morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-10-05
From: hot springs 

To: brown gap
Miles today: 22.9
Weather: overcast clouds

This morning we had to go back to the diner for one last bisquit and gravy. We then hit the trail at 7:40. We had a long climb out of hot springs starting out. We went from 1326ft to 4686ft with the climbs some swithbacks and some straight ups. It was 10.7 miles to the top but couldn't ask for any better hiking weather today. The trail was not washed out and we didn't see many trees down from the rain and wind. We stopped for lunch at Walnut Mtn Shelter before making our way down to lemon Gap. The first 14 miles we seen no hikers but then the next mile we seen 7 or 8 North bound hikers. The last one was a lady we shared a shelter with in Vermont during a bad storm. We then hiked over Max Patch which is a Bald with 360 degrees of views. With blue skies and sun it was a beautiful evening up on Max Patch. Then we hiked 3.5 more miles down to Brown Gap where we set up for the night. After two days off due to the storms we were glad to be back on the trail. Thanks for all ur prayers and well wishes. We will b in the smokies until Friday so might not be able to post until then. God Bless
Date: 2015-10-06
From: brown gap

To: cosby knob shelter 
Miles today: 20.5

We were up and hiking by 6:30 with the excitement of knowing we were entering the smokies today. We first climbed up to the top of Snowbird Mtn at 4236ft before a much needed 4.7 downhill walk to Green Corner Road. The weather was perfect again with blue skies and temps in the 70's. We then road walked up to standing bear farm for llunch and say hi to lumpy. Lumpy is the guy who gave us our first ride on the AT in 2010 when we were afraid to hitch. At dicks Creek Gap he came up to us and offered us a ride into town. We were really not sure we wanted to but decided to go ahead. On the way down we were offering him gas money or to buy him a coffee bc we thought then he wouldn't kill us or something. But then we realized we had met him at neels Gap and he worked for them. After that ride we have hitched rides on the AT with no worries. Lumpy is running the hostel since Curtis who was the owner passed due to cancer. After talking with lumpy and eating we were ready to hike into the smokies. We went under I40 at Davenport Gap then starting up to 5000ft from 1300ft. We met some NOBO hikers coming off the Mtn saying they thought we should just turn back bc it was a long way to the top. We hiked about 6 miles to the top then Ridgeline hiked to the shelter 2.7 miles. We made it at 5:30 and met two men from Florida already there for the night. We set up our tent behind some bushes bc if the shelter is not full u have to stay in the shelter. We don't like sleeping in the shelter and we have to pay 20 dollars each to hike thru the smokies so we hid behind some bushes where other hikers had camped. God Bless
Date: 2015-10-07
From: cosby knob shelter 

To: newfoundland gap
Miles today: 23.3

We started hiking at 6:15 this morning using our headlamps. We had never night hiked before but we are enjoying hiking in the dark. The miles fly by and the climbs don't seem as bad if u can't see how high they are. We hiked 7.5 miles by 9 and stopped at tri-corner Knob Shelter for a break and snack. We saw a bright red Sunrise coming up over the smoky mtns. The trail was mostly ridgeline hiking with short up and downs but the trail is getting more rocky as we go. Horses are allowed on this part of the trail and I think this causes more rocks on the trail. We then started hiking again, we had to climb Mt. Chapman then Mt. Sequoyah before coming to pecks corner shelter but we decided not to stop. We cont to hike until we stopped for lunch at Porters Gap. We then hiked to Charlie's Bunyon where we stopped for a great view of the valley below and had to take a few pics. We then hiked 4 miles down to Newfoundland Gap where we met a nice lady who gave us a ride to Gatlinburgh. We had a nice talk about God and all the humanity we have seen on the trail. We had five guys burgers and Starbucks for dinner. We have 207 miles to go. God Bless.
Date: 2015-10-08
From: newfoundland gap

