morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-05-04
From: Springer Mountain

To: Hawk Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 8.1
Weather: light rain

Day 1Day 1 is complete! Last night Haley and i stayed in Dawsonville, and got some delicious pizza for dinner right in town. This morning, we headed up some back roads to where the trail crosses only .9 miles from Springer Mountain's summit. Haley summited with me and was there for when i signed the thru hiker log-it was great to share that with her, and it was tough to see her leave. In fact, that was the hardest part of the day, even though it has POURED rain all day and is approximately 45-50 degrees. Overall, the hiking was pretty good, given the conditions. There were a few creek crossings which were pretty, and overall the terrain was pretty easy. I felt like a champ when I hit Hawk Mountain shelter, and strongly considered moving on to Gooch Mountain shelter- but in the end, i reminded myself that this is a marathon, not a sprint, and that i should stay here for the night. Plus it's raining cats and dogs, or men, or something like that. Can't wait for day 2!
Date: 2013-05-06
From: Gooch Mountain Shelter

To: Neel Gap/Mountain Crossings Hostel
Miles today: 15.9
Weather: clear sky

Day 3 - Neel Gap/Mountain Crossing HostelToday was a great day. Today's hike to Neel Gap covered 15.9 miles and, although I mistook a couple of the mountains for Everest, everything went really well. It only rained for probably 3 hours (woohoo!) and, even though Blood Mountain was tough, i cruised into the Mountain Crossings hostel by 2:30. The hostel is great. It's run by a guy named Pirate, who got his name back when he was busting drug runners down in the Caribbean. For $15, you get a bunk, shower, dinner (donation requested), breakfast (if there's enough in the dinner tip jar) and, in our case, three free Busch heavies (I don't think a guy named Pirate would drink the light stuff - in fact, he complained to us that no one would drink tequila with him on Cinco de Mayo). When I arrived, there was one other guy named Matt here already. Apparently he started the same day as me, but had camped out just ahead of the two shelters I stayed in, which is why we hadn't crossed paths until today. He's a cool dude, and we had some good conversation for the better part of the afternoon. A couple other guys, Flake and Jack, came in a couple hours after me, and at about 5:30 Derrick, who had stayed at the previous two shelters as well, came in. We spent the evening eating some stew with habanero pepper sauce in it and watching U2 and Eddie Murphy videos on VHS (Pirate bought hundreds of them from a guy for $6 - well played). I can see that the camaraderie is what I'll probably enjoy most about this hike. Today was the best day yet-keep 'em coming!
Date: 2013-05-08
From: Low Gap Shelter

To: Tray Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 15.4
Weather: haze

Day 5 - Tray Mountain ShelterToday was a tough day, but all is well! Matt and I hiked the first 9.7 miles from Low Gap to Unicoi gap, where he hitched into Helen to stay the night. That stretch was relatively flat, save for Blue Mountain and the descent into Unicoi, and we made good time and were feeling dandy. I hiked the next 5.7 miles or so alone, and it was pretty tough. Rocky Mountain and Tray Mountain needed to be conquered, and both of them featured climbs of approximately 1000 feet within 1-2 miles. I was sure to pace myself today - I took a 45 minute break at Unicoi Gap, a cat nap at the top of Rocky Mountain, and numerous other smaller breaks. I think that helped a lot, and when I got into the shelter I was feeling pretty good. At the shelter tonight is Derrick (who's been at all the same shelters as me so far), a group of maybe 6-8 who are taking a weeklong trip, the same father-son duo from Low Gap, and a guy who's probably 65 whose goal is to hike to Fontana Dam. Again, we've had a good time in camp!
Date: 2013-05-09
From: Tray Mountain Shelter

To: Dicks Creek Gap/Hiawassee
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: broken clouds

