morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2010-03-06
From: Carter Gap Shelter

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: clear sky

Got up and on the trail early, ready to go into town. Figured the only bad part might be going over Albert Mtn. Two people from Carter Gap soon caught up with me and we passed each other the rest of the day. This stretch of trail is fairly flat for the most part. I was amazed to see that no one had taken the bad weather route around Albert Mtn, at least there were no fresh prints. Climb up wasn't too bad. Really nice view from the fire tower. Real clear and sun shine. Warmed up nicely in the afternoon, lots of bare dirt with no snow. Got to Winding Stair Gap at 3:50, called Budget Inn, Ron Haven picked us up and we were at his motel by 4:35. Ron owns three small hotels in Franklin and just bought one in Hiwassee. If you don't meet Ron during a thru hike you've missed out. This is my 4th time here. Called Dominos, ordered a large, walked down to the convience store for Cokes, Chocolate milk, and honey buns, and picked up the pizza on the way back to the hotel. Room has a small refridgerator and microwave. Ate all but one slice of the pizza, washed clothes, cleaned gear, washed me, and went to bed about 9:30. In 2006 I had a real hard time adjusting from Diet Coke to real Coke, didn't want to waste any food money on something that didn't have calories. This year I haven't had any problems. Well after the first week and 107 miles everything is going good. No blisters, gear working well, if not for the snow things would have been pretty close to perfect.
Date: 2010-03-07
From: Franklin, NC

To: Franklin, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: clear sky

By the way, if the miles don't look right it's because I'm using the 2009 guidebook. Today was a pretty good day for the most part. Slept late, ate a lot, did some minor messing around with gear, updated my journal. Several times during the day I asked the guy at the front desk when Ron would be shuttling people around town. I needed to go to the outfitters. He said around 4:00. Around 3:30 I was sitting in my room when I heard a van door slide closed. I looked out my door and saw Ron's van pulling out of the parking lot. A few minutes later I got a call and the front desk guy asked if I wanted to go to the outfitters and said to come on out, Ron was ready to go. I put my shoes on, got my jacket and walked up to the office. When I got there he said that nobody else wanted to go and Ron could make another trip in the morning. I don't know when the store opens tomorrow but I don't have time to wait. I'll make do until Nantahala Outdoor Center, which should be Tuesday. If that doesn't work out, I'll just have to wait until Hot Springs. Back in 2006 I was the only hiker here at the time. I was picked up at Winding Stair Gap by myself, driven around town by myself, and taken back to the trail by myself. I think I'll call a cab company when I get through here so maybe I can be sure of getting back to the trail early. It may be a while before I make another entry. If the snow is not too bad it's going to be about 10 days before I get to Hot Springs.
Date: 2010-03-08
From: Franklin, NC

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: clear sky

Check the photo box on the left side, I uploaded some pictures.I've been fighting a cold since Thursday. It bothers me most at night, coughing keeps me awake. Last night I got up at 11:00 and walked down to the convenience store to by a bottle of generic Nyquil. After a shot of that stuff I got the best night's sleep in days. Breakfast was a pint of chocolate milk, 2 honey buns heated in the microwave, and some Coke. Some thoughts on Chocolate milk. Is there anything better for breakfast, if you're not worried about the calories, than whole milk chocolate milk. In 2006 I noticed that the further north you get, the harder it is to find Chocolate whole milk. Plenty of low-fat or reduced fat. Except in VT and NH where I found whole milk chocolate in glass bottles. I would buy it in the store, drink it outside, then take the empty bottle back in to get the deposit back. As I've said before, one reason to hike is to be able to eat really good stuff without feeling guilty. Sunny most of the day today. Very little snow until about a quarter mile south of Silers Bald. Then the usual 6-12 inches the rest of the way. I was hoping to get further than Cold Springs but couldn't speed up in the snow. There were 6 spring breakers in the shelter. Five other thru-hikers and I were tenting in the area. It seems like there are more section hikers out hiking during the March-April spring break time period than during the summer.
Date: 2010-03-09
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: NOC
Miles today: 11.5
Weather: clear sky

