morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-04-03
From: Stover Creek

To: Lance Creek
Miles today: 10.0
Weather: light rain

Partly sunny today. Lots of pine, oak and ash. I hear lots of birds singing though I can;t see them. I did see a hawk today. Lots of steep ups and downs- Gooch Gap and Ramrod Mountain. Purple and yellow trillium are starting to bloom. I am camping at Lance Creek tonight. Wow - lots of tents here!
Date: 2012-04-04
From: Lance Creek

To: Neels Gap
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Just heard from Peter. He is in Neels Gap, which is a resupply place with a hostel. He has showered and charged up his iPhone. He's also drying out his tent. Lots of thunderstorms yesterday. I am writing his journal for him so he can use the time he has here to find out WHY his phone is losing its charge so easily. WIth his WiFi off, all his APPS off and his phone OFF it is still a mystery. Perhaps his phone is not really off and is constantly searching for a signal. His first day he hiked 11.8 miles and spent the night tenting at Stover Creek. Day 2 he hiked 10.5 miles and tented at Justus Creek. Day 3 he hiked 10 miles and tented at Lance Creek. Due to the amount of bears about there were signs posted asking hikers NOT to tent just anywhere but only in specific areas. The standard "Bear bags" ( where you throw your food sack up high over a tree branch) are discouraged in favor of closed canisters in this particular area. The tenting restrictions in this area has limited his hiking miles. In the last couple of days he has seen a lot of wildflowers in bloom - violets and trillium - as well as beautiful dogwood everywhere. The oak trees are budding out so spring is happening right before his eyes. He hiked Blood Mtn today ( elev. 4, 461 ft). He said the vistas were gorgeous but he had no way to take photos because his iPhone had zero charge. He knocked off at 2:30 pm at Neels Gap today. He's some sore - thighs, calves, ankle and shhoulders- and hoping to get a good night's sleep. He sends out a HUGE THANK YOU to his first "trail angels" - Susie, Kay, Marcia and Scott Roberson. The night before he began his journey they provided him with a soft bed, lots of food including a breakfast stop at IHOP on April 1 and drove him to Amicalola State Park where he signed in as hiker #665 and began his hike. - BARBARAI hiked over Blood Mountain today ( 4,461 ft). This is the highest mountain in Georgia. It was a good hike. The asters are blooming and I heard some wild turkeys and woodpeckers. Hiked for a while today with "Baltimore Bill" and " Gray Eagle". At the hostel tonight at Neels Gap I met my next trail angels - a family of four ( mother, father and twin 7 yr. old daughters). They arrived with pans of lasagna, salad and bread and fed all of us hikers! So tasty!!!!!! Inside the outfitters store here there are hundreds of used hiker boots hung up high in the rafters. The criterion is that they must have hiked at least 500 miles.Outside flung up in a tree are hundreds more used boots in even worse condition.
Date: 2012-04-05
From: Neels Gap

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: broken clouds

No luck with Peter's phone. After a full battery charge last night and being truly turned off while he slept it is almost totally discharged this morning. Battery must be defective. It would have been nice if this had happened before his trip. We had inquired about bringing a spare battery and were told by Verizon that this would void the warranty. He spoke with 3 others with iPhones and they compared everything regarding their settings. Everyone had the same settings. Everyone else's phone keeps the charge just fine. Murphy's Law can be cruel sometimes.... Cloudy skies today so no chance for the solar charger to work. He was able to take couple of photos earlier this morning.... Don't know when I will hear from him again.I think Unicoi Gap, about 16 miles from his current location, would be the next place for him to stop and make contactClick on the PHOTO tab to the left to see his pictures so far. Also you can leave him a message by going to the GUEST BOOK tab. -Barbara Peter stayed at Low Gap tonight which he described as tent city! There were at least 15 tents as well as the shelter. He's loving the mountain views. He says that no civilization can be seen from the tops of the mountains. All you can see is trees and distant mountains. He is amazed he cannot see even a hint of a town in some of the valleys. It is all pristine wilderness.One of his fellow hikers was tenting off by himself and a black bear got all his food during the night so he had to hike back to Neels Gap to resupply.
Date: 2012-04-06
From: Low Gap

