morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2023-07-19
To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0

Zero day in Erwin resting up, refueling, and resupplying. We can only reasonably carry enough food in our packs for 5-6 days, possibly a little more. Food adds a big chunk of the pack weight. Even with a full resupply and water, you don¢t want to be carrying more than 35 or so lbs. When I go into a town, and am low on food, my pack weight is down around 27-28 lbs, or less. Believe me, that makes a huge difference in the pack comfort!Ate lunch today at a great smoothie shop, Groovy Smoothie, downtown. Erwin is a very nice little town with a revitalized Main Street with cool shops and businesses. Checking out the small towns, along my AT journey, has been a very enjoyable addition to the overall experience. Tomorrow we hike out across the bridge over the Nolichucky River and head towards Unaka Mountain.
Date: 2023-07-20
From: Nolichucky River

To: Indian Grave Gap
Miles today: 8.2

Had a good time in Erwin, and got all of our ¢chores¢ completed. We got back to it today and went 8.2 miles after getting started at 1:30. Got a late start because our shuttle driver, Steve, wasn¢t available until 1:00. Not a super tough day, but it was very humid and I was soaked with sweat early on¢¦get comfortable with being uncomfortable, as is said. Then, the weather changed, as it does quickly in the mountains, and we walked in the rain for a couple of hours. We caught a break and it let up once we reached our campsite a tenth of a mile from Indian Grave Gap. Setting up your tent in the rain, as I¢ve had to do more than a few times, is no fun! We had to work quite hard to replenish our water. Needed to walk down a paved road for a 1/4 mile from Indian Grave Gap and, once we actually located the water source, bushwhack down a steep embankment to a stream, then walk a 1/2 mile uphill back to where we were setting up camp. Probably the most difficult water I¢ve ever gotten along the AT.
Date: 2023-07-21
From: Indian Grave Gap

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 8.9

Hiked 8.9 miles from Indian Grave Gap to Cherry Gap Shelter. There were a couple of tough climbs, one up to Beauty Spot Bald and the other up to the Summit of Unaka Mountain, which took us back up to nearly 5,200 ft of elevation. It was a rough day for me since I wasn¢t feeling 100%¢¦energy was low. You have your good and your bad days when long hiking. Saw two wild turkeys, which was a first for me this trip. They moved too fast into the underbrush for me to get a pic. We are at exactly 340 miles hiked for this trip. I¢m at 361.4 miles hiked of the Southern most section of the AT.
Date: 2023-07-22
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 9.1

Hiked 9.1 miles to Clyde Smith Shelter. Had a nice fire at the shelter, which was the first for me since GA because the available wood has so often been too wet.The day had a couple of tough climbs, but nothing too crazy. Tomorrow will be a lot more difficult since we¢ll be climbing nearly 2,000 ft in elevation to the last Sixer (6,000 ft +) in the lower half of the AT, Roan Mountain.We¢re now at nearly 350 miles hiked.
Date: 2023-07-23
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 8.5

It was a tough day, though we only went 8.5 miles. There were two climbs today, the second one being, by far, the most difficult. The climb up Roan Mountain really took it out of me! It was a 4.5 mile long ascent with 2,200 feet of elevation gain. Roan is the last summit over 6,000 ft on the AT until Mount Washington in NH. We camped at Roan Mountain Shelter at 6,284 ft, which is the highest I¢ve ever camped. Cool night high up on the mountain!
Date: 2023-07-24
From: Roan High Knob Shelter

To: Hump Mountain Bald 
Miles today: 10.8

We hiked 10.8 miles today from Roan Mountain to Hump Mountain. Amazing scenery all day, from the evergreen forest of Roan Mountain, to the many mountain vistas, and several balds we hiked up to and across. I took more pics today than on any other day on my journey. The climbs up to Little Hump Mountain and Hump Mountain were very steep, but well worth the effort. ShowMe and I decided to camp on the bald at the Hump Mountain summit. First time for us both and a very cool experience. Lots of stars to be seen after dark! Could even see the Milky Way across the sky directly over head. It¢s been a long time since I¢ve been somewhere where I could see that  We spoke to quite a few people along the hike today, which always makes the experience more enjoyable. Lots of questions about our journey. Planning to go into Roan Mountain, the tiny town, tomorrow to resupply and stay a night or two at the Mountain Harbour.
Date: 2023-07-25
From: Hump Mountain Bald 

