morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-05-07
From: Big Bald Mountain Shelter

To: Stealth Camp
Miles today: 13.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept until 7:00 am before getting my day started. Others in the shelter were up before that. It was a mediocre night's sleep. I woke up every hour or so to change positions. That's what I get for only doing 10 miles I guess. Today was 13 exactly.I hit the trail around 8:30 am and felt sluggish for a while. I was able to get in to a grove around mile 2 or 3. Just in time to make it down to a gap where a guy was playing a ukulele and singing to no one in particular. I ate all my snacks consisting of some smokehouse jalape±o flavored almonds, a pack of cheese crackers, and a snickers bar. At mile               5.something, Squirrel and I ran across a gap where 2 other trail friends of ours, Sassy and Cotton were getting picked up by Sassy's parents so she could go walk at her college graduation. We decided to stick around until they showed up, because the night before she was talking about all the goodies they were bringing. Sure enough, they had homemade cookies, banana nut bread, chips, fruit, and cold bottled water. That's trail magic two days in a row for me. Thank you Sassy and Sassy's parents. Those extra calories gave me a ton of energy to get through my 8 mile afternoon hike. Around 2:30 or so, the sky opened up and poured on me. I was right on the outskirts of a fierce thunderstorm. Fortunately, I didn't get hit directly, but still got soaked. I pulled in to the aptly named, No Business Shelter, due to to its lack of a privy, around 4:30 pm and quickly changed in to dry clothes. There I waited for an hour or so for the rain to stop before pushing the final 2 miles.Squirrel and I made camp in the gap about 3.8 miles from Erwin, TN. We are the only two here, and I find I prefer that to busy shelters or campgrounds. It is so much more peaceful, and I sleep a lot better. A good mix of both is nice. The only downside is that stealth spots usually don't have water close by. I didn't get to cook again tonight due to not having good water management. I failed to get some at the last source and need to save the bit I have for tomorrow's hike. I can't wait to get a shower, real food, and clean laundry in town tomorrow. It has been a tough 70 mile 5+ day trip with lots of memories. Can't wait for the next leg of the journey. Take care all.-Andy
Date: 2015-05-08
From: Stealth Camp

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 3.8
Weather: few clouds

I had the best night's sleep so far on the trail last night. Squirrel and I stayed in a gap just under 4 miles from Erwin. It wasn't the best camp site, but it was flat and quiet. I woke up at 6:30 am and started packing up. It was 7:45 when we shoved off. We wanted to get to town quickly to get things done and still have time to relax. I drank the remainimg water I'd saved from yesterday over the course of the morning climb. I also didn't eat breakfast because I knew it would make me more thirsty. The entire way to town I was thinking about McDonald's food. Not sure why as I haven't cared much for their food since I worked there in High School, but the cravings were real. The trail let's out right at a hostel where I purchased a Gatorade before the trek 3.5 miles to town.Squirrel and I started walking towards town, and made it a mile or so before a vehicle came by going our direction. I stuck my thumb out and got us a ride from Mr. Web in the back of his old pick up. He dropped us at the Super 8 where we checked in and cleaned up. First thing's first, I wanted food, and the closest thing was, you guessed it, McDonalds. I had 2 double cheeseburgers, 2 large fries and 2 large Cokes. It was an awesome 2500 calorie meal. After laundry and resupply at the local Food Lion, it was back to the room to relax. While in the supermarket, I ran in to a hiker I'd met back in Georgia. She invited Squirrel and I to join her crew for a movie at the local cinema, so we went to see the new Avengers movie in 3D. It was a cool action packed summer flick, exactly what I needed.While walking back to the hotel, we stopped at Huddle House for dinner. I had an omelet and hashbrowns. After sorting some gear, it's time to turn in. It has been a really fun day. Take care all.-Andy
Date: 2015-05-09
From: Erwin, TN

