morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-04-29
From: Erwin, TN

To: USFS 230 campground
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: moderate rain

Rain arrives in the early morning and bangs away on the steel hostel roof. Wake up at six, and weather app shows rain all day but a break in an hour for an hour, so I hurry to get up, packed, and fed. Three others are going to slack pack 20 miles back to the hostel, which allows them to hike relatively unencumbered, get in big miles, and come back to a bed tonight. Think about joining them, but decide I like the hike too much. Off at 7:15. Like every other time coming out of town, met with up hills which continue throughout the day, although with 2,400 feet rise over twelve plus miles, it is easier than Georgia. North Carolina tends to give you a STEEP up, then level a bit. Georgia would have you wind around on switchbacks, go up a peak, then down into a gap, repeat, repeat, repeat. Make first shelter (4.7 miles) around 10:00 and the hikers there are still getting ready to get on trail. Quick bite then continue. At Indian Grave Gap there's light trail magic by "DT", and he is making sure everyone cleans their hands first because Norovirus is on the trail. Sweet tea, brownies, carrots, apples among other things. Ask if he is a hiker, DT says "No, I'm just an angel." Two hikers ask about Achin. Remainder of hike is up with an eventual sharp ascent strewn with rocks. See Jersey Girl who's slacking to finish the southern portion of her oft delayed AT hike, and then the hostel slackers, who were trying to figure out when we'd meet. It's 12:40 and they'd guessed 1:15. Nosh on a light lunch to finish up last two miles. Hike across Beauty Spot Gap, another swath of grassland but without the views. See some hikers setting up down near a parking lot but see no car. They seem to be struggling to set up. Find camp area and water, so start to set up. Up come the parking lot hikers, led by Sketch from Hot Springs. Get introduced to the other three hikers, and he tells me their tents collapsed during the rain last night, and they all ended up piling into a one person tent. With the dog. I look at "the dog", and it is as big as a bear, "Baloo" is wolf hound mix, friendly enough, who begins to mark the camping area. Sketch warns me he doesn't like thunder, and will try to back into any standing tent during a storm. Still no rain and now none forecast. Sun comes out and things warm up nicely.
Date: 2014-04-30
From: USFS 230 campground

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: moderate rain

Not much to report, another day of hiking. No rain, though it threatened, and the wind was very brisk. I came up to the sign for the shelter about 30 minutes before expected, and continued on the Trail for a quarter mile or more before realizing my error. Meant going back up and over a hill I'd just already crossed.Tomorrow is Roan Mountain, the last mountain over 6,000 feet until New Hampshire, and 2,200 of elevation in four miles. Will see if it's worth staying at that shelter versus pushing on since its shelter, at 6,194, is the highest on the AT.
Date: 2014-05-01
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: broken clouds

Today was hard, as Roan Mountain proved to be a difficult climb, and despite preparing for it, found myself stopping - a lot. The trail was wet and muddy, walking through dense pine and as I got higher the fog rolled in. Like parts of yesterday, with the pines blocking any view out or up, the only thing I know for sure was I was on the AT.At the top, there's a parking lot and not much else. Dig in pocket for my guide (several pages inside a plastic bag) and it's gone. Must of dropped it and a few minutes later JetCat walks up with it. Thank you!Continue on to Roan High Knob Shelter, the highest on the AT, but it's a disappointment. Two stories, with a door that closes, both positives, but some one (again) left their trash in the shelter and it stinks. The shelter is surrounded by trees, so no views. Eat a light lunch, and decide to continue on.Trail down is basically a stream for the first half hour, and then just rocks. Make progress but slow. Cross road and enter base of Round Bald. Trail really well maintained, but this is a casual hiker area. Make it to top, another wide grassy area, and feeling a bit beat up by Roan slip off the pack, shoes, and socks and watch the swallows and hawks.Get back on Trail, up a rocky narrow path to Jane Bald and then Grassy Ridge Bald before beginning descent toward Stan Murray shelter. I'm beat and just want to find a place to call it a day.Arrive at shelter and Mozey from Rhode Island is there, and in dump my pack saying I'm beat and I'm staying. Then three more hikers show up, they're all going to the next shelter (my original destination, a renovated barn, but 2 more miles away!). I relent, grab my pack and follow two, from Switzerland, there.It's a red barn in a field overlooking a valley, renovated in 1983 and two stories tall. The sun should come up over the opposite hills, and we are able to set up our sleeping bags to an open-air view of the whole scene. The Swiss hikers, Nobody and Swiss Miss, are looking out over the valley.
Date: 2014-05-02
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Mountain Harbour Hostel and B&B 
Miles today: 8.7
Weather: few clouds

