morvasaaty/AppalachianTrail-LD-Hikers-Blogs-and-Weather-20-years huggingface dataset:
Date: 2015-08-01
From: Lyme-Dorchester Road, Lyme, NH

To: NH Hwy 25A
Miles today: 14.1

It was obvious at 5:30AM this morning that it would be another beautiful day to hike. We stopped at Starbucks in Hanover and filled our mugs with coffee before heading on to the trail. It was about a 25 minute drive to the trailhead near Lyme. I started walking at 7:15AM. The temperature was in the upper 50's when I started.A 1,200' ascent got me to Lambert's Ridge and beautiful views of the White Mountains. The mountain tops are now granite slabs so reminiscent of Maine last fall. After another 900' ascent, I reached the peak of Smart Mountain and an old fire tower.By noon, I reached the South Peak of Mt. Cube and its spectacular views. There were many day hikers on Mt. Cube, including a large group of upper elementary aged kids. They were headed in the opposite direction of me. The adults told them to move over and let the hiker pass. I was eating a sandwich as I was walking at the time. One of the adults in the group also told the kids to not take a bite of it as I passed them. It was wonderful to see kids out hiking. The rest of the day was a steady descent of 2,000' down to NH Hwy 25A where Mrs. GG was waiting. As I was nearing the trailhead, I met a couple of hikers southbound. The young lady hiker saw me coming and yelled out, "Hey, Gray Ghost! Your wife is waiting for you at the road, and she has some wonderful trail magic." When I got to the road there were about 5 - 6 hikers there enjoying the unexpected trail magic. Mrs. GG later told me that about 10 hikers came by that morning.We headed out for our new motel in Lincoln, NH. We will be staying here for the next week. We have a kitchenette, so we can enjoy some home cooked meals. Eating out or existing on sandwiches does get old after awhile. Today was a beautiful day for me to experience and marvel at God's perfect creation. I am so very blessed to have this opportunity.
Date: 2015-08-02
From: NH Hwy 25A

To: High Street, Glencliff, NH
Miles today: 11.2

We checked into our new motel home yesterday afternoon, the Riverbank Motel & Cabins in Lincoln, NH. Since this place has a kitchenette, we immediately went to the local grocery store, purchased food, and enjoyed a home-cooked meal in over a week. It was a much welcomed change. Also, waking up, having a full pot of coffee to enjoy while getting ready for the day, is such a treat!We are actually about halfway in between Lincoln and North Woodstock. Both of these towns are major tourist towns and remind me much of Gatlinburg, TN, when I was a kid.Since I was only hiking 11 fairly easy miles today, we were in no hurry this morning. We had breakfast in North Woodstock and then headed back to the trailhead. I started walking at 7:45AM. Most of today's hike was through low swampy areas, and there were long stretches in which I was walking through bogs. Some of them had boards to walk on, but in many places, I had to step from rock to rock to avoid bogging up to my ankles in thick, black mud. There were no views or anything to see other than the woods. I completed my 11 miles in just over 4.5 hours. As always, Mrs. GG was waiting for me at the end.This afternoon, we checked out some of the AT trailheads near here. Tomorrow, I am taking a zero day. On Tuesday, I will be hiking over Mt. Moosilauke, the first of many peaks in the White Mountains that are over 4,000'. I now have less than 100 miles to go to complete my 2,186 mile journey.
Date: 2015-08-03
From: High Street, Glencliff, NH

To: Lincoln, NH
Miles today: 0.0

Today was my first zero day after seven days of hiking. At the end of my first week, I am exactly on my planned schedule. We did laundry, gave a couple of thru hikers a ride back to the trail, and went on a short hike on the Lincoln Trail. The Lincoln Trail is an old railroad grade that runs right beside a beautiful river in the mountains. At its end, it connects with other mountain trails, some which eventually connect with the Appalachian Trail.Yesterday, we picked up a couple of thru-hikers near Franconia Notch and gave them a ride to Chet's Hostel here in Lincoln. Turbo and Peace Dog are NOBOs and started from Georgia this past March. This morning while we were at the Laundromat, we ran into them again. They had been at the Price Chopper Supermarket next door and needed a ride back to Franconia Notch. Of course we gave them a ride back! They are very nice, well-mannered young men. We wished them well as they continued their trek north the Katahdin.Tonight, we are grilling steaks and will be having a good dinner here at our temporary home. Tomorrow, I will hit the trail early to go up and over Mt. Moosilauke. I want to get a very early start to beat the afternoon thunder showers that are in the forecast. The forecast says some will likely be severe and will feature some hail. I don't want to be 4,800' up on Mt. Moosilauke, above the tree line, when that happens.
Date: 2015-08-04
From: High Street, Glencliff, NH

