morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2016-03-20
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Feeling cold all day. My hands were numb from the cold this morning. They got Less numb as the day went on but they didn't get warm at all. I hiked a lot of miles today and I was hoping to get warmeer. I feel pain under my foot sometimes but to my surprise, I don't have blisters. On another note, my research paid off as my down jacket has served its purpose. It keeps me really warm. I could have walked longer but I didn't want to get caught in the snow. If the down gets wet, it looses its power to keep me warm and I couldn't have that!Each day I refill my water from the creeks. Most of the creeks only have trickling water so it is hard to find the right spot that has enough water flowing to dip your bottle in. I met Graybeard and Peavy yesterday on the shuttle ride from Hiawassee. I hiked with them for a bit today. They too are retired. I spent most of my day hiking with Junco. The most interesting man on the trail today was Wanderer. He 'wandered' up while Junco and I were having lunch and he was playing a banjo as he walked. (See my photos) He sounded really good. I don't know how he did it in the cold though.After I got my tent set up, it started snowing. I am all wrapped up in my clothes and sleeping bag and I still feel a little cold. Hopefully I will warm up a little and have a good night.Until tomorrow...
Date: 2016-03-21
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stairs Gap
Miles today: 15.9

It snowed alot last night. It was in the low 20's and I put just about everything on that I had and it wasn't enough! I managed to fall asleep sometime in the wee hours of the night and woke up at 8. I got up and set out on the trail.Although it was bitter cold it was nice walking through the snow on the trail. The sun came out and there were beautiful views. I got to the Forest Fire Watchtower on Albert Mountain and had lunch with the hikers. I made the 100 mile mark!! It was quite a climb to get here. There were several hikers here that I have met before and I met Monster and Miles. I started walking again and met up with Conductor and Junco on my way to Winding Stairs Gap.I decided to walk an extra 3 miles today and try to get into town (Franklin) instead of camping out in the freezing cold and walking the 3 miles tomorrow to get to Franklin. I got the shuttle van at Winding Stair Gap and Peavy and Graybeard were already on it. I caught up with Simon at the hotel (who is a day ahead of me). Peavy, Graybeard and I dined together and we had a great meal and good conversation.I am looking forward to my first zero day tomorrow.
Date: 2016-03-22
From: Winding Stairs Gap

To: Winding Stairs Gap
Miles today: 0.0

I had a good warm night last night.    I was a little stiff this morning. I came to find out today that nobody who camped out the night before could stay warm. In fact, one of the hikers saw the snow building up on his tent and thought it might cave in. Well, it did. At that point he got up and made a fire to try to stay warm and waited patiently for his co-hikers to awaken. I left the hotel and walked around town and stopped by the Lazy Hiker Brewery to have a drink to celebrate Nick's birthday. The Brewery is appropriately named! In the photo from left, Nick, Jaime, Super T (from Scotland),and Spike (from Germany). conductor, Peavy and Graybeard joined us a little later. After lunch I set out to find an outfitter to get some pants and other items. I ended up at Three Eagle Outfitters and found the supplies I needed. I asked if there was a quicker route back to the motel as I had walked a mile and a half (which really should be nothingl to me). The owner was kind enough to volunteer to drive me after she locked up shop. It saved me a lot of walking! The people on the trail have been very welcoming and helpful.Kevin and I had dinner at Mulligans. The food and the atmosphere were good and I met a new hiker who is from Manhattan. Nick was still celebrating his birthday as he should. It only comes once a year.   I am looking forward to having a good hike tomorrow. The forecast is for 72 degrees and sunny. Yessss!!!!!
Date: 2016-03-23
From: Winding Stairs Gap

