morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2012-04-25
From: Spence Field Shelter (NC/TN) 

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter (NC/TN)
Miles today: 13.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 15: A view worth the climb (Plus [and more importantly to us!] Springtime returns to the Smokies)The climb up Rocky Top came early, was tough, and caught us by surprise. We're not sure what the guide book said, but the profile this morning looked to us like the serrated blade of a saw - constant up and down. The panorama view from Rocky Top with the low hanging clouds in the vallies below was spectacular! However, the rocky path continued after the views were past, and our progress seemed barely a crawl as we made the second tough climb of the day up and over Thunderhead Mountain. Looking northwest from the top, we gazed down into lovely Walker Valley which is the home of the Great Smoky Mountain Institute at Tremont, where we hope to stay tomorrow night, and which at the moment might as well have been on the back side of the moon... even the mighty N had a slight crack in his morale, when he calculated we'd only averaged 1 mph for the first two and a half hours. Fortunately, at this point X flattened the path and kicked in her afterburners, and the sun blessed us with its presence as it burned through the clouds. Just like that it was shorts and t-shirt weather again, as we enjoyed the return of spring in the Great Smokies. And X took off her tobaggon for the first time in 36 hours and donned her more characteristic pink bandana headband.Once we got the steep up's and down's out of the way before lunch, we settled into a decent afternoon filled with sunlight and more gradual inclines and descents. Trust us: we have come to appreciate the restorative power of sunlight like never before. We arrived at Double Springs Gap Shelter about 5:30pm and snagged two of the last three spaces in the shelter. This is a first for us (sleeping IN a shelter), but we want to be on the trail at daybreak tomorrow with plans to hike the nearly 11 miles to meet our ride at Newfound Gap for a night off the trail: more laundry & resupplying to be done. The shelter is nice, the crowd congenial and we have space to cook and eat our dinner. Rain returns as we're cleaning up. The sound of the raindrops on the tin roof is soothing and - hopefully - sleep will come easily tonight.
Date: 2012-04-27
From: Newfound Gap, U.S. 411 (Townsend, TN)

To: Pecks Corner Shelter (NC/TN)
Miles today: 10.4
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 17: The only day in our six month adventure in which ALL our nature questions were answered!Ken Voorhis, our host from the previous evening, not only brought us back to the trail at Newfound Gap, he also hiked the first four hours north with us. His encyclopedic knowledge of all things Smokies and his engaging personality made for a delightful morning. On his fourth attempt at rolling over an old, decaying moss-covered log, Ken unearthed a Red Cheeked Salamander, an iconic creature found nowhere else on the planet but here in the park. (As a part of today's nature lesson, we will note the Red Cheeked Salamander gives off a mucous substance (or slime) that will gum up the mouth of a snake or other potential predator. What a handy defensive tool! Ken also sharpened X's wildflower ID skills. We stopped for a brief snack at Icewater Spring Shelter, where volunteers were busy cleaning out the fireplace and sealing the roof; and then climbed to a rock vantage point for lunch at the popular Charlies Bunion. Over a dozen people also visited while we were there. The weather had seemed a little iffy as we began the day's walk, but as the day wore on, sunny and warm became the prominent condition, and as we followed the knife-like ridges formed by layers on rock stood on end, we were treated with amazing views in all directions. A perfect day on the AT. The miles seemed to go a little slower after Ken bid us farewell and headed back to his car at Newfound Gap, and we were not too excited about the half mile detour away from the AT to tonight's shelter, a distance we would have to retrace UP hill in the morning before we could again start clicking off the miles to Maine, but we were in camp by 5pm with plenty of daylight to fix dinner and filter water for tomorrow. We shared the full shelter with both new (to us) folks, and some like Metric, Sticks and Knife who we've been seeing for a hundred miles. There were a few mouse sightings before dark. (It's funny what good cheap entertainment a small mouse can provide...) We watched one brave little fellow cross over all the lined up trail shoes airing out for the night. Not one of us was surprised he didn't venture into a shoe. The poor thing would probably have expired from the stink alone! As we say our 'Good Nights' we hope the mice will stay away from our packs hung carefully from the ceiling of the shelter...
Date: 2012-04-28
From: Pecks Corner Shelter (NC/TN)

