morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2013-04-21
From: Low Gap

To: No Business Knob Shelter
Miles today: 14.6
Weather: overcast clouds

Today's hike started with a steep climb up to Big Bald. It was an awesome spot and reminded me of Max Patch, though not quite as big. Great views all around. The rest of the hiking was pretty uneventful. It was nice hiking with a couple really steep but very short climbs. I met a nice couple out day hiking who are doing a year long farm apprenticeship locally. It was nice meeting and talking to them. Blacksquatch built an epic fire tonight and it was cool to meet him. Very interesting, nice guy. I learned all about the Burning Man festival and it sounds very cool. Tomorrow I'll head into Erwin for a six mile nero day.
Date: 2013-04-22
From: No Business Knob Shelter

To: Uncle Johnny's Hostel in Erwin, TN
Miles today: 5.8

The hike into Erwin was easy and very nice, despite a few short, steep true PUDs. As I got off the trail and headed to the hostel, I saw a woman in a big white van and talked to her for a bit. It turns out it was Miss Janet, who is a very well known and revered trail angel. She used to run a hostel here in town as well, but now spends her time during peak season driving hikers around and giving them rides. She has been instrumental recently in getting sick hikers off the trail and to hotels. She gave me a ride into town where I enjoyed a $6.99 all you can eat pizza buffet. It was awesome. I also resupplied my food for the next four days. After I was done she picked me up and dropped me back off at the hostel, which is about 3 miles east of Erwin and 50 yards off the trail. I ran into Aquaman here which was great - I hadn't seen him since Clingman's Dome in the Smokies. He introduced me to Orion who also started on March 11. We three split a cabin (more like a mini bunk room) and got a case of beer to enjoy tonight. There is a large campfire, again built by Blacksquatch, and all the hikers staying here are hanging out around it. Tomorrow we will likely do a short day out of here and leave pretty late. I like the idea of two neros and only spending money on one night in town or at a hostel versus a longer day with a zero day following. I still plan on holding off and not zeroing until I'm in Damascus. There are a couple neat, cheap hostels between here and there that I will try and stay at and possibly nero at. Things are great out on the trail!
Date: 2013-04-23
From: Uncle Johnny's Hostel in Erwin, TN

To: Curley Maple Gap Shelter
Miles today: 4.7
Weather: clear sky

Today Aquaman and I hung around Uncle Johnny's until about 4. We got a shuttle into town for breakfast at this little gas station/diner. It was dirt cheap and absolutely delicious. It was a beautiful day and we had a great time just sitting around the hostel and watching hikers roll in. Around 4 we decided to finally hit the trail. We only hiked about 5 miles to the first shelter and made camp there. It was a nice hike except for a short, very steep section. We had a campfire and had a lovely evening. Rainbow Brite is here, who I first met at the Rainbow Gathering. At No Business Knob she fetched water for me and tonight at camp she gave me a Snickers and sewed up a couple holes in my shirt. What a trail angel!Tomorrow there is a decent sized climb up Unaka Mountain, and at the top is a dense spruce forest that should be neat. I plan on doing about 13 miles to the next shelter.
Date: 2013-04-24
From: Curley Maple Gap Shelter

To: Apple Orchard campsite
Miles today: 17.2

What a long day! I figured I would eventually build up to bigger miles, but it feels awesome to know that I walked 17 miles of trail in one day!I slept great last night, but Rainbow Brite was awoken by a couple who was in the shelter. Everyone tented and the couple had the shelter to themselves, so I'll let you deduce what woke Rainbow Brite up! I got out of camp late, around 10:30, as I thought I'd only be doing about 13 miles. As we were leaving, Aquaman and Rainbow Brite mentioned they were thinking about doing 17 miles to this campsite, and I decided I was up to the challenge. Unaka Mountain was awesome and the spruce forest smelled amazing. It started raining on my way down, and sprinkled off and on the rest of the day. When I got to camp (at about 7:30), I got my tent up and settled in before the heavy rain came. It started raining hard at about 8:30, right when Aquaman and Rainbow Brite got to camp. I was able to stay dry but their stuff all got soaked. Setting up a tent in the pouring rain tends to do that. I'm glad I am dry tonight!
Date: 2013-04-25
From: Apple Orchard campsite

