morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-03-25
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Sassafrass Gap Shelter
Miles today: 6.7
Weather: snow

NOC to Sassafrass Gap Shelter 9 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Total of 6.7 miles in 4.5 hours.It was a long, cold, hard climb in one to four inches of snow.Drifts at times were eight to 10 inches.COLD-COLD-COLD.The pen needed to be warmed up to write.Tenderfoot and I got about a quarter of a mile out of NOC and he said that he didn't have enough food and wanted us to go back to NOC so he could buy more. I declined and said he had to go back if he needed food, but I was going on to the shelter. He was so drunk yesterday that he could not remember some important stuff like food and Smokey Mountain permits.I had already given him my, "If you take one more drink around me, even in town, I will leave you where you stand." He had at least 20 beers between 2:30 and 9:30 p.m. yesterday. I also told him that his drinking would eventually hurt himself or another hiker. Also mentioned the conflict between his taking ibuprofen and the beer. I was brutally honest with him. Did laundry last night. Even after washing and drying, one pair of Smartwool socks was so stiff and crusty that I had to toss them and get a new pair this morning.Did I mention that it's COLD?Almost everyone got into their bags to warm up as soon as they got here. Shelter is already full including two dogs. Owners and dogs well-behaved so far. Sixteen people here.My one real rant so far:One 20-something guy with a black-and-white dog. He does a frequent loud rooster crow.It is loud and he seems to do it whenever anything seems significant, such as arriving at NOC, sundown, a privy visit, etc. He is obnoxious and more. I feel sorry for him, as he seems to be confused in thinking that being that obnoxious and rude actually equates to having character or being a character. The I/Me/Mine generation. We got lucky at the shelter. Four hiker came in with tarps, which are now hung up to block the wind and cold.[Ed note: This 6.7 mile section includes 2,651 feet of climbing -- about the same as climbing a 265-story building but over rocks and roots. It's called the Jump-Up. Climbing it is a ton of work under the best of conditions.]
Date: 2013-03-26
From: Sassafrass Gap Shelter

To: Brown Fork Gap Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: clear sky

Sassafrass Gap Shelter to Brown Fork Gap Shelter at 153.1 miles north of Springer Mountain, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.Snow is four to eight inches deep with drifts over my knees at times.Very hard to see [white!] blazes. For me, it was a second day of following tracks of other hikers. Slipped and fell to my knees three times -- once almost sliding off trail ledge. My hiking poles have saved me several times.My shoe laces are frozen. I'm trying to warm them behind my sleeping bag. I am wearing two pairs of socks while hiking to help keep my feet warmer and dryer. Helps some.Now that I am in the shelter, I put my wet socks and bandana under my floor cover and usually in the morning they are dry(er). Water soaks into wood floor. [Ed. note: The water soaks into the wooden shelter floor and body heat does the drying. Hikers also dry socks and wet clothes by sleeping with them.] Ate 3/4 lb of pre-cooked bacon, mashed potatoes for four, plus an Almond Joy and a small package of praline pecans, also a couple of handfuls of pepitas [roasted salted pumpkin seeds]. By the way, it's an older crowd at this shelter. What a difference. NO 20-somethings. People are actually talking. Called home about 3 p.m. today. Snow to stop this evening, but Smokies are very bad. Even experienced hikers in trouble. Newfound Gap road is closed because of snow. There are 12 to 18 inches of snow along the AT beside the NC/TN state line. I will see about taking a couple of days off at Fontana Dam and see what develops. Problem is also that hikers are backed up waiting until it opens again -- there could be two or three hundred hikers restarting after the weather delay -- and then they all get to towns about the same time. My thanks to Steve B. for helping my wife with a snowstorm and a house water problem. I think it's going to be quite cold again. I have my sleeping bag wrapped around me, but I'm starting to shiver. Time to get in the bag and warm up. Sleeping with glove liners on, by the way.
Date: 2013-03-29
From: Zero Day

