morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2023-04-04
From: Burke Garden Hostel 

To: Laurel Creek Campsite 
Miles today: 13.7

Great night sleep at Hostel. Was awesome to have this beautiful renovated barn to myself. Up at 7.  They premade Waffles mix and left in Fridge.  Made a big pot of coffee and waffles.  Great breakfast. Took a shower and packed up. Cantaloupe showed up at 8:20 and told her I would be ready in 20 minutes. She said perfect she would be in resupply store. Went to store at 8:40 and paid my bill. She drove me up the hill to trailhead.  And I started hiking just before 9. Sunny and 50 degrees to start.  It got up to 80 at 3000 feet.  Warm but beautiful weather. Made it to campsite where I stayed in 2019.  Water source right there so drank a couple liters of water and had supper. Great day hiking
Date: 2023-04-05
From: Laurel Creek Campsite 

To: Mile 599
Miles today: 14.1

Only went down to 45 last night which is the warmest night I have had since hiking in October 2022 in Shenandoah National Park. Got good nights sleep and up early hiking at 7:30. Sunrise is about 7 AM now.  7 miles to Brushy Out post basically a grill with very limited resupply. But the grill makes great burgers.  4.75  for a cheeseburger.  It has 2 burgers that are about a quarter pound. I also got fries for 3 dollars which were great and too much to finish. Got 3 sodas in plastic bottles. Drank the sprite there and packed out the root beer and Dr Pepper.  Also filled both liter bottles with water. Campsite I am heading to has no water before I get there and is 7 miles from here. Heading out from here  you cross I77 then head back into woods. Trail Magic heading into woods.  Someone left Propel 24 drinks there. Chugged one. Bonus more liquids in dry stretch.  Good thing because it was 80 degrees going up big climb to campsite. Got to campsite around 3.  Made good time today but legs said enough. I stayed at this site in 2019 also. After setting up I saw 5 NOBO hikers blow by in about 20 minutes. None said anything and 3 had earbuds in. I can¢t stand ear buds anywhere let alone on trail. I love listening to birds and wind and hearing that rushing stream ahead. But to each his own.  Enjoyed my 2 sodas and had lots of snacks. Was still full from huge lunch but knew I needed carbs and protein. Peanut butter on a honey roll is tasty. Watched sunset and climbed in tent. Calling for thunder storms around 1 AM.
Date: 2023-04-06
From: Mile 599

To: TrentÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Grocery 
Miles today: 11.2

Up Early and hiking by 5:45  I used my headlamp for about 40 minutes when First light  Heading to Trent¢s where I have a private room reserved  Made it there by 11  Room has full bathroom and washer dryer  I got a burger and hotdog  for lunch and Pizza for supper
Date: 2023-04-07
From: TrentÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Grocery 

To: Trents
Miles today: 0.0

Was supposed to be off and on showers but it is pouring outside.  Got room for another night. It rained all day. Got a fish sandwich for lunch and just had snacks for supper.
Date: 2023-04-08
From: TrentÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂs Grocery 

To: Woods Hole Hostel
Miles today: 15.2

Hit Trail at 8. Not a bad limb out of town. Trail is wet from all of yesterdays rain. Trail is getting more rocky. Made good time and at hostel at 2;30 showered and had their dinner. Tramily of 6 young hikers in bunkhouse with me. It was fun talking with Thems
Date: 2023-04-15
From: Four Pines Hostel 

To: Lambert Campsite
Miles today: 16.6

I has a good nights sleep at 4 Pines Hostel. Shuttle driver Sprocket gave me a ride to store to get a breakfast biscuit. I have a leftover BBQ sandwich from the 2 I bought yesterday. I packed that out with a soda and 2 beers. Really nice weather today. Stopped at the shelter 3 miles before Mcafee Knob and had my sandwich and soda. Got some water from the spring. Did the climb to the knob. I passed more then 40 people coming down I also passed 10 going north. I took a couple pictures at the knob. I got my iconic pictures in 2019. Stopped at next shelter and got more water then hiked the 6.6 miles to campsite. Set up my tent then put my beers in the spring water to cool off. Enjoyed those. Tomorrow getting picked up.
Date: 2023-04-16
From: Lambert Campsite