To: Mountain Harbour Hostel, Roan Mountain, TN
Miles today: 5.5

Woke up in a cloud this morning on Hump Mountain. A half hour later it was a beautiful sunny day. Every day on the AT is a new incredible adventure, the way life should always be!Hiked 5.5 miles. Coming down from Hump Mt had parts that were very rocky, reminiscent of ¢Rocksylvania¢ for sure!¢¦where you need to pick your every step very carefully. Makes it tough going!We hiked into Mountain Harbour Hostel & B&B near Roan Mountain, TN. Staying in the bunkhouse. Very cool place. We met Johnny Molloy, the author, at Doll Flats. He¢s a hiker and outdoor enthusiast. He¢s written a bunch of books about hiking specific trails around the US and camping and such. Had a good conversation before continuing to the hostel.Great day!
Date: 2023-07-27
From: Mountain Harbour Hostel

To: Sugar Hollow
Miles today: 6.2

Had a great time at Mountain Harbour! Met some really awesome people and ate some incredible food, particularly the breakfast. I¢ll miss Odamay the cat. I got attached to her in a short amount of time. She looked great for nearly 21. I told her to keep on living, and living well ° I¢d definitely like to go back there someday. If I wanted to, I could go back there and work for a couple of months and stay for free. I did have one kind of bad thing happen at MH. My camp air pillow disappeared from the common area in the bunkhouse, where I had some of my gear laid out. The ¢Pillow Caper¢ turned ok because I found another one, just the inner bladder without the cover, in the hiker box, which is something in all hostels, many hiker town hotels, etc. that contains hiker discarded gear and also trail angel donated items. Jill ¢Trail Mix¢, who works there, gave me a pillow case that I cut down to size. The trail provides! Other occurrences of this shared long hiker belief have happened to me over the past two months. The section of AT prior to Mountain Harbour, the previous 2 days of trail, was about as good as it gets and I really enjoyed it, as did ShowMe, and hiking into MH was like arriving at an oasis in the woods. We only hiked 6.2 miles today. ShowMe has been dealing with shin splints and swelling and we agreed that he should keep the day short and rest his effected leg. We camped next to a river in Sugar Hollow. We both spent some time relaxing in the cool water, which was amazing. Nothing quite like cooling off in a river in the remote woods. I suggested that his version of RICE should be River, Ibuprofen, Camp, Elevation °It was a hot humid day, that started out with a long climb with heavy resupplied packs, making the early going slow and very tiring. A few miles later we arrived at Jones Falls. We spent an hour hanging out by the beautiful falls and cooling off. While we were there, a nice lady walked up and we talked for a while about life and the trail and such. Turns out that she was a PT from Charlotte. She gave ShowMe input and recommendations for his shin splints. An amazing coincidence and, yet again, the trail provides!
Date: 2023-07-28
From: Sugar Hollow

To: ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂSweaty Tent CampsiteÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ
Miles today: 8.5

It was another hot and very humid day today. We started the day by taking a side trail excursion to Elk River Falls. It was an amazing thing to see, by far the largest waterfall I¢ve ever seen anywhere on the AT. We hiked 8.5 miles, from our campsite next to the river in Sugar Hollow, to a very small campsite in a Rhododendron forest 1.25 miles past FS Road 293, that I¢m calling ¢Sweaty Tent Campsite¢ because it was so hot in our tents. The humidity was over 80%. I¢ve now hiked the 410 miles of the Southern AT, from Springer Mt to ¢Sweaty Tent¢.
Date: 2023-07-29
From: ÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂSweaty Tent CampsiteÃÂÃÂ¢ÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂ

To: Dennis Cove Rd/Black Bear Hostel
Miles today: 10.0

Saw my first coyote today. He was standing in the trail as I approached and then took off like a shot into the woods. Very cool to see!We went 10.2 miles from Sweaty Tent to Dennis Cove Road.  Up and down hiking, a bit like a rollercoaster, all day and very humid again. The humidity really sucks the energy out of you!Got caught in a severe thunderstorm at the end of the day. I heard it coming up though the valley, sounded like a freight train. Trees were swaying, branches began falling, all around, and I ran for Dennis Cove Road a half mile away and ducked under a trail sign roof and waited for ShowMe. ShowMe got wacked by a falling branch, but was luckily ok. We walked up the road .75 miles to the Black Bear Hostel for refuge, pizza, ice cream and a bunk. Unplanned stop, but very welcome! Another eventful day on the Appalachian Trail!
Date: 2023-07-30
From: Dennis Cove Rd AT Trailhead Parking Lot

