morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-03-24
From: Woods Hole Shelter

To:  Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Woke up to a lot of wind. The shelter really didn't do a good job of shielding us from the wind just because of how hard the wind was blowing. One of the benefits of the strong wind was that Blood Mountain was completely clear of fog. Thus I was treated to some great views. The picture is of the shelter on top of the mountain. It is built of stone instead of the usual logs and/or wood. Most people don't stay in the shelter because it's damp and drafty. Also, there isn't a water source nearby. The shelter has been kept around since it was built in 1937. Stopped off at the outfitters at Neel's Gap to get supplies, do laundry and take a shower. There was a group from a nearby church cooking hamburgers for the hikers. The term used for such an event is 'trail magic' since it just shows up unexpectedly. It was a free hardy meal provided by a group that showed a lot of love. I was very grateful for what they did. Despite the long distance, my knee seemed to improve giving me a lot more confidence that out will be fine. We had a hard time staying warm because of the dropping temperatures and the high wind. In some spots the terrain provide a windshield which made us warm because of the amount of clothing we had on for the areas where we were exposed to the wind. Spent most of the hiking time talking with 'river rat'. The conversation was great and it made the time go quickly. I was glad to get to camp because it was so late and I was quite hungry.
Date: 2011-03-25
From:  Low Gap Shelter

To: Cheese Factory camping area
Miles today: 13.0

The cheese factory is a camping area located at a site where a cheese factory was located. This was one of those uneventful days for whatever reason. I decided to start late because of the cold morning. The temperatures drop to the high 20's. At least the wind had died down so we didn't have the wind chill factor to deal with. This was one of the toughest days simply because of the number of miles covered the day before. Not only was it 14.5 miles of trail the day before but there was the .7 miles of trail to leave Woods Hole Shelter. I'm turning in early tonight to get some much needed rest for the next day. I plan to spend the night in Hiawassee hopefully at a hostel called the Blue Berry Patch.
Date: 2011-03-26
From: Cheese Factory camping area

To:  Hiawassee
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: heavy intensity rain

Well the good weather can't last forever. In fact the end of good weather came abruptly. I was awaken at about 6 this morning to the sound of rain which ended pretty quickly. I was able to get breakfast cooked and eaten plus get most of my stuff packed before the rain really hit. The only thing left to pack was the tent. I waited for about an hour to see if the rain would stop long enough to get the tent packed. It never stopped. So I just did the best I could getting it packed without getting the rest of the backpack wet and took off for my next stop. The next mountain was Tray Mountain which normally has some great views. Of course the rainy weather obscured that wonderful view. This was one of those days that one has to get from point A to point B foregoing stops to enjoy views. It is one of those days where one really thinks about their goals. Is it worth the hardship? Do I quit because I'm suffering too much? Or do I persevere because the goal is a worthy one? While hiking along, I saw an important life lesson in hiking in the rain. Many times, one is faced with tough trials that make them want to give up. Sometimes, the outlook will even be bleak. There is always purpose in any trial. For each person, it is a time of growth and maturing. There are also other purposes that are unique to the given situation. Thus it is good to endure trials for many blessings await those who do. Rain or shine, hot or cold, tired or sore, the hike will go on. Finally did make it to the road crossing just as the rain quit. I'm now in a hotel room with a belly filled at a local buffet. Everything is about dried out and will be ready for tomorrow. The picture is of my waterlogged hand shortly after I got done. Fortunately, both hands are back to normally.
Date: 2011-03-27
From:  Hiawassee

To: Camping area south of NC-GA border
Miles today: 6.6

Could not leave Hiawassee until 11am due to shuttle schedule. Walk from the hotel on the far side of town to the Hiawassee on where we could get the shuttle. Add the driving delay and we didn't get on the trail until about 11:30. Only Thimble, Kevin and I took that shuttle. Found out that the guy who shuttled us to town yesterday had more of an opportunistic shuttle service. He basically waits at the road crossing for hikers to appear and offers his shuttle service on the hopes that they haven't made arrangements yet. The shuttle we got today was on a donation basis. Much cheaper and more comfortable than yesterday's shuttle to town. Given the late start and the slight fatigue from hauling a wet pack around yesterday, I decided to just take it easy both in distance and pace. I'm hoping that will allow the body to recover a bit. It was foggy most of the hike which gave the woods unique look. The cooler temperatures were also welcomed. The sun came out about a couple of miles before we got to the camping area on top of a small knob. Off in the distance, to the west, we had a great view of a mountain range. The awning feature of my tent came in handy as I was able to face it westward to capture that view. Despite the rain yesterday, we were still able to get a fire going. I'm now sitting here in my tent trying to wrestle with the many thoughts in my head. One of the great benefits of hiking is the ability to be alone while trying to sort things out. With the death of my wife in December, I must admit that I'm at a crossroad in my life. (Don't think I've lost it though. Whatever I decide to do, it will honor God. That is important to me. Also, I'm not going to make big changes in my life anytime soon.) So this day has been one of much contemplation about things. Fortunately, I've got lots of time so I can think about things over the next several months. Those of you who are so inclined, please keep me in your prayers both for safety but also clear thinking concerning these many things that need to be sorted out.
Date: 2011-03-28
From: Camping area south of NC-GA border

