morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-08-20
From: Melville Nauheim Shelter, VT

To: Kid Gore Shelter, VT
Miles today: 12.8
Weather: clear sky

It rains all night, we awake to wet tents, but sunshine coming out!   I start hiking a bit late for me, not till after 8 a.m.   The weather is really beautiful today, temps down around 64, sunshine, breezy and low humidity, perfect fall weather!   Stop for lunch at Goddard Shelter and dry out some gear, beautiful shelter with a pipe spring and nice view over the mountains.I move on after lunch to Kid Gore Shelter and arrive around 5 p.m. and setup my tent on the tent pad in front of the shelter. Later, the shelter fills up with other northbound thru hikers, and it gets cold, down to low 40s overnight. My WM Highlite sleeping bag works fine over night, with Capiline-2 baselayers.
Date: 2010-08-21
From: Kid Gore Shelter, VT

To: Stratton Pond Shelter, VT
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Long day on the trail. I'm first out of the shelter at 7 a.m.   Tough climb up Stratton Mtn, which is a popular ski resort in wintertime.   There are many dayhikers at the top, where there is an observation tower.   I hike on to Stratton Pound shelter, which is near a large beaver pond called Stratton Pond. This shelter is the largest shelter I've seen yet on trail, it sleeps 20. The GMC has a caretaker here, who charges us $5 to stay here. Rain is predicted to start overnight.
Date: 2010-08-22
From: Stratton Pond Shelter, VT

To: Manchester Center, VT
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: light rain

Rain started in morning, and it gets worse as the day proceeds.  I hike with Nick and his dog Daisy to the road crossing at VT 11&30, where we hitch a ride from a nice local lady into the nearby small town of Manchester Center, VT.  Weather deteriorates all day as a storm front moves in with high winds and heavy rain into the night.  The trail in Vermont is very rocky with lots of mud and tree roots, but beautiful.   I go into town to get a maildrop and do laundry, stay at the Sutton Place, a private home in town that rents rooms to hikers. During this brief hike in southern VT, I realize that I've allowed myself to gain weight and get out of hiking shape since my AT hike in the southern Appalachians back from April to June. In only 2 months, I've lost trail legs, and feel heavy and sluggish on this hike in VT. It's very rocky here, and my mental state is somewhat discouraged, I'm not making the kind of miles each day I was doing very comfortably in the spring. I think a big reason is I've put on about 13 lbs since the spring, and have not done enough hiking in the 2 months since. I've got to reevaluate future training methods in Florida, where there are no hills. I make arrangements for a local shuttle driver to drive me back to Albany, NY to catch a flight home in a couple days. I end up staying at Sutton's Place an extra day and spend the day walking about Manchester Center, VT, it's really a beautiful town! My flight home from Albany, NY will be 8/24, and the shuttle driver will pick me up that morning. Frank Sutton is the owner of Sutton Place, he's a great guy and we talk local real estate in the area, I promise him I will be back again to hike the LT in the future.This will be the end of this section hike, it's been a great experience!
Date: 2010-11-09
From: Panama City Beach, FL

