morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2009-03-27
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Russell Field Shelter
Miles today: 13.8
Weather: moderate rain

Entering the Smokies      Miles from Springer:177.4This morning krispy kreme doughnuts, bannanas, and apples awaited us courtesy of Red Hawk and Sue. What wonderful people they are!Sam The Jam, Ketchup, and I started hiking at 8:30 am and crossed the largest dam on the east coast (East of the Mississippi River). It is pretty darn impressive. The water in Fontana Dam lake was 4 feet below peak level which was clearly evident on the island in the middle of the lake. After the dam, we were officially in the Smoky Mountains.From the dam to the first shelter was a 2,700 ft incline over 11 miles. For 7 of those miles we hiked during torrential downpours. So much for dry clothes. The trail conditions were poor; a slop that can only be described as worthy of use for a mud wrestling event at a fraternity party.We hiked an additional 2.5 miles to the next shelter at Russell Field (4,360 ft). We entered Russell Field Shelter at 2:30 pm and Moses, a thru hiker, was already inside. Moses started a fire to dry our clothes, heat the shelter, and allow our boots to become a bit drier. All of our boots were in sad shape.I called Scott for the forecast over the next couple days but it looks like more rain is expected.
Date: 2009-03-28
From: Russell Field Shelter

To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: light rain

Wet and Tired         Miles from Springer: 192.1The fire we made last night dried things out a bit. It took a swig of alcohol and white gas to get going, but eventually the wood dried enough to burn. Sam The Jam, Moses, Liz, Wounded Knee, Nathan, Ketchup, and I weren't alone either. A family of mice kept the shelter active. There was also the howling of a pack of coyotes very close to the area.Nathan delivered news that Halfstep left the NOC to go home. We have no idea if he'll be back.Moses, Nathan, Jam, Ketchup, and I left the shelter at 6 am. Scott advised that we get as much hiking done early in the day before more rain/severe thunderstorms arrived. I lead the group in the dark and fog. We all used our headlamps to check our footing and look for white blazes.The fog stayed until 9:00 am at which time heavy rain began falling. We did get a good glimpse of the horizon between the cloud decks at Rocky Top Mountain (From the song) and Thunderhead peak.The rest of the hike was really tough with soaked boots. The rain gear was not keeping me dry either. At 12:30 pm we finished for our day. Luckily hot coals were already in the fireplace to start a small fire. The same crew as last night is here. Thank god my sleeping bag is warm and dry.
Date: 2009-03-29
From: Silers Bald Shelter

To: Newfound Gap/Gatlinburg TN
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: broken clouds

Clingmans' Cold Grip       Miles from Springer: 204.6I had a great sleep last night and was only awakened by the downpours and gusting winds associated with the passing cold front. By the morning hours, the rain was over but the fog remained. Temperatures dropped below freezing so all our wet clothing was crispy and cold. Even our food bags were partially frozen. I watched wet branches turn to ice in minutes. That was crazy! Sam The Jam and I waited for Ketchup to pack. This did not occur until about 10:00am. When we started hiking, Ketchup had shin splints and moved slowly so he told us to hike on without him. Jam and I pushed toward Clingmans Dome (6,643 ft); the highest mountain on the AT. It was a moderately tough climb and unrewarding since the clouds still surrounded the mountain. There was plenty of rime ice on the evergreen trees and the observation deck.We descended to Newfound Gap and hitched a ride to Gatlinburg, TN. A very nice gentleman took brought us town and he was the first to pass by. He had a rental van so he didn't care if Sam The Jam, Nathan, and I were smelly, dirty, and wet. The last 2 miles of hiking were done in light snow.We are staying at the Grand Prix Motel for the night. The three of us ate at the closest sports bar and had greasy, delicious food. Gatlinburg is home to Dollywood and is a huge tourist trap. I'm looking forward to the sunny skies forecasted for tomorrow. We've earned it!
Date: 2009-03-30
From: Newfound Gap/Gatlinburg TN