To: Unnamed Campsite
Miles today: 12.3
Weather: broken clouds

It was hard getting up this morning, and even harder to get motivated to leave. I didn't want to walk or try to hitch back to the trail, so Squirrel and I agreed a shuttle would be good. We found one for $7 and split it 3 ways with another guy. The morning hike was a flat couple of miles before it started to gradually climb up to the first shelter just over 4 miles in. I felt really strong after the 2 big town meals and knocked the miles out fast, even with a full food bag. We broke for lunch there and spent about an hour relaxing. The rest of the day was uphill hiking as it usually is leaving town, but I didn't mind. I felt great and again made quick work of the distance. Around the 9 mile mark I came across trail magic at a gap. That makes 4 straight days of trail magic for me.Today, a man that goes by brother Tom was out like he is each weekend with brownies, banana bread, fresh fruit, coffee, and sweet tea. It was all delicious and he even had folding chairs for us to sit in. Thanks again for the hospitality Brother Tom. From there it was only 3.8 miles to the campsite where I'm staying tonight. I think today was the easiest 12.3 miles I've ever done, and it was mostly uphill. Others were saying the same thing around the campfire tonight. I think it was all the calories I ate yesterday that gave me the energy. I hope I feel the same way in the morning when climbing Unaka Mountain. It's tough and first thing tomorrow. It's past my bedtime, so I'm off to bed. Take care all.-Andy
Date: 2015-05-10
From: Unnamed Campsite

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: broken clouds

I woke up a lot last night due to a sore ankle. Not sure why it hurt so much, but I did massage the bottoms of my feet fairly aggressively, and think I overdid it. I took a couple of ibuprofen and started hiking. I soon loosened up and felt normal for the most part, but I think I'm going to be sore for while. I'm glad I'll have a few days off this weekend to rest. I'm going home to attend a good friend's wedding, and will take every opportunity to rest my sore body. Today's hike was tough most of the day. There was a lot of climbing and it was very hot. I walked to the first shelter around the 5 mile mark and ate lunch. I had summer sausage and cheese on a tortilla, snack mix, and sour patch kids.After an hour lunch break it was back on the trail for more ups and downs. I played leapfrog with a few hikers. In the late afternoon, I took another break at a really cool campsite with an awesome water source. With 5 more miles to do, I didn't linger too long. The last leg was the toughest of the day due to the heat and fatigue. It was also uphill the last 2 miles to the shelter. Camp is busy tonight. We had a fire, and I ate a rice side with some spam for dinner. Total mileage today was 13.9 miles and tomorrow will be about the same. That's going to do it for today. Take care all.-Andy
Date: 2015-05-11
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Stan Murray Shelter
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: light rain

This morning started at 7:15am. I got a great night's sleep last night. I woke up to some deer sounding off around 9:30pm. I guess they didn't like us dirty smelly hikers. I left the shelter just before 9:00am to begin climbing immediately. Most of the morning and afternoon were uphill, including a 2300 foot climb to the top of Roan Mountain which holds the highest elevation shelter on the AT. I stopped at Roan High Knob Shelter for a break in the afternoon and enjoyed yet more trail magic. Someone left 3 beers, and two were left when I got there. They were craft beers of a local brewery. I had the amber ale. After that it was a crummy walk down the backside of Roan Mountain due to rocks. Eventually the trail spit me out at a gap that crossed a highway. The other side was balds for 3 miles.I'd been hearing thunder and it was getting closer. I suggested to Squirrel that we walk down to the parking lot to see what this thing was going to do. It is a good thing we didn't keep going because 15 minutes later it started pouring and dropping pea sized hail. We found cover in a restroom. There were eventually 6 of us huddled up in there trying to escape the rain. After an hour the rain let up and we all started hiking again. We were still hearing thunder, but it was off in the distance. I raced over the bills and all the way to the shelter thinking that any minute, the storm could come back and hit us again. I was sure the shelter would be full when I got here, but everyone wanted to move on 1.9 miles to Overmountain Shelter for the night. It is just myself, Pockets, Squirrel, and one tenter here tonight.Take care all.-Andy
Date: 2015-05-12
From: Stan Murray Shelter

To: Mountain Harbour Hostel
Miles today: 11.1

I had a good night's sleep last night considering I slept in a shelter with an uneven floor. There ended up only being three of us, Pockets, Squirrel, and I. It's a good thing too because a nasty squall blew through around midnight. Glad I'm not packing up a wet tent this morning. It was a nice morning hike with a few uphill climbs. Early on I passed the blue blaze trail to Overmountain Shelter, but opted not to take it since there wasn't a view due to clouds, and I needed to get to the hostel by 5:00 pm so I didn't lose my spot. After a few more climbs up and over some windy balds, it was downhill the last 5 miles. The last few miles though was a boulder scramble and lots of roots. It really beat up my feet, but I knew I'd be at a hostel with food, so I powered through the discomfort. I made it to the hostel and dropped my things. Squirrel and I hitched to town where we ate pizza and he resupplied. The rest of the night I got organized and ready to go home tomorrow. Take care all.-Andy
Date: 2015-05-17
From: Atlanta Georgia 

