morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-03-17
From: Blue Mountain Shelter

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: overcast clouds

I had a bit of chesty wheezing going on last night so I was glad to be toasty warm in my bag. I opted to stay in bed late to let the air temperature improve a little. It was 10:30 as I left. About 2 miles into the hike was Unicoi Gap, where there was a lot of trail magic but I restricted myself to some oranges. There were two stiff climbs of 1,000 and 1,500 and as the sun came out I shed layers until at one point as I tended to a hot spot on a foot, I was sitting in the sun in my t-shirt and leggings.I opted to stop at Tray Mountain to give my knees a rest - the downhills are hard on them. At Tray I used my newfound skill to hang my bear bag in a tree again. This was after I had cooked up some dehydrated vegetables from Whole Foods and had a protein smoothie.I'm recognising many of the faces as the days go by. The zero days some take and trips to towns mean that you lose and catch up with people all the time. Noah did a big day and is 7 miles ahead of me now. I haven't seen Snail Pace or Two Dogs in a couple of days. But there's Jason, Alex, Chayva, Sweet Spot, Daddy LongLegs and many others here tonight. Rain is forecast for the wee hours. Tipperary
Date: 2017-03-18
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Plumorchard Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: overcast clouds

I dismantled my tent in fog with a slight dewy drizzle going on. As a fellow-tenter said, it's sad when a good day is 39 degrees and not pounding rain. I was on the trail by 9:15. It was tough, in particular a seeming unending slog of 1,000 feet up Kelly Knob. Most of the descents featured black leaf-mold mud. It made for some exciting moments. I told Chayva, a thru-hiker with a liking for Simon & Garfunkel, that the appropriate song was Slip-Slidin' Away. I sang Follow Me Up To Carlow - bellowed it is more apt - as a way of tackling some difficult stretch. I enjoyed my new Hydrapak, a water reservoir, especially since I figured out a way to jury-rig it to the top of my pack and lead the drinking tube neatly over my shoulder. I ran out of water twice - I was sweating a lot, especially once the fog lifted in the afternoon.At Dicks Creek Gap I was provided trail magic by a chap from Iowa - two of the sweetest oranges and an apple. I slugged it out from there to Plumorchard. Along the way I met 3 SOBOs, Duchess, Rabbit and Happy Pants. They started in Maine in Aug/Sept last year and are delaying finishing as they don't want the experience to end. (SOBO = southbound)Daddy Longlegs traded me bags of almonds, banana chips and granola from his oversupply for a use of my lighter - the most uneven trade I've made, I agree. dog Shoes and Trailbait arrived late in the day at camp. So today completes my first week. I'm more or less on plan, have blisters on my hands from trekking poles and on one of my toes (now wrapped in black duct-tape and very fetching), but am in otherwise good shape.Milestones during the week: every time I do another 22 miles, I say "that's 1% closer to Katahdin". I passed my first 50-mile mark. I've taken a 'zero' day ( a rest day, zero mileage). I've not yet slept in a shelter but that's coming once I hit the Smokies.Tipperary
Date: 2017-03-19
From: Plumorchard Gap Shelter

To: Beech Gap tenting area
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: light snow

It was a warm start to the day, and within the first hour of hiking I was in my t-shirt and leggings and stayed that way all day. Straight away I finally saw not just one woodpecker but two. I'm told they are the large paliated woodpecker on which Woody Woodpecker was based. Three miles into the hike I crossed the Georgia/North Carolina border - I missed the sign, though. I was caught by Sweet Spot and Lucky Cub (an 18-year old born in Richmond but who grew up in Belfast). I managed to match their pace for a few miles. When they stopped for lunch, I continued on up Standing Indian Mountain. Almost immediately there was a long stretch of difficult path through boulders and rocks. Just after getting through it, as I started to get back into a rhythm, a rock gave way and plunged off the cliff-face, and I went with it. I managed to grab a tree branch with one hand, and swung over the abyss for a while before I was able to - actually I made that last bit up. I did slide off the trail courtesy of a rock sliding under my foot to record my first AT fall, and I had a rather ignominious crawl back up onto the trail through leaves and dirt and twigs. The 0.9-mile drag up half of the mountain was supposed to get me to the shelter, but with the fall and not paying attention I missed the sign. It was gruelling climbing. When I realized my mistake, I opted to crest the mountain and stop on the other side by a campsite with a stream. Unfortunately the trees were poor support for lifting my bear-proof food bag the required 12 feet - branches too high, too low, too skinny, but after 20 minutes of trying I managed to get it about 10 feet up. I cooked some food and crawled into my tent, exhausted by the day.Tipperary
Date: 2017-03-20
From: Beech Gap tenting area