To: US 11 Daleville
Miles today: 10.6

I had a good nights sleep. Packed up and hiking by 7:15. Some rocky ups and downs. Then a nice gradual decline into town. I got a soda at gas station then hiked the 1.4 miles to US 11 trailhead. My wife met me and I drove the 3 hours home. I did 186 miles on this section. 96 in last 6 days. I had a great time and met some fun hikers. Only 340 left to complete AT in 12 months.
Date: 2023-04-19
From: Snickers Gap

To: David Lesser Shelter
Miles today: 11.1

Parked car at Bears Den Hostel and started hiking at 11. I need to do an 18 mile section to Harpers Ferry to fill in a gap.  Beautiful weather today.  Sunny and 78.  Finished the roller coaster and got to shelter at 4:30.  Spring for water was quite the hike.  Nice campsites here.
Date: 2023-05-04
From: Saunders Shelter

To: Damascus 
Miles today: 10.0

Easy 10 miles to town.  Got to town at 10:30.  Staying at Lady Di¢s Hostel.  They did my laundry. I already had a resupply box there. Had a Cuban sandwich and a few beers for late lunch. Spent rest of day talking to other hikers.
Date: 2023-06-04
From: Black Swatara Creek Campsite

To: Port Clinton
Miles today: 13.3

Up early with the signing birds. Weather is nice again. Actually had some good stretches today without rocks. I am hiking to Port Clinton where I started hiking June 8 2022. After hiking from there to Katahdin I decided to attempt to do the other 1220 miles I had previously completed in 2019. Today I finished the whole trail within 12 months. Done hiking for a bit. Time to do trail magic.
Date: 2022-03-29
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

The AT is hilly. The elevation is pretty manageable, unlike the CT, but the amount of gain and loss is huge and unlike western trail, the trails in the east tend to just go straight up the hill without any switchbacks to ease the climb. As I stated at the beginning of my CT journal, Michigan does not have much in the way of mountains. We have some beautiful escarpments (Porcupine Mountains) and some really hard to climb dunes all along the shore of Lake Michigan, but not much in the way of mountains. That means it is back to the stairs to train. Working up to 100 flights of steps in the picture (Qty = 24) as a means of developing climbing leg muscles and CV fitness.
Date: 2022-04-03
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

April 1st was my last day of work ending a 34 year career. It is so strange to think that tomorrow, I do not have to go to work, which also means that I will not see any of my work friends. Most of my work friends are following this journal, so to them, I would just like to say thank you and I miss you all already. Training on the stairs continues. I did 80 flights on Saturday and 60 flights today (Sunday). I am also planning to hike most of the Waterloo Pinckney trail as a second shake down hike. My first shakedown was the Manistee River Trail a couple weekends ago.
Date: 2022-04-13
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Last week I did a shake down hike doing a short out and back on a section of the North Country Trail (NCT). I got a late start on Tuesday but still hiked in 8 miles. Wednesday was a rainy morning. It rained pretty steady until about 1:00 in the afternoon. Q: What do hikers do when it rains? A: GET WET! Unfortunately so did my sleeping bag. That is not allowed. Turns out the bag that I was using as my dry bag, well, leaked. That's why it is always good to do a shake down in bad weather. I am grateful for the lesson. I will have to add a little weight to have a more reliable dry bag. Beats sleeping in a wet bag. I still walked 16 flat miles in spite of the rain. It was supposed to be colder Thursday night so I decided that the best course was to hike the 23 flat miles back to my van, so that is what I did. My legs were a little tight when I got out of the van after a 3 hour drive home, but I was not as sore as I thought 23 miles would make me, so my training is paying off. Oh, btw I did make my 100 flight goal. Repacking and getting ready for the trip to Georgia. I start walking North on Monday the 18th. Excited and scared, at the same time.
Date: 2022-04-18
From: Amicalola Falls State Park, Georgia

