morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2008-04-10
From: Fontana Dam

To: Russell Field Sh(The Smokey Mountain Nat'l Park)
Miles today: 13.5

Just to save some time, here is the whole Smokies in one entry (4/10 thru 4/16) Day 1: 13.5 mi to russell field shelterDay 2: 14.7 mi to siler¢s baldDay 3: 8.0 mi to mt. Collins shelterDay 4: 4.5 mi to newfound gap and into Gatlinburg, TNDay 5: 10.4 mi to pecks corner shelterDay 6: 12.9 cosby knob shelterDay 7: 10.4 standing bear hostelI started out hiking the smokies solo. Pete is hanging back to rest his knee for a couple of days. I started down the trail and after about half a mile I realize Pete still had the SteriPen¢¦what we used sterilize water! I almost ran back up the trail to catch Pete before he caught the shuttle into Fontana village. Luckily he was still there¢¦so disaster avoided. Also, Pacer, Flamethrower, and Amy were all up there getting ready to start¢¦so I ended up getting in a group of familiar faces to hike with. In the Smokies, hikers are required to stay in the shelters unless they are already full (to limit the impact on the environment), so no tent for a few days.   We had great weather for the first 3 days¢¦all the way to Clingman¢s Dome. That is the highest point on the AT¢¦and the views from the tower were amazing. In fact, the hike up to Clingman¢s was amazing¢¦a ridgeline walk with views on both sides of the trail¢¦just amazing! Those few miles have been the best walking so far.At Mt. Collins shelter, the ridge runner gave us a weather report, snow, temp. in the teens, and 25 mph winds are headed our way. So Flame Thrower, Pacer, Snow Plow, and Corinna, and myself caught a hitch into Gatlinburg to try and miss the worst of the weather. Gatlinburg is a weird town that resembles a sort of southern style Disneyland type place with stuff like a sword shop and a wax museum¢¦very strange indeed. The next day, we hit the trail¢¦in a downpour of snow. So instead of missing the weather, the weather just waited for us. We hiked all day in the snow. It was supposed to snow until 4, but it kept snowing all night. The next morning the ground was covered with 8¢-12¢ of snow. Hiking in snow is very tough and slow¢¦made for a long day. The sun was shining again, so by the afternoon, the trail went from a snow drift to a flowing creek. Oh and did I mentioned that both my hiking boots have big holes in them¢¦yeah, so my feet were basically 2 soaking wet ice cubes by the end of the day.   The last day in the Smokies we had great weather again, and as we dropped down below 5000 feet there is less snow. The hike was almost all downhill, so the miles went by pretty quickly. I had a cool experience on the way down, there were 4 deer just grazing on the trail. They let me walk up to within about 10 feet of them. I just stayed there and watched them for about 10 minutes. Really cool. We exited the Smokies and stayed at the Standing Bear Farm, a quite rustic hostel. I ran back into Mzungu there. I actually washed my clothes on a wash board¢¦worked pretty well.
Date: 2008-04-17
From: Standing Bear Hostel

To: Roaring Fork Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: clear sky

Not a good nights sleep at the hostel, so today was tiring. We got to a pretty famous AT landmark today, Max Patch Bald. It was great weather and hanging out on the bald was awesome. There were clear views for 360 degrees. Pacer, Flamethrower, Mzungu, and I just hung out on the top of the bald and soaked up the sun and views. A few miles further up the trail, we stayed at the Roaring Fork shelter¢¦which has been stalked by a bear for the last few nights. Great. Sure enough, the bear came up about 6 pm, and we scared it away. The bear kept coming back all evening. We gave up sscaring it off after about an hour. We just watched it climb the tree and grab food bags¢¦we all were just 10¢-15¢ away from the bear¢¦really cool. Flame thrower, and Ravon & Sunny got their bags taken. The rest of us still had food in the morning! It was a moment of pride to see the bear try 6-7 times to get the rest of the food bags unsuccessfully though! I have got my trail name this morning too¢¦Bear Bait.
Date: 2008-04-18
From: Roaring Fork Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 18.0
Weather: scattered clouds