Wake up at 5:45 and doze on and off while watching the sun rise. Talked to other hikers last night (Nobody, Swiss Miss, Hermes, Toasted Toad) about plans for next day. Decide to focus on a hostel nine miles away and 0.3 miles off trail, either for a light resupply, or for a night off Trail. With two rough days of hiking, and left Achilles feeling somewhat painful, think a night off Trail would be good.Get a "late" start at 8:40 and have two decent size hills to do, both grassy. Compared to last two days much easier. Can see where the top is, the trail is pretty clear both up and over both balds. Come off second bald, and end up on a long wooded downhill with, you guessed it, large rocks. Manage through them and get to Route 19 and a light snack and water before starting down to hostel.Up the hill comes Hermes, who sits down and agrees it's worth checking the hostel out. So down the hill we go, into a pretty stunning home. We talk to the owner who says the hostel is full but there's room in the house (B&B). We check out the rooms and agree to split one. Price includes separate beds, shared bathroom, laundry (folded!), teas, cookies, and breakfast.After somec research on the upcoming Teail, agree to hike together for a couple days, working toward the Kincora Hotel (more on that in a later post), which will likely mean one 18+ mile day and one 6. Dinner is down in the small town, busy there because the 7th/8th prom is that night. Go to local BBQ place, whose sole BBQ item is pulled pork, and get a 26 ounce KWL burger, which includes burger, pulled pork, big slice of ham, bacon, jalape±os etc. ($6), plus a side salad and fries. Eat it all except about half the fries.Since we'll only be on trail for two days, get light supply. Back at B&B, work on getting new music on phone (have had same on it for 45 days). Headset Uncle Dan gave so generously has died due to a Trail trauma. Kept trying to start Siri randomly, like in the middle of "Hey, Jude"."Hey, Jude, don't be afra..." (pause) "DING! Sorry, Siri not available. Please connect to the Internet." (silence)It's either a bad headset or the ghosts of the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2014-05-03
From: Mountain Harbour Hostel and B&B 

To: Moreland Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.8
Weather: few clouds

The breakfast part of the B&B was pretty amazing. Hikers know this, because they started arriving off Trail to participate. Over 20 people and no one walked away hungry. Three eggs dishes (plain, cheese, veggies), a whole sliced ham, sliced strawberries, thick crispy French toast with a warm honey-pecan syrup, fresh biscuits, etc. this breakfast is worth it ($10 if not in the B&B). Mary, the owner, puts a lot of love in this meal. Hermes and I pack up and hike together for the day, working to put in 18.8 miles with what for me, out at 9:30 and at the trail at 9:40, is a late start. We push pretty hard, getting to the first shelter, 9.3 miles, in three and a half hours. The trail is pretty clear and we go through some nice spring fields. See Mozey at the shelter, and take a leisurely hour long lunch. Back on the trail, the focus is getting miles since it's 2:30 already. Trail is pretty straight forward, a nice change. More forgiving ups and downs, less rocks/roots/stairs to deal with. Go by a view just before the shelter, pass by, "Nice view." says Hermes, "Yes." I agree as we barely look at it. The shelter is small, four settling in there, and another 10 or so camped nearby. Got a brief text, Achin is returning to the Trail on Monday. Read his blog on Trailjournals to learn more. Since he's restarting in Erwin, back where he left, may not catch up since I'm now 70+ miles away at this point.
Date: 2014-05-04
From: Moreland Gap Shelter

To: Black Bear Resort
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: clear sky