To: Long Branch Shelter
Miles today: 11.9
Weather: clear sky

What a day. Had a very leisurely start. Took off at 10 from my private campsite, where during the night there had been no noise from restless and snoring campers to bother me, just the unnerving thought that if a bear rambled by, I would be its sole target. But all went well, although I was woken a couple of times by the pitter-patter of tiny feet investigating the exterior f my tent. Immediately upon joining the trail I met Beth from Virginia and her son Milo (13) who must have a jet-pack because he moves so fast, and Beth is not much slower. We met up several times during the day and finished together - I again sang us into camp. I also saw Lucky Cub as he hurtled by. I walked much more conservatively in view of my knee. The 1,200-foot climb up Albert Mountain, especially the sadistic last 0.3 miles which reminded me of going up Hacksaw Ridge, put paid to any wild idea I might have had of trying to make it the last three miles or so to a spot where I might have shuttled into town. So I stuck to plan, and stayed at Long Branch, at the foot of Albert. It's maybe the nicest shelter I've seen to date, but again I opted to tent. Tipperary
Date: 2017-03-21
From: Long Branch Shelter

To: Rock Gap
Miles today: 3.5

I had an early start with Beth and Milo as we left at daybreak for Rock Gap, less than 4 miles away. From there a shuttle bus took us into the bustling little town of Franklin. Hikers swarmed everywhere. I checked into a motel, and in rapid order got lunch (big burger with two biscuits and gravy - great Southern comfort food), checked out lightweight backpacks at an outfitter, went back to the motel to shower and wash clothes, bought the damn backpack ($211), sent some surplus gear including my original backpack home via FedEx, caught a shuttle to Walmart to buy superlightweight camp shoes ($10) and more food supplies, ate dinner at a Chinese restaurant, and caught a shuttle back to the motel. As I write this, a big thunderstorm is hitting us. Glad I'm not up the mountain. Weight. This is a staple topic of conversation amongst hikers, both body weight and even more so, pack weight. My loaded pack comes in at 40 pounds, so today I've tried to get closer to the magical 20s by shedding a few items I've not been using, and by swapping a really good but heavier pack for a smaller and lighter one. I'm still carrying way too much food. Oatmeal, anyone?Oh, and as I know my brother Eamon will ask, a NERO is a 'nearly zero' day.
Date: 2017-03-22
From: Rock Gap

To: Cold Spring shelter
Miles today: 19.5
Weather: broken clouds

Had a good night's sleep and was up and on a shuttle to the local First Baptist church hall by 7:15. They provide a free breakfast of pancakes and bacon to all hikers so everybody goes there. There's a little bit of mild proselytizing but it's a fair trade. I caught another shuttle back out to Rock Gap and was hiking by 9:15. It was a beautiful day for it - possibly the best so far. Sun all day, but moderated by some haze and of course being in the trees, even if they're leafless, does provide shade. Many times I overtook or was passed by the same bubble of hikers - Lumberjack, Struggles (not struggling today), Bucky, Sweet Spot, Pack Mule, Lucky Cub, Old Dirty Bastard, Stonewall, Low Tech, Attaboy, etc. etc. Yes, I know the names will be meaningless to all but the hikers themselves, but get over it. Bucky deserves a special mention. He thru-hiked in 2002. He was 65 then, so yes, he's 80 now, since Nov 7 last year. He's slow but steady and is headed for Maine! I felt very good all day. I stopped after about 10 miles to air my feet and boots, have lunch, and chat with hikers passing by. I had decided to stick to my schedule, which meant 19.5 miles, my longest so far. I hiked my own hike today, stopped often, and kept to a 2mph overall pace that saw me at Cold Spring Shelter by 7, just enough time to change clothes, get water, eat, and hang a bear bag before darkness. I am sleeping in a shelter for the first time. Or rather, trying to sleep. There's just one other hiker here - a Hungarian, 4-Wheel Drive, who said he was not a snorer, except when drunk. Well, he must be drunk.It's cold, although nowhere near freezing. My right knee continues to remind me it's there, but seems stable, not worsening. A blister on my right foot is slightly troubling - Lumberjack gave me Lugo [?] tape to wrap it with so I'll have to see how that works. Otherwise I'm stoked. I have food for a week, water available from springs and streams for filtering all the time. In theory I could stay on the trail well into the Smokies without resupply. Tipperary
Date: 2017-03-23
From: Cold Spring shelter