To: Helen, Ga.
Miles today: 9.7

There were thunderstorms all afternoon and night followed by a gentle rain all day. My tent kept me snug and dry! I felt like I was walking through a cloud all day. Climbed Chattahoochee Gap ( 3,500ft.) and Blue Mountain (4,025 ft.) Going was slippery today - wet leaves, slick roots and rocks. Thank you Pam for the great trekking poles which I rely on so much. A ways back in a "hiker box" I picked up a cast off 2 liter stainless steel bottle as I found I was not carrying enough water in the hot weather. I ran out a couple of times. It got cool today in the rain and my Reynaud's was acting up even with my gloves on. I stopped at a shelter to put on my Nano Puff jacket underneath my Frog Togs and I warmed up right away. One of the pull strings on my pack cover slipped out of its casing so my pack is not as dry as it could be. Maybe in Hiawassee I can get a replacement pack cover. Lori sent Barbara a potential fix for my phone. Will try it tonight and find out tomorrow if it works. Thanks Lori!!!!!! My pack weighs 33 pounds without my extra water bottle. Filled up it adds another 5 pounds to my weight and I sure felt it in my shoulder, so I emptied out half the water. Now that it is not so hot I am not drinking as much. I stopped at Unicoi Gap where there was a trail angel providing hot dogs, cold drinks and coffee! Also there were 2 bikers with hypothermia! It has gone from blazing hot to quite cool and damp. I have been hiking off and on with different hikers. Today I hiked with "Woolite" and "Bien" two recent graduates from the University of Alabama. We are staying at the same el cheapo motel in Helen, Ga. tonight. One of the trail angels gave me a ride into town. TIme for a shower and some food other than my Knorr's instant mix for supper. Check back in the previous postings. I talked with Barbara and filled her in so she will add more details to the previous days. No pictures today as it has been rainy all day...
Date: 2012-04-07
From: Helen, Ga.

To: Deep Gap
Miles today: 13.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Great day today. Cool start at 35 degrees, then into the low seventies so great for hiking. The sun is shining and my iPhone is holding its charge! Thank you thank you SO MUCH Lori for finding this fix. I was up at 6 AM and had biscuits and gravy for breakfast. I started walking from town back to the trail and an elderly woman, trail name "Red Hat", gave me a lift back. She is a former hiker and a current trail angel with her own red hat club. I was on the trail by 7:30 AM. Lots more ups and downs today. I hiked over ROCKY MOUNTAIN (4,017 ft.), TRAY MOUNTAIN (4,430 ft.), Addis Gap (3,304 ft.), Kelley Knob (4,276 ft.), and Deep Gap (3,550 ft.) I am tenting at the Deep Gap shelter area tonight. For lunch I had some summer sausage and my last Snickers bar. I've been munching on my peanut M&Ms to help me up the steep climbs. Hiked alone today - a few folks passed me. Lots of birds out today and more and more spring wildflowers - asters and buttercups and lots of others I don't know the names of. I am real happy with my Go Lite boots so far. No blisters or hot spots. A lot of the hikers I have met are covered with blisters and hot spots. My body isn't as achy today but my feet are tired. I twisted my knee a bit on some dry leaves coming down ROCKY MTN but it's nothing serious. So now I am crawling into my tent for a good night's sleep. Good night world!
Date: 2012-04-08
From: Deep Gap

To: Hiawassee, Ga.
Miles today: 4.0
Weather: clear sky

Easter Sunday. Today is a NERO (Near Zero) day for me. It was 35 degrees this morning so I stayed in my sleeping bag until 8 AM. It was misty and cool as I ate my 2 packages of instant oatmeal and drank my hot chocolate. I packed up my tent and hiked the 4 miles to Dick's Gap. It was mostly downhill and an easy hike. My knee is fine this morning, but I am looking forward to a day of rest. I need to resupply my food and find a laundromat to wash all my clothes. I headed towards Hiawassee and walked for about half an hour when a couple in a pickup gave me a ride to town. I got a room at Mull's Inn and walked to the nearby Georgia Mountain Restaurant where I had the $7.95 all-you-can-eat buffet and had the best fried chicken of my life! I even ate a salad. My wife will be happy! I washed my clothes and have everything repacked and ready to stow away for the morning. I did not find an open outfitters due to the holiday so will wait till I get to Franklin, NC to look for a replacement pack cover. I did find a grocery store open so got some more oatmeal and zip-loc bags.A big hello to all of you who are following me on this journal. Hi to all my PICKLEBALL friends back in Daytona Beach Shores.
Date: 2012-04-09
From: Hiawassee, Ga.