Slept poorly last night. Still coughing. It's been a number of years since I've slept on snow. Back in those days I would use a closed cell pad with a 1 inch self-inflater pad on top of that. The Z-lite pad is not quite enough insulation. I could feel some coolness under my upper body, not real bad but noticeable. Water was still dripping off the shelter roof this morning so I guess it didn't get below freezing last night. I have decided to stop at NOC for a night to let some snow melt and try to get some rest. The last four miles were pretty much snow free. Got into NOC about 1:00. Stopped at the general store to get something to eat. Dug out my money and walked up to the door. Locked. A guy inside opened it and said that they were going to be closed for a few days, but that there was a convenience store about 3/4 miles up the road. Let's see, a 1 1/2 mile round trip to get a Coke and a bag of chips. None of the vending machines in the area are on yet, too early in the season. Ate lunch in the restaurant and checked into the hostel. Ended up with a room by myself. Tried to get some sleep without success. Went down for supper, 5 other thru-hikers already there. Went back to my room and decided to call my wife to come get me. Not getting any better. Luckily I'm still close to home so going home is cheaper than laying around here for a few days. Especially since the store is closed. I was going to go home the week-end of the 20th for my father's birthday, I'll do it this weekend instead. Just my luck, the weather's warming up, snow is melting, I've been hiking with the same group for a few days, and now I'm leaving the trail. Well, first time I've caught a cold while on a long hike, guess it had to happen sooner or later.
Date: 2010-03-17
From: Fayetteville, GA

To: Bryson City, NC
Miles today: 0.0

If you read alot of these journals as I do, when you come across one where the writer gets off the trail, as I did, you may wonder if they will ever get back on. Well, I'm packed up and will be heading back up to NC tomorrow. I'm going to slack pack for 2 days to get from NOC to Fontana. I'm feeling much better although when I weighed yesterday I'm down to 170.5 lbs. I guess I better get back off the Diet Coke. I'm taking pretty much all the same gear I had before. The new gear award winner so far are the Tyvek mitten shells. I bought them about a year ago at Mountain Crossings. Although I have some cordura/goretex shells they are too heavy to carry on a thru hike where they are only needed occasionaly. However, I wanted something to keep snow off my fleece gloves since the snow does melt, especially in the palms where I grip the hiking poles. These gloves did a good job, weigh almost nothing, and also add a little warmth on real cold days. I have changed to a 15 degree sleeping bag along with a silk liner. This will save a little over a pound and should be good down to 10 degrees.
Date: 2010-03-19
From: NOC

To: Stecoah Gap
Miles today: 13.6
Weather: clear sky

Great weather. Saw a lot of hikers, a couple that I hadn't seen since March 1. A couple of hundred yards of snow, 3-4 inches deep, on Cheoah Bald otherwise just dirt trail. All blowdowns cleared. Stopped for a break at Sassafras Mtn shelter. Wanted to take a picture of probably the worst privy on the trail but they have finally replaced it with a new one. The first time I stayed at this shelter was in the early 90's. The privy was like the outhouses you see in cartoons. Real small,over a hole in the ground, not raised like so many now. It was bad then, I've stayed there 3 more times including this past summer. Last year was the only time I used it and that was because it was raining. It was always the same building, just more ragged, and chewed on by rodents. Now there is a nice modern one. Had a talk with Heartwalker while there, he used to live in my home county. He asked about what it took to finish a thru-hike. I said just getting up everyday and walking. It seems like older people usually do not finish because of physical problems. Young people frequently just quit. They're not in pain, they haven't run out of money or time, they just seem to not be able to put up with day after day of getting up and spending what frequently is another boring day on the trail. I guess most of us old people have experience with jobs we didn't particularly like, or bosses or co-workers who gave us a hard time, but we got up 5 days a week and went to work anyway, because that's just the way life is. I wonder if that's why you seem to usually see young hikers in groups, they need the constant reinforcement. I will admit though, that young people have more entertainment value for me.
Date: 2010-03-20
From: Stecoah Gap