To:  Camping area near Standing Indian Shelter
Miles today: 9.6
Weather: overcast clouds

It rained a little in the early morning hours getting everything damp once again. Somehow, the dampness got into my sleeping bag and reduced its insulation effectiveness. It wasn't a big problem. I just added more layers and got warm again. The rain stopped before it was time to pack up so tents were not as wet this time. The big event for the day was crossing the Georgia-North Carolina border. Completing a state is cool even if it's only 76 miles. Today's hike also had a couple of tough climbs that were steep though not too long. Much of the trail was muddy from the rain over the last couple days. It is conditions like this that make me thankful for good boots. Other than sweat, my socks remained dry. Those that hike realize that this is important for preventing blisters. Once we got to the camping area, tents were setup, dinner was made and everything cleaned up. After dinner, we played cards to pass the time. It was a new game for me, called Fluxx. Very fun to play. It has been a fun day today overall; joking around, talking with folks for the first time as well as seeing those whom we haven't seen on a while, as well as the enjoyment of being out in God's creation. Tonight, we sleep with the sound of water rushing over rocks. Hoping for some great rest.
Date: 2011-03-29
From:  Camping area near Standing Indian Shelter

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: clear sky

Chilly night last night but slept well. Hike to Big Spring was easy except for the climb up Albert Mountain. We had a lot of good laughs today over some of the most silly things imaginable. As we walked, we came upon a stream that followed a ravine. Thimble asked me if there was a waterfall. I told her that I didn't think there was one but the sound was just water rushing over the rocks. We came to another ravine that had the same look and water sounds. It was a case of Deja vu. Just to be funny, Thimble asked the same waterfall question and I responded with the same answer. Today was one of those days where we were constantly tripping over roots and rocks on the trail. I think I'll do a new movie titled "Crouching Rock, Hidden Root", stumbling through the Appalachian Trail. The trail took us past some of best views ever. I took lots of pictures today and am having trouble deciding which one to include with today's journal entry. We got to the camping area that we had originally planned to stop at. The news was that there was going to be rain in the morning so the decision was to go another 4 miles to Big Springs which took us over Albert Mountain. This did a couple of things for us. First, it leaves us with a short day to get to Franklin, a planned town stop for resupply. Secondly, we don't have to try to go over Albert Mountain in a storm. Lastly, it allowed us to enjoy the views on top of Albert without the fog that normally accompanies a storm. It is situations like these that make it tough to stick to a plan because of the variables that cannot be predicted. One must be ready to adjust at a moment's notice. The climb up Albert Mountain was tough but worth it. From the top of the fire tower, one could get a 360 degree view of the surrounding area. (see the video) We got to the shelter fairly quickly after getting to the top of Albert. The last bit of humor for the day was watching a German guy try to hang a food bag. He selected a dead tree and had another guy, "towns", throw the rope over the branch of the tree. They hung the bags then tied the rope to another tree. He then realized that he needed to get something out of the food bag so he untied the rope to bring down the bag. The bag got hung up in the tree and wouldn't come down. When he pulled on the rope to free the bag, he ended up pulling down the dead tree which also pulled down another tree. Once we knew that he and "towns" were fine, we all had a good laugh. BTW, he now has the trail name of "timber".
Date: 2011-03-30
From: Big Spring Shelter

To: At Franklin
Miles today: 8.9

Last night, I tried a different sleeping bag pad because the one I had wasn't insulated. I kept getting cold from heat loss to the ground. Thimble was kind enough to let me try her insulated pad just to be sure about the insulation. It definitely help and she noticed that mine didn't insulate enough. Once I got to Franklin, I bought an insulated pad and sent my old one home. It rainef early in the morning but quit by the time I got up. It's much easier to pack up when it's not raining even though the tent is wet. Today's hike was relatively easy since was generally downhill. Met a lady named "Breezy" doing some slack packing/trail running. She is a very upbeat person that was thrilled with the idea of thru-hiking. As with most who are of the outdoor type, she was a bit envious. The forecast was for rain all morning but that never happened. Once we got to Winding Stair Gap, we called Ron Haven's staff to get a shuttle. "Timber" and "Deva" were there waiting for a ride from one of "Deva"'s friends. Found out that "Timber" got an eye infection from leaving his contacts in too long. It wasn't serious but definitely preventable. To listen to those two argue over what should have been done was priceless. One would think that they were married when in reality, they met on the trail. We finally got a shuttle to the downtown area where we able to get hotel rooms, showered and get laundry done. Berry (class of 2009) met us for dinner then took us to the store for resupply. Not only am I very thankful for her help, it was great spending time with her. We shared lots of stories and had some great fellowship. For tomorrow, I wasn't sure if I would take a zero. My right knee has been a little sore after climbing Albert Mountain. I pretty sure that it's from not stretching enough. If that turns out to be the case, I'll continue on on the morning. Otherwise, I'll spend another day in Franklin, maybe just checking museums and other sights.
Date: 2011-03-31
From: At Franklin

