morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-03-28
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: moderate rain

There might have been one other person in my cabin last night, but I did not meet him. I enjoyed the solitude. As much as I love the hiker community, an occasional night alone is a pleasant change. Most of my hiking buddies are now one or two days ahead of me, or a day behind me. I was packed up and at the NOC restaurant for breakfast at 8:15, and on the trail an hour later. Eggs, bacon, grits (really good), toast, juice and brewed coffee was such a treat, and fueled me for what hikers were saying was a tough climb today. It was not as tough as I was expecting, but it was a day's work. The predicted rain for today held off until about the last hour of my hike. It was wet and foggy with no views, and in the 40's to low 50's. The trail was primarily covered in wet leaves, with very little mud for a change and only a trace of snow left. Gray Ghost, Tim, and Jerry from Kentucky passed me on the trail. Tim and Jerry were both at the shelter for lunch when I arrived, and have moved on. They will camp further up the trail in their tents in the rain tonight. No thank you. If I have an opportunity to hike decent miles for the day, and can stay in a dry shelter, that is what I like to do. I am trying my backup water purification system. Although I slept with my Sawyer Squeeze the 2 nights that were below freezing, I think the filter may have frozen in my pack before I had a chance to tuck it in my sleeping bag. It is ineffective once it's frozen. I was going to buy a new one at the outfitters, but they don't carry it. So I am trying my backup Aqua Mira drops until I get to Fontana Dam, and see how I like them. They are certainly smaller and lighter, but have the 15 to 30 minute wait time before the water is usable. The jury is out. I will let you know what I settle on after I've used the drops for a bit. I am tucked warm in my sleeping bag as I write, with a prime spot against the wall on the lower level of this shelter. I can put my belongings up against the wall and be a little better organized, rather than sleep with hikers on both sides of me in the middle of the floor. I expect other hikers to be arriving soon. Looking forward to Mountain House beef stroganoff and hot chocolate for dinner on this colder, damp night. It's probably too wet for a fire tonight. The weather should be improving with some warm, sunny days early next week. Blueberry Bear just arrived. I recognized his name from trailjournals.com!
Date: 2014-03-29
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: moderate rain

Today on the trail was not for sissies. After I blogged last night, Jo Cool, B Man, MacGuyver, Fritz Lang and Pyro from Germany, and Inflammable rolled in. I was packed up and out of camp before all of them this morning.Today's topic is MPH. On a good day with decent ups and downs, I average about 2.5 MPH. If it is a long and/or steep ascent, it's probably more like 1.5 MPH. Sometimes I can make up time on the descent. Today was not one of those days. It rained almost all day. Yesterday, I met Gray Ghost on the trail who said there would be trail magic at Stecoah Gap today, so I was on a mission to get there. There were some strenuous uphills, and I knew the trail magic was 6.7 miles up the trail. I was sweaty in all my rain gear, but at least it was not a cold rain. What slowed me down was the mud, wet rocks and roots. Every day, I slip and stumble multiple times, but today was an exceptional day for slippery mud, and wet roots and rocks on long, steep descents. The trail was very narrow for quite a stretch along steep slopes. Slipping in the mud and falling down one would not be life threatening, but a big annoyance. I'd roll probably 20 or 30 feet before a tree would stop me, but I try to avoid such calamity. So, it was slow going.I arrived at the trail magic around 1:30. Video was grilling hotdogs and cheeseburgers. Melissa had made home made cookies. Mary and Whitewater were gracious hosts.   There was soda, fruit, chips and all kinds of sweets. Ed was there with Melissa. The wind had picked up and it was still raining so I was chilled, but warmed inside by the hot food and the generosity of these kind people. Thank you all for this very special trail magic on a tough day. It was a very, very steep climb the last 2 miles and I arrived at the shelter wet and exhausted. It is spooning room only in the shelter with an international flare. Here tonight are Gargamel, Pyro, and Fritz Lang from Germany, Inflammable from Canada, Cornwall from the UK, Lobstah from Schenectady, NY who now lobster's off of Chebeague Island, ME (her sister lives on Munjoy Hill), Wesley, Blueberry Bear, Bri and Vagabond. The rain has stopped. Going to get some water and make some dinner. Then I'll be ready to be horizontal in my cozy sleeping bag.
Date: 2014-03-30
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana 28 AT Crossing
Miles today: 11.6

