morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-03-14
From: Sapphire Inn

To: Cold Spring Shelter
Miles today: 15.8
Weather: light rain

Ron Haven dropped me off after a night in the motel. I was dropped on the southside of winding stair gap but I went back across the road because I did not want to miss a bit. I was the only one that did that but hike your own hike, right?I got on the trail and hiked by myself the entire day. It was nice actually. I've been so worried about hiking without people that I forgot I like to hike by myself too. It rained all day and is currently raining. My new rain jacket worked pretty well though. Even with the new rain jacket, cooking dinner in the rain is a little more difficult. I did make a cup of tea however. The climbs today weren't necessarily steep, they were just long, gradual climbs. My feet and ankles hurt all day and the descents were making them worse. I'm pretty sure it's my orthotics that are causing this issue. I never had a problem before but now with the orthotics having some serious pain. At one point late in the day I just took them out and it was just foot in the shoe. No insoles. I think they felt better. I'm going to have to roll with that until the NOC tomorrow when I can buy a set of Superfeet. This frustrating, dreary, wet, foggy day is over. At least I was able to snap a picture at the Wayah Bald Tower and talk to Nikki and my parents. Tomorrow will be better, I'm sure.
Date: 2015-03-15
From: Cold Spring Shelter

To: Sassafras Gap Shelter
Miles today: 18.4
Weather: broken clouds

It rained last night and the wind was blowing a bit. I was dry in my tent but the air was cold. I get the trail about 8:45 or so. I need to start getting up earlier. I can get up when I want but I feel I should be rolling earlier. The weather was perfect! It was cool for the first hour or two and then it was comfortable and sunny. The sun was out the entire day. This is a change from what it's been the last few weeks.I hiked by myself today and it was again nice. I'm still not a couple other hikers on the trail: Ewoka Woka, Karoke, and Paradox (the whistler). The terrain was challenging today. It paid off with 360° views from the Wessar Bald observation tower. I snapped a picture on the top, ate lunch at the lookout 30 yards north of the trail and continued on my way. There were multiple views on the trek as well. About an hour after leaving the tower there was a long, slow, 5 mile descent into the Nantahala Outdoor Center (NOC). Along the way I met a guy hiking with a few friends. He was from Mystic, Connecticut and he thru-hiked in 1976. The funny thing is he knows the section of trail I maintain and is familiar with the area in West Cornwall. How ironic. I got to the road at the NOC and went directly to the Outfitter. I bought a set of Superfeet with the hopes my feet will feel better. Maybe because it was a long day, maybe it's I just need to break them in, but either way my feet still hurt. I'm hopeful though. With my Superfeet in, I now had to charge my phone so I went to the restaurant and had a burger and salad as well. I also called Nikki to let her know I may only text her at night for the next few days I will be entering the Great Smoky Mountains on Tuesday and there really isn't any place to stop to charge my phone. I hope Fontana Dam does but I can't count on it. I'll just be super conservative with usage. When I called Nikki, she became upset. As independent as we both are, its hard for her to have me be so away. Her heart is broken and so is mine. I hope I can see her soon. After the call in my phone charged, I had a long, slow, 6 mile uphill out of the NOC. I originally was thinking about stopping for the night at the NOC, but I pushed on. As I hiked on I could see the dirt and trees appear differently than before. Since I was now on the east side of the river, the dirt was more of a red clay. There were lots of pines and scrub pines. The smells of the woods made me feel like I was back home. The climb was ungodly long and I am tired. I was so happy to see the campsite. I'm tenting, on a hill. There are very few level, if any, spots here. The day is done and I'm happy I did 18.4 miles. I'm camping here at Sassafras Gap Shelter with a small spring to the left of me. It sure is nice to be out here!
Date: 2015-03-16
From: Sassafras Gap Shelter

