morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2019-02-01
From: Green Corner Road

To: Pecks Corner Shelter
Miles today: 23.3
Weather: clear sky

I woke up this morning and made an egg and cheese bagel and a scrambled cheesy egg for Rusty (this hostel has an awesome shop which sells individual bagels and eggs). I packed my bag and Rusty got excited. I handed him to Jack and then left. I feel terrible leaving him even though I know they¢ll take great care of him. I hate anti dog rules. It took me awhile to get out of complete guilt mode. I could have skipped this section but that would have made me feel bad too. I walked about 2 miles then entered the Great Smoky Mts. I headed up the mountain for the first five miles. I was grateful to have footprints to follow especially in the shin deep snow drifts. I met the guy that left them as he was leaving Cosby Knob shelter. Unfortunately that is where he stopped his walk and there were no more footprints. Fresh snow is peaceful and prettier but so much harder to walk through.  The views were great pretty much all day though my pictures are boring without my fox. I stopped at Tri-corner Knob shelter around 4:30 and added more layers. I considered stopping there but felt lonely so kept going. Also I really want to try and finish the 75 miles in 3 days.  I got to the next shelter at 6:30 as it was getting dark. I put my headlamp on for the last half mile. The shelter is two stories with barely any room between them - about the same space as bunk beds.  There also is a fireplace in it and a tarp over the front. I didn¢t get water since it was so late and I had enough for dinner. I didn¢t get to crawl into bed until around 8 so late!
Date: 2019-02-02
From: Pecks Corner Shelter

To: Silers Bald Shelter
Miles today: 22.7
Weather: snow

Did not sleep great last night without my guard dog. I did read a lot though. Set my alarm for 6 so I could start hiking as soon as it got light. I wanted to do a 28 mile day so I could finish the no dog park in 3 days. Started hiking with a pretty pink sky that reflected on the snow. Enjoyed the first couple miles then the snow drifts and slippery ice hit and hiking became tough. I put my Yaktrax on and the right one completely broke. Finally after around 6 miles I came to the popular Charles Bunion trail and lots of footprints and day hikers. It was sunny and warm however now under the snow there was a layer of ice.  A lot of the hikers had the micro spikes which they said worked great. There were also a lot of hikers with just shoes that were really slipping. One guy was in shorts and Chacos and said he felt great.  After Newfound Gap parking lot I stop seeing people. I was surprised because it leads to Clingman¢s Dome which is highest point on the AT and I thought a popular day hike destination (I found out later that the Clingman Dome parking lot was closed due to snow). I did see one nobo Villian in that section. He was also frustrated by how slow the hiking was in these conditions.  I ended up stopping at 6:40 because I was tired and it was dark. Also in the Great Smoky Mts you have to sleep in the shelters or campsites and the next one was in 6 miles. I made dinner with my remaining water. Then I tried to find the spring to filter more but could not find it in the dark.  Went under my quilt at 8 for another late night,
Date: 2019-02-03
From: Silers Bald Shelter

To: Fontana dam visitors center
Miles today: 29.2

Woke up last night to a mouse crawling beside me and did scream. I have seen mice in shelters but none close because of Rusty. I do like mice though and know it¢s their space but prefer Rusty keeping them at a distance. I do keep my food in an odorproof bag however I also know I have crumbs everywhere. I think all hikers keep bars and candy in all their pockets because we need to eat all the time. I read after that then did go back to sleep. At 430 I woke up again and decided I need to finish the smokies today. I started hiking at 5:15 in the dark. I wasn¢t worried about staying on the trail because I knew I could follow Villain¢s footprints. It was actually a very peaceful first couple hours. I was completely in the now following footsteps and not worrying about Rusty. I stopped at the first shelter I came to and got water and made breakfast.  It was right at sunrise - beautiful!  The rest of the hike was basically just moving fast. When I got to the Mollie Ridge Shelter, 17 mile point, at 1 I knew I could finish the 29 miles by 7. I texted Rusty¢s sitter but she could not bring him tonight because she is hosting a Super Dog or Bowl Party. She will bring him at noon tomorrow which is actually earlier than planned.  Now I just decided to see how quickly I could finish. I did meet 2 more nobos but really did not want to talk.  I got to Fontana Dam visitors center at 5:15. I called the lodge for a shuttle which came in a couple minutes. It¢s a beautiful place! I took a shower and went to their bar for 2 entries and a 6 pack to go. Got back to my room right in time for the Super Bowl - go Pats!  Tried 2 great NC beer: Nantahala Brewing App Trail Xtra Pale and Boojum Reward Pale Ale.
Date: 2019-02-04
From: Fontana dam visitors center