To: Fontana Shelter
Miles today: 15.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Good weather, most blowdowns cleared. My wife talked to the Backcountry office in the Smoky Mtn Park while I was hiking. They said that it was real bad from Clingman's Dome to Icewater Springs shelter. I'm going to give it one more day to melt and start into the park on Monday.
Date: 2010-03-22
From: Fontana Shelter

To: Derrick Knob
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: light snow

I'm walking by 7:15. By 9:15 I'm 2000 ft higher and it's snowing. Almost no snow up to this point but as I climb higher the snow gets about 6-8 inches deep. Snows most of the day, but lightly. No more than about 3 new inches. As expected the worst was climbing up Rockytop and Thunderhead which gets me over 5000 ft. Snow about 1.5 ft but packed down. Saw one hikerall day, Cricket who was going from Mollies Ridge to Spence Field. At Fontana shelter I had heard about some spring breakers from WV who arrived late and loud on Saturday night. When I got to Derrick Knob about 6:45 there were three people in sleeping bags and one standing around. They were the WV group and they weren't loud anymore. Two days in the park and they were thoroughly beat down. Tired, cold and hungry. One guy had a two liter water bottle come open in his pack and get his extra clothes wet. Lesson, if it needs to be kept dry it needs to be packed in something waterproof, even if it is inside your pack. A good day mileage wise. Not looking forward to going down the north side of Clingmans Dome tomorrow
Date: 2010-03-23
From: Derrick Knob

To: Icewater Springs Shelter
Miles today: 21.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Up and out of the shelter before the others wake up. Expecting tough going coming down the north side of Clingmans Dome. The trail is in the shade so snow lingers a long time. Also steep and badly eroded so the trail is sometimes several feet below the surrounding terrain. I've been on this section in the snow before, but not this much snow. Cloudy and very windy climbing up the south side. Passed 4 thru-hikers, Veggie and 3 guys. Top of the Dome is cloudy so I don't bother climbing the tower. I've been up here at least 6 times and I can't remember there being good weather but twice. Going down the north side was bad, but could have been worse. I'm glad I wasn't the first hiker after the last big snow. Today the trail was fairly well packed down. Most times the crust was hard enough to walk on although I broke through occasionally. When I did slip my trekking poles were about useless to brace on. They just punched through the crust and provided no support at all. I don't know how deep the unpacked snow was, but when my poles went through the crust they usually never hit solid ground. I'd say at least three feet deep, probably more. I made pretty good time but the walking was very unsteady and I had to push hard to keep going. And if that wasn't enough, the packed snow was around 1.5 ft deep so walking on top of it put my head quite a bit higher than it would be without snow so I was constantly brushing against overhanging limbs that normally wouldn't be a factor. On days like today when the going is tough, being a history buff, I usually think of some of the great treks of the past, when others persevered under much tougher conditions. John Colter was captured by Indians in the early 1800's, then forced to run while the tribe chased him. After about 6 miles he killed the only warrior who was close to him and hid in a river until the rest of the tribe gave up looking for him. Then he walked several hundred miles to safety. About the same time period, Hugh Glass was mauled by a grizzly and left for dead by his companions. When he regained consciousness he set his own broken leg, bandaged his wounds as best he could and crawled for almost two months to a trading post. More recently, in 1942, American POWs captured by Japan in the Philippines were marched about 60 miles over a weeks time to POW camps. They were given little food or water and anybody who could not keep up was killed on the spot. Historians estimate a minimum of 6 to 11 thousand men died during that week. So, what's a little snow when I know I've got a warm place to sleep and a hot meal at the end of the day. About an hour north of the Dome I looked back and could see the tower due to clearing weather. Sunshine the rest of the afternoon. The walking got a little easier as I got down to Newfound Gap and for the first couple of miles going up the other side. When I got to Icewater Springs shelter I had the place to myself. Unusual for a shelter only 4 miles from a road.
Date: 2010-03-24
From: Icewater Springs Shelter