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

The Smokies Actually Are Beautiful       Miles from Springer: 220.2Nathan, Jam, and I ate a quick breakfast and left the motel around 9:00 am. From there we needed to hitch a ride to Newfound Gap, 15 miles up the road. It took about 30 minutes, but eventually a nice couple (The Sweatmans) picked us up. They went out of their way to help us by driving 13 miles beyond their destination. On the ride, we saw our first bear, actually a couple (presumably Mom and cub).The temperature at Newfound Gap was below freezing and most of the mountain tops were white from rime ice on tree branches. Around midday, the sun warmed the mountains into the 50s but ice remained in locations.Today's hike was gently uphill. Newfound Gap is 5000 ft and our highest peak was 6,400 ft. The trail was in good condition; mainly because it was frozen. There were a few tricky locations that were completely iced over. The Smokies are beautiful in the sunshine. Jam and I took plenty of pictures.A good day on the AT for sure!
Date: 2009-03-31
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 25.3
Weather: overcast clouds

Adios Smoky Mountains       Miles from Springer: 245.5Nathan, Jam, and I set our alarms for 6:30 am to get an early enough start to fit in 25.3 miles of hiking. It worked. Our main goal was to officially leave the Great Smoky Mountains. The limits of the park were 15 miles away which included two final ascents. We reached Davenport Gap, the limit of Smoky Mountain National Park, at 1:00 pm. We won't miss the below freezing temperatures and downpouring rain, but in the warm sunshine they are quite spectacular. Yesterday we had jaw dropping views and today wasn't too bad either; although we had an altostratus cloud deck that kept temperatures a bit low. One of the neat parts of this section of trail is that it is literally the border of North Carolina and Tennessee border. The terrain west of the trail, in Tennessee, is a bit flat but North Carolina is more rugged so we've definitely hiked the western end of the park. After a half hour lunch, we had a big climb up Snowbird Mountain out of Davenport Gap. The trail followed the road for a bit and crossed beneath I40. From there it was all uphill. Part of the mountain was scorched from a previous fire. The climb from 1,400 ft to 4,263 ft took a couple hours. The summit was a huge bald with unbelievable panoramas. From there it was all downhill to Groundhog Creek Shelter.
Date: 2009-04-01
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter

To: Deer Park Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: overcast clouds

No Fooling Around            Miles from Springer: 268.5I called Scott last night to get the details in the forecast for today. The weather went as he predicted. We woke up to rain and a lot of clouds, but that was not all we woke up to! Nathan and Jam had mice nests in each of their packs. I believe I was spared because I hung my pack from a line in the shelter that had a protective covering. Those little buggers are disgusting. Luckily the mice were gone by the morning.Nathan decided to leave the shelter at 8:30am while Jam and I left at 9:30am. We had a good workout climbing to Max Patch which is a huge bald that usually is associated with spectacular views. Unfortunately, the clouds were locked over the bald while Jam and I ate lunch. We had 1/8 mile visibilities. The patch was still interesting because the grass was very short. I felt like I should be putting on it.After Max Patch, Jam and I weaved along Rhododendron bushes. This plant has been very common along the trail since Georgia.On the climb up Walnut Mountain, the hillside was covered with little white budding flowers. It appears Spring is finally arriving. The trees in the valleys are showing similar progress as well.Just after the summit, we reached the shelter. I waited for Jam who was a few minutes behind. Once he arrived we decided to push on. At that point, our hike had only been 13 miles. We had a 10 mile hike to the next shelter but the clouds had cleared out so we took advantage of the situation. The main climb was over Bluff Mountain and then it was mostly downhill to Deer Park Shelter. Our day finished at 6:50 pm. I decided to tent since the shelter looked rustic (mice prone).
Date: 2009-04-02
From: Deer Park Mountain Shelter