To: Cosby Knob Shelter (NC/TN)
Miles today: 12.9
Weather: broken clouds

Day 18: How our "10% Completed" AT mark passed completely without fanfare or noticeWe think we forgot to mention this back on the day we climbed Rocky Top, but there are many AT miles in the Smokies where hikers must share the trail with horses. Although you do have to watch your step, the trail gradient is less steep on the equestrian sections, which we think is not a bad trade-off. We first noticed this when the trail up Rocky Top got much more "rugged" after the "no horses" signs appeared. Anyway, Pecks Corner Shelter last night had a hitching post and signs instructing "water horses with bucket." So we were hopeful the route today would feature few water bars and be marked by gradual ups and downs, which would help us make good time. And for the most part we were not disappointed. Then right at dark here came eight people on horseback riding in who had come from near Cherokee, NC, and couldn't make their planned destination for the day, so had decided to bed down at Cosby Knob. The AT: expect the unexpected...Many hikers commented today on their desire to be through with Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and especially the regulation restricting hikers to shelters. After hearing tales of 52 hikers staying at Icewater Shelter last night (we didn't get a count on horses), it's hard to disagree (that shelter is designed to house 14). We had a great hiking day, but won't mind crossing our first interstate highway tomorrow afternoon. Talk about progress heading north!
Date: 2012-04-30
From: Deep Gap, Groundhog Creek Shelter (NC/TN)

To: Campsite in Unnamed Gap below Bluff Mountain (NC)
Miles today: 15.2

Day 20: Max Patch!If you're on top of Max Patch with sunny, clear weather to take full advantage of the 360° panorama, then there's nothing left to be said: you've had a great day. And we had a magnificent day!As soon as we came out on the lower slopes, we knew we'd lucked out in the weather department. We could see all the way back to the Smokies, plus Snowbird Mountain (with its FAA tower) where we'd been yesterday and Bluff Mountain where we were going today. We ate an early lunch on top, and then took a quick nap in the sunshine. It was hard to pull ourselves away, but we wanted to do enough miles today for an early afternoon arrival into Hot Springs tomorrow. We were passed by all the young machos who we have shared company with since the Smokies: Badger, Trooper, Jiffy Pop, King of the Hill and Hotwheels. They too wanted to get a great distance under their belts today, so they could be at the Smoky Mountain Diner in time for breakfast tomorrow. It's truly a fact of the trail: when you get a bunch of thru-hikers together, inveritably the conversation turns to food. We're all starving from burning 6,000 calories a day, we're all sick and tired of GORP, oatmeal & granola bars and we all want home-cooked meals that include meat, vegetables and bread. And we talk about it incessantly!The afternoon route was mostly downhill to Lemon Gap, which was fine by us in the heat of the day. We ended the day with two tough climbs: up Walnut Mountain, and most of the way up Bluff Mountain. Tonight we share a spacious, flat campsite with only one other person, a bearded (and quite the beard it is!) section hiker named Roger. We're in bed early tonight, even for us and as we write our journal entry we can hear an owl calling and the moonlight graces our little portable traveling home. A distant thunderstorm puts on a show better than any fireworks display, and we enjoy the sight and sound once we realize it's not heading our way...
Date: 2012-05-01
From: Campsite in Unnamed Gap below Bluff Mountain (NC)