To: Mountain Harbour Hostel
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Thanks goes out to my dad for driving me back to the trail. I'm staying at the Mountain Harbour Hostel again tonight. . I purchased a new pair of Keen boots from REI while in Atlanta. They have more ankle support than my previous pair. I hope they prove to be as comfortable. Tomorrow I hit the trail again for a very manageable stretch of terrain, and my excited to get back out there. Take care all.
Date: 2015-05-18
From: Mountain Harbour Hostel

To: Vango's Hostel
Miles today: 12.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was my first day back hiking, and I was expecting to have a big miles day over easier terrain. That's not how it worked out. I struggled most of the day with the heat and humidity. Also, what would my first day back be without a little rain? I woke up around 7:00 am and got moving. By the time I was packed up and left Mountain Harbour, it was 8:30. I made my way back to the trail, .3 miles from the hostel, and began climbing immediately. I thought I would feel strong, but it was just the opposite. Whatever trail legs I had before I left the trail were gone today. I stopped at a cool campsite for lunch that was .1 off the trail and next to the Elk River. I strung up my new hammock by the water, and enjoyed some pepperoni and cheese on a tortilla. After a lengthy break, I continued on 3 miles to a shelter, where I ate some more and drank a liter of water. While there, I noticed some rain clouds moving in, and opted to get moving. It wasn't soon enough because an hour later, I got hit with a thunderstorm. I'd hoped to get to the next shelter, but knowing there was a hostel for $10, where I could get out of the rain and dry my clothes, made it a shorter than expected day at 12.4 miles. The guy who runs the place was very nice, and gave me a free soda when I arrived. I stayed in the upper bunk house on a lower bed. For dinner I just ate out of my food bag, but I found out later from another hiker that he had pizza for sale. Next time I will remember to ask. I'm staying with Trolley and Day Break tonight. After 5 days off, I find that nobody looks familiar to me. I'm in a completely different bubble now, and it's really cool meeting all the new people.I had a very strange thing happen today. While I was hiking along, a kid came blowing by me on a dirt bike. I had to jump out of the way to keep from getting run over. No biked are allowed on the AT because they tear up the trail. I hope they discontinue the practice. That's all for tonight. Take care all.-Andy
Date: 2015-05-19
From: Vango's Hostel

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: light rain

I wasn't the least bit motivated to get out of my bag this morning. It rained all night, and I'm really glad I slept indoors. I finally got ancey around 10:00am and decided to make a break for it. It ended up being perfect timing as it had just quit raining, and it didn't start again. Today was strange because I didn't stop for a morning snack like usual. Instead I hiked 6.3 miles to the shelter. The last couple miles we really tough since I hadn't eaten much. It was also incredibly humid. I poured sweat all day. My clothes were completely soaked by lunch. After an hour plus lunch break, where I ate a bunch of food, I started the 6+ miles to Kincora hostel. I wanted to do more miles today, but I couldn't pass up an opportunity to meet the legendary Bob Peoples. When I got to the hostel, people were eating pasta and salad left over from trail days. I claimed a bunk and helped myself to some food. There aren't many of us here tonight, maybe 10 in all. The last few nights he said he had 30+. He organizes large groups of volunteers to do trail maintenance in addition to running the hostel. It's a really cool crowd tonight, and I'm glad I'm staying, despite the baby kittens whining constantly. Tomorrow, I'm going to try my hand at slack packing for the first time. That's when you take a day pack with just some snacks, water, and a camera. He will drop us off north on the trail, and we will hike south back to the hostel. I'm really excited to do it tomorrow because I'll pass a really cool lake, and a waterfall. That will give me time to enjoy both spots. That's it for tonight. Take care all.
Date: 2015-05-20
From: Kincora Hostel

