morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2018-10-13
From: Sams Gap

To: Spivey Gap
Miles today: 13.4

10-13-18Started at 7:30AM, just when there was enough daylight to see in the forest. I hiked in the clouds and fog for the first 9 miles. I love the mystical feeling of the surroundings, but had hoped to have the famous panoramic views from Big Bald (5,516¢). I hiked above 5,000¢ for over 3 miles and never glimpsed a view. Being a Saturday I saw over 30 people. Most were weekend hikers, some section hikers, 3 hunters, 1 runner, and 8 young people netting and tagging migratory birds. The last 5 miles had two steep climbs and some rock scrambles by High Rocks. Hurray!!! Today I crossed my personal 1,000 mile mark of total section miles on the AT.
Date: 2018-10-14
From: Iron Mountain Gap

To: Hughes Gap
Miles today: 9.4

10-14-18Started out in rain and clouds. Mostly it felt like being in the mist of the clouds. It was a fairly easy hike to Clyde Smith Shelter, with just a few steep climbs. After the first 2 hours the air cleared. I took a break at the shelter where I met 2 guys with dogs doing sections. The uphill trail after the shelter was beautiful with rock stairs and Rhododendron tunnels. When I got to Little Rock Knob, the clouds and fog had moved from my area so I had some impressive views. The forests today were especially beautiful and peaceful. All together I saw 2 dogs, and 13 hikers, 5 of which were AT thru hikers. I also saw 4 bright orange salamanders on the trail. The southern Appalachian Mountains region in Tennessee is considered the salamander capital of the world. Who knew???
Date: 2018-10-15
From: Iron Mountain Gap

To: Beauty Spot Gap
Miles today: 8.4

10-15-18Another beauty day, sunny and high 70¢s. Mostly soft easy path to Cherry Gap Shelter, where I stopped for my break. A deer crossed the trail 60¢ in front of me, my first so far. My hike both up and down from the dense spruce forest atop Unaka Mountain (5,180¢) was fairly steep with lots of rocks and roots making it more of a challenge for me. I saw 11 hikers today, one being a solo woman, like me. She was from Oregon and had previously hiked the PCT. My reward today was a gorgeous, clear, 360* view from Beauty Spot Gap (4,323¢) and Pete driving up there to surprise me. It was great being able to share that with him.
Date: 2018-10-16
From: Carvers Gap

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 5.7
Weather: overcast clouds

10-16-18Thick clouds and fog prevented views from Round Bald and Jane Bald. Later the conditions improved enough to see just some of the scenery as the clouds and fog shifted rapidly in the wind. It was rocky at the higher elevations as I was above 5,000¢ for all but the last mile. There was A LOT of mud today.....so the rocks were my friends! I hiked off the AT .3 mile to Overmountain Shelter, where I was surprised to see Pete waiting for me. The shelter is a converted, large, red barn with a stunning view of the mountains. After enjoying this spot, we hiked out together the extra mile on the forest service road leading back to our rental truck. I met 4 other hikers today, one being from England and another from the local area with lots of useful info.
Date: 2018-10-17
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Bear Branch Rd. 
Miles today: 9.4

10-17-18Hiked the extra mile up the forest service road at the end of Roaring Creek Road to get me back on the AT past Overmountain Shelter, where I hiked out yesterday. The trail was very muddy today. The hike up Little Hump Mt. (5,459¢) had some great views and about 50 kts. of wind. Hiked down in more mud and streaming water to Bradley Gap (4,950¢) before the steep climb to the top of Hump Mt. (5,587¢). The wind almost knocked me down a few times on both of these treeless balds.  The temperature with the wind chill was in the 30¢s. There were more spectacular views on the second peak. I had lunch by a rock outcrop below the summit of Hump Mt. out of the wind and with an amazing vista. I continued down through more mud and big rocks. I saw 9 people and 1 dog today, all moving south. Two deer also brightened my day today. Pete and I met at our preplanned location as usual.
Date: 2018-10-18
From: Carvers Gap

