morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-05-01
To: Two more weeks
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Finally...this is the month we start. Just two weeks from today will be our first day back on the trail. We only have a few things left to get done before leaving. We need some more small items like light-weight tent pegs and such. And next week we have to get our Thru Hiker Permits for the Great Smokey Mountains National Park (GSMNP).Last year we bought senior passes that get us into all national parks for free, so we thought we could take a pass on the permits. But nope. It's already free to enter the GSMNP. So we don't need our senior passes to get in. It turns out that the permits, enacted since 2013, are really a rental fee for using the shelters. And there are rules to go with the permits that must be followed.According to the GSMNP rules, everyone MUST stay in a shelter; no camping is allowed anywhere else. Even thru-hikers must stay in the shelters. However, there is also a reservation system for weekend and day trip users. So if someone with a reservation shows up, any thru-hikers who happen to be in the shelter must give up their spaces and are then allowed to set up their tents near the shelter.But we like using our tent better than the shelters on the trail. Shelters are noisy and usually rodent infested. So, unfortunately for us, thru-hikers seem to be treated poorly in the Smokeys. When we get to the shelter at the end of the day's hike, per "the rules" we can't set up our tent as usual; we have to go into the shelter. But when non-thru-hikers show up, they get to kick us out, so then we have to set up our tent, maybe even in the dark.Hopefully, this is another reason why our slow pace will be to our advantage. We're hoping that the shelters will already be fully occupied when we drag in at the end of the day, and we can just set up our tent and go to sleep.   For thru-hikers, the Smokeys are a beautiful place to hike, but not such a good place to camp. Going slow means we'll enjoy more days, but might suffer more nights in the Smokeys. Either way, it's still a trip to remember.This past week we did go camping for four days to celebrate our 45th wedding anniversary. It wasn't really a prep for our hike, though. We stayed in a cabin by a lake, that we bicycled around and kayaked on each day. And we had the luxury of taking everything we might need, and mostly didn't use -- just the opposite of packing for hiking. It was springtime on the lake -- lots of birds and turtles everywhere.
Date: 2015-05-06
To: One more week
Miles today: 0.0

We only have one more week to complete all our preparations. We leave home next Wednesday, and will drive most of the way across NC, stopping at a motel for the night. The next morning we'll drive to Silva, NC to drop off the rental car. That is where the folks from The Hike Inn will pick us up and shuttle us back to their hostel for the night. The next day, Friday, May 15, after waiting almost a whole year, we'll finally get back on the trail and head into the Smokeys.We got our thru-hiker permits for the GSMNP today. Technically, we're not really thru-hikers, but the permits are for "long distance hikers," which we do qualify for, since we plan to be hiking for at least two months.We've got our food, clothing, and gear all assembled. We just need to get it all into our packs. I called the Standing Bear Hostel and Uncle Johnny's Hostel to inquire about the availability of the freeze dried meals we like to carry. Since we bought more food than we'll need to pack, we'll just box the surplus up and mail it to Standing Bear Hostel instead of leaving it behind at home. So, we'll be able to make it to Hot Springs without needing a resupply shuttle into town. Uncle Johnny said they have a well stocked selection, so when we get to Erwin, TN, we'll be in good shape. Since the beginning of the year, Woofie has logged almost 100 miles of walking, and I have put in over 280 miles. We also have bicycled 144 miles, doing several 24-mile rides. But having been on the trail last year, we're both very aware that walking 2-3 miles a day on a road doesn't prepare you for hiking all day on mountain trails, especially while carrying a loaded backpack. But at least we know our hiking shoes are well broken in and will be comfortable.One piece of gear that we used last year and liked very much was a small altimeter. The Brunton Atmospheric Data Center (ADC) Sherpa only was about 3 oz. and let's me know my elevation as I walk. It also has a watch and a compass, can measure wind speed and temperature, and even beeps a warning when stormy weather approaches. Using the elevation info from the AT guide books, I can tell by my altimeter when I'm getting close to a waypoint like a shelter, campsite, or spring. And it's also nice to know the temperature...even when the readings are going down as we climb to higher elevations.
Date: 2015-05-10
To: Two more days
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Yesterday I took care of the last big item before we could leave for the trail. I sent two mail drop boxes full of food ahead, so we'll be sure to have the supplies we need. One went to Gatlinburg, and the other went to the Standing Bear Farm/Hostel. My main worry was getting the resupply items we want at the hostel. Now we won't have to shuttle to a town while there unless we want some restaurant food. The other box, a smaller one, I sent to a motel in Gatlinburg. Although we could probably find anything we'd need in Gatlinburg, I sent it instead of leaving it home, because we had bought too much food for the packs and the other drop box.Our packs are loaded. Woofie and I did our morning two-mile walk with our full packs before breakfast. People in our neighborhood must be wondering what we're doing with those huge backpacks. Woofie's pack weighs about 29 lbs, and my pack about 39 lbs. I'm carrying the tent and most of the food, so mine is heavier. They're both heavier than we had hoped, but they're loaded with 6 days' worth of food. At our pace we expect to take 6 days to get from Fontana Dam to Newfound Gap, and another 6 days from there to Standing Bear Farm/hostel, with a rest day in Gatlinburg in between. After that, most of our hiking between resupply stops will be in 3-4 day segments. Having to carry more weight in food is the price we pay for going slow.
Date: 2015-05-12
To: Leaving tomorrow
Miles today: 0.0

