morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2007-09-04
From: Bromley Warming Hut

To: Manchester Center
Miles today: 3.0
Weather: broken clouds

It's an early morning. We push out before Zero is up. Ashley is slow moving this morning. Her hip was bothering her. We make the trail head parking lot by 8:30 where Brian is waiting for us. We all pile into Mike¢s truck and drive over to Ashley¢s car. We say our good byes. It was pretty tough to see the gang leave. I wish they could have stayed longer and hiked more with me, but they all agreed that when I hit Virginia they would be out more often. Ashley brings Brian and I back to her Apartment where she and I shower, then she takes us over to Manchester Center where she spends the rest of the day with us. Now today is huge. Today I'm suppose to get the dog. I call Sean and Holly and leave messages on their cell phones. 5:30 rolls around and I give up, I tell Brian I will try one more time in the morning and if nothing we push out at noon. We spend the rest of the night at the hostel. Also staying at the hostel is a real cool section hiker named Mark Trail names are Broken Knee (he has bad knees) and Doc. He got the name Doc because he helped Keisha patch up her knee. We all end up going out to dinner together and trade our life stories with one another. This is becoming routine on the trail. I write a few journal entries then off to bed.
Date: 2007-03-21
From: Amicalola Falls State Park Visitor Center

To: Len Foote Hike Inn
Miles today: 0.0

I started today at the Hiker Hostel with an awesome breakfast. Thanks go to the crew at the hostel for a great time and a great way to start a hike. I met Kids Meal, Leafer, Rockmaster, Luna, Ben, James and others that I cannot remember their names. I weighed my pack on the scale outside and it said 50 lbs. Ugh!! Somehow it gained 10 lbs from my trip to Florida. Josh from the hostel shuttled a group of us to our starting locations (Springer and Amicalola) and the start of our journeys. I am starting at Amicalola since I will be staying the first night at the Len Foote Hike Inn. The nights stay there is a retirement gift from the 224th Georgia Air National Guard when I retired from the USAF on 1 Mar 07. Thank you so much.   After getting the pack ready and signing in at the visitors center (#288) it was time to go. A couple of photos at the arch and the hike begins. As I was starting, so were Kelsey and Whitney who drove from Colorado. We hiked up to Amicalola Falls on the approach trail. I think this part of the approach trail is there to make sure you¢re serious about what you want to do and an initiation to the trail. It was steep and does make you think about what you are getting yourself into. Anyway, we made it there and took a break to see the falls. We parted company soon after as I took the side trail to the Len Foote Hike Inn. I recommend this place for anyone who wants something different in accommodations. For a hiker it¢s a 5 star area. Great accommodations, great food, and great people made the stay there another special memory for this hike.   Today¢s Lessons: Hike slow and steady, hydrate often, take a break, and enjoy the surroundings.
Date: 2007-03-25
From: Mills Gap

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: clear sky

I¢ve been getting up around daylight and getting out within 90 minutes. Still not great but I¢m getting better at it. I decided to go with a cold breakfast today to see if that would cut down on the time to get ready in the morning. Cooking a hot breakfast does take extra time and effort. Today breakfast was eaten on-the-go as I hiked. It seemed to work out fine and my energy level also seemed to be okay. I may change to this way of having breakfast. This mornings hike to Jarrad Gap wasn¢t bad. Probably since I had plenty of rest and the legs were well rested too. The gnats are still pestering at every break stop. I get to the Slaughter Creek trail where the last water source is before going up Blood Mt. I fill up with enough water to get up and over Blood Mt and into Neels Gap. The trail up Blood was steep and rocky but I still made it. The last time I was up here was with my son on a day hike. That was during a previous July not in March. The only difference now is the foliage or lack of leaves on trees. The GNATS are really bad at the shelter so I climb up on one of the rocks on the summit hoping for any breeze to keep them away. It¢s not the best of breezes but better than nothing. This place is popular and there are many day hikers up here. It¢s almost to crowded up here with all the people. As soon as I rest, snack, and take some photos I will head down. I remember how tough the decent was and it¢s worse without the shade of leaves on trees. It was 90 degrees on top. HOT!!! As I was going down there were many people going up. It¢s definitely a busy hiking day on the trail. I got to Neels Gap and was ready for an end to the day. I dropped my pack outside and went in looking for something cool to drink. I got a Powerade and drank it pretty fast. I went back for another drink and also got a couple of hotdogs with it. I sat outside relaxing and watching Whinton, the owner of the outfitter, going through someone pack. He and the staff offer this service to anyone that wants it to help them reduce pack weight. For the majority, it is a valuable service. I register at Neels Gap as thru-hiker number 324 and decide to stay at the hostel here too. I am able to shower, do laundry, get some things from the outfitter store, and also go through my pack to see what I can send home. I was able to cut out about 8-10lbs of excess before the staff went through and found a couple more things. This is also my first maildrop location and I pick it up and add he contents to my pack/food bag. Maildrops are helpful when you need items that may not be available where you stop and/or to supplement what you are able find. I changed the time on my camera to the current Daylight Savings Time. Time for sleep. Wx: hot, lo 50, hi 90
Date: 2007-03-26
From: Neels Gap