To: Bly Gap
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: clear sky

New State today - NORTH CAROLINA! Up at 7 am.   Walked to the Huddle House for a waffle then packed up my gear and headed out. The wife of the motel owner gave me a ride back to Dicks Creek Gap and I was back on the trail about 9:30 AM. Cool, windy day today. I hiked for a while with "Count Daddy". Tonight I am at Bly Gap (3,840 ft.) in NORTH CAROLINA! I took several pictures today including one of the NC state line sign but reception is not good enough here to send them. Will try again tomorrow.   At the campsite I ran into "Grayeagle" and Scott, a college kid I met in the parking lot at Amicalola State Park. He said that about 10 % of the people who started out the same day we did never made it up Springer Mountain. One of the girls whose name I don't know hurt her ankle. She is going to let it heal for month and then flip flop (start at Mt. Katahdin, Maine and head south).   "Pages" wrenched his knee and had to quit. Another 30% percent dropped out at Neels Gap. So I guess I am doing okay even though I am not hiking my 15 miles a day! My knee is bothering me a bit today so Bly Gap is a good place for me to camp for the night. My tent is set up, I have eaten supper and am getting ready for a cold night. Temps are expected to be in the low 30s. But I will be warm and toasty in my mummy bag (Thanks Alex) and with long underwear and my Nano Puff jacket. Look for more pictures soon!
Date: 2012-04-10
From: Bly Gap

To: North of Standing Indian Mountain
Miles today: 9.2

It was SO COLD last night. My 20 degree sleeping bag wasn't quite warm enough. I ended up putting on every piece of clothing I had - underarmor ( long underwear), 2 shirts, wool socks, Nano puff and my Peruvian hat. The wind was howling and blowing so much it pulled out the tent stakes. I didn't want to get out of my sleeping bag but I made myself do it and got on the trail by 8:15 AM. "Mustofa" hiking barefoot passed by me around 10 AM. I took off my Nano puff jacket around that time. My knee is still alittle sore. It looked like rain around 4 pm so stopped and set up camp about 400 ft down from Standing Indian Gap (5,498 ft.) Started sprinkling a bit later. No cell phone reception here. I had supper of mac and cheese and bacon bits and a Coke given to me by a trail angel at Deep Gap. Supper tasted really good. It's going to be another cold night tonight so I need to bundle up!
Date: 2012-04-11
From: Standing Indian Gap

To: Mooney Gap
Miles today: 10.7

COLD, COLD,COLD. Another blustery night with freezing temps. I woke up every couple of hours in the howling wind. This morning there were sheets of ice on the mud puddles and shards of ice crystals sticking up vertically from the ground. Today my pack weight somehow seemed lighter! I started hiking about 7:45 AM and soon after hurt my right knee again. My trekking pole got stuck on a root and as my pack weight slid to the right my knee got wrenched again. Sections of the trail were like a walk in the woods today, sometimes almost flat or with slight uphills and downhills. I hiked another 6 1/2 miles to Mooney Gap and decided I needed to stop to rest my knee. I didn't want to attempt Albert Mountain with a swollen knee. Luck was with me, or should I say TRAIL MAGIC! "Jake Break" picked me up and drove me to Franklin, NC . It saved me a 15 mile walk. I am staying at the Sapphire Inn, one of two hiker friendly inns in the area. I am soaking my knee and taking a ZERO day tomorrow!
Date: 2012-04-12
From: Mooney Gap

To: Winding Stair Gap
Miles today: 11.3
Weather: clear sky

CHANGE OF PLANS! I did not take my ZERO day after all. Got a good night's sleep last night and awoke to temperatures at 27 degrees. I heard it was 23 degrees overnight. So glad I was inside last night. My knee felt much better and at 6:45 AM a van pulled up at the hiker motel and took all of us to the local Baptist Church for a huge breakfast - pancakes, orange juice (I had 3 cups) and more bacon than I want to admit to. Boy, did that taste good. After breakfast the van stopped at one of the outfitters in town and so I was able to get a new pack cover. I ran into Scott (from the parking lot at Amicalola Falls) again. He now has a trail name - "Simplesee". One of the folks at the church asked where I was going and said he lived out that way so he gave me a ride back to Mooney Gap. (By the way, I read on a sign there that Mooney Gap is one of the wettest places in the US with an average of 93 1/2 inches of rain each year.) Since I had the room at the hiker motel for another night I was able to SLACK PACK ( just take essentials) and leave my big pack in my room. What a great day for me! It was mostly sunny and cool and I felt fleet of foot without my back pack. I hiked up Albert Mountain (5,250 ft.) There were a few tough places - kind of like the Holt Trail on Mt. Cardigan back in New Hampshire. I had to grab trees and rocks to pull myself up. But without my pack I was able to do it just fine. There is a huge fire tower at the top but I did not climb up it because it was so windy. I met a woman hiker on the trail named "Cold Camping" because she has no stove - just eats cold food. I hiked for 7 hours today and was met by a hiker shuttle at Winding Stair Gap at 4 pm. The shuttle took me right back to my room at the motel. Talk about trail magic! I have been the recipient of it a lot lately and am so thankful! Pizza for supper tonight, then another night's sleep inside. After tonight the temps will be gradually warming up.
Date: 2012-04-13
From: Winding Stair Gap