To: Hot Springs, NC 
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 21: the one, the only Hot Springs! (or how X did her best "horse going back to the barn" impression to get us to our Town Day #2)The entire population of our last night's campsite (that would be Roger and the two of us) was on the trail by 7:30am. We had a very short climb to the top of Bluff Mountain, and then the rest of the eleven miles to Hot Springs was mostly downhill. Now this was the way to start the day!X set a very quick pace, with only an occasional break for a nature study (the two most prominent being a small snake which stretched across the entire width of the AT, and a turtle heading in our same general direction). By the third hour we were both feeling the near record heat, and frequent water breaks didn't seem to help much. On arriving in Hot Springs, we checked in at Elmer's Sunnybank Inn, a place we've wanted to experience for years. Elmer and N talked about days of riots and tear gas at Duke University in the spring semester of 1969 when they were both on campus, but Elmer's lack of interest in Duke basketball cut the conversation shorter than it might have been otherwise, and allowed X to shower (with at least three rounds of shampoo) and get back across the street to the Smoky Mountain Diner before she fainted from hunger. After this late lunch, we moved on to the laundromat, the bank, and the first of several trips to Bluff Mountain Outfitters, where X's thoughtful brother Bob had left us a gift certificate. These were all popular haunts with the AT hiking community and we ran into many of the folks we'd met between here and Springer Mountain. It was a pleasant afternoon and we look forward to another full day in town tomorrow. We bumped into our new friend Roger at the restaurant tonight, so we ended the day with the same company we'd started with this morning. And all of us concluded we like days in town...
Date: 2012-05-02
From: Hot Springs, NC 

To: Hot Springs, NC
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: broken clouds

Day 22: Taking a Zero in Hot Springs (or a much needed day to recuperate)After we took care of some shopping in the morning with the hope that we had learned something about buying just enough food, but no more, for three days on the trail; and purchasing X a better suited rain jacket and a new pair of shorts for her new "minus ten pound" weight (with N getting the old pair of shorts as a "hand me down" for his new "minus 16 pound" weight), the late afternoon and evening were devoted to two highlights of the entire trip. We walked to the other end of town and the French Broad River for a soak in a tub of Hot Springs' famed mineral waters and a couples massage. N's sore back really needed both, and X enjoyed the massage so much so she fell asleep during...We had anticipated a great gourmet vegetarian meal and stimulating conversation with Elmer Hall and our fellow guests at his Sunnybank Inn, and the evening did not disappoint. Special kudos for the pecan pie, which N usually avoids because it can be made so sicky-sweet. Elmer's recipe tonight was right on the money, and the perfect end to a wonderful meal. If we say any more about our second day in Hot Springs, it will be impossible for our readers to feel any sympathy for us once we head back into the Spartan life of the woods, or to believe we are having to "rough it" at all on the AT, so we will close until we're back on the trail, walking to Maine.
Date: 2012-05-03
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Log Cabin Drive (Greeneville, TN)
Miles today: 16.3

Day 23: From Hot Springs, NC to Greeneville, TN (or two straight days in the lap of luxury)The trail today had about as much variety as you could pack into 16 miles: we started with a walk beside the French Broad River (where we were so close you could just feel the river's energy and power). We then climbed up to the Lovers Leap overlook (where we had amazing views back down on Hot Springs), then walked through masses of mountain laurels (which we may have mentioned more than once is N's very favorite plant!). At Tanyard Gap we had a one lane road to use as an overpass over the busy US 25/70 (another AT first for us). We had a steady 1,300' climb to a short detour up the Rich Mountain Lookout Tower (where once again we had perfect visibility for the panorama view). We had short sections of gravel roads, sections of thick shrubs forming the "green tunnel", and climbs up broad slopes where we hiked in the full sun (not a lot of fun on another very warm afternoon). The only complaint was the scarcity of water sources on a day when water was in high demand. In the late afternoon just as we were trying to decide on a stopping point, here came a call from our friend Lizzie Watts, just back from a multi-day trip to Nashville, who insisted on the chance to spoil us rotten in Greeneville, TN. She drove out from town to pick us up at Hemlock Hollow, then enlisted the aid of friends and neighbors to fix us a steak dinner and get our sweaty clothes cleaned. N's still sore back (from a nasty leg cramp our last night in the tent) was most appreciative for both the long, hot shower and the extra night in a bed. If you believe it takes a village to raise a child, well, it takes an army of friends and family to be successful thru-hikers! We could not be doing as well as we are without the prayers of support from those of you back home and far off, and offers of comfort away from the trail expressed in the form of bed, bath & beyond. Thanks, Lizzie and company. You're the best!
Date: 2012-05-04
From: Log Cabin Drive (Greeneville, TN)

