morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-03-16
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: overcast clouds

We got up early after a good night's sleep in a shelter. Left around 7:30 and within an hour came upon a beautiful lookout spot where we could see the tops of all the clouds settled in the valleys. We took a few pictures and then set off up Albert Mt. Which turned out to be the steepest section of trail that we have encountered yet. At the top there is a fire tower that we checked out before deciding that we had it in us to go the next ten miles to Winding Stair Gap where we could catch a ride to the town of Franklin. On our way there we were stopped talking to another thru when we heard some cracking and then a giant crash not far away. Just down the trail about 50 yards a huge tree had fallen above the the trail and thrown broken branches on and beyond the trail. It was pretty amazing to be near a rare occurance like that. When we reached route 64 at Winding Stair Gap we put our thumbs up for a half hour without success when suddenly a car from the other side did a u-turn and pulled in. A hiker got out and we knew we were in luck. A women named Pat Russell got out and offered dad and I and another thru a ride to town. She was the sweetest old lady and said that she gave rides often everyday. On the car ride she had us sign a register in her car and then at the end she took our pictures which she said would go next to our entry. We got dropped off at the Haven's Budget Inn where we got our mail drop and the last available room. We appreciated the hot showers and the chance to get all of our stuff dry. Watched a little TV, used the internet, and are off to bed.NC birds: 3 New species: 1 (Bald Eagle) spotted by Lil Wayne!NC total: 13 Trip total: 39
Date: 2009-03-17
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Burning Town Gap
Miles today: 14.6

A day full of trail magic! We woke up in our comfy beds at the budget inn and went over to the hostel across the street for a free breakfast. It was there that we met the famous Miss Janet! And baltimore jack who is headed to springer for his 9th thru hike. Naturally breakfast was delicious and Ron Haven drove us back up to the gap to start hiking. At his first stop be said that if there were any purists he would take us up 200 yards to where we got off the day before. We wanted this and it worked out well b ecause we ended up getting trail magic from a baptist church group on the other side of the trail. We finally started hiking around ten and had a long up to the top of Wayah Bald. There was a great stone lookout tower and we spent an hour and a half having lunch with squeak and WD-40. We were reccommended to go beyond the next shelter to burningtown gap so we did and at 5pm we found a huge orange dome that a man named Apple had been serving food and beverages out of all day. He invited us to stay for the night so we did with six others.NC birds: 3 New species: 1 (Brown Creeper) first time I ever heard one singing!NC list: 17 Trip list: 41
Date: 2009-03-18
From: Burning Town Gap

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: clear sky

Woke up early in the orange dome of a tent that we shared with six others. Managed to get up without waking the others and started walking with headlamps in the cold. Got up to the next shelter thinking we would find friends and found it empty. Saw a great sunshine from the ridge though and went on to climb Wesser Bald. At the top we found another lookout tower that two thrus had slept the night on. It was a greatview down the valley to the Nantahala Outdoor Center which we reached by 3pm and decided to stay. Had a great lunch with Blue who was taking a zero and Squeak and WD-40. We got a room in the hostel and then walked around birding and taking pictures. Saw a kayaker take on a class five rapids that is off limits. While cooking in the kitchen for hikers we met a group of women who had heard of us through trail journals. Talked to them for a while and used the community fridge to make some jello before bed.NC birds: 8 New trip birds: 1 (Red-tail Hawk)NC total: 25 Trip total: 42
Date: 2009-03-19
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Started the day well before light at the NOC and our first six miles were 3000 feet up. Ran into Squeak and WD-40 just putting there packs on about five miles up. Hiked up to the top of Cheoah Bald by 10 am and ate an early lunch with L-Train, the Kiwis, Spaceship, Intense. Who had started at Sassafras Gap Shelter. The rest of the day was a down to Stecoah Gap where we found out the shelter was only 2.4 miles away. It turned out to be the toughest 2.4 miles we've yet faced and arguably the toughest in the south. Needless we were beat and slept well.NC birds: 2 NC total: 27 Trip total: 42
Date: 2009-03-20
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Fontana Dam
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: clear sky

