morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2011-04-07
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Campsite after Hiawassee
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

Last night was really windy! We both woke up several times from the noisy wind!Regardless, we were able to watch the sunrise over the mountains as our tent was perfectly positioned.We got off to a good start and hiked several miles quickly. We passed and were passed by several folks that stayed at the shelter last night. Lots of great hills including Kelly Knob (needs to be renamed to Kelly Mountain!).At the top of the knob, we met Tater and Springer(dog). Tater was giving out cold Pepsi to anyone who just finished Kelly Knob. We sat and spoke with Tater for awhile about his thru hike several years back. Afterward a quick rest, we finished a few more miles and arrived at U.S. 76 around 2:30 pm. As you might have guessed, there was more trail magic. One man and his wife drove from Michigan to set up trail magic.We hitched a ride into Hiawassee, GA to pick up a package and buy crocs. YES! I said it - crocs! I really didn't want to since I think they are extremely ugly, but everyone has them to allow their feet to air out at night and we didn't have anything.We stocked up and shipped excess food to Franklin, NC since we still have too much. We walked from one closed department store to the next until we found one that was opened and had crocs for sale. We reluctantly purchased cros and then walked to the road to hitch-hike.After several cars passed us by, we finally had a black pick-up truck stop. To our surprise, it was Tater, Springer, and Tater's wife! We jumped in the bed of the truck and rode back to the trail.We hiked only a single mile to a small campsite off the trail. Great night to sleep tonight! It is much warmer tonight and we can hear a pack of coyotes far off in the distance.
Date: 2011-04-08
From: Campsite after Hiawassee

To: Muskrat Creek Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: light rain

Pretty uneventful until we reached the Georgia/North Carolina border. Pocahontas arrived at the border the same time and took our picture. Surprisingly, the border sign is extremely plain. Regardless, it was quite an accomplishment!We hiked a bit and decided to eat less than a mile past the border at Bly Gap. We are happy that we did! After we ate, we had two steep climbs into what seemed like we were hiking into a cloud. Rain started coming down on the first climb so we quickly got our rain gear on and hurried to the shelter. While we were walking through the beautiful fog, we almost missed the shelter. Great hike! We decided to stay in the shelter tonight to avoid the wet ground. We planned the rest of the trip, ate Mac & Cheese, then went to sleep.
Date: 2011-04-09
From: Muskrat Creek Shelter

To: Carter Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: overcast clouds

We left the shelter early by eating a cold breakfast. We hit the foggy trail and enjoyed the great terrain. We ate lunch at Beech Gap and pressed on to Carter Gap Shelter. We arrived around 2:50 pm to find out that a major hail storm was predicted for 3:15 pm. We had already set up our tent, but decided that we were too lazy to take it down. Then, the grape size hail began. You had to shout while under the shelter to hear the person next to you because the hail on the tin roof was extremely loud. After the 20 minute hail storm, we ran to inspect our tent. The tent held up great!We hung out with everyone for awhile and then had a good night rest.
Date: 2011-04-10
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.1
Weather: clear sky

Great Night Sleep, over 10 hours!The terrain was relatively easy today until we hit Albert Mountain. We hiked up 700 feet in 0.3 miles. It was extremely difficult, but short and well worth it (gorgeous view). We stopped off at Big Spring Shelter to sign the journal, then headed to Rock Gap Shelter for the night.We made great time and grabbed the best camp site (not many to choose from). The shelter filled up quickly with several hikers and one group of kids from Cincinnati, OH. Heading to Franklin, NC tomorrow!
Date: 2011-04-11
From: Rock Gap Shelter