To: Brown Fork Gap shelter
Miles today: 13.4
Weather: overcast clouds

Had a nice slow morning since Rusty was being dropped off at noon. Really enjoyed their complementary breakfast. I also enjoyed laying in bed watching TV. I relooked at the rest of my hike and scheduled an end date 2/15. Not easy to do but necessary since my kids both need to take off work and Dan needs to get a flight. I am very excited that we will all be together - Rusty will be so happy too! I got a shuttle to the Fontana Hilton, shelter with a shower, flush bathroom and charging station. Maria, owner of Standing Bear Farm Hostel, drove up right at noon with Rusty. I was so happy to see him! Maria said he did well too. Both her and her daughters walked him and Jack and Chris checked in on him too. I highly recommend this hostel for dog sitting.  Rusty was very excited to be hiking again. He raced around for the first couple miles before calming down. I love feeling his enjoyment - it really makes everything better! We walked with great views of the Fontana Lake for the first half of the walk. It did drizzle off and on for the second half of the walk but it was warm so did not bother me. We got to our shelter around 5:30 and had a nice relaxing warm night. I am so happy to have my watchdog back - looking forward to a great night sleep.
Date: 2019-02-05
From: Brown Fork Gap shelter

To: NOC
Miles today: 16.2

Slept great last night with my baby back. Also was a much warmer night so moving around did not wake me up. We got up around 6 to scratch Rusty¢s belly while singing ¢Good morning Beautiful.¢ I¢m so happy to have him back! Then I started getting dressed and packing while Rusty wandered.  We made breakfast then started hiking at 7:30. It was drizzling and warm so felt good. The views were foggy all morning but the sun did come out in the afternoon and it got hot. I did not plan water supply right so we ran out. I am using this chemical treatment which take 5 mins to mix then 30 mins to sit. When it¢s cold and we¢re not drinking as much, chemicals are fine; however when it¢s hot a filter is needed so there is no wait.  We were dragging today.  We got to the NOC, picked up our packages and bought a new filter. Then I took a shower and did laundry. We went to the NOC restaurant and had a great bowl of Chili and a chicken rice dish and two great beers: New Belgium Jucy IPA and Nantahala Noon Day IPA.We met two more nobos Orange Blaze and Wolfganger.  They are a father son team from Minnesota so use to the cold.  They warned me about the 2 mile obstacle course coming up of blowdowns all over.  I really enjoyed talking to them.
Date: 2019-02-06
From: NOC

To: Licklog Gap campsite
Miles today: 14.8

Rained all morning so enjoyed our bunk until checkout time 10am. I started with a rain jacket but after 10mins of uphill walking I had to take it off. It was a long climb out of the NOC but on nice switchback trails. It rained off and on all day but was warm so pleasant to walk in. It was foggy all day and at first it was fine but around 3 I was tired of the rain and fog. We were ridge walking for awhile and the views probably would have been great.I met another nobo Twin. He actually cowboy camped, slept under the stars - no shelter, two nights ago. He was above the clouds so it did not rain on him however he did wake up damp in the middle of the night, but went back to sleep and was dry in the morning. Pretty great sleeper! I did want to try cowboy camping because how beautiful to be able to look up and see the stars all night; however I realized I could never sleep like that. I need at least the protection of my tent. I mentioned how much I¢m enjoying the warm weather and he grumbled a bit saying except for our full backpacks. That made me laugh and realize one more reason to like the cold - we wear most of our clothes.I had decided when it¢s not freezing I need to make the effort and tent since I prefer it. Even though it was drizzling, I saw a site that should have a great sunrise so put up our tent. Of course as I was putting it up it started to really rain. I quickly finished setting up then threw everything inside. Maybe not a great idea but we did enjoy our dinner in the tent with the rain hitting our tent. Hopefully it¢s sunny for sunrise.
Date: 2019-02-07
From: Licklog Gap campsite