Finally! We leave tomorrow. We dropped our two cats off at the cat sitter's house today. All we have left to do is to put our meds and ID cards into our packs. Then tomorrow we pick up the rental car, throw in the packs, lock the doors behind us, and take off for the trail.One more thing I did today was to download at PDF version of AWOL's AT Guide and put it on both of our iPhones. So, all our guide books (AT Thru Hiker Companion, AWOL's AT Guide, and Guthook's AT Trail Guide App) are on our phones, and they don't weigh anything. Just love those iPhones.I just got our reservation confirmation from The Hike Inn. Looks like we're ready to go.
Date: 2015-05-14
From: The Hike Inn

To: Fontana Dam visitor center
Miles today: 1.6

After a short drive this morning, we arrived in Sylva, NC and dropped off our rental car by 10 am. We got our shuttle ride to the Hike Inn and were there by noon.On the trip to the Inn we found out that the first campsite in the Smokeys is closed because of bear activity. So before we even started our hike, we had to change our plans. We started today instead of tomorrow. Our shuttle driver, Nancy, dropped us off at 1 pm at the same parking lot where we stopped last year. Then we hiked 1.6 miles to the Fontana Dam Visitor's Center, where she picked us up an hour later. Tomorrow she'll drop us off there, 1.6 miles closer to the first shelter we're allowed to stay at in the Smokeys.It was great to be back on the trail. It was also nice to hike that part without our back packs, called "slack packing," something we hadn't done before. Tonight we got shuttled to town for a meal. Tomorrow we'll be getting an early start.
Date: 2015-05-15
From: Fontana Dam visitor center

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: overcast clouds

WB's pack 40.1 lbsWoofie's pack 34.2 lbs Left the Fontana Dam at 8:00 in 70 degree temp. Made it up to Shuckstack Tower by 11:00. We stopped at Birch Spring Campground long enough to refill our water bottles. The next 5 miles to the Mollies Ridge Shelter was all up hill and down hill hiking. We met a hiker who said he'd just seen a bear. So for the rest of the day Woofie was going "woof woof" through the trail to scare away any bears that might have been around. We didn't see any bears. I felt safe hiking with Woofie.
Date: 2015-05-16
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: overcast clouds

We were so tired from yesterday's long day, we slept in until 8:30. We finally got packed up and on the trail by the 11:30. It was OK since we only planned to go 5.7 miles today. And it warmed up nicely to about 65 degrees by the time we left. Today is the second day that thunder storms have been predicted, but we had nothing but gorgeous weather. Today's trail was easy hiking, but tomorrow we'll be climbing Rocky Top Mountain on our way the Derrick Knob Shelter, which is 6.1 miles from here.We saw lots of bear scat on the trail. Woofie wonders why they can't do their business in the woods like the rest of us.
Date: 2015-05-17
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: light rain