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Up at 0700 to finish going through my pack. Went to store @ 0830-bought pack cover, underwear, Superfeet insoles , paid the hostel bill, then had Daniel go through my pack for a sanity check. Ended up pulling out 1pr of socks and my extra pants. Everything else was okay and my pack now weighs 42lbs w/2liters of water and 5 days food. Outstanding! Departed Neels Gap @ 1020. Cool and breezy. The trail started going up immediately. I made it to the top of Mt Leveland w/no problems. The downhill was very steep and the knees and calf muscles were hurting on the switchbacks. Stopped at 1205 to change out the superfeet insoles since my feet were very sore. My next stop was at a point before Tesnatee Gap where the ridge came soon afterwards. Stopped at Tesnatee Gap for a break and lunch. I am hot and tired already with all these downs. A car from Cloud 9 hostel came by and stopped for a couple of minutes as we talked. I was getting ready to leave when Jethro came by and we hiked the ridge to Hogpen Gap where I stopped to get water. I had about two sips left in the camelbak. After I crossed the road I met Mt Man sitting just up the trail waiting for someone. I struggled getting to Low Gap shelter with sore feet and legs. First thing I did when I got there was to soak my feet in the creek before setting up camp and fixing dinner. Wx: cool-am, 50; hot-pm, hi 75
Date: 2007-03-27
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Blue Mt Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Started the day feeling good. The knees and calves feel great after a nights rest. Departed at 0920 and hiked the day with D.B. (doing better). He has the same knee and calf pain/soreness as I do. We decided on a short day today. The trail was great for most of the day with a slow/easy accent. I carried 2-1/2 liters of water to see if I could extend my hiking time. We kept a steady pace and stopped every hour for a short break. We arrived at Chatahoochie Gap just after noon and had a 20 minute lunch break. I changed my socks at this time to keep my feet fresh. Skip showed up as we were ready to leave. He stayed here for lunch too. Arrived at Blue Mt shelter about 1500. Today was a good hiking day. I still can't wait until the body gets conditioned. There were parts of the last couple of miles where the trail was rocky and steep. I setup my tent, aired out the quilt and rainfly from this mornings condensation. Fixed dinner of mexican rice and a tuna filet. It was good but maybe some Tabasco sauce may spice it up. Salty Dog arrived and is staying the night. 3-cats and Hunter stopped briefly before moving on. I had DB laughing so much today telling him about the Clif Chocolate Brownie bar looking like bear pooh. Overall it was a great day. Wx: cool-am, 50's; pm-70's. Hikers: Jethro, DB, Skip
Date: 2007-03-28
From: Blue Mt Shelter

