morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2017-05-17
From: Rock Gap

To: Wayah Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: clear sky

5/17/17 Day 10Rock Gap to Wayah Shelter 14.6 milesZen dropped me off at Rock Gap by 8AM and I was heading north again. Nice cool temps with bright morning sun, I was cruising along when I met back up with Sherlock and Baguette! I was glad to see them. It's tough getting separated from your trail buddies but everyone's gotta hike their own hike. I met up with them just as we were approaching Siler Bald. A .2 mile side trail brought you up to the top where there were some good views ( I prefer when they're right on the trail though). A couple miles later we were up on Wayah Bald and the observation tower. There must have been fire here also recently- the roof of the old stone tower was burnt off and all the trees around were charred. It looked like an evil castle. The inside was all vandalized with graffiti and empty beer cans. The view from up top was incredible though. Best views of the day no doubt. Another 2.5 miles and I'm here at the campsite. All set up and fed. I'm sure I'll sleep just fine tonight as well.
Date: 2017-05-18
From: Wayah Shelter

To: Rufus Morgan Shelter 
Miles today: 15.5

5/18/17 Day 11Wayah Shelter to Rufus Morgan Shelter 15.5 milesWoke up kind of late today since I only have about 80 miles to do before I get picked up in Newfound Gap in 10 days.  Played leapfrog with Sherlock and Baguette today but I'm stopping before them since I don't have to resupply at NOC.  The highlight for today was Wesser Bald where there's an observation tower with incredible views. The lowlight was the 6 mile, 2400' descent into the shelter but I wanted to get the pain out of the way today- no reason to put it off.  I've been incredibly lucky with the weather so far- all sunny days with no rain forecasted till Sunday.  The 6 mile downhill was grueling and I was so happy to see the shelter and put an end to the pain. Made a nice hot dinner of Ramen with some cheese and Cool Ranch Doritos thrown in for extra flavor. I'm camped here tonight with Meadowlark and Natalie.
Date: 2017-05-19
From: Rufus Morgan Shelter 

To: Locust Grove Gap Tentsite
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: thunderstorm

5/19/17 Day 12Rufus Morgan Shelter to Locust Grove Gap Tentsite11.3 milesToday was payment day! Started with a 7 mile 3500' climb out of the NOC. It was straight up much of the way. Had some nice views at Cheoah Bald. Stopped at Sassafras Gap Shelter for lunch and a nap. That climb this morning took everything out of me so I was just taking my time to the next campsite 3.6 miles away. Got into camp around 3 and decided to call it a day and rest the knees. As I was getting water, Brian showed up then Meadowlark. Soon after that the German brothers were here and the campsite was full. We had a good night talking about all the characters we've met. We met a guy named "90" whos carrying a 90lb pack with books and all. He has a trail cat that he puts on his pack when he hikes just to make it a little heavier. There's Dirty Jesus who hikes like 30 miles a day and there's an Alaskan couple who had one of their bags stolen so they take turns carrying 1 backpack and a couple of duffel bags. They also have a huge frying pan and a box of pancake mix. There are some odd ones out here, but they're all having a good time.The hammock is all set up and the sun is going down, I'm sure I'll sleep good tonight.
Date: 2017-05-20
From: Locust Grove Gap Tentsite

To: Cable Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: broken clouds

5/20/17 Day 13Locust Grove Gap to Cable Gap Shelter 11.6 miles (at mile 158.9)Had a few quick showers overnight but nothing to worry about. The real pain was the whippoorwill that chirped ALL NIGHT LONG!! This damn bird chirped and chirped and nothing was answering it. The climb out of the gap was easy but our big climb for the day was just up ahead. We had to climb up Jacobs Ladder- it's a 900' rise in about .6 miles- straight up. It was a workout especially with the humidity today but it could've been worse. I wouldn't want to do that in the rain. After that we had about 4 or so miles of the easiest trail so far. It basically wrapped around a few mountains about half way up with very little up and down. There was an occasional peak to go over but nothing too hard. Knees are still sore so I'm calling it a day at 11.5 miles. There's a huge downhill coming up and I'll just hit it tomorrow and then check into the Fontana Village where Lisa made a reservation for me- Woohooo!Showers, laundry, and restaurant food!!So tonight I made a little campfire to get rid of some of these bugs. They call this hiker T.V. Sat around the fire with Natalie(Tippy Toes), Bill and Billy(father/son) and had great conversation. Just as I'm laying here, the wind is picking strong, cooling everything off and blowing away some of the humidity- good sleeping weather.
Date: 2017-05-21
From: Cable Gap Shelter 