To: Campsite with water beyond Wayah Bald
Miles today: 10.5

I was up early this morning. At 6:30 AM the Franklin Baptist Church van arrived again and took the twelve of us hikers back to the church for another wonderful pancake breakfast. What a way to start the day! At breakfast I met some new hikers, an Australian named "Naranja" in honor of his orange foreign legion cap, "Day Glo" from Hopkinton, Mass., and "Biloxi Bill" and " 8 iron" both from Biloxi, MS. After breakfast the van dropped us off back at Winding Stair Gap. It was sunny and much warmer hiking today. I was stripped down to my T shirt for most of the day. The trail was easy in some places, hard in others. I climbed up two mountains - called "balds" because there are grasslands on the top. I felt my ears pop as the elevation got higher. The first was Siler Bald (4,700ft.) It looked like a pasture or ski slope in summer at the top. The deer must love it. The second was Wayah Bald ( 5,342 ft.) I had to take a picture of the stone tower at the top. Planning to stop at Wine Spring but it was not marked and I could not find the water source so I kept on for another couple of miles until I reached this campsite with water. My tent is pitched and my bear bag is slung over a tree. (See photos for 4/13) I took several pictures today that you can check out in the photo section. I got a good one of the view from Wayah Bald, another of the grasslands and a couple of others. The journal only lets me put in one picture per posting. I hiked by myself today and am camping by myself tonight. Supper is Chicken flavored fettucini - one of those Knorr packets. It will be cool tonight but warmer than the last few days. As long as the wind doesn't kick up I will be OK. Over and out!
Date: 2012-04-14
From: Campsite with water beyond Wayah Bald

To: Wesser Bald Shelter area
Miles today: 11.1
Weather: clear sky

This has been a GRADE A Trail Angel Day! Cold start to the morning and I didn't feel like cooking breakfast so I just got my gear together and started hiking. About 4 miles down the trail I came to Burningtown Gap where a State Road makes a crossing. Another Trail Angel was making breakfast right there. So lucky me. I had a sausage biscuit, 2 fried eggs and 2 glasses of oj! Hiking in my shorts today as it is warm. At Tellico Gap another State Road crossed the trail AND, you guessed it, there were more trail angels. I was there with "White Wolf" and about 5 other hikers. We had cheeseburgers, a cold beer and some white lightnin' in a quart jar. It was a long, tough climb to get from Tellico Gap to Wesser Bald. I am being real careful with my knee, especially on the downhills. It is still a bit tender but OK. I am getting to dread the word GAP ( we use the word NOTCH back in New Hampshire) because it means I am going to have to go up, up and more up! In general the mountains North Carolina are an easier climb (except for Albert Mtn.) than those in Georgia. In Georgia you tend to go straight up while in North Carolina there are more switchbacks making for gentler ascents. I am at Wesser Bald Shelter tonight. I see a lot of mouse hangers there so I am glad I have my tent to crawl into. No supper needed for me tonight as I had two big, delicious meals on the trail.
Date: 2012-04-15
From: Wesser Bald Shelter area