To: Pond Flats
Miles today: 5.5

Today was a mixed bag, with a bit of everything¢¦.hiking in the rain, an awesome waterfall, river walking, a 3 mile climb up a mountain, and a cool ridge walk  We left Black Bear Hostel this morning and got a golf cart ride to the trailhead. Almost immediately after hitting the trail, it started to rain. We hiked in the rain for most of the day. We got to see another amazing waterfall, Laurel Falls, my favorite. It was a slippery, very rocky trail down to the falls, but worth every careful step!After the falls, we walked for a couple of miles along the river and back and forth across it on several footbridges. The river was very picturesque and an enjoyable hike, including the cool rock ledge along the river¢s edge shortly after leaving the falls. Once we got done walking along the river, we immediately started a long, steep climb up Pond Mountain. It was a 3 mile long climb with 1,800 feet of elevation gain. We camped at the summit at Pond Flats. We only went 5.5 miles today. ShowMe is still nursing shin splints and wanted to take it easy, particularly after the 10 miles yesterday. I¢m now at 425 miles total of the Southern AT!
Date: 2023-08-01
From: Boots Off Campground 

To: Before Vandeventer Shelter
Miles today: 7.8

Hiked 7.8 miles today from Boots Off. ShowMe¢s Amazon shipment of new Altra hiking shoes showed up at 2:00 and we hiked out at 2:30. We hiked around Watuga Lake and even spent some time swimming in it. We ate dinner on a ridge line and ended up hiking an hour in the dark under a full moon. We found a nice campsite and had an awesome fire. Overall, a great day!30.8 miles until we cross into VA! Will be the fourth state of the trip¢¦GA, NC, TN, and soon VA.
Date: 2023-08-02
From: Before Vandeventer Shelter

To: Iron Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.3

Hiked 8.3 miles today. There were a bunch of climbs, but nothing too crazy. I¢m getting stronger each day. ShowMe is feeling better each and the new shoes are definitely helping. Rained some today. Wet feet and gear has been a common occurrence over the past couple of months. Forecast is calling for rain all day tomorrow, but a rainy day on the AT is still fun. 22.5 miles to the VA state line!
Date: 2023-08-03
From: Iron Mountain Shelter

To: TN91 Trailhead
Miles today: 4.7

Very rainy night, morning, and day. Didn¢t want to leave my tent cocoon this morning. I spent the last 2 days hiking in soaked socks and shoes¢¦my feet have been very unhappy! Also, the rest of our gear was wet. So, we decided to go into Elizabethton, TN to get out of the nasty weather, dry out, and refuel. We hiked 4.7 miles to the TN91 trailhead, where we got picked up by an AT shuttle. Randy is a great guy! I covered the 4.7 miles in well under 2 hours, in the rain. I was very ready to get dried out!
Date: 2023-08-04
To: Elizabethton, TN
Miles today: 0.0

Spent the day in Elizabethton. ShowMe is still nursing shin splints and needed to rest. I walked 5-6 miles on the Tweetsie Rail Trail, and around town, to stay in tune for the AT ° The rail trail runs along TN91 and down to the old business district, which is a cool area with lots of small shops, stores, restaurants, a tap room, outfitter, etc. After that, I swam some laps in the pool at the motel and cooled off. I then had dinner at Fatz Cafe, which I really enjoy. Ate at the Franklin, NC location a while back. After dinner, I¢m taking in a little ¢Friday Night Lights¢ scrimmage football game at the local high school where Jason Witten played. Getting back on the trail tomorrow. I hope to be to the VA state line in a couple of days.
Date: 2023-08-05
From: TN91 Trailhead

To: Abingdon Gap Shelter 
Miles today: 11.4

Hiked 11.4 miles today. The first 1.3 miles, from the TN91 trailhead, were done through two cow pastures. We made good time most of the day, at times, averaging 2 around mph. it was finally a nice weather day, sunny all day with brilliant blue skies. No wet shoes and socks, and other gear, to contend with, but rain is in the forecast again tomorrow ¢1  We had another bear encounter. As we approached McQueens Knob Shelter, a circa 1934 shelter no longer considered safe to use, a young bear was walking along the trail. I couldn¢t get a picture in time before it went off into the tall undergrowth. Black bears move surprisingly quietly at times.The VA border is only 6.5 miles away and Damascus 9.6. VA will be the fourth state of this journey.
Date: 2023-08-06
From: Abingdon Gap Shelter 

