morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2003-10-01
From: Boone, NC

To: Boone, NC
Miles today: 15.7

We ate breakfast at the hotel again this morning and then Mrs. Carson drove us back to the trail at highway 19E. We got started hiking around 9 o'clock. After half a mile of hiking, we came to Apple House Shelter and found that another southbound thru-hiker named Talon had left drinks at the shelter! He left me a Dr. Pepper!!! I was very happy about finding this trail magic! After leaving the shelter, we had a LONG climb up to Hump Mtn.(5587'). There is usually a wonderful panoramic view from the top but it was fogged over when we reached the top. We then continued on over Little Hump Mtn.(5459'). We had great views from Little Hump. We then went on to Overmountain Shelter. The shelter is actually an old barn that has been renovated as a shelter. It is one of my favorite shelters yet! It had a wonderful view from the picnic table in front of the surrounding mountains. The leaves are very beautiful now! They are different colors of red, yellow, orange, golden, and brown. After eating a snack at the barn shelter, we continued on to Round Bald(5826'). Today has been mostly foggy, but it cleared off when we were on the top of Round Bald and we had more great views from there. After Round Bald, we went through Carvers Gap and then climbed up Roan High Knob(6285'). Today was our first time over six thousand feet since Mt. Washington in New Hampshire. Mrs. Carson picked us up from the top of Roan High Knob and drove us back to Boone for our last night there. We ate at the famous Dan'l Boone Inn Restaurant for supper. They serve family style all you can eat meals and it was delicious! We then went back to the hotel for some rest and relaxation!
Date: 2003-10-02
From: Boone, NC

To: Cherry Gap Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: scattered clouds

We woke up this morning around 7 and left Boone around 7:30 and headed back to the trail. Mrs. Carson drove us up to Roan Mtn. where we got off yesterday. When we started off on the top of the 6,285 foot mountain, it was about 20 degrees, windy, and the trees were iced over! Needless to say, it was VERY cold!! We started off by descending off of Roan Mtn. into Ash Gap and then we climbed back up to Beartown Mtn.(5,480'). We then continued on to Little Rock Knob and had a great view from the top! The trees are beautiful now! All of them are changing colors and these panoramic views are amazing. We stopped at Clyde Smith Shelter for a quick snack break. We couldn't stay too long because we get really cold when we stop hiking. We then continued on through Greasy Creek Gap and to Iron Mtn. Gap where we stopped to rest in the sun! It felt good! After the gap, we climbed up Little Bald Knob and then arrived at Cherry Gap Shelter, where we are staying for the night. We got here around 3 o'clock, so we had lots of time to sit around and rest! We didn't want to go to the next shelter because it was over 12 miles away, so we just made it a short day. Smokey made us a fire to warm up and then we got in our sleeping bags and took a nap before supper! The weather forecaster said that the cold weather came 3 weeks early this year. How wonderful! I halfway hope for some snow, but then again I know it won't be easy to hike in snow! If we would have had any precipitation today, it would have been snow, it's too cold to rain! Even though it's cold, it's been beautiful today. We could see for what seemed forever at the viewpoints. God's work is amazing!
Date: 2003-10-03
From: Cherry Gap Shelter

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 16.4
Weather: broken clouds

Woke up this morning to a biting cold!!! It was in the 20's still and boy was it hard to get out of that sleeping bag!! I finally pulled myself out and we started hiking around 7:30. We started with a 1300' climb up Unaka Mtn.(5,180'). The climb really warmed me up! We then continued on a ridge through a few cow fields and eventually to a place called Beauty Spot(4,437'). It really was beautiful too! It's crystal clear today and the view was almost 360 degrees and we could see for about 80 miles in all directions! We stopped there for a snack break to admire the view. After the break, we continued on towards Curley Maple Gap Shelter. The trail was relatively flat on the side of a mountain for about 5 miles. It was really enjoyable! We stopped for another snack break at the shelter and then we carried on to the Nolichucky River and the Chestoa Bridge. At the road there, we hitched a ride into the town of Erwin, TN. We first went to Hardee's and ate and then we walked down the street to Miss Janet's hostel. I first heard about Miss Janet's when I was in Maine. All of the NOBO's said it was a great place to stay, and it is! She is very nice and takes care of hikers! The town of Erwin is having it's annual Apple Festival today and tomorrow, so there are over 160,000 people in this 5,000 person town! The streets are closed down and there are arts and crafts booths, live singing, and funnel cakes! I guess we got lucky to be here this weekend! I'm going down to listen to a bluegrass concert tonight! Looking forward to it!
Date: 2003-10-04
From: Erwin, TN