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: broken clouds

I was the first to leave the campsite this morning at 8 AM. I had my bear bag slung up on a cable 30 ft. from the ground. Last night I camped near a younger girl hiker named "Four Eyes" who was out for a weekend hike. She had hiked the entire AT last year. Also ran into a younger kid who had dealt with the cold nights by hiking right through them to keep warm. He hiked a day, a night and a day. Used his headlamp at night. Must have been hard to see the while blazes at night! Did not get much rest last night as there were 8 -10 boy scouts and 3 adult leaders camped near me. They were having fun till late. Anyway it was a tough downhill hike today. I went from 4100 ft. to 1700 ft. in about 4 hours. It was hard going at time on the legs and knees. I did not see anyone hiking today so I was lost in my thoughts. For my friends and family from New Hampshire I can liken a day of hiking for me like climbing up and down Mt. Kearsarge 4 times.   I took several pictures today so be sure to check my photos! I am staying in a small cabin at the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) which is a huge complex for whitewater rafting and kayaking. It has a hiker hostel, cabins, a mail drop pick-up, an outfitters, a restaurant and a grocery store. Glad this is a short day for me as the steady downhill has been hard on my right knee. At the outfitters I was able to get my trekking pole strap fixed. (When I wrenched my knee the last time coming down Standing Indian I managed to break the strap on one of my poles.) I took a 2 hour nap today and just had a big bowl of chili at the River's End Restaurant. It is early to bed for me tonight in my little cabin. Then back on the trail tomorrow!
Date: 2012-04-16
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.9
Weather: light rain

Cool and cloudy today. I started back on the trail at 8AM and climbed from 1,723 ft. to Swim Bald at 4,710 ft. It took me 5 1/2 hours and was a tough climb the whole way. I rested for a few minutes, called Barbara, and ate a Snickers bar on the way to get more energy. When I stopped at a spring to fill up my water bottles I met a hiker named "Spot" from Prince Edward Island who was slack packing. Also met a young couple, "Yogi" and "Boo Boo". After the hard uphill hike today and the threat of rain I decided to stop at Sassafras Gap Shelter at 4,330 ft. This will be the first time I have spent a night in a shelter. We'll see how it goes. I got here at 2:30pm and pulled out my Sierra wood stove to cook my Knorr dinner (see picture in gallery.) A real young hiker stopped by and asked if he could watch me cook for a while. He started ten days after me (April 10th) and is on his way to get some more miles in. But I'm happy to be stopping here for the night. The black flies are out and biting. If it does end up raining it'll be nice to keep all my gear dry in the shelter. Usually there are lots of mice running around these shelters... hmmm. I miss Barbara and look forward to seeing her on May 2nd!
Date: 2012-04-17
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

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

It did rain last night so I am glad I was in the shelter.   I was the first to arrive there but people kept coming. All together there were nine of us, including Simplesee, Philadelphia Steve, Flint and Melo-Dee. Outside there was one tent set up and three hammocks. And yes, it was everything it was cracked up to be - folks snoring and mice scurrying around. So I didn't get a a whole lot of sleep. But I was warm and dry! This morning it was very foggy and misty. I cooked breakfast ( oatmeal and hot chocolate) and got back underway about 8:30 AM. The climb out of Sassafras Gap was long. Woods were pretty as well as all the wildflowers. I even saw a pink lady slipper. Yesterday I saw evidence of a bear passing by but no animals seen today. Lots of ups and downs today but not as severe as the previous couple of days. It took me about an hour and a half to get up Cheoah Bald (5,062 ft.) There were some real pretty views I tried to capture in pictures. I started out the day with a long-sleeved shirt but between the humidity and my sweating it was wringing wet by the time I got to the top of the bald. I changed into a lighter shirt. Kept on trucking to Stecoah Gap and found that it intersected with a regular highway. There were a couple of picnic tables and a trail angel had left some Little Debbie snack cakes, cans of Coke and apples. There was even a trash bag. Simplesee and I went right to work on that unexpected snack! I took an apple for later. It started raining so at 3:30 PM Simplesee and I decided to stay at Brown Fork Gap Shelter.So far it is just the two of us. The rain has cooled us down and we can hear thunder rumbling in the distance. I split my apple with Simplesee. We have heard that cell phone coverage is going to be spotty or even non-existent for the next day or two so if I don't post you will know why.
Date: 2012-04-18
From: Brown Fork Gap Shelter

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.1
Weather: light rain

It rained hard all night so glad I was in the shelter. Simplesee and I were joined later by 4 other hikers including "Late for Dinner". Luckily nobody snored and there were no mice! So there we were all laying out on our sleeping bags on the floor and DRY! Today it is still raining though not as hard. I have on my Frog Togs, trying to keep myself as dry as I can. It is pretty wet out here. At times parts of the trail are like small streams. It's like walking through brook after brook. Very slow going so my mileage is low today. No cell phone coverage for a day or two. I have really enjoyed reading all the comments in my GUEST BOOK on this site!!!!