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 8.6
Weather: broken clouds

It was a restless night's sleep last night. My bed was right next to a litter of kittens living in the hiker hostel here at Kincora. It was great to meet Bob, but the conditions inside weren't the best. I woke up every 30 minutes or so to the sound of whining kittens. Thankfully, I only had 9 miles to do today with a slack pack. It was so nice carrying just 5 pounds, that I'm going to look for every opportunity to slack again in the future.The first part of the day was an uphill climb of about 1700 feet to the top of Pine Mountain. I felt strong while climbing and made quick work of the first 3 miles. I had a snack and kept on moving. Going down the backside of the mountain was very easy, and ended up spitting me out along a beautiful river. The trail followed the water for a couple of miles and I took some great pictures and video.After following the river for a bit, I came out to Laurel Falls, a 50 foot waterfall with a large volume of water flowing over. I spent a good half hour there eating and filtering water. The last mile back to the hostel had a secret gem that most people don't know about. An unmarked trail down to a smaller but no less impressive waterfall with a swimming hole in front. Myself, and 5 others that I hiked with today all stopped and enjoyed the seclusion for a couple of hours. Rarely do you have that cool of a spot on the AT that isn't packed with people. Oh, and did I mention that the weather today was absolutely perfect. A cloudless sky and mid 70s for a high temp. Though I only did 8.6 miles today, it was one of the most enjoyable days on the trail do far. It's about the smiles, not the miles. Countless times I found myself grinning from ear to ear. I'm hitting the trail around 9:00am tomorrow, and will hopefully sleep better, since I moved away from the kittens that kept me up last night. Take care all.-Andy
Date: 2015-05-21
From: Kincora Hostel

To: Iron Mountain Shelter 
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: light rain

Last night I slept better, but was awoken at 5:30am to the sound of rain and wet cats trying to climb up the screen on the window of the bed I was sleeping in. I wasn't able to fall back asleep after that, and quit trying around 7:00am. One of the other hikers cooked pancakes for everyone. I supplemented my share with a Krispy Kreme apple pie square. It was still pouring rain when we all piled in Bob's truck for a lift back to the trail. Nobody was very excited to start our morning in a dounpour. As luck would have it, the rain stopped when we arrived at our starting destination. The first couple of miles were spent walking around the lake in an area where there has been a lot of bear activity. They even had Wataga Lake Shelter closed for the same reason. I was hoping to catch a glimpse of one, but there were a lot of people hiking in front of me.After 4 miles or so I stopped and had a quick snack before pressing on. It was cloudy and cool, so I wanted to keep moving. I did a 1300 foot climb and ended up about 9 miles in by 1:00pm. I took a longer lunch break than I would have liked, but it was .3 miles straight downhill to get water. Worst trip to get water of the entire trail so far. I managed to get out of there before 3:00pm for the last leg of the day. It wasn't too difficult, just a long 7 miles in the cold and wind. I ran in to some hikers I recognized and we chatted for 30 minutes or so. I also scared up a turkey and her chicks at Turkeypen Gap, go figure. They were right on the side of the trail in some tall grass, and she was not happy with me. She started chasing me, wildly flapping her wings and making this strange hissing noise you would expect to hear from a cat. After it was over I started laughing uncontrollably. Did that really just happen, I asked myself. Only on the AT I guess. After a 16 mile day and the coldest night since I can remember, I'm pretty sure I won't be too motivated to get going in the morning. Some folks are shooting for a 26 mile day in to Damascus tomorrow. I'm thinking more like 15 and then 9 on Saturday. The terrain is the easiest of the trail so far, so I might shoot for a big day. We'll see what happens. That's it from Iron Mountain Shelter. Take care all.-Andy
Date: 2015-05-22
From: Iron Mountain Shelter 

To: Abingdon Shelter
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: clear sky