To: Kinsman Notch
Miles today: 7.9

Yesterday's thunderstorms were pretty severe, so I got an early start this morning, so that I could get up and over Mt. Moosilauke before afternoon showers developed. It worked. I started at 6:30AM, and I was at the summit before 9:00AM. The views were spectacular! At the summit, I met Moxie and Maps who are NOBOs. I took several pictures at the summit, but apparently the lens on my phone was fogged up or dirty, and they are not very clear.The descent from Moosilauke is very steep. In some of the steeper sections, there were blocks of wood bolted to the rock slabs that could be used as steps. Also, in places there was rebar hand rails attached to the rocks. It was slow going, but I reached the road and trailhead at the bottom by 11:15AM. I was an hour and 15 minutes of the scheduled time I had told Mrs. GG. There was a group of young girls and their leader with trail magic in the parking lot. They were giving out baked goods, fresh fruit, juice, and root beer. Thank you, ladies, for your kindness and generosity.On our ride back into town, we picked up Hawkeye from Arkansas and carried him to Chet's hostel. When he found out we were from Atlanta, he asked if we had ever heard of Lewis Grizzard. We told him we were familiar with Lewis and his books. Hawkeye said he had read everyone of Lewis' books.It's later in the afternoon, and it looks like the thunderstorms are beginning to crank up. I talked to several hikers today who said they were caught in storms yesterday that included hail. I'm glad to be off the mountain tonight.
Date: 2015-08-05
From: Kinsman Notch

To: Franconia Notch
Miles today: 16.1
Weather: overcast clouds

After a hearty, home-cooked breakfast, we headed to the trail. I started just before 7:00AM. The first few miles carried me to the summit of Wolf Mountain. Nine miles into my hike, I summited Kinsman Mountain, where I had beautiful views in every direction. I sat down on a rock and ate my lunch while enjoying the beautiful 360 degree views.I had planned on spending the night at a shelter, but as the day wore on, I started thinking about going all the way to Franconia Notch and being able to spend the night with Mrs. GG. Normally, a 16 mile hike would only take eight hours or more, but today's trail was as rugged as any I have ever hiked. Much of the time, I was climbing large boulders and holding on to roots or small trees to keep from falling. Most of the level sections were wet and muddy. At times, I would step in mud up to my calves. This 16 miles ended up taking almost 12 hours, but I finally reached the highway. Due to it being a divided highway, with limited turn-around access, it took Mrs. GG just a few minutes to reach me. Today's hike has left me very tired. I'm thinking I may take it easy tomorrow and do a zero day. I will still be on schedule, since I did two days in one today.
Date: 2015-08-06
From: Franconia Notch

To: Lincoln, NH
Miles today: 0.0

After yesterday's tough 16 mile hike, I fell asleep before 10PM and slept like a baby. Just before I went to sleep, I made a decision to take a day off and be completely lazy. We got up, enjoyed a good breakfast, and then went a nice 3 plus mile walk from the motel to Lincoln to North Woodstock back to the motel. Later we washed my very filthy hiking clothes due to the prior day's long, muddy trail.After an afternoon nap, we drove over to Crawford Notch, which will be my destination for Friday/Saturday. Tomorrow's hike will include 5,500' of ascent over 10 miles. According to everyone I have talked to, yesterday's steep trail and boulder scrambling will continue. This next section from Franconia Notch to Crawford Notch is going to be a long, tough, two-day, 27 mile hike. I'll be on the trail overnight for this section.After I get dropped off at the trailhead, Mrs. GG will be on her own in Lincoln. She'll be doing last minute laundry, packing up, and moving us to our next trail home, Jackson, New Hampshire. That will be our last stop, as I only have six hiking days left to complete this journey I began on March 16, 2014. I'm excited to see the end in sight, but also a little reluctant to see this adventure, which has been a life-long dream, come to an end.I have two hard days of hiking ahead of me to travel 27 miles to Crawford Notch by Saturday evening. On Sunday, my very good friend from Georgia Frank Stark, trail name Fritz, will arrive to hike the final four days with me. I'm looking forward to hiking with him again.
Date: 2015-08-07
From: Franconia Notch