Day 6 - HiawasseeApparently important life events happen in threes:1. I saw my first rattlesnake today, and it scared the CRAP out of me. 2. I ate fried chicken.3. I used a toilet that flushes. Derrick and I decided that we'd hike the 11 miles down to Dicks Creek Gap, and hitch into Hiawassee for the night (we'll likely take a zero day tomorrow as well). So we woke up around 7, packed up, and rolled out of camp by just before 8:30. The first 5.5 or so miles to Addis Gap was a piece of cake. Then, there was a mile stretch where we gained roughly 1000 feet while climbing Kelly Knob. We took it slow, and all was peachy. That's when the rattlesnake event happened. We rounded a corner at a pretty decent clip, with Derrick leading the way. Nearly simultaneously, I heard rattles and Derrick say "OH SHIT!". There it was, a 3 foot or so rattlesnake in the leaves probably a foot off the right side of the trail. I almost pooped my pants. By the time it rattled, we were probably 4-6 feet from it. After we collected ourselves, we snapped a couple pictures (from afar of course), and slowly backed up as it made its way across the path and back into the brush. We used that adrenaline and finished the last few miles at a pretty good clip. When we got down to the gap, we stuck our thumbs out and were picked up by a Biology Professor from Tennessee. He was passing through and was kind enough to bring us to our hotel (motel Holiday Iiiinnn). Cool guy for sure. Shortly after we checked into our hotel, important event numbers 2 and 3 happened. In the distance i heard angels singing, and a light was shining down from above. It was leading us to Zaxby's, a glorious fried chicken fast food restaurant. We proceeded to scarf, and I was fortunate enough to use a working toilet. Thank you sweet Jesus.
Date: 2013-05-10
From: Dicks Creek Gap/Hiawassee

To: Hiawassee
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: light rain

Day 7 - HiawasseeWe took a zero day today in Hiawassee in order to rest up, do laundry, and resupply. We slept in until around 9, leisurely roused ourselves over the next hour and a half, and headed to Subway for lunch. We then went to the local grocery store and marveled at the selection of delectable treats, stocked up, and headed back to the hotel. While doing laundry, we ran into a fellow thru-hiker from Florida who said she had come into town to do laundry and to potentially stay at the same hotel, but wasn't keen on paying for the room by herself. So naturally, as any hikers would do, Derrick and I offered to let her stay with us in exchange for a round of beers. She accepted, and we had ourselves a new trail buddy. The rest of the night included taking in the views down by the lake and getting a delicious burger and beers at the Bear Mountain Grill. It sure is pretty down here!
Date: 2013-05-11
From: Hiawassee

To: Standing Indian Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.7

Day 8 - Standing Indian Mountain ShelterOh, how I love you Iphone. Why did it take me 8 days to realize that I don't need to put ear buds in on the trail to listen to music? Just throw the Iphone on airplane mode, turn the volume up, put it in my pocket, and commence to rocking the face off of any hiker/squirrel/bear that crosses my path. Once I realized I could do this, the entire forest reverberated with the crunching of Metallica riffs, and I believe I was nearly invincible. Anyway, to sum the day: We hitched out of Hiawassee, and got picked up by a super nice couple who gave us a lift back to the trail. We hiked roughly 9 miles, and crossed into NORTH CAROLINA! One state down, baby! As soon as we crossed the line, the terrain got easier as there were more gradual ups and downs than in GA. Georgia means business with their ups and downs and, for now at least, NC is much easier. One thing I noticed once we got into NC is that the mountains are much bigger - not necessarily in height relative to their surroundings, but in sheer mass. It's a pretty cool change to see. Slightly after we crossed the border, I took off and upped my speed a bit. I met another thru hiker named Mohawk, who is also from Ohio, and we leap frogged each other for much of the afternoon. We ended up getting into the shelter at around the same time, and we had a good time chatting while waiting for the others to arrive. His goal is to get up to the 100 mile wilderness in Maine by early August, which is really fast, so I doubt we'll see too much more of him, but it was nice to get to meet him. I felt really good today - 16.7 miles, and I could have easily done more. Hopefully that means I'm getting my "trail legs" and will be ready to up the mileage soon! We have another "big day" planned tomorrow, and I'm ready - especially with James Hetfield singing me to the top of every mountain!
Date: 2013-05-12
From: Standing Indian Mountain Shelter