Short hike today as Hermes and I decided to do try two things: stay at the the Kincora Inn, a hiker hostel, for a nearo, and try and do a slack pack tomorrow over the coming Pond Flats, elevation 3,706 and about 14 miles. I'm out at 6:55 and make the road before Kincora three hours later but just before that I run into Toasted Toad, Nobody and Swiss Miss, who say there's sickness at Kincora. Walk up to Kincora and a host of 20's are leaving. Meet Lumpy, the caretaker, and he shows me around, saying pick any bunk you want. The place is rustic, communal, so I pick a bunk but decide it's probably not a good fit. Return to road to go to Black Bear Resort, another hostel 0.7 miles in the other direction. Join the host of 20's who are heading to the trailhead, and pick up Hermes coming up the hill. Bid good trails to the 20's, and hike to Black Bear. As we come up a pickup is pulling out, hikers lean out and ask if we want to go to McDonalds? 1,500+ calories in minutes? Yes!Down to McD's and owners' Dad ("OD", the driver) says we can pick up steaks and grill them for dinner We agree, he drops us off for an hour, and when he returns he's already bought rib eyes for all of us (reimbursable on our tab).OD agrees with Hermes idea about slackpacking tomorrow, and by the end of the day as others arrive, it appears this is what "everyone" wants to do. There's a bunkhouse, but it's mostly cabins and we chose one of the cabins with four beds but can stay in with two people.Dinner is kind of fun as we cobble together baked potatoes (7 minutes in the microwave, rest on the grill), seven (!) steaks for five people, grilled tomatoes, buttered and seasoned mushrooms, and a cheese and fruit platter. Beer from the office. Others join our group, which is American, Swiss and German. Lots of fun.
Date: 2014-05-06
From: Wilbur Dam Road

To: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

We get dropped of at the same spot we slacked from yesterday at 9:15. We have a 4.7 mile hike up to the Vandeventer Shelter, and as before the beginning is steeper at the start. The shelter is a small, six person shelter but behind it is a natural rock formation with a huge vista below. Two lakes, one from the dam, and a small town. We sit and eat half our Subway subs, and I call Ame (brother in law) and get to talk to him after playing tag for a couple weeks. Hermes decides to take a nap, but I continue on with the hopes of making our shelter around 4 PM. It is hot today, I'm sweating buckets, and drinking lots of water. Getting close to a campground and water source, and see a young woman sitting down. It's June Bug, we'd met at the previous shelter, and her left foot is in so much pain she can't walk. I hoped that Hermes nap was short and he was back on Trail, so sent him a couple texts so he'd be prepared, and walked back up Trail hoping to find him. No luck, so decide to just sit with her until more help comes along. We wait and wait. Toasted Toad comes up and joins us, as does another hiker. After discussion we decide to help her to the nearby campground since she can both rest and get water there. Toasted and the other hiker carry her backpack and we get there in good time. Meet Nobody and Swiss Miss slacking the other way, and they will let Hermes know what's happening. He arrives, says I'm retired, I'm doing this as a Good Samaritan, I'm not an orthopedist, but I'll do the best I can. Her condition basically warrants leaving the Trail for a while. Another friend of hers arrives and says he'll help her, so we bid her good luck and continue on. Shelter is pretty empty, we re-meet Husker who's another friend of June Bug, and he hurries back the four miles to see if he can help. The area eventually fills with 12 or so hikers, including what is an increase in 20's who are pushing big (20+) mile days. We have 16 or more to do tomorrow ourselves.
Date: 2014-05-07
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: Abingdon Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: scattered clouds

A nice day, trail at the first eight miles or so among the "easiest" so far. Relatively gentle ups and downs, and a nice path along a farm's property. Second half was considerably hillier, but still made shelter around 4 PM. Decide not to push the miles, it's been warm again, drinking lots of water to keep up with fluid loss. Enter Virginia tomorrow, which will complete Tennessee and North Carolina. Virginia contains more miles than any other state, about 24% of the total Appalachian Trail. My estimate is I'll be there for a month and a half, and hopefully less.
Date: 2014-05-08
From: Abingdon Gap Shelter

To: Damascus, VA 
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: clear sky