To: Garfield Ridge Shelter
Miles today: 10.5
Weather: few clouds

Mrs. Gray Ghost dropped me off on I-93/US Hwy 3, and I walked down the embankment to the trail below. The first six miles were a steady climb out of the Notch up to the ridge, and the trail was surprisingly good. The first peak was Little Haystack Mountain, 4,800', followed by Mt. Lincoln, 5,089', and then Mr. Lafayette, 5,291'. Once I reached the first peak, I was above the tree-line and continued above it for several miles. The views were spectacular, and there were dozens of day hikers on the trail also. I saw a group of ladies up there who were trail running and had run up from Lincoln Woods. There was a group of nuns, I think, singing on one of the rocky peaks. Since I have entered the White Mountains, I have enjoyed good weather and good visibility on every peak. I'm just hoping that trend will continue.After Mt. Lafayette, the trail steeply descended for a few miles and then steeply ascended up Mt. Garfield, 4,317'. The ascent was very steep over a path of large boulders. Around 3:00PM, I reached the sign for the Garfield Ridge Shelter. The shelter was 0.2 miles off the AT, and the approach trail was all rocks and boulders. This shelter is run by the Appalachian Mountain Club, AMC, and charges an $8.00 daily fee. I paid the AMC caretaker and walked the remaining distance to the shelter. The shelter was a log structure and apparently not very old. It was one of the cleanest and nicest shelters I have seen. I was one of the first hikers to the shelter, but by nightfall, it was filled to capacity with a dozen or so hikers, most of whom were weekend hikers, and a black Lab mix named Willie Nelson. Today was a beautiful day and the challenging trail miles made it really easy to fall asleep.
Date: 2015-08-08
From: Garfield Ridge Shelter

To: Crawford Notch
Miles today: 17.4

I woke up and saw it was already beginning to be light shortly after 5:00AM. I got up as quietly as possible and went outside to fix my coffee. I had a couple cups of coffee and two Kind Bars for my breakfast, and then went back into the shelter to pack my stuff. Almost everyone was still sleeping. Shortly after 6:00AM, I was on the trail again.The rocky, steep descent off Mt. Garfield continued for awhile. I noticed that my first mile took nearly an hour, so I knew that I had a long, hard day ahead. The next peak was Twin Mountain, 4,902, followed by Mt. Guyot, 4,597', and the last major peak in this section. The rest of the day was down hill but with lots of rocks and boulders. Throughout the morning, I met dozens of section, weekend, and day hikers.By afternoon, I reached the Zealand Falls Hut, and it was full of people enjoying a beautiful afternoon on the mountain. Just past the hut, I found a nice place to stop for lunch, and I enjoyed one of my favorite lunches, a single slice packet of Spam wrapped in a tortilla. I brought several packs of Spam with me from Georgia, but I have not been able to find it up here in the supermarkets. They all have the canned variety, but that is too heavy to carry.The trail gradually improved as the afternoon wore on and my pace really picked up. Earlier in the morning, when I was on Twin Mountain, I called Mrs. Gray Ghost and told her that based on my early progress, I thought it would be very late when I would finally reach our pick-up point at Crawford Notch, US Hwy 302. By early afternoon, with the improved trail conditions, I knew that I would be there no later than 5:00PM, but I was not able to get cell service, so I could not update her. I arrived at the pick-up joint at 4:30PM, and did not have any cell service to call her. I waited almost an hour for her to meet me. She took me back to our new and final trail home, a cabin in Jackson, NH. By this time, I was very, very tired.
Date: 2015-08-09
From: Crawford Notch

To: Jackson, NH
Miles today: 0.0

Last night, we dined at the Red Fox Restaurant here in Jackson. Jackson and the surrounding area is filled with nice restaurants, inns, B&Bs, and other visitor amenities. After a wonderful meal last night, we returned to the Red Fox this morning for their breakfast buffet. It was fantastic,and I'm quite sure they lost money on me. After being back on the trail for a couple of weeks, my hiker appetite is fully developed.After breakfast, we walked the town loop in Jackson and rode over to North Conway to buy some groceries. Around 2:00PM, we received a call from Frank letting us know he was nearing Jackson. Minutes later, he drove up at our cabin. We helped him unload and discussed our hike plans, gear, etc.. We enjoyed a really nice dinner at the Wildcat Restaurant just down the road from our cabin. After dinner, we made our final plans and packed for tomorrow's hike. I am so thrilled that Frank is joining me for these last four days of my journey.
Date: 2015-08-10
From: Crawford Notch