To: Wayah Bald Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: few clouds

I had a good blueberry pancake breakfast then got in the shuttle to begin my day. Baltimore Jack is a volunteer on the trail and he was in the van with us giving us information about the trail. He is very knowledgeable and his advice was well appreciated by all. Junco, Tall One, Conductor, Rue, and myself were dropped off at Winding Stair Gap. Peavy and Graybeard went to Rock Gap, 3.7 miles behind us. Right away there were trail angels there to meet us. They had fruit, snacks, drinks, and burritos. I just ate a banana and started the hike. .As usual, we were climbing. I spent most of the day hiking with Tall One and Conductor We had good clear weather today...it was sunny and cool.Baltimore Jack told us that about .4 miles past Siler Bald Shelter is a grassy area where we should drop our packs and hike up to the left for about 5 minutes. It was great advice cause the views were spectacular on top of Siler Bald. You could see Albert Mountain Fire Tower where we had been a few days ago and you could see Wayah Bald where we were heading. We had quite a hike to reach Wayah Bald. We met up with other hikers there who were taking a break and taking in the sights. Abbey, Moses, Magic Man, Too Tall Conductor and I were all gathered there. There is a stone tower here and again, spectacular views. When we reached Wayah Bald shelter, we were all tired. Magic Man got a pack of hot dogs from a trail angel and we grilled them when we made a fire this evening. They were very good.
Date: 2016-03-24
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: Rufus Morgan Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: clear sky

I got an early start this morning 8:30 a.m. It was clear and cool. I have been calling my hiker friend Tall One but his name is really Tull Wun. Well, Tull Wun had started before me and I caught up with him along the trail then he passed me. That went on for a while...passing each other up!Abby, Moses, Stone and Magic man passed me. I met a few more hikers, Terrible Lizard, Tumbleweed, Deadwood and Hiho.We got some trail magic today at Tellico gap. The angel was called 'I believe'. She had walked the trail in 2014. I got a Coke and some peanut butter crackers. That went great with my Thai tuna lunch. I Believe was actually there to visit with some friends who were hiking the trail and she decided to give out trail magic while she waited. Leaving there I hiked up and reached Wesser Bald Observation Tower. There were beautiful 360 degree views! My pictures just don't do it justice. You need to come and see this for yourself!!!I decided to skip Wesser Bald Shelter and hike on. The forecast was for the rain to start around 3pm so I was taking a chance trying to reach Rufus Morgan Shelter 5 miles further. It was quite a hike and I had to climb down a couple of spots. Other parts were very steep. I got to the shelter 15 minutes too late. It started raining and I had to set up my tent in the rain. Everything got wet. That was not fun! I finally got everything in the tent and got changed. It didn't take me long to get into my sleeping bag. I'm tired. I should sleep like a baby tonight.
Date: 2016-03-25
From: Rufus Morgan Shelter

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: moderate rain

I got up this morning and the rain had stopped but it was still damp. I tried to get the water off my tent as I packed it up. I left at 8:15 am and it was very misty. About 1 mile down the road I reached Nantahala Outdoor Center. This place has lodging, a general store, an outfitter, kayaking, white water rafting and a RESTAURANT!! I went straight into the restaurant and ordered two eggs, a sausage, two sweet potato pancakes and toast. It was soooo good. I took my time and charged my phone while I was there. As usual, I ran into a few hikers I had met before. Hiho hurt his leg and was taking a few days off. Deadwoods wife was meeting him and he was taking a couple of days off also. Abbey had family joining her for a few days to hike. I got a couple of things at the outfitter and took off. 2 miles down the road I stopped and opened up my tent and sat there for a while giving it time to dry.I just hiked 6 miles up with a 3000 ft elevation change! It seemed to go on forever. Here is a photo of my AT Guide book. The faint vertical lines indicate 1000 miles of elevation between them. You can see where I have marked off my journey for today and note the vertical zig zag line on the right showing the change in elevation. This is a pretty cool guide book with lots of good information. Some days I find my stride and make good time and other days I just trudge along. Today I just trudged along!!!! I finally reached Sassafras Gap Shelter, pitched my tent and made dinner. I met some new hikers at the shelter. I am never alone. The temperature is supposed to get into the 30's tonight so I will bundle up.
Date: 2016-03-26
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: clear sky