To: Wayah Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: overcast clouds

We left Rock Gap shelter at our usual time hoping to hitch-hike to Franklin, NC quickly. We were able to snag a ride from an ex-FBI agent. He was a very nice man who gave us a quick tour and dropped us off at the outfitters. We grabbed our package and while we were re-stocking our packs, a local trail volunteer called the outfitters and asked if any hikers needed a ride in a few hours. This was perfect timing!We bought a few things at a nearby pharmacy, then ate Arby's...mmmmm!When we walked into Arby's, we spoke to a lady who thought she recognized us. Even though we didn't previously know her, we ate lunch with her. Her husband is thru-hiking and she is meeting him along the way to help support his journey. She provided us the one thing we couldn't find at the outfitters or at the stores within walking distance - tortillas!After lunch, we walked back to the outfitters for our ride and in no time (3 hours actually) we were back on the trail.We were only planning to go to a campsite about a mile after the road, but we decided to keep going to the next shelter. When we got to the Shelter trail, we decided an extra 1/2 mile to the shelter was too far away, so we pressed on to the next campsite. The campsite wasn't that great, so we pressed on to the shelter about 3 miles away.On the way to the Wayah Shelter, we hiked through Wayah Bald (amazing views) to finish with a total of 15.8 miles. We met up and stayed with Catalyst, Bandit, and one other hiker in the shelter. Smart decision since it stormed all night long!
Date: 2011-04-12
From: Wayah Shelter

To: Wesser Bald Shelter
Miles today: 10.6
Weather: light rain

We were both extremely happy that we slept in the shelter last night since it was still raining when we woke up. Thinking it would stop soon, we decided that rain jackets and gloves were sufficient rather than also wearing our rain pants.We hiked through sleet, rain, and hail until we arrived at Wesser Bald Shelter. My hands we so cold that I couldn't unclip my pack. We both had to get in our sleeping bags to warm up after we changed into dry clothes. We were both in and out of our sleeping bags all day to stay warm.Luckily, Bandit came by and filled up our water bucket for us before she left for the next shelter. Staying warm and eating was what we looked forward to the rest of the night.
Date: 2011-04-13
From: Wesser Bald Shelter

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: overcast clouds

The rain stopped while we were sleeping last night, so most of our equipment was now dry when we woke up.We packed up and headed down to Nantahala Outdoor Center in Wesser, NC. We made great time and the weather was really beautiful. We took in some great views along the way before reaching the NOC. We grabbed the food package we sent ourselves, bought some extra supplies, and then ate lunch in the only restaurant in the immediate vicinity. I had a burger and Bearman had a chicken sandwich. We asked the waitress to fill up our water bottles and then we left for the trail.We had hoped to get some time to go rafting, but unfortunately we got there a little too late and opted to do some more hiking. We hiked up some pretty steep climbs before reaching Sassafras Gap Shelter. Luckily, we got to sleep in our tent tonight (much better sleep than in a shelter). Only short days from here on out before we have to unfortunately leave the trail. Luckily, we were able to reach Joe (my brother) before bed to wish him a happy birthday(actually yesterday).
Date: 2011-04-14
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Brown Fork Shelter
Miles today: 9.1
Weather: overcast clouds

We got a late start today, but we are only hiking 9 miles today. While packing up, we ran into Catalyst and Bandit who had apparently left the NOC late and arrived at the shelter around 9:30 pm. Bandit told me she bought marshmallows hoping there would be a fire when they arrived last night. I let her know that if they end up at the same shelter that we do tonight then I would be happy to make a fire. Beautiful day today! The 9 miles was quite challenging with some very steep climbs. We finally made it to Brown Fork Shelter and grabbed a flat spot for our tent. We ate a quick lunch and gathered wood for the fire. Since we were the first ones to arrive that we staying there, we got to talk to a bunch of folks just passing through. Bandit and Catalyst arrived shortly after us, except Bandit accidentally hiked past the shelter sign and hiked an extra mile. I started a fire as promised and we enjoy toasted marshmallows for dessert...MMMM....
Date: 2011-04-15
From: Brown Fork Shelter

To: Fontana Hilton
Miles today: 12.7
Weather: scattered clouds

We got an early start on our last day since we heard about a huge storm. Although the Fontana Dam shelter sleeps 24, we knew the storm and the number of hikers on the trail could mean a full house. We enjoyed easy terrain and great weather throughout the hike. With one mile to go, the winds really started picking up. We knew we would make it, but that last one mile seemed to be rather long. We got a good spot on the top level of the shelter. The shelter wasn't packed when we arrived, but it soon filled up. Several folks ended up having to set up tents. The rain eventually started, but not before a few hikers were able to stock up on beer. The shelter ended up being quite a party shelter. Luckily, the party didn't last too late. It seemed to die down around 9:30 pm once they ran out of beer.Fortunately and unfortunately, we finished the first leg of our trip. Tomorrow we will meet our shuttle to Asheville, NC at the Fontana Dam visitors center which is closed until Memorial Day. We decided that we will try to hike the rest of NC and all of TN next year. We will see!
Date: 2012-05-09
From: Fontana Hilton