To: Bald Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 16.9

Before leaving town this morning, Miss Janet took us to Hardee's and we ate some biscuits and gravy for breakfast to get us energized! We got back on the trail about 11 AM. We started with a 2,000' climb up Temple Hill(3710'). There were rock outcroppings all the way up which provided great views of the surrounding mountains and the valley down below that the Nolichucky River flows through. We stopped at No Business Knob Shelter for a snack break. After the shelter, we continued on to Spivey Gap and then we started a long climb up to the top of Little Bald(5,185'). After finally reaching the top, we had a mile of downhill to Bald Mtn. Shelter, where we are staying for the night. It's going to be another cold one tonight, thank goodness for my sleeping bag!
Date: 2003-10-05
From: Bald Mtn. Shelter

To: Flint Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 18.8

We started off the morning with a short climb up to the top of Big Bald(5,516'). At the top, we had a 360 degree view of the mountains. It was perfectly clear, so the view was amazing! It was also windy and chilly on top of the bald. After enjoying the view and a short break, we continued on and descended down into Sams Gap. Since today is Sunday, we wanted to try and go to church. We knew that 3 miles down the road at Sams Gap was a little cafe, so we figured there must be a church near there. We hitched down the road in that direction, and sure enough, Laurel Chapel Baptist Church was right beside the Little Creek Cafe. We got there at exactly the right time, so we walked over and attended morning worship at the church. I'm very glad we got the chance to go! After church, we walked next door to the cafe and ate a couple hamburgers and some fries. Yummy! We then hitched back to the trail and started hiking again. We went over Frozen Knob and through Devil Fork Gap before reaching our final destination of the day, Flint Mtn. Shelter. The shelter is pretty nice with a little table inside to cook on. The cold spell seems to have subsided some. The weather was very nice today, around 65 degrees.
Date: 2003-10-06
From: Flint Mtn. Shelter

To: Spring Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 21.2

I woke up in the middle of the night last night with a sore throat and I think I've caught a cold! Oh well, not much to do but keep hiking! We passed 3 graves this morning on our climb up Big Butt(4,840'). There were some great views on the descent of Big Butt. We stopped at Jerry Cabin Shelter for a snack break before climbing up Blackstack Cliffs and White Rock Cliffs. We hiked on an exposed ridgeline trail and there were very nice views during this stretch. After the cliffs, we came to Camp Creek Bald and we climbed the fire tower there for some more great views. After eating lunch at the fire tower, we continued on to Little Laurel Shelter for a break. After the shelter, we caught up with Elk, another southbound thru-hiker. The last time I saw Elk was in Pennsylvania, so it was good to see him again. We then came to Allen Gap and that is where we started our last climb of the day up Spring Mtn. It was a fairly long climb(3.7 miles). It felt really good to get to the shelter because I haven't felt very good all day. Once I ate supper, I got in my sleeping bag and went to sleep around 6:30! That's about the earliest I've gone to bed the entire trip! I was really tired though!
Date: 2003-10-07
From: Spring Mtn. Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We got up this morning and started hiking as the sun was just coming over the mountains. We started with a climb up Rich Mtn. and we climbed the fire tower on the mtn. for some great views. From the tower, we could see mountain peaks poking out above the clouds, which was a cool sight. We then continued on through Tanyard Gap and Pump Gap and started our descent into Hot Springs. We had nice views of the French Broad River from Lovers Leap Rock. We finally made it down to 1,290' and crossed over the river on a highway bridge and the trail goes through downtown Hot Springs, NC. We stopped to eat pizza and hamburgers at a store and then we went by the outfitters here in town. We also stopped by the USFS office to pick up our backcountry permit to hike in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, which we will soon be entering! We are staying at the hostel here in town which is called "Elmer's" Sunnybank Inn. It is a white Victorian house that he allows thru-hikers to stay in. It's very nice and I am excited about my big bed all to myself tonight! We decided to take a zero day tomorrow. I'm looking forward to some rest and relaxation!
Date: 2003-10-08
From: Hot Springs, NC