As predicted, I was in no hurry to get going this morning. 8:00am is when I finally crawled out of my bag to a completely soaked tent. It started raining last night as soon as I turned in, and continued for 4 hours or so. I talked with a few folks today who stayed at the shelter 7 miles before mine and they only got a drizzle for a few minutes. The weather is so random in the mountains. After an almost 2 hour morning camp, I got on the trail, and the conditions were perfect. The high today was 72, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The terrain is also the easiest I've seen so far, and I cruised down the trail at almost 3 miles per hour. My first stop was a spring where I had a snack and took my time filtering water. Not a mile later I ran across some trail magic left by a methodist church. All kinds of sodas, and a few Little Debbie products. I drank a 20 ounce Dr. Pepper, and it was wonderful.After another mile, the trail went through a cow pasture where I was surrounded by cattle staring at me. One curious fellow even followed a couple of us down the trail for a while. When leaving the land, we had to climb over a fence with a step up ladder. When stepping off, I snagged my tent on a piece of barbed wire and put a small hole in the wall. I'll have to get a patch for it at one of the outfitters in Damascus. I also ran in to two of my favorite people on the trail. I hadn't seen them since delivering the bad news to them the night I stayed on Max Patch. I was very glad they got back on the trail after dealing with the situation. We hung out all night in camp and got caught up.The afternoon hike wasn't nearly as exciting as the morning. But I made good time and did 15.9 miles in 6 hours of actual hiking. Tonight I'm tenting at Abingdon Shelter. Tomorrow is a 10 mile hike to Damascus, and I'll be crossing the Virginia state line. I'm very excited to start a new state, but knowing it's going to be longer than everything I've done to this point is a little intimidating. I'll just keep putting one foot in front of the other and enjoy every minute that I can. Take care all.-Andy
Date: 2015-05-23
From: Abingdon Shelter

To: Damascus 
Miles today: 10.0

Today I awoke at 7:00am with town on my mind. I wanted to get in to Damascus as quickly as possible. The hike started out a little slow, but I picked up speed quick. Most of the 10 mile hike was downhill and it was nice trail. The weather was absolutely beautiful, and I made it to town around 12:30pm. After dropping my pack off at Woodchuck Hostel, I walked directly to the nearest restaurant. It was called Bobo's, and they had very good food. For lunch I ate a burger and fries in what felt like 45   seconds. That got me feeling good enough to get back to the hostel for laundry and a shower.By the time I got my chores done, it was dinner time. Another hiker and I stopped by the local brewery to try some different beers. On our way back we ran in to another group of hikers that invited us to eat with them. We accepted and found ourselves at the Old Mill Restaurant, where I had a chicken sandwich. It was tasty, but definitely not a hiker portion. I felt very unsatisfied after walking out, and declined to join the rest of the group for ice cream in favor of going back to Bobo's for 2nd dinner. This time I had a plate of loaded nachos that were awesome. I almost finished them all, but stopped short and took the rest back for another hiker. At this point it is well after hiker midnight and time for a comfy night sleep in a real bed. Take care all.-Andy
Date: 2015-05-24
From: Damascus 

To: Damascus 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Today I zeroed. I didn't hike any miles and it was wonderful. Instead, I spent the day swimming in and hanging out by the river in town. The locals were climbing up to the cliff top and jumping off in to the water. It was a fun afternoon spent in the sun while enjoying some good company. Later, I went to Subway and ordered a foot long Italian sub and bag of chips for dinner. After that it was back to the hostel for some R&R.
Date: 2015-05-25
From: Damascus 

To: Pond campsite
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I slept really well last night in the Woodchuck Hostel in Damascus. That is a really nice place to stay. One of my better hostel experiences on the trail so far. He cooked blueberry waffles, and had cereal, orange juice, coffee, and potato hash. After stuffing myself for the second morning, I packed up my things and got to walking. By the time I walked through town and got back in the tree cover, it was after 10:00am. The day started with a 1000 foot climb. I powered uphill at a good pace that I felt comfortable with. I was expecting to feel pretty crummy while hiking, since that is usually what happens after a day off, but this time was different. I had energy all day and made miles quickly. While hiking, I encountered many snakes. Two people I'm hiking with saw a huge rattlesnake in the middle of the trail two days ago. Snakes are out in full force now.Today was a short hike at around 11 miles, but I'm staying next to a really cool pond that's full of life. I will be falling asleep tonight to the sound of bull frogs croaking. Uncareful is another hiker here and he brought a fishing pole with a few lures. He caught some grubs and worms to use as bait and pulled in 4 or 5 small bluegills. He also set up a catfish rig, but didn't get any nibbles. It's going to be 16+ miles tomorrow so I need to get some rest. Take care all.-Andy