To: Fontana Hilton
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

We finally made it to the start of our 2012 AT Hike!Today was a long day that started for both of us before 5 am. Skins' flight was smooth sailing, but Bearman had an altogether different experience. Bearman's 6:50 am flight from New Bern to Charlotte was delayed until 10 am! He missed two connecting flights, and barely made the 3rd flight on standby (luckily got the last seat on the plane!). Departed Charlotte at 1:10 pm (originally scheduled at 10:00 am w/Skins). While Skins was waiting, he hung out with Gry Wolf, our shuttle driver, since 11:30 am. At last, Bearman and Skins met in Asheville airport a few hours later than planned. After a 2 hour drive to Fontana Dam, we made it to our starting point where we visited with several thru-hikers. We ate ramen and a snickers for dinner. We were both excited to get to bed so we could start hiking tomorrow!
Date: 2012-05-10
From: Fontana Hilton

To: Mollies Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 10.7
Weather: few clouds

Today was our first day of hiking and the weather was great!We hiked 10.7 miles and our feet and backs seemed to hold up to the challenging hike...but we will see how we feel in the morning!The terrain wasn't too bad, but was still challenging. We met some interesting people last night, and staying with a few more of them tonight.Off to bed as we are planning about 12 miles tomorrow.
Date: 2012-05-11
From: Mollies Ridge Shelter

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

Long day of hiking today, but we saw some great views!We heard from a few folks that the hike between Spence Field and Derrick Knob is apparently that most difficult part of the Smoky Mountains, and we both definitely agree!We started today's hike rather early today so we decided that we would take a long break at Spence Field Shelter for about an hour. We grabbed some more water and had a relaxing lunch. We met two cool hikers that are doing a "short" 40 mile loop from Charlotte. Other hikers started piling in as the night approached - Balu, Pacman, Warrior and several others. Today was a lucky day for Balu who is video recording his entire hike because I found one of his memory cards while I was hiking that fell out of his pocket.We closed out our night by eating mountain house lasagna (where the cheese is like cement on our spoons!) and got a visit from a wild turkey.
Date: 2012-05-12
From: Derrick Knob Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 14.0
Weather: light rain

Today we started by running into two docile deer that we in the woods, but extremely close to the shelter. After only a short time, we ran into two deer (maybe the same ones) that let me approach incredibly close. A wild turkey also made an appearance for a photo-op. Good wild-life day!After some more miles, we ran into an older hiker who was telling us about his upcoming volunteer efforts on the AT. As we continued our conversation, Skins realized we had met this hiker last year - It was Cool Breeze!After our encounter, we hiked towards our destination stopped at Silers Bald briefly before deciding on a long lunch at Double Spring. We ran into a park ranger in our travels from IN, who was very nice. The weather changed from overcast to mist and some light rain. Unfortunately, this weather change blocked our ability to enjoy the views while we went through the highest point on the AT, Clingman's Dome.After 14 miles, we finally made it Mt. Collins shelter where we had a delicious dinner and met up with several hikers we had met earlier.
Date: 2012-05-13
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Icewater Spring Shelter
Miles today: 8.0
Weather: light rain

When we woke up today to hike, it was extremely windy and rainy. Took us an extra hour to get out of our sleeping bags to start hiking. We started our hike with full rain gear today and made good time to Newfound Gap where we hitched a ride with Godspeed and Mountain Mama. They gave us lots of snacks and dropped us off at the NOC in Gaitlinburg, TNWe picked up our package, restocked our food, and headed to "Old Dad's" for a grilled ham & cheese and french fries. We were able to hitch a ride with Old Smokie - one of the most memorable rides ever.Old Smokie had three dogs climbing around the car - constantly hitting the steering wheel and shifter. I'm surprised we made it back to the trail in one piece.We hiked the last 3 miles to Icewater Shelter, had ramean & mashed potatoes, then hunkered down with some cool folks for the night.
Date: 2012-05-14
From: Icewater Spring Shelter