To: Long Branch Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: mist

We woke up around 630 and made breakfast hoping for a nice clear sunrise. Nope we got a completely fogged in morning with drizzle. Quite disappointing though we did sleep great. Today was forecasted as 60 and sunny. It did stop drizzling around 8 but we did not get sun until 3.  The walk today was mostly switchbacks around the mountains so an easy walk. One side of the mountain was windy and felt great. The other was actually a bit warm. We did enjoy nice long sit down breaks but really got tired of being in the fog. Tonight is suppose to rain so we are sheltering tonight. We got to the shelter and met Motown a nobo who is staying there too. I can¢t remember last time I shared a shelter. He¢s from Detroit with two children around the same ages as mine. The shelter is beautiful. I hung my tent up to dry and the wind dried it quickly. We enjoyed the nice warm night eating dinner and talking. It is nice having company.
Date: 2019-02-08
From: Long Branch Shelter

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 21.2
Weather: overcast clouds

Last night got warm and I actually had to take my socks off. Woke up a little after 6 and tried to pack up quietly. Motown did wake up shortly after though. He did not sleep well last night because it was too warm. I slept great listening to the rain. I let Rusty go once he woke up so Rusty could patrol our camp and bark. Fortunately Motown enjoyed Rusty being around - no mice!Once again it was foggy though warm. We climbed up to Albert Mt which supposedly has a great view which we got to see through a picture. We descended down a fun rocky path though had to be careful because the rocks were wet and slippery. Around 9 it got cold and windy but cleared out the fog.  We met 3 more nobos today. One was a fun couple, Mad Tree and Chipmunk,  who started early so they could take their time and enjoy everything. They had a great attitude.  We had a couple nice long breaks on the sunny no wind side of the mountains. On the windy side we had to keep hiking or freeze; weird how opposite it is than yesterday. Most of the hike today was on nice switchbacks however there were bad blowdowns on a five mile stretch. It wasn¢t too bad though because other people had already made a slight path to get around most.  We stopped at another nice shelter around 5 but it was cold so quickly made dinner then got in bed.
Date: 2019-02-09
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Addis Gap campsite 
Miles today: 17.3

The wind stopped early morning so felt much warmer when we got up. We started hiking around 7:15 and no fog! There was a pretty pink sky outlining the mountains.  The path was nice switchbacks all day with good views of the mountains. We stopped at Top of GA Hiking Center to resupply. (Yes we started GA our last state - 75 miles to go!) Unfortunately they no longer let dogs stay there since a dog had bitten someone who then sued the place. The owner was Packs-a-lot and was really funny. The woman who works there had hiked the trail with her Chesapeake Bay Retriever so was fun to talk to also. There were also 4 nobos there. I enjoyed eating lunch, hotdogs and Dr Lynn, and talking to the gang. Once again my resupply consisted of junk. I miss my cheese blocks and butter for calories. Poptarts and bars do keep me full but not as strong.We left the hostel and hiked uphill the .7 miles to the trailhead. Then we headed uphill on nice switchbacks to Kelly Knob. I wanted to camp up there but it was too windy and cold so kept going. We headed downhill and hit Addis Gap with nice campsites around 4. We were able to enjoy a nice early dinner but then the wind picked and we went into our tent around 5:30. We did use most of our water tonight and the closest water is 1/2 mile away so we won¢t have coffee and oatmeal when we wake up which is a bummer. Rusty is already sleeping or I would get it now.
Date: 2019-02-10
From: Addis Gap campsite 

To: Low Gap Shelter
Miles today: 20.9
Weather: overcast clouds

Woke up to a beautiful sunrise though cold and windy. Someone had camped near us though so I had to keep Rusty on a leash so he would not start chasing everything and barking. Rusty was not pleased. Luckily the guy got out of his tent shortly after us. I brought Rusty over to meet him and then asked if he minded if I let Rusty go. He did not so off Rusty went claiming his territory. I enjoy watching him but know that his yapping does bother some dumb people.  We stopped at a spring off the path and out of the wind to filter water and make coffee and oatmeal and feed Rusty. It was great timing because shortly after that it began to sleet. It got colder, windier and foggy. The rest of the day it was either raining or sleeting and no fun. Around 2 we stopped at a shelter to get out of the wind and rain and eat. It was tempting to stay there but I¢d rather tomorrow be a shorter day since I¢m stopping in town and it¢s suppose to rain for the next 2 days.  The hike to the next shelter was cold and miserable. On top of the mountain the wind knocked the icicles off the branches and pounded us. I was wearing my rain coat with my hood so wasn¢t worried about myself but did worry about them hitting Rusty¢s eyes. He stayed right beside me though and seemed ok.  We finally got to the shelter and fortunately no one was there; I saw 6 nobos today so was worried. I towel dried Rusty and fed him. Then I put on my dry jammies and hung my wet clothes. I was chilled so made dinner with my quilt wrapped around me. I did warm up while eating which was nice; I expected to stay chilled till I got completely under my quilt.
Date: 2019-02-11
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Woody Gap 
Miles today: 22.3