Today was really tough. Left the shelter by 10 am in the rain. It stopped after a while. We made it Rocky Top Mountain by 11:30, and had lunch there. The clouds were rolling over us so we had no views. From there we climbed Thunderhead Mountain, which was also in the clouds. The next four miles were all steep ups and downs that wore us out. Just after we took off our rain clothes because they were too hot to hike in, it began to rain. It was easier to hike in the rain wet than it was to hike with the rain gear on, since it wasn't cold. The sun finally came out for the last half hour of our hike to the shelter. The shelter is full tonight with some hikers tenting. We're sleeping in the shelter and hope our wet clothes dry out by morning.
Date: 2015-05-18
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: light rain

In the shelter last night were an older couple like us and a mom hiking with her twin 14-year old boys.Today's route was less demanding than yesterday's. There were no long ups or downs. Instead there where a lot of smaller ups and downs. When we left the shelter at about 9:45, someone had left their ponchos hanging in the shelter. We had hiked about 20 minutes when we met one of the twins on his way back to the shelter to collect his poncho. I guess the other poncho is still there. About an hour later he passed us again with his poncho to meet up with his family, who were waiting for him. He said he'd just seen three bear cubs a short ways back. Later we saw a big wild turkey standing right in the trail. He allowed us to take his picture before ambling into the woods. We stopped at Siler Bald Shelter long enough to refill our water bottles. The mom and twins were there and staying the night. We pushed on to the next shelter, which was only 1.7 miles farther. Tomorrow we have only 6.3 miles to get to the next shelter. Half way there is Clingman's Dome, the highest point on the AT. We visited it a couple years ago by car. This time it's part of our hike.
Date: 2015-05-19
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Mount Collins Shelter
Miles today: 6.3

Last night we stayed in the shelter with two other hikers. We're glad we did because it rained hard most of the night. Today we woke up to thick fog. Between that and the prospect of climbing Clingman's Dome, highest point on the AT, we thought it was going to be a tough day. What a surprise when it turned out to be our best day so far. The fog made for cool hiking and kept the bugs away. And the climb up Clingman's Dome was not as steep or difficult as other climbs we've done. The evergreen woods were so beautiful, and the wonderful smell in the air was what commercial air fresheners try to duplicate and fail. When we got to the top, we went to the top of the tower. We met a nice couple who asked us lots of questions and took our picture. There was no food there for us to buy, so we hiked on. In the afternoon the sun came out, and it was a beautiful 67 degree day. We made it to the shelter by 5:15. It's the prettiest shelter site we've been to yet. Tonight the shelter is full with 12 of us and about 20 others tenting. Tomorrow we have only 4.5 miles to hike to New Found Gap, where we'll get a ride into Gatlinburg for a couple days of rest, town food, and most of all a shower and clean clothes. Also, it'll be the first day with cell data service since arriving in Fontana Dam, so we can update our journal.
Date: 2015-05-20
From: Mount Collins Shelter

To: New Found Gap
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: broken clouds

We woke up today to bright sunshine for the first time since entering the Smokeys, and it was only 47 degrees, 10 degrees cooler than the day before. But it warmed up nicely to the mid sixties by the time we got going at 9:05. The trail today was mostly down hill, as usual when approaching a town. We met quite a few day hikers coming up the mountain from the parking lot where the trail intersects the highway. The first parking area we reached is at Indian Gap on the Clingman's Dome Road. We stopped there at 11:45 for a 30 minute lunch break. From there it was only 1.7 miles to New Found Gap, where we hoped to get a ride into Gatlinburg. They say the trail will provide whatever you need, and it proved true today. About 20 minutes before reaching the road to Gatlinburg, a hiker caught up to us, and we hiked and chatted together the rest of the way to the parking lot, arriving by 1:30. He told us his trail name is Buckshot, and he's practicing for his AT thru-hike next year. His hike was the 8 miles from Clingman's Dome to New Found Gap, where his pickup truck was, and he offered us a ride into Gatlinburg, about 12 miles from the trail. Thanks to Buckshot, we were in our motel room by 3:00 pm. After 6 days on the trail, a shower, a meal, and laundry were top priority. It's good to be in a town again.
Date: 2015-05-21
From: Gatlinburg, TN