To: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter
Miles today: 12.6
Weather: moderate rain

We got up hoping our clothes would be dry, but, alas, they were still soaking wet!We got on our rain pants on, but kept everything else hanging from our packs since it wasn't really raining when we left. Uneventful hike, and unfortunately we couldn't see any real views. We hiked with Palm Tree and Park Rat for awhile. As we kept hiking towards the shelter, it started pouring!For the last hour of hiking we were getting soaked, but at least it was warm, so the hike wasn't too bad. Go to the shelter, hung our bear rope up so we could dry our clothes. Late night entry: The frogs outside the shelter were so loud and keeping all of us awake!
Date: 2012-05-15
From: Tri-Corner Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm Hostel
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: light rain

Today we left the shelter hopeful that it would not rain, because unfortunately non of our clothing dried over night. The hike included some challenging inclines & declines, but nothing too terrible. We hiked with Park Rat for awhile and finally stopped for lunch at Cosby Knob Shelter. Palm Tree met us there shortly after we arrived and started eating.We all four of us started to leave the shelter, it started raining again!We thought it would clear up so we waited an extra five minutes before we began hiking once the rain calmed down. Unfortunately, it only took an hour after we left before it started thunderstorming and even hailing!The hail was nothing like last year, but still hail nonetheless!We put our rain coats on in the pouring rain to keep ourselves warm, and sloshed our way through the next 4 miles to Davenport Gap shelter, the last shelter of the Smoky Mountains.Ben was already there, Palm tree settled in to stay, and Park Rat decided to hang with them until his ride would pick him up less than a mile away. After a quick 10 minute break, we said goodbye to our co-hikers and headed to Standing Bear Farm Hostel.Standing Bear Farm Hostel is a great hostel with anything you could need - a hot shower, food, and an old school washboard to clean clothes. After washing our clothes (yes, on the washboard), we ate some dinner and went to sleep after a long day totaling 18.6 miles through some difficult terrain and weather. Hopefully we won't be too sore tomorrow!
Date: 2012-05-16
From: Standing Bear Farm Hostel

To: Rearing Fork Shelter
Miles today: 14.9
Weather: broken clouds

We slept in today after a long hike yesterday until about 8:00 am. Everyone else at the hostel was hanging around making breakfast. Captain Guts was making sausage, eggs, bacon, and biscuits.We packed up and ate our breakfast after paging for our stay and sending a few postcards. The hike was rather difficult for the first few miles. We went much slower than anticipated.We met a few folks along the way who spotted an owl hanging out along the trail (Megamind and Snake Charmer). We saw some spectacular views from Snowbird Mountain. We didin't think it would get better until we reached Max Patch Summit. Wow! What an amazing 360 degree view of several ranges of mountains. We finished the trip with a delicious dinner and spent our first night in the tent!
Date: 2012-05-17
From: Rearing Fork Shelter

To: Deer Park Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.8
Weather: scattered clouds

First night in our tent was great! It was a little damp when we woke up, but nothing that we couldn't deal with. Ran into some cool wildlife - owl, black snake, and a toad. All of which were right on the trail. Skins almost ran directly into the owl! We met some weekend hikers including a couple that is planning to do some yoga on top of Max Patch Summit!Surprisingly both 7 miles and Squid Billy, two hikers that we stayed with the night before, made it as far as we did. We decided to sleep in our tent even though we heard thunder and saw lightning. Hopefully it won't rain on us tonight!
Date: 2012-05-18
From: Deer Park Mountain Shelter

To: Spring Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 14.2
Weather: few clouds