Woke up to drizzle and fog - Ug! Last night I found out Kel could not take off work on Valentines Day so we had to change our hiking plans. She has off on 2/13 so we will finish then. It¢s suppose to be sunny too so perfect. Rusty and I will take rainy Tues off at Barefoot Hills Hotel and Kel will meet us there. Then 20 miles left to hike. I really wanted to end with a 3 day backpacking with Kelly but jobs get in the way. This last 6 months has been the most free and selfish I¢ve ever been and I absolutely love it. Really everyone needs to take time for just themselves.  There was a stream right in front of the shelter so I got water and made coffee and oatmeal. I realized this would be our last night sleeping in a shelter on this hike. I¢m really not ready for it to be over though I am really looking forward to showering and laundry.  At first I decided to wear my dry jammie shirt to hike in since I hate putting on wet clothes but realized it would be wet in 5 mins anyway. So I put my wet clothes on and started hiking. Within 5 mins I was comfortable. It did drizzle off and on all day but was warm so fine to hike in. It also stayed foggy all day which is annoying. I feel like I¢ve missed most of the GA views. GA paths have been great though with a nice variety of terrain. I will definitely rehike this part sometime.  Halfway through the hike we walked through Mountain Crossing outfitters and hostel. They do not allow dogs otherwise we would have stayed there. We stopped to pick up an amazon package with dog treats and dog food but it hadn¢t arrived yet. The outfitters did have bags of dog food so I bought that and some jerky for Rusty and a real lunch, sandwich, chips and an power aid! Zach volunteered to deliver the packages to Barefoot Hills Hotel which was so considerate! He is a 2017 thruhiker so understood my problem. It¢s amazing how many great people I¢ve met on the trail.  Hiking is such an individual thing however everyone looks after each other too. We are a team in wanting everyone to love it and succeed.  We headed out and up Blood Mt which is the last mountain over 4000 ft. It was a beautiful rocky climb though no views with the fog. The shelter on top is a nice stone shelter.  We got to Woody Gap around 5 and Justin, the manager of the hotel, picked us up. This hotel/hostel is beautiful. First I bathed Rusty then took a nice long hot shower. We went down to the lobby and got a pizza and some great GA beers. Justin stocks all local beers which is exactly what I love. Joel was there too and is starting his thruhike tomorrow - I¢m so excited for him! I did suggest he wait a day to start in the sun but he has section hiked and is use to the rain. We actually stayed in the lobby till after 9 enjoying GA beer and talking - way past bedtime!
Date: 2019-02-13
From: Woody Gap 

To: Springer Mountain
Miles today: 20.5
Weather: light rain

Loved our stay at Barefoot Hills Hotel.  Really a pretty place with a great selection of GA beers. Kelly came in last night and Rusty was so excited!  Rusty and I shuttled to Woody Gap. It was perfect hiking weather cold, sunny and clear! I was only carrying water and food and clothes in my backpack so I felt like I was bouncing along. We saw many nobos and everyone was so happy to be hiking in the sun.  Kelly drove to Springer Mt and then walked towards us. When she was about a 100 yard away from us she called Rusty. He headed towards her then stopped unsure of who it was. Finally he realized and jumped all over her. It was really fun to see. Then I followed behind them as they hiked towards Springer. I loved watching the sun reflect off their blond highlights. Kelly was surprised at how much Rusty had changed into a bird hunting dog running ahead to protect us from them.  We stopped at Long Creek Falls for a snack. It was beautiful. We enjoyed the sound of the many streams and stream crossing. We got to the Springer Mt parking lot and talked to a nobo who was setting up his tent. He asked how much Rusty had hiked. I told him he was about to be a thruhiker and he got so excited. Another nobo came up to us and said he had to introduce us to a trail angel. We went with him and he introduced Fresh Ground. Of course I had read about him. Fresh Ground invited us to eat and we said we¢d be back after we ended at the top of Springer 1 mile away.  We headed up the last mile and that¢s when it really hit - we did it! We took a bunch of pictures on top then headed back down. Fresh Ground really made us feel great about our finish. He had just set up today for the enobos, early northbounders, and was happy to see a southbound. He gave Rusty a pepperoni treat and a bunch of cheese. He made grilled cheese and home fries, potatoes he chopped and fried, really yummy! He also had Oreo cookies, chips, fruit, and drinks. There were around 5 nobos and 5 section hikers enjoying his spread too. We stayed for about an hour eating and talking.  What a treat!  Then we headed to Jacksonville where Dan will join us for a celebratory week!
Date: 2018-06-09
From: Great Barrington

