morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-03-14
From: Wayah Bald Shelter

To: A. Rufus Morgan Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: light rain

Another rainy, rainy day.I could not tell you much about the scenery today. Not only was everything covered in dense fog, but the drawstring of my poncho hood was pulled tightly around my face so my vision was narrowed. I walked all day staring at the ground, which was necessary because the Trail had become quite hazardous. The rocks and the tree roots were slippery and the terrain was mostly downhill, forming a long continuous mud slide. I fell quite a few times. No injury was sustained but I became a muddy mess. There were apparently many views today (according to the guide book anyway); as the picture shows, we had great views of clouds and fog and rain.I know this is a common complaint among hikers but, especially today, I felt that everyone was being impossibly fast, running along the rainy Trail. I felt like an old lady wobbling about, being passed by everyone. I have a theory that most other hikers are in fact androids which explains their seeminly endless stamina.Tomorrow we have a mile to go before arriving to the Nantahala Outdoor Center where we can do LAUNDRY!!!!! Never thought I would be so excited about doing laundry.- Axon
Date: 2015-03-15
From: A. Rufus Morgan Shelter

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.7
Weather: clear sky

Another cold morning, but this time without rain. We reached Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC) after 1 mile. We were able to resupply and to buy a new stove (the old one decided to stop working last night, what a convenient timing). Most important of all, we were able to do laundry. We then stayed for 3 hours in the sun to dry the rest of our gear, and possibly get some sunburns.Afterwards, we started the (very) long climb to Sassafras Gap Shelter. This must be the 3rd Sassafras Gap we encountered since we started. According to some hikers it was the longest continuous climb of the whole trail. It was steep and the sun was very hot but we had nice views. At some point we could see Fontana Lake and the Smokies in the distance. When we were skirting the mountain, the afternoon sun was projecting our shadows all the way down into the valley. Since there are no leaves yet, the shadows of the trees made a nice pattern with the trees themselves over large areas.We arrived at the shelter past 6 PM. We had a good dinner (as always), met some new people then went to bed in our dry sleeping bags in a dry tent.- Shrugs
Date: 2015-03-16
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Cable Gap Shelter
Miles today: 15.2
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke up in a dry tent and dry sleeping bags and everything else was also dry. There wasn't a single cloud in the sky, which gave us an awesome sunrise!We walked a long distance today. The terrain wasn't too difficult, except for a part called Jacob's Ladder. It is a *very* steep climb that lasts over half a mile. Fortunately there was a shelter right after, in time for the lunch break.The weather was perfect (hot, but no complaint!). We can now see that the leaves are about to come out on many plants.While we were cooking dinner tonight, we saw a guy in the distance walking towards the shelter carrying what looked like pizza. It turned out to be an actual pizza! The man, named Steve, walked a mile to bring it to everyone in the shelter, along with cold beer and coke. Thanks a lot!- Shrugs
Date: 2015-03-17
From: Cable Gap Shelter

To: Campsite 113
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: light rain

Another very nice day today (it was in the 70s!), very good for the morale. I felt bad for our families back home who had been dealing with loads of snow (or "la merde blanche").We hiked out of Cable Gap Shelter to much of the same terrain we had been experiencing thus far in NC. The Trail would skirt the mountain top and then swirl back down towards a gap. The tall bare trees were casting shadows that would fall parallel to each other, inclined at the same angle. The hot weather had warmed the earth and the leaves were dry and crunchy under our feet, releasing, as we stepped through, rich odors. It was not like the unmistakable wet dirt smell; instead, it was more musky, an almost spicy aroma.We could also see the Fontana Dam from the peaks. The adjoining lake was a deep blue, quite a contrast against the greyish-green background.We arrived at the Fontana Marina where a shuttle was available to transport us to a small gas station to pick up a few food items. Then we headed past the Fontana Dam Shelter aka the "Fontana Hilton", a massive shelter that holds up to 20 people and has nearby showers. There we met Greywolf (who is from Germany), a friend of Monster Cheese, a 2013 thru-hiker we had met!We decided to get a few more miles when suddenly: FRESH GROUNDS! the Master of Trail Magic with the epic setup, ready to cook up a storm. He made Sloppy Joes (Shrugs' first) with homemade French Fries as well as fruit and cookies. I ate soooooooooo much.Most of the other hikers had decided to stay put to rest at the Hilton and enjoy Fresh Grounds (who would also supply dinner and breakfast the following morning), so Shrugs and I entered the Smokies by ourselves. The Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a unique section on the Trail. You need to purchase a 20$ permit. Hikers are required to stay in the shelters as the park is home to 400-600 bears. I am not too excited about this as I do not enjoy the nightly concerto of snoring performed in fart minor. Furthermore, privies are few and far between, having "toilet areas" equipped with a shovel instead. In ANY other context, I would be repulsed by a privy, but now, I would run full speed towards one. The Smokies also have a severe air pollution problem. Ozone, nitrogen and sulfur levels are very high which has had a devastating effect on certains tree species, namely conifers.The hike into the Smokies began with a 5.5 mile 2000' elevation gain. I regretted eating so much. I felt like Sisyphus' burdensome boulder, inching up the moutain, only to roll back down; an endless task. - Axon
Date: 2015-03-18
From: Campsite 113