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

Last night, I enjoyed a wonderful soak in the natural hot springs here in Hot Springs, NC. It felt extremely good to my feet!! We slept late this morning and laid around all day and rested. We watched lots of movies! This afternoon, a lot of Cephas's family came over and we had a big picnic by the French Broad River. We had a great time and I enjoyed meeting all of his family. Great rest day! Back to hiking tomorrow!
Date: 2003-10-09
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: light rain

Woke up around 8:30 this morning and we said goodbye to Hot Springs and headed out. The first 11 miles of the day were pretty much all uphill. We went from 1325' up to Bluff Mountain at 4686'. Today was mostly foggy and we didn't have many views because of it. We got to the shelter pretty early because we didn't have many miles so we ate and ate to pass the time! We are staying with 2 section hikers tonight and they built a fire so we all sat around the fire and talked for awhile. Around 8:15, I got in my sleeping bag and called it a day.
Date: 2003-10-10
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Davenport Gap Shelter
Miles today: 21.8
Weather: broken clouds

We started hiking this morning about daylight because we went to bed kinda early and got lots of sleep! We started out with a hike up Max Patch(4629'). I have heard about how beautiful the view is from Max Patch since Maine, but it was completely fogged over on the top and we didn't have any views. Oh well. After Max Patch, we descended down to Deep Gap at 2850' and then climbed back up Snowbird Mtn.(4265') for lunch. After eating, we descended back down and crossed under Interstate 40 and over the Pigeon River before climbing back up a thousand feet to Davenport Gap. At the gap, we decided to hitch 1.5 miles down the mountain to a place called Mountain Mama's. The road didn't have hardly any traffic, so we sat there for awhile and finally a bear hunter drove by and picked us up. We ate some chicken tenders and fries at the store and drank a few Dr. Pepper's and then hitched back. The hitch back wasn't exactly easy. We were hitching from an intersection, but the road was a dirt gravel road in all directions, so there was hardly any traffic. We sat there for awhile and 2 girls drove by us 3 times before finally stopping to give us a ride. I think they were trying to see if we were safe to pick up, anyway, they finally stopped and took us back to the trail thankfully. As soon as we passed Davenport Gap, we entered into the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. We got to the shelter and another southbounder named Elk was there. Our shelter tonight has a chainlink fence across the front because there are so many bears in the park. The fence protects people from the bears. Feels good to be in the Smokies!
Date: 2003-10-11
From: Davenport Gap Shelter

To: Tricorner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Today was our first full day in the Smokies. We started off with a long, gradual climb to get onto the ridge. We climbed about 2500' to reach Sunup Knob at 5,050'. We had some great views of the fall foliage for a few miles after getting onto the ridge. We stopped for a rest at Cosby Knob Shelter and then climbed up Cosby Knob(5,145'). After the knob, we climbed Guyot Spur(6,360'). We had more great views along the way. We got to the shelter at 1:45!!! This is about the earliest I've stopped for the day, but the next shelter was over 11 miles and we didn't really want to go that far. Since we haven't had a tent or tarp since Virginia, we just "shelter hop" now. The shelter tonight also has a fence in front and it also has a chimney in it, so Smokey made us a fire to enjoy. The Smokies remind me a lot of Maine. There are not nearly as many ups and downs, but the trail is very similar and the trees are the same. Maine also had a certain smell to me and the Smokies have that same "smell." Great day today!
Date: 2003-10-12
From: Tricorner Knob Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 15.6
Weather: light rain

We hiked in the fog all day today. We stayed on the ridge today for the entire hike. We hiked about 8 miles and then decided to stop for a snack break. As we were about to start hiking again, Cephas's pack rolled off the side of the ridge!!! It tumbled downhill for about 40 feet and hit a few trees along the way! Luckily, some underbrush finally stopped it and he had to climb down the steep hill and get it. We all had a good laugh at that! It was hilarious to watch it rolling down the hill and hitting trees and bouncing all over the place! After that, we continued on over Mt. Chapman(6,250') and Mt. Sequoyah(6,000') and reached Newfound Gap. At the gap, my cousin Judy came and picked us up and took us to her house near Pigeon Forge, TN. We ate hamburgers, pizza, and all kinds of good food and then watched a movie before retiring for the night.
Date: 2003-10-13
From: Newfound Gap