Luckily no rain last night! After taking our tent down, we were on our way to hot springs to resupply (just a few things). After a short 3 mile hike, we ended up in the small town of hot springs when I say small, I mean the town is only two blocks long!We ate breakfast/lunch at the Smokie Mountain Diner - Skins had a make-shift breakfast burger and Bearman had eggs, bacon, homefries, and a biscuit. We had our delicious meal and then headed to the dollar general for supplies. We picked up some tortillas, a block of cheese, and some fuel at the outfitters. Making our way out of town has proved to be more difficult with side trail that were confusing us and steep elevation changes. We kept moving meeting several dayhikers and getting a chance to climb up to Rich Mountain Firetower to enjoy some amazing views. We got caught in a brief rain/hail shower just long enough to soak us down, but we were able to dry out by the time we got to the shelter.At the shelter we met at nice family of section hikers who had a dog, named "AT", that tagged-along from a shelter about 6 miles back. Achilles said he would take the dog back in the morning since we was heading that way.
Date: 2012-05-19
From: Spring Mountain Shelter

To: Jerry Cabin Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: overcast clouds

We woke up later today to find only, Achilles in the shelter, the family of section hikers had already left. We took down our campsite and were on our way hiking.Beautiful day, but extremely humid. Pete, now named "Butterfingers" hiked with us for a bit. We decided to press our distance past the first shelter so we can time future shelters better since they are calling for rain Monday & Tuesday. We went over some extremely rocky, dangerous terrain, but saw some spectacular views. After some crackers and beef stew, we made it another tent night. Only a few more days on the trail...unfortunately...
Date: 2012-05-20
From: Jerry Cabin Shelter

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

Woke up today and we left Butterfingers sleeping the shelter. The terrain was not as difficult as yesterday with the exception of a few steep climbs up. We ran into a lot of dayhikers, but made good time to the shelter. The weather was beautiful today - clear skies and awesome views. We had lunch at Flint Mountain Shelter and Met 3 day hikers from Indiana. Bearman: As we were approaching the shelter, with Skins leading the way and about 14 miles of hiking, I noticed what looked like a Christmas Ornament hanging on a tree branch. As I looked closer, it was a Lavender ornament & I thought there was a Sand Dollar design on the side. As I got even closer, it was a Dragonfly! A Lavender Dragonfly Christmas Ornament in the middle of the forest along the AT. This is a clear sign from Deb, that she is with us & Watching over us...a miraculous message from Deb!
Date: 2012-05-21
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: Bald Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 10.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Today we left before the thru-hikers, but the other section hikers beat us out of camp. Today's hike was beautiful with a few steep inclines. The view from Big Bald Mountain was spectacular. We ran into a few day hikers, but didn't see any thru-hikers as we were hiking.We did a short day today, but had a good time relaxing and meeting some previous thru-hikers when we were at camp - Wildcat, Rest Step, and a few others. Unfortunately tomorrow is our last day on the trail with a 17 mile hike.
Date: 2012-05-22
From: Bald Mountain Shelter

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 16.9
Weather: moderate rain

Luckily, it wasn't raining when we woke up, but it is unluckily our last day on the trail. We hiked for awhile during an overcast day. Another thunderstorm began during our hike!We made it just in time to a shelter along the trail, but we still had to make our way to get water in the pouring rain. We met a few section-hikers while we attempted to wait out the storm, but decided that it wasn't going to let up any time soon. We decided that we would brave the storm and the last 6 miles weren't anything difficult.Lots of switchbacks in the last 6 miles until we reached Uncle Johnnies Hostel. The hostel was poorly managed and really messy, so we opted to stay at the Holiday Inn Express and order a huge dinner from a nearby Italian Restaurant. After the delicious meal, we watched TV until 11 pm - Much later than our normal bedtime!Bearman: It was the last day of our 2012 Section HIke - It was an awesome journey for Skins & Bearman. Now we plan to spend some time together in Asheville, NC; Cherokee; and Gaitlinburg!
Date: 2013-05-04
From: Erwin, TN

To: Curley Maple Gap Shelter
Miles today: 4.7

Picked up by Jay, a shuttle driver for Uncle Johnnie's Hostel. Jay had hiked to Erwin, TN last year and started working at Uncle Johnnie's. When we arrived in Erwin, we paid for our shuttle, grabbed some isopropyl fuel, and left on the trail. Short trek today, we arrived at Curley Maple and decided we preferred to stay in the shelter since we are now expecting about 4 days of rain. We re-met Pac-Man at the Shelter from our 2012 hike. He finished about 700 miles last year.In bed by 8:00 pm!