To: Rock Gap Shelter
Miles today: 19.7
Weather: clear sky

Day 9 - Rock Gap ShelterDay 9 = First twisted ankle. We all woke up, packed up, and I left alone around 8:45am. I climbed up Standing Indian Mountain in about 40 minutes, and then began my descent down the other side. I was leisurely strolling, quoting Spaceballs aloud ("I'm a Mog!"), when BAM! A nefarious rock was hidden under some leaves, and it got me. In that instant, my trail life flashed before my eyes - all the trials and tribulations, all the ups and downs (get it?). I snapped back to reality and.... It wasn't too bad! Phew! It was sore the rest of the day, but it'll be fine!After that mishap, I continued leisurely hiking for the rest of the day. The weather was about as perfect as it could be: probably around 60 degrees and not a cloud in the sky. And the terrain was, for the second day in a row, really easy. There were lots of gentle ups and downs with an occasional view. There was one difficult stretch, from Bearpen Gap up to Albert Mountain, which included some near rock scrambling - it was hard but it was also fun, so that took the sting out a bit. From the top there was an amazing view. I made the intended goal of 16.2 miles by 4pm, and decided to push on an extra 3.5 to the next shelter. With me at the shelter now are Derrick and Mohawk. I didn't think I'd see Mohawk again, but it turns out we might be going the same pace, at least for the next few days. I'm feeling good, and ready to put some miles behind me!Also, I'm going to start doing either a song (duh) or quote of the day, to give a little insight into what gets me through the day. Today's quote: "I'm a Mog!" - Spaceballs
Date: 2013-05-19
From: Spence Field Shelter

To: Mt. Collins Shelter
Miles today: 20.3
Weather: light rain

Day 16 - Mt Collins ShelterHappy anniversary to the love of my life! I'm really sad I'm not with you today, but it's because of your love, support, and general awesomeness that I'm out here chasing my dream. I can't thank you enough for all you do for me!I left the shelter this morning at 9, thinking I would only go 13 or so miles to Double Springs Gap Shelter. The first 6.8 miles to Derek Knob Shelter were pretty tough, so I stopped there for about a 20 minute break. The rain somehow held off all day, even though there were rumblings of thunder for much of the afternoon. It remained cloudy and misty as I reached the 13 mile mark and my intended shelter. I took another break and met a nice couple from MinneSOOta, and they gave me some of their extra food (some trail magic for sure because I was running low!). With that fuel in my system I decided to make the push up and over Clingman's Dome (the highest point on the AT). As I ascended up in the 5500-6000 foot range, the clouds lifted and I could see for miles! I cruised up to the top of Clingman's and took some pictures at the top of the lookout tower. It really was an amazing view! From there I had another 4 miles to the shelter, and I made my way into camp by 8pm. There's a good crowd here, including Rabbit, who I had met at the NOC, and a German guy named The Voice who was at my shelter last night. I'm tired today after a long day!Today's song: "Home" - Edward Sharpe &the Magnetic Zeros
Date: 2013-05-20
From: Mt. Collins Shelter

To: Newfound Gap-Gatlinburg
Miles today: 4.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Day 17 - Newfound Gap/GatlinburgThe Voice and I decided to do a "nero" day (near zero) and head into Gatlinburg for the evening. We got to Newfound Gap after an easy 4.5 miles. At the gap is a parking area where lots of people were taking in the views. One would think that a ton of people = an easy hitch, but this is completely untrue (i would like to note that I don't feel entitled to a ride - I am always appreciative - it's just that statistically more cars should equal an easier hitch). An hour and a half went by, which was long enough for Rabbit to make his way to the gap as well. As luck would have it, as soon as he arrived we were offered a ride by a nice girl who leads hiking trips in the area. She had no problem taking 3 stinky hikers into town, and we were grateful! When we got into town, we headed to the Gran Prix Motel, which I think is the cheapest (most inexpensive) motel I have ever stayed in - 29.99/night - and for the price it was a heck of a deal. It was so good in fact that the three of us decided we could all afford our own rooms. The front desk guy is a former pro wrestler who has fought the likes of the Ultimate Warrior, and has some belts to prove it. He also clued us in on the fact that one of the dryers in the laundry room was broken, and that we didn't need to even put any money into it. This guy is legit. After checking in (and showering, thank goodness), I headed to Subway to destroy a footlong sub, chips, and a bladder buster (Mello Yellow), then went to Dunkin Donuts for some delicious coffee and to call Haley. At 4pm, we all met up again at the Smoky Mountain Brewery for happy hour - and happy we were! We sampled all of their brews for a great price and just hung out and talked.   Afterwards, since of course we were all still hungry, we went and purchased/consumed pints of ice cream (800 calories of goodness, thank you very much). Mine was Krazy Kookie Dough and it was magical. We then went and bought some food/supplies for the coming days, and then headed back to the brewery for half priced wings and $2 pints. What a way to close out the night!Today's quote: "Hey Ace, you got any more of that gum?""That's none of your damn business, and I'll thank you to stay out of my personal affairs."-Ace Ventura, Pet Detective
Date: 2013-05-22
From: Tri Corner Knob Shelter