To: derrick knob shelter
Miles today: 18.3
Weather: overcast clouds

After a huge breakfast in gatlinburg we had to road walk 2 miles before hitching a ride back up to Newfoundland Gap. A nice couple from Paintesville Ky. gave us the ride and told us their daughter had done her clinicals at Norton hospital which is 1 mile from the hospital I used to work at. We started hiking at 9:30 and had to climb 7.6 miles to the top of Clingmans Dome which is the highest Mtn on the AT. When we reached the top we met a park ranger named Janice who loves her job. If all rangers had her attitude it would be great. She talked with everyone and she always had a smile on her face. We sat there for 30 minutes talking to everyone about our journey before we had to get moving. We then hiked up to Double Spring Shelter where we took a break and talked with two other hikers. We then started hiking again with some great views of the fall foliage and also great trail to hike with mostly ridgeline hiking. Around Buckeye Gap I was hiking along when I stopped and looked up and seen a bear just above my head sitting in a tree eating berries. He didn't stop eating so we took a few photos and a video of him standing up and breaking braches off to get at the berries. We then hiked on to the shelter where 11 other people were and we decided to stop at 6. We started late and we just didn't feel like hiking another hr or two. God Bless
Date: 2015-10-09
From: derrick knob shelter

To: fontana dam
Miles today: 22.7

We were up at 5 and ready to hike by 6 but it started raining so we rolled back over and waited until 7 to start. It had stopped by 7 so we hurried and packed up to cont our journey to springer. We had a rough stretch over about 6 miles of straight ups and very rocky at times. We made it up chestnut Bald,Brier Knob,thunderhead and rocky top before finally reaching Spence field shelter. It rained a couple times with a misty rain and plenty of fog. We then hit good trail and started making good time. We reached Russell Field in less than an hr over 2.9 miles then onto Mollie Ridge Shelter over 2.8 in less than an hr. We then realized it was 1 and had 10 miles to go to reach the dam. Most of the trail from here was ridgeline hiking and downhill. Before reaching Shuckshack Tower we seen 6 bears up in the trees eating acorns. They weren't aggressive and we even seen a mama and her cub. They sit in the trees and break huge limbs off and just wipe out the acorns. We then ran down to the dam 4 miles away. Tumbler got us a ride into town so we could check into the motel. We want to thank Robin Tabor for her trail magic, u are a true trail angel and when we get home and get settled we are taking u to dinner and anytime u want to come up and sit by the fire ur welcome. It was great to be inside last night after all the rain. God Bless.
Date: 2015-10-10
From: fontana dam

To: cheoah bald
Miles today: 21.2
Weather: clear sky

We had a great bf at the Fontana village resort before getting a shuttle back to the trail. We were hiking by 10:15 in a slight drizzle. The weather called for rain up until 2. We first hiked by the Fontana Hilton shelter and the lake before crossing N.C. 28 and starting our climb up to walker Gap in the rain. The trail was in great shape despite all the rain last night and the rain that was still falling. We then hiked down to cable Gap where we ate our last two slices of pizza leftover from last night. With the rain though u get cold fast so we ate fast and kept moving. We then made it to Hogback Gap and then Brown Fork Gap. Then the rain stopped right at 2 just like the weather man said. We then made it Stecoah Gap where we ate and sampled some trail magic of fudge provided by some locals who stopped at the little wayside. We then had to get moving it was 5:15 and we had 6 miles to go. We had to climb from 3165 to 5062 over the 6 miles. We finally made camp at 8:10 using our headlamps in the dark and fog. In the morning we will reach the noc for bf, we have 145.2 miles to go. God Bless
Date: 2015-10-11
From: cheoah bald

To: wayah shelter
Miles today: 24.4
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke up to a very foggy morning and started hiking around 7. We first climbed down to Sassafras Gap Shelter before climbing up to Swim Bald. We then made our way down 8.1 miles to the NOC. We met many hikers climbing up from the NOC, which we think is one of the toughest on the AT. We were glad to be hiking down off the mtn. We made it by 11 and had lunch with huge burgers and a plate full of fries with another hiker we met from Michigan. We then started our climb out of the NOC. The trail climbs from 1723ft up to 5030ft at the top of Rocky Bald in 8 miles. We past more people hiking down to the NOC asking how far how far to go, they looked very tired and when we said 5 more miles I can't describe how they looked then. On our way up we stopped at the Wesser Bald observation Tower where we had great views and met many nice folks who we talked with about our hike and showed the kids the bear pics of them playing in the trees. We then made it to Burning Town Gap which is where we had our hiker feed last yr. We fed up to 300 hikers in 3 days. We then hiked 4 more miles with the last 2 in the dark before reaching camp at 8:15. We would get to camp earlier but we never meet a stranger and we like to tell people about our hike and about the AT. God Bless
Date: 2015-10-12
From: wayah shelter