To: Mt. Washington Peak
Miles today: 12.5
Weather: overcast clouds

Knowing that we had a hard day's hike in front of us, we were up early and on the trail by 6:15AM. Over the first four miles, we steadily climbed approximately 2,500', reaching our first views at the Webster Cliffs. There were lots of day hikers as well as a few thru-hikers on the trail. We met Hiccup from Texas and hiked with him a short distance before he picked up his pace and left us out-of-sight.By noon, we reached the Mizpah Spring Hut which was our halfway point. Next, we crossed Mt. Pierce, 4,312', and then skirted the peak of Mt. Eisenhower. Once we reached this part of our hike, we were above tree line the rest of the way. Soon we began to see Mt. Washington, 6,288', in the far distance. The clouds would obscure it for awhile, and then it would clear. Next, we passed over Mt. Franklin, 5,004', and skirted the peak of Mt. Monroe. Soon we arrived at the Lakes of the Cloud Hut, where we refilled our water supply. It was late afternoon, and hikers were continually arriving at the hut for the evening.From the hut, we only had 1.4 miles left to reach the peak of Mt. Washington. As we neared the top, the temperature dropped significantly, the wind picked up, and clouds began to roll in. When we got to the final hundred yards, there was Mrs. Gray Ghost standing beside the trail waiting for us. With the wind and clouds, it was getting really cool. We took a few quick pictures, met another 2014 AT thru-hiker, Yetti and her husband, and headed to our car in the parking lot. Mrs. GG had driven the 8 miles up the mountain, but gladly turned the wheel over to me for the drive down the steep, curvy road.After nice hot showers, we enjoyed a home cooked meal. It had been a great day of hiking, but we were very tired and ready for bed.
Date: 2015-08-11
From: Jackson, NH

To: Jackson, NH
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: few clouds

The forecast was calling for a 100% chance of rain with totals of 1" to 2", so we made the decision to take a zero day and stay off the slippery, rain soaked, rocky trail. Fritz, Mrs. GG, and I visited the AMC Pinkham Notch Center and then headed to Conway, NH, for a late lunch. As forecasted, the rain was heavy for much of the day. We made the right decision to stay off the trail today.Tomorrow, we will skip over the section we missed today and continue our trek toward Gorham, NH. We will start at Pinkham Notch at NH Hwy 16 and overnight on the trail at Carter Notch Hut before finishing at the trailhead on US Hwy 2, just east of Gorham on Thursday. On Friday, on his way home, I will ride back up to the top of Mt. Washington, via the Washington Auto Road. From the peak of Mt. Washington, I'll follow the AT through the Presidential Range and down to Pinkham Notch. There, Mrs. GG will be waiting for me to celebrate the end of this incredible life-long dream of a journey.
Date: 2015-08-12
From: Pinkham Notch

To: Carter Notch Hut
Miles today: 5.9
Weather: scattered clouds

After yesterday's rain, today was sunny and bright. We started the morning thinking it would be a short, easy hike since we only had 5.9 miles. All morning we climbed the Wildcat Peaks on a trail consisting of rocks, roots, boulders, mud, and slabs of granite. There was not an easy step all morning.We stopped on Wildcat Peak D for lunch and watched as a nearby ski lift brought sightseers up from the valley below. The Wildcats afforded us some really great views back toward Mt Washington. At about 4:00PM, we reached the Carter Notch Hut and checked in. Our supposed easy 5.9 mile hike had taken us almost 8 hours of hard hiking. Frank felt that it was tougher physically than Monday's 12.5 miles from Crawford Notch to Mt Washington. We claimed our bunks and took it easy until dinner was served at 6PM. The dinner was prepared by the three Hut Croo members. Croo members are college students who work the summer at one of the AMC Huts. They hike all of the food up the mountain, prepare breakfast and dinner each day, clean, and maintain the Hut. We had fresh baked bread, soup, roast turkey, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, broccoli, and peach cobbler. It was a wonderful meal and the Croo members are to be applauded for the fine job that they do.After dinner it was off to bed. No one had to tell us to sleep. It was a very tiring day.
Date: 2015-08-13
From: Carter Notch Hut