To: Greasy Creek Friendly
Miles today: 2.9

Today was an amazing day, and it just casually turned into a nero day. We woke around the normal time (around 7:30), but didn't get moving. The sun was coming up and it was going to be a beautiful day. Aquaman and Rainbow Brite's stuff was soaked, as were my hiking clothes, so we rigged a couple huge clotheslines and hung everything up to dry. It was such an incredibly nice day with the warm sun that we were just hanging around camp. Every once in a while one of us would joke about packing up, but no one wanted to. Rainbow Brite led Aquaman and I in some very therapeutic yoga. I learned the happy baby position which looks so hilarious but actually felt great. We are planning on blowing past the next town and making it to Hampton, TN to resupply. I was short a couple meals for this so I hiked to the Greasy Creek Friendly hostel to stay the night and pick up a couple meals. Rainbow Brite and Aquaman were set food wise, so they went on a couple miles and camped. I'll meet up with them tomorrow. The hostel is a nice place although the bunkhouse is not heated and it will be in the low thirties tonight. CeeCee operates the place and is a very kind, sweet woman. She ran us to town to get dinner. I had a great burger, some curly fries, and cheese sticks. CeeCee is letting me borrow "Contact" by Carl Sagan and then ship it back to her. I like the movie and think the book will be great. It is a bit heavy, but there have been so many times in camp that I wanted to read something, I think it will be worth it. Tomorrow I'll pull 17 trail miles plus about 1 off trail mile getting back from the Greasy Creek Friendly. This will take me over Roan Mountain, another 6,000+ foot mountain and an over 2,000 foot climb. It'll make for a tough hike but I can do it!
Date: 2013-04-26
From: Greasy Creek Friendly

To: Overmountain Shelter
Miles today: 16.6
Weather: scattered clouds

Today was a long, tough hike for me - but I made it! I had hashbrowns and a bagel at the Greasy Creek and then hit the road.Before Roan Mountain I had a steep warm up over Little Rock Knob with some boulder scrambles near the top. It had a neat view from the top. After that it was up Roan! Roan actually had very nice switchbacks most of the way up and was a cool hike. It wasn't too bad at all. At the top was the site of the Cloudland Hotel. It was a resort in the late 1800's that was very luxurious. It was pricy too, at $2 a day! The ballroom had a line going through the middle denoting the TN/NC border. Alcohol was illegal in North Carolina but legal in Tennessee, so guests could only imbibe on the Tennessee side of the room. Supposedly a North Carolina sheriff would hang out there and bust guests who crossed the line with a drink!The walk down was very rocky and did not feel great on the feet. There were a few beautiful balds following Roan and then it was about 4 miles to Overmountain Shelter. The shelter is a converted barn and is huge, sleeping 20+ hikers. It is a cool shelter with a great view. I got in around 8:30 and was informed that plans may be changing. We are thinking about hiking 9 miles tomorrow and getting a room in town as there is some rain coming through we'd like to avoid. A decision for the morning!
Date: 2013-04-27
From: Overmountain Shelter

To: Beech Mountain home
Miles today: 8.7

The most amazing trail magic happened today. I'll get to that in a bit. We left the shelter at about 9:30, and had an incredibly beautiful walk. Despite off and on drizzling rain, there was no fog and I had some great views. There were several balds that were awesome and then a several mile ridge walk all over a huge bald area. It was just great. On the way down, we met a day hiker named Mark who said he could give us a ride into town to a pizza place we were trying to get to. From there, our hotel was going to come pick us up. This was great news, as we wouldn't need to hitch now. When we got down to the road, we waited about 5 minutes and then Mark met up with us. This is where it gets amazing. He said he thru-hiked SOBO in 2006 and had a lot of generous people help him out and that he wanted to do the same. He then explained he owned a local vacation home on Beech Mountain and invited us to spend the night. It was incredible!We went to get pizza and then headed for the house. It was six of us: myself, Aquaman, Rainbow Brite, Blacksquatch, Wooden Spoon, and Ace. We were able to do laundry, shower, watch a couple movies, and played some rummy. It was a great, fun night and will be one of the best memories of my hike, I am certain. Thanks so much to Mark for your generosity. Tomorrow it is back on the trail, likely in rain!
Date: 2013-04-28
From: Beech Mountain home