To: betty creek gap
Miles today: 23.2
Weather: few clouds

The mornings have been very cool but we were on the trail by 7 even though we wanted to stay in our tents. We first climbed up to Wayah Bald at 5342ft before hiking back down to N.C. 1310 at Wayah Gap. We then made our way down to winding stairs Gap where our friend Lisa picked us up and took us into Franklin to re-supply and then bought us Mexican. The food was great and they gave u your money's worth. We were back on the trail by 1 and had the climb up to Albert's Mtn at 5250ft. We had some stunning views from the fire Tower. We then hiked about 2.5 more miles and made camp in a field of rhoderdendon bushes. We built a fire and met 4 ladies who were out for a few days and were camping close by us. God Bless and thank u Lisa for the great trail magic.
Date: 2015-10-13
From: betty creek gap

To: campsite 1 mile before Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 26.9
Weather: clear sky

We were on the trail by 6:30 after it had rained all night. The rain had stopped by 5 and the sun was coming up. We climbed Ridgepole Mtn first before making our way down to Coleman Gap. We had some great views of the sunrise as we were hiking. We then climbed up to the summit of standing Indian Mtn at 5498ft. We felt South was the easier way to go. We then made our way to the gap making our way Sharp Top then down to Bly Gap which is where we crossed over into Georgia. 13 states down and 1 to go. We then hiked fast bc it was getting dark. We hiked the last 7 miles pretty fast bc we wanted to get to the campsite near the road. We actually did 3.1 in an hr which surprised us. We made it around 7:30 set up our tent and after the 27 mile day went to bed. God Bless
Date: 2015-10-14
From: campsite 1 mile before Dicks Creek Gap

To: poplar stamp gap
Miles today: 26.1

We started hiking around 6 and were excited about hiking in Georgia. We first crossed the road at Dicks Creek Gap then climbed Powell Mtn at 3850ft. The mornings have been cool and we have been hiking in our coats but the sun is shining and we have blue skies,but the wind is blowing hard. We then made our way up to Kelly Knob at 4276ft before dropping down into Addis Gap then Sassafras Gap. We then climbed up to Younglick Knob before going back down to Wolfpen Gap. As u can tell the trail is just rolling now from a Ridge to a gap. We then climbed Tray Mtn at 4200ft then made our way down to the cheese factory site where we ate lunch. We then made our way up to Rocky Mtn before reaching Ga. 75 at Helen Ga. We then had a tough climb up Blue Mtn before descending all the way to poplar stamp Gap where we made camp after a long day. We only have 44.6 miles to go. God Bless
Date: 2015-10-15
From: poplar stamp gap

To: campsite just before woody gap
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: clear sky

This morning we started hiking around 6:30 and about a mile from camp near low Gap we seen our 35 bear coming up from the low Gap Shelter. We had planned on camping here but stopped short, we thought that was a good thing. We then made our way to Hogpen Gap on a great day for hiking. The weather was perfect and the wind had stopped blowing making a warmer morning. At the gap we stopped and sat by the road on the pavement in the sun to warm up and eat the last of our food. We then made our way over to Tesnatee Gap then climbed Cowrock Mtn. Then the trail just rolled from a gap to a Mtn top then finally to the top of Levelland Mtn. We knew we were 1.5 from Neels Gap but more important close to food. Neels Gap is where NOBOs stop and get the shakedown treatment. This is where the workers go thru their packs and send home what the hiker does not need to lighten their load. We made it by 12:45 and had two pizzas,a sandwich each,ice cream and 3 sodas. We then purchased food for the last day and a half. We met alot of tourists who stop to c the views from the back porch of the store. We told them about our hike and then we headed out at 2:15. We had to climb Blood Mtn. first in 2.4 miles it goes from 3125ft to 4496ft. When we reached the summit we had spectacular views of the surrounding mtns. We then made our way of the Mtn down to Jarrard Gap. We were passing many NOBOs and seeing many people camping along the trail. We finally made it to Big Cedar Mtn before making our way down to Woody Gap. We have 21.1 miles to go to complete our 2,500 mile journey, our feet our so ready. GOD Bless
Date: 2015-10-16
From: campsite just before woody gap