To: Black Creek Gap
Miles today: 7.3
Weather: light rain

This is my first ever android phone so I figured that I had better test the alarm feature before expecting it to awaken me in time for my 4:00 am ride to the airport. My first several tries were failures, so I started getting scared. I figured out that you have to use the screen saver, but I went to sleep thinking the alarm might not work and I would miss my plane. That made for a fitful night of sleep because I kept checking the time. My alarm did work and I made it through security with plenty of time. Uneventful flight, a little trouble finding the Uber driver, I arrived at Amicalola Falls at 11:00 am. Quick presentation on how to through hike and I was on the trail at 11:45. It was a light drizzle at first, then the fog moved in making the mountain trail look very spooky. Kept thinking I was hearing dueling banjos, but it was just my imagination. I stopped at Black Gap Shelter and set my tent on a pad near the shelter. I could have pushed further, but it is wise to leave fuel in the tank for tomorrow. Tomorrow, it about 2 miles of uphill I will reach the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail.
Date: 2022-04-19
From: Black Creek Gap

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: moderate rain

The highlights of today's 9.6 mile hike were Springer Mountain and Long Creek Falls. I started out in the morning with just a thin 1/4 zip over my usual thin wool short sleeve. Start bold and cold. It was a climb up to Springer and I was just barely able to keep warm. Once I reached the top of Springer I had to layer up immediately. I added my rain coat and my glove. It was not raining, I just needed the rain coat to cut the wind. I took a few pictures, signed the log book and headed north. About lunch time I reached Long Creek Falls. I decided to eat my lunch there. Long Creek Falls are very beautiful. I made it to Hawk Mountain Shelter in the early afternoon. Again, feeling good enough to go further, but decided to leave some in the tank.
Date: 2022-04-20
From: Hawk Mountain Shelter 

To: Lance Creek Restoration Area
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

Today was a test. Was my body ready for a longer day? My original plan had me stopping at Gooch Gap, but that was only 7.7 miles from Hawk Mountain. I decided to give it a go. Glad that I did because I reached Gooch Gap a little after noon, so it would have been a long day sitting around in camp. I am pleased to report that all systems are go after today's 15.8 mile day.  Today's hike had many good views. The best one was big cedar ledges. It is a huge rock which prevents the trees from blocking a huge panoramic view of the mountains to the south east. I spent a little time there just taking it in. Tomorrow I will reach Neels Gap, which will be a quick resupply and maybe a battery charge. Neels Gap is the first major road crossing so it is also the place where a large number of hikers will end their hike. They have a tree there with 100s of pairs of shoes hanging to symbolize the hiker that choose not to hike any further. I am pretty sure my shoes will not be among them. Tomorrow also starts with a 1500 foot climb in the first 5 miles. Glad my pack is a little lighter.
Date: 2022-04-21
From: Lance Creek Restoration Area

To: Dispersed Site at Mile 39.1
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was a big day. Lots of climb and decent, Blood Mountain, and Neel Gap resupply. The start of the day was the climb up Blood Mountain. Shortly after starting, I walked up into a cloud. Light precipitation with a little hail and now views. Sometimes the fog was so dense, it was difficult to make out the trail. Getting to the top was anticlimactic, so I stayed for a short time and then headed back down the other side. At the bottom of the decent was Neels Gap. At Neels Gap there is an outfitter. The trail literally goes through the building that the outfitter uses. I stopped to grab a couple days of food, just to be safe and I also charged my battery bank to 3/4 charge. The way my new Garmin and this phone are performing that should be plenty. The Garmin only got down to 71% after three days of hiking. Thanks to the people I used to work with for that. My old one needed to be charged every other day. After resupply it was another climb and a gentle fall then another steep climb. Pushed my lungs to the limit. I found a undeveloped site at mile 39.1 after a 15.1 day. Holding up pretty well. Waiting for the sun to set over my tent.
Date: 2022-04-22
From: Dispersed Site at Mile 39.1

To: Blue Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: clear sky

Today was a rough day. Almost as soon as I hit the trail I started experiencing stomach cramps. My thinking that it is one of two things, either I am dehydrated or it is Norovirus. Hoping it is the dehydration. I walked along at just a little short of my normal pace, I hardly took any pictures, I kept a watch for water on the trail so that I could keep water flowing into me. I feel somewhat better now, so I am hopeful. I am 19.1 miles from Dicks Creek Gap and I am planning to get a shower, laundry and resupply. I hope to make it about 15 miles tomorrow so that I can get to town early.
Date: 2022-04-23
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Addis Gap
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: clear sky

