morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-04-26
From: Tri Coner Nob Shelter

To: Oak Gap
Miles today: 21.4

First one out of the shelter, a habit I picked up from my lost buddy Slowski who is now off the trail, no doubt warm and cozy at home with his wife. About an hour later the bottom fell out, rain with hail mixed in and strong winds, lots of fun. Little did I know at that time, this would be my biggest day yet with over twenty miles. Once again I'm wading up and down a stream rather than a trail. The temperatures warmed up quite a bit, likely because there was enough lightning around me to warm up the earths crust by 10° or more. The storm let up, it did continue to rain off and on but mostly the afternoon was rain free. Two guys and a woman from the shelter I stayed in last night passed me but floppy jaws never did, all that talking must have made him tired. I made it to Green Corner Rd in good time, it seems like I cover more ground when it's raining. Most people go to Standing Bear Farm from here, it's a highly recommended hostel from all that I have talked to. Not me, foolishly I decided to keep going. I can't shake this feeling, after having all those days off, that if I don't get to hustling, I'm not going to have enough time to make it to Maine. I knew I had enough food and in all honesty I thought the rain and bad weather was over. 20 minutes later it was raining cats and dogs with more hail than I had this morning. For the first time I had to pitch my tent in the rain, man oh man was that fun, nothing goes right when you're in a hurry. There is another tent here but I haven't seen anyone because he or she was inside before I got here. Whoever it is they got a good show because it's impossible to pitch a tent in the rain without talking to it. After I got most of the water out and put my sleeping bag inside I noticed a perfectly spherical ball of hail, it was not jagged, it was smooth and round like a glass marble, I never seen one like it. While I was looking at it another one hit me in the head and it hurt but lucky for me it didn't hit me somewhere it could have done some damage. 3 miles away lies one of the most popular hostels on the trail and I lay here in the rain and hail and who knows what else the night has in store for me. What an idiot! Now I know where the expression "not a happy camper" comes from. My shin is still good but I can feel there is something a little tender in there. The problem now is my knee, it's really sore but I can't see any swelling. I haven't even made it 300 miles yet and I'm falling apart.
Date: 2012-04-27
From: Oak Gap

To: AStream
Miles today: 13.6

Didn't wake up until eight this morning. The guy in the tent managed to pack up without waking me and was gone. My calf muscles were nice and tight this morning and my knee needed some vitamin I to get going but the shin is still holding up. I don't have an appetite and that can't be good, had to force down a Cliff bar for breakfast after having no dinner. Cloudy and foggy early but turned into a gorgeous day, perfect hiking weather. I didn't carry water, it's everywhere, a big plus.  The first climb was Snowbird mountain, I didn't go to the tower, that's the price you pay when you are behind and in a hurry. I took a break at Max Patch and cooked chilimac, that's the first time I cooked outside of camping areas. Passed up the last shelter and set up camp here alone a little over 3 miles short of what I had planed, it's nice here and I just didn't feel like moving on.
Date: 2012-04-28
From: AStream

To: Hot Springs NC
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Most memorable part of my day was I had to take crap. I've had to go in a hurry before but never fast and furious like what happen today. It hit me without warning I made it 20 feet off the trail and I had to drop my drawers. I've grown accustomed to taking care of business in the woods but not like this, out in the open so close to the trail with my pack still on. Don't know what that was about. I covered it up best I could and got out of there in a hurry, checking behind me to see if I was caught. Best thing that happen was Smoky Mountain Dinner, absolutely the best burger I ever had. A close second was no rain. Coming in to Hotsprings  was nothing like I thought it would be. I expected a cheesy town but it's really not, it's just a tiny little friendly town in the middle of nowhere. They have AT symbols on the sidewalk showing you the way, the trail literally runs right thru the middle of town. The town is not good or bad, pleasant nor unpleasant, it's just a normal run-of-the-mill small town. I'm here at the Iron Horse Station, a very pricey motel. I was told they don't have hiker rates on the weekend and foolishly I have paid more for this room than I did for my whole stay in Gatlinburg. The room has no TV and much more importantly no shower, only a bathtub, had I known that before paying for it I would have found something else, showers are at the top of my list these days . The thermostat control for heat and air is in the hallway outside my room, apparently it controls the temperature for several rooms. This is one of the few moments in life where the statement "you get what you pay for" does not hold water.  Elmers was full or so I was told by another hiker, should have checked myself. Another Inn didn't take cards but there are at least two ATMs in town so shouldn't have been an issue. But hey I have a tavern and restaurant down stairs, oh and suppose to be a live ban, HaHa everything is in walking distance in this town no matter how many miles you've walked to get here. Ok rant off but this is ridiculous and yes it's my fault, which makes it that much worse. The place targets hikers with the cash and desperate for a room. Sorry no pictures, I tried for an hour to get one to upload but the data service is not strong enough or something is wrong with the website.
Date: 2012-04-29
From: Hot Springs NC