To: springer mtn
Miles today: 21.4

This morning we were up at 4:30 eating and packing up to head to springer. We were excited but sad as well,this was the last day on the trail. We started hiking at 5:30 and first climbed up to Ramrock Mtn. We then hiked up to Gooch Mtn Shelter. We were making good time and the weather was perfect. We hiked up Justus Mtn then down to Cooper Gap. We were getting more excited bc we were only 12 miles away. We then made our way to Hawk Mtn Shelter then over to Hickery Flats where we finally stopped for our last snack. We then made the hike up to Big Stamp Gap which is the parking lot for Springer Mtn and the AT starting or ending pt. We were 1 mile out so we hiked up to the shelter which is .2 out and our great trail family was there waiting on us. Spirit,Birdman and Haley were there and had a fire going and cooking dinner. We made it at 2:30 and then Y's Guy showed up five minutes later. We ate and sat around the fire all evening talking about the trail and reflecting on our third thru hike. Many other people joined us and camped around the shelter. We were told that tumbler has tied the record for her third thru hike with 3 other ladies and we have the record for a couple with 3 thru hikes. We also hiked the trail in 4 months which even surprised us. Tomorrow morning we hike the last .2 to the summit to celebrate with our trail family, we couldn't think of a better way to finish. God Bless.
Date: 2015-10-17
From: springer mtn

To: finish
Miles today: 0.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We walked up to the terminus this morning andfinished our thru of the AT. It was a great 2500 mile journey. This hike has been so good for us and we want to think every single person who came in contact with us. Everyone who talked to us,prayed for us,fed us,housed us,provided rides for us, and anyone who just lifted our spirit to continue on. U all were a blessing to us and without every single one of you we would have never made it to the end. We our now heading home to relax before heading back to work. Our next hike will be next Aug when we do the el Camino in Spain. God Bless to everyone who helped us and touched our hearts we are torn between going home and staying on the trail. The AT has mentioned so much to us over the last 6 yrs from starting our hiking careers to getting married on Springer to meeting so many great people not to mention our hiking family we now have.God Bless
Date: 2015-10-21
From: finish

To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

After being home a few days to rest and visit with family here are our totals for our thru-hike. We did a SOBO starting June 12 and finishing at Springer on Oct. 17. Here are the mileage totals 0 days 6,0-5 miles 4 days,5-10 miles 10 days, 10-15 miles 20 days,15-20 miles 32 days, 20-30 miles 55 days, we slackpacked 5 times for 105 miles. We passed 262 Lean-To's,climbed 246 named mtns in our guide book with 8 over 6000ft,31 over 5000ft,67 over 4000ft. Animals deer 176,bear 35,grouse 56,turkey 30, garten snakes 43, moose 2, raccoon 3, rattlesnake 1, blacksnake 9, copperhead 1, coyote 1, owl 1. We had 132 trail magics. We found 4.78 cents on the trail. People we met 32 from Va.,23 from TX,19 from Penn,27 from Ga,18 from Fla,12 from NY,11 from Ohio,16 from Mass,17 from NC,12 from mich,10 from Canada,16 from Tenn,9 from vermont, 8 from NJ,7 from Maryland,6 from ill,10 from SC,4 from Wva,5 from ala and Maine,4 from Germany,5 Wisconsin,4 RI,3 from Colorado Missouri Kansas Cal and nh,2 from Louisiana Conn oregon, 1 from Norway minn ark Arizona del ind Mississippi OK and Idaho,3 from Kentucky,2 from Washington and 2 from Iowa. On the trail we experienced hardship,pain,hiking in bad weather,walking on rocks,roots and up and down so many mtns,but during the hike we enjoyed the magic of the AT that keeps us coming back. We met so many great people,seen so much beauty,seen Wildlife,experienced many many sunrises and sunsets together,and felt peace with nothing coming at us from all angles like in the real world. Even though there is pain hiking the trail and u may want to go home early it is the greatest adventure we have taken on all 3 of our thru hikes. We highly recommend that u should do a thru hike if u ever get the time. Don't let the trail beat u up take the time to let the trail help u experience all the great things it has to offer. God Bless
Date: 2014-12-29
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