To: Zero Day
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Second zero day at Hike Inn, near Fontana Dam.0070 = Agent Double Oh Seventy, 0070, licensed to eat.Had to add a cord clip to the waist cord of my long johns. Already lost enough weight to fit a bit loose, so now I can tighten them again.My meat for the Smokies will be 3 oz. foil packs of Spam. I hate Spam! Still cannot find Sweet Sue foil pack chicken. Finally feeling warm most of the time. Anticipating a 7:30 a.m. shuttle out of here to Fontana Dam. The day will start with about a seven-mile uphill walk. Final preps today.Enjoying breakfast in bed -- leftover beef fahitas at 8:45 in the morning. Laid around and napped all day. Then a trip to BoJangles in Robbinsville for fried chicken, dirty rice, cole slaw, biscuit and Pepsi for dinner. Short stop at Dollar General for daytime hiking junk food -- mostly candy and pastries. Strawberry shortcake ice cream bar for desert.Smokies at 7:30 tomorrow morning.
Date: 2013-03-30
From: Hike Inn

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Fontana Dam Visitor's Center, 8 a.m., to Mollies Ridge Shelter, 3:30 p.m. Miles: 10.7.Brutal day.Mostly uphill. Snow mostly gone.In it's place: Cold water, slush, mud, terrible footing, slipping and sliding. Small steps all day.The pack with seven days of food is a little over weight rating.All leading to cold, wet feet; sore knees, sore toes, sore back.If every day was like this, I think I would be done at the next town.Rain and maybe thunder and lightening tomorrow. Five more days up here.There is a fireplace in this shelter. People have gathered and started a fire and there is a big tarp over the front of the shelter. This shelter has a capacity of 12 people and people are saying it had 24 people in it during the snow storm. Ultimately, most of them ran out of food and fuel and had to hike back to Fontana to resupply. My thanks to Dave and Dale D. They were in their R.V. headed for Connecticut from Florida when they called and offered to pick me up if the Smokies were still impassible. Thank you for your concern and the offer.
Date: 2013-03-31
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Mollies Ridge Shelter, 8 a.m., to Derrick Knob Shelter by 5 p.m.Miles: 12.Twelve miles and a long, hard day.A lot of the trail was a cold stream.Nobody passed me today. I passed hikers "Quaker" and "Trouble" who stayed at Russell Field Shelter. I was here when the young guys straggled in. The first two said that they had been trying to catch me all day. Obviously, I am going too fast. Like yesterday, it seemed to take forever to get to the shelter.It's about 7 p.m. and the shelter is full.Question: The trail runs along the NC/TN state line. When you get to a shelter, how do you tell which state you're in?Answer: If there is a privy, you're in North Carolina; if there is a shovel, you're in Tennessee.Planning a short day to Double Spring Shelter tomorrow, beginning at 7 a.m. I could use a relatively mellow day at this point. By the way, I have done three planned days in two days again (Using Awol's 12-miles-per-day average plan). Must get back to plan.
Date: 2013-04-01
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.2
Weather: few clouds

Derrick Knob Shelter, 8 a.m, to Double Spring Gap Shelter, 2:30 p.m.Miles: 7.2Mostly climbing today.Snow is mostly gone but some patches left.Most people going on to Clingman's Dome, which is about three more tough climbing miles and the next place to stay is Mt. Collins Shelter, so they must do 6.3 miles. Quaker and Trouble and three others are here for now. Starting fire in fireplace, so maybe I will get dry socks yet.Cell phone worked for the first time in three days. Called my wife. The holiday was hard for her; Easter was just another hard hiking day for me.This hike is hard for both of us. The hardest part is saying goodbye at the end of each phone call.More people came in late and the shelter is mostly full now. Did my first "woods deposit" today and this shelter has a real privy. Bless North Carolina.On top of that, I now have a new pair of Smartwool socks for tomorrow: Nasty, stinky, and crusty, but DRY thanks to hiker Hobo (HOmeward BOund) from Maine. He started the fire & tended drying socks.
Date: 2013-04-02
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