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: light rain

Woke up this morning with a little stiffness in the right knee that seemed to go away after moving around a little. So I decided to go ahead and hike. "Thimble" had already decided to zero today to give her sore knee a rest. One could argue that I should do the same but I felt mine would be ok. There was a pancake breakfast put on by the 1st Baptist Church. These folks were absolutely wonderful. Pancakes, bacon, coffer, juice, etc were all part of the menu. Apparently, this something that they do for a month or so every year. They have a heart to serve the hiking community during hiker season. Under the leadership of Ron Haven, Franklin has worked hard to earn the reputation of being a hiker friendly town. They have certainly accomplished this. For anyone planning on thru-hiking, I would recommend a stop in Franklin. After breakfast and packing up, I got the shuttle to the trail head and headed northward. I originally planned to just stop at the Wayah Bald Shelter which would had been a 12 mile day. But as the day wore on, I felt better and decided to push on to Cold Spring Shelter. I ended up hiking with "twig", "Mayo" and "hillbilly". There was a guy named "Grits" cooking hamburgers just before we got to the shelter. That also motivated me to push on to Cold Spring. Right now, I'm sitting in the tent writing this journal entry with the wind blowing and the temperature at about 32. Yep, it's going to be a cold night.
Date: 2011-04-01
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: NOC - Nantahalla Outdoor Center
Miles today: 11.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Yesterday I said it was going to be a cold night. Well it was cold. Did I say it was cold? At about 10 last night, we could hear the sound of sleet hitting our tents. Fortunately there wasn't much accumulation but enough to lightly dust the ground by morning. The temperatures continued to drop until it hit 15 degrees. Not only were the temperatures cold, the wind was blowing about 20 to 30 mph. By the next morning, I was very happy with the sleeping bag that I bought. I stayed very comfortable all night even though I neglected to completely zip up the bag. Getting up and going was quick. One doesn't spend a lot of time getting dressed in temperatures like that. I packed up, ate a food bar and some cheese and took off down the trail. Ice was hanging off of the tree limbs and the rhododendron leaves were curled up and hanging straight down. The trail was ice encrusted making a crunching sound with every step. This was the second day spent hiking with a different group of folks. Previously, I had been hiking with Thimble who took a zero the day before. I have enjoyed the time hiking with her and really hope to hike with her again. As I descended down the mountain and as the day wore on, it warmed up enough to start peeling off layers. I took my time hiking today because I knew my knees were stressed from yesterday's long and hard hike. After finishing the hike today, I decided to rest tomorrow to give the knees a chance to recover. It took longer than usual for them to get going, especially the joints. The whole point of getting to Nantahalla Outdoor Center (NOC) so quickly was to catch a shuttle back to Franklin to participate in the hiker festivities. I wasn't sure that I would be able to get there in time was fortunate to arrive about 20 minutes before the shuttle got to NOC. The most spectacular sights were that of the Nantahalla gorge. Very close to the top of the final descent is a rock outcropping called the Jumpoff. From there, one can see most of the gorge. Despite needing to get to the endpoint, I stopped to enjoy the view that the camara can never catch. It's the sort of thing that really makes one feel insignificant. Once I got to Franklin, I called Morning Glory and told him what my plans were. He was able to come down and meet me here to spend some time at the hiker festivities going on tomorrow. We'll travel up to NOC sometime tomorrow, maybe stopping by Bryson City along the way. Berry, who lives in Franklin, was once again gracious to take me to the store to get a knee brace and some more vitamin-I (ibuprofen). I have really appreciated her support during this part of the hike.
Date: 2011-04-02
From: NOC - Nantahalla Outdoor Center