To: US Hwy 2, Gorham, NH
Miles today: 15.2

Last night we talked to Scott, one of the Croo members, about a side trail that Frank could take down to Hwy 16 in lieu of the tough 15.2 miles to Gorham. Scott recommended the Nineteen Mile Brook Trail which was a nice trail that descended approximately four miles down to Hwy 16. After a delicious breakfast, I started out for Gorham and Frank and Sam, a section hiker we met at the Hut, headed down the Nineteen Mile Brook Trail to Hwy 16 where Frank would call Mrs Gray Ghost and have her pick him up. Frank had done a great job of preparing for this hike and had covered some of the most rugged trail of the entire AT but his joints were beginning to tire from the continuous pounding on the rocks. What a great experience it has been to have Frank share these days with us.My hike took me over the Carter Mountain Peaks on more rocky, slow trail. By 5:00PM I was within a mile of Gorham. At this point the trail was following a river and was much smoother. I passed many people out for a walk on the trail. Soon I came up behind a lady walking in front of me. As I got closer, I thought she would hear me approaching and allow me to pass but she just kept walking. Finally I said, "excuse me', and no sooner than the words left my mouth, I suddenly realized it was Mrs Gray Ghost. We walked together the remaining distance to the parking lot at Hwy 2 where Rob and his sister and brother-in-law, Jean and Richard, were providing trail magic. They had hot dogs, snacks, beverages, and delicious cookies that Jean had baked. From all accounts, quite a few thru-hikers had been well fed. Nothing can make a day on the trail more enjoyable than unexpected trail magic such as this. Thank you Rob for being such a special person and friend.Frank, Mrs Gray Ghost, and I had said goodbye to Rob, Jean, and Richard and headed out for our house in Jackson. Tomorrow, Frank will be heading out for a family gathering in NY and I will be hiking my last day to complete my journey.
Date: 2015-08-14
From: Mt. Washington Peak

To: Pinkham Notch Visitors Center
Miles today: 13.5

Frank and I had breakfast, and I made my final preparations for my last day's hike. Mrs. GG and I said goodbye to Frank, as he was leaving for a family gathering in NY. He did a great job hiking and encouraging me. His friendship and support throughout my entire journey has been a true blessing. Hopefully, he will forget the pain and soreness and hike with me again.We met Rob at the entrance to the Washington Auto Road. He offered to drive us to the top of Mt. Washington where my hike was to begin. Mrs. GG happily took him up on his offer. Driving that long, steep, curvy road once, had been all she cared to ever do again. The weather was perfect! I've heard that up to 300 days per year the mountain is covered by clouds. How fortunate I was to have a perfect, clear, 48 degree morning! I said my goodbyes to Rob and Mrs. Gray Ghost, and they drove back down the mountain to where Rob had left his truck.I slowly started my descent off Mt. Washington. I would be walking on nothing but large boulders and would be above the tree-line for the next 8 to 9 miles. I skirted the summit of Mt. Jefferson, 5.315', and reached Madison Springs Hut. I stopped at the hut to eat my lunch and get water. Throughout the morning, I had seen dozens of day hikers enjoying the beautiful day and scenery. Next, I crossed over Mt. Madison, 5,360', which required a very steep ascent and descent over large boulders. The views of Mt. Washington and the valleys below were amazing. After Mt. Madison, the rest of my hike was downhill. I finally made it back below the tree-line, but the trail was still slow due to rocks and roots.At 5:45PM, I crossed the Washington Auto Road and knew that I had only two miles remaining. As I walked the final two miles, I reflected on my entire journey that began on March 16, 2014. I soon reached the parking lot and found Mrs. GG waiting for me as always. I am truly blessed to have this wonderful lady in my life. She is amazing and this journey would not have been possible without her support, encouragement, and love.We took a few pictures and headed back to our house in Jackson. We dined, once again, at the Red Fox Inn and Restaurant. What a wonderful day this has been!Thanks to everyone for your continuous interest, encouragement, support, and prayers. In the next few days, I will have one more journal entry to reflect my final thoughts on this wonderful adventure and the wonderful people who made it so rewarding.