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

Double Spring Gap Shelter, 7:20 a.m., to Icewater Spring Shelter, 4:30 p.m.Miles: 13.8I take it all back about the trail being hard before.None of it was anything compared to today: Evil, slippery ice almost all day.Got to Clingman's Dome (199 miles!), 3.1 miles up the trail, at 9:30 a.m. About 45 minutes after starting out, I put on my Yaktrax, which helped traction immensely. Thanks to Blackbird's advice, I brought these. Great advice! Went to the top of the Clingman's Dome observation tower and stayed only moments. Very cold and very windy.Started down the trail toward Mt. Collins Shelter and trail conditions were even worse. Someone fell there yesterday and was found unconscious with a cut on his forehead and multiple bruises. About mile 200.8, I noticed the road to Clingman's Dome [observation tower parking lot] down a steep bank to my right. I was done with the nasty trail and had only done about 1.7 miles in 2 hours, 45 minutes. So down the bank I went and I road walked to Newfound Gap. At road prong trail, I ran into a day hiker who said the A.T. was still bad there. Then at Newfound Gap: TRAIL MAGIC! Banana muffin, cherry tomatoes, potato salad, chips, ham sandwich, Peeps, Coke, clementines and I was full. The folks were up from the Tampa, Florida area to do trail magic. Nice people.Confession: At the shelter two nights ago, I could not find my socks. They had been drying by the fire. I asked if anyone had them, but no one did. It turned in that they were beside the fire, but they were turned inside out. I was confused and wrong to suspect people. I was a butt head.Yaktrax off for road walk, then back on for last two miles to this shelter. It's supposed to be (surprise-surprise) another cold night.
Date: 2013-04-03
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tricorner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6

Icewater Spring Shelter, 8 a.m., to Tricorner Knob Shelter, 3 p.m.Miles: 12.6Lots of packed snow and ice, some nasty treacherous stuff with big drop-offs. Used my Yaktrax almost all day. Got passed once just out of the shelter (he had stayed there, too). Other than him, I saw no one all day. This shelter is packed. There are six 19- to 21-year-olds here that were at the last shelter, too. They are like a litter of puppies, kind of loud, active, unruly, sort of cute, but sometimes a bit much for us older guys. There are nice kids and fun to play with. A ridge runner came in loosely checking permits and is staying the night.
Date: 2013-04-05
From: Tricorner Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Yes, I skipped a day in the journal.Yesterday began at Tricorner Knob Shelter, left there at 8 a.m.I had originally planned a possible short day to Cosby Knob Shelter at 7.7 miles up trail. Got there about noon. The first two hours out of Tricorner were Yaktrax hours, then the trail turned to mud, mud puddles, and rocks ... and freezing rain and wind. Luckily, the ground was warm so it was not icy. It was a potential hypothermia disaster all day. Anyhow, I decided that I wanted a warmer, lower altitude and I pushed on.New goal: Davenport Gap Shelter at 14.8 miles up trail. Got there just before 4 p.m. Conditions still bad and even with a pack cover, my gear, including my sleeping bag, must be at least damp. New goal: Standing Bear Farm hiker hostel at 18.4 miles up trail. Suck it up! I needed to be dry and warm. Only another two hours away. Suck it up!Arrived at Standing Bear at 6 p.m. exhausted, sore, thirsty, hungry.There were a lot of people there and they had been going out and picking up hikers in the area. People had even been assigned sleeping areas on the floor under beds in the bunkhouse. I was assigned a sleeping spot on an open porch, but I got lucky: Some people I had sheltered with a number of nights had a cabin and invited me in to sleep on the floor. Ended up being 12 of us in the cabin. Had to run all of my cloth gear through the clothes dryer to make them usable. As I suspected, everything was damp and wet.The decision to "Suck it up!" was the smart one.There is a cooking/heating/dining room, a hand wash tub with a real 1940s-style wringer, and a dryer in the laundry room. Also a one-hole outhouse/privy, and a small building stocked with food and other supplies you can buy. It is all on the "you keep track and pay at the end" honor system. They do have an ATM available. No cell service till this morning, when a worker told me of a sweet spot by a tree house they are building. And by this I mean SPOT. You cannot stoop, bend, turn around or you lose the cell signal.I almost forgot to mention a couple of things. We had a all-night snorer at Tricorner Knob Shelter. He sounded like an idling Harley-Davidson with straight pipes. Very hard to get much sleep. Also,( on the way to Standing Bear) I had to wade the same 8-foot wide stream (about four to six inches deep) four times within a half mile. The stepping stones were under water.Then, just before Green Road, the road to Standing Bear, there was one more stream to wade. I could not make the jump to the other side, so I went wading again.My boots and feet are thorougly wet and cold but it did wash the mud off my boots. A real joy is planned for later when the towels are clean and dry: a shower! Clean-clean-clean!Bunkhouse (where I am tonight) is pretty full. Total cost for two nights, lots of food to eat and three days of food resupply: $70.00. Nukem food all day long. I even got a ride to town (tiny town, more like an intersection) and got two ice cream bars. It's 8 p.m. and I am ready for bed in the bunkhouse. Fourteen of us here tonight.
Date: 2013-04-06
From: Standing Bear Farm