To: Flint Mountain Shelter (TN) 
Miles today: 16.0
Weather: light rain

Day 24: Trail Magic from the Greeneville Hiking Club (plus Big Firescald Knob, Blackstack Cliffs, and other man-made and natural excuses for lolly gagging)After a breakfast at Waffle House, Lizzie still had us back on the trail in time for X to get to clear spider webs from the trail for the second morning in a row. We had a steady 2,000' climb over the first five miles with a break at the first shelter where X (the self-taught blister expert) got to offer advice to a young man doing "surgery" on his foot. It was not a pretty picture...A short while later, Yom (AKA "Sex Panther") zoomed by us with news of a Trail Magic opportunity ahead. Sure enough, just off the trail at Jones Meadow, the Greeneville Hiking Club was starting a multi-day spread of hamburgers, hot dogs, and anything else a hiker might crave. And we do mean anything. We cannot think of a thing they overlooked. Even locally-grown fresh strawberries! We chowed down with great appreciation and burned about an hour in the pleasant company of GHC members and fellow hikers.We pulled ourselves away around noon and about a mile later, a sign offered us a bad weather alternative to the Big Firescald Knob exposed ridge trail. This was a major clue that our pace was about to slow dramatically, but oh the views from the rocky ridge to the flatland off in the distance! Certainly some of the most breathtaking we've seen.Now way behind the day's schedule, we crossed the 300 mile mark and got water at the Jerry Cabin Shelter (where in another disappointing trend we noticed today the army of this year's hikers have already filled the privy to overflowing. Talk about swarming flies...) The last six miles of the day were tough even when, and probably because, the AT {in a rarity} followed a gravel road for over a mile and a half. N's sore back which had been making a great recovery all day suffered a setback on all the loose softball-size rocks that we were so carefully stepping on/over/around. We were the last arrivals at Flint Mountain Shelter and had to rush to get everything done by dark. Needless to say, we had to miss the evening program reading of The Hobbit, but the soft voice of the young man reading the story aloud to the group gathered 'round the shelter fire circle was very comforting nonetheless. We hope for a recuperative night and an easier tomorrow.
Date: 2012-05-05
From: Flint Mountain Shelter (TN) 

To:  Sam's Gap, I-26 (Weaverville, NC)
Miles today: 11.1

Day 25: No Pain, No Rain, No Maine (or how we made a short hop over to I-26 and after two hard days of hiking, The Trail was extremely kind to us!)Camelot weather would be ideal for the AT. However, instead of quitting just before daylight, today the rain started just about 15 minutes before we were ready to roll out of bed. Hoping it would pass quickly, we decided to wait out the storm. We thoroughly enjoyed the hour of extra horizontal time, especially since we were lucky enough to have 3 bars/3G cell service. When we finally got a break in the rain, we tried to move quickly, but just as we pulled out the first tent stake, it began to pour again, and we left camp with both wet gear and wet packs. Not our favorite way to start the day...Once we got hiking, the walk in the rain and the mist was actually quite pleasant. We passed several tents where hikers had tried to squeeze in a little extra distance past the last shelter the day before. We heard no one stirring as we went by. After three miles of uneven but gradual downhill, we came to NC 212 and cow stile steps, followed by the trail going up again through rolling pasture land.  After a half mile descent we came to the second paved road of the morning, where we began a three mile 1,500' climb to Lick Rock. We crossed the same cascading stream four times. Quite a treat in the rainy weather, but by the time we reached the top, the weather was beginning to clear. Before heading down to Rice Gap we stopped at a great sitting log with an even better view of the traffic on the interstate way across the way. We were joined by two other thru-hikers, one of whom used the opportunity to set up a clothesline to start drying out his clothes. (We aired our pack covers, with N pouring water from the bottom of his.)We made one more climb to High Rock (where a 200 yard detour offered a nice vista) and headed down to I-26. A mile from the road we met two former thru-hikers and their dog, who had hiked up with sodas and hotdogs to offer as "Trail Magic". The caffeine rush was just what X needed for the final push of a short day that started so wet and ended so well.Our friend Dan Brown arrived at Sam's Gap just as we did, and carried us back to his and Linda's home in Weaverville. We quickly had their driveway looking like a hiker yard sale as we sorted, dried & cleaned gear. (It's a wonder their neighbors weren't pulling in to check out what bargains awaited!) As this was going on another friend Connie Backlund came up from Flat Rock and we had a great evening that extended well past hiker midnight. Our extended NPS family has offered us such kind and generous hospitality this week. (X lingers too long in those hot showers and N's sore back is getting better & better from cozy soft beds) Please know, dear friends, how much we appreciate all your help and support and what you mean to us, Lizzie, Dan & Linda, and Connie. It takes an army...
Date: 2012-05-06
From:  Sam's Gap, I-26 (Weaverville, NC)