To: Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

After having our meal at Texas Roadhouse yesterday, we walked around town to sightsee like the rest of the tourists. That's when Woofie saw the ski lift ride, so we rode it to the top of the mountain. They made us get off at the top instead of riding right back down, so we could buy a copy of the digital photo they took of us as we reached the top. We declined to pay the $12 for they wanted for it. It was a gorgeous warm & sunny day, and the views on the way back down were spectacular. This morning we got up early to go to an AYCE breakfast buffet, but had to wait 'til 8 am for it to open. It was really worth the wait. Back in the room after breakfast it took me 'til lunchtime to finish uploading our week's worth of photos and daily journals. After an AYCE buffet lunch at Shonies, we went on the Smokey Mountain Coaster ride, a new attraction in Gatlinburg. It was amusing but not as exciting as the ski lift was yesterday. We spent the rest of the afternoon collecting our resupply items. Tonight we're going to eat the biggest hamburger we can find. Tomorrow we'll get a shuttle back to New Found Gap after lunch and hike north the three mile to the next shelter, Ice Water Spring Shelter.
Date: 2015-05-22
From: New Found Gap

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: clear sky

We stayed up late last night getting our packs ready for hiking today, so we slept in 'til about 8 am. We called and arranged to be shuttled back to trail at 12:30. That gave us time to have a good lunch before leaving. We got picked up at out motel right on time and were back at New Found Gap by 1 pm. The New Found Gap parking lot is the site where President Roosevelt held the dedication ceremony for the opening of the Great Smokey Mountains National Park in 1940. We started hiking by 1:30 pm. Today is the beginning of Memorial Day Weekend, so there were loads of day hikers on the trail. Many of them stopped us to ask about our hike. Some had had knee replacements, others need them, all said they were inspired by Woofie's long distance hike. Although it was gorgeous and sunny, it only reached 61 degrees in the high mountains, and we had to keep moving to stay warm. We made it to the shelter by 4:30 pm. Shortly after we arrived, the mom with twin boys, whom we met a few days ago also showed up. They had been in Gatlinburg yesterday, too. Tonight, since the shelter is full of weekend hikers, we are in our tent. It's actually more comfortable than the shelter, and the privacy of the tent saves us from listening to a dozen snoring strangers. Tomorrow we're going 7.2 miles to Pecks Corner Shelter. It's supposed to be another sunny day and warmer than today.
Date: 2015-05-23
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Peck's Corner Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: clear sky

We awoke at 6:30 to a sunny day of 47 degrees at our shelter which is one of the highest elevation shelters on the AT. We're getting our pack-up routine smoothed out, but we still can't seem to finish packing and start hiking before 9 am. But that's okay since it usually warms up enough by then to hike in shorts and shirtsleeves. Today's special treat was Charlie's Bunion, an outcropping of rocks with amazing views of the Smokey Mountains. With today's perfect weather visibility must have exceeded 50 miles. It's what's attracting the hoards of day hikers this weekend, and the great weather on a holiday weekend make it even more an attraction. I was impressed by how many ordinary (non-hiker) people and families were willing to hike up and down the mountain, a round trip of 7.4 miles, just to visit one of nature's spectacles. During the day we came to several more amazing views. In some places where we were hiking along the top of a ridge, we had terrific views in both directions. We're very lucky to have this weather. Many hikers, especially earlier in the year see nothing but fog on their way through here. When we arrived at the shelter, we found several hikers that we've met before, so it seems that while we're in the Smokeys, we'll have friends hiking at about our pace from shelter to shelter. Tomorrow we'll be hiking to Tri Corners Shelter, only 5.2 miles from here. So it'll be a welcome short day. And after that there will be only three more days in the Smokeys.
Date: 2015-05-24
From: Peck's Corner Shelter

