morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-04-15
From: Standing Indian Shelter 

To: Mooney Gap
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Today took a few unexpected turns. I was not as sore as I thought I would be after the long day yesterday. I planned on only going to Carter Gap Shelter, a distance of 7.6 miles. The trail up Standing Indian Mountain was much less difficult than I expected. At 5,435 feet, it is the first mountain over 5,000 feet on the trail. Unfortunately, there were no views. I continued on and got to Carter Gap at 1:00. I had a nice lunch (another Spam burrito) and caught up with my website, since I didn't have service last night. I felt too good and the weather was too nice to stop. I hiked almost all day in the burned results of last fall's forest fires. I hiked on to Betty Creek Gap and considered staying there but decided to go a bit further to Mooney Gap. Unfortunately, I was met by a sign that said No Camping. I continued on, hoping to find a spot flat enough to camp. I met my three newest Trail Angels, Tristan, Annie, and Annie. They already had camp set up on this nice flat spot near a water source, no less. I asked them if they knew of any other spots up the trail, and they insisted I set up next to them. It is the nicest camping spot to date. We had a nice chat. I ended up going 12.1 miles today and only have 11.4 miles to Winding Stair Gap, where I will catch a shuttle to Franklin for my next resupply. Another great day on the trail.
Date: 2017-04-17
From: Winding Stair Gap 

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

I decided to take my first zero day by going into Franklin, North Carolina for the day. Franklin is highly reviewed in books and you tube videos, and I can see why. Ron Haven, the owner of the hostel where I stayed, drove the free shuttle into town. He provides this service for all hikers, even those who don't stay in his hostel. He was very entertaining and informative. I got my hostel bed number and was pleased to see I got a lower bunk this time. Soon, however, a very large hiker from Germany asked if I would consider switching bunks, which I agreed to do. After a shower and washing my clothes, I headed for the Motor Co. Grill for lunch. I had a hamburger and fries. I then went to the Lazy Hiker Brewery for a flight of very tasty beers. I met Brent and Laurie there. Laurie is an Occupational Therapist from Louisiana, and we had a great conversation about the needs of special education students. From there I headed for Dollar General for resupply. After that, I reorganized my food for the next four days before my next resupply. I then headed back to the Lazy Hiker Brewery for supper at the lunch truck next to it. A cheeseburger and fries. Am I detecting a pattern here? I had a small pour of a good APA there while we all waited out the downpour. After the rain slackened, Alex, Kevin, and I headed to the Currahee Brewery across town. It was a nice brew pub in a very large metal warehouse building. I again had a small pour. From there it was back to the hostel to update my journal and head to bed. I plan on taking the 9:00 shuttle back to Winding Stair Gap to continue my hike. Rain is likely tomorrow, but, as they say: No rain, no pain, no Maine. I met several other interesting people. I met Sam and Martin from London while waiting for the shuttle this morning. We had a good chat about England, and they agreed that Rose is probably the most beautiful baby ever. I met Walter the guard dog, who guarded my food while I checked on my laundry. He was very interested in my food. He obviously takes good care of his human, Palace. Well, it's back to the trail tomorrow. I am looking at another 16 miles to Cold Spring Shelter. I should be at Fontana Dam, the gateway to the Smokies, in about four days.
Date: 2017-04-18
From: Franklin, NC

To: Cold Creek Shelter Campground
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