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 17.1
Weather: clear sky

Today was overcast and much cooler which was perfect since we had a long day ahead. As I mentionned, most of the people we had been following have stayed behind, so for the first time, we felt much more isolated, in solitude. The air was still; silence was ruptured by the noise of a woodpecker drilling into the hard wood.This gave me a moment to reflect and conclude that the Trail is very crowded. I feel that those who say that they wish to thru-hike in order to be "one with Nature" are misinformed or naive. I don't mean to imply that human companionship is bad: in fact, it is almost necessary to share this great experience with someone who can relate, otherwise you feel quite alineated. Many past thru-hikers have even said that their greatest memories were not the views, but the people they had met.However, according to Fresh Grounds, the other day there were 70+ people at Gooch Gap Shelter, an early shelter in Georgia. People are everywhere, constant human interaction. Furthermore, we hike the AT with an absolute reliance on technology. I am not referring to cellphones. I am talking about the ultralight tents, compactable and (mostly) waterproof gear, all of which required human engineering and ressources. Yes, you do hike through streches without seeing anyone, but there have been times, living in the city, where I would speak to no one.I guess the best way I can summarize it is this way: we are merely tourists visiting Nature and we are more or less accustomed to its ways (a markedly Western trait, I might add).These are some of the thoughts I have been having and, since it's been over two weeks that we have started, I wanted to write them out. Feel free to comment on them. I have also noticed that our bodies are a bit more habituated and, hopefully, our hiker legs should be fully formed within the next few weeks. Hunger is also ever present. I feel that I eat all the time. I eat under the pretext that I need to replenish my body but to be quite honest, there is a comforting, almost relaxing feel that I get from stuffing my face. I hope the Trail will not turn me into an emotional eater.Anyway, back to the hike, which was quite nice. We walked along ridges at 5000'. The trees had disappeared and the Trail snaked through rocks and vast expanses of long, yellow grassy patched. The grass patches would appear to ondulate along the top of the mountain, like frozen waves. At one point, we saw horsemen riding through. The Smokies are, in parts, open to riders; there are even wooden posts near the shelters to tie the animals. I was amazed to see these impressive animals navigate the narrow, oftentimes steep terrains. There were also a couple of pack mules following behind. They were adorable!We arrived at the shelter which was luckily not full at all. I slept well.- Axon
Date: 2015-03-19
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: overcast clouds

It rained hard during the night and it continued to do so in the morning. The hard drops would hit the aluminum surface covering the shelter's roof, each hit resonating loudly. PING PING PING PING PING PING"HEY! HEY, STUPID" said the morning rain "YOU GOTTA GET UP AND HIKE IN THE RAIN. OH, THOSE PONCHOS YOU SAID WERE GREAT? WELL, IT WILL BE WINDY, SO WINDY THAT THE RAIN WILL BE CRASHING ONTO YOU SIDEWAYS SO THE PONCHOS WILL BE USELESS. WHAT'S THAT YOU SAY, "NO PAIN, NO RAIN, NO MAINE"? OOOOOOOHHHH GUUUUURL, YOU HAVE NO IDEA!"*cue the maniacal laughter*Suffice to say we were miserable. We saw a few day hikers (many are on Spring break) and I was wondering WHY they were here subjecting themselves to this although they probably had the same thought when they saw us. We only hiked 5.8 miles to the next shelter. We were wet and freezing cold (it was only around 37-38F) so we changed and hid in our sleeping bags to warm up. We waited for the rain to stop....the rain never stopped.A large crowd of hikers had caught up to us and most decided to push for the next shelter, which was slless than 2 miles away. The few of us who had decided to stay in the shelter took a certain pleasure in watching those competitive, more aggressive hikers walk back out into the blasting wind and rain to gain less than 2 miles only to arrive at a full shelter, all while we stayed warm and ate our food (sorry guys). We renamed the shelter the "Schadenfreude Shelter".It was a bit disappointing to be stuck in the shelter because it meant that we would have to go into Gatlinburg to get more food as we did not have enough anymore. I suppose though that the Trail is making us work on our patience.Besides, its Shrugs' birthday tomorrow and he might enjoy a hot shower!-Axon
Date: 2015-03-20
From: Silers Bald Shelter