Because of the bear incident, I wanted to just get into Hot Springs, NC to get some rest and relax. 18 miles is the biggest mileage to date, and it was not easy. I rolled into town pretty sore and very tired and hot. First on the list was to get some new shoes. Pete should get in town Saturday, so I took a couple of days off. Hot springs is a cool town with everything a 5 minute walk from everything, which is nice. There is a cool pub in town with good food and good beers. I spent a lot of time on the patio at Paddler¢s Pub with Flame thrower, Pacer, Pop Tart, Snow Plow, and lots of other hikers just watching hikers come into town (the trail actually runs right through town). I also enjoyed some of Mom¢s banana bread for breakfast¢¦home cooking is such a treat I can¢t describe it. Just great.
Date: 2008-04-21
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

After 2 zero days in Hot Springs...We hung around town until about noon and Pete and I left after our last fresh meal for awhile. Like every town stop, there is pretty big climb to start the hike. After a short day I am finally using my tent again, and I am looking forward to using my new Big Agnes air mattress¢¦and it is worth every ounce of extra weight I have to carry.
Date: 2008-04-22
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Jerry's Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: broken clouds

I am starting to get into the rhythm of a thru hike. We had some amazing trail magic at Allen Gap from Fal and Hercules. They invited us into their home and fed us so much food! They both thru-hiked in 1999 and then moved close the trail a few years later. I ate a belgian waffle, a bowl of pork stew, fruit salad, a brownie sundae and coffee¢¦I mean I really stuffed my face! They are really nice people. The end of the day was a brutal rock scramble along a high ridge¢¦pretty tough going.
Date: 2008-04-23
From: Jerry's Cabin Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 14.7
Weather: scattered clouds

Hit the 300 mile mark today. Rad.The heat played a pretty big factor today, making it seem longer than usual. The day started with a climb up and over Big Butt...seriously I din't make that up...The climb up and over Frozen Knob was a doozy. Then at the end of the day, it seemed like the rolling ridge, Hogback Ridge, went on forever with little hill after little hill. The shelter had plenty of good tent sites, but the water was pretty far away. Another good group here, Team Discovery, Re-Pack, and Ravon, plus I met a new hiker named Venture. We all enjoyed a good campfire built by Flame Thrower. I was pretty beat from the day and hit the hay early. Oh...so Team Discovery...Me, Pete, Pacer, and Flame Thrower got that name because we watch the Dicovery channel for about 12 straight hours when we were in Hot Springs.
Date: 2008-04-24
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Campsite near Spivey Gap
Miles today: 15.3
Weather: scattered clouds

Big Bald was the highlight of the day. We had lunch up there along with Uff-da, Earthbound, and Hot Tang. I met a trail maintainer Diamond Doug. He brought up some snacks for us too. The view was awesome up there. I really dig hiking and spending some time on the balds.
Date: 2008-04-25
From: campsite at Spivey Gap

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 11.7

An early start to get into Erwin early. I made it by lunch time and stopped at Uncle Johnny's hostel. I hung out on the deck and waited for everyone to get here. The group decided to get a motel instead of the hostel tonight, so we hit the town to get all the "town errands" done and get a room. Time to relax¢¦
Date: 2008-04-26
From: Erwin, TN

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

After seeing the weather report, I decided to take a day off here in Erwin. I moved from the motel over to Uncle Johnny's hostel. There were tons of hikers here and had a nice day hanging out with everyone. My cold seems to be getting worse, so that is draining my energy, so I hope a day of rest will help...along with steady doses of DayQuil!
Date: 2008-04-27
From: Erwin, TN

To: Indian Grave Gap
Miles today: 8.3
Weather: moderate rain

I have been sick the last few days and woke up this morning feeling pretty lousy. Also, my leg has been numb for 2 days and that is starting to be worrisome. I met Hoover at the hostel and he has a similar condition which he said was caused by pinched or inflamed nerve that runs over the hip bone that controls a cutaneous nerve in the upper leg. Great. I bought a new pack so hopefully that will help a bit, but there is really not much I can do. Anyway, we (still hiking with Pacer and Flamethrower) left the hostel and almost all 8 miles was uphill and steep. Just before the gap it starting raining. I was going so slow and I was really tired¢¦and the rain just made it worse. Well, at the gap, we saw Hoover again and he had his car up there at the road crossing and was heading back to the hostel and offered us a ride. I felt so bad I decided to take it. I need more rest and hiking in the rain feeling like I did sounded like zero fun. So Flamethrower and I headed back and Pete and Pacer kept going. Once back at the hostel I fell asleep in about 20 minutes. I rested the afternoon away.
Date: 2008-04-28
From: Indian Grave Gap