To: Shaker campsite
Miles today: 9.2
Weather: broken clouds

First day on the trail! After a fun night of seeing the head & the heart in Providence and staying at Brittany¢s sisters house in Boston we headed out to western mass to start the trail. Tory & Caleb, Brittany¢s sister and her boyfriend, hiked the first several miles with us. After that encountered the first steps I helped construct when in SCA Massachusetts AmeriCorps, which was really cool to still see them there. Passed a pond with tons or dragon flies, and crossed a bunch of stone walls which is always cool. Great first day and looking forward to what¢s to come.
Date: 2018-06-10
From: Shaker campsite

To: Upper Goose Pond Cabin
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: clear sky

Got started a little later, which was nice and the day never felt too strenuous, plus got into the cabin at about 2 so we had time to take our the free canoes out for a spin. Paddles around a little island on the lake that had cairns scattered around the shore, very cool. Really cool hundred year old cabin, cool stone fire place and about 7ish bunk beds on the top floor- although Brittany and I tented it. Met a couple of other through hikers, trail names Bearchaser (chased a bear out of his bag once) & caveman (climbed into a cave to retieve his pole). Brittany¢s trail name is Library & I have yet to recieve one so looking forward to that. This cabin has pancakes for breakfast so really looking forward to that!
Date: 2018-06-11
From: Upper goose pond cabin

To: Kay wood shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Got out pretty early today and we¢re really cooking, no real soreness or blisters even. Walked through some really cool marshes traversing on big bridges, then opening up to pine forests with tons of pink ladies slippers. We¢re planning on stopping at the cookie ladies house (where you can rent overninght) but since it was only 2:30p decided to buy a Klondike bar, fill up on water (& cookies) and push on to the next shelter 6.6 mi away. Had a good afternoon, ending with a nice mountain overlook of mt greylock in the distance. Sang Grateful Dead songs in my head to pass the time and felt really good getting to the shelter around 5:30p and after our first really long day. Ran into caveman & bearchaser at the shelter & received my trailname- overdue! So that together Brittany and I are library & overdue. I think it¢s perfect also, since it¢s overdue for me to do a hike like this. Tomorrow we¢ll pass through Dalton, get some showers and continue our journey.
Date: 2018-06-13
To: Mark Noepel Shelter
Miles today: 4.2
Weather: clear sky

Woke up early and headed to Dunkin¢ Donuts for a coffee and half dozen donuts. Got our resupply of food from the post office and started heading up the foot of Mt greylock. It was beautiful hiking, heading through people¢s farms and fields. Decided on a short day to rest and with the forecast calling for rain so got to the shelter at about 1030 & all set up in a bunk. By the time evening rolled around there were 18 people happily crammed into this shelter; then pouring rains and winds overnight.
Date: 2018-06-14
To: Seth Warner Shelter
Miles today: 16.5
Weather: light rain

Longest day of hiking yet, plus an additional 2.2 mile trip to check out the steps I worked on when in SCA Massachusetts but felt really good! Got up to mt greylock early and it was cold windy but sunny and beautiful. Once we got down toward north Adams, there was a sign for free bikes to borrow to ride around the city so me and library borrowed bikes to ride to grab lunch and buy some food from the grocery store. Shared a tub of ben and Jerry¢s on the hike to the next shelter and successfully passed the sign welcoming us to Vermont. Made it through my first state; can¢t wait for the rest!