To: Gatlinburg, TN
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: light rain

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHRUGS! <3Very quick update - this is the 6th journal entry in a row and I'm tired (reception has been non-existant).We hiked to the top of Clingmans Dome today, the highest point on the AT (6,655'). It was not raining but it was completely foggy. We did not see anything (supposedly, you could see NC on one side and TN on the other).The forest was very pretty; many of the trees were dead and fallen and a bright green moss covered everything. The Trail was mostly flooded or very muddy. At some point, in the shadow of the mountain, the path was still covered in ice (Souvenir d'hivers montr©alais/Memories of Montr©al winter).We hitched to Gatlinburg, an incredibly touristic town: shops, wine and whiskey tasting, cowboy boots, attractions, cinema, arcades, a Ripley's Believe it or Not and a square styled as "olden days" village with many more shops.The hotel was expensive but I think Shrugs was happy to be here, especially for his b-day!-Axon
Date: 2015-03-21
From: Gatlinburg, TN

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: broken clouds

After trying to hitch out of Gatlinburg for about 40 min, we got picked up by a very nice couple, Matt and Amy, who brought us all the way up to the trailhead. It was quite foggy in Gatlinburg but as we reached the parking lot at Newfpund gap, we rose above the clouds to an amazing view of the Smokies. It was nice to see what we had missed yesterday, what with all the fog and rain.The weather was perfect today (no rain) and the views were great. We hiked most of the time on ridges so we could see mountains on either side. We hiked up to Charlie's Bunion, a cliff from which we could view mountains right below us.I thought we would be walking down most of the way but I must have been looking at the elevation profile upside down because we actually went up during more than half the day (to Axon's mild annoyance). Still, I think we are starting to get our "hiker legs" because it didn't feel too difficult. Our cardiovascular system is also getting up to speed. We saw so many section hikers today. It's a spring break weekend with nice weather so they are all coming out. Some of them were amazed that we were thru-hiking. It was fun to see people getting jealous of us! Another thru-hiker, a nice guy we have been following for a bit called Nor Yet, recieved a granola bar in exchange of having his picture taken.We might be able to get out of the Smokies tomorrow if we can do another big day!- Shrugs
Date: 2015-03-22
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Stealth camping near Spanish Oak Gap
Miles today: 21.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Longest day yet.We woke up very early this morning - no natural light was perceptible yet so we packed up and headed out, guided by the light of our head lamps. It was quite cool this morning, in the high 30s (or like 3-4 degrees Celsius). After a few minutes of hiking though I had to shed my layers. I cannot say if it is my body that is habituated to the cold weather or if I am going through early menopause but I am wondering how I am going to handle the summer heat.We hiked in the darkness for a while and had a pleasant morning. It was still sunny and cool, perfect hiking weather. We were motivated to leave the Smokies, an important milestone in our journey. At Davenport Gap, as we were exiting the Smokies, we met Sparky and Morning Glory, two past thru-hikers who were offering trail magic (fresh baked cookies!!!). They had great advice and hilarious stories. Here's my favorite, a short story about two hikers, a pessimistic man named Jim and his reluctantly supportive friend, Jerry."Jerry, Jerry, my feet are killing me, Jerry" said Jim. "I don't know about this Jerry, my feet Jerry, my feet hurt Jerry, Jerry my feet". Jim continued to complain when finally Jerry calmly replied: "Well, you should have brought those cyanide pills."We moved onwards and frequently saw the same people: Not Yet, Greywolf, Viktor and Sratchywolf. We stopped at the Standing Bear Hostel, a small hostel 0.1 mile off the Trail. They had a nice selection of food items but they were all expired (oh well - stale PopTarts are not lethal). We didn't stay at this hostel but it seemed fun: the whole setup seemed like an old farm. There was even a rooster wandering about (BUT SHRUGS SCARED HIM OFF!)We had a final climb and, at that point, I was exhausted. I had my music with me to spur me on. Definitely a must-have for those long days. We intended on staying at a designated campsite but we missed it; we willingly resigned our search for the elusive campsite and we stealth camped.It rained during the night though only for a few hours.SMOKIES SUMMARY- Be prepared for more wind and rain (and even snow sometimes). The Smokies have on average the highest precipitation levels on the AT. It gets cold and WINDY. - Our worst day yet was in the Smokies (due to said rain and wind). However, as our fellow hiker and shelter-mate said as we, unhappily, abandonned the day's plans to stay in the shelter for the day "there is a limit to the amount of suck I will handle". This is good advice - take things slow and wait for the worst to past.- This being said, the best views were in the Smokies. I thoughrouly enjoyed them, EVEN if it did involve overnight stays in the shelter, listening to one guy who had sleep apnea.- Shrugs mentionned this but the Smokies' terrain is great training. Climbs were proggressively easier and, while I do have to stop sometimes for an oxygen break and a sip of water, recuperation time is so much shorter.- Great for day hikes or section hikes-Axon
Date: 2015-03-24
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Deer Park Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: clear sky