To: Hughes Gap
Miles today: 6.6

10-18-18Today is my last day of hiking for this section. I started in sunny, perfect, 40*, no wind weather. Immediately I entered a stunning, thick pine forest with several foot bridges over streams. The rock path was just wide enough for the wagons that used to transport guests up to the Cloudland Hotel atop Roan Mountain back in the late 1800¢s. No longer there, it is now a beautiful knoll at 6,394¢ with an awesome view. I took a break there in peace and solitude. I was disappointed that there were no other panoramic views, even though I was above 5,000¢ and 6,000¢ all day. But the beauty of the forests and rock formations helped make up for it. Overall it was a pretty easy hike. I met 11 hikers and talked to 2 trail maintenance men that shared some local info.  Mission accomplished....84.4 mile section completed!Thank you, Pete, for helping to make this possible.
From: Abington 

To: Abington
Miles today: 0.0

Enjoyed some excellent quality time.Really lifted my spirits,just love my Bethie so much.She and Leah drove all that way and are letting us live out this adventurous dream.They are amazing people.While they were here we took them to Grayson highlands to see the ponies on a crystal clear day.It was really cool.Did some antique shopping,visited Wolfhill brewery,and went to some amazing places to eat ,and saw Amy Schumers new movieThe perfect weekend ,until......  Arrived back to the hotel after eating out Sunday evening and became extremely sick from food poisoning.I have never been this sick in my life.Sick all night long and still really sick Monday morning.Beth and Leah were supposedl to leave early that morning so I was freaked.No possible way could I hike like this.Couldnt even keep water down.So my awesome wife stayed another day and night to take care of me.Leah agreed to also which I can¢t thank them both enough for.Makes a huge difference to have someone with you when you feel terrible and are far away from home.Hoping like hell I can wake up and just feel good enough to do a few miles tomorrow.
Date: 2018-03-07
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Only 11 days and I will be stepping off a plane and touching Georgia for the first time.I am so excited and anxious that I am having a really hard time sleeping.And when I do it¢s about the AT.   Really think I have al the gear dialed in nicely.Just trying to put on some pounds before leaving.I eat like a pig and just can¢t put it on.Talked to a former AT hiker about this while hiking in the white mountains in NH recently and he said he eats whole sticks of butter.I will save that for a last resort!I thru hiked the Long Trail in Vermont two years ago and lost 14 lbs in 20 days.So it is definitely something I will have to keep an eye on.  Spending as much time with my wife and kids as I can too.I will miss them so bad!!!I am so lucky to get this time off from work though,so we will make it work.Beth ,I will owe you forever for letting me live out this dream!!!You are the best and I love you!!!!!  Okay I am rambling,sorry.Lack of sleep and a few too many beers.!Really excited to hear from you all on here!
Date: 2018-03-12
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0

Feel like I am living in slow motion.After all the preparations and plannings it¢s so close ,but so far .Saying goodbye to my wife and kids is going to be extremely hard.I think they are ready to have me off at this point because I am like a rat in a cage pacing the floors!I have never been known for having good patience.I will enjoy every minute with my wife and kids until I am off though  5 more days of work to go.Then I will start my 6 month leave of absence.I have never been out of work that long since I was 18.I like my job but a bad day on the trail is always way better than the best day at work to me.I will miss my customers on my mail route though.I will never get another leave of absence before I retire so that will motivate me to get the whole thru hike complete.  I have never been so anxious,excited,or afraid of failure in my life.This will be the biggest thing I have ever done besides marrying the perfect lady and raising two kids that I am SO proud of.I really need to accomplish it.I will give it everything I have.  Hearing from people on here will really help .Excited to see what happens and who I meet here!
Date: 2018-03-18
To: View Entry
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Arrived in Georgia and ready to take my first steps on the AT tomorrow morning.Beautiful so far.65 degrees here.It was 10 degrees when we left NY this morning.  Got some pre trail magic today from Gregg and Delora.Gave us a free ride from Atlanta airport to the Barefoot hills hostel where we are staying.A long haul!Thanks you guys,you were really fun!  Barefoot Hills hostel is a beautiful place.Huge log cabin.There are tiny container houses out back too all in a beautiful setting.Kind of cool a guy is here that I met in the Long Trail 2 years ago.What are the chances?  So I will try to get some pics on here tomorrow of the start.Hope you are all doing good in the real world.I only miss a few things about it.Some very great people
Date: 2018-03-19
From: Amicalola state park-approach trail