Started before first light and it was very cold. But we were rewarded by seeing the sunrise over Fontana Lake. Finally caught up with our friend Little Tree who we had been chasing for 3 or 4 days. Went with her all the way to the dam where we filled out a backcountry permit for the Smokies and then caught a ride with our host Nancy. We stayed at a nice little motel open only to hikers called the Hike Inn. Watched a little basketball while our laundary was done and then had a nice country dinner in Robbinsville, NC with our new friend Mississippi Mule.NC birds: 2 New species: 2 (European Starling and House Sparrow) I never could have imagined that it would take 13 days on the trail to get these 2!NC total: 29 Trip total: 44
Date: 2009-03-21
From: Fontana Dam

To: Spence Field Shelter
Miles today: 16.7
Weather: broken clouds

Coldest morning yet so thankfully we were in a hotel not feeling the 28 degrees. That didn't stop birdman from going out at 5 am to get his first screech owl of the trip. Got a ride to the Fontana Village where we had a nice breakfast that included goog ol' biscuits with sausage gravy. Got lunch at a little grocer and then slowly, with many pictures, made our way across the dam. There were no water fowl so we didn't stay as long as expected and hiked up to the edge of the smokies with Squeak and WD-40. A little ways up we found a tall and old fire tower that we ascended slowly as there were rails missing. Lil Wayne was quite nervous but made it to the top for some nice views. Planned to hike only 6 miles but the weather was so nice that we ended up doing two days worth of miles all the way to Spence Field Shelter putting us two days ahead. Shelter was full so we ended up in the tent which was nice in a grassy field.Surprizingly Fontana Lake was a desert as far as birds were concerned!NC birds: 2 New species: 2 (Screech Owl & White-throated Sparrow)NC total: 31 Trip total: 46
Date: 2009-03-22
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: clear sky

We are now hiking along the TN-NC border and will be on it for about a week and a half. We slept the latest we have yet waking up just after 7 am (shocked to find that it was light out). Another beautiful day and not as cold. Walked through some pretty open grassy areas that afforded great views. Went over Rocky Top and Thunderhead spending most of the day above 5000 feet. Had lunch with Little Tree, Squeak, and WD-40. Hiking was fairly easy but constantly up and down. Found Double Spring Gap to be nicely remodeled with the first privy in awhile.Since we are now hiking along the NC/TN border (the trail is the border in many spots) so I am counting most birds for both states.NC birds: 4 TN birds: 7 (Junco was first again) New species: WoodcockNC total: 35 Trip total: 47
Date: 2009-03-23
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up around 5 o'clock with Squeak, WD-40, Little Tree, and Zen Master to hike the three miles to the top of Clingman's Dome and watch sunrise from there. It was a little cold but well worth the early miles. We watched a beautiful sunrise from the observation tower on top and got lots of pictures. We then split up as the others were going to Gatlinburg for a re-supply and had to hurry down to Newfound Gap. We took our time (with ice on the trail) and got down there just about noon to find a full parking lot. We were directed by another thru hiker named Mud Flap to "Trail Magic" across the lot. A guy named Cameron was providing food and other necessities from the back of his minivan. It was just what we needed to top off the meager lunch we had for the day. We also did some trail advertising by answering car tourists curious questions about the trail and then made our way the last three miles up to Icewater Spring Shelter. The shelter had a nice view and was full of "thrus" that night including the Kiwi girls who brought up extra hot choclate and marshmallows provided by Cameron.NC birds: 0 TN birds: 5 New species:1 Hairy WoodpeckerNC total: 35 TN total: 12 Trip total: 48
Date: 2009-03-24
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