I'll take over for now because Axon has been writing too much.Today was a relatively short day compared to the last three, with the same perfect weather. There wasn't much that was remarkable. We stopped early and had nothing to do so we just hung out with Stretch and Not Yet and ate all our food (since we will stay in town tomorrow after a long 3-mile hike). Most people just passed our campsite and went straight to Hot Springs to zero there tomorrow, but we'd rather pay for only one night.- Shrugs
Date: 2015-03-25
From: Deer Park Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Super short entry.So after a grueling, endless and seemingly impossible 3.2 mi, we arrived in Hot Springs (I'm joking by the way!)Hot Springs is truly a "trail town" as the AT crosses right through. It's great to have a hostel and stores right here and to not have to bother with hitchhiking or losing time traveling to and from the trailhead. Hot Springs is a small town, ~800 people, according to a local and, I assume, whose economy relies on hikers. As the name indicates, there are geothermal springs and the town has a couple spas which utilize said springs. Apparently, again according to a local, the town has been around since the Civil War and served as a resting place for soldiers although I can't verify his claim.Anyway, today we did laundry, showers and resupply. We are now reading, updating the journal and eating ice cream. Great nero day, feeling quite rested.ALSO! I will link up my personal e-mail address to our trailjournals account so that you can contact me if you have any comments or questions! (It should appear in the "about" section)- Axon
Date: 2015-03-26
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: overcast clouds

First of all, the place where we stayed, the Laughing Heart Lodge, was awesome! The lady working there, Tie, was really nice and knew all the guests by name, and the hostel was super clean.Also, we went to the Spring Creek Tavern for dinner and ate the "AT Burger". It's an 18 oz, triple-pattie burger with cheese and bacon between each layer, onion rings on top and a tomato slice for good measure. In case anyone was wondering, it did not help at all for today's hike.I don't know who predicted snow for today, but they were very wrong. It was hot and humid, so we had a hard time doing the steep climb coming out of Hot Springs. We were both exhausted after less than an hour of hiking. About a dozen vultures were circling above us; Axon thought they were waiting for her to die. We still had a nice view of Hot Springs from the top of the cliff.We passed some old tobacco fields that are now a habitat for grouse and turkeys. (We have been hearing turkeys for the past few days, they make some sort of monkey noises besides their gobbling.) We also saw a black slamander near a small stream.We arrived at the first shelter in the afternoon and for some reason decided to go to the next one 9 miles further despite our tiredness. A bit later we could smell fire and see a huge cloud of smoke. They were making controlled forest fires and we got to pass through them. It was a fun experience, although it was difficult to breathe at times.We arrived at our destination around 7 pm. We barely had time to get water and eat dinner before the sun went down and it started raining.-Shrugs
Date: 2015-03-27
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Campsite past Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: light rain

We woke up this morning to small pellets of hail raining down on the tent. We packed up quickly, trying to stay as warm as possible.As we began our hike it began to snow lightly. The whole Trail seemed to be coated in a fine white powder. We hiked along the Firescald ridge (elevation ~4,500') which has a side trail that bypasses the ridge, a recommended option for when the weather is bad. We did not take the side trail.The Trail was cold and slippery and snow kept on falling for most of the day. What a sharp contrast from the previous day where the Trail crossed through (controlled) fires. Black smoke stung our eyes and lungs while the heat rose up to our faces. Now, today, ice coats the naked tree branches and snow is weighing down the rhododendron leaves. A Trail of fire and ice.Later in the afternoon we reached a side of the mountain which had escaped the worst of the snowfall; the sun had even made a sudden apperance, melting any residual snow. We could hear the whole forest dripping as it slowly defrosted. It was like entering a whole new section. This is something that had always struck me: the Trail seems to be strung through a series of semi- independant bubbles, each containing a distinct micro-universe. It started snowing again in the evening.-Axon