To: Fontana Lodge
Miles today: 5.0
Weather: overcast clouds

5/21/17 Day 14Cable Gap Shelter to Fontana Lodge5 miles The 1st rain test. My incredible streak of sunny warm weather came to an end today as I woke up to a steady light rain. I only had 5 miles to walk today and couldn't check into my room till after 4 so I tried to patiently wait out the rain. I fidgeted in my hammock till 8:30 and couldn't take it any longer. Let's just get it over with. Packed up all my gear and managed to stay mostly dry. I was really trying to psych myself up for this, after all, it's just a little water. I was reading Postcards book last night about hiking in rain and it's mostly attitude. It's not the end of the world, just a little nuisance. Besides, I had a warm dry room to go to tonight. It was actually fun waking in it and the temps were mild enough that I didn't need my raincoat on. Hiking in the raincoat just makes me sweat anyway, the cool rain feels much cleaner.  After about 2 hours, I arrived at the Fontana Marina where there is a phone to call for a shuttle to the village. Arrived at the village by noon but had to wait for the room to be ready so I went to the grill to have a nice warm meal. I ran into Tippy Toes then Meadowlark and Mo (Momentum). We hung out on the patio as the sun came out and 4 hours flew by. More and more hikers strolled in and before you know it, we outnumbered the other guests.  This is an awesome little village with a general store (crazy expensive), laundry, and a few restaurants. The staff were also incredibly nice to the hikers. I got checked into my room, cleaned and dried all my gear, took a shower, did my laundry, and had the rest of the night to hang out with the rest of my hiker buddies. Hot Sauce and James showed up with a few more that I hadn't met yet and we had a great time talking about all the weirdos out here with us. Around 9:00 we all suddenly got sleepy and headed off to our rooms. Seems like hiker midnight hits even when we're in town.
Date: 2017-05-22
From: Fontana Lodge

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter 
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: overcast clouds

5/22/17 Day 15Fontana Lodge to Mollies Ridge Shelter13.1 milesNot so bad up into the Smokies. After a good nights sleep in Fontana, we got the shuttle back to the marina to pick up where we left off. We walked across the Fontana Dam and into Great Smoky Mountain National Park. Everybody has been kind of apprehensive about the Smokies because of the high elevation, the camping restrictions, and the lack of exit points. It's only about 70 miles from beginning to end, but there is only 1 access point in the middle at Newfound Gap. There are Ridge runners that check permits and enforce the camping regulations. Everyone must stay in a shelter and you can only tent if the shelter is full. I sleep in a hammock so I had to have my sleeping pad shipped to me just in case there was shelter space.  We climbed about 2000' over 4 miles to enter the Smokies and went right up to Shuckstack Mountain where there's a fire tower. Got some great views just as the clouds rolled in. Got to the shelter by 4 and set up my sleeping pad. I was looking forward to using it since I was carrying the extra weight and it was supposed to rain overnight. I hate packing up wet gear. There are a lot of people here tonight- 14 makes the shelter full and 4 tents set up nearby. I met Atlas- he carried a 110 lb pack up Blood Mountain. He's since trimmed it down to 60lbs. He immediately hung the American flag at the shelter and started a fire. He then cooked up enough food for everyone at the shelter. (look at the photos with all his food)
Date: 2017-05-23
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter 

To: Siler's Bald Shelter 
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: light rain

