morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2014-05-04
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

To: Derrick Knob Shelter Campground
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: clear sky

Nice brekkie, Eggs, Ham, Grits with bagel and instant coffee. The AT is initially easy and we roll along mostly down hill into the Abrams Gaps, then past Ding Dong and mate on the climb up to Rocky Top and Thunderhead.We didn't stop at the next shelter with water and now appear to be running low, I'm just getting air outa my water pipe, bummer, thought we had enough, it's 5.4 miles to the next reliable water source and we gotta keep climbing.Animal Mother and Deadwood stop at the foot of Rocky Top, we keep going and struggle up the first peak, it's a false summit and a ways yet up to the real peak.Relaxing in the Lovely Spring SunshineJust before the summit there's a lovely spot to sit and relax in the grass, and even lie down and nap for a bit while Animal Mother and Deadwood pass by in my dreams (and in reality).The next section is tough, some small ups and downs before Thunderhead, it's marked with a plaque so we know it's the real thing, then finally down a small unnamed gap with a reliable water source, turns out it was just a problem with the pipe and there's plenty of water, oh well.Time for a personal hygiene break, wash face and brush teeth to refresh a bit, then a short climb up to Sugar Knob, down into 2 gaps before a 500' end of climb up to the shelter, always a struggle, the good news is it's also full so we can set up the tent and avoid the snorers and mice.Springtime View in the SmokiesWe make tea for an end of day pick me up and gather some fire wood, on the menu is Kung Pao chicken, hungry hikers devour it with gusto. Others at the shelter have news of Utah Red, Thespian, and Twinkle Toes, but we've lost touch with the Dude.
Date: 2014-05-05
From: Derrick Knob Shelter Campground

To: Mt. Collins Shelter Campground
Miles today: 13.8

Another yummy trail brekkie of Biscuits and Gravy, grits and hot sauce, mmm. We have water problems again, this time a source we depended on was dry, I don't usually carry too much water and depend on getting to the next source and doing a fast refill without taking the bladder out.I counted on making it to Buckeye Gap but no water so run out for real this time, the next source is Silers Bald Shelter, 3 miles up the track, gotta sip from Matildas pipe to keep going, it's a warm spring day and running a dry mouth is no fun.There's a big crowd at the shelter, hardly a place to sit and eat lunch so grab a snack and head up to the bald after watering up to eat lunch with a young science writer in tow, it's nice and grassy and has view of Clingman's Dome off in the distance, an iconic point on the AT, no great to sit though.It's not maintained by the park service as it's thought to be European created so the forest is starting to return. The AT makes a sharp turn at the top.The next shelter is only a mile and half, really close together, more folks we know there and water up again just in case, drinking a lot in this warm spring weather, even at elevation, seem to have an unquenchable thirst.A Ring of Daisy'sNext stop in Clingman's Dome, the highest point on the AT (but not on the East Coast, that particular honor belongs to Mt Mitchel in NC), at 6655'. It's a 1200' climb up and it's tiring with views along the way to keep us going.We stop before the ramp going up to the observation walkway and dump of our packs and shoes and don flip flops to cruise up with cool feet and valuables (and cameras of course).A female tourist passing by asks if we are thru-hikers, we certainly would look and smell the part at this point, no one with us has hiked further on the AT so far this year.Great views of the mountains rolling off into the distance, we can see Mt Mitchell way off and Thunderhead where we've just come from, and the lake.Photo Op on Clingmans DomeIt's 2nd lunch time at the bottom of the tower, we can sit on the kerb and munch, the Priest (not a real priest, a hiker who begs all kinda stuff from passers by) manages to score some beers and we take a sip or too.A Quebecois tourist comes by to ask us about the trail, he doesn't appear to know much, hope we helped.We roll along to Mt Love and then the trail drops steeply into Collins Gap before a 400' climb up to the namesake mountain, getting a bit of a second wind now and feeling good.It's an easy roll down into the Mt Collins Shelter but the trail is not marked well and we wonder if we're still on it before seeing a blaze for confirmation.Relaxing at the Mt Collins ShelterThe shelter is in a lovely spot in a grove of evergreens, there's a nice campsite for us to settle into, our final night on the trail for this section. There are some aggressive red squirrels around that will try to grab some food if it's not watched or stowed properly. It's a quiet night, not much to drink at the end of the section, we don't ration very well.
Date: 2014-05-06
From: Mt. Collins Shelter Campground