To: Tray Mt Shelter
Miles today: 7.7

What a beautiful sunrise today. Ate my oatmeal and departed at 0905. Today will have some tough ups and downs. The first being Unicoi Gap. I got there about 1050 where the elevation is 2949 feet. Within 5 minutes after getting there guess who drives up - Whitney and her sister Kelsey. It was great seeing both of them again. Especially since we started the trail the same day and place.   Whitney's trail name is Doodle now. She is a very talented artist. Doodle will continue hiking while her sister heads back to Colorado. The hike out of Unicoi Gap was pretty steep but not to bad since it's early in the day. Ate lunch about noon at the top of the climb. I stopped later at Indian Grave Gap for a snack, rest, and sock change. Riggy and Krystals (now Game On) stopped in as we left. Arrived at Tray Gap at 1500. I am tired but had a nice view if Tray Mt earlier. The climb up Tray mt was tough since it was mid-day and the energy level was low. Arrived at Tray Mt shelter about 1600. Filtered 4 liters of water. My camelbak was almost empty when I got here. I met Stealth and Bubba here. Doodle, DB, and I tented with others around the area. Note: Drink more during the day!! Snack often to keep the energy level up. Wx: clear/pt cloudy, 60-75
Date: 2007-03-29
From: Tray Mt Shelter

To: Hiawassee
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: broken clouds

Got up early and cooked breakfast first to see how that worked. Saw a pretty good sunrise this morning too. The weather now is cold and breezy but great for hiking. Departed at 0845 and arrived at Swag of the Blue Ridge at 1030. Did some foot maintainance on the trail since my socks were still damp this morning. There is nothing worse than wet feet to hike. I arrived at Addis Gap, ate lunch and changed socks. It was cold here while sitting so I put my rain jacket on for wind protection. Kelly Knob was foggy so I couldn't see the three states that were possible from there. I arrived at Deep Gap shelter about 1400 and Doodle was there already. I went to get water and eat a snack. We decided to go on to Dicks Creek Gap and into town. I was feeling good to do a few more miles. We were getting ready to leave when 2 dogs, 2 girls, and 5 guys arrived. On the way down to Dicks Creek Gap we met Tater and his dog coming up. He is really nice and helpful. I got to Dicks Creek Gap at 1600 and Doodle already had a ride she was waiting for. Jake was there dropping someone off and asked if I needed a ride and I said - yes. He had to stop at the Blueberry Patch hostel first on his way to Hiawassee. We picked up Riggy and they dropped me off at the Hiawassee Inn and waited for me to check in and change clothes before we went out to dinner at a mexican food restaurant. We took Riggy back to the hostel and Jake and I went to see a movie in another town. A great day all around. Wx: 50's, foggy and cool
Date: 2007-03-30
From: Hiawassee

To: Hiawassee
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

My first zero day. I'm staying at the Hiawassee Inn and Ron and Sam are great hosts. They will do anything to help you during your stay. I had everything laid out in my room to dry last night. Today I will go shopping for my fist resupply of 5 days to get me to Franklin. My left achilles tendon is very sore and the rest should help. Shopping was an experience because I got way to much. What was I thinking? Never shop when hungry! At least I won't starve but the extra weight will make a difference. DB was here too but tented on the grass. I met Dave, Melody and Tony here too. Later Al, DB, and I went to dinner at Daniels AYCE. Before I went to dinner I put one those toe warmer pads on my sore tendon. It worked! The constant heat helped relieve the soreness. Another long day even when not hiking. Wx: 50's, foggy and cool
Date: 2007-03-31
From: Hiawassee

To: Bly Gap, NC
Miles today: 8.8
Weather: overcast clouds

I was able to get a ride to Dicks Creek Gap with Al. I met Al at the hotel and we will hike together for awhile. After we got dropped off we decided to eat a snack before hitting the trail. A couple of other hikers passed by while we were snacking. One of them had a small black/white dog with him and will be hiking to Fontana Dam. Al and I arrived at Plumorchard Gap shelter where Tater and family were doing some trail magic. Hot dogs and sodas for all hikers passing through here. Wow! What a nice thing to do for us out here. Thanks, Tater.   A group of 7 hikers/2 dogs also came in for trail magic. I also met Bill the Pony here. Al and I decided to move on a few more miles to a campsite down the trail. It was still early in the day and it looked like the shelter would be crowded. Somehow we missed the campsite area and ended hiking to the GA/NC border. One state down, thirteen to go. We stopped at Bly Gap for the night and setup camp there. The weather started getting colder and it looks like rain. It did start to rain after it got dark and rained most of the night. Trail magic rocks!! Wx: cool-am, warm-pm, night-rain
Date: 2007-04-01
From: Bly Gap, NC