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

Probably the prettiest day of views we have had on the trail yet. The eastern side of the Smokeys is smoother and travels along narrow ridges that afford great views in every direction. Early in the morning, after a heavy frost, we took a short side trail to Charlie's Bunion which was a cool jut out from a ridge that had a great look at a rugged valley. We particularly enjoyed the fact that at such a high elevation there were primarily pines around us which seemed like a much more appropriate mountain setting. Arrived at Tri-Corner Knob Shelter around 2:40 pm and had time to read in the sun cook the last of our dinner type meals and then sit around a fire inside the shelter and roast some marshmallows. Bed time was early as always.no new birds
Date: 2009-03-25
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Hostel
Miles today: 18.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Got up early with Grace and Lauren (the Kiwis); had a quick breakfast, and set off for Standing Bear Hostel which was just over 18 miles away. The weather had turned bad during the night and it was pouring, with 30 mile an hour winds, and about 40 degrees when we set off. This naturally made us hike fast to warm up and we reached the next shelter (7 miles away) in only 2 hours 15 mins! We took a long break there with some hot choclate and coffee before setting off again mostly downhill the next eleven miles. We reached the hostel just before 3 pm. It was another great place with everything that a hiker needs (hot shower, bed, food ressupply, kitchen, etc...). Met Curtis the owner who was very nice and then got to cleaning 5 days in the Smokies off us. Had a great community dinner cooked by a Honeydoo. Headed to bed early again ready for big miles to get to Hot Springs.Hiked through the remnants of a very recent forest fire (2 weeks ago) with quite a few birds.TN birds: 8 TN total: 20 no new birds
Date: 2009-03-26
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: moderate rain

Left around 9 o'clock from the hostel and started up Snowbird Mountain. It was a long climb with some light rain but the bald on top was pretty cool. We then came down to Groundhog Creek Shelter and had lunch with Intents. The afternoon was spent on a long approach to Max Patch which was a much bigger and more open bald than Snowbird. The views were great in all directions and we were glad that the rain was finished when we got there. Continued on just a little further to Roaring Fork and had dinner there with Intents, Stunned Mullet, Grandaddy Longjohns, and Tekla. After dark Squeak, WD-40, Zen Master, and Blue showed up to tent around the shelter. Zen Master had seen a bear earlier that day! We were extremely jealous.no new birds Spent 20 min on top of Max Patch trying to call REI about problems we were having with ou water purifying system but could not get a good signal.
Date: 2009-03-27
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: light rain

Got up early at Roaring Fork with Tekla and set off by quarter of 7. We hike slow in the morning knowing that we had a long day ahead of us and took a short break at Walnut Mountain Shelter. Shortly after that we found a headlamp on the trail that we knew to be Tekla's. We ended up carrying it all the way to Hot Springs as we missed him at the next shelter by ten minutes according to the register. The end of the day was pretty quick as it was raining again and we hiked fast to get to town. We arrived around 2 pm and checked into the Sunnybank Inn. It is a beautiful old Victorian House in which we had our own high ceiling bed room with two beds. We got showers and then went to a good lunch at the Iron Horse Station with Blue. After that we stopped by the Hot Springs Spa and booked some massages for tommorrow along with a soak! After that we got a paper and went back to the Inn. Later that night we had dinner with Spaceship, Squeak, WD-40, Doc, and Blue. It was good country cooking and after that we returned to Iron Horse for NCAA basketball. All in all a great day. Looking forward to first zero tomorrow.NC birds: 1 TN birds: 3 no new birds
Date: 2009-03-28
From: Hot Springs

To: Asheville, NC
Miles today: 0.0

Our first zero day of the trip. Enough said. The morning was great as we had a nice breakfast at Elmer's Sunnybank Inn. Stopped by the outfitter to pick up a mug and some aqua mira, a back up water purifier as the steri pen as been a little faulty. Then we went to the spa and got deep tissue massages before a soak in the tubs! Our friend from Asheville picked us up at 12:15 and we went to her beautiful home to get showers, homecooked meals, and a great nights sleep. Got our mail drop and bounce box and had a great time catching up with friends. Went to bed late after 'Nova's great win.NC birds: 6 New species: 1 Pine SiskinNC total: 42 Trip total: 49
Date: 2009-03-29
From: Asheville, NC