To: Standing Bear Farm
Miles today: 18.4

Day 19 - Standing Bear Farm HostelWe finished the Smokies today! The weather was good and the terrain was fairly easy so we made good time. The two main features of the day were trail magic and the hostel. We were through about 17 of our 18 miles, and had just crosses I-40, when we came to some trail magic. Someone had left a few cases of soda and tons of oranges, apples, strawberries, bananas and pears. After a long, warm day, the fruit was just what we needed. And a Mountain Dew didn't hurt things much either. We've certainly had a lot of trail magic in the last couple days! We eventually dragged ourselves away from the food and went the last mile or so to the hostel. It's located about a quarter mile off the trail and is reached by a gravel road which is crossed by the AT. I didn't know what to expect, but I assumed it would be a house with an extra bunk room and that would be about it. I was wrong. It's a whole complex of wooden/log buildings with tin roofs - one is the kitchen, one is the bath house, one is the laundry room, one is the "general store", etc. There's a bunch of stuff you can buy, and to do so you just put your name on an envelope and keep a running tab (there are prices on all the items in the "store"), and you just settle up in the morning. The place is run by a guy named Rocket, and he totally reminds me of The Dude from The Big Lebowski (in a GOOD way).   There's a good crowd here tonight, including Derrick, who I haven't seen since the NOC, and some section hikers who are heading south from Hot Springs. We all had some dinner and enjoyed sitting around a campfire for a good while. This place is definitely unlike any place I've been before and it. Is. Awesome. Today's song: "Come Out and Play"- Offspring
Date: 2013-05-25
From: Hot Springs

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 19.8
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 22 - Little Laurel ShelterAgain, we all left at different times this morning. The Voice and I had signed up for breakfast, while the others had not. For $6, Elmer (who runs the place, and has for 30 years, and who used to be a professional chef) will cook you a wonderful breakfast. Today it was waffles with fresh strawberries, cantaloupe, granola and coffee. There were 5 of us eating at the dining room table (including a fellow thru-hiker who is doing a work-for- stay at the place), and it was nice to get to talk with Elmer a little bit. He was a nice guy who was genuinely interested in our hikes, and I believe he has also thru hiked the trail. After breakfast, The Voice and I headed out of town together. The terrain for the first 5-6 miles was really cool and unlike what we had really seen before. We started by crossing the French Broad River, which is pretty big, and then ascended some bluffs that overlook it. So the whole time we were climbing we could see both the river and Hot Springs.   Shortly, thereafter, the trail popped out onto a little gravel road and went through some really grassy fields. When we got through that section it then went right past a pond, which is the first one I've seen on the trail. It was all cool, and it helped that we really took our time today to make sure we enjoyed the hike. Sometimes you get so focused on the goal that you don't take the time to actually enjoy what you're doing. At around mile 8 or 9 there was a fire tower, and we took a long break at the top. The views were great and the sun was shining, so you couldn't ask for much more!After that, the terrain became quite similar to what we'd seen recently, but we still took our time and had a number of good conversations about everything from scary movies to astronomy to politics. It was a very good day!Eventually we made it to the shelter and decided to camp out and make a fire. We don't often make fires, so it was pretty nice. All in all it was a great day!
Date: 2013-05-26
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Hogback Gap Shelter
Miles today: 21.5
Weather: scattered clouds