I woke to a cold, clear, beautiful morning. I left around 8:40 a.m. and headed up to Cheoah Bald. Beautiful Views! We met some Trail Angels again today, Shirley and Lisa Kim (mother and daughter). We love them!! I decided to push on and go to Cable Gap Shelter which would only leave me 7 miles to hike to Fontana Dam tomorrow. I tented next to Tommy who I hiked with on and off for the past two days. We sat around the campfire with Magic Man, Conundrum, China and a few others.I have been fortunate for most of my hike to have phone service here and there. Tonight is the only time that I could not get any phone service since late afternoon.I enjoyed the campfire then retired after my long day.
Date: 2016-03-27
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam Gap
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Today I woke up, had an oatmeal breakfast, and got started by 8:40 a.m. It was a good walk but it was misty and humid in the morning. After 5 miles, I could barely see the dam. I definitely wasn't going to have any good views today. Tommy and I walked together and because we had a lot in common, we had a lot to talk about. He is a section hiker and has his truck at the Fontana Dam. Once we arrive there, he will drive home (south of Atlanta). He is also a runner and a cyclist. We arrived at Fontana Dam and had trouble getting a signal on our phones to call for the shuttle so we had to backtrack a little to get a signal to make the call. The shuttle finally came and we arrived at Fontana Lodge. It is pretty nice here...a resort! The only bad thing was that the wifi was terrible.I met up with many hikers and had a great buffet at the lodge with Magic Man Conundrum and China. I had to walk a good distance to go and wash my clothes. After I did my laundry and took a shower I felt so much better. I felt even better after I had a few beers with fellow hikers. I met Tull Wuns wife today. It won't be long now before Yvonne comes to pay me a visit on the trail. I can hardly wait!
Date: 2016-03-28
From: Fontana Dam Gap

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: overcast clouds

When I woke up this morning I didn't feel rested. My legs still felt tired but the show must go on!! I got to the dam at 9:20 a.m. to start out. We need permits to enter the Great Smoky Mountains National Park so I got my permit this morning. I am going to try to cross the Smoky Mountains in 5 days. Maggie, Magic Man and I started out together then...I realized that I left something at the hotel!!! I went back to the hotel so by the time I got back to the dam it was 10:40 a.m. I hiked by myself mostly. I passed Raw and Moose. It was an uneventful hike. In the Great Smoky Mountains you must camp in a shelter unless the shelter is full. If it is full, thru-hikers must give up the bunk space to section hikers. In that case you would set up your tent next to the shelter. The weather is unpredictable in the Smokies. I got to Mollies Ridge Shelter at 4:45 p.m. I felt tired and my legs were fatigued. This will be my first time sleeping in a shelter. It is a stone shelter with a fireplace. That's good because it may freeze tonight.I met an interesting hiker yesterday. He goes by the name of Has No Horse. He was named after an Indian Chief who's tribe owned no horses. He started hiking after he retired at 65. He's done the PCT, 1000 miles of the CDT, and he is doing the AT now. He is 72 years old and is in Great shape. We were together last night and I calculated that I started 17 days ago and he started 9 days ago.!!!! I think I need to pick it up a bit. We had a couple of beers and a chat...enjoyable.Some of the hikers that joined the shelter after us saw some bears. I have yet to see one but I am not complaining! The temperature is supposed to be in the 30's tonight. Brrrr.
Date: 2016-03-29
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: clear sky

It was very cold last night and this morning.   I took off at 8:15 a.m. and had a long walk with good views. There were quite a few section hikers out today. I walked with a few kids from St. Louis who were section hiking. Its been kind of uphill all the way today. We stopped at Thunderhead Mountain (5527 elevation) for lunch. Lunchtime has been a good time for me to stop and 'smell the roses' so to speak. There are always wonderful views to take in.We hiked another 4.5 miles to our shelter for the night, Derrick Knob Shelter and got a campfire going. Everybody had sore shoulders so the girls, Raw, Moose, Maggie, Firefly, Kristen and the lone guy, Pop Tart, created a 'massage circle'. We got in a circle and massaged the shoulders and neck of the person in front of us. We decided to play a game. We would draw something on the back of a person then that person would draw the same thing on the next person and so on. The last person tries to figure out what it is. We had a fun evening with a lot of laughter.
Date: 2016-03-30
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: clear sky