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: clear sky

Standing Bear Farm, 8 a.m., to Roaring Fork Shelter by 5 p.m.Miles: 15.1Today did not go as my best judgement had planned.Had planned a short day to Groundhog Creek Shelter, with an option to Brown Gap. Got to Groundhog Creek just after noon. Guide showed Brown Gap with tent sites and water and only 2.7 miles further -- about two hours of hiking. Opted for Brown Gap. Got there about 2:30 p.m. Tent sites but no water.Had to continue north as I was down to about 3 oz. of water. About a mile later, I ran into a day hiker who was ending his hike at Brown Gap ... Trail magic! He gave me about a pint of water -- all he had left.I used the water to eat a Snickers and a cheese danish. No water = no eating.Ran into an experienced hiker southbound about two miles later. He told me there was a stream in less than a mile and Max Patch in less than another mile. So it was on to the stream to load up on water and on to Max Patch. Carried four liters of water away -- about nine pounds. Hit more trail magic on Max Patch. Pepsi and strawberries and cinnamon buns, oh my!Patch was cold and windy, so decided to not stay on top for the night. Ran into boy scout leaders about mile 255. They told me that Roaring Fork Shelter was about a half mile away. So here I am, three of us mature types are here. We talk but we are quiet and respectful. The young guy in his 50s has foot edema, so I provided my "R-I-I-C-E" info: Rest, Ice, Ibuprofen, Compression, Elevation. I also demoed how he could use his hiking poles to better take weight off the bad foot.This was a much longer day than I had planned. Best choices? Eehhhhhh.Reasonable results? Yes.It's eighteen miles to Hot Springs and two days to do it. Need to camp tomorrow about nine miles into the day. Already have a room reserved there for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday.
Date: 2013-04-07
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Deer Park Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: light rain

Roaring Fork Shelter, 8 a.m., to Deer Park Mountain Shelter, 4:30 p.m.Miles 14.8It's 3.2 miles to Hot Springs.Ran out of water for last hour or so of the day ... and temps hit the mid-70s.I have to start carrying more water. This is the fourth time I have run out one to two hours before more is available. Need an additional container for filtered or piped spring water.Just me and three young college-age girls in shelter tonight.I've already helped them with ibuprofen and advice about one's strained knee. A day hiker had a heart attack on the AT at Max Patch yesterday and my decision not to stay on top was good: They had 50 mph winds last night ... a bit much for me and my tent.There are bear cables here but no mouse hangers. Food should be on bear hangers anyway.This shelter is only good for five people on account of how small it is. I need new she laces, to re-waterproof my pack cover, and to check out a new air sleeping mattress and possibly gloves.
Date: 2013-04-08
From: Deer Park Mountain Shelter

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: scattered clouds

Deer Park Mountain Shelter, 9:15 a.m., to Hot Springs, 11 a.m.Miles 3.2Dawdled in the shelter this morning. Did not want to get into town too early. Also did the Stroll-in-the-Woods Pace: If I sweat, I'm hiking too fast.Checked into Iron Horse Station after a post-office stop.Showered. Got at least two layers of grime off. Then had lunch at Smoky Mountain Diner: Taco salad (huge), two big lemonades, and blueberry cobbler and chicken wings. Could not finish. Tried though.After that it was off to Dollar General, the outfitter, then off to do laundry.Washed everything except the nylon sports pants I was wearing.Hung around with hiker "Goose" for most of this. We met on the trail two nights ago and both of us are staying at Iron Horse Station. Pleasant enough company. Probably will not see him after tomorrow as he plans to leave town tomorrow and plans 15-mile days regularly.Went back out in the afternoon to the Dollar Store for some trail food and outfitters for some new gloves, shoe laces, waterproofing spray for the pack cover, and seam sealer to help the slippery tent floor. Shaved today for the first time in nine days, only the second time since my start. I saw a light weight, very packable down jacket (Montbell) at the outfitters today. May buy it tomorrow and ship home the bulky, somewhat heavy fleece jacket. I'm shipping the neoprene gloves home, too. They work well, but cannot be kept clean. I sweat in them and they really stink.
Date: 2013-04-09
From: Hot Springs