To: NOC - Nantahalla Outdoor Center day 2
Miles today: 0.0

Enjoyed a zero day with Morning Glory. We wandered around Franklin this morning talking to folks in and around the vendor area. Stopped by the Lightheart tent booth to meet Judy and Mark. After asking some questions about seam sealing my tent, Mark pointed out that there were a couple of spots that I missed. He had me bring the tent by, set it up and provided me with some sealer to get to the areas that I missed. I came away very impressed with their support. Thanks so much for your help! After seeing all of the booths, Morning Glory and I decided to head back to NOC. The only hiker we took back with us to NOC was "cope". I thought there would be more but I guess we didn't do a good job of getting the word out. After eating at the River's Edge restaurant, Morning Glory took off. I really enjoyed spending the time with him. As I move further north, there won't be as many of these opportunities. I think the rest was good for my knees as well as my energy level. I hated to fall behind on what was originally planned but in the grand scheme, it really won't make a big difference. Getting a major injury would really mess things up so it's definitely better to be cautious by resting when it's needed. In my quest to solve the knee issue, I decided to buy some Super Feet insoles. So far, they feel wonderful. It's my hope that they will reduce the shock on the downhill stretches. I just reread all of the guest book entries. Wow! I really appreciate all of the encouragement. You guys are awesome! Tonight, I'll spend the night at NOC then continue the hike in the morning. Next stop will be Fontana Dam.
Date: 2011-04-04
From: Cheoah Bald

To: Cody Gap camping area
Miles today: 10.8
Weather: clear sky

Woke up this morning to watch the sun rise. That was an absolute thrill. Last night, we all watched the sun set and this morning, it was the sun rise. I have said in the past that this was my favorite section of the trail probably because there are so many wonderful memories like this. We heard warnings about the storm coming through later on in the day but really didn't think about it in the morning and early afternoon. We simply did the usual morning routine of breakfast, pack up and take off. The big event of the day was the climb out of Stecoah Gap called Jacob's ladder. This part of the trail must be ancient because it was laid out before switchbacks were invented. The climb out of that gap is quite steep - about 500 feet in a half of a mile. That works out to a 20 percent average grade! The trick as always is to just take it slow. The rest of the day was uneventful except for the approaching storm. A bunch of us met up at the shelter before the camping area to talk about strategies for dealing with the storm. Seemed like the best thing was to get to a camping area quickly and get tents set up before the rain hit. We all managed to do just that including preparing and eating dinner for most of the group. My dinner took longer to prepare than the others so I ended up eating dinner in the rain. I will not eat inside my tent since it creates food odors that attract critters like bears so I stood under a downed tree and had dinner. I hung the food bag in the rain and got inside the tent. All of us just simply remained in our respective tents for the remainder of the night. There are a total of 7 of us -"Moss", "Bumble Bee", "Millhouse", "Snake Hips", "Spud", "Thimble"and myself; crammed into a rather right camping area, all tucked away in out tents, trying to stay dry. In a storm like this, one just tries to minimize how much everything gets wet. The small droplets of water that find their way into the tent slowly soak down everything. Stuff that absolutely needs to stay dry is kept in plastic bags. These are some of the techniques for managing gear during a rain storm. Tomorrow's stop is Fontana Dam where we all can dry out, shower and do laundry. Did I mention that there's ice cream too? Can't wait!
Date: 2011-04-05
From: Cody Gap camping area

To:  Fontana Dam
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: scattered clouds

The storm that passed through last night was quite a strong one. I'm not sure about the number of inches it rained but it was a lot. The wind was also strong, probably around 30 mph. By the time morning rolled around, the temperature dropped to below freezing. When we got up, there was a light dusting of sleet on the ground and plenty of frozen rain on the fly of the tent. I knew I should have packed an ice scraper. There was also a lot of rain that had worked its way into the inside of my tent. The toe box of the sleeping bag was slightly damp and there was water on the floor of the tent. The inside of the tent looked like it qualified for FEMA disaster relief. I woke up several times to blot up the water that accumulated on the floor of the tent. A lot of the folks I talked to the day before went on to the next shelter which made it quicker to get to Fontana. Most importantly, for those that stayed inside the shelter itself, they were spared the effects of the strom. Everyone except "Thimble" and I was up and gone pretty quick. We just took our time. The previous night, we had talked about having ice cream once we got to the store in Fontana Village. It's one of those treats we hikers like to get once we get to civilization. We didn't care how cold it was, we're getting some ice cream. That motivated us throughout the day. The hike itself was pretty uneventful. There wasn't anything really difficult except for one long climb. The interesting thing for the day was the trilliums that were beginning to bloom. These flowers don't stay around very long so seeing them is a real treat. The right knee is almost completely healed up. The left knee continues to improve. I think that as long as I take it easy, stretch and wear the knee brace, it will get better. As we started to descend into the Fontana Dam area, we could see the lake through the trees. It was difficult to get a good picture through the trees so the picture represents my best attempt. Once in Fontana, we all got our mail drops, ice cream and our rooms in that order. Dinner was a blast. We hooked with some folks we hadn't seen since Hiawassee. We joked and laughed, telling stories about trail life we each experienced over the last week. There are certainly strong friendships that have developed in the short time we have had together.