5/23/17 Day 16Mollies Ridge Shelter to Siler's Bald Shelter 18.5 milesI despise sleeping in these mouse infested shelters but it's the rule in GSMNP to reduce the impact of all the hikers/campers. It was very uncomfortable sleeping on the wooden platform with all the snorers and the tossing and turning. But enough about the good part of the day.  The rain started in the middle of the night and I headed out into it around 7:30 AM planning on making it to Siler's Bald Shelter. There were 0 views today and it was the 1st time on this trip that I didn't take a single photo- didn't want to get the phone wet. The thing about hiking in the rain is that as soon as you stop, you begin to get very cold, very fast. Stopped for lunch at the Derrick Knob Shelter where I ran into Laz-e Boy (formerly Brian from FL). He had put on his dry stuff just so he could relax and have a warm lunch. I probably should have done the same but I just wanted to get the hike over with today.  I scarfed down my pepperoni and cheese wrap and had a little snickers bar treat and I was on my way.  I made it to Siler's Bald Shelter around 4 and got into my emergency dry clothes and warmed up under my quilt. There was a Ridge Runner here checking permits and enforcing the regulations so no campfire tonight. Made my dinner of Ramen with some crushed Doritos and climbed back under the covers. It's not going to be rainbows and butterflies everyday. There's a saying out here: no rain, no pain, no Maine and today I was batting 2 for 3. But the silver lining is that the adversity made me realize  how determined I am to keep moving forward. I've hiked through some blisters and knee pain and now the added rain is just another layer that I will overcome. I'm actually kind of glad it happened 1 thing at a time. It could have been overwhelming but this way is manageable. I have no idea how the earlier hikers do this with snow!!
Date: 2017-05-25
From: Newfound Gap - Gatlinburg 

To: Vacation
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

5/25/17 - 5/30Gatlinburg1st 6 zero daysGot a good nights sleep in the Travel Lodge Inn and free breakfast was awesome too. Laz E Boy and Mike decided to take a zero with me on Thursday which was awesome. I was stuck here till Friday anyway and it was great to have some buddies around. I think I saw every hiker I'd ever met swing through Gatlinburg in the 3 days I was there. It was a huge party.  The guys got back on the trail Friday and I started making my way towards Pigeon Forge to meet up with Lisa on Saturday.  Stayed at a hotel in Pigeon Forge Friday night and Lisa came Saturday!!We had 4 awesome days together relaxing in the cabin(Thanks Sherry and Art!!!) and doing the touristy thing in Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge. The time flew by and I was well rested and all healed up for the trail. The time off also helped heal the knees.
Date: 2017-05-31
From: Newfound Gap - Gatlinburg 

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter 
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: broken clouds

5/31/17 Day 18Newfound Gap to Tri-Corner Knob Shelter 15.1 milesBack on the trail. After 6 days of no hiking, it was time to get back at it. Just an FYI- I'm only counting the days that I hike which is why I'm on Day 18.It was extremely difficult watching Lisa drive away as she headed for the airport. I will not lie, I had serious thoughts of jumping in the car with her. But my place is here right now, on the trail.  For all the views I missed last week with the terrible weather, today more than made up for it. Sunny skies and cool temps made the perfect hiking day. I stopped so many times today and took so many pictures.  Highlight for today was Charlie's Bunion. A rock outcropping with an incredible view. There I met Traps and Trapper Keeper. A nice couple from N. Virginia that distracted me from missing Lisa. I could see Mt. LeConte to the west along with Gatlinburg and some lakes in the distance. Mt. LeConte became the focal point of the day as I was able to see it as I got farther and farther away. Every time I had a view, there it was- getting smaller and smaller. Had lunch around mile 9 at Bradleys View. Looking eastward toward NC, mountains as far as you could see with no roads or housed mixed in. It's amazing how much untouched land there is out there.Made it to Tri-Corner Knob Shelter around 4 and set up my sleeping pad in the shelter. I was hoping for it to fill up so I could hammock outside, but no luck. Maybe I'll push on for 20 tomorrow to get out of the Smokies but we'll see how the knees feel in the morning.  Staying at the shelter tonight are Chief (76 yr old marathon runner-super fast hiker) and Cowboy (thru-hiker). Also a couple groups of section hikers including the 3 engineers from GA. Later in the night some southbounders came in- not sure if they had started in Maine but they had that long term hiker look. Basically dirty and smelly.Let's give this shelter thing one more chance.
Date: 2017-06-01
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter 