To: Newfound Gap, TN/NC
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: overcast clouds

It was a chilly night, we could hear the wind blowing in the tops of the evergreens as we tried to sleep. The morning is lovely, clear and bright, the cold just seems to make it clearer.There was a fast and quite exit early, we didn't hear much at all, only Yogi and Birdie left, they plan to hitch a ride into town, rest were in a hurry to get out and make it to Gatlinburg for real food and resupply, courtesy of a shuttle. I was in that town some years ago and really didn't like it, but if ya gotta resupply there aren't too many options, and they do have real food and cold beer.Wildflowers Carpeting the ATMore biscotti with coffee and on to the main course of grits for me, oatmeal with quinoa for Matilda. Feeling a bit sad, it's our last morning on the trail and it's been so much fun, never dreamed that backpacking in the wilderness would like that.A red squirrel is jumping and squawking around the campsite, he follows us down the trail to make sure we really checked out, maybe waiting for everyone to leave to pick up the crumbs left behind.We start off staying in the evergreens, it's dark and chilly and a little mysterious at ground level, trail is mostly easy with a little uphill.Selfie at Newfound GapIndian Gap is only 1.7, it's not actually on the AT but you can see it from the trail, there's the remains of an old road and Indian Trail that went over the mountains, I can't help thinking of the trail of tears when I see this.We come to a spot where there's a carpet of white wildflowers, it looks really pretty and an older couple have stopped to admire it, she's down off the trail photographing red trillium.We're at Newfound Gap just before noon, the shuttle is waiting for us but not in a hurry so we take a few minutes to change our shoes, go to the bathroom and take some pictures. It's our longest backpack yet, 207.3 trail miles in 24 days, including all the stops and zero days, feel great about that.It's about an hour fifteen back to Franklin to pick up the car and spend the night before heading back, I'm feeling tired now that it's over so almost fall asleep. We head to Caffe Rel for a late lunch, a cat fish sandwich and cold beer from Hot Spot, really nice after a few days in the wilderness.Feel very tired back at the motel and crash, even after a Latte and desert, sleep 2 hours before waking up.Local Cowboy Admiring My HatOn the way back to the motel in the evening we pass a local bar and a guy comes rolling out, obviously a bit under the weather, he has a similar hat to mine and wants to talk about it, I'm feeling a bit nervous cause he's so drunk and wants to hand all over me, we snap a cupla pictures and bid farewell to our last evening in Franklin.
Date: 2014-05-07
To: Little Switzerland, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

We get a late start from Franklin and just cruise towards the Blue Ridge Parkway with no particular plan in mind. A cupla stops along the way to admire some views and then up the Blue Ridge, we see a little town off the parkway called "Little Switzerland" and roll in to check it out.Nice place, a bit faux of course calling themselves a Swiss village, very Southern US to have faux European villages that never look quite real.This one at least has a nice pub with a deck looking out over a superb view of the mountains of North Carolina, they have live musicians and we can sit out in the glorious spring sunshine, listen to music, drink cold beer and admire the spectacular view, our reward for a few weeks on the trail.Cold Beer in the Warm Sun
Date: 2014-07-02
To: About Us
Miles today: 0.0