To: Vango/Abby Memorial Hostel
Miles today: 12.6

It was hard to leave the luxurious mountain home this morning, especially due to a rain forecast all day! Mark was very nice and gave us some awesome hospitality. It was raining all day which was a little unfortunate, as the terrain was just beautiful and would have been really nice to walk on a day with good weather. However, it was still not too bad since I was heading for a warm and dry bunk room at the Vango/Abby Memorial Hostel. I got to the hostel around 4 and had a nice night with Rainbow Brite, Wooden Spoon, Ace, and Fifteen. It is a donation based hostel with a suggested donation of only $8! The operator is a very nice guy named Scottie who has thru hiked before. He had Ben and Jerry's ice cream which was amazing. Tomorrow I'll hike to Hampton, TN where there is a saloon that lets you tent for free behind the building. I'll resupply and then push on to Damascus!
Date: 2013-04-29
From: Vango/Abby Memorial Hostel

To: Hampton, TN
Miles today: 15.0

Today we woke up to a beautiful day! The weather cleared up and it was very sunny. The hostel was a nice place to stay and worked out great as we were able to dry out our clothes and ourselves. The hiking wasn't too bad today and it was some beautiful scenery. There was a nice open meadow that Rainbow Brite and I sat around in for about an hour. We were able to muster the energy to get up and leave it before we yet again got sucked into the trap of being lazy and staying there. We walked by the Laurel Falls and the Laurel Fork which was just some astounding sights. A really wonderful stretch of trail. Along Laurel Fork we got to a campsite where Aquaman and Wooden Spoon were hanging out and waiting for us. We debated camping there and resupplying in Hampton tomorrow, but we decided to camp behind the saloon in town and stick to the original plan. As we were crossing a footbridge across the river, my empty Nalgene fell out of my pack and into the river. As I watched it float away, Rainbow Brite and Aquaman sprinted down the trail to try and save it. They weren't able to, and I told them not to worry about it since I was planning to switch to a lighter weight Gatorade bottle soon anyways. As we got to another footbridge, I looked up-river longingly, and then suddenly spotted a bobbing green bottle! Rainbow Brite went to one side of the river and I to the other to see if we could grab it. It went to her side, and she quickly put on her Teva's and heroically jumped into the river to save it. It was incredible, and save it she did! Dinner was on me tonight, to be sure. The mile side trail to Hampton was nice and easy, and soon we were at the Ice House Saloon. The "back yard" where they told us we could set up our tents was a gravel pit that they use for a parking lot. It was hard, rocky, and gross. The saloon was also out of beer and food, and to top it off the owner was a real jerk. So our plan backfired profusely. We called the Black Bear Cabins in a desperate attempt to salvage the night, and luckily they had a cabin available and were willing to come pick us up. They even drove us through McDonald's on the way back. They were very generous to do this, as it was late, and we really lucked out. Aquaman bought and ate $19 worth of McDonald's, which was ridiculous and impressive. Tomorrow we will begin the final push into Virginia and Damascus!
Date: 2013-04-30
From: Hampton, TN

To: Random Campsite
Miles today: 18.6

Today I must admit that I yellow blazed for the first time. Yellow blazing is a mostly pejorative term for when a hiker skips a section of trail via a car ride. When we were talking to the Black Bear Cabins owner about getting shuttled back, he said he could drop is off at the side trail again, or a few miles up where the actual AT crosses US 321. We went with the latter choice, skipping 5.9 miles of trail that goes up and down a huge climb with no view or payoff. Some out there will say I am no longer a thru-hiker, but I am not worried about it. The tried-and-true saying out here is "hike your own hike!" As a disclaimer, I included the skipped miles in my stats at the top of the entry in order to keep the total trip miles in line with where I am mileage-wise in the guide book. In no way am I trying to pass it off as miles that I actually hiked. In a perfect world, I would do a weekend trip this fall to come back and do the section, but either way, all is good!Hiking today, we all ran into a very creepy man with a plastic bucket and a duffel bag. We all encountered him alone, and all were very unsettled by him. In my encounter, he was askinge strange questions, speaking Spanish to me, and reading from the bible in a Borat voice. I was glad when he stayed where he was when I moved on!I crossed a neat dam while hiking today, and was glad to arrive at camp as we had a climb that for some reason kicked my butt. Maybe it's karma for skipping Pond Flats. Tomorrow is my last day fully hiking in Tennessee!
Date: 2013-05-01
From: Random Campsite