Today was the day that I acted like a total newbie. My normal breakfast procedure is to put water on my oatmeal but wait about an hour or so after I start hiking to eat it. That way, no waiting for the oatmeal to cook and after an hour I am hungry and ready for a break. So that's what I did, but I made two newbie mistakes. I needed a little water to go with my oatmeal. My first mistake was not putting the water bottle back in the sleeve on my pack. The second was not checking back after I walked away for anything I left. You guessed it I left one of my two water bottles at my breakfast spot. By the time I discover my mistake(s) it was too late to go back. I am hitting town tomorrow so I can just buy another 1 liter bottle of smart water since that is what I use as a water bottle. Nothing fancy. The walk today had a lot of climbing. My fellow hikers are complaining about the climbs. It has been tough, but that is what you signed up for. It would be a completely different trail if it was all flat and they would have to change the name. I am feeling good. The dehydration has passed and my feet and legs are doing pretty well. The water here is a good 1/2 mile down a old forest service road. I know that because I have already made the trek. Fortunately I brought a 2 liter water bag as a backup. All the hikers that have come through have said that they are going to push on to get water and stay at the shelter. That's fine with me. After last night symphony of snoring at Blue Mountain, a quiet night would be nice.
Date: 2022-04-24
From: Addis Gap

To: Dicks Creek Gap
Miles today: 5.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was this trips real town resupply. My wife helped my reserve a cabin at the Around the Bend Hostel. I only had a short 5.5 mile walk to get to Dicks Creek Gap, and then the hostel was only 0.6 miles west in 76. I arrived there early, before my cabin was ready, but they gave me a towel so I could get my shower. They have loner clothes, which I put on after the shower then I sorted through my pack to get out everything that needed washed. I did my laundry, then at 2:30 the hostel dropped us off in town. We had until 5:15 to do whatever we needed and at 5:15 they picked us up in front of the grocery store. I am resupplied for 4 days on the trail. The next resupply is 40.2 miles up the trail, so at my current pace that should be plenty. Only thing is that tomorrow is a tough climbing day and I have a heavy pack. Strangely enough, I did not feel well this morning again. I think it was dehydration again. I have never reacted this way before. I have been forcing water all day and I am feeling fine now. Just need to keep an eye on what is happening with my body.
Date: 2022-04-25
From: Dicks Creek Gap

To: Dispersed Site at Mile 85.7
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: clear sky

I woke up early this morning in my little cabin. The first shuttle was to leave at 8:00 am and there was not much that needed to be done before getting on it. I was not sure how good I was feeling so I resolved to force down a liter of water while I was waiting. It was a quick .6 mile ride to the trailhead. When I got there I was still not sure how I was feeling, but once I started to walk, my muscles synced up and I found that I was burning through the miles. I have found that I need to be more careful with water to make sure that I keep drinking it without conserving it, and make sure that I keep one bottle at least half full. On the CT the water sources were fewer and further in-between, so when I saw one, no decision needed, better top off. On the AT the sources are much more frequent, so you get used to walking past them and when acknowledge the source you have to determine if you should top off or is there another source in a 1/4 Mile? I just need to be more methodical about how I make the decision to walk by or stop.The big news for the day is that I am no longer in Georgia, I am in North Carolina. I don't think that I have ever hiked across a state line before. I have biked across a state line a few times, but never hiked. Today was a 16.5 mile day with a great deal of climbing. Feeling pretty good. The hills still get me breathing hard, but I suspect that they always will. My feet are still in top notch condition, and I hear no complaints from my knees or hips. I keep stretching my calves to keep my heels from hurting and that is working. Thinking I'll do another long day tomorrow.
Date: 2022-04-26
From: Dispersed Site at Mile 85.7