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 10.3

Hiked 10.3 miles today and crossed into Virginia, the 4th state of the journey. Shortly after crossing into VA, we had another close encounter with a young adult bear, this time only about 20 feet ahead on the trail. Second day in a row seeing a bear. The day had a couple of healthy climbs, but overall it was a pretty easy cruise. I actually covered the first 6.5 miles to the VA line in 2-1/2 hours. A few miles after getting into VA, we arrived At Damascus, ¢Hiker Town, USA¢.Once we got into town, we went to the Damascus Outfitters so I could pick up my new shoes. The ones I had are completely worn out, having around 500 miles on them, including some training hikes prior to starting this journey. My feet and knees will appreciate the upgrade! While we were at the outfitters, we had two very cool things happen to us. First, a couple there, after finding out from the store staff that we were AT hikers, asked what they could buy us and we said dehydrated meals. They bought us two each costing about $20. More, amazing Trail Magic!  Second, another couple came up to us out on the sidewalk and asked us about our journey. We spent quite a while chatting, answering a lot of questions they had. Turns out that the man is a local photographer and he wanted to take our picture for an AT hiker book he plans to do. He took our names and numbers and will be texting me the pic he took. Also, he wanted the link to my journal. We¢re spending our first night in town at the Barrett House, a circa 1904 house that offers rooms for rent. It¢s owned by a very nice couple that I spent quite a while chatting with. They told me that the town is in need of a good bicycle mechanic. Maybe I¢ll relocate ° It¢s a beautiful little town with lots of charm  Next milestone is AT NOBO mile 500 in about 30 miles.
Date: 2023-08-07
To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Spent a Zero Day in and around Damascus. Had a great breakfast and went to another outfitter. Shannon, the very nice owner of the house we¢re staying in, took us for a driving tour of the area in his Jeep. We got to see Backbone Rock Tunnel, the world record shortest tunnel, at 20 feet, and did a very nice short hike up over the top of it. This was actually the second record thing we¢ve seen in several days, including the Fraser Fir in Elizabethton °Another great day! We¢ll be hiking out tomorrow, the trail goes right through town a block from where we¢re staying. We¢ll be at AT mile 500 in a few days.
Date: 2023-08-08
From: Damascus, VA

To: Saunders Shelter
Miles today: 9.8

We hiked 9.8 miles from Damascus to Saunders Shelter. There were a couple of healthy climbs, first thing up Cuckoo Mountain °, and at the end of the day up to the shelter. The end of the day climb was a steep 1,100 feet ascent in about a mile and a half¢¦steep. it was a great day, that started with a big delicious breakfast at the diner In Damascus. We then waited out most of the rain before hiking out. What made the day even more fun for me was my guest bicycle mechanic appearance at the Sundog Outfitter bike rental shop. The owner of the Barrett House, Shannon, where we stayed, owns a mountain bike that was having issues. I offered to work on it for him. I replaced the chain, derailleur cable, and tuned it up and got it running right again. He was so happy that I said I¢d fix it that he asked his wife, Michelle, to give me a discount on our second night¢s stay at their house. What¢s more, since there are evidently no longer any bike mechanics in town, I was offered a job ° I may consider working there a couple of months, a season, so I could hike more in the area, ride my bike on the Virginia Creeper Trail, kayak, etc. In addition, I¢d have a $200/week place to stay, at Shannon and Michelle¢s Barrett House ° They¢re great people! ShowMe and I both really enjoyed getting to know them both.We¢re closing in on AT mile 500!
Date: 2023-08-09
From: Saunders Shelter

To: Lost Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 6.5

Kept it short today and hiked only 6.5 miles in preparation for a big climb tomorrow up to Buzzard Rock and 5,100 feet. It¢s supposed to be a rainy day, for a change °, which will make it more challenging. We¢ll be at the Grayson Highlands in a couple of days where we¢ll get to see the wild ponies that live up there. We crossed back over, and onto, the Virginia Creeper rail trail a couple of times again today, including walking across a very long and tall train trestle bridge. We also walked again along the Laurel Creek, and ended up spending a long time hanging out by it and wading in the cool water and cooling off¢¦very refreshing and relaxing!We had another end of the day climb up to Lost Mountain Shelter where we had a nice fire and sat next to it eating dinner. Another great day on the AT! I keep thinking about how this experience, spending so much time in the woods and walking so far, having fires and such, is tapping into something deep in my ancient DNA. I believe that¢s a big part of what draws us to hike the AT, that and the challenge and adventure of it and the escape to a simpler way of living.
Date: 2023-08-10
From: Lost Mountain Shelter