To: Cody Gap
Miles today: 12.0
Weather: broken clouds

Despite the beautiful, sunny weather, today felt like a long day. I only did 12 miles too. There were nice views along the walk but my body is beat. I'm tired, my legs are tired, my feet are sore, and the terrain is getting tougher. At mile 151.7 there's the start of "Jacobs Ladder". This mountain was steep and felt like it never ended. I was running short on water too. I stop at Brown Fork Gap Shelter to load up. As I was there I was thinking I may only hike a couple more miles. I'm camping at Coby Gap instead of pushing on to Cable Gap like I had originally planned. Tomorrow I have only about 11 miles to hike and then I'm heading into Fontana for resupply. I'll need food for about three days to get me to Gatlinburg, TN. I'm tired...zzzzzzz
Date: 2015-03-17
From: Cody Gap

To: Fontana Dam Shelter
Miles today: 9.9

The trail has its ups and downs and today was definitely an up. It stated out by waking up to an amazing sunrise. The sky was pink and the mountain backdrop was picture perfect. I was up early and on the trail at 7:55am. The weather was beautiful on the hike to Fontana. The trail was dry but Ricky in some parts. The descent into Fontana was king but well worth it. The views of the marina were amazing. I hiked in my own today but played leapfrog with Paradox. I met two other hikers, Four and Five, while filling up with some more water. I descended into the Fontana parking lot with Five. Axiom and Shrugs showed up as they went into Fontana Village to resupply. I ate some lunch, charged my phone, and then Fresh Ground showed up. We chatted for a cut and he said he was setting up dinner for hikers tonight. I told him I'd gladly eat and I was just about to go and resupply. His friend, Max, gave me a lift to the store. I arrived at the Pit Stop to resupply and Hermit happened to be there and we chatted for a bit. I purchased what I needed then hopped the shuttle back to the trail. It was a quick 1.2 from the trail to the "Fontana Hilton" shelter where I set up my tent. I then headed up to see Fresh Ground where I ate three hot dogs, homemade French fries, a couple cookies, and an apple. My stomach was happy. Oh, he's cooking breakfast too!Stomach full, time to get cleaned up. I showered and did shower/sink laundry too. It will be a couple more days until REAL laundry. The evening was filled by sitting around listening to everyone, and then charging my phone at the bathroom. Hermit and I chatted while we charged our phones. Tomorrow I'll be entering the Great Smoky Mountains and the weather is looking good. I hope for big miles but the terrain looks challenging. Should be fun either way!
Date: 2015-03-18
From: Fontana Dam Shelter

To: Derrik Knob Shelter
Miles today: 23.1
Weather: overcast clouds

Happy birthday Rick!Today was awesome. I'd say the best day so far. It started with Mac cooking up pancakes for hikers. The day then kicked off to beautiful weather. Not overalls sunny and hot, just nice!I started out by crossing Fontana Dam and taking a bunch of pictures. I then follow the road down to the trail where we enter the Smoky's. I dropped off my thru-hiked permit and was on my way. I hiked up to the Shuckstack Fire tower with 360 degree views. The trail continued a gradual incline for the next 3.5 miles. My original game plan was to stop at Mollies Ridge Shelter (11.1 miles) but I knew I was going to hike on to the Russell Field Shelter (13.9 miles). While I had a snack at that shelter, I decided to press on to the Spencer Field Shelter (16.8 miles) where I saw Tree Ninja. I asked him if he wanted to do some night hiking and he was all about it. I ate dinner quick and at 6:45pm we were on our way.It was dusk and we were hiking through a grassy area on a mountain called Rocky Too. The views were absolutely amazing! It was 360 degrees. We times it perfectly. The sky had vibrant pinks and blues. The mountain ranges for as far as you could see had different hues of blue and green. In the distance were sparkling lights of a city we couldn't identify. It was truly the crowning point in the trip so far. As the hike continued, the sky grew dark. Those lights we saw earlier seemed brighter and larger. Eventually we moved away from the ridge line and into the valleys of the mountains. It was fun to think we were night hiking in such an amazing and famous national park. We arrived at the shelter at 9:45pm. On the Smoky Mountains, hikers are required to use the shelter and not tent. So I quietly changed, got out my sleeping pad and bag, and turned in for the night. Overall we hiked 23.1 miles today. That was a personal best. But beyond that, it was just a spectacular day!
Date: 2015-03-19
From: Derrik Knob Shelter