To: Cosby Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: few clouds

Finally used the Yaktrax today. The packed snow had gone through enough freeze-thaw cycles to become slick, especially on inclines. Worked great. Picture does not show how steep the sides this particular section of trail was. I was very careful to step in the footprints of preceding hikers and dig my poles in. Even so, I was glad I went through in the morning while the snow was still firm. I set my pack down on a flat spot then walked back down the trail to take the pictures. It didn't occur to me until I was ready to turn around how difficult turning around would be on the side of a snow covered cliff. Ran into the ridgerunner and we had a good talk about conditions. Sunny weather all day but rain forecast for tomorrow. Very pleasant lunch sitting in the sun at Tricorner Knob shelter. By myself again for the night at Cosby Knob.
Date: 2010-03-25
From: Cosby Knob Shelter

To: Groundhog Creek Shelter
Miles today: 17.6
Weather: light rain

Started raining about 9:30. Light drizzle, off and on for the most part. I came to a section where the trail was real chewed up and thought that it looked like horses had been through that section. Sure enough, a little later I saw hoof prints. I didn't realize that horses were allowed on this section of the AT, but the prints went on for several miles. Horses have a lot of weight per square inch of hoof and when the trail is wet they really dig in to the dirt. After leaving the Park I stopped on the highest hill between Davenport Gap and I 40 and got an ATT cell phone signal. Called home and asked my wife to call Springbrook Cottages in Hot Springs, NC and make a reservation for me on the 27th and 28th. I should have no trouble getting there by the 27th. Stopped under I 40 bridge to eat lunch. I 40 has been closed in NC a few miles east of the NC-TN line since Oct. last year due to a rock slide. The underpass where the trail crosses under the highway is the last exit open west of the slide. I took about 30 minutes to eat lunch and I would estimate about once a minute a car would come down the east bound exit ramp, look at the signs, turn under the bridge, look at the signs, then turn up the west bound entrance ramp to go back the way they had come. I hope they weren't in a hurry to get to Asheville, it's a long way back to the detour route. By the way, I drove this section east bound from Knoxville back in December and there were a lot of signs long before you got to the last exit. It didn't rain anymore the rest of the day. Lots of blowdowns going up Snowbird Mtn. Ran into a couple of trail maintainers doing the best they could but they only had hand saws and it's going to take chain saws to clear these big trees. Big crowd at the shelter. One of the trail maintainers came in for the night and I asked him about horses in the Park. Yes they are allowed on the AT where I saw the tracks. I also asked about privy's at the shelters that are being remodeled. He said it's a maintenance issue of hauling mulch in. You see most places have composting toilets where you throw some mulch in after using. When maintained properly they don't smell and are an enviro-friendly way of dealing with the sanitation problem.
Date: 2010-03-26
From: Groundhog Creek Shelter

To: Deer Park Mtn Shelter
Miles today: 23.0
Weather: light rain

Rained off and on during the night. Packed up in drizzle this morning then ate breakfast under the shelter overhand. Nobody else was up. On the trail at 7:45. Cold and wet most of the day. Real windy and foggy going over Max Patch so I didn't even slow down. Let myself get too cold, fingers were not working when I got to Roaring Fork shelter for lunch but I managed to claw my pack open and put on my long underwear shirt and down jacket while eating lunch. Did not really warm up until climbing Walnut Mtn a couple of hours later. The only snow I walked on today was a patch about 6 ft long on Bluff Mtn. About 4:30, and 19 miles into the day I had stopped to adjust clothing when Fynious came up behind me. I had talked to him last night at Groundhog. I had not expected anybody from Groundhog to catch me so I asked when he left. He said about 9:30 but that he had been running quite a bit and was going to go on in to Hot Springs that night. He asked, so I told him about lodging and restaurants and he trotted off. I tented again at Deer Park, cloudy but the rain had stopped.
Date: 2010-03-27
From: Deer Park Mtn Shelter