To: Campsite In Lewis Fork Wilderness 
Miles today: 9.3

Awful weather day and slow going throughout. Also, there was lots of Stinging Nettie to walk through. Steep 3 mile climb up to Buzzard Rock in the rain. Conditions worsened near the summit with high winds and driven rain. As we descended down the other side, the trail got very rocky and the water ran down it, like walking in a creek for 4 miles. Worst weather and conditions I¢ve experienced, thus far, and that¢s saying a lot! Water was often over the tops of my shoes. This led to very slippery conditions and resulted in me falling twice, the first tumbles of the trip. The first fall, I banged my tailbone on a big rock. The second fall, I tweaked my ankle and my wrist. I¢m quite sore all over as I relax in my tent. Hopefully I¢m not too sore tomorrow. Tomorrow we climb Mount Rogers, a 5,500 ft summit. Also, we¢ll see the Grayson Highlands and wild ponies and go past AT mile 500.
Date: 2023-08-11
From: Campsite In Lewis Fork Wilderness 

To: Campsite At Mile 507.8
Miles today: 12.1

It was a very eventful day! We hiked 12.1 miles, including some miles in the dark. However, we actually walked a total of about 17 miles, on the day, with the spur trail up to the Mt Rogers summit and the 4 mile round trip off trail road walk to a country store for dinner and snacks. Dinner for me consisted of a cold can of ravioli, a can of sardines, a snickers bar, and an ice cream sandwich °We spent time in a beautiful meadow before Mt Rogers. We dried our soaked gear from the very rainy day yesterday in the sun. We then summited Mt Rogers, the highest mountain on the AT in Virginia at 5,726 ft. What came next was me reaching the AT mile 500 milestone! Mlle 500 is essentially right at a large rock outcropping, with a beautiful view, right near the Pine Mountain Trail intersection with the AT. Shortly after, we reached the amazing Grayson Highlands.The Grayson Highlands had beautiful landscapes, Mountain views, wild horses, and grazing cows. It was one of the most picturesque sections of the Southern AT for me. I even had to go through a tight rock tunnel called ¢Fatman Squeeze¢°it was a very long day, but with a big payoff. With all the many sightseeing stops and picture ops, and the 12 miles we hiked, we didn¢t arrive to the campsite until after midnight. We¢ll hit it again tomorrow! °
Date: 2023-08-12
From: Campsite At Mile 507.8

To: Campsite At Dickey Gap
Miles today: 10.8

Hiked 10.8 miles. Two challenging climbs, but nothing like in GA or in the Smokies. Had a storm blow through later in the day with some rain. Luckily it wasn¢t enough to soak my shoes and socks again. Stirred up a couple of more bears during the day, it¢s getting to be almost a nonevent ° The highlight of the day was arriving at Corner Creek Falls. We filled up on water and walked the remaining 0.8 miles to a camp site in Dickey Gap, near VA 650. We¢re going to head into Marion, VA tomorrow for a resupply and shower. We¢re on day 5 out of Damascus on AT mile 518.5.
Date: 2023-08-13
From: Campsite At Dickey Gap

To: Marion, VA
Miles today: 0.1

Slept like a rock, something around 9 hours mostly straight through the night¢¦easily the most I¢ve slept thus far. Going into Marion, VA, classic American small town. No cell signal so we hitched, a first for me. We got picked up by a very nice pair of ladies. Turns out the driver does AT hiker shuttling sometimes. We found a great hostel, The Merry Inn, in the heart of the little downtown above an outfitter, conveniently, for our resupply. Great place!
Date: 2023-08-14
To: Marion, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Spent the day exploring Marion, including some sightseeing and shopping for supplies. Had good meals and got laundry and other tasks completed. Also, I went to a barbershop for the first time in 25 years. ShowMe and I got our heads buzzed¢¦.cooler, more aerodynamic, and less weight to carry °A fun part of my day was meeting Mr. Pickles the cat, the unofficial locally recognized mayor of Marion. He¢s lived on the streets his entire 14 years, but is a very friendly cat with an understandable tough edge. He¢s on Trip Advisor as a top 10 rated attraction in Marion and has his own Facebook page ° He hangs out around town and is fed by many of the local establishments, his family. I also met Miss Rebecca, a very nice older women who looks after Pickles. I spent more than an hour hanging out with her and Pickles on Main St. I had a very enjoyable conversation with Rebecca and learned a lot about Marion, including that it¢s where Mountain Dew soda originated, as well as about other town history and sites. Just another example of the great people that I¢ve met during this journey.