To: Double Spring Gap Shelter
Miles today: 7.5
Weather: light snow

I didn't sleep that well last night. You'd think that hiking 23 miles would put you out light a light. Either way, it was a good night to be in the shelter...it poured. I awoke to pouring rain on the rood of the shelter. I knew we were going to get some rain but it was coming down hard. Hearing it made me not want to get up and hike. I knew the more I hike the sooner I get to Gatlinburg. The weather is absolutely crazy here. Yesterday was great and today is the worst I've seen so far. Th rain was nonstop. It was awful because the rain was driving hard from the east. You absolutely could not escape the forty degree temps, rain, and high winds every second of the day. I stopped in to Silers Bald Shelter for a quick lunch but I moved on to Double Spring Gap Shelter instead. It was so bad out I called it a day at 1:00pm. The weather was too rough to continue. Other hikers did the same. I didn't want to press my luck of loving on to the next shelter, knowing the elevation and winds would just be getting no higher. It would be looking for trouble.The shelter is full but everyone in it is great. We are all drying out our gear as best as possible. We know, unfortunately, that we will be putting on damp or wet clothes tomorrow. The game plan is to go into Gatlinburg tomorrow afternoon and stay the night. I need to resupply, dry out, do laundry, shower, eat, journal, and relax. I hope the weather is better than today. Gatlinburg tomorrow!
Date: 2015-03-20
From: Double Spring Gap Shelter

To: Newfound Gap
Miles today: 10.8

I woke up dry but had to put on wet clothes and shoes. Thinking about that when you are warm and comfy in your sleeping bag makes you not want to get out. Today was a short day, 10.8 miles. I was on the trail at 8:10am with the goal of making it into Gatlinburg in the afternoon. First I had to summit Clingmans Dome, the highest point on the entire Appalachian Trail. The weather was so misty and foggy that I could not see anything. The miles flew by and my shuttle was arranged for Newfound Gap. When I arrived at the gap there was a trail angel, Dragon Fly, giving out trail magic. She had fruits, veggies, granola bars, fruit snacks, donuts, soda, and more. Seeing her with all these goodies made the lousy weather disappear for the time being. My shuttle arrived and I headed to the hiker-famous Grand Prix motel. I did laundry, took a hot shower, then headed to the outfitter to purchase a new pair of rain pants. The other day I tore them from the waist to the ankle. However the outfitter was sold out of my size. I'll have to get them when I get to Hot Springs in 70 miles. I met Hermit at Shoney's for some all-you-can-eat dinner. I enjoyed myself. From there I hopped on a trolley and went to the other side of town to get to the grocery store. All resupplied, organized, and ready for tomorrow. Back to the trail I go.
Date: 2015-03-21
From: Newfound Gap

To: Tri-Knob Shelter
Miles today: 15.6

I went to bed late last night. Getting up at 8:00am was nice. After a honeybun and a couple oranges, I was waiting for the shuttle back to the trail. Mark (Godspeed) and Wendy (Mountain Momma) are trail Angels and provided us hikers a ride back into Gatlinburg. They had a touching story of their son, an avid hiker, diagnosed with a tumor. Through the grace of God, he was healthy once again and they are giving back to other hikers. The conversation was welcomed and the ride was greatly appreciated. They dropped me off at Newfound Gap where I hopped off the night before. It was the spot that apparently Roosevelt dedicated the Great Smoky Mountain park. Anyway, I was soon on my way and shortly was hiking with Victor. We hiked together for at least 5 miles today. I learned about his tours with the infantry and it made for great conversation. The views today were spectacular! The temperature was perfect and the sun was out. There were quite a few overlooks too. In all honesty, they look the same. The Smoky's are beautiful and you are walking on a ridge. But it's very similar much of the time. Never thought I'd say that! There were still beautiful spots with rock outcroppings. One particular spot was called Charlie's Bunion. There were unreal drop-offs from this spot. It was a nice spot for a snack. I also spent the last few miles hiking with Paradox. He had thru-hiked in 2010 and we had nice conversation as the hike concluded for the day. The night ended at Tri-Corner Knob Shelter. It was a 15.6 mile day. I'll be ALMOST out of the Smoky's tomorrow.
Date: 2015-03-22
From: Tri-Knob Shelter