To: Greasy Creek Gap Friendly
Miles today: 15.7
Weather: light rain

I feel a lot better today and Flamethrower and I got a ride back up to Indian Grave gap to continue where we had left off. After hiking all day through an area that had been burned (a controlled burn by US Forest Service) we caught up to Pete and Pacer at the Hostel. Warmed up, dried off and grabbed a bunk in the bunkhouse. CC is a nice lady that runs this hostel that is literally in the middle of nowhere.
Date: 2008-04-29
From: Greasy Creek Gap

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.5
Weather: broken clouds

It snowed last night¢¦really!? We are getting ready to hike over a 6,000 ft. + peak and it snowed again! So to add to the challenge of hiking over a huge mountain, that mountain is now covered in ice and snow. Oh, and there was a pretty steady cold wind all day too. We actually missed a shelter near the top of the mountain because we were too occupied watching the trail so we didn¢t slip and bust our ass on ice. I stopped at Carvers Gap just north of Roan Mtn. for a quick lunch in a freezing wind. I tried to duck behind a sign, but that was not much good! North of Carvers Gap was a couple of big balds...normally I love hiking over balds, but in the biting wind, a few trees to block the wind would be nice. On the north slope of the far bald, it was a steep, slick, and muddy descent. The shelter I stayed in tonight is an old barn¢¦pretty cool, but still very cold. The is a crowd here tonight, butthe barn is huge, so plenty of space.PS some bad news, I seem to have lost my camera...may have left it at the hostel...this sucks...
Date: 2008-04-30
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Mountaineer Shelter
Miles today: 17.4
Weather: clear sky

Another cool day and a couple of serious climbs over some balds. On top of Big Bald, we saw 4 longhorns grazing¢¦very odd and unexpected. We actually had to side step one large cow because he like the trail, and didn¢t like us on it. Ravon¢s brother was waiting at US 19 with beers and hotdogs, so we stopped there, ate and visited with him for a bit. The shelter I stayed at tonight was a nice newer one with 3 levels. Uff-da, Earthbound, Hot Tang, and Mzungu were all at the shelter too. We all sat around the fire and had a bunch of laughs, enjoyed some roasted marshmellows, and Uff-da played his mandolin. Very cool. Oh and Uff-da played the Rocky theme song on his mandolin as we tried to hang our bear line in a tree that was like 40' off the ground...quite funny indeed.PS I have left the state of North Carolina behind for good...another state down!
Date: 2008-05-01
From: Mountaineer Shelter

To: Kincora Hostel
Miles today: 15.6

Past 400 mile mark today. It has been hot the last few days which is making the days a bit tougher. Once at the hostel, I got a shower and a ride into town. I drilled an entire large pizza and re-supplied for the next few days.Team Early Riser is at the hostel too, that is Uff-da, Earthbound, and Hot Tang, plus Mzungu...really a fun group. Team Discovery and Team Early Risers...a lot of fun!
Date: 2008-05-02
From: Kincora Hostel

To: Watauga Lake Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: broken clouds

Did a short day today, because we got in a car accident! Pete, Pacer, and I got a ride into town for some lunch and on the way back, while we were in the back of a truck it got rear ended. Seriously, a car wreck while hiking the AT¢¦what are the odds. We are all okay¢¦ just shook up a little. So, we stopped at the lake shelter in the early afternoon. I took a nap and relaxed the rest of the day.
Date: 2008-05-03
From: Watauga Lake Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap
Miles today: 26.6
Weather: light rain

Biggest mileage to date¢¦hiked for over 12 hours today. The new pack I bought is not really working out¢¦that sucks. Towards the end of the day we saw a huge group of white tail deer grazing just off the trail...they heard us coming and took off down the mountain. Pretty cool to see 10 or so deer take off at full speed through the forest.Setting up my tent took the last of my energy¢¦sleepy time.
Date: 2008-05-04
From: Double Spring Gap

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: few clouds

Fast hike today because we are heading into town. Damascus, VA. We have officially got 2 more states under our belts. So long to North Carolina and Tennessee. This town is the best trail town so far. Staying at the Augusta Inn¢¦and it is a great place. Time to relax¢¦zero day tomorrow hooray!!
Date: 2008-05-05
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

Zero day today...typing up all these journals. It has been harder to keep this up to date than I expected. The breakfast at the Inn were we are staying at is freakin' amazing. I am still full from it and it's 4:00...crazy. Feels good to hit this "milestone" by getting here to Damascus. I bought a new pack...yes another one. I think this one will be better...hopefully!So I lost my camera somehow, so no new pictures for a bit. Hopefully I can get a replacement soon.Right now, I am drinking a Yuengling Lager and enjoying my day off today.Tomorrow its back on the trail.
Date: 2008-05-06
From: Damascus, VA