I fell asleep last night to the sound of the howling wind and the pounding rain on the shelter's tin roof. I woke up during the night and the rain had stopped. It seemed cold when I stuck my head out or my mummy bag, but I didn't think too much about it. Welcome sunshine was predicted for today after two days of hiking in the rain, so all was good. I peeked out of my bag at daybreak, saw white and assumed it was fog. The shelter was quiet, so I hunkered back down in my bag. At 7:00 I looked out again. The reason it had gotten quiet during the night, is because the rain had turned to snow! Once again my boots and fleece were frozen. It is tough to get going when it is so cold, but as Nike says, "Just do it." For a fleeting moment I thought about zeroing in the shelter, but my plan was to get to Fontana Dam, so out of my bag and into my wet hiking clothes from yesterday I went. I didn't bother making a hot breakfast, because the stove is slow if the isobutane is cold. I didn't think it was going to be so cold so I hadn't stuffed it into my sleeping bag the night before.I couldn't wear my fleece layer since it was frozen, and it was cold and windy so I started out in my down vest which I knew was not a great idea, because it is worthless when it's wet. I was concerned about staying warm on the trail with the cold wind, but at least the sun was shining. It took a while for my hands to warm up even in gloves, but after about an hour of hiking, I stopped, took off the vest, rubbed the frozen fleece until it wasn't so stiff, and put it on. Toretto taught me that wet clothes will dry from body heat, so on went the cold, damp fleece. I eventually warmed up, sweated under the rain gear which serves as wind protection gear too, but by the end of the day was comfortable in my 3, rather than 5 top layers. It was a long day of hiking, but for one really long uphill climb, it was mostly gentle ups and downs, a welcome change after the previous 2 days. I was excited at the prospect of the mud being frozen, but instead the mud was a little crunchy, still slippery, and now hidden under the snow!After waking up in snow, I am warm and showered tonight at the Fontana Lodge, a very lovely resort that has a thru-hiker rate. I'm sharing the room with Lobstah. I had dinner in the restaurant (broiled trout) with Shark, Dan, Wrong Way and Magic Man and chatted earlier with Jerry from Kentucky and Wet Dog at the laundromat.I'm looking forward to a day of R&R tomorrow before tackling the Smoky Mountains on Tuesday. Oh, and I made a snowball today because I could. I tried to hit a tree with it, but missed. I can hike mountains days on end with a 30 lb pack on my back, but I still throw like a girl.
Date: 2014-04-01
From: Fontana 28 AT Crossing

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: few clouds

I slept poorly last night (nothing new for me), but I tossed and turned much of the night and probably only slept about 4 hours, I was flinching about today's hike. I was entering the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It is the only portion of the trail that you have to secure and pay for a permit to thru-hike and there are added rules for hikers in the park. I went on line yesterday using the lodge's computer and got my permit. 20 something's on a mission can blow through the Smokies in 4 days. I plan on taking 7 days. That meant starting with 7 days worth of food on the day when the elevation change is almost 3,000 feet! That is a very heavy pack and a long ascent. The weather today was warm and sunny. It must have reached 70 degrees, so I didn't have any concerns about that. In fact the forecast for the week looks quite good overall. The Smokies can be a real crap shoot and I am lucky to be hitting it on a good week. I knew it would be a long, tough day of hiking which it was. I was on the trail at 9:00 and didn't get to the shelter until almost 6:00. My body is exhausted, but my spirits are high for having gotten through the day. Maverick was the only person I saw on the trail today which is amazing considering the number of hikers out here. About 30 hikers, most of whom I know and have hiked with on and off for a number of weeks, are now a day or 2 ahead of me. The high point today was taking the side trail with Maverick to the fire tower. We climbed it and could see mountains for what seemed like forever in all directions. It was spectacular. Maverick and I are at the shelter with 1 other hiker, Time to Eat. It is hiker midnight and I am ready to sleep.
Date: 2014-04-02
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

