morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-09-25
From: West Branch Pleasant River

To: East Branch Pleasant River
Miles today: 16.7

Today we would be going over the last three thousand footers before we hit Katahdin and the terrain between is beautiful flat trail which our feet are thankful for. The warm weather is still with us and I'm enjoying it immensely especially with fall with being in full effect. The sunlight illuminates the leaves which provide a kaleidoscope of colors on the trail, it feels like we're walking down a cathedral hallway with stained glass windows, it's so beautiful and relaxing. We had a good pace today and on top of White Cap Mountain we got our first glimpse of the end-Katahdin. What a spectacular first view and man does she make her presence know with flat terrain all around and then she juts out towards the sky. Even after seeing her it doesn't seem real. I stood there staring at her for awhile before I snapped out of the trance and we kept on going.    We camped along the other branch of Pleasant River which thankfully we didn't have to ford and jump rock jumped to other side and found a small campsite not too far from the river. Another day we haven't seen to many thru hikers, it's getting quiet out here, hopefully Delaware and James catch up before we summit to Katahdin.
Date: 2014-09-26
From: East Branch Pleasant River

To: Potaywadjo Spring Lean To
Miles today: 19.2

Nice terrain plus great weather is the perfect formula for a big mileage day and these days nineteen miles is a big day. We hiked at a brisk pace and enjoyed all that Maine had to offer from the rivers to the ponds to waterfalls, it was such a nice relaxing day. We got to Jo Mary Road and this was was where we would be picking our our resupply for the last days of the trip. The hostel drops them off in their secret spot in the woods and we use the pirate map they give us to go find it, it wasn't to hard to find it. We sat there for a bit putting our garbage in the bucket and refilling our bags with our food, can't believe it's the final resupply. We passed some section hikers going south bound and they said they've passed about eighty north bounders since Sunday so yet again it seems we're in between bubbles.   We got to the shelter and were the only one there, few thru hikers trickled in throughout the night but it was another quiet, peaceful night at camp. Encompassed by this atmosphere and cooking my dinner is when it fully hit me-I'm going to miss all of this.
Date: 2014-09-29
From: Rainbow Stream Lean To

To: Abol Pine Campgrounds
Miles today: 15.0

We had a relatively short day today and thankfully so as I couldn't get going this morning, felt like I was moving in slow motion. It's days like this I'm glad I have music as it gets me motivated and the adrenaline going, thankfully Atlas hikes in front of me and doesn't me dancing behind her. The beautiful weather continues and it probably was in the 80's today, I instantly regretted keeping my long johns on.    We got to Abol Bridge pretty quickly and what a view of Kathadin you get from that bridge. She's sitting there in all her glory and is finally welcoming us, we survived up to this point so we've proven ourselves. We sat there in awe and took a whole bunch of photos and headed on to the one building on the road which is a camp store/restaurant so we were pretty excited to eat some real food. There were a whole bunch of hikers there including James who already ate and were now onto the beer portion of the day. They were all heading and were going to summit Kathadin tomorrow whereas we were going up on the 30th. So the goodbyes commenced and it sucked James was heading up tomorrow,I'm glad I became friends with him and hope that friendship will last far after the trip. So after the goodbyes, we went inside and had some burgers and hung out for a bit before crossing the road and heading down to the campsite. It was a beautiful campground located right along the banks of the Penobsco River. There was no one there and we relaxed along the banks of the river dipping our feet in the river, Atlas left for a bit and I sat there basking in the sun and just relaxed enjoying the last few days out here. All good things must come to an end but that still doesn't help lessen the blow of it being over. We went back to Abol Bridge at sunset and took more pictures of Kathadin, she is quite photogenic and gave us some amazing photos. She's definitely rolling out the red carpet for us.
Date: 2013-09-17
To: Preparing for the Cold
Miles today: 0.0