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 19.9
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was a rain day. The last forcast I saw called for rain most of the day. I woke up early and started tearing down camp before dawn because I wanted to pack dry and I did not know when the rain would start. I was hiking by about 6:30 in the morning. The rain held off until about 11:00 and then it never rained all that hard. I have an umbrella and a hands free harness that attaches it to my shoulder strap. This kept me mostly dry without the over heat of a rain jacket. It worked pretty well. It is just a little difficult to see going up hill because the umbrella blocks your vision very far up the hill. None the less, I think it about the best system for a warm rain. The rain stopped and restarted a few times until at about 3:00 pm the sun started to peek through the clouds.  Today is also the day that I passed the 100 AT trail mile mark. I am now camped at Rock Gap Shelter which sits at mile 105.6. That means I turned in 19.9 miles today. Longest day for the trip, but actually most of the hiking was pretty easy. The exception is the climb up Albert Mountain (mile 100). That was a very steep rock scramble for a good portion of the climb. The view at the top was worth it. Some of the people that are at this shelter lost their food to a bear or bears. Apparently, the bears are now able to figure out a way to get around the PTC hang. Guess I will keep lugging my bear canister around. The thing weighs 2.5 lbs empty, but they are pretty infallible (knock on wood).
Date: 2022-04-27
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Siler Bald Campsite
Miles today: 7.8
Weather: clear sky

It was a quick easy walk to Winding Stair Gap from Rock Gap. I was there with enough time to meet the shuttle to Franklin. The driver dropped me at Walmart and in a half hour my bear canister was completely full. I was waiting for the next bus to take me down town for some town food when there came a shout from a pickup truck "you need a ride down town?" Perfect. I had to ride in the back, but he asked me what I was looking for, I said maybe breakfast. He said, " I'll drop you at 828". I had a nice Greek omelet and a big ice tea. Highly recommended. Then I went to Outdoor 76 to charge my phone and catch the bus. The noon bus arrived and I was not fully charged, so I had to wait until the 3:00 bus. We got to the trail a little before 4 so I screamed up the hill 4 miles to be at the Siler Bald Shelter a little after 5. Today mileage total in only 7.8 miles, but the resupply is all part of the adventure.
Date: 2022-04-28
From: Siler Bald Campsite

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 17.9
Weather: clear sky

Today was the first hot day that I have experienced. A good portion of the day was down hill, but there was some really tough climbs. The hardest climb was at the end of the day when it was hot and my legs were tired. I wanted to go further, but today total will have to be 17.9 miles. The interesting thing about today is that I did not encounter as many people I normally do. I was the first out of camp (that is typical) and then I passed four people early on. After that I did not see another hiker until I arrived at the shelter. Tomorrow is the day that I reach the Nantahala Outdoor Center. I have to get and print my permit for the Smokies. I also want to get a little cell phone charge and maybe some town food. But I also want to get in a long day, so we will see what happens.
Date: 2022-04-29
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Locust Cove Gap
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: few clouds

Today was only 16.4 miles, but the distance only tells part of the story. When I was at Wesser Bald I was up on a high ridge at an elevation of 4075 feet. I had to drop down to the river below to follow the trail through the Nantahala Outdoor Center which is at 1727 feet, then back up over the ridge on the other side of the NOC, which is over 5000 feet high. In total that meant that I decended 4249 feet and climbed 4705 feet. That is a pretty big day no matter the milage. I stopped at the NOC for breakfast and eat with some of the faster people from the Blue Mountain Shelter. Nice people. I am camped with a few of them now. I also obtained and printed my Smokey Mountains permit, so I am set to enter the park in a few days. I am now only about 18 miles from Fontana Damn, and the terrain looks easy, so I might push to be there tomorrow. Once there I have to resupply, do laundry an get a shower. Looks like a full day tomorrow.
Date: 2022-04-30
From: Locust Cove Gap

To: Fontana Dam Shelter 
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was a rough day. The first part of the day was not too bad. The climb out of Stecoah Gap was a little brutal, but once completed the terrain was fairly mild by AT standards. I reached Cable Gap Shelter at about 2:00 so there was really no reason to walk the last 6.5 miles into Fontana. I assumed that I could shower resupply and get my laundry done before heading into the Smokies. I was wrong. No laundry. I absolutely have to have clean clothes before the Smokies. Additionally, the steep walk down from the ridge to the dam did a bit of a number on my back. The two factors combined had me searching for a hotel option so I could do a proper zero. With a ton of help from my wife I found a hotel in a nearby city that has a vacancy and a shuttle ride to get there and back. Even being on the trail end of the herd, resources in trail towns are stretched to the limit. Today's hike was 18.2 miles. Tomorrow's will be zero.