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

Today was equally as long a mileage day as yesterday, but I had the impression, terrain wise, it was going to be an easier day. I was wrong. The ascents were many and the descents slow and tedious. I forgot to mention yesterday, that there was almost no mud, but it was a beautiful warm spring day and the gnats were out for the first time. They were all over me when I stopped for a snack break. Can't win. Well today the mud was back, not as wet and slimy as I've hiked through, but mud just the same. I was getting tired when a ridge runner came SOBO and I stopped to chat with him for a minute. Fletcher was very pleasant, asked if I'd had any trouble getting my park permit, but did no ask to see mine. He told me this section of the Smokies is the hardest. Ah, so that's why the trail seemed so long and hard, because it was!Actually had cell phone coverage at a shelter where I stopped for water, so made some phone calls and read a few text messages. AT&T coverage seems very random out here. I got to camp at 6:30 totally exhausted. At the shelter tonight are Maverick, Wesley, Gargamel, Cornwall, Time to Eat, and some Boy Scout's section hiking. I had a nice chat with one of the scout leaders as we lay next to each other in our sleeping bags before 8:00. It all seems normal out here. You sleep 6 inches from a perfect stranger, feel comfortable doing so, and think nothing of it. Goodnight.
Date: 2014-04-03
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was a planned short day after 2 long, exhausting days. There isn't a lot of recovery time for sore and tired muscles. The terrain was much gentler, but my body was still feeling the affects of the past 2 days. I took my time leaving camp, took a long break at a shelter along the way, and still got here by 3:30. I've had a chance to relax, visit with 3 section hikers and Vagabond whom I haven't seen since we hiked the last couple of miles into Fontana Dam a few days ago. I'm hoping my legs feel stronger tomorrow, for having taken a short day today. I haven't talked about falling yet. I have fallen once on my knee, once on my butt, and today fell forward landing on my side. When my legs are tired I trip and stumble a lot. As I tripped and lurched forward today, I think the momentum of the pack going forward just took me down. Just another day on the AT. It started out partly cloudy, but was warm and sunny by late morning. I hiked again in shorts today. I had planned on a 13 plus mile hike tomorrow to get over Clingman's Dome, the highest elevation on the AT. There are now thunderstorms in the forecast, so I will leave early in the morning and hope to get up and over before they hit. There is a shelter closer, if I need to bale in the afternoon. It's 6:50. The wind is picking up. It's a quiet group tonight. Going to get in my cozy sleeping bag for the night.
Date: 2014-04-04
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Ice Water Spring Shelter
Miles today: 13.8

I wanted to be on the trail at 7:00 this morning with a forecast of rain and thunderstorms. It was 7:50 before I actually left camp, but that's still pretty good for me. I got over Clingman's Dome before it started to rain, but it was completely fogged in so I had no view. It rained for a couple of hours and I hiked in the worst mud thus far. The trail crosses streams in many places. Today the streams were the trail. The thunderstorms never materialized, and the skies started to clear by mid afternoon.Trail magic struck twice today. At Newfound Gap with 3 miles to go trail angels Beth and Bernie had sandwiches, soda, chips, candy and their own "hiker box." Thank you so much. My second trail magic came when I got to the shelter and realized I'd lost a glove (again) and my cup that hangs off my pack. Three section hikers are here and found and picked up both on the trail, so I have my glove and cup! Thanks Michael, Nick, and Will. Also here tonight are Long Bow, Vagabond, Wesley, Cornwall, and Gargamel. Lots of hikers I know are in Gatlinburg for resupply or to zero. Houdini is picking me up at Davenport Gap Monday afternoon and I will zero in Gatlinburg Tuesday. It is cold and windy tonight. There are fireplaces in the shelters in the Smokies and Long Bow got one going with wet wood. I am in my sleeping bag for the night chatting with my shelter mates. Last night Vagabond was with me at the last shelter. This morning he found that a mouse had eaten a hole in his pack. I heard one squeaking and Kinder said one walked over her last night. Mice are a frequent nuisance in the shelters. Another 12 plus mile day tomorrow. Goodnight.
Date: 2014-04-05
From: Ice Water Spring Shelter