To: Stover Creek shelter
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Left Barefoot hills hostel early after a great breakfast they give.Shuttled to the trailhead with John and the Hiking sailor.They are awesome and funny as hell.Hiking sailor is vlogging on you tube this trip  We started the trail around 10:30.The waterfalls are beautiful There are about 600 steps to get to the top.Not as bad as everyone makes them out to be   About and hour into the trail we were told there was a tornado watch for Springer Mtn.We had some pea size fail for a while but no tornado showed up.   Really liking Georgia so far.The terrain is soft and not very steep compared to the northeast mountains.Not many views but the trail is just beautiful.  Was great to see the first white blaze and plaque on Springer.It was kind of early so we pushed on to Stover creek shelter.We decided to stay in the shelter instead of tent because more storms were coming.   Meeting some really cool people already.From England ,Florida,Montana,all over.Everyone is so laid back and happy So that night at the shelter there was a long and crazy storm that lasted a looong time.Wind sounded like a train going by.Constant lightning .Glad we were not tenting.Also during the night there were lots of mice.They seemed to love running across my face.I swatted one away and it hit the wall on the other side of the shelter.Thru all of this I can¢t complain,really love it out here! Love you Beth,Hailey and Preston!
Date: 2018-03-20
From: Stover creek shelter 

To: Gooch Gap shelter
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: moderate rain

A great day,sunny and warm.Trail is just beautiful.Hard to explain.So different from the northeast.  Splitter provided our first trail magic today.Cold soda and oranges.So goood!  Meeting more and more great people on this journey.  Gonna keep this one short.At Gooch gap shelter.Overcrowded and pouring rain .Tenting tonight to avoid mice contact.Tomorrow looks much colder with snow.We shall see what happens!
Date: 2018-03-21
From: Gooch Gap shelter

To: Hostel 
Miles today: 5.0

Taking a really short day today.Another storm last night.Hi winds and ice.Tents were covered in a thick layer of ice when we woke up.We are in a  huge hiking bubble so everything is overcrowded right now,but all the hikers are so cool.   Temps are only in the 20s all day with freezing rain tonite so we are back at Barefoot hills hostel for the night.Things are looking much better for tomorrow.Sunny and 50s.Glad we waited because tomorrow there will be some great views.
Date: 2018-03-22
From: Woody Gap

To: Wolf Laurel tent sites
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: overcast clouds

started at Woody Gap this morning.Wind was fierce.Had to really keep moving to stay warm.About 2 inches of snow and some icy spots but not bad.  Today was a great day for views.One after another on a long ridgeline.Blood mtn is probably the toughest climb so far but still nothing compared to the northeast mtns Excellent views from the summit.The trees were all iced over white and gave a beautiful contrast.It was really hard to leave this mountain.The stone shelter must have been an awesome place to stay at one time.There are no windows and the door is gone.Could be fixed easily.Would not be a good place to spend the night in this freezing cold!  After Blood we went to Mountain Crossings to pick up 2nd  re-supply box.Really nice place and cool people that work there.Got a pic of the famous boot tree and talked to some older people who were seriously worried that we were sleeping out in these cold nights.People in Georgia are so down to earth and friendly.Really loving Georgia!  Tonite we are staying at a tenting site called Wolf Laurel.It is beautiful and we are here alone.Meeting some really nice people but it¢s nice to get away from the bubble of hikers.Just too crowded at times.Right now I am looking down at hundreds of lights from towns and in the opposite direction a super clear sky with the moon and stars over mountains.I am getting really hooked on this!  Please keep sending me messages ,it really motivates me!Thanks to you who have
Date: 2018-03-23
From: Wolf Laurel tents