After saying goodbye to Chaos, Mayhem, and Doogie at the hostel (Baloo was still in bed) I got on the shuttle bus back to Winding Stair Gap. Dapper and Alex had double zeroed at Franklin and were also on the shuttle. I started hiking at 9:30 in a steady drizzle. The rain wouldn't stop until around 2:00. I didn't opt to wear my rain jacket. I sweat so much in one, that I have to decide I'd be better off with one. If it had rained harder, or if it would have gotten cooler or windier, I would have put it on, but it didn't. I enjoyed the cooler temperatures, but the rain caused the trail to become increasingly muddy, which added another challenge. I wanted to get to Cold Spring, which was 15.8 miles of hiking. It was a long way, but I got in at 6:15 none the worse for wear. The stone tower at Wayah Bald was on the route today. It was foggy and misty when I arrived, but the view was still eerily beautiful. The forest around the tower was heavily affected by November's fires. The wooden upper story to the tower was completely destroyed. I met my second hiker named Nemo (as far as I know, there is only one Stick in the Woods). He told me he had slept in the upper story of the tower on his 2014 thru hike. He assured me the views were beautiful when they aren't shrouded by fog, mist, and rain. I hiked steadily onward through moderately difficult terrain and reached camp by 6:15. The rain had slackened off by around 2:00. I visited with a group of four really nice fellows about my age who are staying in the shelter tonight. The shelter is a fascinating log structure, one of the oldest on the AT. It was built by the CCC in the 1930s. They told me that the "youngsters" had been asking about me and that they had been asked to hurry me along the way. After getting and filtering my water at the stream by the shelter, I hiked on the short distance to the tent area. Most of the young set had arrived a few hours earlier and were having dinner. I joined Billy, Dapper, Alex, Kevin, and Kirk for dinner before setting up my tent. It touches my heart to see what wonderful people they are and how glad they are to see me when I arrive. After dinner I hung my food bag and set up my tent. A light drizzle started while I was finishing up. A heavy rain is now falling as I write this, but I am snug, warm, and dry in my tent. I head for the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) tomorrow. In a few days, I will be in the Great Smoky Mountains.
Date: 2017-04-19
From: Cold Creek Shelter Campground

To: The Nantahala Outdoor Center 
Miles today: 11.7

I got the best night of sleep on the trail so far and was packed and ready to hit the trail by 8:30. I hiked in a dense fog until early afternoon. The trail up Wesser Bald was moderately difficult. There had been a forest fire in the area just last week, which had closed 10 miles of the section I hiked today. It was very eerie to hike through the charred forest in the thick fog. If it had been warmer, I would have thought I was in Mordor. I made it to the top of Wesser Bald in good time and enjoyed climbing the observation tower although there was nothing to see. Rumor has it that the views are stunning in clear weather. The first part of the descent from Wesser Bald was the toughest hiking I have done since Blood Mountain. There were several rocks that I initially thought were overlook rocks and was surprised to see the trail went down them. I tried climbing down the first one in a conventional manner and fell for the first time on the trip. Fortunately, I positioned myself so I fell into the rock and was fine. The other ones, I turned around and crawled down facing the rock. I have decided that climbing down rock faces is more challenging than climbing up them. There was a long descent into the NOC today, and I get to make a similar ascent to get out of the valley tomorrow. I stayed in the hiker bunkhouse, which was inexpensive. I ate dinner with the same group as last night, and we had a great time. I plan on leaving early in the morning and hope to cover 15.8 miles tomorrow. This should get me to Fontana Dam by Friday. I should be getting my replacement buckle for my pack and helps me be able to make it to Hot Springs when Stephen is scheduled to arrive. I met some wonderful people (and dogs) today. I have posted pictures of many of them. There was Coffee and Cocoa, Old Smokey and Dusty, Ski Poles, and Montana and Montana, Too. I met the Montanas (Dave and Donna) on the trail near the NOC, and we hiked together for awhile. Montana has been section hiking for 19 years and is within 300 miles of completing the trail. He is very knowledgeable and told me to expect many rocky challenges in New Hampshire. Best of all, I now have a standing invitation to come to Glacier National Park. Perhaps a vacation for Sandy and me someday. One of the things I love best about the AT (besides the six to eleven hours of arduous walking every day) is the interesting and friendly people you meet every day. Montana compared the AT today to one long, skinny neighborhood full of great people. I have to agree.
Date: 2017-04-20
From: The Nantahala Outdoor Center 