To: Log Cabin Drive
Miles today: 16.3

The weather was as close to perfect for hiking has it gets this morning. Soon has I left town and crossed the French Broad River bridge I climbed a buff. The unusual thing about it was I could hear the roaring river as I went up, allowing me to judge how high I was getting both audibly and visually. It's hard for me to tell, once a distance of around 200 yards is reached, exactly how far away something is using only my eyes. When I can hear a constant noise grow fainter as I climb it gets more interesting as well as scary. One wrong step and it's a long way down. Met some new to me hikers today, the broomstick brothers, snickers and duck soup. They all left Hot Springs yesterday evening and I caught up with them late this morning. Seems like every 2 miles there's a spring lately, which is super fantastic, I love it, I didn't carry a drop of water with me all day. It's was a good thing too, because my left hip started hurting big time. Don't know what has caused it but it makes it very hard to get up these ridges. This hurts more than anything I've had to deal with so far, but I'm not stopping.  Going down in a gap today, there was a sign on tree promising catfish sandwiches at hostel .7 off the trail. I could think of nothing els after reading it so I found my way to the hostel only to find out they didn't cook Sunday evenings. I can't tell you how disappointed I was, almost to the point of anger, they should add that little tidbit to the notes they put out. I stayed there anyway just because I had walked all the way in there and my hip has really got bad. They did promise we would have breakfast in the morning and a free ride back to the trail.
Date: 2012-04-30
From: Log Cabin Drive

To: Flint Mt Shelter
Miles today: 16.0

Great breakfast as promised and a ride back to the trail. WOW! What a day this was. The trail was just awesome all the way, it threatened rain late but has not come yet. Big Firescald Knob was to die for, both getting to it and looking off of it. The climb up to where it starts was not to tiring was a ridge walk that turned into a great rock scramble. You could see for miles and miles off that rock, there is a town below that I think may be Erwin TN, my next resupply point, still at least 2 days away. The walked up and over a huge bald, probably 400 yards of a grassy mountain top, by far the longest expanse across the top of one yet and it was flat. Love those flat sections, you don't get many of them out here.  Next the trail follows an old jeep trail for several miles, I enjoyed the change very much, not sure why, just like a change once in awhile I guess. You can only walk up here these days but what a jeep ride that must have been for folks long ago. Whatever it was happened to my hip yesterday cleared up today, in fact nothing's wrong with me when I passed the 300 mile mark today.
Date: 2012-05-01
From: Flint Mt Shelter

To: Low Gap
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: broken clouds

Late start this morning and much harder day than I anticipated. The trail intersected several ATV trails, something I have not seen until now. The first ten miles or so was perfect for someone that likes walking around looking at leaves, dirt and sticks. Mighty boring when compared to yesterday. Finally got to see an interstate at Sams Gap HAHA it was a long day and any change of scenery was a relief. There was some ok views on a meadow toward the end. I am wore out, not a smidgen of energy left in me.About four miles short of where I wanted to make. Camped here with Al and Everready.  My goal was to get in Erwin in 4 days but not much chance of it now, maybe for the best, now I will have more time to resupply and rest. One month on the trail today, still don't have my trail legs, still not in good shape, but I am hungry, that counts for something right?
Date: 2012-05-02
From: Low Gap