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

We Are......Penn State        Miles from Springer: 271.7Another advantage of doing 23 miles yesterday instead of 13 was that we only had to hike 3.2 miles into Hot Springs, NC today. That means........Breakfast! We walked into town at 9:50 am and found the Smoky Mountain Diner and ordered two skillets. This meant each of us had a hot plate of hash browns, ham, peppers, onions, mushroom, and eggs with an english muffin. I devoured mine, but Sam The Jam didn't quite accomplish the feat. I believe he was pacing himself for later.The trail actually cuts right along Main Street making Hot Springs a "trail town". We picked up our mail drops and waited a bit for Sam The Jam's great aunt and uncle to arrive from Asheville, NC. Our original plan was to stay with them for a couple nights, but the drive was too long for them to make twice. Instead, they were way too kind and booked a room for us at the Iron Horse Inn for two nights. We had lunch and shared some pictures and stories before they left. Thanks for everything Uncle Al and Aunt Butz!Tonight we watched Penn State win the NIT Championship. A few thru hikers we've met (Boomer, Hightop, and Pony Express) watched with us. Sam The Jam and I celebrated with a couple cold PBRs and Magic Hat #9s.
Date: 2009-04-03
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

First Zero Day  Miles from Springer: 271.7Thanks to Uncle Al and Aunt Butz, Sam The Jam and I spent a zero day here in Hot Springs. We were full enough to skip breakfast this morning. I started my day by finishing a few entries, ripping out the North Carolina and Great Smoky Mountain sections from my thru-hiker Companion, and buying stamps at the Post Office.After, I went to the library to check on the news and read some emails. All the articles that I read about the NIT Championship noted the enthusiastic Penn State fans. GO STATE!For lunch, Jam and I grabbed some deli sandwiches and I downed a glass of milk. Dairy products were my craving today. I had two organic yogurts for a snack, a large glass of chocolate milk at dinner, and two ice cream sandwiches for dessert. At dinner I had a pull pork sandwich, baked beans, and mashed potatoes with gravy at the Smoky Mountain Diner. Halfstep ate with us since he arrived in town at 5:30 pm. Chuckles and Knuckles hiked into town this afternoon and we were able to exchange stories and eat with them as well.My body is thankful for a little rest.
Date: 2009-04-04
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Camp Creek Bald
Miles today: 20.9

Magical Hiking    Miles from Springer: 292.6Halfstep, Jam, and I left the inn early this morning to have a nice filling breakfast at the diner. I ordered a half order of french toast, bacon, and an english muffin. All were delicious and great for a long hike.We started hiking at 8:30am and had a steep climb into the mountains. Sam The Jam trailed us a bit to make sure that he didn't aggravate his ankle. It wasn't until 1:00pm that we stopped for lunch. The power of high fructose corn syrup from fake maple syrup is surprising high.Just before lunch we climbed Rich Mountain and its associated fire tower. We had some thin cirrus clouds, but other than that, the sky was blue as can be. Views were spectacular and hopefully our pictures do some justice.After lunch, we climbed a bit and then descended to Allen Gap. Sitting on top of some bear bins were a couple cinnamon buns. Hurray for trail magic! Thank you to Yuron who left them and a couple beers. Just before we crossed the road, we read a sign that indicated that just over 300 yards away, a family was providing more trail magic.We near made that trek and a nice couple (The Nelsons) cooked us some waffles, stew, and topped us off with sundaes. Everything was delicious. We had some conversation and left around 5:00 pm. At 7:00 pm we reached the next shelter halfway up Camp Creek Bald. We pushed on to the top of the mountain (an extra 1,100 ft in elevation over 1.3 miles) and set up camp for the night.
Date: 2009-04-05
From: Camp Creek Bald

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 20.2
Weather: clear sky

Oh Deer   Miles from Springer: 321.8I slept really well on top of the mountain last night. The temperatures stayed reasonable and there weren't any disturbing sounds (mice, snoring, or large animals). The odd occurrence of the morning was when a hunter walked through our camp. He was dressed fully in camouflage with a large black rifle over his shoulder. Although he greeted us kindly, I think Halfstep said it best when he stated, "There must be some kind of rule about walking with a gun through a stranger's campsite!"Since there wasn't a water source on top of the mountain and we were all short on water, we hiked a couple miles to the nearest water source. While at the source, all three of us chatted and ate our oatmeal. Then, up the trail about 7 feet from Halfstep, a deer walked up to us. I think both us and the deer were surprised to be close to one another. The doe moved a few feet off the trail while Sam The Jam took out the camera. Jam whistled at the doe to gain its attention and it posed perfectly for the camera. Further up the trail, we hiked along ridgeline, but over rocky terrain. A high cloud base, stratus deck, left us some beautiful views before clearing.The rest of the day turned out to be very warm. High temperatures must have been in the 70s because I heard on the radio that the surrounding lower elevations were in the 80s. The afternoon sun definitely gave the feel of June and not April.We climbed over Big Butt Mountain (our second such named mountain on this trip. Ah....southern humor), but the really brutal ascent was Frozen Knob (1,600 ft over 3 miles). I dipped my bandana in the cool creek running down the mountain a few times. It felt very refreshing on a day like today.We arrived at the shelter at 6:30 pm. I heard on the radio we have severe storms expected tonight with a cold front and then 4 to 8 inches of snow through Tuesday morning. Wacky weather indeed!
Date: 2009-04-06
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Erwin Tennessee Super 8
Miles today: 27.0