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

Today was probably the most challenging day of the hole. We had two major climbs. I am actually writing this at Fontana Dam on Friday, since this is the first time since NOC that I have service. I will write more later when I won't have to worry about being able to keep my phone charged. More info to follow when I can.Here is my updated journal entry. Thanks for your patience. 4/20NOC to Brown Fork Gap ShelterI woke up early because I knew I had a long day ahead of me with two tough, although very different, climbs. The first thing I did was check my laundry. I forgot to mention yesterday that I was a bit put out that the coin laundry was as far as possible from the bunkhouse. So I pulled a real hiker trash and took my laundry into the shower with me and washed it there. Everything was dry except my socks. I started hiking in a drizzle which ended a few minutes into my hike. The hike out of NOC was long and steep. We added 3,330 feet over 7.9 miles. I met Blaze early in the day. We had a nice chat. He is also from Missouri.  With a name like Blaze, he was already hiking 25+ mile days. I doubt I will ever see him again. While talking with Blaze, I met the only truly obnoxious hiker I have met to date. He interupted our  conversation by looking us up and down and saying, "You guys are both Nobos, aren't you?  (A Nobo is an AT northbound hiker. It is a descriptive term only.  A Sobo is southbound).  I said yes, and he dismissively said, "I'm Southbound. The only time I walk north is to get water."  He said that Sobos look forward to Georgia since it is so easy for them. (It turns out that he really hasn't done that much hiking).  He then looked at my shoes and told me I'd never make it to Maine wearing tennis shows. I started to explain when he bragged to me that his pack weighs 50 pounds and he did 25 mile days. I remembered that one meaning of "Hike your own hike" is, "You're a jerk and this conversation is over."  So I said, "I'm happy for you, and that's why we all hike our own hike."  I got even, though, by not taking his picture. There were nice views today and the forest is becoming very green. The day ended with another tough climb of a different kind. Jacob's Ladder is a 598 foot climb over .6 miles. It was tough but there was no rock scrambling. I got into Brown Fork Gap after a tough but rewarding 15.8 mile day.
Date: 2017-04-21
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam "Hilton" Shelter
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: broken clouds

Today was a far easier day than yesterday, and I got into Fontana Dam in fine shape. I will not be able to charge my phone or my battery thing until I get through the Smokies. I will be taking pictures to post later and will try to add a brief journal entry every day. I will be taking notes the old fashioned way to add more to my journal entries later.Here is my updated journal entry. Thanks for your patience.4/21Brown Fork Gap to Fontana Dam12.8 miles Today was a much easier day of hiking. I got into Fontana Dam and met up with Alex, Dapper, Kevin, and Billy. There were some nice views today as well. After getting to the lake, we took a shuttle into Fontana Village Resort.  Kevin and I finally found the Lodge and picked up our packages. Kevin got his permit for the Smokies; I printed mine out at home. After dinner at the grill, we took the shuttle back to the lake and hiked the final mile to the Shelter. I set up my tent and sorted out my supply box which had all my food for the Smokies. I hoped to charge my phone before the Smokies, but the solar charging station was working in reverse. While sorting my food, I met Katie, who was cooking her dinner. She had gotten ill for two days at Neel Gap and had a cortisone shot in her knee. She was wearing a knee brace. I gave her her trail name of Katie Robo-Knee. I also met One Gallon while talking with Katie. Rather than hanging my food in a tree, I stashed it in the back of the bear-proof trash container. I took a cold shower at the "Fontana Hilton" and went to bed early with the beginning of a thunderstorm. I slept well and the rain ended during the night.
Date: 2017-04-22
From: Fontana Dam 

To: Russell Field Shelter 
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: scattered clouds