To: Derrick Knob Shelter
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: light rain

This morning we stopped and got some biscuits for breakfast on the way back to the trail. We got back to the trail around 10 o'clock and started hiking. The weather is much better today thankfully! We started off with Mt. Collins(6,188') and Mt. Love(6,446') before reaching Clingman's Dome, which at 6,643 feet high is the highest point on the entire Appalachian Trail. We climbed the observation deck on top and had great panoramic views of the Smokies. We then came down from the observation deck and sat on a bench to eat. There is a parking lot only half a mile from the top, so there were tons of people at the summit. One guy asked us where we started, and when we said Maine, he didn't believe us and then he said we were crazy. As soon as people heard we started in Maine, they flocked around us and asked us a million questions! It was hilarious to see their reaction and at the silly questions they asked. At one point, we were surrounded by over 20 people! One lady asked Smokey if she could touch him, and he said sure, and she touched him and said, "Well, he feels normal!" I don't know what she was expecting! We stayed on top for a little extra time just to watch people and then we headed on. We climbed over Silers Bald(5607') and had some good views and then continued on to Derrick Knob Shelter for the night. We are staying with about 10 other people in the shelter tonight and it's pretty crowded, but we had lots of good conversation with everyone around the fire. Great day with great views!
Date: 2003-10-14
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Fontana Dam, NC
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: light rain

We started hiking in a thick fog and high winds this morning. We didn't have any views all day long because of the heavy fog and rain. We climbed up the famous Rocky Top(5441') today. Of course, I had to sing a little bit of "Good Ole' Rocky Top." We hiked about 6 miles to start off with and then stopped at Spence Field Shelter for a break. We then continued on over Devils Tater Patch(they come up with some funny names sometimes) to Mollies Ridge Shelter, where we stopped for lunch. I got tired of eating tuna a few days ago, so now I just carry a box of Fruity Pebbles and munch on them until I get somewhat full. It's much better than tuna! After the shelter, we descended into Ekaneetlee Gap and we crossed over 2,000 miles!!!! I can't believe Mt. Katahdin is over 2,000 miles away, that means that Springer Mountain is only 172.6 miles away!!!!! We then continued on in the rain over Shuckstack Mtn.(4,040') before having a long descent to 1710' at Fontana Dam. The trail crosses over the top of the dam. Fontana Dam is the highest dam east of the Mississippi at 480'. We went into the visitor's center and watched a few of the little documentaries while waiting on Cephas's aunt to come pick us up. She came around 6 and drove us back to her home in Sylva, NC. She cooked a wonderful meal for us and then we relaxed in their hot tub! Very nice day!
Date: 2003-10-15
From: Fontana Dam, NC

To: Stecoah Gap/NC143
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

I woke up this morning to the smell of a wonderful breakfast that Mrs. Kathy fixed for us! She cooked eggs, biscuits, grits, and more and it was a great way to start off the day. After eating breakfast, we drove back to the trail at Fontana Dam. We started hiking around 10:30 this morning and we started off with a 2,000 foot climb up to 3720'. We had some great views of Fontana Lake and the surrounding area all day long from the ridge that we walked on today. Once we got on the ridge, we went over "small" peaks and back down into gaps pretty much all day long. We ended the day with a steep descent down into Stecoah Gap. We got to the gap around 4 o'clock and Mr. Chuck, Cephas's uncle, came and picked us up and drove us back to his house for another night in luxury!! We are eating at The Jarret House tonight which I hear has wonderful, all you can eat food! I'm looking forward to that! Great day today! I want to wish mama a special Happy Birthday today!!!! Sorry I'm not there, but I'll see you soon! Happy Birthday!!!!P.S.- I put up some more pictures in the "Photos" section if you want to check those out! I got them all from Smokey's website, so thank you Smokey!!!(www.geocities.com/bubba4664/at_hike)
Date: 2003-10-16
From: Stecoah Gap/NC143