More White Stuff         Miles from Springer: 339.8The rain began around 4:00 am with the passing cold front, but once we were ready to hike this morning (around 8:30 am), it had ended. I knew we had a window of decent temperatures and dry conditions before wrap around and up-sloping precipitation began. Thus, my thoughts were "Get over Big Bald ASAP!"This meant a steady climb over 7 miles with 1,700 feet of elevation. It was a very tough ascent with snow developing at 10:00 am and high winds. Halfstep, Jam, and I reached the summit at half past noon and conditions were brutal. The bald offered no protection from the wind, which would push you sideways a great deal since often the wind was perpendicular to the backpack. My fingers instantly became uncomfortably cold and the snow came in sideways. The situation definitely reminded me of videos from Mt. Washington.I had my second Powerbar of the day and a handful of trail mix just before the summit for lunch. Powerbars are delicious in my opinion, but also annoying when temperatures are below 40 degrees since they become really tough to chew.Most of the day following Big Bald was downhill with a few significant climbs. The most notable thing to mention is the steady snowfall. The ground was covered 21 miles into the hike with only a thin strip of wet leaves marking the trail.Rather than stopping 6 miles short of Erwin, TN (as was originally planned), we hiked to town to enjoy food and warmth. The hostel at Erwin was full so we went to Super 8 for a room. We brought 4 large pizzas from Little Ceasars with us at check in.
Date: 2009-04-07
From: Erwin Tennessee Super 8

To: Erwin Tennessee Super 8
Miles today: 0.0

Miles From Springer: 339.8Our intention yesterday was to get out of the snow and into a warm, dry hotel room for the one night. As it turns out, we decided to stay an extra night in town. I watched the local news for the forecast and all the information I was receiving told me it would be windy and cold with snow. Relaying that information to Halfstep and Jam, we all decided it would be best to take a zero day.We stuffed our faces with complementary Super 8 Motel breakfast: honeybuns, cereal, bagels, and coffee. Oddly enough, the honeybuns were also in the vending machine at the hotel for 85 cents.Halfstep, Jam, and I spent the rest of the morning watching mediocre movies on cable. You know, the kind they play on a Tuesday morning. We viewed Wickerman with Nicolas Cage.....terrible movie.We had a late lunch at 2:00 pm. Jam had a craving for Chinese so we walked about 2 miles to the only option in town: China Kitchen. When we arrived, it had just closed for a couple hours since lunch was over. The owner opened the restaurant for the three of us, but we were forced to order from the dinner menu. Not that it was really a problem.I spent the rest of my day at the Post Office and Walgreens to take care of some tasks. It wasn't until 10:00 pm that we were hungry again. This time we did a quick jaunt to McDonald's a half mile away. I was conservative and ordered a 6 piece nugget, small fry, and a McFlurry. I think my stomach might have burst had I consumed one more nugget. By the way, I was the only one to clean my entire order of General Tso's Chicken at "lunch".
Date: 2009-04-08
From: Erwin Tennessee Super 8