I hiked all day with Katie Robo-Knee. Got into the Smokies. Climbed a fire tower. Made good time and camped at Russell Field Shelter. Began to rain in the evening. Heavy thunder showers for awhile. My tent did well. More later.Here is my updated journal entry.  Thanks for your patience.4/22Fontana Dam to Russell Field Shelter The rain stopped during the night, and I woke to a brisk, but dry, morning. Katie Robo-Knee was getting ready the same time as I was, and we decided to hike together today. They had announced an all-day hiker feed for today, but it wasn't scheduled to start until 9:00, and we decided we didn't want to wait that long. We hiked across Fontana Dam, which was very impressive. Soon after that, we were in the Smokies. We placed our mandatory  $20 permits in the box and started the long climb into the mountains. It was steep and long, but the trail was pretty good. We climbed until we reached the Shuckstack Fire Tower. Those of you who know me know how difficult it is for me to climb fire towers, but I did it. I am actually surprised it is still allowed. There is a railing missing on the first tier of steps, and the floor of the observation deck consists of several layers of plywood. Climb I did, however, and made it onto the observation deck.  One Gallon was already there, and he got to hear the tale of my fear of heights. It was very windy, but I stayed up there awhile. On my way down, the wind blew a piece of window molding off the tower, missing my head by about a foot. There was no worry of me falling, however, because I had a death grip on the railing. Katie Robo-Knee and I hiked all the way to Russell Field Shelter. There, we were in for a huge surprise. A 2014 sobo thru hiker named Woodford wanted to give back to the trail by providing trail magic at the shelter. Along with his mentor, Wildcat, they provided brats with peppers and onions cooked in foil. He "convinced" me to have a double brat. They were delicious. True to his trail name, he also offered some Woodford Bourbon to all takers. I had a small amount to sip (and to think I was considering getting rid of my small cup to cut weight!).  It began to rain as darkness fell, and there was quite a thunderstorm that night. It rained most of the night, but I stayed warm and (mostly) dry throughout the night.
Date: 2017-04-23
From: Russell Field Shelter 

To: Double Spring Back Shelter
Miles today: 16.3
Weather: clear sky

Woke up to rain and hiked in a steady rain at about 45 degrees all day. The trail was very challenging. Sometimes the trail was like a rushing creek. Other times it was like walking through leaf/mud pudding. There were very slick muddy spots, and I "only" fell seven times. I also got turned around at the shelter where I ate lunch and actually hiked the wrong way for a few minutes. We all knew this would happen, and it's easier to do than you might think. I hiked exactly twelve hours today 7:15 am to 7:15 pm. I set my tent up in the rain and most everything is wet. It was a great adventure, and I had a wonderful time. It probably wasn't the wisest of decision (I found out later that many hikers took zeroes in shelters) but it was quite an adventure. Unfortunately, my camera might be a casualty. I am going to ask Stephen to bring a bag of rice to Hot Springs. It was in a Ziploc bag in a waterproof pouch, but pretty much everything is damp if not wet.
Date: 2017-04-24
From: Double Spring Back Shelter

To: Icewater Spring Shelter 
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept well despite being damp. I got up early and was on the trail by 7:20. There was a steep climb to Clingman's Dome. At 6667 feet, it is the highest point on the AT. The views were pretty good, especially after all the rain. Several challenging climbs today. Got in early at Icewater Spring Shelter. It wasn't marked, but somewhere between Mt. Love and Collins Gap, I completed my 200th mile on the trail. The weather was better but still misty. I was completely fogged in at Newfound Gap. It drizzled in the evening but not enough to hamper trail conditions any more than they already are. A brown squirrel allowed me to share his lunchtime with him.
Date: 2017-04-25
From: Icewater Spring Shelter 