To: Barbarian Utopia
Miles today: 0.0

I have no taste in art, not a bit of art education, but I did like this unique artwork seen outside the art museum in Williamstown, MA. Benton Mackaye said it best many years ago.¢And now I come straight to the point of the philosophy of through trails. It is to organize a Barbarian invasion. It is a counter movement to the Metropolitan invasion. Who are these modern Barbarians? Why, we are ¢ the members of the New England Trail Conference. The crestline should be captured ¢ and no time lost about it. The Appalachian Trail should be placed in public hands and become the site of a Barbarian utopia.¢¢ Benton Mackaye, planner and creator of the Appalachian Trail I have to thank the father/son thru hiking team from Maine, 'Venado and Tecolote', for enlightening me to the above quote from Benton Mackaye. It's mid November 2010 back here at home in Panama City Beach, FL. The holiday season is upon us already. I'm adding one final journal entry for 2010.  Just added some photos of my gear and clothing here at TJ.   It has been great to recently hear from a couple friends from the AT. DejaVu and El Flaco summitted Katahdin on Sept 16th. DejaVu is back home in New Orleans, and thinking of a PCT hike next year. El Flaco actually summitted Katahdin twice on 2 cosecutive days (he's an animal!), so he could get a summit photo (first day was lousy weather). And Tim (Bluegrass) summitted Katahdin Oct 6th, and I think is back home in Tennessee. Last time I saw Tim was at NOC back in early May. Congratulations to all of them, an incredible accomplishment! It was fantastic to hear from them on how the rest of their AT hikes went this year after I last saw them back in NC/TN in May. I admit I was a bit jealous and part of me was wishing I had stuck it out to the end, but no regrets here, this years' AT hike(s) were incredible experiences.This past weekend the Florida Trail Chapter did it's monthly hike/activity over at my favorite state park, Torreya SP near Bristol FL, and some of us camped at the Bluffs primitive campsite last Sat nite. It actually got down close to freezing Sat nite, it was fantastic to get out again in cold weather and hear coyotes howling at night!   This is my final Trail Journal entry for 2010. I see many southbounders are hard at it currently pushing toward Springer Mtn in GA. It's Nov 9th and 5 months from a possible 2011 start date. I'm undecided presently but plan on continuing with training.  Best wishes to everybody, have a great holiday season, stay healthy, and maybe I'll see you on the trail next year.
Date: 2010-03-01
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

I have been agonizing over what kind of stove to take on my thru hike. During my first hike 30+ years ago, we used a Svea 123 without a hitch and cooked some great meals. I retired the Svea and bought a Coleman Peak multi-fuel years ago and never have had a problem with it; but never used it for more than 1 week at a time. I have been drinking Heinenkens and punching holes in cat food cans. I have to admit I like the simplicity and light weight of an alcohol stove, but I have been less than impressed with their performance. I cannot boil 600 ml of water with less than 2 oz of fuel. Still undecided on how I will go.
Date: 2010-03-09
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Today it was in the 60's so I thought I would play with the alcohol stove again. I fueled the penney stove with about 2 oz of denatured alcohol and put on the titanium pot with 600 ml of 50 degree water. In four minutes I had a boil. I put on the simmer ring and it simmered for another 28 minutes. Total burn time was 32 minutes and 45 seconds. I guess temperature makes a difference. The other day when it was 32 degrees in the barn I could not get any alcohol stove to bring 38 degree water to a boil. It took my Coleman Peak 10 minutes to bring to a boil but it only used .6 oz (by weight) of fuel. The penney and cat stoves with 2 oz of fuel only ran about 4 or 5 minutes and only got the water slightly hot. It looks like the alky stoves should be okay in warmer weather. Have been trying to make a pop can stove but have not been successful. Have gone thru 12 cans and no luck.
Date: 2010-03-25
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Just returned for an overnight at Zaleski Backpack Trail to do a shakedown of the new gear. Zaleski is where I cut my teeth backpacking 35 years ago. Things went well and identified some tweaks that need to be done. The one major problem with gear was the gaiters. The elastic at the top is not tight enough for my skinny legs so I will need to take a tuck in them. The trekking poles were fantastic. The trail was wet and sloppy with a lot of blowdowns so the poles help me maneuver over blowdowns, keep my balance on slippery downhills, and help to ford the many creeks. The pack was superb. The boots felt good although I started to get a couple of hot spots between my third and fourth toes on my left foot. I applied moleskin early and no blister developed. I discovered my guide lines on the tarp tent had been tied incorrectly by the manufacturer. I had to do some adjustments in order to enter the tent. Still not satisfied with the setup. After looking at some pictures on the web I still think some of the lines are incorrect. Had rain today so I tested the raingear, it is sweet.
Date: 2010-04-06
To: Hiker Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Arrived at Atlanta airport around 9:00 AM. Have to catch train and then wait for Hiker Hostel to pick up at 2:30 PM. Had 5 others in shuttle, Ankle Express (NH), Rollie (TX), Mike (NJ)-trail name is Hokie, Todd (WI),+ Nimblefoot (WI). Nimblefoot hiked in 2005 and started again this year on 3/5/10 but left after 1 day because of weather. There are several other slack packers here.   Weather is 85 degrees and looks good tomorrow. Rain expected on Thursday. There is a reported fire on Sassafras Mt. and trail may be closed. Will find out in a couple days. Leigh and Josh of the Hiker Hostel are great folks and have a nice place.
Date: 2010-04-07
From: Hiker Hostel