To: Stealth camping near Sassafras Shelter
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: clear sky

Last night I eventually got up at 2:20 am and popped a couple of Ibuprofen PM. I then slept until around 8. One advantage of being in the Shelter of course is there's no tent to put away. I tried boiling water for porridge but my gas canister was so cold it refused to cooperate. I remember reading that old hands put their water filter, gas canister, maybe even a water bottle in the sleeping bag with them to keep them warm. Must be a bit crowded.I got going on the dot of 9. The day's hike was long and featured the longest continuous descent in the AT, nearly 3,000 feet down to the Nantahala Outdoor Center. There I stopped to rest and air my feet, and to buy a knee brace, fuel and more food, go online to pay a household bill, and to recharge my phone. I didn't see many people while hiking to NOC, but several familiar faces showed up before I left.I started the long 3,000 climb of almost 7 miles out of the NOC a bit later than planned. I got to within a mile or so of Sassafras Shelter and decided to stealth camp right by the trail with Scar, a retired engineer from Indiana.I'd bought a dehydrated pad Thai dinner at NOC and was able to follow the 'destructions' (as my kids used to say) quite well ("add boiling water, seal bag, find something else to do for 20 minutes"). Delicious. I'm thinking this could be a great way to cook for friends. Giving them the recipe would be a problem, though. Tipperary
Date: 2017-03-24
From: Stealth camping near Sassafras Shelter