To: Campsite
Miles today: 13.1

Today was a day of very mellow terrain, and it was a nice hike. We heard that early in the morning the creepy guy had moseyed on up to the last shelter, so we were anxious to put some miles between us and him. It was very pleasant hiking all day, especially a half mile stretch that was handicap-accessible, as you can imagine! Right after this stretch we walked right up the middle of a cow pasture. There were tons of cows and many had calves, and it was very neat to walk near them. They were mooing and calling like crazy, likely due to the hiker trash* intruding on their pasture. The rest of the hike was nice and we got to camp with plenty of daylight left, something I hadn't really done in a while! Ace, Wooden Spoon, Rainbow Brite, and I are camping here tonight. Ace and Rainbow are hiking into Damascus tomorrow, but Wooden Spoon and I are going to stop two miles short so that we can nero and then zero in town. Tomorrow I enter Virginia! *Hiker trash is a not negative, but positive term that many of us thru-hikers affectionately refer to ourselves as. It describes us in all of our smelly, dirty, hairy, and hungry glory.
Date: 2013-05-02
From: Campsite

To: Campsite
Miles today: 13.9

I am in Virginia! It is surreal and crazy to think how far I have walked so far, from Georgia to Virginia. It is a major milestone and I am really excited about it. Today was even nicer terrain, and I feel a little bit guilty about doing such low miles on such easy trail. I want to spend a lot of time in Damascus, though, so I am glad to stop here tonight. Wooden Spoon and I got to camp early and set up a fire. We played a word game called Inky Pinky and also played 20 Questions. Gaia (Wooden Spoon's dog) and I got some more solid bonding time, and she is quickly turning me into a dog lover. Some of you at home may be shocked by that last bit of news!Tomorrow is a short, two mile, downhill hike into Damascus where I will spend a couple days exploring the legendary trail town.
Date: 2013-05-03
From: Campsite

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 1.8

The hike into Damascus was short and very pretty and pleasant. Damascus is a wonderfully hiker-friendly town. I wasn't 100 yards out of the woods when a man mowing the park lawn stopped, welcomed me, suggested a place for breakfast, and gave me directions to The Place, the hostel where I am staying tonight!I met up with Ace, Rainbow Bright, and Wooden Spoon and we went to the Dairy King for a delicious breakfast. Aquaman met up shortly after, and we all caught up. He did a huge 28 mile day into town two days ago. He and Rainbow are getting back on trail today. I'm a little sad to see our group breaking up, as Ace is getting off trail to head home. I think I'll stick with Wooden Spoon for a while and hopefully we'll see Rainbow Brite and Aquaman up the trail soon. I checked into The Place, a church run hostel in the middle of town. The operator is named Bayou and is very nice, although a bit particular. I went to the outfitter in town where Oboz had a new pair of shoes waiting for me, since my pair wore out already. Amazing customer service! After checking out the town a bit, I went up to a little house that Wooden Spoon's friends rented and that she is staying at. I got to do my laundry and get a shower for free up there, which was awesome. We all got dinner at the Blue Blaze Caf© and then went back to our abodes for the night. Looking forward to a full zero tomorrow!
Date: 2013-05-04
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Today was a good zero day - nice and relaxing. I was able to resupply, explore the town, and watch the Kentucky Derby!There is a bar on the main street called the Blue Blaze Caf© where we all went for happy hour and to watch the race. I was rooting for Normandy Invasion and thought he had it, but Ace's horse, Orb, took the cake. I met a local earlier around town and he was at the bar and bought me a beer! He has been reading my trail journal, which is cool. Tomorrow I'll likely get back on the trail and head north to the Grayson Highlands.
Date: 2013-05-05
From: Damascus, VA

To: Damascus, VA
Miles today: 0.0

Today became an unexpected zero day. In the morning people were getting dropped back off in Damascus from up the trail due to weather. They said it was raining, cold, and that there were devastatingly strong winds on the mountain. We heard about people's tent poles snapping from the wind! A couple people told me they were actually crawling due to the high winds. After these reports, I decided to stay in town for another day. I had breakfast with Wooden Spoon, and her visiting friends Meg and Tombo. Meg is going to hike for a few days with Wooden Spoon. I spent the rest of the day reading and watching TV at the house that Spoon and her friends rented. I am excited to get back on trail tomorrow and to get more Virginia trail under my belt. We are anticipating more rain, however, but hopefully less wind. Hoping for good weather!
Date: 2013-05-06
From: Damascus, VA