To: Lost Mtn. Shelter
Miles today: 15.8

So, Pete and I were just walking out of town and missed the turn-off for the AT and ended up on the Virginia Creeper trail. The mistake actually ended up working out pretty nice because this trail is well graded and we came across a deli around lunch time...so yeah, it wasn't too bad. Also the trail crossed the AT just short of the shelter we had planned to stay at. Nice.
Date: 2008-05-07
From: Lost Mtn. Shelter

To: Wise Shelter
Miles today: 17.3
Weather: scattered clouds

We hit the Grayson Highlands today...really a cool area. There are wild ponies here an I saw them towards the end of the day. Up in the higher elevations, this area really looks and feels like Colorado. Climbed up and over the second highest peak in VA, White Top Mt. Mt Rogers is the highest peak but the trail doesn't go to the top...but there is no view from the summit, so didn't miss anything. Fizz showed up to join Pete, Pacer, and myself in the shelter and a new guy Berf was there too.
Date: 2008-05-08
From: Wise Shelter

To: Troutdale, VA
Miles today: 16.1

Well we passed the 500 mile mark today...pretty crazy. The miles seem to be coming faster these days.Really nice day today, nice trail and weather. Me, Pete, and Pacer hitched into Troutdale to stay at a church hostel a few miles from the trail. I ate a lot of food at Jerry's cafe. I made it back to the hostel just in time to watch the rain come in...that is always a great feeling! This place is crowded tonight, hopefully I can get some sleep.
Date: 2008-05-09
From: Troutdale Hostel

To: Partnership Shelter
Miles today: 14.5
Weather: light rain

I had a huge breakfast at Jerry's cafe and a lazy morning waiting for the rain to pass. Jerry gave us a ride back to the trailhead about noon and the weather was great the rest of the day. Partnership shelter is right next to a Ranger station and pizza can be delivered here...sweet. The shelter istself is huge, 2 levels, and has a shower! Just after we finised devouring pizza it started pouring rain...nice when you are dry and in the shelter!
Date: 2008-05-10
From: Partnership Shelter

To: Atkins,VA
Miles today: 11.6
Weather: clear sky

Had some not so pleasant weather today to go with some not too pleasant rocky trail! After lunch the trail goes through some pasture which is always a nice walk. We ran into Hot Tang, Uff-Da, Mzungu, and Earthbound on their way south to Trail Days. We had a nice chat and found out Mzungu and Uff-Da are heading home after. We made it to the Relax Inn for the evening...and I got to call Mom for Mother's day which was nice! Ended the day with a few colds beers.
Date: 2008-05-11
From: Atkins,VA

To: VA 42
Miles today: 11.8

Before we hit the trail, we had a huge breakfast over at The Barn and met a former thru-hiker named Backyard Boogie ('07). We heard a bunch of stories from his hike and then he even bought all of us our breakfast...what sweet trail magic! Pete, Pacer and I slack packed a section north of Atkins today because of a real threat of some bad thunderstorms and lots of rain. We got a ride to were the trail crossed VA 42. On the way, the road was blocked by a fallen tree. We tried very unsuccessfully to move it, and then had to take another way around it. The walk was actually quite pleasant...until the downpour started. We managed to avoid the rain for about 3 hours, but just as we hit the highest point of the trail for the day, the lightning and thunder started...and man that is no fun. To add to the rough going, my trekking pole got messed up and wouldn't stay at the right length, so I was just carrying it and using the other one...real nice. It rained so hard, and I was the most saoked I have been yet on the trail as I walked back into Atkins...thanks goodness we slack packed and have a dryer and shower to use!
Date: 2008-05-12
From: VA 42