I had my eye on 2015 as "the year" for quite a while. I've had this idea that I would make an attempt at thru hiking the AT tucked away in the corner of his mind for years now. In fact, ever since I first found out about a hiking trail that meanders across some of the most rugged terrain in the east, going all the way from Georgia to Maine, I knew I would like to try it. It was only a question of when the pull of the trail would tug harder than the forces of friends, family, the job, the house, and creature comforts.There is something about turning forty that makes a person examine their life and ask the question; How much longer can I wait to do the things on my bucket list before I run out of time or ambition?As 2014 comes to a close, I am both eager and anxious to see what 2015 has in store for me. I look forward to sharing the trail and its experiences with fellow wanderers.
Date: 2015-01-10
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

A few more months to go then it's trail time. I still need to do a lot of gear testing and see what works for me.I remember when I first started running, back in late 2008. I wasn't really overweight, but I had some extra pounds. My brother was a runner and ran a lot of races. A friend encouraged me to start training with him as he prepared for his first 5k. It seemed like a good idea. I could spend time with a friend, get back into shape, run a 5k, and get a cool race shirt to wear.So I grabbed a pair of sneakers and went out for a run one evening. A few hundred yards later I stopped, grabbed my aching stomach, and bent over while trying to take in enough oxygen. I needed better gear. I headed out to a local Sports Authority and purchased running shoes and running shorts. My runs started getting a little longer, but I still needed to get better. Of course, my problem was my gear. I subscribed to running magazines, I got an expensive GPS watch, top-of-the-line running tights, moisture wicking shirts, running hats, expensive headbands, better shoes, and so on. I was going to be a real runner!After training for a few months, my friend and I signed up for our first 5k race. We lined up with the contestants, glancing around to see how good our competiton's gear was. And then we were off. It started off downhill, and we were flying. I was weaving in and out of the crowd, passing people, running strong, I was a runner! Then I got to the half mile mark and the course started going uphill a little bit. I still had 2 1/2 miles to go and I was getting tired. I slowed down and people started running by me. At the halfway point I was just barely hanging on. Old men were running by me. Old ladies were running past me. People pushing strollers were passing me. Some of those people weren't even wearing proper running gear. WTF!Anyway, that was quite a few years ago. I've since come to the conclusion that good gear is important, but it isn't necessarily the thing that ultimately determines what makes a great runner. Hmm...I wonder if hiking works the same way.Now if you'll excuse me, I need to go to the bank and see about getting a loan, so that I can go to the REI and get that $500 tent that weighs an ounce less than mine.
Date: 2015-01-25
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

This weekend I had plans to do some hiking in central PA on Jack¢s Mountain. My plans changed during the latter part of the week though. I think I caught a mild stomach virus on Thursday, because it felt as though my body might expel fluids without warning from either end.What is a zero day? For those readers who are not familiar with trail lingo, a zero day is a day on the trail when no miles are hiked. A zero day can be spent in a town doing things like buying food, doing laundry, or replacing gear. It can also be a day when the weather is terrible and your body just needs a break from the wear and tear of the trail. It can be spent in town, in a tent, in a shelter, or in a car doing errands. It is merely a day that no trail miles are logged.So this weekend I decided to brush up on my zero day skills. I read about training for a thru hike by gradually increasing the length of your hikes and the weight of your pack. But I never read or heard about training for zero days. Surely this must have been an oversight by the authors of thru hike prepping. What if I need a zero day and I don¢t know how to spend a day off the trail? Well, after this weekend I think I know the basics-I spent the weekend lounging on the couch reading ¢Grandma Gatewood¢s Walk¢ by Ben Montgomery. Sometimes I would lie on my back to read, sometimes on my stomach, and sometimes on my side. Every now and then I got up to do miscellaneous odds and ends and then right back to the sofa. Oh yes, now I think I have an idea of how to spend a zero day.Good luck to those of you already on the trail and to those who are just getting started! My tentative plans are to get started in late March.