As I (Jen) sit to write our first journal entry, I can hardly believe that what started as a wild and crazy dream has actually turned into reality on how we will spend the next chapter of our lives together. Dan and I plan to use this journal as a way to stay in touch with family and friends along with documenting our adventures during our SOBO (aka Southbound - Maine to Georgia, for those unfamiliar with trail terms) hike on the Appalachian Trail (AT). A little background on us...I guess you could consider us newlyweds considering we've only been married since December 28, 2013. During our wedding planning we discussed how we wanted to spend our honeymoon when Dan threw out the idea of attempting to thru hike the AT. He had been researching the trial for the past several years and began to feel a stronger and stronger calling that this something he should seriously considering doing. Anybody who knows me, knows that I'm always up for an adventure so it really didn't take much convincing to get me on board. Plus, a 6 month honeymoon would last a lot longer than 1 week on a beach!To be honest, we both felt like we were in a bit of rut in our careers but never had the time or energy to really reflect on what we really wanted to do in our lives. Sooo....what better way to get away from the hustle and bustle than to quit our jobs and spending some time together in the wilderness?!?! Many might think this is irresponsible but we would argue that its more irresponsible to go through life doing the rinse and repeat routine (wake up, go to work, go to bed, wake up, go to work, go to bed...and rinse and repeat...) without truly appreciating living life.Are we expecting to get some profound sign that will clearly show us the answers of life? No, but we're hoping to become closer as a couple and couldn't come up with any valid reasons for passing up this once in a lifetime experience! Plus, anybody who follows our journey is sure to be entertained...what could possible go wrong with newlyweds in the woods?!For now (until we get our trail names),Dan & Jen
Date: 2014-07-05
To: About the trail
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Since we are sharing this link with many who are unfamiliar with the Appalachian Trail (AT)we figured we should share a brief explanation of what we will be attempting to do for the next 4-6 months. Especially since the most common question we get is "now what EXACTLY will you guys be doing?!?!"Essentially, we will be trying to hike the entire length of the AT beginning in Maine and ending in Georgia (we will cross 14 different states). Because we are going south and trying to complete the entire trail in one calendar year we will be known as SOBO thru hikers.The entire Appalachian Trail is maintained by numerous organizations and clubs (which we thank in advance!) to keep the trail well marked with white blazes (white paint) located on trees, rocks, fence posts, etc. that will serve as our navigational beacons. In addition to the white blazes, we will be taking David "Awol" Miller's guide, The A.T. Guide, that will indicate mileage, water sources, shelters, trail towns and other information to assist us with planning our days.For the most part, we plan on sleeping in our tent every night and hope to sleep in a 'normal' bed once a week (and try to score a shower!) whether it be in a hotel, motel, hostel, etc. We will have to carry approximately 5 days worth of food at a time (before going into a trail town to resupply) ans will find and filter water along the way.By no means do we consider ourselves experts about trail life and we certainly don't have strict plan on our itinerary. Maybe that's a good thing maybe it's a bad thing not to have every detail planned out but that's just not our style. We have always been the type to "see where the road takes us"...with a little luck, our open hearts and a lot of prayers we're sure to find our "new home" out on the trail!Feel free to google 'Appalachian Trail' if you're interested in finding out more...believe it or not, there's tons of information out there (it's almost a bit overwhelming to honest)!Dan & Jen (until we get our trail names)
Date: 2014-07-07
To: we made it to maine
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Well we officially made it to Bangor Maine and Phil Pepin with 100 mile wilderness adventures picked us up from the airport and took us to his very cute and quaint guesthouses in Monson. His knowledge and accommodations have been top notch! He will be taking us to Baxter state park in the morning (have to leave at 4am to get to the park by 7) where we will start our climb up Katahdin and then back down. Our first day is sure to test all of our limits as we are estimating a full 10 to 11 hour hiking day. After which we will camp out at katahdin stream campground for the night before heading to the 100 mile wilderness. During this part we will most likely not have much cell service so it may be while before we can post again. We met some people who just finished the 100 mile wilderness and they didn't try to sugar coat anything (which we appreciate!) We are both feeling pretty nervous about tomorrow but excited to finally step foot on the trail to put our journey in motion!Dan and Jen
Date: 2014-07-08
From: Katahdin Stream Campground