To: Jenkins Shelter
Miles today: 21.2
Weather: overcast clouds

I started out the day with another huge breakfast from The Barn, and then out into the freezing wind and drizzling rain. Rain makes it so hard to leave a town, but it has to be done I guess! The weather report called for winds up to 65 mph today. Luckily, I never felt that, but I did get tossed around a bit near the top of a bald mountain on the way to Chestnut Knob Shelter! I ended up taking a break in the shelter, the first I had seen that was fully enclosed, and had dinner there as well. It was crowded with familar faces, Dust, Liberty, Neda (who got a trail name, Whisper), and Aaron (also got one, Shout). Me, Pete, and Pacer decided to push on, so we got back out in the wind and drizzle for some more fun. I needed to get water and there was a source a few miles down the trail, but somehow I missed it and didn't realize it until I was well past it...great. It was basically dusk and I had a choice to make, camp with no water or push on further, in the dark, and try to make it to the next shelter about 4-5 miles away. Pacer and I put on the headlamps and pushed through the night to the shelter. Night hiking is not fun, especially on wet rocks...so I was in a pissy mood most of the rest of the night. Finally, I came across a stream, got water, and shortly after that stumbled into the shelter about 10:30. I set up my tent quickly and drank a liter of water and went to bed...quite irritated and exhausted.
Date: 2008-05-13
From: Jenkins Shelter

To: Helvey's Mill Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: clear sky

I woke up, still in a pretty bad mood because of last night. I decided not to hitch into Bland, VA for resupply, opting to stretch my food until an extra day. I had a nice sunny lunch on the overpass for I-77, which was nice only because it was something different...actually the noise of the interstate was really offensive, but it was nice to be out in the sun after all the rain we have been having. Pacer and I cruised into the shelter around 3 and that left me plenty of time to hang up all my wet clothes and gear to dry out. It was a nice relaxing afternoon. After hiking today, I was in a much better mood and back to enjoying the trail. I met a few new people tonight, Barley and Rain from MA. We started a fire and had a nice relaxing evening to go with the afternoon!
Date: 2008-05-14
From: Helvey's Mill Shelter

To: VA 606/Trents Grocery
Miles today: 16.8

I feel really great today after a good nights rest. I haven't felt this strong in a long time. The trail followed a ridge for a lot of today, so the up and downs wern't too bad. Spring is all around now...everything is green and blooming. It sort of snuck on me, it's almost as if spring just happened overnight! I do enjoy the change and the shade that the leaves are providing now. At the end of the trail for the day, I crossed a cool suspension bridge and then hiked a 1/2 mile off the trail to Trents Grocery. I actually camped out near the store and had dinner there while talking with friends. It started to rain in the evening, but it is nice and dry in my tent.
Date: 2008-05-15
From: VA 606/Trents Grocery

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 25.8
Weather: overcast clouds

It rained off and on all night, but I slept great, and it had quit by morning. The only bad part about it was packing up and carrying a saoking wet tent! I had a huge breakfast at the store...I guess I can just list everything I had because it is pretty impressive: 4 pieces french toast, pint of milk, sausage & egg biscuit, 8 chocalate doughnuts, 2 pecan swirls, and a cup of coffee...not a bad start to a long day! it was a long day indeed. It was supposed to rain all day, but it held off for most of the morning. I stopped at Waipiti shelter for a break and a snack with Dust, Pete, and Pacer. Then, I pushed on to Doc's Knob and had dinner there. I was dragging and needed the energy. My legs were just wasted on the long drop into the valley and then another mile along the road (not on the trail) into town. I was exhausted by the time I checked into a motel...and really disgusting motel. I didn't care, I got cleaned up and rested and even got to watch the season finale of The Office...nice!! Also in town was my package from Montbell with my new summer sleeping bag and my gaitors (no more rocks in the shoe...woo-hoo!!)...it was like Christmas! I am considering a zero tomorrow...
Date: 2008-05-16
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pearisburg, VA
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

I decided ot zero today and move to another hotel, you know one that doesn't smell like a smoking lounge... I got all the "town errands" to do today, food re-supply, laundry, , check e-mail, call home, call friends, post office run, and eat lots of town food. I got my new camera today...sweet! Thanks to my brother John for that!!
Date: 2008-05-17
From: Pearisburg, VA

To: Pine Swamp Branch Shelter
Miles today: 19.3
Weather: broken clouds

Today started with having to walk a mile back to the trail, but just as Pete and I turned onto Lane St. to start to hike Catfish and his Dad drove by and offered us a ride...nice...thanks guys! So, back on the trail a few minutes earlier than I had l planned, and the weather was great. Really only one big climb in the morning and stayed up for most of the day. There were a few rocky sections to get past, but a good day. In the morning we hiked with Dust and Steadfast, and we took off after lunch. Towards the end of the day the trail dropped down into a steep gap and followed a fast moving stream. I was pretty tired even after a zero day, so the shelter was a welcome site. This particular shelter had no roof after a tree fell on it sometime last year, so I camped out nearby along with Pete, Pacer, Dust, Entienne, and Steadfast.