Hiking over 600 miles in April and May brings some unexpected cold nights. My wife and I were not really prepared for some of these cold nights and had to resort to putting on all our extra clothes and rain jackets just to shiver though the night. We once spent 16 hours in our tent when rain turned to ice and snow at 3:00pm.Since I'm planning to leave in March, I fully expect some very cold nights. I'm not too concerned about the days since I really like to hike in the cooler temperatures. I've invested in a few items to handle the cold nights. I'm bringing my wife's 2 inner liners for my sleeping bag which is supposedly rated for 20 degrees. I now realize that the sleeping bag rating just means you won't die at that temperature, although you will feel like you are freezing to death. I'm also bringing one of those emergency blankets with the crinkly foil just in case. I still my not be toasty, but may make it through the night without shivering hard enough to crack my spine.I'll have a Patagonia jacket and gloves for those cold camp mornings and evenings. I purchased a new Patagonia rain jacket that should work well to block a cold wind.
Date: 2013-09-17
To: Some Things I've Learned
Miles today: 0.0

No matter how many journal entries you read, there is no better way to learn than to actually get out there and hike. I'm not a gear head or an ultralight hiker. I don't plan on pushing advice to other hikers unless I see something dangerous or I'm asked. It quickly becomes annoying when others tell you what you should be doing and what gear you should have. This is just a quick list of things I've learning from the trail in no particular order.1. When hanging a food bag from a tree, use a stick instead of a rock to throw over a branch. Sometimes those items bounce off the branch and come back to you.2. Before setting up your tent, lay down in the spot for a few minutes. Just because it looks flat doesn't mean you won't have blood pooling in your brain.3. When a fellow hiker says it's easy, all, or mostly down hill from here, don't believe them. It's funny how quickly we forget the trail we've just hiked.4. When a fellow hiker says it's only about a 1/4 mile to the shelter, don't believe them. You lose track of time when hiking. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that only to walk for another 1-2 hours.5. Beware of alcohol stoves. I've seen them get knocked over at a picnic tables which are often wobbly. The flames are almost invisible.There are so many more, but they don't come to mind right now.
Date: 2014-02-23
To: Amicalola Falls
Miles today: 0.0

The plan is to start hiking from the top of Amicalola Falls after lunch on March 6th. I hope to make it to Springer mountain before dark. Can't wait to get this thing started.I'm glad I have a commitment for March 4th or I would have been tempted to leave earlier. Every hour on the hour the local poker room is giving away thousands and I have several drawing tickets. Sure would be nice to win a few thousand before leaving for the A.T. Keep your fingers crossed.
Date: 2014-03-06
From: Amicalola Falls

To: Black Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Left Amicalola Falls around 2pm. The plan was for me to sign the registry book before leaving, but there was a line of 5 people. The 1st person was asking question after question for about 10 minutes. Frustrating! I just decided to weight my pack and leave. I met up with Don 3 thumbs and Brian at the first road crossing. I waited there a few minutes to surprise my wife but she didn't appear so I continued on. It began to rain, then sleet, then snow. It was nice walking in the ice and snow as I wasn't getting wet. Decided to hold up at Black Gap Shelter since it was getting colder. At the shelter, I met Isaac, Randy, Carry On, and Mississippi who had a miniature dachshund. I was shivering while making dinner even with my coat and rain jacket on. My feet were cold all night, couldn't get them warm.Best part of the day - Hiking in the hail.
Date: 2014-03-07
From: Black Gap Shelter

To: Horse Gap
Miles today: 10.2

Left at 9:30am and arrived at Horse Gap at 5:30. It was a long hard day. The sound of the creeks when walking along them is wonderful. A strange thing happened today. I pulled out my watch which is in a lunch baggy in my pocket. It fell to the ground face down and when I picked it up and looked at the time, it was 4:14. Wow! That's my wife's birth date. What are the odds? It tells me that we are destined to be together. There are lots of people at this gap. I had a hard time finding a flat spot. I tried eating a full rice side with meat in it. Couldn't get it all down. No hiker hunger yet. First time sleeping in my tent. It seemed pretty crowded with all my stuff inside.
Date: 2014-03-08
From: Horse Gap