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

First things first. UConn is playing FL right now in the Final 4 and Brandon has his radio on in the shelter. Sweet!The AT was kind today. I have been hiking the ridge for 2 days with relatively gentle ups and downs, and today there was minimal mud and sunshine once the fog burned off by early afternoon. Ice was falling from the trees as I hiked. The morning started below freezing with frost on the trees. It wasn't cold enough to freeze water and boots in the shelter, but it was hard to get out of my warm sleeping bag and put on my WET hiking clothes from yesterday. They were too wet to put in my sleeping bag last night to help dry out with my body heat, so cold and wet clothes it was. They did dry out as I hiked. My mother died 2 years ago today, and she was in my thoughts as I hiked. She was a birder, a naturalist, an environmentalist, and she would have liked how I was spending my day. I'm journaling in my sleeping bag right now, Long Bow and Vagabond are tending the fire, and the game is on. In addition here tonight are Garamel, Wesley, Cornwall, and a few section hikers. I've already hung my food bag on the bear cables for the night and realized I forgot to take my snacks out of my backpack. So now I have to get back up and do that. Ugh. UConn is ahead at the half!It's mostly downhill the next 2 days getting out of the Smokies. Oh, and the fall count is now 4. I slipped on a wet root and went down. I'd stopped to take a break and didn't even have my pack on. When you fall out here, you just get up and keep moving.
Date: 2014-04-06
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Davenport Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: overcast clouds

The forecast for tomorrow is rain, so I decided to hoof it to Davenport Gap Shelter today to avoid descending the Smokies on slippery ground. After hiker midnight last night, B Man, Jo Cool and Forest came into camp, and this morning B Man, who works for REI in Pittsburg when he's not hiking the AT, gave me some pointers on packing my pack and strap adjustment. My shoulders have been better, but my left trapezius still knots up after about an hour of walking. I've figured out that stopping every hour (every 45 minutes late in the day when my body is tired) seems to help the most. I can't access my water without taking my pack off anyway. Just taking my pack off for 5 minutes and kneeding my shoulders makes a difference. Plus I can hydrate and grab a snack at the same time. It was a long descent coming down 4,000 feet. The last few miles the balls of my feet and toes were burning. There were lots of log steps, small loose rocks, and roots. It would not have been fun in the rain. The mud was not bad, only spotty, and over the last few miles, the trail smoothed out. I saw my first deer on the trail today. Here tonight with me at the shelter are Vagabond, Long Bow, Wesley, Gargamel, Cornwall, Kozi, and Bison. I Believe came in after dark. Once again Long Bow, thanks for making an awesome fire. I've enjoyed the fires inside the stone shelters in the Smokies. This shelter is the1st one in the Smokies I've seen that instead of a tarp on the open wall, there is a chain link fence to barricade us in against the bears. Apparently all the shelters in the Smokies used to have the fences, but hikers just fed the bears through the fence, so they have done away with them. Let it be known, I did not see one bear. I had cell service tonight, so I got to talk to Houdini. He is making good time driving down from Portland, and will be at Davenport Gap at 11:00 am tomorrow to pick me up. Looking forward to seeing him, neroing today, watching UConn in the NCAA men's final against KY tonight from a bed all showered and fed, and zeroing tomorrow. Ah, the good life.
Date: 2014-04-08
From: Davenport Gap Shelter