To: Tri Corners Shelter
Miles today: 5.2

Today was wonderful--perfect weather and a short hike day combined to make this the best day so far. We had more great views from the ridge lines as we walked. And we even saw a four-point buck on the trail briefly. When he saw us, he disappeared into the forest. Woofie had a bumpy start this morning, though. We had only gone a couple hundred yards when she got tripped up by a small plant root and took a tumble. Fortunately, the ground was soft with no rocks where she fell, so she injured nothing but her pride. Knowing we didn't have far to go today, we walked slowly and comfortably along. The mountain seemed to disappear beneath our feet as we climbed. We stopped at a sunny spot on the trail to have lunch and take a short nap with only a couple miles left to go. We got to shelter by 3:30. I set up the tent while Woofie hung some bedding in the sun to air out. The folks at the shelter were really friendly. They're just out for the holiday weekend. They let us cook our meal with their propane stove and offered to pack out our accumulated trash for us. What terrific trail Angels. Tomorrow our next shelter is 7.7 miles away, but the terrain looks like a lot of down hill walking as we get closer to the northern border of the Smokeys. If we're lucky, we'll have another good weather day.
Date: 2015-05-25
From: Tri Corners Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Last night's tent sight was not quite level enough and kind of lumpy, so we had trouble sleeping for very long at a time. But the sounds of peepers singing and the wind blowing through the trees helped us get back to sleep. It was 49 degrees and windy this morning, making it difficult to want to climb out of the tent. Nevertheless, we got packed and hiking by 8:50, our earliest start yet. Yesterday's short day revitalized Woofie. She climbed the first mile-long hill in 40 minutes without a stop, leaving me behind. The rest of the day's hiking was down hill to the shelter, and Woofie, keeping up her strong pace, led the way all day. We stopped for lunch at 12:05, having already covered 5 of the 7.7 miles to the shelter, and got to the shelter by 2:30. The weather today turned out to be spectacular. Gorgeous views were everywhere. One good view was at a bald on a ridge top called the helicopter pad. A little way after that was the site of a plane crash a few years ago. We could see plane wreckage still there from the trail. Tonight we're sleeping in the shelter again, so we'll have a flat place to sleep, for sure. Tomorrow we'll hike the 7.1 miles to Davenport Gap Shelter, the last one in the Smokeys.
Date: 2015-05-26
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm/Hostel
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: broken clouds

We were so lucky to sleep in the shelter last night. It started raining about 12:30 am and rained all night. It was still raining lightly when we were packing up this morning, so it would have been very hard to pack up and keep everything dry that needed to stay dry. As it was, without a tent to pack, we were able to get on the trail by 8:45, another new record for our start time. Also, it had stopped raining by then. Our destination for today was Davenport Gap Shelter, 7.1 miles away. It was cool in the morning and mostly down hill, so the going was easy. We saw more and more flowers blooming as we got to the lower elevations. We also felt the temperature climb. We made it to the shelter by 2:00 pm. After an hour's rest and tanking up on water and snacks, we felt like we could do the 3.3 miles we'd planned for tomorrow and get to Standing Bear Farm today. One reason was that there's no privy at the shelter. The stronger reason was the desire for a shower and real food. But the last 3 miles proved to be way harder than the first 7. The temperature had climbed into the mid 80s with high humidity, making even downhill walking tiring and uncomfortable. We dragged ourselves up the last mile to the hostel, exhausting our water supply due to the heat, and arrived at the hostel by 6:30 pm. It was worth the effort, though. A half mile before reaching the hostel, Woofie saw a bear. And we're staying in a tree house cabin next to a stream. We have to climb a ladder up through a hole in the floor, then close the trap door to complete the floor. It has a door to a balcony overlooking a stream, and is furnished with a sofa that folds out into a bed. It's just what we need: a roof and a bed where we can rest with peace and quiet for a day or two. We'll take a zero day here tomorrow to recover from our week's hike in the Smokeys.