To: Woody Gap
Miles today: 9.9

Got really cold last night. I woke up shivering only to realize that I forgot to close my tent flap and the wind was coming in. Very tough to pack up in the morning with frozen fingers.What a difference a few hours makes, half way up Sassafras mountain I was burning up. The sun is out and I think it's around 60 degrees. Gaps must stay colder much longer than mountains. Had lunch by a creek, which was an excellent lunch spot.I had plenty of trail magic today. There were people handing out a huge variety of snacks by the trail. They even had miniature whiskey bottles. I was feeling bad later with a headache. No, not from drinking, I think it was the heat and sun. It was such a boost when I saw the trail magic tents at Woody gap. They were having a Hot Dog feast. I felt somewhat better after a few dogs. It was very crowded here with lots of tents. I was exhausted at the end of the day. I think I planned to walk too many miles in this heat. I found a nice tent spot and laid down for a while. I got up a little later and sat around the fire with Fresh Grounds, two 2013 thru-hikers, and Key Lime. Lots of good stories. It was a fun evening.
Date: 2014-03-09
From: Woody Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 10.6

Very windy all last night, but warmer than yesterday. Started the morning with cheesy eggs and pancakes compliments of Fresh Grounds. Sweet!! Felt much better hiking today. Made it to Neels gap just in time to get my mail drop. They let me camp on the property up the hill where they send the people with dogs.We had another great fire with Bright Boy and another guy. Then Mississippi showed up with her dog. Then a strange guy showed up later that night. He was wearing jeans and a leather jacket. He had gear, but was saying some strange stuff. He's just hiking around. Says that he's hiked 1000 miles.I woke up early and went down to the store and the guy was there in the same clothes, I don't think he slept last night, but he seems harmless.
Date: 2014-03-10
From: Neels Gap

To: Poor Mountain
Miles today: 8.3

Today Started out windy again and pretty darn cold. So hard to pack up with cold fingers, but it could be much worse. I ate my breakfast in the tent and attempted to make 2 coffees. The 1st was great, but I didn't realize how fast the boiled water turned cold. My 2nd cup was unmixed instant coffee and creamer. YUCK!I mostly hiked alone today, but met up with I Believe, Bright Side, and Alex. I was tired after 8 miles, so I found a campsite by myself. Nice sight and I had a great fire. Not very cold out yet. Let's hope it stays that way.
Date: 2014-03-11
From: Poor Mountain

To: Blue Mountain
Miles today: 9.7

Got out early at 9am, a new record. All the terrain was fairly smooth and easy today. Later in the day I realized I had a major rash between my legs. My pants aren't working well when the weather gets warm.I stayed at the shelter with Magic man, Woodsman, Kristin, and Jenna. Mississippi showed up later with her dog. It was raining last night and her tarp leaked so she ended up sleeping under the table. She continued sleeping while everyone cooked breakfast and headed out.
Date: 2014-03-12
From: Blue Mountain

To: Tray Mountain
Miles today: 7.8

The morning started out foggy and lightly raining. I felt great for the first 4 miles then BANG, my left thigh started hurting. The last 3 miles were very slow since I was almost limping. I was looking only a few feet in front of me when a fallen tree crossed the trail and suddenly appeared at my head. WHAM! Luckily, only the top part of my head hit it, so it didn't hurt much.It got much colder by 4pm and someone told me that it is suppose to get down to 20 degrees. Brrrr, this will be my first major test of cold.Kristen, Jenna, Alex, and Mississippi are also at the shelter. We covered the entire front portion of the shelter with tarps and got heavy rocks to hold it down.
Date: 2014-03-13
From: Tray Mountain

To: Top of Georgia Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 11.0

OMG! Last night was so cold! It went down to 20 degrees with 40 mph winds all night. I felt like I almost died. Shivered most the night. Think I only slept an hour. Had to hang tarps in the front of the shelter to try to keep the wind out. It helped some, but I had to get up twice to fix the ties. The wind was so strong it would pull the 20 lb rocks holding down the tarp off the ledge.I forgot to put my water in my sleeping bag, so it was totally frozen in the morning. Unfortunately our natural spring was also frozen. No water for me this morning. Had to walk 5 miles to get water and eat breakfast.My one leg was still a little sore from yesterday, but didn't really starting hurting until the continuous downhill around mile 3. The pain went away after getting water and eating breakfast, but came back again around mile 8-10.Couldn't lift my leg more than 4 inches off the ground. I got to Dicks Creek Gap around 5pm, so I just walked another 1/2 mile to the new Top of Georgia Hiker Hostel. Pretty nice and clean. Had dinner and breakfast there. It was nice getting a shower after a week of hiking. Also did a load of laundry. They even dropped me off at the Blueberry hostel the next day. (my mail drop was waiting for me there)
Date: 2014-03-14
From: Top of Georgia Hiker Hostel