To: Standing Bear Farm Hostel
Miles today: 18.4

6/1/17 Day 19Tri-Corner Knob Shelter to Standing Bear Hostel18.4 milesI had only planned to go on to the Davenport Gap Shelter but the thought of 1 more night in those shelters gave me the motivation I needed to push on. Besides, Cowboy said he was pushing on and I don't like to be left behind. Leap-frogged with Chief and Cowboy all day until lunch when Cowboy passed by. I didn't see him again till that night. Beautiful weather and scenery all day today. The 2nd half of the Smokies were much better than the 1st.  Passed by the side trail for Davenport Shelter and kept going. As soon as I left the Smokies I felt like a free man again. I'll camp wherever I want and sleep in my hammock too. But not tonight - I'm heading to Standing Bear Farm Hostel. I have to resupply to get me to Hot Springs (and a shower and bed are always nice too).  Crossed the Pigeon River and passed under I40 and made it to the hostel by 4:30. There was Clark- an old grey bearded dude that sat out front in a rocking chair and was the caretaker of the bunkhouse. He gave me the tour- laundry building, kitchen building, shower building, and resupply building. There was a good selection for resupply and plenty of junk food too.  Turns out I'm the only guest tonight so I should sleep pretty good with all the peace and quiet.
Date: 2017-06-02
From: Standing Bear Farm Hostel

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: overcast clouds

6/2/17 Day 20Standing Bear Hostel to Roaring Fork Shelter 15.2 milesSlept so good at the hostel last night. The bunkhouse was empty other than me and Clark. They leave the doors open and the fresh air was nice. I was packed up and on the trail by 8:30- a little later than normal but who cares. Of course it was straight up out of the hostel. About 2500' in 4 miles but I felt great and only had to stop a couple times to catch my breath. It feels like I'm getting in better shape. My mind wanders while I'm walking uphill and before you know it, the climb is over. I was expecting Cowboy to pass me at some point but I didn't see him. The uphills did eventually get the better of me. I was getting pretty worn out when I got to Max Patch. The views here are unlike anything I have ever seen! At the top of the patch, there is a 360 degree view and the weather was perfect!! The pictures just can't capture it. I could see forever in every direction. While I was up there I met Acorn and Cheese. Wife and husband who thru-hiked in 2014. They had started late in May and made it with plenty of time even after getting off trail for vacations. They were actually camping up on the patch tonight.  I got to the shelter a little later than normal and met Whistler who was there with his son Justin, daughter in law Marsha and their 2 boys Cade and Cooper. They had a nice fire started within minutes. They came out for the night and we're prepared to feed an army. I couldn't say no when they offered me a hot dog so I had 3, with cheese. They had offered me more but I didn't want to be a pig. What an awesome family.  Cowboy eventually arrived to help finish off the hot dogs and we both were a little surprised at how tough the day was. It caught us both by surprise. We're trying to get to Hot Springs tomorrow, about 18 miles away.  Just as I was getting ready to call it a night, Kuhn (pronounced Coon) from Belgium arrived. He was hiking in Shenandoah when he met another hiker and got off the trail to hang out with him and his family for 3 weeks. He's just in the country for 6 months and doesn't care about finishing the trail. Gotta love that attitude. He had a great time and is now back at it heading south. It's nice to finally be back in my hammock after about 2 weeks of hostels, shelters, and hotels. Let's see if I remember how to do this.
Date: 2017-06-03
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Laughing Heart Hostel
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: clear sky

6/3/17 Day 21Roaring Fork Shelter to Laughing Heart Hostel 17.6 milesThe push was on to get to Hot Springs and get some town food and resupply. I walked into town with an empty food bag, which is a first. The trail goes right down the Main Street of the town so the 1st thing to do is pick a hostel and get cleaned up. I heard good things about Elmers Sunnydale so I headed there. Turns out the whole place was booked up for some biologists party. So I backtracked to the Laughing Heart Hostel. $5 cheaper and they had Wifi! For $20 I got a bed and a shower. There was also a fully stocked kitchen, I was told to help myself to anything in there. Thanks, but I'm not cooking anything while I'm this close to town. Some of these hostels have a vortex that traps hikers there for days at a time. There were a few here that had been here for a week or so. I ran into Magnito (now Jeffe) that I met on day 2 of the hike. He was super fast, at least until this place. The place had a very friendly vibe and I can see why some people decide to stay longer.  I stopped in the Hillbilly Market for an ice cream and to check out the resupply options then off to the Smokey Mountain Diner for some town food! Headed back to the hostel to do some chores and back to the diner with Cowboy for dinner #2. Pizza wasn't half bad. By then it was around 9:00, hiker midnight. There was a fire out back but I was whooped after an 18 mile day.
Date: 2017-06-04
From: Laughing Heart Hostel