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Uphill in the Snow   Miles from Springer: 356.2This morning I got up early to get to the Post Office. My book told me it opened at 8:00 am but when I got there the posted time was 8:30 am. I went across the street to Walgreens to pass time. Since I was there yesterday talking to the ladies at the cash register and photo shop, we had a quick conversation.I was the first person at the post office. I know this because I watched the gate open. The best part about a post office isn't that you can purchase stamps or mail a package, its that you can get cash back. I haven't had an ATM charge yet!When I came back to the Super 8, Jam said that a shuttle was coming to the hotel at 9:40am to take us back to the trail. A couple complementary honeybuns later, I also found out that Halfstep was leaving the trail for good. I have no idea how he'll get from Erwin, TN to Baltimore, MD since there is no public transportation depot, but wish him the best of luck. It was fun hiking with him.Our hike began damp, but snowless for about 2 miles. The base elevation was 1,700 feet but once we climbed to 3,070 feet, an inch was surrounding the trail. As we climbed higher, the trail conditions worsened. It was a complete mind game too. The sky was completely clear and air temperatures a bit cool, but my feet were cold and soaked.Once we made it to Beauty Spot (4,437) the snow was 4 or 5 inches in depth. This bald had phenominal views. There was even a couple people on horseback enjoying the day. I, on the other hand, wanted it to end. Jam and I still had 6.2 miles to hike and a 5,180 ft summit (Unaka Mtn) to ascend.Unaka Mountain continued on and on, or at least it seemed like it did. Snow was up to our knees at times and there was no other option but trudge through. Luckily, we caught word that our friends High Top and Boomer had blazed the trail earlier in the day, so we followed in their footsteps as others before had. The top of Unaka was a pine forest and with the snow, it was very reminiscent of New Hampshire.Even worse then the climb was our descent to Cherry Gap Shelter. The daytime highs made the trail snow, slush. Our footing was often unsteady and this placed a lot of pressure on our knees.To our relief, Cherry Gap Shelter was not full when we arrived. We're staying with a good crew tonight: Turnaround, Spokes, Carolina, Fortune, and Smiley. I'm not looking forward to putting on cold wet boots tomorrow morning.
Date: 2009-04-09
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 21.7
Weather: clear sky

Cold, Wet Feet      Miles from Springer: 377.9You know the saying, "They just have cold feet" for when a bride or groom is nervous or apprehensive come wedding day? Well, that feeling is a million times better than having cold, wet feet. Last night was clear and windless. With snow on the ground, that is a recipe for a cold night. I presume our low was in the 20s last night. So, I started my day off by getting out of my warm, comfortable sleeping bag and putting on yesterday's wet, frigid socks. Why? Because I had to put on soaked frigid boots anyways. Why ruin a perfectly fine pair of dry socks?We got moving around 8:30am with the snow on the trail nice and frozen. So, our morning half of the hike wasn't too bad because the trail wasn't slush yet. Today was another sunny day with high temperatures in the 50s. By the afternoon, the trail was a cold wet mess. It didn't matter though because my morale was already low from the time my foot first touched my sock.I forgot to mention that yesterday's hike took 5 hours to get from 1,700 ft to 5,100 ft with 14 miles of snow. Today we climbed to 6,275 feet on Roan High Knob. Knowing the amount of snow from Unaka Mountain yesterday, I really looked forward to going 1,100 feet higher.Roan loomed in the distance as a mountain that sticks out. It has a pronounced presence. I hit a road just before the mountain and then the climb began. Initial snow depths were minimal but it didn't take long for them to increase to knee high. The climb was steep for an hour and then there was a slight break before the second half. The snow was consistently knee to ankle high and an added bonus was that now the trail was beneath evergreen trees covered in snow.... that was melting. So, our sunny day was still wet and cold. We summited around 3:00 pm and immediately hiked down to Carvers Gap.People were all around the gap and surrounding bald. Car access to high elevations must be a wonderful comfort. Jam and I laid in the grass at Round Bald. The view was like no other so far. Definitely my favorite on this trip. The bald had been exposed to two days of sun so only thigh high drifts of snow remained among grass patches.The rest of the hike was downhill to Overmountain Shelter, but tricky in the slush. I fell, cursed, and broke my stick in anger on the way. The shelter is actually a converted Red Barn. It was in the movie "Winter People" and documentary "Trek". It's very nice and our friends High Top and Boomer are here as well.