To: Blueberry Hostel
Miles today: 0.0

Had a great breakfast at the Top of Georgia Hostel. They drove around town to drop off hikers and do some shopping. I was advised to use diaper rash ointment on my severely chafed thighs. Eventually they dropped me off at the Blueberry Hostel where I had my resupply box. Have to take a zero day, hoping that my leg gets better. Spiderman, a physical therapist, looked at my leg and suggested massage and rest. The couple at this hostel are very nice and the bunks are very comfortable. I was planning to get all-u-can-eat with the guys but got a bad stomach ache after lunch. So much for piling in the calories.
Date: 2014-03-15
From: Blueberry Hostel

To: Bly Gap
Miles today: 9.0

The breakfast including Blueberry pancakes was terrific. My stomach got better late last night. I really enjoyed my stay. Gris, Left Turn, Owl Bear, Clint, Spiderman, Fly a Way, and Sloth were all staying there and it was a good group.My leg held up pretty good today, but I decided to stop at 9 miles instead of going the 12 I had planned. Didn't want to push it. Nice group I am camping with: Ed and a couple from Alaska. Had a nice campfire during dinner.Going to sleep now, hard to write journals in a tent.
Date: 2014-03-16
From: Bly Gap

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 2.8
Weather: moderate rain

WOW! What a day. I woke up to the sound of light rain on my tent. After I took out my earplugs, I soon learned that it was raining hard. I heard on the news we have 2 days of rain, so I packed up my tent in the rain. Got soaking wet, NOT FUN! Hiked about 3 miles to the shelter, since everything was wet and the day was getting colder I decided to just stay put.Didn't look like I would be warm enough in the shelter because of the winds so I setup my wet tent and dried it out with a bandanna. Woodsman and Critter and several others were in the shelter. I made some coffee to try and warm up a bit. It is very cold and I'm shivering and wet. It is now 2pm and I'm sitting here in a light rain. might as well try to take a nap.After a 3 hour nap, I got up and cooked dinner in the shelter. So much easier than cooking in a wet camp.It's 7pm and I'll try to sleep, but it is going to be a long night. Too cold for me to hangout at the shelter. My rain gear is totally wet, at least my night clothes are dry and I have an extra pair of socks I can wear tomorrow.The radio is calling for sporadic rain tomorrow, but it should stop sometime in the day. Maybe I can dry out then.
Date: 2014-03-17
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: light snow

Still raining this morning, I'm waiting for it to slow down a bit before I pack up. I need some sunshine today. I'm already a day behind, so I need to make up some miles or I will run out of food.I made it to Carter Gap Shelter. My leg still concerns me, I was doing really well today, but around mile 9 it spasmed, so I slowed down the last 3 miles. Hoping for sunshine tomorrow. Two days of wet and rain gets ugly. All my stuff is so dirty. Starting to feel like a pig covered in dirt. At least my important things are staying dry and somewhat clean.
Date: 2014-03-18
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up to a dry day. Hooray!Actually had sunshine most of the day. There were fantastic views of clouds below me as far as you could see with only a few mountain peaks showing. I climbed on of the toughest mountains in NC, Albert Mountain. For parts of it, I had to pull up on rock with my hands. I could almost see back to Florida. Hung my tent on the mountain to get it dry.Felt good today hiking around 12 miles for the second day in a row. Now in my dry tent getting ready for bed. Had a great fire tonight.
Date: 2014-03-19
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Campsite
Miles today: 14.1

I got out early by 9am. This may have been a mistake since I was freezing my hands off for the first 3 miles. The sun finally showed through around 11am. Had some unexpected trail magic at noon, cookies, donuts, coffee, and fresh fruit. Very Nice.Another 12+ mile day, but this one seemed harder. Just didn't have the strength near the end. Getting some gusts and its already much colder at 5pm. So far I'm the only one at the campground. Staying here, since the next shelter is 3 miles away.
Date: 2014-03-20
From: Campsite