To: Rich Mountain firetower
Miles today: 8.2

Another great and relaxing day. We had breakfast with our friends from Asheville and then they took us to the Biltmore to meet our cousin who works there. The Biltmore is the largest private estate in the country with over 250 rooms! It was a lot of fun and the weather was nice. After the tour and the gardens we went to lunch at a mexican place which was great. In the late afternoon our cousin drove us back to Hot Springs to get back on the trail. With full bellies we set off at 4pm and hiked three and a half hours before realizing we should find a place to sleep before dark. We followed a sign up a hill to a fire tower where there was a dusting of snow on the ground! We found a grassy spot to put the tent. Ate some sandwiches we made in Asheville and went to bed.New bird: Northern Rough-wing swallowNC total: 43 Trip total: 50! 22 days to get 50 species.
Date: 2009-03-30
From: Rich Mountain firetower

To: Jerry's Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 18.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Woke up relatively early to a cold morning. So cold that we broke out the handwarmers, ate a cold breakfast, and left as fast as possible. By 9 am we had reached the next shelter to find Spaceship/Lex, Hardcore, and Sawman. We had a good time talking to them about there success killing 4 mice with traps the night before. Hiking with Hardcore and Spacechip we came to Allen Gap at 10 am to find a sign that told us there was trail magic of an incredible sort just 350 yards up the road. We were enticed and followed the directions to a nice log cabin where we met a older couple that had hiked the trail in 1999. They fed us an incredible meal that included fresh belgian waffles, a rootbeer float, pork stew, and an incredible bread pudding dessert ala mode. They offered to start the circuit all over again if we were still hungry. It was incredible! We sat and had an intriguing philosophical discussion with them for over a hour and then got back on the trail around noon. The rest of the day was rather uneventful and we reached camp fairly tired around 7 pm. The shelter was full so we set a tent up in a nice grassy patch and went to bed.
Date: 2009-03-31
From: Jerry's Cabin Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: overcast clouds

Got a late start this morning (leaving around 9 am) which still put us a half hour ahead of Spaceship. Our first significant event of the day was hitting the 300 mile mark on top of "Big Butt" mountain! Took a good picture of ourselves and then moved on as it was cloudy with a cold wind. Hiked most of the day with Spaceship and Lex. Birdman and Hardcore hit there stride late in the day (as the rain started) and took off. On account of the impending weather we decided to call it a day rather than look for a camping spot beyond the shelter. This turned out to be a good decision as there was a group of boy scouts staying at the shelter who were not only willing to let us have the shelter but also made a big fire which we enjoyed. Had a cozy night with 7 people and lex on the shelter platform. Birdman thoght that Lex (a dog in case no one realized) was a great heater curled up between him and Spaceship.
Date: 2009-04-01
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Spivey Gap
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

A miserable morning as the bad weather carried over. The rain wasn't actually too hard but it was warm making the rain gear a little uncomfortable. We also had a big climb up Big Bald after crossing under Interstate 26. Both of us were pretty beat by the time we reached Big Bald Shelter around noon. But a big summer sausage, peanut butter/honey, and dried fruit lunch prepared us for some more hiking. The second half of the day included much more down hill and the sun graced us with its presence around 2pm. We had lingering fatigue from the morning though and decided to call it a day in a nice stand of big hemlocks near a road at Spivey Gap. The big attraction for us was a deep stream right next to the campsite which was great for soaking the feet at the end of the day! We met a nice guy named John from Australia who was headed south from Damascus, VA. About an hour after we stopped we were joined by Spaceship and Lex who both graciously accepted the extra dinners we had been carrying. Night was warmest in a while and we all slept well.
Date: 2009-04-02
From: Spivey Gap