To: No Business Nob 
Miles today: 14.6

Record day for snakes, up until now I've only seen 3 in one day, seen 4 today with the total for the trip eleven. One was 6 or 7 foot Black Snake as the call it out here, back home it's a Chicken Choker. There all still alive, normaly I would kill them on site, but people are kind of funny about that here.  Got off to good start by leaving early this morning but fell asleep at the first shelter only 4 miles into the hike. Plus I took a break on a beautiful treeless saddle called Big Stamp. Stopped 6 miles short of Erwin at No Business shelter. It didn't accrue to me that the name no business means no business, as it has no outhouse. It bothers some people out here when I say outhouse, "it's called a privy" they say, but then none of them seem to know why. I stumbled in to camp at 3pm so I had time to make it into town today, but I didn't have the energy. I eat my last meal tonight, you can bet your last dollar I'll find my way to town now. Al and eveready stopped here as well, we plan to go in town together. My feet are much better thankfully. I stop at a stream or spring at least once a day now to soak my feet in the cold water. I also elevate my feet to let the blood run out. My shin splint has never returned and I'm really happy about that, I don't think I mentioned it before but back when I took that time off, my whole leg from my knee to my foot was swollen. You couldn't even see my ankle, not sure why because my ankle or my knee was not hurting, only my shin. My hip has never bothered me again, just the one day but it was some kind of painful, hope that doesn't happen again. My knees hurt off and on but I don't think it's to serious. The body is holding up well so far, Maine here I come. I'm sick of Rhododendrons, they were cool at first but I've seen all I want of them, especially the spooky tunnels on the ridges, they give me the creeps and they hide what would surely be awesome views.
Date: 2012-05-03
From: No Business Nob 

To: Erwin TN
Miles today: 5.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Left camp at 7:30 stepped on the assault in Erwin at 10:00, it was a food march. The prospect of real food is a tremendous motivator. Short day for sure but I will not zero, in trail talk this is a nero. Besides being a food day nothing much happen. I met a section hiker going south on the day my hip was hurting so bad. Feeling awful, disgusted, tired, with broken spirit, basically feeling sorry for myself and hoping the end was near, I ask him what time it was. He answered "half past awesome and a quarter to paradise".  I repeated that quote over and over today going down the mountain. As I approached town it dawned on me, something was wrong.  It had to be. Why am I out here doing this if I am most excited about getting to town? Is awesome the accomplishment that comes from hiking to the top of a steep mountain? Is paradise looking down in awe of that same mountain? What I realized was the answer is yes to both, It's nice to come down for good food, cold beer and a real bed but as I sit here in this Super 8 hotel room, I can't wait to get back to the middle of my next climb, where I will once again be half past awesome and a quarter to paradise.
Date: 2012-05-04
From: Erwin TN

To: Beauty Spot Gap
Miles today: 12.7

Left town early but just couldn't get going today. Hiked within talking distance from eveready all day haven't stayed that close to anyone for that long on the trail yet. We both kept a pretty slow pace. We past our camp site and had to back track but was still set up 4 hours before dark. There is a road up here and we are having a lot of traffic up here, may be a party tonight, hope they it happens far enough away that we can sleep.
Date: 2012-05-05
From: Beauty Spot Gap

To: Clyde Smith Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: light rain

Woke up this morning with the sound of thunder. Jumped out of my sleeping bag and started packing up up before daylight to avoid getting my tent wet. We made it with 10 minutes to spare. It rained for awhile then it started rain raining, meaning it pored for two hours, when it stopped it drizzled for an hour more. Only one big climb today, up and into a dense spruce forest, obviously  no views but I didn't care, it was cool to be up there, much different than any of the tops I've seen and I like change. It quit raining for 4 hours or so and my clothes dried out. Its amazing how fast my pants can dry. Shoes were wet all day, my feet are so wrinkle the skin is pealing off the calluses. I told Al this morning that I would stay behind him all the way to camp today, and I did, until it smelled of rain. I pulled away just before we arrived to get my tent up before the rain barely made it, unfortunately Al didn't.  His pack cover doesn't fit right and sleeping bag got wet. The Parka I have has done really well, many people who have seen it said they would get one the first chance they get. It's both a rain jacket and a pack cover that fits over you and the pack. Conventional pack covers allow rain to flow between your back and the pack, with the Parka it all flows off. Also the Parka sleeves and hood can be tucked away behind the pack while the cover is on, at a moments notice you can pull them out and be full protected lickedy split.
Date: 2012-05-06
From: Clyde Smith Shelter