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

I awoke around 7 after possibly the best night's sleep I've had since starting the trail. I think in part this was due to my tent-site not being perfectly flat, so that my head was slightly elevated. Scar was not a loud snorer, either. He said he had a very poor night's sleep.We both set off together at 8:38. I'd already cooked porridge for breakfast. Scar hadn't done breakfast and opted to turn in at the next shelter to do so. I continued on. It was an overcast day, occasionally with light but cold winds. In sheltered stretches it was quite warm. I'm seeing more flying insects. Yesterday around NOC I saw the first flowers I've noticed on the trail, and the first tiny blue butterfly.My right foot was troubling me - I had to stop at one point around midday to bandage a toe that was rubbing itself towards a blister. More worryingly my right heel is mildly painful and I try not to put it under too much stress when going uphill. (Of course part of the strategy is to lean heavily on, and push with, my trekking poles. This is why I'm still wearing gloves as my hands are not impervious to blisters either.) When your whole ability to travel comes down to your two feet, anything out of the ordinary with them assumes major importance. But I try not to worry or obsess about them either.The major feature of today's hike was the much-hyped Jacob's Ladder, 0.6 miles of steep climbing with many switchbacks. I found it less fearsome than its reputation warranted, and continued on a further 6 miles to Cable Gap shelter. I was the last to arrive and had to settle for a spot on a bit of an incline above the shelter. I think it will be fine. I cooked a beef stroganoff that was very good, but not on a par with pad Thai. I've just noticed that it's supposedly 2.5 servings. Really, those Americans have no idea how to measure food...Tipperary
Date: 2017-03-25
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Mollie's Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was very tough. I left at 8:15 from Cable Gap and within half an hour had sight of the Fontana reservoir, but it was 3 hours later before I was actually at it. There was a long 2,000-foot descent to the famous Fontana Dam - famous in AT circles, anyway. The shelter near the dam featured power and hot showers. I stopped long enough to take a shower, although I hardly needed one since I had one on Wednesday morning, less than four days ago. Some hikers were shuttling to town for food. I continued on. It was eerie walking on an actual road for a couple of miles. I crossed the dam without one vehicle passing by. Not the most heavily-populated area of NC. I was on my own on the trail most of the early afternoon. I started to miss human company. I'd have even settled for a purr from Pico, our cat. Once into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, it was six hours of mostly climbing, although there were a few minor descents of course, this being the AT after all. I figure it was roughly 3,500 feet of ascent. Jacobs Ladder yesterday pales into insignificance.On the plus side, I saw a dandelion and my first chipmunk of the trip - whee! But back to the negative side: as 'stealth' camping is frowned upon here in the Smokies, I had to make it to a shelter, so I had a hike of 18.1 miles today. Everything is sore - hips #1, knees #2, closely followed by left shoulder and left foot. I had fall # 2, nothing serious, just slipped and sat back on my bum. And I chipped a tooth somehow while eating supper. To think I could be back in Bermuda eating dinner at John and Beth's or the Schroders, guzzling immense quantities of their wine - what was I thinking??   Okay. Let's be positive. Today marks the second full week of the AT. Milestones this week: Crossed the Georgia/North Carolina border, did my first (and second) stealth camps, slept in a shelter for the first time, passed the 100-mile mark, took a 'nero' (means 'nearly zero' - I hiked just enough to get me to a pick-up point for a ride to a town), did the longest descent on the AT (into NOC). Oh yes, and saw that chipmunk. Tipperary
Date: 2017-03-26
From: Mollie's Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night I was tenting by the shelter on my own, and there was a strong wind. So I heard no snoring and slept without earplugs for the first time. Around 3 I woke to the sound of rain pounding down. It was so nice to hear the wind and rain and be snug and warm. I got up shortly after 7. This was the first shelter I'd stayed at without a privy. While I was packing up, there was a big commotion in the shelter - a hiker had sprayed himself by accident with his bear spray. I eventually got hiking at 9. There was some hard climbing to a peak of 5,527. I fell again, but same soft fall as yesterday back onto my backpack. It was warm enough for me to stay in my t-shirt all day. The rain held off until early afternoon, and made the decision to stop fairly easy. Tomorrow will be a big day.Tipperary
Date: 2017-03-27
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 17.8
Weather: clear sky

I slept well, and even overslept; I'm used to being half-awake for some time before it's light enough to get up but this morning I woke at 6:58 and was annoyed as I'd planned to be up earlier. It usually takes me an hour at least to get on the trail after I wake up, and so it was 7:54 when I hiked out. I was the third to leave. Just before I left, a huge ol' turkey strolled by the camp, making its gobbling noises, totally unfazed by all of us shouting and pointing it out. A hunter beside me said "They just know it's not hunting season." Apparently they roost at night in the trees, come down and make noises to find each other, then go silent as they forage with safety in numbers. On the trail I several times saw what looked like deer hoof prints.   Today's route took me from a low of 4,882 ft to a high of 6,667 on Clingman's Dome - the highest point on the AT. It was a long day, but the climbing was gradual and far less strenuous than usual. There were even - audible gasp - level stretches! There was fog and, around the summit, rain, so there was no view. But after the first five miles the trail entered a pine forest, which was beautiful and sometimes eerie - all this vivid green moss and fallen decaying trees and dozens of streams. Walking on a path of pine needles felt like being on carpet. (Of course, regularly also, there was mud. Lots of mud. I like it when it's on a downhill slope as you can do controlled slides, which are fun and also an efficient way to move ahead. And to people behind you it looks like it's a treacherous section so they go cautiously. I overheard one couple ask each other "how is Tipp so fast on the downhills?" 240 pounds foot weight and gravity will do it, that's how.)I made it ahead of schedule to a big vista point called Newfound Gap, where I tried my hand at hitchhiking. Almost instantly I got a lift for me and another hiker, Dead Man Ale, from Randy and Susie. They moved some gear around in their van so as to fit us in, said not to worry about muddy boots, and deposited me at the Day's Inn in Gatlinburg TN, 15 miles away. The check-in process was less than stellar and I ended up changing rooms. But I was able to meet my former hiking buddy from Blairsville, Noah, and we went out for dinner and some resupply purchases. So now I have washed the mud off my tent layers and they and all the rest of my gear are drying off nicely in AC. I feel clean and pampered. FaceTimed Gayle. Bliss. Yawn. G'night.Tipperary
Date: 2017-03-28
From: Newfound Gap