To: Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: light rain

It rained most of the night but it let up long enough in the morning to give us time to pack up our wet gear. First full day in NC. All I can say about NC so far is Rain, Rocks, and Roots - 3 R's. The first two hills of the day were steep and a challenge. The body is still adjusting to the physical needs of the trail. Al and I were taking a short break at Sassafrass gap when Bill the Pony came by. It started to sprinkle so we started hiking again before the rain started. We got Muskrat shelter a little bit wet but before it rained harder. There were a couple of hikers holed up here too. When the rain stopped we hiked on to Standing Indian Shelter and got there just as it started raining again. Skip was there as were three other hikers. About 30 minutes later the group of 7 started arriving and it got really crowded for a 6 person shelter. Everyone started to eat and change clothes and some setup tents. It was a cold and wet end to this day and my first time to sleep in a shelter. The privy down the hill had it's door opening facing the shelter with no door to close. You sat there exposed to anyone to see. My first rainy day. In the shelter: Skip, Al, me, 3 others. Weather: cool-am, rain most of day
Date: 2007-04-02
From: Standing Indian Shelter

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 14.4
Weather: light rain

I slept in the shelter last night for the first time. I can't say I got a good nights sleep with the confined space, snoring, and rain drops on the tin roof but I did get some sleep. I was up early to pack my gear before the shelter became to busy. Al, who I've been hiking with since leaving Hiawassee, and I departed the shelter about 0840. We made the top of Standing Indian Mt. before starting the leisure decent into Beech Gap. We arrived there before heading to Carter Gap. Once there we met up with the rest of the hiking party from last night and everyone had the same idea - lunch, water, and drying out our stuff from the rainy night before. We were there from 1230-1430. There are two shelters there - one old and one new about 400 yds north of the old one. Today was the longest mileage day so far. I am tired but it was a good day.
Date: 2007-04-03
From: Big Spring Shelter

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: clear sky

Today I walked part of the trail near Glassmine Gap with a couple of engineers from NH who lives about 4 miles from Mt Lafayette. They will finish their thru-hike today at Rock Gap. The 2004 hurricanes forced them off this section of the trail. I continue on after a short break at Rock Gap Shelter. At Wallace Gap I meet a hiker who is out doing a test hike from there to Winding Stair Gap. The climb out of Wallace Gap is steep but we take our time to the top where it levels out. The rest of the ridge walk was nice until the descent to Winding Stair Gap. I can see the road as I¢m coming down and notice a couple vehicles with a bunch of hikers gathered around. I see Skip and the group of seven with the dogs. Everyone is having a good time because there is trail magic here. Skip and I catch a ride into Franklin from one of the people there. We stop at one hotel but they only have one room left and they suggest we go to the Sapphire Inn down the road. We get there and check in, clean up, and relax a little before dinner. In the mean time the other hikers start showing up and then it turns into a party and more visiting. I catch up to Skip at a restaurant across the street and eat with him. The group of seven is at a table near us and we have a great time. Skip got a new camera and tested it out by taking my picture. I hope it works after that. I check it out and take a picture of his second salad in front of him. What a great way to end the day. Wx: cold/windy
Date: 2007-04-04
From: Franklin, NC