To: Stan Murray Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: broken clouds

Roan MT is the last of the big mountains for a good while. This morning I wished I had it behind me as it loomed in front of me on the approach. I didn't feel good and I can't say why exactly, I seem to have lost my mojo or enthusiasm I had only a short time ago. The weather has been poor but it's more than that, I think for the first time I'm just plain tired of being out here. I was one of the last ones out of camp this morning but I passed most of them before Roan. In my opinion Roan at 6,200 feet was much harder than Clingmans Dome even with the switch backs (apparently the trail didn't have them in the past) there were some straight up verticals and rock scrambles. I usually like the rock scrambles often they are the coolest part of hiking, but today I just wanted to get it over with. Up near the top the trail was ridiculously muddy wich added to my despair. Eveready was taking a break close to the top, I told him I needed water so I would keep moving to the next water source and meet up with him there. For reasons that I have yet to understand he didn't here me and walked right on by as I was down the blue blaze trail fetching water. Later I met Funnybones a retired orthopedic doctor at the highest shelter on the AT, Roan high nob. We had a nice chat and he reassured me I had done the right thing waiting on my shin splints to heal. He also told me eveready was looking for me about 15 minutes earlier and that he moved on to catch up with me not knowing I was behind him. Then I met Easy Nomad on a open spot drying his clothes in the sun who also said eveready was looking for me and was in a hurry to catch up. That's the way it was the rest of the day, eveready going faster than normal to catch me and me trying to catch the nut who was in front of me all along. Roan itself offers no views to speak of but just after dropping 500 feet or so there are several grassy balds that have spectacular panoramic views. There were many day hikers of all ages in this area and it was threatening rain so they were headed back to their cars. One such family that decided to cancel their picnick give me a ham sandwich and it was delicious, I said thank you storm to myself as I moved on. The rain did come and I finally caught up with eveready who was exasted trying to catch me. He had put his tent up inside Stan Murray shelter, 2 miles short of our destination. I tried to talk him in to moving on after it stop raining but he would budge so I stopped here as well. It rained off and on the rest of the evening and many people hiked thru to the next shelter (overmaintain shelter) a big barn made famous with one of the Children of the Corn flicks. Al made here later and stopped as well, so I guess we have become a team.
Date: 2012-05-07
From: Stan Murray Shelter

To: Mountain Horbour B&B
Miles today: 11.1

Al got up an hour before daylight as usual and was off before I started breaking camp. I told eveready that I was absolutely sick of being in the woods and I had to get off the trail for a day. He was all for it and we made a plan. My guide listed a B&B at mountain harbor hostel three tenths off the trail and that's all it took we were bound for a bed and breakfast. We didn't realize it in our haste to judge the distance to the road to the hostel but the trail goes up and over more of the same grassy balds we had the day before only this time we would do it in fog. Every 15 minutes or so the fog would lift a little to give me a breif hint of the mountainside only to fog over again. I later heard here at the hostel from all those we overtook before we reached the balds that they were even more spectacular than yesterday's balds. The wind was fierce, cold and wet in the treeless miles and I had to lean in the direction of it to keep my balance. It's different hiking in the fog because you can't see what's ahead of you, you just put one foot in front of the other until you're stepping down instead of up. I must say I got a bit perturbed at the lack of white blazes in this area and was not at all sure I was on the trail a few times. To add to the many trail names I've acquired (folks don't like to call me greenhorn I think because of my age) eveready calls me green pacer now. When we finally crossed the last summit into the calm but still foggy warmth of the trees he told me he had about fell out on one of the climbs, but "but you just kept on going and I refused to let you get to far in front of me " he's a real hoot and his NC accent is almost as thick as mine. It was a freaking rock slide going down to the HWY for a long time and I hated it, I don't know whats wrong, I've always loved those parts before. We got trail magic halfway down from a local couple that's been hiking up there for thirty years, hard boils eggs and cakes and candy. They hiked on up and we stopped long enough to eat it before making our way to the hostel. It's wonderful here. The hostel is a barn with a working stable on the first floor, sort of a common area on the second and third floor is a loft with beds. There are horses and goats and dogs and cats everywhere. Few people tenting in the grass with the horses. Rookie, a hiker I haven't met until now was telling me the night before something nudged his tent while he was sleeping and he woke up squealing loudly thinking it was a bear outside his tent. Across the river from the hostel up the hill is the Big House where the B&B is (where I am) run by Mary a very pleasant lady that I am happy to have met. Mary has the personality not unlike my mother and I just love her, we had a nice long talk about the trail. She took me and eveready into town for beer before the 5 o'clock shuttle and has made us feel right at home. I can't say enough about her kindness and willingness to help us anyway she can. I highly recommend these good people of Mountain Harbour Hostel.
Date: 2012-05-08
From: Mountain Horbour B&B