Last night was cold (30's) and windy. I slept okay, on an off. I felt like I was awake a lot. This is my second night in a shelter and it has been better than I expected. We had another cold start so I wore my gloves until about midday when it warmed up a bit. Over the next few days, more like 5 or 6, I will be yoyoing between Tennessee and North Carolina as I go through The Great Smoky Mountains. We hiked to Clingmans Dome today which is the highest point on the entire Appalachian Trail, 6655 Elevation. It is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and it is the highest point in Tennessee. It is the second highest point east of the Mississippi. It was definitely an uphill climb all the way but...another amazing view!It was the same group of us that settled in the shelter tonight. We started a fire, had a quiet evening and turned in around 8:30 p.m.
Date: 2016-03-31
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 4.5

I woke up to a cold and very windy morning. It almost seems like I should write, 'as usual'.Since the day before Fontana Dam I have had very bad wifi and phone connections. I have Verizon which has very good service for the trail compared to the other carriers. So, I have been having a hard time getting my dictation and pictures uploaded to Yvonne so that she can post them for me. Sorry for those of my fans that missed my blog. Moose and Ra (Not Raw as I thought) told me about a free shuttle ride to Gatlinburg from Newfound Gap at 10 a.m. Were were 5 miles away so I got packed up quickly and took off having no breakfast. It was 7:50 a.m. The Forecast was for rain so I had my rain gear on and it was the fastest 5 miles I have done. We got there at 9:55 p.m. The shuttle did not arrive until 10:40 a.m. Moose, Ra, Stone, The Kentucky 3, 3 other guys, and I got the ride into Gatlinburg. The 3 Kentucky guys are Grandaddy Long Legs, Kentucky Rock Hopper and Greg. They are retired from the same company. We had a lot of good conversation. I checked into the Grand Prix Motel then went to eat some BBQ. I got all you can eat salad bar and a pulled pork plate. It was so good. I went back to my room and did laundry, showered and took inventory of my supplies. I noted what I needed to restock on and went shopping in town. As I walked through town I noted that Gatlinburg is a very touristy town but very pretty. The forecast is for rain and wind tomorrow but I still plan on leaving at 9:30 a.m. I plan to do either 10 or 15 miles. It depends on the weather and, of course, my body. I am feeling tired today but I am hoping that I will feel better by tomorrow.
Date: 2016-04-01
From: Newfound Gap

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Happy April fools day! Junco and I had a great breakfast, I had corned beef hash and 2 eggs with toast and oj. We got some bad news when we got back to Grand Prix motel; there was a rock slide and the road was closed. Some hikers who had taken taxis early this morning had to return because they couldn't get to the trailhead. About 9:30am we heard that the road had opened back up so I headed to NOC for the free shuttle I had signed up for the day before. On the way to NOC I had a change of heart and decided to hitchhike instead. I got picked up right away by a couple from Pittsburgh who were on vacation. They happened to be going to the same place I was going. They were going to do a day hike up to Charlie Bunion lookout. I saw them on the trail a couple of times. The rain was holding off and we got some great views from the lookout.Granddaddy Long Legs, Rock Hopper, and Greg caught me (they took the shuttle) and we hiked the rest of the way together. I met up with China and Conundrum later in the day and saw breathtaking views all the way. If we looked west we could see Pigeon Forge and the area around it. To the east was the vast wilderness and no civilization in site, it was amazing. There were many steep drops as well. We arrived at Pecks Corner Shelter at 4 p.m. where I met up with Matt, Tree Hugger and Maria. I made some ramen and was in my sleeping bag by 7 p.m. A few more people are coming in and the shelter is getting full. It is supposed to get to 34 degrees tonight...another cold night but I am prepared.
Date: 2016-04-02
From: Pecks Corner Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: light rain