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

The weather doesn¢t look good today. It looks like everyone else may take a zero day here but I decide to go. Al, who I had been hiking with the past week is taking a zero too. I catch a ride to the trailhead and who else do I see here but Doodle. We keep meeting up on the trail and it¢s great to have someone to hike with at times. We both start off but she is a strong hiker and moves ahead. The weather is cool and feels great. I get to Siler Bald where the view is okay because the trail is not on the peak but the area is grassy. There is a side trail to the shelter but I want to keep moving. I meet a hiker, Marathon Man, on Siler Bald who is doing 26 miles a day which is amazing right now. He moves on and leaves me in his dust. I meet up with Doodle a little past Wayah Gap where she is laying out in the sun soaking up some warmth and I decide to take a break and do the same. I also need to check my feet and re-tape my blisters anyway. We move on and again meet at the John B. Byrne Memorial Tower on top of Wayah Bald. This tower is made from stone and has awesome views of the countryside. We are both pushing to get to Cold Spring Shelter for the night so we don¢t stay long here. Doodle is fast and leads on ahead. I get to Licklog Gap and notice a couple tents off to the side and see that it is Tony and Dave. I hadn¢t seen them since Hiawassee and I stopped for a short visit before moving on. The weather is getting colder as I start the climb up to Cold Spring Shelter. Today has been the longest hiking mileage day for me and I can feel it. My feet are still doing okay but are a bit sore. I catch up to Doodle just before we get to the shelter and it is a small shelter and already full. There is a tenting area nearby but I¢m tired and hungry. I decide to eat first before anything else since it¢s going to be dark soon. At the shelter are Coach, Theresa and Mat© and a couple of other people I don¢t remember there names. My water filter is leaking more that it is filling and I will have to get it checked at the NOC. While cooking and eating dinner, Coach and Mat© serenaded us with music and singing. It¢s great to hear music out here after so long. I set my tent up near the shelter next to some bushes to block the wind. I climb into my tent and look at my thermometer and it says 30 degrees. Brrrr. I¢m ready for a long nights rest after a long, long day. Wx: cool-cold/windy
Date: 2007-04-05
From: Cold Spring Shelter 

To: NOC
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

It was cold last night! It got down to 22 degrees but my quilt kept me toasty warm. There are icicles hanging from the water source. I¢m glad I decided to go with a cold breakfast. I can eat and hike at the same time and today is perfect for it. The trail isn¢t bad today and it¢s mostly downhill. I make it to Tellico Gap and take a short break before moving on. On top of Wesser Bald there is an observation tower with more great views of the surrounding area. Doodle is here also as we take a lunch break. From this tower you can see the Smoky Mts and Fontana Lake. Dave catches up and I hike up with him for a while before he goes on. He¢s a retired judge and I had met him and his wife in Hiawassee too. From Wesser Bald the trail is a long, long downhill. It seems to go forever, especially after coming down ¢The Jump-Off¢ which is a steep portion in this section where the trail is rocky and narrow for a couple hundred yards as you come off the ridge. The rest of the trail down you can just cruise all the way to the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). When I get to the NOC I see everyone before me taking a break near the bridge next to the outfitters. I drop my pack and grab my water filter to see if the outfitter can repair it. I can¢t continue with an unreliable means to purify water. They said they will look at it and pick it up in the morning and I said okay. This was where I was stopping for the night anyway so I check into the administration office for a room. I will be sharing the bunk room with M&M and a couple other hikers. This place is awesome. There is a large building with dining room and kitchen on the top floor and showers and laundry on the bottom floor. Both of which I use before dinner. For dinner we go to the River¢s End restaurant since the other eating places have not opened for the season yet. I meet Critter¢s Dad here with the other hikers. It¢s great meeting other hikers out here hiking. I think that is the best part besides being out here seeing the countryside. It¢s been another great day of hiking. My body is starting to adjust more to the physical requirements of each day. I wish my feet would too. They get sore around the 10-12 mile point and all I can think about is soaking them in cold water. Wx: Cold
Date: 2007-04-06
From: NOC

To: Sassafrass Gap shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: broken clouds

Ate breakfast with Genesis at the Rivers End Restaurant. I had the buffet - yum. I went back to the outfitters where I dropped off my water filter for repair if possible. They replaced the pump assembly for no charge. Awesome! I picked up some Micropur Tablets as a backup though. The climb out of the NOC was about as bad as coming in, 6 miles - all up. I took my time and made it to the shelter but before I did my map fell out of my pocket and T-Rex picked it up. She was hiking with Matt and Sue. We all were at the shelter tonight. Coach, Genesis, Mat©, Doodle, M&M, Peer-Pride, 2 other guys, and a family of 4. About 20 total. Genesis had a fire going when we arrived and it was a hit on such a cold evening. I put down a bed of dried leaves before I set my tent up to insulate me from the ground. I also covered my 4liter water bag with leaves to keep it from freezing. A long day and I'm ready for bed tonight. The legs sure need it. It started snowing before bed.Wx: cold day, 45 deg to start, 18 @ night and snow