To: Gatlinburg, Tenn
Miles today: 0.9

I was waiting for Houdini at Davenport Gap as planned yesterday, only having to hike .9 miles from the shelter to the pick up spot. Today I zeroed, so I really feel like I've had two full days off. I have relaxed, eaten well, and been to the outfitters to tweak my gear which seems to be a chronic hiker syndrome. There is always a piece of gear that you think will improve life in the woods and it seems to be a never ending process. I am sending home my sleeping bag liner, my heavy camp base layer and my medium hiking base layer which I'm trading for my medium and light layers. There will still be nights below freezing, but I will be fine with my remaining winter gear. I am going to hike in my boots at least until I see Houdini in another month. I have had no blisters or foot problems with my boots, so I'm not going to push my luck and mess with switching to lighter weight trail runners yet. Having downed a few ounces and upped a few inches in my pack, I splurged and bought a lightweight "town" shirt and pair of shorts. It is getting warmer and I don't want to have to wear my rain gear while my clothes are being washed. Town clothes are a luxury and added ounces, but like everything, there are trade offs. Houdini uploaded my 800 plus photos (!) I have taken thus far onto his laptop. I've been very happy with my Olympus Tough waterproof camera. It is always in my pocket within easy reach regardless of the weather. He uploaded a handful of photos onto trailjournals.com so check out "Photos."My good friend, Jenny, sent home made cookies down with Houdini for me to share with my fellow hikers. I will be very popular when I get to the shelter tomorrow night! Thanks Jenny. So last night, I stayed up way past hiker midnight to watch the UConn men win the NCAA championship and tonight I get to watch the UConn women hopefully do the same. That the timing of Houdini's visit and the games coincided, is truly trail magic for this March Madness fan. Houdini brought my foam roller, so I am going to get down on the floor and massage my over used muscles now that I have made some space having pretty much repacked my backpack for tomorrow's return to the trail. Lefty and Hush, from the thru-hiker class of 2013, whose journal I avidly followed, talked about how your pack explodes when you get to a hotel room. It is so true. Contents are strewn everywhere. I'm ready to get back on the trail. This next section to Hot Springs I did with First Gear and Toretto last year. There are of course ups and downs, but nothing technical. The weather looks good for the next few days. All is well on the AT.
Date: 2014-04-09
From: Gatlinburg, Tenn

To: Brown Gap Campsite
Miles today: 12.5

Well, after nearly 2 full days off the trail to visit with Houdini, rest my body, and see both the UConn men and women win their respective NCAA national championships, it was back to work. There were a lot of switchbacks today, and the trail was dry except for a number of rock hoping stream crossings (the trail crossed one stream 4 times). It was an easy walking path for the most part. I got to the first shelter before 4:00, and my legs were still feeling strong so I went on further to a campsite for the night. That is a misnomer as there is very little level ground for tenting. My tent is set up on a slant and I've stuffed all my extra gear under one side of my sleeping pad in an attempt to keep my self from rolling off the pad all night. Having had zero days before and after the Smokies and slept in shelters in the Smokies, it has been a while since I've pitched my tent. It is cozy and much more private than the shelter. I met a number of hikers today that I've not hiked with before. There is a couple from Luxembourg, who have a HUGE tent, big enough to almost stand up in and I bet comfortably sleep 4. Speedy G, Right Here, Mayonnaise Pocket, Mosey, Category 5, Texty, and Tea Bag are here tonight. Wrong Way whom I last saw over dinner at The Lodge in Fontana Dam came gimping through with a very painful foot. He insisted upon pushing on 4 more miles. Jenny's home made cookies were devoured tonight. In exchange, Speedy G hung my bear bag for me. It's back to hiker's midnight sleeping hours. I'm in my tent for the night. The younger crowd is sitting around talking and laughing. They may be up for a while. Showers and toilets and chairs and real food are wonderful, but I have quickly readjusted to life back in the woods.