To: Nantahala Outdoor Center
Miles today: 13.7
Weather: clear sky

Since we only had 13.7 miles today, we slept until about 10 o'clock and then we woke up and ate another wonderful breakfast fixed by Mrs. Kathy and Mrs. Nancy! I ate tons of pancakes! After breakfast, we drove back to Stecoah Gap and started hiking around 11:45. We started off with a 2,000 foot climb to the top of Cheoah Bald (5,062'). We had some great views from the top because it was clear from trees and we could see for a long way! The weather today has been almost perfect! We couldn't ask for a prettier day! After Cheoah Bald, we went down into Sassafras Gap, where we stopped for lunch. After lunch, we had a 6 mile, 3100 foot descent down into the Nantahala Gorge. We crossed over the Nantahala River on a footbridge and we met Mrs. Nancy at the Nantahala Outdoor Center. She drove us back to Mrs. Kathy's house in Sylva for another night. I could get used to this luxurious living in a house at night!
Date: 2003-10-17
From: Nantahala Outdoor Center

To: Wayah Gap/NC1310
Miles today: 21.3

We slept until about 9 o'clock this morning and woke up and ate some breakfast and then drove back to the Nantahala Outdoor Center to start hiking around 10:30 AM. We started off the day with a 6.5 mile climb from 1740' to 4630' to the top of Wesser Bald. It was a long climb, but the wonderful view from the top made it worthwhile! There is a firetower on top of Wesser Bald that gave us 360 degree panoramic views. The weather was perfect again today, which made for great views! After Wesser Bald, we descended down into Tellico Gap(3850') and then climbed back up to the top of Copper Ridge Bald at 5200'. After the bald, we continued on to Cold Spring Shelter and stopped for a lunch break. While we were at the shelter, the sun went behind the clouds and it got pretty chilly. We decided to start back hiking so we could warm up! We continued on a ridge and then climbed up Wayah Bald(5340'). There was another really nice observation tower on the top. It is made of stone and it had more great views for us! After the tower, we had another 4.5 miles down to Wayah Gap, where Mr. Chuck(Cephas's uncle) was waiting and picked us up. He drove us back to their home in Sylva for one more night. We ate at Ryan's Steakhouse tonight and we almost put them out of business with their all you can eat philosophy!!! It was extremely good and we ate a bunch!! I only have one more week on this journey. I plan to be on Springer Mountain next Friday if all goes well!!
Date: 2003-10-18
From: Wayah Gap/NC1310

To: Big Spring Shelter
Miles today: 15.0
Weather: clear sky

This morning, we said goodbye to Mr. Chuck and Mrs. Kathy and headed back to the trail. Thank ya'll so much for the hospitality and kindness you showed to me! I really appreciate it! We started off the morning with a climb up Siler's Bald(4940'). After Siler Bald, we continued on towards Winding Stair Gap(3750'), and Mrs. Nancy, Cephas's mama, was waiting for us and we had a picnic there. She all sorts of food and plenty of Dr. Pepper and the weather was perfect today! We had a really good time and then we said goodbye to her and headed on through Wallace Gap and Rock Gap to reach Big Spring Shelter. The trail was really nice today, well graded and relatively flat. We stayed on a ridge most of the day and we had great views. We got to the shelter earlier than usual and we stayed with lots of other people. One of the people we stayed with thru-hiked in 2001, so we had lots of conversation with her comparing our stories. I also talked with a couple who went to Africa last year. I went to Kenya last summer and they were there also so we had a great time talking about the different places we went. We found out that we ate at the same restaurant way over there! It's a small world! Very enjoyable day!
Date: 2003-10-19
From: Big Spring Shelter

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: clear sky

We started off the morning with a short hike to the top of Albert Mountain(5220'). We climbed the firetower on top and it provided 360 degree panoramic views! I love the morning views because they usually have fog down in the valleys and all you see is the mountaintops poking through the fog. It's beautiful! After Albert Mtn., we had a steep descent and then climbed over Big Butt Mtn.(4600') and into Mooney Gap. Mooney Gap is said to be the wettest place on the east coast. It gets an average of 93 inches per year, but luckily it was dry when we came through! We stopped at Carter Gap Shelter for a break. I thought it was nice of the A.T. to name a shelter after me! (My last name is Carter) After the break, we continued on and made our way to the top of Standing Indian Mountain(5498'). We had great views into the wonderful state of Georgia from the top!!!! I can't believe I'm almost home! We ate lunch on top and then descended down into Deep Gap and then made it to Muskrat Creek Shelter. We are staying here tonight by ourselves. We take up the whole shelter with our stuff spread out everywhere! Great day today! Beautiful weather!