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: moderate rain

Noah met me at Day's Inn at 7am, and we went 50 yards down the road and stuck our thumbs out. Sean from Redexim, a Dutch manufacturer of high-end golf green maintenance machines, picked us up and dropped us back out at the state border. We were hiking by 8:38. Noah is way faster than me, and he wanted to do 20+ miles, so I wished him luck and off he went. I took it really easy. Last night I had downloaded an app that shows a map of the AT and all the shelters and notable features along the way, and that was useful, although it does drain my phone's battery rather heavily. Just using the guide book, it's often hard to tell exactly where one is on the hike, and it can be dispiriting to realize one is still a mile or two away from one's destination; the anticipation of finally arriving and shedding the backpack is enormous. The weather was warm but foggy - the sun peeped through a few times late in the day. The route today was - I think - back and forth across the North Carolina/Tennessee border and featured a very much up and down profile, with no individual huge loss or gain in elevation. I was expecting the 15 miles today to be as easy as yesterday, but that was not the case, and the last 4 miles were tough. I got in at 4pm. There were no good level camping spots, but I managed to squeeze in between some pine trees a hundred yards from the shelter, which is full. I am far enough away that I am hopeful of a good night's sleep. The photo accompanying today's journal was actually taken yesterday at the steak place Noah and I ate at. We found it hard to leave those rocking chairs. Tipperary
Date: 2017-03-29
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Painter Branch campsite
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: scattered clouds

I had a reasonably early start (8:15) after a muesli breakfast. This was one of my best days on the AT. I planned to get out of the Smokies, which meant a hike of at least 20 miles. The main advantage of being ex-Smokies is the freedom to stealth camp. The day was sunny and clear. It was largely downhill. There was a climb out of Tri-Corner which was made easier for me by Qu©b©cois community TV cameraman, 33-year old Hula Hoop - a terrific climber who paced me up, but who allowed me in front for the downhills, where I have yet to be rivaled. Hey, those extra pounds finally come in useful! He eventually took off on one hill to go see a view that was off the AT and left me, and I had the descent from 6,300 feet to 1,373 feet all to myself and a young student called 2.0 complaining about his knees, who almost kept up to me. At the bottom I stopped for 30 minutes to change socks, finish my water, and eat a little. The rest of the hike, five miles, was uphill in the warmest temperatures on the AT to date - I had to break out my hat, sunscreen and bandana for the first time in a few days. I took it easy, stopping several times, including once to catch up on emails as I found Verizon coverage suddenly. I arrived at my planned stop - a campsite by a stream, with just one hiker set up, a local 62-year old chap called Drifter, since that's what he does. Later we were joined by Indy, Zookeeper and McFly. Indy is a recently-qualified natural resources manager specializing in fire management. Drifter and he had a lot to say about last year's devastating fires which started near Gatlinburg and killed 14 people. While we were eating dinner, a hiker showed up with bloodhounds. His name is Bloodhound and he is a very unusual trail angel. In his backpack he had a six pack of PBR - a Pabst beer (the predictive text feature changed that word to Pansy, which Bloodhound would have agreed with, since he described most American beers as being poor), a big block of Colby cheese, some sausage, and crackers, all of which he proceeded to divide up and serve us. No beer has ever tasted as good, and the edibles weren't bad either. We chatted about many things. He took some notes, as he writes trail-related articles in his spare time, and left to hike back down the mountain, even taking our trash with him. It was the latest I've ever been to bed in the mountains. As I type this, at close to 11pm, there is no sound of snoring around me. The wind is light but thunders high above through the treetops. The stream is faintly heard. So far, so good. Tipperary