To: Little Laurel Shelter 
Miles today: 19.1
Weather: overcast clouds

6/4/17 Day 22Laughing Heart Hostel to Little Laurel Shelter 19.1 milesSlept awesome and was out the door by 7:30. Couldn't leave town without a diner breakfast though. Met Dirty Ernie from Lancaster PA. He's a 75 yr old on his 2nd thru-hike. He started in Harpers Ferry and is going south before flying all the way to Maine and continuing south to finish in HF.  Headed out of town and crossed the French Broad River and back up into the mountains. Beautiful views and nice weather until about 2:30 when a thunder storm swept through. I set up my rainfly and was able to avoid most of the rain but it didn't matter much because I was already soaked in sweat. As soon as the rain let up, I continued on to the next shelter about 7 miles away. Got to the shelter area and set up my hammock and got in my clean dry clothes. Washed my dirty stuff in the stream and put it in a big ziplock to keep in my sleeping bag- warm and wet is better than cold and wet in the morning. Long day and 19+ miles is pretty good for coming out of town with a full and heavy food bag. I treated myself to a movie that I had downloaded from Netflix- MST3K
Date: 2017-06-05
From: Little Laurel Shelter 

To: Flint Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: light rain

6/5/17 Day 23Little Laurel Shelter to Flint Mountain Shelter14 milesTough to get up this morning after the big miles yesterday so I didn't get out of my hammock until 7:30. On the trail by 8:15 and started with a climb of 1100' in 1 mile. Pretty steep. I thought the rest of the day was supposed to be easier but the elevation profile didn't show all the rocks I'd be climbing today. It started raining around 9:30 which made the rocks a little tricky. Just as I got to the top, the clouds parted and I got some amazing views of the clouds below me (see pics). The rain stopped around 11:30 and I passed some guys at Jerry Cabin Shelter. I wasn't ready for lunch so I pushed on to the next shelter 7 miles up. Just as I arrived it started to rain again. I figured I would just eat lunch and take a nap as see if the rain stops.  By 4:30 the rain hadn't stopped and it was 9+ miles to the next shelter so I decided to call it a day. 14 miles is a little less than I would've liked but at least I'm dry. I also thought I was gonna catch up to some of my old buddies. At each shelter there is a register that we sign as we pass by and I got a message from the German Brothers telling me not to take anymore 0's. They were here yesterday. Bearman was here this morning and was staying at the next shelter but I just wasn't willing to go for it in the rain. The next few days should be nice so I'll catch up with them soon enough. I'm here tonight with Jersey (north Jersey guy), Dave, Jay and a group of 5 Boy Scouts. Tom and Jerry from the hostel also came in late so it's a packed house.
Date: 2017-06-06
From: Flint Mountain Shelter 

To: Big Bald Shelter
Miles today: 18.9
Weather: overcast clouds

6/6/17 Day 24Flint Mountain Shelter to Big Bald Shelter18.9 milesThe shelter was a tough choice but it rained all night so I didn't have to set up or take down in the rain. That got me on the trail by 7:30. Nice easy trail for the 1st few miles then one of the 2 big climbs of the day- 3 miles up 1600'. I prefer the climbs in the morning when the legs are fresh. Sunny skies today and cool temps kept the sweat factor down, perfect hiking weather.  Passed by Gitfiddle at the highway overpass- he was flying yesterday but the wet boots wrecked his feet and he was trying to tape them up. He was walking with a pretty bad limp so he's not going to be at the shelter till late.  Didn't pass many other hikers today so it was kind of quiet. Walked up and over Big Bald Mountain- it was just as incredible as Max Patch a couple days ago. Plenty of pics as well. The town off in the distance is Mars Hill.  Made it to the shelter around 6 pretty worn out. Wandering Star was there. I met her my 1st night in the Smokies. She's an older British woman that chain smokes and she's on her 3rd thru-hike of the AT!! She's also a triple crowner so she's also hiked the PCT and the CDT. She has a quick wit and she sings old British tunes- this is one tough lady. She's heading to Damascus VA before catching a Greyhound bus to Maine and finishing southbound. I hope to see her again as our paths cross. Also at the shelter were Tipper (ATC trail support), and 3 southbounders finishing up their hike from last year.  I had the best setup with my hammock and forgot to take a picture. I'll take one soon so you can see how I sleep when I stay outdoors.