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Zero day in Hot springs.I have decided in a shift in how I handle zero days in town. I am going to hit a Dollar Store and buy socks, underwear, t-shirt and maybe shorts, wear them in town and leave them. That way, I have clean clothes for town and wash everything else and have all clean trail clothes. So it's to the Dollar Store after breakfast. It's worth a try. I'm already getting antsy to be back on trail.I've been getting some soreness in my right hip. Also, the toes on my right foot occasionally get nerve tingly almost to the point of pain. Pain in that foot is part of what drove me off the trail in 2005. I'm going to cut back on miles per day at least some. At least I have no blisters. I did buy the Montbell ultralight down jacket. It's water and wind resistant, weighs about eight ounces, and packs down to about the size of a one-liter bottle. The heavy fleece goes home.Breakfast at Smoky Mountain Diner was very good. Big O.J., sausage, grits, two eggs -- about four dollars.
Date: 2013-04-10
From: Hot Springs

To: Hot Springs
Miles today: 0.0

Second of two zero days in Hot Springs.I have gained five pounds in two days, which makes up what I have lost.I may have a hiking partner through Damascus now. I will know later today and write more about that later. I have also called Erwin regarding shuttles and also the Super 8 Motel. I've already worn out two pair of socks. I did dance with one lady hiker last night, but most lady hiker are too tired and sore or injured to dance.
Date: 2013-04-11
From: Hot Springs

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

Eleven hard miles with a looooooong up to start. Hard day.Temperature got to almost 80 degrees. Never saw the "boxed spring" or piped springs. Got water at an O.K. looking stream and filtered it. That was a good thing, because I used most of it before the shelter and and had to get water out of a rather nasty looking stream down a blue-blazed trail there.This is a small shelter for five people only. Dinner was two Japanese chicken flavored rice and noodle soups with my last (thank God) package of SPAM and a pack of candy-coated peanuts plus water. Dinner filled my cooking pot, two and a quarter cups, almost to the rim. It was a lot to eat, but I did.
Date: 2013-04-12
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Jones Meadow
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: few clouds

Spring Mountain Shelter (284.9), 8:20 a.m., to Jones Meadow (295.6) maybe, more or less, 4:15 p.m.Had planned to stop at Little Laurel Shelter. Got there and someone had left a note saying that the shelter was full of vomit and feces (norovirus?). We moved on.A long uphill climb of about 1.3 miles, followed by about a mile down. Everyone is stopping here and there are nine tents so far. It's windy and cold at 6:45 and I am already in my tent. My nasty, worn-two-days-in-a-row Smartwool socks are hanging in my face.At the shelter last night (small, five people only), a couple came in about 6:30. Piercings, tattoos, nipple ring(s) (him). Seemed nice enough until they ignored the bear hanging cables outside and hung their food bag right by Tina and my sleeping bags. The other hiker there, Pop-Pop, who has through hiked three times, told them that it needed to be hung on the bear cables outside as all of our food was. The young man replied that they had not had any bear problems. He was promptly informed that if, "We bear hang, you bear hang." and to, "Smarten up. You are not the only ones here." I was at the privy during this incident. He grumbled but bear hung their food.It poured most of the night with some good thunder and lightning.In the morning, the two 20-somethings were clearly waiting for us three oldies to leave the shelter so they could do their thing. I'm not sure those two should be allowed to reproduce! The idea of what kind of mutant child they would bring forth is kind of scary. For dinner it was two packages of Kraft microwave mac and cheese and one pack of pink salmon cooked on Esbit stove.We were planning on a stop at Flint Mountain Shelter tomorrow night, but now we are leary. We are now thinking of tenting near one of the springs after the shelter. Hopefully, we will be able to fit our tents in somewhere. There's only one water source listed in 10.6 miles tomorrow.Packing extra water.