To: Nolichucky River (Erwin, TN)
Miles today: 11.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Started the morning like we do eveytime were headed into town...FAST. Flew up "No Business Knob" made a quick stop at the shelter there for a little lunch and then rushed down 8 miles to town getting there around 11:15 am. Spaceship was with us all morning but we parted in town as we are staying at different places. Got picked up by Mr. Clayton who took us back to his B&B known as "Clayton's Dogwood Inn". We settled in getting hot showers and then set our minds to good. The rumor of all you can eat pizza traveled through the hikers pretty fast and we were dropped off at Pizza Plus to enjoy a feast. Spaceship, Pogo, Cascade, and Always Fine had also found there way there from the Hostel. Spaceship impressed us by consuming 38 pieces of pizza breaking the previous hostel record by two slices. Birdman and I ate that much together and were stuffed! Walked back to the Inn after lunch for some rest, internet time, and to open our mail drop. Plan to go to dinner tonight with a bunch of other hikers at a Mexican Restaurant.Spring can't be far off as Shad bush was in full bloom and April has arrived as we descended into Erwin. First low elev town in TN thus many new birds.TN birds: 12 New species: 3 (Black throated green Warbler, Purple Finch, Brown headed Cowbird) 2 of the 3 are sure signs of the start of migration!TN totals: 34 Trip total: 53
Date: 2009-04-03
From: Nolichucky River (Erwin, TN)

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 17.0
Weather: light rain

Had a great breakfast served by our host Mr. Clayton and then got a ride back to the trailhead. Stopped in the hostel to fill the fuel bottle and get a pair of superfeet (a type of insole) for Lil Wayne's boots. Said goodbye to Spaceship and Hardcore before setting off. Since we were on the trail by 9:30 we were able to go much further than expected. Had a delicious subway lunch that we had picked up the night before. It got cold and windy halfway through the day and we didn't see much through the fog on top of a bald. Later in the day we summited Unaka Mt. which was covered in large pines that made us feel like we were in Maine already. Got to the shelter and met a new thru named Silver. Went to bed very early.
Date: 2009-04-04
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: clear sky

Woke up a little slowly as the cold made us want to stay in our sleeping bags. Ate a cold breakfast and were on the trail by 7:45. The morning was pretty basic ridge running in low elevation forest. Had lunch with Silver and Alwaysfine before a tough afternoon. It had warmed up during the morning but the temperature went quickly down as we made our way up to the top of Roan Mt. It is the last mountain above 6,000 feet until Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. It is also known as the coldest place on the southern AT and we planned to spend the night in the shelter on top. It is the highest shelter on the whole trail and used to be a fire warden's cabin. We spent the night up in the loft of this cabin and were joined by Squeak and WD-40 who we thought were ahead of us but were actually behind. Had a great time catching up with these two and slept well in the warm enclosed building.
Date: 2009-04-05
From: Roan High Knob Shelter

To: Mountaineer Falls Shelter
Miles today: 24.5
Weather: few clouds

The most beautiful day yet on the trail. The whole morning was spent walking over balds in the sunshine. We had views in every direction for much of the time. Got lunch on top of Hump Mountain and enjoyed our last hour in North Carolina. A little later on we entered Tennessee for the last time. Two states down... Only twelve to go! The rest of the day was a struggle to say the least. We should have stayed at Applehouse Shelter which would have made a 15 mile day but we needed to push so that we could see the UNC game two nights later. So we tacked on 9 more miles and ended with our longest day yet by far. We got to Mountaineer Shelter dog tired at 8pm, which is just before dark. The shelter was great because it was built in 2006 by a group of 60 volunteers in one day. We ate a huge dinner with hot apple cobbler (a backpacker's pantry meal) for desert. Went to bed late.Last three NC birds including a pair of Vesper Sparrows singing and cavorting on one of the balds.NC total: 46 species TN birds: 3 New species: 3 (Chipping Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow, Eastern MeadowlarkNC list: Junco, Phoebe, Blue Jay, Tufted Titmouse, Downey Woodpecker, Carolina Chickadee, Cooper's Hawk, Hairy Woodpecker, Roughed Grouse, Eastern Towhee, Bald Eagle, Common Raven, Northern Mockingbird, American Crow, Turkey Vulture, Brown Creeper, Northern Cardinal, Song Sparrow, Pileated Woodpecker, American Goldfinch, Red-tail Hawk, Mallard, White-breasted Nuthatch, Carolina Wren, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Blue-headed Vireo, House Sparrow, European Starling, Eastern Screech Owl, White-throated Sparrow, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Winter Wren, Northern Flicker, Woodcock, Common Grackle, Pine Sisken, Belted Kingfisher, Canada Goose, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Wild Turkey, Morning Dove, Northern Rough-winged Swallow