To: Painter Branch Campsite
Miles today: 20.5

I am out of the Great Smoky Mountains. That means I no longer am required to sleep in a shelter unless I want to. I choose not to, 99% of the time. Dirty, loud, crowded places to ATTEMPT to sleep...for example, last night. There were people snoring so loud it was keeping me, and others, awake the entire night. It was a looooong night. Today I got up at 5:45am. Victor and Will get up early, hike all day and really put in the mileage. I got up me joined them, along with Grey Wolf (from Germany). It was 6:35am when I got on the trail. I was a coue minutes behind them but caught up shortly. We were hiking with out headlamps on for a short time. Our eyes adjusted to the light coming through and we were good to go. Before 9:30 we already banged out 7.7 miles. What. World of difference it makes when you start before light. However a couple hours in, Victor rolled his ankle really bad and needed to wrap it. He surely is a trooper though. The roll was bad, his ankle was swelling up, and he shook it off and continued to hike another 14 miles. You'd never know he hurt it by the pace he was keeping. Victor and I hiked together the next 8 miles. I was very intentional on where I put my feet while walking. We made it out of the Smoky's and to Davenport Gap. As we say there for lunch, former thru-hiker Sparky, and his friend Morning Glory, stopped to set up some trail magic. It was just what we wanted! Fruit, homemade chocolate chip cookies, and soda! After chatting for a bit we were back on the trail. It was about 2.5 miles to Standing Bear Hostel where I grabbed a few snacks and charged up my phone a bit. Then on to the Painter Branch Campsite I go. Dinner, soaking my feet, calling Nikki and journaling finishes off the night we had good weather today but it's going to rain a little tonight. Overall it was a great day to put the miles in!
Date: 2015-03-24
From: Walnut Mountain Shelter

To: Deer Park Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 9.9
Weather: light rain

I woke up and took my time to eat breakfast and get on the trail. It was after 9:00am, I'm sure. I was in no rush because the plan was to only hike 10 miles for the day. I figured today would be pretty easy but there was a solids 1.5 mile climb up to Bluff Mountain. There weren't any views there or at any point today. Yet it was still beautiful and the woods had the smell of pine trees. I hiked by myself for most of the day but I got to meet a couple new people, Bossanova and Red. Actually I met them briefly at Fresh Ground's yesterday but it was just a quick greeting at that point. Today we hiked together for a couple miles down to Garenflo Gap. Both guys are really cool and I'm sure I'll run into them down the trail. They'll be in Hot Springs tomorrow and I will be there also. I'm staying in a really nice campsite across from the Deer Park Mountain Shelter. It's just me, Michelle (from Quebec), Axon, Shrugs, and Beaker (just met). We got into camp real early but we sat around and hung out for quite a while. After some great conversation and a hot meal, it's time to turn in. The game plan is to go into Hot Springs, NC early in the morning. I have lots to do. I MAY make a trip to the medical center. My shoulder is not getting any better. We'll see what happens.
Date: 2015-03-25
From: Deer Park Mountain Shelter

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

I left the campsite around 7:30am. It was only a short hike to Hot Springs. I am babying my shoulder so I only used one trekking pole and it was mostly descent. Still, I was at the hostel before 9:00. The hostel care taker, Tie, had my bunk room ready to go and was very hospitable. All checked in, I headed down to the Post Office to pick up the packages Nikki sent me. THANKS AGAIN NIK! I took care of laundry, a shower, and went to the Hot Springs Medical Center to have my shoulder looked at. I was given a 3:30 appointment time so it gave me time to send out a package, stop at the outfitter and go to the Dollar General for resupply. With the errands done I headed back to the medical center for my appointment. All is well. Seems to be bursitis and the doctor doesn't feel X-rays are necessary. I'll keep taking the script, stretching, and try to be more cautious with my trekking pole usage. Really leaning on it a lot seems to be transmitting the force into my shoulder. I'm happy to hear this is something I can work through and isn't anything more. All these errands had me really hungry. I went to the Spring Creek Tavern for a burger and a salad. Yup, a salad. On the trail you are eating so much junk food. Having a salad is a nice treat. As for the burger, on the trail you aren't eating red meat at all. Its jerky or some sort, tuna or chicken packets. I gladly welcome a hamburger!I headed back to the hostel to write in my journal and a former thru-hiker and creator of The Hiker Yearbook showed up. I was able to see what the book is all about and I'll be in there for 2015. She took my name, trail name, picture and other usual garb. The night ended with FaceTime with Nikki, Bri, and Heg. It was great to see and talk to them. Hopefully I'll get the chance soon. Next town I'll be stopping in is Irwin so maybe in a couple days. As for tomorrow, I have no idea what I'm going to do for mileage. I'll just have to wait and see!
Date: 2015-03-26
From: Hot Springs, NC