To: Mountain horbour B&B
Miles today: 0.0

I haven't earned it, I don't deserve it but if I don't zero I may be discouraged enough to quit. The breakfast this morning by little miss Mary was to die for. Many of the hikers were taking pictures of it, the rest of us were stuffing our face. It was amazing! It look like something you would see in a food magazine. It's raining.... There is no flip flop planed, I want to finish at Katahdin.
Date: 2012-05-09
From: Mountain horbour B&B

To: Vango Abby Memorial Hostel
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: moderate rain

Walked out of the physical ease and freedom from pain of the wonderful B&B into the pelting rain and suffering of treading in soaking wet shoes on the trail. The happy side of misery. At some point I may get use to the rain (not yet) but I don't think I'll ever get use to the mud. Eveready took a spill behind me. At the sound of the thud, I turned and he was laid out on the ground not moving. The combined weight of his body and pack (239lbs) shook the ground.  I ask if he was ok three times before he answered "don't know yet" his expression was not the look of embarrassment but pure shock uncontaminated with shame. That's what happens when one second you're walking and the next you're flat on your face. He wasn't hurt other than  he tried to bite off his lip. We had been slipping and sliding all morning and talking about how we have made it 400 miles without falling. We made it to the first shelter and stayed for an hour trying to dry out. That didn't work so we moved on. We met Doc Tyvek (4th doctor I've met on the trail) he told us about this hostel that we overlooked in my AT guide. It's only a three tenths side trail and it has 6 bunks, a kitchen, a clothes dryer and roof, that's all I needed to know. Took me less than an hour to make the 3 miles to a dry sanctuary. It's owned by Scotty a real cool guy who has hiked over 14000 trail miles. He sold me a pizza and soda at his house (30 yards from the hostel) and I cooked it here with the range. Dryed my clothes and took a shower, that's three showers in as many days, completely unheard of on the trail. We have Dr. Doc Ty ev, Dr. Funnybones and the Shrink (a therapist)all here tonight. So if we get sick break a leg and go crazy we're covered. Chatterbox, Pokie and Pandora (from Brokenbow OK) are also here.
Date: 2012-05-10
From: Vango Abby Memorial Hostel

To: Black Bear Resort
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: broken clouds

No rain, it looked like it would all morning but never did. Trail was still muddy and every shrub along the trail was still wet waiting on me to dry it off. It was pretty much up down little hills all day. We decided to stop here at Black Bear Resort. Not a resort by any stretch of imagination but it has private cabins and I wanted privacy today. They sale beer here maybe that's why they call it a resort. We had a small party with lots of beer, I think most of had a little too much. Papa bear, Gummy bear, Tail dragger, Honest Abe, Eveready and Pokie are here. Cleaned up my gear and it needed it. 400 miles and it's all holding up well,  shoes are scuffed up at the toe, carbon fiber black diamonds are still intact, tent is not leaking and that's amazing with what it's been through.