To: Amicalola Falls
Miles today: 2.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Left the Hiker Hostel about 8:45 AM. 3 going to Springer, 4 of us went to Amicolola Falls and hiked the approach trail. The horror stories of how difficult the approach trail is were just stories. The trail was tough, but there are more difficult stretches ahead. One other thru hiker - Brian - staying here plus 6 others. Ankle Express, Rollie, Hokie, Nimblefoot and the others are all in front of me now. More people showed up before dark. As near as I can tell about 3 couples, 2 who are tenting. Hiked a total of 11.6 miles including the 8.8 miles of the approach trail.
Date: 2010-04-08
From: Stover Creek Shelter

To: Gooch Gap Campsite
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: light rain

Up early, first one out. Slept poorly. Hiked about 2.5 miles and started raining. Rained to about 5:00 PM with intermittent thunder. Temperature has dropped into 50s. Got to Gooch Mt. Shelter around noon. There were about 8 thru hikers there already. 2 left around 1:00 PM. About 2:00 PM about 20 Boy Scouts and their leaders showed up. More thru hikers and others showed up throughout the day. After the rain stopped, I decided to hike 1.4 miles to the campsite. About 6 tents here. Ankle Express and Matt were at the shelter. Three of the people I stayed with showed up later in the day at the shelter. Got pretty wet today, but most of it dried out while I was at the shelter.
Date: 2010-04-09
From: Gouch Gap Campsite

To: Slaugher Creek Campsite
Miles today: 11.0

Last night was windy and temp dropped. Had a few rain drops right after I went into the tent.   Still windy and cool today, but sunny. Good hiking weather. Trail was very good with some scenic overlooks. Got an early start and made it to the Woods Hole Shelter by 1:30 PM. Ate a second lunch and rested. Several through hikers came in later including Nimblefoot, Brian, Boone, and Little Bear. I ate dinner then decided to hike another mile to this campsite. Nimblefoot came along. We are camping on a nice spot with a western exposure so maybe we'll get a sunset.
Date: 2010-04-10
From: Slaugher Creek Campsite

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up at dawn and went to get food bag. I hung it 20 feet off the ground but a bear still got it. He broke the cord that was tied to the tree. I had read where a bear knocked down a tree at Wood Hole Shelter to get a pack filled with food. I heard another report of a bear getting food at Blood Mt Shelter last night. Luckily I was only 2 miles from Neels Gap so I could resupply and get another food bag. Nimblefoot gave me some food for breakfast so I was OK. The trail from Neels Gap to Hog Pen Gap was very scenic and took lots of pictures. Trail from Hog Pen Gap to Low Gap was not that interesting. Lot of people on the trail; passed 2 Boy Scout troops. There are lot of people here, all spread out. I am camping out next to 2 guys from Auburn, AL.
Date: 2010-04-11
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

Another beautiful day, sunny and warm. Lots of people at shelter probably 20 tents. Got another early start and ran across a Boy Scout in middle of trail who was worried he was going to get left on the mountain. He wanted to borrow my cell to call his mom. I ran into the rest of the troop a couple hundred yards up the trail. Got to shelter around 2:30 PM. There was one guy sleeping in his tent. Later Master Chief came in. I passed him before Tray Mt. Later Todd (Overload) came in. Passed him having lunch above Unicoi Gap. Some nice views off Tray Mt and Rocky Mt. Plan to go to Hiawassee tomorrow. Got some trail magic at the spring at the Cheese Factory site. I just filled up by H2O bottle and a truck pulled up. A through hiker from 2001 gave me a cold sprite!
Date: 2010-04-12
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

Up before the sunrise this morning, nice sunrise. Cool morning soon turned to a hot day. Make it to the road just as Trail Magic was shutting down. They had cold drinks and food. They offered me a ride to the Blueberry Patch Hostel. The hostel is really sweet. Gary and Lennie are so nice. They let us use a pickup to go into town to resupply. I probably bought too much food. Probably over compensated for losing my food to the bears. Staying with Warrior, 7, Half Moon, Ranier, Dewlap, and several others (Culton, Chef,93).
Date: 2010-04-13
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Muskrat Creek Lt
Miles today: 11.8