Day 23 - Hogback Gap ShelterToday was my highest mileage yet, and by the end of the today I was beat. I keep hearing that people put in 25-30 in Virginia, so I'm excited for the days when the terrain is much easier and that is actually possible. We all left at different times today - I got packed up and left by 8:45. Again today there were a few cool/unique sections that were unlike things I've seen so far. The first was a thin, rocky ridge that requires some decent effort to cross. At one point i had to use my hands to help lower myself down what was probably a 6 foot drop. Along the ridge was a great view - the mountain I was on is situated at the western edge of the mountain range. So, from the rocky ridge, if I looked east all I could see were mountains. If I looked west I could see for miles out into the Tennessee farm land, as it stretched flat from the bottom of the mountain. It's weird but it was actually cool to see some flat land for the first time in almost a month!The second cool part I believe is called Bald Ridge. I came out of the woods after a decent ascent, and there was a big long field of tall grass and randomly placed (oak?) trees. You could see the trail as it wound its way through the grass for maybe 400 yards. It was a cool contrasting landscape because it's usually so treed and hilly. The rest of the day was pretty good, although it was similar terrain. I took my time again and enjoyed the day. We all eventually made it into camp, ate some dinner and were all too tired to do anything else but go to bed. Tomorrow will be another good one for sure!I've missed a few song/quotes, so here you go:"A Clockwise Witness" - Devotchka"Fallin & Flyin" - Jeff Bridges"Mal Hombre" - Lydia Mendoza" I managed to take out the tiger with a can of mace. But the shopkeeper and his son, that's a different story altogether... I had to beat them to death with their own shoes..." - Wayne's World 2
Date: 2013-05-27
From: Hogback Gap Shelter

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 18.5
Weather: broken clouds

Day 24 - No Business Knob ShelterToday was another good one. We all got up and left camp at 7. We had about 2.5 miles to get down to Sam's Gap, where we had arranged to be picked up by a shuttle. A nice guy met us shortly after we reached the gap and we rode a few miles in the back of his pickup truck until we got to the Little Creek Cafe. We then proceeded to have massive breakfasts of eggs, bacon, pancakes, hash browns, coffee, etc - it was awesome. When we finished, the guy took us another mile or so to a little market/gas station where we all bought some more food. We're all requiring more and more food as we go, and have decided that food is worth its wait in gold out on the trail. We weren't shy in filling up our food bags, that's for sure!   We then got dropped off back at the trail for another 18+ miles of hiking. The highlight of the day was definitely Big Bald, which is a massive bald with 360 degree views as far as the eye can see. I always heard about Max Patch, which is awesome, but this might even be better. Beyond the bald, though, there really wasn't much of note. For much of the day Dunt, The Voice and I hiked together (Rabbit is way too fast), so we had some good conversations about such things as the Germany's economy and political state. It's been cool to get to hear a perspective from the other side of the world, and to learn more about a country I really didn't know much about. Also, this group of guys is pretty hilarious at times, so that definitely makes the miles go by more quickly! When we got into camp, Rabbit cut his hand on a multitool, we had a fire, and then Rabbit and the Voice decided to "cowboy camp" (sleep under the stars), as they have done for the past couple of nights. Dunt and I prefer our tents, but I suspect I'll join them one of these nights. Today's song: "Two Tickets to Paradise" - Eddie Money
Date: 2013-05-29
From: Camp Near Beauty Spot

To: Roan High Knob Shelter
Miles today: 22.5
Weather: broken clouds

Day 26 - Roan High Knob ShelterToday was (I think) the hardest day we'll have in a while. It was my highest mileage yet and featured some pretty tough climbs which eventually took me back over 6000 feet. I hiked much of the day alone, which was nice. It's funny, but for me it doesn't matter if I hike alone or with people - both are good in their own ways. Being alone offers solitude, more time for reflection and more opportunities to take in everything around you. Being with others offers the social aspect of life which we all need, and really can make the miles go by quickly.   It was a pretty hot day (I think summer may actually be here for good now), and that made one rocky climb particularly difficult. But after that it was pretty smooth sailing, and eventually we all made it into camp at the highest shelter on the whole AT. There was a good number of people at the shelter, and we all sat around the fire and chatted before heading to bed (or should I say tent). Also, there appears to be a new member that's been added to our group. His name is Bear Paw and he seems to be a cool dude - he will probably hike with us for at least a little while. Today's quote: "I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!" - Zoolander