To: Cosby Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I got up early this morning (4:00), because I wanted to get a very early start for several reasons. I wanted to see what it was to hike in the dark. I also hoped to watch the sunrise at Charlie's Bunion. Good news: I made it. Bad news: the fog was complete so their was no views. I climbed up on Charlie's Bunion for good measure. I also hoped to see more wildlife but no luck there. It was cold and foggy, so the animals were probably hunkered down staying warm. I also hoped for a long day. I have no deadline for completing the AT, but Stephen will be in Hot Springs on Friday evening to hike with me for a week. I have been hiking in the sixteen mile range with no ill affects, and I was curious if I could add more miles. It was a long day, but I made it with no problems. I plan on hiking to Standing Bear Hostel tomorrow. Out of the Smokies tommorow. There will be some photos when I get better service.
Date: 2017-04-26
From: Cosby Knob Shelter 

To: Standing Bear Farm Hostel 
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept well and felt pretty good after my big day yesterday. I do have my first blister on the little toe on my right foot. I wonder if hiking for three days in wet feet might have something to do with that. I taped it and felt no discomfort during my hike today. I got another very early start, because I wanted to get to Standing Bear Farm Hostel with plenty of time to get things dried out and cleaned up. After a few miles, however, I couldn't resist taking the .6 mile side trail to see the Mt. Cammerer lookout tower. I am so glad I did. It is an amazing octagonal stone lookout tower perched on the top of the mountain. Built in 1938, it is a marvel. It required scrambling over big rocks to get to it. It amazes me that people worked in the tower into the 1960s, keeping a watch out for fires. I also saw some spectacular views, the first in several days. Even with the extra hour sidetrip, the northern trail out of the Smokies is very good trail, and I made good time. I crossed under Highway 40, where Sandy and I visited on our way home from Savannah last October. I placed a dime under a rock by an AT sign in October and retrieved it today. I also happened to meet Miss Janet, a famous trail angel in these parts. I got to the hostel at 1:15. It is quite a place. Clark pretty much runs the place. I got a bed in the bunkhouse and did my laundry by hand using a washboard. The amount of dirt and mud that I removed was quite a sight. I had a large supreme pizza and a couple of PBRs. I also drank three Gatorades. There was quite a hiker gathering when I got here, but most have left to get back on the trail (they stayed last night). I had a very cold shower which helped wake me up. Most of my stuff is dry again. I have slow Wi-Fi here but no cell service. I plan on hiking about 15 miles tomorrow and get into Hot Springs late Friday evening. I will be catching up my photos and adding more to some of my previous journal entries as time and service allow.Note: I have updated my journal entries and photos for the 23rd, 24th and 25th. Thanks!
Date: 2017-04-27
From: Standing Bear Farm Hostel 

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: clear sky

I left Standing Bear Farm Hostel early this morning and only briefly disturbed the guard cat when I went to fill my water bottles. The day began with a long, high ascent to the top of Snowbird Mountain (2,475 feet ascent in 4 1/2 miles. The trail was good, which helped a lot. There is an FAA facility on the top. It was very windy, and I had to lean into the wind to walk off the top. I stayed to watch a large, black bird do aerobatics in the gusts. There was intermittent sun and rain all day. I had beautiful 360 degree views from Max Patch near the end of the day. I was pretty beat when I got to the Roaring Fork camp area. The blister on my right toe was really hurting, and I had to really concentrate on not limping, since this could affect my knee. I found a nice, flat spot for my tent and set up camp. I made dinner at the shelter area, where I met Tump and Poke from Texas. It turns out that Tump (which is a term in Texas for falling over) and Poke had their son coming to Hot Springs from Missouri this weekend to hike with them to Erwin, Tennessee. It also turns out that they run marathons with their daughters. How's that for a coincidence? Poke told me she got her trail name because she is pokey. I told her that in the Yukon, a poke was your stake, your gold. She liked the alternative meaning. I went to bed early and found that the tape I had put around my blister had come off during the day. I cleaned it with alcohol (which stung a bit) and applied a bandaid with antibiotic ointment. I am a little peeved with myself for not taking better care of it earlier. I propped my feet up on my pack and went to sleep right away.