To: Saunders Shelter
Miles today: 9.7
Weather: light rain

This morning I awoke to pouring rain. Nothing makes you want to stick around town like rain. I got breakfast with Chaos at the Blue Blaze and waited to see if the rain dropped off at all. Luckily it did, so I made a break for it out of town. It drizzled off and on today, but nothing too bad. The sun even came out for part of the afternoon. I had planned to keep going to the next shelter, but when I arrived at Saunders, the sky looked very foreboding, and Oxy told me she heard there would be storms in the evening. I decided to stick around here for the night and make sure I got my tent up and settled in before the rain. I met a few new people at camp tonight, and saw Timex again. He just got back from his brother's graduation from Ohio State and seeing Obama speak. He is from Columbus, which is a cool coincidence. The forecast for the coming days is just rain, rain, and rain. It will be tough to trudge through it, but someday I will see the sun again!
Date: 2013-05-07
From: Saunders Shelter

To: Thomas Knob Shelter
Miles today: 18.6
Weather: light rain

Today was long, wet, tough, and cold. A new personal best for me, mileage-wise, as well! It rained all day and there was a long, hard climb as well.The rain dropped off in the afternoon, and I was hoping it would be done for the evening. This was not the case, though. Around 6:30, about an hour before I got to camp, I slipped and fell right on my face. The moment I hit the ground, it started pouring again. It was big bummer and I was a tad grumpy after that. I arrived at the shelter, and it was full, but luckily the rain let up a bit to allow me to get my tent up. I think Wooden Spoon, Gaia and Meg must have pushed on to the second shelter last night, and I didn't see them around here tonight, so I think they may be just ahead of me a bit. Hopefully we will meet back up soon!
Date: 2013-05-08
From: Thomas Knob Shelter

To: Old Orchard Shelter
Miles today: 11.0
Weather: light rain

Pouring rain all day! It just came down like crazy. It's too bad, since today I walked through the Grayson Highlands State Park, which everyone just raves about. It was still neat to walk over the grassy bald areas whilst literally being inside a cloud. The ups and downs were small and tame, which made the hiking in the rain a little easier. The bad thing is that in very heavy rain, the trail truly becomes a flowing stream. I gave up on keeping my feet somewhat dry soon after starting my hike today. There was actually a time where I took a wrong turn and walked down a real creek for 10 yards or so. The trail was that wet! I got to Old Orchard Shelter soaked and ready to get dry and warm. I expected it to be full, considering the weather, but I was actually the first one there. I quickly claimed a spot, as I did not feel like setting up my wet tent. I don't like shelters much, but on a day like today, I was ready to spend a night under a real roof. I shared some of my scotch with Fifteen and Blacksquatch, both of whom were very happy to warm up with a wee dram! I met City Slicka who is a cool guy from Boston. He has been on trail for 14 months and has walked 3,200-ish miles! There is a chance that tomorrow will be a nice day, although there is also a chance of more rain. Hoping and praying for the former!
Date: 2013-05-09
From: Old Orchard Shelter

To: Trimpi Shelter
Miles today: 14.1
Weather: scattered clouds

Clear skies and a bright sun this morning! What a great change. I started the day with a lofty goal of 24.7 miles to Partnership Shelter where there is a shower and pizza delivery available, but my plans changed. Walking in still-soaked socks and shoes, I developed a painful blister on my left heel about halfway through the day. It made each step challenging, and I was ready for at least a break when I got to Trimpi. There at Trimpi, I met a guy named Puffy who had done 20 miles today already, and was pushing on. Someday!Puffy informed me that Wooden Spoon was actually behind me, which was the opposite of what I thought. She showed up around 7 after I had decided to set up camp and wait for her there. It turns out I passed them when they walked off trail in the Grayson Highlands so that Meg could get a shuttle home. I'm glad we met back up and I was excited to see Gaia again!A brief shower at around 6:30 was the only rain today. This was a huge relief. City Slicka and Blacksquatch showed up here as well, and Slicka scared us with descriptions of trail terrain up north. Tomorrow we'll do 10 miles to Partnership Shelter where we can hitch into Marion and resupply at a grocery. Looking forward to a shower and town food!