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: clear sky

Very cold start this morning while I pack up my tent. Stopped to see the Wayah Bald Tower, the tallest mountain in NC. It was a weird day because Eastwood was the only person that passed me today and I passed no one.Right before the shelter was the Wesser Bald Observation tower. I climbed this somewhat rickety tower and it had phone reception so I was able to talk with my wife for a while.Stayed at the Wesser Bald Shelter with Craftsman, Gris, and Eastwood. It almost got down to freezing temps, but I was able to stay warm by putting on every piece of clothing that I had. With my current gear I will shiver with anything below 30 degrees. Looking forward to warmer days.
Date: 2014-03-21
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: NOC
Miles today: 5.7

Woke up to one of the warmest mornings. The sun was shining. It was only 6 miles downhill to the NOC. First thing I did was have a medium supreme Pizza. I decided to spend the night, since there was no way I can repack my supplies and climb 6 miles with a stuffed gut.Enjoyed my 2nd shower in 15 days. Woohoo!Staying in a bunk room at the NOC, my first roommate is a bummer. Barely talks and has some kind of attitude. I asked his name and he just shook his head. Later more hikers joined us, Alex, Red Dog and Sandy. Had a huge 1/2 pound burger for dinner. So full I think I'm going with a simple hiker breakfast in the morning. I just can't see me hiking uphill 6 miles on a full stomach. I purchased a few items to keep me warmer. Got some rain pants, a fleece pullover, winter gloves, and a SOL bivy. I found a soft pad in the hiker box to provide insulation from the ground. Found out later that Critter had left it to dump weight.Turns out my first bunkmate was some kind of homeless guy and ended up letting another homeless guy into our room in the middle of the night.
Date: 2014-03-23
From: Locust Cove Gap

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 5.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Our plan was foiled today due to a bad weather forecast. It was forecasted to rain around 9-10am, so we figured we would pack up by 7am and walk in the rain, but it started raining hard at 6:30am. Now I'm stuck. Everyone who hiked in the rain is heading for the shelters, so I have to set up my wet muddy tent at the next location. We decided to hold up in our tents until the rain slowed down. They both left in the pouring rain. I had a problem. Needed to poop and there was no privy and no shelter from the rain. Stripped naked and just put on my rain jacket. Jumped out of the tent and did my business by a nearby tree. Got back in the tent, dried off best I could and went back to sleep. Well it stopped raining around 11am, I came out here to hike not sleep, so I packed up and climbed Jacobs Ladder which is a very steep uphill climb. It didn't help that it was all wet. I was done for the day when I got to the shelter. It got down to 25 degrees by morning, I did stay warm in my sleeping bag, but just barely.
Date: 2014-03-24
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 12.7

The terrain was easier then we've had the last few days, but my legs are very tired. I'm taking a zero day tomorrow at the lodge and doing laundry. I heard that Fresh Grounds was at the shelter but I missed him. He left a few days early because his dog died. Lucky for me he left some flavored oatmeal packets. I call that breakfast dinner.I met Mary Poppins at this shelter although at the time I didn't know she was from Jacksonville. She gave me some band-aides I needed for my fingers.A guy in the upper level accidentally squeezed his water bladder which leaked though to the bottom area soaking a guys sleeping bag. He was not happy.I've heard of hikers peeing into canisters so that they don't have to leave their tent at night. But this seems extremely rude in a shelter. Just saying.
Date: 2014-03-25
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Fontana Dam Lodge
Miles today: 0.0

Spending the coldest day at the Lodge sharing a room with Alex, doing resupply and laundry. Hoping to rest my legs a bit before the Smokies. It's snowing right now and getting very cold.Ate 2 wonderful and filling meals at the lodge's diner. Not a bad price for what you get.Lots of hikers are staying here, between 20-30. The forecast is saying wind and temps into the 20s, windchill near zero. Glad I'm taking a zero.
Date: 2014-03-26
From: Fontana Dam Lodge

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: clear sky

Ate an overpriced pancake breakfast and got a shuttle to Fontana Dam by 9am. The 11 miles to the shelter was almost a continuous uphill climb. Alex must have continued onto the next shelter which is 2.5 miles further.It seems it will be very cold tonight. The shelter is full tonight with at least 14 hikers. 2 more showed up later and slept on the floor.