It was cold last night but I was able to sleep okay. I woke up, packed up and took off by 8 a.m. I walked by myself and met up with other hikers at Tri-Corner Knob Shelter where I had my breakfast, as did everyone else. I hiked a little with China, Conundrum, and Tree Hugger. The views are stunning. Most of the hikers I stayed with went on to the next shelter but it was too far for me (an additional 7.1 miles.)I stayed at Cosby Knob Shelter and it is full! There is a group of 8 section hikers in the shelter and they have priority. All the shelters are not directly on the trail. Pecks Corner Shelter, where I stayed last night, is .5 miles east of the trail. The one I am staying at tonight is only 100 yards east of the trail. It would be great if all the extra miles counted! BTW, I have officially hiked over 1/10th of the Appalachian Trail! The temperature stayed in the 30's for most of the day and it is going to get to 19 degrees tonight. Yikes!! I need to have warm thoughts coming my way.
Date: 2016-04-03
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: few clouds

We packed ourselves like sardines in the shelter last night. It was a restless sleep because the wind was howling and there was a lot of snoring going on. I woke up around 5 a.m. but stayed in my sleeping bag because it was still too early and too dark to take off. It got down to 19 degrees last night so I slept with my water bottles and water filter so they wouldn't freeze.I Got up around 6 a.m. and left a little before 7 a.m. The view right before sunrise was beautiful. Since I left before the sun was up I used my headlamp for the first time. So you understand how cold it was...my water froze when I started walking.Tree Hugger took off first then I left and Pop Tart followed right behind me. There was a lookout 3-4 miles down the road so I dropped my pack and walked the 6/10 of a mile hike to get to it. I got to a stone octagonal lookout (Mt. Cammerer Trail) and it was very windy but the view was spectacular.. I walked mostly by myself today but we passed each other several times during the day. It got into the 40's so I was able to take off some clothes. Gerard is a 20 year old kid that has been at the last two camps. We hiked the last two miles to the hostel together.I have to tell you how Tree Hugger got his name. There are marks on some trees along the Appalachian Trail that are painted on trees with white paint. They are called Blazes and are put on the North and South side of some trees. These markers help us to be sure that we are on the right track. Sometimes they are 50 yards apart, sometimes 100 yards. Well, everytime there is a tree with a blaze on it, he hugs it thus the name Tree Hugger. He wears a kilt which is favored by a few hikers and he hugs the trees to thank them for showing us the way. I had to get a permit to enter the Great Smoky Mountains. When we enter we tear a part of the permit and put it in a box. When we exit we put the other half in the box so that the rangers can keep up with who is still in the Park. I dropped my other half in today when I exited the park.I wasn't sure that I would make it to this shelter tonight but I did. This is the highest amount of miles that I have walked in a day. Unfortunately I ended up with a blister yesterday. It will probably be worse today so I guess I will have to nurse it tonight.A campfire has been started so I am going to hang out with some of my fellow hikers for a little while.
Date: 2016-04-04
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter

To: Walnut Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: clear sky

I got Trail Magic this morning 3 miles into my hike. Breakfast. I ate 4 pancakes and had lemonade. Perfect! The angels were a family, Father, Mother and 5 children. They all hiked the AT last year. The children are home schooled but there was no schooling during the hiking of the trail. They came back to give back. This is their fourth day at Brown Gap Giving Trail Magic. This is a very nice family and the father is a fellow Aggie. They are from Fort Worth, Texas.There was a family from Chicago that hiked a couple of miles with me today. They had a lot of questions and were excited to hike some of the AT.I finished today's hike with a tough climb up. I was happy to see Walnut Mountain Shelter at 4:30 p.m. Stone, Abby, and the Guy with the dog were the only ones here. I cooked and sat out in front of the shelter talking with Stone and Abby. Stone and Abby are both faster hikers than I am but Stone hurt his leg and Abby has family hike with her from time to time slowing her down. Good company and another good day. I have been having some early nights. I expect to be in bed by 9 p.m. tonight. Tomorrow will no doubt be another full day.