To: Blue mtn shelter 
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Woke up freezing to a great sunrise.Highly recommend staying if you do this.  Did around 15 miles along a beautiful ridge on a wonderful day .Walked along an old conservation road for miles along sides of mountains.Cant explain it,like going back in time  Getting a little bit harder terrain.Still awesome  Stayed at Blue mtn shelter and tented .Not as cold as it has been.Great spot.Nice fire going up there.Slept better than I have yet.Starting to settle into the groove.
Date: 2018-03-24
From: Blue mountain shelter

To: Top of Georgia Hostel
Miles today: 2.5

was great to wake up to a somewhat warmer morning.First night I have slept thru without freezing.   A short walk to Unicom Gap brought us to some great trail angels.They hiked last year.Had a great spread  Weather was calling for thunderstorms and rain all day so .....it was time to go into town and get some beers.Craving them really bad,even more than food.Ate at Barneys.Excellent burger,sweet potato fries,and fried pickles.And 3 Hiawassee golden ales that were epic!  Stayed at Top of Georgia hostel.Great place .Meeting more and more cool people.Bearbait was a really cool Mom section hiking with her son.She kind of gave Bill and I are trail names.I am Jet.Bill is Hot Charlie.Funny story of how she came up with it  Gotta go.Long day tomorrow Keep in touch real world people Love you Beth!
Date: 2018-03-25
From: Unicom Gap

To: Dicks Creek
Miles today: 17.0

Left the hostel(Top of Georgia) at around 8 and hit the trail around 8:30.The hostel offers a slack pack option which means they will drop you off and pick you up later in the day.And you get to carry a smaller pack!Its kind of like cheating but I am not 20 anymore so it doesn¢t bother me.I am still walking every step of the trail.  Pretty cold all day and we were pretty much walking in a cloud 90% of the day.Still just a beautiful trail and very peaceful.We only saw 4 people all day.When we got to the top of Trey mtn the sun was shining just on the very top.Felt so good to soak up some sun.After that back in the cloud all the way down.Cold and moist. On the way down we met Indigo.She is planning on leaving tomorrow because this trail just isn¢t her thing.Really nice girl.She is hiking with her Mom(French fry).French fry is having a really bad time with her knee.She doesn¢t want to leave.I carried her pack out the last half mile for her because she was in agony.  More trail magic at the end of the day.Hot dogs ,soda .home made muffins.Sounds like no big deal,but when you¢re out here it is .Saves money and you meet these selfless people that want to help you get to Maine any way they can.People down south are so much nicer than NY..  Tomorrow we should hit NC!  Love you Bethie
Date: 2018-03-26
From: Dicks Gap

To: Muskrat Creek shelter
Miles today: 11.8
Weather: overcast clouds

Strange night at the hostel.A former They hikers slept in our bunk room.She was telling us about a person that is on the run from California.He is hiking in the area we are.Supposedly he dismembered some girls out there.Just adds to the adventure!  Reached the North Carolina border today!I will really miss Georgia.A truly gorgeous state with the most friendly people.North Carolina started with a steep climb right after the border.Like it was telling me to get ready this state is no joke.   Still pretty damn cold out.The Wind Just never stops up in these mountains.Its not raining tho so that¢s a huge plus.  Hiked all day with ¢Coach¢.Very cool retired Army bet from Michigan.He is a lot of fun and a great guy.   At Muskrat creek shelter now with some new great people I haven¢t met yet.We are camping at 4580 ¢ and the wind is howling.We have a good fire going tho so not so bad.  Really like tenting way better than staying in the shelters.They are full of mice.    Losing track of days .I like it.Its hard hiking and you get extremely tired.But really no responsibilities.I love you so much Beth for letting me do this!   Hope you real world era are all good.Keep writing.Love to hear from you!
Date: 2018-03-27
From: Muskrat Creek shelter