Had a great breakfast at the hostel and then hit the trail around 10:00 AM. Had some tough hiking after crossing into North Carolina. Another hot and sunny day. Probably about 20 through hikers here, most of us are camping out. Todd is here. He has taken the trail name Haze. Matt is here too. He has taken the trail name Bourbon. Shelter is quite trashy. There is a trail maintainer here from GA. He is on vacation and is disappointed in the condition of the shelter area. Would like to get to Big Spring tomorrow if I can, but that would be about 19 miles.
Date: 2010-04-14
From: Muskrat Creet Lt

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: clear sky

Trail was fairly easy today. Nice views from Standing Indian. My blister on the little toe of left foot started bothering me around lunch time so I decided I'd better stop early. Got to shelter around 2:30 PM. Staying with some of the hikers that were at Muskrat Creek. I discovered when I took my boot off that my foot is tender below my toe. Don't know if it is bruised or related to the blister.
Date: 2010-04-15
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Winding Star Gap
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

Over 100 miles hiked on AT! I have to admit that yesterday I was in kind of a funk with my foot hurting. But today is a new day and I feel better. Last night I took the bandage off my toe and discovered it was infected. It is remarkable how fast it happened. The soreness was due to the infection. I cleaned it good, drained it, and put antiseptic cream and a bandage on it overnight. In the morning I repeated the process except I put a piece of gauze on and then wrapped it. I laced my boot differently and it felt good all day. The soreness is almost gone. GOOD day hiking. Trail was fairly easy except for the climb up Albert Mt. Good views from fire tower. Another sunny, hot day although it is clouding up and looks like it could rain. It rained for about 1 hour last night around sunset. I didn't see anyone on the trail today except for a couple of tents this morning. I think most of those that I had been hiking with put in big days yesterday in order to get into Franklin. Heard grouse drumming along the rail in a couple of places. Good views through the trees between Wallace gap and Winding Stair Gap. Camping near the road and will catch the first shuttle into Franklin tomorrow.
Date: 2010-04-16
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.1
Weather: clear sky

Hitched into Franklin this morning. Got a ride from "Pay it Forward" who is section hiking. Staying at the Budget Inn. Had pizza, ice cream and beer. What more can a hiker ask for?! My foot is feeling better. Been tending to it throughout the day. Mailed home journal pages and map and went to grocery store. Weather looks good for the next week.
Date: 2010-04-17
From: Franklin, NC

To:  Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: broken clouds

Left Franklin on the shuttle about 8:30 this morning. Good views from Wayah Bald tower. It became cloudy earlier but by the time I got to the tower it was sunny again. Not so hot today. Got to Wayah Shelter around 3:00. Nice new shelter with a view. Wanted to stay but decided to hike on. Got to Burningtown Gap and some past thru hikers had setup some trail magic for the weekend. Hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, cookies, cold drinks including beer! Stayed there for a while then moved on to Cold Springs Shelter. Only 2 other people here so far. The rest must have stayed in Burningtown. Have a nice campsite with views, but previous occupants left behind a bunch of trash. There seems to be a lot of hikers with no knowledge of "leave no trace" principles.
Date: 2010-04-18
From: Cold Springs Shelter

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: clear sky

Last night was cold and windy. Slept with my knit hat and put my jacket on in the middle of the night. Saw the sun rise from my camp site. Made it to Rufus Morgan Shelter around 1:00 So I decided to hike into the NOC. Got a sandwich and coke and watched the kayakers. Left around 4:00 and decided I'd try and make it to Sassafras Gap. It was 6.8 miles all up hill, but I did it. I can take it easy the next 2 days since I don't have to be in Fontana until Wednesday. Had good views from Rocky bald, Wesser bald tower, and the Jump up. About 10 thru hikers and a couple of others staying here. Decided to sleep in the shelter since I got in late and could not find a good camp site. Lots of wildflowers on both side of the gorge into NOC.
Date: 2010-04-19
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Took it easy since I have plenty of time to get to Fontana. Had some tough climbs up Cheoah Bald and up from Stecoah Gap. It was about 40 degrees this morning and a little cooler today. Ran into Bourbon at the shelter but he moved on to the next shelter.
Date: 2010-04-20
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Hilton Shelter
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: mist