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 3.2
Weather: clear sky

No rain, but lots of fog all night. Everything was damp this morning. Stopped on the highest hill going in to Hot Springs but no cell service. Sun came out just after I started walking. I stopped at the trailhead parking lot where the trail enters Hot Springs to take off extra clothes when Subman came down the hill. He's a section hiker from GA who had been at Deer Park last night. He offered to take my pack while I walked down to Smoky Mtn Diner for breakfast. What a great place to eat. They get all my business when I'm in town. This time of year its full of hikers and locals who know they'll get a lot of good food at a good price. A menu that doesn't have to be translated or explained, you know what everything is. Adult waitresses, who believe their job is to serve you from the time you walk in until the time you walk out. Biscuits made on location not in a factory kitchen miles away. And the iced tea, sweet tea the way it used to be made everywhere in the South. Tea so good you don't need to order dessert, just get another glass of tea. After 2 sausage and egg biscuits and hash browns, and a good conversation with Subman, it was getting on toward noon so I headed down to Springbrook Cottages to see if I could check in and if not, to leave my pack so I wouldn't have to haul it around. They were finishing up my room so I dropped my pack on the porch and walked back to Bluff Mtn Outfitters to get my mail drop and buy a fuel canister. When I got back I took a shower, put on my cleanest clothes, my rainsuit, and walked down to the laundromat. Somebody walking around a trail town in a rain suit on a sunny day is a hiker in the process of getting their laundry done. When I get into town the first thing I do after getting a place to stay and something to eat, is clean up my clothes and gear. Then I can rest the remainder of my time in town. Ate some snacks while doing laundry. As I expected, no AT&T cell service. Watched some TV in the room. Dinner at the Diner and then to bed.
Date: 2010-03-29
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: light rain

Rain is forecast for today, but I was looking forward to getting on the trail anyway. The more hiking I do, the more I look forward to starting out after a town stop. In 2006 it was not so much fun, especially if bad weather was expected. I think maybe as I get more experience, and find that I can cope with whatever the weather is, and still get the miles I want, and then keep going for another day or two, the anxiety level drops and the hike becomes a challenge. You may ask, how much experience do you need? There may be a minimum necessary to be reasonably comfortable, but I don't think there's a maximum amount. I learn new stuff every time I go out. The way the weather has been so far this year I will not be surprised if in a couple of months a hurricane traveling up the east coast turns inland where I am and I get to experience the challenge of coping with torrential downpours and major winds. Today the rain held off for the first hour but then it was off and on the rest of the day. Major blowdowns between Spring Mtn shelter and Allen Gap. Nobody at the shelter when I got there, thought about going on but from reading registers it sounded like the next shelter might be crowded and I would get there after dark anyway. I ate supper and went to bed about 7:30. Another guy showed up about 8:00.
Date: 2010-03-30
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Hogback Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: broken clouds

Extremely foggy all night. Everything was damp when I got up. It was still dark and my headlight reflected back in the fog when I went to the bear cable to get my food. Stopped about 10:30 at the next shelter for snack break. Father and son there, son still in sleeping bag. It was crowded here last night. Glad I didn't come here, would have had to tent. Sun started peeking out around noon. Stopped at next shelter for snack break about 2:00. Matt and Erika, who I had seen at Trey Mtn a couple of weeks ago were there drying stuff out. About 30 minutes later sky had cleared, very pleasant the rest of the day. In the tent again tonight. In 2006 I only tented twice until NH. I'm getting to prefer it now, at least is the weather is not too bad. Quieter, no mice.
Date: 2010-03-31
From: Hogback Ridge Shelter

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 20.7
Weather: broken clouds

The best day since March 1. Sunny and warm all day. Good views from the top of Big Bald. The last couple of miles before the shelter is now the leader in blowdowns. You could tell there had been a forest fire sometime in the past and I guess this had weakened the remaining trees. Didn't see but one other hiker until getting to the shelter.
Date: 2010-04-01
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Erwin, TN
Miles today: 6.3
Weather: clear sky

Easy walk down to Erwin. People ask me, does your wife mind you being gone so long? The answer is not too much, she goes places without me. As a matter of fact, she's leaving this Saturday for a two week trip to Israel. Rather than leave the house empty for that long I'm going home again. She and her brother rode up here to pick me up. Guess I'm going to have to get acquainted with a whole new group of hikers when I get back. I said that I wanted to meet a lot of thru-hikers, looks like I'm going to. We got home late tonight.