To: Carrier gap shelter 
Miles today: 0.0

A cold rain last night.Was really hard getting out of the tent and into another cold morning.I really have no reason to complain though.I am truly finally living a huge dream.   We hiked in the clouds again all day but it really doesn¢t matter.Its the most peaceful feeling being out here.The trail is amazing rain or shine.Feel like I am really settling in now.Not thinking about the climbs as much.Just deep thinking.Time goes fast when you get lost in your thoughts  We went over Standing Indian mtn today.Highest point so far at over 5500¢   Met a really inspirational day hiker today who said he can tell we are going to make it all the way.He has Lou Garrick¢s Disease.He got it when he was 23.Dr. said he had 5 years to live.He is now 53.He said he is thankful for everyday he has and we should too and conquer this adventure while we can because if you set your mind to it you can overcome anything like he has.Just a great guy  Got a trail name today I really like.I am now Crazy Diamond.Bill came up with it.Has a simple meaning and a deep meaning simple:most people think I am a little crazy and crazy for being out here.Diamond is my birthstone Deep meaning:A few years back I  actually was a little crazy..Went into a deep black hole of depression.I was diagnosed with severe depression and acute anxiety.I saw nothing good in anything and had no hope .Only my wife new how bad it was.I was ready to end it and did try.I haven¢t really told many people about this but thought about it a lot today and maybe this will help someone.Nothing to be ashamed of and 1 out of 4 people have some kind of depression.so that¢s the Crazy part.Diamond comes from where I am at now.I can say I am way better.Maybe the best I have ever been.Hiking and living out  a dream.The AT is like a Diamond,a natural beauty.So it all equals Crazy Diamond    At Carter Gap shelter tonite staying in the shelter.Its a newer one so I am not really worried about mice too much.Met Trackmaster and Deluxe tonite.Very cool from NC and Colorado.Deluxe had me crying from laughing so hard.I have never met someone so funny in my life.He hikes huge distances tho so I may not see him again which sucks   Super windy again out here tonite.Dryer tho which makes a huge difference.Having the craziest dreams every night.Last night I was on a trampoline with my Bassett hound and he was flipping me around on it.And they get way weirder than that Keep writing people.It gives me a neede boost!
Date: 2018-03-28
From: Carrier gap shelter 

To: Stealth camping on a ridge
Miles today: 14.4

Carter Gap shelter had no mice!Slept great even though the wind was shaking the walls at times.Woke up to a thick fog.A couple of miles down the trail we met Rodney the trail angel.He had fresh fruit ,hone made peanut butter cookies,and hot drinks.Nice way to start the morning.   Started up Albert mtn before noon.It is the steepest climb so far.We arrived on top and climbed the fire tower.It is very different from Adirondack towers.Much bigger with almost an enclosed living quarters on top.At one time it had a woodstove in it.It was locked today but the views from the top steps were incredible today.It was all cloudy when we arrived ,but it cleared out when we made it to the top.360 views were amazing.Its my favorite spot on the trail so far.We met a lady named Rampage up there who is hiking the entire trail in crocs.  After Albert mtn we hit the 100 mile point.Its a good feeling even tho there is a loooong way to go still.Really loving it so far.After that it¢s smoothe sailing for miles on beautiful switchbacks down through open forests.We met Scarlet from London and she was handing out snacks and sodas.Really nice girl who works at the hostel we are staying at tomorrow night.   We are stealth camping on a beautiful ridge tonight.Super quiet and peaceful.Trying to stay places that have cell service because I miss my wife and kids really bad.Talking to them once a day helps tremendously.I am actually looking out of my tent right now and I can see the lights if Franklin way down below.Tomorrow we will be going there to resupply food.And drink as many beers as I can!   Love you Beth!!