Our streak of nice weather ended today. Woke up to clouds and it started raining about 1 mile down the trail. It has been raining all day. Fontana shelter is nice. I expected it to be crowded when I arrived around noon but there was no one there. I think some took the shuttle to the village. Right now there are 7 of us including Baltimore jack, Fireball, and Snack Attack. Food Network stopped in but he is staying in the village. No pictures today because of the rain. Saw some pink trillium and some white ones with a reddish center. The wildflowers are coming out in force. Its ironic that there are flush toilets and showers not too far from the shelter but there are warnings that the water should not be used for consumptive uses. Will take a zero day tomorrow since I have a reservation at the Hike Inn. I arrived early enough today that I should have made the reservation for today. Will hit the Smokies on Thursday. Hopefully the weather will be back to warm sunny.
Date: 2010-04-21
From: Fontana Hilton Shelter

To: Hike Inn
Miles today: 0.3

Woke up to a foggy morning. Last night was the worst I have slept in 14 days. People snoring, turning on headlamps, etc., etc. Got picked up by Hike Inn (Jeff) around 11:00. Jeff & Nancy are nice people and a friend to hikers. Rollie came in later and Nancy drove Rollie and me to Robbinsville for Mexican dinner and resupply. They are calling for a stretch of rain Friday thru Sunday, so it looks like Smokies may be wet.
Date: 2010-04-22
From: Fontana Dam

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: clear sky

Carrying heavy pack today since I have 7 days of food. Weather is nice today, a little cooler and milky sky. The trail was not that bad after climbing Shuckstack Mt. Some stretches were carpeted along the trail with white, pink and blue flowers. Only 5 thru hikers staying here and 3 people out for a few days. Staying with Rollie, 7, Tea Cozy, Traveler.
Date: 2010-04-23
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

The day started out partly cloudy but soon turned sunny and hot. I felt like I was struggling most of the day even though the trail was not that difficult. Have full shelter tonight with Rollie, 7, Jake, Food Network, 4 section hikers, and 4 guys out for 3 days. Will climb over Clingman's Dome tomorrow, hopefully, won't be raining.
Date: 2010-04-24
From: Double Spring Gap

To: Ice Water Springs Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: light rain

Windy night last night but no rain. Started out cloudy and ran into light rain and gusty winds as I approached Clingman's Dome. The clouds lifted as I got to the Dome. Had some good views. Later in the morning the sun came out. Saw some snow along the trail northwest of Clingman's. The clouds returned as I got to Newfound Gap. Had some thunder on the way to the shelter. Rain hit about 1 mile from the shelter. The clouds opened up soon after I got to the shelter. Staying with Wizard of Oz and Tripper from Australia, Caleb, John, Allan, and several others. Met a family from Canton, OH at Newfound Gap. We had a nice conversation. Found out people taking pictures of wild flowers that the yellow flower I've been seeing are called "Yellow Mandarin".
Date: 2010-04-25
From: Ice Water Springs Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: broken clouds

Last night was a wild night. The rain & wind continued along with thunder and lightning plus some hail. We had a packed shelter. Just before dark a couple came in and then after dark 4 more. We had 18 people sleeping in a 12 person shelter. The rain finally stopped before dawn. The trail was flowing with several inches of water running down it. The temperatures were in the 60s and mostly sunny. Today was my biggest day with over 20 miles. I got to Tri Corner Knob at 1:00 and decided to hike another 8 to Cosby Knob. Arrived around 3:30. This shelter has 8 of us, 4 thru hikers and 4 section hikers.
Date: 2010-04-26
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

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

Had some showers overnight. Woke to light rain and mist. Rain let up after a few miles but returned a mile from the hostel. It has been raining steadily since. Took a hot shower and will try and do laundry later. There were a lot of hikers here early but many decided to move on. Some that I am staying with are Peaches, Bam-Bam, Sunshine, Puma, Big Poppa, Kindling, Paradise. The hostel is quite unique. It is an old farmstead with several log structures including a cabin, bunk house, kitchen and laundry, store and shower. Everything is based on the honor system. The store includes frozen pizzas and sandwiches and all kinds of other trail foods.