To: Katahdin Stream Campground
Miles today: 3.7

Well, the good news is we survived our first day on the trail which I can only describe as the most strenuous activity both Dan and I have ever undergone in our lives! We began the day at 7 am going up the Hunt Trail in hopes of reaching the summit of Katahdin by 1 pm in order to have enough time to come back down the same trail. You see, the AT technically starts at the peak of Katahdin and the downward descent. Therefore you walk a total of 10.4 miles in one day but only 5.2 of them "count" towards the SOBO (southbound) thru hike. The ascent to the summit is literally straight up and over huge boulders, roots and rough terrain. It was much more difficult than we both expected but we took our time and just kept putting one foot in front of another......but here's the bad news...by 1 pm we were still about 1.5 miles away from the top of Katahdin! What to do? Turn back and never reach the top? Push on and risk our safety for being on the summit after our deadline time? Sit down and cry because we failed on our very first day? All of these questions rushed through our minds but after a 10 minute pow wow (on the side of the mountain no less) we decided together that we would head back down the mountain without ever reaching the official start of the AT (which explains why our mileage is only 3.7 for the day). Let me tell you this was NOT an easy pill to swallow! After we made this decision our spirits were pretty low and we hung our heads in defeat. HOWEVER the beautiful part of it all is that we eventually picked ourselves up and came to the realization that this journey of ours is less about being classified as an "official" thru hiker and more about us getting to enjoy spending time together while experiencing the breathtaking views and getting to be part of the tight knit hiker community. With this new view, our spirits were renewed and we reached our camp around 7 pm and came to peace about the day's events. We ended the day sore and tired but truly proud of we had accomplished and hoped to accomplish in the future!
Date: 2014-07-22
From: Monson, ME (Shaw's Lodging)

To: Monson, ME (southern trailhead)
Miles today: 3.0

After getting some food, drinks, resupply and rest we were excited to hit the trail Tuesday morning. We had such a blast talking with other hikers about what to expect down the trail and the general consensus was that if we could make it through the Whites in New Hampshire the rest of the trail would be easy (so to speak). The other big piece of advice was to listen to our bodies and take it slow and make sure to take time off when needed. Little did we know we would be putting that advice into action so soon. After only 3 miles today Dan's feet were still in excruciating pain (even with his new Patagonia hiking shoes we picked up in Greenville on our day off) and we decided it would be best to hike back to Monson to get everything checked out. After seeing the local doctor and some xrays it was confirmed that Dan did not have any stress fractures (Thankfully!) but just some extreme internal bruising and swelling. The recommendation was to take a few days off with ice and elevation before going back on the trail. With that said we have been in Monson ever since and we are happy to finally report that (fingers crossed!) we should be back at it on Saturday (7/26). We both had a hard time taking so much time off so early on but the staff at Shaw's and the locals have reassured us that we made the right decision. Without strong feet under us there would be no way we continue on our journey! We plan on making our next stop in 3-4 days and take it nice and slow in hopes of keeping us with happy feet! The trail is calling us back and we are excited to see what it has in store for us next.Hopefully our next post will see us at another 30+ miles down the trail.Dan & Jen
Date: 2014-07-26
From: Monson, ME (southern trailhead)

To: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke up this morning feeling a bit anxious about getting back on the trail after being off for so many days. After giving each other a pep talk we were able to replace those negative thoughts with feelings of excitement about being able to move forward with our journey. Many props go out to those on the trail who are solo and don't have a loved one with them cheering them on day in and day out..I know we couldn'the do it with out each other!After being dropped off at the trailhead, we took it pretty easy to get re-acquainted with the trail (it's amazing how quickly your body forgets after several days of "luxury" in a trailtown. ..) and luckily the trail was very kind to us. The terrain was easy and we made it camp by 12:30. It seemed a bit wasteful to call it quits so early in the day but we reluctantly decided to setup our tent in hopes of keeping our feet (in the words of Phil from Duck Dynasty) "happy, happy, happy!"During the hike we saw quite a few snakes (no bigger than a pencil and less than a foot long) and I nearly stepped on one...eeek! We both are not fond of snakes but after hearing there are not any poisonous species in Maine our freak-out out factor significantly decreased when seeing the little fellows. Don't get me wrong, they still creep us out and we much rather not see them at all. Since we had so much downtime at camp, we tinkered with working out a tarp system to help keep our tent dry when having to set it up in the rain. PS - Learning to tye a bowline knot (thank you Dad!) And a trucker's hitch knot (thank you sales rep from the outfitter in Greenville!) came in quite handy for this process. The forecast was calling for storms the next several days so we figured we should be prepared just in case. After eating dinner and drinking a cup of coffee we were off to bed and thankful to be back on the trail!Dan and Jen (until we get trailnames)
Date: 2014-07-27
From: Horseshoe Canyon Lean-to