To: Devils Creek Gap (TN) 
Miles today: 15.0

Day 26: Lunch on the Big Bald (or how we had another perfect weather 360° panorama at 5516' elevation)The Browns deposited us back on the trail a little before 8am, and we started our day with a gradual climb up to a large meadow. About six miles in we had a more strenuous climb up to Big Bald, but were rewarded with a view that equalled that of the more famous Max Patch. We could see back to I-26 and down on the Wolf Laurel ski resort. Shortly before the top, we had been passed by four members of a mostly Canadian group we've been seeing since the Smokies. They had stopped for lunch to enjoy the view and this was our first chance to talk. They were talking about pushing all the way to Erwin, TN, today, so this might be our last time to see them, as that is more pace than we can handle. A few locals were also walking up on the Bald and had many questions folks usually ask thru hikers.Just before Whistling Gap, the previous short night caught up with us, and (in a first) we pulled out our pieces of Tyvek for a 15-minute power nap. After taking on water, which on a hot afternoon we were consuming at a swift rate, we had a tough climb up High Rocks. We could hear a thunderstorm before we could see it as we started down the opposite side. Fortunately we got only its cooling benefits and not any rain. After crossing the road at Spivey Gap (US 19W) we ended our day with another tough climb up the Ogelsby Branch ravine. (Are you noticing a pattern of tough climbs after places with the word "gap" in their name?) However we found a beautiful little campsite just off the trail as the terrain started to flatten out, and we were calling it a day at 5:15. We were in the tent by 7pm, after a very successful and rewarding day. Ah, hiker midnight and serious slumber...
Date: 2012-05-07
From: Devils Creek Gap (TN) 

To: Curley Maple Gap Shelter (TN)
Miles today: 13.9
Weather: broken clouds

Day 27: A whistle stop in the railroad town of Erwin, TN (or how Miss Janet kept us on schedule)[Late night postscript from yesterday's report: During a 10:30pm nature call, X was just about finished with her business when she looked up to see three sets of head lamps come bobbing down the trail. So it is true: when it comes to the young machos, the AT is truly a 24-hour operation. And this was before the full moon rose...]Even after an early bedtime and some good sleep, it was hard to pull ourselves out of the tent this morning. Three easy miles of gradual downhill helped get us going before a steep little climb up to the aptly named No Business Knob Shelter brought us to our first break. We decided we could make it Erwin around lunchtime, and if we could manage a quick resupply, we'd still have time to make it to the first shelter north of town. We had near vertical views of the river and town, which, if not as great as in the dead of winter, can not be criticized as they included some very nice mountain laurels in bloom...We came down off the mountain right across the street from Uncle Johnny's Hostel where the marketing frustrated N as the answer to every question seemed to be geared to getting folks to stay at the hostel, which was a shorter day than we planned. Fortunately, N ran into the famous Miss Janet who not only took him across town to Erwin's best food store but also stopped him at Subway to pick up lunch for X who had stayed back at the hostel to charge phones and rearrange gear (not to mention catch up with what seemed like every other hiker on the trail today who all seemed to wander through Uncle Johnny's).We were back on the trail by 3:30pm and made our goal of a place under the roof if the predicted 60% showers hold true tonight. We are sharing the shelter with most of the Canadian contingent we had lunch with on top of Big Bald yesterday. We enjoyed listening to the guitar and harmonica music coupled with soft voices 'round the campfire before hiker midnight. Chalk this up as another great day on the path to Maine...