bear Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Took a zero day at the hostel today along with everyone else here since it was SNOWING this morning! More hikers showed up from Kincora Hostel - Snagglefoot, Nokey, Flash just to name a few. We were all going to do nothing all day and we succeeded in doing just that! We went to town for lunch and ate at a buffet and stocked up our food at Walmart before coming back and watching movies all day. I also finally heard from Bob again, who will be back on trail and catch up soon. I¢m glad he¢s alright in the snow since I know he left some winter gear at a shelter about a week ago. I¢m ready to get back onto the trail tomorrow and I¢m hoping my Achilles tendon gives me no more problems. I did buy some inserts at Walmart today for shock absorption, so I¢m hoping that will help!