To: Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to
Miles today: 8.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Today we would let weather decide our fate...we agreed that if the weather was nice we would push a 14 mile day but if not we would stay at the first lean-to we reached. After fording a couple rivers (safely and with no incident!) and dipping our feet in the cool streams the clouds turned a bit ominous. We contemplated our options and eventually decided to stay put at the Moxie Bald Lean-to. At the shelter we talked to an older gentleman from Louisville KY who was walking north to finish up his last section of the trail after 30+ years. He asked for us to keep an eye out for a glove he had lost on the mountain we would be climbing the next day and send it along with any NOBO...as he put it "trail mail" (word of mouth) was the best way to retrieve lost items. We had been finding a lot of lost clothes (crocs, shirts, bandanas, boxers, etc.) and never could figure out whether taking them with us would bring the items closer to their rightful owners (if SOBO) or further apart (if NOBO). It sounds like it all works out in the end...most of the time.As the rain clouds moved closer, we quickly set up our tent just in time before the raindrops started (yay!). Since we were confined to the tent, dinner consisted of Snickers and pop tarts so we wouldn't have to cook. Not the healthiest meal but when else in our lives would this be such an acceptable meal!Dan & Jen (until we get trailnames)
Date: 2014-07-28
From: Moxie Bald Mountain Lean-to

To: Pleasant Pond Lean-to
Miles today: 13.1

Oh what a day today would be! We knew it would be a tough day being that we had to climb two mountains (one of which was never ending) but it would be a lot trickier with blowing winds and a steady downpour on slippery slate rock!!When we woke up the rain had subsided and we spent the morning having a pretty easy walk with the added benefit of getting to pick and eat wild blueberries. We made our way up and over Moxie Bald Mountain pretty easily. There was some lingering morning fog but nothing to really complain about. Oh how things would change after our lunch break...Around 12:30 we began our ascent up Pleasant Pond Mountain at which time the rain started in at exactly the same time. The steady downpour had a dripping wet in no time and the numerous ups and downs left us thinking we would NEVER make it to the top of the darn mountain. We passed a couple of people coming off the mountain and they warned us to extra careful on the slate rock that basically turned into a mini ice rink when wet. By the time we reached the summit the rain had worsened and we could wait to get off the mountain! Well...the trail at the top was not marked well and we both started to get pretty nervous about being stuck up there. (No time for pictures at this summit!) The wind was blowing so hard we could hardly see or hear each other but by the grace of God we eventually found the trail and raced down. We had survived the first scary moment of the day. We didn't think it could get much worse but once again we were wrong...I could barely feel my fingers by the time we reached camp but we quickly setup the tent in the rain and changed out of our cold wet clothes. A cup of coffee warmed us up and we hunkered down for the night. We could hear the storm approaching and see the massive amount of lightning...we would not be able to sleep through this storm!!At about 10:30 the lightning was so close to us it sent a shock wave that literally shook the ground. To say we were scared would be an understatement. We were on high alert and said some prayers that we (and everybody else on the trail) would stay safe. For a good 15 minutes the thunder and lightning was non stop; I have never in my life heard a thunderstorm sound so loud. Thankfully our prayers paid off and the storm moved on...we had survived the second scary moment of the day! We would later find out that the storm was one of worst storms this area of Maine had seen in years. Thanks be to God for being with us and protecting us through it all! I have a feeling it won't be the last time we will be relying on His help to keep us safe on the trail!Dan and Jen ( until we get trailnames)