To: Little Laurel Shelter
Miles today: 19.6
Weather: broken clouds

After a pleasant stay at then Laughing Heart Hostel, I was out of the door and on the trail at about 8:30am. The trail goes right trough the town actually. It goes down the Main Street of town for a little while and eventually breaks into the woods. The trail entered the woods and parallels a river. I stopped and was talking with another hiker when Grey Wolf showed up. We ended up hiking together for the next 6 or 7 miles. It was great to hear about his life and family back in Germany. We had good conversation during these few hours. However while we were walking, he almost stepped on a copperhead. It was either on the trail or right next to it. I was just a few feet behind him so it jetted out in front of me. It was just a foot or so away. It was surely closer than I liked.   We hiked up until the side trail to the Rich Mountain Lookout Tower. He didn't want to check it out so he continued on. I ended up taking the side trip and was not disappointed. The views from the tower were amazing and you could see for miles and miles. I stopped to chat with NATO and Laugh Track who were eating lunch up there. I snapped a few pictures of the views and I was back in the trail. At one point Stretch and I caught up and we got to walk through a prescribed burn! With my feet on the ground, there were some tough climbs and descents. I was tired as the last few miles slowly ticked away. I felt like I was staggering to get uphill and make it to the campsite. Maybe it felt longer because I was using only one trekking pole; tried to baby my shoulder a bit. Hiking takes a roll on the body so I tried fueling up A LOT today. I just ate and ate and ate. I packed a ton of food and consumed it all. My appetite is making for a heavy pack. I carry a lot of food. With a full stomach, it's time to head to bed. The forecast is rain for tonight and for the morning. Let's hope for a dry night.
Date: 2015-03-27
From: Little Laurel Shelter

To: Flint Mountain Shelter
Miles today: 13.2
Weather: light rain

It rained last night. When I awoke it almost sounded like tiny pieces of hail. I got up, wipes down my tent, and had a TERRIBLE peanut butter Pop Tart. They are definitely the worst Pop Tart flavor. I'd rather eat corrugated cardboard. The first few minutes from camp were a climb but they weren't bad. After a couple minutes of increased elevation, there was snow accumulation in the ground. As I hiked on, it started to hail and snow. I continued to hike and caught up with Axon and Shrugs and we hiked together for a couple miles. We stopped at viewpoints along the way but the weather was not in our favor. The weather soon became brutal. It was cold with a little hail before but now it was bitter with wind driving the hail from the west. I had my rain gear on and my hat tilted and pulled down. It was the only thing I could do to keep the hail from hitting me in eye. I stopped at the Jerry Cabin Shelter for lunch. It was a quick lunch since sitting just made me cold. After just a few minutes, I was on my way. The terrain following the shelter had a few large meadows. Possibly of an old homestead or something. Just after, I caught up to Stretch and we hiked together for a few miles. As we walked, the snow finally stopped and we dried out a bit. The sun ended up coming out too. I made it to the shelter and Hermit, Laugh Track, Dopey, Stretch and Pliskin as staying too. I'm tenting, of course. I was hoping to move on since the weather cleared but it was good call ending the day early. Despite how bitter the weather was today, it was awesome. It was fun to hike in the snow. The was beautiful to walk through. There were tunnels of greenery coated in snow and ice making it look completely new.The night is closing in and it's lightly hailing. I'm sure tonight will be cold! Let's hope for a mild tomorrow.