Get up and on trail at 7 AM for the final push into Virginia and Damascus. Hit the border at 9:30 and give loud whoops of pleasure for finally making it. Hermes comes up behind and we take turns getting pictures. Separate again as we finish Trail into town. Run into one local hiker who wants to tell me about finding his first poisonous snake on the Trail as a "kee-id", and another who is clearing away branches that hit him on the head. I chat a moment then continue briskly on only to hear a minute later a loud crack followed by an "Owwww!" He's talking to someone a moment later so apparently okay. Has the potential for another warm day, but we are going through early enough to avoid the sweat buckets. Get into town, with the Trail exiting between two peoples houses. We meet Oompah and chat a bit near a children's play area, then make our way down the street to our destination, the Victorian B&B. It is just that, a Victorian style home with furnishings from or reminiscent of that time. Very comfortable private rooms, it's just the two of us as guests. Head out to lunch at the "Blue Blaze", and see hikers from the Trail (Aunt Eek, Vagabond Jack, Nobody, Swiss Miss, Toasted Toad, etc.). Good lunch of steak and cheese sub and side salad. Seriously need vegetables. Take advantage of comfortable room and warm weather to take a relaxing two hour nap. Find a bathroom scale and come in at 161, which if accurate has total weight loss so far at 34 pounds. Trying to eat more, must...try...harder!Lots of hikers in town, keep running into those that literally haven't seen in weeks. After not finding the BBQ place others are meeting for dinner, go back to the Blue Blaze for a Carnivores pizza. Manage to eat half, and share other with Hermes when I get back. Peaceful night.
Date: 2014-05-09
From: Damascus, VA 

To: Damascus., VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

First zero since leaving Erwin TN eleven days ago, and possibly the last zero before Deb comes for Memorial Day weekend. Breakfast was plentiful with eggs, a waffle with blueberries, fresh fruit mix, coffee and OJ.Went to Post Office and picked up the rest of the Guide Deb mailed, then went to outfitter for some equipment changes. Got a trail hat to give better sun and rain protection, pair of light hiking shorts, Teva sandals (sending heavier Crocs home), and trail food.Return to room then (later) Post Office again to mail home 6.5 pounds of winter gear; winter parka, thermals, hat, gloves, Crocs. Should lighten backpack a lot plus open up more space inside as well.Gabe treats for lunch at Mexican styled cafe, spinach salad with chicken and then a shrimp taco. Pringles all afternoon. Foot long meatball sub for dinner. I'm trying to eat!Next week at this time, Trail Days, the largest AT and hiking festival will be here, with 15,000 or more expected. If I finish the Trail this year, then perhaps I'll be back next to participate in the Hiker's Parade.Tomorrow we begin heading toward Marion VA, about five days away (63 miles).
Date: 2014-05-11
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: few clouds

This was a day of contrasts, especially after the first shelter, between what was around the Trail, and the Trail. The first shelter was 12 miles away, and included an unexpectedly long, hard climb up Whitetop Mountain. It wasn't raining any more (it had during the night) but the Trail on the way up was covered in fog. Up, up, up then into a clearing that wasn't; it was covered in fog. Couldn't see the views, so continued on. Start next section and see a family, including a college age son. He recounts going through a field yesterday and finding himself between a bull and some cows. The bull put its heads down toward him, and his fast thinking mom blew her trail whistle. The bull acted startled than ran around the family to rejoin the cows. He said they warned us about bears, but not bulls. Sound financial advice, that. The anticipated tough climb up Mount Rogers didn't materialize. The ascent was gradual, and then the Trail avoided the peak altogether (yeah!) and veered off to the shelter. The views here are amazing, long distances preceded by grassy fields. Have some second thoughts about pushing on, but we need the miles and decide to continue. Just before leaving a couple arrives from where we are about to go, and tell us of photographing a young horse just up the Trail. I've been waiting for this, there are wild ponies around here somewhere, maybe we will get to see them. We cross into a field through a wood contraption (a stile?) that allows us to pass through, but is too tight a turn for livestock. We almost immediately see four ponies with a foal, which Hermes approaches. The ponies continue to graze but the foal comes right up to say hi, even following Hermes back to the Trail. We see another group of ponies further on, and then the contrast begins. On one hand, we have sweeping views, wild but tolerant ponies, and great looking large scale rock formations. On the other is the Trail itself, which has turned into varying versions of rocks and stones. This makes it difficult and painful to navigate, it's almost inexplicable why the Forestry Service leaves the Trail this way. You trip on them, they turn under your feet to twist an ankle, you need to carefully choose while moving from rock to rock or risk a slip, you have to brace yourself with trekking poles to get down from large ones. So I'm trying to admire all around me, but feel compelled to keep my head down to prevent injuries and moving to get out of this area. So one of the most beautiful sections of the Trail so far, marred by the Trail itself. At the Shelter we hear similar reactions from the other hikers. We will still try to do the 20 miles tomorrow, but understand that can be impacted by the Trail conditions ahead.
Date: 2014-05-12
From: Wise Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter 
Miles today: 20.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Despite thinking I might sleep in, am up and on the Trail at 7, letting Hermes know as I'm leaving. The first part of the Trail is similar to yesterday in that I'm using a Trail that's shared with what I assume is cattle, but they are nowhere to be seen. The Trail starts dry enough, edging higher, but joins a rogue stream and turns into a rock soup. At the end is The Scales, a livestock corral, empty save one lone tenter. At this point the Trail goes in two directions, and guess correctly the left is the right way. Up and through two stiles, down a rocky hill, and to first shelter. It's 9:20 and have covered 5.9 miles, a good start. Talk to a southbound hiker en route to Damascus and Trail Days, set to open on Thursday. Leave shelter and get lost for the first time. Don't see that Trail continues across the gravel road I'm at, and instead take a left down the road for an errant half mile. Realize there are no white blazes after fumbling around, and return thirty minutes later. Come to second shelter, almost 11 miles from today's start, at 12:20, another good section given the amount of stone and rock on the Trail, plus getting lost. Am to meet Hermes here, and he arrives 45 minutes later. He got lost too, but close to our original shelter. An ATC Trailrunner is here, we saw him yesterday, and he's only the second Trailrunner we've seen on the Trail. He's interested in the navigational issues, plus my opinions on the Trail conditions noted yesterday. At least he SEEMS interested. I leave 30 minutes before Hermes, and a few minutes later see what appears to be a Mennonite couple, the husband tells me they have water for me at a road crossing in 4.5 miles. They are carrying little, and zoom ahead. Take a brief break at mile 14 with Miss America, who is having a tough time with her new, lighter Ridgerunners (heavier road running shoes). She, wisely, mailed her old hiking boots to a nearby post office in case the new shoes didn't work out. Just needs to find a ride to pick them up. She leaves and I follow a few minutes later. Arrive at the road where the water should be, and there's a van with the family in it. The husband has a water cooler almost full of ice water, which is heavenly in my warm water pack. Miss America is there and they're going to give her a ride to town. All ends well. Only four miles to go, and at two mile mark get a strong enough signal to call Deb. Last two miles are a stony mess, but enough on that topic. Get to shelter at 6 PM, which minus the hour for lunch means an average speed of two miles an hour including getting lost and breaks. A good day for speed, but we agree this is not the pace we want to sustain and have an enjoyable trip. Tomorrow a resupply nearo in Marion, VA.
Date: 2014-05-13
From: Trimpi Shelter 

To: Marion, VA
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Hike started at 7, with Hermes following 40 minutes later, but we both arrived at the Partnership Shelter, 10.6 miles away, at the same time. This is just before the road leading to Marion, and only the second so far on the Trail with a shower, so I take a quick one. Hoba is here,so we chat a bit. There is a Park Service visitors center for Mount Rogers here, with a free outside phone so we call a taxi and wait. Taxi arrives and it's a fifteen minute ride to town and the Econolodge. Hermes is texting various hikers and we find out Toasted Toad, Swiss Miss, and Nobody are also in the Econolodge. Bags, who we are also tracking, is heading further north to Bland. We grab lunch, and resupply and settle in our room. The bed has four, count 'em, pillows. Nice. Dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant with other hikers, then a relatively relaxed evening on the motel balcony as we swap lies and cheer on a lightening storm. Phones light up with texts that hikers have diarrhea and vomiting at the first shelter we will go by tomorrow. We will avoid it. Back on the Trail in the morning.